Dalai Lama assertions on Partition

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In what will draw the roadmap for many heated future discussions and researches the Buddhist Spiritual  leader Dalai Lama has claimed that India and Pakistan would have been one country had Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made prime minister instead of Jawahar Lal Nehru.

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist religious leader made the remarks during a question and answer session at a student interaction at Goa Institute of Management.

“Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred. He said, ‘I wanted to be prime minister’. India Pakistan would have been united (if Jinnah was made prime minister). Pandit Nehru is very experienced. But mistakes do happen,” Dalai Lama was quoted as having said by The Indian Express.

Dalai Lama chose Nehru’s “decision” to explain that “mistakes do happen” in reply to a student who asked him how can one be sure of the decisions one makes, and if they can avoid making mistakes.

On the otherhand of the spectrum, this will once again open the great Pandora box of debate around who is to be blamed for the partition . The4 politics around it is also expected to grow momentum with these latest controversial comments from Dalai Lama.

 

Unease brewing over Article 35A

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

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. It was added to the Constitution through a Presidential Order, i.e., The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 – issued by the President of India on 14 May 1954 in accordance with the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and with the concurrence of the Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a way , Article 35A defines the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and bars outsiders from settling in the state, and prevents them from buying properties and take part in elections.

The article has been challenged in the apex court by a NGO on the contention that the article has been inserted in the Constitution by a mere Presidential Order and should be struck down.

 

 

Now with clamor growing for its abrogation the unease and resentment especially in the Kashmir valley is growing .

 

Top Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq  directed his cadre and supporters to get ready for an agitation in case the Article 35A of the Constitution is tinkered with by the Supreme Court.

From Civil society members to profreedom leadership and mainstream politicians alike have come together to offer suggestions on what can be done if there is any tinkering with the law.

 

 

Keeping up the heat over the issue the MLA Javed Rana, a senior National Conference leader, lashed out at the BJP and warned them against the scrapping of Article 370 that will give an autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. There has been pressure from the BJP in the past as well since it has been in debate for a very long time.

Addressing a huge crowd, the Mendhar MLA is stated to have said that the Indian tricolor will have no presence in the militancy-hit valley if the government tries to do away with Article 35A and Article 370. He further said that these Articles make a bridge between the country and the state. He also warned that any attempt to break this bridge will have ‘disastrous’ consequences, as per a report by Financial Express (FE).

On the otherhand, The CPI(M)’s Jammu and Kashmir unit has also  moved the Supreme Court in support of the Constitution’s Article 35A that empowers the state assembly to define ‘permanent residents’ for bestowing special rights and privileges to them.

The Left party sought an approval to intervene in a pending writ petition through its state committee member and Kulgam MLA Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami.

While on the other hand of the spectrum, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said Articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution are temporary laws which can be removed without a vote in the Parliament. Swamy’s statement came after National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah stated that any attempts made to thwart Jammu and Kashmir’s special status would not be allowed to succeed.

Nevertheless a heated debate is on over article 35 A in entire state and has given rise to uneasy situation.

Substandard Drugs Rattle Kashmir

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In a worrying development it is learnt ‘81% of total drug samples found substandard across state were lifted from Kashmir’.

 

Reports have indicated that the trade of substandard drugs is growing in Kashmir with each passing year, data compiled by drug and food control organization (DFCO) has shown.

Pertinently, In 2017-18, at least 69 samples of the total drugs and other healthcare consumables lifted for testing by the DFCO were found to be not of standard quality. “Out of these, only 13 samples were from Jammu division, whereas 51 (81 percent) samples were from markets and hospitals of Kashmir division. Four samples were from Leh and one from Kargil.”

 

These figures are part of data sourced from DFCO and points towards the growing menace of substandard drugs in Kashmir. As per the data, over 17 percent of total substandard drugs were part of hospital supplies.

It is a known fact that sub standard drugs have devastating impacts on health.

