Burhan Muzaffar Wani was
the poster-boy of Hizbul Mujahideen. For those who don’t know, Hizbul
Mujahideen, as per Wikipedia, is designated a terrorist organisation by India,
the European Union, and the United States. The Government of India had
announced Rs 1 million bounty for finding him. He enjoyed a ‘fan-following’ on
social media, and was known for posting videos in which he appealed the youth
to join Hizbul Mujahideen.
On 8th July
2016, Burhan and his two accomplices were killed in an encounter in Bundoora
village of Kokernag. The mission was carried by the joint team of Special
Operations Group of the J&K Police and 19 Rashtriya Rifles.
The so-called poster boy
of one of the deadliest terrorist organisations was dead. But little did anyone
know that his death would result in more deaths, more injuries, more tears, and
more pain. As soon as the news of Burhan’s death spread, belligerent protests erupted
in some of areas of Kashmir Valley. Curfew was imposed. Internet services were
cut. Food supplies stopped. Shops were closed, with their shutters carrying
‘love messages’ for Burhan. Weddings were postponed. Tourists, who were
planning to visit Kashmir, cancelled their tickets. The beautiful heaven on
earth had come to a lethal still.
Amid all the protests and
anger against the men in uniform, Burhan Wani received a heroic funeral in his
home town Tral. Draped in a Pakistani Flag, his funeral was attended by
thousands, and was given a 21-gun salute by his fellow militants.
Major Gaurav Arya, a
veteran of anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir, has penned an open letter to
the dead Burhan Wani. In his open letter, he stresses that though Wani is being
hailed as hero and martyr in Kashmir, he was, in reality, a terrorist. Major
Arya clearly states that even if Wani had escaped the encounter, he would have
been eventually killed, sooner or later.
Major Arya stressed on
the fact that how the power and talent of youth is being wasted in Kashmir. He
rightly points out that the young men, like Wani, can become Doctors,
Engineers, Archaeologists, and Programmers, but, sadly, some of them choose to
lift the guns, for the wrong cause.
In Major Arya’s own words
-
You (Wani) could have been
an engineer, a doctor, an archaeologist or a software programmer but your fate
drew you to the seductive world of social media, with its instant celebrity
hood and all encompassing fame. You posted pictures on the internet with your
“brothers”, all you fine young Rambos holding assault rifles and radio sets. It
was right out of Hollywood. Your rifle’s fire selector switch was set to “safe”
and your weapon rested on your shoulder. I know it’s too late to advise you on
such matters, but NEVER do that in an operational area.
Major Arya rightly points
out how the youth never sees why the sons of the leaders of Hurriyat Conference
are ‘safely’ settled in abroad, or away from Kashmir. Major Arya says –
I wish we had met and I could have explained to you (before
killing you) that the old men of the Hurriyat Conference are like leech. They
feed on the blood of men. They send young Kashmiris to face the Indian Army.
What sort of a war is this, where lambs are sent to fight lions?
I would have shown you the sheer duplicity of the Hurriyat, with
their sons living abroad, pursuing professions other than jihad. Name one
relative of Syed Ali Geelani, the head of the Hurriyat Conference, who is
fighting the so-called Indian “occupation”? His son Nayeem Geelani is a doctor
in Rawalpindi, and lives under the patronage of the Pakistani ISI. Zahoor, his
second son, lives in South Delhi. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s sister Rabia is a
doctor in the US. Mariyam Andrabi, sister of head of the radical
Dukhtran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, along with her family lives in Malaysia.
Every Kashmiri separatist leader’s daughter or son is rich and safe, outside
Kashmir. Jihad is for other people’s sons. And your parent’s son is dead
Major Arya has clearly
warned that if anyone will raise his weapons against India, the Indian Army
will him, just like they terminated Wani.
You were a terrorist. You
chose to wage war against India. Like for all other such perpetrators in the
past, it didn’t go too well for you. When you choose to fight against the
Indian Army, know this; THEY WILL KILL YOU.
We believe that terrorism
has no religion, and a terrorist should be treated like a terrorist, not like a
martyr. At the same time, we also believe that it is unfair to link terrorism
to one particular religion. The word ‘Islam’ has been derived from Arabic word
‘Salema’, which means peace and purity. Those who are lifting the guns to
destroy the peace and sanctity of our motherland, are definitely not humans. They
are neither Hindu, nor Muslim, because no religion teaches or preaches
terrorism.
The supporters of
terrorists, and those who are willing to avenge Wani’s killing, have forgotten
that it was Indian Army who had saved them when Kashmir was battling floods. It
was Indian Army who had always tried to protect them from all the evils. The
Indian Army is for the protection and safety of every Indian. Now, with curfew
imposed in Kashmir, tourism, which is the basic earning of the state, has come
to standstill. Kashmir is a beautiful valley, arguably the most beautiful
hill-station of India. It is rightly called as the God’s heaven on earth. Let’s
not destroy it with guns, bullets, and blood.
India is our country. It
us our motherland. And we will never allow any terrorist, irrespective of his
religion, caste, colour, and sex, to get away. A terrorist is a terrorist, and
as Major Arya has rightly said, he should be treated the way Wani has been
treated by the Indian Army. Jai Hind.
