Shujaat Bukhari murder during Ramzan ceasefire is an open challenge to the peace lovers by Pak sponsored terrorists

The brutal gunning down of the senior journalist, an eminent peace activist and the editor in chief of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari alongwith his two armed body guards in strife torn Kashmir yesterday proves beyond doubt that Jammu, Kashmir is not a safe haven for journalists any more. Shujaat Bukhari was one of the most reputed journalists of J&K having worked in prestigious Kashmir Times, The Hindu and thereafter starting his own newspaper The Rising Kashmir in 2008 after quitting The Hindu, spanning a jouralistic career of more than three decades.

A true champion of peace and relentless fighter working hard to resolve the vexed Kashmir imbroglio he was the target of the Pak sponsored terrorists and the ISI in particular having been attacked earlier as well, for which he was accorded the armed security of two state police guards. His brother Basharat Bukhari is the minister of Horticulture in the current PDF BJP government led by Mufti Mehbooba.

Though killings of civilians, armymen and security forces troopers including militants have become the order of the day in the strife torn Kashmir which has witnessed more than 65 thousand kilings since 1990 what’s even more worrisome and anguishing is the fact that now the representatives of the fourth estate, the scribes like Shujaat Bukhari who were really championing the peace process between Pakistan, India and the Kashmiries including the militants since a long time are also being eliminated paraticularly at a time when the state was witnessing a month long ceasefire imposed by the union government during pious festival RAMZAN, with the earnest hope to regain peoples’ confidence in the valley and acompany peace and tranquility in the extremely strife torn J & K.

But the gruesome murder of the champion of the peace who was relentlessly involved in bringing tranquility to the area suffering from core militancy since several decades resulting in heavy bloodshed has once again proved home the point that the enemy nation Pakistan, its ISI and its’ aided and abetted terror organisations like Laskare Tayyeba, Hizbul Mujahiddeen and other outfits are in no mood to reconcile giving unambiguous signals that its ready to wage a war with India or is trying to provoke us to go for a serious misadventure with it i.e. Pakistan.

The issue has now adopted serious proportions and dimensions. How long will the Indian government wait now and what for, ask the people of the country?

The militants in Jammu and Kashmir are emerging out of unknown caves clandestinely in unlimited numbers and not hesitating to kill civilians, security force personels, Army troopers and now journalists. Hundreds of thousands of young jawans have so far lost their precious lives.

However, our forces have so far killed thrice the number of militants and Pak sponsored terrorists, undoubtedly i.e more than 32 thousand militants since 1990 but they are still erupting seamlessly and continuing their killing spree. When it comes to the killings of the journalists in Jammu and Kashmir the figures are no less staggering.

Since 1990, 19 journalists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, including Bukhari.

Their deaths have been at the hands of militants, paramilitary forces, state police and the Indian armed forces.

Under the threat perception of the state, one must also not forget how much self censorship a journalist in a conflict-afflicted state like Jammu and Kashmir has to practice.

Compare this to the Committee to Protect Journalists’s numbers from across India – 27 journalists in India have been killed since 1992 for their work, and in all, over 77 journalists and media workers have been killed in India between 1992 and 2018 and several hundred injured.

Though the motive has been established in some cases, the investigation in most cases remains as just so many loose ends.

What happens ultimately ? Messages of condolenses with crocadile tears appear in newspapers and television channels from ministers, senior police officers, big wigs and those at the helm of affairs. Some financial compensation also arrives simultaneously. Even jobs to the next of the kin are granted in exceptional cases.

And finally we are again at square one after few days, ready to confront such anguishing casualties and stereotype of the same tradition of condolenses and shedding of crocadile tears. Just ask the parents who lose their loving son, wife a beloved husband, children, their affectionate bread giver father.

Would the honourable prime minister, Home minister and Defence minister guarantee peace to the citizen of strife torn Kashmir and India is a moot question for which everybody is awaiting for a suitable answer ? What’s your take friends?