Government bans two TV channels in Kashmir

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has banned the transmission of two local television channels as they were telecasting "provocative programmes".Authorities directed the Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, to ban the transmission of SEN channel and SEN Awaz for allegedly violating the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995, officials said."The two channels have been giving wide coverage to the provocative speeches and activities of secessionist elements for creating law and order problems. The Executive Director of SEN and SEN Awaz has been advised to observe programme code as envisaged under the Cable Television Act," District Magistrate Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said.The Chief Editor of SEN channel, Syed Tajamul, rubbished the government claims that they violated any law.

The daughter of Muhammad Ahsan of Sopore, who was killed in firing allegeldy by paramilitary CRPF and Railway Protection Force, wails from inside a hospital vehicle after doctors declared him brought dead on Friday

آزاد کشمیر اسمبلی میں مہاجرین کی نشستیں ختم کرنے کی کوشش

ابن کریم

مظفرآباد//آزاد کشمیر کے سابق وزیراعظم راجہ فاروق حیدرخان نے کہا ہے کہ پاکستان میں مقیم کشمیری مہاجرین کی 12اسمبلی نشستوں کوختم کرنے کی سازش ہورہی ہے۔ گزشتہ روزےہاں پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہا جس دن وزیرعظم منتخب ہوا‘ اسی دن سے سازشیں شروع ہوگئی تھیں‘ کابینہ 12رکنی رکھناچاہتا تھا لےکن سارے ممبران کوفلیگ دیناپڑے۔ عتیق احمدوزارت ا ±مورکشمیر کے ساتھ ڈیل کےساتھ برسراقتدارآئے۔ اےک وزیر نے 16کروڑ روپے لےکررٹھوعہ پل کادوبارہ ٹینڈرروکنے کےلئے میرے پاس آیا۔ اےک وزیر اپنے خاوندکوجج لگانے کےلئے متحرک رہی۔ اےک وزیراپنے بھائی کوجج لگانے کی کوشش میں لگے رہے۔ مسلم لیگ ن کاقیام روزروز کی کرپشن روکنے کےلئے کیاہے۔سردارعتیق نے دوراکین اسمبلی بھےجے کہ میں استعفیٰ دوں۔ تیسرے آدمی کووزیراعظم بناتے ہیں۔ میں نے استعفیٰ دیدیا لےکن انہوںنے کاغذات نامزدگی جمع کرادئےے۔ صدر آزاد کشمیرنے اپناسپریم کورٹ اور الگ حکومت قائم رکھی تھی۔

وادی کشمیرمیں قتل عام:عمر عبداﷲکی حکومت بے بس

فائرنگ سے 3 افراد جاں بحق جبکہ 44 شدید زخمی

نئی دلی//وادی کشمیر میں گزشتہ روز فورسز کی مظاہرین پر فائرنگ سے 3 افراد جاں بحق جبکہ 44 شدید زخمی ہوگئے۔ وادی کشمیر میں تازہ ہلاکتوں پر کانگریس کوتشویش لاحق ہوگئی ہے اور اس نے ریاستی سرکارکی جانب سے صورتحال سے نمٹنے کے عمل پرخدشات ظاہر کئے ہیں۔ ایک سینئر کانگریس لیڈر کا کہنا ہے کہ وادی کی کشیدہ صورتحال پرکانگریس پارٹی کو شدید تشویش لاحق ہوگئی ہے وہ اس وجہ سے بھی کہ ریاستی سرکار صورتحال سے نمٹنے میں قاصر دکھائی دے رہی ہے اور یہ کہ کانگریس پارٹی مخلوط سرکار کی ایک اکائی ہے اور ایسا محسوس کر رہی ہے کہ علیحدگی پسندوں کا ہی اختیار چل رہا ہے۔ مذکورہ سینئر لیڈر کا کہنا ہے کہ ایسا محسوس ہورہا ہے کہ حریت کانفرنس کی جانب سے جو کھیل کھیلا رہا ہے، ا ±س کے نتیجے میں عمر عبد اللہ حکومت بے بس تماشائی کی طرح دکھائی دے رہی ہے۔ مذکورہ لیڈر کا کہنا ہے”یہ حیران کن امر ہے کہ سرکاری ملازمین اور دکاندار حریت کانفرنس کی جانب سے ا ±س کلینڈر پر عمل پیرا ہیں جس میں 7دنوں میں محض تین دن کام کرنے کےلئے رکھے گئے ہیں“۔ مذکورہ لیڈر کا کہنا ہے کہ کانگریس پارٹی ریاست میں نیشنل کانفرنس کےساتھ مخلوط سرکار کی ایک اکائی ہے جوگذشتہ چندعرصے سے وادی کی کشیدہ صورتحال کے نتیجے میں زبردست دبا? میں ہے۔ یہ امر قابل ذکر ہے کہ ایک ہفتے قبل سونیا گاندھی نے پارٹی کے سینئر لیڈران کےساتھ میٹنگ کے دوران وادی کی موجودہ صورتحال کا جائزہ لیا تھا۔

Innocent Killings

Worried over Kashmir; UN urges India, Pak to talk

United Nations, Jul 29: Worried over the unrest in Kashmir, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged both India and Pakistan to "rekindle the spirit of the composite dialogue". “In relation to recent developments in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Secretary-General is concerned over the prevailing security situation there over the past month,” Farhan Haq, Mr Ban’s spokesperson, said in a statement. Over the last month as many as 17 people have died in the violence that erupted in the valley as civilians clashed against the security forces.“He calls on all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and address problems peacefully,” the statement added. While the Indian central government blamed the anti-India elements based in Pakistan for instigating violence in Jammu Kashmir, the state government constituted an inquiry commission to look into the deaths of civilians in the protests.“He (Ban Ki-moon) encourages both sides to rekindle the spirit of the composite dialogue, which was initiated in 2004 and had made encouraging progress on some important confidence building measures, and to make renewed efforts to address outstanding issues, including on Jammu and Kashmir.“He underlines the need for patience, perseverance and compromise on all sides," the UN chief's spokesperson said.

Syed Ali Gilani not to come out of jail till others released

Srinagar, July 28: In occupied Kashmir, illegally detained veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has said that he will not come out from jail even if the authorities order his release unless over a thousand youth, who have been arrested by police are released and charges against them revoked. Syed Ali Gilani, who is undergoing treatment at Soura Medical Institute in Srinagar, in a statement, said that he would not come out even if his release was ordered by the occupation authorities. He added that he would come out only after 1150 youth, who had been arrested and booked under various charges were set free. The veteran Hurriyet leader was arrested on June 20, booked under the black law, PSA, and lodged at Cheshmashahi sub-jail. Later, he was admitted to the Soura Medical Institute after his health condition deteriorated at the sub-jail.

Kashmir traders suffer losses due to demonstrations

July 27: The disturbed conditions in the Kashmir valley has led to business losses to wholesale traders in the state. Due to the ongoing turmoil in the valley, the traders are unable to receive their payments on time; consequently, they are unable to pay back their bank payments against which they have raised their loans.The Jammu Fruit Market, which is considered one of the biggest markets of Asia for fresh fruits and dry fruits, is deserted."We have given Rs 600 to 700 million in advance to receive goods from Kashmir. Accordingly, there must be arrival of 25 to 30 trucks daily but due to the ongoing strikes in the valley, there are only two to three trucks arriving. How will we get the value for the money we have given already in advance in Kashmir?" said Praveen Kumar Gupta, President of the Jammu Fruit Association.The laborers are the worst sufferers, as they are dependent on their daily wages from the market. Earlier, 25 to 30 trucks used to arrive in a day in this season, but now, there are only three to five trucks.Traders have already loaded some trucks with processed items but are unable to send them to their destinations in the valley due to the disturbances, strikes and curfews."The problem which is currently going on in Kashmir has engulfed everyone, from labourer to the business class. If in one shop 20 people are working, ultimately they all are in loss. If one truck is loaded, we use to pay 300 rupees to a labourer only when we received the payments. But some of our trucks, which were loaded before curfew was imposed, we haven't received any payments yet," said Naresh Gupta, Vice-president of the Traders Federation Ware House of Jammu.

