Kathua’s Angel Asifa On Her 1st anniversary
Omair Muhammadi
SRINAGAR, (PTK): E-historization and misrepresentation have been at the heart of Indian state project for Kashmir. New Delhi has deployed all it powers-military, media, economic and cultural for constructing and sustaining an historical obscurantist narrative herein. Infinitum devilish ideologies and tactics were employed by the occupant state throughout the course of history.
From massacres to mass rapes, from burning houses to occupying lands, from charging students to detention of journalists and from censoring the voices to subjugating people to custodial disappearances the state of India has hit new lows of uncivilized and inhumane actions.
With organizations like those of JKCCS, APDP (association of parents of disappeared persons) and others releasing annual reports and calendars in remembrance of war victims, it is time to go down the memory lane, though risky for a teen to go deep into it knowing the deceptive, atrocious-self of occupant state and their broken promises which history has recorded, might land you into such a trough that you could be called what they term as fanatic, radical or more bluntly terrorist. Having said that, it is pertinent upon me to stay somewhat floating (not drowning) and thus be in safe zone.
Skies Cry as the history book of nature had most inhumane and shameful archive for yesterday. On 17 January in 2018 an angel who had gone missing days ago was found mutilated. The angel Asifa was kidnapped, drugged, roped and locked in the idol-house, where she was raped multiple times,martyred mutilated and then again raped by some of the proud preachers and citizens of this occupant state that held us for all these years. To be mentioned without deviations, sisters in Kashmir (kunan poshpora, Asiyah-nelofar and others) were dealt in the same way.
Asifa who had just turned 8 became a headline last year when her holy body was found in forests nearby her house.There was massive politicization into the case with the then Chief Minister promising action into it and calling it gruesome murder of humanity by Hinduvita fringe groups only lately to be rebuked and abused by her coalition partners one of whom went to the level of using choicest abuses publicly to enchase political opportunity. Others in the frame from India’s mainland and also natives too had their formalities done by releasing a statement or so. Thanks though to the social media warriors who forced the government to launch probe into it.
Keeping in view the giant outburst that might follow the government demonstrated some seriousness in the case to appease the angry crowd. Such was the heat of moment that for security reasons state administration had to deploy large number of forces to prevent the groups from scuffle. Saddest part of the episode is that one of the ruling groups and some other minor unions, stood up with the rapists justifying this heinous crime.
Police who prior to this case had failed to disentangle and decipher the mysteries (like those of braid chopping, Shopain rape case etc) showed some serious professional character and they fortuitously were able to locate the criminals within some days. Next to it was a young and promising pandit lawyer taking case of this poor Muslim girl which though later proved out to be mere a publicity stunt. All in all a welcome decision was passed and a probe was launched into it and case again for security reasons was referred and transferred to neighboring Pathankot Court.The court therein called for hearings and that is all people know.
There were praises and felicitations for State in general and police and lawyer in particular from all 360 corners. Within a month or so people stopped reacting to it and what followed thereafter was way too sad. The activist who brought the incident on public platforms was tortured, threatened, abused, beaten up to pulp and even imprisoned. It was made tough for him to stay in public domain .Except some handsome souls nobody stood with the activist Adv. Talib Hussain although he on multiple times mentioned the harassment that he was subjected to on his face book wall and also in others Social media stories. Talib Hussain after receiving death threats asked for security which he was denied.The family too was threatened, harassed and to some level even attempts were made to socially isolate the family so that they give up the case. The family though frightened stood rock hard, but unfortunately their lawyer didn’t .
Adv. Deepika Singh Rajawat a kashmiri Pandit who had became social media sensation for taking up the case didn’t attend the hearings regularly, Father of Asifa in one of the interviews said that of 100+ trails that took place Adv. Deepika attended the court only twice thus directly or indirectly, intentionally or un-intentionally siding with the accused rapists. The family later had to dump her and look for other options. With poor economic conditions of the family they had face many difficulties all alone to pay for arranging the lawyer. They therefore had to auction their livestock to get the pounds they were supposed to pay to different parties. Though social media users would share the bank details of the family, but only few or none as the family claims credited any amount into their account.
Catch line: The same time around similar incident took place in neighboring Pakistan, which we think of as headless and lawless state .There wasn’t this big outburst on that side of line still the court punished the criminal and that pedophile was flogged and hanged to death.
On the other hand the largest democracy with one of the best judiciaries as we claim look senile and displayed no mobility or maturity. Those at the helm of affairs here were/are busy in finding brides/grooms (coalition partners) for themselves. Seriously though can one be human if he himself stands with the Paedophile. With a year gone into the case Angel Ashifa in the heavens would be cursing all of us for being lip tightened. Napoleon is said to have rightly quoted that “The world suffers a lot, not because of violence of Bad People but because of silence of Good People”.“We give up mid way without crossing the final line. It isn’t about only Angel Asifa it about all those victims who remained unheard or half-heard whose murderers or rapists are plying freely in the markets. With the year just in its infancy let us all include into our new year resolutions to remodel ourselves, next time some similar incident happens(God forefend),we won’t give up until justice is delivered not just guaranteed. For Asifa’s case I rest my ink by saying ‘Justice delayed is just denied’.
Author can be reached at umairsdfutb@gmail.com
