Srinagar, Oct 8: The school children and the bus drivers seem to have been caught between the devil and the deep sea. For the past many days the students as well as the school bus divers have been at the receiving end of the protesters and the police and paramilitary forces.
 Driver of a school van (of Kidzee School) was ruthlessly thrashed allegedly by the CRPF men who were enforcing curfew near Cement Bridge, Noor Bagh here on Friday.
 Witnesses said the troopers didn’t allow the driver to cross the barricades they had laid and asked him to move back since curfew was in place. “The driver pleaded with them but they didn’t listen and started beating him with batons and gun butts,” they said.
 The driver identified as Sajad Rashid Rangrez son of Abdul Rashid of Firdousabad, Batmaloo was admitted to SK Institute of Medical Sciences where doctors said he had  suffered multiple head injuries.
 Many CRPF men shot marbles by catapults at the van which carried nine school children and a female teacher. However, no one was hurt, locals alleged.
 Later talking to Greater Kashmir, Superintendent of Police, (City North), Showket Hussain said, “The driver entered into an argument with the CRPF men which led to the altercation. He has been provided the medical aid.”
 There have been a number of cases in the recent past where the school buses and cabs have been targeted either by police or protesters.
 On Thursday, when the Hurriyat had called for a strike, three school children were injured when protesters pelted stones at school buses near Zindshah Masjid near Rainawari in downtown here.
 The windshield and windowpanes of the bus, JK01Y-120, were completely damaged in the attack. Similarly, another school bus was damaged near Soura yesterday.
 “It hardly matters whether it’s a stone of a protester or a slingshot of policeman. The point is the lives of our children are risked,” said Javaid Iqbal, a parent.
  Repeated attempts to contact Minister for School Education, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed proved futile.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST