Naseer A Ganai

Why ‘apolitical’ flights to Srinagar never take off

2011-09-04T10:31:00.001-07:00

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.

In times of ‘normalcy’ related deaths

2011-06-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

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.

Far away lyrics

2011-01-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

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.

To America with Love

2010-10-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

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.
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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!

Arguments against an argumentative Indian

2010-09-12T01:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Our wounds, your theories

2010-08-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

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.

If violence against non-violence continues

2010-08-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

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.

Central Bureau of Investigation

2010-07-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Kashmir dispute: Theory of five police stations

2010-07-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

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.

Confessions of Ali Muhammad Sagar

2010-07-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Audience for food

2010-07-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

RSS Style

Naseer A Ganai
Paul Theroux in his book The Great Railway Bazaar gives this picture of drought hit Sri Lanka in 1970: “The current harvest was a failure, chillies were unobtainable, and the from the train I could see breadlines- hundreds of listless people in misshapen queues, waiting with empty baskets.” Then he says “It struck me practically insane in a country that was starving to death that thirty people should choose to attend a three-day seminar on American literature at which I would be principle speaker. I had not counted on the resourcefulness of the America embassy; when the seminar got underway I saw my alarm was pointless. The clever man who supervised the seminar had assured me there would be 100 per cent attendance, and this method was not very different from the family planner in India who gives a new transistor radio to every male who agrees to vasectomy. Here on the hungry Island of Ceylone, the American literature seminar included three huge meals, high tea, a free room in the New Orient Hotel in Galle, and all the whisky you could drink. Little wonder it was all attended.”
The Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Foundation organized a seminar ironically at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre in Kashmir. It was also well attended. The Foundation had brought masons, carpenters, labourers from Central district Kashmir Budgam with a promise of high tea and food at hotel Centuer. M.G Akbar delivered lecture on Islam, Indian Muslims and Pakistan. That idea of Pakistan is weaker than that of Pakistan. That Idea of India is stronger than the India. That India should grow at eight percent not only eight percent should grow. That India can’t grow without growth of Muslims. Interestingly whenever he uttered the name of Pakistan audience clapped.
He was followed General (Retired) V.P Malik. General Malik talked about China and Pakistan. He said that India should weary of China. Malik apprehended that as China grows economically it would start asserting itself. Riyaz Punjabi the vice-chancellor of University of Kashmir called for interaction between peoples of India and Pakistan. Tarun Vijay, founder chairman of the Mookerjee foundation described Punjabi as representative of Indian Ethos in Kashmir. There was no question answer session except brief interaction with journalist after lunch was served to hungry participants at 2: 15 p.m.
But why should have been there questions, who would have asked them. The audience was more concerned about the tea and lunch than listing to speakers. They were trying to see reason why they were brought here and except food they would see no reason. Thus, they would frequently enter into argument with the managers of the conference that why the food is not being served to them. Finally, lunch time was declared there was huge queue waiting for only vegetarian food. Some were disappointed over the vegetarian food but they were so hungry and they had no other choice.

First, why the function was organized in Kashmir after five decades? Mookerjee, as rightly stated by professor in Political Science Department of Kashmir University Gul Muhammad Wani, represents forced integration of the State of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian Union. He challenged the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir State. And at time when National Conference is in power and seeks restoration of autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir State, why the function was allowed to organize in Kashmir and that too in Sheri Kashmir Convention Centre.
It seems seminar was organized to test the waters. The organizers were not bothered about the audience but about the reaction in Kashmir. Next year the BJP is going to organize it on bigger scale to frighten Kashmiris that India believes in Mookerjee’s ideology and Kashmiris have to accept this. Many of the speaker later interacting with journalists cited examples of China anf Pakistan saying “look how benevolent we are. We didn’t went for demography change as China did in Xinjiang.” This is the mindset.
Now let us presume organizers had good intention to start dialogue with Kashmiri youth as stated by Tarun Vijay. If it was so then why the bused audience, who were more interested and eager to have interaction with food than the ideas? Why seminar was announced only some hours before?
It seems the organizers of the seminar knew that educated class in Kashmir would beat any argumentative Indian in any field now. The Indians no longer would beat Kashmiris with ideals of democracy, liberalism, justice. Kashmiris have over the years seen them all. The hypocrisy of Indian educated upper and lower middle class. They see every day how Indian state translates ideas of democracy and justice on ground in Kashmir. That is why the organizers zeroed in on specific audience. The audience to whom English was Greek and food, and Centaur view was paramount. Long live democracy. Had someone shouted slogan of ham kia chatae there, Taurn Vijay would have got shock of his life. Even the bused audience would have shouted Azadi instead of peace.
In 2005 Congress organized a rally at the Sheri Kashmir Park Srinagar. The Congress leader Khem Lata Wakloo asked Congress workers to respond to her slogans. She raised slogan Ham Kia Chatae, congress workers shouted back: Azadi. Thrice she repeated her slogan reminding the workers that they should say peace. Thrice the workers disappointed her. They continued to shout Azadi. Finally Taj Mohideen, present Minister in Omar’s cabinet, forced Wakloo to sit down.
Tarun says he got audience from the University of Kashmir. Someone should remind him that next day students protested in the University campus seeking dismissal of the vice-chancellor for participating in Mookerjee seminar.

Davos in Kashmir

2010-06-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai
In this conference on inter-regional dialogue two speakers had agreement on various issues. That there should be opening of road links. That there should be more and more trade between regions within the State. That there is need to increase items in Cross LoC trade and it should be hassle free. One speaker was representing Chamber of Commerce of Jammu and another Chamber of Commerce Kashmir. They both being from trade bodies understand much better that people of different regions are for having trade with each other. It seems once there is interaction and trade between the regions in peaceful environment, then sky is limit for us.

Noted economist and columnist of the Times of India Swaminathan Ayar wrote an article in July 2005: Get Ready for Davos 2035: It was a welcome address to guests who would come to attend world economic forum meeting in Gulmarg in the autonomous Jammu and Kashmir in 2035.
Interestingly in August 17, 2008 he wrote: “On August 15 India celebrated independence from British Raj. But Kashmir staged a bandh demanding independence from India. A day symbolizing the end of colonialism in India became a day symbolizing Indian colonialism in valley… British insisted for a long time that India was an integral part of the empire, the jewel in the crown and would never be given up. Imperialist Blimps remained in denial for decades. I fear we are in similar denial in Kashmir.”
The question is can it be possible to have world economic forum meeting in Gulmarg of autonomous Jammu and Kashmir. I think it is possible. Like Mr Ayair let us acknowledge the problem first. That Kashmir is not the jewel in the crown of India. It is an occupied territory. Then throw a solution.
Instead we are in denial of everything including occupation and regional differences.
Inter-regional cooperation will only succeed once we acknowledge the problem first. There is no denial of the fact that there are different perceptions in different regions of the state. Why it is so? I think it is because of the lack of people to people contact and trade between the regions within the State.

For 60 years Mughal road has not been allowed to construct. If the State has not allowed people of Pir Panchal region of Jammu to interact and above all trade with people of valley, is it not denial of fundamental right? Why people to people contact should be restricted between 'intellectuals' of India and Pakistan and why within the State of Jammu and Kashmir it is being denied by the State to ordinary people. Doda Desa Kapran road, Smithan road linking Chenab valley of Jammu with Kashmir is closed for five decades and no on raises voice on these issues.
If Jammu and Kashmir State is one, then why it is not being allowed to be one? Let the roads open. Let people meet. Let us understand each other. Why New Delhi is afraid of people to people contact in Jammu and Kashmir and why it throws up theories of inter regional discard when it is denying people of Jammu and Kashmir State right to interact with each other. A united voice from all regions must be raised against this denial of fundamental right.
The State has sown the seeds of regional discard by trying to make Kashmir issue as religious dispute. Like by extending Amarnath yatra to 2 months from 15 days despite it being against religious scriptures of Hindus or by making Sindhu Darshan as annual ritual. And it seems Indian State believes once a political dispute is turned religious dispute, it becomes so complicated that even gods will be afraid of solving it.
These attempts of the State to make Kashmir dispute a religious issue must be confronted by civil society of three regions. Because it is volatile region where Americans are moving out of Afghanistan and in such scenario you can imagine danger of keeping Kashmir lingering and making it religious dispute.
Besides, it is to be naïve to think that once political dispute like Kashmir is made religious or its demography is changed, as is perception, the dispute will be over. Kashmir dispute started in 1947 between Pakistan and India and as long as these two States exist dispute will remain there. By annihilating Kashmiris, killing their youth will not end Kashmir dispute. This must be understood.
Apart from roads, water is other issue which can bring us together. It is our water which is being denied to us with successive Central Governments refusing to give even counter grantees to State Government to establish hydal projects.
The roads belong to Jammu and Kashmir , water belong to the Jammu and Kashmir and if people of different regions of the Jammu and Kashmir raise voices against exploitation of our water resources by Central Government and seeks for opening road links between different regions, it will improve political climate to an extend that we will not have to wait for 2035 for having world economic forum meeting in Gulmarg. It is unfortunate that Chenab Valley Development Corporation was established and there was not a murmur in Kashmir in general and Jammu in particular about this organized loot of our waters.

If these issues unite us, other larger goals like demilitarization of the State will follow. Economic considerations override all other considerations. The State will flourish once there is investment in peace. And there is need to invest in peace keeping the situation in the region in mind.
World Economic Forum meeting is only possible in peaceful Jammu and Kashmir. And investment in peace in the State of Jammu and Kashmir has to be made by New Delhi. It must be told that 6 lakh Army is not deployed to counter 600 militants. It is what Arundhati Roy rightly says not war against 600 militants but against people of Jammu and Kashmir. It must be told that by closing road links between two regions of the State and by creating hassles in LoC trade it is denying economic prospects to youth and throwing them to other extremes. It must be told that water resources should be restored to us. People of three regions if get united on issues like roads, water and trade then they can force the Government of India to invest in peace by going for demilitarization and this will improve political climate to an extent we have real Davos in Kashmir much earlier than what Saminathan Ayiar had imagined.
(The paper was read in a seminar in Srinagar on Inter-Regional Cooperation)

Blood trade in Kashmir

2010-06-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Time to say Enough is Enough
Naseer A Ganai
The Government of India constantly accuses Pakistan of exporting terrorism. It also lays condition for the talks: That Pakistan should dismantle infrastructure of terror. After Mumbai incident the Government of India and civil society in India raised the issue of terrorism and said India is victim of terrorism. They raised their voice in unison and the World was forced to acknowledge it.
However, over the years despite being subjected to worst acts of terrorism, Kashmiri civil society has failed to project Kashmiri as victim.
On May 28 three youth from Baramulla district were lured by men who work with Army to border district Kupwara. They were promised handsome money. They needed the money. They readily agreed to work as porters with the Army. They were sold to Army at Rs 50,000 each by the blood traders. The Army killed them in gun fight projecting them as infiltrators. Unidentified infiltrators. They were buried in graveyard in Klaroos Kupwara. In the graveyard there are scores of unidentified graves. There is no need to guess who are buried in those graves. Their blood will too speak some day. Jo Chup Rahain Gi Zubani Khanjar-Lahoon Pukaray Ga Asteen Ka.
The three bodies were exhumed. They were not unidentified. Their parents identified them. They had all names: Riyaz Ahmad Lone, 19. Riyaz was sole bread earner of his family. He has aged father, four sisters and one brother. Eight years ago he has started construction of his house. Eight years on it is still without windows and without proper roof.
Muhammad Shafi 19. He has three sisters and brother. His mother said he went out on April 28. “I thought after an hour he will back and go for work in the fields. I never knew he has been buried on border.”
Shahazad, 25. He has 21 year old wife and 4 year old son. And aged parents. He along with two were working as labourers looking for jobs to feed their families. They were promised Rs 2000.
This is not first incident of its kind. There are scores of incidents on record. In the Courts of valley and Muslim dominated areas of Jammu you can find the similar cases. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has scores such examples.
In 2001 Patheribal South Kashmir Army claimed to have killed five terrorists involved in the killing Chittisingpora massacre in which 36 sikhs were killed. The bodies of the terrorists were charred. They later turned out to be local residents of Barai Anang. Same happened in Ganderbal fake encounter case in which people were taken from South Kashmir and killed in Ganderbal.
In Doodhipora in February 2006 four cricket playing boys were killed and projected as foreign militants. The list is quite long.
Where on earth it happens that “you trade blood of human beings to get rewards and promotion.” Naseema the mother of Riyaz said had they demanded money from us we would have sold our land, we would have given them everything.
It is unacceptable. In 2010 different kind of human trafficking is taking place in Kashmir. It is worse than human trafficking. Here they promise poor labourers jobs and good money and then trade their blood. Has life so cheap in Kashmir?
The civil society in Kashmir must rise now and demand end of this human trafficking of Kshmiris. You can’t justify Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Public Safety Act, huge presence of force here in the name of “this infiltration” which means taking people from different places and killing them on line of control. No way. Time has come when we should too say- Enough is Enough.
Last month M.A Chowdary Principal District and Sessions judge Bandpora while hearing fake emcounter case had this to say: “Picking up of an innocent petty vendor on 2.3.2006 from a market of Srinagar City confining him for more than 12 days in police custody and then killing him before wee hours on 14th of March in a fake encounter which was described by the forces as “Bazipora Operation” and then dubbing him a militant from Muzaffarabad PoK cannot be said to be a reasonable connection between the act and the duties of the accused.”
“In the facts and circumstances of the case when a poor hawker was murdered in cold blood in a fake encounter “Bazipora Operation” for petty gains of receiving rewards, appreciation and to retain the postings of their choice can in no way be said to be within the authority of the accused-petitioners as the authority to use force even to the causing of death as provided under section 4 of the Armed Force Special Powers Act 1990 was permissible only in grave situation.”
There are disappearances in Kashmir. There are mass graves in Kashmir. Our oppressors know us by our scars and chains. They must now be forced acknowledge the crimes. The civil society of India is equally partner in the crimes committed by the State in Kashmir. Their reticence in the larger nation interest has emboldened the State. They must be told that we have had enough them as well. This can’t go on and on. They must be told that supporters of blood trade have no right to give lessons to Kashmiris on peace and reconciliation.

‘I disagree what you say’

2010-05-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it

Naseer A Ganai
Someone has written:” Kashmir is a lovely place. We have bureaucrats which milk the system when they are in service...once retired, write for newspapers, spit on the same system blood of which runs their veins and veins of their children.”
Then he has mentioned names of two retired bureaucrats who write in newspapers. But the debate is not who writes what, where and when. The question is whether retired or serving government officials have no right to write anything.
Some argue that under service rules of JK Government they have no write to criticize the government and the government being their mai-baap they should always execute its orders with complete compliance. So, it is argued, even after their retirement they should pay homage to the government instead of commenting on its functioning beacuse they once served it.
But does it mean that whosoever enters into the government services loses his individuality, conscience, like we “pen pushers” lose when we join the second oldest profession in the world. That is journalism. First is prostitution.
The first thing about journalism in Kashmir, if at all it deserves to be called journalism, is that one learns how to lick the boots of State and, the powerful who run it.The State of Jammu and Kashmir is different. It has different history and culture. It has long history of oppression. And the State in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is monolithic entity. Its reach is really far reaching. No one understands it better than pen pushers masquerading journalists.Hence, they have sermon for everyone but not a comment on the State.
Journalism here is nothing, as it is elsewhere in India. It is all about, he said and he added. It is all about what sources said and what they predict. And in this kind of journalism, informed sources always reveal what the State wants them to reveal. It is all about what well placed sources perceive in the administration, police and security forces. It is all about telling people that Lord Jones is dead, who never knew that Lord Jones was alive. But does that mean ‘journalists’ here are incompetent lot and they don’t understand what is going on and what should be written and what shouldn’t be. They understand and know. But they have consciously decided not to write about the things which they perceive the State will not like. So they write what the State wants to hear and listen. That is: “all is well.” Some take moral high ground by writing against few entities of the State and thus try to give impression that they are taking on the State. It is termed as delusions of grandeur.
Years in journalism improves one’s analytical skills and the more senior you become, you write with such a precision about issues that one really feels that journalists are better judges to comment on social, political and economic issues.
Long back when in 2005 Khalid Hassan visited Srinagar, he presented such a picture of the city that I still shudder to think what has been made of Srinagar, the city having 2000 year old history.
He wrote: “There isn’t a sadder city than Srinagar...one of the most eerie experiences i have ever had was being driven in a car through the streets of city at around 10: 30 at night and finding them utterly deserted. Srinagar had turned into a ghost town. The city shits its doors soon after nightfall. All one came upon in the streets were packs of howling dogs that chased the car for varying distances and then gave up...Srinagar is ravaged city. It is also one of the most dusty cities that I have been to, which makes no sense because it is a city that lies beside one of the world’s most beautiful lakes and on either side of meandering Jhelum river. But the city has crumbled, Fifty seven years of conflict has taken their toll. There is no road in the Srinagar that is whole...” It was Khalid in 2005. He died in February 2009 in USA. The Government of India’s Urban Development Ministry declared the city as “dirtiest and dusty” in 2010.
The hard work of reporting years, experience of meeting different people and listening to them, reading, understanding issues, witnessing tragedies, killings, encounters-both fake and genuine, makes one a journalist. It gives him wider outlook to view things and comment upon it. He with ease talks about electricity, muddy roads, economics, and politics and people view the issues through his eyes. He becomes eyes and ears of people. But it might be true about other places. Here when we were asked to bend, we crawled. We acted and are acting as pen-pushers. This is our profession and we earn our living out of it. That is it. The idealism of Faiz and Jalib has no place here.
Many of our friends, colleagues who have been other side of the fence in 90s, jumped to this side when the State went after them. They switched their stand and become journalists. Nothing wrong with it. Everyone has right to be become a journalist. But they have audacity to call their metamorphosis as evolution but the irony is that they deny others the same right.
The accusation was that the retired people- some of them write so well, at least one of them in the instant case who is not nostalgic about his nostalgia- are writing against the State. That is lie. Here no one writes against the State. If sometimes it happens by defualt, it is called aberration as it never happens by design. There is no newspaper in the valley which will allow a writer to write what State doesn't like. Arthur Millar says a good newspaper is nation talking to itself. Have we one?
But having said that let me ask you a question. Has only journalists have this right to write whatever non-sense they want to write? Are others no body? Have 'other people' no opinion. No mind to think and analyse. Has God bestowed wisdom and knowledge to journalists alone that they consider themselves as Ashraful Makloqat and others Makloqat.
There is no denying of the fact that the academics in Kashmir don’t give damn to the writing on the issues. But is it not heartening that if in these sad times someone is writing on the issues and has ideas to express, he should be read and encouraged. Shouldn't he? Let he be criticized on what he has written not what he was.
Ours is a small place, here we know each other and we all have past. But that doesn’t mean we have no right to future. Let us write, let us all write and encourage good writing. Let us discuss the issues, issues of existence, of our survival, not history of men who write about the issues. Let us abide by what Voltaire says, “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Fathers and sons

2010-05-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

If you want to choke a debate, question someone’s ideology and political opinion, just do one thing, ask him what his children are doing and he will lose all his argument, whatever he may have.
This is old technique adopted by some people here who have opinion about nothing except people. They have been fairly successful in executing this archaic technique with new arguments. Often those who espouse pro-freedom cause and talk about right to self-determination and the independence are being posed these questions. Elsewhere, outside Kashmir those who talk about loot and plunder by the corporate giants in tribal areas are being accused of agents of foreign powers. They weave argument according to situation.
From Syed Ali Shah Geelani to Muhammad Yasin Malik, there is not a single pro-freedom leader who has not been chided for actions which have nothing to do with their ideology. Geelani has been asked not once but time and again what his sons have been doing over the years and what he has done for them. And Malik was literary hounded for marrying Mushaal.
There is no denying of the fact that people sacrifice themselves and everything dear to them for their respective ideologies and cherished dreams of freedom, liberation, independence, democracy, women rights, rights of tribal’s, secularism and human rights. There are people who devote their lives for these causes without knowing what happen to their children and family. Even they remained oblivion to what happen to them in personal life. They carried on. There are children who have immensely suffered due to the ideologies of their parents especially in Kashmir. In Kashmir you have hundreds of examples. The examples are in every lane and by-lane.
A father was killed here because his son was wanted militant. Son was killed here because his father was working for troops or it was perceived he was working for troops. People were killed on mere perceptions here. A sister was taken into custody for months together because her brother was wanted. Our trauma has no end.
Fathers and sons were killed because over the years this argument has percolated down that ideology of son can’t be different from the ideology of his father. That if son espouses cause of independent Kashmir, father might have played active role in convincing him about the truth of that cause.
It has been seen that the society and the State have denied personal freedom to the individual here. The State has gone after everyone who has had political opinion. It first ridiculed him, and when he refused to bend, it went after his family to crush him. The State has been fairly successful crushing individuals this way.
The society has never been sympathetic. Son here should marry in same gotra where his father wants him to be. Or daughter should not chose her partner herself, if she or he does so it is construed as sort of rebellion or betrayal in Kashmir.
So we should have sympathy for the people who pose questions of fathers and sons while debating political opinions. Because, they come from a society which even denies a freedom to chose a partner and a career to an individual here.
But the question is why ideology, political opinions and political goals should be made subservient to the actions of family members of the person having certain political ideology. Is it necessary for Geelani that his son should take oath on same thing which his father preaches day in and day out? Is it necessary for Malik that Mushaal should certify his political opinion of independent Kashmir and then it would be accepted as his political opinion? Is it? Do their opinions become valid only after they are certified by their relations? If this is so, then they are not subscribing to any ideology or opinion but to sham.
I think except in Kashmir, there might be no other place in the world where such bizarre questions are being posed and asked. They are being asked with the purpose. The purpose is to put the people having strong opinion about issues in defensive.
Sir Vidia Naipaul has no child and he has no regrets about the same. “No regret at not having children of my own. In fact, I would say it is constant cause for celebration for me. Take Graham Greene. When I was with him once he received a letter from his son. The son was ill, not seriously. But Greene’s whole face collapsed with concern at that letter. He said: you never lose this feeling for them no matter how old they get. I wouldn’t have wanted that,” says Naipaul.
Graham Greene was concerned and it was but natural. It is natural for us to be concerned about our loved ones. But at the same time actions of sons and relations of opinion makers have no relation with each other. You can’t bring relations in ideologies. They shouldn’t be used to contradict opinions of political leaders who have different opinion. Father’s ideology is not subservient to his son’s opinion and vice-versa. Let father have his goals and let son perceive different goals. This kind disagreement is necessary for growth of society. Otherwise we will be society of automatons.

