Ravi Nitesh
http://risingkashmir.com/news/remembering-asma-jahangir
http://epaper.risingkashmir.com/EPaper.aspx?M1_ppiU765mhUi4ShuotfdYw_ep_ep
Asma Jahangir, a name that I had heard many times since my college days. Mostly from people who were keen in society and politics and sometimes from media. I knew about her that she is a human rights activist.
I did not know and even never imagined that eventually, I would become a person who will closely see her life as an ideal life and will consider as one among the best leaders that I have ever known.
Being fond of people who think and work for society through their ideals for justice, peace and development, I always tried to know about such persons, to learn from their lives. In my childhood, I didn’t get much such opportunities due to lack of books, unavailability of internet and other issues; but as a regular reader of newspapers, I got inspiration from many such persons time to time, without even meeting them personally.
Now, as with the time, from college days to now, I became involved with many issues where gradually I started working and learning on the line of my heroes. India-Pakistan Peace is one of the most important issue I find and hence I, along with some like-minded friends give our best possible to this cause.
Being a human rights supporter, I often consider human rights activists as torch bearers for people like me. When I heard the news about death of my hero Asma Jahangir, it was such a shock. I didn’t felt that I never met her; instead it was like someone from my own family has passed away, someone whom I knew very well.
Asma’s funeral prayer, as it has been talked about, has also broken the boundaries as it not only brought together so many people from different walks of life, from different regions and religions and sects, but also brought about women participation, with women leading funeral prayer along with men.
Even her death has become a symbol of diversity, unity and equality that the world talk about. Memorial meetings are being organised at many places in Pakistan, India and abroad.
Secretary General of United Nations also expressed his condolences officially, but most importantly, there are common people who are in grief, whose lives were touched and even protected by this fearless leader.
In one such memorial meeting organised by friends of Asma in New Delhi, senior activists of Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy shared their experiences about her.
While I was standing behind, among the crowd and was listening thoroughly their experiences and thoughts, a youth voice expressed her thoughts about how Asma was not all time serious, and was in fact full of humor, presence of mind, down to earth and involving.
When this young lady, during her trip with her asked her if she ever wanted to become advocate and what if she would not. Asma had replied that she had once a plan of opening a beauty salon instead and they all laughed together.
Young lawyers and advocacy campaigners often met her and found her that she never discriminated them in anyway and gave value to their thoughts. I met a young lawyer from India who considered her as her hero. During these days, I also read tweets of people who talked that they will nourish their child to become like her.
During the memorial meeting, activist and author Syeda Hameed said how despite having multiple entry visa, Asma has expressed her once that situation between India and Pakistan need to be improved in such a way that there should be ‘Khuli Sarhad (Open Borders)’.
Kamla Bhasin, a renowned feminist and activist, expressed how during her stay with Asma, she whispered a self-created satire song ‘Wahan Bush hai, yahan Mush hai’ (Bush is there and Mush(rraf) is here)’. Rightly talked by activist Shabnam Hashmi that as Asma is not with us physically, but her values will be with us.
Asma was known for many of her actions in protection of human rights including the Lawyers march against the military rule in Pakistan. She often termed that even if democracy may have its own failure but it is always better to have democracy. Few in Pakistan even labelled her to be “Anti-Pakistan.”
I read that during one of her sessions in Mumbai, someone asked her about extremism in Pakistan and said that extremism in India is a reaction to that; to which Asma replied, don’t learn from our weaknesses.
Her fearless thoughts are her true identity. She never cared if few in Pakistan termed her as Anti-Pakistan for all human rights works and stands against military rule and extremism.
On the other hand, few termed her even anti-India for her voice against human rights violations in Kashmir. Hence, for those who often search political ways, one sided stand; Asma was an enemy.
For those who looks and advocates equality, peace, justice, fraternity, secularism and democracy; Asma was a hero. There are millions of people across world, who believe in these values and hence close to her thoughts.
In her message to Aaghaz-e-Dosti for 2015 Peace Calendar (Aaghaz-e-Dosti publish an annual peace calendar with 12 paintings on Indo-Pak Peace by school students of both sides, along with 12 messages of peace from eminent people of both sides), Asma sent us the message: Peace between India and Pakistan is crucial for promoting peace and prosperity for the region.
It could and will also lead to a solution of the Kashmir dispute so that Kashmiris of both sides of Line of Control can live with dignity.’
Twitter@ravinitesh
ravinitesh@gmail.com
