Peerzada Abbas Amin Hassani
When perception changed !
It was the ending tenure of then present regime under which every citizen of the state was not only promised to get amicable facilities and rights which a common man was enjoying in the rest of the country , but after assuming the power the power riders forgot their duty and made every one to suffer badly.
It was the period when a common person particularly in Kashmir was worried about his security, dignity and honour, also even about his near ones. But the power corridors were having blind eye with deaf ears towards his worries. It was the period when people was not having any faith or trust on democratic institutions and for them political class only a liability who was using general public for achieving personal benefits.
The overwhelming participation in the electoral process did not beared any fruit for them but instead proved to be the path of thorns for the common man. Not only an ordinary citizen but security personnel within forces were not feeling safe. It was the period when a mother always kept her eyes on door to see her children safely back, when no one was having a peaceful sleep in his own home, when business community , students, women and children every one was being harassed, tortured and dishonored in the hands of SOG and IKhwani’s. The beards of men even was being pulled out , even elders were not spared by these state terrorists. The sanctity of respectable families was put on stake in the hands of these SOG men and Ikhwani’s.
A ray of hope came to forefront when a statesman , and shrived politician Mufti Mohammad Sayeed courageously framed a regional party and made his daughter Mehbooba Mufti to lead an aggressive campaign against atrocities, insecurity and alienation.
We were students and were studying in Degree college Anantnag at that time when elections were about to held in 2002. The posters of cartoons depicting pictures about both father and daughter on it was daily gossip of a common man. Among all me and our friends were also among the worst sufferers of state terrorism and were not expecting any concrete solution of it. We were not expecting that a day will come when we will freely move out side without any intervention or threat and were dreaming about peace and development in the state. We were treating every political party greedy for its self reliance and personal gains. An anecdote happened during our exam times before a month of 2002 elections, when SOG men without any provocation entered in our exam centre and we were ruthlessly beaten , injuring many and two students were taken by these SOG personnel along with and one of them was later killed . But after two months while having PDP government under the leadership of Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in place, the second boy returned back to college. When we asked him how he survived, his story was that after killing his colleague in the late evening of his day of arrest , the SOG / Ikhwani’s told him that he is being spared for another day. While waiting to meet his fate he was praying for end to this uncertainty and safety of young. He was being lodged in the adjacent building of our college where he often listened our loud talks and shouting. As the elections were nearer the halt on security actions saved his life. And when the government changed he was one day told by one SOG personnel that he will be freed now. He thought that his day has now come and he asked the SOG man to give him time to get prepared. He did his bath and Wadu even in toilet and offered prayers with a pray that May Allah forgive him and end to this from which the people and youth in particular are suffering. While signing the papers in Police Station he thought that these police personnel are making him sign to his own death warrant. And even he did not believed of his release even after handed over to his parents. But the days passed he realized that his freedom has become reality.
After listening his fateful story of survival we came to conclusion that now a ruler in the state has come who really has a courage and guts to bring the state out of this uncertainty, insecurity and alienation. He is the man who will change the perception about political class in the state.
The passing days made an ordinary man of the state to confront with the evils and odds, ensuring his safety and dignity now he was concerned about the welfare and basic amenities. He was now demanding playgrounds, roads, power and water supply instead of release of or security of his near ones.
With a passing day the regime under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took historic initiatives to bring the separated families together by opening of traditional routes like Srinagar- Muzaffar Abad Road, Poonch Rawalakote. To have inter-connectivity between various regions in the state, major roads were taken by his government including Famous Mughal Road, Simthan Kishtwar Road, Larnoo- Marwah Wadwan Road, and steps for Kapran Doda Road with proposed construction of tunnel etc. and foremost step for development of education sector not only net of educational institutions were formed by way of opening of degree colleges but two major Islamic Universities were established in the state which now as days have gained name and fame and are considered reputed in the country.
The perception among the people was changed by the propeople initiatives of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in the state who always advocated for strengthening of democratic institutions and state affairs with regional balance and was always of the view to keep all regions of the state together.
To me his demise is not only a personal loss to me but as a whole is an unbearable loss to the state. The state has lost an architecture of peace, development and prosperity, true statesman and patriot.
The real tribute to him would be if all of us take his pro-people mission for amicable peace, development and prosperity forward and make people of the state to live with tranquility to fulfill his dream which he had for this state.
The void created by his demise would hardly be fulfilled and his absence would be felt later by the next generations. May Allah bestow Jennah and lasting peace to him. (Ameen)