News Kashmir Magazine

News Kashmir Exclusive

In year 2016, Kashmir had witnessed lot of tragedies .After the killing of Militant commander Burhan Wani ,the valley of Kashmir saw an ugly death cycle and mass blinding .Since past five months we have almost seen continuous strikes , although now  off late, the reprieve from strikes is announced by the separatist leadership for two days a week.

But, still from few weeks it looks eminently clear that protest calendar is losing its impact .With ground watchers staying that fatigue, massive economic losses, mass arrests, examinations all have contributed to make the protest calendar issued by the profreedom leadership less effective.

Pertinently, it was only after four months that Passenger vehicles plied in the city for the first time since the unrest began in Kashmir, which has signaled the return  to normalcy.

Many areas are now witnessing plying of public transport normally and also in some pockets shops open. Massive private transport are also making streets filled with hustle and bustle. As a matter of fact, as soon as the Class 10 annual board examinations started and also class 12 , marking the first major educational activity in the Valley where schools were shut due to agitation and violence triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces , the hustle and bustle returned to streets.

On the other hand, the debate is on whether  the protest calendar should be now continued .

Noted Advocate GN Shaheen in this regard on Facebook wrote – ” REVOLUTIONARY OR RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS are not lead by continuous strikes .Geelani sahab Malik sahab &Mirwaiz Sahab must call off the strike before it strangulates  the movement& exhaust the people. 2016 is not end in itself. it is a successful phase of the movement full of achievements and fully loaded with the sacrifices. Listen the beat of heart. ”

Gulzar Ahmad, a commoner stated – “Yes now after many months of agitation and strict hartals we are seeing much increased traffic activity in many areas of Kashmir and also in some areas shops also open. Looks like heavy economic losses have had their  impact on the commoners and that is the reason one is now witnessing increased activity  of normal life in the pain hit Kashmir valley.”

Nevertheless, the current situation is hinting that after months of shutdown, bloodshed Kashmir valley is showing signs of normalcy .

News Kashmir Exclusive

 

In a recent far reaching landmark decision the Government of India recently demonetized currency notes of RS 500 and Rs 1000. As a matter of fact, the demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes was a step taken by the Government on 8 November 2016, ceasing the usage of all ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series as a form of legal tender in entire country  from 9 November 2016.

Pertinently, the announcement was made by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in an unscheduled live televised address to the nation at 20:15 Indian Standard Time (IST) the same day. In the announcement, Modi declared circulation of all ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series as invalid and announced the issuance of new ₹500 and ₹2000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series in exchange for the old banknotes.

Whileas the entire country is witnessing chaos, pain and confusion over the decision, Kashmir is not seeing much upheaval and the life with reference to this paradigm seems all the more normal.

Few days back, Huffington Post reported that  -“Demonetisation Death Toll Rises To 25 And It’s Only Been 6 Days.”The report further added that- “Housewives are committing suicide, infants are being denied treatment at private hospitals and the elderly are collapsing in long queues.”

Whileas, the valleyites have stayed calmer after the decision. Neither there are big ques on ATMs nor is there huge rush in banks .

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a Journalist while talking to News Kashmir stated – “Kashmir has witnessed much calmer situation with reference to demonetizing . We see no panic among people after this decision in Kashmir, whileas outside Kashmir much panic has been witnessed. We came to know of several deaths with reference to this decision.In Limbdi town of Surendranagar district in Gujarat, a 69 year old collapsed and died of heart attack waiting in a queue to exchange currency notes at a Bank of India branch.An elderly woman living by herself in Kanpur died while counting her notes. Police found Rs 2.69 lakh worth of old currency notes alongside her body. In Kashmir no such things have been witnessed. Demonteization has practically had no impacts outhere.”

 

 

Importantly , the banknote denominations of ₹100, ₹50, ₹20, ₹10 and ₹5 of the Mahatma Gandhi Series continued to remain as legal tender and were unaffected by the policy. The demonetisation was done in an effort to stop the counterfeiting of the current banknotes alleged to be used for funding terrorism, as well as to crack down on black money in the country. The move is also aimed at reducing corruption, drug menace and smuggling.

