9 Years On: Waiting For Justice

Today we are commemorating the 9th martyrdom anniversary of our beloved and only son Tufail Ashraf Mattoo of Saida Kadal, Rainawari, whom we miss a lot. Tufail was brutally murdered by J&K police personnel at the gates of Ghani Memorial Stadium on 11 June 2010 in broad day light, while he was coming back home from his tuition center.

This incident evoked a strong reaction across the state. The government issued distorted statements. Their stand was wired and we refused to take Tufail’s body home until the cause behind firing on him was not declared. Our persistence made them conduct the autopsy and the results shocked us. We were offered Rs 5 lakh as compensation by the government, but we turned it down as we only wanted the killer to be punished as per law. People carried the body of Tufail on their shoulders, chanting slogans for justice for the martyr. In return they were showered with tear gas shells and bullets. This continued for more than four months and the government of the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was also the chairman of the Unified Command, gave a free hand to the forces to deal with the protests. As a result 126 innocent civilians were killed, most of them teenagers. Most of those killed had received bullets in the upper parts of their bodies and in most of the cases many innocents who survived were left crippled for life. Many were arrested and are still languishing in various jails and careers of many were ruined by multiple F.I.R’s, PSA’s etc.

Opposition leaders were on their toes. They made a lot of noise regarding Tufail’s murder and the condemnation of these heinous crimes echoed throughout the globe. Even the UNHRC asked for a report  on the 128 casualties. This situation made the Government of India send a parliamentarian’s delegation to the state. They visited us also and we put everything before them. They also sent three interlocutors and many foreign reporters from BBC, Vice, France 24 etc. came calling. Shri Ajay Maken of the Congress party told Lok Sabha that Tufail got hit by a teargas shell. Rtd. Army chief General V.K. Singh  also raised his fingers at the police. During this period, the opposition and the ruling class started playing the blame game. Even that did not shake the CM of the time and with the passage of the time elections were about to take place. He established a one man’s commission headed by Rtd. Justice Shri M.L.Koul assisted by one Mr.Habibullah. The report was published by the local media in which it was suggested that the CBI should enquire Tufail’s case. We wrote a letter to the commission that they should “impute all those who had been at the helm of affairs in the State” and that letter is lying with them and no action has been taken. This made us reject their published report and this whole drama was planned to betray the public, even the person who headed the commission did not fulfill his commitment. He had promised us that the commission’s report will be given to us. It was a one  sided affair to fool the people once again because as they failed in ensuring appearance of people before the commission.

After elections Omar was defeated and Mufti Sayeed took over the charge with the help of BJP. This regime did not only kill, they blinded our people specially teenagers and jailed many. What Omar Abdullah did in 2010 same was repeated by Mufti’s.They never allowed that probes/commissions to reach to the logical conclusions. When we approached the so called SHRC to help us in seeking the enquiry commission’s full report we were denied on the pretext that it is not in SHRC jurisdiction. When the so called SHRC chairman assumed charge, he said that if a patwari refuses to give you papers it’s a violation considered by the them. If  that is a rights violation what was mine then? So every institution in the state is out to shield the perpetrators of the crime. My point is that all here are sailing in the same boat. They help each other in times of crises. These people even if they resign from one party their rivals welcome them with open arms in theirs because their manifesto appears to be Kill and Rule. This attitude of the government has radicalized our youth. We have succeeded in exposing this system by the grace of Allah. Unfortunately the state has failed to deliver justice to us. the culprit politicians have now seen their downfall by the grace of God. They will have to answer for their misdeeds of decades. Every precious drop of blood of martyr Tufail will weigh heavy on their shoulders and will haunt them for their life.

I along with all the victims of injustice pledge this day that we shall take strive and struggle for justice.  

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