An Indian policeman patrols a deserted road during a curfew in Srinagar February 11, 2013. PHOTO: REUTERS
SRINAGAR: The fatal shooting of a young boy by security forces heightened anger in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday as a curfew ordered after the execution of a separatist paralysed business.
Ubaid Mushtaq, who doctors say was 12 or 13 years old, died in hospital in the early hours after being shot at a protest over the hanging of a Kashmiri separatist convicted of helping to plot a deadly attack on the Indian parliament in 2001.
Meanwhile the family of Mohammed Afzal Guru, the Kashmiri Muslim who was executed on Saturday at a jail in New Delhi, only received a letter notifying them of his hanging on Monday morning.
The handling of Guru's execution has already been heavily criticised by Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who warned it could exacerbate the sense of frustration and alienation in what is India's only Muslim-majority state.
A police source said around 3,500 people had attended Ubaid's funeral in his home village of Watergam which is situated next to Guru's hometown Sopore.
A senior police officer, who was not authorised to speak to the press, said an inquiry had been launched but that initial reports suggested Ubaid died from firing by a paramilitary force which is under the control of the federal interior ministry.
Another police official spoke on condition of anonymity said a second body had been recovered from the Jhelum river, believed to have drowned on Sunday after protesters were chased by a contingent of the paramilitary force.
A body of a protester was recovered from the same river on Sunday after he jumped in the water in a bid to escape government forces in the Sambal area.
While the ruling Congress party has said the execution of Guru shows it is "tough on terrorism", local officials have distanced themselves from the decision.
Omar told the CNN-IBN channel that Afzal's hanging "didn't come as a complete surprise to us", coming less than three months after India carried its first execution in nearly a decade.
But he added, "We would have preferred if he wasn't hanged."
Security forces have imposed a curfew in much of Indian Kashmir since Saturday while witnesses said police numbers had been further increased to head off possible protests on the 29th anniversary of the execution of a separatist leader.
The February 11 anniversary of the death of Maqbool Bhat, a founder of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), is usually marked by large rallies and separatist groups had already called for a general strike on Monday before the curfew order.
Despite the clampdown, residents said around 20 JKLF activists came out on to the streets near Srinagar city centre before being chased away by riot police.
They were carrying posters of Maqbool Bhat and shouted slogans for Azadi (Freedom from Indian Rule) and demanded the return of Bhat's remains. He was hanged and buried at Tihar Jail - the same prison where Guru was executed.
Roads were largely deserted while shops, banks, schools and government offices were all closed.
The few people authorised to leave curfew-bound areas, were tourists who headed to the airport after being confined to their hotels over the weekend.
Guru's execution has also sparked protests in the section of Kashmir on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, a de facto border.
At a third day of demonstrations in Pakistan-held Kashmir on Monday, activists burnt an effigy of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and handed over a written protest to the local UN office condemning the "illegal" execution of innocent Kashmiris in Indian courts.
Around 1,500 activists, including members of the main ruling Pakistan Peoples Party took part in the demonstration, police said.
Hundreds of protesters had similarly gathered on Saturday. On Sunday around 400 people held special "funeral" prayers for Guru in Muzaffarabad, the main city in Azad Kashmir.
A spokesman for Pakistan's foreign ministry voiced concern at the response of the Indian government to protests over Guru's execution.
"We... express our serious concern on the high handed measures taken by India in the wake of Afzal Guru's execution to suppress the aspirations of Kashmiris by arrests and detention of Hurriyat (freedom) leaders, curfew, news blackout and other coercive means," he said in a statement.
COMMENTS (15)
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Imagine you are a army personal in Kashmir and you have a gun and a protester throws stones at you despite you warning him not to do so then what will you do? a) Run from that place. b) Shoot at him
@Jai:
You can save all that trouble of your idea. Since Kashmir is already defacto partitioned between India and Pakistan, those hard-core Islamists, forming only 10% of the total Kashmiri population, who want to separate, can move to Pakistan. That is the simplest solution.
