Seeds of brutality sown in 90’s still reap out misfortune
Is it a question of doubt or reality? Is still Kashmir “the paradise” on earth? Such is the intensity of atrocious and brutal past which makes us think like that. So mean is the rest of the world which merely bother about the natural beauty of Kashmir rather than the actual beauty, ‘The people of Kashmir’.
People in lakhs have been laid to rest since the recognition of Kashmir as the disputed territory. Some fell to the atrocities committed by the Indian forces while some fell to the arms of unidentified gunmen- terrorists in the real sense. Always the front face of the coin is brought into context leaving the background of the rare side hidden in files. Exonerating the Indian forces of long held allegations of assassinating the prominent personalities of Kashmir urges the reality behind the scenes to be admitted.
The starting year 1990 marked the beginning of the greatest turmoil in the history of Kashmir. The unidentified gunmen started entering the rows of actual freedom fighters with a mission to defame their names and objectives. They started their mission by carrying out abductions and killings of the high profile personalities of the valley clarifying their aim to erase the intellects of Kashmir. In their way they started crossing the extremities of barbarism and brutality. Were they backed by some extremist ideology? Were they backed by the agents who never supported the cause for freedom? What made them to kill innocent people? This question mark still maintains its status to promote chaotic thoughts. Without shedding light on the most brutal events committed by these unidentified gunmen, it is impossible for the world to believe and accept the fact of traumatic instability prevailing in Kashmir today.
The day of April 10,1990 begun with the gruesome killings of H.L. Khera , general manager of H.M.T and Prof. Mushir-ul-haq, vice chancellor of university of Kashmir. In the month of May, the same year, imam of Jamia Masjid and a noted political and religious leader Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq was assassinated. The other prominent additions to this assassination list were Qazi Nissar-Mirwaiz of south Kashmir, Anil Bhan- a bank officer , Dr. Abdul Ahad Guroo- cardio vascular surgeon, Lassa Koul-Director Doordarshan and many others. It is not possible to mention the whole list but strongly indicate to have a look over their professional status. It obviously reveals that these unidentified gunmen evolved with an objective to eradicate think-tank of our nation. The killing list has not resisted the urge to breeze over these abhorrent events as ‘simple murders’ nor has it spared the common people from the horrors prevailing afterwards.
The blood of these prominent personalities had become so cheap that they were murdered without any reason by that heretic bunch. And of course, how could we forget the contribution of people in power who completed the formality of condemning these killings and declaring it to be inhumane. The authorities reacted and promised retaliation against perpetrators who least bothered about humanity and the consequences that erupted later on. Even God says killing of an innocent is killing the whole humanity. How many times we need to multiply? Thoughts of those cold blooded murders still prevail in our minds forcing us to press our brains to predict more consequences.
The post-traumatic stress and anxiety of that phase has left everybody in deep pain and darkness. Consequences even reflected badly on assistance programs, discouraged foreign investments mainly tourism. Not even those unidentified gunmen dashed the think-tank of Kashmir into the ground but also derailed the dream to see Kashmir free. To some extent these killings led to the decrease in faith of those intellects living outside who always supported our cause for freedom.
These barbaric events underscore the scope of the threat we all face and remind us of the need to continue to stay focussed on combating violent extremism and bringing those responsibilities for it to justice. We must be honest enough to turn every page of the closed diary to explain the whole reality hidden behind the curtains of blindness. Still there is a hint of hope to expect a peaceful and prosperous future in order to forget the horrific past my nation has gone through.
Raqib Qayoom is pursuing mechanical Engg.-SSM College Of Engg. & Tech.
