Explorer

Army Brigadier wishes 'eternal peace' for pro-freedom activist

New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): It is seldom that an Army man pens tribute to a Kashmiri pro-freedom activist on his death. But for Brigadier PS Gothra, a serving Indian Army officer, Noor Khan was much more than just a jailed bird.

Khan, also known as Gulam Hassan Malik who died on Tuesday, had joined terrorism in 1989 to become a terrorist leader. The news of his demise left a deep emotional vacuum for Brigadier Gothra who felt a sense of personal loss.

On his Facebook post, Brigadier Gothra explained the bond that Army officers gradually develop over a period of time during their posting in a particular area. "You seek and ask welfare of some old lady who blessed you for a long life, some young girl who forewarned you of some deadly mine laid for you, some SPO or policeman who took the bullet aimed at you on his chest, and some boys who helped you in operations," he noted.

His relationship with Khan, however, meant more than any of these.

"On a cold night in 1991, Noor Khan and his accomplices were surrounded by security forces. He jumped off from the first floor and got away but his leg got fractured. He could drag himself to a distance. By midnight he was lying helpless by the side of a road when a couple of NHPC employees on a vehicle spotted him. They took him along, gave him shelter and medical aid. In a month he was hale and hearty," he recollected.

Two years later, on a dark night when his father, Major GS Gothra (retd), then a Chief Engineer of Uri Hydroelectric Project (NHPC), was kidnapped by a group of terrorists. Perturbed by the situation, locals and NHPC employees approached Khan to help trace his kidnapped father.

"Noor Khan through his network could trace that my father was taken to a village in Sheri Valley. A local truck driver of the Project volunteered to go with Noor Khan to that village. Noor Khan at his peril argued with those terrorists and by midnight my father was brought back safely," he noted.

Later Brigadier Gothra's father offered Khan a reward for helping him return home safe. But, Khan refused to accept a single penny.

"The man had a lot of dignity," wrote Brig Gothra as he penned the tribute.

In 2013, Brigadier Gothra on being posted to Sheri Valley headed to Khan's house to pay him a visit, only to find that Khan had surrendered, grown old and voluntarily offered to pass information from his connections across the Line of Control.

Reminiscing the conversations he had with Khan, Brigadier Gothra cherished the dignity in that man. While highlighting how Khan never approached him for any help, Brigadier Gothra wrote how Khan's need was only limited to some medical aid, and too only for his grandchild.

"He died yesterday at 70 years. I wish him eternal peace," he signed off. (ANI)


This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI

View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

Delhi Assembly: Manish Sisodia Moved To Jangpura Seat, Avadh Ojha To Make Poll Debut. AAP Releases 2nd List Of Candidates
Delhi Assembly: Manish Sisodia Moved To Jangpura Seat, Avadh Ojha To Make Poll Debut. AAP Releases 2nd List Of Candidates
Exclusive: The Story Is Now Over For Bashar al-Assad, The Fallen Dictator. What Does A New Syria Mean For India?
The Story Is Now Over For Bashar al-Assad, The Fallen Dictator. What Does A New Syria Mean For India?
High Drama In Rajya Sabha As BJP Alleges Sonia Gandhi's 'George Soros Link', Congress Calls It 'Dark Fantasies'
High Drama In Rajya Sabha As BJP Alleges Sonia Gandhi's 'George Soros Link', Congress Reacts
'If I Don't Receive $30,000, Will Detonate Bombs': 40 Delhi Schools Get Fresh Bomb Threat; Students Sent Back
'If I Don't Receive $30,000, Will Detonate Bombs': 40 Delhi Schools Get Fresh Bomb Threat
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Stray Dogs Attack Elderly Woman, Dragging Her for 100 Meters, Leaving Her Severely InjuredBreaking News: Two Policemen Found Dead Near Kali Mata Temple in Udhampur | J&K NewsFarmers' Delhi March Looms: Leader Sarwan Singh Pandher Issues Key Statement Ahead of ProtestBreaking News: President Flees the Country Amidst Rebellion Terror in Syria | Bashar al-Assad
Embed widget