Peerzada Aarif
Afzal Guru had told his family that the youth of India will realize the pain and sufferings of Kashmiris and will one day come forward in support of Kashmir’s freedom struggle, according to his brother Ajaz Guru.
With the controversy surrounding the holding of a pro-Afzal Guru event at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University refusing to die, his family was reminded of his words during his incarceration at Tihar Jail.
“He used to tell us that the youth of India who understand the pain and sufferings of Kashmiris will one day come forward in support of Kashmir’s freedom struggle,” Ajaz told.
An event was organized at JNU campus by some students on February 9 in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised. JNU students’ union leader, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedition charges. Pro-Afzal Guru slogans were also raised in Jadavpur University (JU), Kolkatta on Tuesday and posters calling for ‘freedom’ for Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland were found in the campus on Wednesday.
Reacting to the developments, Afzal’s family said during his time in jail he used to tell them that in future the educated youth of India will join Kashmiris to support their demand for right to self-determination.
“When shaheed Afzal Guru was in jail some years back, he used to tell us that the youth of India who understand the pain and sufferings of Kashmiris will one day come forward in support of Kashmir’s freedom struggle. These protests are a result of that. The educated youth of India have begun to realise the aspirations of Kashmiris and they are ready to lend their support to the people of Kashmir,” Ajaz told.
“Afzal used to say it is not the politicians but the right-minded people in India who understand the miseries of Kashmiris and they will support and raise their voice in favour of Kashmiris,” he added.
Afzal was executed on Tihar jail on February 9, 2013.
The government crackdown on students who questioned Afzal’s execution during the JNU event has evoked widespread condemnation in Kashmir. aarifpeerzada1@gmail.com