IAS and Conflict Resolution

2010-05-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai
Visit Dadsar Tral someday. In 1975 a young boy from the village was commissioned in the Army. His name was Muhammad Amin Naik. In 2008, Amin rose to become Major General in the Indian Army. The villagers speak high of him. They consider him as son of the soil who has done exceedingly well in his life.
However, the respect and love for Major General Naik has not brought any change in the mindset of people. They continue to be what they are: Kashmiris who look for solution of Kashmir dispute. There is reason why I say so. In 1990 armed insurgency erupted in Kashmir. From the village near about 100 joined the militancy. 50 have died in encounters. This happened despite one of them occupying high position in the Army.
In 1982, another person joined the elite club of Indian Administrative Service. His name was Khurshid Ahmad Ganai. Ganai was second topper in the Union Public Service Commission list that year. But does it made any impact on youth in Kashmir? In 1990 you had 1990 despite Ganai being second topper in 1982.
The IAS or for that matter Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) should not be linked with conflict resolution. There are many people in Kashmir, who are averse to the overwhemling presence of non-Kashmiri bureaucrats in the State administration. They have different notion of resistance. Ironically, they see occupying top slots in the administration by Kashmiri Muslims as part of the resistance, never knowing that the administration is strongest arm of the state.
Over the past few years we have seen much activity from the senior Muslim officers of the State. They have been urging the youth to go for IAS and Kashmir Administrative Service. They call it real empowerment. They say, that too repeatedly, that if the youth fail to compete in the administrative services, there will be no other alternative for Kashmiris but to work as fourth class employees in the State’s administrative set up.
The perception is deep among Kashmiri civil servants who have over the years seen how non-State subject bureaucrats work in the State. They perceive them as biased and having myopic view of things.
These Kashmiri civil servants whether retired or serving, worked hard to motivate Kashmiri youth to compete in the competitive examinations. They made them believe that even in the given “adverse administrative atmosphere,” they can make it beacuse of their sheer talent. Shah Feasal topped the list and broke all myths about the incompetence of Kashmiri Muslim. It was message that Kashmiris can’t be pushed around. Showkat Parray rose from humble background and qualified the IAS. Thus proved that intelligence is not domain of any clan. The reaction in Kashmir particularly among the top officers to the UPSC results was overwhelming. They were happy.
There are reasons for it. First and foremost reason is Muslim presence in the State administration would continue even though it is meager. The second reason was it would prompt youth of Kashmir to compete in the exams and thus increase the number of Muslim in the administration which is dwindling.
To my mind there are various ways people here perceive resistance. Some concentrate on environment and they think its preservation is must and part of resistance. Some think that presence of Muslims in police and the administration could make difference to the people of Muslim majority State. Others perceive they can make change through their writings and Art. Others believe in hardcore politics, like separatists. So the qualifying of Muslim Kashmir in IAS could be seen as assertion Kashmiri identity which majority of Kashmiris perceive is under attack.
But it couldn’t be linked with conflict resolution. That would be what Prof Gul Wani of Political Science Department Kashmir says “far fetched.” “Let us give Ghulam Nabi Azad, Farooq Abdullah, Saif Din Soz, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed cabinet berths and top ministerial portfolios, will it make any change in Kashmir,” he asks. “It won’t.” “Then how come an IAS officer is going to change 60 year old polity of State,” he asks. He says Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was Home Minister of India and Mufti is always reluctant to talk about this very chapter of his life.
So to conclude, I will borrow quote from Prof Abdul Gani Bhat. Bhat when asked about Omer Abdullah’s advent into State politics some eight years back, he said “sun has long set on Kashmir, son rise or son set will not make any difference to it.” So let us talk about the resolution of Kashmir dispute instead of perceiving IAS selection as resolution in itself.

The Last Kashmiri Beggar

2010-04-19T21:29:00.001-07:00

Khandaaro! A voice would be recognized by every household in Kashmir some two decades ago. It was a voice of a beggar. Many beggars would come to our locality to collect alms.
They had all names. The residents would call one Koull, (dumb) as he was seldom entering into any conversation after raising the first cry of Khandaaro. Other was Safida. He was called Safida because his complexion was fair.
Other one was called Motta because he was fat. They knew the residents, by names. Even they knew the children of the area. The residents were also familiar with them.
If on due date Safida would not turn up, the residents would try to seek information about his well being from Koul or Motta, whosoever comes first. The concern of residents about them was genuine.
The beggars were part of Kashmiri culture, if I am not offending anyone. They were part of my childhood as well. I have seen them. Joked with them, teased them, and conversed with them except koull. They were part of us. Nay, they were us. There was no Us verses Them between Us. There was dignity in their begging. And I have not come across an incident where the beggars in those days were given long lecture about the wrongs of begging.
Safida, Motta, Koull however were aged and graceful too. Taking whatever was given to them gracefully. They would inquire about the well being of children, aged and move on.
But over the years Safida, Koull or Motta have been replaced by new breed of beggars. Most of them non-locals. I should say entry of non-local beggar in our house terrifies us. The wedge between them and Us is so deep as it is between India and Pakistan. They alms giver and taker are suspicious of each other. They are they. And we are us. It always Us verses Them. We want they should leave our home as quick as possible even though they seek alms in name of God.
The killing of Habibullah khan in the Handwara forest by the Army had shock for me. His age was 70 years. And he was beggar. The photo of hid body reminded me of all those faces of childhood who were part me. I don’t know fate of beggars of our locality. Perhaps they might have confronted same fate as that of Khan. Who knows?
Some three years ago there was protest in Abiguzar. The residents said Darwaish (ascetic) of the area was killed by the security forces in the den of night. The women shouted slogans. So did the men against the killing of the man who had harmed no one. And after protest they returned to their homes dejected and frustrated. They were even weeping. No one in the area knew from which part of Kashmir the Darwish had come. But over the years he had become part of the locality. He would sit on roadside, the women of the area would provide him food. The nights he would spend in mosque, on roadsides, and at times he would knock at the gate of any house, and the family would feel blessed that he has to be his host for night.

Like all ascetics, he was owned by the Mohallawalas.They lost him. So did the number of other localities. Over the years in the evening these ascetics were seen roaming in localities and in the morning their bodies were found. Like Habibullah Khan of Dewar Lolab valley.

The only woman among girls

2010-04-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai
Yesterday one of my friends forced me to watch that movie. I watched the movie in which she is lead actor. She was beautiful. No doubt about that. She was elegant. And graceful too. But above all she reminded me of good old days when girls were not heroines in Bollywood. They were all women.
But change has had to happen. Gone are days when apple and blackberry were just fruits. Change is must. But suddenly something happens which reminds us of our past. She is that trigger point. One look at her and she triggers all those memories of past heroines of the bollywood. The heroines, I should again say, were women then.
She had different look. Every time, in every scene, every frame of the movie, I found her different. I forgot the movie but not her. In Saree she looked more graceful. I was wondering whether she is heroine of 70s or of 2010. The fact is she is product of these sad times. Time at times surprises us. And She is that surprise.

In 2010 she takes you back to 60s, 70s and 80s of Hindi Cinema. There is nothing in Bollywood films that look like Hindi. Still it is called Hindi cinema. From songs to dialogues, it is all Urdu. I wonder why it is called Hindi Cinema. I have no clue.
But her conversation in the film reminded me of culture and civilization.
But on our civilization, Priyanka Chopra had a word. Last month after remaining here for seven days she returned to Delhi and said “I am back to civilization.” She was right.
Bollywood has never considered Kashmir as civilization and it never considered people of Kashmir as people. Film after film whether filmed in 70s, 80s or 2010 its approach towards Kashmir has remained that of colonial. Kashmiris have been projected as abject race always waiting for a tip from an outsider.

The portrayal has been such that one gets impression that Kashmir has no history and culture. Through Mehmdu (Mehmood), and then through Raja (Shashi Kapoor) in Jab Jab Phool Khilay Kashmiris have all along been portrayed as boatman ready to take alms from anyone. These are only few examples. There are scores. If Kashmiri is not boatman he is Tanga walla ready to do anything when ordered and guided.
Then in nineties, Kashmiri was projected as gun wielding misguided person following orders from “across the border.” All along it has been suggested that Kashmiri doesn't deserve the beauty of Kashmir. He is unworthy of it. He has no brains and he should remain subjugated always. Following orders.Hence no civilization.
Yar, where we have landed? We were discussing woman of bollywood and where from Kashmir crept into it? I was talking about She. Yes!

She reminds me of mischievous smile of Muduballa, tragic beauty Mena Kumari. Inhe zameen par mat utariyega, maile ho jayenge. She reminds of composure of Mena Kumari in Dil Apana Aur Preet Parayee. That of Suchitra Sen as Paro in Bimpal Roy's, Devdas. That of Rehkha. That of Nanda singing Yeh Sama Sama Hai Yeh Payar Ka. She reminds me of Wahida Rehman running after Guru Dutt in Kagaz Kay Phool.

Of graceful Sadna, of elegant Shirmila, of Zareena Wahab. They were all my favorites. But when I started growing up, I lost them. Lost them to Ashwariya, Shusmita, this Sen and that Sen. Of course there was not any Suchitra Sen among them. I lost them to new bollywood heroines. This Krishma, that Karina. This Rani and that Lara. Despite in their 30s they look like girls, than women. Only bones, no flesh.
But yesterday when I saw Vidya Balan acting in the movie, I realized that there is one woman among all these girls in Bollywood. And it is Vidya, the woman.

Of Shoaib Sania, and PR bill

2010-04-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai ‘
The Permanent Residence (Disqualification) Bill again generated heat with Congress and BJP workers masquerading women rights activists terming it anti-women. They argue how come a woman who marries to a non-State subject stops to be State subject. Her children too continue to be State subject.
The State subject law was enacted by the Maharaja in 1927 to stop the exploitation of the State and its resources from rich neighbors from Punjab and other states by buying property in the State and deprive the locals from the benefits of State subjects.
Interestingly, the notifications were ratified by the State Assembly in 1957. According to 1927 notifications a daughter of permanent resident was losing her State subject on marriage with a non-resident.
In October 2002 the full bench of the High Court in a case, State of Jammu and Kashmir versus Dr Sushila Sawhney said that a daughter for permanent resident of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will not lose status as permanent resident of the State of Jammu and Kashmir on marriage with a person, who is not permanent resident of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, Justice Muzaffer Jan had struck a discord note. He said “I agree with the view that of V.K Jhanji ( the then Chief Justice) only to the extent that a female non-permanent resident of the State on her marriage to the permanent resident of the State will have right to inherit the property in accordance with the personal law of the deceased (in the case). However, I don’t agree to ultimate conclusion that a female will not lose the status as a permanent-resident on her marriage with a non-permanent resident of the State.”
The state government went for appeal against the judgment in the Supreme Court. However, the PDP led government in 2004 withdrew the appeal and moved a bill in the legislative assembly.
The legislators of the State cutting across party lines passed the bill in two minutes. But soon after the passage of the bill ruckus was created as if the Assembly had passed right to cessation bill. The whole media, everybody who is no body spoke against it terming it as violation of women rights.
From Lakhanpore to Kaniyakumari they all spoke against the bill. And when the bill reached the Uppers House it had become national issue. In the Upper House a drama was enacted. The bill didn’t pass. The NC blamed PDP. And PDP blamed NC. The Present Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather was most vocal speaker. He accused PDP of backstabbing the State.
Muzaffer Baig gave eloquent speech both in Council and the Assembly. In the Assembly he defended the bill terming as normal domicile law and said it shouldn’t be construed us versus them. In the council poor Baig was defending weeping Council Chairman Rashid Dar whom NC was accusing of entering into conspiracy to defeat the bill.
After six years again, the bill was brought in the Upper House by PDP in March 2010. It again raised the tempers. The Government didn’t oppose knowing well the Legislative Council will drop it. After almost 15 days the chairman of the Legislative Council said it was constitutional bill and should be introduced in the Assembly. He dropped the bill. And with it the tempers of the BJP, Congress parties too cooled down.
But soon Sania Mirza shocked them by deciding to marry Shoiab of Pakistan. This time they were fuming against Sania. They ask that if she marries Pakistani, how come she will play for India. They say after marrying Pakistani she would be a Pakistani citizen and loses rights of Indian citizen.
"Henceforth, Sania will not remain an Indian. Had her heart been Indian, it wouldn't have beaten for a Pakistani. If she wished to play for India, she should have chosen an Indian life partner," he wrote Bal Thackary in editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece.
There were demonstrations in India, and Mirza's picture was burnt on the streets of Bhopal, where activists from the rightwing Hindu nationalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad party vowed to stop her competing at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later in the year.
If it is true for Sania, can’t it be true for JK women who marry outside. Why these double standards.
True that number of Kashmiri women marrying outside the State is few. But the PR bill is not about the women rights it is about the political rights of the State. There are apprehensions of demographic change. The passage of the bill would have quelled the fear to some extent. There is impression that the State Assembly has no powers. The passage of the bill would have erased the impression to some extent.
But then it is Jammu and Kashmir State. Here yardsticks are different. Sania’s marriage to Shoiab doesn’t come under purview of women rights. It is different debate. But a daughter of permanent resident of State on marriage to a non-resident of the State becomes women rights issue. Why?
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Who is the State subject?
There three definitions ate for State subjects under two notifications issued by Maharaja in 1927 on January 31 and April 20. The terms and subjects are:
First: “All persons born and residing within the State before the commencement of the reign of late Maharaja Gulab Singh and also the persons who settled therein before the commencement of Samvat year 1942 and have since been permanently residing therein.”
2nd: “All persons other than those belonging to Class I who settled within the state before the close of Samvat year 1968, and have since permanently resided and acquired immovable property therein.

3rd: All persons other than those belonging to Class I and II permanently residing within the State, who have acquired under a rayatnama any immovable property therein or who may hereafter acquire such property under an ijazatnama and may execute a rayatnama after ten years’ continuous residence therein.

This notification is to be read subject to the provision contained in Part III of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, section 6 of which is reproduced below:-

Permanent residents—(1) Every person who is, or deemed to be, a citizen of India under the provisions of the Constitution of India shall be a permanent resident of the State, if on the fourteenth day of May, 1954—

(a) He was a state subject of class I or of CLASS II ; or
( b) Having lawful acquired immovable property in the State, he has been ordinarily resident in the State for not less than ten years prior to that date.

(2) Any person who, before the fourteenth day of May, 1954 was a State Subject of Class I or of Class II and who having migrated after the first day of March 1947, to the territory now included in Pakistan, return to the State under a permit for resettlement in the State or for permanent return issued by or under the authority of any law made by the State Legislature shall on such return be a permanent resident of the State.

(3) In this section, the expression “ State Subject of class I or Class II” shall have the same meaning as in the State Notification No. 1-L/84 Dated 20th April, 1927, read with State Notification No. 13-L dated 27th June, 1932.

Bar says CJ was punished for being just in Shopian case

2010-03-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

On March 4, in presence of outgoing Chief Justice, Justice Barin Ghosh and galaxy of High Court and Subordinate Court judges, the president High Court Bar Association described Justice Barin Ghosh as honest, upright, dedicated and sincere judge who has been transferred from Kashmir to Sikkim for being just in delivering justice in Kashmir.
It is the rarest of rare instance in past 20 years when the High Court Bar Association has given farewell to outgoing Chief Justice of the State.
Setting the tone for the day the High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom said that Chief Justice, Justice Barin Gosh has been exemplary in his conduct as the Chief Justice of the High Court. “And how come the State tolerate the judge in Kashmir who stated that ‘put all Kashmir in prison but lodge them in Kashmir only,” Qayoom said.
He said Justice Barin Ghosh orders whether on Shopian or PSA detentions had given the sleepless nights to the State. “He issued orders on July 4 and July 15, 2009 to arrest police officer in Shopian case. It was Justice Ghosh who stated they (police officers) should apply for the bail with High Court only,” he said.
Unlike senior counsel Z.A Shah and Z.A Qurashi who earlier termed the conduct of the Chief Justice towards the lawyers as harsh, Qayoom was all praise for Justice Barin Ghosh. “In the delimitation case, the petition was filed at Jammu. The Chief Justice could have adjudicated the matter in Jammu only. But he preferred to hear Kashmir Bar and lawyers here,” Qayoom said. He said in the case the Chief Justice also heard what has not been heard for past 60 years.
In the case the HCBA had brought the UN resolutions and Kashmir dispute first time before the Court.
He said earlier the same treatment was meted to upright judge, the then Chief Justice, Justice Bahudin. He said Justice Bahudin was also transferred to Skim. But, he added, Justice Bahudin preferred not go. He said though Kashmir was beautiful place, Justice Ghosh only wanted to visit Shopian and Sopur. He said has been punished for being upright in Shopian and other human rights cases.
The Chief Justice, Justice Ghosh in his speech avoided reference to Shopian, detention and delimitation case but responded to the allegations of being harsh. In lucid manner he said “when a case comes up before the judge for adjudication, he doesn’t look at the face of lawyer but at the client who has come to the Court to see appropriate adjudication. If the litigant is entitled to what he is asking the adjudicator would decide the case accordingly. If the adjudicator sees the lawyer is ruining litigant’s case, who is entitled to what is asking for then the adjudicator gets angry.”
The Chief Justice said Indian judiciary has rendered very good judgments which have been reported. “But all the great judgments are product of the great lawyers who appear in these cases and enlarged the dimensions of the case,” the Chief Justice said.
He said when he came to Jammu and Kashmir he was told that ‘It is a small court and there is nothing much to do here.” “Here I found the members of judiciary, lower judiciary and bar par-excellence,” Chief Justice said. ‘I have never seen a lawyer appearing before the Court without preparing his brief,” Chief Justice said. He thanked the Bar for the farewell.

