Police spokesman: “An undeclared curfew would be strictly forced..."

It’ll be again curfew-like today Rising Kashmir News November 30 Srinagar, Nov 29: The authorities will impose undeclared curfew in Srinagar on Sunday to foil the proposed “Kupwara march” called by the separatists on the third phase of polling. “We have decided to impose Section 144 CRPC in Srinagar on Sunday,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo told Rising Kashmir. “More than four people would not be allowed to gather at a single place,” he said. Kakroo said that authorities have to impose section 144 to maintain law and order in Srinagar city to thwart the “Kupwara March” of the separatists. The separatists have already called upon people to march towards places, which go to polls on different dates. They have given Jahan poll wahan chalo (where elections march there). DC said that every measure would be taken to maintain law and order in the city. “We do not want those things to happen, which can prove detrimental for lives of people. We have to ensure safety and security of masses,” he said. SSP Srinagar Afhad-ul-Mujtaba said lawful restrictions will be imposed in Srinagar on Sunday. Asked whether movement within the city would be permitted, Mujtaba said, “It would depend on the law and order situation prevailing on the ground”. CRPF spokesman, Prabhakar Tripathi said the restrictions have been imposed in the wake of proposed separatist march to Kupwara. “The restrictions would be similar to those imposed on Friday. However, we would allow mild movement within the city,” he said. Authorities said strict security measures will be put in place in downtown city. “An undeclared curfew would be strictly forced in that part of the city. In other parts of city, the undeclared curfew would remain imposed in early hours but later in the day the movement would be allowed,” a top police official said.

Custodial killing in Shopian

‘Custodial killing’ triggers protest

Greater Kashmir Nov 30, 2008

Curfew Imposed In Shopian

MALIK SALAM

Shopain, Nov 29: Authorities imposed curfew in this south Kashmir town and its adjoining areas on Saturday following the alleged custodial killing of a youth.
Locals told Greater Kashmir that troopers of 62-Rashtriya Rifles and local police arrested Ghulam Hassan Malla from Manyal Shopain on Thursday and since then his whereabouts were not known. “We heard this morning that he has been killed in custody. We approached the 62-RR camp to ascertain about his welfare. But troopers chased us away,” they said.
The villagers alleged that Malla was killed during interrogation.
As the word about Malla’s killing spread, hundreds of people took to streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. When they tried to move towards Shopian town, police dispersed them by firing scores of teargas shells. Many people were injured in the police action.
Fearing violent clashes, the authorities later imposed curfew in the area.
A top police official told Greater Kashmir that while Malla’s body was handed over to his family, police have registered a case against Army. “We have started investigation,” the official, wishing anonymity, said.

Elections in Kashmir, photos from Greater Kashmir Nov 24

Indian troops shoot dead schoolboy, funeral mourner

BLOODBATH IN VARMUL

Greater Kashmir Nov 23

CRPF TROOPERS SHOOT DEAD SCHOOLBOY, THEN FIRE AT MOURNERS KILLING 25-YEAR OLD MAN; MASSIVE ANTI-INDIA, ANTI-ELECTION DEMOS IN CURFEWED TOWN

