The Son of a Militant is Not Necessarily a Militant

After reading and writing gloomy analysis on the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the official apathy towards it, I came across something different this morning. For a change the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has acted sensibly and C.M. Omar Abdullah has adopted a progressive stand. No, this is not about AFSPA. It’s about a common Kashmiri, Basharat Bashir Baba’s dream. The only difference is that Bashir Baba’s father was involved in militant activities. Omar Abdullah’s gesture has prevented one more Kashmiri youth from joining the gang of militants.
In a report carried by The Statesman, Bashir Baba’s ordeal and this rare respite was narrated. The teenaged footballer was one of three selected from a group of 300 for professional exposure and training in Spain and Brazil (where the game is played at a very high level) under a programme run by an Argentine coach, Juan Marcos Troia. He had waited for over a year for a passport to be issued to him, even moved the High Court against his being denied travel documents because his father had been involved in militant activity, but no redress came his way. But when Omar’s attention was drawn to a media report on Basharat’s being blocked, he dribbled with the craft of a Ronaldo and hit the net with the power of a Rooney. Taking the bold line that a son could not be made to suffer for what his father had done, he directed the red-tape be cut and the passport delivered pronto.
Though Bashir Baba is on his way to pursue his dreams the common practice of denying passports to relatives of suspects and militants in J&K needs to be re-considered. The Government can’t remain can active stimulus in swelling the militant ranks through supporting practices.