Who was Manan Wani?

For the last nine months, Manan Bashir Wani, a former PhD scholar from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), remained one of the most wanted militants in Kashmir.

In January this year, 27-year-old Manan’s announcement through social media about his joining indigenous Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant outfit not only came as a shock for his family, but to the entire Kashmir. An outstanding student throughout his career, in no time Manan became the most discussed narrative of militancy in the social media, and it earned him fame in the valley.

According to the record with security agencies, Manan after his initial education completed his 11th and 12th from Sainik School in Manasbal area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. He joined militancy just a few months after Esa Fazli, a B. Tech student from Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, had joined militant ranks.

But soon after Manan’s joining other highly educated youth followed the path with MBA student Junaid Ashraf Sehrai, son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, also joining Hizbul. And in April following Manan’s footsteps, Kashmir University (KU) assistant professor Dr Mohammad Rafi Bhat also joined the militancy.

However, Bhat’s romance with militancy lasted just for 36-hours as he was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on April 1.

“After Manan’s joining militant handlers in Pakistan tried to project him as a poster boy of new militancy and successor of Burhan Wani. Though to some extent they succeeded as few highly educated youth followed Manan, but he could not create a mass appeal like Wani,” a police officer, who was part of the operation in which Manan was killed, told DH.

In June this year, an article of Manan appeared in social media in which quoting American human rights activist Maclom X he wrote: “be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to cemetery.”

The officer said, “We did the same thing to Wani. We gave him ample chance to surrender and obey the law but apparently, he went against his own ideology.”