Why ‘apolitical’ flights to Srinagar never take off
Naseer A Ganai
Don’t ask question to anyone who wants to talk about Kashmir? That is a lesson from Harud.
Here they were asked some questions and they got so frightened that they described mere act of asking questions as an act of “sabotage” and in a way labeled all those who asked questions as “saboteurs.”
They even have names for them “Nelsonian vision.” Then they quote “another friend” and say that “Kashmir has turned from war economy to intellectual economy.” It is another matter that they forget themselves and the “another friend” whom they quote.
They went on and say that some of those who asked questions are not from Kashmir. So, they concluded, that they have no right to speak on Kashmir. Henceforth, they will ask a person residing in district Srinagar not to speak about Kupwara. You were enjoying in Srinagar when we were suffering in Kupwara. You don’t know anything about Kupwara. You shut your mouth, you hypocrites.
In this world, musicians, film actors, authors boycott festivals as “matter of conscience.” They promise they will return “if all are welcome” in your shows. Here they went to town to say that he is not coming about whom they earlier reportedly propagated that he is coming, he is coming.
Here only questions were asked. At other places they boycott such shows and they argue why they boycott. They don’t even ask questions.
English musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, who performed in the Jewish-Arab cooperative village of Neveh Shalom five years ago, calls fellow artists to boycott Israel.
Waters says in his arguments that Israelis "pay lip service to the idea that they want to make peace with the Palestinians, and they sort of talk around the possibility of a two-state solution, but in the meantime they're throwing people out of their homes in the Negev, in east Jerusalem. They're annexing huge parts of the West Bank. So all this talk is they're quietly getting on with taking over the whole of the land, and what happens then to the Palestinians?”
“And I'm really concerned about that, as was my father, interestingly enough. My father taught at St. George's School in Jerusalem from 1936 to 1938 and was very concerned even then, before the war, before the Holocaust, before all of that, about what was going on in Palestine. He died fighting the Germans in 1944."
He is not alone.
In May 2010 Elvis Costello cancelled a scheduled performance in Israel as a matter of "conscience." He wrote on his website: "There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act ... and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent...I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security." . "I hope it is possible to understand that I am not taking this decision lightly... It is a matter of instinct and conscience."
So was it not a genuine to ask that why the festival in Kashmir was branded as “apolitical”. Is not participating in apolitical festival a political statement? Whatever you speak in apolitical festival, you talk about tragedies, human rights violation, anything under earth, but by being part of apolitical festival you have already stated your position. That all these things are apolitical including mass graves, killings, torture and your migration from Kashmir as well.
In spite of boycott to Israel, large number of artists, authors and musicians went to Israel and participated in the function over there. They still go.
A British author McEwan this year criticized policies of the Israeli State when the Israeli President was in audience and he got standing ovation from all including the President.
“His high-powered audience, which included the nation's president and the mayor of Jerusalem, responded in an unexpected way: They gave him a warm ovation, ecstatic that the renowned writer had even agreed to show up,” says a news report.
See how show up is important.
"If I only went to countries that I approve of, I probably would never get out of bed," McEwan said. "It's not great if everyone stops talking."
Boycott activists say, "When people come to Israel, it gives a false sense of business as usual… As long as this atmosphere goes on, the Israeli public will not be motivated to change things.”
Anyway, those who go to Israel have arguments in favour of going to Israel. They have belief in their arguments. They have conviction that they are right. So they go and participate.
But here situation is different. Those who organized and cancelled the show had no arguments. It seems they don’t know why they wanted to organize it in Srinagar, and why they cancelled it. That is why they were baffled when asked why? And in response they started hurling intellectual abuses.
Leave arguments aside, they had not even answers to few questions. They found escape route in cancelling the show and then start tirade against those wrote on the subject. They invented ghosts who threatened them and abused them during broad day light. By this they portrayed people who asked some questions in different light. That they want no one should talk in Kashmir except them. That is sad.
Here no write up or comment was posted that blamed the organisers of Harud festival, who are well known writers, for being responsible for policies of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Government of India. It would have been naïve to blame them for the same. They were asked simple questions but they were so engrossed in not changing their “apolitical political position” that they failed to provide answers to the one-liners. They could have invited people who shot and signed a letter to them for a debate in New Delhi before going to Srinagar. At least their addresses were there. They were not hard to locate.
That would have cleared the air. But they were so eager to catch Srinagar flight that in their eagerness they forgot that no “apolitical flight” has gone to Srinagar since 1947. Planes of such names even don’t take off. If at times they do, air in Srinagar smell politics in their apolitical politics and doesn’t welcome them as, we all know, air here has been always political and stressful. And it grounds all Srinagar bound ‘apolitical’ planes along with their passengers and crew.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
In times of ‘normalcy’ related deaths
Naseer A Ganai
Taking a walk on the banks of Dal Lake is a sign “of peace and normalcy” in Kashmir.” And promenade of tourists on the boulevard is assurance of peace. Last year Prinyanka Chopra’s forays in dusty Down Town too were construed as a symbol of peace. What followed the visit, we all know.
Death of people in road accidents is also a sign of peace. It is nothing but normalcy-related deaths, which is being given wide coverage. At the end of the year, they tell us that more people die in road accidents than militancy-related incidents. Hence normalcy has returned to Kashmir. Instead of doing something serious to stop road accidents, they seem to be busy to count the number of deaths and injured in road accident for the larger interest of peace and normalcy.
In broad day light, a man was shot dead in the Lal Chowk. But authorities proudly declared it as normalcy-related death. Means, in times of normalcy a civilian can be shot dead near press enclave, few meters away from police gypsy.
The State Government, Central Government and its scores of agencies have been over the years so obsessed with their own definition of normalcy and peace that they do everything under the sky to ensure their “peace” prevails.
The Section 144 has been in force for years on the Srinagar streets and elsewhere to ensure that more than five people do not assemble. The Government fears that any assembly other than J&K Assembly is not healthy for democracy. The assembly of people has potential to infect democracy and there are chances of it getting diarrhea. That will make the whole democratic journey a long one given the condition of our roads and scarcity of loo’s along the highways.
So, for smooth running of democracy only selected-cum-‘elected’ members of the State Assembly should assemble in the House to talk about their own household matters. They usually talk about where their children should get placement and who else should get selected through recruitment agencies. They also discuss matters like which contractor should get which contract and which rich person should get land under Roshni.
And once they conclude the important session, the media announces that the Assembly functioned smoothly. And a number of bills were passed for the benefit of society including bill to increase salary of sitting and former legislators.
The bill, the radio newsreader says, was passed after a long debate in which the learned legislators stated that as long as legislators get fairly good amount of salary, there will be less chances of corruption in the society. Society means MLAs, MLCs, their daughters and sons, bureaucrats and their chamchas. Now the society also includes panchs and sarpanchs. Peace depends upon the wealth of ‘society’.
For people other than ‘society’, there are laws, big eyes, ears and long hands of the State.
The State authorities keep big eye on everyone who writes on Facebook. And it is all ears to who talks what and with whom on mobile. Their peace seems so fragile that they think it will be in tatters if someone posts something on his Facebook wall.
They fear that peace would go extinct in Kashmir if a boy tells his girlfriend on phone that he has lost peace of mind since she has started dating another boy. And that he would do anything to stop her another date. They think his activity could be a potential threat to peace and stability of Kashmir and in fact South Asia. And in order to ensure violence-free subcontinent they ensure he does not indulge in any stop-dating activity.
Thousands of people across the valley are craving for passport. However, the Government fears that once Kashmiri youth would get the passport, they will directly land either in Gulf or in any Western Country. There, they think, they will get audience of Amir-e-Qatar who will hug them and criticise India on human rights.
The state Government fears that in the United States of America, once Anjelina Joli will look at Kashmiri boy she will abruptly leave Brad Pitt and stay with him. She will then go for the campaign on Kashmir around the United States and get huge press coverage. In order to stop Angelina from falling for Kashmiri boy and taking up Kashmir cause, the Government prempts the whole plot by denying passport to the youth.
There are other fears. And they seem to be genuine in this age of technology. A 24-year old is being told that some 20 years ago his brother was militant and has died. This makes him ineligible for the passport. The thinking minds in the administration believe after getting passport, he would get direct access to the place where all dead are buried and then he will start talking to them. There are hundred percent chances that he might get information from the dead whether his brother got killed in genuine or fake encounter. Hence section 144.
However, the section that restricts the assembly of four people, has not prevented burglars to carry their worthy activities of robbing people during night. Even those residing in the Housing Colonies, conceived by illiterate land brokers with active support of learned clerks of SDA and SMC, complaint about surge in thefts and burglaries. The shopkeepers leave their shops in the evening as worried people praying for burglary-free nights ahead. People get depression by worrying about where to park their cars. Some have even sold their cars due to this worry. They fear if their car is stolen, where they will go to lodge a complaint.
At a time when police is busy in organising cricket matches and preparing ground for the big tournaments, there is no one with whom they could register a complaint about stolen cars. Not that by registering a complaint it will come back. But by registering an FIR there are chances of getting insurance money.
But peace in the cricket ground and the cricket has far greater significance than your complaint. It indicates that relations between the cricket playing kids and the organisers are at its best and it is an assurance to the world that it can sleep peacefully.
The State has arguments as well. The State authorities argue at length about arm-chair intellectuals, journalists and writers and accuse them of bringing abnormality to the State. They accuse them that they by their writings they ensure that situation should not remain peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir. They accuse the writers of being beneficiaries of the uncertain conditions in Kashmir. And they forget themselves.
It happens in places where state actors think that they are the state. They get the feeling that it is they who talk sense and all others are talking non-sense.
Nothing happens because of writers. Had writers been running the world, the United States and its billions of dollars should have preserved Iraq forever for the United States. So much was written on the American democracy in Iraq and the benefits of US soldiers patrolling the streets of Iraq, that too by the thousands of well-read, highly-educated writers on Iraq that the number of their write-ups exceeds population of Iraq. But that didn’t change perception on the ground in streets of Basra and Bagdhad.
Same is the case of Afghanistan. There is so much written material available on benefits of America's Afghan war for Afghans that if it is burnt in the streets of Kabul, it is suffice for Afghans to roost chickens on it for next ten years. But that didn’t change anything. The reality and perceptions of the people don’t change by writings, articles and Facebook posts. In a place where scars are deep, hearts are wounded and mind is in tumultuous State due to injuries and insults, write ups, articles, don’t matter. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah didn’t quote write-ups in the State Assembly to say that Kashmir is an international dispute. He quoted historical facts. And historical facts don’t change by indulging in frivolous activities. It is the time to talk about resolution of what Omar referred to "an international issue" instead of finding normalcy in accident-related deaths.
Taking a walk on the banks of Dal Lake is a sign “of peace and normalcy” in Kashmir.” And promenade of tourists on the boulevard is assurance of peace. Last year Prinyanka Chopra’s forays in dusty Down Town too were construed as a symbol of peace. What followed the visit, we all know.
