Battle for land
Day 8: Uneasy calm prevails in Valley 47 injured in clashes at Bla, B’pora Mir Tariq/Umer Maqbool Srinagar/ Baramulla/Bandipore: Kashmir valley, which witnessed violent protest over the transfer of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for the past seven days, remained calm but tense on eight running day, Monday. However, 47 persons were injured in the violent protests that rocked twin districts of Baramulla and Bandipore in north Kashmir.
Five persons have died and more than six hundred injured in the agitation against land since June 23. Life remains paralyzed Valley observed a complete shutdown for eight consecutive day, as shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic red off the roads. However, reports of minor clashes between policemen and youth were received from different parts of the Srinagar city. Protests rock Baramulla Protests against the transfer of 800 kanal land to SASB continued to rock twin districts of Baramulla on eighth running day Monday. Policemen who were deployed in strength in beat up the protesters with batons and fired numerous tear smoke canisters and resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters. However, protesters offered stiff resitance triggering violent clashes. In the ensuing clashes at least 30 persons including 16 policemen sustained injuries. Police Station ransacked, police opens fire According to the eyewitnesses, policemen opened fire on the protesters near Kitchama, Sheeri in Baramulla this afternoon injuring Shamsudin Fafoo son of Ali Muhammad of Shalteng Sheeri. “We were staging peaceful protests when policemen and troopers appeared and opened fire on us,” the witnesses said. They said Fafoo was rushed to Sub District Hospital (SDH) Baramulla from where doctors referred him to Srinagar. As the news of police resorting to firing spread in the area, hundreds of people took to streets and damaged two police pickets at Sheeri bridge and proceeded towards Police Station Sheeri.Angry youth, according to the witnesses, attacked Police Station Sheeri and tried to ransack it, the witnesses said, adding, Policemen fired tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters injuring at least six persons. Clashes in Delina Thousands of people staged massive protest demonstrations at Delina in Baramulla early morning. Raising anti-government and pro-freedom slogans, the protesters hurled stones on the cops, present in the area.Clashes broke out in area when people pelted stones on the policemen and police fired teargas canisters and baton charged the protesters. At least twelve persons including four policemen were injured in clashes in area throughout the day.Protests in Khanpora Clashes between the angry youth and police broke out in Khanpora area, when angry mob pelted stones on the CRPF picket in the area this afternoon.In the clashes between CRPF, police and protesters ten persons including two cops were injured throughout the day. Heavy contingent of police was deployed in area .Meanwhile protests and clashes also broke out in other areas including Janbazpora, Khawjabagh, Kanispora and old town areas of Baramulla .The clashes also erupted in Chankipora area of Sopore when angry mob pelted stones on the policemen in which two civilians’ sustained injuries.Police says A senior police official of Baramulla told Rising Kashmir that they are exercising maximum restraint despite cops suffering injuries."Sixteen policemen were injured throughout the day in area and two of them are critically injured. People should maintain peace in the area and refrain from vandalizing public property and attacking police stations," he said.17 injured in Bandipore At least 17 persons sustained injuries when police resorted to baton charge and fired numerous tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters. Hundreds of people carrying green flags from various villages including Ajas, Hajin, Sidunara and Sumbal reached Bandipore township thgis morning. Policemen who were deployed in strength in the area swung into action and resorted to baton charge to disperse the protesters. “Cops fired tear smoke canisters beat us up with batons and resorted to aerial firing,” said the witnesses. They said that in the police action at least 17 persons sustained injuries. Six critically injured persons were rushed to Srinagar. Section 144 imposed Prohibitory orders have been promulgated under Section 144 of the CrPC in the Bandipore township with the immediate effect. The restrictions will remain in force for two days, said an official. Troopers ransack houses in BaramullaAfter day long clashes with the youth in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, paramilitary CRPF troopers Monday evening barged into the houses of locals, damaged their belonging and started beating inmates.This infuriated the residents especially women who came out and staged a massive protest march near old bridge in Baramulla.Thousands of men, women and children came out on streets after announcements were made from the Masjids. They were raising pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan, anti-India and anti-troopers slogans.When the protestors which included a large number of women tried to move towards civil lines area, police fired dozens of tear smoke canisters to disperse the demonstrators. The demonstrators offered stiff resistance following which police fired hundreds of gun shots in air that forced the demonstrators to run helter-skelter. Most of the demonstrators then went into the town's different Masjids and starting raising pro-freedom slogans on loudspeakers.

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