News Kashmir Magazine

News Kashmir Exclusive

Kashmir is current bruised, caged, gagged and suffocated as the continuous unrest has killed scores and blinded , wounded many. As a matter of fact, Rape victims, pellet victims, unmarked graves, fake encounters, tortures, killed protesters, gagging internet, snapping communication, peace of graveyards ,useless inquiries have defined handling of Kashmir conflict.

All the voices of sanity are expressing deep angst over the gloomy state of affairs.

Advocate Babar Jan Qadri , President Lawyers Club states – “ Indian integrity in Kashmir is exposed to the hilt as Indian state had to show its control over Kashmir through media gag , brutal use of force and even killing Kashmiris . Indian democracy and civility is now under question at international level . Gandhi’s Indian principles will have no takers and Indian state can’t use Gandhi as currency to buy UN permanent seat. Indian Prime Minister Modi who is already exposed in Gujarat will have lot  to answer about Kashmir killings too . By Media Gag Indian state has shown it’s feeble character as no democratic system strangulates it’s so called 4th limb. In totality we can define Indian state as a political opportunist who wants to earn political space by inviting world economic powers to her home .”

Many a voices on ground feel that Indian state has failed to meet the aspirations of Kashmiris and no sense and logic has been applied to solve Kashmir issue.

While talking to News Kashmir , Senior Advocate and Spokesperson Lawyers Club , Iftikhar Ahmad states -” Kashmir is being brutally caged and suppressed .Indian or pro-indian politicians have started the old game of deception technology, time buying technology and sabotage of popular mass movement.

They are again talking of healing touch , autonomy , azaadi means different to different people in kashmir , sky is the moon , art. 370 should not be fiddled, jobs to youth ,economic development , tourism all party delegation should go to kashmir and put balm on the wounds of people , no harm in talking to hurriat , militants , mis-guided youth. , elections were rigged , they are our own people , Indian did not own kashmiri people , we coudnt keep our promise , alienation,  children education etc

GOI and collaborators are talking these niceties while killing people , blinding youth , disabling people , arresting youth ,By keeping people of Kashmir under the siege.
By talking autonomy and then dispatching autonomy report to dustbin.
By appointing interlocutors and then sending their reports to shit-bin
By changing the demography of the State.
By holding  jammu and Kashmir by adding more and more troops to  eight lakh troops ,already most militarized territory in the world.

By blaming each move on Pakistan while gagging mobile service,telephony , internet , cable and even print media.
By explaining which weapon is more lethal to crush the people of Kashmir .

By promising the Moon and settling for bullets , and pellet terrorism.”

On ground definitely the caging and gagging of Kashmir has failed to curb the sentiments of masses .

News Kashmir Analysis

The age in which we live can only be characterized as one of barbarism. Our civilization is in the process not only of being militarized, but also being brutalized———Alva Myrdal

The above quote sums up the current heart wrenching situation of Kashmir .

The fires of political unrest have engulfed Kashmir once again, with 40 death and thousands injured  and the situation in Kashmir looks to be heading from bad to worse with every passing day. Killing of unarmed protesters, impairing vision via indiscriminate use of pellet guns, ruthless beating of protesters suggest that humanity is being murdered in Kashmir. About a 100 people have also been reported to have lost their vision completely.

All this started with the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani. As a matter of fact, Burhan Wani’s funeral was attended by lacs of people, and despite tough restrictions, the funeral venue was so crowded there was virtually no space to conduct funeral prayers.

Wani, 22, is largely accredited with reviving and legitimising the image of militancy in  Kashmir via the social networking skills he had.

Humanity looks to have taken the worst hit in Kashmir during the previous and current upheaveals.

Mushtaq ul Haq Sikander, a political analyst stated – “The brutal face of Indian state has once again been unveiled before the whole world, as they have once again started killing innocent protestors. Humanity, non violence, Gandhism, and Democratic values that India boasts about have all been proving an ugly hoax in Kashmir since 1947. The brutal Hindutva and dictatorial stance of India has been completely exposed in the present mass protests in Kashmir. The humanity, has died in India but is alive and thriving in Kashmir as we are serving the amarnath pilgrims, attending to the injured and upholding our Rishi tradition. Our humanity is alive, but it seems to be dead in the land of Ram and Gandhi.”

Even the voices among mainstream polity are aghast .MLA Langate Er Rasheed , while talking to News Kashmir Magazine on the situation stated that  “While from US State Department to UN Secretary General everybody is showing its concern and seeks peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute, New Delhi is busy in finding excuses to justify its terror on streets of Kashmir. It is unfortunate that not only PM Narendar Modi but all political parties including Congress, are running away from the problem and are not only trying to present J&K issue as a law and order problem but are busy in scoring political points over each other. However they know better, whether it is armed struggle of 1989, Amarnath land row of 2008, situation after the rape and murder of Asia and Neelofar in 2009, unrest of 2010 or now the killing of Burhan Wani and other incidents from time to time,  all these incidents do just act like triggers to give an outburst to the anti-India and pro-Aazadi sentiments among masses. Rather blaming Pakistan, GOI should understand that world community doesn’t need India’s or Pakistan’s permission to speak for the sufferings of Kashmiri people and sooner or later world community will have to force and facilitate a peaceful settlement. ”

In nutshell, Humanity in kashmir has been brutalized to large extent by the nature of atrocities committed against masses.

