Shalini Khanna (68), fighting for justice for the last three decades on behalf of her martyred husband, Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, is getting ready to fight another 'decisive' battle of her life.
In her own words, Shalini Khanna told reporters, "I recently suffered a massive stroke and was admitted in the ICU for about one month and here I am sitting in front of you". She said, "I was reborn. I had taken a pledge to fight this battle till my last breath. Now I leave it to the wisdom of Judges to punish the killers of my husband as per law of the land".
Referring to the reopening of murder case against separatist leader Yasin Malik, responsible for killing her husband and three other IAF personnel on January 25, 1990, Shalini Khanna said, "if the Government has decided to reopen the case, I think they are going to deliver justice".
"They have not done so to make mockery of the system". The present dispensation has already made it clear that they are going to adopt policy of 'Zero tolerance' towards acts of terrorism. Let us see what happens in this case now. "The whole world is watching us. It is high time we should get justice now", she said making a passionate appeal.
According to official sources, JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik could not be produced before a TADA court here on Wednesday. Now the TADA court in Jammu has ordered that Yasin Malik be personally produced for trial on October 1.
Speaking to reporters at her home in Jammu, Shalini Khanna also posed some direct questions to the Government of India while giving vent to her ire against the 'successive' Governments at the helm of affairs. "I am the first victim, I want to ask Defence Ministry and the Government of India whether names of Indian Air Force Personnel, including my husband killed by Yasin Malik appear in the National War Memorial in New Delhi. If yes, please inform me on which number plate and if not why it is so? She said, no one decorated my husband despite making a supreme sacrifice. Ironically, politicians ganged up together to shield Yasin Malik.
Remembering the supreme sacrifice made by her husband in Uniform, Shalini Khanna said, “Yasin Malik not only murdered my husband. He killed my parents. My mother-in-law, my father-in-law and my mother died barely 10 months after the killing of my husband. I was left alone with two minor kids. "No one came forward to console me. I was not Rubaiya Sayeed. My father was not standing with me, she said.
Recalling the fateful morning of January 25, 1990, Shalini Khanna said, "my husband left home around 7.08 a.m and by 7.12 a.m , in a span of just four minutes every thing was over. He was shot 27 times with an AK-47 assault rifle by Yasin Malik .
She said, "i feel sorry when i see leaders labelling him a 'Gandhian'. After killing my husband, he has enjoyed his life.He did lot of 'mauj masti, dance, drama. Went for medical check ups to USA, felicitated by leaders and i along with my kids were isolated. She said, "i had to even fight for my pension case in the court of law".
Referring to Yasin Malik's meeting with the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh she said, i felt bad when the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shook hands with Yasin Malik on February 17, 2006.
“I didn’t expect him to shake hands with a terrorist. Being a PM he should have known the difference between right and wrong. When Manmohan Singh shook hands with Malik, I felt a grave insult to the supreme sacrifice of my husband.
Commenting on hardships faced by her in her long journey of life, Shalini Khanna said, "i had to face a lot of difficulties and I was harassed under the garb of Article 370 and 35-A. She said, people here in the state made lot of hue and cry claiming that i am an outsider and non-state subject. Remembering former Governor Jagmohan, Shalini Khanna said, "he stood behind me and reinstated me in the state government job claiming a son-in-law has been killed in in-laws house. He treated me like his daughter and also organised my stay in the government accommodation in Jammu to ensure better education of my children.
