Deft handling prevented unrest in Kashmir post Sabzar’s killing

Unlike Burhan Wani’s killing, death of his close aide Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, also a resident of the volatile Tral area, did not plunge Kashmir into an unending unrest. The situation, which developed immediately after the killing of Burhan’s close aide, had all the elements that could have triggered unrest, but it was the deft handling this time that seems to have prevented the situation from going bad.
As the news about the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar along with his accomplice spread on Saturday afternoon, shopkeepers downed their shutters, transport went off the roads and fear gripped the people that situation may again turn bad.
However, this time the government machinery, with the last year experience, seems to have been better prepared to tackle the situation. For many officers, however, there is no comparison of the two situations.
“Comparing Burhan killing with that of Sabzar is like comparing apple with oranges. After the killing of Burhan, there were massive protests across the Valley but this time it was not expected,” an officer said. “Burhan was a poster boy and had a huge following among youngsters, which was not the case with Sabzar, despite being his close aide.”
According to the officer, 28 civilians were killed in four districts of south Kashmir in the first two days after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year and the cycle of violence never ended. There is a feeling that had so much of killings not taken place during those two days the unrest would have not prolonged so much.
After the killing of Sabzar, one civilian was killed while marching towards the encounter site in Tral.
State police chief Shesh Paul Vaid said the situation after the killing of Sabzar had all the elements that triggered last year’s unrest.
“It had all elements which could have triggered unrest. However it was effectively handled this time,” Vaid said. He said Sabzar belonged to the same group and the same area and his killing could have triggered an unrest-like situation.
A resident of Tral said a major factor for “relative calm” was Sabzar’s killing took place a day ahead of the fasting month of Ramazan. “The commencement of fasting has had a pacifying effect in Kashmir as during this month people prefer spending more time on prayers and meditation,” said Lateef Ahmed, a resident of Tral.