Ashfaq Majeed Wani
Ashfaq Majeed Wani | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 5, 1966 Sarai Balla, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Died | March 30, 1990 (aged 23) Hawal, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Cause of death | Killed by Indian Security forces |
| Resting place | Martry's Graveyard, Eidgah, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Other names | Frena |
| Known for | Kashmir conflict |
Ashfaq Majeed Wani (Nastaleeq: اشفاق مجید وانی) (September 5, 1966 – March 30, 1990[1]) was a Kashmiri born tallest leader who has distinction of being the first person in Kashmir who picked up gun to fight indian administration and later became the first "Commander In Chief" of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a terrorist group fighting in Indian Administered Kashmir .[2] Till his death there were no other outfits fighting india with arms. As soon as he died on March 30, 1990, the tier A leadership which followed after Ashfaq such as Hamid Sheikh, Yasin Malik, Javid Mir (Nalka), Abdullah Bangroo, Maqbool Elahi, Hilal Beg, Iqbal Gundroo, Salim Nannaji, Mushtaq Zargar (latram) etc were not on same page so everyone started their own organisations. Ashfaq had capability of taking all on board and no one ever dared to speak in front of him. He was killed by Indian paramilitary forces in 1990 at the age of 23.
Biography
Ashfaq Majeed Wani also known as Frena, was born on 5 September 1966 in the Sarai Balla area of Srinagar in the valley of Kashmir. He studied in the valley's prestigious school Tyndale Biscoe and later went to SP College and then to University of Kashmir. He was a good athlete in his early teens, and sports were important part in Wani’s life. He maintained a strict regimen; getting up early in the morning, he would go for training and exercises. He was a dedicated soccer player, a marathon runner, and a table tennis player. He stood first in the interstate marathon tournament in 1985 and was selected to represent the state. He is regarded the brain behind Guerrilla war which started in 90s. Coming from very influential family of Sarai Balla, his cadre is regarded by many above Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq & once his best friend Yasin Malik. Some kashmiris view his as Omar Al-Mukhtar Muhammad Ibn Farhat Bredan who was the leader of Native Resistance in Eastern Libya under the Senussids, against the Italian Colonization of Libya. He had great personality & vision whom everyone used to get attracted to. Almost most kashmiris agree that if Ashfaq Majeed Wani would have been alive things would have been different on ground in Indian Administered Kashmir. He had distinction of being only person in among kashmir mujahids who met all military advisors, civil leaders, prime minister and president of the then pakistan. He is the most senior of all the leaders Kashmir has ever provided. His name is considered immortal in the history and freedom movement of Kashmir. He even bashed Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the peak of militancy in 90s when the latter went to him and asked for political space to fight India where as Ashfaq wanted to fight India only with Gun. In unrest of 2008, 2010, 2016 his slogans (Ashfaq Wali, Azaadi) were heard in many parts of srinagar for days. He is the most respected person among all the leaders and mujahids ever even after his death.
He came from a very rich family of Sarai Balla with a strong educational background. His brother Illyas Majeed Wani runs electric business in Maharaja Bazar, Srinagar. His father Abdul Majeed Wani was an engineer with the geology and mining department. His uncles are Ghulam Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Qayoom, Abdul Rouf. Both of his aunts are doctors in SKIMS. His cousins are distributors of TATA Shakti Steel, JSW, SAIL, ISPAT and Bhushan Steel with an annual turnover of 100 crores. His father and uncles run conglomerate business with investments in the hospitality industry after retirement with hotels on Residency Road, Regal Lane, Sarai Balla, Hari Singh High Street, Budshah Chowk and malls on Residency Road,Srinagar and Hotels in Pahalgam & Gulmarg. His cousins Javed, Zahoor, Adnan, Afnan, Bilal, Anees Chowdary, Ajaz Chowdary, Muna Chowdary, Mitha Chowdhary have very close ties with JKLFs Yasin Malik and with other separatists such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Some work in MNCs outside Kashmir and some are doing family business where as some are doctors, engineers & lawyers. In the early 90s Ashfaq's family were the first people in Kashmir valley who installed a 5000 MT Controlled Atmospheric Storage (CAS) plant worth crores in Lassipora, Pulwama.
