The Afghanistan cauldron – a perspective

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The Afghanistan cauldron – a perspective

A deceptive tranquility - a lone soldier on guard in Afghanistan

        What is happening in Afghanistan today, has its roots in its past and to understand it, we will have to delve into its recent past and its history to chalk out a narrative.   Many of the younger generations are not aware in details of the fact about presence of outside powers dominating the geo-political scenario of the region and hence I will start this blog with a brief narrative about the History & Geography of the region, which will be followed by the modern day occupation of Afghanistan and its after affects.

Brief Ancient History

Ancient map of India in 1 AD

Afghanistan as it is known today, has its roots in the ancient times and excavations in the region, especially at Darra-e-Kur, revealed about 800 stone age implements, thereby indicating human existence in the region during 5000 BCE.  The region finds mention in ancient Hindu treatises like Mahabharata, wherein it has been referred to as Gandhara, implying that it was an ancient Hindu kingdom.  Later this region came to be ruled by the Kamboj’s and then interspersed by various Indo-Greek rulers, followed by the Mauryan dynasty.  Gradually thereafter, it came under influence of the Buddhism and Gandhara was recognized and ruled as one of the Mahajanpadas amongst the sixteen (16) Mahajanpadas existing during the 5^th-6^th Century BCE. 

Map of Afghanistan in 5-6 BCE - Mahajanpadas covering Afghanistan region

The region, being bestowed with great wealth accumulated by the rulers, started attracting various marauding groups of mercenaries, whose main aim was to plunder and loot.  The Huns were the first to attack and gain foothold in the region, as Buddhism was slowly waning in the country.  They gradually established their kingdom and came to be known a Hephthalite Empire, who were mainly responsible for the plunder and burning of the grand University of Takshashila.  The Muslim influence gained foothold in the region around 650 BCE, with the advent of multiple attacks by the Arabs and establishment of Kutub Sahi dynasty. Thereafter, the region came to be ruled by various Muslim rulers like Mahmud of Ghazni (who was basically a barbaric plunderer), Genghis Khan and Babur (founder of Mughal dynasty).  It was only in the 1700 CE that the entire consolidation of the region was possible and modern day Afghanistan came into existence.  The British took over the region from the India (Mughals) and fought many a wars to retain their hold, till they were finally defeated in 1921, in the third Anglo-Afghan war.  The period following it was that of turmoil, till Mohammed Zahir Shah took over as its ruler through a coup in 1933 and ruled for next forty years.

 Geography

Political map of Afghanistan

Geographical map of Afghanistan

            Afghanistan is a land locked region that can be geographically described to be placed in South Asia or Central Asia and hence it has a very strategic geographic location.  The main geographical relief of the country is the Hindukush mountain range that runs from the north-east to the south-west portion of Afghanistan and divides it into three major regions – (a) The Central Highlands (that account for 2/3^rd region of the country); (b) the South West Plateau (that accounts of 1/4^th of the land mass of the country); and (c) the Northern plains.  Elevation wise the highest elevations are in the North-east region of the Hindukush Mountains known as the Pamir, bordering China that gradually tapers down towards the South-west portion bordering Iran.  Afghanistan has common border with six countries and it shares its largest border alongwith Pakistan of about 1,689 Kms. that runs along the Durand line drawn by the British (which is still contested by the Afghans, as it divides the majority Pusthun speaking areas into two halves).  The shortest length of the border is that with China, which is merely 76 Kms. long corridor and the remaining four countries sharing borders with Afghanistan as running from its north-east to south-west on its western border are Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

 The Soviet Occupation

Soviet tanks roll into Afghanistan in 1979

            Many of the younger generation are not familiar with the name ‘Soviet’, as it now ceases to exist.  Earlier, after the end of the Second World War, the world order stood divided into two main political formations, the Capitalists/Democracy and the Communists/Single party rule.  The main conglomerate of the Communists was what was known as the United Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR for short) and comprised of countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine etc. and was ruled by the Communists from Moscow.  It was only after the disintegration of the erstwhile USSR in 1990 with declaration of Lithuania as an independent country in 1991 that other countries followed suit and by end of 1991 all of Soviet Union had been dismembered into small independent nations and biggest amongst them was Russia.

