He is an ordinary man, but the death of his only teenage son in 2010 made him someone, who kept hogging the newspaper headlines for day’s months together. Muhammad Ashraf Matoo, father of slain Tufail Matoo, says that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was responsible to worsen the situation in across Kashmir, while as he says Indian democracy as “bogus”.
“The bogus Indian democracy stole us from our dear and innocent children, our support of old age. I didn’t hear anybody in the parliament speaking against the killers, neither had I heard anyone to punish the killers,” Ashraf in an exclusive chat with with Shahzad Hussain Hamdani; Rameez Makhdoomi and Kaiser Mir.
Tell us something about your son’s Childhood days?
His schooling started from Little Angel School at Rajbagh. As you know it’s tough for the parents to choose a perfect school were your child will get best education. So in that case, this school was the best from every angle, whether it was in the field of education or building the morality and character of students. He studied in that school till 7th standard. We later got him transferred from little angel school to R.P School situated at Malbagh, which was also quiet excellent school. There he completed his matriculation. He was a fast learning boy with great knowledge, and I believe the talent he had was a God gift.
Then we preferred to get his admission at Hazratbal Higher secondary school, so that he will remain near to his residence. He had opted in science stream and he wanted to become a doctor.
Had your Son ever discussed with you the situation in Kashmir or any such thing related to unrest in Kashmir?
Well, see my son never used to discuss any such thing; he was more focussed towards his studies. One thing which I always admire about my late son is that he was a person of helpful nature. He couldn’t tolerate to witness any person unhappy, whether it was in his family or an outsider. He always used to help other in some way or the other.
I remember, his uncle once gifted him a jacket and he gave the same to a beggar. When asked he said, “I couldn’t see that beggar dying with cold, so i gave it to him.” Unlike other children, he was never demanding. He was very different in that respect. Once I met with an accident, and you won’t believe the way he used to take care of me, and check my medicines and all this was simply startling.
All I can say is,” My late son was a human from heart and from character too.”
You are a businessman and we have come to know that you have Business outside too. Had Tufail ever accompanied you there?
Well I had business in Middle East -Oman and Bahrain, but after this tragic incident I had to shut it off. Well as far as Tufail is concerned, he did accompany me once. I want to share with you some of the memories I have of that particular travel. It was for the first time, he accompanied me and that was also his first travel to a foreign country. I was really surprised to see the way he used to interact with foreigners, the way he used to speak with them, share his knowledge. Had it been me, I would have really hesitated to interact, but he was a really talented, humane, bold and even one of the foreigners once told me that he is a very brilliant boy.
Kashmir is a place where many fathers have witnessed innocent deaths of their loved ones. You have also been fighting for the Justice of your son for last 3 years now. We would like to know, what is that one thing which has kept you so strong to fight for justice?
Your must have heard the word “Democracy”. It teaches us whatever is due to you, you should fight for it. After the death of my son, many sections offered me money to shun the fight for justice, but i had and will never sell myself. I have always been a law abiding person and till the last, i will always fight for the right.
Here it is a different scenario. Those people, who talk about democracy and Justice, never mean by their own words. The so-called Chief Minister also talked about Justice and all, but he never meant by his words. Such person’s don’t have any principle and character.
I remained consistent with my struggle, because i have never sold out my character and principles. I have always stood by the truth and always will.
How you came to know about the death of your son. Who as such informed you about the incident at first?
That day i will never forget it in my life. It was Friday, I don’t know but that day I was cleaning the compound of my home and then I changed my clothes and went upstairs in my room to take some rest. Meanwhile my wife came upstairs and told me if I could go and visit her cousin and inquire about his health. I told her that we will go together on Sunday.
Suddenly I heard a shout. It was my niece shouting. I quickly moved out of my room and steeped out to inquire as to what happened. Meanwhile, my younger brother asked about Tufail. I told him that he has gone for tuitions.
I straight away moved down stairs and I asked my wife about Tufail and told her to call and check where he is.
Later she saw my elder brother talking with a shopkeeper something about Tufail. At that time nobody told me as to what was happening. Then we called at his tuition centre and they said that he had come to attend tuition got off half an hour earlier.
As it started to get dark, my panic started to increase. I could see many people started to gather outside my house. Everyone was murmuring something with each other but no one was telling me anything. This thing was turning me really mad. I had never thought in any corner of my mind that a tragic storm has hit my family.
Then someone told me that he ( Tufail ) got injured, but no one was letting us to visit the hospital. Later we were told that my son has died. They gave me a Five rupee coin which he was having in his hand. I have preserved that five rupee coin with me.
My life really got shattered. I was not able to speak and accept this horrendous tragedy in my mind.
The killing of your son was followed by sphere of more deaths and unrest which happened in 2010. At that time the government had promised to bring justice to the victim’s family. After 3 years, do you think that the government has been able to bring justice or even tried to bring justice?
You see, my fight for justice has entered third year now. As far the promises which were given by the Chief Minister and his associates to bring the culprits to book, the way commissions were established to inquire about the killings and the way the State Human Rights worked; not a single one could bring out a positive result. Every promise which was given by the said government has been nothing more than empty buckets. I don’t consider it a democracy in real sense. You can see the case of Wamiq Farooq and you will come to know how the government has failed to punish the guilty.
I would like to say that there are few police men who do work with sincerity, but the irony is that all the corrupt ones have affiliation with National Conference. All i can make out is that the political parties like national conference have a manifesto to hold the chair, even if it taken lives of innocent people.
The present chief minister can do nothing more than surrendering his Gas cylinder and this is the way he shows his sincerity. I want to state that the present chief minister is nothing and he has no powers. Had he been so sincere, my son would have never been murdered. Had he shown justice, we would have never lost 122 youths who got killed in 2010. He is a complete failure; he is not a human by any definition. He has no heart at all. If he was a human, he should have resigned all back when 122 innocent youth died in Kashmir because of his failure.