RSS slams Shiv Sena

2010-01-31T01:44:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, Jan 31: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday slammed the Shiv Sena over Marathi language issue in Maharashtra.
Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief has issued a directive to Sangh workers to protect North Indians in the state in the wake of the Shiv Sena's Marathi Andolan.

Bhagwat said, "Whole of India is for all Indians and all Indians can earn livelihood anywhere in India. Language, caste, sub-castes, groups, tribes can be different, but all are sons of India."

He said, "This is a misconception that employment has decreased at our place because of migrants. Solution of this grievance should be found but the solution is not that you refuse people of your country to migrate to your area."

"The solution can be found if administration and government are dedicated. All political parties should rising above the vote-bank politics and consider this issue. National integration is above all else," he added.

Recently, Shiv Sena had told to the Government to give taxi permits to only those who know how to speak, read and write Marathi.

Raj Thackeray had said, "They don't know the language, they don't know the city. Maharashtra is not a Dharamshala for people from UP and Bihar. If they are plying 4,500 taxi's they have also set 4,500 homes in Mumbai."

RSS calls for settlement of Hindus in Kashmir

2010-01-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

Bhubaneswar, Jan 27: Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan

Bhagwat called for settlement of Hindus in the Kashmir region where laws prohibit outsiders from buying property.

"Indian patriots should be more in number in our Kashmir. For this if we have to inhabit more of India lovers then we must. If people residing in Kashmir are not loyal to their motherland and do not consider themselves as Indians, then we should not hesitate to settle the state with Indian patriots," Bhagwat said.

Mohan Bhagwat has voiced concern over the violence in Kashmir.

Addressing a public meeting here, Bhagwat said: "If infiltration is taking place along the India-Pakistan border and Pakistan refuses to take any action or control it then I think Indian army should take immediate steps to check it." Bhagwat also expressed concern about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. Admitting that the Maoist violence had its roots in societal backwardness, Bhagwat said the administration should take up developmental activities to defeat Left wing extremism. (Agencies)

2009: The Year That Drowned In Shopian

2009-12-31T01:43:00.000-08:00

By Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Dec 29: To understand 2009, one must revisit 2008.

After massive uprising of 2008 the mainstream political parties preferred to remain quiet about State assembly elections. The Peoples Democratic Party was unsure about the participation of people in elections and wanted to defer it. The National Conference however was keen to take the plunge. But it was cautious. In its first public rally the NC president Omer Abdullah addressing people at Budgam said, “These elections are for water, electricity

and roads. If Hurriyat promises me that they would bring all these things to people, I won’t participate in elections,” Omer said and thus confined the role of State Assembly to the development activities. PDP chided Omer for this. “The Assembly is not Municipality,” it said. Come December 2008 people surprised everyone.

There were huge queues outside the polling booths. Peoples Conference Chairman Sajjad Gani Lone described polling as “setback to pro-freedom leaders” but warned that it should not be construed as defeat of freedom struggle and people of Kashmir shouldn’t be targeted for participating in the poll process.

“We are not preaching defeatism here; we are speaking from a place of confidence. We are a capable nation and we certainly rise above our present shortfalls. If there is a setback we will have to reverse the setback and do what it takes to reverse the setback,” Sajjad said. Geelani lamented over the polling and accused Peoples Conference of supporting three contesting candidates from Kupwara. Sajjad hit back at Geelani describing him “a liar, a curse on nation” and challenged him to prove the allegations. Geelani choose not respond to the diatribe.

The separatist camp was shaken by huge participation of people in elections. Indian media was upbeat. Pranoy Roy of NDTV told Mushahid Hussain after the polls that Pakistan should accept the reality now. Mushahid, a seasoned politician had hearty laugh. “If you are confident about Kashmir then let us have plebiscite,” he responded. The answer left Roy speechless and he started muttering something angrily.

But in Kashmir mainstream played safe with NC leading from front. New Delhi shouldn’t read too much in the huge participation said Omer. PDP too had word of caution. It said, the government OF India shouldn’t disappoint people of Jammu and Kashmir now.

In elections NC didn’t improve upon its previous tally but it managed to enter into alliance with the Congress. The PDP improved its tally from 16 to 21 but failed to form the government.

Dr Farooq Abdullah was more than happy. “Yes, you are talking to future Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir,” he told NDTV in an interview. Two days later he had to vacate the seat for his son Omer. Sonia Gandhi, it is said, put her foot down for nomination Farooq. He finally happily settled for unknown Ministry of energy emanating from solar light. Finally the National Conference and the Congress formed a coalition after the assembly elections in December and Omar Abdullah, 39, was sworn in as the Chief Minister on January 8.

Omer saw his first challenge in February. Two persons were killed in an army firing at Bomai Sopur in north Kashmir, triggering massive protests. Omer ordered an inquiry and it held a major and two soldiers were found responsible for the killing. Omer went against Army. In an interview to TV Channel he said the goons in uniform would not be tolerated. He went to meet Defence Minister seeking shifting of the camp. Finally the camp was shifted. Omer didn’t play it up and PDP praised him for the stand.

Soon Parliament elections were held. It saw less turn out than the Assembly polls. But it also saw Sajjad Gani Lone, the spokesman of the movement in 2008, switching towards the pro-India politics. He decided to take plunge in the elections. He described it as the change of strategy. But the change of strategy didn’t save from the waterloo. He lost and went into long hibernation. He has not been seen since his lost ‘battle.’

Meanwhile, Omer went on to celebrate his 100th day in office promising prosperity and development. He gave interviews to the all most all papers of Jammu and Kashmir, and national dailies. Everything, it seemed, was going well. But then it is Kashmir. Every good thing here is followed by a bad thing. And every bad thing is followed by worst. The worst came on May 30, 2009. On this day two bodies were found on the banks of stream Rambiara in Shopian district. They were of 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, 17, and her 3-month pregnant sister-in-law, Neelofar, 24, 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 raping and then murdering the 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 upto 47 days. The hangover of 2008 elections over the separatists was over. The separatists returned on front seat again. Kashmir again proved Pranoy Roy and his national media wrong.

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.”

Chief Minister on June 1, 2009 tried to cool down the tempers. But ended up committing biggest ever blunder. He said that initial findings had ruled out rape and murder of two women in Shopian. But he announced a judicial probe into the incident by a retired judge of the High Court. “People have deep mistrust over the institutions and even if the government comes out with facts about the incident, they would not trust the findings,” he said and justifies the probe by retired judge.

He didn’t stop there. The chief minister asked the media not to blow “trivial issues out of proportion” and use the word alleged when the allegation has not been proved. Kashmir Bar rejected the probe. “The judicial commission is being set to know the facts. The government has already ruled out rape and murder. So what for they have established the judicial commission when it says it already knows the fact,” said the Bar.

The Kashmir Bar went to the Court. The Court passed orders, sought information, prodded special Investigation to speed up investigation. Jan Commission came up with the report, acknowledged the rape and murder but failed to identify the criminals. Protests continued in Kashmir. At least 12 persons were killed and over 1,000 injured during the protests so far. All separatists were kept in custody.

Sex in House

On July 27, 2009 the Assembly was convened in Kashmir. The Shopian spark set the House on fire. The 30-day long budget session of the JK Legislative Assembly bagan with forced exit of Mehbooba Mufti, of the House by Assembly. Mehbooba snatched the microphone of the Speaker and threw it on the floor.

The speaker Akbar Lone set low standards by referring Mehbooba “that woman.” PDP president didn’t forgive Lone for his conduct. Next day on July 28, 2009, Lone allowed discussion on human rights. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was calmly listening to the Peoples Democratic Party member, Muzaffar Hussain Baig’s speech. Baig in beautifully crafted speech spoke about the Shopian incident and the government’s failure to respond to the situation arising out of the rape and murder of two young women.

However, before concluding, Baig referred to the sexual exploitation case that had hit the state in 2006. In the sexual exploitation case senior pro-India politicians, police officer, security officers were involved in exploiting girls. The High Court Bar Association had termed it as war crime against people ofKashmir struggling for right to self-determination. There was pin drop silence in the House. The chief minister was taking down notes for his reply. But soon everything changed. Baig said the CBI had produced a list of over 100 people involved in the sexploitation case. He passed on the list to the speaker Lone. And, before Lone could go through it, Baig threw a bombshell. “I have to say with regret, there is the name of Omar Abdullah son of Farooq Abdullah in the list. He figures at serial number 102. He has lost the moral authority to rule the state. He must resign,” he said and sat down. The allegation stunned the House. It took some time to the treasury benches to regain composure. Till then the PDP legislators led by the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, were on their toes chanting: “Ek Sau Do, Ek Sau Do (102, 102).”

Stunned CM wanted to speak up. He was not allowed. “I never knew they (PDP) will stoop so low,” Omar said. “Finally, they have blurted out the thing towards which they were pointing for years on. I know what has been said is mere allegation, and it is false. And the law is that man is not guilty until proven so. This maxim might be true about murders and robbery. But in case of this allegation leveled against me it has reverse meaning. Here I am guilty until proven innocent. The allegation is a blot on my character. I want to resign till I am cleared of this false allegation. I cannot work till I am proved innocent. Whether any remarks are expunged or enquiries made by the Home Department is immaterial. Till I am able to prove my innocence, I am going to tender my resignation to the governor,” an emotional Omar said and submitted conditional resignation before the Governor. Home Ministry stepped in and said his name is not in the list. After it Omer was not seen in the House for almost two weeks and the PDP allowed the House to function.

Back to Shopian

Shopian continued to dominate Kashmir politics. The High Court Bar Association withdrew from the case when the State government handed it over to the CBI. The Majlis Mushawarat, the group formed by Shopian people, after the rape and murder to fight for justice called off strike on assurance of the Chief Justice and decided to help the CBI. The government chose to be tight lipped.

In August Jammu tried to raise the pitch over the Central University. Kashmir didn’t respond to provocation. Instead Jammu politicians had to taste own medicine of communal politics. MLAs from Pir Panchal, Chenab Valley rejected Jammu district demand and asked for establishing the University either in Doda or Rajouri. Ashok Khajuria was aghast over this defiance. But kept mum in the House knowing valley that Jammu is not Jammu and Kathua district. Omer managed to get two Universities. One for Kashmir one for Jammu.

There was more in the House. Ali Muhammad Sagar defended the draconian Public Safety Act and said the State was run because of it forgetting his long sermons on human rights when he was in the opposition. This year Najeeb Suharwardy came up with resolution on Chenab Valley Hill Development Council for Chenab Valley. It was passed.

Come September Kashmir reverberated in UN General Assembly. But this time it was Pakistan which raised the issue.

"Kashmir should be an independent state, not Indian, not Pakistani. We should end this conflict. It should be a Ba'athist state between India and Pakistan," the Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi said in his address to the UN General Assembly. India rejected his statement and India media dismissed it.

Gaddafi was followed by China. China asked India and Pakistan to seek a solution to the Kashmir issue through peaceful and friendly consultations and offered to play a constructive role in resolving the Kashmir issue. Hu Zhengyue, Chinese Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, in charge of the Asian region said: “As a friendly country, China would also be happy to see progress in the peace process between India and Pakistan.” Kashmir, he said, is an issue that has been longstanding left from history. “This issue touches the bilateral relations between the relevant countries," he said. India didn’t respond. Strangely! Might is always right. Isn’t?There was more to come.

The Organization of Islamic Conference, an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, appointed a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir. It appointed Abdullah Bin Adbul Rahman Al Bakr as the special envoy on Kashmir. The OIC would be first such organisation to appoint the envoy. India was shocked and its foreign office rejected the move.

In October China started giving loose visas to Jammu and Kashmir subjects. Indian media raised the war cry forcing the Government to respond. It said nothing to China but rejected the lose visas. Pakistan too hardened its stand. At a special committee of the General Assembly it said decolonization agenda of the United Nations would remain incomplete without resolving Kashmir dispute.

In October the Home Minister talked about the quiet dialogue and said the government of India was willing to talk to anyone for resolution of Kashmir issue through quiet diplomacy and quiet dialogue, away from media glare. Soon the Hurriyat moderate faction led by Mirwaiz Umar started dominating newspapers. Govt of India however started the quiet dialogue with bang. It banned the prepaid mobile phones in November in the state. Geelani released after long incarnation rejected the quiet dialogue and quiet diplomacy. Soon the civil society joined the fray.It ended in murderous assault on Fazal Haq Qurashi. Qurashi survived the attack but it killed the quietness of the dialogue forever. Mirwaiz said there was no quiet dialogue and set conditions for talks.

In October International Peoples Commission on Human Rights come out with a report about presence of unmarked graves in Kashmir. Only in three districts 2700 unarmed graves were found. The state government didn’t respond to it. It New Delhi too kept quiet.

In December CBI came out with the Shopian report. It absolved everyone except the witnesses, the lawyers and doctors. Shocked Majlis set ablaze the CBI report outside the High Court before the media. Bar termed it as report shield the men in uniform. Majlis gave strike call, Geelani, Yasin, Mirwaiz supported the same. Omer who had termed the Shopian as case of drowning on the day second on June 1, 2009 decided to keep quiet on the issue now. The silence of the Chief Minister was not endorsement to the CBI report but its indictment. The CBI report will continue haunt Kashmiris. The tragedy has enough tragedy in it to keep Kashmir burning.

Of leaders and people

2009-12-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

Let’s not raise finger at the separatist leaders when we, as a people, have failed to play our role in institutionalizing the movement, writes Naseer.

It was 2002. Abdul Gani Lone was addressing a seminar at Hurriyat headquarters in Rajbagh. It was December 10, the World Human Rights Day. Fazal Sahib (Fazal Haq Qurashi) was also among the participants. Lone Sahib said that Kashmiris have no faith in Indian democracy. “They hate everything Indian,” he said. He said during the day Kashmiris would “abuse” India but in the evening they will tune to Doordarshan to watch day’s news. “And when the news caster says Hurriyat leaders have amassed this much of money and they are living life of kings and their children live lives of princes, Kashmiri responds by saying how truthful,” he said.
Lone said he wonders when anyone, who has no credibility during the day, speaks about Hurriyat leaders in the evening becomes gospel truth to Kashmiris. On November 17, 2009 Parveen Swami wrote in the Hindu. “Hurriyat held secret talks with Chidambaram.” He wrote that the Jammu and Kashmir “secessionist leaders” have held a second round of secret dialogue with Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, in an effort to push forward the stalled peace process in the State. Swami wrote: “Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, along with his coalition colleagues Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Lone, the sources said, met with Mr. Chidambaram for two hours on Saturday. The Mirwaiz, however, denied he met with Mr. Chidambaram. No meeting took place while I was in New Delhi, insisted the Srinagar cleric.”
Mirwaiz might have thought that his denial would serve the purpose and educated class will not buy what Swami wrote, given the nature of his previous writings. But things proved him wrong. Abdul Gani Lone again proved right. He forgot that anything against the Hurriyat leaders have takers here. Overnight the Hurriyat became hub of news and persistent denials by Mirwaiz failed to end the rumors. It went on and on. We writers, including me, phoned Mirwaiz and talked to him like Kashmiri, and wrote like aliens. The vicious circle continued. People spoke and wrote. Their speeches and writings continued to poison the minds of people, young and old. The frenzy ultimately provided room to what Geelani says “anti-movement elements”, what Mirwaiz called “enemies of resolution of Kashmir dispute” to comment heinous crime.
And on December 5, Parveen Swami wrote in the Hindu. “Patriarch of Jammu & Kashmir jihad turned peacemaker” attacked.
Presently Kashmir has no Sheikh Abdullah. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Hurriyat Chairman no doubt is a popular leader. He represents aspirations of Kashmir. But he can’t match Sheikh’s popularity. Tomorrow if Geelani Sahib will enter into a pact with New Delhi over Kashmir, he won’t be able to take whole nation along. He would be alone. Same is true with Mirwaiz Umar. Young Mirwaiz if tomorrow enters into pact with New Delhi, Kashmiri struggle will not end with it. He will be alone. And same holds true for JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik. Sell out, sell out! Those who shout from rooftops slogans of sell-out should understand that Kashmir no longer can be sold by any leader. If any leader wants to go for sell out he will sell himself not the nation.
Sajjad Lone who in mass uprising of 2008 acted as spokesman of the movement, when decided to participate election in 2009, nation didn’t go along him. He was alone.
The leaders understand this but the writers, who after serving the state don the mantle of journalists, don’t. The lawyers, who read nothing, not even their law books, don’t. The so called intelligentsia of Kashmir doesn’t and justify murders in the name of larger interests of movement.
Geelani Sahib represents a thought. His thought has followers. Not few but thousands and lakhs. Geelani Sahib represents aspirations of Kashmir. That is right to self –determination. He has been unbending in his stance. Geelani believes in tripartite talks for resolving the issue. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also represents a thought. The thought of right to self-determination, but his approach is different. He believes in trilateral dialogue with New Delhi and Islamabad separately. His thought too has followers in Kashmir. Should we condemn him and his thought because it does not sync with our thought. The JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik represents independent ideology. This ideology has huge following in Kashmir and polls show it. But at the end of the day they represent different shades of Kashmir opinion having a same goal. That is to resolve Kashmir dispute according to aspirations of Kashmiris. That is to mitigate sufferings of people.
Yes! They must be criticized; their statements analyzed and commented upon. But at the same time they too require your advice. Don’t they? Not only criticism through newspaper columns. When has the last time team of young lawyers, males and females visited Mirwaiz’s house to tell him what they think he should do and he shouldn’t. When have the doctors, who always comment upon everything, visited house of Yasin Malik to inform him about what they think what should be right for Kashmir? And when has the business fraternity, who frequently visit chief minister, home minister and others, thronged Geelani Sahib to inform him what is ailing Kashmir economy? When has ‘seminar driven” Kashmiri educated class tried to institutionalize the separatist politics.
Kashmiri University student, no doubt gave warm reception to Geelani when he visited the campus. That is collective response. But individually when the students have visited the leaders. Cite an example when last time villagers briefed the separatists what is going on in rural areas. Kashmir is a different place. Here you need to brief and inform those whom you dragged from their house in 2008 saying they represent your aspirations whether it was Geelani, Mirwaiz, Malik, Shah or Nayeem. Is it not responsibility of environmentalists, political scientists, sociologists, religious scholars, villagers and city dwellers to make them aware about ground situation? To tell them what they feel?
Don’t come up with excuses that there is no unity among separatists. And why should there be a unity. They have agreement over a disagreement to pursue their goal differently. They represent different ideologies and ideologies don’t mix. Kashmiris must respect this disagreement. The pro-freedom groups came together when they felt they must. That is why you saw in 2008 when massive uprising broke out in Kashmir and engulfed Jammu and Ladakh they were together.
If don’t want to be meet the separatists fearing arrests under Public Safety Act, raids in houses, and denial of passport, then shut your mouth and stop blackening newspapers through your pen by condemning them. And join mainstream parties. Last month Congress advertised post of its general secretary in Kashmir. The party was shocked with response. 800 applicants Ph.Ds, LLBs, MSCs came for interview. It was Kashmir response to Congress.

Lone's Well and Dog story and Kashmir dispute

2009-10-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

VIEWPOINT

The rot will always stay there till the root will not be addressed, Naseer A Ganai comments on the futility of holding dialogue about Kashmir without any seriousness of purpose.

