When three militants were fighting government forces in EDI building at Pampore Monday, hundreds of women from about 20 surrounding areas gathered on the opposite side of Jhelum, singing wanwun in praise of the militants.Braving hundreds of peppers gas and tear gas shells fired by police, these women left no stone unturned to express solidarity with the militants. In Pampore town, some 500 youth engaged police and paramilitary CRPF in one of the toughest street battles. Youth blocked Srinagar-Jammu highway with big rocks, electricity poles and iron pipes in a bid to block the movement of government forces to the encounter site.
“We saw many women going towards encounter site, we too rushed,” said a group of women from Frestbal area of Pampore. “We thought we may get a chance to have a last glimpse of those who were fighting forces at the EDI for three consecutive days. They were fighting for us, so we wanted to see their face.”
For elderly Fatima Begum of Noorani Colony, Pampore, the enthusiasm shown by the women folk towards militants was first such experience of her life. “I am 60 and yet I haven’t seen such a great enthusiasm among the women folk. After seeing lot of women approaching towards EDI, I couldn’t stop myself,” she said. As the forces carried out final assault against the militants, some youth shouted, “Let’s go close to EDI, two militants have been killed. Let’s get their bodies.” In just seconds, at least 1000 youth marched towards EDI, but were prevented by police and CRPF men who fired scores of tear gas shells and pellets at them, besdies bullets in air.
“We want their bodies, that’s why we’re are protesting and marching towards EDI,” said Imtiyaz Ahmed, a masked youth, with pellet wounds visible on his hands. He was leading a protest of over 300 youth from a by lane towards EDI. The protesting youth, most of them carrying mobiles in their hands to get news updates about militants, were unmindful of the police advisory that stresses that nobody should go close to encounter site. The advisory calls for staying away at least two kms from such areas.
The protests intensified as the news of killing of all three militants spread. Amid massive sloganeering, hundreds of youth at Pampore almost succeeded in reaching EDI, but couldn’t as police resorted to massive tear gas , pepper gas and pellet shelling. “We want to see the brave men,” they said.
The fresh trend of locals staging protest at the encounter sites to express solidarity with the militants has been disturbing the police and army. The army sees a separatist hand behind instigating youth to stage protests at the encounter sites. “It’s really disturbing, some people put the lives of young boys at risk by forcing them to throw stones at forces,” an army official said.
Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range), Syed JavaidMujtabaGillani, said protests at the encounter sites are worrisome for police. “It’s a major concern for us that despite police advisory youths stage protests at the encounter sites. Protests by youth throw a double challenge for us. On one hand we fight militants and on the other we have to tackle the protesters,” he said.
A police officer posted at Pampore said it was a two-way fight for the forces. “To fight militants is understood, but how can we fight locals. The people must understand and not to risk their lives,” he said.
In Lelhaar area of South Kashmir Pulwama district some days back, a young woman and a youth fell to the bullets of forces soon after a militant was killed there. At least 14 others had sustained serious bullet, pellet and tear gas shell injuries resulting in widespread criticism against the police and army.
