Kashmir's footballer who had joined Lashkar-e-Tayyaba surrenders before Army

Srinagar: Kashmir’s young footballer Majid Irshad Khan who had joined Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) last week surrendered before the Army on Thursday night, ending the ordeal of his parents. The authorities, on the other hand, said the move has a strategic value and can set the trend among the Kashmiri youth in the militants’ ranks to shun the gun and return home to lead normal life.    

Majid’s father Irshad Ahmed Khan, 59, had suffered a mild heart attack after he learnt that his son was among the militants trapped in a village of southern Kulgam district when the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there a few days ago.

His mother Aisha Begum had not eaten since last Thursday, when the footballer’s photograph showing him carrying an AK-47 assault rifle with a message that he had joined the militants’ group went viral on social media.

“It has given me a new lease of life,” Irshad told reporters at his home in southern Anantnag district on Friday.

“Now I can stand on my legs again. I’ve been cured now,” he added.

The Army said that the 20-year-old youth took a brave decision and that he will return to his family soon. “It was a very brave decision by Majid Khan. I compliment him and assure that he will be able to get back to normal life very soon,” Major General B.S. Raju of the Army’s “Victor Force” said at a press conference.

The LeT claimed that Majid was allowed to leave the outfit and return to his parents for he was the only male among the three siblings and his parents, particularly mother, were emotionally very upset.

Inspector-general of police (Kashmir range) Munir Ahmed Khan replying a question said, “You expected Lashkar to say he was in their group? They kill people and then don’t own up how will they acknowledge this?”

The IGP had earlier in the day denied Majid had surrendered before Army’s 1 Rashtriya Rifles at Khannabal in Anantnag district on Thursday night and said that the footballer-turned-militant had contacted his family, expressing a wish to return home.

Majid had left his home at Sadiqabad along KP Road of Anantnag on Thursday morning and when he returned in the afternoon he found it locked. His parents and both sisters, elder to him, were away. He handed over the keys of his bike to a shopkeeper outside his house and vanished.

Next day a post on Facebook announcing Majid had joined the militants’ ranks went viral. It confirmed he was with the LeT which has given him non de guerre ‘Abu Ismael’. The brief announcement was accompanied by a photograph showing Majid, a tall, skinny boy with Caucasian features holding an AK 47 assault rifle. “It fell over us as a dreadful calamity,” said Majid’s 50-year-old mother. For his father it was like “naghani trath (abrupt catastrophe)”.

They with the help of Majid’s friends including his colleagues at a NGO began posting desperate messages on his Facebook wall asking him to shun the gun and return home. A video in which the couple repeated the appeal was circulated through social media sites.  They also went on television with the appeal. “It worked. I thank media-persons for their help,” said Irshad.

The sources in the Army said that Majid surrendered at the 1 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Khanabal, 50-km south of Srinagar, at 10.30 pm on Thursday. He was later handed over to ‘Victor Force’, a counterinsurgency force of the Army based in Awantipora in neighbouring Pulwama district. The Army and also the J&K police authorities have interrogated him and he is likely to be handed over to his parents after “debriefing” which will take a few days. However, the police will pursue the case registered against him under relevant provisions of the law, the official sources here said.

Before Majid ‘disappeared’ only to join the militants’ ranks, he had isolated himself from his parents, friends and neighbours for almost a fortnight. “He would not talk to anyone and would look very upset,” said one of his friends who requested anonymity.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said that it was “mother’s love” which has prevailed and forced Majid to surrender so that he could return to his family. She tweeted, “A mother’s love prevailed. Her impassioned appeal helped in getting Majid, an aspiring footballer, back home. Every time a youngster resorts to violence, it is his family which suffers the most.”

She also wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com “I understand the predicament of young boys who have strayed into militancy. Most realise the futility of senseless violence & want to return home and live normal lives with dignity.” She said that the choice to return homes for the young militants was, however, not easy because of the social stigma attached to surrender. “But the choice to renounce violence is not an easy one and they find themselves between the devil and the deep blue sea. The fear of social stigma clouds their judgement,” she said in another tweet.

Her predecessor and opposition National Conference (NC) working president, Omar Abdullah, also took to Twitter to express hope that Majid will not be harassed after his decision to shun the gun and return to his home to lead a normal life. “If that’s true then it’s a very good development. Hope he can go back to leading a normal life & not be harassed,” he said.