'I miss him during my each breath'
Afzal
Guru’s first death anniversary
Published at 08/02/2014
• When they arrested Afzal,
for precisely one year we did not meet him
• Afzal Sahib took me to
every picnic destination of Kashmir
• He had a strong will
power that kept us going till the very end
• I heard him saying to
Ghalib two things, one was to understand Quran and the second thing to respect
her mother
• He had requested
superintendent of jail a cell phone, to talk with us but they did not allow it
• His father was
responsible for Maqbool Bhat’s execution and Omar Abdullah is responsible for
execution of my husband
• I don’t except anything
from mainstream parties
• Apart from Allah I seek
no one’s help and don’t expect anything from anyone
·
When was the first time you
met Afzal Guru?
In 1998, we met for the first time. Afzal and his family had come
to our house to see me and to talk with my parents about our marriage. In that
very first meeting I agreed to marry him as I found him a very dynamic and
joyous person. This family gathering was soon followed by our engagement. It
was an assuasive time back then.
·
After you two got engaged,
which place was your favourite?
There was only a gap of three months between our engagement and
marriage. During the gap of these three months I lived my life like never
before. Afzal Sahib loved mountainous place. A mountainous place nearby was
Harde-Shiva, we often used to go there and spend time together. He loved
trekking. He called me Pyari (the loved one) which still resonates in my ears.
These were the best days of my life.
·
And how was life
after you got married to him?
Everything was going well. We used to enjoy every minute of it.
Afzal had set certain rules for the house. One rule was—every sunday was a
picnic day. Afzal Sahib took me to every picnic destination of Kashmir. He used
to comfort us in every manner. I miss him during my each breath. We were very
happy and satisfied till that fateful month of December 2001.
·
What actually happened?
To put it straight and with utmost honesty, the true story is
Afzal was working with a medical company. To carry out his medical business he
used to visit Delhi quit often. On 17th of December 2001, exactly at 8 p.m.
Afzal Sahib called me. This was the last time I spoke with him over phone. He
said to me, to pack the stuff and move to Kanispora Baramulla as Eid was
nearing. He was to join us all at Kanispora. I got very excited about this but
that did not happen. All of a sudden Afzal stopped calling back home. After
some days passed one of our relatives came to our house and immediately
switched on the television. All hell broke loose on us. When I saw Afzal Sahib
portrayed as militant by the Indian media. All my dreams shattered by watching
all these blatant lies staged by the media. When they arrested Afzal, for
precisely one year we did not meet him because every member of our family was
afraid of travelling to Delhi. For first three years he was under remand after
that he was shifted to high-risk prisoner ward of Tihar jail. It was only there
he started to write letters to us and always wrote not to come to visit him in
jail. But after lot of discussion and deliberation within our family we went to
meet him. At that time the case was lodged in Tees Hazari court and the judge
was S.R. Dingre. And rest is history.
·
In which cell of Tihar
Afzal was lodged?
He was in jail number three. As all the high-risk prisoners are
kept in number three ward of Tihar. For Indian state Afzal Sahib was a very
high risk prisoner. Till the end, he was kept at jail number three as gallows
are also in vicinity of this ward.
·
How was the first meeting
between you and him in Tihar Jail?
I don’t have words to express our first meeting in Tihar jail. All
I can say is we all had heavy hearts and wept like anything from both side of
iron bars and barbed wires. It was heart-breaking to see him behind iron bars.
I couldn’t believe what I saw. But again it was Afzal Sahib who kept us all
going. To ease the tension Afzal Sahib started to crack jokes as if nothing had
happened. He had a strong will power that kept us going till the very end.
·
When did you and Ghalib met
Afzal last time? What advice he gave him?
It was on Rakshabandan (Hindu Festival) of 2012, when we both met
him last time. At that time we did not knew that this would be our last
meeting. All these meetings for us were like Eid celebrations. I don’t call
them meetings but few festival hours or minutes which authorities allowed us.
Whenever we went to Tihar to meet Afzal Sahib on most occasions I heard him
saying to Ghalib two things, one was to understand Quran and the second thing
to respect her mother.
·
In his last days, did you
talk to him?
No, we had no means of communication between us. I came to know
much later through inmates that jail authorities woke Afzal Sahib at Fajar
Nimaz (morning prayers) on 9th February. Firstly, he had requested
superintendent of jail a cell phone, to talk with us but they did not allow it.
After that he had requested for pen and paper which was given to him to write
his last letter for us. This was the same letter which was letter circulated in
the media.
·
When did you come to know
about his execution?
On 8th Feb, I had night duty at the hospital. For whole night I
was not able to sleep and was restless like never before. I was feeling as if I
had low blood pressure which was not the case. On 9th Feb morning, it was
around 7:15 a.m. of that ill-fated day when my colleagues knocked at my cabin
door. Every staff member of hospital had gathered outside my room but no one
was able to tell me anything about the execution. They followed me everywhere
but didn’t utter a word. Finally, at 8 a.m. I boarded the hospital ambulance to
leave for home it was in ambulance when SAR Geelani called me from Delhi and
confirmed the news about the execution Afzal Sahib. Ghalib at this time was at
Baramulla, he later on came to join the family as strict curfew was in place.
·
Do you think Omar Abdullah
already knew about the execution of Afzal?
