Kashmir freedom icon Prof Nazir Ahmed Shawl passes away

LONDON: Veteran Kashmiri freedom leader Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl has passed away, aged 77, following a brief illness.

Known as one of the true pioneers of the Kashmir movement in Britain, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl devoted his life to the cause of Kashmir freedom. The tireless campaigner was surrounded by his close family and loved ones at the time of his passing away.

An icon to the self-determination issue of the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir, his untimely passing away is seen as a loss to all.

Barrister Abdul Majid Tramboo, his friend and colleague for decades and a fellow Kashmiri, led the tributes. “We have not just lost a dedicated leader, but we have lost a true family man and I have lost someone who is truly my brother. He has left this world for the eternal abode in the world hereafter. However, his fearless legacy stays with us,” he said.

Professor Shawl was born in Baramulla on 13 October, 1946. A multilingual person, an educationalist, a poet, a human rights defender and a family man, he graduated in sciences from the Jammu and Kashmir University, post-graduated in Botany from the Kashmir University, specializing in ecology and post-graduated in education from the Himachal Pradesh University.

Professor Shawl held different positions in his professional career that included being professor and researcher in Botany, field adviser sciences, coordinator UNICEF assisted project PECR, member Board of Undergraduate Studies in Botany, University of Kashmir, and Chief Test Administrator Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS-Bombay).

Prof Shawl’s writings have highlighted his concerns about the human rights of the people in different conflict areas but championed the Kashmir cause and extreme serious human rights gross violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK). Professor Shawl instituted a think tank, together with other activists, known as South Asia Centre for Peace and Human Rights of which he was the chairman. Professor Shawl led the project to have a coalition organisation on the Kashmir issue for one point agenda namely Kashmiris Right to Self-Determination. He successfully founded the Organisation of Kashmir Coalition (OKC), which is a collaboration of Kashmiri organisations and non-governmental organisations. He led the Kashmir movement in the United Kingdom through the Kashmir Centre, London.