Wednesday, November 27News and updates from Kashmir

Shopian Encounter- Meet the Two Bravehearts’ Who Fought for the Bodies of Rajouri Youth

Mir Musavir

From border district of Rajouri, three cousins Abrar (25), Imtiyaz (22) and Abrar (16), crossing the beautiful mountains of Peer Panjal reached Shopian. They came to earn their livelihood, without knowing that they will never be returning to their families.

Shopian Encounter came into public attention on 10th August, 2020, almost a month after the encounter.

Two social activists who championed the Campaign for returning the last remains of the three Rajouri youth spoke to The Kashmiriyat. They have been tirelessly campaigning for justice to prevail.

 Guftar Ahmad, a socio- political activist based in Rajouri, was the first person the family approached after realizing that the three cousins have gone missing.  He filed the missing report for the family. Guftar went from one district to another searching the whereabouts of the youth.

After 52 days when DNA reports came, it was him, who approached the administration in order to get the bodies of martyred youth for their last rites.

Talking to The Kashmiriyat, Guftar said, “Fear was in my mind that anything can happen to me but at the end of day this fight was the fight for Justice”.

“Every day we were travelling near about 60Kms meeting the families and then the administration, it had become our everyday routine”, said Guftar who has been the pillar of support for the families.

“Many political Netas were also trying to play politics but I didn’t allow them to do so, also not a single representative paid a visit to the families as everyone was in fear but I took a stand and made sure that I will fight for them. They were completely unknown to me but the day I came to know that three boys were killed I didn’t sleep whole night. On that night I promised myself that I will fight for them. Further we are demanding that murderers should he hanged”.

Guftar Ahmed with the Families of the three youth from Rajouri killed in Shopian Encounter on 18 July

Praising the positive support the independent media showed them, he said, “In this whole time span of almost 3 months, media really proved to be supportive in this case especially The Kashmiriyat”.

Saima Choudhary, a student activist while talking to The Kashmiriyat  said, “The news of Shopian Fake Encounter came as a shock to everyone but it personally drained me. I was numb, couldn’t really process the news, the only thought that crept in my mind was what was their fault, what was it that got them killed”

Saima, who has been active on twitter, demanding justice to the three killed youth said, “International Media and people from all walks of life condemned these innocent killings but Guftar Ahmed Choudhary, a bold and strong social activist from Rajouri came as a helping hand for the victims’ family and became their voice as he stood with them despite all odds”.

“I being a student, resident of district Poonch made a point to share the pain of families by writing & demanding #JusticeForRajouriVictims because this was the least I could do for the families and Twitter was indeed the best medium which I used to express my thought”.

#JusticeForRajouriVictims , #ShopianFakeEncounter and other related hashtags had been trending on twitter to raise the voice for the victims.

Saima also talked about Saalian Massacre, she said, “The Fake Shopian Encounter has open wounds of the “Forgotten Saalian Massacre”. On night of August 3, 1998, 19 people, including eleven kids and five women (one pregnant), were shot dead in their home in Salian in Surankote Tehsil of Poonch district.”

About the Saalian Massacre, In Nov 2012, HC ordered a re-investigation of the case by CBI when state Government informed court that the case had been closed but it failed to produce closure report before the court.
In their petition, they named seven people, including a higher official as the main accused but So far nothing has happened in the case even after 22 years, the family still awaits Justice.

The young student activist said, “As there was no sign of DNA reports even after a month, I was choked, disheartened and started losing hope that history will repeat after 22 years, Rajouri Killings will also get no justice just like the Sallian Massacre but what kept me moving on was the fight that distress families had fought for last remains of their sons and for the Justice”.

“This was indeed not possible without Kashmiri Journalists who covered every part of the story and brought out the truth. No amount of words can give honor to their work. The realities were time and again brought in people’s domain thus representing the thoughts and pain the families are going through”.

“The last and only wish of the families is to get back last remains of those who mean the whole world to them. Hoping the last remains reach their homeland, Rajouri, so they get a proper burial”.

“The Innocents have left and within a year, the incident won’t be remembered but their memories will echo and the void they created in lives of their loved ones will never be fulfilled”.

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