SRINAGAR: The killing of 19-year-old student in security forces firing during cordon and search operation in a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district last evening has triggered fresh protests by students in the Valley and separatists have called for shutdown and protests against the killing on Friday.
Aadil Farooq Magray, 19, BA Ist year student, was killed after security forces fired on protestors during cordon and search operation in Ganawpora village in Shopian district last evening.
Security forces had launched search operation in the village after reports about presence of militants there. The operation was called off after the youth’s killing.
Aadil was laid to rest at a graveyard at his native village this morning. Thousands of people attended his funeral prayers amidst chanting of pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans.
The Shopian district observed shutdown to protest Aadil’s killing. All shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads.
To protest Aadil’s killing, students in different parts of the Valley staged protests to condemn the killing of a student.
The students of Degree College Shopian, where Aadil was studying, staged protest demonstration amist chanting of pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
The protesting students clashed with police and paramilitary personnel, who were deployed in strength in area to maintain law and order and foil protests. The clashes continued for some time.
The students of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) at Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district also took to roads and staged protest on Srinagar-Jammu national highway against killing of a youth in clashes last evening.
The student carrying placards and banners pelted stones on the police and CRPF men, who intercepted and prevented them from marching on the highway. The cops fired dozens of tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesting students.
After the protests and clashes, the IUST has decided to suspend class work in the varsity on Thursday and Friday.
The boys and girl students of two different institutions in their uniforms also staged protest on Srinagar-Jammu highway at Namlabal Pampore in Pulwama district against the killing of a youth. The students of Government Degree College Handwara in border district of Kupwara also took to roads and staged protest against killing of Aadil.
Amidst sloganeering, the protesting students were demanding stern punishment to security personnel involved in student’s killing and end to civilian killings. The students clashed with the security personnel after they tried to intercept them and prevent them from marching ahead. The clashes continued for more than an hour.
The student protests were also reported from some other parts of the Valley.
The situation in Valley is once again tense after the student’s killing.
The Valley witnessed student protests last month after security forces raided a college in Pulwama during which over 50 students were injured. Even girl students had staged protests and pelted stones on security personnel.
Meanwhile, the separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have termed killing of student Aadil as “cold blooded murder” by security forces.
They have called for complete shutdown and protests in Valley on June 9 (Friday) against the killing of student.
The separatist leaders also called on people of south Kashmir to march towards the residence of slain youth in Shopian on Friday to express solidarity with the bereaved family.
“Peaceful protests will also be held on Friday against NIA raids on separatist leaders and businessmen in Kashmir and against Indian electronic media’s propagandas war,” they said.