The list of the “not of standard quality” drugs include antibiotic injections from hospital supplies. Among these are Ceftrioxone injection and Cefoparazone injection. In addition, oral antibiotics such as Amocin CV were also found to have shortcomings vis-à-vis drug description requirements.

Surprisingly, iron and folic acid combination, supplied by JKMSCL in bulk for administering to expecting mothers and adolescent girls primarily have also failed quality tests.

Besides, life saving IV fluids and other injectables from open market are part of the not-of-standard quality list as well.

 

Against the 69 samples found substandard in 2017-18, only 33 had been red flagged in 2016-17. A year earlier in 2015-16, 35 samples had been reported to be substandard.

In the first quarter of 2018-19, 14 drugs have already been reported substandard by DFCO in Kashmir division alone.

In 2017, National Institute of Biologicals published the largest ever survey on the quality of drugs in India.

As per this report, 3.4 percent drugs in J&K were substandard, higher than the national average of 3 percent. The survey put J&K at a dismal 21st rank in terms of availability of quality drugs.

These facts need to considered and evil nipped in the bud.

 

Captain conquers Pakistan

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

A historic turn  has taken place in the politics of Pakistan after nearly 30 years. Neither the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) nor the Pakistan Muslim League (N) will form the government in Islamabad this time. It will be the new party  the centrist PTI on the block — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan.

After more than two decades of hard work in politics it looks finally hardwork and charisma of Imran khan has paid dividends. In his victory speech  from his house in Bani Gala in the capital Islamabad’s suburbs, Khan shared his ambitious plans for the country and vowed to safeguard the interests of the ordinary people. “I will live humbly because I belong to the masses and come from you,” he said in a televised video message.

As a matter of fact , Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) (Urdu: پاکستان تحريک انصاف‎, “Pakistan Movement for Justice”) is a political party in Pakistan founded in 1996 by former national cricket captain Imran Khan. PTI is the most rapidly growing political party of Pakistan, and has created a tri-party system, in which it opposes both the leftist People’s Party and the conservative PML-N.

The biggest curiously is how the cricketer turned politician will take steps to better the worsen ties with India and also what will be his policy on Kashmir issue .

Mani Shankar Aiyar, prominent Indian politician and writer in his column wrote : “

For us in India, the near-universal rejection of Pakistan’s religion-based parties is perhaps the most significant outcome of this election – for it demonstrates (once again) that far from being partisans of fanatical Islamic terrorists, Pakistanis, by and large, reject religious extremism and terror politics. The mainstream of Pakistan’s public opinion is remarkably like India’s: deeply religious but very wary of basing politics on religion,. and wedded to the ballot rather than the bullet.”

While talking to the News Kashmir Nasir Khuehami,  a young journalist states :” Imran Khan offers a change that many will find at least a new and dynamic change. We are yet not much aware about how he will go in the governance matters or foreign policy issues but I feel that less burden of any horrible past will make him take some good decisions hopefully .One hopes he takes steps in establishing peaceful relations with India and seeking solution to the vexed issue of the Kashmir. On relationship with India or on Kashmir issue I feel something new is offing as the previous government in Pakistan had become too predictable and traditional in approach.”

The coming weeks and months will be very interesting to note as to how the new PTI Government functions.

Feminism, Misandry and Male Helplessness

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Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

The relations between men and women in most societies is skewed, unequal and favoring a certain sex through gender construction. Women have been mostly on the receiving end because of misogyny and patriarchy. But patriarchy has not only undermined women but men are victim too. The victimhood of men is least talked about and even they too do not dare to speak up about the abuses or restrictions they face regularly because of the patriarchy. The initial bruising happens in childhood when boys are taught to pent up their emotions and not wear them on their sleeves and sobbing is a taboo for boys. As they grow up their parents, teachers and environment teaches men to be strong using the cliché Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (Men don’t feel the pain). They as usual feel pain but are debarred to express it. The teacher in the classroom also reinforces the belief when they segregate boys from girls. If any boy sits close to a girl classmate or shares a bench, he is rebuked for the same. This concept is driven home that boys and girls are different so they should be segregated. So if any child out of sheer innocence tries to cross the line he is strongly condemned and made to adhere to the set norms. This enforced segregation evolves to gender during adolescence when boys and girls enter into a relationship, with these preconceived notions. It is also an unwritten rule that a boy is supposed to bear the expenses of his girlfriend whether be it mobile bills, picnic outings, long drives, expensive gifts and restaurant bills. Further being a male should not be construed synonymous to being a credit card. The reverse can also be true, because many vulnerable girls also incur financial burden while spending on their boyfriends. It is no problem to spend on each other if love exists, but issue starts when one exploits the other or break up happens and there are claims and counters claims.