The former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muzaffer Hussain Baig while addressing a gathering at Varmul related a conversation with former US ambassador to India Frank Wisner. Baig said Wisner told him Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone was the wittiest politician of Kashmir. Wisner wanted to know from Lone fate of Kashmir dispute after participation of people in elections in Kashmir.
Late Abdul Gani Lone instead of giving straight answer related him a story of a village. The whole village was using water of the village well. One day a dog fell into the well and villagers rushed to the village Imam and sought his advice what to do. The Imam told them to take out forty buckets of water before using the water of the well. Next day the villagers again rushed to Imam with a complaint that the water of well is stinking. Imam again repeated his previous advice of removing forty buckets before using the water. However, villagers on third day again visited the Imam with complaint of foul smell.
Imam told villagers whether they followed his advice or not. “In its letter and spirit” the villagers retorted back. But when the Imam asked them whether they removed the dog from the well, they replied in negative. Imam told them that first they must fish out the body of a dog from the well then take forty buckets of water out and then use the water.
Late Abdul Gani Lone after relating the story to the Wisner told him that the elections and participation of people in elections is equivalent to removing forty buckets from the well. The Government of India, Lone had said, remove forty buckets after every five years. “But it doesn’t clean the water. Only removing of the dog would clean the water and that dog is Kashmir dispute. We are seeking removal of the dog from the well but GoI is concerned about the removal of forty buckets after every six years.”
So when recently the Minister of Energy which emanates from sunlight Dr Farooq Abdullah stated New Delhi doesn’t know anything about the dialogue he underestimated New Delhi. “I am 73 and I tell you with authority that New Delhi doesn’t know anything about the dialogue. They go on dialoguing without knowing, what the hell is dialogue all about,” Dr Abdullah said.
Dr Abdullah’s assessment of New Delhi was wrong in many respects. In fact New Delhi knows everything about the dialogue. It knows when to start it and when to start it with whom and when to left it inconclusive and when to start another dialogue without talking about the previous dialogue. It is only bothered about removing the forty buckets from the well and least concerned about fishing out the dog from the well.
That is why the Home Minister P. Chidambaram statement that the Government of India was interested in quiet dialogue and quiet diplomacy to settle Kashmir issue is looked upon with suspicion.
Renewed Government of India’s position is that it is interested to have dialogue with all political parties. Even it says it wouldn’t shy away of having a dialogue with parties having certain political view and which demand Azadi
There is a strong reason behind the suspicion because in past Government of India has sent number of emissaries to Kashmir to have dialogue. George Fernandes, Rajesh Pilot, Governor Vohra, K.C Pant to name the few. They entered into the dialogue. But the net result is that the GOI is again interested in having a dialogue.
Since 1990 when the armed insurgency backed by mass uprising started Kashmir, the Government of India talked about the dialogue and at the same time it didn’t change its position on Kashmir. P.V Narshima Rao promised sky is the limit, Vajpayee famously said “talks under humanity”. But nothing changed on the ground. Troop strength increased, AFSPA continues to be in vogue and PSA continues to be unleashed on people. Meanwhile, the Government of India went on to describe elections in Kashmir as verdict of people in its favour.
Even though in these years there has been change in the approach of people of Kashmir. Kashmiris have adopted non-violent mode of struggle but the response of the State continues to be violent. Last year’s mass uprising is an example. The State crushed the non-violent movement with the weapons of undeclared curfews, arrests under Public Safety Act and the killing of 70 people.
Nevertheless, the State has been ‘generous enough’ to dole out offer of dialogue this year with all and sundry without any conditions except it would be quiet away from the glare of media. Through these dole outs the State rightly presented its soft form before the internationally community which rightly is concerned about fast changing geo-politics of the region. It has to be seen what has led to change of heart in New Delhi and why it is interested in the “honorable solution acceptable to people” as stated by the Home Minister.
In the past New Delhi has disdainfully rejected demands of pro-India parties which participate in elections. Take an example of National Conference’s Autonomy Resolution passed by the State Assembly in 2000.The Government of India refuses to look into the resolution. Even for argument’s sake, let us presume Dr Farooq Abdullah didn’t barter it with the New Delhi for Ministerial berth in the NDA government for Omer as alleged by L. K Advani in his book. Still New Delhi didn’t consider the proposal. These days PDP talks about self-rule. But it says it is within the Indian Constitution. Mehbooba Mufti is too apologetic about the self-rule. She repeatedly says that the self-rule shouldn’t be construed as rebellion against the Government of India. But the Government of India has not considered it worth to respond so far.
The Autonomy resolution has been passed by the State Assembly. The Government of India always says that the Assembly has representative character. The Autonomy resolution was passed with 2/3 majority and it takes Kashmir to the position of 1953. All the pro-India parties become part of the resolution passed by the Assembly. The resolution belongs to the State Assembly. Hence it belongs to the all political parties who participate in the elections and consider the Assembly as “citadel of democracy” in Kashmir. Still the Government of India has so far refused to concede to the mainstream or even refused to accept to discuss their proposals. These things make one ponder what kind unique solution government of India is looking at.
In present times when international community is showing interest in Kashmir and Americans are buying the theory that road to peace in Afghanistan goes through Kashmir, the pro-freedom camp should tread a cautious path. They must see whether the Government of India is ready to make the atmosphere congenial for dialogue. Obviously you can’t hold dialogue in a militarized atmosphere.
Presently if National Conference says it would talk about autonomy on the dialogue table, PDP says it would talk about the self-rule as solution and described self-rule as alternative to freedom. Then some people among the pro-freedom camp who want to go for talks they have no other option but to talk about Azadi as solution because it is the popular sentiment. If they start talking about “talks” without explaining the contours of the talks then they would be “dialoguing” with New Delhi and New Delhi knows how to continue “dialoging” and how to conclude it to start another round without giving anything to people. New Delhi has been removing only forty buckets after every six years over past sixty years. This time they should be told on its face that people are interested in removing of the dog from the well.

5 yrs on, no trace of DNA report

2009-10-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Oct 25: The body of a civilian dubbed as top Pakistani militant and killed by the Border Security Force in a fake encounter in September 2003 was exhumed on April 11, 2005 from Aloochibagh here for DNA testing.
Five years on, the DNA report is shrouded in mystery although police have closed the case claiming the samples had not matched with that of the youth’s father. His lawyer has challenged the police claim alleging it had no report as the samples had never been sent outside the site for DNA testing.
On April 11, 2005, the body of a resident of Kupwara’s Dewar Anderbug village, Farooq Ahmad Khan was exhumed in presence of the then Tehsildar, Srinagar, the then SHO, and Health Department doctors for DNA test following claim by one Wali Muhammad Khan that the buried youth was not a foreign militant but his son.
Farooq, who worked at the bakery of Bashir Ahmad Sofi in downtown Rainawari, was picked up by the troops of Rashtriya Rifles during the night intervening August 19/20, 2003 from his employer’s house, according to his father.
Khan said Sofi had informed him about his son’s arrest. After his arrest, the army had brought his son to the village for search operation, where some people saw him in the custody of soldiers. He said he (Khan) approached the Rainawari police station to lodge an FIR. But, he said, the SHO had refused to register the case saying that his son would return soon in case he was innocent. However, he never returned.
Instead, in September 2003, Khan said, he saw a photograph in an Urdu newspaper with the caption- ‘Fidayeen killed in an encounter in Nishat.’ He said the RR had handed his son over to BSF “who killed him in a fake encounter dubbing him as a foreign militant.” He said he recognized the photograph of his son.
“I rushed to Nishat police station where I was shown different photographs and was told the name of person killed in the encounter was Imtiyaz Khan from Pakistan,” Khan told Greater Kashmir. But, he said, he was not convinced. He filed a case in the High Court on January 15, 2004.
His lawyer, Pervez Imroz, said the High Court directed the police to investigate the case. Subsequently, he said, the police registered an FIR and started investigation during which the body was exhumed from Aloochibagh when Khan had recognized his son. Samples were taken from Khan and his wife for DNA test.
Subsequently, Imroz said, the police didn’t reveal anything about the DNA report and instead informed them in 2008 about the closure of the case. According to Nishat police station, the DNA samples had not matched.
“The moot point is that the police didn’t show us the report,” Imroz said, adding that the samples, though collected, had not been sent for test as there was no DNA report with the police.
“It is a classic case of DNA fudging,” Imroz said, adding that when the issue was brought to the notice of the High Court, it had expressed shock observing that the police couldn’t close the case. He said the case would be agitated before the Supreme Court now.

Indian Prime Minister's Provocative visit

2009-10-17T04:11:00.001-07:00

Comments

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made another provocative and dangerous move by visiting the East Section of the China-India Boundary, which India calls Arunachal Pradesh, on October 3 ahead of a local legislative election.

The visit is designed to put the area, a disputed border region between China and India, under the de facto administration of India.

China has completed land border demarcation with all of its neighboring countries but India.

Territorial disputes stand as a seemingly intractable issue between the two largest emerging economies in the world.

Though in similar developmental circumstances, China and India seem to have more confrontations than common ground.

In the past decades, more than 10 rounds of negotiations held at various levels and through different mechanisms between the two countries have failed to produce any real progress.

The 120,000 square kilometers of the so-called Arunachal Pradesh, around the size of South China's Fujian Province, is at the center of the controversy. India currently occupies 90,000 square kilometers of the area.

Over the years, India has intensified its effective control over the area by encouraging the immigration of more than 1 million Indians to the region, and applying for loans from international bodies for public facilities projects in the region.

India is also increasing military deployment, along with sophisticated equipment, in the area. India's hawks are dangerously fanning public sentiment fearing a "China threat."

China favors peaceful resolution of territorial disputes through negotiation and consultation with its neighbors.

In the past the Chinese government has sought to build consensus in border negotiations through making concessions in exchange for reciprocal action.

China has maintained that same approach with India. India, however, will make a fatal error if it mistakes China's approach for weakness.

The Chinese government and public regard territorial integrity as a core national interest, one that must be defended with every means.

A stable border is crucial to the economic development of both China and India.

The disputed border area is of strategic importance, and hence, India's recent moves – including Singh's trip and approving past visits to the region by the Dalai Lama – send the wrong signal. That could have dangerous consequences.

Furthermore, India's actions add to the difficulties that have stalled negotiations on the region in the past.

It looks as if a breakthrough in talks is unlikely to happen any time soon.

(Source: Global Times)

October 14 2009

(The Global Times, an English-language newspaper which often reflects the Communist party's views on foreign policy and is directed towards an international audience)

Indian hegemony continues to harm relations with neighbors

2009-10-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Nobody can deny that today's India is a power. In recent years, Indians have become more narrow-minded and intolerable of outside criticism as nationalism sentiment rises, with some of them even turning to hegemony. It can be proved by India's recent provocation on border issues with China.

Given the country's history, hegemony is a hundred-percent result of British colonialism. Dating back to the era of British India, the country covered a vast territory including present-day India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh as well as Nepal. India took it for granted that it could continue to rule the large area when Britain ended its colonialism in South Asia. A previous victim of colonialism and hegemony started to dream about developing its own hegemony. Obsessed with such mentality, India turned a blind eye to the concessions China had repeatedly made over the disputed border issues, and refused to drop the pretentious airs when dealing with neighbors like Pakistan.

Many Indians didn't know that Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, had once said that India could not play an inferior role in the world, and it should either be a superpower or disappear.

Although the pursuit of being a superpower is justifiable, the dream of being a superpower held by Indians appears impetuous. The dream of superpower is mingled with the thought of hegemony, which places the South Asian giant in an awkward situation and results in repeated failure.

Throughout the history, India has constantly been under foreign rule. The essence for the rise of India lies in how to be an independent country, to learn to solve the complicated ethnic and religious issues, to protect the country from terrorist attacks, to boost economic development as well as to put more efforts on poverty alleviation.

Additionally, the hegemony can also be harmful in terms of geopolitical environment. The expansion of India is restricted by its geographic locations. It has Himalaya Mountain to its north, a natural barrier for northward expansion; it has Pakistan to the west, a neighbor it is always at odds over the disputed border issues.

To everyone's disappointment, India pursued a foreign policy of "befriend the far and attack the near". It engaged in the war separately with China and Pakistan and the resentment still simmers. If India really wants to be a superpower, such a policy is shortsighted and immature.

India, which vows to be a superpower, needs to have its eyes on relations with neighbors and abandon the recklessness and arrogance as the world is undergoing earthshaking changes. For India, the ease of tension with China and Pakistan is the only way to become a superpower. At present, China is proactively engaging in negotiations with India for the early settlement of border dispute and India should give a positive response.

By People's Daily Online

Farooq hits left, right and centre

2009-10-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

Reveals identity of Kashmir's corrupt

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Oct 13: The Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday hit hard at New Delhi accused it of not being serious in result oriented dialogue, charged some journalists of Kashmir of being conduits of agencies, described politicians and bureaucrats of the State as corrupt and said security forces were interested in status quo.

While addressing All India Editors Conference Dr Abdullah described the journalists as trouble mongers and accused “some of them of creating turmoil.” “Let us call a spade a spade. I don’t believe in hiding behind the bush,” Dr Abdullah said.

He said the media blows up a small incident in Kupwara or any other place in a way which gives impression as if whole State was under fire. “I tell you there is tremendous vested interest in Kashmir. There are paid lobbies. Some are being paid by friends from across the border. They want to make Kashmir Pakistan. But it would never become Pakistan. Those who were trying to take Kashmir in that direction would change themselves, but Kashmir wouldn’t become part of Pakistan,” he said.

Then he changed the direction and targeted New Delhi. He ridiculed it and its dialogue process. That too in presence of two cabinet Ministers of Government of India, the Minister for Broadcasting and Information Ambika Soni and the Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid. Omer Abdullah, the chief minister was visibly perturbed by the speech.

Dr Abdullah said New Delhi doesn’t know what “the hell dialogue is all about.” “The audience responded with laughter. “They (New Delhi) go on dialoging and dialoging without drawing anything concrete out of it,” he said. He said people ask what has happened to the Committees and their recommendations and there are answers. “It is here government of India loses its face,” he said.

He asked New Delhi to explain what stops it from moving forward in the dialogue. He cited example of Justice Sagir committee on central state relations and asked what has happened to it. “How long you would make us wait for these decisions,” Dr Abdullah said. He asked New Delhi to settle the problem with Pakistan. “You should talk to Pakistan and find a solution to Kashmir problem,” he said.

Dr Abdullah then came back to the State politics and explained the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni and others how Doordarshan Kendra runs in the State. “We launched Kashur channel with grand ceremony in Lalit (grand place) hotel. We thought this channel would bring political messages through its programmes. But it was marred by corruption. The level of corruption was such that even politicians were making serials for it,” he said and audience was in raptures. The Director Doordarshan Rafiq Masoodi, who was on front row, preferred to leave the hall only to return at the fag end of Dr Abdullah’s speech.

Dr Abdullah said there was corruption everywhere in the State. “There is corruption in politicians, in bureaucrats, security forces and they don’t want any settlement between India and Pakistan,” he said.

He had many examples to cite.

“When I was chief minister, the then defence minister George Fernandes was in Srinagar. He wanted to see a militant and a journalist took him along to see militants,” he said adding the militants were toning to a radio station from across the border.

“The radio station was spilling venom and lies and it was inciting people across the border. It was saying Islam is in danger. George told me the Government has jammed its signals. I went inside my home and got a transistor and toned to the station. Its voice was clear. This is your jamming, I told George,” Farooq said.

Responding to speech of Ambika Soni, who described 400 newspapers in Kashmir as positive sign, Dr Abdullah described these 400 newspapers as freeloaders. He said they were coming out with the newspapers for advertisements. He asked Ambika Soni to check these free loaders. “Take off these free loaders,” he said. He said some people have already started process to pull down the present government. “They are writing complaints and complaints. And once you will investigate where from these complaints come, you would never find the complainant” he said.

Omer to New Delhi: Time to resolve Kashmir issue

2009-10-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Oct 13: Without mincing words the Chief Minister Omer Abdullah on Tuesday conveyed to New Delhi to initiate dialogue with all shades of opinion in Jammu and Kashmir to settle Kashmir issue and asked it to address external dimension of it simultaneously.

Inaugurating two day All India Editors Conference on Social and Infrastructure issue, the Chief Minister described redressal of Social and Infrastructural issues vital for the development of any State. But, he said, in case of Jammu and Kashmir these issues were intertwined with the security and political issues. “All these issues have to be touched upon and discussed together. Otherwise discussion would be incomplete,” Omer said. The Information and Broadcasting Minister Government of India Ambika Soni, the Minority Affairs Minister GOI Salam Khurshid and Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah were in audience.

Omer reminded the editors who had come from different states and cabinet Ministers of the Government of India the importance of addressing the external and the internal dimensions of Kashmir dispute.

He said the State government has continued its focus to provide five essentials of life water, health, education, power and roads to people and the Central Government has been helping the State government in carrying out its programmes. “There is no doubt that the Government of India has came to assist the State beyond the call of the duty, whether it is in establishing two central universities or providing extra Rs 1000 crores for annual plan. But focus of the Government of India should be on political aspect of Kashmir issue,” he said. “You can’t divorce Jammu and Kashmir from its politics,” the Chief Minister warned.

The Chief Minister was all praise for people Jammu and Kashmir and said in past 20 years they have withstood all odds with courage and fortitude. “But whatever has happened has happened. Now we see light after a very long tunnel,” he added. He said 20 years later Kashmiris were battling the same forces with a degree of success and cited decrease in violence related incidents as an example. But, he said, the problem with which the State was grappling must be reflected upon. He said there were attempts to derail the fragile peace in Kashmir. “The voices from New Delhi talk about Taliban in Kashmir which are not seen on the ground,” the Chief Minister said. He said Kashmir was birth place of tourism in India. “Long before Kerela was God’s own country, Kashmir was heaven on earth,” he said, and asked cabinet Minister in New Delhi and media to act with degree of caution when it comes to Kashmir. He said no one wants to keep facts hidden but for every bad story there are five good stories.

He said on Monday there was strike in frontier district of Kupwara. “It was not for Azadi (freedom), it was not for Pakistan, it was not because a militant had died. It was for jobs and it indicates people want to be part of the development,” Omer said. He described 2008 elections as watershed development and said people came out to vote for five essentials of the life and the State government was trying providing them the same. “But the development requires an effort to engage the State on political platform. By political platform, I mean having dialogue with all sections in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “It is not my way to ensure only one voice is heard. There is need of engagement with all sections. Every voice should be heard and consensus should be arrived at settling the issue. It is in the best interest of the State,” he said. “If we seek to divorce social and infrastructure issues with politics and security of State we would reach no where,” he warned.

Omer said people in the State were sponges of information, who doubt everyone and trust no one. “They would listen to All India Radio to know our view. They would then switch to Radio Pakistan to know their view and they would finally listen to BBC for independent opinion. They are politically astute and are aware of everything going in the State. There is niggling issue what is called Kashmir issue and it should be resolved,” he said. Earlier Ambika Soni in her address had complained about getting signals from across the border and had promised to establish high power TV and radio transmitters in the State.

The chief minister said whenever New Delhi started external dialogue it failed to address the internal dimension and when it commenced internal dialogue it failed to look at external dimension resulting in failure of the process. He said every political party has political agenda in the State. “Some are for Autonomy, some for Self-Rule, some are for revocation of 375, and some want more than Autonomy and self-rule. The idea is to engage all shades of opinion for resulted oriented dialogue,” he said.

The Chief Minister lauded all former Chief Ministers of the State Dr Farooq Abdullah Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Ghulam Nabi Azad for taking the State towards the development and said had he been in Dr Farooq’s position he wouldn’t have constructed the Royal Spring Golf Course given the criticism Dr Abdullah was subjected to. But he said time has vindicated Dr Abdullah’s stand and today Golf Course was major attraction for high-end tourists in Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah, he said, started Gandola cable car project and “Mufti sahib and Azad sahib completed its phase 2^nd.”

He said his government would double power generation in State sector. Omer conceded that the State government was facing massive transmission and distribution losses which runs in crores and said his government was trying hard to overcome the problem. He said the State government would provide all service to people and hoped that people would repay it by paying power tariffs. Omer said the State government was facing problem of unemployment and unemployability. But he added concerted efforts are being made by the government to address the issue. He said the government would be opening 18 polytechnique colleges to make the youth skilled.

