Hundreds of students held demonstrations in Kashmir’s universities, as the life limped back towards normalcy after four days of protests and shutdown over the Shopian killings.
Hundreds of students of Kashmir University (KU) assembled on the campus and held protests. The students were carrying banners, which read: “Stop genocide in Kashmir. Stop killings”. However, there were no reports of violence. Female students too participated in these protests and raised anti-India slogans.
Similar protests were held on the campus of Central University Kashmir (CUK) in Srinagar. Protests were also reported on the campuses of Amar Singh Degree College in Srinagar and Sumbal Degree College in Bandipora.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited the family of Kangan whose son, Gowhar Ahmad Rather, was killed in alleged police firing three days ago. “The guilty found involved in excessive use of force in the incident would be brought to book,” Ms. Mufti told the victim family.
There were conflicting reports on circumstances leading to the killing of Rather.
Protests erupted in Kangan as Ms. Mufti left the area. People raised anti-India slogans and clashed with the security forces. There were no reports of any injuries in the clashes.
Meanwhile, educational institutions, offices, banks and markets opened in Kashmir after a four-day shutdown.
Barring incidents of stone-pelting in Pulwama’s Tral and Baramulla’s Pattan areas, no major violence was reported from any part of the Valley.
Traffic also plied normally as trains too resumed services in south Kashmir.
Thirteen militants and four civilians were killed in multiple operations of the security forces on April 1 in south Kashmir, sparking a wave of protests.
