“My dear fellow Kashmiries”
For last many years I was eager to communicate with you but lot of noise within and around your blissful abode (Kashmir) forced me to delay my plans.
Here, this extraterrestrial world is very unique in many respects; every one is equal here ,no categorization or compartmentalization on the basis of cast, colour, creed, status, and financial worth even any political affiliation in past has no consideration; every one lives a life at par with all others. But as you all know we Kashmiries have a unique culture and inherent tacit understanding to live in a commune of our own, rather I should say Kashmiriyat is a unifying factor for Kashmiries in any part of universe and thank Almighty it is not missing even here.
My political ideology through out my stay on planet earth was quite diverse to all other political leaders of that time but here we got a chance to discuss every thing with an open mind and without any inhibitions. I regularly interact with towering political personalities of Kashmir Sheikh Mohmad Abdullah , Mirza Afzal Beigh, Moulana Masoodi, Sofi Mohmad Akbar and many others. We look at your helplessness and misery from the decks of this celestial world. At occasions I could feel the mercurial personalities of Sheikh Mohmad Abdullah and Sofi Mohmad Akbar to boil beyond their capacity. Several times these leaders were about to jump down with a wish to rectify their wrongs (or I should say their unintentional mistakes). At one such occasion I reminded Sheikh Sahib about his first visit to people of Sopore (whom Sheikh Sahib used to address as Zinda Dilaan sopore) after he was selected chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 1975. I reminded him about poor Bulla a young student who dared to face up to him and reminded him of his political betrayal; and his subsequent torture to death under the governance of Sheikh Sahib. Sheikh Sahib had no words except deep sense of remorse and words ‘may God rest his soul in peace and give me courage to face my creator on this issue’.
Sheikh Sahib impressed me a lot during his political carrier in Kashmir. His towering personality, imposing voice, articulation and leadership traits were his greatest assets but his short tempered nature and lack of far sightedness was his most prominent short falls. He could organize people with great skill but was at all occasions unable to differentiate between friends and foes the short fall that pushed him to make several unintentional mistakes. Sheikh Sahib trusted every Tom Dick and Harry and thus laid a path of misery and agony for the people of Kashmir. Here we discussed Kashmir and plight of unfortunate Kashmiries at many occasions; Sheikh Sahib opened up and made me to feel about those wounds and scars which were inflicted by his own people at many occasions. The ambiance here encouraged me to confront Sheikh Sahib about many political and historical blunders and failures, he could not convince me- and talks are on.
Bakshi sahib, Khawja Ghulam Mohmad Sadiq , young Shmaim lately Syed Mir Qasim and all other political pawns of my days are part of our undeclared Kashmiri Anjuman and all of them feel remorse over the pain and agony they initiated and left in store for Kashmiries. They now firmly believe and feel that their doctrine ‘freedom through development only’ was a failure and if they get a chance they will set things right, but they all know there is no second chance in life.
Molvi Mohmad Farooq and off late Abdul Gani Lone are with us. These two leaders are regular at our political interactive sessions and could shed light on the prevailing political scenario in Kashmir very rightly and correctly (as you know no one cane dare to give distorted report as no thing is hidden here) . Lone Sahib I feel possessed all qualities of a great leader who rose from a humble and poor peasantry to the political horizon of Kashmir through his abilities and hard work but his ever changing political ideology and stance could never impress me.
For last two decades I could feel the pain you are going through because formative years of my life on the planet faced almost identical situation. I was branded and dubbed a double agent, insurgent, enemy and what not by my own few Kashmirie brethren at the behest of political manipulators in the subcontinent who had their own interests and ulterior mottos. I was labeled as murderer, dacoit and deceiver but my sympathizers helped me to enlighten the suppressed Kashmiries and keep the sense and urge of their freedom and liberation alive even when whole of Kashmir was following the doctrine of so called ‘development’.
These days politicking is very easy over there and to run the affairs of politics resources are no problem but during my days I had to beg, borrows and at occasion’s steel just to keep the candle of enlightenment alight. As you all know northern part of Kashmir valley was my bastion and I salute people who suffered a lot just to facilitate my mission, the mission that was ridiculed by the political big wigs of that time, who feel defeated and miserable now. I will never conclude that my vision was the only right path for the future of people of Kashmir but the experience and turn of events for past two decades prove that at least my thinking and conviction was not off the track. The turmoil and agony you are going through now would have been avoided if the political forces had made right decisions and decided issues on values and virtues. The uprising in Kashmir consumed thousands of innocent souls, young and old; men women and children but you all faced it gladly this is accomplishment of my mission. It is immaterial, who will survive to harvest the crop of liberation and freedom but the belief to think right and hope for the best is the hallmark of lively people. For last two decades I could see young, yet to bloom Kashmiri buds making way for their heavenly abode along with their elders, women and children. Their transition to this world was destined but the brutality they experienced is unheard of and unbearable. These are occasion of honor for any lively nation and for all of us but the orphans and widows and their plight make my heart bleed.
Dear brethren the moment a new martyr adds to the long list of glorious Kashmiries the faces of political exploiters and vagrants here turn pale and they hide their faces with defeat and shame. This is your victory and by the grace of God better sense will prevail with all and suppression and subjugation will not only cease but fade away.
I was passed on as instigator of violence but people around me then, can vouch for my strict adherence to respect for human life and values but extreme suppression becomes a force to react extremely and history is full of such confrontation. Kashmiries were pushed to a situation where confrontation was and is inevitable. If we turn pages of history empowerment and emancipation demands all sacrifices and sacrificing your life, honor and wealth makes the attained freedom more precious and sacred. I had been pleading there for honor of life, property and belief of every individual human being irrespective of colour, cast and creed. I appeal all of you to adhere to this principle strictly and resolutely under all circumstances and particularly during these difficult and testing times. The struggle is always against suppression and suppressors not against mankind and humanity is the fundamental of survival and supremacy of mankind.
A hue and cry is made about my mortal remains by several leaders. Let me be frank on this issue, it is immaterial for me as I firmly believe that till I live in the hearts of fellow Kashmiries I feel peace and solace. Secondly I don’t bother where I am buried; where ever I am it is Gods territory. I had much more to say particularly about the people who are holding the reigns of power there; who are your real leaders and others who pose to be your leaders but I know at this crucial juncture any word or conveyed can prove to be confusing and amount to hypocrisy, but I can have a for you.
Be honest and sincere to your birth right and cause; shun violence and desist from it unless and until you are not subjected to extreme violence; have patience; respect human values and don’t trust every one. May God give you courage to bear all these sufferings and haplessness at the hands of your own people and others and may God put all of us even our suppressers on the right path of righteousness and sincerity.
If God willing I will try to interact more and more with you.
Yours sincerely and honestly
Mohamad Maqbool Bhat.
………
FIDA IQBAL
Leave a Reply