He is in the heaven

AS I THINK ABOUT THIS YOUNG LITTLE BOY, I CAN'T HOLD MY TEARS, NARRATES DR. ZAMIR AFSAR
What we are witnessing at present owes its background to the killing of a young boy. I read the news about this young kid, Tufail Mattoo, who died just a few weeks ago and it just made me feel really upset. I shook me up.My mother tells me that it’s good to cry when you feel someone’s pain, even if you’ve never met them before. I love my mother so much and I think that, maybe, she means that love can only grow in a heart that’s shed tears. I mean only when you’ve really felt this agony inside of you and wept as Jesus did for Lazarus, only then can you know the pain of falling in love with a woman of you’re dreams. It’s strange. Death occurs thousands of miles away, in another place and another time, and you read it on the computer screen and it affects you. I don’t know what you’re really supposed to do in those moments. Finish the cup of tea and get back to work? is it right to do that? I don’t remember exactly what I did when I read the tragic news of this young boy. Yes, I thought of him in my prayers, but the way he died just seemed totally unacceptable. It’s just not fair that you’re in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that it, it’s the end. I can’t accept that. I know we believe that Allaha decides the roads our lives follow, even though we are actually walking them, and that our time in this world is already known before we’re born. I never knew this boy, Tufail Mattoo, but seeing his lifeless face on a computer screen, thousands of miles away here in Cleveland in the States, made me feel I like I wish I did know him and I wish he did achieve all these things. Every Kashmiri has some kind of sad story to tell, and so do I. But now, here I am, sitting on a chair in front my desk near the window in my room in Cleveland Ohio just down the street from NASA where I work. My elbows are on the table top and my hands are resting my face as I look into the computer screen. I’ve seen this boy’s face, Tufail Mattoo, lifeless, and I don’t know what to do, I don’t. So I’m listening to the David Bowie song, “Heroes”. The lyrics go like, “or we can be heroes, just for one day...” and my mind is dreaming away inside of me and creating another reality just to ease my guilt of not being able to do anything for this poor kid. And, you know what? Do you want to know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking that I wish I was there and I wish I could have been a hero just for one day and told this kid just to take another way home. I can see him walking to what will be his death and I’m shouting at the top of my voice trying to tell him this.My lips move, forming words, but without any sound. I can’t do anything to save him and it’s killing me. It really is. Please God, please, I don’t want him to die. I beg you, let me save him. Dear God, tell him, he’ll listen to you, I know he will, just tell him to take another way home! The song comes to an end and the dreaming stops. We are all too late. Tufail is dead…. But do you what keeps me going? It’s that I can feel he is in a timeless place with Allah and is looking at me and saying, “don’t give up Zamir!!”. He is in heaven. I know he is, because I saw him in a dream, I really did and he was covered in light. I think in the dream he smiled and I woke up, suddenly, as you do when someone creeps up behind you, and then says something, and you jump a little. My eyes open momentarily, and I smile as I remember this vision of seeing Tufail Mattoo. I smile because I know he’s okay and he’s not angry with us. My eyes close and I go back to sleep.(Dr. Zamir Afsar is a young British-Kashmiri Applied Mathematician. He is currently a research fellow in theoretical Fluid Mechanics at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland Ohio, USA. He has a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from Cambridge University and last year was a visiting faculty member at Kashmir University, Srinagar)

Cellular services remain suspended in north Kashmir

UMER MAQBOOL
Srinagar, July 23: Residents of north Kashmir’s Varmul district are facing tremendous problems in absence of the cellular services, which were snapped last month following the killing of two youth in police action. Services of different companies, excluding state owned BSNL, were suspended on June 28, by the state government in several areas of Varmul on the directives of state police. Thousands of subscribers of Airtel, Aircel, Rcom, Tatas, Vodafone and Idea in Varmul, Sopur, Sangrama, Rafiabad and other adjoining areas have been running from pillar to post to know when their mobiles would start ringing again.

Unite and Give direction to the ongoing movement: Salah-ud-Din To Hurriyat

No need of indefinite strike
‘Stone Pelting A Means Of Resistance’
Srinagar, July 23: Justifying stone pelting as a means of resistance, the United Jihad Council chairman, Syed Salah-ud-Din Friday urged the pro-freedom leaders in Kashmir to unite and give direction to the ongoing movement. He said the “continuous” strike was not a solution to the Kashmir problem and the leadership must unite and unanimously think of a programme whereby “the struggle against India continues and people too don’t suffer.”In a telephonic interview with local news agency, KNS, Salah-ud-Din said, “At a place where India has stationed seven lakh troops who use brutal force against the peaceful protesters, hurling stones and firepots is the only way of resistance left with the people,” Salah-ud-Din said.He said it was unfortunate that the government of India and Jammu and Kashmir described even “stone pelting as terrorism.”He rejected India’s claim that Pakistan was behind stone-pelting in Kashmir.Salah-ud-Din said there was no need to go for continuous Hartals in Kashmir. “The way people have started the ongoing movement is worth appreciation. However, it needs a strategy and direction by the leadership so that people don’t suffer and the ongoing movement against India continues. The Hartal call can be given in a phased manner so that common man is not put to trouble and the education of children continues,” he said.The movement, he said, was not there for a day or two but a continuous one. “The agitation needs to be taken to the district level by calling for marches in the districts. However, work in other districts should be allowed when a march call is given in a particular district,” he said.He said the freedom movement in Kashmir was at a “critical juncture” and the ongoing movement proved that India had failed to break the people’s resolve in the past 62 years “despite using force.” “Today the freedom movement has seeped into the blood of 85 percent of Kashmirs, mostly youngsters, who are seen fighting for the cause on streets across the Valley. Already five lakh people have scarified their precious lives for the cause,” Salahud-Din said.He said neither the voices of Kashmiris can be silenced nor can their resolve be broken, come what may. “Kashmir has been turned into a garrison, an Army camp. Everywhere there is Army, police and CRPF who are busy cane-charging the peaceful protesters. But such tactics are not going to affect the people’s sentiment,” he said.He said the freedom movement in Kashmir belonged to the people of Kashmir, who have sacrificed their lives, property and honour for it. “The ongoing Quit Kashmir Movement is the goal of Kashmir freedom struggle. However, it is important to have a strategy, planning and direction at this juncture which is possible only when leaders shun their differences and unite,” Salah-ud-Din said. “The freedom struggle is alive and we need to put more life into it. And to make it happen, we have no option but to see a united leadership.”He said people should clarify their stand as to whether they want to be a part of the struggle or want education for their wards. “Sacrifices are important if freedom movement is to be taken to its logical conclusion,” he said. “And during the struggle, education sector can face some impact.”

What is azadi?

