...cruising despair

Good documentaries are not that unusual on television. Distinctive ones are much rarer, while wonderful ones only come along very seldom indeed. I stumbled upon this wonderful documentary yesterday, The "Cruising despair"and am so glad I did. It is a wonderful documentary. It is also a distinctive one, I could not stop from sharing this on my blog.



The closing explains it completely , Whats in store for the future of younger generation , whether they want to be , Leaders , teachers , freedom fighters , scientist or terrorist.

I'd like to express my appreciation & gratitude for the excellent documentary these guys have made . Good Job Mohsin, Mehnaz. Keep it up.

Obama'sVisit

Kashmir has a reason to hope as Obama is the man who made his people believe -

“Yes We Can”

Post 9/11, every Muslim has been the victim of harassment and suspicion all around the globe. Either it is terrorism or radical thinking that the Muslim community is being accused of. I am not a fundamentalist and I know that is precisely what Islam is all about-universal brotherhood, tolerance and coexistence. If some obscurantist radicals are misinterpreting Islam by their un-Islamic acts that does not mean that every Muslim is a terrorist. Whatever is happening in the Muslim world should make us sit up and reflect. Globalization has brought new challenges, new concepts and altogether new managerial dimensions. we may not be able to compete in a world where survival of the fittest will be the maxim. The contours of our tomorrow’s dream State shall have to be redrawn and reshaped. It is possible only if the people so desire. Nobody can do it for them.

When the insurgency surfaced in Indian part of Kashmir, nobody could in his wildest dreams imagine that a Kashmiri could pick up a gun and declare to the whole world that he had lost patience and decided to resort to a violent option after having suffered the indignities and subjugation. I will not go in the genesis of the imbroglio, but one thing is clear, that 21 years of tumult has turned our lives into Hell and traumatized us all. It seems as if our spirits have been stretched too far and perhaps we have reached a breaking point. The disregard, apathy, and dispassion that has kept the solution of Kashmir in the cold storage continues to have serious repercussions on the everyday lives of an average citizen of the trouble torn state and as it prolongs so does the hope. Every family has been affected by the happenings in Kashmir. How long do we have to see more bloodshed, more lives being wasted and more graves being dug out?

After four months of total chaos in Kashmir, the people are hoping that the Obama team will be able to understand the problem of the Kashmiris. You’ll find a cross section of people and even from different political shades keeping their fingers crossed. Leaders from the separatist camp and also the mainstream feel that something might come up with regard to Kashmir. It looks like a majority of Indians want something to be done with Kashmir, they would never want their taxes to be wasted this way. While the peaceful Indian also want a settlement once and for all the radicals are working overtime to downplay the uprising someway or the other. I am sure all the experts will be glued to the idiot box for these few days looking for a statement by Obama team on Kashmir.

In Kashmir, there is a high degree of expectation that an out of box solution is carved out during the visit of President Barrak Obama to India. Too many lives have been lost. Its evident that after fifty two years down the road, there has been nothing concrete except for talks and more talks. Allegations and counter allegations , secret formulas and back track diplomacy. Poor Kashmiris are still waiting with a bated breath what the outcome of these talks are. It was never specified then and it has not been specified now and looks quite evident that unless America doesn’t intervene India and Pakistan alone cannot solve this vexed issue. I’m sure US has its own economic reasons to be friendly with India but it also has an inherent obligation to see that this region is peaceful . They have to address the youth , the younger generation and let them know that they have to compete with the rest of the world in terms of progress and development. Its time to give them the slogan of “Yes We Can”. The Obama team should understand that supporting or encouraging bilateral talks will not work anymore, they have to intervene before its too late . America has to understand that there are hawks on both sides of India and Pakistan who have developed an inherent interest in Kashmir. There is the lure of power, there are kickbacks in defense deals, there are millions to be made if the present uncertainty prevails.

Sanity demands that we turn a new leaf in the region of peace and progress. President Obama’s historic visit has provided this region an opportunity when they can and they should leave behind their past and foster a relationship that improves the quality of life of nearly one and a half billion people of the region.

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2010/Nov/7/the-scope-of-hope-19.asp

Kashmir Bleeds

I managed to reach the hospital to enquire about the well being of a friend who had been hospitalised for some abdominal problem. This was inspite of the fact that the whole valley was under relentless curfew and strikes from past two and a half months. Total chaos, anarchy and lawlessness have taken over. Even a steel hearted person would burst into tears while looking back at the events that have taken Kashmir to a stone age. When I compare Kashmir with the rest of the world it seems the only place which has seen so much bloodshed and total economic meltdown but has never been heard the way it should have.

While entering the hospital I could barely find a way in. It looked as if the whole city had gathered here. Screaming, shouting and small fights welcomed me in. I managed to walk past the emergency corridor and while looking around I could see the gory scenes I have ever witnessed. Injured people lying on the floor with blood all over, others patients were standing with a help from their relatives, beds had fallen short in the biggest super speciality hospital of Kashmir that was the number of people injured. I could see every bed occupied by at least three patients with half of their bodies hanging in the air, scores of saline bottles hanging from nails, wooden planks and whatever could be used to keep the bottles above the patient’s body. Some were even holding them up with their hands. It was unfortunate to see angry relatives hurling abuses at anyone who had a white apron. It’s understood the emotions that were flowing inside them but couldn’t make up my mind whether they were genuine to shout at doctors or was it situational. Human psyche is such that everyone wants to be the first to be addressed to. Well, haven’t we all heard even seconds can save lives. I felt sorry for the doctors as well, its impossible for any hospital or doctors to attend a few dozen patients in an emergency at one time.

I was the only person in the milieu not running around and I thought I had become the focus of attention. I did feel a little nauseated as I couldn’t stand the foul smell of blood spilled around that’s when my driver literally dragged me out of that hall. It was such a sorry state of affairs that it took time for me to compose myself. My driver later told me that the security forces had again opened fire at a protest killing many and injuring hundreds. How easy has it become to be killed or get killed? As I write this note I hear that there have been more violent incidents in the valley. Not a single day goes by when one doesn’t hear that someone got killed or injured otherwise how would any one justify killing almost seventy people including 32 teenagers in two months. None could ditch the bullets, young, old, male, female. Walking a few steps away from the emergency trauma centre I sat on one of the benches thinking how helpless the families of the victims might be when a security guard at the hospital offered me water and reluctantly told me in Kashmiri “ Yeh haaz chee wein dohai sabhdan” This is a daily routine.

There can hardly be a family in the valley which has not been a victim of terrorism by either sides. I was not in a position to go and check on my cousin so I decided to head back home. Not for even a single second could those pictures of the hospital go away from my mind. I could subconsciously hear those screams, waling and shouting, they were as evident as they were in the hospital. Had I been at a place other than Kashmir I would have been one of the recipients for physiological treatment. It’s just one incident I witnessed, i cannot decipher the plight of many others who have to deal with such kind of situation day in and out .

After reaching home I thought the best way to distract myself was to watch the TV, while surfing around I came across an Indian news channel. It amazes me how people distort facts to suit them and their TRP’s at will. An educated person like me finds it so absurd when India claims to be the largest democracy but doesn’t do anything when it has such a burning issue in its backyard and still prefers to ignore it.

Right from 1947 Indian has shamelessly betrayed Kashmir for its geo-political interests. Had they not eroded the constitution according to their whims things wouldn’t have been as bad as they look. It’s as simple as this; the state of J&K went into an instrument of accession with the Indian republic without any instrument of merger. Its pertinent to mention here that 3 important fields i.e defence, external affairs and currency would stay with India. Pandit Nehru the PM of India promised that he will honour his commitment as and when the people want to decide their future course of action. Before the volcano bursts further and causes more death and destruction its high time that sanity prevails in Delhi and a solution was thrashed out that would satiates the aspiration of the common man in the region.

A DAY OF MAYHEM

14 KILLED 90 INJURED.

Its a sad day, A day of bloodshed. Its so unfortunate that while the whole world condemns the brutality and killings in Kashmir , New Delhi chooses to Justify the unjustifiable. Even after killing around ninety people in two months, it still debates whether to announce nominal concession for the people of Kashmir. Its sounds so absurd when The Prime Minister of India talks about the younger generation, addressing the kashmirri people as the citizens of India, asks anyone who is someone to come for talks while everything is burning in the valley but cannot even revoke a simple Armed Forces Special Powers Act. (AFSPA).

People like me who always are in favour of a peace and understand that anything can and should be only resolved through a dialogue but even i feel that things have gone too far from a peaceful negotiations because its the youngsters who have taken to the streets. Its a leaderless agitation which makes it more violent and more serious.

Attacking the houses of politicians, burning down offices and buildings, torching schools should itself be an indicator to all that things are quite alarming. Although its debatable who and why are such incidents of arson happening while as the separatist leaders apparently asked people to protest peacefully, it looks like even they have started becoming redundant. A young man is ready to face a bullet, if his grievances are not addressed it makes him stronger and more violent .

Do anything, address the people. Make them understand but for god sake stop the killings of innocent youngsters.

69 deaths and counting.

Writing such sordid stories always pains me. In this contemporary world it troubles me that innocents are getting killed and people who are responsible go scot free. Every time i complete a piece new stories of killings of innocent pour in. All the news channels have been busy in showing bloodshed, its a rat race between them as to who shows more brutality as and when it happens.

People across the globe are aware that there can be no peace in the Asian subcontinent till Kashmir issue is not resolved. Locally it’s time for our leaders to sit across the table .It’s high time there is convergence of ideas so that a unique and united solution is formulated.

I wish this bloodshed stops and a new dawn of peace and tranquility sets in but in Kashmir I know wishes don’t usually come true.

Just for the information :

1. Tufail Ashraf Mattoo, 17, of Saida Kadal killed by police tear gas canister at Gani stadium Rajouri Kadal on June 11.

2. Muhammad Rafiq Bangroo, 24, of Dana Mazar Safa Kadal beaten by CRPF on June 12 near his residence. He succumbed to injuries on June 20.

3. Javed Ahmed Malla, 19, of Palpora Noorbagh killed by CRPF or police on June 20 at Waniyar Srinagar.

4. Aziz Malik of Chuntwari, Machill Kupwara, killed by armed forces on June 20 at Machill sector of LoC.

5. Mazloom Malik of Chuntwari Kupwara, killed by armed forces on June 20 at Machill sector of LoC.

6. Firdous Ahmed Kakroo, 16 of Niglee Sopore, Baramulla killed by CRPF on June 25 near Jamia Qadeem in Sopore.

7. Shakeel Ahmed Ganai, 24 of Lalad Sopore killed by 177 batallion of CRPF at Chankhan Sopore.

8. Bilal Ahmed Wani, 22, of Kraltaeng Sopore, killed by CRPF bullet in Kraltaeng on June 27.

9. Tajamul Bashir Bhat, 17, of Wadoora Sopore, killed by CRPF or SOG at Kapra Cinema in Sopore outside headquaters of 92 battalion of CRPF.

10. Tauqeer (Asif) Ahmed Rather, 09, of Rather Muhalla of Delina, Baramullah, killed by CRPF on June 28.

11. Ishtiyaq Ahmed Khanday, 15, of SK Colony, Islamabad, killed by police on June 29.

12. Imtiyaz Ahmed Ittoo, 17, of Watergam Dailgam Islamabad, killed by police in SK Colony Islamabad on June 29.

13. Shuja'at ul Islam, 17 of Anchidora Islamabad, killed by police at SK Colony Islamabad on June 29.

14. Muzaffar Ahmed Bhat, 17, of Gangbug, Batamaloo, body recovered from Doodh Ganga Nallah in Baramullah on June 06 alegedly arrested by CRPF on july 05 and tortured to death.

15. Fayaz Ahmed Wani, 24, of Gangbug Batamaloo, killed by CRPF or police firing at Batamaloo on July 06

16. Yasmeen Jan, 25, of Lashmanpora Danderkha, Batamaloo,killed by CRPF/police firing at her residence in Danderkhah on July 06.

17. Abrar Ahmed Khan,16 of Maisuma Bund killed alegedly by police CRPF firing at Maisuma on July 06.

18. Faizaan Ahmed Bhuhroo, 13, of Jalal Sahib Baramulla, died by drowning after SOG men were trying to arrest him on July 17.

