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Journalism of Courage
The death of four civilians in Gool when the BSF opened fire on villagers protesting against the alleged desecration of Quran has become a tool for blame game between mainstream political parties.
The death of Manzoor Ahmad Shan,assistant professor of political science,in the firing is now being blamed on a Sub Inspector Mohammad Afzal Wani. This is because Wani is considered close to Congress leader and minister of state for revenue Ajaz Ahmad Khan. Khan is also the MLA of Gool. He (Wani) fired at people. The police is responsible for his killing, said Imtiyaz Hussain Shan,a PDP leader and cousin of Manzoor Ahmad Shan.
On Thursday,Wani was outside the BSF camp at Dharam when the protesters were fired at. Wani is the chowki officer at Sangaldan and lives in Gool. The Wani clan comprising more than 20 households are supporters of the Congress.
The Shan family on the other hand is close to the PDP and the National Conference. Manzoors sister,Shamshada,had contested the 2008 elections on PDP ticket. She later joined the National Conference.
Villagers say Wanis closeness to Khan is a reason why some are trying to implicate him. The political atmosphere in Gool is charged. The political leaders are leaving no chance to belittle others, said Abdul Aziz,a resident of Gool.
A police source said that on Thursday,when the BSF fired on the protesters SP Ramban Javed Ahmad,DySP (headquarters) Perbeet Singh and Sub Divisional Police Officer Gool Deepak Digra were present outside the BSF camp. How could he have opened the fire,when the SP was pleading with BSF men not to fire at the protesters? asked a police source.
Under pressure from the PDP,the government has filed an FIR against Wani and shifted him out of Gool.
Locals mourn professors death,labourer buried
On Friday morning,a stream of people rushed towards Salbala,a small village of -storey mud houses that was preparing for the funeral of Farooq Ahmad,a labourer killed in BSF firing.
Ahmad is survived by his disabled wife and two minor sons. The family lives in a single room mud house that overlooks the graveyard where Ahmad was to be buried. People handed over some money to a village elder. This money is for his family. He was the sole earning member of his family, said Mohammad Akhter,a villager.
On Thursday when the protest against the alleged desecration of Quran erupted in Dharam,20 km away from Gool,it was led by prof Manzoor Ahmad Shan. A resident of Jaman,Manzoor (32) was president of Gools Muslim Auqaf. Sadr-u-din,Imam who led his funeral prayers,said,A vacuum has been created in Gool. This cannot be filled in 100 years.
On Wednesday night,when the news about the desecration of Quran spread,Manzoor left his home at Jaman and travelled to Dharam. He left late in the night and returned at the time of sehri (the morning meal taken in Ramzan before the break of dawn) time, said his 70-year-old father Master Abdul Rehman Shan. After having sehri,he had left again for Dharam.
