Amongst the 152 who died in last Wednesday’s tragic crash of Air Blue flight were six members of the Youth Parliament. All death in this tragedy were sad. The death of these talented youth with aspirations of building a better Pakistan was no exception. Maybe it was tragedy compounded. But the story of one of them is sadder even than the others – and because of what happened to him after he died!
This is the story of Prem Chand, a bright young social worker from Sanghar (Sindh), one of the members of Youth Parliament, and one of those who died on the ill-fated AirBlue flight 202. His death – like the death of everyone on that flight – was a matter of national tragedy; the treatment of his dead body a matter of national disgrace.
According to news reports in The News and The Express Tribune young Prem Chand’s coffin was marked “Kafir” – a word that literally means ‘infidel’ or ‘non-believer’ but is mostly used as a serious slur in Pakistan. Literally labeling someone’s coffin as “Kafir” and not even giving them the respect to list their religion by its proper name, is a shameful and disgusting way to disrespect the last remains of anyone. All the more so the last remains of a patriotic Pakistani who was on that plane solely to represent Pakistan and to seek to be a better Pakistani – he was on his way to the ‘session’ of the Youth Parliament!
According to The News:
The members of Youth parliament [on the day following the crash] protested against the marking of the coffin of one of their colleague Prem Chand as ‘Kafir.’ “It was shocking. He could have been marked as Hindu or non-Muslim, but using the word ‘Kafir’ is the worst example of intolerance,” said MYP Muneeb Afzal.
The Express Tribune writes:
Ehsan Naveed Irfan is a member of the youth parliament and he is the one who identified Prem Chand’s body. He told me that his coffin was marked as “Kafir” first with black and then outlined with red to make it more prominent. He told me that he and his friends removed it with a marker and wrote “We love you – from the youth parliament” instead.
A friend of Prem Chand made this comment on Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi’s blog:
I am Muneeb Afzal, a Member of Youth parliament of Pakistan and a Colleague and Friend of Late Prem Chand. An extremely hard-working person he was a symbol of tolerance. My last communication with him was on night before the Air Crash, he gave his greetings to me on occasion of 15th of Shabaan.
At PIMS fortunately another friend of ours was there when Prem’s Cousin Nanik Das came to search for his body, he quickly hid the tag ‘kafir’ by putting marker lines on it, so that Prem’s family which is already suffering from great grief does not have to bear more hurt. Although later at a memorial session where media was present I criticized the inhumanity and intolerance of those who did this shameful act. I felt this was my duty to my late friend Prem Chand that I make it clear to the world that we condemn this act of intolerance and narrow mindedness. But a lot of my other colleagues have since objected to my speaking out, believing that my saying this and this news spreading in media would add to hurt of Prem’s family, and in a way they are right too. I would like you all to also keep this in mind as well…
This was probably not an official act or some state sponsored standard procedure. It is much more likely that this was an act of some sick minded individual. But it is still important for the authorities to investigate and punish those responsible, and set an example for future. Intolerance must not be tolerated. To tolerate it, or justify it, is to accept it. The authorities need to take responsibility for this incident and why it happened at all; no matter who did it. After all, it is the state of Pakistan – and we as a society – which creates the conditions in which the persecution of minorities thrives at various levels, directly and indirectly; and that is what gives individuals license to go even further – including such shameful acts.
Author’s Note: My deepest apologies to friends and family members of Prem Chand and my fellow Pakistanis from others faiths (Pakistani Hindus in particular), specially those who may not have heard of this yet and for whom this incident will no doubt be deeply painful. But we must raise our voice and condemn such acts. The one lesson that Pakistan’s history teaches us is that discrimination and intolerance must never be tolerated.
I am deeply hurt. This is not what Islam teaches. The one sick-minded person who did this should be punished …. May Allah forgive us …
Thanks so much for speaking out against this shameful act. I was enraged to read about it in the Express Tribune and couldn’t believe my eyes. I still shudder at the mere thought of it.
It’s heart wrenching to think about the loss of so many precious lives. Speaking about the young and promising members of the “Youth Parliament” in particular, we lost brilliant minds and fantastic role models for the entire youth of Pakistan. I do believe that it wouldn’t have been easier for Prem Chand to come this far. The glimpse of his hopes and aspirations for Pakistan are very obvious in this video where he is presenting his resolution about drip irrigation system in Pakistan.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5870662#utm_campaig n=www.facebook.com&utm_source=5870662&utm_medium=s ocial
Thanks for posting this – it is truly a shame that our very own countrymen practice such discrimination. Shame on us, and I also offer my apologies and condolences to the Chand family for adding insult to their grief.
The air crash was a tragedy for all those who died, and everyone regardless of their ethnicity, national origin, gender or religion, deserves to be treated equally, and with respect.
May the Almighty bless their souls, and may He also give the rest of us the ability to shed our biases and discriminatory behavior. Ameen.
Very sad, indeed. My condolences to Prem Chand’s family, and verily to all victims of the plane crash.
It is a sad reminder that a number of Pakistanis see the world in Muslim versus Kafir terms. But, unfortunately, it matters less and less as the days go by, since the folks who can be discriminated against as Kafirs are now near-extinct in Pakistan. Especially since most Hindus and other minorities who were once a significant percentage of Pakistanis right after partition have since been converted or “cleansed”.
-Ahmed
It sure was insensitive the marking of the coffin of this citizen, but I rule out any malign intentions for that. Clearly it would have been done by authorities to separate it for funeral reasons. Even if that is not the case, we have made too much fuss out of nothing.
If all those who are furious on this event are so sincere to bringing secular values in Pakistan, why are you not furious over the Constitution that has been passed on communal basis? Religious discrimination is a part of our culture. Write about the religion based articles of the constitution. Highlighting these insignificant issues will only help the world laugh at Pakistan, which they are already doing. I am against the persecution of “minorities”, as they call them as well. But well, every now and then, costs nothing to use your brain, if you want a strong Pakistan, that is. But think about your constitution.
Also please do apologize to the Hindus, the Christians, the Sikhs, the Parsis, the Ahmedis and all other so-called minorities and non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan, who deserve as much rights as any of the so-called Muslim majority citizens, for the constitution. I would do so.