19. Fayaz Ahmed Khanday, 23, of Binner Baramulla, killed by CRPF in Baramulla.

20. Tariq Ahmed Dar, 17 of Panzala, Rafiabad, Baramulla,killed in police custody on July 25.

21. Muhammad Ahsan Ganai, 45 of Amargarh Sopore killed by CRPF at Krankshivan Colony on July 30.

22. Showkat Ahmed Chopan, 17, of Amargarh Sopore killed at Kranshivan Colony on Juky 30.

23. Adil Ramzaan Sheikh, 13 of Pattan killed by CRPF at Pattan on july 30.

24. Nazir Ahmed Mir, 23, of Sheeri Baramulla killed by CRPF at Pattan on July 30.

25. Javid Ahmed Teli, 20, of Bungalbagh Baramulla, killed by SOG at cement bridge baramulla on July 31.

26. Mudassir Ahmed Lone, 17, of Herpora Naidkhai, Sumbal killed by CRPF/police at IRP camp in Naidkhai on July 31.

27. Nayeem Ahmed Shah, 20 of Pampore killed by CRPF at Pampore on August 01.

28. Rayees Ahmed Wani, 18 of pampore killed by CRPF at Pampore on August 01.

29. Afrooza Teli of Khrew of Pampore killed by CRPF at her residence on August 01.

30. Javed Ahmed Sheikh, 18 of Wuyen Pampore killed in blast in police station at Khrew on August 01.

31. Muhammad Amin Lone, 22 of Shalnag Khrew killed in blast in police station at Krew on August 01.

32. Basharat Ahmed Reshi, 14 of Wachi Sangam killed by police near his residence on August 02.

33. Irshad Ahmed Bhat, 17 of Reshipora, Sangam tortured and killed alegedly by CRPF and police on August 02.

34. Ashiq Hussain Bhat, 15, of Kulgam Islamabad killed by CRPF at Chawalgam on August 02.

35. Rameez Ahmed Bhat, 16, of Kulgam killed by CRPF at Kulgam on August 02.

36. Hafiz Muhammad Yaqoob Bhat, 22 of Zadoora Kakapora Pulwama killed by CRPF at Kakpora on August 02.

37. Tariq Ahmed Dar, 17 of Semthan Bijbehara wounded by CRPF on August 01 and succumbed to injuries on August 02.

38. Khursheed Ahmed War, 27, of Shumnag Kralpora Kupwara killed by CRPF at Khuzunmati bridge near Kralpora on August 02.

39. Sameer Ahmed Rah, 09 of Batamaloo Srinagar killed by CRPF at Batamaloo on August 02.

40. Mehraj ud din Lone, 23 of Barthana Qamarwai killed by CRPF at Qamarwari police station on August 03.

41. Anis Ahmed Ganai, 17, of Dangerpora Narwara killed by CRPF at Eidgah on August 03.

42. Suhail Ahmed Dar, 15, of Zainakote Srinagar killed by CRPF at Parimpora on August 03.

43. Jehangir Ahmed Bhat, 23, of Chenigam Yaripora killed by CRPF at Kulgam on August 03.

44. Riyaz Ahmed Bhat, 25 of Khrew injured by CRPF at Khrew on August succumbed to injuries on August 03.

45. Muhammad Yaqoob Bhat, 20 of Nund Reshi Colony Bemina, killed by CRPF at Bemina on August 04.

46. Muhammad Iqbal Khan, 22 of Lone Muhalla Chanapora injured by CRPF on July 30 at Chanapora succumbed to injuries on August 04.

47. Shabir Ahmed Malik, 30 of Lonepora Newa Pulwama,killed by CRPF at Pulwama on August 04.

48. Ghulam Nabi Badyari, 48 of Ganpatyar, Habba Kadal, killed by CRPF at his residence on August 05.

49. Rameez Ahmed, 22, of Mundji Sopore killed by CRPF at Warpora on August 06.

50. Aisha Sheikh of Ganpatyar Habba Kadal, succumbed to sling shot injury at her residence on August 07.

51. Fida Nabi Lone, 20, of Qamarwari, injured in CRPF action at Qamarwari on August 03 and succumbed to injuries on August 08.

52. Farrukh Bukhari, 19, of Kreeri Pattan whose body was found at Kreeri on August 11 after 13 days of his disappearance.

53. Mudasir Ahmad Zargar, 16, of Trehgam Kupwara, killed in police and CRPF firing on August 13.

54. Ali Mohammad Khanday, 60, of Khanday Mohalla Pattan, killed in police and CRPF firing on August 13.

55. Arif Mir, 19, of Lagropora, Sopore killed in CRPF firing on August 13.

56. Sameer Lone, 18, of Lagropora, Sopore killed in CRPF firing on August 13.

57. Umar Ahmad Dar, 16, of Narbal killed in CRPF firing on August 14.

58. Irshad Ahmad Latoo, 35, of Anchidora, Islamabad in CRPF firing on August 14.

59. Muhammad Abbas Dhobi, 30, of Mattan succumbed to injuries sustained in police and CRPF action on August 17.

60. Milad Ahmad Dar, 8, of Kulgam succumbed to injuries sustained in CRPF firing on August 19.

61. Nazir Ahmad Wani, 24, was killed when police and paramilitary troopers allegedly fired on protestors at Bijbehara in
South Kashmir’s Islamabad district on August 20.

62. Mudasir Nazir, 18, succumbed to injuries sustained in CRPF firing at Arampora, Sopore on August 20.

63. Bilal Ahmed Shiekh, 23, succumbed to injuries at SKIMS, Soura on August 23. He was beaten ruthlessly allegedly by CRPF and Police during a protest and then shot at by a point blank range at Palhallan, Pattan.

64. Umar Qayoom Bhat, 17, of Soura succumbed to injuries at SKIMS, Soura on August 25. He was allegedly beaten by CRPF causing lung injuries to him. Locals alleged he was tortured to death.

65. On August 30, 9-year-old Irshad Ahmed Parray of South Kashmir’s Islamabad district succumbed to injuries on way to SMHS hospital, after being hit by pellet bullets.


66, 67, 68 and 69: On September 7, four people were killed in police firing at Palhallan, Pattan, which include Feroz Ahmed Malik, 17, Mudasir Ahmad Mir, 23, Noorudin Tantary, 26, and Muhamamd Ramzan Mir, 45

KASHMIR PROTESTS

The recent incidents have left a very unusual scar on me and my friends and have made us reflect upon our point of view. I was meeting some elderly people the other day and this is the first time in a decade that I found all of them grim faced. Hardly connected with international politics, their point of view had more weight than the experts sitting in the news rooms of New Delhi and sermonizing. Honestly, it became difficult for me to have a discussion with them. I have yet to find someone who disagrees with majority of people who demand solution but not peace, anyone I have come across in recent days is of the same opinion.

The killings in Kashmir have to be condemned in all possible ways, irrespective of religion or political ideology. I don’t think any leader of the mainstream or separatist disagrees that they are irrelevant today when people have taken the initiate themselves. The recent killings have left many things wide open; the peace process that was given maximum hype has been razed to ground. If you ask me I do not trust the present leadership of any political party be it the mainstream or the separatist. They have no vision, no clear cut policy and are not sure what to demand if they are asked. No wonder one of the FB update states that, if situation gets back to normal like it happened during the Amaranth land row or the Shopian incident then he will be the first person to raise an Indian flag over his roof top. This is the amount of anger right now in an average citizen.

Every things has to be dealt with experience, a person doesn’t become an expert overnight but its takes ages to make one. My question to the experts in New Delhi is how many paramilitary personnel have been killed by the so called “Frenzy Mob”? You learn by your experiences and you decide your future course of action by what you have seen before. Ironically not even a single paramilitary official or Jawan has been ever killed by a stone pelter but in “retaliation” you have killed almost 15 young kids, how do you justify this? Having said that I do not approve stone pelting personally and I think none of us should. By implying that youth are dumb and can be used by anybody tantamount to insulting the aspiration of the youth and then they have all the reasons to justify their retaliation. Can’t you see this that they are giving this news more space then the genuine problems faced by an average Kashmir? Let people know that we demand our rights peacefully. If we condemn all forms of violence by the security forces then how can we approve stone pelting which is again a form of violence? Even the United States said that it regretted the loss of lives in Kashmir and asked “protestors to conduct agitations in a peaceful manner.

I was looking for the definition of stooping too low and couldn’t get a better answer than the Indian media repeating a tapped conversation between two people who according to them have orchestrated the whole series of killings in Kashmir. I guess this is their way of justifying the killings of young people? I don’t know how authentic the tapes are but for heaven’s sake 15 people have been mercilessly killed, have some remorse, the majority of them were school going kids . You can’t treat kids in the rest of the country with empathy and compassion but when it comes to Kashmir, bullet is your only answer. If this is not absurd I wonder what is.

