Ground Zero Report
In our first Cover Story we had given the readers outlook of the pain faced by people of Palhallan and revolutionary aura prevailing there . As we Know World revolutions have witnessed special “Pockets of resistance”. Srebrenica in Bosnia Revolution, Qabatiyeh in Palestine revolution, and Kashmir’s more than two decade old violent pro-independence revolution has seen Palhalan, a village 30 km north of Srinagar in Baramulla district.
Suffering, Valour, Revolutionary spirit, Principles might be outdated concept in today’s fast developing world, but Palhalan ( a tiny northern kashmir hamlet) defies all this. Pro-freedom sentiment runs deep in Palhalhan.The history of killings, militancy, stone pelting, the visible influence of the pro-independence Jamaat-e-Islami, ruthless State repression have become the symbols of this tiny revolutionary belt.
Even our recent visit proved beyond doubt that this belt is still facing ruthless torture.
It is worth mentioning here that the recently killed militant Mufti Hilal also hailed from the same area. As soon as one meets his family, one can’t do anything but burst into tears and cries, such is the saga of pain and agony and it is not the only family nor is the first one in the area, which has such deep gashes in the bosom.
Pertinently, J&K Police on its part had stated that Hilal Molvi (Mufti Hilal) of LeT was killed in an encounter with the police in Narparistan (Fateh Kadal) area of old Srinagar city. But, as per the family members the veracity of the police version about the encounter is highly doubtful . They also allege that it actually was the torture and brutality of the security agencies that forced Hilal into militancy.
Hilal’s father, Mr.Ali Mohammad Rather states in a painful note–“We doubt the veracity of encounter as a dozen bullets were pumped in his chest alone. During these months our house was continuously raided and we were mentally harassed .My world has finished due to Hilal’s martyrdom. Both me and his mother are in great distress.”
Rather further states that the torture and suppression forced his son into militancy. “My son was a learned scholar and his only crime was that he dared to tell the truth in the mosques and aware people about the great teachings of Islam. He was a learned Mufti (Islamic Scholar) and had studied in Gujarat and Deoband in this regard. The oppressive system in our part of the world believes in silencing with the use of brute force those voices which propagate the real teachings of our great religion ‘Islam’ and similarly Hilal was also harassed by security agencies for propagating the truth,” states Ali Mohammad Rather.
On the other part his mother who always keeps shedding tears for his son is in a state of deep shock. “My son believed in telling truth and has been martyred for the same. His power of his knowledge irked the Indian oppressors and they brutally silenced his truthful voice,” states his mother.
According to his family, two Public Safety Acts were slapped on him resulting in him being in prison for more than 21 months. His brother and Uncle are also shattered and depressed to the core. They state that with Hilal’s killing their world has been shattered. His father sums up the pain of Palhallan in these words- “Telling truth in Kashmir is a grave crime and we the people of Palhallan are annihilated and killed for telling and upholding the truth.”
Ground analysis suggests that all concerned stakeholders need to engage in brainstorming sessions so as to provide answers to grave suffocating scenario of Palhallan which needs to be pondered upon in a thought provoking manner.