“Exclusive Interview of Hashim Qureshi by Rameez Bhat of Kashmir Glacier”
“Kashmir the nation who has lost everything, in the name of Azadi (Freedom). Independent J&K is the only solution for our struggle. Make a voice to make itan Independent nation. It is true that we have suffered, are confused and worried, we are speechless, knowledgeable are helpless and been left to drown in a river of sorrow, but we must not forget that our brotherhood and our hope are still alive. We will rebuild our Kashmir and till then we are not to cry. Nothing is over, we will rise again. We have a history, a history with victory.” Hashim Qureshi
Question: Tell us something about your childhood retention?
Answer: I was born in a local area of Srinagar- Nowhatta. I
got my education at Islamia Model School Srinagar. I belong to a noble and
middle-class family. My father was affiliated with Political Conference. The
head of the party was Mohi-Ud-Din Karra at that time. And the motive of the
respective Political Conference was “Kashmir Banega Pakistan”. I was a small
child at that time, I used to play with my other childhood friends and
meanwhile we used to publish the posters of respective political party on
walls.
Question: When did you start your political career?
Answer: My father was a political activist, I was arrested
at the age of 11, near Nigeen-police station. I met Maqbool Bhat at that time I
was just a sixteen years old that was the turning point of my life to become a
political activist.
Question: Tell us something about Maqbool Bhat?
Answer: Actually I went to Pakistan to attend my sister’s
wedding. And there I met Maqbool Bhat, who was the real founder of JKNLF (Jammu
Kashmir National Liberation Front). We and Maqbool Bhat were firstly praised as
heroes and freedom fighters after the hijacking in 1971, but when Pakistan
learned that we demanded an independent and sovereign Jammu and Kashmir, which
included Pakistan Administered Kashmir as well, Maqbool Bhat, Ashraf Qureshi, I
and hundreds of other members of JKNLF were arrested and interrogated in
ShahiQila, Lahore and Dolayee Camp, Muzaffarabad.
Question: After a long exile you have returned to Kashmir?
Answer: Almost everybody told me not to come here as
Nationalist political struggle is almost non-existent here. Some blame me that
I came here to stand for election & to become a chief minister of Jammu and
Kashmir. This was simply propaganda against me and my struggle. I came here to
see my Jammu and Kashmir and its people as a nationalist nation. At that time I
was just 16 years old when Maqbool Bhat said to me that we should contend for a
nation as a nationalist not as a religious sect.
Question: What motivated you to join JKNLF?
Answer: The struggle for an independent nation and the sheer
massive leadership qualities of Maqbool Bhat motivated me to join JKNLF. At
that time Maqbool Bhat was the president of Mahaz-e-Rai-shumari in 1969, and it
has its own armed wing known as JKNLF and thus they assorted me in their party.
The clear-cut slogan of JKNLF was an Independent, United and Secular Jammu
& Kashmir. But we cannot bring weapons from one nation to fight with the
other, we must carve our own indigenous struggle.
Question: What were the reason for leaving JKNLF? What made
you think to make your own party JKDLP? And what is the agenda of your party?
Answer: I never left JKNLF. Actually when Maqbool Bhat came
here in 1976, he had to motivate the masses again towards an Independent
Nation, but he was jailed. When Maqbool Bhat was apprehended, the crisis blew
out in Mahaz-e-Rai-shumari, and NLF was the wing of Mahzraishumari and it was
banned. I was not a member of Mahaz-e-Rai-shumari, I was directly a member of
NLF. When it was banned in 1977 I was in jail at that time. When I came out
from there in May 1980, I did lot of efforts to make JKNLF stand again but at
the end it could not happen. Certainly I was not very much established in
economic conditions, my economic conditions was not very much effervescing. I
also had to work at the same time to support my family.
In 1977 Mahazi Azadi was formed by Ab. Khaliq Ansari, Jabbar
Butt, NazirNazaj, sadiqMirza and Amanullah. Jabbar Butt became a president
while as Amanullah became a general secretary of the party. At the same time
employed of voice of Kashmir {Kashmir publication} owned by Sadiq Mirza. They
make Amanullah Khan as editor of “voice of Kashmir” just to allot him a British
Visa. Therefore Sadiq Mirza sent a visa to Amanullah khan on behalf of their
publication.