The internet is abuzz with protests all over the world. Kashmiris for once have been seen united in an effort to send out a very strong message to the rest of the world that Kashmir needs a solution. I guess that’s the only way people can vent their anger. I had a very healthy discussion with my friends on the internet about changing their profile pictures with a black background “iprotest” one . Unexpectedly it has spread like wild fire and every second person has done so. Similarly some of my friends have started a group with the same name which swelled to around 1900 members in 4 days, the group’s main page reads “iProtest is a campaign for international awareness against human rights abuse in J&K India” it strikes you attention with it initial line that it’s an A-political group. Amazingly it has members from all across the world and from different faiths. Internet has become a strong medium for arguments and counter arguments on the recent happenings in Kashmir, while I kick started a discussion as to how would changing of a profile picture help the families of the persons killed. I must admit that I received some very articulate and thought provoking answers. I will use some of them that made sense to me and I am sure it will for the readers as well. While the discussion started with reasons to believe that this is a sudden emotional outburst and everything will be as normal as before because for a nation to be independent one needs to sacrifice. If nothing happened when Amarnath land row cost us 22 young people in one day and a total of 62, and again Shopian, there are all the reasons that same thing will happen now also.

More talks, more speeches and more FB accounts don’t get you Independence but Unity and Intifada does. In response to these arguments, my friend Mehnaz wrote “Do u think that there is a way of recuperation for those who lost their young ones? No power on earth can heal their wounds!! As far as changing of display picture is concerned atleast all of us who have done it are doing their bit by registering their protest. Similarly, Ishfaq wrote, “By changing our picture back to normal would only mean that somewhere deep down we feel that our protest has made a mark, however small. Raja adds, “Tanvir i wish we could take out a candle march but we would be shot as well. It's being sensitive and showing concern. Nobody can bring back the dead but at least we can mourn and show concern this way”.

Babar in his counter argument says “Don't talk about hollow protests if you're not willing to make the sacrifices yourself. If you are willing to boycott Indian culture, give up watching their TV, boycott their movies and songs, then that is sacrifice worth being proud about. Otherwise pontificating others about your profile picture just displays your hypocrisy”. Humayun adds to the comment saying that it’s fruitless and futile. Want your voice heard? Using media (especially international) is your best bet. Changing a Facebook picture is just plain feckless, he personally believes it will take a lot more than changing a Facebook profile picture to make a difference”. There are many more comments but my space doesn’t allow me to write all of them. One thing is clear that young educated people have taken the initiate in their own hands. They believe that leadership should be among them and not among people who sit in their palatial houses and sermonize while young people lose their lives. If you ask an average citizen about the happening they would blame first the leadership than anything else.

I hope better sense prevails on our separatist leaders when they decide their future course of action and similarly with mainstream ones. For a lasting solution, we need convergence of views and consensus on a possible solution otherwise everybody will be toeing their own way. As someone rightly said, the need of the hour is a solution not peace but at the same time we should avoid any form of violence. The youth of the contemporary world denounce any form of violence unless drawn to it because as justifiably suggested by Supriya Soni a member of i protest team that “people who live by guns die by guns”.

....and we stand stunned!

KASHMIR BLEEDS .....


In the promo of the new flick of the Bollywood “Lamhaa”, Sanjay Dutt says “Mein Kashmir Mein Huun , Duniya ki Sabsay Khatarnak Jageh” ( I’m in Kashmir , the most dangerous place in the world)… Dangerous it is... 11 people killed in one week including a nine year old child and news keeps on pouring. Sanjay’s statement sounds a true reflection of today’s Kashmir.
You can’t kill people at will and expect them not to protest. Protests are the strongest tool of democracy and no power on earth can stop that. Similarly silence does not help anyone but addressing the cause does. It’s time for India to get over its obsessed notion that they can get things done by a bullet but in the bargain they are creating more anger and hate to the extent never seen in Kashmir. People in the country are answerable to their conscience, if they claim to follow Ahimsa and internationally try to stand on a high moral ground. How hallow it is, has to be witnessed in Kashmir of today. If you remember that during the trail of Jassica Lal’s murder case the whole of India including the media went into frenzy to get justice for her. Similarly when the Mumbai attack happened in which innocent people died, people from different walks of life including Kashmiris stood up to condemn the killings and same was with the Nithari murder case and numerous such examples where Indians have been united to get justice for their people. Then why this double standards when something more barbaric happens in Kashmir where 11 people are mercilessly killed in one week including a 9yr old boy. Not even a single voice was raised from the length and breadth of India condemning these horrendous killings. To rub salt on the wounds the paramilitary comes out with the most bizarre statement saying they fired in self defense only to retract later, saying they never fired. Was a nine year old kid strong enough to challenge the whole Indian military might that he was killed? Do you approve of it? Aren’t we humans or its only about the land that you love. Why is it that when it comes to Kashmir Humans rights have no value? I am surprised with the statements of the CRPF trying to tell us that they are the only righteous people around and all others are lying. The comment of the Home Secretary G.K Pillai, that CRPF has shown restraint in not firing and that all these people who were killed are not innocent is, to say the least, ridiculous. He commended his forces for doing a great job. This shows how insensitive they are to the sufferings of the people. He says that the Nine year old kid was kept in front to be killed. Either he is too naive to the actual happenings or maybe they are up to something.

The past few days rumors were rife that Omar Abdullah was to resign and lots of social networking sites asking for it, which the CM empathetically set aside in his press conference. I can’t speak on behalf of Omar nor do I have the right to do so. I condemn the killings as all others do. No civil society would approve the use of brutal force against people. As I had said in my earlier article that killing should never be an option, but having said that I don’t understand how it would help to calm the situation if Omar Abdullah resigns. Can anyone please tell me? and who after him? The one who is responsible for bringing armed forces including the demon Jagmohan to Kashmir or the other who started the whole Amaranth controversy and the Chalo phobia or are you talking about the one who was more interested in his pillion rides, or are we talking about the turn coat who cannot set his house in order and doesn’t even know why is he, where he is. Name one person worth his salt to head the state. Why would we oppose someone who is clearly the most 'no-nonsense' CM Kashmir has ever seen in recent times. I do not want to be a loudmouth who opposes just because conventional wisdom dictates that. Wasn’t It on his intervention that the Machhil fake encounter surfaced? Was anyone aware of it ? Did anyone protest or demand an inquiry? Things would have been long forgotten had he not put his foot down and asked for all encounters to be re-examined. Now that an unfortunate incident like this has happened you can’t blame him for this when the force in question is directly under the control of the centre. Even then the CM had asked the CRPF in clear terms that no fire arms should be used, but even then they disobeyed. In such a situation if someone has to resign then it should be the Home Minister P. Chidambaram. If he offered his resignation when 73 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoist in West Bengal why doesn’t he resign today when the same force has unleashed a reign of terror against the innocent citizens of his country. If he cannot tame his forces he has no right to head them. It’s under his direction that these forces work here. These armed forces are armed with impunity under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and their acts are beyond the purviews of the judiciary or the state government. The readers are intelligent enough to understand this. I know it’s difficult to comprehend the fact that young people are getting killed and we have all the reasons to get emotionally charged up and condemn the killings but blaming Omar without knowing the reality is being dishonest.

