Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 20: Going down the memory lane, reciting some couplets of her poetry "Kaisi Thi Woh Poshak", Shalini Khanna alias Nirmal Khanna, 68, the widow of martyred Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna says that she has not yet declared the ceasefire and want to see Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik in jail for 200 years dying a slow death.
JKLF leader Yasin Malik in 1990 killed four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in Kashmir including Squadron leader Ravi Khanna, husband of widow Shalini Khanna, who lives with her son and daughter in Jammu.
After a delay of almost three decades, the trial in killings of four IAF personnel was resumed on September 12 at the TADA (Terrorism and Anti Disruptive act) court in Jammu.
Malik who is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail in terror funding case was not produced before the TADA court.
"I still remember that fateful day of January 25, 1990, when my husband donned his uniform and left for his duty at 0708 hours during his posting in Kashmir and at around 0712 hours, I heard the sound of bullets outside our residence," Shalini Khanna here said.
Recalling the fateful morning of January 25, 1990, she said, "I lived in Rawalpora and our house was just 50 yards away from the crime scene. Amid curfew I heard sound of crackers that morning. At wit's end I went to the roof top and saw some army vehicles and men in uniform. I went there to see what actually had happened and spotted my husband's briefcase with a bullet mark on it. I realised that something wrong has happened."
"As curfew was declared, I told my husband not to go in uniform but he denied saying that a soldier cannot move without his uniform," she remembered and said soon after he left to see off his cricket team as he was also a sports officer, she heard sound of crackers and immediately went to the balcony of the top floor.
"I saw some people dancing to the beats of drums, waving guns in air, shouting 'azadi' slogans and on seeing the them, I rushed towards the spot and by that time, those people (JKLF) men had escaped as Army and locals reached there," she added and claimed that Yasin Malik and two of his accomplices were behind the killing of her husband.
"I found briefcase of my husband with a bullet mark, which made me clear that something tragic has happened," she expressed and said she saw her husband's bullet riddled body lying in a pool of blood.
"He was declared brought dead at the Badami Bagh cantonment hospital and there I came to know that an entire magazine was emptied on his back following a scuffle between him and Yasin Malik," she said and added that then Flight Lieutenant B R Sharma, who was with her husband, told her that Yasin Malik was behind the attack.
"He told me that Yasin Malik was leading the attackers and had sought directions for Nattipora from my husband. Ravi was giving him directions in a friendly manner when Malik fired first bullet in his abdomen. Following a scuffle, he emptied an entire magazine on my husband's back," she narrated.
"I have not yet declared the ceasefire. I want to see Yasin Malik alive for 200 years but in jail, crying and battling for life," she said.
Reciting the poem, "kaisi thi woh poshak, le gayee jo mera suhag", Shalini said Malik in these thirty years, lived a lavishing life, made money, became activist but in contrary, she died every day, struggled hard and tossed from pillar to post in this period for the survival of her children.
"After six years, in March 1996, my pension started and I had to knock doors of many politicians including the former Prime Ministers, top leaders but ultimately, Indian judiciary gave me the justice and precedence was set for widow pensioners," she maintained.
She further added that Yasin Malik not only murdered her husband but also killed her mother-in-law, her father-in-law and her mother.
"My two children lost their childhood. Our happiness was snatched away in a second. This terrorist turned our world upside down," she narrated with moist eyes.
"My husband saw his daughter after six months of her birth but who cares. Slogans of 'Zindabad' and 'Amar Rahe' do not feed empty stomach of families and children of martyrs," she said and however, exuded confidence that after three decades justice will be finally delivered to her.
She said at that time when her in-laws and her mother expired, following killing of her husband, she had the responsibility of raising two little children and had to make them good citizens.
"So, I burnt midnight oil. I lived a faqir's (saint's) life after my husband's death. I was 38-year-old at that time," she said.
Shalini said her husband on the fateful day, saved life of one of the officers but had his name scripted on the "National War Memorial", regretting, "if his name is there then why she was not informed by anybody and if not, then why? Can anybody answer my question?"
"I had pledged to myself that if not the nation, I will take revenge of my husband and I am waiting for that moment," she said, adding that she had suffered a brain stroke and was in ICU for a month but returned alive because Almighty wanted her to see Yasin Malik punished.
"I was a NCC cadet, I was good at target and NCC inculcated discipline in me, built my character and I am a tough lady. I was always encouraged by my husband and it is because of those habits, I was able to fight for my rights alone," she added and said sometimes she really felt bad when some people in the government, shook hands with Yasin Malik and made him a hero.
"He is a killer, murderer and nothing more than that for me and I am not going to forget this truth ever," she said and added that had the justice was delivered 30 years back, she would have utilised this period in constructive activities and shaping her life.
"Do joining defence forces only mean "sacrificing life"?", she said and added that at the time of her struggling days, she had made clear to the governments that if justice is not delivered to her, one more 'Phoolan Devi' will be born and she will visit door to door asking people not to send their children to defence forces.
In a message, Shalini Khanna appealed to people especially the "veer naaris" that do stand by their husbands because they know that they are not ordinary ladies like her and they should send them on front whenever nation needs them.
"TADA court's action as too little, too late," said Shalini Khanna and demanded speedy trial in the case so that Yasin Malik and other accused can be punished for their crimes.
The TADA Court judge on September 12 issued a fresh production warrant to Malik and asked the Tihar jail authorities to produce the former terror commander on the next date of hearing on October 1. |
