Massive turnout at police officer's funeral reminder of Kashmir’s complex reality

While huge crowds turning up for funerals of militants in the Valley had become a norm till Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, on Sunday, thousands of people participated in the last rites of a police officer killed by ultras.

Sub Inspector (SI) Arshid Ashraf Mir of remote Kalmoona, Vilgam in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district, was shot dead by a pistol-borne militant when he had taken a person who had been detained for a medical check-up to a medical facility at Khanyar in old city Srinagar.

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Reports and eyewitnesses said as the body of Mir reached his native place people in hordes came out to mourn the killing. “People were shocked. Everyone mourned his death as women were wailing when the body reached the village,” an eyewitness told DH over phone.

“He was the son of the soil and we are in shock and grief over his killing. Even if a militant is killed, we mourn. After all, it is a human being who loses his life and his family has to bear the brunt for whole life,” he added.

A post-graduate in Botany, the slain officer, had been an outstanding student during his studies and got appointed just two years back in the police.

At his funeral, his father Mohammad Ashraf Mir had one question to his killer: “I want to know the fault of my son. What wrong he could have done in his two years of service?”

Senior Mir, who is devastated by the death of his elder son, yearns to see his killers brought to justice.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic began last March, huge crowds had been turning up for funerals of militants in Kashmir. But most of the times, the funerals of policemen killed on duty were attended by family, friends and relatives only due to the fear of militants.

An estimated 70,000 Kashmiris work in the police department and despite being a much-hated institution in the popular imagination, it finds acceptance in a deeply layered society. Strong family ties, personal relationships with members of the public, and a strong community sense ensures sympathy and support to Kashmiris serving in the police.

A senior police officer said that the impact of killing policemen has been leading to resentment among the public against the militants. “No one is happy when an unarmed policeman is killed. Militants do not own attacks where they think their promoted narrative would suffer setback due to public sentiment,” he said.

The officer said the public support, though not as desired, was still extended to the police. “There are also people who appreciate our work despite negative perceptions. Many militants’ cousins and fathers or brothers are in the police, which is a stark reality,” he added.

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