Baramulla traders declare indefinite strike

SRINAGAR: Even as the police claims to have released nearly five hundred “fist-time offenders”, random arrests and night raids continue to evoke sharp public reaction with parts of Kashmir Friday remaining shut in protest. Business community in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district declared an indefinite shutdown against the alleged atrocities by policemen.

Several parts of Kashmir valley observed spontaneous shutdown on Friday while protests and clashes broke out elsewhere. Reports said Sopore town remained shut for the second straight day against the random arrests of youth. All the shops, business establishments, schools and colleges were shut in the Apple town.

Eyewitnesses said mild clashes between the stone-throwing youth and police took place early Friday morning near  Sopore chowk and Arampora but the forces chased away the agitated youth. Even though the elections concluded on May 7, additional contingents of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the town to subdue the protests against the alleged excesses by the police. The neighboring Bandipora was no different as people there too observed  shutdown to protest the prolonged detention of local youth. Soon after the Friday congregations, angry youth took to streets and threw stones at the police patrols.

Locals said the youth coming out of mosques after Friday prayers attempted to engage paramilitary personnel in clashes. “There were mild clashes but the people succeeded to take out a protest march,” said a resident of Hajin. The protester sought immediate release of hundreds of young boys who were rounded up by police before the elections.

Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district also remained restive with people observing  shutdown against the killing of a foreign militant on Wednesday evening. “There were clashes between youth and government forces after Friday prayers,” reports said.

 Meanwhile traders in Baramulla have alleged that the local police resorted to “wanton loot and robbery” in the town. The local traders’ group Beopaar Mandal while seeking an end to “police atrocities” has demanded release of youth and elderly persons who were detained during elections. The trade body has also asked the government to shift two senior police officers from the district.

A GNS report said all the markets of Baramulla town were closed with traffic off the roads while clashes also took place at Cement Bridge – which connects Old Town with Civil Lines. There was huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces in all the markets of the town while police had erected concertina wires on Cement Bridge restricting the movement of civilians.

 “Police have created hostile situation in the town. They have detained around 30-40 youth and elderly persons during nocturnal raids from last few days from various parts of the town including in Azad Gunj, Ganai Hamam, Jamia Mohalla and Stadium Colony,” the agency quotes  President of Beopaar Mandal, Abdul Rashid Mir as said.

“Aroudn 2 a.m. past night the police raided the house of a businessman Ghulam Mohiudin Mir of Stadium Colony Azad Gunj. They went berserk, smashed glasses and other belongings. They thrashed him and his son. His son, Abdul Rashid was picked up by police without clothes,” Mir alleged.

While leveling serious allegations on the police, he said, “They stole gold worth 16 lakh rupees from his house and Three hundred thousand rupees in cash. Besides, all this, his house was damaged by police.” The trade body has sought compensation to the affected businessman and also the transfer of the local police officer. “Till these demands are met, the town will observe a complete shutdown. It is our collective decision,” Mir said.

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