Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Maqbool Butt Shaheed
Maqbool Butt Shaheed whose execution in Tihar Jail, New Delhi by Indian government on Feb. 11, 1984 gave unprecedented inspirations to Kashmiri youth who, under the banner of JKLF started armed freedom struggle in July 1988 which gave a new life to the dying Kashmir Issue and Kashmiris freedom struggle. Maqbool Butt and Amanullah Khan (the present Supreme Head of JKLF) were among the founders of Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front (JKPF) and Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF), the two torch-bearers of reunification and complete independence of the divided Jammu Kashmir State. Before going to gallows Maqbool Butt had spent about ten years in prison in India and Indian held Kashmir and over three years in Pakistan for his ‘Crime’ of demanding for his nation its inherent, recognised and pledged right of self-determination. This fact speaks volumes about the real Indian and Pakistani stands on Kashmiris basic human right to determine their own future.
1) START OF ARMED FREEDOM STRUGGLE
By the middle of Nineteen-eighties, Kashmir Issue as also Kashmiris’ freedom movement were almost on their deathbed. The Issue and the movement were being referred to by Kashmiri and Pakistani leaders in their speeches just to give the impression that they were interested in them whereas infact they did nothing practical to enhance their national cause. JKLF’s endeavors on international level to attract the attention and support of international community towards Kashmiris’ just cause had not proved very effective. As such, after his release from British prison after 15 months and his deportation to Pakistan, Mr Amanullah Khan, Chairman, JKLF, who had during his 9 years stay in the UK prior to his arrest in 1985, knocked at the door of every influential nation and institution through their representatives at the UN seeking their support to Kashmiris cause but had failed to achieve his objective, came to the conclusion that armed freedom struggle by Kashmiris could on one hand give new life to freedom struggle and on the other hand attract the attention of the world towards the Issue. He discussed the matter with his colleagues who agreed with him, as such, JKLF decided to start armed freedom struggle and started practical preparations for it. For a number of unavoidable reasons, JKLF had to get practical support of the Government of Pakistan which it did on the condition that Pakistan would not interfere in its internal affairs, would not have any objection to projection of its ideology of re-unification and independence of Jammu Kashmir State and that it would be wholly solely incharge of political indoctrination of freedom- fighters who would only be trained in armed freedom struggle and supplied arms by Pakistan government. So the ball was set rolling in 1987 when youth from Indian held part of the State were brought to Azad Kashmir, indoctrinated in political ideology and the code of conduct by JKLF and imparted practical training by Pakistan government and sent back. Armed freedom struggle was started on July 31, 1988. Freedom-fighters were strictly directed not to harm civilians, not to destroy civilian property, not to give any heed to communalism, regionalism and to discourage with full force both these social evils. The freedom fighters had to attack only Indian armed forces of occupation deployed in Kashmir and their installations. The popular response to our call was far beyond our best expectations and flow of freedom-fighters from Indian held Kashmir to Azad Kashmir was so heavy that we could indoctrinate them properly neither in ideology nor in code of conduct with the result that some of them fell into the hands of those sections of Pakistan government who were against our political ideology of States independence and did not want us to be in full command of the freedom movement. So, they very secretly won over some active freedom-fighters and floated groups and indoctrinated them against our political ideology and withdrew support to us with the result that we lost control of the movement specially after incidents when Indian forces and our rebels supported by Pakistan almost joined hands to crush us.
Kashmiri Americans Rejoice at the Establishment of the Unified Kashmiri Voice: Dr. Fai
Washington, D.C. June 20, 2008. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center said that in the history of self-determination movements, it is strikingly clear that people cannot become free unless they learn to master themselves. In other words, those struggling for the realization of their society’s collective and inalienable human rights must focus on the needs of the people. Second, by doing so, they understand that while every struggle contains seeds of dissension, it is only from the alliance of the one, working with and through others, are great things born. Leadership, more succinctly, is precisely that. After all, leaders must be cognizant of the needs of those they are responsible for, fulfill that responsibility without recourse to personal well-being and harness diversity into unity. In addition what matters is not who obtains public credit for success, but that success is achieved. Recognizing this, the two chairmen of the All
Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani came together, under a broad-based common platform and agreed to jointly continue the freedom struggle by forming a unified Kashmiri voice.
Dr. Fai that this monumental meeting began in solemn recognition of three key points; first, the tens of thousands killed, maimed and tortured along with the other countless untold sacrifices of the Kashmiri people; second, that, according to the Hindustan Times; and IBN/CNN survey on August 13th, 2007, 87% of the people of the Valley want ‘Aazadi’ – or, the right to be free, exercise their basic right of self-determination and decide their destiny for themselves; third, the illegal transfer of Kashmiri forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Following their lengthy deliberations, both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani addressed a joint press conference and agreed on three key principles; first, that self-determination is an inalienable human right and that peace initiatives must be tri-partite, thereby, including the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people; next, the formation of a joint committee that will devise new procedures, strategies and
methodologies for the Kashmiri freedom movement; and, lastly, to reinvigorate the 1993 Constitution of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference.
Dr. Fai emphasized that both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani have shown magnanimity and wisdom by coming together. Moreover, they have taken giant strides in creating a vision, developing strategy, enlisting cooperation, and motivating action. However, significant challenges still confront them. As effective leaders, they must symbolize and understand the past, set immediate tasks for the present, and create a vision of the future that takes a rational and strategic approach for moving towards that vision. Also, they are encouraged to enlist the support of other key Kashmiri leaders outside Hurriyet conference whose cooperation, compliance, or teamwork is necessary to actualize that vision.
Dr. Fai said that notwithstanding that, today, all those who support the cause of justice, are rejoicing at the establishment of the unified, legitimate and sole voice of the Kashmiri people. After all, in the striking words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘it behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.’
Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani came together, under a broad-based common platform and agreed to jointly continue the freedom struggle by forming a unified Kashmiri voice.
Dr. Fai that this monumental meeting began in solemn recognition of three key points; first, the tens of thousands killed, maimed and tortured along with the other countless untold sacrifices of the Kashmiri people; second, that, according to the Hindustan Times; and IBN/CNN survey on August 13th, 2007, 87% of the people of the Valley want ‘Aazadi’ – or, the right to be free, exercise their basic right of self-determination and decide their destiny for themselves; third, the illegal transfer of Kashmiri forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Following their lengthy deliberations, both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani addressed a joint press conference and agreed on three key principles; first, that self-determination is an inalienable human right and that peace initiatives must be tri-partite, thereby, including the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people; next, the formation of a joint committee that will devise new procedures, strategies and
methodologies for the Kashmiri freedom movement; and, lastly, to reinvigorate the 1993 Constitution of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference.
Dr. Fai emphasized that both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani have shown magnanimity and wisdom by coming together. Moreover, they have taken giant strides in creating a vision, developing strategy, enlisting cooperation, and motivating action. However, significant challenges still confront them. As effective leaders, they must symbolize and understand the past, set immediate tasks for the present, and create a vision of the future that takes a rational and strategic approach for moving towards that vision. Also, they are encouraged to enlist the support of other key Kashmiri leaders outside Hurriyet conference whose cooperation, compliance, or teamwork is necessary to actualize that vision.
Dr. Fai said that notwithstanding that, today, all those who support the cause of justice, are rejoicing at the establishment of the unified, legitimate and sole voice of the Kashmiri people. After all, in the striking words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘it behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.’
Kashmiri Americans Rejoice at the Establishment of the Unified Kashmiri Voice: Dr. Fai
Washington, D.C. June 20, 2008. Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center said that in the history of self-determination movements, it is strikingly clear that people cannot become free unless they learn to master themselves. In other words, those struggling for the realization of their society’s collective and inalienable human rights must focus on the needs of the people. Second, by doing so, they understand that while every struggle contains seeds of dissension, it is only from the alliance of the one, working with and through others, are great things born. Leadership, more succinctly, is precisely that. After all, leaders must be cognizant of the needs of those they are responsible for, fulfill that responsibility without recourse to personal well-being and harness diversity into unity. In addition what matters is not who obtains public credit for success, but that success is achieved. Recognizing this, the two chairmen of the All
Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani came together, under a broad-based common platform and agreed to jointly continue the freedom struggle by forming a unified Kashmiri voice.
Dr. Fai that this monumental meeting began in solemn recognition of three key points; first, the tens of thousands killed, maimed and tortured along with the other countless untold sacrifices of the Kashmiri people; second, that, according to the Hindustan Times; and IBN/CNN survey on August 13th, 2007, 87% of the people of the Valley want ‘Aazadi’ – or, the right to be free, exercise their basic right of self-determination and decide their destiny for themselves; third, the illegal transfer of Kashmiri forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Following their lengthy deliberations, both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani addressed a joint press conference and agreed on three key principles; first, that self-determination is an inalienable human right and that peace initiatives must be tri-partite, thereby, including the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people; next, the formation of a joint committee that will devise new procedures, strategies and
methodologies for the Kashmiri freedom movement; and, lastly, to reinvigorate the 1993 Constitution of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference.
Dr. Fai emphasized that both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani have shown magnanimity and wisdom by coming together. Moreover, they have taken giant strides in creating a vision, developing strategy, enlisting cooperation, and motivating action. However, significant challenges still confront them. As effective leaders, they must symbolize and understand the past, set immediate tasks for the present, and create a vision of the future that takes a rational and strategic approach for moving towards that vision. Also, they are encouraged to enlist the support of other key Kashmiri leaders outside Hurriyet conference whose cooperation, compliance, or teamwork is necessary to actualize that vision.
Dr. Fai said that notwithstanding that, today, all those who support the cause of justice, are rejoicing at the establishment of the unified, legitimate and sole voice of the Kashmiri people. After all, in the striking words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘it behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.’
Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani came together, under a broad-based common platform and agreed to jointly continue the freedom struggle by forming a unified Kashmiri voice.
Dr. Fai that this monumental meeting began in solemn recognition of three key points; first, the tens of thousands killed, maimed and tortured along with the other countless untold sacrifices of the Kashmiri people; second, that, according to the Hindustan Times; and IBN/CNN survey on August 13th, 2007, 87% of the people of the Valley want ‘Aazadi’ – or, the right to be free, exercise their basic right of self-determination and decide their destiny for themselves; third, the illegal transfer of Kashmiri forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Following their lengthy deliberations, both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani addressed a joint press conference and agreed on three key principles; first, that self-determination is an inalienable human right and that peace initiatives must be tri-partite, thereby, including the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people; next, the formation of a joint committee that will devise new procedures, strategies and
methodologies for the Kashmiri freedom movement; and, lastly, to reinvigorate the 1993 Constitution of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference.
Dr. Fai emphasized that both Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani have shown magnanimity and wisdom by coming together. Moreover, they have taken giant strides in creating a vision, developing strategy, enlisting cooperation, and motivating action. However, significant challenges still confront them. As effective leaders, they must symbolize and understand the past, set immediate tasks for the present, and create a vision of the future that takes a rational and strategic approach for moving towards that vision. Also, they are encouraged to enlist the support of other key Kashmiri leaders outside Hurriyet conference whose cooperation, compliance, or teamwork is necessary to actualize that vision.
Dr. Fai said that notwithstanding that, today, all those who support the cause of justice, are rejoicing at the establishment of the unified, legitimate and sole voice of the Kashmiri people. After all, in the striking words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘it behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own.’
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