From north to south, normal life goes out of gear

• Protest in Shopian against police crackdown on youth

SYED ALI SAFVI

SRINAGAR, Dec 1: Normal life in Shopian was completely thrown out of gear today as massive protest demonstrations rocked the south Kashmir’s apple-rich town against arrest of local youth by police on charges of stone-pelting. Meanwhile, north Kashmir’s Bandipora town also observed complete shut down today in protest against the killing of a local 'militant’ in an encounter with police at Qamarwari on Monday.

According to reports, massive protest demonstrations were held at Jamia Masjid, Bon Bazar, Aliyal Pora and Bongam in Shopian, 56 kilometers from here, against alleged police highhandedness, amid claims of Shopian police that it had arrested a kingpin of a group of stone-pelters - Moti Gang, which, they said, was active in organizing protest demonstrations in the town

Refuting the police claims, locals said that police had unleashed a rein of terror in the town, and had arrested many youth during nocturnal raids.

“They (police) conduct night raids and arrest our youth on flimsy charges,” said Shamim Ahmad of Bongam Shopian. “Later, they dub them as stone pelters.”

Hundreds of people took to streets in south Kashmir’s apple-rich town, to protest the arrest of the local youth by police. Shouting pro-Islam and pro-freedom slogans, they irate protestors demanded release of all arrested youth and stop crackdown “against innocent youth”.

“We ask police to immediately release all the arrested youth, failing which we will intensify the protests,” they said.

According to reports, police had to resort to teargas shelling to disperse the protestors.

The locals also alleged that the police had arrested a local youth – Yasir – at Srinagar yesterday.

All shops and other commercial outlets, private offices remained closed in the Shopian town and its adjoining areas. Transport was also off the roads.

Earlier in the day, announcements were made from local mosque loudspeakers, urging people to observe complete shutdown today to protest the arrest of local youth by police.

The reports said that police, in civvies, arrested a local youth – Tawseef Ahmad Bhat alias Moti, son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of Baba Mohalla, Shopian.

Tawseef had recently appeared in class 10th examinations.

The Shopian police claimed that Tawseef, 19, was a kingpin of a major group of stone pelters – Moti Gang - in Shopian. They said there were 12 FIRs registered against him. Police also said that the group had been active in organizing protest demonstrations in the town.

“The group was paying Rs 500 to every new member for holding violent protests in the area,” police said.

Another 19-year-old, Imran Ahmad, of Shopian, was arrested enroute Srinagar.

Pertinently, police had, two days ago, claimed to have arrested a ‘stone pelter’ - Sadam Husain, who, they said, was involved in organizing “violent protests” in the town.

Massive protests rocked Shopian town today against the arrest of local youth. Additional forces were deployed on streets. Policemen, in civvies, were also deployed in the town, the reports said.

However, SSP Shopian, Shahid Meraj, out rightly rejected the reports of protest demonstrations at Shopian.

“There was no protest in Shopian,” he said.

Shahid said that the police had arrested a youth today at Singlu Chowk who was threatening shopkeepers to down their shutters.

Asked whether Shopian police had arrested any youth on charges of stone pelting, Shahid said, “We have only arrested two people who were involved in criminal activities.”

“Two days ago, we had arrested one youth who had 28 criminal cases registered against him,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to reports, shops, commercial establishments, government and private offices also remained closed in north Kashmir's Bandipora town, to protest the killing of a local ‘militant’, Zahoor Ahmad Hajam, in an encounter with police at Qamarwari on Monday.

Hundreds of people took to streets at Nabripora and raised slogans against Zahoor’s killing.

They alleged that Zahoor was not a militant and that he was killed in a “fake encounter”. They demanded stern action against errant policemen. The protestors dispersed off peacefully.

Pertinently, Zahoor, 26, who was working as a teacher at Kausaria High School Chak Reshipora, Bandipora, was laid to rest yesterday at Mazar-e Shauda Nasu Bandipora yesterday amid massive protests.