J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

12-year-old girl plays man for quake-hit family
Chappar (Uri), May 12
While recalling the terrors of the October earthquake, Tasveer Fatima looks you straight in the eye. Born into an affluent landlord family of Chappar village in Shahadra, the 12- year-old has not taken long to put cozy memories of a prosperous past behind her.

Tasveer Fatima (in the centre) holds on to her younger siblings while her mother Sakina looks on from behind, at Chappar village in Uri. — Photo by writer

Pathribal case: CBI probe raises hopes
Brariangan (Shangus), May 12
The six-year-old Rubeena Jaan clings to her mother as she is unaware of the tragedy that struck their family in this serene remote village with the killing of her father, Jumma Khan, in March 2000 when she was only three-month old.

2 militants killed in encounter
Srinagar, May 12
Two militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a defence spokesman said. The deceased militants have been identified as Abu Saqib and Bilal.

12-year-old girl plays man for quake-hit family
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chappar (Uri), May 12
While recalling the terrors of the October earthquake, Tasveer Fatima looks you straight in the eye. Born into an affluent landlord family of Chappar village in Shahadra, the 12- year-old has not taken long to put cozy memories of a prosperous past behind her.

She knows she has a lot of other stuff to care about – a still-mourning mother and two younger siblings who have not yet adapted to a life sans emotional and infrastructural security. Before October 8, the family had a patriarch – Fatima’s father who raised a three-storeyed mansion in the poverty-stricken village. Before October 8, the family also had an adorable six-month-old son who breathes no more.

Fatima’s mother Sakina has naturally lost her mental poise. While she remains snug in her grief, the little girl has taken reins of life into her own hands. Since the day the quake struck, Fatima has been playing the role of a man in the family. And she has been playing it all too well.

To begin with, she completed the formalities needed to make her family eligible for earthquake relief. Having done that, she escorted her mother to faraway places every time ration and financial relief was to be distributed to affected families.

“Much of the strenuous task is over”, Fatima tells this Correspondent at her tiny semi-permanent shelter in Chappar village. The child is now looking ahead into the future – concentrating on her education in the hope of earning her father’s legacy back one day. Incredibly intrepid for her age, Fatima recollects gory images of October 8 with admirable ease. She even leads you back to where her infant brother got buried.

“It was here that he was crushed to death that day. We tried our best to save him but he just would not cry. For long we did not know where he was buried. Sometimes I feel my father should not have raised such a huge construction. Perhaps my brother would have survived the debris of a smaller house,” she makes a point.

Not in the least regretful about the loss of material conveniences she once enjoyed, Fatima says she would love to have her father and brother back. “Houses can be constructed again but how will we raise new lives? My mother’s grief is reasonable. Had I been in her place, I would perhaps have died,” says the child, clasping her wrist in a gesture of utter helplessness.

But she soon regains control and flashes a radiant smile. A brilliant student of Class VII at Shahadra Middle School, Fatima sure has meaningful things to look forward to in life. It is this hope of resurrection that keeps the brave heart going despite all odds.

And she sails through her days with vim and vigour, even though they are filled with hectic tasks. At the stroke of dawn she walks 5 km uphill to the stream to fill water for the day. Having done that, she returns home and cooks food for the family. Finally at about 9 am she leaves home to undertake the 9 km trek to school, from where she returns at 5 pm.

The evening is the best time for the girl who explains, “After finishing with dinner, I study till late in the night.” Fatima wants to be a teacher one day.

Pathribal case: CBI probe raises hopes
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

Brariangan (Shangus), May 12
The six-year-old Rubeena Jaan clings to her mother as she is unaware of the tragedy that struck their family in this serene remote village with the killing of her father, Jumma Khan, in March 2000 when she was only three-month old.

Jumma Khan was among five persons killed in a “fake encounter with security forces” in the nearby Pathribal area following the massacre of 36 Sikhs in Chhatisinghpora village of Anantnag district in south Kashmir on March 20, 2000.

It was on Thursday that the CBI, to whom the case had been handed over three years ago, filed chargesheet against five Army personnel before a civil court in Srinagar for the alleged killing of the five civilians.

The report has brought little respite to this family that has learnt to live with what comes their way. “Only God helped us to highlight the issue and there is a hope of punishment to the guilty”, said the widowed Ms Roshan Jaan while climbing the slope and carrying small packets of edibles from the local shop to her secluded house.

Not only her husband, but her son, Mohammad Rafiq, was among eight others killed when the police and security forces opened indiscriminate fire on the demonstrators protesting against the killings at Bulbul Nowgam outside Anantnag town about a week later on April 3 2000.

The investigations in the case had taken a lot for the poor family with over a dozen children, while the elders had been summoned twice for blood samples to match the DNA tests.

First blood samples had been taken in 2000 and following the reports of alleged fudging of reports, the samples were taken again a year later. The case was handed over to the CBI on February 14, 2003. There were threats and pressures from different quarters, claimed Abdul Rashid without elaborating.

Jumma Khan, son of Faqirullah, and four others, including Jumma Khan, son of Ameer Khan of the same village, Bashir Ahmad Bhat of Kapran, Mohammad Yousuf Malik of Hallan and Zahoor Ahmad Dalal of Mominabad in Anantnag town were killed on March 26, 2006, in the nearby area at Pathribal allegedly in a fake encounter with the Army. They were buried at two places outside the hamlets.

Abdul Rashid said that his father, Jumma Khan and another person, Jumma Khan, son of Ameer Khan in the same village had been picked up by the Army within a span of one hour the same night and later killed by branding them as “terrorists who killed Sikhs”.

Though the state government has provided ex-gratia and jobs to the two sons of widowed Roshan Jaan, it is no solace for her. “Insaaf Allah Karega”, she comments and has little hope in the tall claims of the state government and “politicians” to bring guilty to book.

After assurances from the officials, Ms Roshan Jaan has been running from pillar to post to complete the formalities for her family pension case. How to support a large family of over 15 members, has become a difficult question for her to answer.

“They (politicians) have been making tall promises”, said her son, Abdul Rashid who got a government job on compassionate grounds.

The PDP president, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, had been making tall claims when the PDP was yet to contest the last Assembly elections in 2002, he adds. “But when the party came to power, there was none to be seen”, said Ms Roshan Jaan. Her family members added that even the local MLA, Peer Mohammad Hussain (PDP), who had been making tall claims, was unconcerned over their plight.

2 militants killed in encounter

Srinagar, May 12
Two militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a defence spokesman said.

The deceased militants have been identified as Abu Saqib and Bilal.

Troops of 62 Rashtria Rifles raided Narwan-Imam Sahib in Shopian area, 60 kms from here, in the wee hours and the militants hiding there opened fire on the troops.

In the ensuing gunbattle two militants were killed, he added.

One person was injured when Army troops reportedly opened fire on a group of people protesting the alleged molestation of a woman in Kupwara district.

The people of the village took to the streets when Sameena Bano raised an alarm that troops of the Rashtriya Rifles had intruded into her house. She accused the personnel of trying to outrage her modesty.

The troops were reportedly beating her with their guns when people gathered there, the officials said, adding the Army men left the site but were chased by slogan-shouting villagers. The troops then opened fire, causing injuries to Malla while another girl named Shaheena was injured in the ensuing panic, the officials said adding the injured were sent to hospital. — PTI