SRINAGAR: July 17: An uncanny silence fills the air as Zoona Begum wipes the picture of her slain husband. A flashback of 24 years of trauma and suffering plays in her mind. Eyes well up with tears, and sobs rent the air. For Zoona, the brutal killing of her husband, Hakim Habibullah Beigh, is a festering wound that has not been healed.
It was in 2001 when Habibullah, a pharmacist by profession, was abducted by three armed terrorists from his medical shop at Kakroosa, Vilgam in Kupwara district. He was taken to the nearby jungle and was pumped with 80 bullets.
Zoona was left to nurse four children. With no income, she started begging to support her kids. “Only God knows how much I suffered. Nobody came to our rescue. I had nothing. I went to people, seeking alms to support my kids. Some were giving me rice, some were giving me money. I cannot forget the trauma. I still shudder when I recall my struggle,” Zoona said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Zoona is not an isolated case. From north to south, hundreds of people were gunned down by terrorists across Kashmir. In some cases, even an FIR was not registered, not to mention an investigation. Victims were left to fend for themselves. Even pro-India political parties turned their back on these victims of terrorism.
Sample this: Shakeela shudders with fear when she recalls the day her husband, Muhammad Akbar Khan, was killed in cold blood in her kitchen in 1998. Khan had a seven-month-old baby in his lap when terrorists entered and shot him dead in front of his family members. “Before killing him, they looted cash, jewelry, and other costly items,” she said.
Shakeela had married at her young age and gave birth to three kids. The youngest was seven months old. “It was January 26, and we were in the kitchen. It was Iftar time when heavily armed men stormed our home. It was a horrific scene. Blood spattered everywhere,” she breathes heavily as she narrates her ordeal.
Everyone forgot her after the incident. Nobody came forward to help her. She had to beg to raise her kids. “I was given Rs one lakh relief, which I used to reconstruct my house because it was damaged in the firing. Since then, nobody has come forward to help. Only God knows how I raised my kids. Even I begged,” she said.
Enter Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. He has become the first leader to take up the issue of the victims of terror. These victims were treated as pariahs. But not anymore, as LG Sinha has taken it upon himself to deliver justice to the victims of terror.
“LG Sahab is the first leader who has championed our cause. We have so many political parties and governments, but none thought about us. None felt our pain. Only LG Sahab came forward and assured us. From the bottom of our hearts, we are thankful to him,” said Javaid Beigh, son of slain Habibullah Beigh.
On his part, the Lieutenant Governor has resolved to ensure justice for terror victim families. He said those responsible for their sufferings will be held accountable.
“We are honoring and delivering justice to the real terror victims of the Kashmir valley. I recently met terror victim families in Anantnag. SRO-43 was compromised in the past. Instead of those who are entitled to jobs, the killers were granted jobs under SRO-43. Whoever misused the SRO-43 will face the action,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
LG Sinha said many families had not received financial aid or employment due to procedural delays.
“40 terror-affected individuals received government jobs. We are now processing pending financial assistance cases, helping people file FIRs, and supporting self-employment through entrepreneurship,” he said.