Martyr Rucher Kumar

Manjeet Razdan
Observance of Martyr’s day in Bhaderwah on 7th June every year reminds us that almost one thousand years of salvery under the foreign invaders was frequently dotted with the saga of innumerable martyrdoms to keep the flame of nationalism civilizational values, burning in the heart of people.
May they be great Sikh Gurus, Maharana Partap, Shivaji Maratha, Jansi Ki Rani Bhagat Singh etc. all of them kept on reminding us that one day shackles of Mother India are sure to break.
In Jammu and Kashmir when Pak based marauders cleared the valley of original inhabitants and inhertors of old civilization, but failed to create liberated zone, they eyed erstwhile Doda District. This mountainous district with ravines dense forests and natural caves was most suited for guerrilla war-fare. In this district, terrorists choose Bhaderwah because they knew people here are fiercely nationalist and if they are uprooted there will be no resistance at other places. So they started their onslaught with full force and brutality on 15th August 1992 when they and their above ground workers resorted to unprecedented gun firing and grenade bursting and created a war like situation. They also showed their inhuman brutality by killing two innocent students who had gone to jungle to bring back their cattle one of them being a student of 9th class. Their eyes were gorged out and their livers and hearts were taken out. These terrorists were highly motivated, trained and equipped with highly sophisticated and most modern weapons.
To rectify this situation and weld the common people into an invisible force and stop mass exodus, there came a young man,  Rucher Kumar Koul, on the scene fiercely nationalist and unmatched power of welding dispirited people into tough resistors were the hallmark of his personality. He enthused people to the extent that they felt convinced that with their swords, kattas, desi guns, double barre guns etc enemies AK 47 UMG’s grenade launchers etc. can be defeated. He created a dedicated force of young men, and for the first time militants were being resisted by ordinary people in every village, Mohallah mountain peaks and in ravines and caves. The first example of unmatched valour  was witnessed when village Sartingle was attacked by group of terrorists firing from their U.M.G s grenade launchers and AK 47 guns. Nationalist people retaliated, with the result, militants suffered heavy losses in men and material. But they torched almost the entire village.
There was no army or security forces, only ill equipped untrained ordinary police personnel were around who were not even able to defend themselves and their police station.
Seeing their plans failing,  Ruchier Kumar Koul became top person on the list of Pakistan and J&K militants. In order to awaken the central and state Government from deep slumber, a mass agitation was started by Rucher Kumar for 41 days. Shopkeepers observed continuous hartal and for 28 days while nationalist employees went on strike with the result banks, treasury, post office, schools, colleges and other offices remained closed.
Many attempts were made to physically eliminate Rucher Kumar Koul but all failed. However ultimately terrorists were successful on 7th June 1994 when Ruchar Kumar Ji achieved martyrdom while he was working in his filed along with his wife near his house.
Martyr Rucher Kumar Koul was born in a middle class family on 04/07/1958 with deep religious and nationalist background. Right from his childhood he was a RSS Swyamsevak and then rose as its Zilla Karyawaha. At the time of his death he was BJP’s Mandal Pradhan. His life, though short, was a saga of renunciation, patriotism and complete surrender before Bharat Mata. He lives in the minds and hearts of patriotic people and in the folklores. He showed how ill equipped dispirited and unorganized people can be welded into invincible force and battles can be won. He is the tallest of all martyrs amongst people struggling for defeating terrorism. He single handedly turned against the terrorists in entire erstwhile District Doda
(The author is Manjeet Razdan President Bhartiya Janta Party District Doda)

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