Civilians & Encounters: A Boy Who Didn’t Live to See His Marksheet

Camera: Danish Qazi
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
Producer: Vatsala Singh

When 14-year-old Numan Ashraf found out that local militant Umar Majid Ganai was trapped in Shopian – in an encounter operation – he rushed to the site empty-stomached. Growing up in Balsoo village in Kashmir’s Kulgam district, he heard many tales of Umar, who also belonged to Kulgam. Umar was his hero who lived in his phone in the form of many photographs. On the morning of 25 November, he rode pillion on someone’s bike for more than 40 kilometres to reach the encounter site.

Numan was killed in that encounter. Remember, he was only 14. A bullet hit him during the clashes between security forces and trapped militants.

The Quint met Numan’s father in his house in Kulgam – he’s a simple man who works as a carpenter to support his family.

“Numan would go to encounter sites and funerals without telling us. We would get to know from other people who had spotted him at such gatherings,” he said.

On being asked whether he approved of this, he said, “Obviously not! Why would a parent let their children go to encounter sites where there bullets being exchanged between security forces and militants?”

Numan Didn’t Live to See His Marksheet

When Class 10 results were declared in the Valley, morbid news was splashed across newspaper headlines. Numan Ashraf was written about as a 14-year-old boy who was killed just a month before his results.

“I was thinking to myself, why hasn’t my beloved child Numan come to me, and said, ‘Abu, I have passed matriculation. Are you happy?’”

Mohammed Ashraf Bhat, Numan’s Father

Numan’s clothes, books, bags, maths notebook – all lie in his room, as if he never left. Among those things is the marksheet he never got to see.

“Numan was a fine child. He was good at studies. He was good-natured, obedient to parents. Would offer prayers and recite the Holy Quran,” his father said.

In recent months, civilians have clashed with security forces at encounter sites, putting their lives at risk, in support of militants. They try to block military operations and distract security forces to help militants slip away. It is a fairly new phenomenon which is extremely dangerous. Reports of civilian deaths at encounter sites are making headlines.

The state’s cops have issued warnings to the people to avoid encounter sites.

Numan’s friend spoke to The Quint on condition of anonymity. He said, “Today it was Numan, tomorrow it could be me or anybody else. One by one we will all be claimed. This is our future.”

When asked if Numan should have gone to the site, he said, “That is not the issue. The issue is what made him do it.”

‘These Young Boys Don’t Fear Bullets’

Speaking about the trend of young boys going to encounter sites, Numan’s father said:

“Back in the 1990s, when we would hear of army cordon, encounter, etc, we would leave our houses and go to safer areas. Now I am 45. These young boys who are 14, 16 or 18 years old, they don’t fear bullets.”