Kashmir witnessed two killings the past week but while the one attributed to the forces evoked a storm of protests, the one blamed on militants raised hardly a murmur.
The lone voice censuring the “selective outrage” to the deaths of school principal Rizwan Pandit and 12-year-old Atif Mir was former chief minister Omar Abdullah’s.
Awantipora resident Rizwan, 28, died in police custody on Tuesday, the marks on his body prompting torture charges and triggering a shutdown and days of protests.
Atif died two days later during an encounter at Hajin village in Bandipora — after being allegedly taken hostage and used as a human shield by two besieged Pakistani militants, who too were killed. The forces say the militants killed the boy.
Life in Kashmir has been normal since then. Hajin observed a shutdown, but more out of love for Atif than anger at the militants.
The Valley’s reaction is all the more surprising since the boy’s family has said that one of the militants, Ali Bhai, was coercing them to marry a sister of Atif off to him and had roughed up several members after learning the girl had been sent away. Apparently, the militants took Atif and several others hostage in retaliation.
Omar has tweeted: “I know we hold our security forces to a higher standard & that’s not the comparison I’m making. I’m making the limited point — selective outrage is cowardly & hypocritical.
“I wish there was as much outrage in Kashmir against militants when they take a young boy hostage as there is when security forces are accused of human rights violations.”
Mehbooba Mufti regretted Atif’s death but only noted: “Innocent civilians who are struggling to make ends meet have become casualties in the war between militants & armed forces.”
Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani blamed Atif’s death on the forces, terming it the “worst kind of state terrorism”.
Atif’s death has saddened many but few have condemned the militants for taking him hostage. Thousands joined his funeral on Friday but many of them chanted pro-azadi and anti-India slogans.
Sources in Atif’s family said the two militants routinely took shelter in their home. The 18-year-old girl Ali Bhai had his eye on had been sent to live with relatives in Sopore.
“They came again a few days ago and, finding the girl was not home, roughed up some members (of the family). They pressured the family to bring the girl back and took the boy hostage,” a source said. “In the meantime, the village was cordoned off (by the forces) on Thursday morning.”
The source said the militants initially took several members hostage, apparently suspecting the family of having informed the forces. Barring Atif and uncle Abdul Hameed, the rest somehow escaped.
“Hameed sahib also escaped amid the gunfight and told us the boy was alive when he left the house. The army waited a few hours, after which there was a fierce gunfight. The house was blown up with explosives.”
The source said it was not clear how Atif had died and that his body was charred beyond recognition. Atif was a Class VI student and the only son of pesticide dealer Mohammad Shafi.
“It’s a lie that the family had informed them (the forces). When we were searching the debris, we found their academic certificates and jewellery. Can anyone inform the army without removing these stuff?” he asked.
Whenever the village has seen an encounter in the past, its youth would stone the forces to help the militants escape.
“Since the village knew what these militants were up to, nobody threw stones this time. There’s a lot of anger in the village but people are not expressing it openly,” the source said.
