Faith Not Lost In Struggle For Justice
By Syed Basharat
29 May, 2010
Kashmir Times
SHOPIAN, May 28: Even after one year since the rape and murder incident of two women, the people of Shopian have not lost hope for justice. Despite what they call cover up operations at various levels by the government agencies, the people here believe that truth will finally get established with their struggle and those who try to sabotage their efforts would be proved wrong.
Not only the Majlis-e-Mashawarat Shopian (MMS) spearheading the struggle for justice into the incident but people from cross section of society in Shopian and its adjoining areas continue to get involved with the struggle.
“We are not bothered what CBI, Jan Commission, or police wants us to believe through their cover up operations. We believe in truth that is both Asiya and Neelofar were raped and then murdered by the men in uniform,” Reyaz Ahmad, a local said.
Though the MMS accepts that nothing tangible was achieved in terms of justice during the past one year of their struggle but it believes the ‘organised struggle’ itself was the biggest achievement and the sbusequent public support it got was also a very positive sign reflecting that masses do not get misled with propaganda of government machinary and continue to have faith in truth.
“We knew it from day one that the government will hush up the case. We also knew that we may not reach the culprits and the justice will not be done but still our first 47 days strike followed by a peaceful agitation gave us a psychological satisfaction that we are being heard,” believes Mohammad Shafi Khan, Vice President and spokesman of the MMS.
People in Shopian believe that Majlis gave a direction to their sentiments. However, they castigate the way the peaceful demonstrators were dealt with by the government. “We were harassed, intimidated and even our youth were arrested for frivolous reasons,” said Tariq Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Shopian.
There is also a general feeling among the people here that Indian justice system has always failed Kashmiris. “See what happened to Maqbool Butt. What are they trying to do with Afzal Guru? How our boys are being arrested and disappeared outside Jammu and Kashmir? And how the CBI was given a prepared script to play in Shopian rape and murder incident,” said an anguished young trader pleading anonymity.
The investigation which saw many ups and downs, people here believe were all preplanned games being played by the state actors. “In June last year, the judicial commission set up state government itself to probe this incident concluded that the two women were sexually assaulted and murdered. Why don’t you punish that judge who conducted that probe for ‘defaming the police and security agencies,” asked a college going student Bilal Ahmad, who resides in an adjoining area of Shopian.
Pertinently, Justice Jan commission which conducted the government ordered probe had severely criticised the role of the local police, civil administration and doctors in handling the investigation of the case. Justice Jan had also recommended suspension of the officials concerned.
However, not only the arrested police officers were released on bail, but the CBI held doctors and lawyers responsible for defaming the police and security force agencies.
Given the raging public sentiment after the incident took place in Shopian on May 29 when the two ladies went missing and the next day their bodies were recovered, Khan says had MMS not been formed, there would have been numerous casualties.
“We are surrounded by troops in Shopian and the indifference of Kashmir police is also obvious. It was indeed a momentous struggle spearheaded by MMS. In absence of MMS there might have been tremendous bloodshed in Shopian which was restricted to the minimum by the efforts of Majlis,” said Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar, brother of Asiya and husband of Neelofar.
It is also widely felt in Shopian that formation of MMS and its non-violent and apolitical character deserves to be appreciated. “Psychologically our struggle was not against the state but it was against the mighty state of India. We tried to call off strike which later lasted for 47 days but the public sentiment was so high, that we would have been dubbed traitors,” Khan remarked.
The locals here also seem to have pledged that they will continue the struggle for the justice in the incident till it reaches some logical conclusion. Ask the people that will the Shopian case become a forgotten chapter of the Kashmir history book like many similar incidents in the past were justice still remains elusive? And pat comes the reply! “No way. We will continue this struggle. And if we don’t get justice in our life, we will pass on this struggle to our next generation,” said an elderly person Abdul Aziz Dar, who might be in his late sixties.
The MMS vice president also agrees with Dar: “Cases with the history of rape were not fought in the manner the Shopian is being fought. This time, people have channelised their anger into a sober and sophisticated struggle. But let me tell you that India unlike its coloniser British has not adopted civilization norms in Kashmir. Rape has been used as a weapon of war in Kashmir,” he observed.
People in Shopian have a reason to believe that government has hushed up the case in a shoddy manner. “There are a number of witnesses in Shopian who have watched abduction of two women by “men in uniform”. But the bereaved family and the MMS have failed to motivate these witnesses to come on record before the court. “They (eye witnesses) fear for their lives,” Khan clarifies.
Asked why MMS supported CBI investigation when it already knew that the case will be hushed up, Khan said that the CBI had assured it of an honest probe. “They told us that they were working without any pressure. When they called us to Humhama where they had established their base camp, we were directed to hear from Dr Nighat who said that the two ladies were raped and murdered. Then CBI people told us that Dr Nighat’s statement necessitates the exhumation of two women and we were compelled to cooperate.”
Police, Khan said, performed against its manual and they (police) were very serious how to hush up the case right from the day one of the incident. “Had the four police officers been interrogated well, the truth might have come out. Just see the CBI’s formality of polygraph test conducted on those four police officers. What sort of questions were asked of them?” Khan asked.
Asked what MMS has decided about the fate of Shakeel and his three years old son, Khan said: “Shakeel must resettle now, and yes off course if not the government, MMS should strive hard to impart quality education for his son Suzain. This we owe to our two women martyrs.”
