In the past 45 days, there have been at least 72 incidents where innocent people were tortured on the suspicion of being braid choppers.
For the first time in months, a call for a shut down by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik against the spate of incidents of ‘braid chopping’ saw a strong response on the ground in the Valley. An earlier, similar call against the NIA raids on the separatist leadership had gone unheeded. But the JRL sensed an opportunity Saturday given the growing mass hysteria in Kashmir.
In these bizarre cases of suspected braid chopping where the victims claim that someone mysteriously chops off their braid or hair — the concern is not just the incident but the aftermath. Each incident of a woman crying ‘braid chopped’ is followed by at least a couple of attempts at vigilantism and mob justice where innocents are being targeted as ‘braid choppers’ by a crowd that is angry, unmanageable and violent.
In the past month-and-a-half, there have been at least 72 incidents where innocent people were hauled up, gheraoed by angry crowds, stripped, bound, paraded and beaten to a pulp on the suspicion of being braid choppers. Mentally challenged Waseem Hassan of Nowpora, Sopore, in north Kashmir was nearly set on fire by a mob. In another case, a youth was almost drowned in the Dal Lake. In south Kashmir, a 70-year-old died of head injuries after angry mobs hurled bricks at him, branding him a braid chopper. Two labourers from Bihar were heckled in Pulwama, four tourists in Srinagar city — the list goes on.
“It seems as if we have lost all semblance of sanity and humanity. People are scared of coming out of their homes after sunset, worried that they might be hauled up by crazy mobs on suspicion of being braid choppers,” said senior journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz who has been closely following these incidents.
At the heart of this vitiated and fear-filled atmosphere across the Valley lies the absolute inability of the government to calm frayed nerves. Until now there have been close to 200 incidents of suspected braid chopping and not a single arrest. Worse — the police are clueless about the perpetrators or the motive. Law enforcement agencies have done little to stop these frenzied crowds from heckling innocents.
The government’s first move was to announce a reward of Rs 6 lakh for anyone with information or a lead. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti chimed in by calling them “an attack to undermine the dignity of Kashmiri women”. During the past month, the police have debunked theories ranging from a ploy by central agencies (floated by the separatist leadership) to a gang of braid choppers to personal enmity. Over the weekend, investigators suggested it to be the work of radical elements.
SSP Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain, who arrested several mobsters over the weekend, said, “First of all, our women are scared because of this incessant rumour mongering. This is the work of some radical elements who don’t want women to get out of their homes and pursue their education and jobs.”
What complicates it more for the Jammu and Kashmir police is that similar incidents have happened across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana since June this year with no breakthrough in investigations.
“One cannot rule out a fear psychosis or deep psychiatric distress to be the reason for some of the women claiming to be victims,” said a leading psychiatrist from the Valley who spoke on condition of anonymity.
What the police are realising, though late in the day, is that while the incidents need to be investigated, it is the rumour mongering and growing mob violence that has to be curbed.
Having had a tumultuous tenure so far, CM Mehbooba Mufti must ensure that people’s fears are assuaged. If this is the work of miscreants, then stern action is required by the state to put an end to it. Innocents cannot be paraded through streets by vandals masquerading as ‘saviours’ of women’s dignity.
Braid chopping might have been reported elsewhere, but unlike the other states, the hysteria in the Valley presents an opportunity for those who want to disturb peace and create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. For Mehbooba Mufti, ‘braid chopping’ is the latest threat to the credibility of her administration, and a serious one at that. She must act fast.
(Mahrukh Inayet is Contributing Editor, ThePrint)