Shoe-throwing ‘hero’ disappoints separatists, gets released after meeting with CM

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 17: Suspended head constable, Abdul Ahad Jan, who had become a hero among separatists over his audacity of hurling a shoe angrily on Mr Omar Abdullah, has been released after he met Chief Minister at his Gupkar Road residence today. This anti-climax of 48-hour-long drama has made an unprecedented excitement among Kashmiri separatists shortlived.

Informed sources told Early Times that under treatment and detention at Police Hospital Srinagar, Abdul Ahad Jan expressed the desire of meeting with Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, in order to express his remorse on the show-throwing incident of August 15th. Jan had hurled a shoe towards Chief Minister and Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, when Mr Abdullah was taking salute on the Independence Day ceremonial parade after unfurling the Tricolour. He had also yelled a pro-freedom slogan.

Sources said that Jan’s desire was communicated to Chief Minister who lost no time to send back his positive signal. Thereupon, a Police team, led by IGP Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed, escorted Jan to CM’s Gupkar Road residence. In his 20-minmute-long conversation, he was extremely remorseful on his audacious act but sought to make it clear that his “real target” was DGP Kuldeep Khoda. He, according to sources, narrated how he had been “brave and dutiful” throughout his 34-year-long service career in Police but his promotion prospects had been always marred.

He narrated how he had evacuated then DGP, J N Saxena, and other injured officials of top rungs of J&K Police when militants of Hizbul Mujahideen had caused one of the most successful IED blasts in which Police Headquarters had suffered extensive damage and a number of senior officers had sustained injuries, on January 25th in 1992. While he had been denied promotion and rewards on account of his meritorious work, he said that those doing nothing had been promoted by J&K Police officials. He complained to Chief Minister that J&K Police officials had done “grave injustices” to him and he had been emotionally disturbed beyond imagination.

Jan, significantly, told Chief Minister that all through his life he and his family in Ajas village of Bandipore had been stanch supporters of National Conference. Tears rolled down his cheeks on a couple of occasions when Jan was in conversation with Chief Minister. Mr Abdullah told him that he need not to worry on the ugly incident as he had understood his agony and had already directed Police to withdraw Sunday’s criminal matter and release him unconditionally, more so in honour of the holy month of Ramazan.

Reached over telephone for his comments on today’s dramatic development, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told this correspondent that he had directed Police to withdraw Aug 15th FIR, registered with Police Station Shergarhi, and release him at once. He clarified that other FIRs against Jan would stand and the investigations would be carried out on merits. “He said that his anger was against J&K Police which, he believed, had been unfair to him”, Chief Minister said. “He told me that not only had his promotions been derailed but also the files had been misplaced by Police officials”.

Later, a contrite Jan was escorted back to Police Hospital. Hospital sources said that he was free to go back to his home but had expressed his desire to take counseling at the hospital’s de-addiction centre for a few days.

Interestingly, Jan’s audacious act had won him laurels among the separatist circles who thronged his home in large numbers and celebrated the insult he had done to CM and DGP by throwing his shoe and shouting pro-Azadi slogan.

Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson, Asia Andrabi, had immediately declared Jan a “great freedom fighter” and in recognition of his “extraordinary service to the freedom struggle” announced a gallantry award, Tamga-e-Shujaat-e-Imani, in his favour. Separatist hardliner and Chairman of Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had also declared Jan as a hero in his statement. Besides, Kashmir’s pro-Azadi individuals and groups had projected Jan as an icon of bravery and freedom struggle on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and the free-for-all broadcast station YouTube.

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