Maasid Sidiq

Azadi or Freedom is the long cherished dream of every person under oppression. Be it the case of Palestinians in Palestine, Kashmiris in Kashmir or Afghans in Afghanistan, all proclaim together when it is said to them as to what you people want.In Kashmir there are people of different colours, each rejoicing its own perception of Azadi and rejecting the other. Some people believe that Autonomy should be given; some are in favour of Self Rule, some in favour of Greater Autonomy while others want nothing more or less than Right to self Determination. If carefully examined, one will find that all these proposals are actually in favour of Kashmiri people, then why we witness huss and fuss all around.
A proper mechanism should be developed to make people understand the different ideologies and to chalk out the best definition and perception of Azadi .This post is dedicated to cover up these things, and we shall provide much basic, better and more comprehensive definition and perception of Azadi in the end. And it will also discuss the simple way to attain it. I don’t intend to criticize any perception here but to acquaint ourselves with the fact that some basic and fundamentals tools necessary to get real Azadi are missing. (Please note that our point of introspection is Indian administrated Kashmir)

To begin with we put forth different prevailing perceptions about Azadi

.1. Common perception about Azadi :Azadi means safety, security, prosperity, growth in each sector of society and like to a commoner. A commoner has nothing to do as to who runs the state, he doesn’t give the slightest of concern as to who his PM, CM, president, DC, DM etc is. What he wants is Roti, Kapda and Makan (Bread, clothes and shelter). If he is a Kashmiri, he doesn’t wander to know as to whether his land is or should be under Indian rule, Pakistani or independent. He simply wants a regular cash inflow, genuine work in order to sustain, good education for his children, his family’s safety, security and prosperity.

2. Azadi for Intellectuals These people more or less hold the same perception of Azadi as that of a commoner however this class has spent a part of their life mugging in the classrooms, attending the boring lectures of the teachers, getting up early and going to school/College/University, preparing assignments and all, their perception is a little different. They want their people, their land/country to know them; self actualization is what they need in addition to what common man wants. Let society know that so and so is a PhD, let he be given the right to speech and express himself, let he be given the right to form groups, NGOs etc.

3. Azadi from Oppressor:This is an intelligent class, they have a broader sense of Azadi and don’t merely want hanky panky things like business growth, development of roads, public security at the very onset. Their main motto is to get rid of the oppressor, they won’t care even if they have to sacrifice one thousand, ten thousand or hundred thousand lives for that, they are all ready for it, for it is strongly believed here that the oppressors have killed their kith and kin in the past and they won’t let their blood go waste. The oppressor, they believe, has disturbed the peace and atmosphere in the society, brought in corruption and mistrust, hence the root cause of all problems is the oppressor itself and unless they are removed from the society the real peace is not ever going to prevail at all. Establishment of new malls and shopping centres is not a prime objective for them but to get rid of the oppressor come hell or high water. The people having the first two perceptions are normally dormant, but the third group is an active one, therefore it is more important that the topic is discussed. And now we have to analyse as to whether we should put a full stop here and declare their perception to be true and final or add to it something or subtract from it something. We put forth following points in this regard: Suppose that tomorrow we attain the ‘Right to self Determination’. A plebiscite is held and the result is that Kashmiris want to be free. Now Kashmir is literally free. From what? From the India state, so is this Azadi? Kashmir will still be one of the most corrupt states; the people here will still be lazy and coward at heart. Jealousy, hatred, backbiting will still be prominent. Are we Azad then? We are entitled today to close shops early, and we have good reason to justify that. But who stops us from starting early, why don’t educational institutes, business establishments, shops etc start the daily work early in the morning. If today we begin at 10:00 am why don’t we make it 6:00 in the morning (in summers) if we really care about the way we lose by closing up early. No one stops us from starting up early, does anyone? The ground reality is that we don’t want to work, we are lazy people, and this laziness will remain even after we get the literal ‘independence’. People may think that these are just the moral and like problems and can be tackled easily anytime. But how can we believe them. Those who are not serious in changing their own behaviour at the very onset, how are they going to change their land and make it free?

Roads to Azadi

A strong movement for Azadi does not begin with force at the very beginning, rather it begins with some serious homework and ground preparation.It begins with changing ourselves first. How many organisations, active organisations do we have here in Kashmir who strive to impart the education, true morals, real ethics, correct knowledge of the Book (the Holy Quran) and the Sunnah and like to the common people of Kashmir. How many of us (students) spend more time in studying books than chatting with our friends on Facebook. How many intellectuals have dedicated their lives for cause of common Kashmiri. If Azadi is going to come then it will come through these people but Alas! We are short of these real warriors. Azadi is not a one man show that we have a good leader and he is leading us good, make right speeches at right times.... It is rather something attributed and closely linked to each and every commoner of the state.Azadi is a spirit within those who dream of it, this spirit is reflected in each and every work they do. So, a fighter for Azadi would be good student in the class, a good trader, a good teacher, a good manager, a good employee and a good employer. By ‘good’ we don’t necessarily mean that he would be a topper of his class in the student’s case or a millionaire in case of a trader but hardworking, honest, modest and dedicated person. A person who cannot do justice to his work and his own cause, how can we expect him to be just, true and honest when it comes to fighting for Azadi. A real freedom fighter is a warrior within.Therefore before we get the physical Azadi, we must get spiritual Azadi. For we don’t know how long will it take for the Kashmir dispute to solve, that is, we don’t know when we are going to get the physical Azadi, but the spiritual one we can get right now. It is simple. Be true and sincere in your approach, honest in your dealings and dedicated towards your job. Do righteous deed, abstain from all evils. Isn’t it simple? Yes as long as we really want an end and full stop to all oppression and conflict.

Congress asks J-K Govt. to crack down corruption, non-functioning bureaucracy

New Delhi, July 22 : The Congress Committee on Kashmir has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to crack down on corruption and non-functioning of a part of the bureaucracy.The Committee, which met here on Wednesday under the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, reviewed the performance of the State's coalition Government, of which the party is a constituent.It has been reported that the meeting laid emphasis on district and tehsil-level contact with the people.Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and senior Congress leaders Saifuddin Soz, Karan Singh and Ahmed Patel attended the meeting.Earlier on July 17, Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and apprised him about the deliberations of the recently held all-party meeting in Srinagar and briefed him about the law and order situation in the State and the steps being taken to bring back normalcy in the Valley.The issues relating to creation of adequate jobs for the youths of the State were also discussed.Abdullah insisted on the need for more measures to stop inflow of funds to protesters and implementing better crowd-control techniques.He also discussed the issue of Army deployment in Srinagar.The meeting came after days of violence in the Valley caused by clashes between protesters and security forces.

Police arrest over 1,000 youths in Kashmir in three weeks

Srinagar, July 21 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, police arrested more than 1,000 persons including teenagers in the Valley during past three weeks and booked several of them under the draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA). In a major operation to quell the ongoing protests against killings of civilians by Indian police and paramilitary troopers, authorities have started the process to book majority of the arrested youth and teenagers under the PSA. “In past three weeks, police have made random arrests across the city just to frighten the people. Some youth have been released on bail but most of them are still under arrest,” the inhabitants of Nowhatta in Srinagar said. They said in most of the cases, the police have been asking the parents to produce their children in the respective police stations. “In this way scores of youth have been arrested. They are innocent, said the parents of arrested youth. “We have learnt that two youth who were arrested from Gojwara in Srinagar here have been booked under PSA and shifted to Hiranagar and Udhampur jails. We don’t know their identity and are worried about our wards,” they added. Over 100 youth including one Atif Hassan were arrested and several of them were booked under PSA in Islamabad, Pulwama, Sopore and Baramulla areas. Advocate Mir Shafaqat Hussain said that the authorities were misusing the PSA. “About 500-600 persons including minors have been arrested during past three weeks in the Valley and dozens have been booked under PSA.

