Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)
What Is JKLF?
JKLF was founded in June 1976 by Amanullah Khan and Maqbool Bhat is credited as co-founder. It is a separatist organization active in both Indian-administered and Pakistani-administered territories of Kashmir. A militant wing of the Azad Kashmir Plebiscite Front organization changed its name to Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front in Birmingham on 29 May 1977.
For what it was made? Well, this is not confusing at all. The founder and Yasin Malik, the main leader of JKLF claimed that this organization stands for full Independent Jammu and Kashmir from India, they want to separate it and make a separate nation. Because they think such people who live in Jammu and Kashmir do not have their full rights and are being persecuted. Yasin also said, “You must have read about me and my organization. We don’t want accession with either India or Pakistan. We just want an independent Jammu Kashmir”.
Motive Behind Formation Of JKLF
According to their website, it was established for the reunification and complete independence of Kashmir, which was divided in 1948.
- They say the issue of Kashmir is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, it is a question for many people.
- If seen, their motive is not wrong actually. And it sounds good to hear about it, that yeah they are struggling for welfare for many people. But this thing they said but didn’t. They did something else, why did the Indian government ban JKLF?
- (JKLF started political activities and continued until the end of 1987. After the election the youth started taking up arms in Kashmir valley and started coming towards Azad Kashmir for the training of fighters and weapons.)
- Separatists were people who wanted to divide Jammu and Kashmir from India. Not only JKLF there are many other organizations actively working to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India or make the independent Jammu and Kashmir. Like,
1. Hizbul Mujahideen:-
- Favors Pakistan, and wants to merge Kashmir with Pakistan.
2. APHC (All Parties Hurriyat Conference):-
- Their motive is to solve the problem with communication, not violence. Some officials of the High Commission of Pakistan were supporting Hurriyat to separate Kashmir.
- The Indian government banned this JKLF organization and why that’s such a controversial topic. It was involved in illegal activities and encouraged terrorism. Let’s discuss this in detail.
Some Blame On JKLF, Why It Was Banned In 2019
Four IAF (Indian Air Force) officers were martyred in the 1990 attack, and it was directly accused by JKLF.
A daughter of a former home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, named Rubaiya Sayeed was kidnapped in 1989. JKLF telephoned the local newspaper Kashmir times, to release four terrorists from Indian prison instead they will leave her. Then Rubaiya Sayeed was set free after the government released four jailed militants. After this incident terrorism expanded more.
The High Commission of Pakistan was supporting Hurriyat also to separate Kashmir.
JKLf was funded by Pakistan and by this wealth they used stone pelting in Kashmir. Pakistan used to invite them.
JKLF used to brainwash the people and let them run in the way of terror.
A total of 37 FIRs were recorded against the JKLF.
In a sting operation of an India Today news channel, the word JKLF took money from Pakistan to cause unrest in the Kashmir valley, stone-pelting on security forces, burning schools, damaging public property, and waging war against India.
And the big blame on JKLF is the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. Let’s discuss it in detail. Before we get on the topic, I would like to discuss the meaning of the exodus. Exodus means many people leave their home, village, or place at the same time, a mass departure of people. So why the night of 19 January 1990 is called The Night of Terror?
There is no one specific reason behind this incident, it’s a huge mystery.
Kashmiri Pandits were the only Hindu peoples living in Jammu and Kashmir because after Muslim rule was established in India during the 13th to 15th centuries, the Muslim population was more than the Hindus in J&K. And some people were trying to make Jammu and Kashmir a state of only Muslim’s.
Kashmiri Pandits were minorities but if we see the educational field, most of them were in the top posts of government. In short, these people were well educated and those are not Muslims.
Ghulam Mohammad Shah wanted to build a mosque on a Hindu compound. But why only on the Hindu compound? He could choose another place. Couldn’t he?
G.M. Shah’s mentality was to hold the post of CM, he didn’t want to leave the CM post and he was expecting that people only win them. And we know people never understand easily, so he made the political matter into a religious matter. Kashmiri Pandits were minorities in Jammu and Kashmir. The majority were Muslims. So, to get many votes from Muslim people, they do that. And he was successful to some limits when governor Jagmohan dismissed him following the communal 1986 Anantnag Riots in Kashmir, the feeling of hate emerged and the discrimination between Hindus and Muslims began to grow more and more.
That Hindu people means Kashmiri Pandits always opposed those political parties, peoples, and organizations that’s why they became the main target of terrorists. And those organizations just like JKLF, who were struggling to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India, got a big weapon. When Yasin Malik became the chairman of JKLF. Hamid Sheikh, Ashfaq Wani, Javed Amir, and Yasin Malik review JKLF. JKLF provoked the people of the valley to take arms.
Fundamentalism, the fierce debate had begun in Kashmir. Most of the social places were under the terrorists. Separatists started shouting, “इस्लाम ख़तरे में है (Islam is in danger)”.
JKLF gave the message to Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Kashmir valley. And they started teasing and killing Kashmiri Pandits. A president of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and a lawyer Tika Lal Taploo was killed on 14 September 1989 and Neelkanth Ganjoo who hanged Maqbool was also killed on 4 November 1989. And the JKLF was charged with these murders.