To add insult to injury the girls are supposed to be pampered. This culture of pampering girls particularly by boys mostly with evil intentions of exploiting them, have resulted in development of false self identity and consciousness among girls in relationship. Further most boys are aware about such vulnerabilities of women so they use it for their own benefit. On the other hand if such girls are not pampered they became irritated, abusive and rude as earlier men have shown them false illusions and green pastures while others who uphold mirrors to them are the male patriarchs who need to be condemned because they do not treat their partners as “Queens” despite the fact they themselves are paupers. Add to it the notion of beauty, that every lady and girl is possessed about. Though beauty is relative but if girls are not praised for their beauty they get offended. “Beauty” has been reduced as a hallmark for judging a girl and lady. The women themselves are responsible in perpetuating this belief and beauty pageants like Miss World have further developed this belief. This retrogradation of womanhood to just beauty is one of the gross injustices rendered by the contemporary age to the agency of being a woman.

On the other hand features like being handsome are rendered as yardsticks for men and if they lack them they are made to feel inferior. The stout tummy, well toned muscles, trimmed beard and well built height are the features that men are supposed to possess. When it comes to domestic chores, men are supposed to stay away from the kitchen. Even if they are involved in providing a helping hand in domestic affairs, they and the women make sure that it does not become public. Even when men do laundry, they are not supposed to put the clothes for drying in sunshine lest the neighbors witness. These men who even are gender just try to veil up this aspect of their lives lest they be known as Joru Ka Ghulam (slave of wife). In most cases wives and mothers too do not let their husbands and sons venture in the kitchen as they consider it a breach of trust. They too are not ready to delegate or share their power that they have over kitchen to their men.

When it comes to relationships men too do suffer from abuse, physical, mental or psychological. The abuse mostly goes unnoticed because men are supposed not to reveal or share it. Men get cheated on, deceived or traumatized in relationships but they pretend to put a strong face because if they display emotions they are tagged as being cheeky, girlish and too effeminate who recount their ordeals just to gain sympathy. If there is fallout in relationship man is without any trail, evidence or justice process declared as guilty. Even if a woman falsely accuses a man of domestic violence or misconduct, he is being held guilty by most people. They are ready to virtually lynch and do him to death without even listening to his version of story. By default in patriarchal societies it is being held that women are victims, but in many cases opposite is the truth. Women too particularly pseudo feminists are ready to jump the bandwagon when some lady declares herself a victim. Feminism does not give few people right to hound males and indulge in travesty of justice.

These factual realties are yet to be analyzed properly. Misandry and patriarchy together make it possible that women of the household of an accused male be portrayed as bad, because they too are painted in a similar color. I remember case of a person who was accused of domestic abuse by his wife who later on carried a vilification campaign against him that it becomes next to impossible to marry off his younger sister. So domestic violence, accusing males unjustly do create a demonic image of males who in reality may not be really guilty. A real checks and balances system should be incorporated that do not let foul play while one spouse accuses the other of violence or unjust treatment.

Men and women now have belated egos that are not able to co-exist but clash with each other and it is resulting in the break down of family system. The antagonistic spousal relations have diverse ramifications particularly on children. To conclude, marriage should be based on egalitarian values but those values first need to be inculcated among men and women only then they can be invoked and implemented in a marriage. The skewed gender relations make one of the partners a victim in any marriage. To avoid such flaws a lot of mental and psychological preparation should be undertaken while entering into any serious relationship particularly the one which forms the building units and blocks of any society.

