Nazir Ganaie
SRINAGAR: The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah may have asked the police and paramilitaries to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with protests, but he for sure hasn’t suggested that they didn’t equip themselves well just in case.
Each police district has been supplied with another 5000 teargas canisters, more stock of 2-inch grenades, pellet guns, pepper guns besides some other weapons, amid fears that protests over Afzal Guru’s death may intensify further.
“This is in addition to what we already have. Similarly every district police head must have received the further ammunition to tackle the situation,” said a police official in central Kashmir.
“TSR shells, Long range shells, short range, teargas canisters etc.”
On Saturday, Abdullah told reporters that he had asked the security establishment – police and paramilitaries – to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with protesters in the wake of Afzal Guru’s hanging.
He fears a repeat of the summer 2010 when the death of a teenage boy triggered a series of protests which lasted for months.
At least 111 people, mostly young men and children, died in police or paramilitary firing.
The police says it has now a sufficient stock of what it calls ‘non-lethal’ equipment to avoid fatal casualties.
However, the 2010 unrest in Kashmir witnessed several deaths due to non-lethal weapons.
Since Sunday, three youth have died during clashes between protesters and police and paramilitaries.
Two drowned while being chased by the CRPF while another died due to bullet wounds in the stomach.
Witnesses say many others who have been injured also indicate that guns were not aimed below the waist.
