Can’t play any role, Says Burhan’s father

Unrest triggered by the Killing of top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani has united and glorified the resistance struggle for the first time in the 28 year old separatist politics across the length and breadth of Jammu & Kashmir state. The cries of “Azadi” are not restricted to streets in Kashmir but are heard loudly all over the world .Curfew, restrictions, shutdowns and street clashes are continuing for the last 65 days and there are no signsof restoration of normalcy in Kashmir. The huge challenge for the police and paramilitary forces in street clashes is the immediate end to continuing cycle of civilian deaths. The cries against the use of deadly lethal weapon “Pellet Gun” have not only reached Parliament the highest law making body of the country but also the Rashtarpati Bhawan (Presidential House) and the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi. The reasons are the deaths of 71 civilians reported from different parts of the state so for and the treatment of over 8000 blinded and maimed by the excessive use of lethal weapons particularly the Pellet Gun. If the government figures are to be believed some 4000 security men have been also injured in the current phase of unrest in Kashmir. The situation is so grave and alarming that Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Srinagar thrice in the last month to hold discussions with top mainstream leaders over the simmering unrest in Kashmir. A delegation of opposition leaders led by National Conference Working President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the demands for banning the use of pellet guns and a direct dialogue between New Delhi and relevant stakeholders of the current situation in Kashmir. Amid unrest and speculations over new political engagements of New Delhi with the people in Kashmir Kashmir Magazine  spoke to Muzaffar Wani the father of Burhan Wani whose death in an encounter in Bamdoora Village of Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district triggered the current unrest.
Following are the excerpts of the conversation of Muzaffar Wani

Q: I have been your student and as such don’t muster the courage to ask you questions but keeping in view my professional compulsions I have no other option but to ask you some questions over the present situation in Kashmir?  

A: Yes please feel free to ask me any question you like.

Q: As the Government of India is sending out messages of dialogue over Kashmir, So would you like to advice Hurriyat Conference to join the dialogue process or not?  

A: To demand your rights you have to come forward. Nothing wrong if you talk about your rights.

Q: The general feeling among the people in Kashmir is that Jamat-e-Islami has a more pivotal role than what the party had in the years 2008 and 2010. How would like to react to it?  

A: I don’t see any reality in it. People of all walks of life irrespective of their caste, creed and colour have participated in the ongoing resistance struggle. For the first time people have exhibited unity in the ongoing struggle.

Q: Do you see any seriousness in Delhi’s fresh dialogue initiatives?  

A; I don’t think Delhi is showing any seriousness in fresh dialogue initiatives but surely indications of resolving the crisis are coming from Delhi.

Q; Majority of the people in Kashmir want you to lead the present struggle and even speculations are doing rounds that you have been also asked formally to do so?  

A; We have accepted leadership of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other Hurriyat leaders. All of us repose trust in them. I don’t aspire to be a leader. I will follow the resistance leadership as other Kashmiris follow them.

Q; How would you like to react to the offer of the restoration of 1953 position?  

A; Whatever the decision is acceptable to India, Pakistan and the leaders of resistance struggle including Syed Ali Shah Geelani is acceptable to all of us.

Q: Most of the people say that your son Burhan Muzaffar Wani joined armed struggle in the backdrop of the excesses allegedly committed by the security men? How would you like to react to it?  

A; The excesses of the security men with the commoners in Kashmir but not the excesses of security with him in person was a big reason for Burhan to join the armed struggle.

Q: All over the world people are saying that gun is no solution to any problem. How would you react to this?  

A: Gun has played its role and the cries of Kashmir resolution have reached to almost every corner of the world. After Burhan’s death the resistance struggle is quite peaceful. For the last two months guns have fallen silent and if at all gun was visible in Kashmir it was the government’s gun.

Q; Do you feel that present struggle has brought the Kashmir issue to the present stage the need for which was felt?  

A; Now the resistance struggle is in its final stage and Insha Allah Kashmir will achieve their birth right. Burhan took the Kashmir struggle to all parts of the world via the social media route and the left over job has ben carried forward. I would like to quote former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who said “Burhan will do from grave whatever he has left undone in his lifetime”.

Q: You went to Banglore for treatment and you stayed there in a famous “Ashram”. Your stay in the Ashram has sent out some wrong signals. How do you react to it?

A: I am suffering from many diseases and had planed to go to Sri Sri Ram Ayurvedic Hospital in the holy month of Ramadan but could not get a chance to go to Banglore for treatment in the month of Ramadan. I could not get a chance to go to Banglore for treatment due to the death of Burhan immediately after Eid. I got an opportunity later and I went to Bangalore for treatment.

Q: You did not stay at the hotel but choose to stay in an “Ashram”. Why you stayed in an “Ashram” but not the hotel?  

A: I found myself safe in the Ashram and this is the only reason for staying in the Ashram. I met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the Ashram and had the opportunity of discussing current Kashmir situation also. I apprised Sri Sri Ravi Shankar about the excesses committed by government forces in Kashmir. I also told him about the negative role of national media in portraying the situation in Kahmir. He said some people accused Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of giving shelter to the “father of a terrorist” and abused him.

Q; Tell us something about your meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?  

A; In fact Sri Sri Ravi Shankar condoled me on the demise of my son Burhan Wani. I told him about the death of my two sons. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a good human being and is considered a highly influential Hindu spiritualist in India. He asked me about the restoration of peace in Kashmir and I regretted to say anything for the reasons of not being a leader but a government employee. When he insisted me to say something then I suggested result oriented dialogue between India, Pakistan, Hurriyat leaders and the representatives of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladhak for restoration of peace in Jammu &Kashmir. I also advised him to use his influence to stop the cycle of excesses in Kashmir and made it a point that “Azadi” is the demand of every Kashmiri.

Q; Any message you want to convey to the people and leaders of resistance struggle?  

A: My message is that all of us are Kashmiris and as such all will be benefited by “Azadi”. All those who have committed mistakes should apologize for their sins before Almighty Allah.All of us will live in peace and brotherhood.

Kns/Kashmir Today