Ashfaq Majeed Wani

Ashfaq Majeed Wani (Nastaleeq: اشفاق مجید وانی) (September 5, 1966 – March 30, 1990^[1]) was a first "Commander In Chief" of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a separatist group in Indian Administered Kashmir .^[2]He was killed by Indian Paramilitary Forces in 1990 at the age of 23.

Biography

Ashfaq Majeed Wani also known as Frena, was born on 5 September 1966 in the Sarai Balla area of Srinagar in the valley of Kashmir. He studied in the valley's prestigious school Tyndale Biscoe and later went to SP College and then to University of Kashmir. He was a good athlete in his early teens, and sports were important part in Wani’s life. He maintained a strict regimen; getting up early in the morning, he would go for training and exercises. He was a dedicated soccer player, a marathon runner, and a table tennis player. He stood first in the interstate marathon tournament in 1985 and was selected to represent the state. He is regarded the brain behind Kashmiri Insurgency which started in 90s. Coming from very influential family of Sarai Balla, his cadre is regarded by many above Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq & once his best friend Yasin Malik. He was only person in among Kashmir militants who met all military advisors, civil leaders, Prime Minister and President of Pakistan .He bashed Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the peak of militancy in 90s when Syed Ali Shah Geelani asked him to join in political struggle instead of militancy.

He came from a very rich family of Sarai Balla with a strong educational background. His brother Illyas Majeed Wani runs electric business in Maharaja Bazar, Srinagar. His father Abdul Majeed Wani was an engineer with the geology and mining department. His uncles are Ghulam Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Qayoom, Abdul Rouf. Both of his aunts are doctors in SKIMS. His cousins are distributors of TATA Shakti Steel, JSW, SAIL, ISPAT and Bhushan Steel with an annual turnover of 100 crores. His father and uncles run conglomerate business with investments in the hospitality industry after retirement with hotels on Residency Road, Regal Lane, Sarai Balla, Hari Singh High Street, Budshah Chowk and malls on Residency Road, Srinagar and Hotels in Pahalgam & Gulmarg. His cousins Javed, Zahoor, Adnan, Afnan, Bilal, Anees Chowdary, Ajaz Chowdary, Muna Chowdary, Mitha Chowdhary have very close ties with JKLFs Yasin Malik and with other separatists such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Some work in MNCs outside Kashmir and some are doing family business where as some are doctors, engineers & lawyers. In the early 90s Ashfaq's family were the first people in Kashmir valley who installed a 5000 MT Controlled Atmospheric Storage (CAS) plant worth crores in Lassipora, Pulwama.

A born leader, according to current JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik, his family have always contributed much for the freedom struggle of Kashmir. From philanthropy worth crores, Wanis has been involved in several charities after Ashfaq's death. His brother Illyas and cousins Adnan, Afnan, Javed, Altaf, Bilal, Prince, Imtiyaz, run a Foundation named "Ashfaq Majeed Foundation" which has two focus areas: Education and Healthcare. To increase the reach and corpus of the Foundation, his father Abdul Majeed Wani has undertaken many initiatives. Wani's being themselves from highly rich class with a conglomerate group under them, they have always cared for the poor and needy. In July 2012, Wani's offered to donate the profits of their hotels, steel businesses, and malls to the widows of Kashmir, the JK Yateem foundation, and Yateem Trust. Wani's and Trumboo's (another big business conglomerate in Kashmir with turnover of 1000 crores) decided to donate the profits of their hotels and malls to Darul Uloom Raheemiyah in 2012 and 2015.^[3]

Ashfaq Majeed Wani wanted to be a doctor but became interested in politics in his late teens. At the age of 14, Wani "refused" to accompany his family members in the funeral procession of Sheikh Abdullah, an early sign of what was to form a part of his ideology. Two years later he began organizing anti establishment and anti-India rallies. By 1987, he was already on the radar of Indian intelligence agencies. He was arrested on March 23, 1987 for his involvement with the Muslim United Front, which took part in elections, subsequently "rigged by the establishment" and was lodged at the Central jail, Srinagar. Hundreds of other opposition activists were also arrested in police crackdowns across Indian Controlled Kashmir. He was released after nine months on parole to attend his uncle’s wedding. His period in prison had made him bitter and he was found to have cigarette burns all over his body.^[4] After his release, Wani worked on the plans towards the procurement of arms from Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. A day before he left for Pakistan-administrated Kashmir, while serving meals at the wedding reception, he overheard Mohiuddin Shah, a veteran National Conference politician talking about the "futility of agitations against the government". Wani is known to have "reprimanded" him in these words "the government made two grave mistakes as far as Kashmir is concerned. First they acceded to India and secondly, they let me on parole." ^[5]

Wani subsequently crossed into Pakistan-Administrated Kashmir to obtain arm training under the supervision of the Pakistan Army . Many Kashmiris in the valley joined JKLF and obtained training and financial support in Pakistan and in Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. Most returned to Kashmir and majority of them were killed by the Indian Army and Indian Paramilitary Forces.

Death

Ashfaq Majeed Wani was killed at the age of 23 in an encounter with the Indian paramilitary troops and a unit of army in the Hawal area of old city, Srinagar on 30 March 1990. Ashfaq received about 50 Namaz-e-Jinaza. As soon as he died others separatists started their own organisations who had ideological differences with other leaders of JKLF. He is buried at martyrs graveyard in Srinagar's Downtown Idgah. Fateh Khawani is organised on 30 March every year at Sarai Balla, Amira Kadal at his ancestral home by JKLF. He has a brother and a sister married to Chowdharys who are his cousins also. His father is regarded as father figure by JKLF and hizbul mujahiddeen ideologues. His father Er. Abdul Majeed Wani is suffering from PTSD.

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