ادھورے خواب

رومل // کوئی یہ سوچ بھی نہیں سکتا تھا کہ صرف ایک ماہ قبل بنر ورمل کی رہنے والی مسعودہ کو جس ارمان سے والدین اور رشتہ داروں نے دلہن کے لباس میں گھر سے رخصت کیا تھا اسی مسعودہ کا دلہا فیاض احمد اسے عمر بھر جاگنے کی سزا دےکر خودسو جائے گا۔ ابھی لوگ اور رشتہ دار مسعودہ اور فیاض احمد کو شادی کی مبارک دینے میں ہی مصروف تھے کہ فورسز اہلکاروں نے سوموار کو احتجاج کر رہے مظاہروں پر گولیاں چلا ئیں جس کی زد میںآکر26سالہ فیاض احمد جان بحق ہوا۔اس روز فیاض احمد معمول کے مطابق اپنے کام سے گھر لوٹ رہا تھا کہ پرامن مظاہرین فیضان احمد کی لاش لے کر ضلع ترقیاتی کمشنرکے دفتر کی طرف پیش قدمی کر رہے تھے اور ااہلکاروں نے جلوس پر گولیاں چلائی جس کے نتیجے میں فیاض کی موت واقعہ ہو ئی ۔ یہ بات قابل ذکر ہے کہ فیضان احمد تین روز قبل دریائے جہلم میں پولیس سے بچنے کےلئے کودگیا تھا اور جب بسیار تلاش کے بعدنیوی کے غوطہ خوروں کی فیضان کی لاش برآمد کی تومقامی سراپا احتجاج بن گئی ۔فیاض احمد کی شادی محض ایک ماہ قبل ہوئی تھی اور اب مختلف رشتہ داروں کی دعوتوں کا سلسلہ شروع ہو نے ہی والا تھا کہ اُنہیں ہلاک کیاگیا۔26سالہ دُلہا کچھ عرصہ قبل ہی مزدوری کرنے لگا تھا حالانکہ وہ اس سے قبل ایک ہوٹل میں بطور ویٹر کام کر رہا تھا۔ سوموار کی صبح جب فیاض اپنے گھر سے نکلا تو اس نے اپنے بیمار سسرسے کہا کہ جہاں وہ پہلے کام کرتا تھا وہاں اُس کی کچھ رقم ہے اور وہاں سے یہ رقم لانے کےلئے جارہا ہے تاکہ سرینگر میں کسی ڈاکٹر کے پاس تمہیں لیا جائے تاہم یہ وعدہ وہ پورا نہ کرسکا۔اُس کے سسر رحمت اللہ شاہ نے بتایا کہ فیاض نے مجھے یہ وعدہ کیا تھا کہ وہ اسے سرینگر کسی اچھے ڈاکٹر کے پاس لے جائے گا اور پرانے مالک کے پاس اس کے تین ہزار روپے تھے لیکن اُسے یہ نہیں پتہ تھا کہ انہی پیسوں سے اُس کا کفن خریدا جائے گا۔رحمت اللہ کا پورا کنبہ فیاض کی جدائی پر سکتے میں آچکا ہے۔ رحمت اللہ کا اپنا کوئی بیٹا نہیں اور اس نے فیاض کوگھرجمائی بنایا تھااور فیاض نے اپنے سسرسے ایسا رویہ اختیار کیا تھا جیسے وہ اس کا اپنا بیٹا تھا۔ رحمت اللہ کا کہنا ہے کہ فیاض طبیعت کا نرم تھا اور مذہب کےساتھ اس کی گہری وابستگی تھی تاہم موت کے ظالم پنجوں نے اُسے ہم سے چھین لیا۔فیاض کی والدہ اس قدر سکتے میں آگئی ہے کہ وہ کوئی بھی لفظ بول نہیں سکتی۔ کیونکہ گذشتہ چند برسوں کے دوران یہ اس کے لئے یہ دوسرا واقعہ ہے۔ اس کا ایک اور بیٹا دریائے جہلم میں نہانے کے دوران ڈوب گیا تھا اور اب اس کا دوسرا بیٹا بھی اس سے چھن گیا ہے۔ اگرچہ فیاض کنڈی ورمل کے دنموہ علاقے سے تعلق رکھتا تھا لیکن اس کی موت کی جگہ ورمل متعین ہوئی تھی اور آخری سفر بنر میں ختم ہوا۔

In Kashmir, YouTube generation defines new struggle

SRINAGAR — For six weeks, in scenes reminiscent of Palestinian intifadas, hundreds of young Kashmiris like 17-year-old Amjad Khan have taken to the streets to pelt stones at Indian security forces. Government forces have struggled to contain the outpouring of anger triggered by the killing of a schoolboy by police in early June. Protests began in the main city Srinagar and have spread widely. The unrest marks a new phase in resistance to Indian rule in the disputed territory, some observers believe, revealing the deep frustration of the new generation in the 12-million-strong mostly Muslim local population. In the violence, in which security forces are accused of killing 17 young locals, others see a danger of radicalisation in a region that was beginning to emerge from an insurgency that has claimed an estimated 47,000 lives. "I have taken to stone-throwing to show my anger, my hatred at the present state of affairs," says the softly spoken Khan (name changed), as he stands in one of Srinagar's narrow back streets.
The son of a government employee father, who disapproves of his behaviour, Khan is dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt and has his hair gelled in a style familiar from Indian Bollywood films. He says he is not a particularly devout Muslim and attends Friday prayers only to be able to join the regular protests that take place afterwards, denouncing Indian rule in the territory.
Born during the insurgency like most of the under-20 protestors -- tech-savvy Internet users who are harnessing Facebook and YouTube to highlight their struggle -- he has known nothing but violence and turmoil in Kashmir. "Why should this problem linger on if so many other problems have been resolved?" he asks. When the subcontinent was divided in 1947, Kashmir's Hindu leader opted to take his mainly Muslim subjects into Hindu-majority India rather than Pakistan and the two nuclear-armed neighbours have since fought two wars over the territory. Kashmir is divided into Indian and Pakistani-controlled regions, with both countries claiming the territory in full.
For two decades from 1989, a violent anti-India insurgency raged in the Indian part, making it one of the most dangerous places on the planet in the mid-1990s. But the intensity of the attacks has waned significantly in recent years, widely attributed to the start of peace talks between India and Pakistan in 2004. Before the latest wave of unrest, there was talk of major troop withdrawals and revival of the region's main economic activity, tourism.-- Delhi gropes for a response --
The government in New Delhi has tried to paint the protests as the work of shadowy Pakistani extremists, but many local leaders believe the underlying reason is despair among the young generation about their prospects. There are over 400,000 unemployed young people across the state and decades of on-off political dialogue about the status of the disputed territory have yielded few rewards and no end to the deadlock. Some pro-India parties call for autonomy for the region, moderate separatists seek independence and hardliners continue to campaign for a merger with Pakistan. "The single largest factor today is that people don't see the light at the end of the dark tunnel they were hoping to see," the state's chief minister, Omar Abdullah, admitted on Indian news channel NDTV earlier this month. "Until we resolve it politically we will always have problems." A wave of street protests, which observers date back to mid-2008 when the state government attempted to transfer a piece of land to a revered Hindu shrine, reveal this frustration. Indian army chief General V.K. Singh said last month that the battle against anti-India insurgents had been more or less won, but people needed to feel that progress was being made to improve their lives. "Militarily, we have brought the overall internal security situation in Jammu and Kashmir under control. Now, the need is to handle things politically," he told the Times of India in an interview. He added that he felt "a great requirement for political initiatives that take all people together."
In New Delhi, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram has pushed the notion that the protests are being orchestrated by militant groups and Pakistan. He has sanctioned a crackdown, with the army out on the streets, text messages banned to disrupt communication between protestors and strict curfews in place across most of the region. He has also pointed the finger at the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba militant group, which India blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead. Others have suggested the protestors are being paid by hardline separatists -- a theory that has been widely challenged, even among pro-India politicians in Kashmir. "Linking the genuine anger and anguish among people with terrorism is nothing short of an assault on their self respect and dignity," said former chief minister Mufti Sayeed of the pro-India People's Democratic Party. Mehboob Beigh, who is close to chief minister Abdullah and advocates autonomy in the region, agrees. Political alienation of Kashmiris is the larger issue," he said. "Our youth want to be heard. New Delhi should listen to them with compassion and sincerity or we may soon see another cycle of violence." So far, the young men on the streets are gunless rebels. Their weapons of choice are stones and the Internet, with social networking site Facebook and video-sharing platform YouTube key parts of their struggle.
"Facebook and YouTube have provided us a platform to convey our aspirations and frustrations to the world," says Showket Ahmed, 24, who captures events on his mobile phone camera and later uploads them on Facebook. But former militant commander Javed Mir warns that New Delhi's hardline response could turn today's frustrated stone-throwers into new recruits for the severely weakened insurgency. "Before the launch of the insurgency, I and my friends used to indulge in stone-pelting with the aim of highlighting the Kashmir issue, but we failed," said Mir, now a separatist campaigner. "Finally we took to guns and succeeded in bringing Kashmir out of the cold storage. If present protests are ignored, these young men may be forced to follow our path."