@gp65:
"The death is very very unfortunate and not jusifiable. I wish however that the leaders focussed on something constructive rather than leading violent demonstrations. They are not serving the people who they claim to lead."
While any death of civilians, especially young people is regrettable, as for "justification", the issue is that the hard-core separatists thrust the youngsters in the front as human shields while carrying out their attacks on the security forces and public property. This is exactly what happened two or three years ago when the youngsters were instigated by the separatist leaders to attack the security forces and destroy property. All the while, the so-called leaders like Asia Andrabi sent their sons to places like Malaysia, as an excuse, for studies. These terrorist supporting leaders, who live in comfortable mansions, don't themselves go to the front and face the bullets, but instigate poor young people to commit violence and die in the process.
So, there are two sides to the story.
Frankly I don't want Kashmir to be a part of India anymore. It's being causing embarrasment to India for a long time. First we should take care of the minorities ( Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Shias, Ahmedis etc.) and relocte then safely to Jammu, then just set the Kashmir valley free for them to decide whatever and let them suffer the consequences. India doesn't need to pump in money for development of the ungrateful people, instead that can be used for the welfare of the adibashis in the heartland of India
@janaan - "count down has already started." Buddy countdown had started in 1947, by this time it is heading to minus infinity :)
Protests are welcome as long as they are within constitutional limits. I also participated in years long protest during my school days for a separate state of Uttrakhand to be carved out of UP. After years of protests & negotiations this was achieved. But this did not require us to work against the constitution/country. Same thing happened to Jharkhand state of India. Now it is also happening to other places. Protests must not resort to violence. Gandhiji helped the whole sub-continent freed from the then superower with the suppport of his countrymen when they all protested but stayed non-violent.
@hari: yeah thats where indian army performs better, against women and children. only sabre rattling and then turn your guns inwards
@indian: i can see all those indian recommendations. this speaks of your love for kashmir and its people.
count down has already started.
Indian present president taking very tough decision he is not like other pacifist presidents of the past like Pratibha Patil and Abdul Kalam.
Under his presidency 2 executions have taken place one of Kasab and now Afzal Guru during both the executions his highness has rejected the mercy petition.These capital punishments are taking place after many years time in India.
Mr Pranab is decisive and he takes decisions very hard decision to some,you may like it or do not like it. Pranab is not a president like other who are indecisive he is different than many presidents which India had.He doesn't sit on files he clears the files.He takes everything(case) to its logical conclusion.
Unfortunately, we were not able to see him as prime minister of India,it would had been interesting to see him what he actual would do regarding policies if he would have been our prime minister.
Some may call it a drawback of Indian police or the military that they do excesses which leads to such things.We have seen such things happen in other places in India,one such example is police action against protesters in Delhi rape case,this is not new in India.These things happen in third world countries where police/army are not properly trained to act against the protests and mobs.These things are uncommon in developed countries such as America or Britain.
@afzaalkhan: we will not cry. u people are crying in pakistan held kashmir. we are jubiliant and a sense of relief has come after his execution. talking about protests they will die on their own when indian army gives a hard stick. thank you
@indian
Typical Indian mentality shown bravo. Dun come crying when they repay you in same manner.
The loss of life is a shame for all Indians. But then, what was a 12 year old boy doing on the streets protesting? It is this culture of hate that breeds more violence and death. Protests and rallies are for adults. But then the Kashmiris are knows to use women and children as shields during such protests. Remember the stone throwing gang of paid teenagers? Anyway, nothing is going to change. That is the truth. The sooner they realise, the better for all Kashmiris on the Indian side.
The death is very very unfortunate and not jusifiable. I wish however that the leaders focussed on something constructive rather than leading violent demonstrations. They are not serving the people who they claim to lead.
@indian: and so they deserve death for 'their fault'?? Bravo!
why cant people protest peacefully??? their fault.......peace :)