Atiq Ahmad’s words finally proved prophetic after 19 years on April 15 when he was shot dead in Prayagraj.
“Encounter hoga. Ya police maari, ya koi apni baradari ka sirfira. Sadak ke kinare pade milab” (I will be killed in an encounter by either police or someone from the criminals’ tribe) – he had told reporters way back in 2004.
During his trip from Sabarmati jail to Prayagraj earlier this month, Atiq Ahmad had told media persons that he was ‘safe’ only because they were accompanying his convoy.
When he was shot dead on Saturday, it was, ironically, by assailants posing as journalists.
Atiq was always aware of the fact that he would meet a bloody end one day.
“Sab ko pata hota hai anjaam kya hona hai. Kab tak taala ja sakta hai, yeh sab (contesting election) iski hi jaddojahad hai (We all know, as criminals, what will be our fate. Every day is a struggle to escape this ordeal, and delay the inevitable),” he had said.
Once, when reminded that he was contesting election from a Phulpur parliamentary seat, which was once represented by India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, Atiq had replied, “Pandit ji ki tarah hum Naini jail me bhi rahe hain. Woh kitab likhe wahan, hume apni history sheet ki wajah se jana pada tha (Like Nehru, I have also been to Naini jail. He wrote books there; I went because of my history-sheet).”
He also admitted that he had a strong premonition about death.
