There is no let-up in student protests in the valley with fresh clashes breaking out between the protestors and government forces in Srinagar city and Pulwama town on Tuesday.
The busy Maulana Azad Road near Lal Chowk witnessed pitched battle between students and forces disrupting traffic and business activities in the commercial hub of the city. Students of S P Higher Secondary School and Women’s College clashed with the forces who fired several tear gas shells to chase them away.
The students have been demanding stern action against the police and paramilitary personnel involved in beating of students at Degree College Pulwama on April 15 besides release of students arrested in subsequent protests in last four weeks.
Chanting pro-freedom slogans, the students pelted stones at the forces and even civilian vehicles plying on the road.
The forces fired dozens of teargas smoke shells to disperse the protesting students. One student was detained by police. However, there were no reports of injuries to anyone so far.
Reports of clashes were also received from south Kashmir’s Pulwama where students of Government Boys Higher Secondary School Pulwama took to streets and started pelting stones at the forces who retaliated by firing tear gas shells. Witnesses said at least two students were also arrested.
Chief Educational Officer (CEO) Pulwama Hamid Kumar told Kashmir Post that no student was protesting inside or outside the school premises. “I came to know that some students were protesting near the General Bus Stand but I don’t have any information regarding the arrests of two students,” he said.
When contacted, Principal Government Women’s College M A Road, Prof Shaheen Altaf said, “We were trying to control our own staff from teargas shells and only a few students from our college were chanting slogans inside the college premises.”
“Later some more youth joined the students of other schools who pelted stones at the forces,” she added.
Meanwhile, district administration Budgam ordered suspension of class work in two schools following yesterday’s clashes. Officials said that the class work remained suspended on Tuesday at Govt Boys High School and Higher Secondary School Budgam. Government had also ordered closure of three institutes in Handwara.
The police raid on Pulwama college triggered widespread protests by students across Kashmir on April 17 which have been going on intermittently since then. Authorities suspended class work in the higher educational institutions for over a week last month as a precautionary measure. A number of students were arrested during clashes in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley.
Fresh clashes across Valley, Students skip classes to clash with forces
