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News Kashmir

In a significant development for the volatile Kashmir valley , the former National Conference leader Junaid Azim Mattu, who quit the party sometime back to contest the urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir, was elected Mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday, 6 November, 2018 ,  with the support from the BJP and the Peoples Conference.

It is worth mentioning Mr Mattu secured 40 votes while Congress candidate for the mayoral post Ghulam Rasool Hajam got 26 votes in the 74-member SMC, Commissioner of the civic body Peer Hafizullah told PTI.

Mr Mattu resigned from the primary membership of the National Conference (NC) in September after the party decided not to contest the urban local body polls till the Centre made clear its position on Article 35-A of the Constitution, which has been challenged before the Supreme Court. The other prominent local party of the Kashmir People’s Democratic Party too had boycotted Municipal polls citing same reasons.

 

Junaid Azam Mattu was a prominent face in media due to his excellent writing and speaking skills. He started writing a widely regarded weekly column called ‘HOPE’ for the local English daily Greater Kashmir. The first column titled ‘Hopelessness is a Sin’ was published on November 6th, 2011

As a matter of fact , He contested the SMC election as Independent from four wards, winning from three of them and was announced as the mayoral candidate by Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone hours after the election results were declared on October 20.

It is worth pointing out here that the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the SMC with 16 seats but fell way short of 38, the number of seats required to take control of the corporation.

While the Peoples Conference had four, the BJP had five candidates elected to the corporation. There are 53 Independent corporators.

Mr Lone, who was a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir from the BJP quota, is seen as instrumental in garnering support for Mr Mattu’s election, along with rebel PDP lawmaker and influential Shia leader Imran Raza Ansari.

However, Mr Mattu’s election as Mayor of the SMC has been clouded by remarks of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik during an interview to a private TV channel last month.

The pulse on ground zero is that voices hope that Junaid Mattu will change the face of historical Srinagar city towards betterment, which over the past few decades has seen bad governance destroying the beauty of city.

Junaid immediately tweeted : “Unfortunately most of our internal drainage systems are choked and hence dysfunctional. It is both an infrastructural as well as a management issue and will require a two pronged resolution. We have to resolve this issue permanently and effectively.”

One hopes Junaid Azam Mattu will change the direction of Srinagar in a Positive manner.

 

 

 

News Kashmir Exclusive

 

South Kashmir over past few years has assumed the point of no return as it has emerged the epicenter of mayhem , violence, killings and protests. This year alone we have seen killing of huge number of civilians near encounter sites in South Kashmir.

As a matter of fact, South Kashmir four districts have bore worst brunt of violence .  Pertinently, The four districts of south Kashmir have witnessed a higher level of militancy-related violence in the first eight months of this year with 139 deaths.

According to data, at least 263 persons—civilians, militants and forces’ personnel—were killed in militancy-related incidents across the Valley in first eight months this year.

Of 263 causalities, south Kashmir’s four districts—Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam—have borne the maximum brunt of violence with highest 139 deaths witnessed in the region alone.

On the other hand of the spectrum, the huge number of destructions, killings associated with large scale mayhem  has put the people of Kashmir in the enormous pain, to the extent with many now openly questioning the abnormal levels of bloodshed and especially the large number of youth killings this year in South Kashmir as fighters and civilians.

On the otherhand of the spectrum, Pain in Kashmir is now neither expressed by prose  nor poetry as words do not seem  to do any justice with what is going on. This bloodshed has disturbed mental balance and solace of heart. Even Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has said that the suppression has become unbearable for the people in Kashmir. In this hour of tremendous grief, all the words and statements of condemnation and condolence sound very hollow at this scale of human tragedy that Kashmir is witnessing.

