Afzal Guru shall embrace death, as a Kashmiri, on the 20th of October if not granted a Presidential Pardon. Reports indicate that he is not seeking a Presidential Pardon, however his wife does want to seek pardon – for the sake of her son. Political parties irrespective of their political stand are all demanding a rollback of the death verdict.
Whether Afzal Guru embraces death on the 20th of October or is granted a Presidential Pardon, he can never be hanged.
Afzal Guru is a Kashmiri.
Afzal Guru is an ideology.
Afzal Guru is the truth that is Kashmir.
A Kashmiri, an ideology and the truth can never be hanged.
The Afzal Guru case has revealed the almost impossible to fill differences that exists between the thoughts, feelings, hopes and aspirations of Kashmiris and Indians. Almost 90% of Indians demand that Afzal should be hanged, some even want that his supporters (Kashmiris) to be hanged as well, publicly. While as all Kashmiris see in Afzal a man who has been falsely implicated, a majority of Indian people see him as the face of terror, which he is not. Afzal did not have a chance to defend himself. The Supreme Court of India had upheld that:
“The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties, had shaken the entire nation and the collective conscience of the society will only be satisfied if capital punishment is awarded to the offender.”
Is Afzal being made a scape goat for the ‘collective conscience of the society?’ Nandita Haksar asks:
Can the collective conscience of our people be satisfied if a fellow citizen is hanged without having a chance to defend himself? (courtesy of counter currents)
National Democratic Alliance released a bunch of ‘terrorists’ when an Indian aircraft was hijacked in 1998. An Indian Union Minister, Jaswant Singh, escorted them to Afghanistan and bade them goodbye. The lapses of the Indian Government in controlling the situation in Amritsar should have called for scrutiny and the then government could have been declared as a ‘conspirator’ as well. But, nothing of this sort happened. Why do the people of India forget or ignore lapses of their own government? Why don’t they ask questions? Is it because it is easy to imagine Kashmiri as a terrorist? Is it because a Kashmiri is a terrorist till and until proved otherwise?
Delhi Police is (in)famous for its investigations, cases like the Priyadarshini Mattoo and the Jessica Lal murders have revealed the truth about the Delhi Police, but as far as Afzal’s case is concerned, Delhi Police, from the blue, emerges as a credible organisation! It is amazing that the Judge who presided over the case is known as the ‘Hanging Judge.’ Arundhati Roy, one of the few Indians who understands Kashmir slightly better, supports Afzal and claims, rightly, that the evidence is faulty:
“The whole case is full of faulty evidence and fabricated stories and to hang someone for something he may not have done is not fair.” (courtesy of rediff)
Elsewhere in Kashmir, two innocents were shot dead by the army in yet another mistaken case identity but not a single Indian has spoken against it. Not a single Indian rises against the human rights violations in Kashmir with the same conviction with which they are demanding death to a Kashmiri.
Nirmalangshu Mukherji’s and Inam ul Rehman’s article provide food for the thought, for those who have a desire to know the truth.
Update:
Brown may intervene to save Afzal Guru
The new UK Prime Minsiter may intervene to save Afzal Guru, if efforts of Save Afzal Guru Campaign are sucessful.
~ Kashmir ~ 
Its reality that truth cannot be hanged.
It’s very crystal clear when government of India hanged Kashmiri leader Maqbool butt after that Kashmiri people got more power against India and Pakistan. .Maqbool Bhat who is from Indian occupied Kashmir and butt family is the real Kashmiri Pandit family in Kashmir, When Maqbool butt went other part of Kashmir then Pakistani government captured him and blamed him that you are an Indian agent, when he came back then Indian forces capture him and blame him that you are Pakistani agent. But maqbool butt said “YES” I am agent but not for India or Pakistan. I am agent for my Own Kashmir people. At the end Indian government hanged him gave him death penalty in return of his struggle to get the real freedom of Kashmir back. What ever both governments did is injustice for Kashmiri people?
India Pakistan cannot hanged the ideology of Maqbool Bhat, but they thought if we hanged Maqbool Bhatt then its all finished but now more then 12 million Kashmiri become Maqbool Bhatt. India, Pakistan how can they kill more then 12 million Kashmiri to stop loving their own mother land.
All protesters like you are implying that the courts of the world’s largest democracy are nothing but a joke. How preposterous and stupid can you get? The Supreme Court has upheld the man’s sentence. Yet people like you are turning the issue into us v/s them as usual. It’s no surprise that you all would protest. After all freedom is what is desired so the guy convicted for being responsible for the attack on Indian Parliament is being showcased as a martyr!!
There may be many injustices on Kahmiris, but declaring that a convicted criminal is being falsely accused without proof is just pure blindness. What exactly do you mean by saying Afzal is an ideology? India should not exist? Yaa the guy is a Kashmiri but wait what’s the point of me saying anything when for you suffer from a general persecution mania, he is a Kashmiri hence injustice of course. And the political parties wish for rollback is but their usual policy of appeasement.
By the way would you please care to point the proof of Afzal’s innocence? Or his being a Kashmiri is enough, Supreme Court be damned.
I am asking to indian army what the hell they are doing in kashmir?Killing innocent kashmiri people and other side paksitan playing his rule for their own benefit.When every day 700,000 army killing your children gang raping your daughter,mother,sister then like Afzal people take place to open whole world eyes,which is cannot see unjustice in kashmir.I am asking to ramesh if your daughter,mother,sister was gange raped,or killed then what is your opinion.Its not finish there your country accupied by force and your all resourese was control in other country then that time whats your feeling.Its everything created by india and paksitan and their agencies.
I read your views but I think all Kashmiris want that Afzal should not be hanged. But their opinion is that he is not guilty because he fights for Kashmiris freedom. When he fights for Kashmir freedom then he should be ready to face the death.
Your were discussing that Indian army is killing innocent people and gang raped women. Then they forget that if they were in Pakistan then they don’t have the basic right. You all want freedom from India but at what cost. Do you want to go with Pakistan where in Pakistan occupied Kashmir local have no basic right. It’s our fault that we gave you the Article 370. So you are enjoying freedom and still want more but your illusion will break.
Even you don’t have guts to fight. You need the help of foreign militants and dream of freedom. When u will wake up? Here you have all the right and still u want freedom. I think u should be in Pakistan where balochi are fighting for freedom. Then u will get real freedom because Pakistan Punjabi will teach you the freedom.
You gave us article 370? We were never technically a part ( integral as you say ) of India. Where did the autonomy go? India scrapped it off, and they are trying hard with the article 370 as well!
If Kashmiris in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir do not have a basic right, should we settle with the ‘supposed’ rights that we enjoy in the democratic India where Indian army is freely allowed to kill innocents? Why do you use Pakistan to defend the human rights violations that the Indian military commits in Kashmir? Just because Pakistan is meddling in does not mean that India is vindicated of what it is doing in Kashmir, via its army – being their representatives in Kashmir.
As ‘kashmir’ said, the whole nation wants Afzal Guru to be hanged, but this WHOLE nation does not care when innocents are killed in Kashmir. This whole nation sleeps when Kashmir ( their INTEGRAL part ) bleeds. We want independence, from both India and Pakistan. We have suffered enough because of both of them, we would like both to excuse us.
The whole point here is that he has not been given fair trial. If he deserves a death penalty for the conspired attack on parliment, what do those deserve who have conspired a genocide of Kashmiris over the last few years, handed on laws to the army which permit them to suspect/arrest/kill anyone they like. Label people as militants to get monetary rewards? What would you do with them, would you trust them for your security? And would you trust India on this trial?
Ramesh, in a place like Kashmir , where democracy itself is a joke, do you expect us to trust the courts?
India called secular country
Humiliated human right in Kashmir is it called secular?
Rule by force, killing, raping is it called secularism or democracy?
If any body walking on the street you got open hand to shoot them is it called secularism or democracy?
