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Bandipora shuts down, volatile | Protests, firing in air, tear-gassing continue in Bandipora

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/27/2012 1:47:52 AM

Hurriyat (G), Bar call for strike tomorrow, JKLF’s march today

SRINAGAR, Jul 26: For the second consecutive day today, a general strike was observed in Bandipora and its adjoining areas in protest against the killing of youth Hilal Ahmad Dar allegedly by army. Police had to fire in air, burst smoke shells, and resort to lathi-charge to disperse demonstrators. Fifteen persons were injured in the subsequent clashes.
Hurriyat Conference (G) and Kashmir High Court Bar Association has called for a Valley wide general strike on July 28, while JKLF has give a call for a march towards Lal Chowk tomorrow.
Since morning, all shops, business establishments, educational institutions remained closed in the main town and most other areas of the Bandipora district. The public and private transport was off the roads while the work in government and semi-government offices was also affected. The shutdown was spontaneous.
To keep people from protesting, the authorities maintained a strict security cover all across the district especially in the areas closer to the hometown of the slain youth, Hilal Ahmad Dar.
Despite tight security arrangements, people took to streets in Bandipora town and adjoining areas and held demonstrations against the killing. Reports of protests were also received from Nopra, Papa Chan and other places. The protestors alleged that Hilal was arrested and then killed in custody by army.
Police and paramilitary forces fired several rounds in air, burst smoke shells and resorted to lathi charge. The demonstrators retaliated by pelting stones. During the clashes, 15 persons were injured. People in some areas alleged that cops entered into their houses and ransacked those.
However, police claimed that the situation was tense, but peaceful.
“Hartal was observed in the main town. Overall, the situation was tense. But there was no report of violence,” the Superintendent of Police, Bashir Ahmad Khan, said.
Minister of state for home Nasir Aslam Wani and Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad visited the residence of Hilal Ahmad and assured fair probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, while strongly condemning the killing, the separatists have called for strikes and protests.
Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed the incident as “the worst case of state terrorism”, and called for a shutdown on Saturday. He said Hilal was not a militant and that Army was trying to mislead.
“He was an innocent boy and he was killed in custody… the army enjoys the impunity under AFSPA, which it is using to kill innocent Kashmiris,” he said, addressing a seminar at Hyderpora headquarters of Hurriyat Conference (G).
“Complete shutdown,” he continued, “shall be observed on Saturday against the incident.”
Besides the incident, the shutdown call is against the incidents of fire at shrines and religious places, and power crisis.
“While New Delhi is getting the innocent Kashmiris killed, its new policy is to divide the Kashmiris. New Delhi is trying divide-and-rule policy in Kashmir. The increasing power crisis and use of force over women protesters is a matter of serious concern,” he said, appealing the ulemas to highlight the Kashmir situation in Masjid’s on Friday.
He also announced that August 10 and August 17 would be observed as ‘martyrs’ day’ and ‘Yaum-e-Qudus’ respectively.
The chairman JKLF, Mohammad Yasin Malik, said his party would hold a peaceful protest March from Lal Chowk to UNMOG office Sonawar tomorrow after Friday prayers.
In a press statement, Malik said “it is highly undemocratic and unethical that we are not allowed to visit the families of those who have been brutally killed.”
All this, he said, was being done to “put curtains over the sins and crimes committed by Indian forces.”
“It is proven beyond doubt that their first and foremost aim job is to protect and shield the crimes of forces,” he said.
While rejecting the magisterial probe ordered by the government, the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has called for a complete strike on Saturday against the alleged custodial killing that took place in Bandipora day before yesterday.
“Such probes are only a paper exhibition and an eye wash to pacify the hot feelings of the people. The Bar Association calls for independent and impartial probe in the incident and identify the accused and charge the guilty,” G N Shaheen, the general secretary of High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has said.
In a statement issued here today, Shaheen, called upon the people to observe a general strike on Saturday, in protest against the custodial killing of Hilal Ahmad Dar and desecration of religious centres, the continual attempts of burning down shrines and mosques in the valley.
The Bar Association has termed killing of Dar a well-coordinated incident which coincides with the oath taking ceremony of President Pranab Mukharjee and the visits of Defense Minister A. K. Anthony and Army Chief Bikram Singh to Jammu and Kashmir.
“It has been history in Kashmir that Indian army manages such events at historical moments in which innocent blood of Kashmiris is consumed with a sinister design to justify its presence in the state. Dar was a civilian and had no affiliation with militant organization but has been killed in custody by the Indian Army as a matter of matter of policy of genocide perpetuated by the security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir. The HCBA while taking serious note of the custodial killing appeals the international community to come forward and prevail upon India and its security agencies to desist from the policy of genocide in J&K,” the HCBA handout reads.
Shaheen has said that HCBA is of the opinion that neither the state repression nor the policy of denial of resolving the Kashmir dispute is answer to the situation. “The Indian security forces have killed more than 1,30000 people past 22 years in the state of J&K to suppress the voice of the people for freedom. Bar Association particularly appeals Amnesty International, Asia Watch, United Nations Secretary General Bank-i-Moon to intervene in resolving the Kashmir dispute and in restraining India from pursing the policy of state repression marked by custodial killings, extra judicial killings and custodial disappearances.”
Meanwhile, a shut down was observed by the lawyers in Bandipora on the call extended by district Bar Association in protest against the custodial killing of Hilal Ahmad Dar and ruthless violence perpetuated by the Indian forces on peaceful protestors at Bandipora.
The District Bar Association Bandipora has warned the government of serious consequences incase the violence is not stopped on peaceful protestors and the guiltily Army officials are prosecuted, punished under law involved in the murder of Hilal Ahmad Dar.