Soviet military helicopters in Afghanistan

             Afghanistan had come under Communist influence from 1953 onwards with introduction of pro-Communist Gen. Mohemmad Daoud Khan as its Prime Minister. Following the assurance of assistance for wide spread development by the then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1956, the country started opening up for education for women etc.  The last ruler of Afghanistan Mohammed Zahir Shah was overthrown in a coup in 1973 by Gen. Khan, who then established firm ties with erstwhile USSR.  Gen. Khan was then overthrown in a coup in 1978 and the powers slipped into hands of Nur Mohammad Taraki as President and Babrak Karmal as his Deputy, who declared introduction of Islamic principles for governance.  However, they were opposed by another communist leader Hafizullah Amin. 

Mujahedeen forces fighting Soviets in Afghanistan

Mujahedeen forces in occupied Soviet tanks

The Northern Alliance firing on the Soviets

             In the power struggle between pro-Islam Nur Mohammad Taraki (with covert support of USA) and Hafizullah Amin (with support of erstwhile USSR), the former was killed in September, 1979 and in order to physically bolster their regime in Afghanistan and to subvert the covert American war, the Soviets launched a full scale military assault in Afghanistan on 24^th December, 1979.  In order to reduce Communist influence in the region, the Americans had propped up a guerilla force, who were referred to as Mujahedeen rebels, opposing the open society policy being introduced by Gen. Khan.  These rebels were being provided with arms and ammunition and training in Pakistan by the Americans.  

Invasion by Soviet Union - representation through map

         This occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviets continued till 1989 that ended after signing of peace accord in Geneva by USA, erstwhile USSR, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  However, the war continued in Afghanistan against the Soviet backed President Mohammad Naijibullah, whose tenure ended after being overthrown by the Mujahedeen led by Ahmad Shah Masood in 1992.  The Mujahedeen had in the meanwhile become more politically active and formed an umbrella organization called Taliban in 1995 and took over Kabul in early 1997.  President Mohammad Naijibullah took refuge in the United Nations building in Kabul, but after remaining holed up for about four months, he was brutally killed by the Mujahedeen/Taliban in 1997, after storming the UN building and hanging him publicly on an electricity pole.  It would also not be out of place to mention here that the so called Al Qaida was also nurtured by the USA during their covert war in Afghanistan, which became its nemesis in 9/11 attack in 2001.

 An old video of Soviet era in Afghanistan

(https://youtu.be/fZI1AIggBl0)

The American Invasion

Operation Enduring Liberty - B-52 bomber of US forces - October, 2001

            The prelude to the American invasion of Afghanistan is more important than the actual event itself.  After the fall of Kabul in 1992, a series of infighting had started amongst the Afghan warlords to consolidate their political positions on ground for being able to rule Afghanistan.  Due to this constant conflicts taking place within the country, coupled with droughts and total absence of any central governance, the people of Afghanistan were getting impatient and wanted peace.  By 1995 another faction of the Mujahedeen emerged as Taliban, who promised peace with enforcement of strict Islamic/Sharia laws that included total seclusion of the women and assumption of power in Kabul.  Slowly this faction gained full control of Afghanistan and enforced strict Islamic laws including Public amputations, stoning to death, executions etc.  The people of Afghanistan got fed up of this daily torture, coupled with repeated droughts etc., started taking refuge in neighboring countries in large numbers.  The USA had refused to grant recognition to this Taliban Government, which upped the ante against it.  In the meanwhile, the group called Al Qaida that had been propped up against the erstwhile Soviet rule by the Americans, had turned into a Frankenstein for the Americans, having bombed two American embassies in Africa in 1998.  Probably the Taliban was in cahoots with the Al Qaida, as the operations were effected from the Afghan soil.  President Bill Clinton had ordered retaliatory cruise missile attacks on the Al Qaida operatives, but their leadership survived the attacks unscathed.  The name of Osama Bin Laden had started surfacing, as the brain behind the bombings of American embassies, but the Taliban regime in Afghanistan refused to extradite him, during the request made by the US in the year 2000.  The intolerant Taliban regime carried out the bombing and destruction of the ancient Bamiyan statues of Buddha, despite international uproar in the year 2001. 