Even while he was spelling out achievements of his government the chief minister insisted on the dialogue to settle the issue. He concluded his speech while asking New Delhi to initiate result oriented dialogue.

Geelanised cops, outside Geelani’s residence

2009-10-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

By Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Oct 11: An eerie silence greets visitors outside Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s residence. Geelani is under house arrest since September 10, when he was released from the jail on High Court orders. The main gate of his residence was closed, and police van was parked just outside it. There was no sign of life on the street except the three policemen sitting on chairs reading Urdu weeklies.

“Geelani Sahib is still under house arrest,” said a policeman, who is on duty for last 14 days. But he seemed very apologetic and was in mood to have conversation. “We have heard the High Court has ordered that restrictions outside Geelani Sahib’s residence should be lifted. But so far the order has not been served to police. Look, we have our own limitations,” he said.

Three police personnel were not the only guards posted by the State government outside the residence of Geelani. The guards said 14 police personnel remain on the duty. They said small number of guards remain outside the residence while as others take rest in a room in Geelani’s house which is adjacent to main gate. “He (Geelani) is very kind. He came to realize that we remain outside 24 hours, he provided room for us, adjacent to the gate,” said the policemen.

For past 14 days, twice Geelani has came upto the gate of his house. “He came upto the gate and inquired whether we are getting any food or not,” said a policeman. He said senior officials of the police have visited the place and wanted to meet Geelani but he didn’t come to meet them. “He (Geelani) is big leader and has reputation around the world. So why should he meet the visiting officials,” argued the guards. The guards however said they have orders not allow Geelani to step outside his house. “The orders have to be followed strictly. Geelani Sahib came upto the gate twice and then returned,” the policemen said. The guards have there own notions about the high court judgment. “The judgment to lift the restrictions has not been signed by the judge so far,” they said, adding the judge has gone to Jammu and when he would return he would sign the order. “We too have not interest to remain on guard of Geelani,” said a policeman.

Pakistan seeks UN support to decolonize Kashmir

2009-10-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Deconlonisation agenda incomplete without resolving Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 11: Saying decolonization agenda of the United Nations would remain incomplete without resolving Kashmir dispute, Pakistan today raised the issue at the world body asking it to support the “right to self-determination” of Kashmiri people.

While speaking at a special committee of the General Assembly Pakistan's deputy permanent representative to the UN Amjad Hussain B Sial asked the international community to support the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination. The committee addresses the issue of decolonization.

"The decolonisation agenda of the United Nations would be incomplete without resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue," he said.

"Negation of the right to self-determination breeds discontent, ignites conflicts and threatens peace and security. Unfortunately, South Asia and Middle East have witnessed it directly," Sial said

Why JK loses jobs to Jammu Kathua?

2009-10-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Oct 10: Despite the seething anger in Kashmir and parts of Jammu region over the dominance of candidates from some particular districts in the selections made by the Services Selection Board and the Service Commission, the National Conference-Congress coalition is unlikely to bring an ordinance banning the inter-district and inter-divisional recruitments.
According to sources, the government is treading a cautious path on the issue in view of the ‘stiff opposition’ from Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur-based Congress and BJP legislators to any move aimed at altering the present recruitment system which is heavily tilted in their favour. It is trying hard to enlist the support of Congress legislators so that the bill aimed at banning inter-district recruitments is passed in the next session of the legislature. However, till then, it cannot halt the prevailing drift.
The bill brought by the Congress-PDP coalition earlier was referred to a Joint Select Committee. After a review by the House panel, it was moved for passage during the recent session. However, the government was forced to put the bill to the back burner following overt and covert resistance by the more vocal Jammu lobby.
The practice of allowing candidates to apply for district cadre posts other than in their native districts started in 2004 following the Supreme Court direction that the district cadre posts should not be exclusively reserved for candidates of the concerned districts. The state High Court also quashed some selections on the ground that residence in a district was not a requirement under the rules.
The issue of banning the inter-district recruitments was initially raised in the house in 2006 by the Panthers Party MLAs Balwant Singh Mankotia and Harsh Dev Singh and some BJP and Congress members. Piloting it, Harsh Dev Singh had cited the recruitment in Udhampur district saying that candidates from other districts had usurped the rights of candidates of his district. The members had asked the government to bring a bill to halt the inter-district recruitments.
The then chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had assured the members of undoing the wrong. Subsequently, the then Congress-led government introduced the ‘J&K Civil Service Decentralization and Recruitment Bill’ proposing ban on inter-district and inter-division recruitment. The bill sought to reserve the district and division cadre posts for the candidates of the respective districts and divisions, to ensure that job rights of the local youth were not usurped by the applicants from other districts or division. However, it was referred to the Joint Select Committee headed by present finance minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, for review.
In its recommendation, the Committee said, “a person should be deemed to be a resident of a particular district or division if he/she has lived in the district or the division, as the case may be, for not less than 15 years before the date of applying for the particular post and is actually residing in the said area at the time of filing the application.” Further, it said, “the person should not be disentitled from claiming the residence in a particular district or division only on the ground that his/her father/mother or the person on whom he/she is dependent is living in a place outside the district or division, as the case may be, due to certain reasons.”
However, when the present law minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar, tabled the Committee’s report in the Assembly, the House was polarized on regional lines. Even within Congress, the PHE minister, Taj Mohiuddin, supported it and the health minister, Sham Lal Sharma, opposed it. The ruling National Conference and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party supported the ban on inter-district recruitments. Five MLAs from Kupwara even threatened to commit suicide in case the bill was not passed. However, buckling under the Congress pressure, the government sought more time.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, senior PDP leader and former law minister, Muzaffar Husain Baig, said the government should bring an ordinance if there was consensus in the ruling coalition and it was sincere and serious over the issue. He said there should be no hesitation in bringing the ordinance to do away with the prevailing method which is disturbingly discriminatory against the candidates from Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu region as was evident in some recent selections and recruitments.
However, because of the coalition compulsions, the National Conference has preferred stoic silence on the highly sensitive issue. “It is a very sensitive issue and I don’t want to comment on it,” said a senior NC leader and minister pleading not to be named for obvious political reasons.
The Congress MLA from Gandhinagar and revenue minister, Raman Bhalla, said the issue would be sorted out by the coalition partners in the Coordination Committee. He refused to divulge any information about the difference in the Congress over the issue. During the recent session of the legislature, Bhalla had taken a tough stand and openly said that the bill would not be allowed to go through.
Senior Congress leader and PHE minister, Taj Mohiuddin, said the government has failed to stop inter-district recruitments. “Even conducting the examinations for various posts on the same day couldn’t help, compelling the government to bring a bill to address the unrest among the educated youth at district and divisional levels,” he said, hoping the bill would be passed in the next assembly session in pursuance of the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee.
The Panthers Party MLA, Balwant Singh Mankotia, said his party had not changed its stance on the issue. “There should be total ban in the open merit category while as SCs, STs and other reserved categories could be exempted from the ban,” he said even while Taj said the Select Committee had recommended embargo on inter-district recruitments in all categories, adding that its recommendations needed to be implemented in letter and spirit.
The practice of opening up district cadre posts to candidates from all the districts has hit the Kashmir valley the most, as more than half of the vacancies against valley districts and divisional cadre are routinely being made from Jammu region, while hardly anyone from Kashmir is selected against district or divisional posts in Jammu region.
As per official figures, out of 3,689 divisional and district cadre selections made by SSB under the fast-track mode in the Kashmir, candidates from Jammu region walked away with around 800 posts while, on the contrary, just two candidates from the valley got selected in over 3,000 district/divisional cadre selections made in Jammu region.

TIME TO INTERVENE

2009-10-05T02:54:00.000-07:00

There is a rot within the hospital that needs to be addressed seriously. It is only a few individuals that are running the Institute, the rest is all trade unionism.

By Naseer A Ganai

IT was in October 2007 when I had to spend a night in the Emergency Ward of the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura as an attendant of a patient. The Ward was as chaotic as it is today. It was crammed, patients were lying everywhere and their attendants were after doctors. The doctors were finding it hard to cope up with the pressure. They were attending one patient, and attendants of another patient were complaining of neglect. There were only two nurses in the whole Emergency and they too were running from one patient to another. There was total chaos. All of sudden a young boy was brought in who had met with a serious accident. He had at least 20 attendants. .

The doctors immediately started attending the patient. But soon, a senior resident on the duty realized that the patient needs to be kept on a ventilator. But in all ventilators there were critical patients. The resident doctor, Dr Sabu Jenhagir, I still remember his name, tried hard to arrange the ventilator but failed. He then called the army hospital from his mobile phone and pleaded to accept the patient who would die if not put on the ventilator. After some time the army hospital agreed and asked him to send the patient. And, when the attendants started shifting the patients, there was a tragic drama.
The patient was breathing through ambo-bag and nurse on the duty wanted it back. The argument started. First, between the attendant and the nurse and then between the senior resident and the nurse. The good doctor tried to convince her that the patient would die if the bag is removed but she said she would lose the job if it was not returned.
Over 15 minutes were lost in this madness. Exasperated, the doctor said if they fail to return he would pay the amount and asked the nurse to let to the patient go. She let the patient go but 15 minutes were already lost. No one from the Control Room of the hospital came to see what is going on. This is one example of hospital mal-administration.
In August 2009, I was again there as an attendant of a patient, but this time in the Surgical Intensive Critical Care Unit for about eight days. Unfortunately, the day after the patient was shifted to the Ward, the Resident Doctors went on strike. And, for next eight days, it seemed everyone is on strike in the hospital. It seemed everyone wanted to raise slogans against genuine or perceived injustice. Everyone wanted to shout at each other. The attendants at doctors, nurses at attendants, doctors at administration and so on…

The security staff too was on strike. Then the paramedical staff was preparing for strike against the order of the administration for planning to introduce triple shift system. Meanwhile, the OPD was closed. The attendants of the admitted patients realized something wrong is going on. They too lodged protest. From one corridor to another, there were only slogans of zindabad and murdabad. The hospital had turned into trade union conference.

I was worried about my patient and the madness around terrified me. I was worried whether anyone would come to take care of the patients or not. I rushed back to the ward and surprisingly found a doctor there. He was going from one bed to another and assuring the attendants that he would be on duty from 10 a.m to 6 p.m as long as the strike of resident doctors continues. I doubted this. But he was true. For the next eight days, Dr Abdul Qayoom Dar would come at 10 a.m and leave at 6 p.m. he would be in the ward all the time. I was shocked to see a consultant working like this. Then I heard he has worked in England. And it seems while returning from England he has not washed his hands in the river Thames to wash English traits. His presence in the ward was reassuring for the attendants who were not sure what next would fall on the critically ill patients. But, when he would leave in the evening there was always an apprehension about the doctor who would replace him for the night duty. And rightly so. They would seldom turn up for duty. Only one night saw a consultant on the duty. Rest they would come in the evening and then show their face in the morning.
On one night, I saw a person in green clothes resuscitating a patient who had consumed poisonous substance. The case was strange. One of his attendants told me he had an affair, and a girl had told him she has consumed poison and is dying. He too consumed and was in critical care unit. The girl had lied to him. He died despite hectic efforts of the man in green. I thought he is doctor. But, he turned out to be technician. Resident doctors were on strike and the young man Yasir was working like anything along with nurse Shahida on that night.
The stay in hospital made me realize that the hospital is not functioning because of its Director, Joint Director, Head of the Departments and trade union leaders. It is functioning because of individuals like Dr Sabu Jehangirs, Dr Qayoom Dars, Yasirs and Shahidas.

Such individuals might be scores in SKIMS. It these individuals who have taken upon themselves to work and work, whether it is appreciated or not, whether it is liked or not, whether the Director sees it or not. the day the dedicated lot in the hospital would get dejected by the system, the day they would feel exasperated by the witch hunting, the day they would feel tormented and started leaving for greener pastures and many have already started doing so, the hospital would crumble under its own weight. Time has come to rescue the Institute.
Time has come, when the working of faculty must be questioned. They must be forced to work. It indicated that the hospital is run by the PGs, not by the faculty. The administration must be asked why it closed down the OPD? The answers must be sought. People should be made accountable. Time has come to ask questions to the faculty members who have brought indiscipline in the hospital by indulging in the private practice. They have made fun of the Institute. This lot must be asked to adhere to the rules of the hospital or leave for the good of the hospital. When seniors break the rules and don’t get any punishment, they lose the respect of the juniors and it reflects on over all functioning of the Institute. The rules, even if considered as unrealistic, are rules. Time has come that the unionism should end in the hospital. The clear instructions should go that the union leaders to abolish their little kingdoms through which they hold people of Kashmir at ransom. The unions have no place in hospitals. Biggest rot has brought to the hospital by the unions. The government must end this disease of unionism in hospitals.
Time has come when the hospital should end to practice of bringing the staff to hospital in its vehicles. This happens no where. They are duty bound to reach hospital and they should reach on their own. The SKIMS is the only hospital where the medical records are not available. It takes months for PGs to collect data for research. And no one is bothered. In the surgical ICU, you have only two nurses for 12 critical patients. Bathrooms stink, the Birla House constructed for the attendants has been occupied by the employees, but no one cares. One of the excellent buildings, which is equivalent 15 emergencies, is under the illegal control of troopers for the past two decades and no effort is made to vacate it. The weed around the hospital is growing, the residents of the adjoining area have dismantled compound wall of the hospital and have made path through it, but no one seems to bother. The laboratory tests of the hospital astonish even patients. At times in the tests, they declare blood sugar level of patients only 10 and he gets away with it. Here is no counter where one gets information where one should go. The public administration relation is at its nadir. The SKIMS is the hospital, which looks like a hospital. It caters every section and every area of JK state particularly of Kashmir valley. The health sector has crumbled at district level. And everyone rushes to the SKIMS. It is the hope and the day it crumbles down, whole health system would crumble down in the valley. The government must understand this and it must understand it now.

Indian media raises visa war

2009-10-01T05:03:00.001-07:00

Indian media today played up “issuing of a loose visa” to Kashmiris by China, describing it as a part of the Chinese “aggressive posturing.” Scores of Kashmiris have traveled to China on visas that were stamped in their passports rather than stapled to it. Last month, major newspapers of Kashmir carried news stories on the issue accusing the Indian government of refusing to entertain the loose visas to Kashmiri students. Interestingly, in Kashmir concern was not why the loose visas are being issued to Kashmiri students instead it was why the Indian authorities were not accepting the loose visas.

However, India media perceived it as major shock and some media channels today run the story as “China’s visa shocker.”

The experts invited by the different news channels asked New Delhi to pay Beijing in the same coin. Bharat Verma, the editor of the Indian Defence Journal said that the India should respond by giving same visa to residents of Tibet and Xinjiang province of China. He said those who visit China on these visas shouldn’t be allowed to come. Braham Challeny, noted defence experts however said the China by issuing loose visas to Kashmiris is openly describing “Indian Jammu and Kashmir” as disputed. He said India should raise issue of occupation of “1/5th of Jammu and Kashmir presently under Chinese occupation.” He however said Indian government wouldn’t react to the development. “It (India) has not responded to Chinese incursions, which is more serious a threat and I don’t expect they would react to the passport issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory to all the airports that Indian established norms be followed and paper visa should not be accepted at all.

‘State govt brought CBI for cover up

2009-10-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

Bar withdraws from Shopian case

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Sept 30: In a major development the High Court Bar Association today withdrew from the Shopian double murder and rape case while accusing the State

government of using Centre Bureau of Investigation to bury it.

“They have exhumed bodies of the two women and conducted postmortem and autopsy on them on Monday. Since Yesterday media is reporting while quoting the

CBI that one of the victim is virgin. This is what we had apprehended and this is the plan for which they (CBI) has been brought to investigate the case,” the Bar president Mian Abdul Qayoom said when the case came up for hearing before the Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice, Justice Barin Gosh and the Justice Muhammad Yaqoob Mir.

Qayoom said the High Court had not given any direction to the State government to hand over the case to the Centre Bureau of Investigation in its order of August 28. However, he said, the State government in violation of the Court orders passed an order on September 9, 2009 and handed over the case to the CBI.

The Bar president said that the High Court had ordered to the State government that in case the family members of the victims agree for exhumation of the bodies for the postmortem and autopsy, it should be conducted by a team of doctors nominated by the Principal Government Medical College and the investigating team should take the Principal’s suggestion while exhuming the bodies.

But, Qayoom said, the CBI instead brought a team from the AIIMS and has not involved anyone from the GMC. “And now from Tuesday the media is reporting while quoting CBI that one of the victim was virgin,” the Bar president said. He said on first day Bar had informed the Court that the CBI investigation would bury the case. “The CBI has been brought to give clean chit to criminals involved in the case,” he said.

The Bar president said the CBI during postmortem the CBI has associated Dr Ghulam Qadir Khan. Qayoom said Dr Khan has returned from Saudi Arabia after 20 years and he has no expertise in the subject. “Why the doctor who is only MS and is not expert in the subject has been associated with postmortem and autopsy and why the GMC doctors have been ignored,” he asked. He described the CBI action as contempt of the Court and said that the State government and the agency should be indicted for the contempt.

Qayoom said, Dr Sudhir Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, AIIMS, who was not part of the team of doctors who examined the bodies has stated that even though the female genitalia is usually resistant to decomposition, after three months it is highly unlikely that exhuming the decomposed bodies would help in investigations. “The uterus usually does not decompose easily but after three months it is difficult to say with certainty which parts of the organ will be intact. In a case of a sexual assault, forensic experts usually look for injury on the organ and discharge. Even if the body is kept in a deep freezer, after five days, the discharge is lost as the vagina is infected due to assault. It is impossible to establish anything from this exercise of exhuming the bodies of the victims,” Qayoom said while quoting Dr Gupta and asked the logic behind the exhumation of the bodies.

He said the four police officers have been bailed out by the Courts after giving them regular hearings and the police was more than prompt to release them. “It is the same police which feels no regret in dishonoring the Court orders in detainees cases and books the detainees released by the Courts just outside the jails,’ he said. He said the Bar has no faith on the CBI and accused State of brining the agency for cover up. Qayoom announced its withdrawal from the case and left the Court room along with Bar Vice President Ejaz Bedar and General Secretary G.N Shaheen.

In June 2009, the Bar had filed the petition in the High Court and had asked it to monitor the investigation of the case.

However, advocate general of the State Muhammad Ishaq Qadri in his submissions said the High Court in August 28, 2009 judgment had stated that the State has discretion to hand over the case to anyone. He described the Bar president’s statement about the CBI as move to “malign the premier investigating agency of the country.” He however didn’t say anything about the investigation and said the case was now with the CBI.

The CBI counsel Ashok Bhan said the CBI has brought competent people to carry exhumation, postmortem and autopsy on the bodies. Besides, he said, the High Court directions were for the Special Investigation Team not for the CBI. He said the CBI was investigating the case and at present it was not possible to present details about the investigation. He said no official of the CBI has talked to any person in media. He assured the Court that the CBI would not disclose anything to anyone about the case except the High Court. The CBI counsel said that Dr Ghulam Qadir Khan was brought on the insistence of the Majlis Mushawarat. “The CBI wants to take people along,” he said.

The High Court after hearing the submissions said, “We don’t want to interfere with the investigation at this stage. But we want to know the details about the persons who conducted the postmortem of the bodies and their profile.” In an open Court the Bench ordered that the details of the persons should be presented to the Court on next date of hearing on October 13, 2009. The Court directed the CBI to reveal how they conducted the postmortem and whoelse, other than CBI, was part of the team. However the Court made it clear that it doesn’t want the details of the autopsy and postmortem at this stage.

The Court said it won’t close the case even though the original petitioner, the Bar Association, has withdrawn from the case. “The PIL has been accepted by the Court and we will carry on in accordance with the law until the mystery is resolved,” the Court said.

