Kashmir has new protesters: College going girls

After seeing days of closure, the schools in the valley opened with a slew of protests. With the violence and murders becoming a daily phenomenon, the situation has turned vulnerable but more concerning part of violence could be witnessed in the face covered school going girls storming the streets of the valley.

The protests have seen their increased participation of girls who could be seen raising anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans. The girl students belonged Government Women's college M.A Road considered prestigious in the social circles.

The girls were accompanied by their juniors from Kothi Bagh Higher Secondary School. The intensity of their protest could be gauged by the fact that the police had to fire tear gas shells inside the campus of the college to contain the situation. A police officer told The Hindu, "Even stun grenades, PAVA shells and tear-smoke shells failed to deter them. They managed to come out more than eight times despite tear-smoke shelling." Lasting more than three hours, the protest unravelled a concerning part of the growing protest. The girls succeeded in chasing away a police patrol.

An angry from Kothi Bagh School said, "People in Kashmir are dying day in and day out. The State is crushing us from all sides. How can we stay aloof from what is happening? The time has come for a decisive phase to end the Kashmir problem once and for all." The participation of women in the participation was last seen in the agitations in 2010.

The protest erupted in the valley after a video of soldiers beating the students went viral on social media. They were protesting against the setting up of Army checking post near their college. The valley has seen a slew of murders of persons who have been active in their public lives. A PDP leader Abdul Gani Butt was killed on Monday. Similarly, the killing of Public Prosecutor Imtiyaz Ali by suspected terrorist sent shockwaves across the valley.