Untying Knots

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Farzana Mumtaz

The political temperatures , overall situation is heating up in already tensed Valley of Kashmir over talk of striking down of article 35 A and also with Supreme court accepting the plea in this regard . Article 35A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.

From polity to news studios it has given rise to war of words.

 

 

National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah, who chaired the all parties Opposition meeting on Article 35-A warned that the scrapping of the article will “create a revolt far greater than Amarnath Land row”.

“It was very important to discuss the issue of Article 35-A and its implications on the state, and all its three regions-Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, so that people understand as to why we are against its abrogation, which gives us the basic right and scrapping it will take away that basic right from us,” Abdullah told reporters at his Gupkar residence after chairing the all party meeting.

 

“Abrogation of Article 35 A will create a far greater revolt than Amarnath Land row, on which people rose overnight,” the former chief minister warned.

“It is a state subject law which should not be eroded at any cost,” he said.

“We have decided that we will take the issue to the people as a united front. All parties in Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh will try to make people understand effect of abrogation of the Article on the state. Abrogating article will affect all the people. We will go t before the people and create awareness among them about its impact. People are the masters,” he said.

He said that it (state subject law was implemented) was done in the Maharaja (Hari Singh’s) time to prevent others coming in to dilute their culture.

 

 

In a related development blaming Article 370 of the Constitution for creation of a “separatist emotion”, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said recently that the time has come for the people of the state to say goodbye to it and also Article 35 A.

Both these articles, instead of being beneficial to the people of the state, have done a great damage and hamper progress and development, claimed J&K BJP spokesperson Prof Virender Gupta.

“The time has come when the people of Jammu and Kashmir should say goodbye to Article 370 and ask the Government of India to revoke Article 35 A,” he said.

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The voices within Kashmir are quite worried with overall repercussions that debate or any possible abrogation of Article 35 A  would have on the overall scenario of Kashmir.

Ajaz War, Journalist and editor in chief Kashmir Media Watch states – “ The passions are already evoked due to debate on striking down of Article 35 A with the impression in Kashmir valley that remaining autonomy of Kashmir is being taken away .Saner heads should prevail otherwise the situation could turn into disaster which does not augur well for anyone.”

You will fail 99 times before getting success: Ritu Pandit

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Ritu Pandit is a fashion stylist of par excellence .In an exclusive interview with News Kashmir , Ritu Pandit talks to Rameez Makhdoomi

 

A bit about your early life ?

I belong to a traditional family in Palwal district of Haryana, India. My life has been very simple since my town was not very developed. It’s my dad who agreed for my abroad studies after one straight year of persuasion.

 

 

How was academic life like ?

I have studied computer engineering & did my masters from England. I had some months of visa available to stay in England which made me to join a short course in fashion & media styling from one of the renowned “Institute “London College of fashion”.

 

What motivates you to become fashion stylist ?

There is lot of motivation from my friends & known people who used praise my dressing & outfit ideas. Like all women I loved to dress different everyday & experimenting. I used to wear matching shoes & purses which led to piles of merchandise in my house.. I had this internship period with fashion production house in Leicester. So, this was the force which pushed me in fashion industry after coming back to India also.

 

What are your priorities as a stylist ?

 

I have worked as a freelance fashion stylist. Now, I have a better & transparent medium to encourage people more about fashion & spreading awareness about culture, travel & anything I find interested to share with my followers on my website www.oimfashion.com.

Now, I just love doing stuff which keeps my followers happy & beautiful.

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You are also vivid traveler .A bit about your traveler experiences?

Travelling is something where you get the solitude from worldly things be its a small town visit or any international country. Every-time I am pissed with situations I want to take an escape to anywhere from my current city. I won’t call myself a traveler but I have traveled quite a bit while studying abroad in Europe, friends’ visits in Asian neighbor countries & India of-course. My best travel experience was during my reality TV show with NDTV India “Godrej Green Champion” where we explored India throughout the road journey from Delhi to Bangalore. I recently went on this 7 day trip to Himachal Pradesh with “Big Bang Trip” who gather people from around the globe & provide them experience for lifetime. I am still waiting for my long train travel may be south soon.

 

Your take on condition of women in India ?

