It was the time when I was studying in 10th class and used to go for coaching classes. The coaching academy was merely 5 to 6 kms away from my home. I usually went to the bus stop (CHINIWEDAR) where I catch bus towards coaching academy Srigufwara. It was winter season but there were no snow yet. I remember it was my third day of coaching and I was traveling towards my coaching center by bus, suddenly bus stopped and few minutes later some black colored tall men with heavy loaded weapons entered into the bus and with a horrible voice one of them loudly said ‘all male passengers come out fast, only women and children remain here’. I had left my seat and came out of bus. There were a huge line and each one holding their i-cards, hands were up.
At that time I was not 18 but 16 so I didn’t carry any i-card. One of the weapon holding black colored man gestures towards me with his rifle which I got that he was saying me come in line. I was observing and feared. It was checking (TALASHI), not any normal checking but a kind of torture, punishment or even death. These black colored weapon holding persons are the so called Indian soldiers (ARMY), who have hampered our every right of living on our own land. One among the passengers was not carrying his i-card but I knew him very well. The army man at checking point shout on him loudly you a terrorist, where is you i-card, the man begged before him that he unfortunately forget his i-card at his home but they didn’t hear him and kicked him to lay down on road. My mind disturbed and heart continuously beating fast. It was not bearable for me so I came out of line and went to the army man, sir he is not a terrorist , I know him very well. The army man said go to the line but I denied and replied why you are beating him?, not having an i-card means a person is terrorist? And he is saying that he forget at home. I remember the slap which he put on my face and tears began to start. Another passenger came out of line and hold my hand saying don’t interact with them they are fools nothing more than that, they didn’t understand anything, what they all know is to punish and torture us. After an hour they finished checking and nearly seven passengers were laid on road for not having their i-cards. Besides these all other passengers went to the bus and driver started bus again towards Srigufwara. I didn’t go to coaching center that day and came back to my home.
There was a shortcut and I start return journey to my home. All the way a thousand million questions were circulated in my mind and an unlimited anger on the very cruel, disgusting army men. Why they used to check us?, why they tell us to show your id?, why they beat us?, I was frustrated and want to go back to kill them all but that was impossible. I controlled my anger, sit behind a walnut tree and start writing the incident.It is not a single incident but from the time of India’s illegal occupation over Kashmir the Indian so called brave soldiers had started this cruel kind act in which thousands of people were tortured and so many dead. How much irritating is this when an educated, qualified person, scholar, employ, is asked by a person who belongs to the other state and hardly passed his intermediate, with his horrible voice ‘card dekhaw’. I am on my land, my place, my city, my village and some unknown persons usually with heavy weapons stopped me checked my identity, if unfortunately I forget my i-card at home so they thrashed me, beat me, torture me. Why?, am I not having the right to live freely on my own land, in my own house. It is not a single day process but daily scene in Kashmir. And government of India proudly said ‘our army is protecting people of Kashmir from dangers and doing good job’, for that a huge salary is given to them. What the hell! .Salary for what, killing the people of Kashmir, raping, murdering, torturing. It is not expected in Kashmir that when a person left home and he will return back alive.
From last four years I am studying out of Kashmir and I swear there is no such type of cruelty, punishment, torture and even no boundation to carry my i-card everywhere but for some academic purpose only. I notice in these years the major states of India like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan etc, increasingly having a high rate of crimes, corruption, murders, rapes, mob lynching. So, why not the Indian government uses such security to reform conditions here? Why not they bring their brave soldiers to these states to minimize the crimes?, instead of killing innocent people of Kashmir. If India shouted every time integral part, integral part then where is integrity. No one wants to decide and do such things which are very painful for him, for his family and for nation but the only responsible thing is ‘situations he faced and happened to him’. Let we (Kashmir’s) live the life of our own. Adil Ghulam Dar is persuing Master’s in Education at Aligarh Muslim University