Death of people in road accidents is also a sign of peace. It is nothing but normalcy-related deaths, which is being given wide coverage. At the end of the year, they tell us that more people die in road accidents than militancy-related incidents. Hence normalcy has returned to Kashmir. Instead of doing something serious to stop road accidents, they seem to be busy to count the number of deaths and injured in road accident for the larger interest of peace and normalcy.
In broad day light, a man was shot dead in the Lal Chowk. But authorities proudly declared it as normalcy-related death. Means, in times of normalcy a civilian can be shot dead near press enclave, few meters away from police gypsy.
The State Government, Central Government and its scores of agencies have been over the years so obsessed with their own definition of normalcy and peace that they do everything under the sky to ensure their “peace” prevails.
The Section 144 has been in force for years on the Srinagar streets and elsewhere to ensure that more than five people do not assemble. The Government fears that any assembly other than J&K Assembly is not healthy for democracy. The assembly of people has potential to infect democracy and there are chances of it getting diarrhea. That will make the whole democratic journey a long one given the condition of our roads and scarcity of loo’s along the highways.
So, for smooth running of democracy only selected-cum-‘elected’ members of the State Assembly should assemble in the House to talk about their own household matters. They usually talk about where their children should get placement and who else should get selected through recruitment agencies. They also discuss matters like which contractor should get which contract and which rich person should get land under Roshni.
And once they conclude the important session, the media announces that the Assembly functioned smoothly. And a number of bills were passed for the benefit of society including bill to increase salary of sitting and former legislators.
The bill, the radio newsreader says, was passed after a long debate in which the learned legislators stated that as long as legislators get fairly good amount of salary, there will be less chances of corruption in the society. Society means MLAs, MLCs, their daughters and sons, bureaucrats and their chamchas. Now the society also includes panchs and sarpanchs. Peace depends upon the wealth of ‘society’.
For people other than ‘society’, there are laws, big eyes, ears and long hands of the State.
The State authorities keep big eye on everyone who writes on Facebook. And it is all ears to who talks what and with whom on mobile. Their peace seems so fragile that they think it will be in tatters if someone posts something on his Facebook wall.
They fear that peace would go extinct in Kashmir if a boy tells his girlfriend on phone that he has lost peace of mind since she has started dating another boy. And that he would do anything to stop her another date. They think his activity could be a potential threat to peace and stability of Kashmir and in fact South Asia. And in order to ensure violence-free subcontinent they ensure he does not indulge in any stop-dating activity.
Thousands of people across the valley are craving for passport. However, the Government fears that once Kashmiri youth would get the passport, they will directly land either in Gulf or in any Western Country. There, they think, they will get audience of Amir-e-Qatar who will hug them and criticise India on human rights.
The state Government fears that in the United States of America, once Anjelina Joli will look at Kashmiri boy she will abruptly leave Brad Pitt and stay with him. She will then go for the campaign on Kashmir around the United States and get huge press coverage. In order to stop Angelina from falling for Kashmiri boy and taking up Kashmir cause, the Government prempts the whole plot by denying passport to the youth.
There are other fears. And they seem to be genuine in this age of technology. A 24-year old is being told that some 20 years ago his brother was militant and has died. This makes him ineligible for the passport. The thinking minds in the administration believe after getting passport, he would get direct access to the place where all dead are buried and then he will start talking to them. There are hundred percent chances that he might get information from the dead whether his brother got killed in genuine or fake encounter. Hence section 144.
However, the section that restricts the assembly of four people, has not prevented burglars to carry their worthy activities of robbing people during night. Even those residing in the Housing Colonies, conceived by illiterate land brokers with active support of learned clerks of SDA and SMC, complaint about surge in thefts and burglaries. The shopkeepers leave their shops in the evening as worried people praying for burglary-free nights ahead. People get depression by worrying about where to park their cars. Some have even sold their cars due to this worry. They fear if their car is stolen, where they will go to lodge a complaint.
At a time when police is busy in organising cricket matches and preparing ground for the big tournaments, there is no one with whom they could register a complaint about stolen cars. Not that by registering a complaint it will come back. But by registering an FIR there are chances of getting insurance money.
But peace in the cricket ground and the cricket has far greater significance than your complaint. It indicates that relations between the cricket playing kids and the organisers are at its best and it is an assurance to the world that it can sleep peacefully.
The State has arguments as well. The State authorities argue at length about arm-chair intellectuals, journalists and writers and accuse them of bringing abnormality to the State. They accuse them that they by their writings they ensure that situation should not remain peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir. They accuse the writers of being beneficiaries of the uncertain conditions in Kashmir. And they forget themselves.
It happens in places where state actors think that they are the state. They get the feeling that it is they who talk sense and all others are talking non-sense.
Nothing happens because of writers. Had writers been running the world, the United States and its billions of dollars should have preserved Iraq forever for the United States. So much was written on the American democracy in Iraq and the benefits of US soldiers patrolling the streets of Iraq, that too by the thousands of well-read, highly-educated writers on Iraq that the number of their write-ups exceeds population of Iraq. But that didn’t change perception on the ground in streets of Basra and Bagdhad.
Same is the case of Afghanistan. There is so much written material available on benefits of America's Afghan war for Afghans that if it is burnt in the streets of Kabul, it is suffice for Afghans to roost chickens on it for next ten years. But that didn’t change anything. The reality and perceptions of the people don’t change by writings, articles and Facebook posts. In a place where scars are deep, hearts are wounded and mind is in tumultuous State due to injuries and insults, write ups, articles, don’t matter. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah didn’t quote write-ups in the State Assembly to say that Kashmir is an international dispute. He quoted historical facts. And historical facts don’t change by indulging in frivolous activities. It is the time to talk about resolution of what Omar referred to "an international issue" instead of finding normalcy in accident-related deaths.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Far away lyrics
Knowing the consequences of menace like stone pelting (which ironically finds some defenders far away from where it actually happens) he should sure have refrained from making it a point of discussion: Ajaz-ul-Haq in GK
Naseer A Ganai
In Kashmir a new argument is gaining ground. The argument is that those who are not at the ground zero have no right to talk about what is going on at the ground zero. Either they have to be part of the happenings or they should keep their mouth shut. The language is clear. Come and pelt stones if you are defending them from far away or be silent. You do not know its consequences.
Interestingly only the phenomenon of stone pelting is what this discourse is being applied and repeatedly applied upon.
If the same logic is applied to other countries and other conflict areas then Jews living in Russia, United States of America or in Eastern Europe should not talk about the state of Israel at all. They have no right to talk about the policies of Israel as they did not migrate to Israel. They have no right to discuss and lobby for the policies of Israeli State in the United States of America and other places. If they care for Israel they have to be in Israel or else they should maintain silence.
The same way, Palestinians living in exile in Jordon, Syria, Egypt for past five decades should just keep mum and should not talk about Palestinian cause. Why they left Palestine in the first place. They should not have. They should have remained in Gaza. No person who is not in Gaza should write and talk about Palestine. No one should pen some lines in support of Palestine from New York. How can they? They are in New York and Palestine is Middle East. How could they feel pain of Palestine while living in New York!
The Non Resident Indians should not talk about politics in India. They are not on the ground zero. They are in cozy houses in much securer United State of America. They cannot understand pain and agony of Indian masses. They cannot understand poverty. And their theories would not mitigate the pain of common Indians. The money they send to mother country does not matter.
Many more examples could be cited. Afghans who for past three decades are living as refugees in Pakistan and Iran have no right to talk about what has befallen their motherland. They should not be part of the debate about present happenings in Afghanistan and its future. And why should they. They were the people who fled away when Russian tanks entered Kabul three decades ago. They were the first to leave in 2001 when George Bush declared war on Afghanistan with the war bugle of "either be with us or you are against us". Only those have the right to talk about Afghanistan, who are in Helmand, Kabul and Kandhar. Rest have no business there. Is it necessary for an Afghan to be in Kabul to talk about Kabul? Is it necessary to be politician to talk about politics? Is it indispensable to be a militant to talk about militancy? Is it necessary to be a cop to talk about police? Writers rip institutions apart, they devour politicians with their writings, they make mockery of leaders still they never have been part of the politics. Can you isolate stone pelting or militancy or presence of armed forces or armed forces special powers act from politics? They are part of Jammu and Kashmir’s six decades long politics. You cannot isolate them from politics of Jammu and Kashmir. You cannot isolate stone pelting and condone a person who is against it and condemn the one who is for it on the criterion of distance of the speaker from the ground zero. That is no criterion to judge the argument.
If you do not have argument to counter the argument, then you should talk about something else. Instead of passing a judgment that you cannot write about the ground zero while being far away from it.
Accept the reality that you do not have an argument instead of denying one the right to write about his mother place. Those people who have been out of Kashmir have always been part of this society and this place. They equally feel pain of Kashmir as you and I who are here in the thick of things. Do not deny them the right of being Kashmiris. They have equal right to talk about the things happening in Kashmir as you and I have. We must learn to debate and argue on the basis of arguments rather than measuring the distance from which a speaker is speaking. Scores of intellectuals in New Delhi, Kolkotta, and Chennai talk and write about Kashmir. They are not Kashmiris. Still they have been vociferous about the Kashmir cause. But instead of appreciating their argument or condemning their argument, we have started a different exercise. That is to see what they select for their children and where their wards study. If this is the level of our debate then God save us. Yes we have every right to question articles and write ups but we have no right to condemn people on the pretext of their present address and school address of their children.
Naseer A Ganai
In Kashmir a new argument is gaining ground. The argument is that those who are not at the ground zero have no right to talk about what is going on at the ground zero. Either they have to be part of the happenings or they should keep their mouth shut. The language is clear. Come and pelt stones if you are defending them from far away or be silent. You do not know its consequences.
Interestingly only the phenomenon of stone pelting is what this discourse is being applied and repeatedly applied upon.
If the same logic is applied to other countries and other conflict areas then Jews living in Russia, United States of America or in Eastern Europe should not talk about the state of Israel at all. They have no right to talk about the policies of Israel as they did not migrate to Israel. They have no right to discuss and lobby for the policies of Israeli State in the United States of America and other places. If they care for Israel they have to be in Israel or else they should maintain silence.
The same way, Palestinians living in exile in Jordon, Syria, Egypt for past five decades should just keep mum and should not talk about Palestinian cause. Why they left Palestine in the first place. They should not have. They should have remained in Gaza. No person who is not in Gaza should write and talk about Palestine. No one should pen some lines in support of Palestine from New York. How can they? They are in New York and Palestine is Middle East. How could they feel pain of Palestine while living in New York!
The Non Resident Indians should not talk about politics in India. They are not on the ground zero. They are in cozy houses in much securer United State of America. They cannot understand pain and agony of Indian masses. They cannot understand poverty. And their theories would not mitigate the pain of common Indians. The money they send to mother country does not matter.
