Jammu: Jammu on Friday witnessed massive protest demonstrations by various organisations against the killing of two teachers including the Principal of Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Eidgah in Srinagar.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association – Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Forum, Sikh Youth Sewa Trust, ABVP activists, members of civil society in Jammu, Akhnoor and other places organised several protests to express their anguish against, what they said, “the selective killings” by the militants in Kashmir.
The advocates in J&K High Court in Janipur held a protest against the killing of teachers and suspended their work today. The protesters were shouting slogans against Pakistan.
Bar Association, president, M.K. Bhardwaj, speaking to the media, said, “Yesterday, Bar Association Jammu had decided to suspend work on October 8. We appeal to Jammu people to raise their voice against anti-national elements involved in selective killings in Kashmir.”
A similar protest was organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries at City Chowk under the leadership of president of CCI – Jammu, Arun Gupta.
Condemning the killing of innocent civilians, Arun Gupta said, “As the militants have failed to infiltrate due to stringent security on the borders, the local militants are resorting to selective killings.”
“The government should crush the militancy in Kashmir valley,” he said.
Meanwhile, the members of J&K Peoples Forum and civil society assembled on the Tawi bridge near the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh.
The protesters gathered there and shouted slogans against the killings. Speaking to the media, BJP senior leader Yudhvir Sethi said that politicians, civil society, human rights activists in Kashmir valley should come out on roads against the killings.
The members of Sikh Youth Sewa Trust staged a peaceful protest outside Gurudwara at Gandhi Nagar and they demanded security for the minority communities in Kashmir, while protesting against the killing of teachers.
The protesters were shouting slogans against ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) – a militant outfit in Kashmir.
“Government should wake-up and see the situation on the ground. We want justice for the deceased people,” said one of the women protesters.
She said, “Everyone, including Muslims in Kashmir, is being killed. The government should review the security situation in Kashmir to ensure peace and security.”
The activists of ABVP also protested against the killings. The members of civil society in Akhnoor too came out on the road in the evening and protested against the killing.
In the meantime, the members of District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Jammu also condemned the killing of teachers. Addressing a press conference, the spokesperson said, “With frequent killings of innocent civilians, the situation in Kashmir was going back to what it was in the 90s.”
“However, we will not migrate from there. We appeal to the government to provide protection to the people, especially minorities living in Kashmir,” he said.
He demanded that the government should ascertain as to why these circumstances emerged in Kashmir.