Ten kilometres away from Bijbehara, J-K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s ancestral village, the South Kashmir village of Yaripora woke up to violent protests on Monday against the Army, police, civil administration and the media.The villagers were protesting against an Army cordon that had been clamped for four consecutive days. An Army spokesperson later said it has been lifted.The Indian Express team which reached the Kanjikhular hamlet, where the Army and militants were locked in a four-day gunbattle resulting in the killing of two top militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, were the first to face the villagers’ anger.‘‘Where were you on the first three days when the Army was thrashing and humiliating villagers? You are paid agents of Army and Sayeed,’’ shouted a youth in a mob that went on swelling. Soon a 1,000-1,500 strong crowd gheraoed the Express vehicle and beat up staffers. Village elders pacified the mob to let off the journalists.Minutes later, the mob was joined by around 2,000 stick-wielding villagers. Together they marched to the Army’s first cordon, forcing their retreat. The mob had to move back as another troop column fired in the air. Villagers also manhandled Anantnag Deputy Commissioner Asghar Samoon and a Superintendent of Police who had come with an assurance that the cordon would be lifted.Earlier, protests spilled over to the entire Anantnag district when people from Kanjikhular and neighbouring villages travelled to Bijbehara and Anantnag atop buses. Villagers were raising anti-Army, anti-Mufti and pro-militant slogans. At Bijbehera, protestors pelted stones on passing vehicles and forced closure of shops. They staged a dharna near the Anantnag DC’s office against the Army’s prolonged siege.‘‘Our children are dying of hunger,’’ cried Mohammad Ashraf, a villager from Frisal. ‘‘Do they want us to die like this? If they have killed militants, why don’t they lift the cordon,’’ said Saja, an elderly woman.Army officials maintained that the protests were managed by some villagers to enable some hidden militants escape. ‘‘We had a tip-off that three to five militants including a top Hizbul commander are hiding in the village. When we laid cordon on the first day, heavy fire came from the village. We zeroed in and, so far, two militants have been killed in the clash,’’ an Army official told The Indian Express.In Srinagar, the 15 Corps spokesman said troops killed Arif Khan, a Hizbul divisional commander and his accomplice. Khan, he said, was active since last 14 years and involved in many killings. ‘‘His killing is a big setback to Hizbul especially in South Kashmir, their stronghold,’’ the spokesman said, adding three more militants were killed in a gunbattle at Chamanpathri, Shopian.
