Slain paratroopers’s family boycotts Kashmir polls

The Malik family says that except the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Qazi Mohmmad Afzal,no politician visited their family after the death of the para trooper commando in March this year.

“Even J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who represents Ganderbal in the state Assembly,didn’t care to visit us,” said Shabir’s cousin. “There was also not even a single condolence message from him to express his sympathy.”

Shabir Ahmad Malik,21 died along with three other commandos including Major Mohit Sharma fighting the Pakistani militants after four long days in the treacherous terrains of Shamsbari range near Line of Control in north Kashmir in March this year. The whole Dab village mourned the death of Malik and when his body reached his native village on March 24,his neighbours came out in droves,beating chests and shouting slogans. It was in fact a clear departure from Kashmir’s standard discourse – the soldier’s death was mourned in a hush hush way. That time the mourning struck a familiar resemblance with a local militant’s funeral.

Shabir’s mother Raja Bano too said that she was not interested in voting. “There is no point in casting the vote,” said Raja. Raja’s husband Ghulam Hassan,55,runs a small tuck shop in the village and he too had not cast his vote.

Incidentally,the Dab locality is a Shia majority area and the residents of the village voted in a good number and there was no hint of any boycott. In one of polling booths where Malik families votes are registered 469 votes out of 663,had been polled till 1.30 pm on Thursday. “Why should we boycott the polls,” said Tariq Ahmed a voter from the village. In fact,outside the polling booth here,there were dozens of young men keenly watching the poll activities and discussing the various issues related with polls.