If democracy mean majority got the right to rule over the country then real nationalist party’s put under the feet when you force them to accept part of India and other side they saying to accept Kashmir part of Pakistan if you don’t then you got no rights to participate in election is it called democracy? There is big agenda behind this all plane which is implemented on Kashmiri people by two country’s Kashmir is the key point and so many outsider big player targeting or focusing Kashmir to use in future.
We need to think this very carefully and take some initiative to protect our selves and our children. In Kashmir there is everything which is big players’ wants to capture to support their own economy. You can see Kashmir people suffering and far behind from rest of the world our country is the best country in the whole world and we need to take all benefit from our country to make the life better of Kashmiri people. We need to unite weather we belong to any part of Kashmir. We need to make united party and dissolve all other party’s in that united party and we need to meet with Balyi brothers, Azad Kashmir, Gilgiti brother and every part of Kashmir we need a representative to come forward and with one voice we go ahead and kick out side forces and make one strong central government in Kashmir.
I feel over time, your blog is fast losing objectivity it once started with, it has become just another propaganda machine in the propoganda war. In the Kashmir debate both sides already have reached conclusion, peopel want debates for fun.
“Arundhati Roy, one of the few Indians who understands Kashmir slightly better” (why?) lines like these tells u wud not believe in afzal being guilty no matter what the evidence is. U have reached ur conclusion, we all have, we keep on shouting these conclusion in hope for what ??? Neither of the two sides are listening, we r way too focussed on shouting.
I have never heard/seen/read an objective dialouge/debate on kashmir. All of them turn into what your blog has become.
Sumeet:
When I write against Pakistan/Militants does that mean I am being objective? Does writing the truth about Kashmir, writing against army mean being a propaganda machine?
Does this post at all claim that he is innocent? It does not. What it does convey is that he can never be hanged, just like Maqbool Bhat who never died for Kashmiris. Is that propaganda?
You have commented on the issue of Afzal Guru, but you have ignored the second last paragraph of the post, that of the innocents killed by the Indian Army. Why this silence?
In one of your earlier comments [on Kill a Kashmiri, Win 100,000 Rupees] you had asked how did I know that the young man killed was innocent, this is how I know.
Propaganda is a machinery Indian and Pakistan utilise, we Kashmiris just speak the truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
Mr. Kashmir,
If he is innoce nt then he should not be hanged.I agree.But just for a second pls assume that a Kashmiri who believes in securing independence through violent protest attacks Indian parliament.In your opinion what should be the punishment handed over to such a person?
I would like to say Abhishk if you are true Indian then you asked to your government why they interference in Kashmir internal affairs. If any body attacks your parliament then your courts gave decision to hang him. What about our whole country which is occupied by Indian forces can’t you understand? If any body thinks that Maqbool butt or Afzal guru not innocent then in our point of view Mr. Gandhi was the same as Maqbool Bhat or Afzal. We are all Kashmiris gave our lives more then 100,000 but Indian government still got no massage that what Kashmiri people wants. its a shame for so call large democracy.700,000 Indian army will go out and they will and they have to, they got no choice if Indian do not understand this message then they should learnt a lesson from Russia.
Do not make statements that are false, first let me tell you the truth about Maqbool Bhat.
Year-1973, a village called Langate on way to Handwara, Venue Jammu & Kashmir Bank manned by a Manager who was resident of Jawahar Nagar Srinagar. A man walks into the bank and then demands the money from him and snatchs money from him, but Manager offers resistaqnce. This man gets a gun out of his pocket and fires shots at him. The manager dies & the man runs away. Screams are set aflout in the vicinity of Bazar and the people chase this murderer and get hold of him near a Kareva near the Town. They overpower him and hand-cuff him. This man tells them he Maqbool Bhat and fighting for the freedom of Kashmir, so it is not that the identity of the man is not known to the people around. But people tell him we do not want to buy this theory, they are aginst murder & violence, bring him back and hand him over to police. This man is convicted for murder in other case (not in the bank managers murder case, in which he should have rather been convicted) and hanged in Tihar Jail in Feb-1984.
Second JKLF cadres in POK say they formed JKLF in 1977 when Maqbool Bhat was already in Tihar.
Maqbool Butt anniversary signature campaign
Maqbool Butt – man and his mission
Maqbool Butt was born in Trehgam, district Kupwarah (Indian Held Kashmir) in 1938, buried in Tihar jail, Delhi, he was wrongfully imprisoned in Pakistan and unlawfully hanged in India exactly one week before his 46th birthday, on 11th February 1984, while awaiting trial for a case later registered against him.
Today Maqbool Butt is known as the Baba-e-Quam, father of the movement and Shaheed-e-Kashmir. He was the first Kashmiri to be judicially murdered on Indian soil – making him the first authentic martyr of the Kashmiri independence movement. Critics of the Kashmiri freedom movement dubbed him as an ‘enemy agent’ to undermine his struggle for the liberation of his motherland.
Maqbool Butt went to St Joseph’s College in Baramulla for graduate studies. He crossed over into ‘Azad’ Kashmir via the Sialkot border in 1958, at a time when Indian state repression increased against Sheikh Abdullah’s supporters. After some time in Azad Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad, he moved to Lahore and then settled in the northwestern Pakistani City of Peshawar. He worked there with a daily newspaper during the day and attended post-graduate classes in Urdu literature during the evenings at the University. He also got married there.
In 1962, Maqbool Butt formed a campaign group, Kashmir Independence Committee and became its president. He later merged this group into the newly formed Jammu Kashmir Mahaz-Rayee-Shumari (Plebiscite Front) in Azad Kashmir, which was to campaign for independence.
Birth of an armed movement
The 1965 war and the subsequent Tashkent Agreement between India and Pakistan brought fundamental changes in Maqbool Butt’s political thinking. He disapproved of Pakistan’s role in the struggle for liberation of Kashmir from India. He wanted to see the leadership of the struggle in the hands of the Kashmiris. He was of the view that the controvercial war between the Indian and Pakistani armed forces had harmed the advancement of the Kashmiri movement. He was convinced that it was time to review the strategy in light of national liberation struggles and anti imperialist movements around the world. With this in mind, he put his energies into organising the Kashmiris under the banner of an underground armed organisation called the National Liberation Front (NLF). Maqbool Butt’s NLF thus became the first Kashmiri organisation to take up the armed struggle against the occupation forces of India.
Years of struggle
In 1966 Maqbool Butt lead a self-trained, ill-equipped but enthusiastic group of NLF activists into Indian Occupied Kashmir to establish underground cells. On their way back from occupied territory they were spotted by an Indian intelligence officer who alerted the army. The group was ambushed and in their attempt to escape certain death a bloody confrontation followed. An army officer and one of Maqbool Butt’s youngest recruits from Gilgit called Aurangzeb were killed. Maqbool Butt and his three comrades were arrested and taken to Srinagar’s Mehtab Bagh interrogation camp. They were lodged in Srinagar jail and tried for murder – without being able to make any legal representations. Maqbool Butt was sentenced to death by a special court, which was held within prison walls.
Nearly two years later, in December 1968, Maqbool Butt along with Mir Ahmed and Ghulam Yasin (another Kashmiri prisoner held on separate charges) broke out of the prison by digging a 38-foot underground tunnel. The trio managed to cross into ‘Azad’ Kashmir after several weeks of playing hide and seek with the Indian armed forces. As soon as they entered the ‘liberated’ territory, they were once again arrested by the army and later sent to the notorious Black Fort of Muzaffarabad by the puppet state authority of Azad Kashmir, where they were brutally interrogated. However, three months later they were released as the campaign to seek their freedom intensified all over Azad Kashmir.
Maqbool Butt’s experience in Muzaffarabad’s Black Fort was not much different to his experience in Mehtab Bagh at the hands of the enemies of the Kashmiri freedom movement.
Narrating his bitter experience in a letter to a friend, he wrote: “I was happy to be safe in my home but this happiness was short lived… What happened in the Black Fort had shaken me and forced me to rethink on who was a friend and who was a foe.”
