Riyaz Bhat
SRINAGAR
Students of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Monday held protests against the killing of unarmed youth in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district last week.
Around 600 students assembled near the academic block with placards which read: Stop Civilian killings, punish the guilty, we are humans not animals.
Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, “we want freedom”, “we want justice”, the IUST students expressed solidarity with the families deceased youth.
“India is following the footsteps of Israel targeting the youth of Kashmir, but India needs to know these killings cannot suppress the movement of Kashmir,” said a Journalism student at IUST who was a part of the protest.
The protesters tried to take the protesting rally outside the campus and march towards Srinagar-Jammu highway but they were stopped by the security personnel deployed at the campus.
Students asked authorities to punish those who are involved in the killing of youths in Handwara and Kupwara. They threatened the authorities of ‘nonstop’ protests “if youths killers are not put behind bars”.
“Universities are meant for expressing dissent. This is one of the primary functions of the university spaces in particular and academics in general. This protest was against both illegal Indian occupation in Kashmir and recent civilian killings in Handwara,” students said.
Five persons were killed in Kupwara in last week during protests following an alleged molestation by an army man in main chowk and Handwara on last Tuesday afternoon. Curfew still remains in place in Handwara and Kupwara today.
Kashmir observed complete shutdown for four days with educational and other business and government institutions closed. Classwork resumed in University of Kashmir, Central University and IUST Monday morning.
