A screening of the documentary Bring Him Back, followed by a discussion with the documentary producer and editor Talat Bhat, Director Fahad Shah (via Skype from Kashmir), Shaukat Maqbool Butt (Son of Maqbool Bhat) and Dr Syed Nazir Gilani (human rights lawyer). 

Chair: Dr Dibyesh Anand, Head of Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Westminster.

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Short synopsis of the documentary - Bring Him Back

Shamli Begum 79, mother of Maqbool Bhat (often known as The Che Guevara of Kashmir), has been campaigning for the last 30 years for her son's remains to be given back to her. The Indian government buried him temporarily in Tihar Jail in New Delhi after hanging him in 1984. She writes a letter to the President of India, but gets no answer and she travels to different holy Sufi shrines for Manat (prayer) for her son and her mission to bring back her’s sons remains to Kashmir before she dies. In between her efforts for her son’s remains, she explains the story of Maqbool Bhat, what he did in his life for freedom and justice in Kashmir, and the role of India and Pakistan. She hopes for an international campaign to get justice. www.bringhimback.info

Dr Syed Nazir Gilani is a human rights lawyer, writer and secretary general of the Jammu Kashmir Council of Human Rights, JKCHR, NGO in Special Consultative Status within the United Nations. Dr Gilani is a long time campaigner for human rights in the divided state of Jammu and Kashmir and he will explain the legal situation with Maqbool Bhat’s remains, and Indian and Pakistani official stands and what is the way forward in the legal system of Indian laws and international laws. 
 
Fahad Shah is a journalist, writer and filmmaker and the director of Bring Him Back. He is the founder and editor of The Kashmir Wallah magazine. His latest book Of Occupation and Resistance is an anthology that focuses on the resistance and politics of Kashmir. He has written extensively on Kashmir for various national and international publications including The Christian Science Monitor, Hardnews, Firstpost and Socialist Worker. He was selected as a finalist for the Manthan South Asia Award 2011 for his work as a journalist. 
 
Talat Bhat is an activist, documentary filmmaker and trade union campaigner based in Sweden. He has a Master’s degree in Media Production and researching on the impacts of new media technologies in conflict zones. He is the producer and editor of Bring Him Back which deals with Shaheed-e-Kashmir Maqbool Bhat’s mother's struggle to have his remains returned to Kashmir.  Bhat is also working on Kashmir's first WebTV station www.jammukashmir.tv. His trade union documentary project, Rocking the Birger Jarl, ( www.birgerjarl.info) deals with his struggle for non-EU seamen workers in Sweden.
 
Shaukat Maqbool is the son of Maqbool Bhat, lawyer and longtime campaigner for independence of the Jammu Kashmir, currently divided between India and Pakistan. He will talk about his father's mission and suffering of the family’s campaign for Maqbool Bhat remains back to Kashmir.

Organiser contact email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (information only, please register online)

The Emerging Powers Programme of DPIR is commited to exploring different perspectives and aspects of emerging global powers including China and India, and as part of this, we host and organize academic and non-academic events for furthering research as well as knowledge dissemination amongst students and public on topics that allow for a critical understanding of these powers.