Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, May 16: Clashes between students and security forces continued for the second day today in Kashmir during which scores of persons including policemen sustained injuries and affected routine class work in educational institutions.
Clashes erupted at Pattan town of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district between hundreds of students and security forces this morning. Hundreds of students of Degree College Pattan and Government Higher Secondary School Pattan boycotted their class work and staged violent protests against the Government.
Confronted by security forces including police in Main Market of Pattan, the agitating students resorted to heavy stone-pelting after which police responded by firing teargas shells, ensuing violent clashes between the two sides. The clashes rocked the Town throughout the day and during which 14 students and 11 cops were injured.
Due to teargas shelling, some of the girl students, who were also protesting, fainted and fell unconscious. The intense clashes in Pattan town prompted several shopkeepers to close their shops. Police said they exercised maximum restrain and did not resort to lethal mode of force against the students.
In Srinagar here, scores of students of Gandhi Memorial College and MP Higher Secondary School at Bagh-e-Dilawar Khan came out of their respective institutes and resorted to stone-pelting on police. The police retaliated by lobbing teargas and pepper shells. The clashes between the two sides continued for more than one hour and resulted in disruption of vehicular movement. A boy was detained by police on the occasion.
While classwork in Sri Pratap Higher Secondary School (SPHSS) at Maulana Azad Road here continued to remain suspend, the routine classes resumed at Sri Pratap College after yesterday’s violent clashes. The classwork in Women’s College and Kothi Bagh Girls Higher Secondary School here also continued without any disruption. The teaching, however, at Magam College and Higher Secondary School in Budgam district remained suspended today after yesterday’s clashes.
Dozens of students of Government Higher Secondary School Hajin in Bandipora district staged a massive protest and pelted stones on security forces against deployment of Army men near their educational institute. Police fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the students. During these clashes, four students sustained minor injuries.
A peaceful protest was staged by students in Main Town of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The students in Main Town of Pulwama district in Southern Kashmir attacked security forces with stones and bricks. The police retaliated by firing teargas and situation was brought to normal. The students of Dooru College in Anantnag district staged a protest against alleged thrashing of one of their counterparts by Army.
In Okay village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, women staged a protest against alleged thrashing of a civilian during a search and cordon operation. Some of the protesters also pelted stones on security forces and Army fired in air to disperse them. However, no one was injured. The cordon in the area was launched following an input about the presence of militants in the area but no one was found later.
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