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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Lionising cowardice

By Murtaza Shibli
May 27, 2017

Fifth column

India has a new hero, rather a ‘war hero’. Major Leetul Gogoi, an army major serving in Kashmir, is receiving heaps of praise from the Hindu far right that is now the new mainstream of India.

This convention consists of serving army generals – their retired ilk with grey bushy moustaches and a lot of time at hand – a plethora of venom-spewing motor mouth television news anchors who claim to represent the nation’s conscience at the dinner table while simultaneously keeping it in check for any possible aberrations, journalists who support their army in their opinion pieces that are often ghost-written for them by their intelligence agencies to manufacture public consent, film and television actors who are either out of work or need to promote their new work to gain public’s attention and replenish their dwindling stock of liquid assets, and of course politicians who always require votes or need to perpetuate power.

The great Indian conveyor belt news industry of hate and the Hindutva nationalist turpitude has turned Major Gogoi into an honourable legend that everyone – from politicians to the army generals – are falling for. It is astonishing to note that he achieved this dubious honour of bravery against a helpless Kashmiri civilian.

On April 9, Major Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles was on patrol in the Budgam district in central Kashmir. He seized an unarmed civilian – 26-year old Farooq Ahmed Dar – a shawl-weaver by profession, who was on his way to attend a funeral. In Isis-style savagery, Gogoi assaulted Dar, strapped him to an army vehicle, purportedly as a shield from what he claims was a mob of protestors and paraded him through a dozen villages for about 30 kilometres. Dar, who is deeply traumatised and is on medication since the ordeal, told journalists that during this nightmare he pleaded for some water from the Indian Army. “But they didn’t give me any. Have water at home, not here, they said”.

This is not the first time that the Indian Army has used Kashmiris as human shields. Since 1947, such practice has been commonly employed against the Muslim population, more so after 1990 when the popular pro-freedom resistance gained ground. There are hundreds of stories of the Indian Army kidnapping men, women and children – often whole families – as human shields while fighting militants or clearing areas suspected of harbouring land mines. Engineer Rashid, a pro-India legislator at the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has publicly claimed that the Indian Army used people in his village as human shields and engaged them in forced labour for several years.

What made Major Gogoi’s exploits unique was that it was captured on a cell phone camera and then widely circulated till it made to the news channels. The former Indian Army chief, General VP Malik, responding to the Major Gogoi incident tweeted: “this was [a] one-off episode”. In response, Fouad Farooq, a Kashmiri from Srinagar, responded: “[The] Indian Army using human shields in Kashmir is not a one-off episode. The incident was videographed [and that] was a one-off episode”.

Major Gogoi’s ‘human shield bravery’ is unique for the Indian Army has not only defended him but also publicly commended his behaviour. Earlier this week, Major Gogoi was honoured by Chief of the Indian Army General Bipin Rawat with a ‘Commendation Card’ for his “sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations”. The ‘Commendation Card’ is considered a prestigious award given for distinguished services and devotion to duty. While an unnamed former general told an Indian news website that the award was “more of a facade, to keep in tune with the jingoistic mood of the nation rather than to recognise him for military action”, former army chief, NC Vij, complimented “the army chief for the award, to make sure that young officers do not feel discouraged to do their duty”. In a further twist, Rawat was reported to have exonerated Major Gogoi’s crimes before the inquiry even concludes. Rawat was quoted as having said that he had learnt Major Gogoi hasn’t committed any offence. Reacting to the Indian Army chief’s claims, Farooq Ahmed Dar, the man who was turned into a human shield told CNS, a Kashmiri news agency, “There are thousands of people in Kashmir Valley who roam from pillar to post in search of justice. Like any other Kashmiri I too have no faith in the justice system here”.

Rawat’s public defence for Gogoi was followed by Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitely saying: “Army officers are free to take decisions in a war-like zone”. According to the Indian news agency, PTI News, Jaitley’s “comments appeared to justify Major Gogoi’s action in tying a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters”.

Postscript: Responding to Major Gogoi’s award, Mir Laieeq, a dermatologist from Srinagar, wrote on his Facebook: “Armies don’t usually publicise their war crimes, much less defend their inhuman practices. When they do so, that is a certain sign of resignation, failure and impending departure. This is the real story of [the] Indian Army in Kashmir. It has been defeated in Kashmir, hollowed out and reduced to a mere skeleton which can create dread but can’t win the war. It is just a matter of time before they will have to pack their bags and leave”.

Hilal Mir, a senior editor at the leading daily ‘Greater Kashmir,’ commented: “When a 1.2-million strong army rewards cowardice, it already stands defeated”.

Appendage: There is more to Major Gogoi’s ‘bravery’ beyond his capacity to turn hapless Kashmiri civilians into human shields. Gogoi stole the mobile phone of Farooq Ahmed Dar, the shawl-weaver-turned-human shield. Reacting to the news of Gogoi being awarded by his army chief for his services, Dar wanted the army major to return his Micromax (an Indian brand) mobile phone that he snatched from him on April 9.

 

There is no word from the Indian Army or the Indian news channels on Major Gogoi’s thievery.

Twitter: @murtaza_shibli