Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, widespread anti-India students’ protests marked by pro-freedom demonstrations and boycott of classes continued to shake the entire territory, today.
The students took to the streets in Srinagar, Gandarbal, Shopian, Bandipore, Bijbehare, Pulwama and other areas of the occupied territory. The students raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and marched on the streets. Dozens of students were injured when Indian police and paramilitary forces used brute force on protesting students. The situation led to complete shutdown in many areas. The students are on the streets since 15th of this month when the Indian troops raided Degree College Pulwama and tortured the students.
The authorities have imposed a ban on Internet services in occupied Kashmir for a period of one month. The step has been taken to restrict the growing agitation by students.
The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar strongly condemned the re-arrest of senior APHC leader, Masarrat Aalam Butt. He said that there was no legal justification for continued detention of Masarrat Aalam Butt as the court had granted him bail in all cases. He expressed concern over the deteriorating health of illegally detained ailing Hurriyet leader, Muhammad Rustum Butt. The Chairman of Hurriyet forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a gathering in Srinagar said that India had waged a war against unarmed Kashmiri people.
The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik speaking at a function at Aabi Guzur in Srinagar paid glowing tributes to Kashmiri leader, Amanullah Khan, on his first death anniversary, today. On the occasion, Yasin Malik ruled out any dialogue with India within the parameters of Indian constitution. Others who attended the function included Merajuddin Kalwal, Bilal Siddiqui, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed, Masroor Abbas, Shabbir Ahmad Dar, ZG Muhammad, Dr Zafar Mehdi, Shakeel Qalandar and activists of civil society. APHC leader Shabbir Ahmad Shah in his statement said that Amanullah Khan was one of the great leaders of the freedom movement of Kashmir.
Former Indian Army Chief, General Ved Prakash Malik, in a media interview in Pune while admitting that the situation in occupied Kashmir was messy asked Indian government to find out a political solution to the lingering dispute.
On the other hand, the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations, a federation of twenty Civil Liberties and Democratic Rights Groups from across India, in a statement denounced Indian government and its Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi for justifying the use of Kashmiri youth as human shield by Indian Army. The Mumbai-based CDRO said that the statement of the Attorney General was not only a cowardly and criminal offensive but showed reckless disregard for lawless acts directed against civilians. The CDRO appealed to conscientious Indians to condemn the government and its Law Officer for condoning heinous crimes in Jammu and Kashmir.