July 20
The day ( 8 July 2016) Burhan was killed in encounter along with his two associates at Bumdoora village of kokernag tehsil in Islamabad (Anantnag) District, Subzar Ahmed Sofi left home for Delhi to join classes at Jamia Milia where he was pursuing PhD in his favourite subject Botany and for coaching to prepare for Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
For next three months the family of Subzar couldn’t establish any contact with him due to communication blockade in Kashmir post Burhan’s killing, Bashir Ahmed father of subzar, a retired government employee told The Kashmiriyat adding that they thought he was at the university.
“In October 2016, we got shocked when an army officer knocked our door and on stepping out he said that your son has joined militant ranks, however nobody among us believed what army officer said,” he told.
He Informed The Kashmiriyat that the Army officer came back after a fortnight and showed them a video visited in which Subzar was walking with his associates in a forest while holding an Ak 47, adding that, it was a bolt from the blue.
“We tried to search him but after failing to search him we lodged an FIR at Police station Bijbehara,” said his mother Hajira.
She told The Kashmiriyat that Sabzar was a down to earth person and was very helpful to all the people in the locality.
“I think it is just that we all are witnessing on daily basis the atrocities of forces which is forcing young educated and cream of kashmir to pick up guns,” she said.
“Sometimes in dead of night, I find Hajira shedding tears in longing of her son,” said Bashir Ahmed about his wife adding that, they were never harassed by forces post Subzar’s joining.
“He was too innocent and would rarely talk to people however we are yet to know what forced him to join ranks,”his brother Sajad Ahmed who is pursuing M.phill outside state told The Kashmiriyat.
After joining ranks all militants come home any day to meet their family members however Sabzar has never came despite more than 2 years having passed now.
“All his focus was on the studies as he wanted to achieve something big to help the society however no one among us can answer what prompted him join,” he said.
Before taking admission in Jamia Millia for PhD, he completed his Mphill from Jivagee university Gwalior, MSc from Barkatulla university Bhopal, Bachelors in Education and BSc from Government degree college Islamabad (Anantnag). Subzar has also qualified NET, JRF and was preparing for IAS besides his PhD.
“He was always taking interest in helping the students of locality and encourage them to study more,” said his another brother.
His brother said that Sabzar started a coaching centre namely Ascent at Sangam where students of locality were taught free of cost.
Besides Subzar, Bashir has three sons and a daughter, who took arsenal highly qualified. Among three sons two are government employees.
This year Ph.D Scholars including Manan Wani of Kupwara, Waseem Rather of Kulgam, Mohammed Rafi M.Phil Scholar Zubair Ahmed from Islamabad, M.A Urdu Nawaz Ahmed Wagay from Shopian.
The Government Forces recently met in South Kashmir to formulate a strategy to curb the Militant recruitment. The Police, Army and other agencies met to discuss all the possible ways they could shape to end the cycle of violence, however the policy ‘iron fist’ that the Indian Agencies had used earlier surely does not seem to be working on the ground, at least as per stats.
220 Active Militants in 2017 January, 213 were Killed in the year till December 31 2018, still in June 2018 the number of active Militants had surpassed 250 which includes a vast majority of locals.
Thousands of Kashmiris have taken to gun since an armed insurgency began in Kashmir in the winter of 1988. The Himalayan region is claimed by both India and Pakistan who have fought three wars over the region. (The Kashmiriyat)