Student protests against Pulwama incident continue across Kashmir

Srinagar/ April, 20: Even after the closure of the colleges in Kashmir Valley, students protest continue against the forces crackdown on Pulwama College students.
Students’ protests were reported from different parts of North Kashmir on Thursday. Reports said the students of Government Higher Secondary School Hariganiwan in Kangan took out a protest march from school and marched up to the main market. The students denounced the use of force on them and demanded action against those involved in Pulwama mayhem. Students after registering their protest dispersed peacefully.
Reports said that Army barged into Government Higher Secondary School Chatergul in Kangan area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after students protesting against police crackdown on Pulwama college last week allegedly pelted stones on their camp.
Reports said that, some students allegedly pelted stones on an army camp located in the area while in retaliation, the troopers fired several shots in air to chase away the students.Later, the army men allegedly went inside the school and thrashed the students, triggering massive protests. A police official while confirming the incident said that situation was brought under control after the incident.
Eyewitnesses said a peaceful protest of students of Nadim Memorial Higher Secondary School in Kaloosa Bandipora turned violent when police entered into the premises of the school. Students alleged that police fired tear-smoke shells inside the school premises. “Police entered the school campus and burst several tear smoke and sound shells, triggering clashes,” they said.
Witnesses added that a large number of students later on hit to roads and clashed with police. The students reportedly pelted stones on police while a stone hit a woman’s head during the clashes. The woman was rushed to hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.
In Goshbugh Pattaan of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, students from various schools hit to roads and staged a protest.
Students of Higher Secondary School Dayalgam staged protest against the arrest of some of the students. They blocked Anantnag-Dayalgam road for hours. The protesting students dispersed only after assurances given to them by ADC Anantnag that all the students will be released without any delay. The crackdown on Pulwama college last Saturday left over fifty students injured, triggering an unprecedented show of solidarity by students across Kashmir valley. Meanwhile Divisional Administration Kashmir has in a statement said teaching work in all the Higher Secondary Institutions of the Kashmir Division shall remain suspended till April 21, 2017 as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU) has called upon the student community to resume their classes after a successful display of resistance, unity and valor. A statement issued by the KUSU said the student reaction to Pulwama raids were exemplary.
“The protests in solidarity with the students assaulted by forces at Pulwama Degree College was not only exemplary but a historic message put across the globe that the struggle of right to self-determination is deep rooted in the conscience of every man, woman and youth of Jammu and Kashmir,” the brief statement issued by the KUSU said.
“It should be kept in mind that while resuming class work the students should make resistance against India a way of life and raise voice against the oppression whenever needed or necessary,” the statement added.
The statement came after massive reaction to Pulwama police raids almost crumbled the academic space of Kashmir forcing government to close down the colleges and the universities.
“The treachery of the oppressive state mechanism have already begun its co-optive measures to subvert our just struggle for freedom from India by creating various youth and students organisations linked directly to pro-India political parties or in the form of shadowy extensions,” the statement said. “The students should be vigilant and wary of such divisive attempts by the state so that they do not let lose their deceitfulness over the campus activities.” KUSU has also cautions students to be wary against any attempts of fund-raising in the name of students injured since Monday.