- And now let’s get back to the topic The Night of Terror. What happened that night?
It was the first time after the independence of India from the Britishers, that people had to suffer from displacement. They had to go to another place even if they didn’t want to.
Jawahar tunnel connects Jammu to Kashmir. A large number of people transfer from Kashmir to Jammu. Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their houses.
JKLF was promoting only Raliv, Galiv, or Chaliv. Mean join us, get killed, or run away. They started attacking Kashmiri Pandits.
That night, the lights of Kashmiri Pandit’s houses were off. Only Mosques were brightening, and they were announcing to leave Kashmir or the result will be very bad. All Kashmiri Pandits were very worried and afraid.
Terrorists started hitting and getting out of them their homes. Kashmiri Pandits started leaving everything, their houses, and bungalows, they ran away with their family and wife, and children to escape from the Kashmir Valley.
According to the reports and research, more than 400 people were killed. And on the night of 19 January 1990, 1.5 lakh to 4 lakh people, and some reports also say about 2 lakh people left the Kashmir valley. Went to Jammu, Delhi, and many other cities to save their lives, family members, and children. Many people left Kashmir valley in the exodus of 1990 but some people are still teased by terrorists. Even today those people want to go back home, they have been waiting for more than 30 years but their wait is not over today. Even today many Kashmiri pandits are struggling in refugee camps and of course, JKLF was directly connected with it.
- So these are some available things, but there are more than that which we do not have. JKLF was banned by the Indian Government under an anti-terror law passed in 2019 after the Pulwama attack.
Bitta Karate
- Farooq Ahmed Dar was born on 1st January 1973 in Guru Bazar of Srinagar. He was also known as Bitta Karate. During this time, Gulam Mohammad Shah became chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir with the help of Congress. Who resorted to communalism. He was trying to build a mosque on a Hindu compound.
Then communal riots happened because of communalism. And the division between Hindus and Muslims became the worst thing. And Gulam’s government was removed.
Because of dissatisfaction, JKLF started sending Kashmiri Muslims to POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) for training. And Bitta Karate was one of them.
There Bitta Karate was properly brainwashed and trained for 32 days and then he started doing militant activities for JKLF. When Ashfaq Majeed Wani was the chief commander of JKLF.
Brainwash affected Bitta Karate very badly, he had started killing people who had his identity. Its best example is that he killed Satish Kumar Tikku on 2nd Feb 1990 when he was only 17 years old.
In 1988-89, separatist activities were progressing very badly in Jammu-Kashmir.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was trying to merge Kashmir with Pakistan by Islamic Fundamentalism.
And Kashmiri Pandits were the main target of their anti-India activities.
Bitta Karate started wandering with AK-47 and making people in awe. He had gone so far that he was considered Yasin Malik. In short, he was a wandering AK-47 himself.
But in 1990, Bitta Karate was arrested by BSF under Public Safety Act.
In an interview, he accepts that he killed 20 Kashmiri Pandits, and said it had he been ordered to kill his mother or brother, he would have been killed. He agreed to kill 20 Kashmiri Pandits but in reality, he killed more than 40 Kashmiri pandits. And that’s why he is called The Butcher of Kashmiri Pandit.
After living in Indian prisons like District Jail Kathua, and Central Jail Jodhpur for 16 years, he promised to put weapons. On 23 Oct 2006, he was released because of some reasons. Some separatists congratulated him but the Kashmiri Pandits were so sad.
And when the media asked him about killing people, he replied he was compelled by police and the army to say that, which means he didn’t accept he was the killer of Kashmiri Pandits. He rejoined JKLF and married Assbah Arzoomand Khan in 2011.
In an interview with India Today, he claimed that he wanted to separate Kashmir from India and Pakistan.
During an investigation, some invitation letters from Pakistan were found in the house of Bitta karate and he was caught accepting the Pakistan funds.
Yasin Malik
Yasin Malik is the most wanted terrorist; the NIA court punished him with life imprisonment. Why? Let’s see.
Yasin Malik was born on 3rd April 1966 in the area of Srinagar. His father was a driver of a government bus, in fact, he was nearly a poor man but after some time he was founded with much wealth. Even his family lives in foreign. He was a student at the school of Srinagar and Pratap college.
In the decade 1980, he chooses the way of terror. His name came out for the first time in a jumble of 1983’s match between India and the West Indies.
Yasin Malik was exposed in the protest after the decision to hang Maqbool Bhat.
In 1989 and 1990, the contribution of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley goes to Yasin Malik. His organization chanted the slogans of independent Kashmir, and this thing was liked by Pakistan very much and it used to help and support them very well. Because Pakistan already wanted Kashmir to be separate from India. And JKLF was funded by Pakistan for terror attacks and stone-pelting in Kashmir. JKLF attacked even Muslims who were the patriots of India.
He was arrested in August 1990, by security forces and remained in jail till May 1994.
Some Kashmiri Pandits claimed that the people who were with JKLF and terrorists were very shocked after the punishment of Yasin Malik. Because he was like a hero to them. When he came out of jail he chose the way of a separatist. Once he says that I have left the separatist and terror works but just like the tail of a dog which is never straight, he never improved and put the terror works.