News Kashmir Bureau

Clean, safe drinking water is becoming scarce in the once water rich valley of Kashmir. The water woes are getting more aggravated in this holy month of Ramadan. People throughout the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley are complaining about the scarcity of potable water and many areas are witnessing protests as a result.

Pertinently, Downtown areas of Srinagar city are specially hit by this water scarcity and even once water sufficient areas are getting low volumes of water. The other areas like Batmaloo,Iddgah, Rawalpora have also  been facing dire problems with reference to drinking water.  In many areas of Kashmir the water supply schemes are taking much time to mature.

Even the rural areas like Pattan, Tral, Tangmarg etc are hit by this acute water scarcity.

In worrying statistics, more than 40 per cent of the rural areas in Jammu and Kashmir do not have access to proper drinking water facilities but the state government has guaranteed that all such habitations will be covered by 2020.

Pertinently,  state has 15,798 rural habitations, out of which 8,535 habitations (54 per cent) are fully covered and are being provided drinking water at 40-55 litres per consumer daily, Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Farooq Ahmad Andrabi said at the Legislative Council recently .

As a matter of fact, the water crisis has reached the Assembly as recently  PDP MLA from Sonawar, Muhammad Ahsraf Mir, said that people in his constituency are “crying” for drinking water.

“People in my constituency are facing immense problems because of water scarcity. They have been continuously complaining about it, but the government is not addressing the issue,” Mir said.

Mir said that the officials in PHE are giving wrong information to the government and especially to the minister concerned about availability of water and water supply schemes.

“Strict action should be taken against these officers for misleading the minister and the government,” he said, adding, “The information provided about water supply schemes and pipeline is totally baseless. The officers have said that Rs. 10 lakh have been spent for pipes, but only less than Rs. 1 lakh has been spent so far,” he said.While replying to the legislator, Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan assured that action will be taken against the “erring” officials.

Representatives from several other constituencies have raised the issue of scarce water in their areas.

Abdul Ahad, a commoner while talking to News Kashmir states- “ We the people from Downtown are facing thirsty Ramadan on account of lack of water supply which is giving rise to multiple problems as we all know that water is life. The concerned authorities should wake up and ensure quality and uninterrupted water supply to us.”

Undoubtedly, people throughout the valley are facing acute shortage of water which is making life more difficult especially in the fasting month of Ramadan.

News Kashmir Analysis

Violence has started to revisit the already turbulent valley of Kashmir. Series of acts of violence have followed one another indicating that the summer 2016 is going to be full of unrest in Kashmir valley. A glance at recent violent acts hint that graph of violence is running at a very high pace in Kashmir .

In the month of May several cops and militants were killed in attacks and encounters. June has witnessed much more deadly violence. A Jammu and Kashmir Police sub-inspector and a constable were killed on Saturday the 4th June when militants  attacked a police party in Anantnag district in a sensational attack .

Soon after this violent episode, the South Kashmir Bijbehra township was rocked by deadly attack   when  Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were killed in a militant  attack in Bijbehara .

As the details followed three jawans of Border Security Force (BSF) were killed and seven others were injured when their convoy was attacked by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’sBijbehara .Three civilians were also injured in the attack considered to be as a guerrilla attack on the security forces.

In a latest episode on 15th June , there were two grenade attacks by militants within a span of 10 minutes in Shopian district of Kashmir this evening, resulting in injuries to two civilians.

The first attack took place at 5.30 pm when militants threw a grenade at the police station building complex in Shopian town, a police official said.

The grenade exploded in the compound of the police station without causing any damage, he said.

In the second attack, the militants threw a grenade at Batapora chowk, about 200 metres away from the police station, resulting in injuries to two civilians.

The injured persons have been admitted to District Hospital for treatment, the official.

The chain of violent events has been witnessed in every region of Kashmir since past few months. Recently,  a  soldier was killed and at least four militants killed in an encounter in border area of North Kashmir  .

Lamenting these killings, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has some time back stated that such violent incidents hamper peace efforts between India and its neighbour.

“If we create a conducive atmosphere, only then will the two countries be able to talk. If incidents like this and Pathankot happen then Pakistan should also think about it. They (Pakistan) are fighting this menace in their country. They say they have affection for the people of Kashmir, but what sort of affection is this,” she asked.

Ajaz Ahmad, a political watcher states –“the periods of violence have hit the valley of Kashmir from time to time and it is this atmosphere of uncertainty that has kept the Kashmir under boil. We should understand that unsolved political issue of Kashmir is keeping the situation continuously volatile and turbulent. Confidence building measures with reference to solving political issue of Kashmir are need of the hour.”

Gauging the scale of violence of past few months in Kashmir the challenges for recently formed government of PDP BJP seem to be getting more tough and pronounced.