For centuries, poets & travelers called Kashmir a paradise on Earth, but the paradise has become a tragic conflict between two countries. Jammu and Kashmir has always been a difficult place to manage politically & administratively. Jammu and Kashmir is in trouble since India and Pakistan became two separate countries and the fate of this vexed state was left hanging and undecided. Last fifty years of Indo- Pak relation and history have witnessed nothing but bitter and very cruel relations. From the unrest 2016 and death of Assistant Professor Rafi Bhat Jammu and Kashmir has experienced a shock of unimaginable magnitude. Rafi Bhat (Assistant Professor) was born on 11th of August 1986. He completed his higher secondary education in the science stream and he got distinctions both at 10th standard and 12th class. After passing 12th class exam he changed his stream from science to humanities, he joined Govt Degree College Ganderbal for B.A. When he completed B.A from Ganderbal College than he joined Kashmir University for Post graduation, he completed his Post graduation in sociology. After completing his post graduation he worked in the Department of veterinary for 1 year and 6 months, after this he took leave for 3 years to complete P.H.D in sociology. The 32-year-old Rafi, who completed his doctorate in sociology last November from Kashmir University, had qualified the National Eligibility Test (NET) thrice and was a Junior Research Fellow.
DETAILS WHICH CAME TO FRONT WHILE INTERVIWING IMTIYAZ (Brother of Rafi Bhat)
While interviewing Rafi Bhatt’s brother Imtiyaz Ahmad who is a business man, he told me Rafi’s 25 national journals were published, apart from these other two journals were published at International Level. In May 2017 he was appointed as Assistant Professor in Kashmir University. Imtiyaz said to me the last which me and my brother spent together we brothers were discussing social evils till late night and solutions to them, even Rafi told to his brother before some days SAMEER TIGER by Indian forces was killed, what will happen to Parents of Sameer, why don’t these rebels think about their parents, after discussing social evils we finished the discuss and left for separate rooms.
On Friday morning, Rafi left his home in Ganderbal for the university, where he gave his lectures. On the same day he called his mother around 3:30 PM, and he told his mother, don’t worry I will reach home. But when he didn’t return to home, his parents called him around 5:30 Pm but phone was switch off. When Rafi didn’t return to home his brother, parents & relatives started to search all Hospitals of Srinagar and other institutions, his brother and relatives thought he might have met to accident, but all this didn’t work out. Finally after 12:00 AM his brother and parents reached Police station to lodge missing complaint, there Police suggested his parents you must contact University authorities first. After contacting University authorities, Vice- Chancellor and Rafi’s parents lodged missing complaint jointly. Rafi had been missing since Friday afternoon, As news spread, his students at Kashmir University took to the streets to protest his disappearance. A worried Kashmir University wrote to Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid requesting help to trace Rafi. On Sunday morning, Abdul Raheem Bhat got a call from his son from an unknown exactly at 7:55 Am , father told to him, where are you my son, we are searching you everywhere, in return Mohammad Rafi Bhat replied, “I am trapped,” he told his father. “Please forgive me for my mistakes. I am going to meet Allah”. At the same time he told to his Father over phone my funeral should be offered by Bashir Ahmad Lone. On Sunday morning, Rafi, along with his four associates, all top militant commanders of the Hizb ul Mujahedeen, was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopain. Rafi had been a part of Hizb for only 36 hours. After listening all this Family reached the shopain around 11:30AM but not the exact location of encounter site. Family was kept in Police station in Zainpora Police station which 7KM far from encounter site. Family members were not allowed to go to the exact location of Encounter. Imtiyaz told authorities are claiming that family was at exact location of encounter site and three Professors were present at encounter site in order to motivate Rafi to surrender but this all is lie, media is concealing the reality, neither family nor Family was present at encounter site. Imtiyaz also told some students of Rafi were with us who asked authorities to allow us to visit the exact location of encounter site in order to motivate Rafi for surrender but they were kept In police station. Media and authorities are stating that family was present at encounter site , all this is wrong, we were 7KM’s away from encounter site and we reached the Zainpora Police station 11:30 Am and encounter had been finished at 9:30 Am than why authorities are concealing reality said Imtiyaz.
Around 3:00 PM dead body of Rafi reached Police station Zainpora and than family members were allowed to see dead body than we moved to Chunduna Ganderbal for last rights.
