Mandela’s biggest legacy was his
remarkable lack of bitterness and the way he did not only talk about
reconciliation, but he made reconciliation happen in South Africa,” said
F.W. de Klerk, South Africa’s last white president before giving way to
Mandela, the country’s first black leader.
On Friday Morning, when I heard about
Nelson Mandela’s death there is one thing that immediately came to my
mind: World has become a poorer place to live! It is a huge loss not
only to the people of Africa but to the world, which has looked up to
him as an icon of Freedom, Fairness and Justice. People, who have
closely worked with him, have described him as someone born to lead.
He best described himself in a speech in
1964, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in
which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.
It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs
be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Rolihlahla Mandela was born in 1918 in
the village of Mvezo and was given the name Nelson by his teacher at
primary school. He lost his father at an age of nine. He was expelled
from the University for Political Activism along with Oliver Tambo. And
soon after became head of ANC’s armed struggle. First as a lawyer, then
an activist and ultimately as a guerrilla leader, Mandela fought against
the racial discrimination against the black people in Africa. He spent
27 years of his life in prison initially on Robben Island and later in
Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Vester Prison and was finally released in
1990. He rose to become the first black president of democratic South
Africa and received noble prize for peace in 1993.
In 1980’s, Ronald Regan placed Mandela’s
African National Congress on America’s official list of terrorist
groups and he was not removed from same as late as 2008.
Kashmir, has always felt some kind of
connection with this man. As a Chairman of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) it
was he who raised Kashmir issue saying, “All of us remain concerned
that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be solved through peaceful
negotiations, and should be willing to lend all the strength we have to
the resolution of this matter”. This was the first time that the issue
of Kashmir had ever come up in a NAM Chairman’s speech.
In mid 1990’s when a separatist leader
was released after spending some 15 years in jail, he was welcomed as
Nelson Mandela of Kashmir. A protestor, who rose to some fame in 2008
agitations, was also called Mandela. I remember him saying in an
interview to news channel, I was born on the day when Nelson Mandela was
released from Prison, since then my parents lovingly call me Mandela
and so did my friends. For the people of Kashmir, Nelson Mandela was the
leader of masses.
Mandela was admired by every Kashmiri.
He was respected for his unwavering commitment to the cause of people
and steadfastness towards his struggle for freedom.
Madiba as he is affectionately known as
would be missed by the people all around the world for his leadership
qualities, his conviction and his achievements.
Rest in Peace!
