Kashmir In Turmoil: The Boys vs The State
By Inshah Malik
30 June, 2010
Countercurrents.org
Compiled pictures of the innocent civilians and children killed so far by the troopers in Kashmir . From Left to Right: Firdous Ahmed, Shakeel Ahmed, Tajamul bashir, Taukeer Ahmed, Rafiq Bangroo, Sajad Malla, Zahid farooq, Inayat Khan, Zubair Ahmed, Wamiq farooq, Tufail Ahmed and Bilal Ahmed.
The current state politics is moving in a deadly direction where the State of Jammu and Kashmir headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has almost declared a death sentence over the entire Kashmir valley. While making statements about the present situation during a Press Conference held on 29 th June 2010, Abdullah along with the central government authorities gave a clean chit to CRPF, who supported by black laws like AFSPA have been violating the basic right to life of people in Kashmir. The State government asked people to desist from protesting against the deaths of the youth and has imposed a stringent curfew all over the valley.
The Indian national media portrayed the people's uprising as something instigated by the Pakistan based mentors completely sidelining the issues at hand. By painting the present situation in Kashmir as a ‘conspiracy against his government' he has given an impression as if the protests and blood that is daily being spilled on the streets of Kashmir is just to unstable his government. While his recent statement gives more teeth to his troopers in Kashmir one wonders if Delhi has some concern about the way all this is being interpreted on the streets of Kashmir .
The year 2010 has been marked as the ‘year of teenage killing' in Kashmir for the reasons that are obvious to people. Since January 2010, 16 children have been killed by the Indian troopers so far. Reoccurrence of such incidents often forces people to take to streets. The common man on the street interprets such killings as genocide.
Inayath Khan killed by the troopers on Jan 8, 2010
On Jan 8 2010 , Inayat Khan a 16 year old boy became the first victim of this military madness for the year. Inayat had just passed his SSC exams with excellent numbers. On this fateful day, while going for the tutions he was shot down by the troopers in budshah chowk Srinagar . Inayat lives close to another Inayat who was a musician and was killed by the troopers in 2006. Now both of them await justice in oblivion.
Wamiq Farooq was shot down by the troopers on Jan 13 2010
In the same month on Jan 31 2010 , Wamiq farooq a 13 year old from Rainawari was playing in the Ghanni Memoria Stadium. The troopers while chasing a group of protesters entered the stadium and fired a teargas shell from a close range leaving Wamiq a brilliant student and only hope of his parents dead.
Zahid Farooq killed by the troopers on Feb 5, 2010
Five days later on Feb 5 2010 , Zahid Farooq, a 16 year old boy, only son of his parents was shot dead by the troopers.
In another case on April 13 2010 , Zubair Ahmed Bhat, a 17 year old boy was sitting on the banks of the river Jehlum with his friends when the troopers came and forced them to jump into the river. While most of them could cross the river, Zubair struggled the nearby boatmen attempted to rescue but the troopers fired teargas shells at them and Zubair drowned, he was a student from Sopore and used to work as a part time labourer in Srinagar . Police closed the file labelling it as an accident and ignoring this eyewitness account.
Just after a months gap ‘June' has become the most dreaded month of the year 2010 for the most the people have lost hope and faith in the state run justice mechanisms.
Tufail Ahmed a 17 year old boy from Sadakadal Srinagar had just passed his SSC examinations with a distinction and was killed by the troopers. On 5 th June 2010 , Tufail was playing in the Ghani Memorial stadium when he was shot dead. He received a firearm injury in his head leaving his brain into pieces on the grass.
Tufail Ahmed killed by the troopers on 5 June, 2010
Mohd Rafiq Bangroo' family had already lost seven family members already to the troopers and he was working as a shawl weaver. On 19 June he was caught by the army and beaten up, he had a battle for his life and finally he passed away. On 20 th June 2010 , During his funeral procession, the anti government slogans were raised to which the troopers retaliated with gunshots killing Rafiq's another cousin named Javed Ahmed Malla. Javed was 17 and worked in a bag manufacturing company in Khonmoh and had discontinued studies due to family's abject poverty.
Rafiq Ahmed Bangroo Succumbed to injuries after troopers mercilessly thrashed him on 18th June 2010 .
People had not even grieved on this properly when the situation worsened on June 25 th 2010 when the troopers conducted a fake encounter in North Kahmir 's Sopore area. The people protested the killings in the fake encounter, troopers went berserk and entered a farm and killed firdous Ahmed Kakroo a 17 year old boy who was doing his daily farming. On the same day they also shot Shakeel Ahmed an 18 year old electrician who was on his way to market to buy some electrical stuff.
Shakeel Ahmed shot dead on 25 th June 2010 by the troopers
On June 27 the local people in Sopore town plunged on the roads to show discontent against the state's rampant killings. Bilal Ahmed a 22 years old boy was watching at a distance the procession moving on when the troopers attacked it and shot bilal in his throat and he died on spot.
Bilal Ahmed Shot dead on 27 th June. 2010
On June 28 th 2010 , From North Kashmir the troopers killing spree started in the South kashmir 's Baramulla town.
Taukeer Ahmed a 9 year old and Tajamul Bashir a 20 year old were both shot dead by the troopers
On June 29 th 2010, Ishtiyaq Ahmad Khanday (15) son of Ghulam Mohammad Khanday, Imtiyaz Ahmad Itoo(18) son of Ghulam Mohammad Itoo from S K Colony Islamabad and Sajad Ashraf Baba (19) son of Late Mohd Ashraf Baba (19) were reportedly present in a lawn which belongs to one of the victim's family. Chasing the protesters in Islamabad town, SHO Ayoub Rather (Islamabad) and SHO Rauf Ahmed (Mattan) along with two sub-inspectors namely Masarat alam and Parveiz Ahmed barged into the lawn and reportly fired at six youth after lining them up, out of which two Ishtiyaq Ahmed (15) and Imtiyaz Ahmed (18) died on spot and Shujat ul Islam (19) along with three others was rushed to District hospital Anantnag. From there, because of his critical condition Shujatul Islam was directed to SMHS hospital but on his way he passed away. Among three others hospitalised at the District hospital, one is reported to be fighting his death while two others are said to be safe and recovering.
Imtiyaz Ahmed shot dead by the troopers on June 29 th , 2010
Ishtiyaq Ahmed shot dead by the troopers on June 29 th , 2010
Living in Kashmir is an hour by hour experience, people are locked up under curfew and completely the state government has shunned its people. Now the question is the angry unarmed people will protest that's what the mind set has become, so how many more will be killed is what the wait is for?
Inshah Malik is a PhD scholar at the Tata Institute of social sciences, Mumbai, India
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