Graduate Militants

Three local Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants were killed in a fierce gun-battle that raged between militants and Indian forces in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district Thursday evening. According to Police, a joint party of Police, Army’s 3 RR and paramilitary forces laid siege of Buchoo village in Tral after a specific tip off about the presence of three “wanted” militants in a house.

“As the forces cordoned off the village, the militants holed up inside the house broke the cordon and landed in an orchard,” a police official said.  The encounter started at around 6:00 PM in the orchard between militants and forces, resulting in the death of three local HM militants; Adil Shah son of Abdul Ahad Shah of Ratsuna village in Tral, Adil Mir son of Bashir Ahmad Mir of Dadsara village and Tariq Ahmad Parray son of Ghulam Muhammad Parray of Ladibal village. Two army men also suffered injuries in the encounter.

“Adil Ahmad Shah (Divisional Commander), a graduate, was active for the past four years while Tariq Ahmad Parray, a post-graduate in Political Science, had joined militancy only eight months back,” the police statement said.

According to Police, Adil Mir had joined the outfit in 2010 under the command of Sajad Dar alias Balley Balley. A B.Tech graduate from Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Adil was active from the past four years. His brother, Nayeem Mir, a Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) from IUST, was also killed by forces in an encounter last year.

 “He was involved in killing of numberdar Mohammad Anwar Sheikh of Amlar Tral and father son duo Ghulam Nabi Mir and Firdous Mir at Batgund Tral on 21st April this year,” the police spokesman said.

“Adil Ahmad Shah alias Haroon was involved in the weapon snatching from guard room of minority picket at Arigam on May 24, 2012 which included 3 SLR with 6 magazines and 150 rounds, 1 INSAS with 2 magazines and 40 rounds and a Motorola wireless set besides 4 triple grenades. Last year in 2013, Adil Ahmad Shah along with other militants was involved the killing of 4 army personnel of  RR at Buchoo, a case FIR no. 64/13 under section 302, 307RPC, 7/27 A act stands registered in this regard. He was also involved in case FIR 55/13 u/s 7/25 A Act 120B RPC,” said the statement.

While confirming the affiliation of the three killed militants in Tral with HM, HM operational commander, Baleeg-u-Din, in a telephonic statement to a local news agency KNS, said that UJC chief and Hizb supreme commander Syed Salahudin, deputy supreme commander Saifullah Khalid and operational chief commander and command council top leaders have paid tributes to ‘all the three martyrs.’

“The UJC leadership resolved that martyrs blood will not be allowed to go waste,” Baleeg-u-Din told the news agency.

Playing SAFE

While the Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Tuesday clearly hinted that the BJP wants governors appointed by the UPA to step down, it seems that the Governor of J&K, N N Vohra is a slight exception to the unofficial alert to UPA appointed state governors across India.

According to reliable sources, the newly established central government led by BJP has “serious problems” with some of the UPA-appointed governors in some states and as a result wants them to step down,” however, the sources add that “New Delhi has no issues” with the J&K Governor, NN Vohra.

Considered as a “non-controversial figure” by New Delhi and by the mainstream parties in the state, the sources add that Vohra is going to stay for now.

The first reaction to the “alert” signalled by Singh came up in the stepping down of Uttar Pradesh Governor B L Joshi. While many other UPA-appointed governors are mulling over to decide their future action, Vohra seems to be the only exception without any worry from the Modi-led regime at centre.

The statement on Tuesday unofficially alerting governors to “take note of the regime change” had made the President, Pranab Mukherjee to seek legal opinion on the issue wherein the experts opined that the “regime change cannot become a ground for the removal of governors.”

A former Punjab cadre IAS officer, Vohra, who assumed the charge of J&K Governor in 2008 summer uprising against the Baltal land transfer to the Amarnath Shrine Board, is believed to be an “able statesman who has handled affairs of state in and after the 2008 and 2010 uprisings appropriately while taking all the mainstream political parties on board.”

A recipient of Padma Vibushan, Vohra’s first rendezvous with J&K began when he was an interlocutor on Kashmir. In April last year, the former bureaucrat was appointed as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for second five-year term.

During his bureaucratic tenure from 1954 to 1994, Vohra served as Union Home and Defence Secretaries. He also served as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister I K Gujral during 1997-1998. Vohra was also the chairman of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis from 1999 to 2001 and chairman of Military History Review Committee between 2001 and 2002.

Conflict NUMBERS

An RTI reply from the state government has shown 1311 complaints and FIR’s, so far, lodged against government forces for different acts including rape and killings since 1988.

The RTI filed by Hurriyat (M) legal cell head Abdul Manan Bukhari had asked the government the number of complaints and FIR’s lodged against government forces, so far, including CRPF, BSF, STF, Police and other paramilitary troopers for civilian killings, rapes and other crimes in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Department has maintained that 108 cases stands registered against government forces in Sopore.

The number of such cases against government forces in Shopian district are 5 while in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district 90 cases of rape, killings and other crimes have been registered by police against the Army, BSF, CRPF and other paramilitary forces.

In South Kashmir’s Islamabad district, 3 rape and 51 killing cases stands registered in different police stations of the district against Army, BSF, CRPF and other paramilitary troopers. 64 FIR’s and complaints have been lodged against government forces in this regard in District Baramulla followed by 2 rape cases in Banidpora.

According to the Home Department two CRPF personnel were arrested on charges of rape in 1997 while in 2006 for the same crime two paramilitary troopers were booked. The department further reveals that 3 murder cases were registered against police in 2008 and in this regard 3 accused were arrested. Another police official has been arrested on charges of murder in 2009 while not a single government force personnel has been arrested in 2010.

Gunned Down

On last Tuesday, an ex-militant fell to the bullets of ‘unknown’ gunmen late in the evening. So far, no militant outfit claimed the responsibility while family and his native village of Arwani in South Kashmir’s Bijbehara are shocked and clueless.

Munawar Zaman Malik, erstwhile Hizbul Mujahideen member was shot dead by two motor cycle borne gunmen. After his release from detention in 2005, Munawar was running a shoe wear shop. His family and villagers described him as a pious soul who was busy looking after his business.

According to reports, last Tuesday, around 7:30 in the evening, as Munawar closed his shop and was on his way back home, two unknown gunmen fired bullets at him and drove away. Munawar was rushed to sub district hospital Bijbehara wherefrom he was referred to SKIMS but died on way. He had bullet shots in his head.

His father said that post Munawar’s militancy stint, he was living a normal life but he is shocked to see anyone killing him like this. He said that Munawar had no enmity with anyone.