Tear gas, rock throwing erupts at Kashmir funeral
SRINAGAR: Hundreds of angry protesters clashed with Indian authorities yesterday at the funeral of a young man killed during a demonstration in disputed Kashmir. Separatists called for a daylong strike in the tense Himalayan territory.
Shouting “Go India, go back” and “We want freedom”, the funeral protesters hurled stones at law enforcement officials while marching towards a highway near the village of Palhalan where Farooq Ahmed Bhat was being buried.
Police fired tear gas while paramilitary troops tried to block the march. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Officials said Bhat, a student, was killed when government forces fired to stop stone-throwing protesters in Palhalan, north of the main city of Srinagar, during a day of protests on Monday across the region to mark the two-year anniversary of secret hanging of former rebel Mohammed Afzal Guru in a New Delhi jail.
Local residents said, however, that Bhat was standing near his home and was not part of the anti-India protest.
Shops and businesses were shut yesterday in Srinagar, where authorities clamped a curfew in old quarters and law enforcement officials patrolled deserted streets. More than 100 anti-India activists remained in custody, after being detained over the weekend as part of efforts to control Monday’s planned protests. University exams this week were cancelled.
Anti-India separatists have l ong demanded either independence or a merger with neighbouring Pakistan. India and Pakistan each administer a portion of Kashmir. Both claim the entire region.