Clashes mar Id in parts of Kashmir

Srinagar: Protests and clashes between irate crowds of stone-pelting youth and the security forces marred the Id-ul-Fitr celebrations in several parts of Kashmir Valley on Monday.

However, the celebration went off peacefully with tens of thousands of Muslims offering special Id prayers in Eidgahs (prayer grounds), mosques and hospices elsewhere. Also the Id-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Muslim fasting month of Ramzan, was celebrated with traditional enthusiasm and gaiety in the States’ Jammu and Kargil regions.

Slogan-chanting crowds of mainly youth after coming out of mosques and Idgahs in several Kashmir Valley areas were confronted by the security forces in riot gear fanned out across the cities and towns earlier as part of strict security arrangement made on the occasion.

One such protest was held outside Srinagar’s Idgah. The youth, some of them wearing bandanas or three-hole balaclavas to hinder recognition while chanting “we want freedom” took out a protest but when confronted by the security forces they started hurling rocks at them. The security forces fired teargas canisters into the violent mob, the witnesses said.

Ignoring a fresh appeal from separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani against such pastime, some of the youth were carrying the Islamic State flag besides that of Pakistan and green Islamic flag. Geelani had earlier this week once again asked the Kashmiri youth not to chant pro IS slogans or wave its flag as it went against what he said was indigenous and just freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people. He had alleged that India was seizing such actions of the Kashmir youth to hoodwink the International community on the issue of Kashmir.