Are you seriously asking me this question? Let me start by saying
that his father was responsible for Maqbool Bhat’s execution and Omar Abdullah
is responsible for execution of my husband. It was a very well orchestrated
plan by both the government’s center as well as state. It was with explicit
permission of Omar Abdullah that they hanged my husband. On 31st January 2013,
Omar went to New Delhi to sign the papers of Afzal’s execution. For next one
week, on his orders more paramilitary troops arrived here to quell any
situation. In such manner a proper planning was put in place before the
execution of Afzal Sahib, all under the nose of Omar Abdullah. I hold Omar
Abdullah equally responsible as government of India. It is impossible that
without his green signal they could have executed Afzal Sahib as he is the head
of the state. His government also did no efforts for us, so that we could have
met him one last time. Omar then shed crocodile tears in assembly to show fake
sympathies about the execution. It is very hard to describe how a wife feels
when she loses her husband and even harder for a 14 year boy to lose his
father. Authorities also played politics with letters as well. We received the
letter on 11th Feb. It was without proper seal and signature from jail
authorities as well. The other letters which we used to receive from Afzal side
had proper seals and signatures of the jail authorities. The letter which we
received on 11th February I have every doubt that it was written in Kashmir and
not by any Tihar jail authorities. To avoid media and press they staged yet
another drama about the delay of letter.
·
Are you satisfied with the
verdict passed by the Supreme Court of India?
Nandita Haksar our advocate conveyed to me that Supreme Court of
India in its last statement clearly mentioned that Afzal Sahib is neither a
member of Jaish-e- Mohammad nor is associated with any other terrorist
organisation. SC clearly mentioned that Afzal should be hanged only to satisfy
the collective conscience of people of India. They only killed him for their
vote bank politics and nothing else. Afzal Sahib was a scapegoat in all this
stage managed drama. In such a country were SC itself, writes such things in
its statement how can one be satisfied with the verdict of such a false supreme
authority of the country. My husband’s number was 21st and they hanged him
before all the first 20. Is this justice? Till date they haven’t hanged killers
of Rajiv Gandhi but they hanged Afzal Sahib. They hanged Afzal Sahib and Ajmal Kasab
only because they were Muslims. The Hindu prisoners in Tihar jail who in every
sense are real criminals are still living happily in Tihar.
·
How has the State
Government responded to your demand of getting Guru’s mortal remains back?
I have seen no one from government’s side till date. I don’t want
any sympathies from them and I pray to Allah not to show me their face. They
did not allowed my 14 year old son to have a last meeting with his father what
can one expect from them. Ghalib still feels that may be his father might have
to say something to him.
·
Did opposition parties like
PDP helped you in any way?
Wazul Hun Gov Safeed Hunes Boi (They are two faces of same coin).
They are all same and I don’t expect anything from mainstream parties. One
should expect nothing from them. They only care about their vote bank politics.
·
Kashmir Bar Association had
confirmed to fight legally for the remains of Afzal. How has Bar responded now?
I again say it, they are all same. I said it no one came to me
with any help. Let me convey, Afzal Sahib’s hanging was just like a Bollywood
movie. Firstly, he was booked under a forged case and then started the drama of
politicians and these bar people who all give filmy and hypocritical speeches
about my husband and now claim Afzal Sahib as their own. They are all
deceptive. I see no hope from anyone. I am fed up with all this. It is all
gimmick, they all try to show that they care for Afzal Sahib and his family
while the reality is no one actually does.
·
Have Separatists parties helped
you in anyway?
I must say every party of Hurriyat has helped me and my son in
some way or the other.
·
What means will you adopt
to seek the mortal remains of Afzal Guru?
I am trying everything and to best of my capabilities to get his
body back. But I am all alone in this battle. Everyone else gives speeches and
lectures but do nothing. Apart from Allah I seek no one’s help and don’t expect
anything from anyone.
·
How has Ghalib responded to
his father’s death?
When on 9th February, SAR Geelani confirmed me on Afzal Sahib
hanging. I was worried only about, how would Ghalib respond to this
catastrophe? But thanks to Allah at such a tender age he behaved very maturely.
And kept on saying to me don’t worry everything will be fine. He is a very
brave boy. He is the only ray of hope for me now.
·
Does Ghalib consider his
father Terrorist or a Freedom Fighter?
Let me put it straight Ghalib is proud of his father. He is of
the view that his father was murdered for a good cause.
·
What is the attitude of
your in-laws towards you and Ghalib?
I spend maximum time in hospital now. I don’t often visit my
in-laws place but whenever I do they treat me like their own daughter. Ghalib’s
grandfather treats him like his own son. His grandfather often says Ghalib is
my son now. They all treat us well. Afzal brothers love me and Ghalib like
anything. They care for us and provide us every comfort and help whenever we
two are in need.
·
As you know Sopore has
always been active on militancy front. Do you fear Ghalib may join them?
No, Ghalib is not interested in all this. He only concentrates on
his studies as he is very much interested in science world. He is a very cool
and composed boy. Whatever is there in his heart he never lets it come out. He
often says to me that I want to have a bright future. Whenever, I pray I make
special dua for him that his all wishes come true.
·
What about the role of
Pakistan and recently launched book about it?
The only thing about Pakistan government which I heard was that
they at the time of Afzal’s Sahib hanging passed a resolution. When India
showed its teeth Pakistan became quite numb, from then on I have not heard or
seen anything from their side as well. As I said, it is all murky politics
played on every front and from every side. No one actually is ready to stand up
to New Delhi to demand the body of Afzal Guru.
·
Do you think Kashmiri
should again protest to demand the body of Afzal?
Let me express that nothing is going to happen. If Geelani would
have persisted with the hartal call last year may be government would have
given the body back, as pressure was building from all sides on New Delhi. When
Geelani announced a break in the hartal call pressure was taken off from state
and central government. Had we resisted then, may be things would have been
different this time around. In my view if there will be protest, I don’t think
much will change. Protest won’t impact New Delhi now. It is Raat Gaye Baat Gaye.