ALTAF BABA / UMER MAQBOOL DAR

Varmul, Nov 22: Massive anti-India and pro-freedom demonstrations were held in Varmul on Saturday where people accused the troopers Central Reserve Police Force and Police of killing a 17-year old boy and a 25-year old man in Varmul town.
While the paramilitary troopers and police used excessive force, and imposed curfew, to quell the demonstrations, the angry protesters torched a vehicle of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s cavalcade, and also damaged the vehicle of Panthers Party candidate.
Mansoor Ali, 17, of Khanpora Varmul was shot dead in the morning by CRPF personnel guarding the Congress candidate for Varmul, eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir.
“Between 11.45 AM and 12 PM we were playing in the playfield (of government middle school Khanpora) when the troopers asked us to leave. We told them we are playing; we won’t leave, but they beat us up. And when we ran out of the ground the CRPF troopers escorting Congress candidate fired at us and a bullet hit Mansoor in his chest,” Shabir Ahmed Kumar, an eyewitness and colleague of the deceased.
“In the morning some youths had clashed with police and CPRF and pelted stones, but the situation was peaceful when we were playing,” he said.
He said that two other youth, Danish Gojri and Ishfaq Ahmed Kumar, were injured in incident.
“It was a cold-blooded murder,” said a man who claimed he witnessed the incident.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Varmul Shiekh Faisal said that they have received information that bullet was fired by guard of Congress candidate.
“We will definitely investigate the whole matter and then only file the case against the culprits,” Sheikh Faisal said.
The Congress candidate, however, denied the involvement of his guards in killing of the youth.
“A clash between police and protesters was already going on when I reached Khanpora; the youth was probably killed in the firing by the CPRF troopers, there is no hand of my guards in the incident,” the Congress candidate Mushtaq Mir of Nowshehra, Varmul said.
The authorities had already imposed a curfew in old town area since early morning by deploying large contingent of police and CRPF troopers in area. The locals said the CRPF troopers had terrorized them since Friday when they demonstrated peacefully after Friday prayers. The residents said the troopers barged into their houses, beat up the inmates, and ransacked household goods.
As the news of Mansoor’s death spread, thousands of people in volatile old town, defying curfew, took to streets shouting anti-India, pro-freedom, and anti-election slogans. They carried the body of the dead boy towards martyrs graveyard.
But the CRPF men fired upon mourners at Bunglow Bagh, critically wounding Muhammed Rafiq Bhat, who was shifted to SKIMS Soura in Srinagar for emergency treatment.
Another wounded mourner Muhammed Rafiq Najar, hit by a tear smoke shell directly aimed at protesters, told Greater Kashmir that CRPF troopers fired numerous teargas canisters and beat up people with bamboo batons when they tried to lift Muhammad Rafiq Bhat.
“They did not allow us to take the wounded men to hospital. They were brutal,” he said.
After the firing spree on mourners, the agitated people resurfaced and clashed with CRPF men in Mir Sahib Mohalla. The troopers, according to eyewitnesses, fired indiscriminately at the protesters. A bullet hit Tanveer Ahmed Shiekh in his chest, killing him on the spot.
“We took him to hospital in a pushcart but doctors declared him brought dead,” said Fayaz Ahmad.
Medical superintendent of District Hospital Varmul told Greater Kashmir that both the dead persons had bullet wounds on chest.
After killing Fayaz, the witnesses said the CRPF troopers went berserk and thrashed an ambulance driver, Javed Ahmad, and an employee of the Hospital, Manzoor Ahmad, who ferried the body of deceased in old town from the hospital.
Driver Javid Ahmed told GK, “The CRPF troopers asked me to get down from the ambulance and thrashed me and Manzoor brutally. They even stoned our vehicle and damaged it.”
Some of mourners injured in CRPF action are: Muhammad Rafiq Najar, Rafiq Ahmad Bhat, Bilal Ahmad Gojri, Ishfaq Ahmad Kumar, Riyaz Ahmad Malla,Nasreena, Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, Tanveer Ahmad, and Abdur Rashid Ahangar.
Following the killings, thousands of people in Khanpora and old town demonstrated against India, police, CRPF, and assembly election.
The CRPF and SOG troopers lobbed dozens of teargas canisters in old town to crush the protesters, but the demonstrators offered stiff resistance.
The people damaged the campaign vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party candidate, Shafeeqa Begum, who managed to escape from the spot.
Later in evening the protesters torched the ambassador vehicle of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti , who was on way from Kupwara to Srinagar .
The people in Khanpora also beat-up people of Uri participating in rallies of pro-India political parties.
The district administration has also announced magisterial probe in the incident.
An official spokesman said the Additional District Development Commissioner Varmul Muhammad Akbar Mir has been appointed as the inquiry officer and asked to submit inquiry report within a week.
The CRPF troopers also ransacked the house of Vishwa Bharati Prinicipal in Varmul.