Kashmir saffron yields hit by drought, smuggling and trafficking

Cheap imports from Iran and Spain are flooding the global market pushing farmers to the brink of desperation

Srinagar: July 21: GM Pampori, president of the Kashmiri saffron farmers and growers association, said illegal traders were harming the industry. Photograph: Jason Burke for the Guardian For the moment the fields are bare, marked only by the occasional dry bulb lying on the pale earth. Within a few weeks the shoots will come and finally the flowers and the finest saffron in the world. Yet after years of declining yields, the farmers of Pampore in the fertile valley of Kashmir fear that this year too will bring problems. "Demand is rising everywhere so prices are rising. But the trafficking and smuggling is causing us huge problems," said Mukhtiar Ahmed, 33.
The industry in Kashmir, where saffron has been grown for thousands of years, is in deep trouble. The once regular seasons that brought the wet springs and dry summers that ensure good crops have given way to unpredictable bouts of drought. Cheap imports from Iran and Spain are flooding the global market. In recent months, however, there have been a series of high-profile seizures and arrests that have highlighted another growing problem: the illegal import of saffron made overseas. The Pioneer newspaper reported recently that customs officers in India are uncovering every day up to three cases of saffron which were smuggled, mainly from Iran where the spice costs half the £2,000 a kilo it can fetch in India. To avoid high import duties, criminals gangs based in the gulf are running mules to carry parcels of the spice in their luggage on international flights, the newspaper said, quoting customs spokesmen.
GM Pampori, the president of the Kashmiri saffron farmers and growers association, said that about 100kg each month was entering India illegally. "I have tried to raise this problem with the government in Delhi but without any success," said Pampori. "We have also had three cases of people faking saffron in Kashmir this year." For many years there have been problems in India with unscrupulous dealers mixing grades of saffron or saffron from different countries. There is little regulation of the trade. Ghulam Reshand Ghani, a dealer in Pampore who served a six-month jail sentence for trafficking fake high-quality saffron, said he was framed by ignorant policemen. Local police officers insist however they got the right man. Sitting on the floor of his home surrounded by sacks of aromatic spice in the heart of the once celebrated saffron fields, Ghani admitted however that "when people are under financial pressure sometimes they do bad things". "Anyway there is almost no difference between Kashmiri saffron and imported saffron," he said.
The industry in Kashmir is said to employ 120,000 people in 226 villages. But there has been no investment for years and knowledge of modern farming techniques, let alone distribution or marketing, is low. "In Iran they have the latest technology and can get four kilogrammes of saffron from one hectare. In Kashmir we get one kilo if we are lucky. As for Spanish or Italian saffron, it is just a different world," said Pampori. The growing international demand for the spice has pushed prices to record levels. Little of the cash generated has reached places like Pampore and the younger generation are turning away from the profession. "None of our sons want to be saffron farmers," said farmer Mukhtiar Ahmed. "They want to be doctors and engineers. It's a shame but I cannot really blame them."

Jammu and Kashmir on the boil, Omar Abdullah under pressure

Wednesday July 21, 2010

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is under pressure to deliver on his promise and bring the situation in the state under control. The 18-month-old Omar Abdullah-led government seems to be losing grip on the state as the toll in civilian killings has been mounting despite repeated assurances of exercising restraint, the latest being the ones in Baramulla.
“Instead of offering a healing touch to the infused psyche of Kashmiris, the Omar-led government is using brute forces to suppress the sentiments of Kashmiris,” People’s Democratic Party general secretary Dilawar Mir said. “This anti-people behaviour has become the main cause for unrest,” he said. Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami spokesperson Zahid Ali said, “People have initiated a peace movement to achieve their right to self-determination. Instead of acceding to their just demand, India is hell bent on usurping this right. But the people are determined to take the struggle to a logical end.” In a desperate bid to normalise the situation, Omar has sacked Baramulla SSP Sheikh Mehmood for the second time in less than two months and reshuffled the police brass. Authorities re-imposed undeclared curfew and restrictions on Tuesday to prevent protests following the deaths of Fayaz Ahmad Khanday and Faizan Rafiq. Fayaz was killed by the police and paramilitary forces on Monday during a protest against the drowning of Faizan Rafiq at Baramulla.

Kashmir mother of all disputes: Warsi

Maqsood Muntzer

Islamabad, July 18: Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, minister/chairperson Conservative Party of United Kingdom has admitted that Kashmir issue is the mother of all the deputes pending between Pakistan and India and said it should be resolved according to wishes of Kashmiris. Warsi said, “I belong to Varmul in Kashmir and understand sensitivity of this core issue. However, I don’t want to get into detail with reference to its history rather I would like to say it should be resolved according to wishes of Kashmiris.” She said, “I know that people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir have great expectations from me, my party and coalition government of Prime Minister David Cameron regarding dispute of Kashmir.”

However, she maintained that Kashmiris must be taken on board as this dispute can only be solved according to their own wishes. Speaking to journalists Warsi assured Pakistan of UK’s full support in the fields of education and war on terrorism. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi urged both Pakistan and India to initiate effective steps for early peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Beijing denies visa to Kashmiri doctor, four others

New Delhi: With India objecting to stapled visas being issued to those from Jammu and Kashmir, China appears to have adopted a new policy of denying visas to those born in the state. One of the state's leading cardiologists U Kaul, also a Padma Shri awardee, and four others born in Jammu and Kashmir have been refused visas to travel to Beijing for a conference on cardiology which he was to have chaired four days back. Kaul, who has been to China four times before, was surprised at the denial of visa to him and to the four others. He said there was no reason given for visa rejection. However, another doctor, who is of Kashmiri origin but born outside the state, was given a visa for the same conference. A Chinese Embassy spokesman said he could not comment on these cases immediately due to absence of details. However, there was no change in Chinese policy of issuing stapled visas to those born in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. For the last couple of years, the Chinese Embassy has been stapling a visa in a separate sheet to applicants from Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. For the people of all other Indian states, it pastes the document on the passport as is the norm. India, which has taken up the issue with China, does not accept the stapled visa as valid and does not allow travel to that country on it.

Faizan left for school, never to return

ALTATAF BABA

Baramulla July 18: In this north Kashmir district, schools, like other parts of the Valley opened on Saturday after days of unrest. But the reopening, at the end of the day, meant closure of school doors for Faizan Ahmad Buhroo, forever. A student of class 7th, Faizan was allegedly drowned by cops of Special Operations Group on Saturday after they chased a group of protesters near Azadgunj bridge here. Nothing is able to console the parents of Faizan. “When Faizan left for school, I told him that I will accompany him. I was with him all the way from our residence to his school. But I never knew that I would be holding his hand for the last time,” said Fareeda, Faizan’s mother. As Fareeda beats her chest in pain, scores of women try to console her. “Now Faizan would not allow me to accompany him to school saying he was a grown up child. But I would be worried about his safety till he returned home from school,” she said. Faizan’s father, Rafeeq Ahmad, who is a blacksmith, is not ready to accept that his son was no more. “I was doing hard labour to too my child pursuing better education. I could not study after 10th class, but it was my desire to see Faizan study and excel. But tragedy struck us. We shall never come to terms with this reality,” Ahmad said. Faizan lived at Jalal Sahib in Varmul. He was studying in Guru Nanak School.