1982 I became a chairman All Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
including Pak zone, and organized AJKLF in both places. Because of differences
with Amanullah Khan regarding his immature role in Mhatre case and subsequent
killing of this Diplomat which resulted in Maqbool Bhat’s hanging, I made my own
party in Nepal regarding the solution of independent nation. It was the main
reason to make my own party and the agenda of my party is simply to stand for
an Independent, Secular and United Jammu & Kashmir.
Question: Tell us something about Ganga Hijacking?
Answer: Ganga airline plane was hijacked on January 30 1971
by me and by my cousin Ashraf Qureshi. Actually what happened before hijacking
Ganga airplane was that we the members of JKNLF were at Dr. Farooq’s house
including me, Maqbool Bhat, Javid Sagar, Dr Farooq Haider, Amanullah and some
other guests were also present there. It was the time for dinner as we all were
sitting at the dining table. We heard a news on radio that Eritrean commandos
are firing on an Ethiopian plane in Karachi (Pakistan). After few minutes Dr
Farooq Haider said, why we don’t try like this. Surely it would highlight our
movement for an independent nation on the international level. He gave a small
glance towards me and indicated me, would you like to do it on behalf of our nation.
I replied I will do anything for my nation. If they need my blood I would not
hesitate to render it. And they made a proposal how to hijack the plane and it
was also an order by the head of the party surely I have to do it, and
eventually I did.
Question: During your freedom struggle for an independent
Kashmir, do you think you achieved what you want?
Answer: As you know our nation was persistently enslaved from
500 years. It is bifurcated by religious groups on the name of religion, either
by Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or any other religion sects. We are being
interrupted, divided and above all we make an allegation without any formal
evidence. What actually materialized, we invited outsiders for a solution like
we invited Akbar against the native ruler of Kashmir, Yousef Shah Chack. After
that we invited Afghani’s, Sikhs for a solution, now same is going in our
nation we invited outsiders for a solution.
Indeed I did not achieve Independence for my Nation, but I
always spoke the Truth and tried make my nation embark on a path of Truth and
Nationalist Struggle. I wrote books in which I mentioned about the struggle of
our nation and laid out my vision of how we can achieve Independence and Peace.
Writing about anything can make the future generations aware of our struggle,
culture and future.
Question: Tell us something about MNWA?
Answer: MNWA is actually “Maqbool National Welfare
Association” established in 1994 with the specific aim to assist victims of all
kind of violence including militancy in Kashmir. I was in Europe at that time I
heard that our youth and widowed mothers were living their life miserably and
then I started a welfare association to help needy people. And presently it is
also working for hapless masses of Kashmir. Till now, we married around 130
girls via MNWA. We introduced some MNWA training centres in almost all the
districts of Kashmir and even in Jammu benefiting more than 15,000 women via
MNWA. The other approach of MNWA is educating orphans.
In total MNWA spent more than 2 Crore Rupees since it was
conceived in the last 18 years. MNWA also bought land in Darbagh and we sold
that later with the permission of the Session Judge as it was difficult to
sustain the expenses of all needy people in the Valley. We spent money on
Medicines, relief for prisoners, Marriage Expenses for orphans, Education Fee
for orphans, rent of Sewing Centers, Salary to Teachers in sewing centers,
Office Expenses, Relief to Poor, Loan Expenses and salary of office Employees
of MNWA.
Question: What is your planning for an independent Kashmir?
Answer: The intention of my party is to struggle for an
independent nation. It hardly matters for me that Pakistan government
introduced some amendments to vanish the slogan for an independent nation, I
did, I am and I will struggle for an independent nation. We are being deceived
but I will not deceive my people. Yes I am straight forward soul who fight for
independent Kashmir and my planning is simple – to fight for an independent
Kashmir based on the tenet of Truth.
Question: You have filled defamation case against Y. K.
Yadav, why not against Sanna-ullah Bhat?
