Irshad Ahmad Khan, a government employee in Anantnag, is entertaining guests at his home as his wife, Aysha Begum, listens to conversations from the adjacent room.
The topic – their son, who recently returned from the clutches of militancy.
On November 9, 20-year-old Majid Khan went missing and the next day, a picture of him wielding an AK-47 assault rifle went viral on social media.
A locally famous footballer, Majid studied business at a local government college and worked at a NGO, before he disappeared. He is even said to have scored high grades in both his higher secondary and senior secondary board exams.
It’s common practice for militants, particularly new recruits, to post photographs with weapons on social media.
Soon after Majid’s gun-toting photo went viral, his father suffered a cardiac arrest and his mother stopped eating.
When journalists visited their house, Aysha cried her heart out: “Come back Majid, kill your father and me; then go back.” The emotional video of Majid’s mother was also widely viewed in Kashmir.
People started posting, sharing social media posts, pleading Majid to return home. It soon became a campaign of sorts. “Dear #khan_majid I don’t know if you are reading this post or not, but my brother please come back. I have no words to express the condition of your family, your mother, your father... It’s yet early stage to come back... everything will be fine... I am appealing you just come back put down your arms please. Please! (sic)” Mohammad Farooz Pandith wrote on Facebook.
“Wech’hath ake fir, rat’hath naaley... zan Ha cxalhem sharr yaroo. Samkhan yette aeas, bey ha ake fir Teth jaai cxe cith, Kath baat karha. (Wish to see and embrace you again... wish to meet you at the same place where we used to chit chat for hours),” Majid’s friend and manager of the sports club he was playing for, wrote on Facebook.
More often than not, Kashmiris are seen praising young people who join militancy. This was one of the rare occasions when people of Kashmir took to social media to request a militant to shun the gun and return to his family.
A couple of days after Majid joined the militancy, an encounter raged in Kund area of Kulgam. One of Majid’s associates was killed and two others were arrested. One among them was Shamsul Viqar, an 18-year-old who reportedly lured Majid into militancy.
Majid attended the funeral of the slain militant and offered him a gun salute. The footballer’s friends realised that he was not going to return. “We were shocked when we saw him offering a gun salute,” said a friend of Majid. The campaign on social media, though, didn’t stop.
A week after Majid joined militancy, things took a dramatic turn. On the November 16, he returned, leaving the arms. Army sources said he had contacted his family before returning.
Next morning, Majid was produced before media in a joint press conference held by the Army and the police. “Majid strayed from a decent path for a little while. Now, he decided to come back after realising the folly of the path he chose. We ensured his safe return,” General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Victor Force, Major General B S Raju, said.
Wearing the traditional Feran and a matching feather cap, Majid was silent. He didn’t even look up. No charges were levelled against him and the army ensured his safe passage home.
Majid’s friends gathered the next day to celebrate the news. “We will give a rousing welcome to him. He has made us proud by taking this bold decision,” said Salman Shah.
“After seeing Majid’s parents in pain, I could not resist. Though I was helpless, I tried my best to bring him back. It took a lot of courage, but I finally sent him a message on Facebook,” said Salman.
Majid’s friends hope he will lead a normal life soon. “He was a leader of my team and will remain so. His primary duty should be to study and serve his parents,” said Irfan, who has played football with Majid for the last six years.
“God has given him a new life. If he would not have returned, I would not have been able to stand on the playground again,” said Irfan, who is planning a team gathering once Majid is back.
Even at the tea stalls and bakeries, the noise is all about Majid. Shabir Ahmad, a teacher, said, “We as a society should facilitate him. These youngsters are our future, we cannot let them die like this.”
“This is the power of social media. It made Burhan Wani so popular. It’s the platform through which we appealed Majid to return,” said Jaleel, captain of the team for which Majid was playing.
After his return, Majid turned into a hero overnight. Sample this message on his Facebook wall: “Majid You Are Our Hero... I AM WITH Khan Majid... welcome... respect... love you brother”.
WILL MAJID BE ABLE TO LEAD A NORMAL LIFE?
Police in Kashmir have been repeatedly accused of harassing young men on the charges of stone pelting. Many who became militants claim police harassment as a trigger for them to pick up the gun.
In August this year, Majid’s close friend Yawar Nisar was killed – 16 days after joining Lashkar-e-Taiba. Relatives of the 22-year-old have alleged that he was repeatedly harassed by the police on charges of stone pelting.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a retired police officer said, “Militants who surrender are, more often, looked upon as traitors in society. Most of the time, they spend years in jails.”
“In Majid’s case, though, I am hopeful things will be different,” he added.
Farooq Ahmad Dar, who runs a small shop in Anantnag, said common people are not against boys who want to return home. “They have the right to live a normal life... Kashmir is a serious issue but that cannot be resolved by encouraging our kids to die like this,” he said.
Irfan said Indian football icon, Bhaichung Bhutia, wrote to Jammu and Kashmir’s football association extending his support to Majid in helping him pursue his football dream. Bhutia has offered Majid a training stint at the Bhaichung Bhutia Football School in Delhi.
Meanwhile, forces see Majid’s return as a ray of hope in the valley. This year, as per police data, around sixty youths were “brought back” from militancy.
“Though Majid’s case is very different, this year we have managed to get more than sixty people back from militancy. Some of them were about to join but we counselled them, while others either surrendered or were arrested,” J&K Police chief Dr SP Vaid said. He added that in previous years the number of “militants who came back was far less”.
However, many of young men who were “counselled” by the forces allege that they are still looked at suspiciously. “I am often called by the Army officers and police. They still suspect me of being linked with militancy,” said a youth in Kulgam area, who had been arrested earlier this year for being associated with militancy but was later set free.
“It would be better if they (forces) would let me study peacefully,” he added.
“The surrender of Majid should serve as an example that it is better to shun violence and return home,” said Inspector General Zulfiqar Hassan, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Kashmir. “We have to counsel family members as well. More than 60 people have returned,” he said.
“There are many people who want to come back. The police, army and CRPF have a helpline for these people. The militants or their family members can call on those numbers and come back. They will not be harassed,” IG Hassan said.
Forces have killed more than 190 militants in Kashmir this year. Out of these, 110 were killed in the hinterland. As per Army records, there still around 200 active militants in Kashmir.
“We are working on two fronts. One front is to continue with counter-terror operations. Simultaneously, we want the local militants to return home,” Army’s General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, JS Sandhu, said on Sunday while addressing journalists.
On Monday, police claimed that another man, who joined a militant group, had returned home. Officials said the person’s identity could not be revealed due to safety concerns. “He has not surrendered or been arrested. This is just a comeback,” a senior police official said.
Forces have reasons to be positive, as two more families of militants have released public appeals seeking the return of their loved ones.
Jawahira, a resident of Drabgama village in Pulwama district, wants her son Manzoor Ahmad back. She has made a public appeal to the militant groups, pleading them to allow her son to return.
Another family in Shopian, whose son Aashiq Ahmad went missing and has allegedly become a militant, has issued similar message.
At Majid’s home, his father Arshid Ahmad Khan said, “I will try to understand the heart and mind of my son. It was a teenager’s mistake and I am sure he will start a new life.”
“Inshallah,” said Majid’s mother Aysha, folding her hands in prayer.
(The author is a Kashmir-based freelance journalist. Views are personal.)
(More Sunday Features)
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