Adil Lateef
Srinagar, May 11: At least two dozen persons were injured as fresh violence broke out between students and security forces in many parts of Kashmir including in Srinagar today after which Government announced suspension of classwork in many colleges and schools tomorrow.
A dozen cops and six students were injured when students from Government Degree College and Government Higher Secondary School in Sopore town of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today staged protests against detention of students and deployment of security forces near their educational institutes. The students pelted stones on security personnel including police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men.
The police retaliated by lobbing teargas shells in and outside the Sopore College and HSS. Heavy clashes ensued between the two sides which also spread to nearby Iqbal Market. At least 12 policemen and six students were injured in the clashes that continued for several hours. The situation in the Sopore town was tense due to clashes while additional contingents of police and CRPF were deployed to thwart protests.
Scores of students in Main Town of southern Pulwama district today morning demanded release of their detained peers by police. The students resorted to sloganeering against the State including police and started pelting stones on security forces already deployed in Pulwama Town, who retaliated by firing tear smoke shells.
Within minutes, intense clashes between the two sides ensued that affected commercial and vehicular activities in Pulwama Town. The students pelted stones on security forces from multiple directions and police equally responded with firing of teargas canisters. The shopkeepers alleged that police beat them to pulp and damaged goods during stone-throwing in the town. Denying charge, a police official said that no one was beaten and blamed shopkeepers for stone-pelting.
While police were dealing with angry students, the shopkeepers also rallied against the alleged police excesses on them. However, police intercepted the shopkeepers’ protest rally and fired teargas to disperse them. Witnesses said police also used pellets against the stone-throwing crowd and that resulted in injuries to two persons who were shifted to local hospital for treatment. The local traders said a shutdown will be observed in Pulwama town tomorrow against alleged police high-handedness.
Students staged massive protests against the alleged beating of their peers by Army personnel in Magam town of Budgam district and in Dooru town of Anantnag district. The students of higher secondary schools at both these places alleged that Army soldiers beat some of their peers and boycotted classes. Witnesses said the students pelted stones on security forces who retaliated by firing teargas canisters. At least four students were injured in clashes at Magam in Budgam. In Dooru, shopkeepers downed their shutters after clashes.
In summer capital Srinagar, students of MP Higher Secondary School at Bagh-e-Dilawar Khan boycotted their classes and demonstrated against State.
The students pelted stones on security forces near Khanyar police station. The clashes in the area continued for nearly an hour. Similar clashes also erupted at Hazratbal area here students of local higher secondary took to streets. Students in Langate area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district also held protests and clashed with police.
In the wake of fresh violence, the Government today said the classwork in Degree College Sopore, Boys Higher Secondary School Sopore, Sri Pratap Higher Secondary School Srinagar, Government Degree College Magam and Government Higher Secondary School Magam shall remain suspended tomorrow on Friday.
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