On August 31 in 2017,the only one day next to the World enforced disappearance day and the only two days before Eid-ul-Adha, when likewise other muslims of kashmir valley,Residents of Devir village of Lolab in north kashmir’s Kupwara district were busy in Baker Eid Preprations,Manzoor Ahmed Khan (20),a farmer and a herder along with his Cousin Nasrullah Khan and his Uncle Jalal-u-Din were going towards TREMOKH TOP-a peak over looking lolab valley,it is the junction of two districts-Bandipora and Kupwara and is the place where pahadi community of Devir Lolab migrate during summer months to graze their livestock and cultivate patches of the hills.Here,they set up house in singleroom permenent shelters called “DHOOKH” made from wood,mud and tin roofs.
Trio was going to tremokh top with stock for Eid for their families who were migrated for four summer months to tremokh top,they (Jalal-u-Din,Manzoor Khan and Nasrullah khan) according to Jalal-u-Din khan-uncle of untraceable Manzoor Khan when reached the peak,where Army Camp of 27 Rashtriya Rifles is currently stationed,Manzoor approached the camp to deposit the mandatory entry passes obtained from an army camp in Dilbagh Village below the top.the entry registration is to keep a record of inhabitants of the settlements.
Missing Manzoor khan according to his uncle Jalal-u-Din went inside the camp to deposit families entry pases,After 10-15 minutes Manzoor came back to the gate of army camp where his uncle was waiting for him,manzoor asked him that army major of the station wants him to speak with manzoor.”Manzoor came back to gate of camp and asked me that major want to speak with him,he told me to wait”Jalal-u-Din said.
Nasrullah Khan was riding a horse and had reached ahead of jalal-u-din and Manzoor Ahmed Khan to the army camp.
According to jalal-u-Din he waited for an hour outside the gate but manzoor not came out.when Elderly man jalal-u-din asked soldiers “why manzoor not came out” in the meantime Relatives of Nasrullah (Another youth-(Cousin of Manzoor) who was torched) arrived to enquire about him too.At that point,soldiers told the gathered relatives that the two had been let out through a gate at the other end of the camp,which end faces the settlement where the two men have their shelters.
Family Members,Relatives and Elderly man Jalal-u-din rushed towards the DHOOKH (Shelter) but the two men were no where to be found,they according to relatives of Nasrullah khan and Manzoor Khan immediately returned to the camp gate,agitated and raised hue and cry to force them to give them their men back but Army then refused to even accept that they had taken in anyone.The relatives,however refused to disperse untill the two men were released.Finally Major of the 27 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) came out of the camp and said that Nasrullah khan was with them and he will be relaeased after 10 minutes,it was about 8 (PM) “Go to DHOOKH we will release him soon” Major said
According to relatives of missing persons after reaching DHOOKH.it was about 9 (PM) that evening.Nasrullah Khan was released by army but he was half dead and was not to be identified. “He was lying on the floor of the DHOOKH next to his own as there was nobody” Said Jalal-U-Din adding that manzoors clothes were torn,smeared with blood and he was partly conscious.
After giving Food and water to Nasrullah khan,they carried him down the hill on their shoulders,using the light from their cellphones to help them climb down narrow and steep tracks in the dark.Nasrullah was taken to lalpora Police station and then to a nearby SDH hospital,as his injuries were too serious so he was referred to the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital srinagar around 2 (AM) where from doctors referred him to SKIMS soura another hospital in srinagar,since then Nasrullah khan became kindney failure patient.
According to Nasrullah khan he recorded his statement in police station says that he and missing Manzoor khan were in two seperate rooms in the army Camp. “I heard only three cries from Manzoor as he was being tortured in another room,after that there was no Sound” while asking these words Nasrullah Khan fell unconscious. Since,31 August 2017 Residents of Devir,have given up searches for Manzoor Khan,but he is still untraceable.
Khan Nasrullah said they (Army) keep him beating asking how much he took from militants.Missing manzoor khan’s father Ghulam Qadir Khan said that on the morning of that day,a few soldiers had come asking for his son manzoor.locals said that militancy angle was just an excuse,the incident of beating them was planned in advance.According to Ghulam Qadir (Father of Manzoor khan) and Jalal-u-Din (Uncle of Manzoor khan) when they approached the army after Nasrullah was found,The commanding Officer (CO) of 27 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) also arrived and asked for more time to produce manzoor.Ten consecutive days after enforced disappearance of manzoor Khan Jummu and Kashmir police,Civil administration keep patrolling the peak of the hil. It lis pertinent to mention here that Former Minister for Law and Justice Abdul Haq Khan who was then in power is relative of Missing manzoor,Haq put pressure on the army regarding manzoors disappearance,but Army not listened him,if they have listened to minister they would have gave back manzoor,but army not even listened a bit,it means even ministers are helpless in front of Army.
Manzoor Khan’s enforced disappearance has halted movement of nomadic families in border district Kupwara and has led to fear in the people of kashmir. It is the dark chapter of enforced disappearance in kashmir History,Custodial killing is not a new phenomena in Kashmir valley.Since,the advent of militancy in 1989,thousands have gone missing and there have been hundreads of accusations against the security forces for using third degree torture and causing subsequent deaths.
Every year,the association of parents of the disappeared persons (APDP) assemble in press enclave srinagar and other places of city to propone their plight and hoping to be heard.
According to documentation and research wing of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and jammu and kashmir Coalition of civil society (JKCCS),more than 8000 people have been subjected to enforced disappearance in Kashmir during the past three decades by government forces.Every year on Aug.30 the international Day of the disappeared,the family members of the disappeared persons hold a sit-in protest to remember their kin and to remind the world of the tragedy.However,in the bygone years there have been a hundreads of cases where security forces have been questioned for orchestrating the abduction and killing of kashmiri youth in their custody.
Custodial killing or enforced disappearance is not new phenomena generally in kashmir and particularly in border district kupwara.Only in Diver village of beautiful lolab valley at least six youths have been subjected to enforced disappearance since the onset of militancy,but since then families and relatives of those men does not know what happened to those men and it seems that practice of enforced disappearances has resurfaced in valley which needs to be checked as earlier as possible.
Author is Journalist,working with many local dailies and can be reached at lolabazadhussain2015@gmail.com
