Tags:
Journalism of Courage
JAMMU, APRIL 24: On the surface, it was a routine incident: Hizbul Mujahideen militants exploded a bomb in a market in Rajouri town on Tuesday, five people were killedtwo brothers, both Hindu; a newly married Muslim couple and a Muslim miner. But when mourners filed past the bodies the next day, the sight was a rare one: Muslims and Hindus were crying together, consoling each other.
For once, it seemed, the militants’ plan to deepen the divide between the two communities seemed to have failed. While the reasons are hard to identify, the fact that all victims this time were ordinary peopleparents shopping for their children, a couple buying ornaments five days after their wedding, or a mother shopping for her daughter’s weddinghas united both communities in this hour of grief.
Muslims joined the funeral of the two brothers, Satish Kumar and Suresh Kumar. And several Hindu residents trekked long distances on the hilly terrain to participate in the janaza of the Muslim couple, Shabir Ahmed and MehboobaAkhtar, at Darhal and that of the miner, Mohammad Sharief, at Palma.This is significant given that until recently, members of one community traditionally suspected the other during times of crisis. While Hindus accused local Muslims of sheltering militants whenever Hindus were the massacred, Muslims blamed security forces for the killing of their community members in the district.
In fact, a few months ago, when some Hindus were killed by militants at Baljaralan and Rajouri, Muslims appeared indifferent, busy with their normal lives. Similarly, the Hindus preferred to stay at home during the massacre of over a dozen Muslims including women and children at Sailan (Poonch) about a year ago.
This isn’t the first time that militants have killed both Hindus and Muslims in this district. But earlier, they always dubbed their Hindu victims as informants and claimed that security forces had killed the Muslims. This time, however, no reason has been forthcoming. All victims were innocent shopkeepers orpedestrians.
Shabir Ahmed and his wife Mehbooba Akhtar (both residents of Darhal) had been married only five days. For the wedding, Shabir had come from Saudi Arabia only a fortnight ago and he had brought his bride to the market to buy her some ornaments.
Like them, Mohammad Sharief of Palma, was passing through the bazaar on way to his home, while Suresh and Satish Kumar (both brothers) were sitting in their shop waiting for customers. Parkashno Devi, one of the 29 injured, had come to the town from Sunderbani shopping for her daughter’s wedding. Subash Chander, who was also among the injured, was repairing shoes. There were many who had come to the town to buy rations for home or stationery and clothes for children.
The change in the attitude of both communities was evident soon with Hindus and Muslims together bringing out the dead and the injured from under the debris of the damaged shops. By the time the security forces and the police reached the market, residents had not only moved the victims tothe hospital but had also arranged blood for the injured.
Not only this, members of both the communities closed their business establishments and boycotted classes in protest against the explosion. The situation was tense in the town but both communities maintained calm and in one voice asked the visiting ministers, senior security forces and police officials, to get their act together. Perhaps, this is just a stray incident but in the end, it’s some indication of how people are now seeing through the militants’ game.
