I’m Leaving: Little Did Mother Know Teen Son’s Permission

HAJIN — When Mudasir Ahmad, a class 9 student at a local school, returned home in Khanqah Mohalla on August 31 he dropped his bag and had his usual quick snack (Tea with bread) before leaving for playing cricket with his neighbourhood friends, a routine for many 14 year old kids anywhere. But what was not a routine this time was that he sought permission of his mother, that he was going.

Mudasir never returned. He was shot dead by armed forces in what police dubbed as a fierce encounter during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday (December 08-09) at Mujgund, a Srinagar suburb on the road leading to Hajin, his hometown.

On the day Mudasir left home and did not return by dusk his parents had no clue of their child’s motives. When he did not return by the evening mothers anxiety grew. She however consoled herself that he may be staying with his friends even though all attempts to trace him by night failed. 

Since the area was only recovering from the shock of a gunbattle in nearby Mir Mohalla three days earlier in which three militants had been killed by the army, fears of the family only mounted.

Throughout the night parents were enquiring from the relatives and early in the morning they went to Government High School Hajin, his school, enquired from his classmates but failed to get any clue.

Later they filed a missing report in the local police station.

“When Mudasir did not return home, I went in search for him, asked his friends about him but he was not with them. I took few of my neighbours with me and searched in the whole town, but there was no trace of him”, said Abdul Rashid Parray, his father.

The very next day of Mudasir’s disappearance, another of his friends, a class 11th student Mohammad Saqib son of Bilal Ahmad Sheikh also went missing. This sparked anxiety in the entire area.

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It was only a week later when family’s fears turned true. Mudasir and Saqib had joined militant ranks. A photo of Mudasir holding an AK-47 rifle and a knife went viral on social networking sites.

Family soon began making desperate pleas urging children to return home.

“We appeal you both wherever you are, please come back home as soon possible. Don’t leave us like this,” Meema mother of Saqib pleaded.

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“I request you son, your mother with folded hands asks you to come back home. I have not seen you from past three months. Just want a glimpse of you,” she pleaded with moist eyes.

‘But it appeared boys had chosen a path of no return. 

On a chilly day of December, hundreds of soldiers and commandoes in full battle gear descended upon fog engulfed Mujgund village and surrounded the house where the duo along with an unidentified militant were present.

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It was 4.45pm on Saturday when army’s elite Rashtriya Rifles and police’s SOG (special operations group) established first contact with the besieged trio. Soon an encounter started between the two sides which lasted till 8:30 Sunday morning.

In the morning the house was blasted with explosives. Such was its ferocity that seven houses were destroyed.  

Later charred bodies of Mudasir and Saqib were recovered from the debris along with one Ali Bhai reportedly from Pakistani part of Kashmir.

Teen Hajin Militants Buried, Clashes in Hajin

Thousands of people on Monday participated in the funeral prayers of two teenage militants.

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There were also clashes in the Hajin following the burial.

Reports said thousands of people, despite severe cold conditions, assembled at Hajin and participated in the funeral.  Sombre scenes prevailed in the area as women were seen wailing. 

Meanwhile, soon after the duo was laid to rest, youth pelted government forces with stones who responded by firing several tear smoke and sound shells to disperse them, reports said

The clashes continued for several hours and there were no reports about a serious injury to anyone during the ding-dong battle.

While Ali according to police was a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, the two teenage militants had joined militant ranks recently. 

“Ali, according to police records, was involved in several militancy crimes and cases including attacks on forces. He was also involved in the recruitment of local youth in Sumbal areas of Bandipora,” the police spokesman had said in a statement.

A police official said that Ali was a Lashkar commander wanted in many cases. “He was A++ category militant. Mudasir and Saqib had joined LeT recently, the official said adding they had no criminal record. 

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