More than six civilian killings in a span of three days in various districts of Kashmir during anti-insurgency operations and sometimes at the time of peaceful situation have given rise to a new wave of anxiety and disquiet all across Kashmir. Despite assurance from law-enforcement agencies about taking special care in safeguarding lives and properties of civilians, but loss of innocent lives goes on unabated. The large number of injuries inflicted on protesters and death of civilians at various places in different districts of Kashmir. Recent death of one civilian Gowhar Ahmad Rather at Kangan in Ganderbal district has created a situation of deep anxiety and uncertainty yet again. Gowhar Ahmad Rather, 22 year old was a student and had shouldered the responsibility of family in the initial stage of life. Gowhar was ray of hope to his family and relatives, but unfortunately he was hit by a bullet by J&K Police. Earlier J&K Police claimed that he fell down during a police chase and suffered a head injury after hitting a drain edge.
A 22 year old youth who was admitted to Sher- e- Kashmir institute of Medical science Soura Srinagar in a critical condition where doctors stated that Gowhar has received the bullet in head and very less chances are to recover him. Gowhar was shot from a close range by Local Policemen namely Gulzar Ahmad. When Gowhar was shot situation was completely normal. Gowhar met me before an hour of this incident, when I hugged him he told me I was in playground playing cricket, I replied let’s have a cup of tea at my home in return he replied not possible this time because I have to offer the Nimaz ( prayer) and I have to reach the home , I have an important work at home and he left. After offering Nimaz (prayer) he was moving towards his home normally, when he reached the National highway , police were beating his younger brother and were trying to took him inside the Police Station, Gowhar watched all this, he began to run towards Police in order to rescue his younger brother, in the mean time Police RAKSHAK jeep reached the same point and driver jumped out from jeep and without any warning he fired three fires at Gowhar, Gowhar became victim of one bullet among these three bullets. Spectators tried to rescue Gowhar but they failed.
After firing him the shooter (Policemen) dragged him. Local youth tried to rescue him from dragging and succeeded. Neither was he a stone pelter nor any militant, even not any anti-insurgency in process when he was shot. He was shifted to Hospital where doctors stated he ha s a bullet injury in head with document proof. Doctors changed their statement at morning time; they stated he has no bullet injury under the pressure of Police and Government. Finally true report was given when media and people resisted on the changed statement. This is my Valley, which is known as paradise on earth, where a youth is on ventilator in ICU and Police, government is playing dirty politics over Kashmiris. Police was playing dirty politics so that they can safeguard Policemen who killed Gowhar. Curfew and restrictions were imposed when Gowhar left this universe; section 144 of Crpc was imposed. People did not accept the curfew and restriction, clashes erupted, dozens were injured, and strikes were observed. Funeral were offered at various places. About 8:30 evening corpse of Gowhar reached his residency in an Hospital ambulance, everyone was crying. Thousands of people were at his residency to offer the funeral and to see his beautiful face. Parents and relatives of Gowhar had decided to offer the funeral in morning time at 10 AM because it was not quite possible for every relative, friend etc to reach the residency mid night and offer funeral that time. Again Police refused the requests of locality, Police Officials said we will not allow anyone to offer funeral in morning again religious duties and constitutional rights were snatched .This is my paradise where religious duties and constitutional rights are being snatched. This is not a sign of democracy or secularism which India is always claiming. This democracy and Secularism is only buried in books not working in real world, they exist in imaginary world only. The Police is a puppet in the hands of Government and Police always claims that we are here to serve us? No they are here to kill us, said Gowhar brother and locals.
Now FIR has been registered against the accused policeman. The truth is that the FIR against Police means nothing. Over the past three decades, hundreds of cases involving Human Rights excesses are pending against Police and Army, none of them has been acted upon, nor is there any such possibility in future. Young generation of valley is joining militant ranks; it is the need of hour why young educated persons are joining the militant ranks. Youth are ready to pick up the arms instead of achieving their dreams & more education. Joining of qualified Kashmiri youths to militant ranks has shown an alarming increase since Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in 2016; it is the new face of militancy in Kashmir…Day by day trend of joining the rebel ranks is increasing. Question arises here that knowing very well that they are at the risk of being killed why Kashmiri youths are choosing the path of rebel ranks. Security forces is claiming and is giving their best effort to save the youths of Valley by organizing cricket, football, Volley ball and other games tournaments and to train youth towards competitive exams and works in state in order to stop youth from opting the way of “Terrorism”, but on the other hand they ruin their own efforts by vandalizing property of residents and harassing many youths. 117 Youths joined militant ranks in 2017 & more than 21 joined in three months of 2018 year as per sources. As valley is slowly simmering into militancy, the union government must take the issue seriously and initiate action for the welfare of valley and its people. In the restive summer of 2016, pellet became perhaps the most feared word in Kashmir, thousands of people wounded, hundreds of them blinded, partially or completely , this great humanitarian tragedy that moved the civil society , media& agencies of human rights and their demand was rehabilitation of pellet victims.
But two years later, they are yet to get rehabilitated. These pellet victims are demanding to make people aware of their circumstances; they alleged that some NGO’S were collecting money from government in their name. “This is my democratic country where pellet victims are yet to get compensation”. There is AFSPA in Kashmir. AFSPA is an insult to democracy. It is a dictator act. It gives an army-man or a policeman right to commit crimes and get away with it. Achieving a long-lasting Peace seems a distant dream, skirmishes across LOC, civilian killings on daily basis in valley, qualified youth joining militant ranks, war mongering by highest centers of power are now order of the day which raises a crucial and basic question of how serious government is in pursuing the agenda of peace and justified solution.
India Pakistan should sit back and relax, they need to think what is good and what could be bad for the citizens of valley. BJP leaders are claiming that that India’s economy is growing day by day, imagine if India decides to continue the conflict of Kashmir what would happen to its economy because this conflict may turn into war. Kashmir problem is a consequence of the failure of democracy’s hardware. The formal political institutions of democracy have been maintained erratically in Kashmir. Realistically, human rights violations and democracy have no place. The so-called armchairs of democracy like US have deliberately chosen a meaningful silence on large-scale human rights violation by the armed forces in Kashmir. Being most militarized state in the WORLD; the people of Kashmir are suffering under brutal suppression. It is obvious that whenever there is a gross violation of human rights, the people turns into unrest and adopts the way of uprising or protest. Such violations by the government forces add fuel to uprisings and worsen the situation.
For example the pellet guns were banned in many countries but such lethal weapons are still used in Kashmir to blind hundreds from children’s to elders. The people of Kashmir particularly youth are no more frighten to pellet, bullet, they continue to protest. If an elected government cannot discipline its Police and Army who carry on rampant innocent killings then the famous idiom “Bullets after ballots is a failure of democracy” holds true in valley. If this Human Rights violation and long lasting conflict between India and Pakistan will remain continue than how on earth someone could expect situational normality and a preference of peaceful Political means in resolving the vexed issue of Kashmir. It looks like that a “Time Bomb” has already been activated and it is ticking with fast pace. Leaders of both the countries have to rise above the Political considerations to defuse this “Time Bomb” so that the conflict will come to an end. If both the countries will remain silent, than both countries would have to pay heavy price. Both countries must solve the Kashmir issue for greater good of its own people.
….to be continued
Author is the President of Kashmir Law Circle & Former Advocate intern at Supreme Court of India,can be reached at sajadfarooqrather@gmail.com
