Asma Bhat/ Ubaid Mukhtar
Bilal and Hilal, two friends from Srinagar earned their livelihood selling fruits at the Dalgate area of Srinagar in central Kashmir, however, earlier this week, a minor verbal tussle between the two resulted in the death of 34-year-old Bilal Ahmed Guroo, a resident of Mansoor Colony in Srinagar’s Bemina.
As per the family of Bilal Ahmed, at around 8:30 P.M, Bilal told his brother to wind up things for the day. “I was about to cross the road when I suddenly heard a loud shouting. I turned back and saw that Bilal was on the ground,” his brother said.
The two (accused and murdered) were friends from their childhood. “His father has loved Bilal since his early childhood. We don’t understand why he was stabbed and murdered,” said his cousin.
She said that Hilal had a minor argument with another cousin of theirs, when Bilal tried to pacify the duo. “We were told that Hilal did wanted to assault my cousin, but the timely intervention of Bilal saved him which triggered Hilal and he attacked Bilal with a knife,” she told The Kashmiriyat.
Just before this incident, Bilal was packing up for the day. “His brother noticed him on the ground and he took Bilal in his lap. He succumbed there in his lap,” his family members said .
A team of police officers, relatives, and neighbors rushed Ajaz to a nearby hospital, but it was too late.
Doctors confirmed that Hilal had suffered multiple stab wounds on his back. Hilal, the sole breadwinner of his family, worked various odd jobs to make ends meet. He has left behind an eight year old daughter.
Meanwhile, police in a post on X said that a scuffle broke out between two fruit vendors following which one among them stabbed the other to death.
“Scuffle between two fruit vendors broke out in Dalgate area in which Hilal Ahmad Shera S/o Riyaz Shera R/o Tengpora stabbed Bilal Guroo R/o Bemina to death. FIR No. 70/2024 u/s 302 IPC regd in PS RM Bagh & investigation taken up.
Accused arrested & weapon of offence recovered,” Police wrote on X.
Knife attacks are on the rise across the Kashmir valley. During 2023, at least 42 incidents of knife attacks have been reported, most of the victims young men in the age group 15-30.
A woman among the mourners expressed anguish at the changing society of Kashmir. “Such anger, such intolerance. My son is twenty years old, i always tell him to not even argue. Times in Kashmir are such that nobody even wants a contradictory opinion,” she said.
She claimed that everyone carries a knife in their pockets and police must immediately respond to this growing menace in our society.
Crime is also on the rise.The Jammu Kashmir Police annual gazette reported a 15.41 percent increase in registered crimes in 2020 compared to 2019.
Specifically, there were 28,936 cases registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code in Jammu and Kashmir during 2020, in contrast to the 25,072 cases reported in 2019.
Although the crime report for 2022 has not yet been released, the overall crime rate in Jammu Kashmir surged by 24.6 percent in 2021 when compared to the statistics from 2019 and the crime is visible on the ground, at least to the local population.
“My son is in the school and i am unsure if he will safely return home. There are so many menaces in the society. Everyone carries a weapon, a knife,” another wailing woman said.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the crime registration rate per lakh of the population increased from 235.7 in 2019 to 2021, while the overall chargesheeting rate reached 81.4 percent.
While the surge in knife attacks in Kashmir is a matter of local concern, it reflects a broader global trend where increasing anger and intolerance can lead to a rise in violent crimes, including knife attacks.
Psychologists and researchers worldwide have been studying the intricate relationship between anger, intolerance, and criminal behavior. Let’s delve into the findings and insights from global research on this pressing issue.
Dr. Lisa Turner, a renowned psychologist and author of “The Psychology of Violence,” emphasizes that anger, when left unchecked and unaddressed, can transform into aggression.
She explains, “When individuals are unable to manage their anger or express their grievances through peaceful means, they may resort to violence as an outlet for their frustration.”
Moreover, intolerance, whether towards differing opinions, lifestyles, or beliefs, can exacerbate tensions within a society.