Facing Militancy in Kashmir-III

 

                Facing Militancy in Kashmir-III

As we started our journey from the Airport to the General Post Office, I was praying that nothing untoward should happen. The cab driver did not follow the normal route but took a detour via Sanatnagar for reasons best known to him. On my enquiry, he informed me that there is a problem on the normal route. As we approached Sanatnagar, a large crowd had gathered there, dressed in local attire, chanting slogans of Azadi. A person clad in a pheran stopped our taxi and started questioning the driver. I was at my wits’ end, yet I mustered the courage to intervene and speak to the man directly in Kashmiri. Since I belonged to the downtown, I had the advantage of conversing like a typical Muslim. I addressed him directly, “Don’t you see how thousands of our innocent youth have been killed, and Idgah has become a big graveyard. I have brought this fellow from Delhi (pointing to K Diesh) to show him the ground reality by taking him to all the places in downtown. He represents a world news agency. Bloody local mass media do not cover the real happenings.” He was convinced and told the taxi driver to move on. I put my arm out of the window, took my air ticket and waved it wherever we encountered a policeman so that he would not stop us. The driver did not know what was happening, and perhaps it created some doubts in his mind. At Ram Bagh bridge, he suddenly stopped and informed me that he would not proceed further. I was surprised and asked him why he refused to drop us off at the destination as agreed upon. 

“Sir, I am not sure of the situation beyond this point. I am concerned about my own life,” he replied.

“Don’t you worry. I shall accompany you back and drop you here. But I have guests with me and you must move on.”

Reluctantly, he agreed to move on. The taxi reached the GPO, which was fortified and security personnel at the gate stopped the taxi driver. As they saw me, they opened the gate at once and let the taxi in. The security personnel knew that I had served in the Army and would generally address me as “Colonel Sahib”. As the cab parked inside the GPO, the security personnel around saluted me, which I reciprocated, and one of the security men cried out to the caretaker of the inspection quarter where the incoming PMG was to reside, “Darbari, Colonel Sahib has arrived, come quickly and pick up his luggage. The driver was flabbergasted on hearing this. I offered to accompany him back but he refused so much so that he even refused to take the money. But I forced him to accept the promised amount and let him go. K Diesh was settled in the inspection quarters, and he was told by the accompanying officers how I had saved everybody’s life. 

  

Facing Militancy in Kashmir-II

 

                Facing Militancy in Kashmir-II

In such turbulent times, I expected the PMG to return in a week or so, but he did not. Instead, he managed his transfer out of J&K Circle. It was winter months, fuel and thick curtains were to be provided to all post offices, besides supplying the postmen with warm clothing. Even transfers to the Ladakh Division had not been finalised. I had no time to lose. Tenders were called, and I had to reject defaulters one after the other in short periods. I received a threat to my life from one of the tenderers. On checking his bona fides, it came to be known that he was an insider from the sister Telecom department and the telephone given in the tender was an official number. I warned him of the consequences and eliminated him once and for all. Subsequently, the tenders were finalised hurriedly, and hard coke and wood were supplied to all the post offices. 

Meanwhile, a bomb blast took place in the S R Gunj P O located in a newly constructed departmental building. Some portion of the upper story was affected. I sent the report to the Directorate. I was directed to get it repaired immediately which was impossible. The concerned DDG pestered me, so I was forced to write a demi-official letter to the Secretary directly informing him about the ground reality in Kashmir, which, seemingly, he was unaware of. In Kashmir, repeated attacks were continued on the Central Government institutions, especially on post offices and banks. The banking as well as postal system got paralysed. Rumours were afloat that all these institutions were going to run away from Kashmir, and the public money was going to be swindled. Hence, all money should be transferred to J&K Bank. Curfews were imposed by the State Government and the terror outfits alternatively, resulting in a complete breakdown of the administrative and financial system. 

After some time, I received the transfer order of the PMG from the Directorate with further instructions to assume his duties without any additional remuneration. I refused to comply and shot out a letter to the concerned DDG that I shall only shoulder the additional responsibility provided I am paid honorarium for it. My letter created a great commotion in the Directorate since such a response was unknown in the bureaucratic setup. The Secretary, Posts, held a meeting of Senior Officers to discuss the situation in Kashmir. No one was willing to work in such times in the Circle. However, K Deish, a senior officer, who had earlier worked as PMG in the Circle, volunteered to look after the charge of PMG, J&K, in addition to his own as DDG, Establishment. This was approved. I received a phone call from him with instructions to come to Jammu to receive him. It was very difficult to move around that too unescorted. The State Government had been very choosy in providing security guards to the Officers posted in Kashmir. Somehow, I managed to reach Jammu along with R K Ganjoo, ASP Vigilance. K Deish called us and PA to SSP JT and instructed him to take down his dictation, which in short meant to decentralise all the powers of the PMG to the Director, including the financial and disciplinary powers which was a surprise to me. I objected by saying, “Sir, I hope you know why you are here? You are here because I refused to do any additional duty without extra remuneration. What are you aiming at, Sir, the same thing in a different manner? Sir, I shall do my duty only and your files will be stacked on your table in Srinagar.”

“Deepak, what are you saying. I believe in grooming young officers to shoulder higher jobs efficiently. Your predecessor used to do it.”

