Clashes between protesting students and Govt forces broke out at several places in Kashmir on Monday as well.
Students protested in Newa and Tral in Pulwama, Ari Panthan in Budgam, Qalamabad in Langate and Zainakote in Srinagar.
Students of Government Higher Secondary school Newa, Al Fallah Public School Ari Panthan, Higher Secondary School Qalamabad, Government Higher Secondary School Zainakote, Boys Higher Secondary School and Degree College Tral protested and clashed with forces when they tried to stop the protest marches.
Witnesses said that the students of Boys Higher Secondary school and Degree College Tral staged protests and pelted stones on an army vehicle at Bus Stand Tral. Police deployed in the area used tear gas to disperse the protesting students, triggering clashes.
During the clashes at least 7 students were detained while the clashes forced shopkeepers to down their shutters. Life according to reports was completely disrupted after the clashes. A police official said that some students were detained as they tried to enforce shutdown in the town. “They resorted to stone-pelting and tried to enforce shutdown. Police swung into action and detained some of them,” he said and claimed that no force was used to disperse the protesting students.
The detained students have been identified as (1) Sameer Ahmad Lone of Pastona, Naveed Ahmed Shah of Bhatnoor, Suhail Ahmed Mir and Amir Akram Dar, both residents of Lurgam, Abu Musa Bhat of Gulab Bagh, Irfan Ahmad Bhat of Nawdal, Naseer Ahmed Ganai of Chewaullar and Fayaz Ahmed Chopan of Luraw.
Reports from Newa Pulwama said that a large number of students hit to roads and clashed with government forces. The students protest according to reports was spontaneous. Reports said that several students felt unconscious after government forces resorted to massive shelling. An 11th class female student was wounded when a stone hit her head.
Student clashes were also reported from frontier district Kupwara. Reports said that students of Higher Secondary School Qalamabad in Langate staged a protest against the use of force on agitating students across Kashmir since past three weeks.
Witnesses said that the protesting students tried to march towards main chowk Qalamabad but the government forces restored to heavy tear smoke shelling to disperse them. The clashes which continued for hours disrupted normal life in the area.
Reports from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district said that hundreds of students of different private schools held a protest and blocked the road at Aripanthan against the detention of a 6th class student. The protest from students disrupted traffic movement on the roads.
The protesters said that 10 years old boy Sahil Ahmad Dar, a student of Al Falah Public School was arrested by police last week. The protesting students both boys and girls chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and holding placards depicting “reha karo reha karo Sahil bhayi ko reha karo” blocked the road for hours.
Pertinently, Kashmir have been witnessing student protests since the Pulwama incident when government forces barged into Degree College Pulwama resulting in the injuries of more than 50 students. The student protests have been ongoing in the Kashmir Valley after April 15 after armed forces raided Pulwama Government Degree College.
