Aged father waits for a surprise
Kulgam, Oct 17: The personnel of the 4 GR stormed Gund Kalam, (Kulgam) in Islamabad district on December 18,1993. The entire area was sealed and house to house searches conducted. The males were ordered out and later subjected to identification parade. Many youth including Fayaz Ahmad Bhat were taken into custody. Fayaz never returned.
Fayaz Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Rehman Bhat, 33, and a tailor by profession never poked his nose in others’ affairs, said his home people. He would always mind his work and was very popular in the village. His arrest surprised and shocked the villagers.
The people, according to villagers, rushed to the Devsar camp immediately where Major Narinder Singh Sood (who headed the search operation) assured Fayaz’s safe release. The villagers returned satisfied. However, Fayaz was never released.
After few days, the villagers said, the anxious relatives visited the camp again. To their utter disappointment, the arrest was denied. "We do not know any Fayaz. We never arrested him", the relatives were told.
The relatives intensified the search. Every camp, jail in and outside the state was visited. Fayaz could not be found anywhere. The relatives approached the district administration but the latter expressed helplessness. The police consoled the relatives but could not provide the much needed information to them.
"Fayaz was a tailor and had nothing to do with the on-going movement. He earned his livelihood with great difficulty. All the time, he would be seen on his shop sewing clothes. The government has failed to state the grounds of his detention", a relative said.
The relatives did not seek judicial recourse. Instead, they sought help from every one including army officers, officials of the civil administration, police and the ordinary civilians but all in vain.
Fayaz’s father is hopeful of his son’ s return. "My heart is not ready to accept that Fayaz might have succumbed to inhuman torture. If Fayaz were dead, I would have felt the pain. Some day he will come and give me a pleasant surprise", he hopes.
Kupwara tailor disappears after arrest
Kupwara, Oct 14: His relatives say a party of border security force (BSF) personnel arrested him. The BSF has denied knowledge about him. Amid these accusations and denials, a family has been desperately trying to ascertain the whereabouts of their missing relative for the past eleven years.
A BSF party raided the house of Muhammad Ramzan s/o Munawar Wani r/o Telipora, Lolab (Kupwara), 35, and a tailor by profession , on April 4,1990. The house was thoroughly searched. However, nothing objectionable could be recovered. The house is situated near forest area. "Militants often take shelter in this house", the officer incharge of the raiding party told the scared inmates when they asked reasons for the raid.
Ramzans wife while narrating her experiences said, "The BSF party took Ramzan along. When we offered resistance, the officer assured safe and immediate release of Ramzan. He said the commandant wanted to see him".
Ramzan, she continued, was taken in a Gypsy (vehicle) to the camp at Lalpora. "We waited for two days but Ramzan did not return as promised by the BSF official. We rushed to the camp . The officer incharge consoled me and once again assured release of Ramzan. I cam home with the hope of seeing my husband next day. But, Ramzan did not return".
The family and some villagers again went to the camp. "Come tomorrow. I will release him", the officer incharge again promised. However, the hopes faded away next day. Ramzan was not released. The visits to the camp continued for two months without results.
Finally the BSF denied the arrest. "We do not know anything about Ramzan. We have not arrested him. All of you are terrorists", the BSF shocked the aggrieved relatives.
The traumatised relatives rushed to the concerned police station. However, the police refused to register an FIR for unknown reasons. The relatives did not seek judicial recourse. Instead, they searched for Ramzan in every jail and interrogation centre in and outside the state but all in vain.
The district administration expressed helplessness. Ramzan’s wife has to take care of three minor children. She has exhausted all her resources on the search for Ramzan which continues unabated till date. The "half widow" has expressed willingness to agitate the matter before the state human rights commission (SHRC) at Srinagar.
A watchman who disappeared after arrest
Srinagar, Sept 30: The family had migrated from Karnah area of Kupwara district to escape extensive border
shelling. They settled at Boatman Colony, Bemina and tried to adjust themselves to the new environment.
However, destiny had something else in store for them. On April 13,1997 , the soldiers raided their house and
arrested a family member. He never returned.
According to reports, the soldiers belonging to 20 Grenadiers raided the house of Muhammad Sultan Khan and
grabbed his son. Narrating the incident Sultan said, " My son Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, aged 25 years and a
watchman in forest department, was taken in a seperate room and tortured brutally for several hours. When they
finally brought Mushtaq out, he was half dead. He could not walk. I cannot forget that scene. Later they took him
along. When I resisted the arrest, I was beaten by rifle butts".
Sami Jan, Mushtaq’s wife requested the soldiers to leave Mushtaq alone . "When I told them Mushtaq was not
involved in any subversive activity, they pushed me aside and gave me a sound thrashing", she said.
Mushtaq could not be traced out. The hostile soldiers could not provide any satisfactory answer about his
whereabouts. An FIR was lodged in the concerned police station. But the police investigation did not yield
anything tangible.
Sami approached the civil administration who assured full help but could not provide the much needed information
about Mushtaq. The search took the ill-fated family to every jail, army and para-military camp in an outside the
state but Mushtaq could not be found. The family, for unknown reasons did not move court. Instead they
approached the Peers (sages) in the every nook and corner of the valley but all in vain. The sages could not unveil
the mystery.
The government has not paid the ex-gratia amount to the next of kin of Mushtaq. "If I get the amount , it will help
me in providing education to the children", Sami said.
Sami has exhausted all her resources on the search. She wants to provide suitable education to her children. "My
elder son will become an advocate and plead the case of his father", she hopes.
Published in greaterkashmir.com It is inhuman to abduct people in this brutal manner.
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