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    Burhan Wani: A Freedom Fighter in the Tradition of Che Guevara

    Written by: Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid
    Posted on: July 09, 2024 | | 中文

    Burhan Wani

    Burhan Wani was born to Muzaffar Wani, a school teacher. He was the leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, a group fighting for the liberation of Kashmir from the oppressive stranglehold of the Indian army that he had joined at the age of only 15 years. Earlier his elder brother, Khalid, was killed in a police “encounter” in 2015. Khalid mutilated body was returned to his family. His father, Muzaffar Wani maintains that it was a result of custodial killing, as there were no bullet marks on the body. He was killed in an encounter with the Indian Army, at the young age of twenty-one. But not before becoming the poster boy of all freedom fighters in Kashmir, because of his skillful use of the social media.

    Burhan Wani with an aide

    On 8 July 2016, Burhan Wani was killed in a planned operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Rashtriya Rifles, it followed a tip-off that Wani was planning to come down from the Tral forest for Eid celebrations, he and two associates were cornered in the Kokernag area, in Srinagar. Among the pictures of flag hoisting in Kashmir that were widely shared on social media is Muzaffar Wani unfurling the national flag at a government school in Tral. Muzaffar Wani is the father of Burhan Wani, the freedom fighter of Hizbul Mujahideen, whose killing led to massive civilian unrest in the Valley in 2016. The Indian authorities declared a bounty of 10 lakhs on Burhan Wani’s head in August 2015. Burhan had been a bright student in school, and like most kids his age was a cricket fan, and was an admirer of Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag. One of his scorned girlfriends revealed Burhan’s location to the police.

    Dr Sunniya Ashkoor Wani passed out as the best All Round DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) at the Police Academy in Udhampur. Dr Sunniya Wani was a gold medalist in MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery).

    Dr. Sunniya Burhan Wani

    Muzaffar Wani is a headmaster in a government school at Tral in Pulwama. As part of the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" (celebration of Indian independence), the union territory administration had directed all departments, including the education department to ensure that flag hoisting is held in all offices on Independence Day. A coercive expression of Indian nationalism, but while there are 23,000 government schools across Jammu and Kashmir, but only three schools held the flag hoisting function on August 15 in the Srinagar area.

    Unrest followed the killing of Burhan Wani on 8th July, 2016. The unrest continued into 2017, but primarily in the valley of Kashmir. Curfew followed in 10 districts of the valley. Curfew was imposed in all 10 districts of the valley on 15 July and mobile services were suspended. However, protesters defied curfew with attacks on security forces and public properties. Kashmir valley then remained under 53 consecutive days of curfew. The curfew was lifted on 31 August, but was reimposed in some areas the next day.

    Mourners with Burhan Wani's dead body

    Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian paramilitary forces used pellet guns, tear gas shells, rubber bullets, as well as assault rifles. More than 90 civilians were killed and over 15,000 civilians were injured, including many who were blinded by pellet guns. Two security personnel died and over 4,000 were injured.

    On 14 June, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report on the human-rights conditions in Jammu and Kashmir. The report examined the conditions that prevailed in the region following the killing of the militant leader Burhan Wani in July 2016 by Indian security forces, which triggered the fiercest protests the valley has seen since 2010. “Indian security forces responded to protests with force, which led to casualties and a wide range of alleged related human rights violations throughout the summer of 2016 and into 2018,” the OHCHR report noted. The report noted that the Indian security forces used “excessive force” that led to “unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries.” It added that laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1990, or AFSPA, and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978—or PSA—have “created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardize the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations.” Despite accusations of abuse including sexual violence, in the nearly 20 years that the AFSPA has been in force, the report noted, “there has not been a single prosecution of armed forces personnel granted by the central government.”

    Burhan and Sunniye Burhan’s daughter

    Despite the public outrage over the deaths and mass blindings caused by the use of pellet-firing shotguns, the state government has only set up one special investigation into a death caused by pellet-gun injuries. On 9 January 2017, it ordered the Deputy General of Police-Central Kashmir Range to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the killing of 21-year-old Riyaz Ahmad Shah, on 2 August 2016. A pellet cartridge shot at close range had penetrated and burst in his abdomen, leaving over 300 metal pellets in his body. The police had previously filed a FIR against “security forces” in relation to his death. However, there have been no investigations into determining whether the other deaths and serious injuries caused by pellet-firing shotguns are cases of excessive use of force by police and central paramilitary forces. Columnists including Prem Shankar Jha termed the unrest as Kashmir's Intifada!

    Burhan Wani regularly used social media to reach out to the youth

    Resistance to oppression is critical for any kind of hope to survive. Burhan Muzaffar Wani has entered the pantheon of the great revolutionary leaders who have sacrificed their lives for the liberation of their country from a brutal occupation.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021