Many more examples could be cited. Afghans who for past three decades are living as refugees in Pakistan and Iran have no right to talk about what has befallen their motherland. They should not be part of the debate about present happenings in Afghanistan and its future. And why should they. They were the people who fled away when Russian tanks entered Kabul three decades ago. They were the first to leave in 2001 when George Bush declared war on Afghanistan with the war bugle of "either be with us or you are against us". Only those have the right to talk about Afghanistan, who are in Helmand, Kabul and Kandhar. Rest have no business there. Is it necessary for an Afghan to be in Kabul to talk about Kabul? Is it necessary to be politician to talk about politics? Is it indispensable to be a militant to talk about militancy? Is it necessary to be a cop to talk about police? Writers rip institutions apart, they devour politicians with their writings, they make mockery of leaders still they never have been part of the politics. Can you isolate stone pelting or militancy or presence of armed forces or armed forces special powers act from politics? They are part of Jammu and Kashmir’s six decades long politics. You cannot isolate them from politics of Jammu and Kashmir. You cannot isolate stone pelting and condone a person who is against it and condemn the one who is for it on the criterion of distance of the speaker from the ground zero. That is no criterion to judge the argument.
If you do not have argument to counter the argument, then you should talk about something else. Instead of passing a judgment that you cannot write about the ground zero while being far away from it.
Accept the reality that you do not have an argument instead of denying one the right to write about his mother place. Those people who have been out of Kashmir have always been part of this society and this place. They equally feel pain of Kashmir as you and I who are here in the thick of things. Do not deny them the right of being Kashmiris. They have equal right to talk about the things happening in Kashmir as you and I have. We must learn to debate and argue on the basis of arguments rather than measuring the distance from which a speaker is speaking. Scores of intellectuals in New Delhi, Kolkotta, and Chennai talk and write about Kashmir. They are not Kashmiris. Still they have been vociferous about the Kashmir cause. But instead of appreciating their argument or condemning their argument, we have started a different exercise. That is to see what they select for their children and where their wards study. If this is the level of our debate then God save us. Yes we have every right to question articles and write ups but we have no right to condemn people on the pretext of their present address and school address of their children.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
To America with Love
Naseer A Ganai
Even the United States would be surprised if it comes across its fans in Kashmir. Not fans, it has lovers here! I think whole Kashmir has fallen for it. It is sort of masochistic relationship. In bollywood terminology, it is one-sided affair. The affair, in which Kashmiris have taken thousands of troubles to get attention of America. But the beloved America had other priorities.
Upto 1990 it had Russian concerns and it was busy with Afghan jihad to oust communists from Afghan soil. Once the mission was accomplished, it forgot Afghanistan and the Afghans. During Bush senior era it switched to Iraq and went after Saddam Hussain describing his nuclear weapons as threat to the World peace. In relatively peace time of President Clinton, it was caught between beautiful legs of Monica Lewinsky.
In Bush junior period America went back to Iraq. Instead of weapons of mass destruction it found Saddam in tiny cellar in Trkrit and presented his head to the world.
Then 9/11 happened and Bush junior declared that you are either with us or against us and rushed to Tora Bora Mountains of Eastern Afghanistan to get Osama. But instead of Osama it got stuck between Good Talibans and Bad Talibans. Now in times of Obama it wants to pull out its legs from both Iraq and Afghanistan. But at the same time it continues to threaten Iran.
These tantrums of America did not make Kashmir to lose hope. Kashmir continues to love America. Heart is strange thing. Once it falls for someone, it falls like overhead bridge of the Delhi Common Wealth games. It does not care, what will others say? It never thinks what people will think. And it just cares whether the beloved has heard him or not. Kashmiri continues to believe that a day will come when America will see logic in his suffering and strikes.
I wonder why America is loved word in Kashmir. Long back when George Bush senior ordered sanctions against Iraq in the first Gulf War, Kashmiris unlike other Muslim countries of the World cursed Saddam. They said that the World was about to take decision on Kashmir when Saddam invaded Kuwait and took away Kashmir from the limelight.
America is deep in our psyche. In 2000 AD speaking on the Autonomy resolution in the State Assembly, Dr Farooq Abdullah poured his heart out. He took the debate back to 1953 when an American diplomat Adlic Stephon had met the then Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. Dr Farooq said next day when Stephon could not go back to Delhi as weather was not conducive, his father (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) telephoned Stephon to have tea with him. It was second meeting between the two. The Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru read too much in the meeting and perceived that Sheikh has entered into an agreement with the United States of America, Farooq said. Subsequently, Sheikh was dismissed and arrested.
In early nineties when armed insurgency erupted in Kashmir, America continued to dominate discussions that usually take place here on roadsides, in mosques and near shops. These heated discussions over the World affairs would start with America and end with America. Robin Raphel, Medeline Albright, Bush, Clinton, would often come up in these discussions. The discussions would be dominated by the avid listeners of the BBC Urdu service. And some ten years ago, the News programme of the BBC Urdu service was staple diet of every Kashmiri. I would often hear them speaking about “American Pressure” and as a youngster would wonder what kind of “Pressure” Americans have with which they force the nation-states to comply with its whims.
.
I was young and instead of being active participant I would always prefer to be passive listener to these roadside conferences on the World affairs. Often they would discuss India has tremendous pressure of America. Something soon is going to happen, they would say. One person was ardent fan of the US. He would always advice that we should shout pro-America slogan. Only America could make the difference, he would argue. There was no one to challenge his argument.
Life moved on and nothing changed over the years. Today my hair lining is receding and whatever hair has remained is turning grey, but the discussions continue. The roadside shops have been taken over by English speaking netizens on social newtworking site Facebook but the topic of the debate continues the same. The arguments are the same. That will the President Obama say something about us when he will be in New Delhi next month. That India this time has pressure of America. That situation in Afghanistan would make things different for India after NATO forces leave Kabul. That Omar’s “international issue” talk in the State Assembly is an indication that America is interested and they have roped in Omar.
There is so much America in our daily talk that I wonder when some analysts say there is growing Islamic fundamentalism in Kashmir. The changing geopolitical realities do not matter to Kashmiris. Only what matters is whether America is interested or not. The geo-political realities might be against Kashmiris but still they pin hopes on America. They say that India and Pakistan will only settle Kashmir, once there is American pressure. I wonder what kind of Islamic fundamentalists are these Kashmiris? Strange type really. They want to be allies of the US. They appeal to the conscience of America- separatists openly and pro-India politician subtly and Kashmiris masses constantly. They have it seem belief that America has a conscience.
God bless America and all of us who believe that it has conscience!
Even the United States would be surprised if it comes across its fans in Kashmir. Not fans, it has lovers here! I think whole Kashmir has fallen for it. It is sort of masochistic relationship. In bollywood terminology, it is one-sided affair. The affair, in which Kashmiris have taken thousands of troubles to get attention of America. But the beloved America had other priorities.
Upto 1990 it had Russian concerns and it was busy with Afghan jihad to oust communists from Afghan soil. Once the mission was accomplished, it forgot Afghanistan and the Afghans. During Bush senior era it switched to Iraq and went after Saddam Hussain describing his nuclear weapons as threat to the World peace. In relatively peace time of President Clinton, it was caught between beautiful legs of Monica Lewinsky.
In Bush junior period America went back to Iraq. Instead of weapons of mass destruction it found Saddam in tiny cellar in Trkrit and presented his head to the world.
Then 9/11 happened and Bush junior declared that you are either with us or against us and rushed to Tora Bora Mountains of Eastern Afghanistan to get Osama. But instead of Osama it got stuck between Good Talibans and Bad Talibans. Now in times of Obama it wants to pull out its legs from both Iraq and Afghanistan. But at the same time it continues to threaten Iran.
These tantrums of America did not make Kashmir to lose hope. Kashmir continues to love America. Heart is strange thing. Once it falls for someone, it falls like overhead bridge of the Delhi Common Wealth games. It does not care, what will others say? It never thinks what people will think. And it just cares whether the beloved has heard him or not. Kashmiri continues to believe that a day will come when America will see logic in his suffering and strikes.
I wonder why America is loved word in Kashmir. Long back when George Bush senior ordered sanctions against Iraq in the first Gulf War, Kashmiris unlike other Muslim countries of the World cursed Saddam. They said that the World was about to take decision on Kashmir when Saddam invaded Kuwait and took away Kashmir from the limelight.
America is deep in our psyche. In 2000 AD speaking on the Autonomy resolution in the State Assembly, Dr Farooq Abdullah poured his heart out. He took the debate back to 1953 when an American diplomat Adlic Stephon had met the then Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. Dr Farooq said next day when Stephon could not go back to Delhi as weather was not conducive, his father (Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) telephoned Stephon to have tea with him. It was second meeting between the two. The Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru read too much in the meeting and perceived that Sheikh has entered into an agreement with the United States of America, Farooq said. Subsequently, Sheikh was dismissed and arrested.
In early nineties when armed insurgency erupted in Kashmir, America continued to dominate discussions that usually take place here on roadsides, in mosques and near shops. These heated discussions over the World affairs would start with America and end with America. Robin Raphel, Medeline Albright, Bush, Clinton, would often come up in these discussions. The discussions would be dominated by the avid listeners of the BBC Urdu service. And some ten years ago, the News programme of the BBC Urdu service was staple diet of every Kashmiri. I would often hear them speaking about “American Pressure” and as a youngster would wonder what kind of “Pressure” Americans have with which they force the nation-states to comply with its whims.
.I was young and instead of being active participant I would always prefer to be passive listener to these roadside conferences on the World affairs. Often they would discuss India has tremendous pressure of America. Something soon is going to happen, they would say. One person was ardent fan of the US. He would always advice that we should shout pro-America slogan. Only America could make the difference, he would argue. There was no one to challenge his argument.
Life moved on and nothing changed over the years. Today my hair lining is receding and whatever hair has remained is turning grey, but the discussions continue. The roadside shops have been taken over by English speaking netizens on social newtworking site Facebook but the topic of the debate continues the same. The arguments are the same. That will the President Obama say something about us when he will be in New Delhi next month. That India this time has pressure of America. That situation in Afghanistan would make things different for India after NATO forces leave Kabul. That Omar’s “international issue” talk in the State Assembly is an indication that America is interested and they have roped in Omar.
There is so much America in our daily talk that I wonder when some analysts say there is growing Islamic fundamentalism in Kashmir. The changing geopolitical realities do not matter to Kashmiris. Only what matters is whether America is interested or not. The geo-political realities might be against Kashmiris but still they pin hopes on America. They say that India and Pakistan will only settle Kashmir, once there is American pressure. I wonder what kind of Islamic fundamentalists are these Kashmiris? Strange type really. They want to be allies of the US. They appeal to the conscience of America- separatists openly and pro-India politician subtly and Kashmiris masses constantly. They have it seem belief that America has a conscience.
God bless America and all of us who believe that it has conscience!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Arguments against an argumentative Indian
Nothing is going to change here. People of Kashmir will continue their struggle for freedom, and Government of India will continue to subdue them.
The battle-lines are clear now. The Government of India believes in procrastination and buying time. It understands that by involving civil society actors and media, it can successfully dilute aspirations of people.
In 63 years scores of anti-India movements rose in Kashmir and in 63 years government of India relented on nothing. Even on the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act they will have meetings after meetings. The government of India has taken only decision on Kashmir, and that is not to take any decision but continue with the status quo. Kashmiris too have taken the decision, that is to end the status quo.
