Intro: As India mourned its two bravehearts who were killed in a recent encounter in Tral, in J&K, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani sparked a furore by calling terrorists as “Martyrs”.
Just like their support in the Valley, reporting about the deeds of separatists have also become irrelevant. But it is mandatory to expose the agenda’s of separatists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who just to garner limelight, insulted Army officers’ sacrifice by terming terrorists as ‘Martyrs’. Not only did he call terrorists as “martyrs” and “sacred blood” but also tried to instigate the youth of the Valley. “The two fighters (terrorists) fought bravely and demonstrated the fact that every Mujahid (warrior) of Hizb committed to Kashmir cause is ready to sacrifice his precious life. The Kashmiri boys are preferring taking guns in their hands to taking jobs,” said 84 years old Geelani who seems to have learnt no lesson from his lifetime experience.
Where anti-human Geelani, who by his anti-national approach is inciting youth, which eventually can cost their lives; Indian security personnel are sacrificing themselves to save the same lives.
Only a day after Colonel Mahendra Nath Rai received gallantry medal, he was leading his troops against heavily-armed terrorists on 27 January in Tral of Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunately, it proved to be his last battle in serving his nation while fighting terrorism and insurgency. Col. Rai, a 2/9 Gorkha Rifles officer and J&K police head constable Sanjeev Singh laid their lives securing the life of innocent people of J&K. Two terrorists were also killed in this encounter.
Opportunist Geelani’s group went to condole the family of terrorists when the whole country was paying tribute to the saviours of the nation. Geelani, would have been charged for treason or would have been shot by someone for this kind of bare cheekiness in Pakistan. But this is India! Here the Constitution of India guards his freedom (of speech) while the security personnel like MN Rai take care of safety. It’s important to understand here that it is the power of Indian Constitution and not his status that is letting him roam freely up to the houses of terrorists.
Kashmiris would find separatists like this at forefront while introspecting the reasons as to how their ancestral land has become synonymous to terrorism and intolerance. They would find only these separatists to blame if they decide to churn upon the reasons as to how a land, known for origin of Vedas and its age old traditions, has been converted to a region where patronising of rapists and murderers like those killed in encounter with Col. MN Rai has become rampant.
With time, the so called mentors of the Kashmiriyat actually have proven to be killers of the same. Like a state comes in the evolution of a child when he starts, based on his learning, to analyse, doubt and question even his parents, the Valley is getting mature and as things are getting unfolded, Kashmiris seems to have made up their mind to bycott all the separatists. Geelani did not find takers for his anti-Army (Saviour in Kasmir flood) rhetoric in Valley and anger against him in other regions of the state found its way out in the slogans like “Desh ke Gaddaron ko, Goli Maro Salaon ko”. Anger echoed in every street of Jammu.
People, across the nation, have demanded immediate arrest and are of the opinion that statement of this kind should not be tolerated in any part of the country. Outrage on the social media against the statement of Geelani is an indication that it’s time when government agencies should issue a stern warning to fringe elements like Geelani. Enough is enough!
Arvind (The writer is a researcher at J&K Study Center, New Delhi.)
