Geelani turns 84 • Each day in my life is a miracle • B’day message: Be disciplined in life, value your time • Dream to complete third volume of ‘Wular Kinaray’ Once a teacher, journalist, Jamat-e- Islami activist, legislator, prisoner and now a separatist, the octogenarian leader Syed Ali Geelani shows little sign of slowing down. As he turned 84 on Sunday, Geelani said the secret of being healthy is to be disciplined in life. “Discipline and time is very important in life.” Talking to Rising Kashmir over phone, the ailing separatist leader said his dream is to complete the third volume of his biography-Wular Kinaray and Roh-e-Deen ka Shinasa- Iqbal. “I am currently working on third volume of Wular Kinaray and if Allah wishes I will complete it,” he said. Geelani said he has a dream to see the ‘nation getting free from clutches of occupation’. “And after freedom a system of justice should prevail where humans are respected,” he said. Asked about his happiest day of life, the ailing leader said his spiritual guide told him to spend ten days of Ramadan at Baba Shakur Shrine in Bandipora. “On the last night I had a dream wherein I was given a bouquet. My elders in family interpreted it that I have to do some service to Islam,” he said. “The dream is still alive and I can feel the fragrance of that bouquet,” he added. Geelani said the saddest day of his life was June 09, 2002 when his family was interrogated for 14 hours. “I was arrested that night and shifted to Ranchi Jail. That was okay but back home my family was interrogated and kept without food and water for 14 hours. In jail I was hurt deeply,” he said. Since 2010, Geelani has spent most of his days under house arrest but he says he is firm on his stand. “Arrests won’t deter me from changing my stand. I will not give up under any circumstances,” he vowed. Geelani who has spent more than 13 years of his life in jails said: “Fighting subjugation is a prayer for me like offering Namaz, fasting, giving Zakat and performing Hajj. The curbs imposed on me don’t disappoint me. I will continue to fight coercion till my last breath.” The ailing leader said the ‘nation’ needs to be associated with the ‘movement’ with conviction. “Every day in my life is a miracle,” said Geelani. “Who could imagine a person with 1/4th of a kidney, chronic bronchitis, pacemaker fitted in a heart, ophthalmic problem and other medical ailments to be alive. It is all by the grace of Almighty.” On Sunday thousands of his followers mostly youth celebrated his birthday with wishes on popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. In his birthday message, Geelani said: “We need to be consistent and committed as a nation in our resistance movement.” For youth, Geelani had a separate message. “Be disciplined in life and value your time. It is a precious and priceless gift,” he said. Geelani was born in Zoorimanz area of Bandipora district on September 29, 1929. He migrated from Zoorimanz to Duroo, Sopore in 1950. In 1953 he became member of Jama’at-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir and resigned from the government service in 1959. In his autobiography, Geelani says he started his career as a journalist. He learnt journalistic skills from renowned politician and scholar Maulana Masoodi in ‘Khidmat’ newspaper where he worked as a reporter in 1945. Geelani served as Jama’at district president Baramulla from 1960-62. He was arrested first time on August 28, 1962 and subsequently lodged in Central Jail Srinagar for 13 months. He also gave details of his release in late 1963, and his participation in the Holy Relic Movement in 1964 till he– the then general secretary of Jama’at- was rearrested on May 07, 1965. His tryst with journalism did not end with Khidmat. After his release in 1967, he was appointed editor of Jama’at’s mouthpiece Azaan and continued on the post till 1970. In 2007, Geelani was diagnosed with renal cancer and in 2003, an infection forced doctors to remove his left kidney. He is also living with a pacemaker in his heart. His passport was seized in 1981 for accusations of “anti-India” activities, and with the exception of his Hajj pilgrimage in 2006, he has not been allowed to leave India. Story: Sheikh Saleem
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 03:37:28 +0000
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