the author on the left with my friend Dr. Masood Shah. What a nice way to arrive in Srinagar with a shikara ride on Dal Lake.

What a nice way to start my visit to Kashmir than with a ride on Dal Lake. It was a most exhausting trip and I was very glad that Masood met me at the airport. Both Delhi and Srinagar were very hot and as it happened I had a long wait between flights in Delhi with no local money. Why was that? Me and my wisdom had decided that I would change money after I got settled into the Departure lounge in the Local Terminal. That way I wouldn’t have to lump my bags around and could just sit down and relax. The latter I could still do so but alas as far as money was concerned there were no money changers or for that matter ATM’s on this side of the wall although there were plenty of shops. No majestic mountains yet just getting used to being a resident of Srinagar and in particular Soura where Masood and his family live. It is very nice having a home where you can hang your hat.

 A Troubled State where justice is hard to find

I have one thing that I would like to talk about in this post. Indirectly the anguish of this family reflects somewhat on the plight of Kashmir and the tensions that subsequently prevail. Of course it would be nice to write an article which provides some solutions for this wonderful part of India but as naive as I am this is such a complicated question that I may never get close to an answer. But I hope that others more informed than me will add to my knowledge or comment directly.

This is a true story and the persons involved may as well remain anonymous for the present.

My friend tells me how his son was ruthlessly gun down by the armed forces on his way home. He is a young man just really to enter adulthood with everything to look forward to in his life. He is a student from a good family and is not aligned with any political groups and so there is no reason for anyone to cause him harm.

This young man is coming home on a bus from the other side of Srinagar where he has been visiting friends. He has a few rupees in his pocket and decides to spend half on a toffee and then walk the rest of the way. There is no trouble in the streets, no demonstrations, the scene is one of calmness. Of course the police and military are every where but to Kashmiris that is normal. In our country to see men well armed and in protective gear would be very threatening. But here as probably everywhere one gets used to the parameters that surround you. Bad inexplicable things happen all the time in Kashmir but the extreme danger that is about to befall this particular young man isn’t apparent to him or anyone around him. Without warning he is gunned down whether by one policeman or several working together is not known to me yet. He is gunned down on an ordinary street in front of witnesses and then assaulted until he is dead.

The only possible reason for such a senseless killing being suggested is that  he is a young Kashmiri and maybe one who would have questioned the heavy yoke placed on their homeland in future years. The police do nothing about this killing. There is not even an inquiry. The people in the community are outraged. Public demonstrations occur, the press local and overseas bring attention to this senseless death. But still the Government seems unable to treat the matter seriously. Presumably another death it hopes will be forgotten in time.

His father is not a big man and not one that you would regard as formidable if you met him on the street. But he is a determined that these murderers be brought to justice. He tells me that even if justice had happened it is a poor compensation for what this action has done to him and his  family. To this end he has had the best of the legal system supporting him in this pursuit of justice. He has vowed that he will not rest until his case is respectfully treated  no matter what  personal anguish he will have to suffer.

This is a man of strong principles who sees justice for his son as a stepping stone for justice for all people in Kashmir. The people obviously support him by the large number who rallied and contributed in so many ways as he took on the Government who were determined to see the case forgotten.

 Fair treatment for the people, un-corrupted by the authorities is a most important step if Kashmir is to return to the peaceful place it once was. Kashmir will continue to enveloped  with more killings and counter killings if justice isn’t seen to be fair. For justice to be fair all citizens have to be treated equally. No one, he reasons should be above the law including members of the police force, the army or a vigilante group or just a angry citizen 

So the hearing at the Magistrates Court was apparently a white-wash. But this father is not prepared to have a son not only murdered but now ignored by the law.  Perhaps if you thought that this was just a one off case you might express the viewpoint that it was just a lapse of justice. But this man has not been weakened and he now plans to take it to the high court. He is determined that the weaknesses of the legal system need to be exposed and of course maybe some good will come out of it if it prevents the situation reoccurring.

What are his chances of bringing the guilty party or parties to admit their crimes and take their punishment? Would logic prevail and the Government at the highest levels recognize that law and order must prevail? No I don”t think this is likely.  I think they are very low as the system has been bent so many times that even if the Chief commissioner or whoever had personally intervened that the resolution of this one case might affect many people other than just the direct perpetrators of this crime.