Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: The last time 58-year-old Zareefa Begum spoke to her son, Manzoor Ahmad Kumar, was on February 12, 2013. He had called to inquire about her health and promised to return home the following week. Since then, she has been waiting.
“It has been 12 long years, I have not seen my son,” she said in her frail voice, which is almost a whisper.
A resident of Dardhaji village in North Kashmir’s Handwara, Manzoor had travelled to Amritsar in Punjab, as he did every winter, to sell shawls. He was not alone. He had gone there with cousins and other men from the village to earn a living.
But on February 19 that year, he vanished.
“We would split up and sell shawls in different areas. He went to another locality. Everyone had returned by evening, except him,” said his roommate Waseem Ahmad Mir.
The next day, Mir and others searched the area, asked around and knocked on doors, but there was no trace of Manzoor.
They reported his disappearance to the police station in Ajnala, Amritsar, and joined the police in their search. But even with all efforts, he was never found.
‘Longing for My Son’
Back in Kashmir, anxiety surrounded the family. Days passed without word.
“Nobody was telling us what actually happened,” said Manzoor’s brother Tanveer Ahmad Kumar.
Soon, relatives travelled to Punjab to help search. For more than five months, they combed through streets, shelters, hospitals and all other places they could think of.
“We thought we would get him. But it has been more than 12 years,” said Waseem.
With no answers, 12 years have passed – waiting, searching and hoping. The family has not found even a trace. Their grief continues to lingering and remain unanswered.
“There has not been a single day I have not longed for my son. My eyes have run dry from crying,” said Zareefa, with her voice chocking.
The family approached the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (JKSHRC), but it was dissolved following the abrogation of Article 370. The case was then transferred to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Dead or Alive?
Despite repeated appeals, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have allegedly shown little urgency. On July 15 this year, the NHRC issued a final notice to the J&K Police over their prolonged inaction.
The NHRC had initially directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Handwara, to file a detailed report by January 17, 2024. When only a routine forwarding letter came in response, a reminder was issued on November 6, last year. With the case still stagnant, the NHRC has now set a final four-week deadline.
The Commission has warned that failure to comply may lead to coercive action under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, including summoning the authorities in person.
A Family ‘Left in the Dark’
Rasikh Rasool Bhat, a rights activist representing Manzoor’s family at the NHRC, said the kins have exhausted every option.
“They have been moving from pillar to post to know the whereabouts of their kin, but there is no answer,” he said.
Rasikh said the case was nearing its conclusion when Article 370 was abrogated.
“The state human rights commission had summoned the chief secretary of J&K in person. He was supposed to appear before it, but then this thing (the abrogation) happened,” he said.
The activist also raised concerns about transparency.
“Neither the Punjab Police nor the J&K Police has informed the victim’s family whether an FIR has even been registered,” he alleged.
Multiple calls made by TwoCircles.net to the Punjab Police for clarification went unanswered. The story will be updated once a response is received.
Despite all this, Rasikh holds onto hope.
“As the matter pertains to two different places (Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab), the NHRC is the most appropriate body to deliver justice,” he said.
Waiting for Closure
More than 600 human rights cases were pending before the J&K Human Rights Commission when it was disbanded in 2019. Since then, victims and their families have had no reliable platform to seek justice.
In June this year, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah announced the creation of a temporary human rights body to function until statehood is restored.
Manzoor had elderly parents and a daughter who was born only 15 days after he disappeared. His wife waited for years before remarrying, leaving their daughter in the care of her in-laws.
“His daughter is now 12 years old. She has not seen her father. Her mother also left her with us,” said Zareefa.
She has 14 children, including Manzoor. Her husband, a farmer, struggles to support the family. They live in a single-story wooden house, burdened by poverty and grief.
Time has not brought acceptance for her. Only more questions.
“All I want is to know what happened to my son. Is he dead or alive?” she said.
These questions have tormented her for 12 years. But she still holds on to hope.
“Even if he is no longer alive, I only want his grave nearby – somewhere I can sit, touch the soil and feel close to him,” she broke down.
Until then, the door of their wooden home remains slightly ajar as if Manzoor might still return, keeping the promise he made 12 years ago.