A born leader, according to current JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik, his family have always contributed much for the freedom struggle of Kashmir. From philanthropy worth crores, Wani's has been involved in several charities after Ashfaq's death. His brother Illyas and cousins Adnan, Afnan, Javed, Altaf, Bilal, Prince, Imtiyaz, run a Foundation named "Ashfaq Majeed Foundation" which has two focus areas: Education and Healthcare. To increase the reach and corpus of the Foundation, his father Abdul Majeed Wani has undertaken many initiatives. Wani's being themselves from highly rich class with a conglomerate group under them, they have always cared for the poor and needy. In July 2012, Wani's offered to donate the profits of their hotels, steel businesses, and malls to the widows of Kashmir, the JK Yateem foundation, and Yateem Trust. Wani's and Trumboo's (another big business conglomerate in Kashmir with turnover of 1000 crores) decided to donate the profits of their hotels and malls to Darul Uloom Raheemiyah in 2012 and 2015.[3]
Ashfaq Majeed Wani wanted to be a doctor but became interested in politics in his late teens. At the age of 14, Wani "refused" to accompany his family members in the funeral procession of Sheikh Abdullah, an early sign of what was to form a part of his ideology. Two years later he began organizing anti establishment and anti India rallies. By 1987, he was already on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies. He was arrested on March 23, 1987 for his involvement with the Muslim United Front, which took part in elections, subsequently "rigged by the establishment" and was lodged at the Central jail, Srinagar. Hundreds of other opposition activists were also arrested in police crackdowns across Indian Controlled Kashmir. He was released after nine months on parole to attend his uncle’s wedding. His period in prison had made him bitter and he was found to have cigarette burns all over his body.[4] After his release, Wani worked on the plans towards the procurement of arms from Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. A day before he left for Pakistan-administrated Kashmir, while serving meals at the wedding reception, he overheard Mohiuddin Shah, a veteran National Conference politician talking about the "futility of agitations against the government". Wani is known to have "reprimanded" him in these "famous" words "the government made two grave mistakes as far as Kashmir is concerned. First they acceded to India and secondly, they let me on parole." [5]
Wani subsequently crossed into Pakistan-administrated Kashmir to obtain arm training under the supervision of the pakistan army . Like him, thousands of "young and disaffected" Kashmiris in the Valley joined JKLF and obtained training and financial support in Pakistan and in Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. Most returned to Kashmir and the vast majority were killed extra-judicially by the Indian Army or paramilitary forces.
Death
Ashfaq Majeed Wani was killed at the age of 23 in an encounter with the Indian paramilitary troops and a unit of army in the Hawal area of old city, Srinagar on 30 March 1990. His funeral procession was attended by 10 lakh people the biggest funeral ever in the history of Kashmir who raised slogans in favour of Ashfaq. Ashfaq received about 50 back to back Nimaz e jinazas and also he was given 21-gun salute by almost all organisations which were active at that time. As soon as he passed away others started their own organisations as they had ideological differences with other leaders of JKLF. He is buried in first grave of martyrs graveyard in Srinagars downtown Iddgah. Fateh Khawani is organised on 30 March every year at Sarai Balla, Amira Kadal at his ancestral home by JKLF. He has a brother and a sister married to Chowdharys who are his cousins also. His father is regarded as father figure by JKLF and hizbul mujahiddeen ideologues. Ashfaq Majeed Wani is considered the main person who wanted to take kashmiris out of slavery and get ready for a rebellion. His father Er. Abdul Majeed Wani is suffering from PTSD. Mostly all separatists keep visiting his home every now and then to enquire about his health.
References
- ^ Bose, Sumantra (2005). Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press. p. 103. ISBN 9780674018174.
- ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/56452203/ASHFAQ-MAJEED-WANI/
- ^ "The raw clay of resistance". Kashmir Dispatch. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ Ghosts of empire : britain's legacies in the modernworld. New York: Public Affairs. ISBN 9781610392327.
- ^ "The raw clay of resistance". Kashmir Dispatch.