An octogenarian woman who had repeatedly made emotional public appeals to her militant son to surrender and return home passed away in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, leaving behind a story of grief, longing, and unanswered hope.
Emotional pleas that moved many
Janna Begum, a resident of Aniyar village in the Marwah belt, died at her home four days ago. In November and December last year, she had released heart-rending video messages on social media urging her son, Riaz Ahmed, to give up militancy and return to his family.
In one widely circulated video, Begum pleaded, “Let him surrender and come back to take care of us. At least he should be here while we are alive and shoulder my coffin.” The videos drew widespread attention and sympathy across the region.
Son remains absconding
Riaz Ahmed is an ‘A-plus’ category commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and carries a reward of ₹10 lakh. Security officials say he joined militant ranks nearly 15 years ago and is believed to be associated with one of the longest-surviving Hizbul commanders in the area.
A close relative said Begum’s final days were marked by hope that her son would respond to her appeals. “She died without seeing her son return. Her last wish remained unfulfilled,” the relative said.
Voices against violence grow louder
In her messages, Begum openly questioned the justification of militancy, saying parents are left to suffer alone in old age. “What kind of jihad is this where parents are abandoned?” she had asked.
Police officials said such appeals reflect a growing public rejection of violence. “Terrorism only leads to death or jail. If militants surrender and return to their families, it benefits society,” an officer said.