Srinagar | Mar 11: There have been numerous heated debates in media and security circles that “unemployment pushes the Kashmiri youth” into the lap of militancy, but that is not the case in reality.
The theories made by some security experts while sipping coffee in cozy rooms do need serious cross checks. There are many ifs and buts behind this increasing militancy. Passion can be the one thing, but harassment can’t be ruled out.
Press Trust of Kashmir has brought some cases that should serve an eye-opener for those who keep on beating the drum that these youth are unemployed.
Shiraz Ahmed Ganaie was not an unemployed youth. Even he rejected a top job in Defence forces. Ganaie, who was killed in November 2014 in an encounter with the security forces in Tral, had cracked the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination for Assistant Commandant just few months before he had joined militancy.
Hailing from Panjran village of Pulwama district, he had gone to Dehradun for coaching, but returned back. His friends say that he got syllabus from Dehradun and started preparations for the exam at home. He got selected as Assistant Commandant.
“Army’s local 55 RR unit at Lassipora had on that day visited his home and informed him about the achievement. They congratulated him for cracking the examination. Later, he refused to join and continued with his academics,” say his friends.
Locals said that before joining militancy, Ganaie was picked up by SOG personnel for a day, but he was released after few hours of questioning. Ganaie had also qualified the National Eligibility Test (NET).
Asif Ahmed Bhat, another youth who became a militant. His story goes like this. An encounter had broken out in his native area Chenigam. Two militants were killed in that encounter. One among the two slain militants was his (Asif) friend Manzoor Ahmed Malik. Days after the incident, without informing anyone, Bhat left the home and became a militant. He was killed in November 2014.
Likewise, a 16-year-old Sartaj Ahmad Lone, according to reports, was a student of class 12th from Wopzan village of Bijbehara town. He had no whim of being attracted towards militancy. He was also an outcome of repeated harassments.
Another boy, the 17-year-old Adil Fayaz had been spotting long hair and a beard when he came into the eyes of police. “Jealous of his long hair, the then SHO would often threaten him in front of everyone in the market that he would shave his head and beard,” Adil’s father had told media.
Reportedly, the SHO would later harass him unnecessarily and try to frame him in stone pelting cases.
Fed up with the daily harassment by the police, Adil one day found the escape route….became a militant and got killed in an encounter at Aishmuqam