The bereaved family of Mohammad Afzal Guru, the hanged Parliament attack convict, on Tuesday clarified that it had demanded custody of his mortal remains for performing his funeral rites and burial at the local community graveyard in Sopore.
“Let it be clear that we have demanded custody of Mr. Afzal Guru’s mortal remains, not mere permission to the family for a visit and remembrance meeting at Tihar Jail. We have every right by law to claim his body and conduct the funeral rites as per Islamic practice at our community graveyard,” Afzal Guru’s first cousin Mohammad Yasin Guru told The Hindu. “Unfortunately, the media and politicians have played it up as if were begging for a permission to visit Tihar.”
Mr. Yasin Guru — a teacher in the School Education Department of the State government and younger brother of Showkat Guru, another convict of the case — revealed that the family had submitted an application to Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla Ghulam Ahmad Khwaja immediately after the execution on Saturday last.
“We emailed a joint application of Mohammad Afzal Guru’s wife, Tabassum, his 13-year-old son, Ghalib, and brother Aijaz Ahmad Guru to the D.C., Baramulla. He was reluctant on phone to acknowledge it but entertained [receipt of] a hard copy when we sent someone to his office. He assured us that he would forward the application to the concerned quarters in the State and the Central governments,” Mr. Yasin Guru said.
According to him, it was “a little difficult” for the non-Muslim officials in the Central government to realise the sensitivity of the issue and distinguish between performing a fatiha at the tomb and performing the actual funeral rites of a Muslim’s body. He made it clear that simply a fatiha or janazah could be performed anywhere, irrespective of where the body lay buried. “It’s not a matter of begging or obligation. We appreciate their sense of cooperation but let it be very clear on our behalf that we need neither Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s aircraft nor Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s helicopter for going to Tihar. As and when we get a positive response and a clear assurance that [Afzal Guru’s] body would be returned to us, along with all of his belongings like the writing material and clothes, we would go there without any state facilitation,” Mr. Yasin Guru asserted.
“Apart from the politics as to why and how he was executed, we simply make a request to the Government of India to be kind enough and return his mortal remains. We only want to perform his namaaz-e-janazah and the burial and have his tomb in the vicinity of our village.” Asked if the family had received any letter as reportedly written by Afzal Guru before his execution and posted on his behalf by the jail authorities, Mr. Yasin Guru claimed that no such communication had reached them till late on Tuesday.
I am sad to see that emotions are now sidelining mere common sense. There is another report in the Hindu titled "An epitaph for Afzal Guru at martyrs’ graveyard". This article clearly explain what would happen if Afzal Guru's body is taken to Kashmir. He would be declared a Martyr and the Kashmiri separatists would use this excuse to continue their terrorism in the valley. It is high time this bluff of Kashmiri terrorists are exposed. The family's attempt to get the body back should be read along with the plan of the terrorists and their sympathisers.
The family can be allowed to visit the grave at the prison and do the prayers. But any thing more than that, the government would have bigger problems in hand.
Kasab body offered to Pakistan, Why AfzalGuru's body not offered to family in india?
I am no supporter of terrorism,but the way Afzal Guru was Hanged and
buried in Tihar jail is definitely a matter of condemnation. The
family of Afzal Guru,for no fault of theirs were not allowed to see
him for the last time before his death. If the family wants the body
back,the government should oblige. After all,the family has a duty
towards the departed soul. The worst of all,was the statement of the
Home minister narrating the incident and the calendar of events as
though he has come back to Delhi after winning third world war! On the
contrary,he must be sorry for being home minister when such an
unavoidable event had to take place. The media also exceeded its
limits by interviewing the families of the martyrs of Parliament
attack. These incidents should be followed by a very low level news
coverage. After all it involves death of a person,even if he is a
terrorist. There is no right for anybody to rejoice somebody's
death.There is difference between terrorists and the state/media.
We have wronged Afzal Guru and his family. We are furthermore rubbing salt on their wounds by letting our political leaders use the situation to play their cards. Very very wrong and sad. Shame on us
Gauthama Buddha said that hatred is not conquered by hatred at any time, but hatred
is won by love and this is an eternal truth. Jesus asked us to love our enemy. Our politicians and a section of the media have no love for such noble thoughts. What a shame!
There is a Sanskrit saying, vinasha kale vipareetha budhi, which means that one gets
wrong ideas when in dangerous times. The way the hanging of Guru was handled by
the UPA government reminds one of this saying.
This chapter has ended. Now, let's stop publicizing it further. Afzal Guru was sentenced to death by the law of the land for his role in attacking the country. Rest in peace, Afzal Guru. And rest in peace all news on Afzal Guru.
Before being emotional about the plea of the family of late Afjal we
must mull over some of the points . First and most important is he was
terrorist who was accused later convicted and finally hanged for the
gory and barbaric attack on our parliament, he was a terrorist and
hence walked to the gallows. other point is that he is from kashmir,
perennially sensitive state. it is feared that if his dead body
handed over to his kins it will have cascading effect on the ongoing
situation there, he would be considered as martyr by the Zealots who
dare to wage war against us. it may inspire young misguided one's to
join the secessionist movement and finally more influx and tension
across the border. Pak army is waiting for a spark to escalate it
further. hence despite being humanitarian and allow the kin to take
the body and bury after performing the last rites we must take a
rational hand, being emotional will cause us deep injury.......
Please withdraw this item. What do you achieve by publishing it? The hanging itself should have been avoided going by the ethics in Hinduism. But, going by Indian judicial system, this hanging cannot be questioned. Trying to meet family's request for the dead body is puerile. What was the family doing when he was participating in anti-national activities? Why stretch this case now?
Please Email the Editor