He was however, not born to give up that easily. In November 1969, Maqbool Butt was elected the president of the Plebiscite Front in Azad Kashmir. His first action was to launch an awareness campaign throughout Azad Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan territories. His group faced severe restrictions and persecution by the state authorities, which misunderstood his campaign as anti-Pakistan. He also continued to build his underground movement and recruit and train young activists.
In January 1970, two 16 and 17 year old NLF activists (Hashim and Ashraf) hijacked an Indian aeroplane code-named “Ganga” from Srinagar airport to Lahore. This was an extra ordinary event in the history of the peaceful Kashmiri struggle, which not only highlighted the issue of Kashmir but fuelled passion into the Kashmiri movement as it gave a new dimension to the struggle.
What followed has had deep impact and repercussions for the Kashmiris as well as for Pakistan. Maqbool Butts NLF and Plebiscite Front were smashed and most of their party workers were imprisoned by Pakistan’s military regime. They were all but one released from prison and ventually Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld an appeal in their favour and even called them “Kashmir’s true patriots.”
He lived and died for his nation
The years between 1968-76 set the scene for the indigenous Kasmiri liberation movement, which in actual fact only took off after his death when the JKLF came on the scene with full force.
In 1976 Maqbool Butt went back to the Indian occupied territory, against the advice of his senior colleagues, where he was once again arrested and imprisoned. On this occasion he was charged for murder of a police officer, which he denied. While awaiting trial for this case, he was transferred to the top security Tihar jails in 1980 as rumours of a possible ‘rescue’ attempt were spread.
By now Kashmir’s political scene had been turned in favour of India – with Sheikh Abudulla and Indra Gandhi signing a new accord. Kashmir’s tragedy was not to end here. In February 1984, a previously unknown Kashmiri group kidnapped and killed a member of India’s Consulate staff in Birmingham, England. They demanded Maqbool Butt’s release from prison. As the news of the death of this man reached India Indra Gandhi’s government there decided to hang Maqbool Butt in vengeance. He was hanged in the early hours of 11th February before his family and friends could meet him for the last time. They were all arrested at Srinagar airport.
Ever since his execution Kashmir has never been the same again. In 1989, a JKLF lead rebellion in Indian occupied Kashmir rocked the foundations of Indian rule. The struggle continues and Maqbool Butt’s message is getting stronger by the day ..
Off-topic comments deleted.
Kashmir, pls note u have been writing against Indian army for a long time( often justly so), it was the last post which I objected to . Innocents are being killed by both sides Kashmir, there is little doubt about the fact that Indian army has killed many innocent kashmiris in cold blood.
Denying the truth helps in courts or in negotiations, right now we need talks on Kashmir, not ‘negotations’ on Kashmir. I am also a kashmiri, & I am like many others very cynical on what talks can really achieve in this case, but right now there is no sane way out of it.
I can’t say whether Afzal was guily or not, but hanging him doesnt help India & supporting him doesnt help kashmiris.
Many Pakistanis and Kashmiris are objecting to the death sentence which has been awarded by India’s Supreme Court.Reasons which r being given r range from “He is Innocent” to “He did it for freedom”
My question is Even if it had been proved beyond doubt that Afzal is really responsible for Indian parliament attack …wouldnot Kashmiris protest even then???
The harsh truth is that even if Afzal is really guilty..the same kind of protests wud have taken place in Kashmir against Afzal’s hanging.Bcos he did it for the so called “Azadi of kashmir.”…so no matter what kashmiris will side by him irrespective of the tool he adopted for the cause
You know why you want to separate from India.
The real reason is India is mainly Hindu, and you can’t stay with Hindus. Fine go ahead. Fight when you are in India, Fight when you are in Pakistan, fight when you are independent because that is only thing you can do. Never in the 1000 year of civilization I saw any contribution from the extremists. I pity Gandhi the man …who did oppose to Hindu Rastra.
I pity why Hindus did not kill rape usurp or seize property like the Pakistani did during partition. We thought of the common Muslim who pulls rickshaw, run a tailoring shop, sells vegetable. We allowed everyone to stay in India. Flourish and let the nation flourish due to you. But we never imagined one day these extremist will burn loot Mother India. I sometimes really wonder these hardcore Islams are Islam first, human second. Thanks god I am Hindu. I am Human first … Hindu Last.
I dont understand the fuss that is being made for the execution of Afzal. All the evidence clearly shows that Afzal was the prime source for the attack in the Indian Parliament. What the judiciary is done is the righ thing. They tried to wipe out the entire leaders of India at one time and we as indians has to pardon this ? I dont understand why the so called human rights and some petty lawyers are supporting afzal. Even mr. geelani and the other man Yasin Malik (He looks a crook by the face) is allowed openly to demonstrate and the indian govt is just not doing anything. The murkier part is nobody has told afzal is innocent. Everybody is only telling that he has not got any fair trial. Midday had also carried an article how Mr. Afzal doublecrossed the IB. so what the heck people are fighting for. I also feel sad that an able leader like farooq abdullah is warning that if Afzal is hanged then india will be in flames. What is Farooq abdullah actually sending a message or threatning. Or is he with the terrorist group ? its all so confusing for a common man to hear all those from leaders whom we look upto.
Everybody be informed that India is not only kashmir there are other states and when majority wants afzal to be executed he should be. Congress goverment stop playing the minority cards at least now. I believe they are the more instrumental for alleniating muslims from the main stream and from the core issue.
Dear writers,
Very interested coments gave from so many people which is very respect full of us. First if all we need to know the roots of this problem, if we understand the roots of this problem then this matter will solve easily. Farooq Abdullah what ever say he is 200% right that in india there are so many freedom struggles on going under ground and Frooq Abdullah gave ‘chitaooney’ to India that if you hang Afzal Guru then like mMaqbool Bhat its spread like a fire and every body knows since Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar Jail Dehli this issue of Kashmir never stop and what is result indian govt got 100,000 kashmiri , there are Hindu, Sikh, Muslim was died. So indian govt what they acheive since then? Even more then 700,000 army is black dot on world largest democracy (klank) what do you think if you by force deny to give any human right to people who live on their mother land. In a whole world your image is looks bad. Its been 58 years ago you are struggling to get freedom from British Raj, and now you destroy human rights on your feet by force its a shame for that country. If you keep doing this then in all India or Pakistan people will bring such a big revolution and your army will not stop that revolution and everything will change so rapidly. There is so many comments which is non sence and need to revise and need to be study the history again. One thing i will tell you those people who by force trying to humilate the human rights time chasing to those people and very soon they got no place to hide.
Well, I think the people demonstrating against the death sentence of Afzal why they didn’t help to provide a good lawyer at the time of his trial. Now, if he has found guilty for the attack of parliament case and awarded the death sentence by the Supreme Court of India there is no question arise of demonstration, arguement etc. Becuase it has already taken almost 5 years which is a good enough time to protest & demonstration.
Can somebody explain why Afzal should not be hanged?
Dear Readers
As I mentioned above that there are so many freedom struggles on going in India, like Sikh people want their Khalistan and so many other. This time it is very crucial for India to think this matter seriousley. If they hanged afzal guru is it helpfull for india? If Indians hang Afzal Guru will that make any place in heart of kashmiri people? No, like I said before Indian govt can kill milion kashmiri is there is changes out come?
So all people think this in wide range do not look this as a revenge. If you think widely and then your opinion will be diffrent. If indian govt hang Afzal Guru then its good for Kashmiri people. Their base will be more strong. So now I invite all of you to give your comments.
Akash Pandit,
Khalisthan movement!!!!!! Where exactly is Khalistan movement taking place nowdays? CANADA!!!! Come out of the past. Khalistan movement is dead in India. How much army is deployed in Punjab? How many deaths are taking place because of Khalisthan movemment? Or just tell me that if there is any peaceful demand/protest in Punjab for Khalisthan nowadays.
