Covid-19 helps end mass funerals of terrorists in Kashmir
However, the Army and police do observe all religious practices and rituals for burying the dead
By Aasha Khosa
Massive gatherings at the funerals of terrorists killed in firefights with Army and security forces in Kashmir are a thing of the past, thanks to COVID-19 lockdown that necessitates end to such events as the virus continues to spread in the region.
Last week, four local terrorists belonging to the regional affiliate of the Al Qaeda – Ghazwatul Hind – were the first to be buried by the police in south Kashmir. They died in an encounter with the forces in presence of a magistrate. The families of three were brought for the burial while the fourth one could not reach.
Next to be buried were two Kashmiri terrorists of the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen and their three Pakistani associates who were trapped and killed by the Army soon after they crossed the line of control from Pakistan side in north Kashmir.
So far, ten terrorists have been buried by police after preservation of their DNA samples for identification and legal formalities. The police had to step in and shoulder this additional responsibility after, despite warnings, people in large numbers attended the funeral of three slain terrorists in Sopore, north Kashmir the second week of the month.
Glorifying terror
As COVID-19 rages in Kashmir with 546 confirmed cases by the time of writing, the campaign to hunt down terrorists, backed by Pakistan, has continued unabated. In the lockdown period at least so far 22 terrorists have been killed while 11 security men lost their lives in operations against them.
The funerals of terrorists in Kashmir had become a major worry for Delhi as these were being used to glorify terror, perpetuate the concept of jihad and romanticize death of a ‘shaheed.’. The practice so far was that after handing over the bodies to the next of the kin of the terrorist, the forces leave the area for mourning and funeral.
Many a time, wanted terrorists holding guns would appear at such gatherings and make fiery speeches to motivate youth into joining them. The phenomenon of some youth in the area going missing soon after the funeral rallies and who would be eventually found to have joined the terrorist group was making counter-terrorism authorities wonder if it has become a zero-sum game for them. “You kill one terrorist after painstakingly gathering intelligence and planning a strike at his hideout and such burial rallies give rise to many more,” a senior Police officer said once.
These speeches went viral on social media. A video clip of an aged woman, mother of a known Hizbul mujahideen terrorist firing in the air and shouting slogans at her son’s funeral was widely circulated. Banning such propaganda that prompted many young men to join terrorist groups is one reason for a total ban on the high-speed internet after Delhi abolished State’s special status on August 5.
Though the slow speed 2-G internet has been restored, the propaganda cell of terrorist groups can no longer have it so easy.
US precedent
The demand for putting an end to big funerals for terrorists in Kashmir had started as soon as the USA Seals buried Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden quietly at the sea. The government had no idea as to how to reverse this practice and it feared social backlash and unrest.
The massive funerals had made security forces wonder if they were locked in a zero-sum game; for each terrorist killed a few more will be born due to his grandiose funeral. Counter-insurgency planned had also suggested an end to this practice for consolidation of the gains made in counterterrorism campaign.
Though no authority is ready to speak on it, it’s learnt that the government would stick to the policy of no-grand-funerals for terrorists in the future, even after the pandemic is contained.
“People get used to certain practices over a period of time,” a senior authority, not willing to be named, said. He says the turnout of people for the funeral is no way suggestive of the support for terrorism as villagers didn’t want to be identified as not supporting the dead terrorists and face reprisal.
Security forces and Army in Jammu and Kashmir had been arranging for burial of unknown dead terrorists including some 4500 foreign mercenaries – mainly Pakistanis – who had come to join ‘jihad’ in the Valley. Though at times, Indian authorities had asked Pakistan to claim the bodies of their nationals killed in Kashmir, Islamabad would feign ignorance and never claimed these.
At times the local Moulvis have refused to read the funeral prayers for the foreign terrorists and in some areas people didn’t want the foreign terrorists to be laid to rest in the local cemetery.
However, the Army and police do observe all religious practices and rituals for burying the dead terrorists.
