Srinagar 23 apr: Abid Nazir Chopan, who aspired to become a military officer had cleared the entrance examination for India’s premier defense academy, belonged to an unlikely Kashmiri family to join the militant ranks.
The father of the 21-year-old BTech student, who is an orchardist and has had a stint with the Peoples Democratic Party before joining the CPI(M) had done everything to shield his son from tumultuous conditions in Kashmir.
But the death of 13 militants and four civilians on a single day in south Kashmir on April 1 appears to have pulled Abid away from his ambition of joining the National Defense Academy and take the opposite course of fighting the Indian government forces in Kashmir.
Abid had traveled home from Jalandhar, where he was a student of engineering, just a day before the fateful day to attend the funeral of his aunt.
Instead he had to attend multiple funerals and endure intense mourning in a charged political atmosphere as soon as he arrived. He had planned to stay on until April 21 to attend the marriage of first cousin.
But days before the marriage, on April 17 Abid went out to meet with his friend but didn’t return home, his phone switched off.
Two days later Abid’s photo brandishing an automatic rifle went viral over social media announcing he had joined Kashmir’s largest militant group, the HizbulMujahideen.
“I am surprised what transformed him during in these two weeks,” his father, Nazir Ahmad Chopan said.
Abid had participated in the militant funerals and mourned alongside the neighbours on April 1 and during the following days. But he had quietly returned to his routine, studying to prepare for fourth semester of his engineering degree.
Chopan, says that he strived hard to give best possible education to his children and Abid the youngest among his four children excelled in academics.
“Yes he was pious and unlike me was regular in prayers, but he never showed any inclination towards militancy. In fact during the summer uprising of 2016 after his insistence I took a risk and drove to Jalandhar in the wee hours along with him as his admission (in engineering college) was getting delayed,”
“I did everything possible to keep him away from the protests and in fact after he passed 10th I sent him to Srinagar for studies.”
Chopan’s other son is a member of CPI(M) youth wing.
“I don’t know what drew my younger son towards militancy.”
Chopan said he was called by army officials of the nearby Bihibagh camp and asked to bring his talented son back. (agencies)
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