Ishfaq Tantry
SRINAGAR: A book, which is a compilation of the original writings of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, was released here yesterday, in which he has projected himself as a supporter of the armed resistance in Kashmir.
Hailing from Jageer village in Baramulla district, Afzal was was executed on February 9 in Tihar Jail and buried there. Afzal, in the book, has also pointed out several contradictions in the separatist leadership, saying that there is a clear contradiction between “thought and practice” and that the Kashmiris lack a proper “direction or roadmap” to carry forward their “movement”.
His projection of himself as a staunch supporter of militancy comes in the backdrop of the claims that he was “used” by some security agencies and that he did not get a fair trial or a chance to represent himself before the courts.
The 94-page book titled, “Ahl-e-Imaan Kay Naam Afzal Guru Ka Aakhiri Paigaam” (The Last Message of Afzal Guru for the Faithful), which has been compiled and published by the National Front, headed by senior Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan. It was released by Afzal’s elder brother Ajaz Guru and separatist leaders, including Ashraf Sehrai, during a function in Srinagar yesterday.
“It is necessary to distinguish between a persons and thoughts…. When we look back at our freedom movement, particularly the last 20 years, we see a clear contradiction between thought an practice,” Afzal writes in a paragraph in the book released yesterday.
“But in this whole struggle one thing is clear, which is the sacrifice, sincerity and the passion of the martyrs. It is their blood which has kept this movement alive and their mission is a responsibility on our shoulders,” he continues in the same paragraph.
While supporting “jihad”, Afzal says, “In Kashmir the armed struggle (militancy) is necessary the way prayers and fasting is necessary for Muslims.”
Through his writings in this book, he also seems to be disillusioned, lamenting the fact that Kashmiris have no “roadmap”. “We have a passion which we call Azadi (freedom). But to define this passion neither we have a proper definition, explanation, or a roadmap or constitution, which could have advocated this passion,” he says in another paragraph in the book, adding that “this passion for freedom is transferring from generation to generation”.
Afzal further writes that this “uncertainty”, which has gripped Kashmir, can be ended by the intellectuals by offering a “proper explanation or interpretation” to the passion Kashmiris call “Azadi”.
The foreword of the book has been written by Shafi Shariati, who is currently in jail for his involvement in the killing of human rights activist HN Wanchoo.
(tns)
