By Waheed Yaseen,Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Decked up in a traditional pheran, Parveena Akhtar, 30, is back to her home tired, not short of tears though, after making yet another ‘futile’ visit to the Budgam office of Central Intelligence Department (CID). A mother of four, Parveena is a regular visitor to the different government offices and the residence of a local Minister for last one month or so, to press the release of her husband.
Booking of her husband, Abdur Rehman Rather, 35, by the state police under the public Safety Act has changed her life from a housewife to someone who has to shuttle from one office to another to get Rehman released. But every passing day lessens her hope.
Rehman, a resident of Dardpora village of Central Kashmir Budgam district, according to his family, couldn’t control his emotions after hearing to the news of Quran desecration in America on 13th September, and joined the procession and arrested by the police at Humhama.
“All of us protested that day against the desecration of holy Quran. We are an apolitical family. My husband track record over the years has been good. He has never taken part in the protests. It was for the first time because it hurt our religious sentiments,” Parveena tells Agence India Press while struggling to complete the sentence as tears continue to roll down off her cheeks.
After 12 day stay in Joint Interrogation Center, Budgam Rehman was shifted to Kotbilwal Jammu Jail on 25th September. And that was the last time Parveena had a glimpse of Rehman.
Last 40 days have been no less than ‘hellish’ for Rathers.
Parveena gathers some poise while explaining tough time she and her four children had to go through, “I went to Agha Ruhhullah (MLA and minister in Omar-led coalition), DC sahib and many officers in the police department; all promised me his (Rehman) release but nothing has happened thus far. In fact my husband has been slapped with PSA. We haven’t enough to pay some top lawyer for pleading our case.”
Youngest of the Rehman children, Abrar (5 years) has developed a heart problem after learning about his ‘Papa’s’ arrest and takes meals after convinced that Rehman would be back soon.
Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1967, enables authorities to hold a person without charge or a trail for up to two years on the professed presumptions that a person can be a deterrent to the security of the state. Act has come under a lot of criticism with various human right groups working in Kashmir terming it as a ‘threat to human rights’ and have, over the years, pressed for review of the act.
After an armed struggle broke out in the Valley against the Indian ‘occupation’ thousands of Kashmiris have been booked under the act and most of them, many believe, haven’t had a fair trial.
Under the act thousands of Kashmiris have been booked.
A police Dossier accuses Rehman of creating law and order problem in Budgam and adjoining areas.
“The subject is a close associate of Syed Imtiyaz Hyder, an activist of Hurriyat (G), and is always playing the lead role during the pelting,” it says.
Rehman’s elder son Arif Rather, chips in to rebut police claims.
“None of our family member has seen Syed Imtiyaz. We have no links with him. Police is trying to implicate my father something that he hasn’t done,” says Arif who has doing some daily-wage work to feed his family in his father’s absence.
Rathers aren’t only one in Dardpora to have their breadwinner bread winner slapped under PSA.
Hardly ten meters away from Rehman’s is his sister’s home that tells the same story.
Her 22 year old son, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, an auto Driver, was also booked under same act on the same ‘fateful’ day.
Dars and Rathers belong to a list of 332 families (government claims) whose family members have been booked under PSA from January this year to the first week of October.
Out of 332 persons, most of the bookings have come in last four months of turmoil as protests and stone-pelting incidents have picked up the pace during this tumultuous period.
While Syed Ali Shah led Hurriyat has started “Quit Kashmir” movement against ‘Indian occupation’ in the state, authorities have come hard on the stone throwers by booking them under various acts.
For Parveena and many others the struggle to get their relatives released has just begun.