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NEWS Updates - 30
April 2009 |
* Poll, curfew duet begins,
Pro-Freedom Demonstrations, Complete Strike, Clashes On
Election Eve
*
‘Curfew, But Normal’,
Without Announcing, Authorities Enforce It In City
*
Crackdown on freedom camp intensifies
* Tight security to foil protests in south Kashmir |
Poll, curfew duet begins,
Pro-Freedom Demonstrations, Complete Strike, Clashes On
Election Eve :
Srinagar, Apr 29: Anti-election demonstrations
and clashes between protesters and police across the
Valley amid a complete strike in response to the call
given by Hurriyat Conference (G) backed-up by the
enforcement of a strict curfew in Srinagar city marked
the day ahead of parliamentary polls in South Kashmir.
After anti-election protests rocked several areas of the
city on Tuesday evening, police and paramilitary
troopers deployed in strength imposed curfew of varying
degrees in different parts of the city. While they
allowed movement of people in some areas after frisking
and questioning, the curfew was strict in old city. Many
roads leading to old city were blocked with concertina
wire and barricades.
Police and CRPF troopers used force to quell an
anti-poll demonstration by some youths in Nallahmar
area. Barring a few incidents of protests and stone
pelting in Maisuma, Batamaloo, Qamarwari and Natipora
areas, the authorities contained the volatile situation
in Srinagar with the help of thousands of policemen and
CRPF troopers.
According to reports, over a dozen protesters were
injured in the clashes at Batmaloo and Natipora
localities of the city.
Anti-poll demonstrations were also held in Basant Bagh
and Mandir Bagh areas during evening hours as soon as
the CRPF troopers left.
All the government and semi-government offices, business
establishments, banks, schools and colleges remained
closed. Senior pro-freedom leader and Hurriyat
conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called
for 50-hour strike starting Tuesday evening against
elections.
NORTH KASHMIR
In North Kashmir districts of Varmul, Kupwara, Bandipora
and Ganderbal, life came to standstill due to the strike
call. Demonstrations were held at a few places in Varmul
and Sopur.
Scores of youths shouted pro-freedom and anti-election
slogans near the Cement Bridge and Government Transport
Yard Bridge in old Varmul town. But police swiftly
quelled the protest with lathicharge and by firing
dozens of tear gas shells. The dingdong battles with
police continued till late evening.
Protests also rocked the Sopur town in the early morning
against arrest of two dozen youths on Tuesday evening.
Women held demonstrations at several places including
Arampora, Batpora, Baba Yusuf and Muslim Peer and
demanded release of the youth. The protest
demonstrations lasted till late afternoon.
In Kupwara town, a partial shutdown was observed in
reaction to the Hurriyat’s strike call. Only a few
vehicles could be seen plying on the roads even as most
shops remained close in the frontier district. Complete
strike was observed in Ganderbal and other adjoining
areas.
SOUTH KASHMIR
The strike call Wednesday evoked a complete response in
South Kashmir districts where authorities have deployed
thousands of policemen and paramilitary troopers for the
Thursday’s polls.
All the shops, businesses, government and private
offices remained closed in the Islamabad, Pulwama,
Shopian and Kulgam towns. Roads wore a deserted look
with only paramilitary troopers and policemen patrolling
the roads.
With police and troopers taking over the entire south
Kashmir, people preferred to stay indoors. No reports of
protests were received from any district. |
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‘Curfew, But Normal’,
Without Announcing, Authorities Enforce
It In City :
Srinagar, Apr 29: A remark by a
policeman near SMHS Hospital best summed
up today’s situation. He said, “There is
curfew, but it is normal.” In a way, he
was right. The curfew had normalized the
situation flared up by violent
anti-election demonstrations that began
on Tuesday evening in response to the
call given by pro-freedom leadership.
The authorities replicated the procedure
they employed fully during the assembly
polls and the pro-freedom agitation
preceding it last year. Thousands of
police and paramilitary troopers
enforced a curfew of varying degrees of
strictness and relaxation, but no top
police or civilian official announced it
on media.
Near Cement Bridge, Noorbagh, an old
CRPF troopers stopped the Greater
Kashmir vehicle that was picking up its
staff from different parts of the city.
A GK staffer asked the trooper if curfew
was in force. He said, “Of course. Why
would I stop you otherwise?” The vehicle
was only allowed after the trooper
checked the I-cards of the occupants.
Police and CRPF personnel stopped
vehicles and checked identity cards of
people before allowing any movement. The
police, who had put barricades on the
roads, sealed off all the major entry
points on the Highway to the capital
city. In old city the curfew was
stricter.
But, as usual, the police said there was
no curfew but “it had only deployed
heavy security to prevent law and order
problems.” The SSP Srinagar, Afadual
Mujtaba, told Greater Kashmir, “There
was a Hartal call. We had made adequate
security arrangements top prevent law
and order problems.”