Whatever be the pros and cons, on ground reality horizons Kashmir has stayed much calmer, quiet after the demonetization decision.

 

 

Farzana Mumtaz

 

Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

 

Children are the future of the nation. They are, in fact, the foundation on which a strong, vibrant and dynamic  country or society  is  built. But, unfortunately the children of Kashmir on account of lingering violent conflict since decades have suffered hell.

Pertinently, the children of Kashmir are not only blinded by pellets but are lodged in jails. Children are worst victims of Kashmir Conflict.

In 2016, Kashmir has seen worst unrest and children of Kashmir are once again at receiving end.Tajamul Rasool Mir, 14, son of Ghulam Rasool Mir of New Colony Bunpora Saderkoot is the recent child to hog limelight; he was arrested by Hajin police on charges of organizing pro-freedom and anti-India rallies in Hajin town.

The date of birth of Tajamul’s Adhaar card is 10-02-2002 which means he is only 14 years of age.

He has been shifted to Kotbalwal Jail in Jammu. “Tajamul was arrested in Hajin on 11 September and was lodged in Police Station Hajin for 13 days, after that he was booked under PSA and was sent to Kotbhalwal Jail in Jammu. He is only 14 years old. “How can he be a threat? How can a minor be booked under such a stringent law,” said his elder brother Jan Muhammad Mir, while speaking to media outlets

Few years back , a report by a Delhi-based Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) observed that more than 700 minors in Kashmir have been booked under the Public Safety Act in a clear contradiction with the amendment on 28th March 2013 bringing into effect the Jammu & Kashmir (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2013 which bars the detention of persons under the age of 18 years under PSA.

Pertinently, PSA was first introduced in J&K in 1978 to prevent timber smuggling but has been subsequently used against political opponents by consecutive governments .

Children in prison is a matter of great concern all over the world. To quote a little boy cited in the UN Study, “Sometimes one day in prison felt like a year. But after 10 days you get used to it and you don’t cry as much”.

On the otherhand ,  the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly found breaches of the Convention in cases concerning the detention of children.

Mir Imran, an eminent Human Rights Defender states – “ The children of Kashmir blinded by pellets and imprisoned is a worst human rights violation. It is my strong belief that children in any place of the world  have no place in prison. Children do not have the needed maturity to face the harshness of detention and to grasp the sense of it. Their adolescence and fragility prevent them from understanding why they are in prison .For the future of our children, kashmir conflict should be resolved and children treated nicely and provided great life .”

Nonetheless, the jailed childhood is a burning human rights issue in Kashmir.

Farzana Mumtaz

Since the deadly  Uri attack on Indian army base, surgical attacks by India on alleged militant launching pads in Pakistan, the borders have been erupting on daily basis. LOC, International Border in Jammu and Kashmir  are the worst hit with the civillian population paying biggest price of continued hostilities.

Scores of civillians have been killed in both countries on account of unabated border shelling .

Pertinently, a number of army men guarding border too have lost their lives due to these continued skirmishes .
On the other hand, majority of families have left the border areas to safer places due to continued  upheaval on borders .

Experts are worried about escalations  of this heightened, deadly nature on Indo-Pak border .
On a single day on Tuesday,  8 civilians were  killed as Pakistan shells landed on villages in Samba, Rajouri, including two children in the age group of four to five,  when Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba and Rajouri whereas 22 people have been injured.

Few days back, Pakistan also stated that severeal civillians were killed when shells fired  from India landed in Marriage party in its administered Kashmir.

Mir Imran, a human rights Defender stated – ” The deadly clashes on border on routine basis since past few weeks have destroyed the fragile peace.It is a matter of great misfortune that large number of civillians in both countries especially those belonging to divided state of Jammu and Kashmir have been killed, and a sizeable number have been wounded.All these tough conditions are leading to exodus of common population from the Border areas to safer places.It is high time that voices of sanity, peace and humanity in both countries get their acts together in order to save this region from further destruction.”

Importantly, the academic picture is also taking a hit in border areas . Government recently ordered closure of 174 schools situated along border, LoC in Jammu region.

Borders escalating at dramatic pace, killing spree all signal that India and Pakistan confrontation with every passing moment is getting uglier and dangerous which could burn entire region.