Burhan Wani

Some Lesser Known Facts About Burhan Wani

• Burhan Wani was an Indian militant and the commander of the Kashmiri militant group- Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. He was killed in an encounter by the security forces.

• His father, Muzaffar Ahmad Wani, is a maths teacher and the principal of a higher secondary school in Jammu & Kashmir.

• When Burhan was 10 years old, he wanted to join the Indian Army as he was fascinated with the camouflage dress.

• Burhan was good in studies, and he was also a topper during his school days.

• He loved playing cricket, and he was considered a budding player of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Reportedly, in 2010, some police officers had beaten up Burhan and his elder brother Khalid, while they were on their way to the market. Once, in an interview, his father stated that-
  

  It was after this day that Burhan decided to pick up arms and fight against the Indian Army”

• On 16 October 2010, Burhan had come home with a friend, he asked his mother for lunch, and after finishing his meal, he packed a bag and left with his friend. According to his mother, Burhan never returned home after that day. He was 15 years old at the time, and he had left his home to join the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

• On 13 April 2015, his elder brother, Khalid Muzaffar Wani, was killed by the Indian Army when he had gone along with his friends to meet Burhan.

• He was very tech-savvy and was an expert in social media. He used social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube to spread his messages and speeches. His social media campaign had an influential outreach among a significant section of the Muslim Kashmiri youth.

• He had recruited more than 30 people from different parts of Kashmir, through his social media campaign.

• In 2011, Burhan Wani was the commander of the Kashmiri militant group, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

• In June 2016, he assured that there would be no militant attacks on the “Amarnath pilgrims.” He asserted that his fight is confined to the men in uniform (the Army).

• In June 2016, the Government had proposed separate colonies for the Kashmiri Pandits in the state of J&K. Burhan opposed the proposal and stated-
  

  An Israel-like” situation will not be allowed in Kashmir”

• Burhan Wani had become an icon of militancy in the state of J&K.

• The Government of India had announced a bounty of 1 Lac INR for finding Burhan Wani.

• On 8 July 2016, Burhan Wani was encountered by a Special Operations Group of the J&K Police and the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, in Bumdoora village, Kokernag, Jammu & Kashmir.

• Some reports had also emerged which stated that he was a victim of infidelity, as his girlfriend had informed the J&K Police about his location.

• He was buried in his hometown, Tral, J&K, beside his elder brother, Khalid.

• It had been reported that during the encounter operation of Burhan Wani in the Bundoora village of Kekernag, the villagers opposed the police and were involved in stone-pelting.

• After Wani’s death, protests took place all over the Kashmir Valley. It resulted in several deaths and injuries. Curfew was also imposed in many areas of the Kashmir Valley to counter the protests.

• His funeral was attended by thousands of people, and his body was wrapped in the flag of Pakistan. He was given a Three-volley salute by the militants present at his funeral.

• On 21 September 2018, Pakistan issued postage stamps of 20 Kashmiri militants. Among them, Burhan Wani was also featured in one of the stamps, and he was termed as a Freedom Icon.