National Investigation Agency claimed it had established through investigation that Malik was involved in terrorist and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir. There are 65 cases reported against Malik.
And just before some time, Yasin Malik got life imprisonment.
Why Has He Been Awarded Life Imprisonment, Not For The Death Penalty?
- The court has no proper proof which proves Yasin Malik is the killer of Kashmiri Pandits. Malik has been sentenced as follows:
- Section 120B of IPC: Imprisonment of 10 years and 10,000 fine
- Section 121 of IPC: Imprisonment for life
- Section 121A of IPC: Imprisonment of 10 years and 10,000 fine
- Section 18 of UAPA: Imprisonment of 10 years and 10,000 fine
- Section 20 of UAPA: Imprisonment of 10 years and 10,000 fine
- Section 38 and 39 of UAPA: Imprisonment of 5 years and 5,000 fine
- Section 17 of UAPA: Imprisonment for life fine of 10 lakh
- The judge provided sufficient time for Malik to consider his plea and a chance to have legal advice. Court asked him to rethink his plea, but he said that he had made a good decision.
- And one thing you’ll love to know is that Mehbooba Mufti who is an Indian politician, was against the Hanging of Yasin Malik, and you’ll also love to know that Mehbooba Mufti is a sibling of Rubaiya Sayeed. But why? We know Yasin Malik was such a hero for many people in Kashmir, and this madam used to support him because if she wouldn’t, she could have lost a lot of votes from people. But she did it for people for whom Yasin was a hero, though she is also supporting Yasin. Otherwise, why would someone stop his sister’s kidnapper from going to jail? And you know what she said? That punishment and hanging have happened before but the issue is not resolved. We should communicate. This is the reality of politicians.
Some Facts About JKLF, Yasin Malik, And The Exodus Of Kashmiri Pandits
JKLF is a separatist organization that was formed to struggle for Muslim people who do have not full rights and they are usually facing many problems in Jammu and Kashmir after the division between India and Pakistan in 1947, and they wanted to separate the Jammu and Kashmir from India and make it independent. But we wish it was really like that. Because JKLF never used to do this. And if it was really doing that it shouldn’t have been banned by the Indian government.
There are many controversies about Yasin Malik because everyone knows about his profession yet some tv channels invited him for an interview, and former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was seen shaking hands with Yasin Malik. So we can come to know that Yasin Malik was well known.
The Indian government banned JKLF under the anti-terror law passed in 2019. It used funds for stone pelting on border security forces, terrorism, and killing Kashmiri Pandits which was provided by Pakistan.
JKLF sent the Kashmir Youth to POK for arms training, to spread harassment in Jammu and Kashmir. Bitta Karate was one of them who killed more than 20 or 30 Kashmiri Pandits. Not even Kashmiri Pandits, they harassed even patriot Muslims.
Some politicians used the discrimination between Hindus and Muslims as a weapon to achieve more votes to hold their position, chanted slogans like, “Islam is in danger” and broke many Hindu temples so Muslim people turned toward them. In fact, the matter of Kashmiri Pandits is not only about religious disputes or regional attacks but there is a big contribution of politics also. And Pakistan was helping JKLF because they wanted to separate Jammu and Kashmir to merge with Pakistan.
Many people are debating, why Yasin Malik was punished with life imprisonment and why not hanged (death penalty)? Because the court had known about terror funding not the mass killing of Kashmiri Pandits.
The meaning of exodus is a mass departure of people from one place to another place, Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Kashmir valley. On the night of 19 January 1990, the houses of Kashmiri Pandits were attacked and covered by terrorists. Some people were raising provocative slogans. And they were shouting, Kashmiri Pandits leave the Kashmir Valley. Otherwise, the result will be very bad.
Yasin Malik said once that he gave up violence and guns in 1994 and he had followed Gandhi’s principle of nonviolence but maybe he never did what he said. He never shied away from his antics.
Bitta Karate condemned himself, he killed 20 Kashmiri Pandits. But after some reason, he was released and then he denied saying I am responsible for the mass killing of Kashmiri Pandits. He replied that he had told everything under pressure and fear of the police.
JKLF used to brainwash people and trained for weapons to harass people and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. And that’s why a total of 37 FIRs were recorded against the JKLF.
Now let’s talk about the reality, it has been many days since the incident of exodus, some of the murderers were punished and many were not, but what about those whose families were ruined? Those who had to leave their homes and what about those who died in this incident? Have they got justice? Even today Kashmiri Pandits want to go to their home, but they are not eligible and there are some who still live and face the same difficulty. Could it be over?
The incident of the exodus of Kashmir Pandit is not small and normal, such that we can ignore it. And not only one person or organization contributed to it. Many people, politicians, and organizations are involved in it. And we also know that Pakistan mostly helped JKL with funding.
Bitta Karate had accepted that he killed 20 Kashmiri Pandit, but Kashmir Pandit, some reports, and many people claim Bitta Karate killed more than 30 Kashmir Pandit or maybe around 40, at Malik’s behest.
Ronak Parmar
Writer
13angle