Regarding Afzal Guru: Question: If they hanged Afzal guru is it helpful for India? Answer: Yes, If we leave him then in future many attackers may be encouraged that they won’t received death penalty.
Question: If Indians hang Afzal Guru will that make any place in heart of Kashmiri people? Answer: It is about justice…not about making place in hearts of somebody.
Dear Mr. Pandit Akash,
First of all, Indians are not going to hang any Afzal Guru or a Kashmiri Person. See, it is very simple, a person involved in the parliament attack case and after his trial, Supreme Court has found his involvement in the PAC (Parliament Attack Case) and awarded him the death sentence. Now, what I see, Indian Govt is not killing a Kashmiri person, but just following the process of justice.
If you think that following the process of Indian Justice will heart the Kashmiri People, then your are pointing the Supreme Court of India.
Further, there are enough freedom fighter who fought against the English Government and due to their efforts we got freedom in August 1947. Now, if a person fight or protest against our nation or involve in such act, how can you call him a freedom fighter. And if you think so, you are WRONG.
Pandit Akash Ji,
Please also note that supporting Afzal does not help Kashmiris, he was not part of the insurgancy in Kashmir, he was part of a plan to blow up the Indian Parliament, by supporting Afzal Kashmiri Separatists are sending a message that their real goal is not freedom but mere expansion of terrorism in India.
Supporting Afzal is the worst strategic move for Kashmiris trying for more autonomy, lesser role for army in Kashmir etc. It only makes Indians go more belligerent rather than understanding towards any grievances they have. Though, hanging him is not a smart move for India, eventually that now seems to be the most probable scenario.
That’s illogical … what ever this article says is just to kiddish. Even Afzal Guru is not asking pardon, he does not think he had done wrong “what do you want to pardon him from?” If he lives, he will get out plances hijacked and demand freedom.
I think Afzal must be hanged as soon as possible. Cause he helped terrorist to kill the people. Even there is provision for death for death in Quran. There is nothing Azad in Kashmir. More muslim have been died in the Pakistan ( in Sia-Sunni riots) than in India. Why should we worry about the Afzal who is truely “Gaddar” of Hindustan. In fact, we should arrest all the people who try to support Afzal cause they are supporting the Gaddar of the country.
Pandit Akash,
Stop making a fool of yourself and stop comparing Afzal with Mahatma Gandhi of all people. Afzal is coward, illiterate and a fanatic. Shame on all those who irrespective of their religion are supporing Afzal Guru because of whom innocent police officers were killed. What do you have to say to thier families Mr Akash? Has any one thought about their rights? Are those officers fools that they sacrificed their life for hypociritical and shameless politicians (irrespective of the party) who do not spare any chance to gain political mileage and are supporting Afzal Guru.
His death sentence is purely based on strong eveidence against him and not him being a poor Kashmiri muslim who is just being made a scapegoat to appease media and the citizens of India to cover the inadequacy of the indian intelligence to stop this attack in the first place. Stop singing this minority song. All those who claim that he has not been given a fairand free trial should be sent to “Guantanamo Bay “to see for themselves what free and fair trial means. He is lucky to atleast get a trial. This can only happen in India where some dumbass human right activists are demanding his clemency and the irony is that too for a person who collaborated with terrorists who don’t have any respect for other people’s right. The man should be hanged to send a clear message to everyone that no one will be spared irrespective of caste, creed or religion to compromise on national security.
I would like to say to satpal singh that in the Holy Quran Allah has said very clear death for death. The Indian forces killed more then 100,000 Kashmiris. If according to your comments Afzal Guru should be hanged then what about the Indian soldier who were involved in killing in Kashmir? Who will give them punishment? So far non of them has been convicted. Azfal Guru what ever die, we are proud of him if he dies he dies for Kashmir and he is our hero. As you mentioned and your name shows that you are Singh person then you should remember what happened to you people. If you do not remember then one day you will say that what Mr. AD had said was right. You should support our freedom strruggle like we are support Sikh independence.
Hi,
I saw this post at a blog named Pakistan
pakistan.blog.co. uk/2006/10/18/you_can_hang_a_kashmiri~ 1234432
Is this your other blog or simply another case of plagiarism?
[Trackback ]
Nitin
Thanks for letting know. It’s just a case of plagiarism, not my blog.
Kashmir is part of India and will always be. all those people who differentiate between India and Kashmir and fight for it will be considered as terrorists. Any terrorist who is caught for any kind of terror or to hurt anyone in whatsoever case must be hanged to death. This is the only solution to end terrorism. Terrorism is a major concern of everyone in the whole world. Terrorism is not the solution of getting justice. Anything can be materialized by talk’s yes it does take its time but one should have patience if they don’t have patience they must all be hanged to death because they would one day kill the innocent.
Hi Everyone,
Some of the comments made here – from either side -are very thought provoking. I clearly remember when the trial started for the Parliament attack very few in Kashmir were interested in knowing actually what is happening. At that time we never thought of who is innocent and who is guilty. We knew, regardless of what the actual circumstances are, ultimately Kashmiris are going to be actual losers.
Though I never kept track of the trial; but it was obvious that Indian Gov’t needed to undertake a speedy trial for an attack on the highest institution of democracy was such that people surely is tantamount to committing the biggest crime in the nation. But more than the people, it were the political parties eager to cash in from whatever emerged out of the trial.
When a blanket death sentence was awarded to all including S A R Geelani that is when the people realised that may be there is more to it than meets the eye. Details about how Mr. Geelani was “implicated” started emerging and it was widely believed thereafter that not-all-was right.
Many NGOs thereafter campaigned for him and finally he was acquitted. I think only after that some of the Kashmiri leaders felt that they have let their own people down by not having some concrete plans to secure the acquittal of the professor.
Even after that details about Afzal’s actual role were never available to public leave aside his trial… When I say were not available to public means the media was not interested in looking at the other side of the coin. They simply went ahead with the popular perception that Afzal is guilty and should get the death penalty.
Then suddenly Supreme Court upheld the death sentence (after observing that the proper procedures have not been followed) and they surely must have had some reasons to feel the crime merits the capital punishment. And that is when protests started in Kashmir finally echoing in Delhi, mumbai and else where courtesy 24X7 news channels.
Simultaneously thinkers like Nandita Haskar, Arundhati Roy and others also joined the chorus for the clemency (They may / may not believe that Afzal is guilty). Suddenly you have politicians from either side of the divide joining the debate… A news channel running a one-hour special titled “Afzal ko Phaansi do” and next day trying to restore its credibility among Kashmiris by bringing in a separatist to debate with a BJP leader – again for one hour.
I personally do not know if Afzal is innocent or not; but if you have senior lawyers like Ram Jethmalani on CNN-IBN saying the trial was not fair, it is surely going to raise doubts.
Those who think that Kashmiris want clemency to be granted just because he is a Kashmiri are living in a fools paradise. These are the same people who don’t battle an eye-lid when a “security personnel” guns down a handicapped musician just because he mistook him for a militant. May I ask what punishment should be given to him? Just because it was loss of a Kashmiri life does the crime become less heinous. I can quote countless number of similar instances but it won’t make any effect on those who have blindly accepted the fact – Every Kashmiri is a terrorist.
May this provide some food for thought for those who still believe its we only who are at fault.
Juz a Kashmiri
Juz a Kashmiri
Thank you for your comments!
Hi Kashmir
Its a pleasure being here… Only yesterday a friend of mine referred to this blog and while reading today early in the morning I thought let me try to clear a few misconceptions about Kashmiri’s demand.
I know I am not very eloquent and my musings are simply from my heart…
Juz a Kashmiri
Hey Friends,
For God’s sake, Afzal Guru was nabbed tring to storm our Parliament and kill the Indian leaders (however corrupt & selfish they may be). He was not a jaywalker loitering around in the Parliament corridors winking at people!
