Bilal Bashir Bhat
Srinagar, Dec 31: Despite the sporadic internet access and media gag in Kashmir during the year 2016 several personalities gained a lot of popularity on the global radar. Due to some historical developments and incidents in Kashmir the related person (s) were searched on a larger scale throughout the world via different search engines. The Onlykashmir.in team like in past this year as well managed to compile a list of most searched Kashmir based personalities on internet. Following is the list of top 10 personalities of Kashmir searched by netizens during 2016.
1. Burhan Muzzafar Wani
Like in 2015, the slain militant commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Muzzafar Wani remained top of the list in most searched persons on internet in 2016. Following his death on July 08, during an encounter the Kashmir valley witnessed first of its kind violent protests for long 5 months. Burhan, who had a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on him, picked up arms when he was merely 15-years-old and was known to use social media to reach out to youth. Following his death YouTube is abounding with videos of Burhan Wani. Some 5 lac people despite Curfew and restrictions participated in Burhan’s funeral. Burhan was termed a ‘hero’ by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his speech at United Nations general assembly.
2. Mehbooba Mufti
Mehbooba Mufti hit the headlines almost every day following her insertion as the first lady Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Even before her father’s demise on January 07, Mehbooba Mufti had already gained ground to swear in as the Chief Minister of the state. Her controversial remarks during the 2016 uprising in Valley Mehbooba become hotspot debate among the netizens.
3. Tajamul Islam
Tajamul Islam is from a little-known village called Tarkpora in Kashmir’s Bandipora district she attained a lot of popularity in and outside the Kashmir after bagging the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy. Before participating in the global platform, the boy look like Bandipora girl had many feats under her belt.
4. Sarjan Barkati
Moulana Sarjan Barkarti also known as ‘pied piper of Kashmir’ or ‘Freedom Chacha’ attained much popularity among the people of Kashmir for his peculiar way of sloganeering. He popularized “new forms of anti-India sloganeering” that went viral across Kashmir. Barkati is a Muslim cleric from South Kashmir’s Shopian district. There are hundreds of videos related to Barkati uploaded on Youtube with a viewership of millions of people.
5. Insha Malik
Although there are scores of people who lost sight in both eyes due to Pellet Gun firing in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 Kashmir Uprising Insha Malik also known as Insha a 14-year-old student from Sedow Shopian become the symbol of pellet tyranny in Kashmir. She was hit by nearly 100 pellets while she, according to her family, was inside their house. A number of global human rights groups expressed sympathy with Insha while condemning the use of pellet in Kashmir against the protestors.
6. Handwara Girl
The Handwara Girl’s video who alleged molestation by men in uniform went viral on Social Networking and Messaging groups, thus becoming the interest to know about her story. During the Handwara row some five people lost lives after Valley wide protest erupt.
7. Basharat Peer
Born in Seer, Anantnag of South Kashmir in Jammu and Kashmir is the author of Curfewed Night, an eyewitness account of the Kashmir conflict, which won the Crossword Prize for Non-Fiction and was chosen among the Books of the Year by The Economist and The New Yorker. Basharat Peer who openly disputes his nationality as an Indian (and is a separatist) is the script writer of Bollywood movie Haider joined International New York Times as Staff Editor and thus becoming a reason to be searched on Internet.
8. Khurram Parvez
The arrest of prominent Kashmir based Human Rights Defender Khurram Parvez during the 2016 Kashmir uprising under Public Safety Act was widely condemned at a time when he was scheduled to attend the 33rd UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva. An online campaign was also launched by the netizens demanding his release during which he becomes the attention of International Media.
Khurram is the Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Program Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS).
9. Yasin Malik
With his effort to forge unity among the separatist leaders Yasin Malik played held door to door meeting with almost all the leaders in pro-freedom camp to fight against the government’s proposal of building Sanik and Pandit colonies. Through his practice of unity, he organized a meeting between the two parallel chairmen of Hurriyat factions Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
10. Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan
Athar Aamir position as Union Public Service Commission second topper in 2015 did invoke some interest among netizens. Athar was also awarded the best young scientist award when he participated in the National Children’s Science Congress in 2007. Athar again hit the headlines in November 2015 after his announcement to tie the knot with Tina Dabi the 2015 topper in UPSC examinations.