Sopore: Aijaz Ahmad Guroo, who is contesting from Sopore in the Jammu and Kashmir elections, says he has a different perspective from his younger brother, 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, and believes in the agenda of development and peace which is why he is contesting the polls.
Afzal Guru was hanged at Delhi’s Tihar jail on 9 February, 2013 for plotting the December 2001 attack on the Parliament House.
In an exclusive interview from his residence in Sopore, Aijaz told ThePrint that Kashmir, especially Sopore, has been seen as anti-India for the past several years, but he wants to change that through his election run.
“Sopore was presented in a manner that made it seem like we had launched a war against India. Through this election, I want to say we are not anti-India.”
He also wants to send a message of change. “Winning or losing is immaterial. I am contesting these elections to send out a message. A message of change, a message of peace, and a message of development. Through these elections, I want to highlight that I am standing for a new generation in Kashmir and history is history,” he told.
Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir elections are historic for multiple reasons—Article 370 is only one
Unemployment, youth in jail on the agenda
Talking about his election platform, Aijaz, a contractor, said that he will fight for the scores of people, especially the youth, who are languishing in jails on “frivolous” charges.
“My own son (Shoaib) has been languishing in jail for the past nine months. It is a completely fabricated case, and not only for my son, but I will continue my fight against the administration for all those who are still behind bars. This is a big menace in Kashmir,” he added.
Aijaz’s son was arrested by Baramulla Police in December 2023 on the charges of drug peddling under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act. He is lodged in Jammu’s Kot-Bhalwal jail.
Contesting as an Independent candidate, Aijaz also highlighted unemployment as a major issue in the elections.
“Our youth is unemployed, many are committing suicide. These are the issues we should be focusing on. We need to focus on development, but the political parties are hell-bent on talking about politics only,” he rued.
Aijaz also hit out at political parties for using his brother’s name for their “dirty politics”. The main parties in the fray are the INDIA bloc’s National Conference (NC) and Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“These people who keep taking his name need to stop it now. Stop dragging my brother’s name in your politics. Whatever happened is in the past. It is history. Why use his name in their dirty politics?” he said. “Fight these elections on the agenda of development, not in my brother Afzal Guru’s name.”
From NC leader Omar Abdullah to PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, they should also stop doing politics in the name of Kashmiris, he added.
When asked to comment on the abrogation of Article 370—a big issue in the elections, Aijaz said, “Well, there is no need for me to get into this issue. Iss masle se mujhe kya karna hai? (What can I do about this issue?) This is an issue for big political parties, not for someone like me who is only talking about an ordinary Kashmiri.”
‘Peace is visible on the streets of Kashmir’
A semblance of normalcy is returning to the streets of Kashmir post-2019, he said.
“Things have started changing slowly. A bit of peace is visible on the streets of Kashmir. And because of this peace, even my mind opened up and I thought that as peace is returning to the Valley, I should also think about entering politics because before that I had never imagined that,” he added.
This is why the elections, which are taking place after a gap of 10 years, are for the region, he said.
“Right from an ordinary Kashmiri to the army and police, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the blood of everyone. Now, the time has come to move towards peace and focus on the agenda of development.”
He also hit out at those who have called Independent candidates like him “proxy candidates” of the BJP. These elections have seen the participation of the second-highest number of Independent candidates—365—since 2008 when there were 468 Independents in the fray.
“A friend of mine was telling me that many are counting me amongst those (proxy BJP candidates). This is all childish talk,” he said. “I believe in peace and that’s why I’m contesting these elections as a symbolic gesture on behalf of all the Kashmiris.”
‘We need to move forward’
Aijaz said his family will request the government as well as approach the court to allow them to visit the grave of their brother. Afzal was buried inside the Tihar jail complex.
“We were not allowed to visit the grave (of Afzal Guru) and offer our prayers. All the politicians at that time had advised us not to go to Tihar as it may create unrest. I want to request the Indian government to allow us now,” he said, adding that if required they will also approach the court.
However, Aijaz was quick to add that there is a world of difference between his and his brother’s thinking.
“He had a different perception about things. I am a more liberal person. He became a victim of a conspiracy, but I don’t want to say much on this now. It’s been many years. We need to move on,” he said. “As family members, naturally we feel pained when our brother’s name is used disrespectfully.”
Aijaz said, though his family is the biggest victim of Kashmir, “we need to move forward for our new generation”.
“I don’t think we need to talk about this all the time. Why should my brother be the focus whenever we talk about the family? I don’t subscribe to the ideology of Afzal Guru; we have different identities,” he said.
The three-phase polls in Jammu and Kashmir began 18 September. Sopore will go to polls in the third phase on 1 October. The results will be announced on 4 October.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
