Joining the militant ranks

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Published on November 28, 2015 in Rising Kashmir

Daanish Bin Nabi

On November 26, Bijbehara, the hometown of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed wore a deserted look. Armed forces dotted this town in south Kashmir. Three militants: Adil Sheikh, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat and Sartaj Ahmad Lone; all three belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahidin group, were killed in a gunfight with forces at Aishmuqam on November 23. I travelled the home town of the chief minister to get the glimpse of the people post the encounter that lasted about an hour. 


The family of Adil Sheikh, one of the militants killed in Aishmuqam, does not own a house and lives in a tent. Adil’s grandfather since the killing is a shattered old man, who looked at us with piteous eyes. The father, Fayaz Ahmad Shiekh, accused SOG and Police for Adil’s joining militant ranks.  The brother of Adil says that he (Adil) was picked up by SOG men in the past and when he returned home he did not utter a word but only demanded some money. The family says it was one of the main reasons that Adil took up arms. The family alleged that it was because of frequent harassment by SOG and Police that he picked up gun.
Adil left his home on 16 June 2015. The family says that Adil’s father and brother were picked up for 16 days and were beaten in police locks-ups to get information about Adil. The father said that it was during the month of Ramzan that he along with his other son was locked up. Adil’s mother and sister went to Bijbehara head of Peoples Democratic Party, Sajad Mufti, but he did not respond to their repeated pleas. Adil’s mother had pleaded to Sajad Mufti to help the release of either her husband or Adil’s brother as there was no male member who could do work. The resentment expressed by the family and the neighbors on PDP was clear and visible.   
Despite Adil joining militant ranks, many relatives did vote in assembly elections. However, they were reluctant to share the information. One of the relatives of Adil said that the party (PDP) before elections had a different face than after elections.   
A youth from Bijbehara said that people only voted in recent elections to keep BJP out of Kashmir, but PDP joined hands with the same party that people had voted to keep at bay.
Another militant’s, Tanveer’s, brother recalled his last meet with the sibling.  Ye Duniya Chene Kehin (This world is nothing) were the last words of Tanveer his brother said. Tanveer left his home to visit a neighbor in a Srinagar hospital, who was diagnosed with cancer. The neighbor did not survive and Tanveer too was killed at Aishmuqam. The opinion of the people who know Tanveer is that he was not compelled to join militancy. Tanveer’s family is financially better than Adil’s. Friends of Tanveer who had gathered at his home remained tightlipped. They were reluctant to talk to media, but at the same time carefully observed every word that we uttered during the conversation with Tanveer’s family members. After burying Adil and Tanveer the angry youth hoisted a Pakistani flag on Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s ancestral home.
The third militant killed at Aishmuqam was a 16-year-old boy named Sartaj Ahmad Lone. The slain militant who belonged to Wopzan village was to turn 17 on November 25. He was the youngest among the three killed. Wopzan is around four kilometers from Bijbehara town. Sartaj’s father did not talk much as he seemed lost in melancholy. Sartaj’s home is a humble dwelling. One of the relatives of Sartaj, who is a teacher, says that they (relatives) did not have any clue on Sartaj’s joining militancy. He said that it was only yesterday (November 25) and while searching his (Sartaj’s) reading room that the relatives came to known about militancy related activities of Sartaj. The relative says he is in possession of a letter that Sartaj had written more than two weeks before joining militancy, in which he has advised his parents to pray. Sartaj’s siblings are four sisters. He was not tech-savvy which the youth are generally opined to be. Sartaj had left home on October 22 this year.
Common Threads
All the three families claimed that they feared that their children might have been trapped in the gunfight at Aishmuqam. Adil’s family claimed that after hectic to and fro from one police unit of Bijbehara to other Adil’s which took several hours that the body was finally handed over to them. All the families said they only came to know from people who had read about the killings on social networking sites. According to what people have said all three militants have no prior record of any incident of violence or notoriety. All the families said that they were not in contact with their children for several months. While Adil’s family admitted an incident as possibly motivating him, the others had no idea of their children joining militancy. The families were completely unaware about the encounter and the incident of killings. 
Mufti’s Healing Touch
Going by the present circumstances Mufti Sayeed’s healing touch has lost its sheen. His policy is crumbling with the trouble in his own backyard. People in the town questioned the PDP’s promises as they believe the party has reneged on them.  The town that voted overwhelmingly for PDP’s victory is disappointed and now up against it.
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