Manan Bashir Wani, who was pursuing doctorate in earth science-Geology at the varsity, is believed to have joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
AMU scholar Manan Wani’s gun-wielding picture goes viral, triggers debate on social media
The viral photograph of an Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar wielding an assault rifle has shocked his friends with one of them saying that he “saw an IAS officer in him”.
Manan Bashir Wani, who was pursuing doctorate in earth science-Geology at the varsity, is believed to have joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
A resident of Tekipora village of Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said Wani’s family on Sunday came to the police station Sogam after his photograph wielding a gun appeared on the social networking websites.
“We are verifying its credentials,” said a police official from Sogam police station.
Muneer Ahmad Khan, additional director general of police, said that there are contradictory reports about Wani. “Nothing can be said. This thing is under verification,” he said.
His decision, however, has shocked his friends.
“I was calculating MANAN BASHIR WANI among new generation IAS officers but his fate was written to join the Mujahideen ranks,” wrote Khan Aatif on the Facebook.
It generated a spontaneous reaction from another Facebook user Einaam Khan, who wrote: “What kind of decision it is. I am numb”.
Aatif’s post saw a sharp reaction from another user, who wrote: “What’s right for u can be wrong for others. Left to these ignited people they better know what’s right & what’s wrong. You dear better take care of your wisdom”.
Jawaid Nasir, who is in the friend list of Wani, posted a heart-wrenching tale about his joining militant ranks.
According to Nasir’s post, Wani before a month had posted about the alleged “harassment” faced at the hands of the government forces.
“This guy ,Manan, was my Facebook friend…A month or so, before, he wrote a story on fb [Facebook] that, while he was travelling to his home in a sumo [taxi], he was dragged down at five places, humiliated, leered and jeered by Naka parties: just for his looks and wear-up.”
The incident, he said, had traumatized Wani and he had later shared the experience on his Faecook wall. “…this is the slavery of worst kind, i loath this,” Wani had written, according to Nasir.
Meanwhile, reports said that AMU has suspended the scholar after his gun-wielding picture.
The website of AMU mentions Wani as Research Scholar at the Department of Geology who had been awarded the ‘Best Paper Presentation Award’ in an international conference on ‘Water, Environment, Energy and Society’(ICWEES) held at AISECT University, Bhopal which was attended by delegates from world over including countries like USA and UK.