With 112 Killings! Shall we Celebrate or Mourn Occasions!!!

Ahmad Kashmiri

This has reference with the much ado done before and after Nov. 14, wherein, according to news some functions were held on this day to commemorate the children’s day and one such function was held in Kothibagh Higher Seconadary, Srinagar which is famous for Governmental education functions.

Anyway, since our childhood we have been told that Nov. 14^th Nov. happens to be the children’s day with the eve of birth anniversary of Pandith Jawahar Lal Nehru, 1^st Prime Minister of India- who is called- Chacha Nehru, following his utmost love with the children, as per the stories written in our academic books. Thus we have been listening about this day since our childhood but now for last several years especially from the reign of the then chief minister Jammu and Kashmir, Gh Nabi Azad, who left no stone unturned in utilizing such occasions to show his bosses that Kashmir was rich “tribally” as well and for that matter he would not hesitate to assemble thousands of teachers in Srinagar on that so-called teachers day, 5^th Sep. and when the gathering had been frame-freezed for political gains, he would not hesitate to do humiliation to these- Nation Builders by criticizing them for their poor performance in results of exams or likewise. Similarly these state supremos would issue orders for student gatherings on such occasions especially on 2^nd Oct, on Ghandhi Jaitni to evoke from them the national anthems and other country loyal rhymes and songs. Poor students and lambasted teachers would not sleep for nights to prepare themselves and the students would mug up only the “prescribed” country loyal songs and would keep their routine studies at bay till the job was done and the boss would nod his head.

But the year 2010 is all important for those people of the world who love children and for that matter Kashmir witnessed the “killer year” for their children. This time the chief minister of the state is Mr Omer Abdullah, who is neither a child nor an old man but in- between, meaning that much years have not passed since his childhood, further meaning that he “could” realize the pain and agony when a child or a teenager is killed. But alas! He did not feel pain of a father or a brother. Had he felt, then 1 killing would not have become 111.

And in the place of Chacha Nehru, who is famous for loving children, now there is Manmohan Uncle, whom the children of Haider Abad, with play cards in their hands, appealed, “Manmohan Uncle, Kashmir Mein Bachoon Ka Qatal Mat Karo” (Manmohan Uncle, don’t kill the children in Kashmir).

In a way there is a confusion that who should be blamed for the killings of 111 people most of them the children this year in Kashmir, Chacha Nehru, Manmohan Uncle or both. This is not the time that we shall indulge into discussion but even a child here in Kashmir knows that it was Chacha Nehru who has made a promise with kashmiris for the decision of their future- Right To Self Determination, he himself did not or for that matter could not fulfill the promise. His successors too did not fulfill the promise. It resulted in the formation of a volcano and it started exploding long back. Year 2010 witnessed this volcano exploding with much intensity and now the reign   lies with Manmohan Uncle(Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India), that is why the children of Hyder Abad not tolerating the killing of kashmiri children raised their voice though innocently but for the children lovers it was an emphatic appeal.

In Kashmir, it started on Jan. 8, 2010 with the killing of Anayat Khan, 16, of Dalgate Srinagar when the paramilitary forced killed him in cold blood. Till April 24, 6 more teenagers were killed in the different parts of the valley. And it was June 11, this year when the blood bath started with the innocent killing of Tufail Ahmad Matoo, 17, of Srinagar who was coming back home from his tuition centre and was hit by a tear shell. June 19 witnessed the killing of Rafiq Ahmad Bangroo 24, who was with his people protesting the killing of Tufail and others including those three innocent kashmiris who were killed in a fake encounter in Karnah. Then the sky of Kashmir witnessed killings almost daily or sometimes the toll showed a higher graph than those of days. But the “sky” never turned Red.

The space does not permit here to list the killings that took place everyday with more deaths taking place while yet the deaths of former ones were being mourned.. However the heart-piercing part of the “story” is the killing of those children who were yet innocent to understand the celebration of children’s day, who were just coming out of their infancy. Tawqeer Ahmad Rather of Delina Baramulla is one among them who was “put” into grave just at the age of 9 years. More heart rending is the killing of Sameer Ahmad Rah of Batamaloo who was not killed by any bullet but was brutally  beaten to death in his lawn. All the 111 killings have such tragedies that volumes of books will not suffice. Not only males but females too were not spared. Fancy of Batamaloo and Mubeena Akhtar of Sopur are the two, here to mention.

In a short span of 4 months Jun- Oct, most of the teenagers were brutally killed, world raised voice but this blood bath did not stop in Kashmir. The teenagers who were killed were almost all reading in schools and colleges. I remember Iqbal of Tangmarg, who was a distinction holder in his studies, was a Khateeb (who would give sermon on Fridays), who when recited Quran, his voice would resemble with the voice of Immame Qabba, who after his graduation had the dream to join Madina University for higher studies.

 One fails to understand that what afterall was their sin for which they were killed. And why the children-safeguarging organizations of the world that do much ado on child-care and child-safety are so silent and behave as spectators.

Thus with 112 killins, on such occasions. Where do we stand? What is our position? Shall we celebrate or mourn these occasions.

 
AHMAD KASHMIRI