Burhan Wani was an Indian militant. He was the commander of the Kashmiri militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and was found by Indian security forces in 2016.
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Wiki/Biography
Burhan Wani was born on September 19, 1994 (22 years old; at the time of his death) in Dadasara, Tral, Jammu and Kashmir. His zodiac sign is Virgo. Burhan studied in the Tral area of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. He was a brilliant student and was one of the best of his throughout his school life. He loved to play cricket and he was very good at it. He was considered by many people to be a budding cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir.
Burhan was fascinated with the Indian Army. He loved the army camouflage uniform and aspired to join the Indian Army one day. In 2010, one day when he was traveling with his brother, he was reportedly stopped by the police. They asked his brother to bring them cigarettes, and when his brother returned, the policemen began to beat them. Burhan managed to escape, but the policemen continued to beat Khalid until he could not stand. Seeing this, Burhan decided to take up arms against the Indian Army and fight against this injustice.
Burhan Wani at the age of 15
According to the sources, after the incident, Burhan began to notice that he was not the only person facing such problems. He interacted with many people and realized that his friends and acquaintances had gone through the same thing that he and his brother suffered. At 15 he dropped out of school and left his house to join the militancy. In an interview, his mother stated that-
Burhan was a very stubborn boy and he got what he wanted by any means possible.”
Burhan joined the Kashmiri militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. He trained with them and soon became an important part of the group. Burhan was very tech-savvy and used social media platforms to inform the people of J&K about the misdeeds of the Indian Army.
Burhan became famous on Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter. Videos of him went viral and many J&K youth agreed with what he said. Burhan was never camera shy. While other militants often hide their faces from the camera, Burhan used to post videos of him openly. He wanted people to see what had been done to him. He wanted people to know that he is one of their own and that they can trust him. He was soon appointed commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
Burhan Wani with a member of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen
On April 13, 2015, his older brother Khalid along with 3 of his friends went to meet Burhan. They found themselves in the middle of a forest when suddenly the Indian army ambushed them. Burhan escaped, but Khalid was killed in the attack. The Indian Army stated that Khalid was a militant sympathizer and had taken his friends with him to recruit them in Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Later, the J&K police arrested Khalid’s friends, but did not confirm whether Khalid’s friends had joined the militancy or not.
In 2015, the Indian government announced a 1 lac INR reward for any information that would help find Burhan. Burhan often posted photos on social media posing with weapons and with his militant friends. He posted videos appealing to Kashmiri youth to join the militancy and managed to recruit more than 30 South Kashmiri youth through his videos. The militants used to attack the pilgrims of the Amarnath Yatra.
Burhan had posted many videos threatening the Indian Army. He said that the uniformed men (Indian Army) are unfair and the militants will retaliate for all their misdeeds. When there were discussions about providing separate colonies to the Kashmiri Pandits, Burhan objected. He said they can go back and live on their land but a separate colony was not acceptable; as he does not want a situation similar to that of Israel in Kashmir. There were several attacks on the Indian Army by militants, but none of them can be traced back to Burhan. Burhan had reportedly often planned these attacks.
Physical appearance
Height: 5′ 9″ (approx.)
Eye Color: Black
Hair Color: Black
Family, wife and caste
Burhan belonged to an upper caste Kashmiri family. His father, Muzaffar Ahmad Wani, is a maths teacher and principal of a senior secondary school. His mother, Maimoona Muzaffar, is a postgraduate in science and teaches the Koran in her village. His older brother, Khalid Muzaffar Wani, was found by the Indian Army. His younger brother, Naveed Alam Wani, is a student. His younger sister, Iram Muzaffar Wani, is a student. Burhan Wani was not married. However, it was reported that he had many affairs.