To maintain the status quo Government of India has projected itself as victim of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu means Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Gool, Gulbargh. It doesn’t mean Jammu district and Kathua.
It cited incidents like cross border terrorism, infiltration as causes for its victim-hood and justified human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, incidents of past three months have put Indian State, Indian intellectuals and human rights activists on the back-foot. The democratic India and its argumentative intellectuals couldn’t justify beating to death of an eight year old boy in Batmaloo. They couldn’t argue to defend the State when forces fired 70-pellets at an 11-year-old in the Anantnag town. They couldn’t justify killing of three teenagers in the lawn of their house in front their parents in South Kashmir. They couldn’t justify how can stones, howsoever big in the hands of an eight year old, be responded with pellets and bullets. Hence they devised the procrastination strategy.
First they asked Kashmiri to open his heart and mind to them as they are trying to understand him. They spoke in mellowed voices. Look we understand your pain and agony. Look what is going on over there should stop. Time has come that we should talk to each other. Even after 60 years they want to understand us and talk to us! They say we have not done much talking. So let us start engaging each other. Kashmiris took the challenge and started talking. The talking didn’t help them either.
This time Kashmiri talked and talked without ambiguity. In TV studios, in closed rooms, open places, in parks and on the roads, he talked in one voice. He didn’t betray the slogan of Go India Go Back written on the walls, roads, and houses in valley. The resonance of the slogan by Kashmiris across the board frightened India and its intellectuals who are averse to un-Indian questions posed to Indians in TV studios in New Delhi and outside India.
Feeling argumentative Indian is losing argument before Kashmiris, they targeted some of Kashmiri intellectuals who had defeated them on talk shows at BBC, and other international media forums.
They wrote editorials against them. Personal attacks were launched against them. They said how come these educated Kashmris speak against us in the foreign soil. They forget the speeches given by Nehru, and Gandhi on the foreign soil against British Raj.
Perturbed, they again want to portray Kashmir as a curious case of violence. Hence they are in a process of spinning theories. To justify their bullets, they said the protesters fired bullet first.
India talks in the language of peace to countries that matter in the world. It portrays itself as a soft state which supports human rights, democracy and liberal values. And it forgets that whatever police and security forces are doing in Kashmir that is the negation of everything that India projects itself to outside world. It feels Kashmiri is out to expose real face of the Indian State to outside world and he must be stopped.
In such scenario violence suits the State. So Kashmiri must adhere to what leadership, be it Geelani, Yasin, or Mirwaiz, is saying. The leadership across the board is saying that peaceful protests should be peaceful. That advice must be adhered to. If the protesters indulge in slight violence, it only gives excuse to the Indian state through its media and other networks to project it as bigger violence which, if not quelled through violence, has larger ramifications. So they argue we are killing in self-defense. Kashmiris must take away this last argument from them. The state will try through its stooges to do certain unkashmiri things and blame it on Kashmiris. This must be looked into with all seriousness as Kashmiris are in process of taking away the last argument from argumentative Indian. That will bring the real change.
The battle-lines are clear now. The Government of India believes in procrastination and buying time. It understands that by involving civil society actors and media, it can successfully dilute aspirations of people.
In 63 years scores of anti-India movements rose in Kashmir and in 63 years government of India relented on nothing. Even on the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act they will have meetings after meetings. The government of India has taken only decision on Kashmir, and that is not to take any decision but continue with the status quo. Kashmiris too have taken the decision, that is to end the status quo.
To maintain the status quo Government of India has projected itself as victim of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu means Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Gool, Gulbargh. It doesn’t mean Jammu district and Kathua.
It cited incidents like cross border terrorism, infiltration as causes for its victim-hood and justified human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, incidents of past three months have put Indian State, Indian intellectuals and human rights activists on the back-foot. The democratic India and its argumentative intellectuals couldn’t justify beating to death of an eight year old boy in Batmaloo. They couldn’t argue to defend the State when forces fired 70-pellets at an 11-year-old in the Anantnag town. They couldn’t justify killing of three teenagers in the lawn of their house in front their parents in South Kashmir. They couldn’t justify how can stones, howsoever big in the hands of an eight year old, be responded with pellets and bullets. Hence they devised the procrastination strategy.
First they asked Kashmiri to open his heart and mind to them as they are trying to understand him. They spoke in mellowed voices. Look we understand your pain and agony. Look what is going on over there should stop. Time has come that we should talk to each other. Even after 60 years they want to understand us and talk to us! They say we have not done much talking. So let us start engaging each other. Kashmiris took the challenge and started talking. The talking didn’t help them either.
This time Kashmiri talked and talked without ambiguity. In TV studios, in closed rooms, open places, in parks and on the roads, he talked in one voice. He didn’t betray the slogan of Go India Go Back written on the walls, roads, and houses in valley. The resonance of the slogan by Kashmiris across the board frightened India and its intellectuals who are averse to un-Indian questions posed to Indians in TV studios in New Delhi and outside India.
Feeling argumentative Indian is losing argument before Kashmiris, they targeted some of Kashmiri intellectuals who had defeated them on talk shows at BBC, and other international media forums.
They wrote editorials against them. Personal attacks were launched against them. They said how come these educated Kashmris speak against us in the foreign soil. They forget the speeches given by Nehru, and Gandhi on the foreign soil against British Raj.
Perturbed, they again want to portray Kashmir as a curious case of violence. Hence they are in a process of spinning theories. To justify their bullets, they said the protesters fired bullet first.
India talks in the language of peace to countries that matter in the world. It portrays itself as a soft state which supports human rights, democracy and liberal values. And it forgets that whatever police and security forces are doing in Kashmir that is the negation of everything that India projects itself to outside world. It feels Kashmiri is out to expose real face of the Indian State to outside world and he must be stopped.
In such scenario violence suits the State. So Kashmiri must adhere to what leadership, be it Geelani, Yasin, or Mirwaiz, is saying. The leadership across the board is saying that peaceful protests should be peaceful. That advice must be adhered to. If the protesters indulge in slight violence, it only gives excuse to the Indian state through its media and other networks to project it as bigger violence which, if not quelled through violence, has larger ramifications. So they argue we are killing in self-defense. Kashmiris must take away this last argument from them. The state will try through its stooges to do certain unkashmiri things and blame it on Kashmiris. This must be looked into with all seriousness as Kashmiris are in process of taking away the last argument from argumentative Indian. That will bring the real change.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Our wounds, your theories
Naseer A Ganai
We are living in sad times. I don’t know if I can call it ‘living’. Everyday mothers and sisters in Kashmir wash the blood of children of stone from the rough roads of the valley. Every day we see someone killed, and every day we see someone succumbing to injuries. Here a child has bullet in his neck, there a teenage girl has bullet in her back. They say she was engaged only 20 days ago. Here in Kashmir even an eight year-old-kid was flogged to death. We were told a 22-year-old girl died after a bullet fired in air hit her chest, and she died in Batamaloo. Someone has rightly said that Kashmiris have become so tall that when forces fire in air, the bullets hit either their heart or head.
An eight-year-old kid was beaten to death. His body had bruises all over. His father was washing his little body with water. But even this failed to wake the conscience of parliament and intellectuals in New Delhi. Not a single statement on the daily loss of lives in Kashmir. Nothing. Instead the Home Minister had this message for the people of Kashmir: “Keep your children at home.” He should have added that a predator is out in Kashmir, and that he has a special liking for children. This way his warning would have been understandable.
In a democratic country, in 2010, the Home Minister is asking people not to allow their children to step outside their homes. This is the State of the democratic State – that on the roads your children have no safety. That protest is no longer legitimate. That if you step on the roads we are not sure whether you will be hit by a bullet in the head or chest, even though we always tell our forces to fire in the air, and that too in self-defense.
At times I want to laugh at the intellectual class sitting in the flashy studios of news channels in New Delhi, and passing judgments through the chatter boxes on every issue on earth. Their arrogance and confident-ignorance is worth watching. For them human Rights is a great concept but only when victims fall under the constitution of India. Sawpan Das Gupta repeatedly argues whether those people who doesn’t accept the constitution of India should be allowed to enjoy the same rights which the constitution of India guarantees. In British or in USA, the very talk would have shocked the people. But in India nothing happens. Not a leaf moves. It is an argument, and it is perceived as an argument.
I want to laugh out loud at these intellectual-journalists when they condemn Taliban and talk about the Talibinisation of Kashmir and Islamisation of Sopore. For heavens sake, give us one example in past two months where Jihadi protesters in Kashmir beat someone to death, just one example? And respond to the allegations of the family which accuses the forces of beating their child to death in Batmaloo. Is that not Talibinsation?
Imagine a child being beaten in classroom by his teacher in Delhi or in Mumbai. Beaten, I say. Recently there was debate on corporal punishment for days together in Delhi based media. But when it comes to beating of children to death, they are silent, and the State says don’t allow your children to step out.
Every time I see the picture of the father who is being kicked by the CRPF man when he tries to protect the body of his son from sacrilege in Tengpora Bypass, I want to cry my heart out. This should not happen to any father anywhere in the world. That very photograph tells me everything about what I am, about my life, and what the life of my child and the children has been reduced to in Kashmir. The photo speaks more than 100,000 words about Kashmir and the conflict in Kashmir. Here we are not even allowed to protect the sanctity of the bodies of our children.
And then they talk about Islamisation of Sopore and Talibinisation of Kashmir. Whatever you name the current protests, whatever you want to name the current rage sweeping the streets, whatever you call them, the pictures of the dead, of our children, of our fathers, our wailing mothers and sisters would haunt our young generation for a long time to come. They will never forget it.
The wounds inflicted on the people of Kashmir won’t heal by what a columnist has written “butt numbing speech of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.” These are wounds which can’t be healed by speeches anymore. Act now and resolve Kashmir for good. Respect the aspirations of people of Kashmir. Now it is the question of justice and test of your democracy and liberalism. Act now lest these wounds become so intolerable that the young here will seek answer in something else to heal them, something other than peaceful protests. The day that happens it would be another sad chapter in our history, and saddest in your history.
We are living in sad times. I don’t know if I can call it ‘living’. Everyday mothers and sisters in Kashmir wash the blood of children of stone from the rough roads of the valley. Every day we see someone killed, and every day we see someone succumbing to injuries. Here a child has bullet in his neck, there a teenage girl has bullet in her back. They say she was engaged only 20 days ago. Here in Kashmir even an eight year-old-kid was flogged to death. We were told a 22-year-old girl died after a bullet fired in air hit her chest, and she died in Batamaloo. Someone has rightly said that Kashmiris have become so tall that when forces fire in air, the bullets hit either their heart or head.
An eight-year-old kid was beaten to death. His body had bruises all over. His father was washing his little body with water. But even this failed to wake the conscience of parliament and intellectuals in New Delhi. Not a single statement on the daily loss of lives in Kashmir. Nothing. Instead the Home Minister had this message for the people of Kashmir: “Keep your children at home.” He should have added that a predator is out in Kashmir, and that he has a special liking for children. This way his warning would have been understandable.
