Add Category
Updated
There is unrest in various pockets of the Kashmir Valley, as the wave of violence there continues.
Key points:
- Students are joining the fray in Kashmir as conflict continues to escalate
- Footage of a "human shield" tied to an army vehicle sparked anger, spurring protests
- The killing of a high-profile militant also led to curfews in the capital
But when you see images of Kashmiri girls and women pelting stones, it signifies a different phase in the conflict that has endured for more than two decades.
High school and university students have taken the lead in protests, and students wearing backpacks can be seen throwing stones at security forces.
Surprisingly, women are also taking part in the protests in large numbers.
"All our lives we have seen death and destruction. I can't take this anymore," Ghulam Rasool, a student in his early 20s who has been at the forefront of one group pelting stones at security forces, said.
"How can security forces storm into our colleges? Are we terrorists?" Razia Bhatt, another university student, said.
She has been organising her friends to resist police entering university campuses.
'Human shield' incident angers protesters
Recent events have brought Kashmir back into the spotlight, and more young people have joined the resistance, targeting the armoured vehicles used by police and the Central Reserve Police Force.
The young people are not scared, and are willing to die.
"This is a new generation. Bullets don't scare them," Basher Manzar, a veteran commentator on Kashmir, said.
"They are completely alienated and have nothing to lose."
Anger increased a couple months ago after a Kashmiri protester was tied to an Indian army jeep, allegedly to be used as a human shield.
Footage of the incident went viral on social media, and showed an unidentified man tied to the front of an army vehicle as it passed through a street in central Kashmir.
Last month's killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, the head of the militant Hizbul Mujahideen group, led to further protests and culminated in curfews for many parts of the capital Srinagar.
Violence may get worse
Kashmir witnessed one of its worst summers last year when more than 120 people lost their lives during violent street protests, sparked by the killing of another Hizbul Mujahideen leader, Burhan Wani.
The pitched battles between security forces and protesters last year saw scores of youth lose their eyesight due to the pellet guns fired at them, but there are fears this year's season could be even more violent.
Police said on Friday one of their officers had been beaten to death and lynched by a crowd outside the main mosque in Srinagar.
Witnesses said worshippers had spotted the policeman at the mosque in plainclothes, taking photographs of people leaving shortly after midnight — when they confronted him, a brawl broke out and the officer fired his gun, wounding three people.
Two people suspected of involvement in the attack have been arrested.
India and Pakistan continue to clash over disputed Kashmir, and the volatile Himalayan region has experienced an armed insurgency for more than two decades.
Many Kashmiris are now fed up with both Islamabad and New Delhi.
The inability of Indian authorities to rein in the separatist movement has led many Kashmir analysts to suggest that India is losing grip on the situation.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, india, jammu-and-kashmir
First posted