لگاتار کرفیو اور ہڑتال سے وادی میں اقتصادی بحران

نقصان کے باوجود علاحدگی پسندوں کے پروگرام پر عمل ہوگا:ٹریڈرس فیڈریشن

کرفیو، ہڑتال اور پر تشدد مظاہروں کے بعد اقتصادی سطح پربحرانی صورتحال پیدا ہورہی ہے اور واد ی میں مسلسل ہڑتال کی وجہ سے تاجروں کو روزانہ 45کروڑ روپے کا نقصان ہو رہا ہے ۔تاہم ٹریڈرس فیڈریشن کے دونوں دھڑوں محمد صادق بقال اورجان محمد کول نے واضح کر دیا کہ ہلاکتوں کے خلاف علیحدگی پسندئوں کے پروگرام پرفی الحال عمل جاری رہیگا۔ لہٰذا مرکزی اور ریاستی حکومت کو چاہئے کہ وہ فوری طور پر ہلاکتوں کا سلسلہ بند کرکے مسئلہ کشمیر کے حل کے سلسلے میں سرزمین کشمیر سے ہی اعتماد سازی کے اقدامات فوجی انخلاء کی صورت میں اٹھانے کا آغاز کرے۔ اطلاعات کے مطابق وادی میں پچھلے ایک ماہ سے حالات میں جوابتری پیدا ہوئی اور جس کے باعث ہڑتال، کرفیو ، احتجاج، مظاہرے اور پر تشدد جھڑپوں میں جہاں انسانی جانوں کا نقصان ہوا وہیں اقتصادی طور پر بھی وادی میں بحرانی صورتحال پیدا ہو رہی ہے کیونکہ مسلسل دکانیں اور کاروباری مراکز بند رہنے کی وجہ سے صورتحال سنگین ہوتی جا رہی ہے اور یہ کہ اس صورتحال میں جہاں دور دراز علاقوں میں اشیائے خوردنی نایاب ہے وہیں شہر سرینگر میں بھی اشیائے ضروریہ بشمول سبزی اور دیگر اہم ضروریات کی اشیاء کی قیمتوں میں بے شمار اضافہ کیا گیا ہے۔ تاہم مسلسل ہڑتال سے پیدا شدہ صورتحال سے متعلق کشمیر ٹریڈرس فیڈریشن کے سربراہ محمد صادق بقال نے بتایا کہ بے گناہ اور معصوم نوجوانوں کا قتل عام ہمارے لئے نا قبل برداشت ہے لہٰذا اب کی بار مرکزی حکومت کو ریاست میں امن و قانون ٹھیک کرنے کیلئے ٹھوس مذاکرات شروع کرنے ہونگے جس میں علیحدگی پسندئوں کو شامل کرنا ہوگا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ یاتری ہمارے مہمان ہیں وہ آئیں اور یاترا کرکے چلے جائیں۔ انہیں کسی قسم کا ڈر یا خوف نہیں۔ انہوں نے وزیر اعظم ڈاکٹر من موہن سنگھ سے اپیل کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ وہ ذاتی مداخلت کرکے مسئلہ کشمیر کو حل کرنے اور یہاں روزانہ کے خون خرابے کو روکنے کیلئے عملی اقدامات اٹھائے۔تاہم انہوں نے کہا کہ بھارت کے عوام کو بھی اپنی حکومت پر دبائو بڑھانا ہوگا اور دانشور طبقے کو بھی موجودہ صورتحال میں کشمیریوں کی مدد کرنی چاہئے تاکہ یک جٹ ہو کر مسئلہ کشمیر کے حتمی حل کیلئے کوششیں تیز کی جائے۔مسٹر بقال نے کہا کہ مسئلہ کشمیر کوحل کرنے کیلئے براہ راست کوششیں کرنی ہونگی اور یہ کہ پہلے مرحلے میں افسپا کی واپسی، فوجی انخلائ، بینکر ہٹانے اور سیاسی لیڈران سمیت نوجوانوں کی فوری رہائی جیسے اقدامات اٹھائے جا سکتے ہیں۔ جب ان سے پوچھا گیا کہ آیاٹریڈرس فیڈریشن علیحدگی پسندئوں کی جانب سے دئے گئے پروگرام پر عمل پیرا رہے گی تو انہوں نے صاف کر دیا کہ اتنے نوجوانوں کی قربانیاں دینے کے باوجود اگر کوئی یہ کہتا ہے کہ ان کو بھول کر تاجر برادری کام پر لوٹے گی تو یہ ان کی بھول ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ پروگرام پر ہر حال میں عمل درآمد جاری رہیگا۔ادھرکشمیر ٹریڈرس فیڈریشن کے جان محمد کول نے بھی کے این ایس کو بتایا کہ حالات خراب ہیں اور یہ کہ ہمارے نوجوانوں کو تہہ تیغ کیا جا رہا ہے جس کی وجہ سے ہر کسی کشمیری میں زبردست غم وغصے کی لہر پائی جا رہی ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ نوجوان ہمارے قوم کا سرمایہ ہے اور ہم سے یہی سرمایہ چھینا جا رہا ہے ۔ تاہم انہوں نے کہا کہ مسلسل ہڑتال کی وجہ سے دکانداروں اور دیگر تاجروں کو زبردست نقصان سے دو چار ہونا پڑ رہا ہے کیونکہ سبھی تاجر جموں کشمیر بینک سے قرضہ حاصل کئے ہوئے ہے جو انہیں ہر حال میں ادا کرنا ہی ہے چاہے ہڑتال ہو یا نہ ہو۔اس معاملے پر انہوں نے زبردست برہمی کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ جہاں ہڑتال کی وجہ سے کاروبار متاثر ہے وہیں کرفیو کی وجہ سے بھی اس پر زبردست اثر پڑتا ہے۔ تاہم انہوں نے واضح کر دیا کہ علیحدگی پسندئوں کی جانب سے جو پروگرام سامنے آیا ہے اس پر عمل آوری جاری رہیگی۔ اس موقعے پر انہوں نے کہا کہ تاجر برادری اگر چہ قرضے میں ڈوب رہی ہے اور یہ کہ ہڑتال ، کرفیو اور دیگر نا مساعدحالات کی وجہ سے روزانہ 45کروڑ روپے کا نقصان ہو رہا ہے۔تاہم انہوںنے کہا کہ اگر تاجر برادری کیلئے کوئی واضح پروگرام لائحہ عمل کے ساتھ سامنے لایا جاتا تو ان کیلئے مشکلات دور ہو سکتی تھی اور یہ کہ اس طرح کا پروگرام عوام کیلئے بھی باعث راحت ہوگا۔