In a democratic country, in 2010, the Home Minister is asking people not to allow their children to step outside their homes. This is the State of the democratic State – that on the roads your children have no safety. That protest is no longer legitimate. That if you step on the roads we are not sure whether you will be hit by a bullet in the head or chest, even though we always tell our forces to fire in the air, and that too in self-defense.
At times I want to laugh at the intellectual class sitting in the flashy studios of news channels in New Delhi, and passing judgments through the chatter boxes on every issue on earth. Their arrogance and confident-ignorance is worth watching. For them human Rights is a great concept but only when victims fall under the constitution of India. Sawpan Das Gupta repeatedly argues whether those people who doesn’t accept the constitution of India should be allowed to enjoy the same rights which the constitution of India guarantees. In British or in USA, the very talk would have shocked the people. But in India nothing happens. Not a leaf moves. It is an argument, and it is perceived as an argument.
I want to laugh out loud at these intellectual-journalists when they condemn Taliban and talk about the Talibinisation of Kashmir and Islamisation of Sopore. For heavens sake, give us one example in past two months where Jihadi protesters in Kashmir beat someone to death, just one example? And respond to the allegations of the family which accuses the forces of beating their child to death in Batmaloo. Is that not Talibinsation?
Imagine a child being beaten in classroom by his teacher in Delhi or in Mumbai. Beaten, I say. Recently there was debate on corporal punishment for days together in Delhi based media. But when it comes to beating of children to death, they are silent, and the State says don’t allow your children to step out.
Every time I see the picture of the father who is being kicked by the CRPF man when he tries to protect the body of his son from sacrilege in Tengpora Bypass, I want to cry my heart out. This should not happen to any father anywhere in the world. That very photograph tells me everything about what I am, about my life, and what the life of my child and the children has been reduced to in Kashmir. The photo speaks more than 100,000 words about Kashmir and the conflict in Kashmir. Here we are not even allowed to protect the sanctity of the bodies of our children.
And then they talk about Islamisation of Sopore and Talibinisation of Kashmir. Whatever you name the current protests, whatever you want to name the current rage sweeping the streets, whatever you call them, the pictures of the dead, of our children, of our fathers, our wailing mothers and sisters would haunt our young generation for a long time to come. They will never forget it.
The wounds inflicted on the people of Kashmir won’t heal by what a columnist has written “butt numbing speech of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.” These are wounds which can’t be healed by speeches anymore. Act now and resolve Kashmir for good. Respect the aspirations of people of Kashmir. Now it is the question of justice and test of your democracy and liberalism. Act now lest these wounds become so intolerable that the young here will seek answer in something else to heal them, something other than peaceful protests. The day that happens it would be another sad chapter in our history, and saddest in your history.
Friday, August 6, 2010
If violence against non-violence continues
Naseer A Gani
Kashmiris have done everything to get justice. They are out on roads, shouting slogans of Azadi, getting killed, their children are flogged to death, in desperation after they see bodies of children they attack security bunkers and pickets. They go for two month long strikes, and continue with strikes after shutdowns. They are using all non-violent methods to achieve objective. The objective is to get rid of security apparatus which Indian state has established around them.
They are desperate to over throw it. They have not accepted the reality of India in Kashmir even after 60 years of Indian rule. They see Indian state through security bunkers, their previous generation saw Indian rule through political treachery and legal violence.
1n 1953 Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was arrested even though being the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He was accused of being Pakistani agent. And then the instrument of accession was ratified in the Constituent Assembly of the Jammu and Kashmir in 1956 when Sheikh was in jail and his National Conference had launched plebiscite movement.
In 1946 Nehru had supported Sheikh’s Quit Kashmir Movement against Maharaja and had condemned the brutality against Kashmiris by the Army of Maharaja. Nehru wrote a statement titled: “Srinagar: Almost a City of Dead.”
“The whole valley was handed over to military administration…A reign of terrorism and frightfulness then began, Kashmir has been cut off from the outside world since then. My information is that far more people than officially admitted have been killed. A much larger number who were wounded were sent to jails instead of hospitals. Srinagar is almost a city of dead where movement is difficult and larger numbers of people are practically interned in their own houses, apart from the many hundreds who have been put to prison…Dead bodies are not being handed over to relatives for burial, according to religious rites but are soaked in petrol and burnt…So far as I can gather the State authorities are bent on breaking and crushing the spirit of the people and are using Army as if they were occupying recently conquered enemy territory.”
It was in 1946. That year Nehru’s heart bleeds at the plight of Kashmiris and at the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah by Maharaja Hari Singh who wanted Kashmir to be an independent State. And in 1953 Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was arrested on the orders of Nehru.
It seems Sheikh after the fall Dhaka in 1971 felt that India is strong enough not to challenge. The symbol of Kashmiri dream of self-determination budged. On February 25, 1975 he was sworn in as Chief Minister of the State. Why chief minister? Because, after 1953 Indian State had no courage to see two Prime Minister’s in one country. Pakistan which almost every Indian intellectual, writer, journalist, lawyer (except few) refer as failed State, despite the fall of Dhaka had courage not to change the title of the head of the State of Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
The head of the State in the Pakistan Administered Kashmir, popularly referred in this part Kashmir as Azad Kashmir, has title Prime Minister. It has its Supreme Court. Deride both the title and the Supreme Court of Azad Kashmir. Say they have no powers. Say they are at the beck and call of Islamabad. This might be reality. But the other reality is that is unlike New Delhi, Islamabad didn’t fiddle with the title of the head of the State of its’ administered part of Kashmir. It had courage to keep it. And India was so insecure to have it. It was so insecure that Sheikh despite being friend of Nehru was arrested on the orders of Nehru. Because, it feared he has ambitions for independent Jammu and Kashmir State. Sheikh became the Chief Minister and died few years later. But then Kashmiri realized quickly that Sheikh has not been fair to them by entering into accord with Indira Gandhi.
And in 1980-81, when they saw Umar Mukhtar, a film about Libyan revolutionary, they came out of theaters and burned Sheikh’s photos. Umar Muktar preferred death but didn’t compromise while as Sheikh compromised at fag end of his life, they argued.
Few years later there was upsurge in Kashmir. Kashmiris thought they could use non-violent methods to tell India what they are upto. They formed Muslim United Front (MUF). And, then participated in the elections to over throw Sheikh’ son Farooq Abdullah. Indian State came to its own rescue. It feared ballot of Kashmiris in 1987 and rigged the elections and declared all the winners as defeated. It forced Muhammad Yousuf Shah who was winning elections from Amirakadal constituency to choose different path. Today he is Supreme Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen.
The rigging of elections was great betrayal. Kashmiri felt stab at his heart. He couldn’t tolerate the humiliation. He looked at Afghanistan. And thought like brave Afghans he could also use force of bullet to force democratic India which rejected ballot to settle Kashmir dispute.
Armed struggle began in 1989. This time it was Kashmiris who crossed to Pakistan to get training to fight against Indian security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir State. This is the legitimacy of the Indian State in Kashmir! That people at one point of time crossed to other side to get weapons to oust it from Kashmir.
Like in 1987 when non-violent democratic method of struggle of opting for ballot by Kashmiris was killed through violence of rigging, the response of Indian State was violent to the armed resistance. Fair enough.
Kashmiri saw worst. Killing, arrest, humiliation, and disappearance. He however also learned that whosoever the mighty State might be, it is not so mighty to kill the aspiration.
But Kashmiri had realization that Europe and the USA detest violent methods when used by others to achieve their political goals. He always looked to West hoped one day they will come to his rescue. He gave up the armed struggle and adopted non-violent methods. He lodged protests. Advocated Gandhi Gari hoping it might be acceptable to the West and at same time it might jolt conscious of Indian state, if not the State at least conscious class in India.
For three years now Kashmiris are out again seeking resolution of the dispute shouting slogans of Azadi. Telling Indian State that your methods have failed to kill our aspirations. Now listen to us. Now resolve the dispute which you took to the United Nations.
This time again the geopolitical situation is not favorable to him. Nothing is happening in the region that could bring any positive change in Kashmir. Nothing by now! Ban Ki Moon issued a statement few days ago but was frightened when New Delhi raised objection. He retreated and disowned it.
Indian State can browbeat Ban Ki Moon. But not people of Kashmir who are on streets taking off their shirts and asking forces to kill them. They fear nothing. Not the death. Fear of the State is no fear before the fear death.
But this time far greater responsibility lies with the thinking class in India. Journalists, intellectuals, policy makers and others. They must ask government in Delhi to end violence, whether political or otherwise, against Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a given situation in the region when Americans are washing off their hands from Af-Pak, you must know the big trouble is in offing if violence against non-violence continues in Kashmir.
If again Kashmiri decide to opt for violence, it will be fierce and devastating. These youth have seen everything. I repeat they fear nothing. In next two years things are likely to change in the region after retreat of USA from Afghanistan and if the violence against Kashmiri continues, it would definitely change thinking here. That whether violence should be responded with violence. If that happens that would devastate Kashmir, that is certain, but it won’t do any good to New Delhi either.
Better understand now and go for investment in peace in Kashmir by accepting resolutions of autonomy, looking at proposals of self rule, considering Mirwaiz four-point proposal and accept what Geelani says that Kashmir is a disputed territory. It is. It is the reality. Don’t expect rewards for denying the reality.
Kashmiris have done everything to get justice. They are out on roads, shouting slogans of Azadi, getting killed, their children are flogged to death, in desperation after they see bodies of children they attack security bunkers and pickets. They go for two month long strikes, and continue with strikes after shutdowns. They are using all non-violent methods to achieve objective. The objective is to get rid of security apparatus which Indian state has established around them.
They are desperate to over throw it. They have not accepted the reality of India in Kashmir even after 60 years of Indian rule. They see Indian state through security bunkers, their previous generation saw Indian rule through political treachery and legal violence.
1n 1953 Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was arrested even though being the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He was accused of being Pakistani agent. And then the instrument of accession was ratified in the Constituent Assembly of the Jammu and Kashmir in 1956 when Sheikh was in jail and his National Conference had launched plebiscite movement.
In 1946 Nehru had supported Sheikh’s Quit Kashmir Movement against Maharaja and had condemned the brutality against Kashmiris by the Army of Maharaja. Nehru wrote a statement titled: “Srinagar: Almost a City of Dead.”
“The whole valley was handed over to military administration…A reign of terrorism and frightfulness then began, Kashmir has been cut off from the outside world since then. My information is that far more people than officially admitted have been killed. A much larger number who were wounded were sent to jails instead of hospitals. Srinagar is almost a city of dead where movement is difficult and larger numbers of people are practically interned in their own houses, apart from the many hundreds who have been put to prison…Dead bodies are not being handed over to relatives for burial, according to religious rites but are soaked in petrol and burnt…So far as I can gather the State authorities are bent on breaking and crushing the spirit of the people and are using Army as if they were occupying recently conquered enemy territory.”
It was in 1946. That year Nehru’s heart bleeds at the plight of Kashmiris and at the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah by Maharaja Hari Singh who wanted Kashmir to be an independent State. And in 1953 Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was arrested on the orders of Nehru.