As Omar said in his press conference I also feel that the political parties have become traders of death. They look out for someone to get killed so they would get an opportunity to exploit the situation. They are equally responsible for the situation that Kashmir is in now. And finally, if you want to help, come up with some concrete ideas about how to stop this. Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.

This post appeared in the Greater kashmir .

And again .....

STOP KILLINGS

Yet another innocent youth lost his life when a teenager Bangroo of Safakadal in Srinagar, who was seriously injured in the brutal beating by the CRPF men on June 12 , succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after battling for life for eight days . The death of the youth caused expected anger among the people and protested. Instead of taking control the paramilitary forces started firing indiscriminately killing yet another teenager Rafiq Malla who had gathered to perform the last rites of Bangroo. As the word about Malla’s death—second in less than 12 hours—spread, hundreds of people including men, women and children took to the streets and staged massive anti-India demonstrations. While Bangroo was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Noorbagh, Malla’s body was buried at Martyrs’ graveyard at Iddgah. Where thousands of people have been buried since the inception of the militancy. The idea of Martyr's graveyard was conceived by the locals of Idgah area in 1990 to pay tributes to those who would fight for Kashmir's resolution. Living up to this spirit, it is mentioned on the signboard of the graveyard: "Lest you forget, we have given our today for tomorrow of yours.

Coming back to the innocent killings, The armed forces are armed with impunity under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and their acts are beyond the purviews of the judiciary. Even the National Human Rights Commission has no mandate to deal with such incidents of grave human rights abuses. It is not only the armed forces and central para-military forces which are involved in such killings. Such human rights abuses become too frequent with the presence of a very large number of armed forces in the civilian areas who enjoy the culture of impunity.

While such killings of innocent persons only alienate the people and creates more hatred against India, it also belittles the claims of New Delhi that they are sincere in resolving the vexed issue

ITS HEART WRENCHING

Yesterday night was a very difficult one for me, I couldn’t sleep. Yes, it was because of the teenager who was killed by security forces. Tufail, 17, was a 12th standard student and lived just a few houses away from mine. The whole night I could hear the wailing of women, which reverberated the whole area and I kept on thinking the state of shock and grief the parents of this young kid would be in after losing their only son. This is the fourth such incident in less than 3 months and second in my neighborhood. It’s around afternoon and I hear that his dead body has been released by the police for his last rites. The whole city is under curfew but even then thousands of people are attending his funeral.
Locals had alleged that security personnel hit the victim on the head by rifle butts, which resulted in his death on the spot. Although earlier the police claimed that the cause of Tufail's death is still not clear and it could be a murder. They are on a look-out for two people who had dropped him at hospital and disappeared. Now according to the NDTV, the police have finally admitted that the youth was killed by a shell fired by the police, this is after their continuous denial that not a single bullet or shell was fired yesterday.
In such a situation it becomes very difficult to explain my stated position and talk about peace and dialogue. People ask me why is this happening and when will it end, I don’t have an answer, I really don’t . So many agencies are working overtime to scuttle any peace talk and when I talk about peace, I only become more hated and more vulnerable. You never know who kills whom and why? There is no excuse for killing a teenager , the culprit should be brought to justice and given the most harshest punishment on planet earth . If that doesn’t stop the innocent killing I wonder what will.

INDIAN HYPOCRISY

AND ITS HYPOCRITICAL "ANYTHING SHORT OF AZADI" OFFER

TANVIR SADIQ JUSTIFIES

About a month back, a story was making rounds in the media that the Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai had promised "anything short of azadi" to the separatist leaders. Not surprisingly, the Hurriyat leaders quickly rejected that overture reiterating their demand of self-determination for Kashmiris. Conversely, not very long ago, our elected government sent a well thought out, thoroughly studied report to the Central Government which recommends autonomy for Kashmir, the essence of which is very similar to what G.K. Pillai is offering the separatists. I am referring to the Saghir report. The Center has for all practical purposes stacked away that report in cold storage. Why is it that the offer of "anything short of Azadi" is good enough for the Centre to offer the separatist leaders but when Omar talks about the same, it gets bogged down in red tape by the same Central politicians?For anyone keeping track of Centre - State relations in Kashmir, this puzzling attitude of the Central government comes as no surprise. People here have always been suspicious of the tall promises made by the Central government, and those suspicions are warranted for obvious reasons.


Let me not dig out old skeletons from the closet, but it suffices to mention that the Centre doesn’t exactly have a pristine and spotless record when it comes to their dealings with Kashmir. In this day and age, when any sort of information, classified or otherwise, is easily accessible by anyone with access to the internet, it is to the Central Government's own benefit to deal with Kashmir with candor and in the most open and sincere way possible. And that means implementing the recommendations of the Autonomy Report soon, and not to use the this issue as some instrument to persuade the separatists to forget about separatism, because that is not going to happen. The Central Government has certainly figured by now that the separatists are not interested in autonomy. So, when the Centre keeps repeating this shenanigan by offering it to the Hurriyat time and again, it simply exposes the Centre's lack of resolve toward Kashmir.



People risked a lot when they came out to vote in the last election. It's worth recalling that more than 60% of Kashmir's electorate came out to vote then. It wouldn't be far fetched to claim that many were perhaps drawn by Omar’s promise of seeking autonomy for Kashmir. Therefore, if there's anyone the Centre should be talking about "anything short of azadi" to, it should be with the current government led by Omar Abdullah. Making this offer to the separatists is pointless and shows the less than earnest attitude of the Centre in recognizing the grievances of Kashmiris. Separatists are not demanding autonomy for Kashmir, however, the current elected government is. The current government--and all previous NC governments--campaigned on a platform of seeking maximum autonomy for Kashmir; therefore, people could be forgiven to assume that the reason the Centre keeps talking about autonomy with the separatists is just so the Centre gets an excuse to shelve the autonomy issue every time the separatists reject it. But this only makes the Centre seem guileful. What the separatists are demanding and what the NC Government is demanding of the Centre are mutually exclusive.

The Saghir report is not the first such autonomy report presented to the Centre. On June 26, 2000, a similar report called the State Autonomy Committee (SAC) report was submitted to the centre by the NC government of the time led by Dr. Farooq Abdullah. That report was accepted and passed by the J&K State Assembly on April 08, 2000 along with an important amendment moved in the House by my father, Mr. Sadiq Ali, and two other legislators Mr G.M.Bawan and Mr Shafi Bhat. Instead, to nobody's surprise, the BJP government of the time led by Mr Vajpayee, lost no time to ignore and reject that resolution. Interestingly, all the three politicians were sidelined conspicuously.


The separatist sentiment in Kashmir cannot be wished away by the Central government, nor do I see it dying down in the near future. The issues of either seeking independence or demanding autonomy for Kashmir are two entirely different issues. By offering autonomy to the separatists while ignoring the same demands of an elected government, the Centre's intentions are unclear and suspicious.

