Speaking to The Quint, Basheer Ahmad, a Kashmiri CRPF constable, talked about the harassment his family faces because of his association with the security forces. Ahmad has been with the CRPF for 11 years. His family lives in a village in the state’s Budgam district.
They harass our families. They tell us to leave the CRPF and join them. Sometimes we are forced to think what should we do. They throw stones on our houses. At times, it becomes very difficult for our families to hold back the mob.Basheer Ahmad, CRPF Constable
While travelling with a road-opening party made up of three CRPF jawans in a bullet-proof vehicle, I struck up a conversation with Ahmad. In a candid chat, he shared the thoughts he is faced with every time he confronts protesters on the streets.
Whenever I see kids on the streets protesting, I feel they shouldn’t be there. Everybody should live in peace and let others do so too.Basheer Ahmad, CRPF Constable
Basheer, who is posted in Srinagar, routinely goes out with the road-opening party. Almost every day, he faces protesters on the streets of Kashmir. He spoke to me about one such incident that left a lasting impact on him.
An incident took place just 3-4 km from my home. Five civilians were killed on the spot. A person was walking up to the stone-pelters to stop them from protesting. He was shot dead on the spot. Another person followed him. He too was gunned down. in this way, five people were killed one after the other.
Like Basheer, there are many Kashmiris in the security forces who have to make tough decisions every time they pick up a weapon to stop the protesters. Facing them is a difficult choice: Between their national duty and their loyalty to fellow Kashmiris.
In his 11 years of service, Basheer says, his family members have been very supportive They know that it is his job that supports them. “I gives my 100 percent to my job,” he says. Worried over the ongoing unrest, Bashir tells me he fervently hopes that normalcy and peace will return to his state soon
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