Tihar Jail, New Delhi 15 October 1983
Dear Naseer,
Peace be upon you. I hope you are in good health.
A few days ago, I received your letter of affection dated 4 May 1983, but due to some misunderstandings on your part and the “difficulties” of travel, it only reached me on 9 September 1983. I apologize for the delay in responding. After reading your brief letter, it felt like a breath of fresh air in these desolate autumn-like surroundings of the prison. The memories that had been buried in the folds of time suddenly revived, and before me appeared the embodied image of the sincerity and loyalty that is called Naseer Mahmood Wani in our gatherings.
I wish to write this letter in poetic language, but claiming accessibility to art and literature is beyond my capacity, and the length of this imprisonment has also severed the weak connection I once had with the fine arts. In this regard, the only means to quench my thirst is a small transistor radio on which I often listen to some film songs from the local station or ghazals selected by singers not for their meanings but for their melodious expression.
This was just a parenthetical comment; I was talking about the memories associated with you. If you have ever thought in some corner of your mind that the passage of time has dulled the freshness of those memories, then believe me you have fallen prey to the same misunderstanding as me. The memories of participants and companions in the struggle for shared goals, aspirations, and hopes are the gifts that we must hold onto, as they are a bright testament to our determination to continue the journey. How can such memories ever be allowed to fade from the mind and heart? Your feelings of pain regarding the homeland and its people are indeed commendable. I am certain that as long as this feeling remains alive, the springs of movement and action will continue to flow, for which our history will always be proud in the future.
The greatest demand of sincerity and loyalty is that we should understand the position where history has placed us and perform our roles with excellence and goodness. Those who bow down in prayer at the moment of life’s battle, despite all their claims of loyalty, fall into ignorance and folly; if this is accompanied by a desire for safety, then there is no greater sin. May Allah protect us from being included in this group of sinners. Please join me in this prayer.
By the grace of Allah, my health is completely fine, and I am passing my days of imprisonment with patience and gratitude. My death sentence has not been revoked, but its implementation has been postponed. The legal proceedings in the Supreme Court are ongoing, and although we have initially achieved some success, I will provide details on this in the future, as there is no room for that in this letter.
I was glad to hear that you have gotten married and are now a father to a son. Please convey my warmest regards to your wife and lots of love to little Basim. I pray that Allah grants you success at every turn in life. I am sure that the “ascetic life” you have chosen will yield rewards in the divine presence. I am grateful for the interest and empathy you have shown regarding my personal affairs. In this state of imprisonment, I am unable to gather much information about my loved ones. You can obtain substantial information about them through friends in Pindi and keep me informed as well.
Note: Due to space constraints in the letter, I am unable to write more. I hope you will continue to remember me from time to time.
Wassalam,
Your well-wisher,
Muhammad Maqbool Bhat
——————————————————————————–
1. This, the last letter in this collection—addressed to Naseer Wani and dated 15 October 1983—is not part of Shaoor-e-Farda. It is, to the best of our knowledge, Maqbool Bhat’s final available letter. I was able to include it after directly reaching out to Mr. Naseer Wani, who now resides in Europe. He generously confirmed its authenticity and shared the details necessary for its inclusion.
