REPRESSION IN KASHMIR OCCUPIED

Yasin booked under PSA, shifted to Jammu jail

Protests against Malik, Sumji’s detention

By Amin Masoodi

Source : "Kashmir Times"

SRINAGAR, Nov 1:

Continuing its crackdown against the separatist leaders, authorities today slapped Public Safety Act (PSA) on chairman JKLF, Mohammad Yasin Malik and care taker chairman, Hurriyat Conference (G), Ghulam Nabi Sumji and sent them to Amphala jail in Jammu.

Following the booking of Malik and Sumji under PSA, hundreds of people in Maisuma and its adjoining areas took to streets and held strong protest demonstrations amid a complete strike. Security forces cordoned off the area from all sides and lobbed tear smoke shells and cane charged protestors to disperse the protestors who fought pitched battles till late this evening.

Hurriyat Conference (G) and Muslim League (ML) have strongly condemned the detention of separatist leaders under PSA and shifting them outside the valley.

Vice chairman, JKLF, Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat has strongly condemned the detention of Malik under PSA and shifting him outside the valley.

According to a press release, a high level meeting under the president ship of Vice chairman, JKLF, Advocate, Bashir Ahmad Bhat was convened soon after Malik was shifted to Jammu.

Bhat said that government was taking revenge from Malik by slapping draconian act on him and shifting him to a jail outside Srinagar despite his ailing health.

Bashir Bhat said that India was using brute force to muzzle the genuine voices in Kashmir and it will never succeed in doing so.

Malik was arrested during the intervening night of October 22 and 23 from his Maisuma residence and lodged in police station Sumbal.

A day before, JKLF chairman and President, Jamiat Ahlihadees, Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah had formally kicked his election boycott campaign from Hajan Sonawari in Bandipora.

A day later, police arrested Ghulam Nabi Sumji from Hurriyat (G) headquaters Raj Bagh here during night hours.

The protestors clashed with security forces and fought pitched battles till evening. They were protesting against booking of separatist leaders under PSA and shifting them outside the valley. They kept on chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.

They burnt tyres on roads and erected barricades. Protest demonstrations were going on in the area till late this evening.

Reports of clashes between security forces and protest demonstrations were also received from Nowhatta area.

Reports said that when the police bus carrying Malik reached Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), scores of JKLF activists raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.

Police bus had to stop for about 20 minutes due to the protest demonstration by the activists.

Malik was brought here in a police bus from Sumbal police station, where he was kept for last ten days. According to a press release, moments before his shifting to Ambphala jail Jammu, JKLF chairman, said that arrests and imposition of draconian laws would not keep people away from carrying forward the ongoing movement.

He said that peoples’ movement was peaceful but still India was using brute force to crush it. Malik reminded that about ten years before, Chief Election Commissioner has announced that running an election and anti-election campaign were part of the democratic process and time and again, the claims of India being one of the biggest democracies in the world are nullified.

Malik appealed people especially youth not to get demoralised by the use of unprecedented force by India and continue the ongoing movement peacefully.

He said that in spite of arrests and use of force, people of Kashmir would boycott the elections completely. He said that he has spent more than 10 years in jails of Delhi, Agra, Jodhpur and other states and this time also, his arrest was nothing unusual.

According to Hurriyat (G) spokesperson, the family members of Ghulam Nabi Sumji had filed an appeal in the court not to send Sumji to outside valley on health grounds but court turned down the appeal. They said that Sumji was seriously suffering from piles but the authorities still transferred him to a Jammu jail.