 

M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be reached at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com

 

Thriving for better Public Sector

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Public sector is very vital  to economic progress of any nation, but in Kashmir the public sector has been hit badly due to varied reasons .  In our region , even the very important public health care and public education system are  in shambles. The Public Health Sector of the Jammu & Kashmir State, especially that of the Kashmir Valley is in mess. Most of the government owned hospitals are failing to meet the expectations and the needs of patients and rural health care is failing to impress . The desperate scenario pertaining to public health sector calls for the implementation of reformative measures.

Pertinently, poor performance of government schools despite being staffed with sufficient manpower  describes the status of our Education System. Just as the seven deadly sins correspond to weaknesses in human nature, the sins of public education are inherent in the nature of the existing system — that it is controlled, operated and funded by government.

Several studies  have suggested that   the state’s PSUs are doing so badly they have to depend on the government to pay employee salaries.

In order to encourage the development of small scale and medium-sized industries in the country, the Government of India had launched a national programme. Public sector has contributed to this programme by fostering the growth of ancillary industries and satellite planets. Such plants have been established around the major public sector undertakings. The need of having such industries and plants is direly felt in the state so as to tackle the grave problem of un-employment in the state. But what we have seen in the state of J&K is utter inefficiency while managing the public sector units.

We need to improve by leaps and bounds our public healthcare.

Choking Channels

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

In a development that has disappointed many the Jammu and Kashmir government has asked cable television operators in Srinagar, the state’s summer capital, to stop airing 30 channels broadcasting programmes based on news and religion. It said the move was necessary for the “maintenance of peace and tranquillity” in the region. As a matter of fact , Most of the channels are based in Pakistan, Iran,   and Saudi Arabia. J&K has been under Governor’s Rule since June 20 following the resignation of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who quit after her People’s Democratic Party-led government collapsed after losing  the support of its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party

“It has become necessary and expedient in the larger interest of public and maintenance of peace and tranquility to prohibit you from transmitting non-permitted TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India),” Srinagar’s additional district magistrate said in an order passed on July 12 in response to a communication from the state’s home department.

On the otherhand,  magistrate issued notices to cable networks SEN Digital Network and K9, quoting the department as saying that they were telecasting “unpermitted or banned” private satellite channels within the jurisdiction of the district.

Cable Tv operators haveen asked to close around 30 channels including Geo, ARY, QTV, Hadi TV, Karbala, Paigam, Peace TV Urdu, Noor, Sehar, Madani, Saudi Quran, Saudi Sunah and many other religious channels.

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Cable TV operators and masses have criticized the decision and termed it as a move aimed at choking them.“More than business loss, this ban will curb viewers’ choice. People will question our credibility once the Islamic channels go off-air especially since Hajj  is approaching fast. On one side we face the government directive and on other hand  strong public demand for these channels puts us in a catch-22 situation” said Amjad Noor, president of Cable operators association adding that thousands of people are associated with the cable TV business in the Valley.

Pertinently, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Hurriyat Conference also criticized   government for imposing a ban on the transmission of 30 channels operating through cable saying this diktat to cable operators is nothing but a move to block information and keep people of Kashmir away from the day to day happenings across the globe.

“It is surprising to see that even religious and sports channels have been banned and one would ask as to how such channels can pose a ‘threat to peace’ in Kashmir,” a spokesperson of the amalgam said in a statement.

He said in the present times of globalisation and the age of technology and social media, such gags and bans to block information are bound to fail and only reflects the “myopic and dictatorial” approach of authorities.

Definitely the decision to ban these channels is evoking criticism and negative reactions from several quarters.

Worrying Statistics

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The figures with reference to unabated bloodshed in the valley of Kashmr are simply worrying with 30 year old deadly conflict showing no signs of solution or easing down. Incessant bloodshed has pained humane hearts in Kashmir and every voice of sanity .

As a matter of fact, Hundred militants and 43 security personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in the first six months of this year, Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Wednesday.

