B L Saraf
In a move aimed at the restoration of confidence among tourists to visit the place and other tourist spots in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdulla held his Cabinet meeting in the open grounds of Pahalgam town which, in the last week of April, had witnessed a devastating Pakistan sponsored terrorist act, wherein 26 lives of the innocent tourists perished . Chief Minister explained the rationale behind the decision to hold the meeting ” We are not here to fulfill government’s mission .We have come to give a message that violence and bloodshed cannot deter J& K’s agenda of peace and progress . Through this meeting we salute the courage of the people across Kashmir, especially Pahalgam, for showing their resentment against the terror attack ……… and express solidarity with the victims of 22 April terror attack.”
According to the reports, the J&K Government has decided to build a memorial in honor of the tourists who lost their lives in the terror attack at Baisaran, Pahalgam. A go -ahead has been given to the R & B Department for building the memorial. According to an Officer of the UT Administration, “The memorial will be built at Baisaran to pay tribute to the victims with their names inscribed on it.” Undoubtedly, this is a noble gesture on the part of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his Cabinet members which must be whole heartedly appreciated. We welcome this gesture and the spirit behind it.
There seems to be a providential coincidence that when CM Omar Abdullah and his Cabinet colleagues decided to have a Baisaran memorial, Shashi Tharoor led delegation had just visited the memorial built, in New York, in honor of the 9/11 martyrs who fell down victims to the terror attack,and paid homage as people have been doing so for many years . This Delegation was in USA to apprise Americans and the State authorities of the 22 April Pakistan sponsored terrorist attack in Baisaran Pahalgam, wherein 26 innocent tourists lost their lives and the reason behind launching ” Operation Sindoor “. There are many such delegations, simultaneously, visiting various countries for the similar purpose. Like 9/11 incident, this terrorist attack on the innocent civilians shook the very conscience of nation and the world as a whole. No wonder, a worldwide outrage was felt.
Not to undermine the sacrifice of the innocent tourists – even a fraction – one hopes that the process won’t stop at Baisaran but will move on to the other places also, which had the misfortune to witness similar kind of mayhem created by the demented souls. The saga of attaining martyrdom unfolded in 1989 when the deadly armed insurgency with ulterior motives raised its ugly head in the J &K. The Pakistan sponsored terrorism has taken a heavy toll of human lives. Since then the state is on the boil. The flood gates of death and destruction, created by the demented terrorists opened up to inundate the length and breadth of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. These gates are yet to shut down. The flood has swept away thousands of the unarmed civilians, irrespective of their caste, creed or the belief. Their fault was that they stood by the humanity and cared for the Indian Nation. For the same ” fault ” the whole Kashmiri Pandit community was forced to flee the home land and take refuge in the hot and humid plains of the mainland, yet to tread the return path .
For want of space, it will not be possible here to catalogue every terror inflicted death and the place where it happened which, indeed, are thousands in number. Nonetheless, due to share enormity of the tragic deaths suffered at the hands of demented souls certain places ring a bell in the mind .They are: Wandhama in Ganderbal district, Chitisingpora in Annatnag, Nadimarg in Shopian, Drabshalla in Kishtwar, Prankot and Gool in the Reasi district . These are the places where one segment of the population was targeted by the blood thirsty terrorist, driven primarily by the sectarian considerations. These places too call for memorial plaques with names of those inscribed who fell martyr on the path of brotherhood.
It will be in fitness of things we also remember thousands of innocents who from time to time fell victim to the senseless terrorists violence in J & K in the last 35 years. Till now they have remained unheard, unsung and unwept . Some kind of memorial could be build in their honor,as well. This is essential because we need to perpetuate the memory of people who died for a noble cause. Martyrdom cannot be measured in numbers, or the place where it happened. Even a single life lost to the cause of humanity and the nation ought to weigh heavy on our conscience as do the sacrifices of so many for the identical cause . A just memorial for them will make the posterity not only remember them but, probably, warn them about the dangers of terrorism and religious extremism .it is very important that the coming generations do not forget the tragic fate that befell the innocent terror victims .
A memorial for the terror victims is demand that has, in the past, resonated from every corner of Jammu and Kashmir .Because, in the state barely a place is left untouched by the enemies of humanity which hasn’t witnessed a terrorist inflicted massacre.
Along with such a memorial, with names of the martyrs inscribed, it will be highly desirable to have a State Martyr Register which should record names and other related details of the terror victims . For the coming generations, this will be a dedicated documentation of atrocities committed by the enemies of humanity sufficient to inspire them to confront hatred and the social divide, in one voice and unhesitant.
(The author is Former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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