A SHORT STORY OF ‘KOLIA’ THE KILLER—A PROFILE OF A TERRORIST TURNING INTO A MAN OF PEACE!

The old man boarded the train at Jammu Tawi along with us.  He must have been around 60 years of age. He was coming from SRINAGAR where he had gone to spend some times with an old friend of his. We were in the AC two tiered bogey. As we boarded the train, news came that BB cantonment at SRINAGAR had been fired upon and the militants had killed the sentry at the gate. News was that encounter was still in progress when the train steamed off. Everyone was scared to talk because the rail journey till Pathankot was full of dangers of militant attack. The old man broke the ice. He said, “You see these militants are also humans. They behave like TIGERS because we behave like cowards. Give a gun to 10 year old and he will shoot down the strongest man. It is no bravery.” “But they are well trained and they are fearless”, I said. “No, sir, they are as meek as a child once they have been disarmed” said the old man.  “How can you say this sir?” I asked. He replied, “I am a retired Colonel ****.I have the experience of handling militancy in Assam and the North East; Punjab and J&K. While I do not advocate ‘TIT FOR TAT’ strategy, I feel if handled properly, even the hardest militant can be reformed. THEY KILL BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES ARE SCARED OF DEATH. Assure them of SAFETY, they turn a domestic cat. OK, I will narrate an incident from my days in Assam in 90-91.” He started the narration of his episode thus:

“Sir, when would you do it?” The question was straight and simple.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Sir, my face must be masked, when you do it.” He was cool.

“What are you talking?” I retorted.

“Sir, ENCOUNTER?” He responded with a deadpan expression.

“What? Encounter? Whose Encounter?” I was stunned.

“Sir, mine”, he said without any appeal for mercy.

I was really shocked. How did he think that we were a bunch of inhuman brutes on the lose? I was angry and agonized, but in a controlled display of anger I said, “Friend, Such things are outside my vocabulary. I and my men are also human beings. We believe in the philosophy that ONE HAS NO RIGHT TO TAKE LIFE IF ONE CAN NOT GIVE LIFE. We are soldiers and NOT MURDERERS ON THE PROWL.”

There was instant burst of contagious laughter by him. He gave us the uncanny feeling that he had not believed an iota of what I had said. I immediately yelled, “Stop laughing.”

He stopped, looked at me and teased, “Why? Don’t you want some awards? You will have your name in the print. People will talk about the great deeds of the bravery of your men. When would it be, sir?”

“Oh, shut up!” I was totally exasperated of his taunts. I beckoned to my men to take him away.

His face became grim. He probably thought that I had given my EXECUTIVE orders.

“Sir, mask my face, sir mask me, and I do not want to see ‘death’ staring at me” He cried and shouted at me.

It was 24th November 1992 . My outfit, after having had completed its tenure of field duty, had its orders to move out from Assam to KOTA in RAJSTHAN. The civil administration of JORHAT organized a special function for my outfit on this day. All civil and police officials along with prominent civilians were present. I was surprised to see some 124 ex hard core militants too present there. Some of them had been nabbed by my officers and men and some others had surrendered to us. Most of them had become friendly   to us because we had treated the fairly, while in captivity, and had worked on them mentally to convince them to leave the path of violence. Most of them were grateful to us.

It was a surprise to see civil administration and ex-militants rubbing shoulders with each others. The FEAR had gone and peace was visible. I got the biggest surprise when KOLIA and SP sang a song together. A year back no body would have thought of rubbing shoulders with a ruthless killer. But definitely he was a changed man. When I asked him jokingly as to what did he feel about his contemplated ENCOUNTER, he told me, “My deeds had forced me to think that way? You changed my life by your pep talks and I owe this to you that JORHAT HAS BEEN SWEPT CLEAN OF ULFA WITHOUT A BULLET HAVING BEEN FIRED. WHAT WAS BEST WAS THE WAY YOUR BOYS WENT ABOUT DOING THEIR JOB. THERE WERE NO TYPICAL OPERATIONS, YOU JUST PICKED US UP ONE BY ONE, NEATLY AND CLEANLY AND CHANGED US THROUGH PERSUASION. JORHAT WILL REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS. I am indebted to you, personally. Thanks, sir”. THIS WAS MY BIGGEST AWARD. To this day I think even the hardest criminal can be reformed only if he is tackled with love and dignity. 

The COLONEL had finished narrating his story of tackling militancy with love. I thought he was too obsessed with his methods. He did not know that TEMPLATES and PRECEDENCES, if applied and followed blindly, they lead to FAILURE, for, no two situations can ever be the same. While I was thinking of this, the train had halted, suddenly. It seems some body had pulled the chain. It was a pitch dark night. There was a commotion in the next compartment. As I and the Colonel went towards that side, we saw some men with pistol looting passengers. Colonel shouted at them, “Stop it.” One of the gangsters turned towards us and fired a single shot. It was at point blank range and I saw the colonel collapsing. I jumped out of the train.  The noise spread to many other compartments and after some 40 minute or so, the noise died down. I slowly came towards my compartment. There were women crying. Men-folks were sitting stunned and shocked as always we all behave—a bunch of NINCOMPOOPS GOONKS. I looked for the COLONEL and I saw a profusely bleeding body lying sprawling on the floor. It was breathing very slowly. Two bullets had been fired at him. Both pierced his abdomen. It was none other but the Colonel. I attended to the wounds but I prayed for the train to start. The train resumed its journey after about 15 minutes. As soon as it reached SAMBHA, I asked the guard to get the medical ambulance. Colonel was still breathing when I put him on the ambulance. His parting words to me were,” Sorry I couldn’t reproduce the magic of my youth. I tried but I failed.”   I could only muster courage to say, “Colonel, you had dared bare handed. But at least you did. If only we all could, may be the ruffians won’t have dared.”