Current News Service
SRINAGAR
A day after fresh killing, authorities on Monday continued curfew for the 45th consecutive day paralyzing life across Kashmir.
Strict curfew was imposed in Old Srinagar while all the roads leading towards Fateh Kadal, the native area of Irfan Ahmad Wani who was killed in forces action on Sunday evening, were sealed by police restricting the movement of people particularly mourners.
Sixty-eight civilians have been killed in the current mass civil uprising by forces while over 7500 persons have been injured.
The current phase of renewed anti-India uprising was triggered by the killing of popular Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016.
Top resistance leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are under house arrest while Yasin Malik is lodged in central jail.
The resistance leadership had asked people to march towards tehsil headquarters. The leadership had urged upon people to offer Zuhr prayers at Tehsil headquarters and after prayers hold ‘Referendum Congregations’ for the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir today.
Further people had been asked to block all roads towards and around Civil Secretariat Srinagar, DC and Tehsil officers and ensure that no employee should join the duty.
In a bid to foil the resistance program, authorities imposed curfew, however, authorities facilitated the free movement of people in Civil Lines areas.
All the barricades erected at Abdullah Bridge, TRC chowk, Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk and Dalgate had been removed.
Reports said that a huge pro freedom rally was organized in Hari-Parigam area of Tral town in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Witnesses said that forces earlier resorted to heavy tear-smoke shelling to foil the rally, however, despite shelling, people regrouped and organized a rally.
The rally was addressed by couple of speakers who urged upon people to be steadfast and organize only peaceful protests.
Reports said that more than 27 people were injured when forces fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse a ‘peaceful’ protest rally at Ganapora Balapora village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
“We had even sought permission from police and our rally was peaceful. Forces emerged and resorted to unprovoked shelling,” said a local from the area adding that dozens of people were injured in forces action.
Confirming the incident, a top police official said that a constable was also badly wounded when protesters pelted stones on the police.
Stone-pelting incidents were reported from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district as well.
Reports said that youth tried to take out a march; however, they were stopped by police resulting in confrontation.
At Seklo village of the district, reports said that a pro-freedom rally was organized that was attended by a large number of people. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Qaimoh Kulgam.
People from couple of Pulwama villages alleged that Special Operation Group and CRPF personnel resorted to unprovoked tear-gas shelling at a time when no protest was going on.
People said that at around 2 pm on Monday, SOG and CRPF men in dozens of vehicles appeared in villages including Gadoora, Chewa Kalan, Gosu and Rahmo and fired tear-smoke shells on people.
“Yesterday scores of Panchs and Sarpanchs from these hamlets had resigned and we believe today’s forces action was a reaction to their stand which they adopted,” locals said.
Responding to the call of resistance leadership, large number of people marched from Central Eidgah to Tehsil Headquarters Ajas in Bandipora where people organized a peaceful protest.
Amid pro-freedom slogans the protesters offered prayers on the road. Police didn’t intervene while protesters dispersed peacefully.
Eyewitnesses said that a protest rally was carried out in Aloosa village of Bandipora district. Reports said that residents of Ashtengoo, Aloosa, Malangham and Kehnusa participated in the rally.
The protesters riding on tractors and motorcycles marched through the inner streets of Aloosa village raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Reports from Sopore town said that Police and other para-military forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protestors. Witnesses said that hundreds of people came out on roads in Arampora, Chinkipora Rahim Sahab, Lal Bab Sahab areas after Zuhr prayers.
The protestors amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans staged a massive protest. The protestors demanded immediate halt to the use of pellets.
After the procession started growing bigger and bigger, forces resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the protesters resulting in clashes that continued for hours.
People of Palhallan took out protest demonstration which was attended by large number of people.
Protesters demanded ban on pellet guns. They alleged that even peaceful protesters are not spared and targeted with pellets.
Witnesses said that hundreds of people from different localities of Palhallan assembled at Eidgah.
Representatives of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Muslim league, Jama’at-e-Islami and Jamiat Ahl Hadith participated in the protest.
