Student protests rock Jammu and Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Student protests rocked Kashmir on Thursday with students including women students clashing with security personnel and pelted stones on cops to protest against the militant and civilian killings in south Kashmir.

Educational institutions reopened on Thursday after remaining closed for three days in the wake of the killing of 13 militants and four civilians in three security operations in south Kashmir on Sunday. Three army men were also killed in the gunfight.

After the militant and civilian killings, authorities closed all educational institutions in the Valley for three days and postponed the exams in view of the shutdown called by separatists against the killings.

However, as the class work resumed today, the students of colleges in Srinagar – Degree College Bemina, Amar Singh College, Gandhi College, SP Higher Secondary School – took to roads and staged protests.

Chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans, the students pelted stones on the police and CRPF men. The cops fired tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charge.

The intense clashes took place outside Amar Singh College in Srinagar. The students of the college set on fire a police bunker. However, no security personnel was present inside the bunker when it was attacked by protesting students.

The girl students of Women’s College also came out of their college and staged protest demonstration in city centre Lal Chowk. The girl students chanting anti-India slogans also pelted stones on police and CRPF men and security vehicles in the area.

The vehicular traffic in the city centre was disrupted by the clashes.

The students in University of Kashmir also boycotted their classes and staged protests within the campus. The protesting students were chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans and demanded an end to killings in the Valley.

The student protests spread to other parts of the Valley.  The students of colleges and higher secondary schools in north Kashmir districts of Baramulla and Bandipora also took out protests and staged protest demonstrations.

The police and CRPF men resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge to disperse the stone pelting students.

Some students suffered minor injuries in the clashes.

The student protests had also rocked Kashmir last year following security forces raid on Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir.

The authorities had to close the educational institutions in Valley for about a fortnight after the near daily student protests.

Meanwhile, separatist leaders have called for protests against killings after Friday prayers tomorrow.