Skip to main content

Clashes Reported in Kashmir as India Prepares for Independence Day





By VOA News
14 August 2009


Kashmiri protesters stomp on Indian national flag after burning it during celebrations marking Pakistani Independence Day, in Srinagar, 14 Aug 2009
Kashmiri protesters stomp on Indian national flag after burning it during celebrations marking Pakistani Independence Day, in Srinagar, 14 Aug 2009
Police fired teargas canisters to disperse a crowd of rowdy youths staging anti-India protests Friday in the capital of India-controlled Kashmir.

Dozens of youths emerged from Srinagar's main mosque after Friday prayers, shooting firecrackers, burning an Indian flag and shouting pro-Pakistan chants. The demonstrators threw rocks at security forces before the gathering was broken up.

Islamic separatists in Kashmir have been fighting to merge with Pakistan or to establish an independent homeland for two decades.







Military officials say India's many states have been asked to bolster their security measures ahead of Independence Day celebrations on Saturday.

Security officials in Srinagar say there will also be increased security at the stadium where the main festivities will take place.

India will mark the 62nd anniversary of independence from its former colonial power, Britain.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement Friday, commemorating the sacrifices Indians made to gain their independence and establish a democracy.

Indian police are deploying in force in the capital of New Delhi and along the country's borders in preparation for Independence Day celebrations.

Police and paramilitary forces patrolled parts of Srinagar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Friday. Officials say there will also be increased security at the stadium where the main festivities will take place.

Military officials say India's many states have also been asked to bolster their security measures as a precaution. And there is increased security at transportation hubs across the country.

Saturday marks the 62nd anniversary of India's independence from Britain, and the first Independence Day celebration since November terror attacks in Mumbai.

The attacks, blamed on 10 gunmen sent by the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, left more than 160 people dead.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


source: http://voanews.com





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

US Stocks Surge to Highest Level of Year on Housing News

By Mil Arcega Washington 24 July 2009 The benchmark Dow Jones industrial average of the top US companies broke the 9,000 point mark Thursday on strong earnings reports and an improving housing picture. Wall Street extended its recent gains Thursday after a new housing report showed sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose at an annual pace of 3.6 percent in June. It was the third straight month of rising home sales. "The markets are reacting to the news today in the context of other things they've been seeing and reading in recent weeks, and that's that the economy does appear to have hit a bottom," said David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities. Investors reacted positively to earnings reports from Ford, Ebay, AT&T and higher sales of Apple's new iPhone. Resler says the positive earnings give a much needed confidence boost for the struggling U.S. economy. "I think...
Post a Comment
Read more

ASEAN pushes for resumption of N. Korea nuke talks

ASEAN and friends: Foreign Ministers from left, Vietnam's Pham Gia Khiem, South Korea's Kim Sung-hwan, Japan's Takeaki Matsumoto, Indonesia's Marty Natalegawa, and China's Yang Jiechi, hold hands during a group photo at the opening session of ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday. (AP/Dita Alangkara) Associated Press, Nusa Dua | Thu, 07/21/2011 2:19 PM Foreign ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are calling for a speedy resumption of talks aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. China, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia had been negotiating since 2003 to persuade Pyongyang to dismantle the program in exchange for aid and other concessions. The North pulled out of the talks about two years ago after being censured for launching a long-range rocket. It has indicated a willingness in recent months to return to the table. The 10-member Association of Southeast As...
Post a Comment
Read more