Indian Awakes,
With due respect to your sentiments; I very much doubt if you know the entire story – or may be I am not aware. As far as my knowledge goes Afzal (who may have been involved as a conspirator) was not nabbed while trying to enter the Parliament.. Would request you to check the facts and if I am wrong please let me also know that.
Juz a Kashmiri
So ur heart weeps for Afzal Guru? Fine ! My sympathies to you. How about weeping for the tortured, raped and murdered innocent Hindu Pandits? How about pouring onto the streets asking the government to recall displaced Pandits back to the valley with full pride and assets which they enjoyed pre 1989? How about demonstrating against Muslim terrorists against killing innocent Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims taking up the responsibility to protect Pandits and their assets?
Juz a Kashmiri was suggesting that you are not aware of the entire story. Afzal was not nabbed while he was storming the Parliment, his entire case is based on circumstantial evidences. And ‘Juz a Kashmiri’ does not suggest that his heart weeps for Afzal, so please stop asking about Kashmiri Pandits in every other post.
Hi Kashmir & Juz a Kashmiri,
You are saying again and again that “you are not aware of the entire story”. Could you explain me the whole story??? And better if you can explain in front of supreme court and media. You can only explain your untruth story in blogs or discussion forum only. If you have something solid to explain the people, media or the court why dont you go in public??? As you say >>>Afzall was not nabbed while he was storming the Parliment
Hi Kashmir & Juz a Kashmiri,
As you say “Afzall was not nabbed while he was storming the Parliment” Osama bin Laden didn’t kill anyone either, so why we call him terrorist.
He was charged for
1. For waging war against India.
2. Buying & Arranging cell phones for the terrorists.
3. Renting a place for the terrorists.
4. Buying 50 KG Amonium Nitrate for terrorists.
5. Afzal was caught in the same truck that another accused, Shaukat was travelling in, to Kashmir. A laptop was recovered from them, forensic examination of which yielded files that proved that it was used to create and print the fake ID cards and parking pass that were used to enter the parliament grounds.
Amit and Indian Awakes,
It really pains to see when the subjective anlaysis of our posts takes precedence over the objectivity of the reader. I hate to say this, but I am sure some of us do not take the pains to read the post correctly.. And now I am constrained to quote certain passages from my own posts to correct your doubts.. Hope this enlightens you.
1. [Indian Awakes] – So ur heart weeps for Afzal Guru? Fine !
My response – No where in my entire post am I either speculating that Afzal is innocent… If you can find such an instance please reproduce it here. Hope you’d have read this when I wrote “I personally do not know if Afzal is innocent or not” – What does this show… Please ponder.
2. [Indian Awakes] – How about weeping for the tortured, raped and murdered innocent Hindu Pandits?
Every Kashmiri who is killed is a loss of human life – and as per our holy book “killing of one innocent human being is akin to killing the entire humanity” Now need I say more. Now because this discussion pertained only to Afzal that is why I did not comment on loss of innocent lives to the guns from either side… Some other day… Some other post
3. [Amit] – I think Kashmir has already made my job very easy by exactly putting before you that I never intended to mean A is innocent or B is guilty; its just that I thought our friend IndianAwakes may need to correct his facts.
4. [Amit] – When I said I do not know the entire story – I meant me, myself i.e., Juz a Kashmir …Now if I dont know, what am I to explain to you… I am not the one who blindly will accept an argument even if it is in my favour… And I am still not sure what is that you are contradicting in my story…
“Let objectivity not be a victim of mindless criticism”
Regarding Afzal Guru’s death penalty:
It’s a very clear matter that people who attacked the Indian Parliament were killed during the confrontation and how come Afzal Guru was arrested? Every single person knows this in the whole world that those people was killed. It’s all propaganda war.
Indian Awakes and Amit,
Fortunately I was able to lay my hands on a piece published by reputed weekly Outlook (India) and authored by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy… I must say this really made me think what you all know and what I know is just a tip of the iceberg..
May be you might be curious to have a look. So I am copying the link here. I hope some of you have the tenacity to go through the entire article as it comes out like something which can shock you right from the first sentence.
Juz A Kashmiri
Hi friends,
If Afzal Guru should not be hanged? then what other action should be taken by Court?
Let him free?
Amit
Amit,
I am not sure if anyone of us is qualified to pass a judgement on him. But the least we can do is ascertain the facts if it is possible. That is precisely what I have done.. Courtesy OutlookIndia.Com
I’d like to know is there anyone who has changed his theory abt Afzal or am I to believe here that Arundhati Roy has been “paid” by anti-national elements to publish this article.
Juz A Kashmiri
Hi Juz A Kashmiri,
What I want to say is that somewhere Afzal is involve in this case and he has found guilty by the Supreme Court of India (and which is well qualified).
What Arundhati Roy says, it is her opinion. If there are facts with Arundhati Roy or Nandita Haksar (I am adding her name also), they must be produce to the court before the judgement. What these people were waiting for? One more interesting think I tell you that, while interviewing with Timesofindia.com one question asked to her :
TOI-Q. So what is your demand: Retrial or life imprisonment?
NH-A: We first want the death sentence to be stopped. We want it to be converted into a life-term.
If it was not a fair trial then why she wants him for life-imprisonment?
Link
Amit
Amit,
I simply cannot help it when you simply want to close your eyes and say that it is not there. I dont know what makes you think its a figment of his own imagination. By the way, I also read that article (its around16 pages – not sure you read it in entirety), and I did not find a single sentence where she says that “In my opinion.. or I feel …”
So what makes you think.
Now as far as the question of what Nandita Haksar wants for him; that is her opinion or may be what Afzal deems he should actually get for being indirectly involved.
Hope that answers.
Juz A Kashmiri
Dear reader and writers
Every body should take notice what Kashmiri Pundit said that Afzal Guru is innocent. And did not involve in Indian parliament attack it’s all made up story. People who attack Indian parliament was killed by Indian security forces. Every body needs to think very carefully?
Dear
You can only blame youself if you people are in trouble all over the globe. I was surprised to read pro-Kashmiri and pro militant opinion on this blog. Dear terrorists first put your house in order……US threatened to bomb you people to stone age….Pakistan is one of the very few country in world where foreign troops are allowed to carry out massacre of the host country….come out of madarssa and PTV mentality and see the neauty of life and not gun.
And one thing to remind all of you……we love KASHMIR and not KASHMIRI…..and wont love them til they LOVE our country……..and if you think 15 crore people can take away Kashmir form 100 Crore Indian…..you must be crazy
May God give u people some sense. JAI HIND
Tarun’s comments are so kiddish.
I was Hindu and how come I become Muslim its big story. I am feel very lucky that I become Muslim. Look it’s not the case that 15 crore people or 100 crore people its matter of human rights. If you are true Hindu is it allowed in your religion to kill any body, even an animal?
When you gave these types of comments then you think twice that what you are saying. In India there is more Muslim then Pakistan, if you start proxy war then what do you think you can live with peace? If you put fire on somebody’s house then you must know that your house will be under fire shortly.
If any body say’s that we love Kashmir not Kashmiris then I am asking him that does it make any difference to Kashmiri people? You people depend on Kashmir and in Kashmir more then 40 rivers provide you life in terms of water and now you start talking about Kashmiri people? I am 200% sure that if Indian army continue this occupation then they will not long last?
Considering what all India has done over these years, do you expect people to love your country?
And ofcourse India and Pakistan love KASHMIR the place, rather than the people of Kashmir.
Tarun, you expect Kashmiri people to love your country when your country does not care about them? Its sad to know that you do not care about the human rights violations in Kashmir, but you care about the piece of land.
And it was not KASHMIR that US had threatened to bomb to stoneage. Sadly you represent that class of Indians who think that every Kashmiri Muslim is a terrorist. You are reading everything with a bias at the first place, so you probably cannot understand the subtleties of the whole problem.
Tarun
Do you even know where Kashmir is? Why were you surprised to see Pro-Kashmiri content on this blog? Do you think that India contorls the world media?
