Tabassum Guru Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More » StarsUnfolded

Some Lesser Known Facts about Tabassum Guru

• Tabassum, a Kashmiri nurse, is the widow of Afzal Guru – a co-conspirator of the Indian Parliament attack (2001) – who was sentenced to three life sentences and double death by the Supreme Court of India.

• Before marriage, Tabassum and Afzal were cousins.

• Recalling some precious moments with her husband, during an interview, Tabassum revealed that Afzal used to call her by the name ‘Pyaari’.

• Tabassum, along with Afzal, once experienced abuse from some army officers at a camp near their home in Jammu and Kashmir. Talking about the incident in an interview, Tabassum said that while returning home from the market with Afzal, people in uniform pelted stones at him. However, this incident had an irreversible effect on Afzal. Providing details about the said incident in the interview, Tabassum said,
  

  We were walking back home, passing an army camp where soldiers in uniform were playing evening games. When we proceeded, they pelted stones at me, calling me by name. Afzal didn’t say a word nor did I expect it from him. When we reached home, he swallowed two painkillers. I asked him why and he said: ‘Look at me, he threw stones at you and I couldn’t say or do anything. What have I gone mad about? How long should I keep quiet?”

• According to Tabassum, she had a clue of Afzal’s involvement in the attack somewhere, but she could not muster the courage to ask him about it. In an interview, Tabassum admitted to doubting her husband’s actions and opposed the decision to hang him, saying,
  

  I will not lie. I was suspicious, but I never checked, asked or stopped him.”

  He added,

  I agree, he was not completely innocent, but did he really deserve the death penalty? What about the people who actually shot those people? Are they running free?”

• Reportedly, after Afzal Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013, the Indian government rejected a request by his family to claim possession of Afzal’s body. The said request letter read,
  

  We are writing to you to kindly allow the family members to give proper respectful last rites to Afzal Guru as per religious traditions… If so, we would appreciate it. ,

  In an interview, Tabassum shared a scenario when he asked his son Ghalib Guru if he would see his father during his execution if the authorities had allowed him, and in response Ghalib replied “No.” According to Tabassum, the incident made him believe that the decision of the Indian government, from confirming his death sentence to executing him in secret, was shameful. Expressing his views on the said incident, Tabassum said,

  In a way, Ghalib’s reaction made me think that the Indian government has embarrassed itself by only giving a secret hanging and not allowing us to see or cremate him. And, by going there, we can only allow them to show the world that they are a great democracy. So we didn’t. Yemen gas roy-e-siyahi gasin (they should be ashamed).”

• In an interview, Tabassum read letters written by Afzal Guru during his imprisonment. One of the letters reads,
  

  They told [he used to say]: We will be destroyed, even you have news.[I would have turned into soil,By the time the news reaches you],

• Tabassum revealed during an interview that even years after her husband was hanged, security forces kept an eye on her house in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir and often entered the house for checking. Talking about this in an interview, Tabassum said,
  

  They walk around on my carpet with their dirty shoes. Nowadays, I laugh and tell them, ‘Please come in, this is your own house.