In strange times,old survive and young perish Nowgam continues to mourn Faisal, Mehraj MUBASHIR BUKHARI/SAMEER SHOWKIN Srinagar: ‘Mata maritav vuni chu na vansi kam, Mata maritav vuni chhiva na manzi nam’ (Do not die on me, you are so young! Do not die, your nails but barely henna –tipped!”), these chants are reverberating from the homes of Meraj-ud-Din Dar and Faisal Yusuf who were killed by Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles at Chattergam area of Budgam district on Monday evening. The streets of Nowgam look like a war zone, clad faces with stones in their hands are ready to take ‘revenge’ of their two innocent brothers. While mourners in numbers are consoling the families of the youth others are decorating the graves of Faisal and Mehraj buried together in native graveyard. A pall of gloom has engulfed the native place of these slain youth. The home of 14-year-old Faisal Yusuf has lost its charm and sheen. His father Mohd Yousuf Bhat wearing a skull cap, surrounded by neighbors and relatives has become more vocal since his “little prince” died. Giving the references of Islamic verses his father seems to be more delighted for the “sacrifice” offered by his beloved son. “14 Chapters (Para) of Quran were engraved in my 14-year-old son’s heart. But they didn’t spare and martyred him along with Meraj. But it was destined we can’t do anything. I ask Allah to give me strength to face the reality,” said Yousuf Bhat. A 7th class student, Faisal wanted to memorize the whole Quran instead of keeping the dream of becoming Doctor and engineer. His sister Bisma who is in second year is in trauma, his younger brothers Farhaan and Farzaan hardly understand the meaning of death.“We are shattered, we don’t let anyone discuss Faisal in front of family members. We have caged his sister and mother, they faint each time. But what we have lost him who will get him back,” said Muzzafar Ahmad, Faisal’s cousin. The picture is no different at Meraj’s home, which is few minutes away from Faisal’s house. One has to first pass the graveyard, heavily guarded streets, cladded faces to reach another innocent’s home. In the middle, some locals while interacting said that security forces didn’t even allow relatives and neighbours to meet the bereaved families for first two days. “First they killed our brothers and now they have turned these streets as military fortress. They didn’t allow us to meet them,” said some of the residents. While entering the gates of Mehraj’s home, mourners are gazing at every entrant with their faces. A group of women is surrounding Mehraj’s mother in tent setup in their yard. While his father Ghulam Mohd Dar a PHE employee by profession is sitting silently in a room surrounded by group of people, some known some unknown. With little hope, no demands, Mehraj’s father is calmer than Faisal’s father. He doesn’t believe in govt or army probes. His demand is to see the killers of his son. “What demand you are talking about? I don’t have anyone. Just identify the killers, disclose the names, give them to me.Probe doesn’t bring back my son back,” Ghulam Mohd Dar said. Meraj-ud-Din Dar (21) was younger among siblings and was laborer by profession. On that fateful day Dar didn’t see the face of his son in the morning. “I didn’t see him in the morning as I left for work. When I came back at night my whole life was changed,” he said. “Army shoots to kill people rather than saving them. We are helpless, armless we can’t do anything. The killers of my son will be changed from one place to another but at last they will be let free,” said Mohd Dar. He said that today we lost Faisal and Mehraj but this bloodshed will not stop because gates of justice is closed in case of Kashmir. Four days have passed since these two youth were killed, but their locality is still mourning their death and the deserted streets and mournful faces stands testimony to the fact that wailing will continue till justice is not be given to them. And their mothers will be yelling ‘Mata maritay vuni chhiva na vansi kam(Do not die on me, you are so young!) Mata maritay vuni chhiva na manzi nam (Do not die, your nails but barely henna –tipped!) Probe report in 10 days:Lt.Gen Hooda Budgam killings a mistake:Army Sameer Showkin Lone Srinagar: The Army on Friday took the responsibility of killing two innocent youth in Chattegram area of Budgam district.Announcing Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh each for the injured, Army said they would also take care of the rehabilitation of the injured youth. Addressing a press conference here at Chinar Corps headquarters, Lt Gen DS Hooda, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, said Army would set an example of a transparent probe that would be done to punish the guilty in this case. Hooda added that in future Army would be more cautious in dealing with such situation but at the same time ruled out linking the killings with AFSPA, which many believe is a reason behind such killings witnessed frequently in the valley. “We will set an example here and the guilty will be punished so that in future such incidents are not repeated,” he said. Hooda said that in next ten days the enquiry will be completed and the guilty soldiers will be punished and the same will be shared with the public. “I assure you that the highest standard of transparency will be followed to determine how this mistake took place. Action will be taken. Fifteen civilian witnesses and service witnesses have been examined as part of the inquiry ordered following the incident. The inquiry will be completed in 10 days or so,” he said. Terming it a case of mistaken identity, the Lt. General said there was some information about a white car with terrorists. “Obviously, the identity was mistaken in this case. We take responsibility for the deaths. Now we can only share our grief and regret with the believed families. We wish it could not have happened,” he said. Hooda said Army would be grateful if the Civil Society suggests them some steps so that such incidents are not repeated in future. “We welcome everyone’s views to avoid such unfortunate things,” he added. Later, while replying to the questions of journalists, Lt General Hooda said the Army would look into the loop holes into the daily exercises so that such things don’t occur again. Two youths - Faisal Yusuf Bhat and Mehraj-ud-din Dar - were killed, while two others - Shaker Bhat and Zahid Naqash - were injured on Monday evening when soldiers of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles opened fire at the car in which they were travelling in Chattergam village. The injured were rushed to the Army base hospital in Srinagar and are undergoing treatment there. Family rejects compensation Srinagar:The family of Faisal Yusuf Bhat, who died in Army firing on Monday, refused to take the compensation from the Army saying they don’t need any relief or compensation from the killers.