Many Kashmiri Pandits are killed in the northern state of Jammu & Kashmir in late 80s and 90s. The killers, who have admitted the killings, are roaming free and have not been even charged yet.

Anything wrong with this picture?

Not if you ask the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kashmir Division), Government of India.

Using the privileges available under Right to Information Act, Kashmiri Hindu youths filed a petition (click here to see the petition) to get the status of pending cases against one of the terrorists Farooq Ahmed Dar aka Bitta Karate. [Bitta Karate started his terror career as a JKLF (Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front) member. During the early days of terrorism in the Kashmir valley, he killed many innocent Kashmiri Hindus.] After waiting for two weeks, these youths got a reply from Director and Central Public Information Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kashmir Division), Government of India (click here to see the official response) and following was the stock response:

“……The information you have asked for is not available in the Kashmir Division of Ministry of Home Affairs…….”

Not only are these brutal killers and terrorists not charged and prosecuted, but Kashmir Division of Ministry of Home Affairs actually claims to not have any records about these killers and killings.

Am I convinced? Hell, No! Should you be convinced? Hell, No!

This Ministry of Home Affairs has a separate Kashmir division within its ministry and it does not have any information about these merciless killers? Who is fooling whom?

Not only did Bitta Karate kill innocent Kashmiri Hindus, but he even admitted the killings in a TV interview. Please click here to see for yourself. Common people like me have access to these videos and transcripts but Kashmir Division of Ministry of Home Affairs does not. What a shame!

Bitta Karate spent many years in Indian jails but was eventually released by TADA court on bail on October 23, 2006. While granting bail to Bitta Karate, the Presiding Officer of the TADA court N. D. Wani observed that the court is aware of the fact that the allegations leveled against Bitta Karate are of serious nature and carry a punishment of death sentence or life imprisonment but the fact is that the prosecution (read Government of Jammu & Kashmir and India) has shown total disinterest in arguing the case, which is in complete violation of Article 21 of the Constitution.

And now Bitta Karate, who admitted killing scores of Kashmiri Hindus, is not only roaming free but is now playing as a politician on the Kashmir political scene. It is not inconceivable that there soon might be a day when he will become a State Minister in the government of J&K, may be even Chief Minister. A brutal cold-blooded killer will be a minister ruling the masses! What is more threatening to a democracy than having cold-blooded killers as rulers?

Do you feel it is OK for government agencies to let these terrorists roam free and be more concerned about Chinkara Gazzelles? Please do not get me wrong. I don’t have anything against Chinkara Gazelles and I do not in any shape or form advocate killing of these wild endangered animals. But if I am ever given a choice between saving a human being and a Chinkara Gazelle, you know what my choice will be. So where are government’s priorities? How come terrorists are not being prosecuted as per the laws of the land? What is preventing law enforcement agencies from implementing the laws and putting these killers away behind bars so that they cannot harm any more innocent civilians? Isn’t providing the security to its citizens the first and foremost responsibility of any government? Am I missing something here?

While the pseudo-secular human rights activists are continuing to scream about Gujarat riots and clamor for face time on Indian “progressive” media outlets, they have their lips sealed and pens dry about the horrendous ethnic cleansing of 400,000+ Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir. I guess gone are the days when journalists used to stand up against the injustices and fight for the rights of ALL humans irrespective of the religion they belonged to. These days, it seems they get their stories handed over to them by their politician masters who only care about their “Kursi” and “votes” that get them that “Kursi”. After all, it is a “Kissa Kursi Ka”.

All I can say is that if there is life after death, I wish to be reborn as a Chinkara Gazelle. At least, I will be assured that I am protected by Indian Wildlife Act and wild life activists who will fight for my survival.

Long Live Chinkara Gazelle!!!

The writer is a senior political analyst and Panun Kashmir activist.

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