Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has said that massive funerals of terrorists were allowed to be taken out before 2019 in the Union Territory (UT) of J&K. In these funerals, glorifying the dead terrorists was the only agenda of those participating and projecting them as heroes. However, this was stopped after the abrogation of Article 35-A and the resultant whittling down of Article 370 and no glorification of any terrorists is allowed now.
One glaring case of a terrorist and his associates being glorified that comes to mind is that of Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist killed by the security forces in July 2016. By allowing his body to be taken to a funeral, which was attended by many, the government then facilitated the radicalisation of many more youths. Incidentally, then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that had she known about the encounter with Burhan in advance, she would have ensured his surrender. This statement caused great consternation among the security establishment at that time.
He was speaking on Sunday at a function in Srinagar where families of victims of ordinary Kashmiris who died at the hands of terrorists had gathered. “For decades, these families were marginalised and their voices were not heard. Justice was denied. Their pain was ignored, their stories untold, and the truth deliberately suppressed. Hundreds of families have gained strength and support to say their loved ones were killed by Pakistani terrorists,” Sinha said, drawing out a sharp contrast between terrorists and the victims.
An ecosystem which directly or indirectly fanned separatist and secessionist ideologies working against the interests of the country and had a pronounced pro-Pakistan bias prevailed all around. This is being systematically demolished. Incidentally, one prong of this demolition and deterrence against the secessionists is the summary dismissal of many government employees by invoking Article 311 of the Indian Constitution.
“Today Pakistan is counted as the biggest beggar in the world and our country has become the fourth largest economy in the world. While our youth today are making a name for themselves in innovation and entrepreneurship, Pakistan is sending its youth to terror training camps. It aims to kill common Kashmiris. But, we have drawn a new line with Operation Sindoor and we will give a befitting response to any misadventure by the enemy,” the LG said.
On the one hand, India is progressing by leaps and bounds day by day, while Pakistan, known as the global terror hub & breeding ground for terrorists, is lagging on all developmental indices. Its citizens are barely able to manage two square meals a day, and the country’s economy is on the verge of collapse.
“I know, for years truth was buried under pressure of terror ecosystem. Now, the families are exposing Pakistan and their supporters inside J&K. It will be ensured that the real culprits, whether they are in J&K or hiding in Pakistan, are given the harshest punishment,” the LG stressed.
“We must expose the people wearing masks in the society. We must break the society’s silence and must speak up against those committing atrocities,” Sinha added. It needs to be mentioned here that due to the prevalent ecosystem of terror, secessionists and separatists, who espoused an anti-India agenda, were feared and honoured by a section of ordinary people. Such people led trade bodies, forums for lawyers and civil society organisations in the past.
Sinha met the family members of Kashmiri civilians killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists in the last three decades. The Sunday interaction of the LG with the families of terror victims was hailed by many as a historic step. This recognised and honoured the thousands of innocent civilians in J&K who were brutally killed by Pakistani terrorists. While paying tributes to the common Kashmiri citizens, Sinha bowed before the family members of those who fell victim to the bullets of Pakistani terrorists.
“Save Youth, Save Future Foundation’’, a non-profit organisation, played a crucial role in bringing these families together. It is also playing a crucial role in silently documenting the families of terrorism victims. According to some official estimates, over 40,000 people, including civilians, security personnel and even children, have lost their lives to terrorism since 1990. In many of these cases, even FIRs were not filed as common Kashmiris got killed by terrorists.
“In cases where FIRs were not registered, directions will be given to register FIRs in those cases. Action will also be taken to free the land and properties of victims which may have been encroached by terrorist sympathisers or separatist elements,” Sinha said.
The union government has launched this initiative to enable families affected by terrorism to share their pain and expose the conspiracies of the terror ecosystem, he said. He asked the family members of terror victims who are entitled to government jobs to submit their cases to concerned Deputy Commissioners. He assured them of a speedy process of appointment within a month and financial assistance, besides hand-holding to family members who want to start their own business ventures.
The LG said that the Indian government and its entire security apparatus are committed to bringing the voices of victims to the forefront and ensuring justice. He stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all efforts are being made to ensure accelerated, inclusive development. The security officials are working to ensure that these families receive the justice, recognition and support they deserve after years of suffering in silence. “I also assure all the families affected by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism that the culprits will not be spared,” he said.
Members of several such families interacted with Sinha and exposed the terrorists as also their backers. These families from South Kashmir have been enduring tremendous hardships after losing their family members in barbaric terror acts perpetrated by terror outfits.
During the interaction, these families countered decades of false propaganda and Pakistan’s role in fuelling terrorism in Kashmir valley. They said a fake and dangerous narrative was promoted, one that portrayed Pakistani terrorists as victims and Indian security forces as aggressors, but real victims, common Kashmiris killed by Pakistan terrorists, were ignored and neglected due to the influence of separatist outfits and the ecosystem.
