Doda village under scanner

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Doda, September 11

After Haroon Abbas Wani, a youth from Ghat village of Doda, joined militant ranks earlier this month, his village has come under the scanner of security agencies.

The Army is seeking details of local youth studying and working outside the village. Twice a day soldiers patrol the streets of the village, thus bringing back fear psychosis of 1990s when militancy had hit the area like the Kashmir valley.

“I was approached by the Army a few days ago and asked to provide details of youth who are studying outside the village. They also sought details of villagers working in other parts of the state or outside the state. I had no such information so I told them to get it from the police department or elsewhere,” said Riyaz Ahmed, a former sarpanch of the village.

This has led to fear psychosis among people of the area as joining a militant outfit was a personal decision of Abbas.

On September 1, Haroon Abbas Wani (31), son of a junior engineer in the rural development department, joined Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir. Announcing the news, the militant outfit released his gun-wielding picture on the social media on September 3. After Abid Hussain Butt of Sazan village, he is the second youth from Doda to join the militant ranks since July 1.

Before joining militancy, Abbas was working as a medical representative with a pharmaceutical company in Jammu. He used to visit his home occasionally and for the past three months he was in the winter capital.

“We didn’t have any inkling of his plans of joining the militant outfit. It was his personal decision and family does not approve of it,” said Farooq Ahmed, who is uncle of Abbas.

Ghat village of Doda district has a population of around 2,000. It is considered to be one of the prosperous areas of the district where literacy rate is almost 100 per cent.

Villagers have now almost forgotten the memories of 1990s when crackdowns, patrolling and sounds of gunshots used to be a normal thing. With the Army again patrolling the streets, villagers don’t see it as a good sign.

“Our children, who were born after the militancy period, have not seen such things. Now, they are asking us why are Army men moving through our lanes,” said Sarfaraz Ahmed, a local.

Two youths joined militancy

• On September 1, Haroon Abbas Wani (31), son of a junior engineer in the rural development department, joined Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir
• The militant outfit released his gun-wielding picture on the social media on September 3
• After Abid Hussain Butt of Sazan village, he is the second youth from Doda to join the militant ranks since July 1