By IRNA,
Srinagar, India : Srinagar continues to boil for the fourth consecutive day, Monday, with no let-up in anti-India protests that were triggered by the shooting down of a teenage Kashmiri boy by the police on Friday.
After two days of spontaneous shutdown of businesses and other day to day activities people all across Muslim dominated region Monday responded to the call for a day long strike by the Hurriyat Conference to protest what it called ‘slaughter of Kashmiri youth’.
“Strikes may adversely affect our economy and education of children but lives of our youth have greater significance than anything else,” a spokesman of the Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Geelani said while calling for the strike.
There was an overwhelming response to the call with the capital city presenting a picture of a ghost town. All commercial establishments, banks, government and private offices are shut and transport is completely off the roads. Even the civilian movement is minimal in some uptown areas.
Reports from other major towns speak of similar situation. Clashes between police and youths were reported from a number of areas where restrictions are in place.
In Chatabal locality people overnight stormed a police post and set it on fire. In several areas angry youth attempted to attack paramilitary bunkers.
Police is meanwhile bracing for more street protests after noon prayers as Geelani has called upon people to march to the house of the slain youth in Syeda Kadal area of the city to express solidarity with the bereaved family.
The family of Tufail Matoo, a 17 year old student of class 11, killed allegedly by a police teargas shell that hit him on the head, have called upon people to congregate at Martyrs Cemetery on Tuesday morning for the fourth day ceremony of the boy.