PDP MLA’s ‘militant martyr’ remarks trigger row

* Terrorists can’t be called martyrs: Beig

Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Jan 11: An MLA of ruling PDP today stoked a controversy when he described Kashmiri militants shot dead in encounters with security forces as “martyrs” and “brothers” and also cautioned against glorifying their killings.
Aijaz Ahmed Mir’s remarks came as an embarrassment for the party as its alliance partner BJP decried the comments saying these were “absolutely intolerable” and demanded an FIR against him.
“Those (terrorists) who are from Kashmir, killed in any situation, are martyrs. They are our brothers. Militants are also our brothers. They are our children. If any child is 11 years to 14 years old, who does not know what he was doing…, Mir told reporters in reply to a question whether he consider as martyrs those terrorists who were killed.
In reply to another question whether he considered militants his brothers, the MLA from South Kashmir’s Wachi said, “Of course yes, they (militants) are Kashmiris. They are brothers. Militants are brothers.”
“I feel how long should it continue? We have killed 200 and 200 have left us. This vicious circle will continue like this. Somewhere it is to be stopped. Somebody has to take the front. Kashmir issue is a political issue. It should be resolved politically. What will we get if the people keep getting killed with bullets and pellets,” he asked.
Mir also cautioned against glorifying the killing of militants.
“Some people are glorifying the killings of militants. I feel the militants are residents of Jammu and Kashmir. They are our children. Their death should not be celebrated happily. This is our collective failure,” he said.
He said that they are children and have gone on a wrong track.
It is time to counsel and bring them back, Mir said outside the assembly here.
He urged the Centre’s special representative on J&K Dineshwar Sharma to talk to all in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mir also sympathised with the security personnel killed in the State, saying, “We feel sad when our security forces are martyred as well. We should sympathise with the parents of jawans and with the parents of terrorists as well. We want to stop this bloodshed.”
Asked about a recent incident when militants hurled a grenade at his residence, the PDP legislator said, “We believe in India and they believe in something else that is why I was attacked. It is a difference of ideology.”
The BJP condemned Mir’s statement with its state spokesman Suni Sethi saying, “It seems that said legislator has lost mental balance to talk in the language of militants and separatists while under oath of constitution as legislator.”
In a statement, Sethi said such “utterances by the PDP MLA are absolutely intolerable and nobody in the political mainstream can be given liberty to cross line of nationalism”.
He also demanded immediate lodging of an FIR against Mir and his detention under public safety act.
Meanwhile, expressing his dismay over the use of word “Jehad” by terrorists and separatist organizations in Kashmir valley who have done a great damage to the entire State during last 30 years, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA, Javed Ahmed Beig today said “if it is really a Jehad then why separatist leaders do not push their wards in it”.
Talking to media persons outside the Assembly Secretariat here, the PDP MLA said that he neither considers present terrorist movement in Kashmir a Jehad nor terms those killed in suicide attacks or in their fight with security forces and police as martyrs.
He said Jehad and martyr are holier words and they can’t be used for such people who indulge in killings of innocents. Terming it simply terrorism, he took a strong dig at those who glorify it. “Why don’t those who glorify terrorism send their wards to join it and take guns in their hands”, he questioned?
The PDP MLA asked “what do you call those who take to arms in Karachi and Balochistan and indulge in killings”? They are called terrorists and how another terminology is being used for those who indulge in terrorist practices in J&K, he again asked?
He said those who glorify terrorism are encouraging terrorists and asked “do they know meaning of word martyr and Jehad?”
He said that the terrorism in Kashmir is only surviving because it is given a religious colour. “A Phd. Scholar joining terrorism has no problem at all but he has been made to understand that it is his religious obligation”, he added.
He said the problem will not be settled by making speeches here but involvement of religious scholars and heads in educating the people that it is neither a Jehad nor a battle for religion.
He said when a separatist leader’s son was called by NIA last time, he took the plea of heart problem but they (separatists) don’t care for those who are laid in graves. “Let the sons of separatist leaders Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani take guns in their hands”, he added.
Beig said there can be no leniency to terrorists. “If a Hindu or a Sikh takes to arms the Government will also react to that and will not spare them also,” he said and added that the death should not be glorified at any cost.
He said it is strange both killers and who are being killed are called martyrs and this way “where we are leading.” They are not martyrs but it is nothing except dance of death in which innocent people are being pushed, he added.
This kind of terrorism has no relevance in the modern world and people can’t be divided on the basis of religion and region, he said, adding the dreaded hard core terrorism in world was in Sri Lanka and what has happened to the terrorists there is not a secret for any one. “Have they achieved any thing,” he asked?
He said he didn’t understand what compulsion the people have giving statements to glorify terror and made it clear that the division on the basis of religion is not acceptable.
Cautioning people, Beig said if they don’t understand to which direction the Kashmir is leading and this way we will see a dark future.
The PDP leader who termed that the two nation theory has no relevance, however, admitted there is problem in Kashmir which was created in1947.

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