Sena medal winner from J-K stands proud

Sena medal winner from J-K stands proud
GAURAV C. SAWANT

NEW DELHI, JAN 15: Being a soldier is doubly tough for Kazir Mohammad Bhat, a 23-year-old resident of a village near Lolab, Kupwara, in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, Chief of Army Staff General S. Padmanabhan pinned the Sena Medal for gallantry on Bhat's chest.

He has killed two terrorists in Kashmir. One from his own village and the other a Pakistani. Bhat, being a Kashmiri Muslim, feels he has to prove himself not only to the nation but also to his own comrades in arms. Not that his credentials as a soldier are ever in question but he feels he has to perform better than his comarades from other parts of the country since they all operate in J&K, his home turf.

``I feel okay but some other Kashmiri soldiers are apprehensive about going home on leave. The fear of being targetted by terrorists is there. I killed the terrorist not knowing he was from my area. But he was in wrong company and a Pakistani terrorist was killed too,'' he says.

Lolab, Kupwara was at one time considered ``liberated land'' and that is the time Bhat joined the Army.

As children when they played cops and robbers, Bhat always played the cop. While many young men took to the gun in the Valley and became terrorists, Bhat decided he wanted to be a soldier. Today, the 23-year-old stood proud as the medal was pinned on his chest.

``My mother told me that terrorists have a very short life-span. They last less than a year. We have two other villagers who are pensioners from the Army and their lifestyle is better than most others. There is free medical care for life and canteen facilities, apart from a chance to see the whole of India,'' he says as his younger brother Nazir Ahmed gazes at the medal.

Recounting the counter-insurgency operation in which he killed the two terrorists, Bhat, a rifleman with Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI), says: ``Our Echo company of 22 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) had prepared to ambush the terrorists. We had information that around 25 terrorists had sneaked in from Pakistan. Another company had killed eight terrorists earlier and these two had got separated from the rest. I tracked them,'' he adds.

The encounter lasted through the night and finally, Bhat emerged on top killing both the terrorists. Only later did he find out that one of the men was someone he knew. ``As children we had all played together. I felt bad for him but he had taken the wrong path,'' Bhat says.

But he admits it is not easy to be a Kashmiri Muslim in the Army. ``There is a fear in the back of the mind about the family. My wife, Begum Javeda Akhtar, brother, and the rest of my family are all in our village in Lolab. So far terrorists have not targeted them but the fear is there,'' he says. Though he is the only serving soldier from his village (two others are retired) he is a role model there.

``When I return home on leave, I take presents for everyone from the canteen. Little things of utility which they all like. Then I am the only one who is well travelled. I have been to Dehra Dun and have served in other parts of the country too. My wife is also going to travel with me. The Army will take care of their health and education too. Therefore I tell my friends that the army is better,'' he adds.

Bhat joined the Army during a recruitment drive in 1995. His brother Nazir, a matriculate, is waiting for the next drive. ``We have some people in our village and around who have joined the Border Security Force (BSF) and police. But we need more job opportunities,'' says Nazir, visibly impressed with the military uniform and the respect that his elder brother commands. ``Senior officers come up to him and ask him about the gallantry medal which even they do not have. They are impressed,'' an awe-struck Nazir adds.

As Bhat returns to serve with his battalion in J&K, there is hope that things would improve in the Valley and prays that his family stays safe.