The Court said it wanted to pass an order to effect that no member of the CBI shall speak a word to the media. “But the CBI counsel has assured us that no official would divulge anything to anyone about the case except to this court in the form of reports,” the Court said.

PDP's latest: Self-rule an alternative to Azadi

2009-09-30T03:44:00.000-07:00

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Sept 29: The Peoples Democratic Party described its agenda of self-rule as freedom

-an alternative to Azadi.

“I have no hesitation to say that the people of Kashmir are for Azadi. In Jammu, a number of regions are for Azadi. In Ladakh one district

seeks union territory status and the other has sympathy with Kashmiris,” said Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP president while launching its membership drive. She took an oath to spread the self-rule message across the state, particularly among the educated class.

However, Mufti said, PDP’s self rule seeks freedom for people of Jammu and Kashmir to do business through historical routes including silk route, to have power to exploit its water resources, to have its elected governor and to have a joint mechanism with the Pakistan Administered Kashmir to run the affairs of the Jammu and Kashmir and Azad Kashmir.

However she said the self-rule would restore the historical position of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed in 1947 without disturbing the sovereignty of India and Pakistan. She said partition of Jammu and Kashmir, disintegrated the state and with it its roads and business relations were cut off with the rest of the world.

“Kashmir had business relations with Iran, Central Asia through Jehlum Valley Road and with Tibet and China through Ladakh,” she said. She described the PDP’s self-rule as freedom that would be an alternative to the Azadi voice. She said

She emphasized that it would unite the two Kashmirs and open up the world to the people of the region without changing the borders. “There are 20 seats lying vacant for Azad Kashmir (in J&K Assembly) and time has come when these seats needed to be filled. There must be a joint council,” she said.

She said PDP raised the slogan of peace when no one was talking about it. “Today it is easy for everyone to talk about good relations between India and Pakistan. But we talked about it even days after Kargil war when the atmosphere was different,” she said.

She said self-rule had internal dimensions as well. “It means the Article 356 should not be invoked in the state and the governor should be elected,” she said. The PDP president talked repeatedly of the water resources saying time had come when Kashmiris should have freedom to decide over state’s water resources. “PDP is for this freedom as an alternative to independence.”

She said Mughal Road, though a dream of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, was realized by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. During its rule, the PDP had planned a tunnel across Simthan pass to have smooth road to Doda, proposed a tunnel for Gurez and supported devolution of powers.

“There should be Development Councils for Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch,” she demanded.

Presently, she said, there were 20-28 lakh kanal under the occupation of troops in the state. “Even in Zabarwan area where it is impossible for civilians to raise construction, army is openly raising buildings,” she said. She described massive military presence contrary to self-rule and called for demilitarization from civilian areas.

She launched a scathing attack on National Conference accusing its ‘fickle’ leadership of being responsible for the trust deficit between New Delhi and Kashmir. Without naming Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, she said the NC leaders remained in jail for 22 years and then compromised for power.

Mehbooba said PDP would ‘never take people towarda path and later describe it as political wilderness.’ She however emphasized that the PDP has not raised a rebellion. “Instead we are for restoring the historical position of the state as it existed in 1947,” she said.

In her address, Mehbooba compared the PDP’s self-rule with the autonomy plan of National Conference and said the latter as a concept was aimed at settling issues between New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir only. The NC, she said, has always used the autonomy plank to get into power.

The PDP would be issuing cards to its prospective members on which the party has explained its self-rule concept.

MUFTI MUHAMMAD SAYEED:

Later former chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed addressed the gathering. He first dealt with the issue of mistrust between New Delhi and Srinagar. New Delhi, he said, should first ask itself why Kashmir went far away from India.

He cited examples of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, saying in both states regional parties were ruling since 1967 and the Government of India has not disturbed them. While quoting Z.A Bhutto that India has survived due to chaos and confusion of democracy, Mufti said “the chaos of democracy” was not allowed to function in Jammu and Kashmir. “In 1953 a police officer had two orders in his hand for the Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah- one of his dismissal and second of his arrest,” he said.

Mufti called for a change in the mindset and said in 2003 security agencies were against operation of mobile service in Jammu and Kashmir, apprehending its misuse. He said the PDP convinced the then telecommunication minister Arun Shorie and the then Prime Minister A.B Vajpayee that mobiles wouldn’t create any security problems. “Today BSNL earns highest revenue from Kashmir,” he said. He said people were craving for passport in Kashmir and the chief minister, instead, was gloating over one passport he has issued to someone. Mufti said issuance of passports shouldn’t be any problem. He said when he campaigned for opening Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road many apprehended it won’t be opened. “But it did open and changed the perceptions,” he said.

He revealed when Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road was opened a Hurriyat leader had met the then prime minister and told him “had you opened the road through us, lakhs of people would have been on roads to welcome the bus service.”

He described opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road as a great leap forward and said it would bring many changes in the region. He however cautioned against playing with the identity of people and described people as real sources of power and cited the last year’s protest against the transfer of forest land as an example. “It was a struggle of people for their identity,” he said.

Mufti described self-rule as an evolutionary process and urged his party leaders to take it everywhere. He described his 21 MLAs as mujahideen and said he called them so ‘because they would raise the voice of people in Assembly and continue to raise voice for justice outside it.’

He said self-rule means that president of India should not negate the verdict of people by using the tool of Article 356. He described demilitarization as withdrawal of forces from civilian areas. “The demobilization shouldn’t be construed that we are against army,” he said.

Now OIC appoints special envoy on Kashmir

2009-09-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

In a significant development the Organization of Islamic Conference, an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations, has appointed a special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir. The OIC appointed Abdullah Bin Adbul Rahman Al Bakr as the special envoy on Kashmir. The OIC would be first such organisation to appoint the envoy.

In January, this year when Obama administration appointed Richard Holbroke as new U.S envoy to South Asia, Kashmir was expected in his brief.

But Holbrooke, the veteran negotiator of the Dayton accords, was officially named "special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan." But the omission of Kashmir from his title was noticeable. Newspapers reported that India vigorously -- and successfully -- lobbied the Obama transition team to make sure that neither India nor Kashmir was included in Holbrooke's official brief.

Interestingly during his campaign Obama himself had proposed a special envoy to deal with Kashmir. Obama had told Times, that working with Pakistan and India to try to resolve their Kashmir conflict would be a critical task for his administration's efforts to try to counter growing instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Kashmir in particular is an interesting situation where that is obviously a potential tar pit diplomatically," Obama had said. "But, for us to devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in there, to figure out a plausible approach, and essentially make the argument to the Indians, you guys are on the brink of being an economic superpower, why do you want to keep on messing with this? ... I think there is a moment where potentially we could get their attention. It won't be easy, but it's important." Obama had also suggested in the interview that he had discussed the special envoy idea with former President Bill Clinton.

Finally, China Talks Kashmir

2009-09-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

In a surprising move, China on Monday asked India and Pakistan to seek a solution to the Kashmir issue through peaceful and friendly consultations and offered to play a constructive role in resolving the Kashmir issue.

Agencies quoting Hu Zhengyue, Chinese Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, in charge of the Asian region saying: “As a friendly country, China would also be happy to see progress in the peace process between India and Pakistan.”

Kashmir, he said, is an issue that has been longstanding left from history. “This issue touches the bilateral relations between the relevant countries," he said.

KOBAD GHANDY, THE REVOLUTIONARY

2009-09-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Passionate, scholarly, logical: Kobad Ghandy’s friends look back on his student days

Former associates in Mumbai have fond memories of the times they spent with Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy and his wife Anuradha before they shifted to Nagpur in the early 1980s, soon after which they went underground.

Ghandy, 63, has been arrested in Delhi. Anuradha died of malaria last year in a tribal area of Maharashtra. She was 54.

Senior journalist Jatin Desai, who was part of the youth movement, recalls his association with Ghandy from 1977-79. “Kobad was extraordinarily intelligent and well read. We used to gather on the Mumbai University campus and sit near Rajabai Tower because we could not afford meetings at restaurants. We used to be a bunch of 20 youngsters discussing politics, human rights, and international revolutions and dreaming of a new world. Kobad was passionate but he did not propagate violence aggressively.”

Ghandy and Anuradha formed the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) in 1978 after the Emergency. Activist Jyoti Punwani, who was the editor of CPDR’s magazine Adhikar Raksha, remembers Kobad as an influential writer. “Adhikar Raksha was primarily about human rights and Kobad wrote strong articles about economics and exploitation of the poor,” said Punwani, who was a close friend of Anuradha at Elphinstone College.

Ghandy’s sense of justice was accurate, according to close friend Asghar Ali Engineer, writer and activist. “I did not know he was planning to join a political party when we were together at CPDR in the late 1970s. He is an ideologue for the CPI (Maoist), a scholarly person. He is very soft-spoken and a thorough gentleman. I can’t believe he led violent operations,” Engineer said.

Dr Ritu Diwan, professor of economics at Mumbai University, was part of the core group of the CPDR in the early 1980s. “Kobad played a key role in mobilising youth movements. At youth meetings when an argument would heat up, his calm intervention would settle matters. He was not bossy but his logic was spot on. He was known for his vision and sense of humour,” Diwan said.

Within a few years, most members had left the CPDR. “Most of us went on with our lives and chose to settle down in various professions but Kobad and Anuradha carried on,” Diwan said.

Anuradha’s brother Sunil Shanbag, a theatre actor, recalls the Ghandys as studious and academic. “Most of their time would be spent reading and writing. It was not just plain passion and valour but sensibility and intelligence with which they pursued their endeavour. Kobad is scholarly and I would enjoy listening to him talking about politics and injustice,” Shanbag said.

Anuradha’s mother Kumud Shanbag, 84, who works with an NGO, said, “We would communicate with Anuradha and Kobad once a year after they went underground. In fact I did not even know that she was suffering from malaria before I got news of her death. I never opposed her decisions and I am proud of both of them,” Shanbag said

India's unlikely Maoist revolutionary

Kobad Ghandy, a top Maoist leader in India, came from an upper class background before he become one of the country's most wanted rebels. He was arrested in the capital, Delhi, on Monday. The 's Prachi Pinglay has this profile.

Kobad Ghandy is an "unlikely revolutionary" - a foreign educated urbanite, he is reputed to like joking and socialising.

But not for him the life of a middle class city professional. Instead he has remained committed to the Maoist cause with "discipline and perseverance" for over 30 years - with over a decade spent underground in various tribal areas, his friends say.

Maoist-linked violence across central and eastern India has killed at least 6,000 people over the past 20 years. The rebels say they represent the rights of landless farmhands and tribal communities.

Mr Ghandy is wanted in various cases, accused of being a member of a banned group, organising demonstrations and writing publicity material for the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

He first became active in socio-political activities in Mumbai (then called Bombay) during the tenure of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

While his initial years are fairly well documented, very little is known about him in later years.

He spoke to the in 2008, describing Indian society as "semi-feudal, semi-colonial" and saying it needed to be "democratised".

Political activities

A Khoja-Parsi by birth, Kobad Ghandy completed his schooling in India's elite Doon school and St Xavier's College in Bombay. He went to London to pursue studies in chartered accountancy. His friend PA Sebastian told the that it was in England that Mr Ghandy first became involved in political activities.

After returning to Bombay, he was active during Mrs Gandhi's emergency (from 1975-1977), when democracy was suspended.

Mr Ghandy set up the leading rights group, the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), along with activist friends like Mr Sebastian and reformer Asghar Ali Engineer.

Mr Engineer remembers how they used to meet at the convocation hall of Bombay University once a week at six pm after office hours.

"He was a thorough gentleman and was very strong in his convictions even then. He regarded the ruling Congress party as a clever bourgeois and capitalist party."

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s Mr Ghandy's support of communism seemed to increase.

He married activist-academic Anuradha Shanbag and decided to move to Nagpur with her - dedicating themselves entirely to the cause of tribal rights, women's issues and campaigns on behalf of lower caste people and women. Anuradha, also a staunch activist, lecturer and member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) died in April last year after a bout of cerebral malaria.

Her brother, the well-known theatre personality Sunil Shanbag, remembers how the couple made the difficult decision to leave Mumbai as "they felt they were needed more in those areas".

"The atmosphere of those days was different. There was a great sense of liberation and all of us were swept in. The CPDR used to book tickets in bulk for our plays and there would [always] be a discussion [afterwards]. There was a bridging at this time between art and politics and Anuradha and Kobad were not narrow-minded ideologues. They were very non-judgmental."

Mr Shanbag said: "His father Adi Ghandy worked in a pharmaceutical company and they lived in an old sprawling flat in Worli. His father was in fact extremely supportive of the cause. He too led a simple life inspired by his son. Kobad had complete support from his family."

'Inequality'

Susan Abraham, another long time friend of the couple, said: "He was committed to the revolution and revolutionary ideals. He came from an upper class background but led a Spartan life. He was tuned with his surroundings. When you see so much inequality, you want so much to change things.

"In the days after the emergency everyone was influenced by activism," she said, explaining the apparent difference between Mr Ghandy's background and the life he chose to live.

Activist and writer Jyoti Punwani says it was far from obvious that he had had an elite schooling or foreign education.

Mr Ghandy's wife, Anuradha, died last year

"We could not have guessed he was from all these places. His behaviour was very normal and he even laughed about his time spent at the Doon school. They had a huge house but never showed off money. He was leftist and committed to changing the system. He did all his work by himself and did not keep a servant."

While his jhola (cotton shoulder bag), his self-discipline and his commitment come up often in his friends' memories, they also mention how he loved mixing with people from all walks of life.

"Kobad and Anuradha gave up their lives to work with the poor but never said anything about it. He was always enthusiastic and he liked to mix with people. He could interact with people from every class and make friends and joke about many things. He is the most unlikely revolutionary, he liked to have fun - he was an ideologue but not an intellectual," Ms Punwani reminisces.

A police official who has investigated several cases in areas of Maharashtra state where Maoist rebels are active said that Mr Ghandy was also known by the names Kamal and Azad.

"He is a strong ideologue. He has organised demonstrations and written

articles and other publicity material," he said.

"He is a senior in their ranks. Cases are registered against him in Nagpur and Chandrapur. However, charges against him are not of a serious nature," he said.

Mr Ghandy has been remanded in custody and it is not clear if he will be transferred out of Delhi.

Activists who campaign for the release of political prisoners have started rallying to demand that he is given his legal rights.

Mr Shanbag says some sections of the media may have got it wrong about Mr Ghandy.

"Kobad cannot be called a blood-thirsty terrorist as some in the media are calling him. Somebody has to get real." (Agencies)

Farooq’s schedule in Srinagar

2009-09-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah inaugurats newly constructed Khalsa High School building at Magarmal Bagh Srinagar on September 25, 2009.

Of Hakeem Balwant Singh

2009-09-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai

Hakeem Balwant Singh is not alien to any reader of Urdu newspapers in Kashmir. The day Hakeem Sahib doesn’t appear in the papers is the day when the papers didn’t hit the stands. Elders say over the years the contents of Hakeem Balwant’s advertisement has not changed. It continues to occupy the same space, on the same page of the papers, which it was occupying three decades ago. In the advertisement, Hakeem Balwant Singh claims, he is the only hope for hopeless patient (read patients suffering from sexual disorders). He claims his presence in Srinagar is last chance for the hopeless patients. He has more to say. He says, he diagnoses the disease of a patient just in seconds. He comes to know about disorders and orders of a patient once he puts his hand on latter’s pulse.

In each advertisement he says, he is in Srinagar for last 40 years, but in the same advertisement, he says, his presence in Srinagar is last chance for the hopeless patients. He says his elder son Hakeem Kuldeep Singh too is Srinagar for short time and patients are advised to take benefit of his presence. It is being repeated every day.

Hakeem Balwant Singh’s advertising slogans are:

Quick Relief,

No Side Effect,

Hakeem Balwant Singh Kahndani Shahi Tabib Specialist in Sex and Chronic Diseases.

The advertisement also carries a warning: “There is no other Branch of Hakeem Balwant Singh in valley.”

The second warning is: “Medicine could be exchanged not returned.”

Hakeem Balwant Singh had no competition in showing his face every day to readers of Kashmir albeit through advertisements. But situation has now changed.

It changed when Prof Riyaz Punjabi replaced Prof Wahid as vice chancellor of Kashmir University three years ago. Now, like Hakem Sahib, Punjabi is everywhere. One day, that is on Monday, he is on front page. Next day, that is on Tuesday, he is on third page. Remember second page is for Hakeem Balwant Singh. And third day, that is Wednesday he is again on front page. Idhar Dubay Udhar Niklay. On Thursday he is on fourth page. On Friday he is again on some page. On Saturday he occupies last page. But on Sunday he jumps back to the front pages of papers. Whatever the page, whatever the day, he is there. Interestingly, he is always in the same pose in every photograph.

On Monday newspapers carry his statement about the Decline and Fall of Dal Lake. Next day they carry his gems about peace and pathology. Third day on Medicine and Kashmir conflict. Fourth day on pedagogy and importance of tomatoes for health of teachers.

Fifth day, we are told by newspapers, he spoke on fiction, plagiarism and Ph.Ds offered by Kashmir University, sixth day, we are told he delivered a lecture On culture and Vultural Activistism at the Vultural Academy of Art and Artists, and seventh day that is Sunday he talks about importance of being Riyaz Punjabi.

His presence is so dominant in newspapers that he seems to be an autocratic ruler of the independent Kashmir where every newspaper is duty bound to carry his statement. One feels, if some day newspapers here won’t publish his words of wisdom, he will hang up newspapers on the wall and shoot at them. One by one.

Punjabi like Hakeem Balwant Singh has solution for every problem including most complicated problems. But, that doesn’t mean newspapers should publish claims of Balwant Singh as advertisement against money, and carry statements of Punjabi as news reports. This is gross injustice to Balwant Singh. He should agitate the matter. It is indeed discrimination.

Voice For Independent Kashmir Comes From Omer Mukhtar's Land

2009-09-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai

Srinagar, Sept 24: For the first time any country has advocated the cause of independent Kashmir from the Podium of UN General Assembly.

The Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi changed the history when while delivering his first ever speech from the United Nations podium yesterday not only advocated independent Kashmir saying Kashmir should be an independent buffer state between India and Pakistan.

"Kashmir should be an independent state, not Indian, not Pakistani. We should end this conflict. It should be a Ba'athist state between India andPakistan," the Libyan leader said in his address to the UN General Assembly.

Interestingly, in Kashmir Libya is known through Hollywood film Lion of Desert on Libyan leader Omar Mukhtar. Omar Mukhtar was born in 1862 in the Mnifa tribe in the small village of Janzour near Tobruk in eastern Barqa (Cyrenaica).

Omar Mukhtar’s struggle of nearly 20 years came to an end on 11 September 1931, when he was wounded in battle and captured by the Italian army. On 16 September 1931, on the orders of the Italian court and with Italian hopes that Libyan resistance would die with him, Mukhtar was hanged before his followers in the concentration camp of Solluqon. Mukhtar's face appears on the Libyan 10 Dinar bill.

However, half a century later, a Hollywood movie on Omar Mukhtar, trigged a fresh rebellion in Kashmir.

Following the screening of the movie there were widespread anti-Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah protests across Kashmir forcing the then NC government to stop the screening of the movie in the first week when it was running houseful.

The ‘Lion of the Desert’ set in 1985 turned Kashmir into a volcano. “In one hour Kashmir realized follies of Sheikh Abdullah. The film changed the outlook of Kashmiris towards the National Conference and its role in their plight and subsequent it changed the political history of Kashmir,” said a retired bureaucrat.

Two years after the screening of the film, the National Conference rigged the elections of 1987 and declared itself winner contrary to the general perception that it was losing before the Muslim United Front.

This brought sudden change in the situation and Kashmiri youth started crossing the Line of Control (LoC) from for getting arms training in Pakistanadministered Kashmir to launch a rebellion against the Indian rule.