Dear Mr. A. K. Swami,
Could you plz justify your words that there are 40 rivers in Kashmir. This article says something different.
And, I greet you on your conversion.
Juz A Kashmiri,
Other than the judgement of the Supreme Court, what we all are saying are our comments, thought and opinion. What A. Roy said in his article (the link you sent) is not that her opinion? Or she has given her judgement?
Regards.
Amit,
Good to note that you have gone through the article or atleast grasped the gist of it.
What you and I and many others are sharing here are just our opinions and they would remain an opinion – regardless of how concrete or sound they seem to be. So when I say I am moved by her article its my own feeling. I do not claim that I am right and all others A, B and C are entirely incorrect.
As far as the article by A. Roy is concerned I think you are mistaken if you say it is a judgement. The reason I say this no one is qualified enough to pass a judgement (right or wrong) on Afzal but the courts. It is also not simply an opinion. She has tried to put the facts together and then come to the conclusion that it doesn’t seem to be fair. That is it.
Hope that answers you.
Tarun,
You have only helped those who believe that India is not bothered about Kashmiris when you say “We Love Kashmir and not the Kashmiris”. I would also like to tell you not to construe the pro-Kashmiri sentiment with the pro-militant. We as Kashmiris are pained to see innocent lives falling to whichever gun and want this bloodshed to stop. But I am sorry to say if we have people who continue spewing venom it’s going to take ages to correct the perception ordinary Kashmiris have about the nation called India.
I may not go to the extreme of saying that your comments appear like those of a child but definitely you do not seem to have any understanding of a human-problem called Kashmir. I would suggest a google search on Kashmir history so that you may know the facts from fiction.
Juz A Kashmiri
It worries me a lot sometimes Juz A Kashmiri, How long is it going to take for our people to understand the very design of the state functioning? I’d love to believe otherwise but its scary to even think/imagine what we all might loose, irreversibly damage taking too long to open our eyes to truth…to identify our very own people from crusade of oppression. This is age of 24X7 and it breeds ignorance like germs. I sometime wonder if things’d have different if responsible people were running mass media organisations rather than those “Chain se sona hai to Jaagte raho..” kinda crap. That could have saved many truly concerned people lke you dealing with Stoneage guys who still fantasise about US helping India bomb another or another faction that does not subscribe to state’s suggested idea of a Nation of that of “WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY”.
What a crap, waisting one’s precious time over people who might takes generations to get some civilized.
Since that its not about religious fanatics, not about minority taking backstage or advantages, not about madly in love with twisted smart hindutva constituion that may witness Afzal hanged soon, let’s talk about “Plight of kasmir”, problems at grassroot level, Deliberate designs of administeration, making monsters of ever scared people and witchhunting them like its another Bagdad, let’s share smiles that SAR is all well and we look upto that as no less achievement. Let’s talk about collective strategy that instead of indulging in blame game or always defending what we said in our post, delivers by changing “collective conscience of masses”. . which seems to take toll more than all of us can afford to give.
For someone who has time and patience, here is a link that has references to few books, some of them good enough. [Link]
Well, I just chanced upon this blog. I was just worried how some people are using anecdotal evidence like what a Roy and some Haskar thinks about the case. Well if Ms. A. Roy really cared about the case, why didn’t she approach the Supreme Court when the case was on? She could have presented her article in the court rather in some magazine/paper, which doesn’t really help Afzal’s case very much. Or is it that, she is just being a quintessential communist, who can only complain and crib, but will not take part in any activity which really helps the matter.
You Kashmiris should have been left to the ravaging Kabbalis during the independence time. The first two Param Vir Chakras were awarded to Gen. Kaul, then a part of the Kashmir’s Kings army, for fighting against the Kabbalis and repulsing them. Your thankless behavior reminds of the Bangladeshi people. They are making news nowadays for their stringent anti-India attitudes, while the truth is that in 1971, it was the Indian army and mukti-bahini, which secured them their independence, and freedom from the massacring Paki army. Sense of dejavu, eh!!!
Well, it also leaves us true to heart Indians, feeling hopeless and sad, on how to address criminal stupidity of this sort. Maybe we should give the Kashmir of today, independence, so that it may become another Islamic state (which I am sure it will become, if it became independent) and have some Taliban like government.
[edited: irrelevant to the post details deleted]
If my post does come on, here is some food for thought. I never liked to believe ever that Muslims are more prone to violence and terrorism, till I saw this website. Dudes don’t blame me, please go through the contents carefully, and clarify to the site author, everything that is wrong. You will redeem yourselves in not only in the eyes of common Indians, but the whole world’s eyes.
I will wait for any of you to answer back, to the issues raised by the website. Maybe you will discover a thing or two about the way you think, or maybe you will prove this guy is totally wrong. Please try.
[edited: irrelevant to the post link deleted]
Whom are you talking to guys??? I pity all the Indian chauvinists for their ignorance ….. Muslims are being targeted all over the globe right now just because they have earned the wrath of the free masons for reasons beyond your limited understanding. Muslims will triumph over this demonic force.
[edited]
I would like to request the people who get into us/them talks… to look back into history to get the real facts. As far as Kashmiri/India thing is concern I have this thought process: if like Kashmir every state starts asking for autonomy (let me remind you… none of the states was the part of India… India never existed physically) then we will have 30 countries instead of one. I am a Delhlite… so just want to share with my Kashmiri brothers.. just like you are facing the problems in Kashmir we face different sets of problems in Delhi or let’s say Bihar or Tamil Nadu… (now I am not putting the problems in Kashmir on same ground as problems elsewhere) that does not mean we start blaming the whole country and political system and start asking for freedom from India.
I am not a representative of Indian government nor I can say I have full information about Kashmir reality – I never lived there, but I fail to understand few points.. what does freedom mean to those people who shout “FREEDOM” in Kashmir? Is it freedom from India/Pakistan to have a Kashmir as a new independent nation OR to fight for basic human rights for Kashmiris in India. If it’s latter… then I am with you and I hope you would understand it’s not a joke to run a country of 1 billion people with such a diversity – at least I don’t know of any other country like ours… but if it is former case… help me visualizing the Kashmir as a nation with it’s own military protecting it’s boundaries from Pakistan… (mind you even Indian Army finds problems).. unless you are optimistically assuming that Pakistan would not attack Kashmir… also… when you talk about Kashmiris.. do you talk for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits rights? what is your thought process for them? How much “freedom” are you willing to give to them? What will be there place in free Kashmir? Think brother!!
As far as I am concerned I see a better future for all Kashmiri people with integrated India… and that too without article 370 – only then all Kashmiris will be a part of mainstream – remember UNITED WE STAND.
I am ready for any discussion through this blog.
Thank you.
Shankar says:
I completely agree with Shankar.
Shalinder
It is history which tell us that Kashmir has been wronged with. Kashmir is very unlike any other state of India, Kashmir has a special position, it has a separate constitution, a separate flag and residuary powers. It is totally wrong to compare Kashmir with other Indian provinces.
That is how almost all Indians see the future of Kashmir and it is one of the reasons we have the Kashmir of today. How long will India and Indians continue deciding what is right and what is wrong for us?
K
You have raised some valid points and I agree with you Kashmir has been wronged and also we can not compare Kashmir with other provinces of India. I fail to understand why the fight for freedom, when Kashmir already has it’s separate flag, constitution, powers? Let’s forget about the integration of Kashmir with India.. that was my point of view.. let’s talk about ..What is the vision for free Kashmir? Kashmiri Pandits? Kashmir sovereignty, security, industrial development? I see lot of people’s outcry for freedom etc.. but my question is freedom to what?
