Certain changes have started to set in the Kashmir valley and after a long time the changes are positive. Nearly 50 youth from the village of slain Army soldier Aurangzeb, have returned from the gulf leaving their lucrative jobs behind. All the 50 youth hail from Salani village in Mendhar and their return has happened with the goal to avenge Aurangzeb’s death. Indian Army soldier Aurangzeb was found murdered in Pulwama district after being abducted by terrorists. Aurangzeb was a rifleman with the 44 Rashtriya Rifles. He was on leave and was going to his home (Poonch) for Eid. His friends in the army who had come to drop him off said that he took lift on a private vehicle to reach his destination. The vehicle was stopped near Kalampora by the terrorists who abducted him. His bullet ridden body was found later in Pulwama district, he was shot in the head and neck by the terrorists. The body was found by a team of police and army at Gussu village, about 10 kms away from the place where he was abducted.
Aurangzeb’s death had spurred strong reactions from his family and they had appealed to PM Modi, the Army and Jammu and Kashmir police to avenge Aurangzeb’s death. His brother is also serving in the Indian Army while his father Mohammad Hanif is a former sepoy of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. They had also appealed for the wipeout of terrorism and militancy from the state, and the appeals seem to have hit home. According to a report, more than 50 youth have returned to Kashmir and joined police or Army to avenge the murder of their friend. One of the youths, Mohammad Kirmat who is one among the 50 spoke about how and why they had returned to the valley. Kirmat said, “When we heard about the killing of Aurangzeb, we left Saudi Arabia the same day, and forcibly got ourselves relieved from the job. It can’t be done on the spot, but we managed somehow. Fifty youths from this village returned with me.”
It seems that army soldier Aurangzeb’s abduction and murder by the terrorists has acted as a catalyst for the population of Kashmir. His murder at the hands of the terrorists has opened the eyes of the general population to the reality of separatist forces. The terrorists had managed to keep the Kashmiri youth disillusioned with ideas of separation and Muslim identity. Their activities betrayed their true emotions and these 50 youth who have come back to join the Army are a positive sign which predict that the future is definitely going to be better. While it is sad that the killers of Aurangzeb are still running free, their days are numbered now with the youth from Kashmir set upon the path for revenge for their fallen brother. Terrorists targeting Kashmiri people serving in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces are proving the point that they are guns-for-hire and working in tandem with the Pakistani establishment.