A heavy deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force and the J&K Police watched the tense streets and shuttered shops as thousands of mourners flitted in and out of a tent pitched outside one house.
Many of them were students who had come to pay tributes to the professor who had taught them only 36 hours ago. Dr Mohammad Rafi Bhat had been gone and lived as a Hizbul Mujahideen militant for just two nights before he was killed in a gunfight with the Indian forces in Shopian on May 6. When Funeral prayers was to be offered some black masked persons tried to disrupt the funeral prayers, those black masked people did not allowed family members to see face of Rafi Bhat, they were agents said Imtiyaz. When funeral was offered by Bashir Ahmad Lone than he came to Abdul Raheem Bhat ( father of Rafi Bhat) for apologizing, he told to Abdul Raheem I am apologizing you because those black masked people disturbed the funeral prayers .
After a night Bashir Ahmad Lone, who led funerals of Rafi Bhat was slapped under PSA by authorities. Imtiyaz said this is Injustice, this not a sign of democracy and secularism which India always claims. Bashir Ahmad Lone is innocent he should be released.
Wife of Rafi Bhat who is a Home science graduate is in deep shock, she hadn’t tasted food since Rafi last called his family just before he was killed, saying “I am sorry if I hurt you”. Her eyes are sunken from crying and lips chapped, Rafi’s mother Fatima Begum is as clueless as his wife. “He achieved everything in his life, so many degrees. I had never thought he would take such a step,” she said. “‘Mother, we shall meet on the day of Judgment,’ he told me when he last called and I could hear gunshots in the backdrop. My heart was beating fast. I am a mother. No mother wants to see her children die like this.”All the members of family are in deep shock, which they never expected. Family members said that he was one among critics of Hurriyat and we had never expected this. Imtiyaz said whatever happen it was unconscious and sudden, if we had been aware of it, we would stop him surely from this. Rafi had recently been shortlisted for the post of assistant professor at the Central University of Hyderabad, his name topping the list of those who had made the cut. “On Friday, he told us he was leaving for Hyderabad,” on 12 May 2018 said one of his students, among the mourners at Rafi’s Chunduna village in Ganderbal. “He was a brilliant teacher. Before leaving, he advised us to study hard.”
Students said we are now orphans, to us Rafi sir was Father, he was kind hearted, helpful. He was always helpful to students, he was gifting books to his students and other study materials. He was a brilliant student and a teacher as well,” said one of his teachers. “He qualified most of the competitive examinations in his subject.
Now a day’s highly educated youth is picking up the arms, Government needs to initiate steps in order to rescue the whole state from more bloodshed, If government will not take steps than does government waits for another “Direct Action day”,, is Govt waiting for I.AS & K.AS officers to pick up the arms. Highest centers of power from both sides of border should resolve the issue in order to save my paradise.
Some politicians thought that the people of Jammu & Kashmir could be silenced by Roti, Kapda & Makan. Politicians need to look for solutions to stop this Bloodshed. The present generation is witness to the facts that extreme degrees of torture, killings and rapes etc have been resorted to silence the people. If we look around our state, scores of orphanages have come up since 1990’s due this long lasting vexed conflict. Scores of killing and Human Rights violation continue at the usual pace. It is an accepted fact that conflicts between nations can either be resolved on a negotiating table or in the battle field. History is witness that battle fields have sent innumerable body bags to the unfortunate families. So Government from both of border need to solve this issue peacefully and save the valley from another “DIRECT ACTION DAY” in which thousands of Hindus & Muslims were killed. Kashmir’s fate is still locked into the story of India’s partition.
Let’s strive for restoration of peace, irrespective of colour, cast and creed. When Pakistan and India are inching towards normalization of their relation, no doubt at snail’s pace, the media needs to play crucial and vital role. State Government should encourage a dialogue between Governments of India & Pakistan .The role of international community to bring the violence to an end is must. Initiation of political dialogue between people of Jammu & Kashmir and the governments of India & Pakistan to set the stage for a democratic & peaceful solution. Another straight forward solution would be the implementation of United Nations Resolution on Kashmir leading to a plebiscite.
Author is a law student, Freelance Writer and can be reached at sajadfarooqrather@gmail.com
