‘Afzal framed, dubbed and hanged’

 

Sopore (Seer-Jageer), Feb 6: Hilal Guru, younger brother of late Muhammad Afzal Guru, who was arrested along with Afzal and Showkat Guru at Parimpora in Srinagar on December 15, 2001 narrates  how Afzal was “framed, dubbed and finally hanged,” for the Parliament attack in an exclusive interview to Precious Kashmir correspondents Zahid Maqbool and Junaid Rather.

Precious Kashmir:  Is it true that you were arrested with Muhammad Afzal Guru and Showkat Ahmed Guru? Then tell us what happened that day?

Hilal Guru: We three had come together in a truck from Delhi. I was driving the truck which actually belonged to Showkat. We were in Parimpora Mandi with a load full of bananas. We had come together for two reasons- first it was engagement of Showkat’s sister and second we wanted to celebrate Eid with our family. We had reached Parimpora Mandi at 8 pm. After breaking the fast, Showkat went outside to call his wife from an STD booth. His wife asked him where are you? Showkat told her we are at Parimpora mandi. It was the month of Ramadan and soon after we had our Sehri scores of STF and policemen cordoned our truck and asked us to come down. Then they beat us up mercilessly and enquired who Afzal is. Then we were whisked away in a sumo. A person who identified himself from Delhi Police threatened us of charring us to death. When we asked him why have you arrested us? He said you have attacked the Parliament. Then we were shifted to cargo camp. Next morning Afzal and Showkat were taken to Delhi by air, and I and my conductor were detained in cargo for 18 days. For first two days we were tortured. In the meanwhile we were also moved to Delhi where officers from Special cell of Delhi police told me that Afzal had accepted his involvement in the Parliament attack. We were taken in one vehicle from Special cell to give a press conference. I told Afzal what would happen to our family now, he said I will take all the responsibility of the attack, so that at least you will be released. He could not walk properly, he was being tortured continuously.

Precious Kashmir: Where were you when Parliament was attacked?

Hilal Guru: We were loading bananas in our truck at godown in Azadpur mandi in Delhi. Afzal was camping in Delhi for pursuing his surgical items business.  As we all had to come home together, Showkat and Afzal reached Mandi at around 9 am in the morning. We were sitting together in the transport company’s waiting room to collect truck fare from the company official. Suddenly news flashed on television channels that Parliament has come under attack. We were continuously watching the TV  till 4:30 pm.

Precious Kashmir:  What was Afzal’s reaction to the Parliament attack?

Hilal Guru: Afzal since child hood was very silent type. He was not much talkative. He was watching television silently without commenting or engaging in discussion with anybody. He was against extremism. All he would love was reading.  He would never share anything with others. We had never imagined that attack was so intensive. Initially we thought it is a shootout which normally happens in Kashmir. Even Showkat was against all these attacks. He would not even tolerate a discussion about militancy. Then we left the Mandi at 9:30 pm that day and we had to reach Kashmir within 22 hours as there was an incentive of Rs 1100 if consignment reached on time and we reached Kashmir by 8 PM.

Precious Kashmir: How do you remember Afzal as an elder brother?

Hilal Guru:  What are you asking me? Everything is fresh in my mind-what shall I forget and what shall I remember. From Dobgam high school to his Shahadat, I still remember how he along with another boy from our village would recite morning prayers, “lab pay ati hai dua ban ka tamana mere” in the morning school assembly. He was almost three batches senior to me. Afzal would give me Eidi on every Eid. We all brothers are attached to each others, but he and I were more friends than brothers. However, he didn’t spend much time in this village after joining medical college. After that he remained either in Srinagar or in Delhi. Most of the time he used to remain busy with books. He never used to waste his time unnecessarily. He was very sensitive. He was in so much love with books that he would always rebuke me for discontinuing studies. It was only because of him I studied up-to class 12.  He was very strict and was after me for not studying properly and offering Namaz. He was a pious man. He was a regular in prayers. Fearing his anger, we would also offer prayers. It is not only my bad luck that I lost a brother but it is the nation’s bad luck that it lost a genius like Afzal.

Precious Kashmir: How do people of Sopore remember Afzal?