Well, I am feminist myself. But, many people are mistaking the word feminism. We have fought over year to reach the position we are here today & it will take many more generations to give the due respect to women be in India or abroad. Feminism is not about putting male power down, but it’s lifting up the level of women in society. Equality begins from your house & upbringing. Parents are the first teachers to give right pictures of men, women & world. Equality is not only giving equal education & spending money on daughters. Equality is not treating them like sons. For me there is just one line:

”

We don’t want special respect; We just want ordinary equality to live”

 

Your message?

I am a very optimistic person & I felt over year that being optimistic does not make you smile all the time. You will fail 99 times before getting success. Just sick to your decision & this entire universe will get fixed itself.

 

Unabated Kashmir Killings

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Killings , killings and Killings are the only words and headings emanating  from the news landscape these days  in Kashmir. Although valley of Kashmir having witnessed bloodshed since past three decades the current times look more worse. Civilians, local militants, policeman, soldiers getting killed on regular basis is now no new thing in Kashmir as it has become almost hourly occurrence.

 

The Killings of  civilian and protestors due to varied reasons have become order of the day. Wailing Kashmiri mothers and sisters mourn the acts of the different violent sources  is order of day  and the images are seen in the print, online  media and in  the satellite television medium. These killings have refreshed the killings of more than one lac homosapiens  in Kashmir in past three decades .
Yesterday , was never  different in kashmir as bloodshed is  visible quiet clearly in every nook and corner of Kashmir as if  all stakeholders to conflict have license to kill Kashmiri.
The realities of ground zero  clearly point out that the choice in Kashmir is not between peace and war, but between no-peace and no-war stalemate. These realities bear testimony to the fact  current moratorium on brutalities in Kashmir done by different sources amounts the Roman peace, eloquently described by the Roman poet Virgil: “You, O Roman, remember to rule the nations with might. This will be your genius—to impose the way of peace, to spare the conquered and crush the proud.”

One hopes a peaceful solution is found soon and these killings come to end

Kashmir’s Killer Fields

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

Kashmir is now in all pragmatics losing young blood at a very fast pace, with daily killings becoming a norm .Killings and just killings are defining the current situation of Kashmir with no end to misery in sight .

The area of South Kashmir is resembling a war zone as if killings are  a normal affair and long written script being played .Just in this week death and just death has defines the life in Kashmir ..

 

 

Lashkar-e-Toiba militant Arif Nabi Dar alias Arif Lelhari and Abu Dujana  was killed in a gunfight in Hakripora village on  1 August 2017.

Abu Dujana was top  militant  who was killed in a joint anti-militancy  operation in Pulwama , Jammu and Kashmir. Dujana was Lashkar-e-Taiba’s chief commander for the Kashmir Valley. He was listed among the most-wanted in Jammu and Kashmir for several attacks on security forces and civilians. He was an A+++ category militant and carried a reward of ₹1,500,000.

On 3rd August , Two local  militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Gopalpora area of Kulgam . One of the slain militants had been party to an ambush on a bank’s cash van on May 1 this year. The attack had claimed the lives of five police officials and two bank security guards.

On the same day in another incident  of bloodletting in the valley, an Army major and a soldier were killed in an ambush in Shopian and other critically injured.

Killings signal all what is wrong in kashmir . The Killings of  civilian and protestors due to varied reasons have become order of the day. Wailing Kashmiri mothers and sisters mourn the acts of the different violent sources  is order of day  and the images are seen in the print, online  media and in  the satellite television medium. These killings have refreshed the killings of more than one lac homosapiens  in Kashmir in past three decades.

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a young journalist and Editor-in- Chief Only Kashmir news portal, while talking to News Kashmir on the unabated spate of killings stated – “Daily  Killings are paining the soul of beautiful valley of Kashmir. We have become addicted to hearing the news of killings now and unfortunately it is becoming normal to our psyche. Steps should be taken to address the political issue of Kashmir so that we put an end to these killings .”

The ground pulse is calling upon all the stakeholders to put an end to these killings .

There is a dire need of madrasa reforms: Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

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Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is a Valley based Writer, Activist and Independent Researcher. In an exclusive interview with NewsKashmir magazine Executive Editor, Rameez Makhdoomi, he talks about his new book, need for madrasa reforms, gender issues and domestic politics.

What is your debut book “Bridging the Divide: Call for a New Dawn” all about?

