Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani, an ethnic Kashmiri serving the Indian Army, attained martyrdom on November 25, 2018 while engaged in a counter terrorist operation at the Kapran Batagund area of Shopian in South Kashmir. The brave heart belonged to village Cheki Ashmuji of Tehsil Kulgam. A highly decorated soldier, he had been awarded Sena Medal for gallantry twice - in August, 2007 and in August, 2018.

On the fateful day of his martyrdom, as part of a search operation, he encountered two hard core terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). He engaged them in a fire fight and eliminated them before attaining martyrdom in service of the nation.

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani was an erstwhile Ikhwan. Ikhwan was a group of surrendered militants who had realised the evil intent behind the violence being perpetrated by malevolent forces working for foreign powers. The members organised themselves to assist the government in ridding their land from the evil of foreign sponsored terrorism.

As an Ikhwan, Nazir Ahmed provided invaluable assistance to the Indian Army; his indomitable courage and bravery resulted in great operational success. In consideration of his great contribution, he was recruited in the Indian Army in 2004, where he continued his relentless pursuit against terrorism, specifically in Kulgam and Shopian districts.

On January 17, 2007 as part of Operation Augam, he corroborated the intelligence with regard to the presence of four terrorists from the Hizbul Mujahedeen (HM) group and then took part in the operation that led to their elimination. He was awarded his first Sena Medal for this act of bravery. 

On November, 14, 2017, as part of Operation Watengoo in the Kund area of Kulgam, he not only provided accurate input about the presence of Hizbul and LeT terrorists in a house, but also displayed exemplary courage in eliminating a HM terrorist and apprehending one LeT and HM terrorist each. For this act of bravery, he received his second Sena Medal on August, 15, 2018.

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Wani SM* was a brave son of India. He cared deeply for his people and worked relentlessly and selflessly to rid them of the curse of terrorism. Such was his conviction about the righteousness of the national cause in Jammu and Kashmir that he voluntarily faced danger frequently, with no concern to his personal safety.

The counter-terrorist operation in which the brave soldier attained martyrdom culminated in the death of six terrorists, of which four were from the HM and two from the LeT. It was a huge success for the security forces and a significant step towards putting an end to the menace of terrorism for all times to come.

The security forces in Kashmir have attained significant success against the terrorists in the last two years. The number of terrorists killed this year is over 200 with some top ‘commanders’ in the list. The success has not come without a price; more than forty brave soldiers have attained martyrdom this year itself. The year 2017 witnessed more than 80 brave hearts of the Army making the supreme sacrifice.

It is said that there are no perfect solutions in an imperfect world. Terrorism is an irrefutable global reality. In Kashmir, it has a different dimension altogether due to the involvement of an inimical neighbouring nation. Unmitigated violence against innocent civilians has been unleashed and safety has emerged as a sacred responsibility of the Indian state.

This is something that cannot be brushed under the carpet; the brave soldiers of the Indian army, Para-military forces and Police services are meeting the challenge head-on. The death of a soldier in counter terrorist operations, whether he belongs to the army, Para-military force or the police is the corollary of an evil human rights violation whose root cause is terrorism. This, regrettably, has to continue because a vicious and ruthless enemy has to be neutralised. The soldier performs this noble function regardless of his own rights and safety. Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed was one such brave.

Some forces do not want the presence of Indian army in Kashmir. From time to time, there have been vicious campaigns against the army over alleged excesses on “innocents.” While reflecting on the death of the brave Kashmiri soldier, Nazir Wani, one wonders why human rights organisations that are otherwise so active in the valley have not raised any voice of concern at his wanton killing.

In a solemn ceremony at Srinagar, Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt, Commander, Chinar Corps, and all ranks, paid homage to the martyr. In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects. The mortal remains of the martyr were then taken for last rites to his native place, where he was laid to rest with full military honours.

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed is survived by his wife, Mahajbeen, and two sons, Athar Nazir (20) and Shahid Nazir (18). The nation and the Army stand in solidarity with the bereaved family and his sacrifice will not go in vain. His future generations and those of his community, that he was so passionate about, will one day enjoy the fruits of prosperity in a safe and secure environment. This is a solemn promise to him by his comrades in arms.

The author is an Army veteran, strategic analyst and columnist