THE BURDEN OF SUFFERING
The serene valley of Kashmir, known for its beauty and rich cultural heritage has been doomed with the curse of terrorism and mindless atrocities since 1980’sand the endless turmoil has massively impacted the social and economic fabric of the society. The mayhem caused by terrorism has left numerous common Kashmiri families bereft of their loved ones. The destitute families are now only left in an abyss of despair with a deep feeling of vexation, helplessness, isolation and recurring unfading imprint of painful memories. Numerous such families in Kashmir are witnessing severe predicaments in social, economic and psychological fronts, as they have to reside and raise their children under a constant social stigma as also in a state of constant fear.
One such example is of Hasir Rafiq Parrey, son of Mohd Rafiq Parrey and Tabasum Begum of Putushai. A resident of Bandipura district, he crossed over to POK on valid visa on 14th April 2018. Hailing from a middle class family, his father had put all his effort in giving the best of education and lifestyle he could have received. Hasir has a B.Tech degree from Kashmir University and was considered one of the brightest and talented student throughout his life. Post completion of his education, prior to his exfiltration in 2018, he was employed with Dept of PHE, Bandipura. He proceeded to Pakistan under the garb of furtherance of higher education (M.Tech) claiming that he could not get admission in the desired course in Kashmir. However, on reaching Pakistan, he has reportedly joined HM Tanzeem and also got himself affiliated with ISI.
After receiving the most unfortunate news about their son, the family remains in a state of utter shock and depression. The hope of seeing their son as the bread earner of the family was shed in silent tears and there probably have not been even a single day his mother could sleep in peace. “He may someday return and we will wait… as long as it takes”, she whispers in a shaken voice. Mr Hasir Rafiq Parrey, his father is a reputed man of the village and has been principal of Govt Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Bandipura along with being a former Dy CEO of the district. This news left him devastated though he nurtures a hope in one corner of his heart that his son would someday surrender and uphold the family values and tradition. They are sometimes targeted as “Terrorist’s Family” and they cannot abstain from the guilt of not being able to save Hasir from the evil of terrorism. Keeping old photographs of her son close, the bereaved mother is often lost in her own thoughts and laments. She is also suffering from health ailments like Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Traumatic mental issues which require constant care and medication, further aggravating the problems for the family. The family has also been visited by strangers, allegedly from various terror groups and organizations, asking for money in lieu of the safety of their son. Such events have amplified the fear in minds of every family member. The knocks at their door instigates a feeling of both despair and faith at the same time.
Hasir has a younger brother Musef who has just completed his MBA. Musef is still in search of a job but in these conditions, it has become more difficult to get one as he apparently carries an identity of being a “Terrorist’s brother”. His sisters, Rohana and Sohila, are still unmarried. The family is still in search of the answer “Why?’’. They are absolutely unaware of the reasons he had to leave! What exactly provoked him to choose the path of sin over his rightful duties? These questions keep on haunting them and there is no end to it. Despite having grown up in an educated family and mainstream follower of law and order, what triggered Hasir to accept the path of self-destruction in refute to his conscience. The questions are plenty and heavier is their weight on this family.
Mohd Rafiq Parrey has been seeking help from Indian Army and Police in getting his son back. He has also tried to go to Pakistan to convince him for “home coming” but could not do so as he was not able to obtain a Passport. Hisson’s disappearance has made everything vague and unstable for the father. But he still believes that his son would come back to his senses, gather his acts and in the holy name of Allah, seek repentance.
Day to day struggle of this family proves how tough and excruciating it is for them to survive and live a normal life. As per the factual records, reportedly 191 youths have joined militancy in the year 2018. The families of these unfortunate people who have joined militancy are an “extremely suffering’’ portion of the population in present day Kashmir and are living on the edge.
Sons of Kashmir who go “missing” not only bring pain and deprivation to their families but also hamper the growth and development of the valley because of the continued environment of fear and terror. Indian Army and the government standby committed to all such parents who have nothing but an appeal in their nwist eyes for their sons to come back to them.
