Three killed as Valley remains on the edge

Agencies

Srinagar, 19 September 2010: Kashmir continues to be on the edge as curfew enters seventh day here even as three individuals are killed in police firing and seven injured in Anantnag and Pattan on Saturday. Curfew was lifted in Srinagar for a few hours to allow people to stock up on food and medicines. Today’s deaths take the toll to 98 people killed in a span of 100 days of unrest in the Valley.

 

Curfew was imposed last week following violence on Eid. Shops and schools have remained closed ever since. Streets bear a deserted look except for security personnel who are seen patrolling. Three people had died in police action on Friday while a policeman’s house was targeted in Shopian. Otherwise, situation remained calm with no reports of protests or clashes from the Bemina area as shops and schools remained closed.

 

Meanwhile, there is still no consensus among political parties whether to do away with the disputed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). The Army chief General V K Singh came out in defence of the Act, denying it’s being used arbitrarily. "Armed Forces Special Powers Act is an enabling provision, not arbitrary. Infiltration and attempted infiltration have gone up during the last two months in Jammu and Kashmir, but it is coincidental," said Singh.

 

 

As violence continues to mar life in the Valley, the three-month unrest has not only claimed more than 90 lives but also hit education badly with professional colleges being no exception. In the wake of protests and a hunger strike for last three days inside the premier National Institute of Technology (NIT), students demand they should not suffer due to the unrest. They say so much time is being wasted due to hartals and curfew in the city.

 

"Education has been crippled here for three-and-a-half months. We want classes should begin from next day onwards. And if that’s not possible, outside students and teachers should be accommodated inside the campus so that classes can go on," said a student. "Our director is not taking our responsibility. He has cancelled our placement week. We want that to be revoked," said another student.

 

As the curfew drags on indefinitely, families who can afford the added expenses are sending their children to study outside Kashmir and to make up for lost time.