Rameez Makhdoomi
With more light been thrown on the life of Afzal Guru by different intellectuals and via documentaries , writings one is compelled to state that in Afzal Guru’s death the nation of Kashmir has lost a great thinker and philosopher.
History bears testimony to the fact that one of the great thinkers and philosophers ever born Socrates drinks hemlock despite the fact that he could have chosen exile for himself. We do not know of any other philosopher having such a big impact on the modern society and the way a state is managed except for Socrates. And of course Plato was a disciple of Socrates.
It was 399 BC a trial was underway. Little did the people and intellectuals of the era know that it would change the course of history forever. It was decided that the trial would be an open trial and all the people of the city would be the witness to it. According to annals of history, a jury consisting of 500 people sat on the wooden benches. The accusers and the defendant were given 3 hours each to plead their case before the Jury. In a history’s biggest Irony the accusers were the disciples of Socrates himself, Alcibiades and Critias, to whom Socrates had taught the way to speak logically, were to present the case against him.
As Socrates rose in his struggle it was all too clear that he did not want to save himself, he defended his ideas in a way that his last words have become the part of human history.
I am reinforcing these events to refer to the recent hanging of son of soil Afzal Guru .One can clearly draw from his thinking as also penned down in his letters and conservations that in his death Kashmir was orphaned of a great philosopher.
In one of his letters quoted by Nandita Haksar, eminent lawyer in DOCUMENTARY OF KK PRODUCTIONS, the golden and historical words written by great personality of Afzal Guru are – “I am a citizen of this planet. I do not believe in chosen land, chosen race, concepts which are diabolical, devastating and disastrous in their results…There is only one way of coming out of these policies of nationalism…The practice of universal permanent values….” It adds – “We are prisoners but unaware of the prison walls in which we are caught…Our tastes, desires, and imagination are all imprisoned, this is where the greatest danger lies”. These awesome words cannot come from an ordinary mind but from the mind of a philosopher.
An Article in eminent daily newspaper of India, The Hindu written by GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR, In Tihar, officials feel ‘tinge of sorrow’ pens down these historical lines about last moments of Afzal Guru –“Al vida’, said Afzal Guru to his executioner, who had himself bid him good bye with the same words a few seconds earlier. And then as the executioner pulled a lever, Afzal’s frame hung from the gallows.”
It further adds –“In the last couple of hours of his life, Afzal had the company of some jail officials. And he narrated to them his thoughts about life and death. “He spoke of universal brotherhood and oneness of the mankind; how no human being is bad and how the soul in each one was a creation of the same God. He believed that if you moved on the path of truth, that was the biggest achievement.”
Written in Urdu, the last letter was written by Afzal Guru at about”6.25 in the morning,
09-02-2013″ and has no personal message to his family but the said letter mainly revolves around a larger message of “truth and righteousness”. This letter starts with Bismillah hi rehmanniraheem (I start with the name of Allah).
“Respected family and all the believers. Assalam u alikum (Peace be upon you). Hundred thousand gratitudes to Allah that Allah has chosen me for this stature. My Congratulations to all the believers too. For we all stood with truth and righteousness and our end must also come on the path of truth and righteousness. My request to my family is that instead of grieving over my end, they should respect the stature that I have achieved. Allah is your greatest protector and greatest help. Allah Hafiz (I leave you in the protection of Allah),” the letter states.
Mohammad Afzal Guru was also emphatic in pointing out –“I would like to be remembered as a martyr for the cause of justice. There is no fear of death in my heart as solitude and deep introspection has cultivated a deeper sense and vision that man’s life on this planet is spiritually in an embryonic stage. He is born when he leaves this planet. Our soul is our real body and our body is just like our clothes. The spiritual consciousness can be developed only by constant struggle for social justice under the shadow of universal permanent values. Values are permanent and absolute, enduring and endearing which shape human personality or self. Everyone of us is individually and spiritually responsible and accountable for our deeds as great mystic Rumi said: “Don’t remain unmindful of retribution for your deeds – as wheat springs from wheat and barley from barley.”
-Perhaps even the system which executed Afzal Guru has admitted his great stature .It becomes clear from the fact that the Indian government’s clear refusal to hand over the mortal remains of Afzal Guru is an indirect pronouncement that execution of Afzal Guru has greatly provoked and hurt the sentiments of Kashmiris, and heavens would have fallen if his body was sent to Kashmir. It is under this fear that the family of Afzal Guru is now being deprived of their right to carry out his last rites as per the Islamic tenets.
An eminent intellectual voice and Associate Professor in International Relations • London, United Kingdom Dibyesh Anand wrote on facebook these lines -I feel Afzal Guru. Who with sanity and humanity wouldn’t be moved by these words?
“In the end, I request you: don’t colorise or dress my words in any colour or dress, except a purely responsible human concern for humanity. I am in universe in such a way that I made myself the universe, I live in a space but I am spaceless.”
Global human rights group Amnesty International also stated that the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru, convicted of conspiracy to attack Indian Parliament, indicates a “disturbing and regressive trend” towards executions shrouded in secrecy. Program’s Director at Amnesty International India alleged, “Serious questions have been raised about the fairness of Afzal Gurus trial. He did not receive legal representation of his choice or a lawyer with adequate experience at the trial stage. These concerns were not addressed.
Voices who believe in humanity and think above petty concepts of nationalism in their bruised hearts and minds have just one thought –“ The hanging deserves strongest condemnation . A person was convicted and awarded death penalty on doctrine of collective conscience and perception of public. Such doctrine does not have any legal standing and is never heard in the legal history of world. He was convicted on basis of circumstantial evidence that can prove wrong. Death penalty can be awarded in crime of rare of rarest case where crime is proved beyond doubt which was not in case of Afzal. He was made scapegoat to satisfy blood lust of BJP and RSS.”
The voices of conscience also believe that more distressing is the grim fact that family of condemned person was not even allowed to meet before hanging and his body is withhold by authority and this is gross violation of human right. It will be remembered as stain on Indian democracy and Justice system.
The manner in which criticism has been levied upon the entire trail of Afzal Guru and many terming it a judicial murder and the diverse facets of Afzal Guru’s life coming into light the voices of conscience feel that Indian state by hanging Afzal Guru has silenced a sane and wisdomful voice of Kashmir.
09-02-2013” and has no personal message to his family but the said letter mainly revolves around a larger message of “truth and righteousness”. This letter starts with Bismillah hi rehmanniraheem (I start with the name of Allah).