“We don’t need RS 10 lakhs from Army instead we will give Rs 20 lakhs to Army from here if they need. These forces extinguished the only candle of our family. ,” said Muzzafar Ahmed, cousin brother of the slain. Army on Friday had announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh each for the injured. Army also said they would take care of the rehabilitation of the injured youth. Forces thrashed us:Family Mubashir Bukhari Srinagar: The family of one of the slain youth of Nowgam Friday alleged that the paramilitary forces barged into their house and without any reason thrashed the mourners. The family of Muhammad Yousf Bhat was observing Charram of their son Faisal Yousuf who was shot dead by Army at Chattergam. However, the family members said that the angry forces came inside the house and starting misbehaving with the people present them. However, the family members said that the angry forces came inside the house and starting misbehaving with the people present there. “We were observing the Charram of our brother and without any reason forces came inside and starting abusing and thrashing us,” said Muzaffar Ahmad, Faisal’s cousin bother. “First they killed our son, now they are reacting inhumanely by beating us. In front of our mothers and sisters who were mourning they used abusive language,” he said. The family have requested IGP Kashmir to intervene in the matter. “For the sake of God, please remove these para-military forces from here otherwise another innocent will be killed. We request to IGP Kashmir Ab Gani Mir to remove these forces from here,” said Gowhar Ahmad, relative. It is worth to mention that heavy contingents of paramilitary and police forces have been deployed in the area since the killings. “ Anger is brewing among local youth against killing so they express their anger in the form of stone pelting. But forces beat them mercilessly without thinking about the sentiments,” said Muzaffar Ahmad. The family said that they even pelted smoke shells inside their house. Meanwhile, when contacted Public Relation office (PRO) CRPF Kishore Prasad denied the allegations levelled against the forces. “Our forces are only deployed on roads. The allegations of family members are baseless,” Kishore said. Meanwhile, a delegation from Chattergam was stopped by paramilitary and police forces to meet the slain youths families in Nowgam. “We were going to meet the families of Faisal and Mehraj but the forces didn’t allow us to move forward. We came from Chattergam where these two youths were killed,” told Zafar Hussain to Kashmir Monitor over phone. NC- Cong go for safety All sitting Ministers to contest Mudassir Kuloo SRINAGAR: The National Conference (NC) and Congress have repeated all the 14 ministers to contest from home constituencies in the Assembly polls. Almost all the Ministers faced a drubbing in these segments in the Parliamentary elections held earlier this year. The alliance partners (NC-Congress) have already parted ways and decided to contest the Assembly elections separately against the Lok Sabha polls when they contested on the pre-poll alliance basis. Both the parties have now given the mandates almost to all those candidates who won the 2008 Assembly elections but their candidates lost to their opponents in constituencies of these ministers in the Lok Sabha polls. Both parties have retained at least 14 ministers to contest from their constituencies who are facing a precarious situation in home constituencies in backdrop of Lok Sabha polls where their candidates stood behind their opponents. Sources said these ministers-where their party candidates performed badly in Parliamentary polls-have been directed by their party high command to do introspection what led their parties debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. The ruling NC has included all the ministers to contest from their respective constituencies except Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who will contest from Sonawar and Beerwah constituencies instead of Ganderbal and Ferroz Khan will contest independently. The party has named Abdul Rahim Rather to contest from Chrar-e-Sharif where the NC candidate for Srinagar-Parliamentary seat stood behind PDP’s Tariq Hamid Karra by a margin of 3085 votes while the party was behind with 3607 votes in Kangan constituency where the NC has again fielded Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad. From Noorabad, Sakina Itto will seek to retain the seat where the NC’s candidate trailed by 148 votes in Lok Sabha polls. Mohammad Akbar Lone will again contest from Sonawari segment of Bandipora district where PDP’s candidate got a lead of 479 votes over NC’s contender in Lok Sabha polls. In Kupwara, the PDP secured a lead of 1905 votes over NC where Mir Saifullah will contest the Assembly elections and Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan will contest from Handwara where Peoples Conference candidate topped over NC with 2258 votes. The Congress has fielded Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Sayeed from Dooru and Kokernag Assembly segments where PDP secured a lead of 3967 and 8557 votes respectively over NC-Congress candidate Mehboob Beigh. In Jammu region, the Congress has again given mandate to Tara Chand from Chamb where the BJP led 11000 votes over Congress candidate in Lok Sabha polls. Raman Bhalla and Sham Lal Sharma have been fielded from Gandhi Nagar and Akhnoor constituencies where the BJP secured a lead of 36835 and 11233 votes respectively. Ajay Sadhotra got the NC mandate from Marh constituency where BJP got a lead of 18753 votes. Manohar Lal Sharma will again contest from Billawar where BJP got a lead of 24000 votes over Congress-NC candidate in the Parliamentary polls. Another minister of Congress Nawang Rigzin Jora will seek to retain the Leh Assembly segment where the BJP candidate secured a lead of 4657 votes. While as State Congress chief Saif-ud-din Soz said the Congress will emerge the single largest party after the polls and will perform well in those constituencies where its opponents got more votes in the Lok Sabha polls. NC Additional General Secretary Mustafa Kamal believes that party will make a huge come back in the Assembly polls and will retain all the seats, which are presently holding by party legislators.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 13:51:13 +0000
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