Dost Khan
Why should an Indian tax-payer pay his hard earned money to kin of an anti-national, who disrespects his nation, tramples the Tricolor under his feet, abuses his motherland day in and day out, kills his compatriot soldier mercilessly because his hands have been tied not to even defend himself and do all that is against the Indian nation? If at all, the BJP and its partner in the Jammu and Kashmir Government, the PDP, wants to express their gratitude to mercenaries deployed for stone pelting and anti-national activities by the enemies of nation from within and from across the border, let them pay it out of their party coffers or own pockets, because they will win support for their magnanimity to continue to remain in the government.
Last Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh and a job to the next of kin of those killed during the 2016 street clashes. Ex-gratia is a Latin word, which denotes payments made out of goodwill, voluntary favour out of kindness or grace etc. What is generosity in the acts of holding peace to ransom in Kashmir for nearly five months, snatching weapons from uniformed personnel, injuring 4,113 security personnel-3,537 police personnel and 556 CRPF jawans and damaging 131 structures, including police stations, schools, government buildings. These are all cognisable acts under CrPC and the perpetrators of these offences should have been dealt with under law and not by compensation.
As is known to one and all, the 2016 Kashmir unrest was sparked by slaying of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani on 8th July, 2016. His brother, Khalid Wani, too had been killed sometime earlier who was termed as Over Ground Worker of Hizbul terror-outfit by the security forces. And, intriguingly, Jammu and Kashmir Government had notified ex-gratia for his kin too (much ahead of the 9th January announcement). In this case, therefore, the ex-gratia becomes due to Muzaffar Wani, father of Burhan and Khalid Wani, who gave startling replies to Harinder Baweja when Burhan Wani was alive. They told, “So what is the main motto of Burhan and young boys like him? (Hindustan Times) Khalid Wani replied, “Freedom from India. It’s not only his motto but everybody’s. Even mine… Look at the current incident of beef ban where a truck driver was lynched in Jammu only because he was a Kashmiri, a Muslim. This has happened so many times before also. Beef is Halal for us (Muslims), we sacrifice it, and they have banned it”. On being asked “But isn’t it hard to win against the might of Indian army? The insurgency is now 26 years old”, the elder Wani answered, Yes, it’s very hard. Everyone knows it. It is a hard task, but a Muslim has his faith in God. He knows if he dies in the path of God, he goes to God. In our religion, whosoever dies because of the oppression from India, or by an Indian bullet, doesn’t die. He goes from this world to the other world (as promised in the Quran); there will be no disease in that world, no oppression. This is what our Islam tells. That’s why Muslims don’t fear that. We prefer dying with honour rather than living a life of shame under oppression”.
This being the sentiment among the kin of anti-national elements in the Valley, should Indian tax-payer buy the argument of the BJP to pay them their hard earned money as gratitude? Should the BJP surrender before the PDP to such an extent for enjoying the loaves of power? They need to take lesson from the harsh fact of a young Kashmiri actor Zaira Wasim Khan (young actress from Kashmir featuring as a wrestler in Amir Khan’s blockbuster Dangal) meeting Mehbooba Mufti the other day and apologising to the Kashmiri youth (whom the Chief Minister calls their own children) a day after for having met her. ‘The own children’ have made the life of young actor hell through their social media posts.
The BJP has totally lost its plot in Jammu and Kashmir. They have lost the direction. On the one hand their own Member Parliament from Kathua-Doda-Udhampur seat and Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh asks the Jammu and Kashmir Government, not to take any step which demoralises the nationalistic forces and encourages people who work against the national interest while referring to ex-gratia to kin of stone-pelters, he said in Jammu, “As far as BJP is concerned our stand is always clear that any work or decision should not be made which encourages anti-national forces and the nationalists get demoralised…the State Government should work on ‘Raj Dharma’, without caring for any religion or region…the government must concentrate on Raj Dharma which says that the country is more important. Any decision that encourages the anti-national forces should not be taken,” and on the other hand the State BJP leaders are endorsing the move of the Chief Minister while begging for similar ex-gratia relief for next of kin of the Amarnath Land row victims. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told reporters outside the Legislative Assembly today that the compensation for next of kin of the people, who were killed during 2008-Amarnath Land row agitation in the State, are also being considered. This is virtual endorsement of paying ex-gratia to kin of anti-national stone pelters. What a shame for the hyper-nationalist BJP for comparing two sets of protestors-one who held protests carrying Tricolor aloft in their hands and the others who trampled national honour under their feet.
It is time for poor Indian tax-payers to say no to their hard earned money being funded for encouraging anti-national goons in Kashmir.
