‘We’ve no guns, stones are our weapons’

Masked gangs of stone-throwers have come off age in Kashmir. They addressed a press conference on Sunday and challenged the government.

“We have no guns, but stones are our weapons. We cannot remain silent when youths are being arrested across Kashmir. Our struggle will continue till they are released,” a hooded stone-thrower told the media in a narrow by-lane of Maisuma. Media is coming in handy to these stone-throwers to put across their message. They have put in place a well-coordinated media management system.

In scenes reminding of the early ‘90s when militants held press conferences, the stone-throwers ask journalists to reach a secret location. Usually, six to seven hooded men wait to address the press. Often, the location turns out to be a narrow by-lane in a congested gully. By evening, the news reaches to drawing rooms across the region, courtesy cable television.

One such masked group emerged in Maisuma during protests over the killing of Wamik Farooq. The teenager was killed by a tear gas shell fired by the police during a demonstration on January 31. The group had called for four-day shutdown to mourn his death. The stone-throwers then repeatedly clashed with police, prompting the authorities to arrest some of them.

No sooner one stone-throwers’ group was overpowered, another surfaced in Maisuma. This time, they sought support from public and separatist leaders for their cause.

“We have identified the old group of stone-throwers. The new group will be identified soon,” said Hemant Kumar Lohia, deputy inspector general of police, central Kashmir range.