The speakers are supposed to limit themselves to 15 minutes but Libyan leader spoke for 90-minutes. The Cuban leader Fidel Castro spoke for four and a half hours in 1960. However, VK Krishna Menon has delivered a longest ever speech in UN for eight hours. That too on Kashmir in 1957.

In Srinagar the political analysts see the statement for significant. “It is significant as Gaddafi is no longer pariah in the West. He is presently seen as an alley of the west and he is not outcast,” said analyst who wished not to be quoted. He said no other country has supported the independent Kashmir so far except the Libyan leader.

Significantly, Col Gaddafi, who is also the president of the African Union, praised Barack Obama and even referred to him as "our Obama."

A Journey Through Lesser Known Kashmir

2009-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Naseer A Ganai

Gurez (LoC): “Please stop to have a sanga view” reads a board near Razdhan Pass about 11,762 feet up in the greater Himalays. The beauty of the area is so breathtaking that a caravan of jeeps carrying journalists, travel operators and tourism department officials, who were on way to Gurez to attend Gurez Festival, stopped here without even looking at the board. “It is so close to nature,” said a Polish photographer, and with it she started capturing the landscape in her camera.
Others too were mesmerized. From Sanga the entire Bandipora, including Wullar Lake, is visible. Labourers who work with Border Road Organisation here say that at times cloud hang so close above the earth’s surface that “they could be touched”.
Nearly 200 meters from Sanga is Peerbaba shrine managed by Army. All visitors have to report to Traffic Check Point Peerbaba before proceeding forward. But the caravan was allowed to proceed without the searches to which they are accustomed in the city and towns and villages of Kashmir. Still it stopped to see “Sarva Dharma Sthal” (all religions place). Outside the shrine there are bathrooms constructed by various regiments by Army and donated to the shrine. Scribbled in white stone in Hindi and English is a biographical note on Peerbaba just outside the main shrine. It says Baba had come to this place from Mansar Pakistan. He was known as Nanga Baba as he didn’t wear clothes even in winters when temperature here goes several degrees below zero degrees Celsius, and “subscribed to no religion”. He died after the partition and days after his death one person known as Malik, a resident of Bandipora, dreamt that baba had died. So he went up to Razdhan to bring his body to Bandipora. Heavy rains and snow failed him in his endeavor forcing him to bury the Baba at Razdhan. Inside the shrine there is Mausoleum of Baba and symbols of all faiths. Mostly army men visit the place to pay obeisance. This is perhaps only shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under the direct control of Army.

Road to Gurez

The road to Gurez from Razdhan gives you back ache; it is riddled with bumps and potholes. And there is a lingering danger of slides. This only lifeline to Gurez is so fragile that it can’t stand a slight snowfall. It remains cut off from the Valley and the rest of the world for six months in a year. And in summer the condition of the road is such that this 86 kms stretch from Sunerwani in Bandipora to Gurez takes at least four hours to cover by a Sumo. This road was jeep track managed Military Engineering Service of army. Later, officials here said, the road was constructed on the orders of former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi. The officials of the Roads and Building Department say that if the road comes under their jurisdiction, they would keep it open for round the year. “Three places, Dragbal, Zadkhusan and Kanzalwan are prone to slides and to manage this 30 kms stretch PWD needs men and machinery which it has in abundance to keep this road open,” said Muhammad Dilwar Khan, an official of Roads and Building. Presently road is under the control of Beacon. From Razdhan to Kanzalwan there is omnipresence of outside the State labourers who work the beacon project. “We work with Sarkar,” said a labourer. Asked what is Sarkar, he pointed towards an official of Beacon project.

Gurez festival

The travel is back breaking. But once you reach near Gurez valley cold breeze, high peaks, view of Neelam, irrigated plots, log houses and smiling faces of Dards work as a balm. “I have been to every part of the Jammu and Kashmir, but this is different. Foreigners would love to visit here,” said Nasir Shah, a tour operator. And on Saturday, July 14 when two day Gurez Festival was inaugurated, the president of tour operators Akram Siah promised Minister for Tourism Dilwar Mir that they will bring some 40 foreign tourists here next month. Siah, however, had some apprehensions, which he didn’t hesitate to express. Directly addressing Brigadier Roy, who was present in the function, he appealed that foreign tourists should be spared the hassle of security checks.

Explaining later, he said foreigners are not afraid of difficult terrain but they should not be subjected to security hassles. This area, he said, has everything for adventure tourists and if tourism is allowed here it will bring revolution. “There is everything in this area for foreigners: meadows, mountains for rock climbing, water for rafting and then you can also go for trekking; it has no parallel,” he said.
The minister was prompt to respond. “The government has plan for the development of this area. Nearly Rs 5 crore will be spend on the infrastructure development of Gurez,” promised Dilawar Mir. The words of the minister didn’t only get applause from the locals who had come from different villages to Dawar, Tehsil headquarter of Gurez but local MLA of the area was ecstatic. He stood up and shouted “Dilwar Mir Zindabad.” Minister earlier said that the festival could take place because of the efforts of Nazir Gurezi. “He has converted my office into his own office,” the Minister said.
Perhaps it is the first time that the National Conference MLA has been seen shouting slogans in favour of Peoples Democratic Party Minister. Political analysts in Srinagar might conclude that Gurezi may join PDP, but people are unfazed. “So what. No matter what party he joins he should do something for this constituency,” says Amir Lone, 60, of Churvan village. Churvan is last hamlet on this side of the border. He says since Gurezi became MLA, the area has seen some activity and the ministers are visiting oftener. A young schoolteacher sitting next to him however had a different take on the issue. He was not against Gurezi but said the area will only develop once the politicians here start fighting election on Ladakh pattern. “We should send MLA from this constituency unopposed. This would help the MLA to always support the ruling party and there chances of his becoming a Minister as well. And once MLA from this area becomes the Minister he could do more for the area,” he said. Lone appreciated the teacher for his wisdom.
The people here belong to Dard tribe and take pride in their history and culture. But years of isolation, closure of Gilgit route in 1947, and exodus of highly educated people has changed the things. The tourism Minister was quick to realize the gravity of situation. “You have great culture so it is frustrating that you people are deserting your log-houses and giving up your culture,” said Dilwar Mir, who was perturbed on seeing some concrete construction in the area.
Mir argues that log-houses and culture of Dards including Shina, the Dardic language, which only the 30,000 people of this area could speak and understand, could be added attraction to tourists. “Concrete buildings are not compatible with the landscape,” he said. The joint director Tourism Department Sarwat Hafeez says there should be total ban on concrete construction in the area. For it tourism department has made some plans. “We will construct hutments here on the pattern of log-houses,” says Director Tourism Farooq Shah. He said foreign tourists look for local touch and we will do our best provide the same to them. Locals in the evening asked Shah to provide helicopter facility to the area. “There should be two sorties at least once in a week. This is terrible place when people in winter suffer from aliments here. There is no health care facility available and helicopter sorties would bring some relief to us,” pleaded a delegation of local respectable to Shah. Shah promised he will take up the matter with the government. “Please do something in this regard. The closure of road is killing us,” said an aged person before leaving the meeting hall.
Others asked that Gurez Festival should be organized every year now. “This was part of our culture in years gone-by. Its’ revival will help in great deal to revive our culture,” said Abdul Aziz, a political leader. Aziz proudly says that Dards are first Aryan race to accept Islam and “we came from ruling clan.” He says Yousuf Shah Chak, the last Chak ruler of Jammu and Kashmir was a Dard. There is a small stream, which immerses into the Neelam near a mountain named Habba Khatoon Mountain. Residents said Yousuf Shah Chak had moved from this area and when he was incarcerated by Mughal emperor Akbar, Haba Khatoon came here to look for him. “She went to the peak of the mountain to search for Yousuf. Hence the name Habba Khatoon Mountain,” said Abdul Aziz.

Road to Gilgit

From Churvan, Dodigai village in Gilgit can be seen clearly. Amir Lone says after it there is another village called Zeyan. “I only remember these two villages of Pakistan,” he says. He says before partition, this was the route used by the traders and army of Dogra Maharaja. However after the partition this route of commerce was closed. The residents long for opening of the road. “There are various check points on various borders. If they are not opening the road at least they should open the check points so that we can cross over to see our relatives,” said a villager.

Road to Drass

Whether Gilgit road will be opened or not, but the government of India would soon throw Gurez-Drass road open for the traffic. Officials here said this strategically important road linking Gurez to Drass was constructed after the Kargil war. “Initially when the construction was taken up 1995 the plan was for 59 kms to connect Chakwali in Teilal with Dawar,” said an official. However after 1999 the government changed the plan and included 37 kms from Chakwali to Drass in the construction. The road constructed by 56 RCC Gref will be thrown open in August-September this year, officials said. This is route which will provide alternate road to the Ladakh area. They said the road has been constructed through forest and wildlife areas and both the departments have given permission to the construction company for the construction of the road. The travelers can travel to Kargil from this route and then return to Srinagar from Zojila.

Separatist politics

Residents here say that this is only border area where people didn’t join militancy. However, this doesn’t mean that they have no interest in politics. They remember names of all the pro-freedom or separatist leaders but say that they have not seen any leader visiting the area. “I don’t know why they didn’t come here. In fact I don’t know any who had even tried to visit here,” said a resident. Despite it residents discusses politics at length and ask why there are so many factions in the separatist politics when the goal is same? That’s why the pro-freedom leaders didn’t visit border areas. That’s why border areas were always ignored. Any answers?

Is India Creating China Scare?

2009-09-14T03:32:00.000-07:00

China will launch an attack on India before 2012.

Note: The Article written by the editor-in-chief of Indian Defence Review was published by the IDR in its July 2009 issue.

By Bharat Verma
There are multiple reasons for a desperate Beijing to teach India the final lesson, thereby ensuring Chinese supremacy in Asia in this century. The recession that shut the Chinese exports shop is creating an unprecedented internal social unrest. In turn, the vice-like grip of the communists over the society stands severely threatened.

Unemployment is on the rise. The unofficial estimate stands at a whopping fourteen percent. Worldwide recession has put thirty million people out of jobs. Economic slowdown is depleting the foreign exchange reserves. Foreign investors are slowly shifting out. To create a domestic market, the massive dole of loans to individuals is turning out to be a nightmare. There appears to be a flight of capital in billions of dollars in the shape of diamond and gold bought in Hong Kong and shipped out towards end 2008.

The fear of losing control over the Chinese masses is forcing the communists to compulsorily install filtering software on new computers on sale to crush dissent on the Internet, even though it is impossible to censor in entirety the flow of information as witnessed recently in Tibet, Xinjiang and Iran.

The growing internal unrest is making Beijing jittery.

The external picture appears to be equally dismal. The unfolding Obama strategy seems to be scoring goals for democracy and freedom without firing a single shot. While Bush unwittingly united and arrayed against himself Islamic countries and radical Islam worldwide, Obama has put radical Islam in disarray by lowering the intra-societal temperature vis-à-vis America and the Muslim world. He deftly hints at democracy in his talk without directly threatening any group or country and the youth picks it up from there - as in Iran. With more and more Chinese citizens beginning to demand political freedom, the future of the communists is also becoming uncertain. The technological means available in the 21st century to spread democracy is definitely not conducive for the totalitarian regime in Beijing.

India’s chaotic but successful democracy is an eyesore for the authoritarian regime in Beijing. Unlike India, China is handicapped as it lacks the soft power - an essential ingredient to spread influence. This further adds fuel to the fire.

In addition, the growing irrelevance of Pakistan, their right hand that operates against India on their behest, is increasing the Chinese nervousness. Obama’s AF-PAK policy is primarily a PAK-AF policy. It has intelligently set the thief to catch the thief. The stated withdrawal from Iraq by America now allows it to concentrate its military surplus on the single front to successfully execute the mission. This surplus, in combination with other democratic forces, enables America to look deep into resource rich Central Asia, besides containing China’s expansionist ambitions.

To offset this adverse scenario, while overtly pretending to side with the West, the Chinese covertly ordered their other proxy, North Korea, to test underground nuclear explosions and carry out trials of missiles that threaten Japan and South Korea. The Chinese anxiety is understandable. Under Bush’s declared policy of being ‘a strategic competitor’ alongside the ‘axis of evil’, they shared a large strategic maneuverability with others of similar hues. However, Obama policies wisely deny such a luxury by reclaiming more and more international strategic space ceded by the previous administration.

The communists in China, therefore, need a military victory to unite the disillusioned citizenry behind them. This will assist in marketing the psychological perception that the 21st century belongs to China and assert their deep belief in the superiority of the Chinese race. To retain the communist party’s hold on power, it is essential to divert attention from the brewing internal dissent. In an autocratic system normally the only recipe to unite the citizenry is by mannpulating their nationalistic feelings. The easy method for Beijing to heighten the feeling of patriotism and forging national unity is to design a war with an adversary. They believe that this will help them to midwife the Chinese century. That is the end game rooted in the abiding conviction of the communists that the Chinese race is far superior to Nazi Germany and is destined to “Lord over the Earth”.

At present, there is no overall cost benefit ratio in integrating Taiwan by force with the mainland, since under the new dispensation in Taipei, the island is ‘behaving’ itself. Also, the American presence around the region is too strong for comfort. There is also the factor of Japan to be reckoned. Though Beijing is increasing its naval presence in the South China Sea to coerce into submission those opposing its claim on the Sprately Islands, at this point of time in history it will be unwise for recession-hit China to move against the Western interests, including Japan. Therefore, the most attractive option is to attack a soft target like India and forcibly occupy its territory in the Northeast.

Ideally, the Chinese believe that the east-wind should prevail over the west-wind. However, despite their imperial calculations of the past, they lag behind the West, particularly America, by many decades. Hence, they want the east-wind to at least prevail over the other east-wind, i.e., India, to ensure their dominance over Asia. Beijing’s cleverly raising the hackles on its fabricated dispute in Arunachal Pradesh to an alarming level, is the preparatory groundwork for imposing such a conflict on India. A sinking Pakistan will team up with China to teach India “the final lesson”.

The Chinese leadership wants to rally its population behind the communist rule. As it is, Beijing is already rattled, with its proxy Pakistan, now literally embroiled in a civil war, losing its sheen against India. Above all, it is worried over the growing alliance of India with the United States and the West, because the alliance has the potential to create a technologically superior counterpoise.

All these three concerns of the Chinese communists are best addressed by waging a war against pacifist India to achieve multiple strategic objectives. But India, otherwise the biggest challenge to the supremacy of China in Asia, is least prepared on ground to face the Chinese threat.

How will India repel the Chinese game plan? Will Indian leadership be able to take the heat of war? Have they laid the groundwork adequately to defend India? Is the Indian military equipped to face the two-front war by Beijing and Islamabad? Is the Indian Civil Administration geared to meet the internal security challenges that the external actors will sponsor simultaneously through their doctrine of unrestricted warfare?

The answers is an unequivocal ‘NO’. Pacifist India is not ready by a long shot either on the internal or the external front.

It is said that long time back, a king with an excellent military machine at his disposal could not stomach the violence involved in winning wars. So he renounced war in victory. This led to the rise of the pacifist philosophies. The state either refused to defend itself or neglected the instruments that could defend it.

Any ‘extreme’ is dangerous, as it tends to create imbalance in statecraft.

We saw that in the unjust unilateral aggression in Iraq. It diminished the American aura and recessed the economy. China’s despotic regime is another extreme, scared to permit political dissent. This will fuel an explosion worse than the Tiananmen Square. Despite the use of disproportionate force and the demographic invasion of Tibet, Beijing’s hold remains tenuous. Pakistan’s over-aggressive agenda in the name of jihad haunts it now to the point of fragmentation of the State.

Similarly, India’s pacifism is the other extreme. 26/11s will occur on a regular basis as it infects policy-making. Such extreme postures on either side invariably generate wars. Armed with an aggressive Wahabi philosophy, Pakistan, in cohort with China, wants to destabilize a pacifist India. India’s instruments of state steeped in pacifism are unable to rise to its defence.

In the past sixty years, the deep-rooted pacifism contributed to the Civil Administration, ceding control of forty per cent of the Union’s territory to the Maoists and ten percent to the insurgents, effecting a shrinking influence internally, as well in the ‘near abroad’.

India must rapidly shift out from its defeatist posture of pacifism to deter China. New Delhi’s stance should modify, not to aggression, but to a firm assertion in statecraft. The state must also exclusively retain the capability of intervention by use of force internally as well as externally. If it permits the non-state actors to develop this capability in competition, then the state will whither away. On the contrary, the state machinery should ensure a fast-paced development in the Red Corridor even it if has to hold Maoists hostage at gunpoint. The state’s firm and just intervention will dissolve the Maoist movement.

Keeping in view the imminent threat posed by China, the quickest way to swing out of pacifism to a state of assertion is by injecting military thinking in the Civil Administration to build the sinews. That will enormously increase the deliverables on ground - from Lalgarh to Tawang.

Bharat Verma, Editor Indian Defence Review.

Counter View

_THE CHINESE RESPONSE

http://www.chinastakes.com/2009/7/illusion-of-chinas-attack-on-india-before-2012.html

Illusion of “China’s Attack on India Before 2012″

ByChen Xiaochen, Beijing, Published:July 17,2009

The 2000 km border between China and India has been a notable absence from press headlines in the years since then-Indian PM Vajpayee’s 2003 visit to Beijing. Tensions, however, have risen again as India announced last month a plan to deploy two additional army divisions and two air force squadrons of Su-30 Fighter Unit, some 60,000 soldiers in total, in a disputed border area in the southern part of Tibet, which India claims as its state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Adding fuel to the flames is an article by Bharat Verma, editor of Indian Defense Review, predicting that China will attack India before 2012, leaving only three years to Indian government for preparation.

According to Mr. Verma, “growing unrest in China” due in part to economic downturn will leave the Chinese government looking for something to “divert the attention of its own people from ‘unprecedented’ internal dissent, growing unemployment and financial problems.” China will also want to strike India before the latter becomes powerful, which is the reason for the 2012 “deadline.” India, with its growing affiliation with the West, is yet weak under China’s fire.

But a “China’s attack” is not going to happen, and one wonders at the basis for Mr. Verma’s thinking. First, although it is true that China’s macro-economy has taken a hit from the global financial crisis, the extent of the damage is under control. Recent statistics shows China’s economy grew 7.1% in the first half of 2009, while its foreign exchange reserve has exceeded $2 trillion. China’s stimulus plan has been effective and given people confidence. China will survive the global downturn as well or better than the rest of the world’s economies.

And even if China’s economy was really all that bad, would the government try to distract “unrest” by taking military actions against India? Mr Verma’s reasoning rests on a lack of documentation. Looking into the past 60 years, China has no record of launching a war to divert public attention from anything. Moreover, while Mr. Verma supposes the Chinese Communist Party has no cards to play other than “invading India,” the Party, widely experienced in dealing with domestic disputes, will hardly in only three years have run out of all options facing potential social instability. Moreover, even if Chinese leaders considered such an option, they would certainly be aware that an external war would severely jeopardize domestic affairs.

Other reasons the author mentions in the article are also vague. The Western powers would not take kindly to a Chinese conflict with India, leaving China rightfully reluctant to use force in any case other than extreme provocation. US forces well deployed in Afghanistan and Pakistan could check any China’s military action in South Asia. And then there is also the nuclear problem: there has never been a war between two nuclear equipped nations, and both sides would have to be extremely cautious in decision-making, giving more room for less violent solutions.

Further, it is important to realize there is no reason for China to launch a war, against India in particular. Economic development, rather than military achievement, has long been the consensus of value among China’s core leaders and citizens. Despite occasional calls to “Reoccupy South Tibet (occupied Chinese territory),” China’s decision-making is always cautious. It is not possible to see a Chinese “incursion” into India, even into Tawang, an Indian-occupied Buddhist holy land over which China argues a resolute sovereignty.

Last but not least, China’s strategy, even during the 1962 border war with India, has been mainly oriented towards the east, where Taiwan is its core interest, while the recent Xinjiang unrest highlights China’s growing anti-terrorist tasks in the northwest - both issues are more important than the southwest border. If China were to be involved in a war within the next three years, as unlikely as that seems, the adversary would hardly be India. The best option, the sole option, open for the Chinese government is to negotiate around the disputed territory.

