Srinagar: The young Kashmiri footballer Majid Khan, who has now come back to his family after joining the Lashkar-e-Taiba militants for a brief period, has rekindled hope among other families in Kashmir, whose family members have also picked up guns in the past few weeks.
The 20-year-old footballer returned home within a few days after he had purportedly joined militancy and posed for photographs holding AK-47 rifles. His picture flaunting an assault rifle had become viral on social media, which made her mother send out a video appeal pleading for him to come home. Soon, he showed up at an Army camp and surrendered himself.
Now, at least two families, one each in Shopian and Pulwama, have appealed to both the militant leadership and government enforcers to bring back their sons.
Jawahira, a resident of Drabgama village in Pulwama district, wants her son, Manzoor Ahmad back. She has made a public appeal to the militant groups pleading them to allow her son to return home.
“If he is with any organisation, please for God's sake, let him go. I’m shattered. My kids haven’t eaten in days and they will die like this. I have no other support other than Manzoor," she said in an emotional appeal.
Twenty-year-old Manzoor, according to sources, had joined a militant outfit more than two weeks ago. Now, the family’s only hope is to have a Majid-like family reunion.
Another family in Shopian, whose son Aashiq Ahmad went missing and has allegedly become a militant, have also gone on record to appeal for his return.
However, Inspector General Muneer Khan said that Majid's return was possible because of his mother's love and tears and that the Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed it had allowed the young footballer to go only because of his distraught mother.
Majid Khan had joined the Lashkar last week and the social media exploded with messages urging him to return to his mother. One such comment read: "Your jihad is to return to your old and ailing parents. Being lone son, you need to serve them (sic)."
Both Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and opposition leader Omar Abdullah hailed Majid's return. While Mehbooba said a mother's love has prevailed, Abdullah hoped that he is not harassed after his return.
The Army and police, too, appealed to other local militants to follow the footsteps of Majid.
“I also look at it as a great example for other parents to get their sons back and we appeal to all local militants to follow the footsteps of Majid,” said Major General B S Raju on Friday.
Official sources have confirmed that several other families want their children to quit militancy. The security agencies have set up helpline numbers to facilitate this.
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