Madrasas as the institutions of Islamic learning have always inspired me. Madrasas played a pioneering role in the knowledge building. With the colonization of Muslim lands, the knowledge came to be divided into worldly and religious, quite an alien divide to the Muslim world. Though now we exist in a post colonial era, but the division of knowledge as a colonial remnant still continues. Both the madrasas and schools do not intend to learn from each other, incorporate the subjects or texts that they have artificially compartmentalized and unnaturally divided. There have been attempts to bridge the prevailing antagonistic divide among the knowledge systems, but they have achieved little success.

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as the oldest reformist Muslim educational institution, under the able leadership of its ex Vice chancellor Lt. General Zameer uddin Shah started the Bridge course for the madrasa students. It is an attempt to bridge this artificial divide among the knowledge systems. The one year course acquaints madrasa pass outs with English, social sciences and computer literacy. On the completion of the bridge course the students are given 10+2 certificate that renders them eligible for admission in bachelor courses of different streams of social sciences including law and mass communication. The present Director of Bridge course that runs as a part of Centre for Promotion of Educational and Cultural Advancement of Muslims of India (CEPECAMI) and a Muslim intellectual, reformist thinker and writer Dr Rashid Shaz invited me to study the impact of Bridge course on students and how it is viewed by traditional madrasa scholars and Muslim educational institutions as a whole. The book “Bridging the Divide: Call of a New Dawn” is the outcome of ethnographic and textual study. It took me over a year to complete this research and with the institutional support of CEPECAMI and individual encouragement of Prof. Rashid Shaz I was able to complete this study.

What was the main motive behind writing the book?

The main motive was to understand the attempt of Bridge Course and how successful it is in evolving the madrasa cadres to respond to the challenges of modernity, that include social, political, epistemological, educational and gender issues. Also I tried to understand and analyze the historical attempts of bridging the divide between traditional and modern educational systems in Muslim world particularly in South Asia. The shortcomings, flaws of earlier attempts and suggestions to overcome such pitfalls in the present attempt of CEPECAMI have been critical evaluated too.

So what are the Preliminary findings of your study?

The preliminary and concrete findings of the study can be discovered by reading the book. I leave it for the readers to evaluate my research.

How far you have found the need for reforms in madrasas?

There is a dire need of madrasa reforms. Madrasas need a lot of reforms as they only concentrate on their unique education system and curriculum. The Ulema see madrasas as manufacturing factories producing future Ulema but there are many students who drop out and even some which follow a different line after completing their education in madrasas hence wasting the pool of resources that are used to educate and train them, hence stringent measures must be adopted admission process in madrasas. A minimum eligibility of matriculation must be set up and counseling adopted so that students consciously choose madarasa education and life. Till then the local maktabs can fulfill the basic religious requirements. The madrasa people have no institutions which can absorb the surplus Ulema hence they need to be educated about how to start a NGO and avail the government schemes.

Madrasas further need to undergo drastic changes viz a viz their curriculum is concerned. Madrasas must not teach only religious sciences and theology but a bit of Pure sciences and deep concentration must be laid on Social Sciences too which are necessary to understand the contemporary problems facing the Muslims. More stress must be laid on contemporary Fiqh and they must not waste time in discussing the issues like Slave-Master relationship as were prevalent those times but it is irony of fate that Fiqh like this is still taught but there is no contemporary Fiqh included in the curriculum (Nisaab). Also the Tafsir exegesis which is taught is not compatible with the modern times but still it is taught while as nothing is taught about the contemporary Islamic thinkers.

Do you think any more changes are needed in the overall development of Madrasas?

Islam is a missionary religion and it does not believe only in preaching but in Social Work and Activism but we find very less number of socially engaged Ulama. To counter the propaganda against Islam and Muslims as well as to remove the misunderstandings in the minds of Non Muslims Ulama and Madrasa students have to come out of their forts and islands and get in contact with common people as well as non muslims. They must shun the polemical and debating approach but must initiate Inter Faith and Inter Maslak dialogue because muslims are in minority in India and they must take the lead. Also there is a deep wedge between the Ulama and Rich in the North India though in South India they both are socially engaged, this division further needs to be narrowed down.

