On Afzal Guru and Kashmir situation

02 March, 2013

The people of Kashmir valley are fighting a very honourable fight for self-determination, and both India and Pakistan are determined to deny them this right. Accession of Kashmir was based on a wrong principle. The government of India claims that the King of J&K wanted merger with India, but in other provinces where the kings wanted separation, they claimed people are with us. Afzal has been hanged to give out a message to people of Kashmir that if they fight for 'Azadi' they shall meet the same fate.

These were the views expressed by Sri Ajay Kumar, lecturer Jawahar Inter College, Jari at a seminar on “Hanging of Afzal Guru, Kashmir problem and Democratic Rights” at Ghoorpur, Allahabad on Sunday, 24 February.

Sri Saheblal Nishad, Convenor of Pragatisheel Adhivakta Budhijivi Manch said that if people are deprived of their basic rights they will fight. The manner of execution of Afzal and refusal to hand over the body was shameful and politically motivated. He said the entire conspiracy theory on the Parliament fell flat with 3 out of 4 conspirators being absolved, and the government not even investigating further. It is still not clear to people of India why the attack took place. Even indentity of attackers remains hidden. Denial of even democratic opposition to people of Kashmir highlights their real plight. What the STF did to Afzal can easily be understood by experience of our people with the police.

The discussion was summed up by Dr. Ashish Mital, UP Secy of CPI ML New Democracy who while agreeing with the above observations said that the Congress govt took this decision with an eye on 2014 elections, and to rally sectarian Hindutva vote bank having a national chauvinistic outlook towards Kashmiri people. Our rulers link Azadi Issue of Kashmiri people with Pakistan and project it as anti-India.

It is part of their attempt to create communal divide in India and divert peoples’ attention from basic problems being aggravated by government policies. Peoples’ livelihood and survival is being battered due to price rise, unemployment, corruption, low wages, winding up of govt subsidies and welfare facilities of ration, health care, education and increasing encroachment of their means of living such as land, rivers, forests, hills, small trade by MNCs and Mafia.

He said all ruling class parties, including SP, BSP and CPM have supported the hanging of Afzal as legally adjudicated. While the Supreme Court itself labeled the evidence against him as circumstantial, it upheld the death sentence to satisfy the “collective conscience of the nation”. A citizen was deprived of his right to life, to satisfy the conscience of those who rule by the force of guns, camouflaged by ‘democracy’, ‘constitution’ and ‘rule of law’ and ‘justice’.

He said that the present attitude of aggression by the Indian state against the people of Kashmir as is embodied by this execution is bound to further alienate the govt from people of Kashmir, as it happened in 1984 with killing of JKLF founder Maqbool Bhatt. The political spectrum in New Delhi was unstable and shaky then. Anti-Sikh riots and Kashmir were used to communalize the people.

Today, also the ruling classes are extremely shaky and wary of Indian peoples’ rising anger as manifested in anti-corruption, anti-price rise and anti-police movement in Delhi Rape Case. The blunt refusal of the Indian state to hand over Afzal’s body also to the bereaved family coupled with the highly secret execution highlights isolation of the Indian govt and army in the valley.

Dr. Mital called upon people to support the Kashmiri peoples' demand for 'Azadi' and for withdrawal of armed troops from civil life in Kashmir. He also called for a struggle against anti people liberalization policies.
The meeting was presided over by Sri Vijay Chitori, editor of Gaon ki Nai Awaz. Com Heeralal conducted the proceedings which was also addressed by Sri Lakhan Pratapgarhi.