Three Deaths Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani Martin Luther King, Jr has rightly said that “A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live”. Among many others there are three names who ‘died for something’ on either side of cease fire line and need to be remembered as such. Arif Shahid of Rawlakot, PaK, Khaliq Ansari of Mirpur, PaK and Rasheed Shahid of Khanpora, Baramulla left us under circumstances both natural and intriguing. Determination and hard work remained a common character between them. Arif Shahid Arif Shahid, chairman Jammu-Kashmir National Liberation Conference, was assassinated on May 14 outside his house in Rawalpindi. His death has mesmerised every conscientious Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri in PaK, Pakistan and in many other parts of the world. Known as a brave and devout nationalist, Arif Shahid, is missed by his friends on either side of cease fire line and abroad. Justice for Arif Shahid Campaign has been set up in the United Kingdom and it organised its first protest outside Pakistan High Commission in London on 13 May 2013. Given the culture of may layered control of PaK, it is generally believed that in early 1960s, 1970s and 1980s many Kashmiris would have died during interrogation in various interrogation centres in PaK and Pakistan. This used to happen behind the four walls. However, it is the first killing of a State Subject on the soil of Pakistan and it is intriguing. Arif Shahid had issues with the administration in PaK and Pakistan as all of us have continued to have. The slogans raised during the protest and the presence of senior Kashmiris who had turned up at the protest speak volumes about the gravity of the situation. Pakistan’s Premier Intelligence Agency (ISI) is being linked with Arif Shahid’s assassination. A number of stories are making rounds and the start of a culture of killing a Kashmiri political activist in this manner is a new challenge. Loss of life of a State Subject in Pakistan makes it a serious matter of concern. Arif Shahid has been vocal on the ‘equality’ of Kashmiri people, rigorously opposed to Pakistan’s control of Gilgit and Baltistan and had been challenging the restraints placed on the freedom of expression during elections in PaK. Very recently he had defended the right of two non-Muslim State Subjects to travel to Mirpur and had challenged their arrest by the agencies. We have lost a wonderful human being and a reliable friend. His death is a challenge and the conscientious Kashmiris of all schools of opinion have taken up the challenge to seek justice. Justice for Arif Shahid Campaign has started knocking at the closed doors of justice in Pakistan. May the departed soul rest in peace. Khaliq Ansari Abdul Khaliq Ansari passed away in Mirpur on Saturday 15 June, 2013. Khaliq Ansari’s life has touched many in their private and political life on either side of cease fire line and abroad. He would remain the tallest person and the father figure among those who found the JKPF (Plebiscite Front) and who continued their devotion to a ‘sovereign independent Kashmir’. Ansari seemingly of a radical demeanour was a devout nationalist and a progressive politician in practice. He has his constituency of trust in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Kashmir and abroad. One could safely say that he had been a symbol of trusting bond for the Hindus who had migrated from Mirpur and remain settled in Jammu. Khaliq Ansari’s presence would help these Hindus to forgive and forget, their grievances caused at the time of partition by Kashmiri Muslims. Graduation of Kashmiri politics from JKPF to JKNLF and JKLF has its beginning in one or many of the rooms in Ansari House in Mirpur. Any true account of a fight against status quo and modest beginnings of a politics of “Kashmir for Kashmiris” shall have to start from Ansari House in Mirpur and need to be traced in his extended family in the United Kingdom (Birmingham), Norway, USA and many other parts of the world. History of Kashmir politics would not have been as it is today, if Ansari House in Mirpur and Ansaris and Mirzas in Birmingham had not impacted the lives of Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Maqbool Bhat, Amanullah Khan, Hashim Qureshi, Ashraf Qureshi, Syed Abdul Hamid Dewani and others. The known and unknown accounts by India and Pakistan of the two hijacked Indian planes, Ganga plane hijacked in 1971 by Hashim Qureshi and Ashraf Qureshi, and the second 737 Boeing of the Indian Airlines hijacked on September 10, 1976 by Abdul Hamid Diwani, of Bandipora, including Ghulam Nabi Yatu, Qazigund, Ghulam Rasul Shahin, Muhammad Ahsan, Muhammad Rafique and Abdul Rashid, all from Shopian remain incomplete without a focus on Ansari House in Mirpur and his extended family in Europe, USA and other parts of the world. All discussions around settlement and future of these hijackers were held at Ansari House. Whenever any historian or a relation of Ashraf Qureshi (who passed away in 2012) would decide to trace his post Hijack life in Pakistan, he will have to return from Punjab Lahore to Mirpur Azad Kashmir to find his grave. The focal point to identify the grave and for any account of the namaz-e janaza would be the Ansari House in Mirpur. If ever any one decides to compile an account of torture suffered by Kashmiris who aspired for ‘equality’ and freedom to express their will in the determination of their future, a start has to be made from the person of Khaliq Ansari and Ansari House in Mirpur. Names of Torture Centres like dreaded Dalai Camp, Lahore Forte, Muzaffarabad Forte and many Pakistani jails will surface to humble the conscience of a common Pakistani. Khaliq Ansari’s 19 page statement made in the AJK High Court and published under the title “Qoul e Faisal”, gives a graphic account of the horrible torture suffered by him and others who expounded the case of “Independent Kashmir”. Ansari has been jailed for five years in Pakistan but before that he has spent good time in Jammu and Kashmir during the fight against Dogra rule. Senior Journalist Ved Bhasin and political commentator Balraj Puri have been his classmates. For being close to National Conference before partition, he was on the hit list of tribal raiders but he survived the attack. It would be unfair and ingratitude if his loss is not duly recorded today and tomorrow by all on either side of cease fire line. Politicians of all manner in Jammu and Kashmir (Valley and Jammu) should not err to record the loss. Out of these Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Hashim Qureshi in the Valley should have a special reason to mourn. We join the Ansari family and his friends to mourn the loss. May Allah bless his soul. Rashid Shahid Abdur Rashid Wani another decent human soul passed away on Saturday 15 June, 2013. He personified determination and courage in his life. Started from modest roots and made a valuable contribution to the practice of journalism. He remains the first outstanding writer from Baramulla in early 1960s when he would contribute to Weekly Radiance. The culture of buying a newspaper and reading it had not touched the lives of people in district Baramulla. I would get reprimanded by my father when he would find that I had bought a copy of Weekly Azan and Weekly Radiance. I would not miss to read Weekly Radiance to improve my vocabulary and would not miss to read Weekly Azan to read my Column in it. Both experiences would intoxicate me but the habit did not find favour with my father. He would regard reading a newspaper as a waste of time because it would not help me to become a ‘Doctor’, as desired by him. I would remember Rashid Shahid for one other interesting incident of my life as well. I visited Kashmir after 13 years in 1986 and was caught between the two opinions of J & K Government and the Home Ministry of India. As an information officer Rashid Shahid had to issue a press note of my deportation from Srinagar. Late in his life, we would reminisce the day and laugh about it. A decent human being. May Allah Bless his soul and give fortitude to the family to endure the loss. I join George Eliot to say that, “Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them”. Author is London based Secretary General of JKCHR – NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. He is on UN register as an expert in Peace Keeping, Humanitarian Operations and Election Monitoring Missions. He could be reached on email dr-nazirgilani@jkchr
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:53:03 +0000
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