Though there are lacunas in madrasa administration too like the non conformity to Shura and exploitation of teachers by the hereditary administration but the Muslim Middle Class is doing nothing to rectify the same and become socially engaged in the community issues. The Middle Class mostly is professional one and they are afraid that if they would engage themselves in Social Activism they are destined to be branded as Fundamentalists and Fanatics by the hostile media hence they keep these activities at arms length so as to remain non controversial but they must shun this stance and take a lead in mediating between the Ulama and Non muslims.

Do you think Madrasas in India preach hate based on selective reading and interpretation of the text?

It is difficult to generalize this statement for all of them as Pakistani and Indian madrasas are different, though the rival claims of superiority exist among them all & all claim that they are on the true path & decry others as deviated. There are rival claims among them regarding the superiority which they exploit to spew hate against each other.

Are the allegations about madrasas promoting extremism quite true?

Extremism is a very loaded and relative term. By extremism if you mean exclusivism, upholding the right to be the sole guided sect, righteous people and decrying others as deviated, so yes some madrasas do promote it based on their selective interpretation of religious texts while subverting the plurality of Islam and its message. But this extremism is confined to intra muslim community only not towards Non Muslims. There is some silver lining and Bridge course is trying to rectify this extremism through its intra faith classes and it certainly has positive results.

How much scope is there for feminism in Islam, since you are an advocate of feminism?

I am an advocate of gender justice and if that is feminism I have no inhibition of being a feminist but in a religious sense, because Islamic feminism is a growing body of knowledge. Islam is gender just so as such this query about scope does not arise. Islam is the most gender just among all religions and Islam gave women revolutionary rights in every sphere of life. But it is a sad reality that patriarchy and muslim men snatched most of them. The need of the hour is to reclaim those rights by gender just interpretation of Islam and its scriptures.

What is your take on present student agitation in Kashmir?

Students have always been on the forefront of every phase of resistance politics in Kashmir. But they always have been an exploited lot and used as cannon fodder in the conflict. The old vanguard of leadership never helped any student leadership to be developed in Kashmir. So the present student agitation will again follow the footsteps of its predecessors if it fails to evolve any new student leadership.

Is Non violence relevant in current resistance politics?

Non violence is relevant in every resistance politics. But the irony with resistance of Kashmir has been that it has tried to romanticize with every form of resistance without understanding its contours or consequences. There has been no serious ideology, introspection or understanding about the use of methodology of resistance. Non violence has first to be understood, believed and accepted as a creed rather than a strategy. Civil resistance is a form of non violence, that has proved immensely successful in social and political resistance but there is little or no information about it among the resistance circles.

Where do you find the talk of Kashmir issue on global level?

Kashmir issue is a forgotten conflict and every stakeholder has no political will to resolve it. We lack non renewable sources of energy like Oil and gas, (though we are rich in water resources and future conflicts will be about water), so no big power is ready to intervene on our behalf. Both India and Pakistan have its supporters among the big powers that thwart any attempt aimed at permanent resolution of Kashmir. The Muslim world and nation states are not united, they have failed in resolving the Palestine issue, so to have any hope from them is futile. Also in the post colonial world, secession and establishing a new state is abhorred so we are confronting bleak times. 

 

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up: Aamir Rafiq Peerzada

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Aamir Rafiq Peerzada is an eminent media professional of Kashmir.  From North Kashmir district of Bandipora  and an enthusiastic Documentary Filmmaker ,television producer 30 year old  Aamir Rafiq Peerzada  has won prestigious RedInk award twice . Pertinently  filmed a documentary on Mount Everest dung the disastrous 2016 Nepal earthquake .

He is currently working with BBC having previously worked with NDTV.

In an exclusive interview with News Kashmir, Aamir Rafiq Peerzada talks to Rameez Makhdoomi.

 

1 How was academic life like ?

 

My academic life was more like a military schooling because I did my schooling  from a boarding ,Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Baramulla, Those are the memorable years of my life,I Spent seven years of my life at this school, Where you have no idea of what’s going on in the outside world, How are your family members, We were so far and shielded from the realities of life in Kashmir that we knew nothing about human sufferings, Injustice, Politics we were naive, innocents and living in our own fairy tale world where everything was so disciplined and perfect.  This campus was our world, everyone has their dreams, ambitions and crushes.

