SRINAGAR: A letter purportedly written by Muhammad Afzal Guru has surfaced in Kashmir wherein he has justified the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament.
The letter has been published in an Urdu weekly, Qaumi Waqar published from Srinagar, two weeks after Guru’s execution.
In the hand-written letter, Guru says “I want to convey, through you, my humble request to Hizbul Mujahideen supremo, Syed Salahuddin with all humility that he should not call the December 13 incident (Parliament attack) as a conspiracy”.
He says such statements give him pain. “The December 13 incident is linked to the Kashmir issue. If it is a conspiracy then the whole militancy (armed resistance) itself is a conspiracy.”
He goes on to say that there is no reason to have a sense of shame about the attack on Indian parliament.
“When the Indian government which has turned Kashmir into a graveyard, which has shed the blood of innocent Kashmiris and turned the valley into a garrison has no feeling of guilt, why should we feel guilty about December 13 incident.”
The editor of the Urdu weekly, Shabnam Qayoom claims to have received the letter three years ago.
The letter contradicts Guru’s letter to his counsel and also his interviews to the media in which he said that the parliament attack was indeed a conspiracy and that he had been made a scapegoat.
In his letter to Shabnam Qayoom, Guru says “As far my letters published in newspapers and books, let me say these were a deliberate conspiracy against me and my lawyer is responsible for the same.”
Shabnam Qayoom is silent about who brought the letter to him from Tihar jail and why he withheld it for three long years. In his own comment published alongside the letter, Qayoom says that the attack on the Indian parliament was “no doubt a deep conspiracy”.
However, he adds that Guru “had no hand in it”.
He says Guru had “convinced us” about his innocence and victimhood.
“I think he chose to accept responsibility for the attack after he lost all hope that he would be allowed to live,” Qayoom writes.
In the Letter
“Through your medium, I want to request to Hizbul Mujahideen’s military commander Syed Salahuddin with all humility.”
“Don’t call the December 13, 2001 incident a conspiracy. This pains my heart. December 13 is linked to Kashmir issue. If December 13 is a conspiracy, then entire militancy is a conspiracy. We should not feel ashamed of December 13.”
“When the people who turned Kashmir into a graveyard, spilled blood of innocent people and turned every nook and corner of Kashmir into Army cantonments are not ashamed, why should we feel so?”
“Indian rulers were not ashamed of their inhuman deeds in Kashmir and had no remorse in declaring Kashmir part of India by breaking their own promises.”
“If 13 December is a strike on India’s heart, then what is there to compensate for the blows Indian cruel occupation army gave to Kashmiris’ hearts.”
“It amounts to treason, betrayal and lack of pride if Kashmiris forget as to how their elders were humiliated and daughters and sisters were dishonored. Kashmir is an unresolved dispute and without its resolution, pro-Indians and Indian rulers cannot stay in peace.”
“Common people of India are our brothers. We will continue to call the blasts on roadsides, inside passenger buses and attacks on common man as act of terrorism. These acts are wrong and beget shame. ”
“I don’t hide whatever we have done. Resistance is our right.”
