Dost Khan
Kashmir is the land where killers and their victims rehabilitate same graveyards and both are termed as ‘Shaheed’.
JAMMU: The warring Hurriyat factions are in panic over killing of former terrorists and close aides of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s in Sopore. So are the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference. While the former has compulsion of being in government and thus not espousing the ‘common cause’, the latter is openly smelling rat and trying to establish invisible hand of Indian agencies. He has said yet again that Ikhwani, surrendered militants working with security forces, were being reactivated following reported statement by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that militants will be used to kill militants in the State.
While closing their ranks, the secessionists are trying to put a bold front of being united over the ‘mysterious’ killings. However, the role of various factions, other than the Geelani’s Hurriyat, is intriguing; as their cadre knows well how Pakistan backed terrorists eliminated Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq, Abdul Gani Lone, Qazi Nissar, Maulana Syed Masoodi, Dr Abdul Ahad Guru, Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah and many others. They are the people whose anniversaries are being observed ironically by those also who are reportedly in close league with the killers. There was no panic reaction by Geelani over these high profile killings. Why is he feeling rug slipping out of his feet now?
Mirwaiz Umar and Bilal Lone of the so-called moderate Hurriyat should better know that ‘terrorism is a monster which ultimately eats up its own vitals’. Both of them have lost their distinguished fathers in terror mayhem. The fact that the Maulana Mohammed Farooq was killed by none other but ‘own people’ was even endorsed by the former Hurriyat Conference Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat. He is on record having told a public gathering that the Mirwaiz was killed by the so-called Mujahids. He, in fact, substantiated and vindicated the findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation, which succeeded in cracking the case and booking the culprits.
Has Geelani forgotten what the mother of Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah, former President Jamiat-e-Ahlihadees, had asked him for his support to the killers of her son? She had posed a direct question to him asking why he was shielding and supporting the killers, who were arrested within a week after committing the heinous crime. The police had also named Asiya Andrabi’s husband Qasim Factoo as the mastermind. He was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail when Maulana fell victim to IED blast outside a worship place. The two killers Javed Munshi Billa Papa and Munir Khan were put behind the bars. Will Geelani, or for that matter Omar Abdullah, call them Ikhwanis? The chest beaters should remember that militant turned separatist Yasin Malik had also reacted strongly over the killing of Showkat Ahmad Shah and threatened to expose those responsible for such killings. His direct target was the so-called Mujahids and not the ‘invisible’ agents.
Former Chief Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Abdul Majid Dar was also done to death by his ‘own people’ for opening the dialogue channel with the Union Home Ministry. He had realised the futility of gun and wanted to bestow peace to the Valley. Mohammed Sadiq, a columnist, wrote in J&K Insight on 24th March 2003, “Abdul Majid Dar, another sane voice in Jammu and Kashmir who realised the futility of the gun and talked of restoring peace in the violence weary Kashmir, has been silenced. Abdul Majid Dar’s assassination is the second in the row after the assassination of A.G. Lone, senior Hurriyat leader who talked of solving the long pending Kashmir imbroglio by giving a call to the Kashmiris to participate in the recently held assembly elections”. This is truth of Kashmir, where alibis are tailored to shield the killers. Geelani is doing the same by crying hoarse over Sopore killings. He is not alone in misleading the people of Kashmir, as some mainstream leaders too have joined his tirade.
Having said so, the secessionists and the mainstream leaders should not test the patience of Kashmiris and exploit their sentiments for their vested interest. The people have started questioning about the credentials of mercenaries, who are being showcased as Mujahids. They are surely going to seek answers from the merchants of death for making their young sons rehabilitate graveyards across the Valley. Nowhere in the world must be as many martyrs’ graveyards as in Kashmir that have come up since the outbreak of terrorism in early nineties. This is the land where killers and victims are getting the same graveyard. Both get the same tag of Shaheed. A correction course is therefore needed to eliminate these contradictions.
