Chapter 10: The Tide Against Militancy

A spontaneous public protest was first witnessed in March 1990 when the gory killing of a popular political leader Mir Ghulam Mustafa took place. People held massive rallies in the Chadura Assembly constituency of Badgam raising anti-militant and anti-Pakistan slogans.

Such resentment gathered pace in 1991 when from February to December that year, on 25 occasions local citizens staged demonstrations against militant violence inter-gang clashes of militants killing of local youth, extortion of money and attempted bank breaks, timber-looting by militants and grenade attacks and bomb explosions. The popular protests were marked by people taking out processions and strikes.

Following the killing of a Muslim Janbaz Force (MJF) militant Nazir Ahmed Shah by the Hizbul Mujhideen (HUM) militants, 600 local people of Lassipora Kupwara demonstrated on February 10, 1991, raising anti-Pakistan and pro- India slogans. When a young man was killed by HUM militants at Batmaloo Srinagar on April 30, 1991, more than 200 people of the area took out a slogan- shouting protest procession.

Shops and establishments in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, remained closed in protest against a grenade attack by militants at Goakadal (November 18, 1991). Four citizens had lost their lives and 20 others were wounded. It was generally believed that the blast was caused by HUM. Again the killing of Ghulam Mohammed Butt by the militants at Chawalgam, Anantnag, resulted in shops remaining closed and transport being suspended on November 30, 1991.

On the same day in different areas some more angry protests were witnessed. Local shopkeepers observed a "hartal" in protest against killing of a local Muslim by militants at Bijbehara, Anantnag. Again, following the kidnapping of a youth by the Al Umar militants, shopkeepers pulled down their shutters and 3000 people held a demonstration at Alamgari Bazar, Srinagar. On December 14, 1991, a large number of villagers of Wagooke, Baramula, took out an angry procession expressing resentment against the atrocities committed by the militants. Two days later in Kalantra, also Baramula, the villagers overpowered two Al Barq militants, Jamshed and Ezer, when they were found extorting money. Their arms were snatched away and they were given a severe beating.

The voices of protest became more strident in 1992. There were about 50 instances of open protests and demonstrations by villagers, women and city- dwellers against violence perpetrated by militants; injuries caused to women, violent, inter-gang battles, abductions, rapes, misuse of mosques and the killing of Shia Muslims.

Following the slaying of several pro-Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and pro-independence overground leaders and those who had surrendered to the security forces by the pro-Pakistani militants at Anantnag during March 1992, a number of militants fled to Jammu. The brutal killings generated resentment among the people. Muslim women in large numbers (March 15-17, 1992) demonstrated against the killing of innocent people. During a public protest meeting (Anantnag March 17, 1992) burqa clad women delivered angry speeches alleging that 300 women had been raped by militants during February-March 1992.

RAPE BY MILITANTS

When on March 31, 1992 militants of HUM abducted an area commander of the Al Jehad Force and shot at five members of his family at Sultanpura Badgam (the brother and sister of the "Commander" succumbed to their injuries while three other members of the family including the mother were seriously wounded), considerable local wrath was witnessed against militancy.

When three members of a Hindu family were killed at Srinagar on April 1 1992, after the housewife and her teenage daughter had been gang raped, there was such indignation and revulsion that 5000 local citizens staged a protest demonstration as also enforced a two-day local hartal at Habbakadal, Srinagar. In sympathy with this, 2000 college girls held a demonstration at the Women's College, Kothibagh, Srinagar, and later took out a protest procession.

There have been a number of demonstrations, protests and agitation, particularly by women against the molestation of girls and the raping of women by militants. More than 300 women of Batmaloo, Srinagar, took out a procession against the activities of militants (April 10, 1992). Five days later when a married woman Khatjee, wife of Ghulam Qadir Sofi, was abducted by militants, the local people mounted a sit-in strike at Babademb, Srinagar. Again in the wake of the abduction of a woman by some militants at Chakla Baramula, an armed clash took place between two rival militant groups in which three villagers were killed and fifteen wounded. Later the villagers caught hold of three militants, shaved their heads, blackened their faces and paraded them through the village (May 12, 1992). Following the rape of a Muslim girl by three militants and her subsequent attempt to commit suicide (Baramula June 6, 1992), more than 600 locals gathered, raising anti-Pakistan and anti-militancy slogans.

Three thousand angry men marched raising condemnatory slogans against militancy when a young boy Ghulam Mohideen was kidnapped by the militants at Anantnag on April 10, 1992. On that day there were angry slogans raised at Rainawari, Srinagar, and about a 100 women took part in a procession at Ziarat Batmaloo.

ATTACK ON SHIAS

Similarly, there were protest marches by the Shia Muslims at Badgam. A Shia Muslim, Mohammed Yunis Yaloom, was shot dead by militants at Sumbal, Baramula. The local Shias resented the killing and closed their shops in protest on November 4, 1992. Local citizens of Shopian, Pulwama, came out on the streets raising anti-militancy slogans (May 20, 1992) when the body of a local Muslim, Hassan Mir, resident of Arigam, was found hanging from an electric pole. Hassan Mir along with his son were kidnapped two days earlier following the rescue of his abducted daughter from the militants by the security forces.

When clashes took place between gun-wielding rival militant groups resulting in the death of innocent people and the destruction of property the local population showed their anger and resentment through slogan shouting demonstrations. Such incidents were recorded at Noorpora, Pulwama (May 20, 1992); Sopore, Baramula (May 29, 1992); Pattar, Baramula (September 5, 1992); Khanwari, Srinagar (December 9, 1992).

Following an explosion in a taxi when four Muslims including a woman were killed and the driver was seriously injured the locals at Phlipora, Anantnag, demonstrated against the militants on October 13, 1992. Again, when a grenade exploded on the road at Soura, Srinagar, wounding 14 persons, including four women, the local residents organized an anti-militant demonstration (November 2, 1992).

The people are also angered by the systematic damage done to educational institutions by the militants. Muslim fundamentalist militant groups have gone about destroying school and college buildings as also kidnapping school boys and girls for forcible indoctrination recruitment to militant groups or for obtaining ransom money. Except the Islamic fundamentalist educational institutions, schools and colleges have remained the prime targets of the militants. Five graduate colleges one professional institution, 79 primary schools, 81 middle schools, 63 high schools and 23 higher secondary schools have been destroyed by the militants. In addition, 240 other educational institutions have been damaged. Christian missionary schools at Srinagar and Baramula have been subjected to repeated bomb attacks.

Militants have entered school campuses, interfered with the administration of schools attacked libraries and harassed girl students. This has resulted in heavy dropouts. During 1991-92, dropout rate of boys was 44 per cent and of girls 50 per cent. This has resulted in resentment which was voiced when militants entered a school at Hajan in Bandipur (May 20, 1992) and tried to pull out a student, Ghulam Nabi, from his class. All the students of the school came out of their classes and pelted stones on the militants.

The strain of militancy on the economy social order and law and order has taken a heavy toll of the average Kashmiri's self-confidence. He is beginning to crack. It is a question of time before the people's resentment against militants who have interfered with their daily chores often depriving them of their livelihood turns to fury. And when that happens, the militants will be truly on the run.