The Muslim News

Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India, (GKNews Network): Female students of various educational institutions all over the valley staged protest demonstrations on Wednesday to protest the rape and murder of a teenager and her sister- in- law in a Shopian village last month. The protests were in response to the call given by the Hurriyat Conference ( G) to mount pressure on the government to punish the guilty.

At least 20 students were injured in the police action against the protesters in the south Kashmir district of Kulgam where the teachers, including female lecturers, too were roughed up by the police and paramilitary troopers. At Srinagar, the female students of Kashmir University boycotted their classes in the afternoon and marched in the campus.

They shouted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and demanded action against the rapists and murderers of the Shopian victims.

Later, they dispersed peacefully. The doctors and female students of the Government Medical College also demonstrated against the double rape and murder case.

Students of Government Women’s College, M A Road, staged a massive protest at Lal Chowk here. Demanding complete demilitarization and stern punishment for culprits, the girls raising pro- freedom slogans marched through Lal Chowk after they were refused the permission to protest in their college premises. “ The Shopian victims were our sisters. If it has happened with them today, it may happen with us tomorrow.

Troopers have been involved in many such acts and we want them out of Kashmir,” the girls said. Protesters said hundreds of Kashmiri women had been dishonored by the troops in past 20 years and they feel insecure in their own homeland. “ While walking on the roads, we are Kokernag constantly harassed by the Army and CRPF troopers. But dying a respectable death is better than living an undignified life”, said a student Farkhanda.

Another student Mashroofa seconded her saying, “ We don’t feel safe here due to huge presence of troopers. We want security and protection. The culprits should be stoned to death in the middle of Lal Chowk.” Students alleged that college authorities didn’t allow them to protest in the campus. “ Women police deployed outside our college had threatened us of dire consequences if we staged a protest. Despite their intimidation we took to the streets,” students said.

Meanwhile, another group of students from the same college proceeded from Lal Chowk towards Batamaloo. As soon as they crossed the Secretariat and reached near the Police Control Room, the station house officer, Batamaloo, allegedly abused them and they were beaten with batons.

Students of different schools at Hazratbal also took to streets, raising slogans against the incident. They blocked traffic for about ten minutes near the Hazratbal Shrine. However, they dispersed off peacefully.

KULGAM

Police and CRPF troopers on Wednesday beat up at least 20 students of the Government Degree College here when the students were demonstrating against the rape and murder of a teenaged girl and her sister- in- law in Shopian last month. The troopers dragged a woman lecturer in the college premises and beat her up ruthlessly, students said. Shouting pro- freedom and anti- government slogans, the female students of the college tried to stage protest demonstrations this morning but the police and CRPF troopers deployed outside the college stopped them.

After the police action, the students demonstrated peacefully inside the college premises. But the CRPF along with SOG personnel pulled down the main gate of the college, and firing teargas shells entered the college and beat up the students including girls with bamboo sticks and gun butts, the students said. Of the 20 students wounded, 10 were girls. One of them, identified as Saba Jan of Arrah Mohanpura was injured seriously.

Some of the girls fell unconscious and others ran into classrooms and bolted themselves in to evade the troopers’ wrath, the students said. “ The troopers dragged our lecturer, Shazia Rasool, in the college premises and thrashed her mercilessly,” the students said. Several male students were detained by the police.

As soon as this news spread in the town, shopkeepers downed their shutters and protested against the police action.

The troopers also beat up pedestrians, eyewitnesses said.

ISLAMABAD

In Islamabad town, girls of Government Degree College for Women and Government Girls Higher Secondary School marched on the roads holding placards that read ‘ punish the guilty,’ ‘ stop atrocities against Kashmiri women’ and ‘ don’t turn paradise into hell.’

A heavy contingent of police and paramilitary troopers was deployed outside the institutions to stop the march, but the administration allowed small groups of students to demonstrate.

SHOPIAN

For the 12 th consecutive day, people in Shopian observed a complete strike and demonstrated outside the Jamia Masjid. Rejecting the judicial enquiry, the protesters demanded an independent probe by the Bar Association. In Keller, people demonstrated against the double rape and murder. They pelted stones on passing vehicles to enforce the strike. A procession was also taken out.

“The government is deliberately stretching the probe to shield the culprits,” said one of the protesters, Tariq Ahmad.

A sit- in protest was organized in Bungam, the native village of the victims. Reyaz Ahmad Khaki, a resident, said a committee comprising Abdul Rashid Dalal, Abdul Hamid Deva , Javaid Ahmad Lala, Masood Ahmad Taing, Muhammad Ashraf Najar and Farooq Ahmad Bhat had been formed to press for arrest of those involved in the gruesome rape and murder. Khaki said the government had sufficient evidence to book the culprits and “ there was no scope for searching for other proofs.” He said the committee had demanded removal of all camps from Shopian town and its adjoining areas. “ Besides we will struggle for compensation to those who suffered losses in CRPF action,” Khaki said.

A senior Bar member Muhammad Yousuf Bhat said that Shopian Bar will soon issue a comprehensive report about the incident.

PULWAMA

A complete shutdown was observed here against Tuesday’s police action against the students marching peacefully towards Shopian to express solidarity with the victims’ family. At least 40 students of Pulwama had sustained injuries when the troopers used force to quell them at Shermal village near Shopian. Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary troopers quelled demonstrations staged by small groups of youths.

A youth was caught and beaten ruthlessly by the police in Pulwama town during a clash, witnesses said. People of Kakapora said the CRPF troopers thrashed people randomly and damaged residential houses of Mushtaq Ahmad Baqal, Muhammad Sultan Dar, Abdul Ahad Dar and Manzoor Ahmad Baqal.

A villager Ghulam Nabi told Greater Kashmir that the CRPF troopers smashed marble slabs of a dealer.

At Pulwama, youth assembled at Muran Chowk, Rajpora Chowk and Prichoo on Wednesday morning and pelted stones on the vehicles. Some vehicles of police and CRPF also came under heavy stone pelting in the town.

Locals alleged that while chasing the protesters the CRPF smashed window panes of many residential houses at Dalipora, Newa Road, Malikpora and Washbugh. People of these localities alleged that CRPF men were seen pelting stones on several residential houses and smashed the windscreen of a car No. JK 013- A0182.

In New Colony, the locals alleged the CRPF men targeted Ahad Towers Building and smashed window panes of Naaz hotel. Police fired teargas shells at protesters in Prichoo, the residents said.

VARMUL

Hundreds of female students of Degree College Varmul marched on the streets and shouted pro- freedom and anti- India slogans. The students of government- run and private institutions marched through the civil lines areas and went round the old town while a huge contingent of police followed them. The students demanded action against the perpetrators of the Shopian crime.

“The Shopian incident is a dastardly and a brutal act which is unheard of in the recent past. The government should give exemplary punishment to the guilty which will act as a deterrent,” the girl students said.

The students blocked the highway and stopped an army convoy for nearly half an hour. In Sopur town students of several girls’ schools and higher secondary institutions marched through Iqbal market, main town, Arampora, and Chankhan. Demonstrations were also held in Pattan where students marched through the several areas before dispersing peacefully.

( With reports by: Khalid Gul from Islamadbad, Altaf Baba from Varmul and Ghulam Muhammad from Sopur.)

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/today/full_story.asp?Date=11_6_2009&ItemID=10&cat=1

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