Kashmir: She is not wailing, instead she is reciting folk songs usually sung on marriages

Kashmiri women wail on the body of ashiq hussain lesar village- 11-Feb-2012

Srinagar, Feb 11: Ashiq Hussain, 20, of Laisser village in Rafiabad was allegedly killed in army firing on Friday evening.

The mother of the 20-year old slain youth, Ashiq Hussain Rather son of Muhammad Akbar Rather by the soldiers of 32 Rashtriya Rifles Friday evening, has almost lost her balance. She is not wailing, instead she is reciting folk songs usually sung on marriage functions. However with every line she recites, tears roll down her cheeks.
Two young sisters of slain youth, Shafiqa and Rukhsana, shouldered the coffin of their brother up to the highway where they expected they might get the answer from the top army officials for the cause of their brother’s killing.

His family members alleged that 32 RR personnel fired at him on Friday evening when he ventured out from his home after hearing screams of his sisters. “He sustained critical bullet wound and died on spot,” they said.
“At around 8:30 pm on Friday, my two daughters Shafiqa and Shaista went upstairs of the house to sleep. As they were going upstairs, they spotted two army men beneath the stair and started crying. I along with Ashiq ventured out to look into the matter,” said Ashiq’s father Mohammad Akber, 60.

Kashmir Lesar- villagers with ahshiq hussain body crying against army, who was killed by Indian army.

He said as they went out, the army men fired directly into the chest of Ashiq. “After the incident, I took Shaista and Ashiq in my lap and attempted to go inside the house. However, army men snatched him from me and dragged him to the ground. The three other army men pushed us into a room and didn’t allow us cry. Ashiq was bleeding in the compound while the army men were staring at him till he breathed his last,” he said.
Akbar said they were locked by army men for around 25 minutes in the room.
Ashiq’s cousin Sorjan, who is also his next door neighbor, said he spotted an army man trying to take away Ashiq’s body.
“I jumped from the gate and caught an army man near Ashiq’s body. We had a brief scuffle and he managed to run away from my clutches and left Ashiq’s body behind,” he said.
Sorjan said that while escaping from the spot, army men left behind one pair of glows and it was later handed over to police.
He said after hearing shrieks and cries, people thronged to Ashiq’s residence and staged anti-army demonstrations. “Large number of policemen reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. They laid siege around Ashiq’s residence and didn’t allow people to take his body during the night,” he said.
Meanwhile, thousands of people from dozens of villages took the body in procession and marched towards Baramulla-Kupwara highway this morning.
Chanting pro-freedom, pro-Islamic and anti-army slogans, the protestors kept the body on road and demanded action against the army men involved in the killing of Ashiq. The protesters refused to bury the body.
“We don’t want any compensation and jobs. We want culprits should be punished,” the protestors demanded.
A large posse of police and army men reached the spot and fired tear smoke shells and resorted to massive baton charge to disperse the protestors, who retaliated by hurling bricks and stones towards them. The clashes between the two sides continued throughout the day.
In the police action, scores of people sustained injuries.
The protests also spread to adjoining areas of Rafiabad.
Later, the body was buried in a local graveyard, where hundreds of people attended his Nimaz-e-Jinaza amidst chanting of pro-freedom and pro-Islamic slogans.
Rohama, Dangiwacha, Hadipora, Saripora, Chijhama, Tragpora and its adjoining areas observed complete shutdown against the killing.
Earlier in the day, people forced Minster of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, GoC 15 corps Syed Ata Hasnain, DGP Kuldeep Khoda, IGP Kashmir S M Sahai and other top officials to return after they refused to talk to them.
According to locals, the high profile delegation after reaching the spot tried to pacify the mourners. “However, nobody was ready to listen to them, forcing them to return empty handed,” witnesses said.
They said as the minster and top army and police officials reached near chopper, they deliberated on the issue with some local elders. “However, these local elders had to face weird atmosphere on their return,” they said.
They said a delegation of locals led by MLA Lanagte Er Abdur Rasid later met the minister. “The delegation was assured that a thorough probe will be conducted and compensation will be provided to the victim family,” they said.
Police sources said Dangiwacha police station have registered an FIR under section 302/2012 against 32 RR.
-GK+Rising inputs