It seems Sheikh after the fall Dhaka in 1971 felt that India is strong enough not to challenge. The symbol of Kashmiri dream of self-determination budged. On February 25, 1975 he was sworn in as Chief Minister of the State. Why chief minister? Because, after 1953 Indian State had no courage to see two Prime Minister’s in one country. Pakistan which almost every Indian intellectual, writer, journalist, lawyer (except few) refer as failed State, despite the fall of Dhaka had courage not to change the title of the head of the State of Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
The head of the State in the Pakistan Administered Kashmir, popularly referred in this part Kashmir as Azad Kashmir, has title Prime Minister. It has its Supreme Court. Deride both the title and the Supreme Court of Azad Kashmir. Say they have no powers. Say they are at the beck and call of Islamabad. This might be reality. But the other reality is that is unlike New Delhi, Islamabad didn’t fiddle with the title of the head of the State of its’ administered part of Kashmir. It had courage to keep it. And India was so insecure to have it. It was so insecure that Sheikh despite being friend of Nehru was arrested on the orders of Nehru. Because, it feared he has ambitions for independent Jammu and Kashmir State. Sheikh became the Chief Minister and died few years later. But then Kashmiri realized quickly that Sheikh has not been fair to them by entering into accord with Indira Gandhi.
And in 1980-81, when they saw Umar Mukhtar, a film about Libyan revolutionary, they came out of theaters and burned Sheikh’s photos. Umar Muktar preferred death but didn’t compromise while as Sheikh compromised at fag end of his life, they argued.
Few years later there was upsurge in Kashmir. Kashmiris thought they could use non-violent methods to tell India what they are upto. They formed Muslim United Front (MUF). And, then participated in the elections to over throw Sheikh’ son Farooq Abdullah. Indian State came to its own rescue. It feared ballot of Kashmiris in 1987 and rigged the elections and declared all the winners as defeated. It forced Muhammad Yousuf Shah who was winning elections from Amirakadal constituency to choose different path. Today he is Supreme Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen.
The rigging of elections was great betrayal. Kashmiri felt stab at his heart. He couldn’t tolerate the humiliation. He looked at Afghanistan. And thought like brave Afghans he could also use force of bullet to force democratic India which rejected ballot to settle Kashmir dispute.
Armed struggle began in 1989. This time it was Kashmiris who crossed to Pakistan to get training to fight against Indian security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir State. This is the legitimacy of the Indian State in Kashmir! That people at one point of time crossed to other side to get weapons to oust it from Kashmir.
Like in 1987 when non-violent democratic method of struggle of opting for ballot by Kashmiris was killed through violence of rigging, the response of Indian State was violent to the armed resistance. Fair enough.
Kashmiri saw worst. Killing, arrest, humiliation, and disappearance. He however also learned that whosoever the mighty State might be, it is not so mighty to kill the aspiration.
But Kashmiri had realization that Europe and the USA detest violent methods when used by others to achieve their political goals. He always looked to West hoped one day they will come to his rescue. He gave up the armed struggle and adopted non-violent methods. He lodged protests. Advocated Gandhi Gari hoping it might be acceptable to the West and at same time it might jolt conscious of Indian state, if not the State at least conscious class in India.
For three years now Kashmiris are out again seeking resolution of the dispute shouting slogans of Azadi. Telling Indian State that your methods have failed to kill our aspirations. Now listen to us. Now resolve the dispute which you took to the United Nations.
This time again the geopolitical situation is not favorable to him. Nothing is happening in the region that could bring any positive change in Kashmir. Nothing by now! Ban Ki Moon issued a statement few days ago but was frightened when New Delhi raised objection. He retreated and disowned it.
Indian State can browbeat Ban Ki Moon. But not people of Kashmir who are on streets taking off their shirts and asking forces to kill them. They fear nothing. Not the death. Fear of the State is no fear before the fear death.
But this time far greater responsibility lies with the thinking class in India. Journalists, intellectuals, policy makers and others. They must ask government in Delhi to end violence, whether political or otherwise, against Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a given situation in the region when Americans are washing off their hands from Af-Pak, you must know the big trouble is in offing if violence against non-violence continues in Kashmir.
If again Kashmiri decide to opt for violence, it will be fierce and devastating. These youth have seen everything. I repeat they fear nothing. In next two years things are likely to change in the region after retreat of USA from Afghanistan and if the violence against Kashmiri continues, it would definitely change thinking here. That whether violence should be responded with violence. If that happens that would devastate Kashmir, that is certain, but it won’t do any good to New Delhi either.
Better understand now and go for investment in peace in Kashmir by accepting resolutions of autonomy, looking at proposals of self rule, considering Mirwaiz four-point proposal and accept what Geelani says that Kashmir is a disputed territory. It is. It is the reality. Don’t expect rewards for denying the reality.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Central Bureau of Investigation
It is Central Bureau of Investigation in JK
Elsewhere, Congress Bureau of Investigation
Naseer A Ganai
This time charges are against Amit Shah, Gujrat Minister of State for Home and everyone is out to defend him and discredit the Central Bureau of Investigation. Last night in various TV channels the BJP, various analysts described the CBI as the Congress Bureau of Investigation which is out to malign political opponents. They rejected “media investigation” saying these are not investigation but selected leaks by the CBI which agency has been doing over the years on the behest of its political masters. The senior Supreme Court lawyers were indicting the CBI.
Case history
Media reports say on November 24, 2005, Rajasthan resident Sohrabuddin, his wife Kausar Bi and a third person, Prajapati Tulsi, were abducted allegedly by the police from a bus stand in Gujarat.
Two days later, Sohrabuddin was allegedly killed by a joint police team from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed later but her body was never found. Tulsi, the sole witness, too was killed in a fake encounter a year later.
In January 2010, the Supreme Court, on a plea by Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin, handed over the case to the CBI, saying the Gujarat Police were trying to shield those involved in the killing. Two associates of Shah, minister of state for home, have already admitted to the CBI that they were involved in bribing and threatening some witnesses at the minister’s behest. Besides, evidence gathered by the CBI points to Shah’s involvement– right from hatching the murder plan to pressuring police officials during the investigation, destroying evidence and threatening witnesses, reports said quoting the CBI official. The evidence includes records of phone calls made by Shah to police officers allegedly involved in Sohrabuddin’s killing before and during the fake encounter.
Shopian case
Now let us go back December 2009 and look at the debates and articles which appeared in different newspapers when CBI completed the investigation in Shopian case in Kashmir valley and presented the charge-sheet before the Court.
On May 30, 2009 morning two bodies were found on the banks of stream Rambiara in Shopian district of South Kashmir, some 66 kms from Srinagar. They were identified as Aasiya Jan, 17, and her sister-in-law, Neelofar.
The bodies of Neelofar Jan wife of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar and Aasiya Jan daughter of Abdul Gani Ajangar, both residents of Bungam, were found near Rambiara nullah around 6 am at some distance from a CRPF camp on May 30. According to locals, Aasiya and her 3-month pregnant sister-in-law, Neelofar were missing since May 29 evening after they had gone into their orchard at Degam, Batpora across the nullah.
Locals and the family accused men in uniform of rape and murder of the two women. Kashmir believed and trusted them. It rose in unison to protest. The authorities clamped undeclared curfew across valley. Kashmiris defied it. For seven days whole valley observed strike. Shopian continued the strike for 47 days.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the incident as death by drowning and but ordered an inquiry by retired Judge of the High Court, Justice Muzaffer Jan.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani set the tone this way: “Hurriyat rejects the government inquiry. Apparently it seems that troopers are involved in this heinous act. Asking a police officer to head the Special Investigation Team doesn’t make any sense. Doctors who conducted the post mortem had categorically said that Neelofar and her sister-in-law, Asiya, were gang raped before being murdered brutally.”
Justice Jan came out with a report in stipulated time. The report says, “All the officers of the department stood by the theory of death by drowning with full knowledge, and belief that no one in the recent, or past history of Shopian has died due to drowning in River Rambi Ara. The official statement of drowning does not convey the mindset of indifference, but depicts an active, intelligent and conscious effect to divert the attention of public from the actual and factual cause of death.”
“In the normal course of human conduct, any person intending to get rid of two dead bodies in a hurry, would attempt to deposit the dead bodies at the nearest available spot, the person would normally leave sufficient trails to trace the culprit. In the present case, the disposal of dead bodies in the centre of security ring, with mathematical precision and like surgical operation to ensure that no visible trails are left, cannot be said to be the handiwork of a private individual but would need the support of some agency,” the report reads.
“The Commission, being aware of its delicate duty to uphold the majesty of law, has also a duty to identify the person or persons, who may, under law, be responsible for the present ruthless crime. To identify the real culprit, extensive investigation, by a competent and dedicated team of professional investigators, with all modern facilities, is required,” the commission recommended.
The Government entrusted inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation which was opposed by the Kashmir Bar Association. Kashmir Bar Association withdrew the case from the Court saying CBI’s track record in Kashmir has been worst and it would act in “national interest.”
Finally in December CBI came out with the Shopian report and presented it before the High Court.
“We are of the considered opinion that the cause of death in Aasiya Jan’s case was due to asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem drowning. The lacerated wound present on forehand could be produced by blunt force striking head against the hard surface or object…There was nothing suggestive of penetration of penis or like object through the hymeaneal opening as the hymen was found intact,” the CBI said.
The CBI report said, “After the falsification of the various postmortem reports and fudging of evidence, a concerted effort was made by some advocates of Shopian Bar and some private persons to create further false evidence for implicating the police and security forces in a false case of rape and murder of the two accused.”
It absolved everyone except the witnesses, lawyers and doctors. Shakeel Ahmad, shocked husband of Neeofer set ablaze the CBI report outside the High Court before full media glare. Bar termed it as report shield the men in uniform. Shopian residents gave strike call, Geelani, Yasin, Mirwaiz supported the same.
But analysts in Delhi termed the reaction in Kashmir against the CBI report as bizarre. They said the CBI has exposed the “lies of separatists who are out to foment the trouble and defame the security forces.”
The analysts rejected allegations that the CBI has acted as per the guidelines of the Government of India.
In Shopian case the Congress, BJP, and the analysts were in unison in supporting the CBI report and in Amit Shah’s case, Mehash Jathmalani on Thursday evening said on CNN-IBN that Sohrabuddin was LeT militant prompting Congress spokesman to say, “I am shocked that you are supporting fake encounter on the presumption that the character of the person was not good.” Mehesh laughed at him.
The analysts baring few termed the selective leak to press by CBI as part of the Congress plot to defame the BJP and termed the CBI repeatedly as the Congress Bureau of Investigation. Chandan Mitra of the BJP and scores of other people attacked CBI left, right and Centre. The same analysts would swear by the CBI when it was investigating the Shopian case. The question is if it is Congress Bureau of Investigation outside Jammu and Kashmir why it is Central Bureau of Investigation in Jammu and Kashmir? If CBI’s investigation is not trustworthy outside Jammu and Kashmir why it is apostle of truth in Jammu and Kashmir? Any answers.
