In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred two youth including a PhD scholar in Srinagar, today.
The troops killed the youth identified as PhD scholar, Dr Sabzar Ahmed Sofi, and Aasif Ahmed during a cordon and search operation at Sothu Kothair in Nowgam area of Srinagar. The operation was going on till reports last came in.
Massive protests erupted in Nowgam against the killing of the youth. People took to the streets and chanted high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Indian police and troops fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters, triggering clashes between the demonstrators and the forces’ personnel.
Meanwhile, the occupation authorities suspended internet services in Srinagar and Budgam districts and ordered closure of educational institutions in Srinagar district to prevent demonstrations against the killing.
It is worth mentioning here that Dr Sabzar Ahmed Sofi is the third PhD scholar who fell to Indian state terrorism since May this year. Earlier, Indian troops martyred Dr Muhammad Rafi Butt, a Professor of Kashmir University, and Dr Mannan Wani, a scholar in geology from Aligarh Muslim University.
Those who are well-informed about day-to-day developments in occupied Kashmir see the killing of such highly educated youth as negation of the Indian propaganda that only uneducated and unemployed youth were resisting its rule. However, they also describe the gruesome murder of such scholars as an indication of utmost frustration of Indian rulers and policymakers. These circles describes the negligible turnout in the recent-held local bodies’ elections, particularly in the valley, as last nail in the coffin of New Delhi’s forcible occupation over Jammu and Kashmir, and they cite Kulgam massacre and elsewhere killings as India’s realization of the fact that its days in occupied Kashmir are numbered.
