Burhan Wani cult – genuine or orchestrated -Governance Now

Burhan Wani cult – genuine or orchestrated

In Wani’s death, the Hurriyat was able to whip up passions and bring Kashmir to a standstill for nearly five months

Aasha Khosa | July 8, 2017 | New Delhi

#Mirwaiz Umer Farooq #Syed Ali Shah Geelani #army #terrorism #Burhan Wani #Kashmir

Stone pelting in Kashmir in 2016 (Photo: Arun Kumar)

Is Burhan Wani a real hero for many people in Kashmir or the separatists’ and their masters in Pakistan are using his image to lure more local youth into terrorism to sustain the political campaign for ‘azadi’?

Wani was killed on July 8 last year by the army in a precise raid in south Kashmir, months after he had posted his picture along with others of his gang on social media and dared the troops to lay their hands on them. The army has since killed all those who had been part of Wani’s team with the exception of one who opted to surrender.

Read: Why Kashmir is angry again

The Hurriyat Conference leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have asked the people to march to Tral, Wani’s hometown where he was laid to rest last year in front of thousands of mourners. The government has imposed restrictions on the movement and suspended Internet services to prevent the glorification of a terrorist.

What makes Wani stand apart from other Kashmiri terrorists? He was the first to use social media openly and that made him popular with the younger generation. His Rambo-style pictures on the social media and later his death had attracted scores of local youth to the insurgency.

More importantly, in Wani’s death, the Hurriyat was able to whip up passions and bring Kashmir to a standstill for nearly five months. It helped them revive the local insurgency at least in south Kashmir. This is a good reason for its leaders to keep harping on Burhan as a ‘hero’.

However, on his death anniversary, there are murmurs of protests from Kashmiris on social media about deliberate attempts to lionise a terrorist as their hero. A Kashmiri has reminded netizens on Facebook that while praising terrorists like Wani they should also remember the innocent Muslims like Prof Mushir-ul-Haq, then vice chancellor of Kashmir University, who abducted and killed by terrorists.

Others have apparently shown only a lukewarm response to Geelani’s call for Tral Chalo. The buzz on the social networking sites for Wani is also not much, though it could also be attributed to the clampdown on internet in Kashmir.

Comments

Other News

India is crossing a climate threshold

On June 28, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.3°C, four degrees above the seasonal normal. But the “feels like” temperature, which factors in humidity, showed more than 51°C. What the body experienced was very different from what the thermometer recorded. India`

The Geography of India’s inflation

India today finds itself in an unusual position. At a time when geopolitical conflicts, trade fragmentation, and supply-chain disruptions are reshaping the global economy, the country`s macroeconomic fundamentals remain relatively upwards. Growth remains among the highest in the world, inflation has larg

How to listen to the great storytellers that the trees are

The Trees of My Country: A Natural History of India in 50 Trees By T. R. Shankar Raman, with illustrations by Manali Patil Aleph Book Company, 284 pages, Rs 1,499

This tree in Bihar turns out to be the oldest accurately dated banyan

A banyan tree in Munger, Bihar, estimated to be around 700 years old, has been identified as the oldest accurately dated banyan tree, Ficus benghalensis, using radiocarbon dating, a method that relies exclusively on scientific evidence rather than historical records or local lore. Banyan

Corporate Governance 3.0: What the boardroom of 2030 will look like

The phrase "corporate governance" often evokes images of board meetings, compliance checklists, and regulatory filings. For years, governance was viewed primarily as a mechanism to prevent fraud, protect minority shareholders, and ensure regulatory compliance. However, the events of the last deca

India, Japan open "a new chapter in special strategic and global partnership"

India and Japan are opening a new chapter in their special strategic and global partnership with the visit of prime minister Sanae Takaichi, India`s prime minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, "I had said in the G7 summit a few days ago that, in this environment of