Student protests rock Valley
Security forces had to use tear gas, fire in the air to disperse protesters who took to the streets shouting proazadi slogans
Protests rocked the heart of Srinagar on Monday morning as students clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse the protesters as colleges opened after a five-day shutdown.
As soon as colleges reopened on Monday, students of Sri Pratap Higher Secondary School and College came out on the roads adjacent to the institutions and pelted stones at security forces, who retaliated with tear gas and water cannons.
Students shouted Islamic and pro-azadi slogans as they charged at the security personnel. At one point, forces also fired in the air to disperse the protesters. Senior superintendent of police, Srinagar, Imtiaz Ismail Parray was hit by a stone on his arm. “I am fine now,” he told HT.
The protests came on a day when Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and pressed for a dialogue with separatists in the state.
Eyewitnesses recounted that students from SP College climbed the walls of the nearby women’s college and started targeting security personnel with stones.
“Some students also reached the gate of the women’s college and targeted the security personnel from there. Meanwhile, behind the boys, some women students also started protesting inside the women’s college campus and eventually, some of them protested on the road as well,” an eyewitness said.
Police fired dozens of tear gas shells inside the women’s college campus that left students and faculty members present inside feeling suffocated, a teacher said.
Lal Chowk and adjoining areas descended into chaos with traffic caught in the ensuing disturbance while tear gas smoke left pedestrians with fits of coughing. A press photographer was also reportedly injured while covering the clashes. A shopkeeper, who sells books and newspaper near Lal Chowk, said, “In the long period of time I have been working out of Lal Chowk, I have never seen such a situation. It seems students have overcome their fear of injury or even death.”
The students kept regrouping and targeting the security forces after short intervals. A police control room official said students had come out on the roads and security forces retaliated to quell the protests. “The situation is now under control,” the official said on Monday afternoon.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: “While @Mehboobamufti goes door to door in Delhi to save her job the state teeters on the brink - student protests are the new worry.”
Unprecedented student protests had erupted across the Valley last Monday against the alleged high-handedness of security forces in Pulwama Degree College in south Kashmir on April 15. Following the clashes on April 17, the government had ordered shutdown of classes.
Militants shot dead Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Gani Dar on Monday amid mounting tension and clashes between civilians and security forces in Kashmir.
Pulwama superintendent of police Rayees Mohammad Bhat told HT that Dar — Pulwama unit president of the state’s ruling party — was travelling in a car when motorcyle-borne militants opened fire on him and escaped.
The critically injured leader was shifted to Srinagar’s SMHS hospital and died on the way.
Medical superintendent of SMHS hospital, Dr Nazir Chowdary, said: “The person was brought dead. He is no more.”
He was hit with multiple bullets in his chest, a source said.
The attack came just hours after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pressed for a dialogue with separatists in the state.
Mehbooba, who is under pressure in the face of fresh street protests in Kashmir, briefed Modi on the prevailing situation and the way forward. Earlier this month, advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, who was associated with National Conference, was shot dead in Shopian district.
Moreover, last week, a grainy short video had emerged, showing Wali Mohammed Bhat, a supporter of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), apologising profusely and shouting anti-india slogans at gunpoint.
Two days after his name started doing the rounds again for the post of President, senior poli tician and NCP chief Sharad Pawar denied that he was in the race for the post.
Pawar’s refusal comes after his candidature was floated by CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat. The leaders felt Pawar was apt for the post as he enjoyed cordial relations with all political parties and could keep a check on the BJP.
Talking to media persons in Solapur, Pawar said the BJP had enough strength to win the elec tion for the post of President. “My party does not have enough strength. Election can be unani mous if Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens dialogue with the opposition parties,” he said. “I am not in the race for the post of Pres ident. I cannot dream of the post when my party has only 14 MPS,” Pawar added.
The NCP chief admitted that Modi continues to influence vot ers, which was visible in the Uttar Pradesh elections. He, however remarked that any wave cannot sustain for a long time. “Politica parties have failed to pose a strong alternative to Narendra Modi and people are voting for BJP,” he said.