Govt orders closure of Universities, secondary schools, colleges today
Srinagar: Students protest spiral in Kashmir Valley on Monday against Degree College Pulwama incident on Saturday while during day long clashes between Government Forces and students, scores were wounded. The injured including some cops as well.
Last time the students protest wave was seen here against Israeli aggression towards Palestine. Reports said that students across Kashmir Valley took to roads and clashed with Government Forces in North, South and Central Kashmir. Even female students held protest demanded action against culprits involved in the assault on students of Degree College Pulwama.
Pertinently, sensing trouble, authorities had already closed down Degree College Pulwama for two days, however, unexpectedly, the students from different colleges and Higher Secondary Schools either clashed with police or staged peaceful protests.
Students of S.P. College blocked Maulana Azad Road in Srinagar against the Government Forces action on students at Pulwama in south Kashmir on Saturday that injured more than four dozen students. Eyewitnesses told CNS that students rained a barrage of stones on Government Forces resulting in the injuries of some cops including Station House Officer Rashid Khan. Government Forces used tear gas and batons to disperse the students, who kept regrouping to engage the Government forces.
The clashes between students and police continued for hours, thus disrupting normal life in and around city centre Lal Chowk. Students amid pro-freedom slogans tried to march towards city centre Lal Chowk when police stopped them. The blockade provoked students who pelted stones thus resulting in clashes. Shopkeepers downed their shutters while traffic disappeared from Moulana Abulkalam Azad Road. Students from both SP College and Government College for Women alleged that Government Forces exploded tear-smoke shells inside the college premises creating panic among them. Reports said that students from Government College for Women also came out from the college and staged a peaceful protest on the road.
A police official told CNS that students were allowed to protest peacefully at Press Enclave but they resorted to massive stone-pelting without any provocation.
Reports said that students of Degree College Bemina here in Srinagar too resorted to massive stone-pelting thus disrupting vehicular movement on the roads. Government Forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse students. Students from MP Higher Secondary School and Government Islamia College organized rallies to express solidarity with the Pulwama students. Students from Kashmir University and Central University of Kashmir in Srinagar staged peaceful protests.
In Kangan also students took to roads and protested against police highhandedness in Degree College Pulwama.
A massive protest rally was organized by students of Degree College in Norht Kashmir’s Baramulla district that was attended by the students from Higher Secondary Schools. The students raised pro-freedom slogans through their march in the town. The rally culminated peacefully.
Student protests also triggered massive clashes and shutdown in Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Witnesses said that the students of Degree College Sopore staged protests against the forces’ action on students at Pulwama Degree College last week. Police and paramilitary forces deployed in the area resorted to teargas shelling and baton-charge to disperse the protesting students. Clashes also triggered shutdown in the area, said the witnesses.
Police didn’t allow students from Degree College Pattan to come out from the College while according to a police official, students staged peaceful protest inside the college without affecting routine life.
Students of different colleges of Pulwama and Shopian in south Kashmir shouted slogans in solidarity with the students of Pulwama.
Intense clashes were also reported from Kulgam district where students from Degree College hit to roads and pelted stones on the Government Forces. Clashes were also reported from Ganderbal and Kupwara districts. Students from Degree College Sumbal also clashed with police. Protesters attacked police station Sumbal and damaged the windowpanes of the police station. They also attacked the official vehicle of SDPO Sumbal. Reports from Pampore town of Pulwama district said that Para-military Central Reserve Police Force resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesting students of Government Higher Secondary School. The gun shots created panic in the area and disrupted traffic on Srinagar-Jammu highway for some time. Students of Government Higher Secondary School Rohmu and Hal Pulwama also staged protest while Pulwama witnessed a shutdown.
Peaceful protests of students were also reported from Tral Pulwama and Dooru Anantnag. Reports said that during day long clashes, scores of students as well as Government Forces personnel were wounded. An official from District hospital Kulgam said that 27 injured students were brought to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the closure of all the universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in Kashmir tomorrow in view of today’s massive student protests.
An order issued by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir said that all the universities, Higher Secondary Schools and colleges shall remain closed tomorrow “as a precautionary measure”. Protests erupted in Government Degree College Tral , Boys Higher Secondary Tral and other educational institutions of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, on Monday, against the GDC Pulwama incident, took place on Saturday, in which dozens of students injured in clashes with Police.
The students in Bajwani area protested and raised slogans against government and security forces , in college ground.
Later on, students of Boys Higher Secondary Tral also participated with GDC Tral students and marched towards the main town amid pro-freedom slogans.
Meanwhile, protests were peacefully concluded in Bus stand Tral. The assault on the students of Degree College Pulwama that led to subsequent protests from students of almost all the Kashmir colleges has drawn flak while different organizations have condemned the use of brute force on the students.
EJAC President Abdul Qayoom Wani while condemning the use of forces on students of Degree college Pulwama expressed sympathy with the injured students. Wani while terming this action as inhuman unjustified and unconstitutional demanded immediate punishment to the culprits involved in the incident and asked the authorities to ensure full safety and security of educational institutions.
Wani while terming this incident as unfortunate and heart felting and demanded that government should put a blanket ban on the entry of security forces in the educational institutions of the state.
Muslim bodies from Jammu have also condemned the use of brute force on students in Kashmir. President Jammu Muslim Front, Qazi Imran in a statement to CNS said that flogging students like cattle is never go to serve and purpose and strict action should be taken against those police officials who intimidated students at Degree College Pulwama. “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The more you intimidate student community the more it will lead to destruction and will have serious ramifications,” he said. As protests by students over rocked Kashmir valley Monday, the authorities have ordered closure of all colleges and higher secondary schools in the valley tomorrow, while schools till 8th will remain open.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan in an order said that all educational institutions from higher secondary schools, colleges and universities shall remain closed on Tuesday.
While Khan was not available for comments, an official in the administration said that schools will remain open.
College and higher secondary school students across the valley Monday held massive protests in solidarity with the Pulwama government degree college students who were thrashed and beaten by forces on Saturday during their against the entry of an army vehicle into the college premises.
As per officials, 54 students were injured during the clashes with forces in Pulwama.
Meanwhile, authorities University of Kashmir have postponed all the examinations scheduled tomorrow.
“All Kashmir University examinations scheduled to be held on April 18, 2017 (Tuesday) are postponed. Fresh dates for the deferred examinations shall be notified separately, later,” said a spokesman.
Private Schools Association of Kashmir today strongly condemned the use of force on students and said that it has shocked every parent and school management in the valley.
The Association in a statement said that Monday’s high handed force on students has been unprecedented. “We have not seen such a use of widespread force on students in almost every district simultaneously,” said G N Var, chairman PSAK in a statement issued to KNS. “It has been a nightmarish day for the entire education sector.”
The Association said that the use of brute force has left parents as well as School Management worried. “We received calls from parents who were worried for the safety of their wards,” said Var. “Even our children in lower classes were worried as the news of violence spread.”
The Association said that there are hundreds of ways to resolve conflict without the use of force. “This use of force inside the colleges and school premises injuring dozens of students and teachers has left us scarred. An educational institute is one of the safest places for a students but today unfortunately it became a danger zone,” said Var.
The Association said that everybody has a right for peaceful protest and if a young mind is unable to express himself or herself freely, as guaranteed by constitution, then the repercussions can be dangerous for the future of a society.
The Association demanded an inquiry into the raid on Pulwama college, which led to the creation of Monday mayhem.
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