GK REPORTER BEATEN
The personnel of the dreaded Special Operations Group (SOG) of police beat up this reporter at Main Chowk Varmul when he tried to photograph a street in the old town teeming with troopers and policemen.
“We will show you how a photograph is taken,” said an SOG cop, and started thrashing this reporter.
GKNN

Mehbooba’s escort vehicle set ablaze
Varmul, Nov 22: Angry protesters set ablaze the escort vehicle of the Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti here on Saturday.
Witnesses said that angry youth pelted stones at Mehbooba’s cavalcade near Azad Gunj this evening. “One of the vehicles carrying a security guard of Mehbooba was gheraoed by the protesters. After dragging the driver and the guard out of the vehicle, protesters set it ablaze,” witnesses said.
A police official said that after setting ablaze the vehicle, mob took the driver and the SPO as hostage. “The duo was released after the intervention of the top police officials,” he added.
Police sources said that Mehbooba Mufti who was on her way back from Kupwara was advised not to take Varmul route. “She refused to change the route,” sources added.
When contacted, Mehbooba told Greater Kashmir, “I was not aware about the incident till I reached Srinagar. I am perfectly alright. People didn’t attack my cavalcade. The vehicle which was set ablaze had developed some trouble and it was being repaired by the security men. The incident happened after I had crossed Azad Gunj."
GKNN

PP candidate’s house attacked
Ganderbal, Nov 22: Unidentified persons hurled a grenade towards the house of Panther’s Party candidate here in north Kashmir on Saturday evening, police said.
A police official told Greater Kashmir that the device exploded few metres away from the house of Abdur Rasheed Ganie at Arhama Ganderbal. No one was injured in the attack, he added.
Ganie is contesting from Kangan where polls are to be held on Sunday in the second phase.
GKNN

Blast in DPN candidate’s house
Sopur, Nov 22: Unidentified persons threw a grenade on the residence of Democratic Party Nationalist candidate, Muhammad Abdullah Dar, at Yaseen Colony Sopur on Saturday evening.
“It exploded with a deafening noise and damaged his residence. No one was wounded in the blast,” a police official wishing anonymity said.
The security guards of the candidate opened fire triggering a gunfight with the gunmen. The fight continued for 10 minutes, sources said adding the gunmen later fled from the site.
GKNN

memories of 1947 genocide in Jammu

Another forgotten genocide, recent Indian history is full of those - a conveniently flexible memory, erasing the mass murder of minorities from the national memory....

