Many hurt in fresh J&K clashes
Renewed clashes in Srinagar, Sopore; schools shut for fifth day running
Several people were injured on Friday in renewed clashes between protesting youths and security forces in Kashmir.
The Valley is on the boil again following the killing of nine persons in security forces’ firing on protesters and stone-pelting mobs during the April 9 bypoll in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The tensions heightened further after more than 50 students suffered injuries in security forces’ actions in southern Pulwama town on April 15. Since then, nearly 150 more students have been injured in clashes with security forces. Classes at colleges and some high and higher secondary schools remained suspended for the fifth day running on Friday, and Internet services snapped after the student unrest spread to more areas during the week continued to be partially stopped.
The fresh clashes were reported from a couple of areas in summer capital Srinagar and the northwestern town of Sopore. The security forces fired dozens of teargas canisters and swung bamboo sticks to push the stonepelting youths onto the dark alleys of Srinagar’s Maisuma locality, witnesses said. Clashes were reported also from parts of central Srinagar.
An alliance of key separatist leaders had asked the people to hold peaceful protests for one hour across the Valley after Friday prayers. The proindependence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and the Mirwaizled Hurriyat Conference held solidarity marches for the agitating students.
An official spokesperson here said that classes in all the colleges in the Kashmir division will remain suspended on Saturday also “as a precautionary measure”. Kashmir divisional commissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan held a meeting with top officials, including the Valley’s DCs to review the functioning of educational institutions. He asked the principals of these institutions, who also attended the meeting, “to adopt a proactive approach in dealing with any untoward incidents on campuses and focus on ensuring peaceful atmosphere at their institutions”. He also called for involving faculty members in counselling students on a regular basis.