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India imposes curfew in Srinagar after protests
[Dawn] India deployed thousands of security forces and slapped an indefinite curfew on Srinagar on Sunday -- a day after Mohammedans set fire to public buildings in protests against New Delhi's rule, officials said.The Indian government has been trying to respond to the biggest separatist demonstrations in two years in Kashmir triggered by the killing of a 17-year-old student by police in June. Seventy people have died, most from police firing into protesters. Troops equipped with assault rifles patrolled deserted streets and blocked off lanes with razor wire and iron barricades in Srinagar, the heart of an insurgency where tens of thousands of people have been killed in two decades of violence. The curfew extended to other big towns in the Kashmir valley. Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, told NDTV news channel that the fresh violence in Kashmir had dealt a setback to an anticipated new government peace initiative. "Such protests create problems for everybody else," Abdullah said. "How can you take this move forward if violence continues?" Police have accused the region's main separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, of instigating violence and arson. Farooq denied the charges. After Eid prayers to mark the end of the Ramazan fasting month, tens of thousands marched through Srinagar on Saturday, allegedly setting fire to government and police buildings. Farooq led the main demonstration. Posted by: Fred 2010-09-13 |
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