Like relics tossed from speeding trains, Indian discourses have a way of rejecting the preposterous idea of an American role in Kashmir. Yet the United States has always been a “party” to the Kashmir problem. If ever Indian archives become available for public scrutiny, it might seem New Delhi never really shied away from the U.S. attempts at mediation. This new book by the former American diplomat, Ambassador Howard B. Schaffer does tear off the veil of secrecy regarding the 60-year U.S. mediation efforts in resolving the India-Pakistan differences over Kashmir.

Phases of involvement

Schaffer sees three distinct phases in the U.S. involvement — a 15-year period of “deep engagement” from 1948 to 1963; another 15-year period of “diplomatic quiescence”; and, a third phase since 1990 during which the focus was on cooling down India-Pakistan tensions. The thoughtful title — limits of influence — says it all: America’s capacity to implement its policy on Kashmir has been limited and unsuccessful. Whereas the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations sought to develop a framework for a Kashmir settlement, the Kargil war proved a turning point, veering diplomacy towards “crisis-management.” Schaffer’s finding is that whereas from the late 1940s to the ‘70s, and even the ‘80s India would have viewed the prospect of American intervention with considerable reserve, the alchemy changed phenomenally over the past 10 years when New Delhi began wondering how American intervention could be put to use for the realisation of Indian objectives regarding Pakistan.

Indeed, it is difficult to quarrel with his finding, although it does not do historical justice to the tenacity of Jawaharlal Nehru, for whom Kashmir was a “bone-deep issue,” in keeping Uncle Sam at bay through an extremely difficult corridor of time in independent India’s history, while consolidating the Indian grip on J&K. Surely, at the present moment, the exhaustive chapter in the book concerning President John Kennedy’s active interest on the Kashmir front assumes contemporaneity.

It happened against the backdrop of “New Delhi’s confrontation with Beijing over their disputed Himalayan border.” Kennedy’s concern, like President Barack Oabma’s, was also “how to develop better relations with New Delhi while retaining reasonably strong ties with Karachi” at a time when the U.S. was worried about the spectre of “Chinese expansion” and Pakistan was the U.S.’s key ally. That was when the “non-territorial approach” to a Kashmir settlement — put differently today as the “soft-borders solution” — first sailed into view. Kennedy let Indians know he was sympathetic to their plight vis-À-vis China but his decision to arm India “which the Pakistanis bitterly resented, brought into sharp focus the fundamental flaws in the U.S.-Pakistan alliance…[and] further strengthened the widespread Pakistani belief that the Kennedy administration preferred India to Pakistan and found little value in the U.S.-Pakistan alliance.”

U.S.’s zeal to resolve

Sounds familiar? Schaffer analyses why the Swaran Singh-Bhutto talks failed. The “most important [reason] was the revival of Indian self-confidence as it became increasingly evident that another Chinese military attack was unlikely…This sharply reduced the value to India of a compromise settlement.” Secondly, Washington failed to persuade Indians that “concessions [on Kashmir] on their part would lead to a new, much improved relationship with Pakistan that would justify their making them.” Thirdly, domestic political circumstances in India were “unpromising.” Finally, the U.S. diplomacy was caught on a cleft stick. As the then Secretary of State Dean Rusk summed up, “If we back India against the Chinese, we may drive the Pakistanis off the deep end. If we abandon Indians, they might move toward the USSR and China again.”

A great flaw in Schaffer’s book is that it is only when peeping through such tiny keyholes that the reader could conjecture the interplay of geopolitics in the U.S.’s near-obsessive zeal to “resolve” the Kashmir dispute.

Schaffer strongly advocates that the time is opportune for the Obama administration to pick up the threads where the Kennedy administration left. He is optimistic that the basic outline of a Kashmir settlement is in view. He assumes Pakistan is in a far-too-weak position to assert its claim on Kashmir and India could show flexibility by granting a much greater degree of autonomy to J&K, an open border, across which there could be free movement of people and goods, and some sort of “all-Kashmir institutions.” Unfortunately, Schaffer overlooks the role of the “non-state actors” — the terrorist networks and their allies in the Pakistani government. Nor would he factor in that a very substantial body of opinion in Pakistan might view the “soft-borders solution” as a mere transit halt on the road to full acquisition of Kashmir. Finally, the salutary lesson of the current impasse over Telangana is that a broad national consensus is still needed in India for taking a major political step that impacts the country’s federalism.

What would be the U.S. role in all this? This was how the Kennedy administration instructed the American embassies in Delhi and Karachi in 1962: “It [Washington] instructed the resident ambassadors and their staffs to focus on helping to build a positive negotiating environment…American diplomats were to refrain from making specific proposals but were not precluded from exploring and discussing types of settlements…Washington admonished them to take special care that settlement formulas were perceived as spontaneous India-Pakistan concepts; they should not be identified as American proposals…Public comment was to be kept to a minimum at all times

Stop Terrorism

I still remember when the J&K assembly was attacked by fidayeen (suicide) terrorists and sadly my dad was stuck up inside the premises. Thank god he survived the brutal attack but he recalls a note he wrote as he thought that was his last , addressed to us he wrote “ I love you all and I am proud of all of you , the militants are firing indiscriminately , god knows what will happen next , take care of your mom , love you. “. Provedence had somethng else stored for us , he was rescued well in time as the militants had almost reached the adjacent room and killed some officials of the J&K legislature. This is one of the many incidents that we have witnessed and it does scare the hell out of us but even then we continue to live in Kashmir with a constant fear of being attacked every day, every hour, every minute. We just think we are lucky enough to live another day.
Today when whole of India is under high alert after the US , UK and many other countries issued advisories about a possible terrorist attack in India, a bomb found in the heart of the times square would have created a lot of scare in the minds of the Americans . Since me and my family have been a victim of terrorist attack many times I can very well understand the trauma one has to undergo , and knowing that you were just seconds away from death is scary .
I think some people are creating a lot of problems for the Muslims all over the world .This insane US citizen of Pakistani origin arrested for the Times Square bomb case will have many innocent people being subject to suspicion. He should be given the harshest punishment so that a lesson is taught once and for all.
Lets live in the world of peace and tranquility and for that these extremists in the name of Islam, or in that matter any religion have to be brought to justice. But just because some guy with a Muslim name has done an act of terrorism should not form a basis to look at the larger community with suspicion.

State of Lawlessness

Just a month back killing an eleven-day-old infant in the lap of his mother in Baramulla, The Kashmiri separatists calling the practice of stone pelting as their ‘only tool of resistance against the state repression’, today killed a middle-aged civilian by smashing his head with a heavy stone in Batmaloo area in the heart o the Srinagar city. Most of the Kashmiri politicians, including those who have been providing moral and intellectual support to this anarchical form of ‘resistance’, have condemned the killing of a civilian by the unruly street demonstrators.


