An endless wait is what fell upon the Mhatre family on 3rd Feb 1984, causing total eclipse, when this unsung hero laid his life to rest serving on a deputation overseas. But it was not a regular or accidental death, it was a brutal murder. A bright, young, family man serving his country overseas was tortured to death for no fault of his. 

Ironically, on August 15, 1982, when he was transferred to Birmingham, the family was thrilled because it represented the first safe post after years in trouble-spots.He was in Dhaka in undivided Pakistan at the time of the Indo-Pakistan war in the mid-’60s and was, like other Indians, placed under house arrest. He was in Iran during the thick of the riots when the Shah was removed and Ayatullah Khomeini took over.

As a result, he was often separated from his family, in Birmingham, however, the family was finally together. Tragically his daughter Asha’s birthday fell a day after her father was kidnapped.

When Mhatre stepped out of a bus, clutching a birthday cake for his daughter Asha, he was bundled into a car and held captive for three days in the Alum Rock area of Birmingham. It is an area inhibited with an overwhelming Kashmir-British population. His body was found two days after he was kidnapped in a Birmingham suburb. The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Army claimed responsibility and within hours of the kidnapping, the abductors issued their list of demands, which included one million pounds in cash and the release of Maqbool Butt, the JKLF’s co-founder, who was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail after being sentenced to death for killing personnel of Indian security forces. Sources reveal that ‘Pakistan blocked UK bid to catch suspects in the Indian diplomat’s murder’

It is a pity that not many of us have correct awareness and we tend to get swayed by the sentiment generated in favour of rebels like Maqbool Bhat, who when were young and impressionable got carried away in the tide of violence. They did not realise then that Pakistan had no love loss for Kashmir or its people; its objective was to only use the state/Kashmiris as a tool to disintegrate India. Infact later Maqbool had publicly stated that the military rulers of Pakistan had never supported the peoples’ armed struggle in Kashmir and he and his comrades were forced to flee from Pakistan as he became the target of brutal torture and humiliation at the hands of Pakistan

After the spilling of innocent Kashmiri blood in streets of Kashmir valley in the past 6 months it is very clear what are the designs of Pakistan. Pakistan was neither interested not in the past. Pakistan has only one interest in Kashmir and the is to secure its water supply. Indians have not been able to connect up for the past 70 years as to why Pakistan is fighting so hard for Kashmir. Also Pakistanis are also unable to find about the true nature of their military. From the beginning Pakistani Army wanted a kingdom of its own.

The Pakistani Army started the Nazi way of propaganda machinery. First Pakistan Army established agency called today Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). They also established ISI for the same to actively take up operations across the border. Initially the aim of ISPR was to manipulate their own people into submission. Anyone opposing was prosecuted. Punjabi dominated Pakistani Army did not even spare their own brothers at arms in East Bengal rifles during Operation Search Light. In East Bengal they not only killed their brothers but also systematically raped their women and children. They are practicing the same in Baluchistan and Sindh provinces. They are practicing the same in Baluchistan and Sindh provinces. Like Ravinder Mathre India lost many sons of their soil due to ISI plots. Pakistan is still losing its sons daily.

Once attaining superiority at home then there was a requirement of securing resources for their kingdom. This was attained by the trans-border operations of ISI. The sim was not to carry war campaigns but for carrying out systematic brain washing of first Punjab and then Kashmir. ISI getting its hands dirty in Mumbai blasts conniving with Dawood Ibrahim is a well-known history. If we the people of Pakistan do not realise now when will we realise the consequences of the mistakes our elders have done in the past. This is the time we have to realise and work for dislodging the supremacy of Pakistani Army as they are no better people than the people of entire Pakistan. Lets listen to the call of non-other than our beloved Quaid-i-Azam and stand up against the looting of our nation.

11 Feb 18/Sunday.                                                                                        afsana159630@gmail.com