On 5th December, a picture went viral of a cute “Kashmiri Militant”, the 14-year-old teenage boy holding an AK-47 in one hand and a knife in another. Mudasir Parray, a resident of Khankah Mohalla of Hajin town along with 16-year-old Saqib Bilal had gone missing from their homes on 31 August this year after an encounter took place in Hajin town in which three foreign militants were killed. Both the families were in shock after they heard that both Parray and Bilal have left their homes.
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Five days after his picture went on social media holding an AK- 47, he was trapped in a gunfight in Mujgund area on the outskirts of Srinagar and was killed in a fierce long gunfight along with his local friend Saqib Bilal and Pakistani militant Ali Bhai.
The family of deceased militant Mudasir searched him from post to pillar, after he left his home to play at the local Eidgah. The family is stunned as he was living his life normally with his family and his friends. Family members did not believe Mudasir had joined militancy till his picture holding with AK- 47 and a knife surfaced on the social media. Earlier they lodged a missing report in Hajin Police Station after failing to contact him.
Soon after his picture went viral, his family made vehement appeals to him to return home. I appeal to him, wherever he is, to come back home as soon possible. Don’t leave us like this,” his mother wiling day after his picture holding AK-47 went viral. Mudasir is survived by his parents, a sister and a brother.
Militancy has been growing in this North Kashmir’s Hajin town since the killing of Militant commander Burhan Wani in July 2016. It wasn’t the kind of family you’d expect to produce a militant,” a local said. His family says he was never inclined towards militancy however his friends maintain that he was connected with militants since the killing of Burhan Wani in 2016.
Fareeda Begum, the mother of Mudasir, said that she never wanted separation from her son like this. I was unaware about his joining militant ranks after his missing in August, had I been aware of this, I would have never allowed him to go out of the home because I didn’t want a separation from my son like this, she said, as tears rolling down from her eyes.
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Mudasir’s family is living in a single room with heart patient mother Fareeda, father is a chronic patient with 16 stitches in the back, handicapped brother and a little sister.
Fareeda his mother, is still in grief and shock that his son has been killed. Mudasir was not my son only, but a hope, lone bread earner who would also work as a labourer on a part-time basis to help the family financially as her another son is handicapped.
When Mudasir left home in August, I was on way to Sopore and asked him to accompany me to Sopore but Mudasir refused and silently. It was the last time I saw him, she said.
Soon after he went missing, I went from pillar to post, I searched for him from dawn to dusk, but Mudasir was nowhere. I am still waiting for his arrival, she said while wailing.
When Mudasir’s body reached home, his mother Fareeda didn’t believe that she met his son with blood and bullets after three months. Fareeda while wailing said in Kashmiri “Doudh haa cheey wyn praaczan lour’uy, waey, Baa karay ghoor ghooro”. The milk is still on your lips, Let me cradle you, You are still to drink my milk, Let me cradle you.”
Maimoona, his sister in corner of his single room broke into tears, said that I was so happy that Mudasir will afford my all expenses and will fulfil my all dreams as my another brother is handicapped, but all dreams crushed.
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Mudasir was first arrested during the 2016 unrest in a Pelting case and was lodged in a police station Hajin for over a week, he was later released after counselling, said one of his relatives. He feels that Mudasir joined the militant ranks after the killing of their close relative Abid Mir in Sopore who was killed in an encounter. He believes that was his turning point.
Locals of Khankah Mohalla remember Mudasir as a shy but courageous young boy. He was very humble and everyone loved him in the village. We don’t believe even today that he is dead because we all loved him, they said. Mudasir is perhaps the youngest militant to have laid down his life, the neighbours said.
SSP Bandipora Sheikh Zulifikar Azad said that he joined Militant ranks soon after three Foreign Militants were Killed in a gunfight at Paribal area of Hajin town. What can you do? We tried our level to get him back, but that never happened.
Hajin town was once home and base of dreaded anti-insurgency force Ikhwan, a home-bred counter-insurgency militia, led by Kuka Parray, But the time is long gone and now Hajin is considered as a hot-bed of Militants.
The author is a Freelancer Journalist based in Kashmir and can be mailed to at Khuehamiayaan@gmail.com. Picture courtesy Sajid Raina.
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