Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 5: The city centre today turned into battleground as police flexed muscles on Rehbar-e-Taleeem (ReT) teachers who were protesting against Government’s decision of conducting screening test. The ding dong battle between police and the ReT teachers led to injuries to 10 people while scores were detained.
Hundreds of ReT teachers this morning took out a rally from the Office of Directorate of Education Srinagar and marched towards Press Enclave. The teachers were demanding roll back of screening test decision of Government and raised slogans in favour of their demand.
The agitating teachers after reaching Press Enclave tried to proceed towards Civil Secretariat but large contingents of police led by senior officers intercepted them by charging batons and firing tear gas.
Police also used water cannons against employees in a bid to disperse them but they offered stiff resistance resulting in scuffle between the two sides.
As the situation started to turn ugly, police resorted to teargas and pepper gas shelling as well as intense cane charge. The police action created panic in Lal Chowk and employees started to run in all directions.
In the meanwhile, unknown persons resorted to stone-pelting on police at Residency Road near Pratap Park leading to chaotic situation across the commercial hub Lal Chowk. The traffic along Residency Road came to halt while police started to detain employees. Many ReT teachers were bundled into police vehicles and shifted to police station Kothi Bagh.
Despite police action, the employees re-grouped and shouted anti-Government slogans. They also expressed resentment over baton charge and teargas shelling by cops. The protesting teachers concluded their protest after they assembled at press enclave and resorted to massive sloganeering. They also shouted slogans against Education Minister, Nayeem Akhtar.
Meanwhile, at least 10 teachers were injured in protests and police detained 150 of them, the president of ReT Teachers’ Forum, Farooq Tantray, told Excelsior.
He said one of the teachers identified as Daljit Singh has sustained critical injuries in his eye due to police action. “He would be shifted to Amritsar for specialized treatment,” Tantray said. He further said that nearly 150 teachers were detained by police and lodged in Kothi Bagh and Shaheed Gunj police stations.
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