Mudasir Dar, 27, of village Mugalpora, on the outskirts of South Kashmir’s Pulwama town, launched his mission to erase the image of Pulwama as a terror hub, sometime after the August 5, 2019 Parliamentary decision to end the privileged status of J&K. An MBA degree holder, who is busy setting up his cold storage business, spoke with Awaz-the Voice about his mission.

“On the Day of Judgment, (a Quranic edict about the Day when the dead will rise and everyone will have to account for his deeds on earth) when I am called to give account of my deeds, I would present only one deed - that is I saved 17 young people from death. Quran says saving a life is equal to saving humanity and I am sure I would be rewarded,” he said.

Here Mudasir is referring to his success in dissuading 17 Kashmiri men from picking the gun and becoming terrorists. “I get Goosebumps thinking if I was late even by a day, in some cases, what would have happened to the men whose lives I saved.”

Ongoing Sports event at Lelhar, Pulwama

Mudasir Dar comes from areas where a belt comprising five villages - Karimabad, Lelhar, Parigam, Gulzarpora, and Drabgam – were condemned as highly militant-infested villages where administration and leaders didn’t dare to even visit for 25 years.

The first person Mudasir rescued was a 24-year-old man from village Lelhar. This village was notorious for organizing massive funerals of terrorists – at least 100 such events of terrorists killed by the Army and security forces which turned into recruitment rallies for the terror outfits  - in the village ground. The helt was a recruitment heaven for Pakistan-backed terror groups.

Adil Dar, the suicide bomber in the 2019 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convey also belonged to this area.

“His sister died in the crossfire (between security forces and militants. Suhail (name changed) was distraught with grief and anger and the OGWs (overground workers of terrorist organizations) regularly visited him.” Mudasir said.

The OGWs are non-combatant terrorism supporters who arrange logistics and identify vulnerable people who can be motivated to join terror outfits. “They would provoke and coax him for revenge, hinting that he has no option but to pick the gun and join one of the Tanzeems.”

Mudasir Dar (bespectacled) leading the protest against killings by terrorists in Pulwama

Desperate to save his son, his father approached Mudasir, who was already recognized as a local social worker for his voluntary work during the 2014 floods in Malangpora (Kakapora) and later during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I tried to speak with Sahil; It was difficult. Finally one day my efforts to persuade him to give up the idea of avenging his sister’s accidental death worked and he wanted help to deal with what was brewing in his mind.”

Mudasir arranged for him to meet Maulvis who explained to him the real meaning of jihad and busted the myth that those dying for religious causes would be in the company of 71 Hoors (fairies) in Heaven; local police authorities who explained how militants die within a short span of joining the terrorist groups.

“Thank God, I could save him in the nick of time; he was just a day or two away from fulfilling his promise (to the OGWs) of joining the ranks of terrorists,” Mudasir told Awaz-the voice.

“Suhail was so rebellious that he had rejected a government job given to the next of kin of the civilians who died during counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. Today, he is working with the PDD (Power development department) of the J&K government."

Mudasir Dar leading the march in memory of soldiers who lost lives fighting terrorists

He had imbibed the spirit of public service in school as he joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement, commonly called the Boys Scouts in the 5th standard. “We took a pledge to work for humanity and it remained with me during my growing years.”

However, his life changed because of an incident in Delhi. “It was March 2019, soon after the Pulwama attack in which 44 CRPF soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack when I had come with a cousin who needed hospitalization in Delhi.”

“The moment the staff at the hotel reception looked at my Aadhar card they said no accommodation for anyone from Pulwama.”

The incident hit him hard. “I kept wondering while there are a few terrorists from Pulwama, a majority are peace-loving people, what  should I do to change the image of my native place,” Dar told Awaz-the Voice.

He decided to be a change maker. He invoked the spirit of his training during the Scouts days and felt proud to remember he had received a “State Puruskar” in 2007 followed by a 'Rashtriya Puraskar “in 2012 for social work.

