Kashmir: Yasin Malik arrested, strikes continue amid police's violence on protestors
A teenager was killed, several wounded as Indian police's violence continues in held territory
SRI NAGAR (Dunya News/Web Desk/AFP) – The Indian police on Saturday arrested Huriat leader Yasin Malik after he has been on a hunger strike for over 30 hours to protest against the atrocities committed against the people of Kashmir by Indian forces and against Modi government’s plan of boosting Hindu pundits’ settlement in the disputed region to suppress the Muslims-led freedom movement.
Indian authorities have already detained two other top Huriat leaders Musarat Alam Bhat and Syed Ali Geelani who had called for the massive strike after police’s violent crackdown began.
Police ‘regret’ after killing Kashmiri youth in cold blood
In a naked display of violence, the Indian police shot a teenage protester who later succumbed to the injuries. The authorities admitted of the wrongdoing by the police in a statement saying “ We "regret the unfortunate incident", the statement said” as quoted by AFP news agency.
"A preliminary enquiry conducted into the matter indicates that the forces deployed have acted in violation of the laid-down SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)," it added.
The uncle of the boy said police first detained his nephew before shooting him at point-blank range in front of dozens of other protesters.
The shooting happened during a protest on the outskirts of Srinagar, the main city of Indian-occupied Kashmir, against a government crackdown on separatist leaders -- the second day of violent clashes in the disputed Muslim-majority territory.
"The boy died of bullet wounds," Aijaz Mustafa, a local hospital spokesman, told AFP.
Three others were also wounded, witnesses said.
"The police officer took my nephew aside and then shot him point-blank as we watched," Tariq Ahmed Sofi, the boy s uncle, told AFP.
Kashmir is burning, calling out to the world for freedom
Kashmir has been rocked by violent protests this week after the brother of a top rebel leader was killed by the army near the town of Tral in the south of the Kashmir valley.
Shops, businesses and schools remained shut on Saturday across several towns in the state in response to a strike led by top separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani against what he called "state terrorism" and "poisonous propaganda" by Indian media.
Authorities have put all top separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent them from leading protests.
On Friday, 30 people, mainly police officers, were injured as pro-Pakistan demonstrators set fire to an Indian flag and hurled rocks at them as protests over the arrest of another separatist leader turned violent.
Masarat Alam Bhat was arrested Friday, two days after he raised pro-Pakistan slogans at a peaceful separatist rally in which activists waved Pakistani flags.
Bhat rose to prominence in 2010 when he organised a series of mass protests before being detained without charge for four years under controversial public safety legislation.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep across Kashmir, a picturesque Himalayan region that is India s only Muslim-majority state.
India has occupied Kashmir against the will of its people since the division of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into Pakistan and India.
Although several rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 for independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan, street protests have become the principal mode of opposition to Indian rule.
Violence has declined steadily in the region during the last decade but armed encounters between rebels and government forces occur regularly.