Elsewhere, Congress Bureau of Investigation
Naseer A Ganai
This time charges are against Amit Shah, Gujrat Minister of State for Home and everyone is out to defend him and discredit the Central Bureau of Investigation. Last night in various TV channels the BJP, various analysts described the CBI as the Congress Bureau of Investigation which is out to malign political opponents. They rejected “media investigation” saying these are not investigation but selected leaks by the CBI which agency has been doing over the years on the behest of its political masters. The senior Supreme Court lawyers were indicting the CBI.
Case history
Media reports say on November 24, 2005, Rajasthan resident Sohrabuddin, his wife Kausar Bi and a third person, Prajapati Tulsi, were abducted allegedly by the police from a bus stand in Gujarat.
Two days later, Sohrabuddin was allegedly killed by a joint police team from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed later but her body was never found. Tulsi, the sole witness, too was killed in a fake encounter a year later.
In January 2010, the Supreme Court, on a plea by Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin, handed over the case to the CBI, saying the Gujarat Police were trying to shield those involved in the killing. Two associates of Shah, minister of state for home, have already admitted to the CBI that they were involved in bribing and threatening some witnesses at the minister’s behest. Besides, evidence gathered by the CBI points to Shah’s involvement– right from hatching the murder plan to pressuring police officials during the investigation, destroying evidence and threatening witnesses, reports said quoting the CBI official. The evidence includes records of phone calls made by Shah to police officers allegedly involved in Sohrabuddin’s killing before and during the fake encounter.
Shopian case
Now let us go back December 2009 and look at the debates and articles which appeared in different newspapers when CBI completed the investigation in Shopian case in Kashmir valley and presented the charge-sheet before the Court.
On May 30, 2009 morning two bodies were found on the banks of stream Rambiara in Shopian district of South Kashmir, some 66 kms from Srinagar. They were identified as Aasiya Jan, 17, and her sister-in-law, Neelofar.
The bodies of Neelofar Jan wife of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar and Aasiya Jan daughter of Abdul Gani Ajangar, both residents of Bungam, were found near Rambiara nullah around 6 am at some distance from a CRPF camp on May 30. According to locals, Aasiya and her 3-month pregnant sister-in-law, Neelofar were missing since May 29 evening after they had gone into their orchard at Degam, Batpora across the nullah.
Locals and the family accused men in uniform of rape and murder of the two women. Kashmir believed and trusted them. It rose in unison to protest. The authorities clamped undeclared curfew across valley. Kashmiris defied it. For seven days whole valley observed strike. Shopian continued the strike for 47 days.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the incident as death by drowning and but ordered an inquiry by retired Judge of the High Court, Justice Muzaffer Jan.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani set the tone this way: “Hurriyat rejects the government inquiry. Apparently it seems that troopers are involved in this heinous act. Asking a police officer to head the Special Investigation Team doesn’t make any sense. Doctors who conducted the post mortem had categorically said that Neelofar and her sister-in-law, Asiya, were gang raped before being murdered brutally.”
Justice Jan came out with a report in stipulated time. The report says, “All the officers of the department stood by the theory of death by drowning with full knowledge, and belief that no one in the recent, or past history of Shopian has died due to drowning in River Rambi Ara. The official statement of drowning does not convey the mindset of indifference, but depicts an active, intelligent and conscious effect to divert the attention of public from the actual and factual cause of death.”
“In the normal course of human conduct, any person intending to get rid of two dead bodies in a hurry, would attempt to deposit the dead bodies at the nearest available spot, the person would normally leave sufficient trails to trace the culprit. In the present case, the disposal of dead bodies in the centre of security ring, with mathematical precision and like surgical operation to ensure that no visible trails are left, cannot be said to be the handiwork of a private individual but would need the support of some agency,” the report reads.
“The Commission, being aware of its delicate duty to uphold the majesty of law, has also a duty to identify the person or persons, who may, under law, be responsible for the present ruthless crime. To identify the real culprit, extensive investigation, by a competent and dedicated team of professional investigators, with all modern facilities, is required,” the commission recommended.
The Government entrusted inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation which was opposed by the Kashmir Bar Association. Kashmir Bar Association withdrew the case from the Court saying CBI’s track record in Kashmir has been worst and it would act in “national interest.”
Finally in December CBI came out with the Shopian report and presented it before the High Court.
“We are of the considered opinion that the cause of death in Aasiya Jan’s case was due to asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem drowning. The lacerated wound present on forehand could be produced by blunt force striking head against the hard surface or object…There was nothing suggestive of penetration of penis or like object through the hymeaneal opening as the hymen was found intact,” the CBI said.
The CBI report said, “After the falsification of the various postmortem reports and fudging of evidence, a concerted effort was made by some advocates of Shopian Bar and some private persons to create further false evidence for implicating the police and security forces in a false case of rape and murder of the two accused.”
It absolved everyone except the witnesses, lawyers and doctors. Shakeel Ahmad, shocked husband of Neeofer set ablaze the CBI report outside the High Court before full media glare. Bar termed it as report shield the men in uniform. Shopian residents gave strike call, Geelani, Yasin, Mirwaiz supported the same.
But analysts in Delhi termed the reaction in Kashmir against the CBI report as bizarre. They said the CBI has exposed the “lies of separatists who are out to foment the trouble and defame the security forces.”
The analysts rejected allegations that the CBI has acted as per the guidelines of the Government of India.
In Shopian case the Congress, BJP, and the analysts were in unison in supporting the CBI report and in Amit Shah’s case, Mehash Jathmalani on Thursday evening said on CNN-IBN that Sohrabuddin was LeT militant prompting Congress spokesman to say, “I am shocked that you are supporting fake encounter on the presumption that the character of the person was not good.” Mehesh laughed at him.
The analysts baring few termed the selective leak to press by CBI as part of the Congress plot to defame the BJP and termed the CBI repeatedly as the Congress Bureau of Investigation. Chandan Mitra of the BJP and scores of other people attacked CBI left, right and Centre. The same analysts would swear by the CBI when it was investigating the Shopian case. The question is if it is Congress Bureau of Investigation outside Jammu and Kashmir why it is Central Bureau of Investigation in Jammu and Kashmir? If CBI’s investigation is not trustworthy outside Jammu and Kashmir why it is apostle of truth in Jammu and Kashmir? Any answers.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Kashmir dispute: Theory of five police stations
Naseer A Ganai
They are all talking. They are all talking about Kashmir. They are all coming out with solutions. ‘Experts’ like Praveen Swami say it is the problem of five police stations of old-city and it could have been tackled with Lathis easily. He even went on to say that in 2008 it was solved with Lathis.
Someone should inform him that in 2008 it was dealt with bullets and tear smoke shells, fired above legs. Over 60 youngsters fell to bullets that summer and over a thousand received injuries. Sixty people don’t die due to Lathis. Last year, when valley rose on Shopian incident, he attributed uprising to Jamaat Islami and confined it to Shopian only. These are Kashmir experts whose advice is taken by the policy makers in New Delhi seriously. So you can imagine the policy which is framed after taking advice from such opinion makers. There is more.
An embedded journalist compared the pain of tooth-break of a solider with that of killing of 16 children. This is the liberal class in New Delhi. This is the class which talks of democracy and democratic rights. It happens always. Whenever Indian State faces crises in Kashmir, it brings these ‘experts’ on media to manage the crises. If they fail, then asks them to shut up and advices media to shift focus somewhere else other than Kashmir. We saw it in 2008. And they crawl when asked to bend. The present crisis is not the crisis of Omar Abdullah as media tries to project it. It is not the crisis which could be managed by Mufti, Farooq, Azad or Soz. It is the crisis of legitimacy of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir and they have been facing this crisis for past 60 years. Mirwaiz Umar and Sajjad Lone have been more than right when they say Indian State over the years has always tried to manage Kashmir dispute instead of trying to resolve it.
Sajjad deconstructed “five police stations theory” of Swami in front of him. Lies after lies are being dished out by these experts on TV debates. They are being rebutted not only by Mirwaiz who rightly laughed at the confident ignorance of the debaters but by the pro-Indian politicians like Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffer Baig, Mehboob Beg etc. Confining debates in and around Omar Abdullah, misgovernance, Pakistan, stone pelters and angry protesters has a design. The design is to pin down Kashmiris, to buy time and to sleep over things and prolong the resolution. It has been seen in recent debates on Delhi based channels that whenever politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, cutting across party lines and ideologies, succeeded in forcing the so-called experts to acknowledge that Kashmir is a political problem, they come up with the rider “whom to talk to”. New Delhi need not to talk to anyone. First let’s listen to those who passed the resolution of autonomy in Jammu Kashmir Assembly seeking 1953 position for the State. First let’s listen to those who are seeking self-rule for the State.
There is no talking to be done on the issue. The Assembly has passed the resolution. The resolution belongs to those who believe in Assembly. So why don’t you accept it and implement it. No need to talk to PDP. They have self-rule document. They have handed it over to none other the prime minister. Implement it. There are recommendations of five working groups constituted by the Prime Minister himself. Implement them. The pro-Indian politicians have talked enough. They have given you enough time. But when New Delhi is not taking seriously even those whom it and its experts sell every day in the name of democracy, free and fair elections, what can it offer to those who seek Azadi. Let someone tell these experts that instead of talking about the real issues, you are trying to create the division within the State which is more or less cohesive. Confining the problem to five police stations is fundamentally a flawed theory. When 2008 happened, Jammu was vertically divided with Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Banihal and half of Udhampur siding with Kashmir after being economically blockaded by Jammu district. There was strike in Doda and Kishtwar against the transfer of land to SASB. There was rally in Kargil in support of Kashmir. Tell these experts, had it been the problem of five police stations, there would not have been 1953. Had it been the issue of just five police stations, Sheikh would not have been in jail on charges of being a Pakistani agent.
Had it been the problem of five police stations, there would not have been 1990. There would have been no 2008. Had it been the law and order problem of police stations, Mughal road would have been opened by New Delhi four decades ago when Sheikh wanted it. Had it been of five police stations the Simthan Road would have linked us with Chenab valley long ago. Had it been of five districts, the State Government would not have to beg to Delhi to seek permission for using our own water resources. The problem pertains to the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir, whether Swamis accepts it or not. Problem is that of Kashmir dispute and it needs resolution according to the singular explicit aspiration of the majority of the people living in Jammu and Kashmir. And New Delhi knows it well. Both the aspiration and the solution still it gives impression of listening to ‘experts’ to delay the resolution.
They are all talking. They are all talking about Kashmir. They are all coming out with solutions. ‘Experts’ like Praveen Swami say it is the problem of five police stations of old-city and it could have been tackled with Lathis easily. He even went on to say that in 2008 it was solved with Lathis.
Someone should inform him that in 2008 it was dealt with bullets and tear smoke shells, fired above legs. Over 60 youngsters fell to bullets that summer and over a thousand received injuries. Sixty people don’t die due to Lathis. Last year, when valley rose on Shopian incident, he attributed uprising to Jamaat Islami and confined it to Shopian only. These are Kashmir experts whose advice is taken by the policy makers in New Delhi seriously. So you can imagine the policy which is framed after taking advice from such opinion makers. There is more.