 

2 Were you inclined towards media industry since beginning ?

 

I was Born in 90s in Kashmir, When Kashmir was turning from peaceful paradise to a land of massive tension, wave of Militancy had already approached, and Protests were seen everywhere, military encounters and crackdowns had become a daily routine. Kashmir a disputed zone for over 3 decades   have witnessed heart wrenching realities of life and I have seen men in their most grim & inhumane bearing, I have seen people getting disappeared leaving an option of waiting and hope of their return among their families and relatives, wives of married one’s was and still is given the name of Half widows who are still living with a dream of seeing their families getting completed. I have seen my uncle who was taken by the army one day in a Crackdown; we had never imagined it was going to be his last day with all of us as he never returned.  It’s been over 17 long years his wife is still waiting for his comeback. I still remember the dreadful night that still haunt me in my dreams and keep giving me nightmares when my own father  was asked to accompany some unknown Gunmen, They wanted him  to show the way to some village, we with my mother and other siblings I being the eldest among others just 12 years old kept waiting for him whole night but he did not came  and he never did that because  next morning his body  was found on a street with amputated head and He was dead,  It’s not only me who has suffered and gone  through all this, But every Kashmiri… to unveil those unheard stories of common people which are never given a due attention which they deserve.  I think every Kashmiri has seen/suffered something of that sort and they deserve to be heard and our duty is to tell their story and to tell stories of common man not politicians, this is what has made me to be a journalist and a documentary filmmaker only to tell the stories of common man who never get any coverage .Two of our family members lost their lives but that time there was no one to bring it up and tell their story and bring them justice but I want to be that person to bring such stories of sufferings in light.

 

3 Share with us bit about your Mount Everest experience especially amid storm 

 

My first big documentary film was with NDTV it was on Mount Everest as Every year people lose their lives trying to Summit Mount Everest. We humans feel the need to test our limits constantly, I find this enthralling, and this is exactly why I wanted to film the world’s most dangerous mountaineering feat. I wanted to capture the real nature of men and women when faced with death, pain, fear & victory. In 2015, I took a leap of fate and decided to document an arduous & challenging journey to the top of Mount Everest. During the expedition, Nepal was rocked by an earthquake of 7.8 Richter scale, over 9000 People were killed and 23000 others were injured. Our team of mountaineers was approaching camp 1 of Mount Everest, when the rubble of Ice collapsed into a series of mega avalanches, engulfing everything in its way, there was a huge sound, and then tons of snow hit us. At first, I did not know what had  happened. Our other team mates  were shouting out instructions to follow. All I knew was that I should do what I was told. A few minutes later, when it was kind of over – that’s when I realized we had been struck by an avalanche. It was not a single avalanche but multiple avalanches, as it would turn out. There were glaciers crashing down on the right and left. All we did was hold on tight to a rope while we stood on a tiny strip, trying to cover our noses and faces so that we could avoid the powdered snow flying at us, all around us.
I held the rope so tight that the gloves I was wearing almost tore. All I could see was white snow rushing towards us and nothing else. We had no option but to run for life. The path was so difficult that running was also very hard. I held on to the rope. At that moment, I feared death. But I kept Filming

16 mountaineers were immediately dead and almost 60 were injured it was the first time in my life I was witnessing such disaster and escaping death Changed me forever. I kept filming every moment and recording every moment and finally was able to make a documentary Film (Operation Everest – Summiteers to Saviours) out of that. This documentary won 6 National and international awards Including two prestigious Excellence awards (Ramnath Goenka award for on-spot Reporting and Red Ink award for Sports Journalism) in journalism in India for doing this Coverage.

 

4 How was your experience with NDTV like 

 

NDTV for me is mecca of Journalism in India, That’s the only channel who still are trying to follow journalistic ethics, Otherwise there is No journalism left in this country, and It is very sad news for democracy, NDTV has always tried to bring change by having many campaigns on cleanliness, health and that is great, I have made many Documentary Films when I was with NDTV and I don’t think It would have been possible for me to make these films if I would have been working with some other INDIAN News Channel because No Indian Channels believe in Documentaries except NDTV and everyone should appreciate NDTV for taking forward this legacy of traditional journalism.