According to some eye witnesses and the news report, a large group of youngsters, repodetedly in age group of 20-30 years, began disrupting vehicular traffic in Batmaloo in the early morning. It is pertinent to mention that Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for a march to the UNMOGIP headquarters at Sonwar after conclusion of the Friday afternoon prayers. He had even called for a shutdown and had even urged the people not to indulge in stone pelting. Well in a war like situation its very hard to control unruly mob, and this is precisely what happened . Notwithstanding Geelani’s advice, youngsters identifying themselves with his political cause appeared at several places in Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore and Anantnag townships and engaged in intense stone pelting.

As soon as a passenger minibus, carrying passengers to General Bus Stand of Batmaloo reached close to its destination, youngsters from a lane subjected it to heavy stone pelting. A weighty stone, thrown from a distance of five to ten yards, smashed a windshield and hit one of the commuters straight into his head. As blood began gushing out of his head and he fell unconscious, driver of the bus rushed him quickly to the nearest Hospital for medical treatment.

On finding his condition as “extremely critical”, doctors referred him to the Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura but he breathed his last on his way to the other hospital .
In such a state of anarchy, We can only count how many innocent people will die or how many people will be the victims of such terrorism . It pains, It really does.


Source : ET

ABSURD

For a change i will not talk about the daily bloodshed and killings but lets focus on a very different issue today , I was meeting some young educated constituents in my garden when i received an sms on my cell phone , it said " Srinagar Airport to be shifted to a remote village ". The reason's are either known to the Indian Ministry of Defense or may be the Indian Air Force ?
Why i captioned it as "absurd" is for the reason that one can’t even imagine how much Kashmiri's have suffered both economically as well as socially in past 20 years of insurgency. Whatever little tourism that comes to Kashmir is in and around the months of April to August . Withstanding all travel advisories for kashmir from almost all the countries of the world some people come to see the serene beauty of Kashmir , and we shut the only link to Srinagar , by closing down the airport . It’s the poor cab drivers , shikara walaz , tourist guides who make some money during the season and you put a full stop to that as well.
You discontinued the only international flight allowed to fly to and from Dubai and now you close down the Srinagar Airport. This needs some serious thinking, don’t add to the already lakhs of unemployed youths wanting to earn their livelihood. I am told that the young CM has taken up the matter with the Indian Ministries , I just hope things work out for good .

DIVIDED WE STAND

* 20 Injured In Clashes, Youth Critical
* Protests Rock North, South Kashmir
* 4 killed in violence across Kashmir
* Cable operator shot dead
* Political activist of NC killed along with his son .

Amidst the news that Gen. Musharraf of Pakistan had almost unveiled an accord on kashmir in 2007 , Kashmir remains on Boil. Although for someone like me the above news should not come as a surprise as we know its a part of our lives today. It pains me when i see the youth of this part of the world wasted in the name of religion or emotive issues. The whole Kashmir once again observed a complete strike . This time against the death sentence to the two Kashmir guys alleged involved in delhi blast 13 years back while as many claim that they are innocent. I am told that many people got injured in the protests and one of them seriously. The whole Kashmir was shut, including shops, banks and educational institution.
In the process i was impressed by one separatist leader who challenged the calling for strikes in Kashmir , when it only destroys the economy and only adds to the misery of poor people who earn on the basis of daily wages. Master Nazir Ahmed a caretaker of an organization called Muslim Dini Mahaz described the strike call as “sheer political jugglery.” Today’s call for strike and protest was given by both the Hurriyat Conference factions. This is what he said “As a responsible constituent of the movement, the Mahaz wants to ask the callers of strike what steps they took to seek the release of the accused during 14 years. Did they ever provide them any legal aid? Did they ever visit the jail to see them? Did they ever visit their residences to see the condition of their families? What their so-called legal cells did for pro-freedom detainees,” he said in a statement.“When five years ago, this leadership was asked to provide Rs 1.5 lakh monthly for engaging lawyers permanently in Delhi to provide legal aid to detainees lodged in the outside state jails. This so-called leadership at that time categorically refused to do it. Now what is the fun of calling for strike?”, the statement added.
I see this as just the beginning of a war between all the factions and constituents of the separatist amalgam , while as the militancy is on rise and political workers are being killed I can only hope that things don’t go as bad as Palestine or Afghanistan , for now I can only pray. Till next time , Take care .

Encounter Rages on in Kashmir

A flurry of attacks in just over a fortnight – the killing of four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Sopore on December 30, 2009; the fidayeen (suicide squad) attack at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar on January 6, 2010; the encounter in Pulwama on January 8, in Thanola on January 10, in Kulgam on January 13; and the attack on the Sopore Police Station on January 15 , then again on feb 5 . Agin a series of attack on feb 24, left many more dead. The latest in dadsar today has already left many people dead which makes it abundantly clear that militancy is on rise in spite of false claims in Delhi or some police officers that militancy has been reduced. If these are not well coordinated attack, I wonder what is .

It is ridiculous to even think that Kashmir can be solved militarily. As Adrian Levy, a distinguished British journalist says, “There is a feeling of bitterness and rage among young Kashmiris, who have no previous experience of militancy, they are expressing much more resistance kind of rage against the security set up in Kashmir. They are reacting against over securitization of Kashmir, resulting in stone pelting that is very difficult for India or for any country to deal with”. This is dangerous. It is fire that is burning. It is tangible in the countryside. Obviously, India is surely aware of it”.

