Clashes erupted between stone-pelting mobs and the riot police in central Srinagar soon after Friday congregational prayers at the historical Grand Mosque and against the backdrop of a recent event in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The protesters, most of them covering their faces with bandanas, were demanding unconditional release of Valley-born S.A.R. Gilani, a former professor at Delhi University, arrested in connection with a recent event at the Press Club of India where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised and an end to alleged harassment of Kashmiri students amid the furore over the event held at the campus of JNU against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
A masked protester waved a black banner which had “Thank JNU” written in white on it. Some other protesters were waving Pakistan and ISIS flags. Another banner the protesters were holding said, “Afzal is our hero. To hell with Indian Constitution; Supreme Court”.
Some of the masked youth told visiting reporters that they were out on the streets to protest against “fascism” and “hooliganism” being unleashed in Delhi to “muzzle” the “saner voices” and, in particular, to vent their anger over arrest and harassment of Kashmiri students.
The local police and CRPF deployed in strength in the area since morning quickly moved in and fired teargas canisters in their attempt to push the protesters back into the dark alleys of central Srinagar. But the protesters soon turned into stone-throwing mobs and the clashes between the two sides continued till evening.
Clashes took place also in city’s Nawa Kadal area, about 3 km from Grand Mosque, after the police reportedly detained a youth from the locality. The police again fired teargas canisters to quell surging crowds, witnesses said.
The Mirwaiz, who delivers weekly sermon at Grand Mosque which is customarily followed by a brief speech on political or social issue(s), continued to be under house arrest on the fifth consecutive day. He, however, in a telephonic address to the worshippers alleged that “fanatical right-wing chauvinism perpetuated and promoted by the political establishment of India today is being tried to define as nationalism and patriotism”.
He said anyone who disagrees with it or even simply has a difference of opinion is sweepingly labelled as an anti-national and added that it was unfortunate that all political parties across the board in India “have fallen prey to this trap and are ascribing to this regressive definition for vote bank politics”.
“But it is heartening to see that many among the youth of India have risen up challenging this narrow-mindset and unrealistic outlook understanding that challenging the wrong policies of the government or rising against them does not qualify them to be traitors”, he asserted. He added, “They understand that there are many issues such as Kashmir which have to be dealt with on the basis of principles of justice which is not possible unless the whole perspective of the issue or issues is understood and there is a positive engagement and dialogue”.
The Mirwaiz said the arrest and charge of sedition against JNUSU president Kanihya Kumar and SAR Gilani is highly condemnable being the “witch hunt” of people who support dissent, by the police and BJP “goons”. He alleged, “BJP created and nourished Frankenstein of intolerance and hooliganism which is today threatening to engulf whole of India”. He also said that it was first used against Kashmiri (separatist) leadership to stop it from visiting places in India to engage with the Indian public opinion and inform them about the facts in the Valley and the human rights situation there. “However we were physically stopped, manhandled and not allowed to speak or put forward our view point. Instead of condemning it and speaking against it at that time, silence was observed by most while some endorsed it by saying we deserved what we got”, he said. He added, “It is ironical that today when this Frankenstein has come to haunt them, they are crying hoarse”. He expressed “deep regret” over the silence of International community, especially world bodies like the UN, OIC and others and their “turning a blind eye towards the persistent growing culture of repression and impunity practiced by the Indian authorities, against the civilian population of Kashmir”.