The 11th September, 2001 attack by Al Qaida in US - known as 9/11

The only known warlord fighting the Taliban at that point of time was the ‘Lion of Panjshir’, leader of the Northern Alliance, Ahmed Shah Masood, who was clandestinely assassinated by Taliban posing as journalists on 9^th September, 2001.  The final straw was broken, once the Al Qaida operatives carried out the 9/11 (11^th September, 2001) bombings of various commercial buildings in American cities by using hijacked planes.  Despite requests for handing over Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban regime refuse to do so leading to bombing of the Taliban targets by US and British forces on 7^th October, 2001 and the ground forces enter action twelve days later.  Simultaneously the Northern Alliance, agitated by their leaders assassination, attack Taliban and after weeks of war reach Kabul and enter it on 13^th November, 2001 forcing the Taliban to retreat. 

Airlifting of US forces in Afghanistan in 2001

US forces in Afghanistan

            A caretaker Government led by President Hamid Karzai was installed in Kabul with the backing of the United States in 2001 and thereafter he won the elections and continued as the President till 2014.  In the meanwhile whereas the American forces slowly took over the command and control of most the regions of Afghanistan through the active co-operation of the NATO forces.  The Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was finally killed by the American forces after tracing his location to Abbottabad a suburb of Islamabad in Pakistan on 2^nd May, 2011.  Thereafter, in 2012 when an American soldier massacred sixteen (16) Afghan civilians in their homes and there was a huge ‘hue & cry’, the President of Afghanistan called for reduction of American soldiers and giving them a limited role in Afghanistan.  In the year 2013 the Afghan army/police took over most of the security and military operations from the Americans.  In 2014, the then US President Barak Obama announced significant reduction of US forces in Afghanistan and by December of the same year NATO forces ceased from active military missions and remained only to train the Afghan forces.

Wounded US marine being evacuated in Afghanistan

Afghan forces standing guard in Afghanistan

            In the year 2017, President Donald Trump refused to withdraw totally from Afghanistan stating that he was not inclined to leave as it was likely to create – “a vacuum for terrorists”.  This was followed by signing of a peace deal between the USA and Taliban in February, 2019 whereby the American forces were to leave by May, 2021.  However, this deal was abrogated by the US President in September, 2019 after a US soldier was shot dead by Taliban insurgents.  However, by November 2020 it was announced by the US Government to reduce its strength to 50% of its existing one by January, 2021.  Thereafter, the new President Joe Biden in April, 2021 announced total withdrawal of US troops by 9^th September, 2021.

 Present day conditions

Fall of Kabul to Taliban being celebrated in Pakistan with distribution of sweets

            The hasty withdrawal of the forces by the US, without first arranging for the withdrawal of the international citizens on priority basis, working in Afghanistan for the US led forces, has jeopardized the entire withdrawal process.  It is total lack of common sense as well as evaluation of the Taliban’s credentials by the present US President that has led to this turmoil.  The acts on part of American troops of abandoning the Bagram Air base on 5^th July, 2021 without even mandatorily informing the Afghan armed forces personnel stationed there, shows the thorough lack of intent and professionalism on part of the US armed forces.  Especially, the stealthy night retreat and cutting off of the electricity connection emboldened the Taliban, who started believing that the US Army was running away because of their fear. This had, on the other hand, sent a totally opposite signal to Afghan soldiers.  The Afghan soldiers felt abandoned and brooded about some big operation on part of Taliban was imminent, because of the manner in which such a hasty retreat had been executed by the US army, leaving behind tons of war related vehicles, guns, ammunitions etc., which have now fallen into Taliban hands.  The system of US army being supported by local contractors for running the day to day affairs also collapsed suddenly with the sudden withdrawal of the US army and the Afghan soldier that was trained by the US Army in this specific manner of combat, were all at sea in absence of these contractors, who abandoned their work as payment due to them for executing the works was not available.  Buoyed by the manner of US army withdrawal, the Taliban fuelled by new energy and vigor, upped the ante and entered Kabul on 15^th August, 2021 and overthrew the Afghanistan Government.  President Ashraf Ghani, in the meantime had fled from Kabul on the previous day fearing Taliban takeover, which I find is logical on his part, looking at the fate of late President Mohammad Naijibullah met at hands of Taliban in 1997.