Who has -written same thing before Y.K Yadav in his book ‘’Kashmir
1947-77’’ on page no 184-185?
Answer: As far as Sanna-ullah Bhat is concerned I don’t
think he has some grandness in society. If I will remain busy with these small
issues like Sanna-ullah did than I have to do nothing except giving
explanations regarding this case. But yes, Y.K Yadav was a member of RAW and he
has also established a union there. Now he has to prove that I am the agent of
India. I have an opportunity to defend
my case because he is a man who was affiliated to RAW agency. I need to prove
them wrong as this also concerns Maqbool Bhat and his and my pious struggle.
Question: C.M of J&K of that time G.M Sadiq said that
Ganga plane hijack was done on the behest of India and Hashim Qureshi is
working for India. What do you have to say for Sadiq?
Answer: Here, his sayings are illogical, as you know if you
are the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir it simply means that you are their
partner. How can they say that Hashim Qureshi is working for India, as they
have accepted Indian Constitution, whenever you accept their constitution it
simply means you are interlinked with each other, and you are working for
them. These are just allegation and nothing else.
Question: Besides pro Pakistani group, pro-independence
group is also divided isn’t it having its implication on the genuine Kashmir
cause?
Answer: Yes definitely, but as far as the aim of my party is
concerned it is simply for an independent Jammu and Kashmir. Indeed I am a
nationalist and I won’t see my nation to get bifurcated. The alienation between
Jammu masses and the Kashmir masses are on high phase. The obnoxiousness
between the Jammu people and Kashmir people have already been raised. Now what
my aim is, to connect them with each other, but as far as other parties are
concerned they need to think deeply on this issue. Besides freedom, the day is
not so far away from us when we could also get bifurcated with each other. We
must keep trying to unite again for this beautiful cause and its future.
Question: In past many people have accused you of being a
BSF man, what are your sayings about these allegations?
Answer: If I was a BSF man than definitely BSF would have a
job order, service-book, pension-book, or other documents related to this in
their own headquarters. If anyone proves it I will accept. This is propaganda
of agents of India and Pakistan. And meanwhile I was just a 16years old at that
time, and there is no any kind of rule in central government to appoint a 16
years old kid in a defense force. It’s just an allegation.
Question: What are your views about Ghetto’s for Migrant
Pundits?
Answer: I would emphatically want them to come again in
their motherland. I know what living in exile means, to me twenty-seven years
of separation from my native land have been as long as twenty-seven centuries.
Therefore for the majority and minority communities in Kashmir living together
means fighting together against communalism. But I am highly on the opposite
colonies of pundits and it would simply upraise the communal factor in a state.
Question: Your son, Junaid Qureshi became the first Kashmiri
writer who wrote for NATO magazine, the world’s most phenomenal and reputable
magazine. Do you feel proud?
Answer: Yes, indeed it is a proud moment for the whole
family. Because he is keeping alive my writing legacy, and yes it is the first
time in history of Kashmir that any Kashmiri wrote for world’s most phenomenal
and reputable magazine. Indeed it is a proud moment for me our family and also
for the whole Kashmir.
Question: Would you like to share your ideas about the New
Government?
Answer: I have hopes on new government regarding development
of education sector, roads and so forth. I would like to tell them to introduce
some good policies regarding the unemployment and also for this hapless
Kashmiri youth. Our roads are crumpled, water bodies are polluted. Make a good
initiative for a drainage system so that in future we could be prevented from
catastrophe floods. The Government can make a difference in administration
tasks, as regarding the solution of Kashmir problem, nothing can be done
without the inclusion of the common Kashmiri people.
Question: Your message for the people of Kashmir?
Answer: My message for the people of Kashmir is simple, don’t believe on illogical things. Try to find a logic behind everything. And make yourself engaged to some good activity. The future of your nation is in your hands as you are the real fighters, believe on yourself and make it a paradise again. And meanwhile JKDLP strongly condemned the Cold blooded killing of a teenager namely Suhail from Narbal.
Link to the interview: https://kashmirglacier.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/exclusive-interview-of-hashim-qureshi-by-rameez-bhat-of-kashmir-glacier/