You don’t want to be with India.. that’s understandable. Without turning this topic into religion bashing.. let me ask you – why people who call themselves Jihadi and freedom fighter of Kashmir are killing/eliminating only Hindus there? Don’t they consider Hindus as part of Kashmir? When India fought for it’s independence from British, even though Hindus were in majority, never was a time when Hindu freedom fighters killed Muslims or vice versa.. we were united. Show me the picture where Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir are united and fighting together for independence. On the other hand I feel the cause of freedom of Kashmir has been hijacked by some anti-social elements we “Indians” call terrorists. What is your say on that?
In the end I am just going to ask you and all the Kashmiri bretherens same questions.
What freedom from India means to you?
What is your vision about Free Kashmir?
(please don’t be shy talking about Kashmiri Pandits too)
Thank you.
All people who are opposing India are really crooked. India is very much secular, it has given people like every opportunity to flourish. Afzal Guru along with his supporters should be hanged to death. I support BJP in this scenario.
[edited]
Imprison Afzal but spare his life, God might spare us the next bomb blast. Have faith in His court where Justice is not blind. It’s His right to give or take life, if anyone violates it, He’ll punish them accordingly. We included. It’s a different matter when you are on the battlefield and you have no choice but to kill for self defence. But does God advocate executing a Prisoner of War? We the people at large are kind hearted who value human life. But the incessant noise surrounding us blurs our vision and forces us to speak language of blood and revenge. And we think we are Strong. Officially 44,500 precious lives have been lost in Kashmir itself. Unofficial figures are double! It will take a lot of courage and will to retrieve the balm of love from the dustbins and apply it to heal deep wounds we have miserably failed to cure using gunpowder for decades. There are hundreds of potholes (literally) on our mission to make India the greatest nation of this world; terrorism is but a minuscule one than it is made out to be. If we sit down and sort out the problems one by one, we’ll discover to our amazement we would’ve automatically fixed the causes which give rise to resentment. It is the only way to ensure that families like those of the Parliament defenders and attackers, the Kashmiri Muslims’ and Pandits’ are not marooned in future. A simple Indian and a simple Pakistani have nothing against each other. They want to earn bread and look after their families. That’s all! The evil elements from amongst both of them are contaminating their minds. They have our history textbooks and media in control. And believe me such elements have no nationality or religion. We are their prey and these elements feast on us together. Kashmir continues to bleed. I’m trying to be a voice of reason and it is my honest attempt to make you look in the direction where we have not looked at sincerely enough. Not all Indians today are enjoying the seven Fundamental Rights bestowed upon us by our Constitution after Independence. We should calm down and rearrange our priorities. Let’s clean the garbage from our backyard to begin with. The solution to our problems is inside our house (it is 2 feet tall). There are numerous wars we are yet to start seriously. Every human being has an energy hidden inside him or her which far exceeds all worlds’ atom bombs put together. The enigma is how can one discover it? Even a fraction of it can work wonders! I cannot be surer that we have that energy but we are directionless. If we deploy it to fight these wars, there is no stopping India from becoming the true Superpower of all time and also the most loved nation on the planet. Blow the bugles, beat the drums and wage the “War on Corruption”, “War on Illiteracy”, “War on Poverty”, “War on AIDS”, “War on Communalism”, “War on Casteism” and “War on Crime against women”. However, the mother of all wars will be “War on Ignorance”. Our Ignorance. The call of the hour is to unite and fight all these wars. If we win all of them, terrorism will be a puff; in fact we might not have to fight it at all! The supply to terror factories will stop, freezing the number of the actual terrorists. Enemy will be marked clearly and our soldiers can then challenge them and finish them off once and for all. Be patriotic but please avoid being a jingoist. C’mon, we can’t be right always! Abdul Kalam maintains that India desperately needs a second all round revolution, a Kranti, bigger than the Freedom Struggle of the past to rid her of her many diseases going forward. We have done it before and the time is fast approaching to again “Do or Die!” Kalam has made remarkable contributions to our country. How I wish the Missile Man could’ve been the next Mahatma. Nonetheless, he did succeed in lighting few more candles. Pity, he’s in a pickle right now. I hope we don’t make statues of him when he is gone. If all this goes on as it is being going for 60 years, it’ll soon be time to tearfully erase Satyameva Jayate
Hi All,
All you Kashmiris that want to get back to 1948 status. I have just one point. Lets go back to 1947 and redo the partition all over again.
Pakistan for Muslims and Hindustan for Hindus.
Kashmir being predominantly Muslim will go to Pakistan. So will the other 150 million Muslims in India. Even they should relocate to Pakistan. Any Hindus still alive in Pakistan, Kashmir and Bangladesh should be allowed to repatriate to India. I think this is an excellent solution to all our problems. Everyone will be happy!!!
Shalinder posed some questions which i too would like to see answered.
Its true, once a 100% Hindu and Buddhist state is now almost 99% Muslim and the rest being minorities.
Why do these Freedom fighters only target the Hindus and Sikhs?
Why does India deploy 700,000 troops only in Kashmir ?
Why everyone from Kashmir wants to join IIM or IIT ? Why do they wish to pursue a carieer in Indian Film, Television or Music Industry ? Why do the people even in PoK wants to call themselves Indians, so that they can live their life in the heart of India?
Because there’s pretty much nothing left in Kashmir.
You Kashmiris are Blaming India/Pak ..
Well .. don’t you all think there’s no one to blame except the Kashmiris themselves ?
If they want they can stop the terrorism in their land by not helping these terrorists groups.
They shelter the terror and then try to blame it on both countries’ government.
Need i say who spreads this terror ?
Now don’t give me that “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” again.
Don’t turn a blind eye on these issues.
You all know pretty well whats going on in Kashmir and whose fault it is.
I say don’t hang Afzal. Life imprisonment is what they should apply. Or else Afzal will be another “Shaheed” in the Kashmiri’s so-called history books.
A true Kashmiri would never want to let their loved ones go out and kill their fellow Kashmiris.
Is that the way India got it’s Independence?
PROTEST AGAINST INDIA IN LONDON TO SAVE AFZAL GURU
London: South Asia Solidarity Group staged protest in London on Indian Republic Day to save life of Innocent Afzal Guru, the protesters were chanting the following slogans, Torture, Lies, Fabricated Confession, No Death penalty for Afzal Guru, protesters braved freezing temperature from 1.30 till 4pm, Protesters were joined by M.S.Mirza of Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front, Abid Zaman from Anti Mangla Dam Extension Action Committee, Munir Hussain, from Overseas Kashmiri Earthquake Relief, Najib Afsar from Kashmir Liberation Organisation the organisers handed Petition to High Commission Representative addressed to the Indian President asking to free Afzal Guru.
Picket was swelled further into large number by supporters of Khalistan Movement who were also protesting against India with following slogans, Khalistan Zindabad, India out of Khalistan, Who is the Terrorist? India Government, Who is the Murderer? India Government, Khalistan protesters were joined by their leaders, Sardar Lovsinder Singh Dalewal General Secretary and Sardar Varider Singh Bitu vice president of Shiromani Aklali Dal Amritsar (UK), Sardar Davinderjeet Singh and Sardar Mangal Singh both from Sikh Federation UK, Manmohan Singh of Dal Khalsa UK with many other.
Afzal Guru have been implicated with Indian parliament attacked by five men in December 2001. They were killed by the security forces but even today their identity remains a mystery. Three other men, who according to the police masterminded the attack, have also not been found. However, on 14 and 15 December, 2001 the investigating agencies together with the Special Cell of the Delhi Police picked up four persons, all Kashmiris, and charged them with the offence of conspiring to attack the parliament under India’s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
After a nationwide campaign for a fair trial, two of them, Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani and Navjot Sandhu who was jailed along with her newborn baby, have been acquitted of all charges, a third, the husband of Navjot Sandhu, had his death sentence converted to ten years in prison. But the fourth Afzal Guru was due to be hanged on October 20, 2006. A stay on his execution has been obtained by the Save Afzal Campaign through a Mercy Petition, and he is now being held in notorious Tihar jail in Delhi. where he is facing death sentence.
