Posted by Umi Umar Jul 24, 2008

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Outraged over the transfer of state land to Amarnath shrine board, fierce protests by Kashmiri youth coupled with heavy backlash by police evoked the memories of early 1990s in the Valley. And here at the trisection of the city’s Rambagh, which would otherwise remain relatively clam, the situation was like of a Gaza strip with armored police vehicles chasing young protestors while youth regroup, converge from narrow lanes, which is followed by strong and irate police action.
The lava of dissent accrued by people during past several years spewed in a violent way undermining the myth of the certain quarters that the people had forgotten ways of revolt.
The ding-dong battles between child protestors and police in several parts of Rambagh, the main road to International Airport of the Valley saw police reacting to stone-throwers by firing tear smoke canisters in an attempt to disband the young mob.
Flames of burning rubber and wood continued to dot the area while youth continued to regroup and re-launch a barrage of stones, bottles and bricks on the police and paramilitary CRPF confirming that they would hate to love the government designs even on this busy road of the summer capital.
Protesters accused the Government of India of planning to construct Israeli like’ Hindu settlement in Kashmir valley to bolster it grip and alter its demography in the region, which they said would never be allowed to happen, their placards and banners testifying that the “stolen land would be seized”.
Across the fringes, shops and offices had pulled down their shutters voluntarily in strikes and public transport remained suspended while the roads filled by marchers chanted, ‘Down with India’, ‘Kashmiri land no more for sale’ and ‘We want freedom’.
Tucked just near the intersection, Rising Kashmir office too bore the brunt of the strikes and police action. Its staff struggled to make it to the office from either road, while the office vans survived vandalizing.
So much was the chaos around that the newspaper office had to ferry its staff in the dead of night to come out with a fresh edition next day. Most of the staffers preferred to stay in the office the entire night leaving the office every tomorrow.
The heavily patrolled intersection of the city, Rambagh, could only sleep in dark while the past five dawns had been marred with the chorus of disapproval over the transferred land.
And the rough roads, burnt police post, punctured hoardings, smoked parapets, testify it all.

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