Gulzar Ahmed, a commoner states : “ South Kashmir is witnessing huge huge amount of bloodshed and devastation almost every day it is high time for each and every stakeholder to come forward and settle the burning issue of Kashmir once for all so that we do not see the painful bloodletting on daily basis . South Kashmir has been turned into a warzone and daily daily bloodshed does not augur well for any ”

The larger picture is that the continuous Bloodshed and violence has destroyed mental peace of common Kashmiris and also destroyed him or her on emotional levels, as loss of near and dear one means life-long trauma.

One hopes this brutalization of South Kashmir comes to abrupt end .

News Kashmir Exclusive

 

 

Kashmir is currently witnessing rivers of blood , encounters after encounters is giving rise to tremendous bloodshed . Just few days back ten people including seven civilians and three militants were killed in Kulgam.The officials said immediately after the gunfight ended and the forces withdrew from the spot, civilians rushed to the encounter site where an explosive substance went off resulting in death of seven civilians.

 

“Despite requests to not visit the spot till thorough search is done for explosives, several civilians visited the encounter site immediately after the operation. While they were there, some explosive substance went off, resulting in on spot death of a civilian and injuries to several others,” the official said.

Condemnations to the Kulgam tragedy poured from every side .

President of Anjuamn Shari Shian and senior separatist leader Aga Syed Hasan Almosvi Alsafvi has condemned the Kulgam killings and has termed it as “worst form of oppression.”

He stated :

“New Delhi India is using muscular power to crush the ongoing struggle.

The Kulgam massacre has pained every soul in Kashmir and it needs to be condemned at all cost. People of Kashmir can’t stay away from the ongoing struggle and their resolve can’t be broken up through muscular power. We have sacrificed everything for our cause and we will take it to the logical conclusion,” a spokesman of Anjuman quoted Aga Syed Hassan as having said in a statement.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq  took to social media platform Twitter and tweeted : As we mourn the Martydom of Sabzar Sofi &Asif Gojri,each day we are losing educated youth to the obduracy &arrogance of NewDelhi who does not want to resolve Kashmir dispute but instead resorts to subjugation& repression,forcing our youth to a path of armed resistance& martyrdom.

On the otherhand, Former Chief Minister Mehbooba  Mufti told the Union Home Minister that in the past when bilateral relations improved, Jammu and Kashmir not only witnessed an era of minimal violence but also reconciliation and people’s active participation in democratic and developmental processes.

Expressing concern over the prevailing situation in the state, the PDP president also urged the Home Minister to ensure that civilian deaths and collateral damage during security operations are avoided at all costs.

 

The magnitude of the bloodshed is such that nearly 12 civilians and 35 militants have lost their lives in the first 25 days of October . Reality calls on all the stakeholders to initiate a meaningful dialogue to end this ugly and painful cycle of bloodshed in kashmir that is resulting in youth annihilation.

Immediate steps needed to trim the bloodshed are needed so as to heal humanity in kashmir.

News Kashmir Exclusive

These are unprecedented  times  in the electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to take control of, at least, seven municipal committees in Kashmir Valley unopposed in the elections.

Pertinently, This surprising and out of box development comes after the two main regional parties — National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party — decided to boycott the urban local body polls in protest against the Centre’s plan to scrap the special status of the state especially fiddling with the article 35 a.

All this has made election process look an affair of selection rather than election and heavily dented its credibility . It is worth noting that at least 60 candidates of the BJP have won their seats unopposed, and a majority of them fall in the volatile region of south Kashmir where, out of 20 municipalities in five districts, only four are likely to go to polls. The municipalities which are likely to be headed by BJP candidates are Devsar, Qazigund, Pahalgam, and Ashmuqam in south Kashmir, and Shopian and Sopore towns of north Kashmir.

“We have 350 candidates contesting in 600 municipal wards spread across 10 districts of the Valley. Our 60 candidates have won without fighting the elections. Out of them, six are Kashmiri Pandits,” Altaf Thakur, the BJP’s spokesperson in Srinagar, said on Tuesday at his office.

“After the first phase of nominations for elections was over, the rush of the candidates increased. We had to select among dozens of candidates. People have reposed faith in democracy and we will live up to their expectations,” Thakur said.

