Despite some infamous instances of firing on funeral processions, attacking one was considered a taboo for security agencies. Not any more, as more and more mourners have to put up a brave front, or pay with their life to shoulder a coffin. Haroon Mirani reports.
It is said that during the Afghan era in Kashmir when a newly appointed governor Kakkar Khan arrived via Baramulla, he saw a funeral procession on his way. He got it stopped and opened the coffin to bite the ear off the corpse. 
“Tell all the dead people in your world that Kakkar Khan has arrived in Kashmir,” said Khan addressing the corpse, and sending shivers among the people around. What followed was the worst tyranny of Afghan rule in Kashmir, both on living and dead.
The story may sound savage in 2010 AD, but a comparison is hardly unfounded.
The dead are not bitten in the ear, but the bodies can get kicks and blows, even today.
Images of a father trying to save his dead son from desecration by police and paramilitary rattled Kashmir last week.
On July 6, police and paramilitaries launched an unprovoked assault on the funeral procession of Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat and Fayaz Ahmad Wani near Tengpora ByePass.
Fayaz had in fact died earlier in the day in police action on the mourners of Muzaffar. This time, however, police not only thrashed mourners but kicked the bodies too.
“It was terrible, the policemen were kicking the bodies of Muzaffar and Fayaz,” said one eyewitness. “Muzaffar’s father couldn’t bear it as he tried to save his son’s body, thus in the meantime getting thrashed.”
The picture of Muzaffar’s father shielding his son’s body from the onslaught of troopers has been widely circulated on social networking websites among Kashmiri online community, evoking insulting remarks for police.
Muzaffar’s father was also injured by police batons crashing on his head, letting blood on his shoulders.
“The mourners had been pleading with security personnel to let them pass as the procession was peaceful and no stone pelting was going on,” said Mehrajudin who was also present there. “But nobody listened to them and there was heavy shelling of tear gas and free use of bamboo sticks.”
There have been various instances of attacks on funeral processions and mourners in the last two decades, but analysts say, it has now attained a dangerous frequency. 
The most notorious example of attacking a funeral in the last two decades is the firing on funeral procession of Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq, on May 21, 1990, which killed at least 27 people. Even the coffin received bullets.
On April 01, 1993, security personnel fired on the funeral procession of Dr Abdul Ahad Guru killing Ashiq Hussain brother in law of Guru and injuring hundreds.
On August 03, 2001, a 14 year old boy was killed and around a dozen injured when security forces opened fire on a mourning procession of three militants in Magam, Budgam.
Despite these instances, most funerals in general have been given a peaceful passage even in the most violent times, and harming one was considered a taboo. Not any more.
Since the Amarnath land row agitation in 2008, police and paramilitary forces have pounced upon a number of funerals.
On August 12, 2008, four persons were killed when troopers fired at the funeral procession of Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who was killed a day earlier in police firing at Uri.
Images of another funeral tear gassed by police in Barzulla also made headlines the same year. The valiant mourners were seen braving the teargas barrage to hold the coffin on their shoulders.
Since then, there seem to no looking back, even though the strategy has only added to the list of casualties and catalysed alienation and resentment against police and administration.
Last year, the father of Neelofer of Shopian (of alleged rape and murder case) was beaten up by police till he fell into a nearby drain when he was visiting the grave of his daughter on the her Chahrum (fourth day ceremony).
This year there are a number of instances of attacks on funeral processions and mourning ceremonies. On February 16, 2010 four persons were injured when CRPF opened fire on a funeral procession of two local militants at Redwani Kulgam. On May 29, 2010 seven persons were injured after police and paramilitary personnel fired tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charge on the funeral procession of three Nadihal youth killed in fake encounter by army at Machil in April.
People say that police doesn’t understand th
e loss and importance of grief. “They kill us and then expect us not to mourn. Can this be possible? This is against the law of nature,” said Manzoor Ahmad of Rainawari. “It all adds up to pent up frustration which explodes whenever it finds a vent.”
On June 12, 2010 around 50 persons were injured when police and CRPF used brute force on the mourners present in the funeral procession of Tufail Ahmad Matoo, who was killed in police action a day earlier. Hundreds of tear smoke shells were fired on the large funeral procession, but the battle hardened people didn’t budge an inch and kept moving on.
“The more force they use, the more hardened we become and the more strong becomes our resistance,” said a teenager Suhaib of downtown.
On June 20, 2010 Javid Ahmad Malla, 17, a relative of Rafiq Bangroo was killed when CRPF opened fire at protestors during Bangroo’s funeral procession, when clashes with the paramilitary broke out. More than hundred persons were injured in police action on the funeral procession of both Bangroo and Malla.
Police usually justifies its action by claiming to intervene in a situation getting out of hand. But people are not convinced. “Here if an only son of a person is killed, police will first of all thrash him and humiliate him without caring that a tragedy has already stuck him,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a resident of downtown Srinagar.
Police is accused of viewing every gathering in Kashmir through security prism. “If people gather for any funeral ceremony they will simply swoop down on it by terming them anti-national,” said Mehrajudin, a businessman. “Even Section 144 gives relaxation for funeral ceremonies but the police and CRPF are law unto themselves and they don’t care.”
