COLONEL VINOD SINGH NEGI
As was common in Kashmir of the 90’s, a young 16 year old boy of village Brar, Aragam , Bandipora , studying in class 10th is picked up, brainwashed and forced to cross over to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) for arms training. Having no inclination for the so called ‘Jehad’ then boy soon drops out. He wanderers around in Muzaffarabad and later reaches Lahore and finally takes martial arts as a hobby. Lean and tough as he was, he excels in Red Kung Fu, a Chinese martial art that includes kick boxing, wrestling and seizing. He becomes a Black Belt in year 2004 which denotes his graduation in field of martial arts, is usually the highest belt colour and denotes a degree of competence. He goes a step further achieves ‘IIIrd Dan’ in 2010. The ‘Dan’ ranking system is a Japanese mark of level used in martial arts. The character Dan is used to mean a step or grade and is commonly equated with a degree. So, hence our boy who has by now bloomed into an adult becomes a licensed instructor.
His life in POK by now is comfortable. He does what he knows best ie teaching Red Kung Fu. He gives demonstrations in the Colleges and is especially sought after during Pakistani Independence Day (14 August) functions in Muzaffarabad. In due course of time he receives the patronage as well as encouragement of one Pakistan Army Colonel also. But his loneliness does shroud him during his quiet moments. He misses his parents, three brothers and two sisters back home in Kashmir, who all these years supported him by sending him money in a clandestine manner & the occasional telephone calls. They also miss him dearly and have moved ahead in life with one brother and sister having got employed and married. His friends also graduated and are employed and married while he still remains under matric having not completed his studies in this part of the world. However, nobody can beat him in his game ie Red Kung Fu.
Popular , competent and soft spoken as he is , one Kashmiri family takes fancy of him. That family becomes his foster family there. The daughter of the hosts and our guy develop liking for each other , marriage is proposed but he turns down politely as he is unsure of himself and longs to get back to Mother Kashmir. Finally, enough is enough and buoyed by the hordes of Kashmiris returning via Nepal after procuring Pakistani Passports , flying to Nepal , burning the passports on arrival at Kathmandu and then taking a bus to Gorakhpur (India) and finally to Jammu/ Srinagar and surrendering before the Police. Our guy also spends the hard earned savings of One lakh rupees, in bribing for passport or to agents at Karachi and Kathmandu. Ofcourse, on reaching Mother Kashmir , he feels it as well spent !
Arrival home is a festival. He finally feels the fresh air of his motherland. He also realizes that things have changed and there is not even a single so called ‘mujahid’ in Aragam. Elections have been held and an elected Government and Sarpanchs/ Panchs are also in place. He can see the ‘New Dawn’ breaking . But ,What next ?? for himself is the big question ?
As he knows only Red Kung Fu, he thinks of starting a martial arts school. But ? permission ? finances ? He has a tag of Nepal returned militant and so nobody wants to touch him. Finally, he hears that the Army helps out anyone and everyone in need and approaches the CO of the local RR unit. The CO sees his ‘hunar’ and is impressed and gives him financial and moral support. He also lobbies for him in the Police and Civil Administration. Meanwhile, the martial arts instructors coaching classes have taken off and he has a decent number of disciples. Away from the clutches Drugs which plague many youths of Bandipora , these young men do hard work under their instructor and learn the skills early morning at Nadhial Higher Secondary School. The Colonel is carefully following the practices and gives them a further boost by giving them a chance to perform during a Kashmir Premier League cricket match at Bandipora. Meanwhile, our instructor is desperate for recognition and spends hours and day shuttling between the Police and the Administration but to no avail, his past haunts him and is a deterrent. The Colonel tells him to have patience and finally conceives a plan for a demonstration by him during the district level Independence Day Celebrations on 15 August 2012. His show happens, on the overcast sky , heavy rain, wet ground and slippery conditions but is an instant hit. The Chief Guest of the function Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani especially compliments him and announces a special award of Rs 10,000/- for him and his boys. He even poses for a special photograph with his boys. And hence is born Farooq Sofi , the Red Kung Fu Master, yesterdays ‘untouchable’ and todays ‘star’
Inshaallah !
FAROOQ AND HIS TEAM DEMONSTRATING ON 15 AUGUST 2012
SHABASH ! FROM MINISTER OF STATE FOR HOME NASIR ASLAM WANI
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