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 Historical documents suggest that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 Historical
documents say that Jammu sentiment –the seat of Maharaja's power,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]
Comment
On This Article