However, there is one scenario where there is possibility for war: an aggressive Indian policy toward China, a “New Forward Policy,” may aggravate border disputes and push China to use force - despite China’s appeal, as far as possible, for peaceful solutions.

Consider the 1959-1962 conflict, the only recorded war between China and India in the long history of their civilizations. After some slight friction with China in 1959, the Indian army implemented aggressive action known as its Forward Policy. The Chinese Army made a limited but successful counterattack in 1962.

Now, it seems “back to the future”. Mr. Verma asserts another war will happen before 2012, a half century after the last, regrettable one. India has started to deploy more troops in the border area, similar to its Forward Policy 50 years ago. Is Mr. Verma’s China-bashing merely a justification for more troops deployed along the border? Will India’s “New Forward Policy”, as the old one did 50 years ago, trigger a “2012 war?”

The answers lie mainly on the Indian side. Given China’s relatively small military garrison in Tibet, Indian’s 60,000 additional soldiers may largely break the balance. If India is as “pacific” as Mr. Verma says, and is sincere in its border negotiation, China-India friendship will remain. After all, China shares a long and mostly friendly cultural exchange with India as well as other neighbors. Now China is seeking deeper cooperation, wider coordination, and better consensus with India, especially in the global recession, and peace is a precondition for doing so. China wants to say, “We are on the same side,” as the Indian Ambassador did in a recent interview in China. Thus, “China will attack India before 2012″ is a provocative and inflammatory illusion.

(Chen Xiaochen serves as a journalist of editorial and comments in China Business News.)

Why There Should be

2009-08-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

Chenab Valley Hill Development Council

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Aug 22: Passing of the resolution by the legislative council for establishing Chenab Valley Hill Development Council (CVHDC) has set a new debate in political circles with most of the analysts opining that the National Conference-led government can’t ignore the demand now.

The resolution for establishing CVHDC, moved by MLC Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, was passed by the upper house on August 19, 2009.
Suharwardy, former Doda MLA and presently a member of the upper house, argued that for speedy development of the hilly and economically backward Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts (known as Chenab valley region) a hill development council, on the analogy of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) be established.
“Chenab valley, the connecting link between Kashmir and Jammu regions, is most the backward area, highly mountainous with only 5 to 6 percent road connectivity. The area is far behind in the process of development. So I demand that CVHDC be established on the pattern of LAHDC,” Suharwardy argued while moving the resolution in the house. After Suharwardy refused to withdraw the resolution, on the request of the council chairman, it was put to vote and passed by the upper house.
In the year 2000, a bill was moved in the legislative assembly by the then MLA Baderwah, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, seeking Hill Development Council for the region. Sheikh says he preferred to move a bill instead of a resolution as if the house had passed the bill, it would have been imperative for the government to implement it. He said to shelve the move, the legislative assembly referred it to the select committee. He said, as per the rules of business, the bill automatically lapsed when 2002 elections were announced.
In 2006 MLA Doda Abdul Majeed Wani brought a bill to establish the Doda Valley Hill Development Council. But Wani withdrew the bill on the insistence of the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who said that after the creation of another district – Kishtwar - in the region there was no need for such a bill.
Prof Gul Muhammad Wani of the political science department at the University of Kashmir sees the demand of CVHDC as “an issue of dominance, non-dominance” and “an issue of discrimination and non-discrimination.” He said these issues have shaped political process of entire of Jammu Kashmir state over the years.
According to Wani, Kashmir valley is not going to benefit from establishing the council. He however said this may precursor identical demands for Pir Panchal region and demands of similar councils for Gurez, Karnah or Uri in Kashmir valley. He said Kashmir being homogenized region might not face any problem in having these councils. He opines that it would be difficult for Jammu to oppose the demand for establishing Chenab Valley Hill Development Council for Doda region or Pir Panchal Hill Development Council for Rajouri, Poonch region, when they have not objected to the creation of Ladakh Hill Development Council (Leh) and Ladakh Hill Development Council (Kargil) craved out of Kashmir division.
In October 1993, when State was under the presidential rule, the government of India agreed to grant Ladakh the status of Autonomous Hill Council. The council came into being with the holding of elections on August 28, 1995. The inaugural meeting of the council was held at Leh on September 3, 1995.
Though the concept of Hill Council was first fructified in Leh District in 1995 on the pattern of Darjeeling Hill Development Council, it was introduced in Kargil during the year 2003. The then chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was instrumental in bringing Kargil District in the ambit of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for the focused development of the area. The Hill Council in Kargil came into existence in July 2003. The creation of Hill Development Council for Ladakh has fuelled the demands of similar councils in Chenab Valley and Pir Panchal regions, as the people in these areas feel that they have been over the years dominated and discriminated by a few districts in Jammu region.
The chief spokesperson of the PDP Nayeem Akhtar says earlier the resolutions used to be piece of papers, which the government was not taking seriously. “Now the ground rules in Kashmir politics have changed. There are stakeholders,” he said and added the resolution would become part of political conscience of people and it would be difficult for government to ignore it.
People of Doda too are excited about it. “Ball is in the state government’s court now, and it must implement the resolution,” says Muhammad Hanif Hashmi, a prominent lawyer of Doda. Hanif who is heading the Chenab Valley Council, an organization demanding Hill Development Council for Chenab valley region, said the resolution is in sync with the Regional Autonomy Committee report of the National Conference.
Hanif said the report specifically proposed the restructuring of the Jammu region with erstwhile Doda district and the single Muslim-dominated tehsil of Mahore from the adjoining Udhampur forming a new Chenab Valley province. Poonch and Rajouri, the Muslim-majority districts, would form the Pir Panjal province. He said the National Conference led government should have no problem in implementing the resolution.

Jammu Fights Jammu Over Central University

2009-08-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Aug 7: It was Jammu fighting Jammu over the controversial central university issue in the Legislative Assembly on Friday. The members from Banihal, Rajouri, Doda and Poonch strongly resisted the demand of the MLAs from Jammu, Kathua, Samba to have its campus near Jammu.
When BJP member, Jugal Kishore, raised the issue during zero hour, he faced tough opposition from the MLA, Banihal, Waqar Rasool, who shouted at him saying they had confined Jammu to the boundaries of three districts.
In his speech, Kishore said Jammu was about to explode over the central university issue. He claimed the government had already consented to establish the university in Jammu and now it was creating confusion by not taking any decision over it. “If the university is not established in Jammu, it would create serious law and order problem,” he said.
However, MLA Banihal said the politicians based in Jammu and Kathua districts were unnecessarily painting the central university as Jammu versus Kashmir issue. “Whenever they talk of Jammu, they mean Jammu district only,” he said, adding that over the years Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban had been ignored.
In his speech, Waqar Rasool demanded the university should be set up at the centrally- located Banihal as no one would have any problem with it. “Over the years, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch have been ignored in the name of Jammu,” he said.
The MLA, Haveli, Ejaz Ahmad Bhat, seconded Waqar Rasool saying that the university should be established in any backward area. He said the Poonch district was the most suitable place for it and the opening of Mughal Road would make it as more than suitable.
The MLA, Darhal, Choudary Zulfiqar Ali, however, described Rajouri as the suitable place for the proposed university. Rajouri is four hour journey both from Jammu and from Kashmir. The MLA, Baderwah, Muhammad Sharief Niaz, said the university should be in Pir Panchal region and must be established in erstwhile Doda district. “Pir Panchal region is very backward and has been neglected in development over the years,” he said, adding that once the university was established in Doda, it would uplift the educationally backward area.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s Peerzada Mansoor Ahmad was the only MLA from Kashmir who spoke on the issue. He said he was not opposing the university in Jammu province. However, he added, that whenever it is established in Jammu, it should be established simultaneously in Kashmir as well. “Kashmir is watching the developments minutely and would react sharply in case injustice was done to the valley,” he warned.

In Kashmir, Govt Runs State Through Long Arms of PSA

2009-08-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Aug 7: The State Government today refused to accept an amendment in the Public Safety Act and justified the law saying “it is for running the state.” The Government said there were enough guarantees under the Act to safeguard the rights of detainees.
The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar, while speaking on the bill moved by PDP’s Basharat Bukhari to bring an amendment in the Act, said the law has been enacted to “run the State.” The Minister challenged the PDP members saying they should not become the votary of human rights after being out of power. “You were also in the Government why didn’t you bring such changes,” he asked. The Minister told the members not to play politics by exaggerating the figures under the PSA. He said it was wrong to state that 20,000 people have been booked under the Act since 1990.
Earlier, while moving the private member’s bill, Bukhari described Public Safety Act as the most misused law in Jammu and Kashmir. He said though under law an individual could be booked only for two years, detainees have been detained for even 14 years under this law. He said a democratic setup couldn’t afford to have such a law. He said the bill was introduced to seek amendment in Section 10-A to provide that an order of detention can be deemed invalid if the grounds are vague, irrelevant or non-existent. The bill also sought a definite term for the members of the advisory board constituted under the PSA.
The Government also opposed the private member’s bill introduced by Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali of PDP to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997, to make the recommendations of the State Human Rights Commission mandatory for the Government.
MLA from Darhal Rajouri, Zulfikar said the plight of a father prompted him to introduce the bill. Chowdary said it took the father five years to seek justice from the SHRC and now for last four years he was moving from pillar to post in the civil secretariat seeking implementation of the recommendations. But, Zulfikar said, the father was told that SHRC judgments carry no weight. He said a High Court judge heads the Commission and it pronounces the judgment after hearing all sides like courts. “Then why like courts their judgments are not binding on the Government?” he asked.
While opposing the bill, Sagar said the SHRC recommendations were not binding and they were only recommendatory in nature “like every State of India.” He said the Government was aware about the issue of human rights and it was Farooq Abdullah Government which established the SHRC.
He, however, said the Commission could only present reports and it was up to the Government whether to accept them or not. He said if any member had any specific issue he could approach the CM. Sagar launched scathing attack on the PDP saying most human rights violations took place during the PDP-led Government in 2003-2004. He said massive violation of human rights prompted the then SHRC chairman, Justice AM Mir to resign. He said amendment in the law, as proposed in the bill, was not possible.
Not satisfied with the answer, Chowdary Zulfikar pressed the bill for voting and then walked out in protest when it was rejected by the treasury benches with voice vote.

HIGHLIGHTS
NC’s Nazir Gurezi in LA: “MLAs have no alternative other than to indulge in theft if their salary is not increased.” While introducing his bill to increase salary of MLAs, he said the meager salary forces them to use underhand means to maintain their standard.

Mehbooba Mufti to LA Speaker, Muhammad Akbar Lone: “You have no manners, and avoid this habit of pointing fingers towards a lady.”

PDP’s Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari to BJP’s Ashok Khajuria: “I know you and your politics. Don’t intervene when I am speaking.”

Sagar to Panthers Party’s Harsh Dev Singh: “You are an able speaker and I admire your speech. Dr. Sahib (Dr. Farooq Abdullah) always says bring Harsh Dev to this side and we will make him minister.” Speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone too stepped in by saying, “Offer is still open.” Harsh Dev just laughed over the overtures.

Mir Saifullah of NC: “If Kupwara roads are not repaired, I will stand on the bench and play the role of opposition.” On this, Harsh Dev Singh quipped, “Welcome to opposition.”

Where to have central university

2009-08-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

Jammu, Kashmir, Or Does It Matter?

NASEER A GANAI

Srinagar, Aug 5: In January this year, the Central University of Jammu and Kashmir was established by an Act of Parliament. Along with Jammu and Kashmir, three other states have been given central universities recently. While the land has been identified and infrastructure is being raised in other states, J&K’s Central University is marred in controversy- whether it should be established in Jammu or Kashmir divisions.
While some politicians from Jammu, Udhampur and Samba districts are trying to make it a Jammu-versus-Kashmir issue, Jammu division is, itself, divided on the issue. Demands are coming up from five districts of Pir Panchal region for establishing the university in Poonch, Rajouri or Doda district.
To end the controversy, the state government has now decided to seek two central universities for Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
On February 28, Prof. Abdul Wahid, former vice-chancellor of Kashmir University, was appointed the University’s vice-chancellor. Soon after the appointment, sources said Prof. Wahid had informed senior officials of the Human Resources Development Ministry and the state Government that a decision should be taken soon on identifying the site for the university to defeat attempts at regionalizing the issue.
Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta of the Bhartiya Janta Party claims a decision had been taken that the university should be established in Samba and accused the Government of backtracking. He argued that Jammu was centrally located place where Kashmiris and students from other states would have no problem. However there are no takers of his claim.
Former Education minister and senior leader of Panthers Party, Harsh Dev Singh says Jammu people have genuine grievances and they shouldn’t be given a feeling of perpetual deprivation. He said over the years a number of institutions came up in the state and Kashmir division was first to get the benefit. “Let this time Jammu get some benefit,” he said. He said it was good if the state gets two central universities but in search for two ‘we (Jammu) shouldn’t lose the one which has been already given.’ But the figures prove him wrong. There are four Universities in Jammu and only three in Kashmir.
A Kashmiri academic, on condition of anonymity, says there is no problem if the Central University is established in any other place in Jammu division except Samba. “The question is why Jammu politicians insist on Samba. Samba is a Hindu heartland where Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti has established offices. If established in Samba, the Central University would be out of bounds for Muslims in general and Kashmiri Muslims in particular in the present atmosphere,” he said.
“In case of Central University, the Central Government leaves only the task of identification of land with the state Government,” he said, adding the state Government or people usually don’t get any direct benefit in terms of avenues of education.
He said state universities like Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Islamic University, Mata Vaishno Devi University prefer local staff, unlike a central university. “In case of Central University, teachers would come from outside, administrators from outside and students from outside because there would be national level competition,” he said. The need of the hour was to strengthen the existing five state universities, he said.
“The state must upgrade the Kashmir University and allot the already sought Rs 1000 Crore package to it. The state Government must also pay the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University and the Islamic University which are being denied their due,” the academic said. He said in Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University half of the students were from Kashmir and if Kashmiris can go to Rajouri they can go to Jammu as well. He cited the condition of National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, and the Institute of Hotel Management as two examples where outsiders have dominant presence, arguing that central universities or other central institutions don’t fulfill local requirements.
However, a former vice-chancellor of Kashmir University disagrees. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said Kashmiris were the only people who deserve the Central University. “We all know how difficult it has been for Kashmiris to go outside for studies. A Central University in Kashmir would be a centre of education for outsiders to understand our culture and issues, and for us to hear their concerns,” he said.
After the conversion of Regional Engineering College Srinagar to National Institute of Technology in 2003, Kashmir lost the only government engineering college to the central government. A minuscule number of students from Kashmir qualify the All India Engineering Entrance Examination for NIT Srinagar.
Supporters of Central University in Srinagar describe it as a huge project. “Here funds are no problem and it has potential to provide quality education at our doorsteps,” said a professor in Kashmir University. He said there was no comparison between NIT and the Central University. “At national level a number of universities are coming up and it is not necessary that people from other states will flood our Central University only,” he added.
He said for Jammu, Samba and Udhampur residents, Delhi was nearer and they wouldn’t have any problem in JNU and other universities. Srinagar city, he said, would be centrally located place for Kashmir, Ladakh, Pir Panchal region and Jammu.
Presently, Jammu has four universities, 6 engineering colleges, 7 law colleges. Kashmir has only three universities, three engineering colleges and two law colleges.
Political leaders of Rajouri, however, argue that the Central University must be established in Rajouri. They said the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University has set an example of interaction between different regions of the state and the Central University, if established in Rajouri, would ease out the controversy. They argue that the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch have remained educationally backward, economically and financially neglected. Besides, they say, Rajouri is at equal distance from both Kashmir and Jammu and the opening of Mughal Road would make it most feasible for the Central University.
Prof. Gupta has no objection with the suggestion. “We want it should be established in Jammu division,” he said.
In a convocation address at Jammu University on July 16, 2007, prime minister Manmohan Singh had hoped that one of the intended 30 central universities would be set up in Jammu and Kashmir to give a fillip to higher education in the state. The prime minister didn’t mention either Jammu or Kashmir divisions to be the likely venues of the university.
During the 11th Five-year Plan (2007-12), the Central Government intends to establish one central university in each state (where it does not have one) and to provide assistance for establishing one college in each district with a low Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education. The financial requirement for these universities is estimated at Rs 4,800 crores during the Plan period.
Functioning of these central universities will be modeled on the lines of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The Government of India is responsible for arranging, allocating and distributing financial resources required by the University Grants Commission for the establishment of these universities.

Naseer A Ganai

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If violence against non-violence continues

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Kashmir dispute: Theory of five police stations

Confessions of Ali Muhammad Sagar

Audience for food

Davos in Kashmir

Blood trade in Kashmir

‘I disagree what you say’

Fathers and sons

IAS and Conflict Resolution

The Last Kashmiri Beggar

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Of Shoaib Sania, and PR bill

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RSS slams Shiv Sena

RSS calls for settlement of Hindus in Kashmir

2009: The Year That Drowned In Shopian

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Lone's Well and Dog story and Kashmir dispute

5 yrs on, no trace of DNA report

Indian Prime Minister's Provocative visit

Comments

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made another provocative and dangerous move by visiting the East Section of the China-India Boundary, which India calls Arunachal Pradesh, on October 3 ahead of a local legislative election.

The visit is designed to put the area, a disputed border region between China and India, under the de facto administration of India.

China has completed land border demarcation with all of its neighboring countries but India.

Territorial disputes stand as a seemingly intractable issue between the two largest emerging economies in the world.

Though in similar developmental circumstances, China and India seem to have more confrontations than common ground.

In the past decades, more than 10 rounds of negotiations held at various levels and through different mechanisms between the two countries have failed to produce any real progress.

The 120,000 square kilometers of the so-called Arunachal Pradesh, around the size of South China's Fujian Province, is at the center of the controversy. India currently occupies 90,000 square kilometers of the area.

Over the years, India has intensified its effective control over the area by encouraging the immigration of more than 1 million Indians to the region, and applying for loans from international bodies for public facilities projects in the region.

India is also increasing military deployment, along with sophisticated equipment, in the area. India's hawks are dangerously fanning public sentiment fearing a "China threat."

China favors peaceful resolution of territorial disputes through negotiation and consultation with its neighbors.

In the past the Chinese government has sought to build consensus in border negotiations through making concessions in exchange for reciprocal action.

China has maintained that same approach with India. India, however, will make a fatal error if it mistakes China's approach for weakness.

The Chinese government and public regard territorial integrity as a core national interest, one that must be defended with every means.

A stable border is crucial to the economic development of both China and India.

The disputed border area is of strategic importance, and hence, India's recent moves – including Singh's trip and approving past visits to the region by the Dalai Lama – send the wrong signal. That could have dangerous consequences.

Furthermore, India's actions add to the difficulties that have stalled negotiations on the region in the past.

It looks as if a breakthrough in talks is unlikely to happen any time soon.

(Source: Global Times)

October 14 2009

(The Global Times, an English-language newspaper which often reflects the Communist party's views on foreign policy and is directed towards an international audience)

Indian hegemony continues to harm relations with neighbors

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Omer to New Delhi: Time to resolve Kashmir issue

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Pakistan seeks UN support to decolonize Kashmir

Why JK loses jobs to Jammu Kathua?

TIME TO INTERVENE

Indian media raises visa war

‘State govt brought CBI for cover up

PDP's latest: Self-rule an alternative to Azadi

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Finally, China Talks Kashmir

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Of Hakeem Balwant Singh

Voice For Independent Kashmir Comes From Omer Mukhtar's Land

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Is India Creating China Scare?

China will launch an attack on India before 2012.

___THE CHINESE RESPONSE__

Why There Should be

Jammu Fights Jammu Over Central University

In Kashmir, Govt Runs State Through Long Arms of PSA

Where to have central university

_THE CHINESE RESPONSE