Kashmir unrest: Students weigh in on the protests in the valley

In wake of the clash between students of Pulwama college and security forces, the students of the valley have all come out in protest.

WrittenBy:Sahla Nechiyil
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Kashmir has been on the boil for last five days. This time, the protesters are hundreds of college students who’ve taken to the streets to protest against the army crackdown at Pulwama college on Saturday. The situation escalated when police fired pellets and tear gas to control the student protesters, where more than 60 were injured on April 15, reports the Indian Express.

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According to a story posted on Greater Kashmir, Senior Superintendent of Police Rayees Bhat claimed that the clashes were triggered by students protesting against the checkpoint by pelting stones.

However, Zahid Shah Kashmiri, a Master’s of Political Science scholar from Kashmir University disagreed. “Checkpoints are there in every nook and corner of Kashmir. And I can prove that the erection of checkpoints, which was cited by the Indian media as the reason for the eruption of clashes between students and police in Pulwama government degree college, were already there, hardly 10 metre away from the college” he told Newslaundry.

Another student from the Pulwama College, on condition of anonymity, said “two vans full of army men reached the college on Saturday morning, and they had their minds set. When they started laying check posts army barged into the college premises and beat up the students. It was then that we started pelting stones.” the student expressed surprise at the escalation of the situation, “army’s reaction was sudden, as they used tear gas and pellets.They were fully prepared.”

Zahid felt the move by the army was calculated – “Pulwama is one of the most tense areas in south Kashmir. Four out of eight civilians who were killed during the April 9 by-poll elections were from the district. The erection of the checkpoint just outside the college was a move by the army to ensure its control over the area.”

“I remember the principal, Professor AB Hamid Sheikh, coming out and shouting at the army men, “kill me but please don’t touch my students,” recollected another student. “Yesterday we learnt that the principal was transferred and degraded from his position” he added. A fact borne out by the Kashmir Observer.

As per media reports, around 50-60 students were injured in the protest. “I am sure that the number of students who got hurt are much more. Minor injuries are never counted in Kashmir” said Zahid.

Throughout the protests that followed, students carried placards that read: “Pens Vs Pellets, Books Vs Bullets”. The slogans soon took to social media platforms as hashtags. After Saturday’s incident, pictures and videos of the army’s response started spreading throughout social media. Though Sunday looked calmer, violence again escalated on Monday. The Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU), a banned student’s organisation, called for a protest in colleges and universities across the valley to express solidarity with the students of Pulwama College. Students from Sri Pratap (SP) College and Government College for women in Srinagar were the first to hit the streets on Monday morning. The protestors shouted slogans in solidarity with the students of Pulwama College.

Explaining the situation, Jameela Razim, a post graduate student from Kashmir University said “All boys and girls came out of their classes and protested inside the college premises. It was a timely move by the college management that they closed the gates to block the army from entering. But this was not the situation in other colleges.”

How many colleges participated in the protest? We asked Zahid. “Ask me how many didn’t”, he smiled. The cry of the protests reached colleges across the valley including the Boys Degree College and Women’s College in Anantnag. “We were staging protest inside the college amidst slogans like ‘Police ki Tanashahi nehi chalegi’, ‘Students pe athyachar’ and so on. The protest was peaceful as our principal had appealed to the army to not cause any casualties,” said Hafza Shah from Anantnag College.

The protests echoed in the Government Degree Colleges in Bijbehara, Dooru and Kokernag. Students from the south campus of Kashmir University also joined hands for the cause. Protests rocked the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Awantipora. Scores of students assembled inside the campus and staged a demonstration to denounce the use of force on the students. Later they hit the streets and marched, sloganeering through the town. Students of Degree College Bandipora, Degree College Sumbal in the North; Degree College Kulgam, Degree College Shopian in the South; Degree College Baramulla and GDC Pattan in Baramulla district;  Amar Singh College, Degree college Bemina, Islamia and Gandhi Memorial in Srinagar; Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Tral and Degree College in Ganderbal also marched through the towns in protest.

Meanwhile, reports circulated that a student from the women’s college at Nawa Kadal in Srinagar had been critically injured. She was hit on the head with a stone allegedly thrown by a CRPF trooper. “She has a fracture on her skull and her father is a blacksmith. The family can’t afford expensive treatment.”.

“We have so far treated at least 54 persons who were hit by pellets and tear gas shells. Three critically injured persons have been referred to Srinagar. The injured are still coming in,” the chief medical officer of Pulwama, Dr Talat Jabeen, said.

“Whenever tension occurs in the valley, the first order from the government will be to shut down every educational institution,” said Rafi Razim. “There is no wonder about the closure of educational institutions in this particular situation of student’s turmoil. But are they even afraid of kids? Why did they close lower and upper primary schools? Asked Zahim. The authorities also suspended 3G and 4G mobile Internet services across the till Monday in order to prevent circulation of the videos.

As per the most recent reports, protests continue as five students have been injured including girls in Palhalan district of North Kashmir.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @sahlanechiyil .

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