Category: Community

6000 Pellet cartridges used in one month on Kashmir protesters

Editor

Police official says pellets used in Kashmir are ‘bare-metal pellets without rubber coating’ The pellets used by police and Central Reserve Police Force to disperse protesters in Kashmir are “bare-metal pellets” and the Standard Operating Procedure prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development for crowd control makes no mention of pellet guns, officials said on Thursday. Police records suggest that in the past more than three weeks, CRPF personnel have fired more than 6000 pellet cartridges in Kashmir to disperse pro testers who hit the Valley streets against…

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After Streets, It Is ‘Fight for Airwaves’ in Tral

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With army, CRPF and police on one side and protesters on the other side, Tral, the hometown of popular militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, is resounding with “pro-India and pro-Pakistan” songs and anthems since Thursday afternoon. “Army is playing pro-India songs on speakers installed atop tall towers placed inside their garrison,” said a local who lives half-a-mile away. As per reports, the main garrison in Tral, which is located on now barricaded Shikargah road, first played: Ae mere watan ke logo zara yaad karo kurbaani (Oh countrymen, remember the sacrifices),…

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Armed with slogans, 5 Yr olds lend hype to ‘Azadi’ Chorus

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While protests, curfews, shutdowns and stone-throwing are not rare in the Valley, the scenes witnessed in the streets of Kashmir have changed. Children as young as five can be seen carrying banners and raising slogans like ‘Hum kya chahte — Azadi’. These children have been exposed to bloodshed and violence for the first time. People say that the new generation is getting consumed by the conflict. “We have blocked this road because we want azadi, there should be complete shutdown. We block this road every day. We are being killed…

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Mehbooba asks; where children of pro-freedom and pro-India leaders are currently

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Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that “those  people whose children were studying abroad were instigating other children to violence” and “many forces have joined hands to vitiate atmosphere in the valley.” She has not named anyone. In the only elaborate statement on the protests, she again referred to unnamed people who “go from place to place”, incite young “boys to attack security installations and escape” while leaving the boys to face bullets and pellets. Since protests occur at several places (a few days ago a police statement said 70…

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Treat Kashmiris as own people; High Court raps Centre on pellet gun injuries

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The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday asked security forces and the central government to treat Kashmiris like their own people and not aliens while controlling crowds. In its observations made while hearing a PIL against the use of pellet or pump guns in Kashmir, the court asked the Centre to explain why the injuries suffered by people are above the knees — mostly in the eyes. “You are not treating them as your own people,” observed Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar while hearing…

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Don’t harm journalists, act with discipline, maturity: Hurriyat (M) tells Youth

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‘Don’t create hurdles for media persons in discharging their professional duties’ People should follow protest programme, open their shops after 6 pm daily Hurriyat (M) on Tuesday asked youth to act with discipline and maturity and stressed on them not to create hurdles for media people in discharging their professional duties. A Hurriyat (M) spokesman said at this crucial juncture of the movement, it is incumbent upon all people especially the youth to act with discipline, maturity and responsibility so that no harm is caused to the cause and none…

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‘Kashmir only place in world where pellet guns are used for crowd control’

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Forces continue its liberal use despite options available: Experts As New Delhi has constituted a team headed by a Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry to explore alternatives to pellet guns, experts have revealed that options are already available in the market that could render pellets useless and prevent any further damages to life. Pellet guns or Shotguns, commonly used in crowd control since 2010 in Kashmir has caused blindness, maimed people and turned fatal in many cases. Voice has been raised both inside the state as well as…

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Govt cracks whip, to withhold salaries of absent employees in Baramulla

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In a move aimed to ensure attendance of government employees in their respective departments, district administration of Baramulla Monday issued an order to withhold salaries of employees of various departments in the district. “It has been observed that most of the employees of various departments in the district have not attended to their duties for the last 20 days or are not punctual to their duties. In this context, you are directed not to release the salaries of the employees of the departments except that of following essential services departments…

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Write slogans on Roads, Walls, Shop shutters ; Syed Ali Geelani

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Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani on Monday led the united resistance leaderships program that asked people to write slogans on roads, walls, shop shutters etc. Reports said that Geelani came out of his besieged residence at Hyderpora and started painting walls with anti-India slogans. Geelani, who is under continuous house detention, was accompanied by a few of his party men and some locals of the area. Notably, the united resistance leadership on July 30 issued a new protest calendar asking people, particularly youths, to express their sentiments by writing slogans…

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Exhibit unity, brotherhood at these trying times: Hurriyat (M)

Editor

Hurriyat (M) on Sunday condemned what it called the “brutal tactics”, continuous curfew and severe restrictions imposed throughout Kashmir to stop the people from taking out protest marches and carrying forward their struggle for right to self-determination. In a statement the spokesman said, “For the past 23 days, the oppressive and suppressive tactics of the government were continuing while forces are present at every square were indulging in barbaric activities by openly displaying their dictatorial and Nazi mindset.” Expressing serious concern over the “barbarism of forces at Imam Sahab Shopian,…

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