STOP Pinpricking OMAR

There is a beautiful story about Mogul Emperor Akbar. When the Great Wall around Nagar Nagri( Now Badamwari Kathi Darwaza) was completed the then Governor accompanied by all the mighty and powerful in Delhi and Kashmir lined up on two sides of the wall. A highly decorated elephant was brought and the mahawat(trainer) made it sit down so that Akbar would climb and go around the walled area. When Akbar sat on the machaan, the mahawat with reins in his hand commanded the elephant to stand up and move. The emperor in his entire regal splendor demanded to hold the reins to which the mahawat humbly submitted,”Jahan Panah the elephant won’t move unless I command him”. To this the furious emperor retorted “I can’t let someone else hold the reins while I am in the saddle”. This little story tells volumes about how a self confident ruler ought to me.
The bottom line is that a ruler ought to be his own master and he should take his own decisions. Unfortunately even after six decades we are surrounded by a system that refuses to give up it’s medieval, archaic and antediluvian mind set. It is not Omer’s reaction to the Shopian tragedy or subsequent correction, his orders for immediate closure of the Khaigam CRPF Camp or Rajinder post in Bomai Sopore or ensuring that Brein boy’s assailants were brought to justice. Ever since the insurgency surfaced, no governor or Chief Minister had the courage to unequivocally warn the Central Government that for achieving peace and normalcy they had to win over the people. So what was wrong if he repeated the same sentiments to the Indian Home Minister to help nab the culprit? I see no reason why should our forward looking, and deeply committed Chief Minister be targeted even if he does something good that others have failed to do in the past. After all we live in a democracy and every democratic system is structured with tasks carved out for all the limbs of the State. We have seen in the recent past how those democratic conventions were trampled by some leaders of the Opposition. How they raised muck on the personal character of Omer. I am a part of the civil society and I have a right to ask: How many Chief Ministers have had the moral courage to resign on principles. How many Chief Ministers succeeded in nabbing a killer if the offender was from the security forces? How many chief Ministers had an army camp shifted? The K-issue unfortunately has been used by various elements for various ends. Some talk belligerency to get nearer to Delhi, some use it for filling their coffers, some use it for continuously staying in the news and a lot more have used it to exploit the raw sentiments of the common people and our youth. Nobody has been honest enough to suggest that under Chapter VII of the UN charter, there has to be a bilateral solution. This must have prompted the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to state that a plebiscite was impractical with changed circumstances. But the reality faces us squarely in the eye that the world community considers it a dispute that has to be resolved amicably. It may cause a lot of discomfiture to India when Clinton says that “he regrets not having resolved Kashmir dispute during his tenure”, Col. Ghaddafi thundering that Kashmir must be left alone or Obama initially deciding to assign Richard Boucher to work out a solution. There has not been a single OIC session that has gone without a passing a resolution against the ‘occupation’. The world we live in has brought total interdependence between the nations. EU, the Americas, SAARC, OIC all are getting closer. India and Pakistan cannot afford playing ostrich.
The Self Rule balloon has burst without a whimper and the PDP duplicity has been exposed with Justice Saghir’s assertion that no such proposal was presented to the Commission. So in a way all are clinging to their impractical solutions. While NC continues to stick to the Autonomy resolution, it proves my point that Omer is the only leader who has gone a step further by declaring that “if there is a better solution than Autonomy, my party will accept it”. When you are faced with a thorny issue that has been getting tangled on the daily basis for 63 long years, you have to start from somewhere leaving behind your past. Omer deserves to be commended for his repeated assertion that Kashmir can only be resolved by political will and not by militarily means.
It does not matter if everything does not happen overnight. If you want to win a race one has to take the first step. So goes the saying. But our myopic opposition leaders somehow do not see the good that young CM has achieved. Perhaps there is an underlying fear somewhere that if he succeeds the way he does, they will become totally redundant politically. They don’t realize that twenty first century will be the century of youth and all the antiquated players will be consigned to the dustbin of history. It has happened in America. It has happened in our state. A million dollar question remains how soon does this reality dawn on such obsolete people who think it is their birth right to cling to their chairs or dream of occupying them! For them the only hope is go on telling lies and more lies and creates an impression that youth is too green, raw and inexperienced. How long does the youth tolerate such people?
Democracy rests on an established firm foundation. Every CM is a product of adult franchise answerable to the legislature, his party and the people. Constitutionally, the formation of cabinet and advisors is his exclusive discretion. A coalition does upset this applecart. But that in no way restricts his authority to take decisions in the interests of the State. As the head of the executive he is his own master and can and should discuss any matters that concern the State. It is a pity his meeting with the HM is being made an issue and not the result achieved. Secondly, let me write this without any fear of getting lodged at Tihar Jail or being brutalized by any Ganderbali. Kashmir is the key to peace and normalization of relations between India and Pakistan. Sooner than later both the countries shall have to leave behind their stated positions and find an honorable solution to this imbroglio. As a student of politics, I know there are elements in both the countries whose political survival depends upon the continuation of a state of war and confrontation. But in the larger interests of our teeming millions people have to eliminate such negative elements.

It was in utter bad taste for the congress leader and the former Chief Minister of J&K , who is also an Indian central minister to make a very insensitive and objectionable remark about our several thousand youth stranded across the border. Branding them all as security risk at a time when foreign secretary talks are scheduled at Islamabad after a prolonged hiatus strengthens this apprehension that anti-peace activists are not dead.

SHAME

After one of the wings of Indian paramilitary , the Border Security Force (BSF) admitted that one if its men shot a teenager in Srinagar in cold blood, all the news channels have started believing in what the parents of the slain boy had said. They had alleged that a BSF officer was behind the Kashmiri teenager's murder and not the constable who has been arrested. According to them a BSF Commandant forced Constable to shoot thrice at the 16-year-old. Sixteen-year-old Zahid Farooq was shot dead last Friday when he jeered at a passing convoy of the BSF. After an internal inquiry, the BSF admitted that one if its men shot a teenager in Srinagar in cold blood. The BSF had initially denied any role in the killing, but were forced to admit what happened under pressure from the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Zahid and his friends were on their way home after their cricket game in Srinagar's Nishat area was rained out. They came across three BSF vehicles and began shouting at it. Incensed, Constable Lakhvinder Kumar allegedly got out and shot Zahid at point blank range. The police have registered a case of murder but their real investigation focused on whether the constable fired on his own or took orders from his commandant. Its learnt that the Commanding Officer of the BSF concealed the incident for five days until an internal probe was ordered because of the relentless protests.

But Zahid's family, like other residents of Srinagar, don't accept this version of events. They said, they were not satisfied with the arrest of the constable as the eye-witnesses had seen an officer of the force actually shoot Zahid in the chest after snatching the rifle from one of the jawans.

Well the young teenager is dead, and so are all the dreams of his young parents. I hope the animal in uniform gets what he deserves. Let him not go scot free. Let him be punished!

Enough is enough.

A Tearful Adieu

It took time for the police to get the name of the body lying in Police Control Room, Srinagar. After identification , the victim turned out to be 14-year old Wamiq of Rainawari. And with his death one more Kashmiri family lost its beloved. Since his house is in a close vicinity in Rainawari i learnt that Moments before being hit by a tear-smoke shell fired by a police men, he was playing in a local ground . He remained nameless for alomost 9 hours in the mortuary of the Police Control Room.

Jostling through narrow lanes and bylanes of Rainawari, emotionally charged youth were uncontrollable and the anger would show on their faces before Men, women and children bid a tearful adieu to him.

That's it:(. May his soul rest in peace . Ameen.

THE SCARE

India is celebrating its republic day, although the whole of india was put on high alert fearing a strike by militants, the entire focus was on Kashmir. Inspite of the unprecedented security arrangemts by the army and the paramilitary forces they could not hoist an indian flag on the clock tower of the historic Lal Chowck. It has never happnened in last 20 years. Accoding to a report for every 9 kashmiri there is 1 army men. The valley has around 10 lac Indian paramilitay forces. Yet they seem helpless.

The second big story of the day was that the entire mobile services were shut down . In an era of technology how can one survive without the basic needs of connectivity. Strange but true.

For people like us it looks like a distant dream to venture out of our homes and not be a target of bullets from either side.

I can just wish you all to Stay safe

Life: So MEANINGLESS IN KASHMIR

Two stories one day ...


No:1
Suspected militants yesterday opened fire in the main market area of Jammu and Kashmir known as the LAL CHOWK, killing one police officer and critically injuring many civilians. A pro-Pakistan militant group, Jamiat-ul-Mujahedin, said it was behind the assault. claming that three of their men have launched a fidayeen (suicide) attack in Lal Chowk.

No:2

A Deputy Superintendent of Police, shot at and injured a local journalist, in broad daylight at the City center. The incident took place two hours after the gun battle between the militants and forces ended.

Inspite of the great efforts, Some people are just not ready for a prosperous kashmir . Thats why i say life has lost its meaning in kashmir ...!