‘Huat 3 uprising marks first step against Soviet occupation’

KABUL (Pajhwok): Forty-three years back on February 22, 1980, the residents of Kabul revolted against the occupation of former Soviet Union forces which is considered by some Afghans first step in fight against soviet occupation.

February 23 ----- Huat 3 ---- in local calendar is considered a historic and unforgettable day in the history of Afghanistan by some Afghans who believe it changed the landscape of Afghanistan contemporary history.

Two months after the Soviet Union occupation on this day 43 years back thousands of people came out to the roofs of their houses and started chanting Allah-ho-Akbar --- Allah is greater --- in veiled reference to oppose the occupation of Soviet Union forces, the movement later spread to other cities.

In the morning people came out to the roads and streets of capital Kabul and threw stones on the tanks and armored vehicles of Soviet Union forces and the then government forces. Even some school girls participated in the demonstration with some got killed.

Exact figure of the losses was not available but according to some reports around 4,000 demonstrators were shot dead by Soviet and the then Kabul government’s forces.

Thomas Rotig, one of the founders of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, quoted one of the eyewitnesses as saying: “On the night of third Huat all the people came out to the roofs of their house and started shouting Allah-ho-Akbar, I still remember that most people infected with sore throat because they shouted a lot.”

The source added: “In the morning of that day, people took to the streets and demonstrated against the Soviet Union. In some areas, they attacked government buildings and took control of some police stations and armed themselves. Eyewitnesses say that the police surrendered their weapons to the people and joined them. Internal soldiers refused to shoot at the demonstrators.”

Abdul Jabbar Akbari, a political affairs expert, said 43 years ago, on this day, the people of Kabul created a saga and showed their courage and perseverance against the Soviet Red Army, which fully armed.

According to him, the Soviet Union at that time wanted to conquer other countries in the region by occupying Afghanistan, change the religion and ideology of the Afghan people, and impose communism.

He continued to say that the Russians did not achieve their dream and the people of Afghanistan proved that they will not give up their religion and culture in front of any superpower

He asked the acting government to celebrate the third Huat as it was celebrated in the past government.

Walli Farozan, an expert of political affairs who himself participated in the upraising, said The events before the uprising, such as the Haft Thor coup and the oppression that the governments of Hafizullah Amin and Nur Mohammad Turki did to the people, caused this uprising.

According to him, although this uprising was suppressed by the government of the time and the Soviet forces, it was the first spontaneous mass uprising against the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Red Army

Inamullah Samangani, the acting government’s spokesperson, termed the third of Huat upraising as the start of Islamic uprising against the red army’s occupation of Afghanistan.

He said: “The people of Kabul rose up with faith, courage and zeal for the honor of Islam and their homeland and showed the world that they are against arrogance and will not submit to a humiliating life under the shadow of the invaders.”

nh