Suicide bomb attack on Kabul airport on 27th August, 2021

          There are thousands of Afghans who fear persecution for being part of the Government or having worked with or for the US interests in Afghanistan and by providing the list of such citizens to the Taliban for allowing them entry into Kabul Airport, by the US Army, have jeopardized their lives.  However, the entire Kabul is now in the hands of Taliban, who are not allowing the residents to move freely.  On night of 26^th August, 2021 there were human/suicide bomb explosion in the Kabul airport gate, in which more than thousand have been injured and many civilians killed alongwith 13 US Marines and about 28 of Taliban (including their elite Red Brigade commandos).  The ISIS (Khurrasan) has overtly taken responsibility for these attacks, but the fact remains that these terrorists were in Afghan Police custody in Bagram and duly released by the Taliban only recently.  The entire evacuation process now stands in a disarray, due to the short foresight and rank bad execution of the repatriation process of the US armed forces, under the Joe Biden administration

The Afghanistan cauldron

The Taliban forces guarding Kabul

Like the case of Taliban and Al Qaida being hand in glove during the late 1990’s, the link between ISIS (Khurrasan) and Taliban both of which, have been nurtured in Pakistan, with active connivance of the United States in 1980’s and now independently by Pakistan, with the active support of China, cannot be ruled out.  This dastardly act on part of the ISIS has put the entire region into a geo-political flux.  The USSR had singed it’s hands in the 1980’s and the US which had nurtured the Mujahedeen then, have now faced their own Frankenstein and consequently singed their hands as well, having lost money, time, arsenals and pride.  Now as is evident from the recent meetings the Chinese had with the Taliban (the Taliban leaders reached China on Pakistani passports), it appears that China has not learned it’s lessons from the history of the region and is playing with fire as well, albeit from behind the curtains, but it will probably meet the same fate as the other super powers. 

The Taliban militia in Kabul

The Islamists are never true to their words and act only with one point agenda of perpetrating terror, for propagating their religious  beliefs and imposing it onto others and establish Islamic rule on those, whom they consider as ‘non believers’ or ‘Kafirs’.  Chinese belligerence in engaging with their ethnic Muslim populations, referred to as the Uyghur’s, by repressing them by use of brutal force is well known the world over.  As soon as the Taliban and ISIS consolidate their hold in Afghanistan, they will look towards their immediate neighboring countries, including China to liberate their brethren and establish Islamic rule there.   The other probable reason for Chinese interest in the region, could be the inherent fear of India taking over Pakistan occupied Kashmir, thereby jeopardizing the entire CPEC project.  By striking a deal with the Taliban for providing passage for CPEC through Afghanistan in lieu of money, recognition etc., Chinese leadership probably believes that they will bypass the Western countries and India, in implementing the CPEC project.  However, the acts of terrorism in Pakistan against the Chinese engineers etc., which could be only for gaining sympathy from the world, in a clandestine deal with Pakistan, if not, then these acts should ring a bell that conditions in Afghanistan are even more harsher than those in Pakistan and it may have to pay a much heavier price than it bargained for.

The so called elite Red brigade of the Taliban on road side

Russia, which looks upon itself as the successor of the USSR, on the other hand is also enjoying the show and using clandestine techniques to keep the Taliban going, for teaching a lesson to the US, for having perpetrated this group in the 1980’s against them.  In this scenario, it appears that the Americans have deliberately left behind a huge cache of arms & ammunition that include small arms, combat vehicles and even small man portable surface to air missile units, to keep the area simmering for the days to come.  But if the Taliban is able to consolidate its position and power in Afghanistan, it will definitely look for associations with ultra-terrorist Islamic groups like ISIS, Hamas etc. and look towards its Islamic neighbors like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for imposing the radical Islamic governments there.  This in long run is going to hurt the Russian interests as well, so Russia should follow the old proverb of – “Once bitten, twice shy” and Russia should take all remedial measures available with it, to stop Taliban before it grows roots and dismantle it, by providing help and assistance to the other factions fighting the Taliban, in consonance with the proverb – ‘A stitch in time, saves nine”.