As a matter of fact, the 624 wards in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to go for the four-phase polls from 8 to 16 October. With elections lacking participation the main popular party touch experts and commoners are voicing concerns.

Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, A PROMINENT political analyst stated : “ Local bodies elections are essential for a vibrant democracy. But in Kashmir the process has always been disrupted. With the intervention of the BJP  led center in J&K the space for regional parties has been curtailed. BJP joined the coalition government only to deceive and marginalise the regional parties. Now when both National conference and people’s democratic party have boycotted the elections BJP is adamant to go ahead with the process in which most seats would be won unopposed. Some of its members particularly the pandits in Jammu have filed nominations for Kashmir who in no way are representative of the wards or constituencies. The BJP  again is trying to choke the space and marginalise the regional parties, that will have disastrous ramifications for the future. This election in most cases has no representative character.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

News Kashmir Exclusive

 

Youth is the season of hope and optimism  but   in Kashmir over the past three decades of never ending bloodshed , violence and unresolved issues Youth have bore the worst brunt of  all the bleak situations. Killings, protests, agitations , curfews, blinding, uncertainties, strikes have made youth of Kashmir to be always feel at  receiving end.

Everyday young educated minds getting killed in gunbattles and encounters is causing much worry to voices of sanity in Kashmir.

Democracy is the pulse  for our political system and Youth are its integral dimension . The  gross human rights violations faced by the youth of Kashmir coupled with absence of concrete political space in Kashmir is stated by many experts to be among the prominent reasons of youth being pushed to wall as youth neither find any respectable jobs nor any good  space in mainstream nor separatist polity.

Youth of Kashmir continue to remain disgruntled and get thus easily motivated by the violent path and have worryingly enough developed love towards death and hate towards life.

Young people are not given opportunities to prove themselves claiming that they are not equipped with experience to participate actively in the governance of the state.

Dynasty politics and its upper hand in mainstream polity of the state is a matter of great concern and a contributing factor in pushing youth to wall, according to ground zero voices.

Lateef ahmed , a youthful voice states “ We are aware about the importance of the young people in nation building  but we are losing our youth to never ending bloodshed and mayhem. Lack of political space is making matters worse for our youth. No doubt political parties in the mainstream and separatist polity need to show more generous approach while inducting youth into the polity and party fold but on the other hand youth too need to come forward and be patient while choosing politics as it demands lot of strength of mind. We also as society elders need to teach the youth of the Kashmir value of life .”

On the otherhand of the spectrum, steadily ban on student politics should be lifted in the state.

Many great minds are product of the student politics and have learnt lot through t and experts are of  firm belief that time has come to lift ban on the student politics in our part of the world. With time we should lift ban at student politics in top universities and regulate it in an effective way so that youth anger gets less. Jobs too need to be provided to youth at good pace to kill their alienation and also given more freedom from fear.

 

News Kashmir Exclusive

Over the past few weeks few media reports are doing round that  the government of India is seriously thinking  to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into three parts i.e Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. This demand has been more vocal in Ladakh region and also among some quarters in Jammu region with Kashmir opposing it.

According to these very media reports, PM Modi wants to solve the issue of Kashmir before 2019 general elections and it is also possible that PM Modi may himself in a month or so announce trifurcation of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

As a matter of fact, he demand for separate state has been very high in Ladakh region. All Religious Joint Action Committee (ARJAC) leaders passed a resolution demanding union territory status for Ladakh. In a memorandum to Prime Minister, ARJAC leaders had said, “Ladakh is fundamentally different from Kashmir in all respects — culturally, ethnically and linguistically. Over the years the successive governments of the state have adopted a policy of discrimination and subversion towards the region with the sole objective of stifling its people and marginalizing its historical, religious and cultural identity.” The ARJAC leaders further said, “In modern times, when the whole subcontinent has passed through the process of decolonisation to enjoy the fruits of national Independence, we, the people of Ladakh, and our land still continue to suffer under the old concept of colonial administrative structure, which suited the imperial interests and feudal rulers under the name of the pseudo-state of Jammu & Kashmir.”