Mudasir posted the following video and images of the ongoing cricket tournament at Lelhar on X:

Added another feather in my #Engagement with the #youth by organizing this cricket tournament in #Lelhara #Kakapora, a village that has seen the highest levels of insurgency. This area has been known as a hub of #anti-#National activities for years.The purpose of this tournament… pic.twitter.com/Max6d2m7A6

— Dar Mudasir (@DarMudasir10) July 28, 2024

His ideas took shape when he attended a workshop of the Save Youth Save Future fame Wajahat Farooq, a former stone-thrower turned Ted Talk speaker who is working on youth in Kashmir. This was very encouraging.

After consulting many people, he focused on the five “blacklisted villages” which recorded very high incidents of radicalism and terrorist recruitment. The village Lelhar-Kakapora had a graveyard of 60-70 local terrorists and had witnessed some of the largest funerals of terrorists. “Here, pelting stones on security forces and officials was a normal activity; these were hubs of radicalism and nobody from the administration had visited these from 1990.

"I organized the first counseling seminar for the local youth in Lelhar where the religious scholars, psychologists, moulvis, and police officers spoke. It had an impact.”

A video of the sports organised by Mudasir posted on X:

Great tournament event opened by @DarMudasir10 Truly inspiring to see such a strong motive to create a drug free community & promote physical & mental fitness through sports. Loved seeing the youth from all over Pulwama engaged & enjoying the match.#DrugFreePulwama #NayaKashmir pic.twitter.com/tPQDlrv9m9

— Jasib Shabir Bhat (@jasib_shabir) July 24, 2024

Three years ago when District Commissioner Basir ul haq Choudhary and DIG and SSP Ghulam Gilani Wani, visited Lelharan, they were welcomed with flowers shower and the youth hoisted the national flag in a ground close to the Martyrs' graveyard.

In his next stop Karimabad where two years ago, DDC member Javed Rahim Bhat became the first official to visit the village in 25 years and hold the block-level meeting of Panchayat members.

Village Gulzarpora is the home of Riyaz Naiyoo, a high-profile Hizbul Mujahideen commander, who was killed. It’s infamous for organizing funerals of some 100 terrorists including Pakistani mercenaries in the hey days of terrorism.

Last year when a cricket match was played on the same ground where funeral-cum recruitment rallies were once held, it began with the unfurling of the national flag.

“DIG Pulwama and commander of the 5RR (Rashtriya Rifles) attended the first cricket match organized at Lelhar in which thousands of villagers from all nearby areas converged to cheer up the local players. The ground was lined with 125 national flags on the demand of youth.“

Currently the second edition of the Cricket match is in progress.

“I was there to guide them but the flags were put up on the demand of the youth. They told me they wanted to express their Indianness. They said they want to be with India and show it.”

In Parigam, the SSP and DC were welcomed with “Dhol beating and flower petals and garland.”

He also organized big rallies against killings of minority members by Terrorists in Pulwama, once a hub of anti-India rallies.

Mudasir feels the politicians abandoned these villages leaving people angry and fend for themselves without any support from the government. There was no effort for reconciliation. “No wonder these villages boycotted all elections. Interestingly, in the recent Lok Sabha election people voted in good numbers and village Lelhar recorded 700 out of 1100 votes polled.”

Mudasir (Right) lighting candles in memory of the slain civilians by terrorists at Srinagar's Lal Chowk

No wonder villagers hold candlelight marches against the killings by terrorists and offer support to their families. Mudasir also boasts that he organized the biggest Tiranga rally and massive anti terrorist rallies in his district last year.

While signing off, Mudasir recalls how he was able to help a young boy from his village from going to jail and possibly turning into a radical. One day, he received a call from Police. He was asked to come and counsel a young but hardcore stone-pelter who would otherwise be booked for anti-national activities.

“This boy used to mock me and call me a Mukhbir. That day when he saw me at the police station, he called me Mudasir Bhaiya. His tone had changed.I tried to help him. Police released him. He was being brainwashed by a close relative."

Mudasir brought him home and kept him away from terrorist-relative for 10 days. ”I took him around to the Moulvis and others who helped me in counselling the indoctrinated youth.”

ALSO READ: Wajahat’s journey from a stone-pelter to change-maker of Kashmir

I am so happy to tell you that today he is studying in Chandigarh under a fully-funded scheme of the Prime Minister’s office for the youth of J&K. Similarly all the 17 youth are studying and leading positive lives.”