What is in stake for India

            The entire nation of Pakistan is fed on a single propaganda from the day one of their births i.e. to liberate Kashmir from India.  This agenda is propagated with gusto for the public consumption by all political parties in power or outside and even the Military establishment, as a tool to deflect the public opinion from other burning issues like lack of infrastructure, food scarcity, spiraling inflation etc.  Over the generations, the Pakistani establishment as well as the public is so encompassed with this notion of liberation of Kashmir that they now have been made to believe that Taliban will deliver Kashmir to them.  However, as the Taliban, having become politically austere, after the 2001 debacle, is now showing unwillingness to interfere in political affairs of other nations, for the present.  But the Pakistan establishment is getting restless and had sent the wanted internationally proclaimed terrorist Hafiz Saeed of the Jaish-e-Mohammad to Kabul, as the Pakistani establishment wants to project before its masses, as to how big geo-political coup they have engineered in Afghanistan, which will pave way for freedom of Kashmir.  However, the statement issued by Taliban does not meet their expectations and hence apparently they have now reined in the ISIS (Khurrasan) into the Afghanistan cauldron, to intimidate Taliban, for meeting their demands of causing unrest in Kashmir.  The main aim of Pakistan is to shift focus onto Taliban, so that it can state before the world forum that Pakistan has no control over Taliban.  This has become a necessity for Pakistan, as its consistent sponsored insurgency of terrorists into Kashmir is now publicly known the world over and it has now been internationally cornered and exposed for such activities related to state sponsored terrorism. 

The Taliban militia in Kabul

             Therefore, India should beef up its security along the Pakistan border and also now use unbridled fire power, without bothering for civilian casualties etc. across the border, if Pakistan allows its soil to be used for any kind of terrorist activity in Kashmir.  This is the perfect time and opportunity to hit back and finish what Pakistan started decades ago, since Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan is now crystal clear before the world community and some of their leaders have openly admitted to the same. 

Conclusion

The fate of Afghanistan and its citizens, during the Taliban rule in mid-1990’s till their ouster from power, is well known the world over.  The philosophy of the group has not changed and it is only trying to portray itself as a reformed group.  However, the actions undertaken by the ordinary militia under Taliban control have not changed, nor have their mindset changed and they have already started committing atrocities upon the citizens of Afghanistan.   The United States has learnt its lesson and should not lend much credence to the so called ‘Peace accord’ with Taliban, as these fringe elements have no political compulsions to abide by the conditions stipulated therein, as is evident from the actions in recent days.  On the other hand Pakistan is heading for a huge set back, as their consistent support to Islamic militant & terrorist organizations, which is continuing unabated and hence the days for Pakistani leadership are numbered, as the proverb goes – “As you sow, so shall you reap”.  Pakistan’s home grown terrorist organizations like Tehrik-e-Taliban (Pakistan), is an ideological offshoot of the Taliban ideology and terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, in order to achieve their ends, may try and take over the political establishment in Pakistan in lines with the Taliban.  In such a scenario, the Pakistani nukes may find way into hands of the Islamic terrorists, who can use them to strike anywhere in the World, including United States or other European countries, Israel and India and also China could be targeted. 

The Northern Alliance fighters in the Panjshir valley in Afghanistan

There is an old local proverb that goes as – “It takes a thorn, to take out another” (literal translation of the proverb), the factual simile of this proverb implies that since it was the Northern Alliance in late 1990’s that had ousted the Taliban from Kabul, only they can now be relied upon to take on the Taliban.  This Northern Alliance is fighting for their pride and nation, which is a big a commitment viz a viz the Taliban’s religious commitment.  With a huge chunk of Afghan army personnel, duly trained by the US, having joined forces with the Northern Alliance, the world powers should provide them all kind of support needed to overcome the current debacle and set up a rule of law in Afghanistan.  The past history has well established that direct outside interference does not work in Afghanistan and only a local group can control the situation better and appropriately.  Accordingly, as of now the Northern Alliance is the only hope before the world to establish a long lasting peace in Afghanistan.