 

5 How is stint with BBC going ?

 

Working with BBC is Great, I have been continuously travelling from last one months, We have been filming for a series which will be released in English and 10 other regional languages of south Asia, It will be released in around september. Whole team is working very hard for this and we are hopeful that people will love it.

 

6 A bit on red ink award ? 

 

After getting stuck on The Everest Basecamp when many Avalanches hit the camp, leaving 22 dead and over injured including one of my Camera person, and at that time It was very hard to stay there when people were running down, nothing was left there everything was blown away that’s when we decided to stay cover/film every bit of this suffering and also help in rescuing the injured, After coming back I got Two prestigious awards first award was Red Ink award for Sports Journalism because Mountaineering is a Sport and This award was presented by Governor of Maharastra and Mr Puish Goeal Minister of Coal and Power, Another award was Ramnath Goenka Award for On-spot reporting which was presented by Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi .

 

This years My another Documentary Lighting the Himalayas had got nomination in Red Ink award for best reporting In science and Innovation and it too won the award.

 

 

8 Your message to youngsters?

 

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up but never forget beginning is always hardest. Don’t let your fears triumph over your dreams and ambitions, consistency is the way that success demands so don’t give up keep going.
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition because you can truly do what you want to, so believe in yourself and have trust on you because everything else is secondary
I believe everybody is a genius all it needs is just know that little thing that makes you extraordinary from the ordinary one’s. Always try to walk those extra miles that seems hindrance because trust me if you are able to cross them success is surely going to be yours most importantly remember that it’s not necessary to do everything just do the thing you love to do with utmost honesty and love what you are doing………

 

9 Advice to aspiring documentary filmmakers ?

 

Documentary film making  is the most difficult profession to take in the current time when credibility gets measured by TRPs Because Documentary film making needs more Money , More time, Intense research and huge man power But in the current times of tabloid news when News organisations are not interested in spending more money and also are not ready to give you more time to produce it So that’s what is making it more difficult, Documentaries having no Market, Distribution, Theaters never agree to run these films because People come to watch entertainment films not serious informative stories which are real, It is very difficult to keep this Documentary tradition going.

 

My advice to aspiring filmmakers is to never ever compromise on the quality and content of the film that’s what is going to be your identity, You will face many challenges in terms of funds, distribution, But keep going because you are the ones who are keeping and going to keep this culture of film making alive.

 

Glamorizing Death

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News Kashmir Desk

 

Continued bloodshed through violence is benefiting none in kashmir. Daily we see large number of deaths, injuries, blinding, arrests etc taking place due to unaddressed political issue of Kashmir.

But it is worrisome to note that some are glamorizing death sitting as armchair analysts and offering no solution, on the otherhand by this attitude they are glamorizing death.

People getting killed in protests and near encounter sites is the latest troubing developments in Kashmir.

 

Pertinently , more than 20 civilians  have been killed this year near encounter sites_*

 

July 1: Tahira Begum and Shadab AhmadChopan of Dialgam villagein Kokernag killed by bullets near encounter site.

 

June 22: Ajaz Ahmed Malik injured in firingat encounter site in Pulwama on June 21 succumbs to injuries in hospital.

 

June 16: Mohammad Ashraf, 34, and Ahsan Mushtaq, 15, killed during clashes near encounter site in Arwani.

 

June 6: Adil Farooq killed from bullet during clashes in Shopian near encountersite in Ganowpora village.

 

May 27: Civilian killed in firing by government forces during encounter withHizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his aide Faizan Muzaffar in Saimoo village of Tral.

 

May 14: Mohammad Hussain Dar injured on May 6 in firing by militants on a police party at Mir Bazar on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Kulgam districtsuccumbs to injuries in hospital.

 

May 6: Three civilians killed in crossfire when militants attack a police party in Kulgam.

 

April 27: Mohammad Yusuf, 55, killed after army opens fire on protesters seeking bodiesof two slain militants who attacked an army camp in Panzgam village of Kupwara district.

 

March 28: Three civilians, Zahid Rashid of Chadoora, Amir Fayaz of Wathora, and Ashfaq Ahmadof Rangreth killed when government forces open fire on civilians protesting against a siege laid in Chadoora area of Budgam.

 

Mar 14: Kaneeza, 9, killed in Kupwara after being hit ‘stray bullet’.