His trial was a mockery of justice since he was denied an opportunity to defend himself – he did not even have a lawyer. Afzal was not involved in the actual attack on the Indian parliament nor did he kill or injure anybody, even the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that there was no direct evidence against him, only circumstantial. However the court has sentenced him to death because in their words the “the collective conscience of the society will be satisfied if the capital punishment is awarded to the offender… The appellant, who is a surrendered militant … is a menace to society and should become extinct.”
In the Special Cell of the Delhi police Afzal was kept naked for two days and beaten mercilessly – once by a man who later appeared as a prosecution witness; police officers urinated in his mouth saying ‘This is the way you can break your Roza(fast)’. After he was tortured he was handcuffed and made to sit on a chair and forced to ‘confess’ at a media conference. But television broadcasts did not show the handcuffs and did not show the men who tortured and humiliated him. On the 15 and 16 of December 2006, New Delhi Television (NDTV) re-ran the ‘confession’ several times although they had been informed that by now that the Supreme Court of India had rejected it and the High Court had reprimanded the police for it.
The programme was accompanied by remarks such as ‘See how natural, how truthful, how fluent his statement appears’ and ‘Who can believe that such a statement can be given under torture’. They then invited viewers to act as a virtual lynch mob by soliciting SMS messages from them asking whether Afzal should be hanged in light of the tape telecast by them. Right-wing Hindu chauvinist forces of the Sangh Parivar have continually harassed members of Afzal’s campaign while calling for Afzal to be hanged.
Amrit Wilson from South Asia Solidarity Group stated that Afzal Guru faces a death penalty although there was no direct evidence against him and he have not harmed anyone even the Courts found that investigating agencies deliberately fabricated evidence and forged documents against him and other accused, Even after enormous efforts by his campaign team, he is being denied basic rights in prison – he is not allowed to go out of doors for even half an hour of sunlight and the Red Cross who have access to other Kashmiri prisoners have not been allowed to visit him, she further stated that their group have asked Kashmiris based in UK to ask their MP’s to make representation to Indian Government to free Afzal Guru and further said that the group will explore ever corridor of power to save Afzal Guru, she said she was pleased that Kashmiri Organisations based in UK have pledge to support SAVE AFZAL GURU.
END
Najib Afsar
Kashmir Liberation Organisation (KLO)
250 Yardley Wood Road,
Moseley,
Birmingham B13 9JN
Tel. 00 44 121 442 4544 Mob. 00 44 7763857940
Respected Sir/Madam,
I personally haven’ t seen so far a single terrorist in Kashmir. All have been freedom fighters. They do not deserve to be punished either by detention or by hanging. So Mr.Afzal Guru does not deserve hanging. It is all going along a very deviant route.
Yours truly,
N.Kumaresh.
Dear Naji Afsar,
The article you have written bout Afzal guru its much appreciated and we are with you for your such a good effort for “Anti Mangla Dam.” Kashmir needs people like you who have the courage to get our right.
We pray for your long life and Allah will help you all the way. Keep it up your good work.This life is too short, no body shall give you reward for your good work but Allah ….who is lord of the lords.
God bless you.
British Kashmiri.
First about Afzal guru. If he is really helped terrorists then ‘Death’ is the best punishment and that is really not injustice to him. Atleast according to Islam he should be executed. Though he is fighting for freedom of Kashmir attacking Indian part is un-justice.
But recently I bought a book compiled by Arundhati Roy 13 December: Terror Over Democracy(it’s just for 200 Rs.) I read the book entirely and what I felt was that Afzal is innocent.
Those who say Afzal is guilty and should be hanged, please answer the questions asked in above mentioned book. Otherwise don’t comment anything here.
[Amit]
Please purchase the book and read it without any pre-opinion in mind.
Initially each and every media accused even Geelani as a conspirator, but it wasn’t true. No media said sorry to him. No media! Even Supreme Court clearly says Geelani has been implicated by police. [judgment of Supreme Court is available online. I tried reading some of the portions from there].
Once Geelani was shot and some one tried to kill him, Geelani and his lawyer claimed that it was a ploy of the Delhi Police. [please read the book]
Now tell me who is going to punish who simply tried to implicate Geelani?
Why Delhi police did this?
Why they tried to kill him?
Doesn’t it clearly show that Delhi police wanted to spoil Islam’s name by doing this?
After reading the book I felt that ‘INDIAN GOVERNMENT (NDA) was behind Attack’. Afzal says the same thing. He never denies that he helped terrorists but he says that STF ordered him to help them out. He even mentions their name. He requests to trace his phone call, because he says that STF has made so many calls to him but the court never listened to him!
Is it not the Indian army doing the same thing in Kashmir? They kill innocent Kashmiris and simply announce them as ‘Pakistani Militants!’
NDA Gov is all behind this drama…!
People ask, why Arundhati Roy did not do this and did not do that in court etc. I think she had worked a lot, that is the only reason Geelani was acquitted. I mention it because of her effort he is safe now. [we Muslims did nothing compared to her!! shame on us]
I also think the reason why Geelani is released is only because he did not give confession statement even though the police tortured him like anything. He really is brave.
But, Afzal couldn’t tolerate torture. He did give confession, that is the only mistake he did though he denies this in court.
Those want Afzal to be hanged, please answer the book. Otherwise agree that he is really innocent.
Hi indian,
How A. Roy Knows the Fact?
What interest she have to write a book on Afzal?
Just to make money & nothing else. Otherwise she must uncovered these facts in front of the court.
Shouting & interviewing not earn money for you, but a book can.
Today, anyone of them who think that Afzal is innocent, had they stand with Afzal when the trial was going on.
Ok first of all whose independence are we speaking of Kashmis? On one cares and its true no Indian gives a crap about some potential terrorist who got gunned down really. Get a life and discuss something more usefull like “converting to hinduism” why didn’t you establish your dream country by moving to Pakistan in 1947? Why disturb the good Hindu folk of this nation? You claim atrocities in Kashmir and what about the destruction your cowards cause here. Anyways forget about a separate homeland chill out and get out of my country you traitors!
I would love to interact with the “Kashmiri Activists” so that I can understand their points of view. What I see normally is half baked statements with an eye on pulicity from the likes of Arundhati Roy and Nandita Hakser talking ad nauseum on Muslim rights with no comments on the rights of Kashmiri Pandits. Would LOVE to discuss comparitive rights.
Hello all of them, this [abuse deleted] idiot has to be hanged, moreover who is he [abuses deleted] Farooq Abdullah saying the whole India will be in flames, tell him that his dad is not ruling the country, if he has to do anything tell him to do any good for his own state.
I don’t understand Kashmiris. The population of Kashmir is about 4 million. They have all the freedom to do whatever they want in the whole of India. Still, they want freedom? It’s the Indians who cannot buy land in Kashmir.
Some want to join Pakistan. Knowing well that POK has had no freedom from day one! Do they want to be with those fundamentalist north Pakistanis? What freedom is that when your children cannot go to school?
Freedom because of army presence! Imagine what your fate will be if you are a tiny country. You will have RAW, CIA, MOSSAD, Chinese Army, Paki Army, Indian Army and what not, on your back. Is that what you want?
Can a country that survives on tourism, handicrafts, shawls and wool ever survive? This is not in the midst of Europe. This is the juncture of a failed state and two economic powers. How do you think a country like that can survive?
Do you think Pakistanis and Chinese would ever part their land to you guys? So, is all this noise in India because you have all the freedom here and not in those two countries. Could some sane guy give me an idea of what Kashmirs think?
Sujai, has the best answers to your questions, on his blog here and you may also want to read Mir Nazim’s posts here, here and here. I am sure they answer your all concerns.
Dear Praveen, Maldives is a small country, should it accede with India, Sri-Lanka is small country, should it accede with India, Nepal and Bhutan as well??? Dear friend, 80% of Kashmiris want independent Kashmir. Independence from Indian and Pakistani interference. Kashmiris are peace loving people and were forced by Indian occupation, torture and humiliation to take up the arms.