The Public Relations Officer of CRPF,
Prabhakar Tripathi, also denied that
there was a curfew, “We were only asked
to assist the civilian police. We had
given our Jawans instructions to only
assist the police.” |
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Crackdown on freedom camp intensifies,
Geelani’s
Phone Line Snapped; More Held: Srinagar,
Apr 29: A day before the parliamentary
elections in south Kashmir, the
Government Wednesday arrested more
pro-freedom leaders and activists to
foil any anti-poll protests. In one of
the harshest crackdowns on the freedom
camp, the phone lines of Syed Ali
Geelani’s house at Hyderpora were
snapped today. Chairmen of both Hurriyat
factions and dozens of leaders of others
organisations continue to be under house
arrest to prevent their participation in
the protests.
Geelani on Tuesday had called for
50-hour strike and peaceful protests
against the polls. A Hurriyat spokesman
said the authorities did not allow
anybody including the journalists to
meet Geelani today.
Police arrested Hurriyat leaders Zaffar
Akbar Bhat and Yasmeen Raja along with
their activists when they were carrying
anti-election campaign at Pampore.
Reports said Bhat and Raja were put
under house arrest on Tuesday evening.
But they broke the security cordon and
left for south Kashmir to address
anti-election rallies.
A Hurriyat spokesman said when the duo
started the anti-election campaign at
Pampore, a large contingent of police
reached the spot and arrested them. They
were shifted to Police Station Pampore.
The pro-freedom organisations strongly
condemned the restrictions to thwart the
peaceful protests and urged the people
to make the anti-election campaign
successful on Thursday.
The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G),
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, termed the
restrictions as Government’s
frustration. “By imposing restriction,
the authorities have conceded defeat.
The restrictions are an act of state
terrorism and should serve as an
eye-opener for the international
community that how New Delhi suppressed
the sentiments of Kashmiris,” Geelani
told Greater Kashmir. The veteran leader
is under house arrest for past about a
month.
“Authorities want to snap all our
communication links with the masses for
conducting the so-called elections
according to their will and whim. If
Government is confident that people
would exercise their franchise, it would
not have thwarted our anti-poll
campaign,” the leader said.
Hailing the people for staging peaceful
protests against polls, Geelani made a
passionate appeal to make the anti-poll
campaign a success. “New Delhi through
its troopers has turned play fields into
graveyards, Valley is teaming with
orphans and widows of innocent youth who
were killed for demanding their birth
right. It is for people to respect the
sacrifices by remaining away from
polls,” he said.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M)
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq accused the
Government of unleashing a reign of
terror to scare away the people. Mirwaiz
said during past 24 hours, dozens of
youth have been beaten and arrested for
peacefully protesting against the polls.
“This has exposed the façade of India’s
so-called democracy. The undemocratic
activities to crush the peaceful
agitation should serve as an eye-opener
for the international community,”
Mirwaiz said.
The Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat
saluted the people for defying
restrictions and protesting against the
elections. “The restrictions have
strengthened our resolve to take the
movement to its logical conclusion. It
is high time for people to boycott the
elections even if they have to sacrifice
their lives for it,” Aasiya said.
Besides Geelani and Mirwaiz, authorities
have placed chairman of Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin
Malik, and other leaders including
Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Dr Ghulam Nabi Hubbi,
Agha Syed Hassan Almosvi Alsafvi under
house arrest. |
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Tight security to foil protests in south
Kashmir: Srinagar, Apr 29: Ahead
of the parliamentary polls in South
Kashmir on Thursday, security has been
beefed up to foil any pro-freedom and
anti-election protests even as the
Election Commission has also finalized
the arrangement for polls.
The police, paramilitary CRPF and other
agencies have sealed the districts of
Islamabad, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam
to foil anti-election protests and
processions. They have been asked to
maintain a strong vigil. Only personnel
who have special passes would be allowed
to move around in the constituency.
Meanwhile, the chief electoral officer,
B R Sharma said all arrangements have
been finalized for conduct of free, fair
and peaceful polling. Over 160
micro-observers have been deployed and
32 video cameras installed across the 16
assembly segments of the constituency,
he said.
Sharma said that polling parties have
reached their respective polling
stations and troops are in position to
ensure peaceful elections in Islamabad.
“Employees on poll duty have reported at
all the 1,501 polling stations after
computer randomization in presence of
Election Observers,” he said, adding
that about 150 Zonal and Sectoral
Officers have also been deployed to
monitor polling in the constituency.
Sharma said mock polls will be conducted
at all the polling stations in presence
of polling agents of the political
parties. “Political parties have been
requested to direct their polling agents
to report at all the polling stations
before 6.30 a.m. for mock polls so that
functioning of EVMs is checked in time.
In case the polling agents fail to
report for mock poll, polling will start
on schedule at 7 a.m,” the CEO
explained.
He said wherever mock polls are not
conducted because of absence of polling
agents, presiding officers’ diaries will
be studied to ensure that voting has
been held in a free and fair manner.
Sharma said communication plan has been
put in place, as was done in Jammu and
Udhampur Parliamentary constituencies in
the first and second phases of polling.
“A telephony network has been
established with all the polling
stations and in case of complaint,
prompt action will be taken and
responsibility fixed within no time,” he
said, adding 90 per cent complaints
received so far in the first two phases
have been found baseless. |
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NEWS /
Articles are reproductions of Local News
Papers (Greater Kashmir & Others)
So the legal rights are with there
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