Srinagar: He has lost two sons within the span of a year - one of them militant commander Burhan Wani-but Muzaffar Wani doesn't betray any emotions.
“I am sad. It is Allah's will. We have to submit before him,” Muzaffar, 55, who teaches in a government school in his native Tral village, told CNN-News18’s Anuradha Sengupta.
Burhan, a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, was killed in an encounter with the Army on July 7. His death led to large-scale protests in the Kashmir Valley.
A year before Burhan's death, Muzaffar’s elder son Khalid too was killed in an encounter.
“His (Khalid's) three friends were released by Army but my son was done to death. His body bore torture marks. They had gone for trekking (sic),” Muzaffar alleged.
Muzaffar is a regular at a village mosque and sports a flowing salt-and-pepper beard. A reticent man, he spends most of his time shuttling between his home and the neighbouring government school where he is a headmaster.
Despite his son being an active militant for five years, Muzaffar says there is no space for violence. He says one day India, Pakistan and Valley separatists have to sit across and resolve the Kashmir dispute.
"Kashmiris are for a peaceful resolution. We don't celebrate the deaths of Army men because they are also humans,'' he said. “If Army men die that is a problem and their death does not give us joy. We are sad when our young men die but we are not happy when Army men die (sic).”
Burhan’ killing along with his two associates in south Kashmir spawned a wave of anger and alienation across the Valley which has continued over the last 135 days. At least 94 people, mostly young boys, have been killed and several others were wounded - many of them blinded- in the street demonstrations. Life of a common man is badly hit as they were stuck between curfew and separatist-driven hartals.
''How long will this continue,'' Muzaffar asked, adjusting his white skull cap. He said killings took place in 2008, 2010 and now in 2016 and will continue if the civil society in the country remained silent. “It is everybody's responsibility especially of people who vote for BJP and Congress to help douse the fire,” he said.
In the same breath, he exuded confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to settle the Kashmir dispute in one go. “He has got a majority. He is in a position to take a bold decision. That has not happened yet but he is very much the leader who can do that.”
“Why only him, the Congress, BJP, National Conference, PDP, separatists all need to shun their stances and come together to find a solution,” he said.
The mathematics teacher expressed sadness over the burning of schools in valley. “No one knows who is burning the schools and everyone including me has condemned the acts. I don't think kids are doing it,” he said. He had a word of caution for media too. ''Media should enlighten and not put people through a tunnel,'' Muzaffar said.
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