Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR, June 10: Students of the Kashmir University paid tributes to the youth who were killed after police and paramilitaries fired at protesters during a summer uprising two years ago.
“Kashmir University Students’ Union (KUSU) held a meeting on 9 June, 2012 and paid homage to the people martyred by Indian occupational troops in 2010 as well as in 2008 and prayed for them,” a spokesman of the union said.
A mass popular uprising against Indian rule in Kashmir erupted in the June of 2010 when a teenager, Tufail Mattoo, died after a teargas shell fired by the police hit him in the head.
Hundreds of thousands of ordinary people took to the streets chanting anti-India slogans during the unrest which lasted for months. Around 12o people died due to firing by police or paramilitaries.
“Kashmir university students hereby extend their heartfelt condolences to the families of those martyred and vow to strive alongside the whole Kashmiri nation in the achievement of their rights, which stand unfulfilled to this very day,” the spokesman said.
The students’ union has been banned by authorities of the university for a long time now and how many students attended the Saturday meeting could not be known.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a shutdown on June 11 (Monday) “in remembrance of the 120 youth who died in 2010”. He has also appealed to people to observe the week starting this Monday as the “Martyr’s Week”.
“The aim is to dedicate the week to the martyrs and to show to the world that we have not forgotten the numerous sacrifices given by our people. That we pledge to carry forward the movement,” Geelani said.