We had recently witnessed a turn in the Case of Tufail Mattoo, where the Hon’ble Court had stated that there are lack and untraced evidences. Do you think that the state police had investigated with full sincerity?
As far as i am concerned, all the status reports which were submitted by the investigating authorities, had been self manipulated and not a single one was based of true facts. This thing has happened in every case, whether it is of Wamiq Farooq or Zahid’s. Like in my case, all the evidences are clear and transparent before the court. Even the witnessed have recorded their statements and identified those policemen who killed my son, but i fail to understand why the state government is saying that the evidence is till untraced. This shows that incompetence government has given competence certificate to incompetence people.
I don’t have anything personal revenge with them. The thing is that i am all the way fighting to bring justice to my son. All is that i fail to understand, why this government is not punishing these culprits?
They need to be punished as per the law. We have been demanding for justice for last three years now and our fight is against the culprits, the mastermind and the shielder. The way this Chief Minister is reluctant to push of justice for my son, and the way he is shielding these culprits, i feel as if he is also involved in these killings. I remember he has previously stated that some persons have been arrested in connection to the killing. If that is so, where are those persons?
I do believe in the judiciary and they do have powers, but they don’t utilize it properly to bring justice.
After the unrest of 2010, many parliamentarian committees visited Kashmir to access the ground situation. In that case, did any such committee tried to approach you personally?
It was all in the beginning when some of them tried to contact, but later one by one, all of them vanished. They came forward, when the world opinion was high and people were on the streets, but later they slowly tried to close the whole process of providing justice.
I remember of group which came to me was headed by Agvinesh, then another headed by Mr. Mahesh Bhatt. All i can say is that each and every such group was formulated to befool the world community.
Last time Human Rights Watch published an article in which they emphatically stated that the government should take responsibility for the killings. I can tell you that it is the government which made it a complicated case.
What has been the role of media in highlighting the case of Tufail Mattoo?
I am indebted to the media. In case of National media, i liked few such anchors in National Media. One of them is Karan Thapar. Rest i found completely biased. In case of Local Media, i want to state that they have done remarkable job.
One more question which we would like to ask you; how much support has been given by the both Factions of Hurriyat, in terms of moral and legal Support?
See, the way you all came up to me to share my grievances, in the same way all those who showed support to us, we are always indebted to them. I am fighting for the justice and whatever it takes, i will always stand by it.
In Kashmir we have an organization “APDP” who are fighting for their disappeared Sons. Do you have plan of establishing such kind of organization to fight for the justice?
The members of APDP do visit us often. In our case, i am in association with many fathers who lost their dear ones, like father of Wamiq Farooq. I believe we have to give some more time to fight for the justice. As far as organization is concerned, we are all together and we will fight till our last breath.
In 2010, Kashmir witnessed a sphere of killings in which more than 122 youths died on the streets. Since you have also lost your only son in 2010, do you think that after the 2010 unrest the youth of Kashmir are now disappointed and somewhere turning towards Violent path?
Yes, definitely. You see injustice and killings have certainly forced our younger generation to violent path. Had justice been delivered, there would have been no violent path. So the outcome of injustice is what we are witnessing for last few months now.
You see, the one who has lost their family in the hands of forces cannot be called as terrorist. Even i have the right to pick up gun, the way injustice was done and still happening to me.
There are many voices who say that elections and peace are two different things. Now as you know that new assembly elections are on their way. What is your view on voting and election boycott?
Firstly, this is my own individual opinion and view point “NO JUSTICE NO ELCTIONS”. Now coming to your question, the basic thing is elections have no worth in Kashmir. All these parties are the same. Whosoever wins, they all befool the people of Kashmir. So elections are not going to bring justice, since all the parties are worthless. I don’t think that election is a solution to it.
Since 2010, your life must have transformed drastically. What is your view about the situation going in Kashmir after three years?
Today’s situation is completely different. The situation in which we are breathing and living is such that we never know what will happen to us in the next minute. Will we be able to see the next day or not? This situation is now throughout the world. Today, every second country is a nuclear power. I think all the two countries, including the Kashmiris should come and sit on a common table and settle the issue amicably.
In your fight for justice, did anyone from the government gave you threat calls to step back or tried to bribe you?
Well I did get threat calls a lot of times. Infact many a times i was offered money to fall back for the justice path. I told them that i believe in justice and they are free to do whatever they want. I won’t compromise, even if it takes my life. There are some agencies who said that i am trying to play politics. My fight for justice is not politics, but what democracy teaches me.
The way these political parties play blame games instead of punishing the murderers, shows their real face. They are not punishing them because they are afraid to get exposed. Each killing in Kashmir acts as an oxygen to them and their so-called masters feel happy.
Do you think that the real policy of India is a complete unrest and bloodshed in Kashmir?
Definitely, I completely agree. They are exposing the youth of Kashmir. Recently i read in a newspaper that the central government had given some scholarships to the valley students, and later it was found a complete fraud.
Do you think the policy of India is switching Kashmir back to the 90’s, when Kashmir witnessed massive armed uprising?
Kashmir is sliding back to 90’s. The main reason for all this is the lack of justice. Has there been justice for the victims of 90’s till today, Kashmir would have never witnessed Armed apprising. The policy of not providing justice is surely pushing the valley back to the situation of 90’s.
You message to those fathers who have lost their sons in last two decades and to the Nation of Kashmir.
We should follow logic and genuine things. We are a witness to our outrage, by our own eyes and heart. We all should not forget and compromise over our sacrifices.