Srinagar, April 24: A week after the opening of educational institutions in Valley, student of SP Higher Secondary school on Monday clashed with police in Kashmir capital Srinagar.
Eyewitnesses said that a large number of students from SP Higher Secondary School came out from the college and assembled on the road. Their presence on the MA Road disrupted vehicular movement prompting police to rush to the spot.
Witnesses added that though a large number of security personnel were deployed outside the college gate, students broke the gate and rushed towards the road. As students marched on the road amid pro-freedom slogans, police exercised maximum restraint and didn’t retaliate. The chaos and confusion prevailed on the roads due to students protest.
Reports said that students who were chased away by police resorted to stone-pelting. At city centre Lal Chowk, even girl students were seen pelting stones on Government Forces. During clashes a photoo journalists including Habib Naqash, Bilal Bahadur, Shah Jehangir, Danish Ismayil, Farooq Ahmed Khan and Basit Zargar were wounded. A police official told CNS that at least six students involved in stone-pelting were detained and lodged at police station Kothi Bagh. He added that several cops including SDPO Imran Farooq and SHO Kothibagh Rashid Ahmed were hurt during clashes. Reports said that Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Imtiyaz Ismail Parray was hit by a stone in his right elbow during the clashes. Police fired several tear-smoke shells to disperse the agitated students. They also fired some bullets in air to restore order.
During the day-long clashes between police and students, normal life in city centre Lal Chowk Srinagar was affected while shops remained shut. From MA Road the clashes spread to Lal Chowk. Witnesses said that besides, students, pedestrians too pelted stones on police and CRPF. Several students reportedly received injuries. One of the injured was a girl student from Mallinson School. Witnesses said that a group of girl students pelted stones on parked CRPF vehicles at Ghanta Ghar. The chaos and confusion prevailed in city centre whole day.
The students of Government College for Women also staged peaceful protest on the busy MA road in Srinagar. Reports said that students boycotted their classes and staged massive protests inside the college in which pro-freedom slogans were raised. Witnesses said that a large number of students instead of attending classes assembled in the college premises and raised pro-freedom slogans. The students as per eyewitnesses didn’t boycott the classes.
Pertinently, authorities on Monday ordered opening of universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in Jammu and Kashmir after a week’s closure. These educational institutions had remained closed for over a week following widespread protests by students after government forces entered Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir on April 12.
Over 50 students had been injured in clashes on April 12 in Pulwama after students protested setting up a check post outside the college by the government forces. (CNS)
