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LARGEST
CIRCULATED ENGLISH MONTHLY OF J&K
A News Magazine of Kashmiri Pandit Community |
| Home | December 2002 Issue | |
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By Dilnaz Boga A Japanese modelling agency picked him up from a college full of teenage Kashmiri boys in Srinagar, many moons ago. These days, lensmen complain how difficult it is to capture him on camera as he rarely makes eye contact. Yasin Malik, the Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief, smiles, and simply dismisses this by saying, "Maybe, I'm camera shy." Born on April 3, 1966, Malik and his three sisters grew up in a far-from-flashly, two-storied haveli in Srinagar, where he still lives. "Living with one another at close quarters inculcates a strong sense of belonging. You won't find this in any upper-class colony. Here, each child belongs to the whole mohalla." Malik's participation in "the freedom movement" began 17 years ago, when his "motivation for freedom was born out of events." He says, "We never got a chance to decide our future. I remember clearly, in July 1980, when I was 14; Shaktiman (an army vehicle) knocked down a man on the street near my house. People reacted and they slapped the drunk driver. The same evening, several defence vehicles lined up on the same street and armed men started burning shops. I hid and witnessed the whole tragedy. I don't know how I was saved. I can still remember chickens squawking as they were being burnt alive. That was the first time I was convinced that we were slaves". Despite his radical views on Kashmir and its people, Malik is a poet at heart. "I love Kahlil Gibran, Iqbal and Faiz." That's probably why he scribbled, "Courage, confidence and patience is tested here," on the wall of his death cell in Agra's Central Prison. "I used to stare at that sentence for 24 hours," recalls the soft-spoken leader, who is a visiting lecturer at Harvard University. Spending over a decade in jail has taken a toll on Malik's health. Instances of food poisoning, infections and lack of treatment further deteriorated his condition. In a bid to escape being captured by the Border Security Force years ago, Malik's only escape route was to jump from a five-storeyed building. "I was the most wanted man. I was in coma after the jump. I was later told that I was vomitting blood and my ears were bleeding profusely. I was given 10 pints of blood. The doctors wrote me off and rumours were rife that I was dead. I was confined to bed for three months". In February 1992, Malik underwent surgery to replace a heart valve. He was placed in solitary confinement for long spells on several occasions. "That is where I read almost 1,000 books". A staunch vegetarian for 12 years, he recently switched to meat for health reasons on the advice of his friends and family. "I even smoked my first cigarette in prison," he remembers. Life has been far from easy for Malik, and death, according to him, will come in its own time and place. Recently released from prison by the government, Malik comments on the state of affairs, "Innocent people have been booked under false cases. They still haven't released all the poor people booked under POTA (Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act)". Malik is also displeased with the J&K elections. He explains, "People were not allowed to boycott it. What kind of a democracy is this? The chief election commissioner of India stated that the total votes cast were 28.53 per cent. Out of this, five to eight per cent were coercive votes. This means that only 20 per cent voted, whereas 80 per cent abstained. How 'free and fair' is that? Indian intellectuals and the media should have questioned this. Sadly, they are guided by blind Indian nationalism". He attributes his strength to his family and loved ones. "I have buried dear friends and children. I have no words to express what my family means to me". At the end of the day, all Malik wishes for is freedom. Source-Times News Network (15th Dec. 2002)
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