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Hang Guru, If That Helps

By Zafar Choudhary

04 October, 2006
Countercurrents.org

Jammu and Kashmir is the only federal State in India with two capitals, two seats of powers and eventually two schools of thoughts. It was somewhere in 1880s when the Dogra ruler Maharaja Ranbhir Singh following a suggestion of British India formally put in place a system of two capitals –Jammu for winters and Srinagar for summers. Historical documents suggest that the British were concerned over the Russian presence in the regions close to what is now known as Northern Areas. They had the fears of either the Russian forces or the thoughts traveling down to Kashmir valley, where Maharaja had his territorial rule but no sentimental presence –what can be described as people to people contacts. Historical documents say that Jammu sentiment –the seat of Maharaja's power, had nothing in common with the Kashmir sentiment. Therefore, the British India wanted Maharaja to biennially shuttle between Jammu and Srinagar for making an emotional integration between these two culturally district regions making parts of a single geo-political entity called Jammu and Kashmir. Millions of rupees are every year spent on the move of government from one capital to the other twice a year, but ironically a century and a quarter down the line, that emotional integration is nowhere in sight.

For past over ten days, the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu are witnessing protests, demonstration and some violence as well over one issue. Separatist and even the mainstream political parties have been alleging that Srinagar city has been put under an undeclared curfew to keep the protestors indoors and thus maintain "law and order". Several hundreds centimeters of print media space is being every day devoted to coverage of these protests even though the media is carefully avoiding adopting a particular editorial line on the issue –barring a couple of exceptions. This is for first time, particularly after beginning of separatist violence in 1989, that the twin capital cities are simultaneously witnessing protests over the same issue. Otherwise, issues and aspirations in Jammu have always been different from those in Srinagar and vice versa. From the times of British colonial rule to the democratic self rule, the power center in New Delhi always wanted Srinagar and Jammu to behave alike. For last ten days the twin capital cities are behaving alike, protests are running parallel but unfortunately again in opposite directions.

As a journalist I have been writing on anything to every thing over past seven years which my conscious decided as a fine text to go to the print for the common and larger good of the society. However, first time in my professional career, I have had the second thoughts and several afterthoughts before writing the present piece of opinion. As a responsible reporter and now an editor, I have been able to keep bias at a length even in the matters those pertained to my community where my writings could have helped the interests. In this write-up I fear damage to my reputation of being unbiased and impartial. I fear brandishing of my name or even the publication I represent as a mouthpiece or ideologue of a thought which, perhaps, I do not represent. Still I can be branded as a separatist. If I were not a small fry, there can be a protest demonstration in front of my office and some saffron nationalist can burn me in effigies. That holds good for my popularity but if I had to join politics and leave journalism. And I do not have any such immediate plans.

Despite a struggle with such ideas and fears I decided to express my viewpoint on hanging of Parliament of India attack accused Mohammad Afzal Guru. On December 13, 2001, I saw on television screens how five armed men dared to barge into compound of the Parliament of India's building and launch an attack on the heart of the country. I have no doubt in describing that attack as a most vicious, insulting and aggressive attack on self esteem, dignity, power and pride of the Indian democracy. As was the nation, I was deeply hurt. I still feel sad and depressed when recall that incident but nearly five years down the line I have a feeling that hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru is not likely to end a row we are badly caught in.

To recall the events of December 13, 2001 we all saw the bloodied faces of the five attackers killed by our security forces when they had come to attack the Parliament House. Each one in the country went into a state of shock. The government story's conclusion that the attack was an ill creation of Pakistan based militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad remained beyond the ambits of any questions. The Police were quick enough to finish probe in a week time and parade before media four persons accused of extending background support to the attackers. The four supporters included three Kashmiri men and a Sikh woman.

Currently in the hogging the media limelight and a reason of protests in Srinagar, Jammu, and other parts of India, the main accused among the four –Mohammad Afzal Guru –right from the day one cooperated with the police and led them to the hide-outs of the five attackers and the shops from where they had purchased mobile phones, cash cards and chemicals for making bombs. He also confessed to being a part of the conspiracy. This was a classic case of trial by media. Afzal shared all details with the media at a press conference of Special Branch of Police held at Lodhi Road Police Station in New Delhi on December 20, 2001. After his confession, there was hardly any need of the judicial trial which otherwise toll Police more than four years to collect formal proof and evidence for his guilt. Now death warrants have been issued for Afzal and an infamous hangman known as Mammu, from Meerut town of Uttar Pradesh has been assigned the task of hanging Afzal Guru on October 20.

Right from the day, the death warrants were pronounced Srinagar city is under virtual siege as it has become difficult for the government and forces and keep protesting people off streets. Not only the Srinagar city but also entire Kashmir valley is simmering with violent protests and almost every day is passing into a ding dong pitched battles between security forces and protestors. People are demanding withdrawal of death warrant against Guru. However, in the winter capital of Jammu protests are against those who are demanding clemency for Guru. The protestors are hurling choicest of invectives on the separatists for coming in support of Guru. When reports appeared that the state Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has favoured a Presidential pardon for Guru, he is every day being burnt down into several effigies in different parts of the city. Azad has distanced himself from the issue but the protests seeking hanging of Afzal are on. Two capitals of the state are clearly divided on the issue.

I do not want to jump into any conclusion. I keep the discussion open ended. However, the only two points I want to make here have some clues to guide our conscious for taking a stand in this issue. One is that why after all the five guys thought of attacking the Parliament of India. And after hanging Afzal Guru will that thought die or do we need to take practical measures to address that thought. Second is that all those people who are demanding hanging of Afzal Guru have primarily directed their protests in support of the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives while fighting the Parliament House attackers. The bereaved families of eleven soldiers were promised some compensation money by the government. Do those who have stood in support of the bereaved families and are demanding hanging of Afzal know whether that compensation money was released or not. If that is yet to be released, even four years after the incident, did they ever protest for those families like they are protesting today…..

For the convenience of supporters of those families I am reproducing excerpts from a report of Nandita Haksar, a lawyer and civil rights activist and K. Sanjay Singh, a lecturer at Delhi University, appearing in the reputed Indian monthly symposium magazine 'Seminar' in its January 2003, edition, under caption "December 13"

"We do know the names of those security personnel who died fighting the terrorist attack. Members of Parliament were shown paying homage to those who fell saving their lives. But the gesture seemed to lack real emotion when we saw pictures of Prem Yadav, the widow of Jagdish Prasad Yadav who died on December 13. He was posthumously given an Ashok Chakra and Prem was promised money to build a statue in his memory. Sitting on the mud floor of her house in Rajasthan she weeps silently as she tells her little son to recite a patriotic song. He is too young to understand the significance of martyrdom.

Outside their house, Prem has managed to construct a pedestal but she is still waiting for the promised money. Likewise the family of Kamlesh Kumari, the CRPF Jawan who died on December 13, is waiting for the government to fulfill the promises it had made. The family is too poor to build a memorial in Kamlesh's honour ".

After reading this the campaign must go on for hanging Afzal Guru if that helps to get rid of a problem.

The author is Resident Editor of English daily, Kashmir Images, Jammu edition and Executive Director, Center for Media Research and Documentation. He can be reached at [email protected]

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