Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Chairman of Washington-based World Forum for Peace and Justice, has said that government of India could jail Shaheed Maqbool Butt and silence him by execution, but they could not silence his ultimate desire – the struggle for the people of Kashmir for self-determination.
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai on 38th martyrdom anni-versary of Maqbool Butt said, “The spirit of Maqbool Butt is alive. Today, he is an inspiration to millions of Kashmiris and those striving for human rights and human dignity. Since his execution, Feb-ruary 11 has been observed by all Kashmiris as a black day of mourning for the martyr of a brave Kashmiri statesman. 11 February is a somber day but at the same time a day of remembrance and a day to revitalize our resolve to be true to the mission of martyr Maqbool Butt. He was an institution by himself, an essayist, a columnist and certainly one of the most recognizable son of the soil.”
Dr Fai explained that Maqbool Butt was hanged by India’s authorities for protesting their illegal and iron-fisted occupation of Kashmir since 1947. He had previously been tortured and inhumanely imprisoned in the disputed territory of Kashmir. His courage, however, demonstrated such savagery would backfire, and intensify the Kashmiri resistance.
“Maqbool Butt’s life has inspired countless Kashmiris to persist in the struggle for self-determination. His vision of an unrestricted self determination on its sovereign destiny did not die with his death. He gave his life for the cause because he believed in it with all sincerity and honesty. He gave a lesson to the generations to come that it is very hard but only choice to accept martyrdom instead of slavery. While we must pay rich tributes to the memory of this great martyr, our true tribute will be emancipation of the Kashmiri people from under the Indian brutal occupation and senseless subjugation,” he emphasized.
Dr Fai said that Maqbool Butt was undoubtedly, a selfless leader and above all a giant freedom-fighter. He was a person of vision, and always pro-Kashmir. The moral high ground was everything to him. His formula for Kashmir was simple but powerful – The aspirations of the Kashmiri people must be ascer-tained, he added.
“Maqbool Butt was certainly a charismatic leader who gave his today for the betterment of tomorrow. The sacrifice of Shaheed Maqbool Butt will never be wasted. The blood of Kashmiri martyrs brings the goal for freedom and justice nearer, he said and demanded of the Government of India to return the mortal remains of Shaheed Maqbool Butt and Sha-heed Afzal Guru to their relatives in IIOJK. It has been a sacrilege to have kept them in India for thirty-seven and nine callous years respectively, he added.
Dr Fai urged everybody to take a leaf from the long history of Kashmir which is full of trials and tribulations. Those who contemplate on the past will ultimately come closer to achieve their objective – the freedom for the people of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Therefore, we must intensify our activities so that his mission remains alive.—KMS
