The rise of insurgency in 80's in Kashmir

Yasin Malik a militant who later become Peace maker

The militancy in Kashmir started to rise in the beginning of the 80's. Their was unprecedented peace in Valley as the NLA has dismantled which I have discussed in the previous article regarding the infamous Maqbool Bhat. Amanullah Khan has moved to Birmingham in UK where he was welcomed by the British Mirpuris. The new chapter of NLA has now begin and now it is renamed as JKLF (Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front). The JKLF established itself in UK and open various branches in Middle east, United States of America and in various parts of Europe. Their was many new players which are going to enter in the Kashmir conflict aside from JKLF. In the start of 80's their was huge funnelling of arms and money in Afghanistan to the Mujahid insurgents from America to defeat the Soviets in the ongoing Soviet-Afghan war. This funnelling lead Pakistan to once again raise the Kashmir issue. It is in 1980 when Pakistani President Zia-Ul-Haq requested the Jamaat-e-Islami; a Political party based in Pakistan which wants Islamization of Pakistan and convert it into a complete Islamic state. The Pakistani president instructed the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Abdul Bari to set up Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir(JIJK). The president of Pakistan used the Afghan war as a smoke screen to disrupt and raise the isnurgent activities in Kashmir. It is important to know that even though Pakistan states that he is a suffer of terrorism,according to Wikipedia article Timeline Of Kashmir Conflict the Jamaat-e-Islami chief has told that "You will have to do the fighting and they [Pakistan] will provide all assistance." Also around this period Tala Party was formed by Yasin Malik after watching an altercation between army men and taxi drivers and became a rebel from that day onwards. There are many incidents in this period like in 1983 the first match was played between Indian and West Indies in Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium which was the first and last international match played in the state. The pitch was dug out by the protesters of Tala party and others headed by Yasin Malik during lunch break. The JKLF was still operative in Birmingham UK and they tried to suspend the death penalty of Maqbool Bhat in 1984. The operatives of JKLF kidnapped Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre and later killed him after 2 days and he became the first martyr of Kashmir conflict in this time period. Maqbool Bhat was hanged 6 days later.

Ravindra Mhatre the Indian diplomat who was killed

 It is also the time where Muslim united front was formed. It is the year of 1986 in which the threat of Jammat-e-islammi was made clear as its clandestine operations led to the formation polyglot coalition of several Kashmiri parties which is known as MUF and become a major paty in 1987 election. The supporters of MUF includes Tala party under its umberella. The Tala party was renamed to Islamic Student Union with Yasin Malik as its core secretary during the campaigning period of MUF. They aggressively campaigned for MUF but did not contest on any seats in election. At this time Yusuf shah a member of MUF contested on Amirakadal, Srinagar seat and majority of voters were at his side but the national conference candidate  Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah win with landslide victory which shows the rigging in 1987 elections. This is only one of the examples in the widespread rigging of 1987 elections and have very grave consequences. In my opinion the rigging of elections is not right but it was somewhat necessary as Jammat-e-Islammi was a radical Islamic organisation. As Indian government did not see its unprecedented threat earlier they have failed to stop Kashmiri Muslims to incline towards the idea of Islamization of Kashmir valley which cannot happen. Kashmir will never be under sharia and sunnah laws. So these rigged elections triggered wide spread insurgency in Kashmir. The aftermath of these elections were riots in the Kashmir and many MUF candidates were arrested. After the release of Yusuf Shah from Jail in 1989 he joined the Hizbul Mujahideen which was founded Muhammad Ahsan Dar and crossed over into POK. Later Dar parted his ways from Hizbul Mujahideen and Yusuf Shah later renamed itself to Syed Salludin. Today Hizbul Mujhahideen is the biggest insurgent force in Kashmir and a menace to India. He is a globally recognised terrorist and even USA declared him a global terrorist. His ideas are dangerous and he is using these ideas now to radicalise the Kashmiri youth. In the same year of 1989 Yasin Malik crossed over to POK and came back as a militant and a core member of JKLF. He was joined with three other militants that is Hamid Sheikh, Ashfaq Wani and Javed Ahmad Mir. They have received guerrilla training and arms and ammunition from Pakistan and conducted various militant operations against Indian authorities out of which the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989 was the major one.

Mufti mohmaad Sayeed the home minister of India at that time

She was the daughter of the home minister of India Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at that time. The five militants were released in exchange for Rubaiya. It is important to know that thousands of people gathered at Rajouri Kadal where the militants were jailed and then released to give them heroic procession. Till 1992 JKLF militants were killed or jailed and they have started to lose ground to Hizbul Mujahideen because Pakistan has started to cut its funding to JKLF as they did not support assimilation into Pakistan and complete independence of Kashmir. Yasin Malik was arrested in 1992 as he was injured and he was released in 1994 and launched an indefinite ceasefire in Kashmir which later lead to split of party in Kashmir and POK divisions. Yasin Malik put down the gun to take civil rights method to protest and he now a peacemaker in Kashmir valley . There was also new entry of militant organisation during these tumultuous times in Kashmir. This organisation was fully set up be Pakistan and lead by Hafiz Saeed and Known as Lashkar-e-Taiba which is an international militant organisation and conducting various crimes against humanity but not only in Kashmir in other parts of India also. The Mumbai 2008 attacks (Mumbai 2008 attacks) were one in many heinous crimes which they have done. These two organisations that is Hizbul and Lashkar are still terrorising Kashmir as of today. The bloodshed by these terrorist is the biggest threat to Kashmiriyat which will take all Kashmir down