“Sir, I am aware of it. My predecessor may have some personal interest in doing so. I have none. I came here with a suitcase and two steel trunks of baggage and shall go with the same. You are free to check with me on that day. Incidentally, I was told that you had hardly signed four to five files during your entire tenure.”

“Who told you that?”

“Sir, the whole Circle Office was saying.”

“OK. Do you have any files to sign right now?”

“Yes Sir.”

I told my Inspector Vigilance to produce all five files before him, four of which he signed instantly while standing. Suddenly, he realised he may be taken for granted, so he raised some objections in one file to stamp his authority. Surprisingly, the said file had a nil report to be sent to the Directorate. 

He asked for his move to Srinagar as soon as possible. Air Tickets were arranged, and the next day we flew to Srinagar. I had asked our office in Srinagar to arrange to send the PMG’s vehicle to the airport at the right time. But due to some miscommunication, the vehicle had not arrived. It was already 2 pm. The Airport would be closed after some time. There were no mobiles, and being a Sunday, the Airport Post Office was closed. I was at a loss to know how to react given the situation prevailing at the time. I called for a taxi to drop us at the GPO Srinagar. Payment was negotiated, and K Diesh, A N Raina, SSRM JT and R K Ganjoo ASP Vigilance took their respective seats in the ambassador. K Diesh sat between ASP Vig and me in the back seat. … to be continued.

Facing Militancy in Kashmir-I

Facing Militancy in Kashmir-I

After my discharge from the Army Postal Service, I was posted to Kashmir as Director of Postal Services in the Circle Office, Srinagar, in 1988. I had long yearned to go back to my own state and help improve its postal services, especially the conditions of the post offices. I had earlier attempted to do so during my tenure as Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Kashmir Division. Unfortunately, my tenure was cut short due to differences with the then Director, who was officiating as Postmaster General of J&K Circle. This will be related separately. 

Many positive things happened initially. I was eager to get admission for my children to Burn Hall School, Srinagar. I initiated the process from Mathura itself, where I was working as an ADAPS in the Army Postal Service in the rank of Lt. Col. I sent an application to the Principal of the School, giving details about the children and the parents, both of whom were highly qualified. My work in the Army was obvious. On reaching Srinagar, I sent an Inspector of Post Offices to meet the Principal and manage the admission of my children, with reference to my letter sent from Mathura. I purposely avoided going myself as I was aware of the long queue for admission, especially for local influential people. Accordingly, I advised the Inspector to prevent my meeting with the Principal before the admissions. He did this and was successful, as he told the Principal that I had gone on a long tour to check the post offices in remote areas. The admission was granted, and my children went to the school regularly. After a few days, both my wife and I met the Principal. He came to know that my wife was not employed and had served in some missionary schools, so he offered her a job teaching Hindi to the secondary classes. I was overjoyed at the developments. 

Another good thing happened simultaneously. I started constructing a house on a 1.2 kanal vacant plot in Baghe-e-Mehtab, which I had purchased through my father, who unfortunately died in 1986. There were a few trees of delicious apples and scented plums in the plot. For construction purposes, there is no contractual system in Kashmir. By a stroke of luck, I employed a mason, who was sincere and did all the work in my absence. The Carpenter employed was living adjacent to my said house. I drew the architectural plan of the house myself, though a minor modification was suggested by the Departmental Architect, which was accepted. The construction started in 1989. 

With everything moving smoothly, I resolved to stay in Srinagar for a long period and ensure the completion of the education of my children there. But that was not to be. I was reminded of a proverb, Man proposes, and God disposes. In 1989, the bugle of militancy was blown through sporadic incidents of bomb blasts, exchange of fire, attacks on police posts, killing of people branded informers, targeting Kashmiri Pandits, which gradually became more defined and a daily routine. No day would pass by without a few incidents. Earlier in 1987, an election was rigged in J&K by the then CM, Farooq Abdullah, which had forced some MUF leaders to cross over to POK and create an organisational network there. In 1989, Rubaiya Syeed, the daughter of Mufti Syed, the then Home Minister in the Centre, was kidnapped by JKLF militants, and five terrorists were released in exchange, which emboldened the militants to intensify their activities in the valley and some peripheral areas like Poonch, Rajouri and Doda. The released terrorists created an organisational network in the valley, supported by ISI and the Pakistan Army. Young people were lured from Kashmir, crossed the LOC, and were trained in warfare in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the latter by the Taliban. On completion of their training, they returned to the valley accompanied by the mercenaries from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Islamic countries. A few postal officials also absented from their duties, crossed the LOC and received proper military training. On their return, they surrendered and were rehabilitated by my successors. They revealed some dreadful details of their training. Many post offices, about sixty-five in number, were bombed, burnt or ransacked and their records destroyed. Thankfully, there were no casualties. The Kashmiri Pandit staff in all the post offices had already fled from Kashmir. 

Mr Ved Kumar was the Post Master General at the time. He was living alone, and his family was in Delhi. His blood sugar level suddenly dropped, and he went to Sheri Kashmir Medical Institute for consultation. This happened in my absence, and later, when I came to know about this, I was furious. The Institute was reportedly a den of militants, and he could have been a prized catch for them. Fortunately, he returned safely. Meanwhile, I had instructed APMG Staff to advise him to take the next flight to Delhi and consult a specialist. Accordingly, he agreed and, without losing time, went to Delhi. I was thus left alone to face the situation in Kashmir in the cold winter of 1989. … to be continued.