 

Mar 9: 15-year-old Amir Nazir killed by government forces at Padgampora village in Pulwama

 

Feb 23: A woman killed by ‘stray bullet’in exchange of gunfire between militants and army, police say.

 

Feb 12: Two civilians killed when government forces open fire near encounter site in Kulgam.

 

Every death means catastrophe for the family concerned and this unstoppable bloodshed is paining many hearts .

An eminent scholar while pleading anonymity states – “ This bloodshed is leading us no where . India, Pakistan states and people of Kashmir should adopt path of sanity to settle political issues . There are some vested interests on all sides who thrive by this business of death .The contractors who make merry by bloodshed are enemies of humanity . The intellectual poverty in Kashmir is complicating the realities for us and yielding us no results .”

The need of the hour is to stop glamorizing death in Kashmir and let peace, rationality take the center stage and voices promoting bloodshed be discarded.

Lynching Humanity

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News Kashmir Desk

The rampant shabby phenomenon of mob lynching so common in mainland India, Pakistan seems to have made its way in Kashmir as well. According to Wikipedia, Lynching is an extrajudicial punishment by an informal group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate a group. It is an extreme form of informal group social control such as charivari, skimmington, riding the rail, and tarring and feathering, but with a drift toward the public spectacle.

In a clear incident of gruesome lynching, Mohammad Ayub Pandit, a deputy superintendent of police was stripped naked and beaten to death by a mob outside the historic Jamia Masjid in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nohawatta district during the night-long respected prayer of Ramzan on 22 June, 2017 . Pertinently, Thousands of people had visited from all over Kashmir to observe ‘Shab-e-Qadr’ (the night of power) when the incident took place  around midnight .

The historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta has always been a center of spiritual and moral upliftment and it was painful for one and all to see lynching happening at this great place and that too on an auspicious night .

Entire sane fabric of Kashmir society is shell shocked after this gruesome lynching .

Noted intellect Hassan Zainagiree in his column in Daily Greater Kashmir expressed the anger felt by society of Kashmir in these words – “ What happened in the precincts of historic Jama Masjid in the midst of Lailatul Qadar the past week is ghastly, shameful and cannot be justified. Of all the forms of violence that Kashmiris have experienced in their life, the least expected was the specter of lynching.  Unheard of, unwitnessed. But the mob lynching of DSP Muhammad Ayub Pandit stripped us from that halo. The precedent, though, ‘integrated’ us with India. We would shudder to think of it, even if, let alone a fellow Muslim, victim would be the  suspected non-Muslim.  That it was committed during auspicious night and at sacred place shows the lowest of low the perpetrators have plummeted down to. The valley, cringed in shock, is yet to reconcile the unbelievable. And we all condemned the heinous crime in strongest possible words. And that is where we strike different from the Hindutva saffron brigade who enjoy public lynching of Muslims and Dalits, and the worst, defend the indefensible. Let me state clearly—without holding myself hostage to the glory of sentiment—stripping naked the JK police officer, raining stones on him and goring him to death is  anti humanity and anti Islamic as well.  How high the provocation from the cop, how inviolable the sentiment, nothing justifies it.”

IGP Muneer Khan , while talking to news Kashmir stated -“Without doubt the act of lynching was a brutal one and nobody expected this to happen , but let me make one thing clear that the amount of condemnation from the society coupled with tears , huge attendance in funeral showed society does not approve this shameful act.”

Undoubtedly society of Kashmir has in unison defined Ayoub Pandit lynching act as lynching of human values.

