Many Former Militants Who Went To Pakistan For Arms Training Entered the Govt System Unchecked

In April 2021, the UT Administration of Jammu and Kashmir constituted a special task force empowered under Clause 2(c) of Article 311 of the Constitution to dismiss government servants found guilty of endangering the security of the state. This task force was set up to identify the government employees who had indulged or were indulging in anti-national activities. Since then, the services of four government officials have been terminated.

More erring officials have not been identified. This is because the investigating agency lacks the human and technical resources to identify all government officials who have indulged in activities detrimental to the interests of the state.

The Ugly Past

In 1990, terrorist organizations and their political arms like Jamat-e–Islami had completely hijacked the system. Their intervention in providing government jobs to their cadres was unprecedented. Power in Kashmir flowed through the barrel of the gun. Terrorist organizations had a huge presence in Kashmir. The terror ecosystem was so strong that it ran a parallel government, more powerful than the elected representatives.

Terrorists would threaten and intimidate government officers holding positions of power. Many officers were ideologically and organizationally affiliated with the terrorists. Terror was so overbearing in Kashmir that even senior government officers would do the bidding of the terrorists, fearing for their life. The diktat of the terrorists over top officials became normalized in Kashmir.

They could be part of the system. On the orders of the terrorists, a large number of their relatives were hired in government departments at gunpoint. Soon, the terrorists decided that they did not have to live on the fringes of the systems of power. A large number of active militants also secured government jobs for themselves.

As militancy became normalized in Kashmir, the state had hundreds of former militants working in government departments. On government records, they had a clean slate. There were no cases registered against them.

 There are no records of them being militants. Hence action under Section 2(C) of Article 311 of the Constitution essentially has to rely on the statements of the people who know of these instances first hand. Some instances are given below, which can provide an insight into how the system is nurturing evil within.

The Man Who Went to Pakistan For Arms Training Works In JK Bank

The Bank Paid Him Salary For The Seven Months He Was In Jihadi Camps

Mohammad Younis Tak, once a close confidant of separatist Shabir Shah, was very active in the proscribed People’s League headed by shah. Tak got a job in JK Bank in 1988. In early 1990, Tak crossed over to Pakistan for arms training. He returned seven months later. Tak owned an AK 47 when he returned. He resumed services at the bank soon.

The excuse he provided to the officer in charge for his unauthorized absence from duty for about seven was this: “My mother was terminally ill. I had taken her to Delhi for specialized treatment”. The officer-in-charge knew that Tak had gone to Pakistan for arms training. He asked Tak in a lighter vein, “You had gone to while Delhi?”
Tak resumed duty at the bank.

 Witness how ludicrous the situation in Kashmir is: Tak even received salary for the seven months for which he was in jihadi camps in Pakistan.

In this way, the Indian state gifted Tak with salary and associated perks for receiving arms training in jihadi camps. This happened because nobody in the system wanted to bring truth to light. They had neither the spine for it, nor the will. There are no records in any police station that Tak was an active militant. He never surrendered. No one knows what he did with the AK 47 in his possession. At present, Tak is Branch Manager at the branch of JK Bank in Wanpoah in Kulgam district. His service code is 9330.

Area Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Appointed as Government Teacher,
Had Received Arms Training At Jihadi Camps In Pakistan

Tariq Ahmad Bhat alias Jindal is the son of Mohd Ismayeel Bhat, a resident of New Colony, Arwani in Anantnag district. Tariq is a militant who received arms training in Pakistan.

Tariq was still the area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen when he was appointed as a teacher under SRO 43 of 1944, after his father was killed by an unknown gunman. His father Mohd Ismayeel Bhat was an active member of Jamat-e-Islami. The question is that Tariq was an active militant.

How did he get the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the CID Department, which is mandatory in such cases for securing a job?

 Tariq is currently working at the office of the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO), Bijbehara.

Active Militant Employed in Doordarshan Kendra at Srinagar

Bashir Ahmad Mir alias Khalid-ul-Islam of Katriteng, Bijbehara, is working in Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar. Bashir was an active militant when he was appointed in DDK Srinagar in 1993-94. No verification was conducted for his appointment. There are no records of him being a militant. No one knows what did Bashir do with the AK 47 which was in his possession. He was an active militant of Tehreek-e-Islami Jamaati.

Bashir Ahmad Mir was a close confidant of one Mr Bashir Ahmad Dar, who at present is the Director General (DG) Social Welfare Department, Kashmir. Bashir Ahmad Dar alias Bashir Roufi was earlier the district commander of Tehreek e Jihad Islami (TJI). He later cleared the KAS and joined the state administrative services.

Bashir Ahmad Mir was also very close to one Mohd Yousuf Mir alias Shareef-u-Din, who was the Divisional Commander of Hizbhul Mujahideen for South Kashmir. Mohd Yousuf Mir was killed in 1999 at Wopzan village in Bijbehara during an encounter.

Many Such Examples Abound

These are just three examples from Kashmir. The Valley is full of many such instances. KZINE spoke to Mr Pal Jora, President Human Resource (HR) of JK Bank in this regard. Mr Jora informed KZINE that there is nothing adverse against Mohd Younis Tak.

Shocker for UT Administration

Officers of the UT Administration were jolted during the DDC Elections held in Kashmir in December 2020. Shocking reports came from a large number of polling stations. These reports revealed that poll officers in many areas abused and cursed voters for choosing to vote for elections to the District Development Councils.

This is the result of the flawed policy followed by the Centre and also by the erstwhile governments of Jammu and Kashmir. Due to the distorted focus in Kashmir, thousands of individuals influenced by the deadly ideology of separatism and violence have become part of the administrative system of the state. As government employees, they enjoy high salary and the perks that come with their position. Nevertheless, they continue to be highly malevolent towards the state in their outlook. The system now finds it hard to deal with them.

KZINE SPEAK

The question here is – how will the state invoke Section 2(C) of Article 311 of the Constitution in such cases? There is nothing on record to provide that these men had been former militants, even though the entire department where they work is aware of the fact. The harsh fact is this – the people know it, while the government is in denial.

It is indeed amazing that culprits and anti-nationals can easily evade any action warranted under the law of the land because there is nothing in the police records against them. JK Police has played a highly valourous role in fighting terror in Kashmir. But the police force had its own share of rotten apples who connived with anti-state forces and did not write down anything in black and white against militant commanders who took up government jobs. The CID did not give any adverse report against them.

This reminds us of the various secret meetings between PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti with terrorist commanders in south Kashmir from 1999-2002. Police officers posted in the district knew about these meetings, but there is nothing on record to state that the PDP leader was secretly in discussions with men who were holding the state to ransom.

The Indian state has suffered huge losses in Kashmir because men and women of radical ideology and antagonistic towards the state were part of the various arms of the state. The Indian state has suffered because its local representatives – the individuals in the political and administrative systems of the state and elements in the bureaucracy willingly allowed the system to be intruded and invaded by those who were pitted against the state. They have ruled over the system for decades. Cleansing the system of such malevolent elements shall take an equal time, if not more.