|
It is a travesty of
justice. The POTA court sentenced him to death while the High Court acquitted
him of any crime. In other words the suspended lecturer of Delhi University,
S.A.R.Geelani, spent two years in prison for no crime at all. Not only that, for
a year he was placed in the death row at the prison. Where is the justice? Who
will compensate him for this false incarceration?
In the high court
judgment while Geelani and Afsan Guru were acquitted; the other two, Shaukat
Guru (Afsan’s husband) and Mohammed Afzal, were sentenced to death in the
parliamentary attack case. The first two were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Ever since his arrest
there has been a big campaign against the blatant unjustness of the case. It was
a clear case of victimization of an innocent. Hundreds of teachers and his
students rallied in his support. . On the day after his release he was given a
rousing welcome at his college, with fellow lecturers distributing sweets. A
Defence Committee, led by Advocate Nandita Haksar, and comprising a number of
other leading intellectuals of Delhi worked tirelessly for his cause It was
amidst this atmosphere of democratic opinion that the court and government found
it difficult to continue with the farce. Other Kashmiris on false charges, and
the 130 Godhra Muslims arrested under POTA, have not been so lucky. In fact on
the very same day that Geelani was released, the bail application of the former
Chairman of the Godhra Municipality (and prime accused) was rejected!!
But in spite of the
horrors of the past two years Geelani came out of jail as an embodiment of
courage. He was in no way cowed down, which was the aim of the establishment.
Immediately after release, at a Press Conference, he stated that he would
continue to support the cause of the Kashmiris. He said "I consider the whole
of Kashmir a disputed territory. I am for a peaceful solution to the problem….
If the people of Kashmir want independence, then I am with them". He added,
"after all that I have gone through, I have emerged with greater will-power
to stand up against oppression and fight for the cause of the hundreds of
innocent Kashmiris who are languishing behind bars". He alleged that
attempts had been made on his life while he was in prison, saying, "They
tried to poison me. The danger is still not over and I fear for my life". He
further stated, " The judicial system has become a tool in the hands of the
fascists to further their agenda. There is a deep nexus between the police and
the judiciary, which needs to be exposed to save democracy". Geelani’s
indictment did not even spare the media. He accused the media of being used by
the police to run a propaganda campaign against him. Finally, Geelani demanded
accountability, seeking answers for why an innocent man had been kept on death
row for whole year.
No country can force
any nationality to stay within its confines at gun-point. All nations have the
right to self-determination (this is a part of the very UN Charter); and if the
overwhelming majority of the people of that nation demand it, it should be given
to them. In the past decade the forces of the Government of India have killed
over 50,000 Kashmiris. Many more have been arrested, tortured and raped by the
Indian armed forces. What exists in Kashmir is an army of occupation
perpetrating unforgivable atrocities on a whole people. Yet the Kashmiri people
have not been cowed down. Geelani’s courage is a mere reflection of the living
spirit of the Kashmiri cause for freedom and democracy.
|
