The families gathered in Srinagar and protested under the banner of ‘Parents of Victims of 2010’.Amarnath Yatra. Credit: PTINew Delhi: The families of the teenagers and young men killed by the security forces in the 2010 Kashmir uprising held a protest in Srinagar to condemn the recent killing of seven Amarnath yatris by terrorists in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.The parents, on Saturday afternoon, gathered at Press Enclave in Srinagar and protested under the banner of ‘Parents of Victims of 2010’. Families of the slain civilians carried banners and placards that read “prosecute and punish perpetrators of all killings and we condemn Amarnath yatra killing”, reported Kashmir Times.“We stand in solidarity with the families of the deceased. Having lost our loved ones, we can understand the pain that they are going through. Whosoever has done this barbaric act has acted against humanity”, Abdul Qayoom, father of slain teenager Umar Qayoom, told Greater Kashmir.“Every innocent life matters. While the CM has rightly condemned the killings of Amarnath yatris, there is a criminal silence on her part regarding the killings of the civilians by the state forces, ” Ashraf Mattoo, father of slain teenager Tufail Mattoo, told Greater Kashmir.In the 2010 uprising, more than 120 civilians were killed by security forces. The families of Wamiq Farooq of Rainawari, Tufail Matto of Saidakadal and Zahid Farooq Sheikh of Brein Nishat denounced the attack on the Hindu pilgrims and accused the government of human rights violations. Wamiq Farooq, a class 7 student, was hit by a police teargas shell on his head in Rajouri Kadal on January 10, 2010 while Zahid Farooq went out with his friends to play cricket on February 5, 2010 when a BSF contingent allegedly opened fire on them, killing Zahid on the spot.Tufail Matoo, a teenager, was returning home from tuition when a teargas shell fired by the police hit him, resulting in his death.The protestors aim to seek justice for their families and have urged international institutions like the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR) for help.“We hope that the way the Kashmiris are raising their voice against the killing of innocent civilians, the people in India too will raise their voice against the killings of innocent Kashmiris,” the parents of slain teenagers and youth told Greater Kashmir.
