“Are you Mujahid or Soieth or Tuetch or Nabedhie?" said B K

Around 2002, the days of Holi, I along with my students and colleagues was at Ram Dass  Sarai, Golden Temple,  Darbar  Sahab, Amritsar. The next day after our arrival at 9 AM while on way to grocer’s shop for some grocery, I spotted some Kashmiri hawkers at the main entrance of the temple. One was selling warm waist coats and the like and the other was selling shawls etc..

I wished “Adab  Arz” to the one who was selling waist coats. He responded: “Adab  Arz”.

It was substantially after a long time that I got opportunity to chat with a Kashmiri. I seized the opportunity. Soon we entered into a chat. I said that I am a Pandit from Srinagar, living in exile due to the turmoil in the valley. He was from Ashmuj-Kulgam and so was the one selling shawls.

I said: “Are you Mujahid or Soieth or Tuetch or Nabedhie?”(Mujahid is the one who got Arms training across the border:  Soieth is the translation of wick and the name is given to those who are locally trained; Tuetch in Kashmiri is the translation for mop and the name is given to those who without any training carry gun on their shoulders and accompany Mujahids and Soieth ; Nabedhie is the translation for sugar crystals and the name is given to renegades who fight against Mujahid, Soieth and Tuetch)

He said: “I am none of the four. I am simply making my livelihood when back home; it is chill cold and no source of income to sustain.”

I said: “It is the first day of the holy month of Ramzan. Your appearance with Nimaz mark on your forehead speaks much about you. You with trimmed beard seem to be an orthodox Musalman. I am sure, you are on fast. Speak the truth.”

He said: “I am a Mujahid.”

I said: “Wherefrom did you get your training?”

He said: “I fought for ten years against Russian forces in Afghanistan”.

I said: “What Arms and ammunition do you know to handle?”

He said: “I can down supersonic or any plane in one shot (eisharay say jihaz ko gira sakta huen)

In the meantime, the shawl vender joined us.

I said: “What about him?”

He said: “He too is a Mujahid and he too fought against Russian forces for ten years.”

One younger boy around twenty selling wrist watches joined us. He was from village Kilam.

I asked about him. He said that he was none of the four categories of the militants.

I said: “How is it possible that he could be immune to militancy when the village Kilam is adjacent to militancy infested village Ashmuej and shares the common water mill for grinding their grains. He said that why should he lie when he spoke plainly about himself and the other one. I asked the watch vender for the reason of his being in Amritsar. He said: “The youth in Kilam suffers torture at the hands of STF forces. Any youth in action shoes and jeans is the target of the STF inspector, let loose by Farooq Abdullah Government.”

“When so trained in warfare, why he left the battle field and took to a hawker’s job?” said I.

He said: “Some of us turned traitors. They got heavy toll killed and many arrested.

Organization, heads asked us to disperse for the time being to escape arrest and the bullet in an encounter. You must have seen a good number of Kashmiris working as Cycle rickshaw pullers. They all are here to escape saboteurs.