© S Roy Biswas

N.B – All the photographs, maps, video links have been sourced from the internet – as the article is for free academic use, specific permissions have not been solicited

Mamta – finds her lost home

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Mamta – finds her lost home

 

'Mamta'
(only an representative photo for the narrative)

I am the only one till date who is aware as to what her actual name was, her present name is the name coined by me for her ‘Mamta’, looking at her complete dedication and love for her child, despite all the odds faced by her in her daily life and it is this name that she goes by even today.  The story of Mamta is based in my adopted village in Uttarakhand, where I had chosen to build a small home for my post retirement days during mid-nineties.  I had purchased some space within the spacious compound of one Rabindra Negi, as I did not want to have a solitary life, but one that would be inter-twined with the residents around.  As the person was a bit aged and needed some quick cash, he agreed to my proposal and I purchased a portion of his house overlooking the compound, with two rooms and kitchen overlooking the compound and the road across that a refurbished as per my needs.  Whereas, Negi ji occupied the entire left had side of the compound and the right hand side housed the toilet etc. built by me, but is also used by the family, at times, during my absence.  The funny part is that Negi ji would always be nagging about a broken tap or door knob, as if I was obliged to put them on, despite being used and broken by him, but that is how the villagers in these hilly regions are, they embrace everyone as family and make demands as such.  So with a sly smile, I obliged to these small irritants and in return enjoyed a blissful co-existence, whenever I visited for short breaks. 

These small expenses were miniscule, as compared to the benefits that I would usually reap from such gestures.   The village being remotely located and the public transport system was not all that well developed then and even today, it took quite some time from the rail head to reach the destination village that I had chosen to be my home.  After traversing by train, I would take a bus up to the district headquarters and thereafter, hitch a ride in the locally available Jeeps/Maxi-cabs or other forms of transport available and would reach my destination only late in the afternoon or rather early evening.  But because of my small pampering’s, my room would have been cleaned and fresh water placed in my small kitchen and a cup of piping hot tea would await me at my arrival.  I would just sip in the tea relaxing, sitting in my small balcony, enjoying the Himalayan ranges at sun set or the play of clouds or light and would experience bliss and always looked towards these short vacations to rejuvenate myself.  It would also be not out of place to mention that I would also receive a treat of local delicacies being prepared in the kitchen of Negi ji often, whenever I was in the village.

Quite a few years back, during the late nineties, I had visited the destination for a good few days and got struck there for another few weeks due to sudden landslide because of untimely rains, when the incident related to Mamta unfolded.  Just across the road, is the residence of Rawat ji, he has two sons and a daughter, she being the youngest.  The elder son’s name was Sandeep and he was working as a Chef in Kashmir and has been missing since then.  His younger son named Suresh is a hard working boy but a bit dull and not a very literate and smart person.  The younger daughter named Guddi was much younger and was born when the brothers were adolescents and thus, she was a pampered kid in the home.  There was another young lady, whom I used to see going around doing the house hold chores like collecting potable water, firewood, tending to her little kid etc. and assumed her to be the wife of the elder son, although I had never seen him. 

Today while just musing through my past reminiscences, I happened to remember the incident that occurred during that period and thought of penning down the same.  One evening I heard a lot of commotion in the Rawat house hold, with Guddi and her mother shouting and the young lady crying in an inconsolable manner and Suresh trying to pacify the parties and on this Guddi accusing Suresh of having an illicit affair with the young women.  As I had gained a respectable position in the village community by this time, because of many monetary helps provided for community services in the village, I thought of intervening in the matter and walked straight into the arguments.  Seeming me in their house stopped the cacophony immediately.  I asked Rawat ji to explain the situation, so that an amicable solution could be attained to the problem.  Even before Rawat ji could start, his wife started lamenting that because of the ‘manhus’ (cursed person) in the house, her daughter’s marriage could not be solemnized, as many a good matrimonial proposals being received were not maturing and she held the young women i.e. Mamta responsible for the same.  I showed my concern for the unfortunate state of affiars and asked Rawat ji to first narrate the entire sequence of events, so that I could understand the problem and find a solution, if possible.