An embedded journalist compared the pain of tooth-break of a solider with that of killing of 16 children. This is the liberal class in New Delhi. This is the class which talks of democracy and democratic rights. It happens always. Whenever Indian State faces crises in Kashmir, it brings these ‘experts’ on media to manage the crises. If they fail, then asks them to shut up and advices media to shift focus somewhere else other than Kashmir. We saw it in 2008. And they crawl when asked to bend. The present crisis is not the crisis of Omar Abdullah as media tries to project it. It is not the crisis which could be managed by Mufti, Farooq, Azad or Soz. It is the crisis of legitimacy of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir and they have been facing this crisis for past 60 years. Mirwaiz Umar and Sajjad Lone have been more than right when they say Indian State over the years has always tried to manage Kashmir dispute instead of trying to resolve it.
Sajjad deconstructed “five police stations theory” of Swami in front of him. Lies after lies are being dished out by these experts on TV debates. They are being rebutted not only by Mirwaiz who rightly laughed at the confident ignorance of the debaters but by the pro-Indian politicians like Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffer Baig, Mehboob Beg etc. Confining debates in and around Omar Abdullah, misgovernance, Pakistan, stone pelters and angry protesters has a design. The design is to pin down Kashmiris, to buy time and to sleep over things and prolong the resolution. It has been seen in recent debates on Delhi based channels that whenever politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, cutting across party lines and ideologies, succeeded in forcing the so-called experts to acknowledge that Kashmir is a political problem, they come up with the rider “whom to talk to”. New Delhi need not to talk to anyone. First let’s listen to those who passed the resolution of autonomy in Jammu Kashmir Assembly seeking 1953 position for the State. First let’s listen to those who are seeking self-rule for the State.
There is no talking to be done on the issue. The Assembly has passed the resolution. The resolution belongs to those who believe in Assembly. So why don’t you accept it and implement it. No need to talk to PDP. They have self-rule document. They have handed it over to none other the prime minister. Implement it. There are recommendations of five working groups constituted by the Prime Minister himself. Implement them. The pro-Indian politicians have talked enough. They have given you enough time. But when New Delhi is not taking seriously even those whom it and its experts sell every day in the name of democracy, free and fair elections, what can it offer to those who seek Azadi. Let someone tell these experts that instead of talking about the real issues, you are trying to create the division within the State which is more or less cohesive. Confining the problem to five police stations is fundamentally a flawed theory. When 2008 happened, Jammu was vertically divided with Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Banihal and half of Udhampur siding with Kashmir after being economically blockaded by Jammu district. There was strike in Doda and Kishtwar against the transfer of land to SASB. There was rally in Kargil in support of Kashmir. Tell these experts, had it been the problem of five police stations, there would not have been 1953. Had it been the issue of just five police stations, Sheikh would not have been in jail on charges of being a Pakistani agent.
Had it been the problem of five police stations, there would not have been 1990. There would have been no 2008. Had it been the law and order problem of police stations, Mughal road would have been opened by New Delhi four decades ago when Sheikh wanted it. Had it been of five police stations the Simthan Road would have linked us with Chenab valley long ago. Had it been of five districts, the State Government would not have to beg to Delhi to seek permission for using our own water resources. The problem pertains to the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir, whether Swamis accepts it or not. Problem is that of Kashmir dispute and it needs resolution according to the singular explicit aspiration of the majority of the people living in Jammu and Kashmir. And New Delhi knows it well. Both the aspiration and the solution still it gives impression of listening to ‘experts’ to delay the resolution.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Confessions of Ali Muhammad Sagar
Façade of democracy in JK unmasked
Naseer A Ganai
The Law Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar has demolished mainstream politics in Jammu and Kashmir forever. In his historical press conference Sagar on Sunday June 27, talked what no other politician has talked in recent years. He addressed press shortly after reports of a killing of youth in Sopore by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). That day there was no protest in Sopore. Sagar said some 20 people had assembled to protest and it didn’t deserve to be fired upon. He said the State Government has no control over the CRPF.
“That New Delhi must listen to the State government and protect interests of the Country in Jammu and Kashmir. Five youth were killed in series of incidents involving CRPF and it was not a good thing. That we want rule with dignity,” Sagar said.
Sagar said that CRPF has lost command and control and the issue must be seriously looked into. That Chief Minister being head of the Unified Command Council has given clear directions to the forces to exercise restraint and protect human rights but despite it these incidents were taking place. That they (CRPF) are working against interest of country and this should not happen at any cost.” Sagar pleaded to the Home Minister of the Government of India to visit Kashmir and prevail upon its forces to not to go for kill in Kashmir. Sagar said that his party couldn’t fight its own people.
These were candid confessions. Over the years the separatists were describing the pro-India politicians in the State as puppets of New Delhi. By asking New Delhi to control its forces in Kashmir who according to Law Minister Sagar are on killing spree here, he proved separatists right. That it is New Delhi which calls shots in Kashmir, no matter whether Omar is Chief Minister, or Mufti.
In Mufti’s time the New Delhi went all against the Permanent Residence (disqualification) bill which was debars a female marrying to non-State subject. Delhi construed introduction of the bill and its passage without discussion as challenge to its authority in Kashmir and it did everything to sabotage its passage in Upper House of JK Assembly.
In one of the speeches during a debate on the bill in Assembly the then Law Minister Muzaffer Baig said “Who says Kashmiris have ruled Jammu and Kashmir State since 1947. We have been always at the beck and call of New Delhi,” the angry Baig said. Sagar echoed same words but this time he was more specific. That the “elected Government” has no control over troops deployed by New Delhi to control masses in Jammu and Kashmir. That New Delhi must steps in to save the “elected govt” from the people who has “elected” it.
Even though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah later retracted from statement of his Law Minister, cat was out of the bag. This time forever! Next day the Home Secretary the Government of India strongly defended Central Forces and commended them for their job. As it was not enough after some days in order to justify the innocent killing the Home Minister described protests in Kashmir as backed by Lashker. Thus, justifying bullet for a stone. But whatever reaction from the Government of India, it has clear now that the “Law and Order” is the subject dealt by the Home Ministry. The Development by the Governor. The Governor recently ordered that all secretaries of should report to him about the progress of the development work under Prime Minister Reconstruction Programme. The Prime Minister convened a meeting. They called high level Kashmir Meeting. They only discussed yatra. Though no had issued any statement against yatris or yatra, the Government of India through its friendly media tried to project protests against human rights abuses in Kashmir as protests against Yatra. In such circumstances what is the role of elected government in JK? The Government which has no control over troop! Even puppets at times enjoy much greater power. Sagar Sahib, you have done great job. You have proved Baig right that you are like Baig at the beck and call of New Delhi.
But what is this Mehbooba Mufti saying. That her investment in peace has been shuttered by your “government’s” lack of Governance? Tell her we don’t govern in JK, it is Home Ministry always. Tell her that even constable on ground doest’t listen to us. Tell her what peace investment you are talking about. Remind her that PDP rule too was not differnt in Kashmir. That was not devoid of killings. Remind her rape of mother and daughter. Tell her that you made candid confession on Sunday that Omar is not in control just like Baig had said in 2004 that mainstream are at the beck and call of New Delhi. That is truth of the mainstream. That is truth of elections in JK. Sagar tell everyone that you unmasked the facade of democracry in JK. But tell them you will cling to your job, what if someone else is in command and control. That doesn't bother you least.
Naseer A Ganai
The Law Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar has demolished mainstream politics in Jammu and Kashmir forever. In his historical press conference Sagar on Sunday June 27, talked what no other politician has talked in recent years. He addressed press shortly after reports of a killing of youth in Sopore by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). That day there was no protest in Sopore. Sagar said some 20 people had assembled to protest and it didn’t deserve to be fired upon. He said the State Government has no control over the CRPF.
“That New Delhi must listen to the State government and protect interests of the Country in Jammu and Kashmir. Five youth were killed in series of incidents involving CRPF and it was not a good thing. That we want rule with dignity,” Sagar said.
Sagar said that CRPF has lost command and control and the issue must be seriously looked into. That Chief Minister being head of the Unified Command Council has given clear directions to the forces to exercise restraint and protect human rights but despite it these incidents were taking place. That they (CRPF) are working against interest of country and this should not happen at any cost.” Sagar pleaded to the Home Minister of the Government of India to visit Kashmir and prevail upon its forces to not to go for kill in Kashmir. Sagar said that his party couldn’t fight its own people.
These were candid confessions. Over the years the separatists were describing the pro-India politicians in the State as puppets of New Delhi. By asking New Delhi to control its forces in Kashmir who according to Law Minister Sagar are on killing spree here, he proved separatists right. That it is New Delhi which calls shots in Kashmir, no matter whether Omar is Chief Minister, or Mufti.
In Mufti’s time the New Delhi went all against the Permanent Residence (disqualification) bill which was debars a female marrying to non-State subject. Delhi construed introduction of the bill and its passage without discussion as challenge to its authority in Kashmir and it did everything to sabotage its passage in Upper House of JK Assembly.
In one of the speeches during a debate on the bill in Assembly the then Law Minister Muzaffer Baig said “Who says Kashmiris have ruled Jammu and Kashmir State since 1947. We have been always at the beck and call of New Delhi,” the angry Baig said. Sagar echoed same words but this time he was more specific. That the “elected Government” has no control over troops deployed by New Delhi to control masses in Jammu and Kashmir. That New Delhi must steps in to save the “elected govt” from the people who has “elected” it.
Even though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah later retracted from statement of his Law Minister, cat was out of the bag. This time forever! Next day the Home Secretary the Government of India strongly defended Central Forces and commended them for their job. As it was not enough after some days in order to justify the innocent killing the Home Minister described protests in Kashmir as backed by Lashker. Thus, justifying bullet for a stone. But whatever reaction from the Government of India, it has clear now that the “Law and Order” is the subject dealt by the Home Ministry. The Development by the Governor. The Governor recently ordered that all secretaries of should report to him about the progress of the development work under Prime Minister Reconstruction Programme. The Prime Minister convened a meeting. They called high level Kashmir Meeting. They only discussed yatra. Though no had issued any statement against yatris or yatra, the Government of India through its friendly media tried to project protests against human rights abuses in Kashmir as protests against Yatra. In such circumstances what is the role of elected government in JK? The Government which has no control over troop! Even puppets at times enjoy much greater power. Sagar Sahib, you have done great job. You have proved Baig right that you are like Baig at the beck and call of New Delhi.
But what is this Mehbooba Mufti saying. That her investment in peace has been shuttered by your “government’s” lack of Governance? Tell her we don’t govern in JK, it is Home Ministry always. Tell her that even constable on ground doest’t listen to us. Tell her what peace investment you are talking about. Remind her that PDP rule too was not differnt in Kashmir. That was not devoid of killings. Remind her rape of mother and daughter. Tell her that you made candid confession on Sunday that Omar is not in control just like Baig had said in 2004 that mainstream are at the beck and call of New Delhi. That is truth of the mainstream. That is truth of elections in JK. Sagar tell everyone that you unmasked the facade of democracry in JK. But tell them you will cling to your job, what if someone else is in command and control. That doesn't bother you least.
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