SRINAGAR: Normal life remained paralyzed and violent protests continued unabated in the Kashmir Valley for the eighth day yesterday as six more people, including four civilians, were injured in the fresh wave of unrest over the alleged rape and murder of two women.
Security forces opened fire on protesters in Indian Kashmir yesterday in the worst clash since unrest broke out last week over the deaths of two young women.
Locals claim the women — Nilofar Jan, 22, and her sister-in-law Asiya Jan, 17, — were raped and killed by Indian soldiers.
Thousands protested yesterday in the streets of Shopian, the women’s hometown, before police fired tear gas shells and live ammunition at the crowd. Scores were injured, including at least seven with bullet wounds, said a police official who declined to be named in keeping with department policy.
Educational institutions, banks, government offices, shops and other businesses in the entire valley remained closed for the eighth consecutive day yesterday.
Tension was palpable in Shopian yesterday where separatists had called a march to “express sympathies with the family of the victims.” Before his arrest Saturday, hard-line separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had asked the people to resume their normal activities from Tuesday and called for a march Monday to Shopian town.
While all roads to Shopian where barricaded and heavy security was put in place to prevent the people from marching to the town, some groups tried to break the security cordon.
A senior police officer said security forces opened fire to disperse a stone pelting mob at Sofanoman village on the outskirts of the town resulting in bullet injuries to four protesters. The injured were evacuated to a hospital. Two paramilitary troopers were also wounded in the clash.
Another strong mob also made attempts to enter the town. They were also chased away by the security forces using tear gas and baton charges. Authorities moved reinforcements of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here to foil the separatist attempts to march to Shopian.
Strict security restrictions are in force in summer capital Srinagar to stop the pedestrian and vehicular movement. Most of the senior separatist leaders, including Geelani, have been either arrested or confined to their homes to prevent them from leading protests.
Human rights groups and separatist leaders have long accused the Indian military of using rape and sexual molestation to intimidate the local population. as it wages a 20-year battle against separatist insurgents.
