Srinagar: The nine-minute long conversation between the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abu Dujana alias Hafiz and Indian Army officer before he was killed along with another militant in an encounter by security forces in J&K Pulwama district was released.
Abu Dujana had previously escaped several joint operations to hunt him down but one of his close associates Abu Okasha was killed in Pulwama’s Padgam Pora-Wandakpora village encounter. He was allegedly involved in the BSF convoy near the garrison town of Udampur on Aug 5, 2015 and was killed in March this year.
Abu Bujana was along with a local militant Arif Nabi alias Reehan alias Arif Lalhari in Pulwama’s Hakripora village trapped after the Army along with J&K’s Speacial Operations Group and CRPF launched a joint operation to hunt him down around 4 am.
The two militants opened fire at the army triggering the encounter after their hideout was figured out by the security forces.
The army then planted explosives and blew up the two houses. A few hours later the charred body of the two militants was recovered by the army from the debris.
The nine-minute conversations between the two militants, one Abu Dujana and the other Indian Army officer went like this:
“Aaj bhi marna hai, kal bhi marna hai (one has to die today or tomorrow)” replied Abu Dujana to the Army officer’s plea to surrender on the phone call.
The officer tried persuading the militant by saying him, “You have married (a local girl). Think about her, think about yourself”.
To that Dujana replied, “Koi shadi nahi ki hai. Sab jhoot hai. Propaganda hai (I’ve not married anyone. It is all falsehood. It is propaganda”).
The Army officer then asks him to think about his parents, who live across the border in Pakistan. “Think of them, at least,” the officer added.
The militant then says “They died for me the day I left them”. The Army officer tries to make Dujana explain saying “But you have not died for them”.
He then avoids the conversation about his parents and asks the officer, “Yeh konsa waqt hai haal chaal poochnay ka (Is this opportune time to ask for each other’s welfare”).
The officer then asks him to “end this game” and pleads to surrender telling him times have changed and now something has to be done in order to avoid the ongoing bloodshed in Kashmir.
“It is people of Kashmir who are dying” he told him.
The militant then congratulates the army officer for successfully tracking him down eventually. “Kabhi hum aage, aap peechhe; kabhi aap aage, hum peechhe; aaj aapne pakad liya, mubarak ho aapko (sometimes we are ahead, sometimes you are ahead. Today you have caught me, congratulations).”
To that the officer pleaded again saying “Aisa kuch nahi hai (It is nothing like that)”. The officer added “Leave it now. Accept (surrender offer). Nothing (bad) will happen to you. I will take care of it.” He, however, cautioned Dujana that the people he was with would also die if he doesn’t surrender. “No one here wants to kill anyone. Maan ley meri baat”.
But Dujana replied saying “But the person who gave you the information about my presence here wants that I should die.”
The officer responded to it saying “I’m not here. I’m somewhere in Awantipora. Have you ever seen me (being part of a cordon-and-search operation)?” Dujana replied “Yes, I saw you there a number of times”.
The officer then tells him “We have no enmity against you. Listen to me and surrender”.
Dujana replies, “Mujhe pata hai tumhari mujh say koi dushmani nahi hai. Laikin mein surrender nahi karsakta. Aap apni duty do, mein apni duty deta hoon. Jo meri qismat mein hoga, Allah wohi karega (I know you don’t keep enmity against me. But I can’t surrender. You do your duty, I will do my duty. God will decide my fate).
Army officer responded “God doesn’t wish bad for people. He will be with you. He is with all. He is same for you and for us”.
Dujana asks “Why are you talking while standing outside? Do come inside”.
Army officer says, “I’m not outside. I’m somewhere else. If I was outside you would have known that by hearing voices. I’m not here. I’m at a far off place. I’m sitting in Awantipore. It was my area where you are now. I have been to each and every corner of that place. I chased you a lot and that not because of any hatred against you but to perform my duty”. “You know what kind of game is being played here”.
Dujana on that says “I know all that is happening here and what the game like it is.”
Army officer questions Dujana, “Then why don’t you understand that. This is not jihad that is being fought here. You left home to fight jihad but this is not jihad here. If you come out and make people realize then alone the blood-letting will stop. If you don’t tell them then who will listen to us? You are the main commander and if you don’t tell them about the reality, the Kashmiris will continue to fall prey. Do something and make you mind up”.
Dujana disconnected the phone call after this conversation.
The dead body’s of the two militants were taken out from the debris. Arif’s body was handed to his family who buried him in his native village Lalhar whereas Dujana’s body is lying at the mortuary. The Indian government will be approaching the Pakistan High commission in New Delhi to take Duajna’s body to Pakistan.