SRINAGAR: Hundreds of women belonging to the Dukhtaran-i-Millat, a separatist women’s outfit, faced lathi-charge and teargas shelling by paramilitary personnel as they tried to take QUL a procession in Srinagar Sept.25.

Without warning scores of Dukhtaran-i-Millat activists took to the streets despite the tight security arrangements here,

They marched towards the base of the United Nation observer group sent to mediate between India and Pakistan, shouting slogans against alleged custodial deaths and fake encounters.

Braving the lathi-charge, they marched up to Polo view, where the police resorted to teargas shelling.

The Dukhraran, however, refused to disperse and squatted on the road, disrupting traffic.

Eventually, Senior Superintendent of Police K. Rajendar Kumar arrived on the scene with reinforcements. A fresh police contingent fired in the air and teargas smoke filled the Regal Chowk area.

When the women refused to disperse, Six activists were arrested after a severe beating. At least 15 activists were injured, four of them seriously,

The worst however, was in store for the journalists covering the event. The police turned their attention to the newspersons, hitting them with rifle butts and lathi,

BBC correspondent Yusuf Jameel received multiple injuries, including one on his right eye. He had to be hospitalized and his condition was stated to be serious.

When journalists complained to the SSP about it, he shouted back “We are not accountable to you people. You have been between, so what, Get lot.” And soon afterwards, the security forces resumed their beating up of the activists and also fired teargas shells.

The women activists started marching towards Lal Chowk after the Friday prayer, but they were dispersed by the police firing in the air. Lal Chowk and adjacent areas witnessed scattered incidents of violence,

Hundreds of youth later emerged at Lal Chowk and shouted slogans against the deaths in custody and fake encounters. They disrupted traffic and pelted stones.

Agencies add: Other response from London said the BBC World Service had condemned the attack on its part-time reporter in Kashmiri,

In a message to Indian High Commissioner, L.M. Singhvi, the BBC said Yusuf Jameel should be allowed to carry on his work Without pressure, threats or violence,

Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1992