Hilal Guru: Afzal was the lone bread earner. He was looking after the whole family. He had 18 salesmen at his company, Suhail Enterprises which used to supply surgical items to the hospital across Kashmir. People in Sopore say that he was the man behind Sopore nursing home which is one of the best health institutes offering healthcare in north Kashmir. Since he had spent most of his time in Srinagar and Delhi, it helped him to develop good contacts in Kashmir as well as outside. He took one of his friend’s son, Suhail who was looking for starting his own business to Punjab and introduced him with a Director of Sonalika tractor Company. And he gave a franchise to Suhail who later started it in Sopore. Moreover Afzal was a good teacher. Who so ever would come for tuitions would secure first division in examination that was for sure? Afzal had taught many students in our village and in Srinagar as well. He would not charge them. In our village everyone would remember him as a most helpful person and was thus respected. Even in Delhi he used to teach students to make his ends meet. He did his Masters in economics from Delhi University.

Precious Kashmir: What would be his favorite read?

Hilal Guru: He loved Iqbal and Ghalib. He even named his son on Ghalib.

Precious Kashmir: How many times have you met Afzal in his 12 years of confinement?

Hilal Guru: In 12 years I talked to him for just 10 minutes. In October 2006 I managed to attend his mercy petition. I told him that the people around you are doing a conspiracy. And he replied that the whole India is against him and he was not financially sound to fight his case. Now leave it to Allah. Afzal advised me to look after our mother and family. My mother had met Afzal more than thrice but she went into deep depression and the impact was such that she remained in such a state till her death. Villagers often used to say that she would hit the water instead of clothes during washing them on banks of the river. Our mother was very close to Afzal than other brothers. My elder brother met Afzal four times. Financial constraints prevented me from visiting New Delhi.

Precious Kashmir: Had Afzal ever visited Pakistan for arms training?

Hilal Guru: It was a myth created by agencies that he was a former militant, but reality is that it suited theory of agencies who wanted to brand him as a militant. He went for arms training in 1990-91. At that time he was studying MBBS at Jehlum Valley College. He left it half way. As we learnt about it, my mother and elder brother went after him and tracked him near the border. They brought him home after three days. After he returned I asked Afzal why he wanted to join militancy. He replied that he was unable to bear oppression. One more myth was created that he was involved in the Parliament attack. The theory was propagated at the behest of Special Task Force. He was innocent and charges were framed against him.

Precious Kashmir: You said Afzal was the lone bread earner how do you manage to feed your family after him?

Hilal Guru: When he was arrested, we were left with nothing. After 18 days I was released from Cargo Kashmir when I came home I saw no one here. I first brought my mother from elder brothers home and my wife from my in-laws. I left in search of a work and I managed to work as sand laborer in our village. And when Afzal heard about the hardship I was going through. He wrote a letter to me in which he hailed me for working hard and advised me to earn only through Halaal means.

Precious Kashmir: Where you aware about his hanging?

Hilal Guru: We were not aware about his hanging but after Ajmal Kasab’s was hanged I had an intuition that Government of India would hang him too. I was regularly going through newspapers to keep a track on developments related to him. The day Afzal was hanged we were unaware upto 8 in the morning. On that very day I came out from my home to buy something from a nearby shopkeeper and people were taking about his hanging.

Precious Kashmir: Why didn’t you approach a lawyer?

Hilal Guru: The families of other alleged convicts had approached top lawyers and they also told us that they would hire a top lawyer for Afzal as well. But as days passed we came to know that they had not approached any lawyer to represent Afzal. Even Ram Jethmalani confessed that no one had approached him to fight Afzal’s case. And worst happened when government appointed defence lawyer for him.

When I met Afzal he said that he didn’t want a lawyer. He said that he would himself defend his case as he was well aware about the financial constraints back home. Local lawyers showed their back and now they are beating the drum of justice after his death. No one from separatist camp helped us. Tell these Hurriyat people what they have done. Hurriyat leaders did not help us the way they should have done.

Precious Kashmir: How Delhi based lawyers and activists helped you in the case?

Hilal Guru: They also deceived us, now we realize that everyone had plotted against Afzal. The petition filed for his mercy was actually a betrayal. They also kept a document with it in which details about his role in the Parliament attack at the behest of STF was included.  Sometimes I laugh at myself and cry at the same time what they did to our brother.

Precious Kashmir: You talked about conspiracy, could you please elaborate?

Hilal Guru: Everyone took advantage of our innocence. No one allowed us to speak truth. When I was summoned by STF a few years ago they told me that Afzal wrote a letter in which he had confessed that he did it with the help of STF. I argued with them that I can recognize Afzal’s handwriting even from far. The letter shown to me was not of Afzal. It was preplanned just to make him a scapegoat.