Muzaffar Ahmad Wani, father of Burhan Wani
Burhan Wani’s older brother Khalid Muzaffar Wani
Burhan Wani’s younger brother Naveed Alam Wani
Death
On 7th July 2016 Burhan Wani along with 2 other militants arrived at Bumdoora village, Kokernag, J&K. They were there to get some weapons. J&K Police received a tip that Sartaj Ahmad Sheikh and Pervaiz Ahmad Lashkari were in Bumdoora, and began a joint operation with the 19 Rashtriya Rifles to arrest them. The police later stated that they had no idea that Burhan Wani was also present with them. They started the search operation on July 7, which ended on July 8, 2016. The security forces also faced resistance from local people during the search operations. The villagers had started throwing stones at them.
Burhan Wani’s body is brought to his home
While the security forces were conducting the search operation, the militants opened fire on them. The forces tracked them down and responded to the militants’ attack. They opened fire at 4:30 pm and the operation lasted until 6:15 pm, with which they ended up confronting the three. Subsequently, Jammu & Kashmir Police Director General K. Rajendra informed the media about the encounter. He had also confirmed that Burhan Wani was also killed in the encounter. He said that if they had known that Burhan was there, they would have tried to arrest him.
Burhan Wani’s father Muzaffar Ahmad Wani clicks on the photo of his dead son before his last rites
subsequent reactions
Immediately after Burhan Wani’s death, several villagers clashed with the security forces. As the news of his death traveled through Kashmir, people mourned his death and started attacking army camps, police colonies and CRPF camps. There was violence throughout Kashmir. People did not believe they had found it. People offered prayers all over Kashmir for Burhan. As his body was carried home, thousands of people followed him and gathered around his house. Reportedly it was one of the largest gatherings ever and more than 2 people from Lac had arrived.
People offering prayers for Burhan Wani
Burhan Wani’s body was wrapped in the Pakistani flag and he was buried in Tral, next to his brother, Khalid. The militants were also present at his funeral. The militants offered a three-volley salute to Burhan, meaning three shots into the air; which means that the dead have been removed and the battle can resume now. Kashmiri separatist leaders demanded the closure of Kashmir. They kept extending the lockdown for more than 6 months and finally called it off in February 2017. Police stations and army camps were regularly attacked by the mafia.
Corpse of Burhan Wani
The mob attacked several transit camps, for which several Kashmiri Pandits had to flee Kashmir overnight. Due to the attacks, 90 people died, 15,000 people were injured and more than 4,000 members of the army were injured. Security forces reportedly had to use assault rifles against the mob due to increased violence. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed shock at Burhan Wani’s meeting, calling him a martyr. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs criticized his statement and responded by saying that Pakistan should glorify terrorists.
Facts
- On July 1, 2015, Burhan uploaded a photo with 9 other militants. All but one of the militants in that photo have been found by the Indian Armed Forces.
Burhan Wani with other militants
- After Burhan’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Indian media, saying that the media should stop portraying Burhan as a murdered hero.
- During a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke about Burhan Wani, saying:
A young leader who had become a symbol of the last Kashmir Intifada.”
- In December 2016, the J&K government awarded Burhan’s family ex-gratia compensation of INR 4 lacs for the encounter of Burhan’s older brother Khalid. This drew criticism from many opposition parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also criticized the J&K government; despite being his ally.
- In July 2017, Pakistani Today (a Pakistani newspaper) praised the death of Burhan Wani up to the death of Che Guevara in an article with the headline: “History repeats itself.”
- On August 14, 2017 (Pakistan Independence Day), Pakistan Railways launched a special train named Azadi Train. The train featured all the national heroes of Pakistan including Burhan Wani.
Burhan Wani featured on Pakistan Railways Azadi train
- Every year on July 8, Kashmir celebrates the anniversary of his death. Amarnath Yatra stops for 3-4 days during this period; due to security concerns.
- Burhan Wani was succeeded by Sabzar Bhat. He was the new commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. However, a year later, Indian security forces found Sabzar.
Sabzar Bhat with Burhan Wani
- On September 21, 2018, Pakistan issued a postage stamp glorifying Burhan Wani. The label called it an “Icon of Freedom.”
Burhan Wani postage stamp issued in Pakistan
Categories: News
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
