Muzzammil Bashir
Hundreds of families in Kashmir have lost their loved ones as the conflict reaches a standstill when both India and Pakistan, the Asian nuclear powers battle for Kashmir.
The conflict has left a huge toll on civilian populace and an ever surging toll of human casualties, women have been the worst suferers of the conflict.
Mothers, many in number have been ravaged aftee losing their sons to the conflict, one of such mothers who still awaits her dead son to return in the mother of Parvaiz Ahmed in Kulgam.
On Feb 10 2019, Kelam village of Kulgam district woke up to the roaring of guns. An encounter had started before the dawn between the militants and Indian forces.
The encounter ended with the killing of five militants including a commander Idrees Ahmed of Arwani, Anantnag and another was the youngest militant, a native of Qaimoh village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Parvaiz Ahmed Bhat alias Hubaib ul Islam who was around 17 years of age. His funeral, held in his native village of Qaimoh, saw thousands of men and women participating to bid him farewell.
Parvaiz studied in Kendriya Vidhyalaya School in Anantnag town for almost a year. He was then shifted to G.Q.Public School in a nearby Nowpora village where he studied for the rest of his career. Besides being good in academics, he was also a good cricketer.
His elder brother, talking to The Kashmiriyat said, “It was in 2015, when he was in 7th class, that he was involved in an unsuccessful gun – snatching attempt along with his three friends near his school. The whole incident was not taken seriously by his family. From that day onwards he was more interested in freedom movement”.
Adding more, he said ,”During the Burhan agitation, Parvaiz along with his friend developed a contact with an unknown person on Facebook who had told them that he is a militant and assured them to activate them as armed fighters. Both the friends left the home and reached Shopian on the directions of the said person. Next day we got message from police to take our children back. They were deceived by the unknown person and handed over to the army who had beaten them.”
This incident his brother said created a feeling of revenge. He further said, “We tried our best to stop him from deviating towards such activities but all in vain.” Citing the reason for his inclination toward the armed struggle, his brother quoted him saying,” I am fed up with the world around me. I want to leave this world for Jannah. Oppression and occupation is unbearable. They have beaten me. Look! What have they done to Majid Bai ( Majid Zargar being the top LeT Commander who was killed in December 2016 and was close to Parvaiz’s family before joining militancy.)
His brother further added, “In Feb 2018, he left home and left us searching for him everywhere but after a couple of days he contacted us and came back. When inquired by the family, he said that he had joined the armed ranks but they send him back because of his young age. We tried to motivate him to join back his school but he denied and left his studies in May 2018.”
At last on 28th June 2018, he went missing and after some days, his photo got uploaded on social media with ISJK tags. After remaining with ISJK for 5-6 months, he uploaded his statement in which he claimed to have joined Hizbul Mujahideen.
The family also said that army men harassed them and vandalized the household property during the active months of Parvaiz as a militant.
With tears in their eyes, his sisters and his mother said that the situation created by the conflict around, compelled him to take up arms and it was exclusively his personal decision. His sister said, “He was a very intelligent student and was desirous to become an engineer. He was more interested and talented in handling and operating electronic gadgets. He had also written some poetry. His best poem being “MY MOTHER” that he had written in 9th class. He was a good athlete as well. He was a good player in Taekwondo in his school.”
Parvaiz has left behind his parents, three sisters and a brother.
From talented and brilliant students to Scholars and teachers, the unresolved Kashmir conflict has created a number of persons like Parvaiz.
