Who
failed whom - An Open Letter To Geelani Sahib
Irfan Gul December 07, 2015 Daily Kashmir
Images
Dear Syed Ali Shah
Geelani Sahib,
Hope you are keeping up
with good health and doing well.
Being a firm believer of
humanism, I respect you as an individual. There was a time when I was your
staunch supporter. I fought numerous battles, both physically and ideologically
and implemented your agenda with full letter and spirit. I, perhaps followed
you blindly than trying to understand the root cause of the problem.
Later I came to know
that my love for your personality was mere intoxication which had emasculated
my rationality.
In 2008 when Amernath
land controversy picked up momentum, I became an active participant of this
exercise. During that movement there were two instances which forced me to
rethink my support to you.
It was a bright sunny
day when I along with some friends left Pampore to attend the rally and
returned back home by 11PM. Our legs were fatigued and our faces were tired but
that did not deter us from joining your TRC Challo Call.
When we reached, I saw
that all Hurriyat leaders except you were in an open vehicle and putting up a
united face. Your absence made me wonder and I thought where is Geelani
sahib? He should have been with all other leaders as this is a crucial
juncture of the resistance movement.
While resisting my odd
thoughts from striking my mind, I devoted all my attention to your speech. I
vividly remember that you started by saying, “I have a good news for you”. I
became curious and expected something which would not be less than a freedom
announcement. Contradictory to all my expectations you announced the
resignation of Pervez Musharraf, the then President of Pakistan.
This annoyed and
disturbed me and perhaps this was the time when rationality started doing
rounds in my mind. Later I realized, that actually Pervez Musharraf’s
resignation was good news for you as he had never considered you a serious stake
holder in the Kashmir dispute.
Another point in your
speech was, when you said: “Do you accept me as your leader”? You repeated it
and people passionately replied; “Yes, Yes”. The same people were unhappy with
your ridiculous question at the end of your speech.
This was the time when
you stabbed the movement in the back and cracks started appearing. Although you
apologized later but it was too late to pick up the threads again, as the
damage was already done.
In the same year during
my 10th Class exams, I tirelessly worked for your boycott call. In my
village I resorted to stone pelting during an election campaign
rally of a mainstream political party in which one person was brutally injured.
That adventurism still haunts me and shakes my conscience.
I continued with the
protests in 2009, when along with my friends we even protested during our
exams.
Then again in 2010, we
resorted to stone pelting against forces at Rambagh, Srinagar. It was again you
who stopped the protests unilaterally and perhaps pragmatically according to
your perspective.
Please don't blame the
people who implemented your agenda with letter and spirit. You cited education
as a reason, but I must tell you that college students of that time lost all
three years as our curriculum activities lasted for only a few months in the
Valley.
You talked of martyrs.
Can you please tell me what measures you have taken to rehabilitate the
families whose bread winners stood by you and sacrificed their lives?
If people have lost
confidence in their leader it indicates that something is wrong with the leader
not the people.
You said that people
should give up roads and jobs. Before making such comments, devoid of any
logic, you should know that humans always struggle for better lives. If you
negate this fact then you are certainly bereft of any revolutionary vision.
You said educated youth
should take up arms, but is this applicable to only people who live in deep
penury. Can you cite how many educated youth of Hurriyat families have
taken up arms?
In conclusion, I request
your good self, please fear God. Islam teaches us to prefer for others what we
prefer for ourselves.
Please rethink your
policies so that God will have mercy on us. At last, I as a Kashmiri youth,
request you to allow me and my people to read and educate ourselves in order to
understand the true principle of Islam. Perhaps, we can then at least try to
follow the footsteps of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Yours,
Irfan Gul
No comments:
Post a Comment