The ARJAC memo further stated, “Our humble submission is that we are neither the problem nor part of any problem involving the state. Rather we are the solution. We firmly believe that all of us live only if India lives. Our commitment to patriotism is firm and unequivocal. Our people and soldiers have never hesitated to make supreme sacrifices in the discharge of their duties towards the country. We shall never fail the nation.”

Many a sane voices see the plans to divide Jammu and Kashmir state into three parts as a ploy to divide and rule.

Mir Imran, Human rights defender stated “ Trifurcation of the Jammu and Kashmir into three regions I. e Jammu, Ladakh, Kashmir is news that has been doing rounds since long, but it will not help in anyway settling the political issue of Kashmir as whole state under UN charter is disputed. Trifurcation of the state will lead to such deep communal polarization that communal riots will become order of day. Plus all the sane sections of the state will with full tooth and nail oppose the division of the state into three parts as this goes against the ethos and identity of the state. Divisions won’t carry us anywhere but will add to our problems and create other issues as well. If government of India goes ahead with its idea of dividing the state it would be disaster met with heavy resistance from people of the Jammu and Kashmir state.”

News Kashmir Exclusive

In dramatic developments for the mainstream polity in the trouble torn state of Jammu and Kashmir the prominent mainstream parties national conference and Peoples Democratic Party have decided to boycott the upcoming local body and panchayat polls. Two days after the profreedom camp  in Kashmir called for boycott of the municipal and panchayat elections, mainstream National Conference also decided to stay away from the polls.

The National Conference on Wednesday announced its boycott of the upcoming elections announced by the Governor’s Administration to be held around October-December this year. Pertinently, The party sought clarification from the Central Government about the protection of Article 35A in and outside the courts.

National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah after chairing the party’s core group meeting at its party headquarters at “Nawa-i-Subh” Complex in Srinagar, told reporters that his party won’t contest the upcoming panchayat and municipal elections as the situation was not conducive for the elections. Just before , the NC core group meeting had a detailed discussion about the prevailing situation in the State with particular reference to Article 35A of the Constitution. The meeting felt that any tinkering with Article 35A  has disastrous consequences not only for the State but for the entire country.

The core group said that the role of the Central Government and the Governor’s Administration vis-a-vis Article 35A in the Supreme Court clearly goes against the wishes and aspirations of the people of the State.

The party alleged that announcement of municipal and panchayat polls by Governor’s Administration was taken hastily without taking into consideration the prevailing situation created in view of unnecessary attempts to fiddle with Article 35 A. NC vice-president Omar Abdullah in a tweet said, “It is now for the Central government to clarify whether it stands with regard to Art 35A. It is not enough to use panchayat & municipal elections simply to delay proceedings in the court”.

 

On the otherhand, Jammu and Kashmir’s People’s Democratic Party has also indicated it has reservations about local bodies’ poll in the state a day after its bitter political rival National Conference said it would boycott the elections. The PDP, which ruled the state till recently with the BJP, said the centre’s decision to seek deferment of Supreme Court hearing on Article 35A till after the panchayat elections, smacks of conspiracy.

Speaking to NDTV, former chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that people are expecting mischief after the centre sought that the hearing on Article 35A in the Supreme Court be deferred.”It is difficult to ignore the public sentiment. There is apprehension that Article 35A may be fiddled with once these elections are over,” said Ms Mufti.

Ms Mufti, who also headed the PDP-BJP government in the state till the BJP pulled off support in June, said the decision of National Conference to boycott elections has made these polls meaningless. “National Conference is the main regional party. What is the credibility of these elections when there is no contest?” she said.

The analysis is that with this decision the mainstream polity seems to be going into a big mess .