Ahir, the minister of state for home, said 16 civilians were also killed during this period, which saw 256 incidents of violence. He was replying to a written question in Rajya Sabha.

On the otherhand, n 2017, 342 incidents of “violence” were reported in the state, in which 213 militants were killed. A total of 80 security personnel and 40 civilians were killed last year, Ahir said.

As many as 82 security personnel, 15 civilians and 150 militants were killed in the state in 2016, which witnessed 322 cases of “violence”, he said.Meanwhile, Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre informed the Lok Sabha that the Army has lost 106 personnel, including eight officers, in battle casualties in 2017.There were 155 non-fatal battle casualties last year, he said in a written response.

One hopes all the concerned stakeholders engage in effective brainstorming and put an end to this ugly cycle of violence as soon as possible so that last peace is established and no more families are rattled.

Desensitizing Death

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

Life is a very very valuable endowment given to a living thing by god and all the sane voices have from time to time have stated that we need to value life. The overall contours of human life is to ensure that it creates a better world for all , and in a creative,  fearless manner think, exist and contribute .

 

Unfortunately over the past three decades of violent turmoil In Jammu and Kashmir especially in the Kashmir Valley, the life has simply lost its meaning. Deaths, killings, arrests, injuries, blinding have become ugly realities of life in the valley.  One cycle of death has been followed with other cycle of death . Fear has completely taken over the logic and reasoning.

In the year 2018 too we witnessed that the growing insurgency and mayhem  in violence –ravaged  Jammu and Kashmir state is exhibiting the ugliness and shrill  as of 90s decade when spilling of human blood was order of the day. Now every day we hear series of tragic news updates .

The level of destruction that we are in can be gauged from the  data published by a local English daily ‘Rising Kashmir’ on its 30th June issue which reads, “in first half of 2018, at least 192 people including civilians, militants, policemen and army men were killed in violence in the Valley.”

 

 

 

Jaffar Ahmad Allie , an educationist states – “ It is a grave tragedy that life is losing its meaning and essence in Kashmir to huge bouts of violence . History bear testimony to the basic reality that violent conflict wherever takes roots in the world it brings with it mayhem and destruction and frequently results in the loss of precious human lives.

Enough is enough and we all need to brainstorm how to restore back the value of life despite all odds .In the current times we need to formulate an effective strategy for saving the precious human lives and ensure eyes are saved  from blinding. Every sane human in pain hit Kashmir wants to live   a life of dignity and we plead, urge with utmost great concern to all the stakeholders of the conflict to ensure speedy peaceful conflict resolution.”

Undoubtedly it is high time that bloodshed is put to an end in Kashmir and value of human life not just restored in Kashmir but respected as tragically currently the urge and phenomenon of death is ruling roost over urge to live.

Women Self help groups

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An empowered women signifies an empowered society. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, recently  interacted with the members of Self Help Groups from across the country and beneficiaries of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, through video bridge. The interaction covered over one crore women representing various Self Help Groups.  This is the ninth interaction in the series by the Prime Minister through video conference with the beneficiaries of various Government schemes.

Expressing happiness in interacting with women from Self Help Groups of various states, Prime Minister said that each member is an inspiring example of resolution, collective efforts and entrepreneurship.  He said that women are enterprising, have enormous inner strength for self-reliance during odd circumstances, and they need only opportunities to perform. He added that it is impossible to imagine many sectors especially agriculture and diary, without the contribution of women. This is the true spirit of women empowerment all over the country.

Narendra Modi during the interaction said that Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission has been started in all states. He added that the aim of the scheme is to reach crores of poor households in 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and provide them sustainable livelihood opportunities. He also congratulated all States and Officials in the successful implementation of the scheme.

Talking about Self Help Groups (SHGs), Prime Minister said that Self Help Groups play a very important role in the economic and social advancement of poor, especially for women from rural strata of society.Through Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna, training has been given to over 33 lakh women farmers. At present there are 45 lakh Self Help Groups with active participation of around five crore women all over rural India.

We definitely need to give more impetus and encouragement to women self help groups.