3 survivors recount horrors of Jammu genocide

Greater Kashmir Nov 6, 2008
NISAR AHMED THAKUR

Islamabad, Nov 5: It is one of the least known genocides in the modern history. It was carried out with such a precision that it is difficult to find its traces, except in the memories of the survivors, and the tales of horror they passed on to their next generation. It started on November 6, 1947. Nearly two hundred thousand innocent Muslims were slaughtered by Dogra army and extremists in Jammu region.
The genocide was carried out to cleanse the Muslims from Jammu region. The Dogra troops backed up by the extremists succeeded in pushing half a million Muslims to Pakistan administered Kashmir and Pakistan.
Rashid’s father, brothers, sisters, wife, and a son were slaughtered Malik Abdul Rashid, a survivor from Reasi, currently settled in Rawalpindi, says he was 22-year old when the carnage happened.
“Men, women, children were killed in the cruelest manner, maimed, intimidated. The carnage continued for several days. I lost my father, brothers, sisters, wife, and a son,” Rashid said.
“I lost all my dears; the genocide has haunted me all my life,” he said.
On 4 November 1947, when Dogra troops entered Reasi, two highly esteemed citizens of the town, Khwaja Amkullah and Chaudhary Aziz-u-Din rushed to the office of then Deputy Commissioner Thakur Gavinder Singh, complaining against the entry of the troops when Peace Committees, comprising Hindus and Muslims, were already in place to maintain peace. Both of them were shot dead in the office.
“People were mowed down with machine guns and swords during the night. And those who had survived were assembled in a field where they were put to death. Some women who escaped jumped into Chinab river to save their honour,” Rashid recounts.
“Khwaja Ali Muhammad of Bhadarwah who was performing his duties as a public prosecutor at Reasi went to a police station to save his life, but the duty officer, a Dogra, handed him over to the RSS men. They dragged him out and tortured him so much that he begged them to kill him than torture him. But the barbarians cut his fingers one by one and told him ‘we will send your fingers to Pakistan’. He was killed near the court premises in broad day light,” Rashid said.
Rashid said Maharaja Hari Singh orchestrated the carnage to eliminate Muslims from Jammu. “Muslims were not even allowed to have weapons for self defense, but Maharaja distributed arms to the marauders of his community,” he said, adding the killers were trained and armed in RSS camps for the genocide.
He said that Maharaja Hari Singh who fled from Srinagar to Jammu on 26 October1947 ordered his troops to kill Muslims everywhere.
“The carnage started in remote villages, and many Muslims fled to towns and district headquarters. But the killers were everywhere. Hundreds of Muslims committed suicide to avoid torture,” he said.
The killers kidnapped the daughter of legendary leader Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas, the prominent leader of Muslim Conference. Mistari Ahmed-u-Din hailing from Mast Garh Mohalla of Jammu himself killed his two daughters fearing the Hindu marauders would rape them.
On 4 November Muslims who had escaped slaughter were asked to assemble in a ground near police station in Jammu so that they would be driven to Pakistan in buses. On November 5 and 6, 1947, scores of buses, trucks and lorries, loaded with women, children and old men were taken into the wilderness of Kathua forests where Hindu extremists and armed gangs butchered them like chickens.”
‘MY 3 SISTERS WERE ABDUCTED, TWO WERE RECOVERED, SURAYA IS STILL MISSING’
Another Kashmiri migrant from Jammu, Muhammad Khan Naqashbandi, told Greater Kashmir that his mother was killed and three sisters were abducted by the marauders while they were traveling to Pakistan.
Two of his sisters were recovered, but the youngest sister Suraya was still missing. Teary eyed Khan said, “My sister is still missing and I don’t know whether she is alive or dead. I survived because I was studying in Lahore when the carnage occurred. No Muslim can forget that genocide.”
Naqashbandi said the slaughter was well planned and rehearsed to prevent people from acceding to Pakistan.
Muslims were slaughtered at Mavera near Samba on November 5 and the next day carnage was carried out near cantonment in Satvari.
‘OUT OF 6000, 250 SURVIVED’
Abdul Qayum Qureshi, a witness of the genocide, hails from Dalpatian Mohalla of Jammu. Qureshi told this scribe that the blood-bath of Muslims in Jammu province had started several weeks ago but the hunt against Muslims intensified when frustrated Maharaja of the state entered into Jammu on 26 October 1947 and ordered his troops to kill Muslims wherever they can be found. Mohalla Dalpatian was a Muslim majority area where thousands of Muslims from other areas had taken shelter.
“There was a big ground where these refugees were camping. Volunteers were guarding them, but everybody lived in a state of fear. The extremists and Dogra soldiers had besieged the area but they did not dare to enter the area. Muslim volunteers led by a former army official Captain Naseer-u-din defended the camp bravely,” Qureshi said.
Qureshi narrated the horrors thus:
“Meanwhile a fresh group of refugees arrived but the ground was full so they were accommodated in an empty Haveli (a mansion). But the killers had taken positions in a trench close to the Haveli. And when people entered the Haveli premises, the killers started indiscriminate firing, but the Muslim volunteers fought back. Then a Dogra official, Chetan Chopra, arrived with the message that he wanted to talk to Captain Naseer-ud-din. Around 4 PM Captain Naseer returned saying the administration has announced a ceasefire and assured that the violators will be punished. The ceasefire continued for seven days but the situation remained tense. On 5 November Muslims were asked to assemble in the police lines Jammu. I remember about 26 trucks and buses were present in the police grounds. People were ordered to board the vehicles so that they could be driven to Pakistan via Sialkot border. The Dogra officials circulated a rumor that these vehicles have reached Pakistan. We had absolutely no idea that they were butchered in the Kuthwa and Samaba forests.
On 6 November a caravan of refuges in buses and trucks was driven towards the border area. I was also part of this caravan. But after half an hour drive the entire caravan was turned towards Bisna. Around 11 AM all of us, about 6000, were dragged out of the buses. Then they fired at us indiscriminately. The bloodbath continued for nearly three hours; like other people I took refuge in a canal. People hid under thorny bushes and wherever they could. At 3 PM the Dogra officials asked the survivors to come out hiding so that they could be driven to safe places. Having no alternative we came out, and fortunately on the directives of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah we were later shifted to a refugee camp in Jammu. Only 250 had survived. My father was in the Valley and my two brothers were in Mirpur.”