ہندو انتہا پسند تنظیمیں کشمیر ی طلباءکے خلاف صف آرا

مدھیہ پردیش میں ویری فکیشن کے بغیر کالجوں میں داخلے کا الزام

مدھیہ پردیش میں ہندو انتہا پسندوں کی اعانت کار تنظیموں نے الزام عائد کیا ہے کہ وہاں کے تعلیمی اداروں میں ایسے کشمیری طلبہ کو داخلہ دیا گیا ہے جو علیحدگی پسند سرگرمیوں میں ملوث ہیں جس کے بعد مدھیہ پردیش کی بی جے پی حکومت نے ایک کمیٹی تشکیل دی ہے جس نے کشمیری طلبہ کی از سر نو ویری فکیشن کا آغاز کیا ہے۔ اس صورتحال کے پیش نظر کشمیر سے باہر زیر تعلیم کشمیری طالب علم خوف کا شکار ہیں جبکہ اُن کے والدین بھی انتہائی فکر مند ہیں۔ اطلاعات کے مطابق بھوپال میں قائم حمیدیہ کالج کے سامنے گذشتہ روز’ اکھل بھارتیہ ودیارتھی پریشد‘ نامی طلبہ کی تنظیم سے وابستہ افراد نے دھرنا دیا اور کشمیری طلبہ کو داخلہ دئے جانے کے خلاف نعرے بازی کرنے لگے۔ مظاہرین کا الزام تھا کہ مقامی انتظامیہ نے کشمیری طلبہ کو کسی ویری فکیشن کے بغیرکالجوں میں داخلہ فراہم کیا ہے حالانکہ مذکورہ کشمیری طلبہ علیحدگی پسند سرگرمیوں میں ملوث ہیں۔ مظاہرین کا کہنا تھا کہ حمیدیہ کالج میں زیر تعلیم ایک طالب علم گذشتہ دنوں سرینگر میں گولی لگنے سے زخمی ہوگیا جو اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ سبھی کشمیری طالب علم علیحدگی پسند سرگرمیوں میں ملوث رہتے ہیں۔ مظاہرین کا الزام تھا کہ مدھیہ پردیش کے حکام کشمیری طالب علموں سے موٹی رقومات حاصل کرکے اُن کا داخلہ یقینی بناتے ہیں اور اس طرح بقول اُنکے بھارت مخالف عناصر کو حفاظت فراہم ہوتی ہے اور وہ بڑے آرام سے اپنی علیحدگی پسندانہ سرگرمیاں انجام دیتے رہتے ہیں۔ ہندو انتہا پسند تنظیموں کی اعانت کار’اکھل بھارتیہ ودیارتھی پریشد‘ کے لیڈر سمت جین کا کہنا تھا”کشمیری طالب علموں کو کشمیر سے باہر داخلہ دلانا اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ ملک دشمن عناصر کو کھلی چھوٹ دی گئی ہے“۔ حمیدیہ کالج میں زیر تعلیم سوپور کے رہنے والے فردوس نامی طالب علم کا تاہم کہنا ہے کہ اُنہیں داخلہ دینے سے قبل اچھی طرح سے اُنکی ویری فکیشن کی گئی ہے یہاں تک کہ اُنہوں نے ضروری اسناد کالج کے ساتھ متعلقہ پولیس تھانوں میں بھی پیش کی ہیں جبکہ کشمیر کے پولیس حکام نے بھی اُن کے نام کسی بھی قسم کی غیر قانونی سرگرمیوںسے تعلق نہ ہونے کی اسناد دے رکھی ہیں۔ ایک اور کشمیری طالب علم کے مطابق بھارت کی مختلف ریاستوں میں زیر تعلیم کشمیری طلبہ کو کسی وجہ کے بغیر تنگ کیا جارہا ہے اور اُنہیں طرح طرح کے مصائب کا سامنا کرنا پڑ رہا ہے۔ ’اکھل بھارتیہ ودیارتھی پریشد‘ کے عہدیداروں نے مدھیہ پردیش کی حکومت کو دھمکی دی کہ وہ کشمیری طلبہ کی از سر نوویری فکیشن کرائے تاکہ علیحدگی پسند افراد کی نشاندہی کی جاسکے۔ ذرائع کے مطابق مذکورہ مطالبے کے فوراً بعد مدھیہ پردیش میں قائم بی جے پی سرکار نے حکومت نے اعلیٰ تعلیم کے کمشنر کی صدارت میں ایک کمیٹی عمل میں لائی جس نے کشمیری طلبہ کی از سر نو ویری فکیشن کا کام بہت بڑے پیمانے پر ہاتھ میں لیا ہے ۔ مذکورہ کمیٹی میں برکت اللہ یونیورسٹی، راجیو گاندھی ٹیکنالوجی یونیورسٹی اور گوالیار یونیورسٹی کے رجسٹرار بھی شامل کئے گئے ہیں۔ ذرائع کے مطابق کشمیری طلبہ کو از سر نو ویری فکیشن کے نام پر زبردست ہراساں کیا جارہا ہے جس کے نتیجے میں اکثر کشمیری طالب علم اپنی تعلیم ادھوری چھوڑ کر واپس آنے پر غور کررہے ہیں۔ مذکورہ کشمیری طالب علموں کا الزام ہے کہ اُنہیں ہندو انتہا پسندوں اور اُن کے اعانت کاروںکی طرف سے آئے دنوں خوف وہراس کا سامنا کرنا پڑ رہا ہے۔اس دوران وادی کے اُن والدین میں تشویش کی لہر دوڑ گئی ہے جن کے بچے بھارت کی مختلف ریاستوں میں زیر تعلیم ہیں جبکہ خود بیرون ریاست زیر تعلیم طلباءو طالبات بھی انتہائی فکر مند ہیں ۔

Indian civil society for Kashmir solution through talks

10 July 2010

New Delhi: Prominent members of India's civil society have called upon the government of India to begin a political dialogue with Kashmiri and Pakistani leadership to settle the Kashmir dispute, once and for all. Members of India's civil society in a joint statement expressed concern over the fast deteriorating situation in the occupied territory, which had recently witnessed the senseless killing of over two dozen innocent youth by Indian troops. They said that the army had now been directly deployed in many areas of the territory in a shameful attempt to cover up the utter political failure of the governments of India and its authorities in occupied Kashmir. They urged India to send the army back to the barracks and out of all inhabited areas in the territory, release all illegally detained political leaders and activists, repeal the draconian AFPSA and urgently start meaningful and result-oriented talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

The signatories to the statement include, Dr JK Jain, Chairman, Jain TV, Syed Shahabuddin, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Prem Shankar Jha, columnist, Professor Ram Puniyani, All India Secular Forum, N.D. Pancholi, People's Union of Civil Liberties, Manisha Sethim, Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association, Yugal Kishor Saran Shastri, Ayodhya, Professor Nirmalangshu Mukherji, Delhi University, Dr Shamsul Islam, Delhi University, Neelima Sharma, Theatre Person, Zafar Mahmood, President, Interfaith Coalition, Kamal Faruqui, Ex-Chairman, Minorities Commission Delhi, Navaid Hamid, Member, National Integration Council, Dr M.H. Jawahirullah, President, Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, Lateef Mohammad Khan, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee and Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette.

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KASHMIRIES LIVING IN DELHI

Common Kashmiris living in Delhi protested on 11 July at 10:30am at Parliamentary Street, near Janter-Manter, New Delhi. The protest was aimed to condemn recent killings of innocent civilians in Kashmir and also to protest Indian military response to people’s right to protest.

Kashmiri families, students, business persons and professionals in New Delhi staged a silent

sit-in protest at Parliament Street near Janter-Manter against the recent killings of unarmed

civilians across the Valley in particular and ruthless military response to peaceful civilian

movement in Kashmir. We Kashmiris, living in Delhi feel morally obligated to make this statement today. Because we are witness to the escalating conditions induced by militarized governance, and the severity of psychosocial dimensions of oppression in Kashmir.

In the past month, at least 16 civilians, including children, young men and women, have been

killed in firing by CRPF on the streets of Kashmir. Their only crime was that they protested

against the killing of their children in fake encounters and in police firing. The protestors

asked, “Killing of a child in police firing would evoke angry mass protests anywhere in India.

Why are Kashmiri people then denied even the right to protest at the repeated killings of their

children in police firing or in fake encounters?”

