Guru letter: Kin shouldn’t be remorseful over execution

Feb 18, 2013 - YUSUF JAMEEL |

Age Correspondent

Srinagar

Parliament attack convict Muhamnmad Afzal Guru wanted his family not to have any regrets over his execution but to show respect to the preferred place he was achieving shortly. In his last letter penned down in Urdu at 6.25 am, one hour 35 minutes before he was sent to the gallows in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9, Guru begins with “Bismil-lah-e-Rehman-e-Rahim”, the first verse of Surah Fatiha of holy Quran, denoting “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” While addressing his family and “ahl-e-Iman” (those who follow the religion of Islam), he wishes them with “May peace be upon you” and then says he was grateful to God for choosing him for the place he was reaching to shortly. It adds “Furthermore, I congratulate you, Ahl-e-Iman, for we all stick to the truth and what is virtuous and our end may come at (being with) truth and what is virtuous.” The letter sent to Afzal Guru’s wife Tabassum by the jail authorities and made public by the family on Sun-day ends with these wor-ds: “May Allah, the most revered, be your protector. Allah Hafiz. On Sunday, rumours spread that his mortal remains were being flown into Srinagar. Another said that they have already arrived at the airport and would reach his hometown soon. The letter doesn’t bear his name or signature but family says it has been penned down by him only and recognise his hand-writing.

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‘Enemies couldn’t have done better’
New Delhi, Feb. 17: “Our worst enemies couldn’t have done it better,” was how eminent jurist Fali S. Nariman reacted to the manner of execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru without properly communicating it to his family.
“These things have to be thought out from a humanitarian aspect. You may certainly hang somebody because the President has refused his mercy plea. At the same time, humanitarian concepts are not alien to India,” Mr Nariman told Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate programme in CNN-IBN. “Our worst enemies couldn’t have done it better.” — PTI

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