Rawat ji narrated the incident as that his eldest son was interested in working in the Army, as is the practice in many of the villages in Uttarakhand, but despite his best efforts he could not make it.  He thereafter underwent training as Chef and gained employment on contractual basis in the local Cantonment nearby.  However, as the unit moved to the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir during early nineties, since employment opportunities was scarce in the region, Sandeep had chosen to move out with the brigade.  There were no Cell phones available during those days and land lines too being a scarce commodity in the villages, contact was to a bare minimum.  The last physical contact with Sandeep was his one short visit in summer of 1991 and he had painted a very grim scenario about the conditions and the life in Kashmir.  Thereafter, there was no contact with him for many years and they had all but given up on him, till this young girl with an infant in her clutch, turned up on their door step in 1994.  She had a letter from Sandeep addressed to his father wherein he had again painted a very desolate and grim picture of Kashmir and explained that the girl was a Kashmiri pundit girl, whom he had married, as her parents had been killed by the militants, but unfortunately failed to mention her name in the letter.  One poking and prodding further, Rawat ji stated that the girl i.e. Mamta had brought in a marriage photograph that was almost washed out with Sandeep and about Rs.35,000/- (quite a princely sum during those days), as being the payment meted out to late Sandeep by the Army.  They had accepted her as their daughter in law and has been living with them ever since.  The money being received by the family from this girl, on behalf of late Sandeep, was never disclosed to the villagers by Rawat ji’s family.

So when I asked them about the reason for berating her and abusing her now, the wife of Rawat ji again jumped to the fore stating that in the absence of any proof of solemnization of the marriage with her late son Sandeep, many of the would be grooms for Guddi, her daughter, were reluctant to go ahead with the marriage proposal and hence she and Guddi were not only perturbed, but also held Mamta responsible for the same.  So in order to take the conversation to a logical end, I asked that the girl or daughter in law to be called, but I was informed that she could not speak and on asking her name, Rawat ji’s wife simply said that she was not aware of it.  When I asked them as to how they addressed her, she simply said that she would merely point out the work to be done to her.  By now I was not only anguished, but was also losing my patience at the crude behaviour of Rawat ji’s wife, but the time was not such that I displayed the same, as it would have been detrimental to the interest of the poor daughter in law.  So I asked her as to what was the name of the dog that they owned, whereupon Rawat ji’s wife retorted, his name is Rocky.  I said you name an animal, but cannot give a name to your daughter in law?  So from today let us call her ‘Mamta’ and henceforth we will call her by that name.  I enquired from them that I had seen the daughter in law teaching English alphabets to her young son by writing on the Slate (a small portable black board made of slate stone), so I called the young daughter in law and started conversing with her by writing on the slate and exchanging it.

It emerged from the written exchange in Hindi that the young daughter in law was a daughter of well to do Kashmiri pundit family and had two young brothers studying in local colleges in Awantipura locality in Kashmir.  Despite their request to move out of the valley, their father was sure that no harm would come their way and continued staying in their house.  However, on fateful night their house was torched and when the family members rushed out, they were gunned down by the militants.  This girl had fallen and struck her head on the stone on the ground and thus, rendered senseless and the militants left her for dead.  The army recovered her the next morning and she was kept in a camp within the precincts of the army cantonment for safe keeping.  Her actual name was ‘Chandri’ meaning moonlight and she came in contact with late Sandeep here and found him to be a genuine and loving person.  They bonded and got married in the Cantonment itself in a simple ceremony performed by the local priest.  But she felt that her life was to be a tormented one, with endless agony was in fate for her, as per her own statement.  She was in the last month of gestation and they had planned to return back to his village for good after the delivery.  On one such day Sandeep wrote this letter with address etc. and handed it over to her mimicking that in case anything happened to him, she should head back to his village and hand it over to his father.  She berated him badly for such a bad joke, but probably late Sandeep had some premonition about his untimely death.  As fate had ordained, a rocket propelled grenade shot by militants landed in the kitchen portion and late Sandeep received severe injuries and died instantaneously.   The news of Sandeep’s death was so shocking that she (Mamta) immediately collapsed and emergency delivery had to be conducted and she lost her power of speech because of the shock from the ghastly incident, but could hear and understand everything.  I was almost shell shocked at the type of torment being borne by her, without an iota of response from her side.  When I asked her about this, she said that at-least she had a home for her Son, late Sandeep’s son and did not want to lose it any cost and hence continued to bear the tormentors for her son’s future.  I was moved and I responded that I had coined her name as ‘Mamta’ and that hence forth everyone will know her by that name only because of the immense sacrifice on her part for the love of her Son.

The Rawat family was perplexed as to what was happening by passing of the slate with each other, but kept quiet.  My brain had by now started working overtime, as I understood that the situation could only be handled with a ‘carrot & stick’ policy.  I knew that the people in hills were much attached to cash money and would not easily part with it, so I decided to use it as a stick.  I politely asked Mamta to leave the room and she did so without any hesitation.  Then I told Rawat ji and his wife and also Guddi that the money that Mamta had brought in, was actually a parting gift from late Sandeep for his sisters’ marriage, so I felt.  In case the girl Mamta was a crook, she could have easily used the money to settle anywhere else and they would have never known about the demise of their Son and the siblings about their brother.  That brought about a bit of remorse on the faces of the family members and seeing their reaction, I further queried that as to whether the kid resembled his late father.  Upon this, the wife of Rawat ji burst out in tears and said that the kid was a constant reminder of her late Son, who looked exactly the same during his childhood.  I could gauge that I had hit the right chord and continued that if they forced Mamta out of the house at this stage, they will not only upset the spirit & soul of their departed Son, but the family may face financial problems as well and to drive home the point, I immediately told that Mamta was an educated person and may have details of payments received from the Army and in such a scenario, if she was driven out, she may ask for the money and the amount of Rs.35,000/- would have grown to more than a lakh of rupees and that Rawat ji may have cough out that amount.  In the same breath, I told Rawat ji that at this juncture this amount was significant for his daughter’s wedding and that God willing, Guddi would get a very good match, as a person’s karma is always rewarded by the almighty.  Seeing that everyone of Rawat ji’s family were now nodding their heads in unison with the delivery of my verdict, I immediately addressed Guddi, as to why she was abusing her brother of having an illicit affair.  A sudden hush fell in the room and after a few long drawn seconds, Guddi said that the villagers used to make these kind of accusations that had reached her ears as well.  I had seen that Suresh had a soft corner for Mamta, so I mentioned that there is a practice in North Indian plains, where young widows of elder brother are married off with the younger brother and as to whether such a practice is prevalent in the region as well.  The answer was in affirmative, although it was not so common a practice here.  I then put an option before the wife of Rawat ji that as to whether she felt that Mamta had all the qualities of being a good house wife, she agreed to that.  Upon her admission I played my final card and suggested that if they got Suresh married elsewhere, the problem with Mamta may continue and they may lose their peace of mind and financially also.  So if both the parties agreed i.e. Suresh & Mamta, then they could first get these two married at the first instance and that would not only settle the rumour mongering in the village, but also settle the issues arising in respect of Guddi’s marriage.  I then left them to decide the issue amongst themselves and this was my final trump card, as over indulgence on my part would have created doubts in their minds and I left for the day.

Early next morning, I found Rawat ji standing at my doorstep, early in the morning, he entered with a big smile and a sense of gratitude and was happy over my intervention.  He was always in favour of solemnizing the relationship between his younger Son and Mamta, widow of his elder Son, but the female family members were not conducive to the proposal, so he had to defer the same.  My intervention had truly drawn out the picture for them and Mamta was reluctant at first, but when she was told about the predicament of Guddi’s imminent marriage, she agreed and that had changed the equation between the two.  The marriage was solemnized in a small ceremony in the village temple and I participated in it whole heartedly.  Now many years have passed, the family of Rawat ji is in a perpetual bliss, Mamta is an adoring daughter in law of the home and had borne another Son to Suresh.  Guddi is married off into a family that was much more affluent than Rawatji and has two loving children, a son and a daughter.  Rawat ji believes that it as a blessing of God for having done a good deed and now his wife fully agrees with him.  Looking at this one happy family, I always enjoy the moment I became the almighty’s conduit to bring them this bliss and feel blessed for the same.

© S Roy Biswas