Yet another unfortunate Targeted Killing in Kashmir
Omkar Dattatray
The land of Sufism has yet again been soaked by the innocent human blood and it has brought shame and agony to all the people of not only Jammu and Kashmir but to the Indian’s of other states as well. Militancy according to the government version is counting its last days as it is on its last leg. But it should not be overlooked and underestimated that the residual militants are still alive and kicking and these brutes show their ugly presence by resorting to targeted killings now and then. It is very unfortunate and disturbing that this time on the fateful evening of 29th May Monday, the so-called crusaders of Jihad have again eliminated another unarmed civilian at Janglat Mandi area of Anantnag and it has sent shock waves throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
The Kashmiri Pandits ,Hindus from Jammu working in Kashmir ,Dogra speaking Kashmiri Rajputs and other non Muslims are soft targets of militants and members from these sections of society are being killed by the militants with sadistic pleasure .This time a Hindu belonging to Udhampur district identified as Deepu Kumar has been eliminated by the militants .Deepu Kumar was working in a circus and was the only bread earner of his poor family and with his death the only bread earner was snatched and it left the family in great and unimaginable economic and financial strain .
The LG government should immediately provide ex gratia compensation to the family of the slain youth and also give a government job to one of his family members so that the poor family can meet their both ends .The LG Manoj Sinha has widely condemned the dastardly killing of a non-Muslim civilian from Udhampur .But only condemnation can do no good to the bereaved family of the slain Deepu and therefore what is needed is the government should come to the rescue of the affected family and provide some succor to it .The brute and savage killing of a youth from minority community has rightly been condemned by the political parties across the spectrum .
This dastardly act has exposed the tall claims of the BJP government of center and of the LG administration that militancy is on the vane. However, the hard fact and reality is that the militants strike at their will and kill the non-Muslims and show their presence. The targeted killings of the non-Muslims continue though intermittingly as the militants kill local and non local Hindus whenever they get an opportunity. It thus follows that militancy has not ended in Kashmir but the militant cadres are still active and they are after the soft targets and kill them without any remorse.
This time an unarmed youth from Jammu division has been shot dead while the victim was in the market to purchase milk .Deepu Kumar was killed for no fault but only for the simple reason that he belonged to other faith and religion .The BJP government of the centre and the LG administration claim day in and day out that the situation in Kashmir is normal .But the hard fact is that the situation in Kashmir is far from normal and the killings of the soft targets are continuing .This time a poor man from Udhampur who was eking meager livelihood by working in a circus in Anantnag town was killed by unknown militants mercilessly by pumping bullets from point blank range .
The targeted killing of Deepu reveals that the militants are for the lookout of the soft targets and they carry their nefarious designs and crimes under the directions from their mentors from Pakistan .The inhuman killing has brought a pall of gloom in Kashmir and the common man of Kashmir is against the innocent killings and they have with one voice condemned the heinous crime of the killing of a youth belonging to minority community and such a killing is a shame for the Kashmir and Kashmiriyat .
The killings of non-Muslims time and again has punctured the balloon of so called Kashmiriyet !.One fails to understand as to where has the Kashmiriyet gone as the killings of the minorities is the antidote of Kashmiriyet..Common Kashmiri should raise against the inhuman Killings so that such brute killings will stop and the soil of Kashmir will not be drenched in precious human blood .Killing of Deepu Kumar is in fact a naked assault on Kashmiriyet which is so dear to all Kashmiris and so all the people should expose the killers of humanity so that such despicable acts will not take place in future .The targeted killings have no place in a democracy and in a civilized society.
The Killers of Deepu should be identified ,traced and arrested .A speedy judicial trial should be conducted and exemplary punishment should be pronounced on them so that such dastardly killings will not take place in future .Since the government has declared policy of zero tolerance against militancy and so the government should follow the policy of tooth for tooth and eye for eye and bring the militants involved in the heinous crime of Killing of an innocent youth to justice so that justice is given to the slain person.
Thus exemplary punishment should be given to the killers of this innocent youth so that such killings will be stopped in near future ,otherwise leniency ,casual and adoch approach will complicate matters and it will not curb militancy.Therefore without wasting time the government should arrest the culprits involved in this heinous crime of Killing of an innocent civilian and book him under the provisions of law and award stringent punishment to the killers of the innocent youth so that militants in near future will think eleven times before carrying the dastardly act of killing an innocent person.
Non-Muslims are on the target of the militants and the pandit package employees are the soft targets and so the government should not force them to resume their duties across the valley as the ground situation in Kashmir is far from normal and therefore Package employees ,RCE from Jammu should be allowed to work from home till normalcy is restored in Kashmir .The Package employees ,RCE and other non Muslims working across Kashmir and even non local Muslims are in panic ,grief stricken and are in constant fear and thus they are reluctant to resume their duties in Kashmir because of the killings of the innocent youth.
The government should pro-actively deal with militancy and bring the killers of Deepu to justice so that such heinous crimes will not happen in future .Thus Kashmitiyet should not be wounded or mutilated as it is against the composite and diverse culture of Kashmir and the militants should desist from the heinous crimes against man and God .In brief the militants involved in the killing of Deepu should be brought to justice and given exemplary punishment so that the militants will not do such obnoxious crimes in future.
The government should not be complacent and have false ego that militancy is on the death bed and rather tackle militancy with iron hand to infuse confidence among the non Muslims’ working in the valley otherwise all non locals working in government departments and others working in private and those working as labors ,mansions ,barbers, carpenters as well as in farm sector will migrate to Jammu and this will be one more black chapter of Kashmir History .Therefore the government should act fast and quickly and bring the culprits of the slain youth to justice so that non Muslims will not migrate to safer places outside valley.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
