When they say sometimes destiny is thrust upon you, they have Umar Khalid in mind.
He would have been a very good student, a well known academic, worked in a think tank or whatever. But he would never have been The Umar Khalid.
One evening of some planted students, corrupt media houses and he is Public Enemy Number 1. He could chose to vanish, be selfish and become irrelevant. Do what we all are trying to do – stoop a little lower in the last bench so the govt won’t notice you.
He did not. He has embraced his destiny. I hope we see him grow like student leaders during emergency grew. Most became chief ministers and cabinet ministers. I hope he is does not end in an encounter or brutalized like countless others by the regime.
I hope we speak up for him and not wash our hands because we see it as his destiny. Remember Bhagat Singh was not a hero during his era. There were people who did not agree with his methods. History will be kinder to Umar. But speak up so that present sees him for what he is too.