Let us give peace a chance : Munir Ahmad Khan 

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Inspector  General of Police for Kashmir and Senior IPS officer Munir Ahmad Khan is an Eminent name in policing field in our part of the world .
In an exclusive Interview with The News Kashmir , Muneer Khan talks to Farzana Mumtaz and Rameez Makhdoomi.
You have taken over as  IG police under difficult circumstances in Kashmir,  state few challenges being faced ?
There are many challenges with reference to policing this time .Firstly we are having increase in radicalization , secondly there is disruption of operations happening on behest of Militants which was not the case intially .A good number of local youth joining Militancy is also cause of concern  .
The biggest challenge out of all the challenges we are facing is the use of students in creating unrest by both Separatists and Militants as was evident in recent student protests across Kashmir.
Can we then conclude we are facing worse situation as compared to 1990s?
It would be wrong to compare the two situations .1990s was intially much larger mass movement and then witnessed transition towards the gun movement and today situation has its own contours and dimensions that demands new way of dealing.
How much setback has the police faced in the recent series of attacks on them?
The attacks against Jammu and Kashmir police personnel are not new.During my tenure as SSP Anantnag in 1990s  my SHO Kokernag was killed along with six cops,despite setbacks JK police has always shined and successfully overcame these setbacks .
Pellets have received widespread condemnation especially since last year agitation and many experts say the havoc caused by pellets is radicalizing many ?
There is way to use pellet gun and it is basically a non lethal weapon, whose handling requires proper training .Pellets have to be fired from a range and not from close range.We are improving the training with reference to handling of pellet guns and have directed that it should be fired as last resort of firing .
Has the recent lynching of Police officer broken Police Public relations ?
Without doubt the act of lynching was a brutal one and no body expected this to happen , but let me make one thing clear that the amount of condemnation from the society coupled with tears , attendance in funeral showed society does not approve this shameful act.
The accused arrested in the lynching case are many is there evidence against them ?
Yes we have enough evidence against the accused to get them convicted and secure fast track justice in the case. we have made recovery of enough things, and eye witness account is sufficient to nail the accused .
Don’t you believe time has come for implementing reforms in Police ?
Yes with changing times the reforms are needed and should be implemented.
Some voices are critical of SPO culture , your take on this ?
SPOs are performing magnificent duties and that too paid just RS 6000 per month .Yes the services of SPO need to be  regulated and supervised otherwise they can become ‘ unguided Missiles ‘.
Don’t you feel Police is overstretched?
Yes definitely the police is much overstretched – managing law and order, traffic, VIP security etc are larger number of tasks being entrusted to police and we need to recognise that police men too have families and life full of happy and sad events so they cannot satisfy hundred percent .
What is being done to make police more  public friendly ?
We have always taken steps to improve our relationship with public and have taken series of steps – Setting a top class drug de addiction center , promoting culture , organizing literary and sports activties for youth. I believe in maintaining close contact with public and listening to their problems carefully .We are also embarking on counselling youth .
Do you also include the counseling with arrested young Stone pelters ?
Yes their counselling is our key concern and we believe police , people and entire society is stakeholders in peace.Militants believe in catching young and making them Stone pelters , and we believe in  reforming the youngsters so that they lead better life .
Is stagnation in kashmir police cadre a concern ?
Yes it has been a concern but we are thankful to the government who have taken in recent times series of steps in this regard .
Your message ?
I would repeat my message is that entire society of Kashmir is stakeholder in peace and let us all give a peace chance .

Who says Kashmir’s beat Tourists? Questions this Tourist after helped by Kashmiri activist

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Tourists helped by a Kashmiri boy on the day of Eid in Kashmir SRINAGAR:
When millions of Muslims including whole valley were celebrating Eid-Ul-Fiter, a Social Activist from Central Ganderbal Kashmir left the home early in the morning to help the tourists Rajeev Kumar from Vijaypur Jummu and Chanchal Nagvanshi from Punjab. Tourists told that they were very much terrified to visit Kashmir Valley due to rumours floating on Social networking sites about the Worst Situation of Kashmir. We were reminded to visit any of the state in India except Kashmir Valley due to prevailing worst cycle of violence and also reminded that People of the Kashmir are ruthlessly beating the outsider Tourists in the Valley. “Before I could change the visit of venue I called on phone to the Social Activist Syed Karar Hashmi about the current situation of the state and behaviour of the locals with the tourists” Rajeev Kumar told while talking to media.
Rajeev adds – “He compelled me to come and witness the reality. I was highly impressed with the hospitality of the Kashmiris here and come to know that social networking sites are spreading strong propaganda against Kashmir with an aim to set back tourism industry” .
They further added – “We visited Hazratbal NIIT, Nishat, Shalimar, Shankaracharya, Chesmashahi and other tourist places with great ease and felt that we are really in Paradise. The propaganda and a war like situation in Kashmir portrayed by  the media and other social networking sites needs to be checked  out and should be dealt with law of the land. We all are thankful to the Social Activist Syed Karar Hashmi who left the home on this auspicious day and helped us in this special juncture on humanitarian basis.”