The Government of India has recently called for "creative solutions" to resolve the "Kashmir

problem." If we map the events of the past six months inside Kashmir, the approach of the

Indian state is aggressively militaristic. While commitments to political diplomacy frame relations between India and Pakistan. However there is no acknowledgement of civil society's insistent demand for the right to self-determination.Kashmir is not a "problem" but a conflict zone. India's militarization is aimed at territorial control of Kashmir, and control over key economic and environmental resources in the region, including those of the Siachen glacier. The Government of Kashmir is unable to prevail politically or exercise control over the Indian Armed Forces. India's political dominance hinges on its ability to possess Kashmir. Institutions of democracy -- the judiciary, educational institutions, media -- are neutralized by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Armed Forces as they function in tandem, continuing "military governance." State violence seeks to underminepeople's capacity to resist and solicits collaborators.

Kashmir in the picture

By Kuldip Nayar

With such positive talks between India and Pakistan recently, the tragic happenings in Kashmir seem more than a coincidence.

That the youth in the valley are angry for not getting their due is known to all. But why should Kashmir be on the boil when relations between India and Pakistan are on the mend? Kashmiri leader Syed Gilani took advantage of the killing of one young man at the hands of the security forces to incite the people to come on to the streets. The Hurriyat Conference gave a call to start something new. Political parties jumped into the arena. All this developed into huge protests in four cities – Srinagar, Sopore, Anantnag and Baramulla. An inept Kashmir police and the Central Reserve Police Force which has only guns at their command to tackle the protests aggravated the situation. The use of force against the protesters agitating against successive killings in the firing was excessive and what the security forces did was without restraint. This is a matter to be looked into by an inquiry committee. Yet the fact remains that extremists in Kashmir strike whenever an atmosphere of goodwill begins to prevail after some kind of engagement between India and Pakistan. Pro-India elements have become irrelevant. They, in any case, are too elitist, seldom mixing with the common Kashmiris. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah leads the exclusive club. But their distance from the people is a contributory factor — not the factor itself. Underlying the situation is the belief of the Hurriyat leaders that violence alone can lead to a solution in Kashmir. That the problem must be solved quickly goes without saying. But the extremists only stall the issue by instigating violence. They should have themselves come on to the streets to lead the protests in a peaceful manner to focus attention on the unresolved issue of Kashmir. They should understand that no discussion is possible at gunpoint. One welcome development of the Islamabad talks was that nobody, except for a few hawks, implicated Pakistan in the Kashmir happenings. This means that the talks between the two foreign secretaries and the home ministers, in that order, have reduced to some extent the deficit in confidence which New Delhi has been seeking. I do not know whether Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Interior Minister Rehman Malik discussed Kashmir. But at least the foreign ministers of the two countries should do so when they meet in Islamabad. India’s army chief has also emphasised political initiatives in Kashmir. The talks at Islamabad have made two points clear: one, New Delhi has again enunciated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance in Egypt that the terrorists’ attack would be kept separate from the talks. Many experts in India tried to quibble over the meaning of this but there is no ambiguity now. Two, the core issue between India and Pakistan or, for that matter, before the Saarc countries is terrorism. The separation of the two points was clear when the two foreign secretaries who prepared the agenda for the forthcoming talks between their foreign ministers refrained from discussing terrorism. But they did discuss Kashmir. My information is that Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao asked her counterpart whether the ground covered on Kashmir through the back channel held good. Pakistan’s foreign secretary had told me in Delhi that the two countries would go forward from the undertaking reached through the back channel. This should set at rest the doubts some Pakistani quarters raised that a democratic government was not bound to follow what was achieved during Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime. Chidambaram, who played to the gallery when he spoke to journalists at Delhi, was more responsible and vividly sober in his remarks in Islamabad. For him to say that he did not doubt the intention of Pakistan should be an eye-opener for retired Indian foreign secretaries who continue to follow the hard line they had taken during their careers to bring the two countries practically to the point of no return. They are openly critical of Manmohan Singh who has taken the bold initiative to talk to Pakistan despite criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party. New Delhi expects more arrests in Pakistan after the disclosures by David Headley whom the Indian intelligence agencies met in Chicago. Manmohan Singh has reportedly drawn President Barack Obama’s attention to Headley’s confession. Chidambaram has rightly reminded Pakistan of the status of Most Favoured Nation India extended to it many years ago. If Pakistan were to respond to it, Chidambaram’s ideas on trade and investment between the two countries could be implemented. India, with a bigger market and investment potential, can help Pakistan overcome the lack of openings and technology which puts its industry at a disadvantage. Action against Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed remains India’s litmus test to assess Pakistan’s steps towards normalisation. His cries of war or jihad against India are not what bothers the government and the people so much as his vast network which made 26/11 possible. In fact, Islamabad’s declaration to have a regional plan to combat the Taliban will mean a strong effort against the militants. Some elements in Pakistan consider it their duty to support fundamentalism. But religious values are the antithesis of what the Lashkar represents. Today’s world, including Muslim nations, wants religion to inculcate values, not to be used to incite violence. New Delhi and Islamabad should ensure that their rulers meet the opposition leader when their officials visit each other’s country. India has been able to establish it for visiting presidents or prime ministers. The Pakistan government should include Nawaz Sharif on the list of dignitaries during the visit of top Indian leaders.The writer is a senior journalist based in New Delhi.

Guns, army all to real in Kashmir:

Bipash says that I play a Kashmiri girl Aziza in Lamha, but she is unlike other Kashmiri girls who are shy and delicate. She is a fiery girl in a burqa who does everything a man can — she is trained in hand-to-hand combat and knows how to use firearms. Her ways may be questionable but her heart is pure; all she wants is peace in Kashmir. By the end of the film though she does realise she has been manipulated. We all live such challenging lives today that most of us prefer watching frothy films. But it is my humble request that people give films on such serious issues a chance too. As for myself, people on Twitter have approved of my look in the film and I am happy to have experimented.

Kashmir bar association chief arrested

Kashmir Bar Association|Mian Qayoom|Public Safety Act

Srinagar Jul 8, 2010: J&K police booked Kashmir Bar Association president Mian Qayoom under stringent Public Safety Act and sent him to Jammu’s Hiranagar jail on Tuesday, official sources said. Under PSA, a person can be jailed without trial for two years to maintain public order. The state police is also looking for 400 people, including separatist hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s aide Masarat Alam, who has been calling for the strikes across the Valley.

Nehru responsible for Kashmir situation: Advani

New Delhi , July07, 2010 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Tuesday alleged that India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was 'fully responsible' for the difficult situation in Kashmir. Speaking at a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJP's parent party) founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Advani said that if Nehru could have accepted the views of Mukherjee 'then the crown of Himalayas may not have been disturbed'. Advani added that the thought and foresight of Mukherjee was very important but due to Nehru's 'wrong policies', the conditions in the Kashmir valley was very precarious today.

World cheers at soccer, Kashmiri footballers fall to bullets

Srinagar, July 06: While the entire world is cheering for FIFA WorldCup 2010, Kashmir is losing its football players to police and CRPF bullets.The playgrounds where they used score goals are becoming their funeral grounds. Muzaffar’s body was kept in a football ground near the iron goal post along with other Fayaz Ahmad Wani both of who were killed allegedly by CRPF and police. The women crossed the dangerously placed wooden bridge over Doodh Ganga to reach the ground just to get a glimpse of “the martyrs”. As the playground reverberated with pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, women waved their scarves toward the sky. Within no time, mourners swelled into thousands, paying last tributes to the duo. People had climbed the goal posts were young Muzzafar, cheered by spectators, had been kicking goals. People were having a look at his blood drenched body in that wailing ground. Fayaz, an employee of Agriculture department is survived by wife and two daughters. He too was a footballer. His wife was unconscious and two daughter were beating their faces, pulling their hair and screaming “where is our papa”. Both the bodies were laid to rest at the local graveyard.