As if a nine year old sweet boy reading in class 5th would always reach his school earlier than others. He was fond of cricket. He loved his school very much. One day he shared his thoughts. He said “ I wanted to be in my school day in day out”. On the other day CRPF killed him mercilessly in the vicinity of his school . He was buried in martyrs graveyard only 10 feet ahead of his school gate. It was the same day when another boy was killed in Sopore, wherein CRPF openly admitted that they were forced to open fire to save their own lives. How much truth lies in this version is another matter. But Asif’s case is revealing.

            The day was 28th of june 2010. The villagers in Delina were ready to participate in Sopore Chalo procession announced by Hurriyat to mourn the death of two civilians killed by security forces in Sopore. One procession from Baramulla town was about to reach Delina. Before the people would participate in the peaceful procession and march towards Sopore, a large contingent of CRPF and STF reached the village. It is noteworthy that authorities don’t deem it fit to come in the way of protestors along the 10kms of distance from Baramulla to Delina, but disrupted the procession at a known volatile place viz Delina only to  aggravate the situation.

         The  whole village was surrounded by heavily armored cops. Ironically no curfew was announced. People were stopped to assemble on the roads. Some were even insulted. Seeing the brazen infringement of civil rights some youth got infuriated and started shouting pro-freedom slogans. Cops fired multiple teargas canisters into the crowd. People retaliated with stones.

Thereafter there was open use of brickbats, stones, slingshots, teargas and bullets. In the day long battle of resistance vs oppression, humanity vs tyranny, civilians vs soldiers and stones vs bullets scores of youth got injured. For hours together there was such a great noise of gunshots as if hundreds of militants were fighting in the village. Notwithstanding people remained undeterred. They finally succeeded in assembling on roads. Unable to face the shame CRPF and other cops caged in their vehicles and started leaving the spot. At this moment of time innocent Asif who was nowhere in sight till now ran after the fleeing vehicle. It was nothing but his innocent gesture of happiness.

              A child while watching any elder being overpowered by him always feel happy. Similarly Asif couldn’t control his innocence  and while watching the mighty forces fleeing like rats ran after the vehicle. But security forces of world’s largest democracy didn’t tolerate even this. They aimed their guns directly at Asif and fired. One of the bullet pierced the tender abdomen of Asif and he fell on the road. So jubilant was he that he again stood up and ran after the vehicle which was now out of sight. Unable to understand the tragedy he was shouting while coming back that “meh ayi kaen” (a stone has hit me). It was again his innocence wherein he was unable to understand that they have not thrown any stone, but had fired a  bullet at him. He finally fell down and breathed his last with his twinkling eyes wide open. He had an enquiring gaze. Why have they killed me? Was I a militant? Have they killed me in self-defense? What does self-defense stand for?

          There was a pin-drop silence for the moment. Asif was dead now. His books and notebooks where waiting for him as he had left his homework midway to achieve martyrdom at a slender age of nine. People after burying his blooming body remained on the road and wept till late night.

           One of the  cabinet Minister while commenting on the incident was laughing nonchalantly. Pertinently when CRPF killed two unarmed protestors in Sopore and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was chairing an emergency meeting the other day, he was mostly playing with his cell phone and looking at his jeans . Indian media came with its usual and convenient, but disgusting version that such incidents are handiwork of Pakistan ISI. Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram said that protestors in Kashmir are linked to Lashkar-e-toiba. Is it really so?

       Was nine year old Asif linked with Lashkar? Has he been paid by Pakistan to run after the CRPF vehicle? Or is it that he was promised by ISI to keep him near his school forever, which is what he exactly got. Shame.

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Lastupdate on : Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST