YASIN MALIK’S CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: Yasin Malik, chief of out-lawed JKLF, gets life imprisonment for funding terror. He has been awarded varying jail terms under UAPA and IPC by the Delhi Court besides imposing a fine of Rs. 10 lakh. He has admitted in court to all the charges leveled against him.
This is not a case of confession made in police station to say confession made in police station is a confession. Yet, it is strange that people like Mehbooba Mufti are angry at the people frowning at Malik for his heinous crime. This makes people unable to understand where she stands.
There is no wonder if Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sahariff thinks in a different way because it is an instrument of policy of Pakistan to treat terrorists perpetrating terrorism on India in general and J & K soil in particular as “freedom fighters”. He says, “India can imprison Malik physically, but can’t imprison the idea of freedom he symbolizes”.
If this view had been given the value by Sri Lankans, they would not have crushed the LTTE movement. If the Pakistan PM seriously and strongly holds this view, nothing should prevent him from declaring Baluchistan as an independent nation in deference to the wishes of the people of Baluchistan. No patriotic Indian can sympathize with the separatists and support secessionist activities. Malik is a Pakistan-trained militant turned one of the prominent separatist faces. In Israel, Yasser Araft fought for Palestinian case. But he could not see the result he desired in his life time. The same fate awaits Malik.
Mushaal Hussein Mullick, wife of Malike’s Pakistan-origin wife, says BJP wants to punish her husband to increase Modi’s Hindutva vote bank. But she conveniently glosses over the tragedy struck at Nirmal Khanna, wife of IAF officer, whose husband was killed by her husband Malik 32 years ago. The court has not given capital punishment to Malik. But Khanna’s husband is not alive.
The court has recognized that terror-funding is one of the gravest offences that deserves to be punished severely. Terror-funding is abetment of crime. Since Malik has admitted to the crime, the door for challenging in the High Court has been closed. But he has the option to go in for appeal on the quantum of sentence.
Malik has reportedly claimed that he followed principles of Mahatma Gandhi after 1994 since he laid down arms. But Gandhi had never taken to arms and never resorted to violence. Before he laid down arms Malik has caused enough damage. Damage beyond repairs. Reformation at a later date is not bad. But that does not undo the effects of crimes perpetrated earlier. Nor does it mitigate the sufferings of the victims who fell prey to the terrorist activities.
The report has it that the supporters of Yasin Malik had clashes with security forces in Maisuma in Srinagar. Those who expressed solidarity with the convict using violence as a weapon must be reined in, and the violence must be dealt with iron hand.
It is strange that Mehbooba Mufti has taken side Malik who had allegedly involved in the abduction of the then Union Ministser Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter Rubaya Sayeed in December 1989 and was involved in the killing of 4 Air Force officers.
The four IAF officers include Ravi Khanna. There are reportedly 65 criminal cases registered against him. Pakistan which has been giving vent to anger and shedding tears at Malik tortured Sarabjit Singh and he was given death sentence by the Pakistan Supreme Court. Kulbhushan Jadhav, accused of carrying out espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan ‘at the behest of India’s intelligence agency’, has been languishing in Pakistan jail.
It looks weird that the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration has termed the sentencing unfortunate and it says that it is set-back for peace process. Peace for nation has been shattered by militant activities. Peace returns only after the backbone of terrorism is broken. Gupkar gang’s overt and covert support to militants deserves to be condemned in unambiguous terms. Gupkar gang’s support to militants ostensibly seems to stem from the belief that they and their family members would be safe from the hands of Malik’s ilk.