The ordeal of pain for Matto family of Pulwama is marked by tales of state oppression and aching reminiscences.

Nishwan Rasool:-
The ordeal of pain for Matto family of Pulwama is marked by tales of state oppression and aching reminiscences. The family has suffered at the hands of government forces. The festering wounds never healed for this family.

On a morning in the month of November 1993, 7-year-old, Javed Mattoo was having lunch with his parents when the 182 Battalion of Border Security Force rounded up the house and took away Javed with them.

Javed’s father, Ghulam Nabi Mattoo recalls, “On November 3, 1993, the BSF patrol party which was headed by Gurmeet Singh [Inspector] with his other two assistants Sukhu Singh and Tirlook Singh arrested over a dozen youth in the village. All of them were released but my son was held up in the camp only.’’

Javed was first taken to a bunker in Pulwama, after which he was shifted to the police station. “We tried to contact the police officials for his release but they kept on telling us that he would be released day after tomorrow. We were very worried,” he lamented.

“He was illegally detained for no offence. The BSF told us that he would be released after few days but the day never came,” he added.

Matoo said that the police refused to file a case against the BSF. “They accused that my 7 year old son had fled away from the camp.”

Javed, then, a student of 1st standard in the Govt Public School [Kareema Abad] in Pulwama, excelled not only in his studies but co-curricular activities too. He was very hard working and patient too, Matoo reminisces.

The wait didn’t end. The pain grew. Wounds bled afresh. After 6 months of Javed’s disappearance, his sister who could not bear the pain of separation died of shock.

Not recovering from the loss of his daughter yet, Matoo kept running from pillar to post in search of their son.

“We many times visited the BSF camp to meet Javed but they ignored us saying that the officer is not present. This continued for months together. We always returned home disappointed and distraught,” he sighed.

After lodging an FIR, the family went to the BSF camp, where they were told that Javed fled way while identifying and showing a militant hideout to the forces. “My son never went to the playground with his friends. How could a 7 year old know about a militant hideout?”Matoo asks.

Javed’s case was taken by a Human Rights group in Delhi by but nothing happened. Justice remained alien.

A ray of hope was finally seen but it too deserted the family.

Athe 8 months of Javed’s disappearance, an old man working as a carpenter in one of the leading colleges of the state- National Institute of Technology( NIT) informed the family that Javed was kept in a hidden room in the NIT campus. “The old man told us that he had met Javed in the campus and had a small chat with him. Javed had told him that he was picked up by the BSF forces and wrong information of his feeling away was conveyed,” Matoo said.

“When we contacted the Army officials at NIT ,they told us that no one was brought here and that we have received the wrong information’’ he added tears brimming his eyes..

The family has questions which most Kashmiris have “Why is an innocent Kashmiri always targeted. Why is the State silent?”

The fight is on.

“We have harbored this pain for eighteen years now. We want to know if he is alive or dead. We will fight till end. None of the political or economic package can heal our wounds.’’