News Kashmir Magazine

Farzana Mumtaz

The prolonged spells of loadshedding is making life difficult for masses in  Kashmir Valley. With the result, life in kashmir has been made miserable and hard to core. The year 2016 onset of winter has so far witnessed long hours of laodshedding as compared to previous ones. From the Uptown, Downtown Srinagar to Hundreds of villages reels under darkness in North, Central and South Kashmir.

Pertinently, the J&K State has the potential to generate around 20,000 MWs. of hydroelectric power, but it has largely remain untapped  and whatever remains it has  not been given due share in the various hydro-electric projects as  NHPC continues to mistreat the state, and electricity seems by and large a Delhi-controlled affair.

 

Resultantly, inspite of all these facts the   power situation worsens as winter sets in and most of the areas of Kashmir are thrown into darkness with never ending load shedding.

 

 

Another grey area which the power sector faces in the state is the transmission and distribution losses which are more than 63 per cent of the total electricity generation of the state. According to a  report issued few years back , the transmission and distribution losses are about 50 per cent, while the rest 13 per cent are collection losses, making it an aggregate of 63 per cent.

 

 

Sources have stated  the Power Development Department is presently buying 500 MW power from the neighboring states to tide over the deficit.

Nazir Ahmad, a commoner states- “The issue of power crisis had not been addressed by any of the successive governments, resulting in  several hardships to the people and causing an economic inertia in the state.  Everybody is aware of the fact  that as a source of energy electricity is a basic need for sustaining human life. We cannot even imagine how our lives would have been if electricity was not discovered.  Here in Kashmir this time around with the onset of winter the power scenario is presenting an abysmal outlook as long hours of power cut have made life hell for we the commoners .”

While on the otherhand, as per communiqué received from Chief Engineer, Electric, Maintenance & RE Wing, Jammu, the metered feeders of Jammu city and Udhampur town will not face any curtailment during the ongoing winter season 2016-17. Whileas in Kashmir the metered areas continue to face electricity cuts for long hours.

 

Painfully enough, from all the reports and facts emanating from ground zero we are this winter season witnessing more dreadful situation as this winter season we have seen unprecedented load shedding which has reached alarming proportions.

 

Farzana Mumtaz

After much pain, agony, gloom in the year 2016 on account of prevailing painful circumstances, finally  the year end has come with some good news. Two Kashmiri kids have shinned at global level in sports field- Tajamul Islam in Kickboxing and Hashim Mansoor in Karate. Interestingly, both kids belong to North Kashmir District of Bandipora.

Seven -year-old Tajamul Islam from small village of Bandipora, Kashmir scripted history at the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy, where she made  all  proud by becoming the first player ever from the sub-junior category to clinch a gold medal. Pertinently, the World Kick Boxing Championship witnessed participation of more than ninety countries.

Pertinently, Tajamul’s natural aptitude for kickboxing was first spotted by the Army Goodwill School in Tarkpora. But there was no proper infrastructure in place to train for the sport. Tajamul’s coach Faisal Dar trained her in an open field with makeshift apparatus. Despite these all difficulties , Tajamul persevered and practiced at least 25 hours a week.

Her first major win was at the state-level championship in Jammu in 2015 where she won a gold medal in the sub-junior category.

In another big feat, just six  -year-old Hashim Mansoor from Bandipora, Jammu & Kashmir, followed the footsteps of Tajamul Islam, clinched Gold in the Asian Youth Karate Championship in New Delhi.

Hashim Mansoor represented India in the Sub-Junior category in the championship held at Talkatora stadium in the national capital. Pertinently, 19 countries participated in the championship.

People of valley especially Bandiporians are much elated with the success of these two kids at international stage of sports . Nasir Khuehami, a young writer from Bandipora, reflecting on the subject stated -“Kashmiris have a great talent and are seen performing well in every sphere despite tough circumstances. It is a great moment for Bandipora District to produce two international champion kids. These victories prove that Kashmiri kids possess great talent and have the ability to shine at global level. We need to develop a supportive sports policy so that our kids shine big at global level and continue performing well even in adult tournaments. For the moment, the achievements of these two kids is worth appreciation and we are really of what they have achieved .”

With Six and seven year old kids from kashmir making it big in the sports world one hopes that a concrete sports policy is soon framed so that our kids continue to shine and adults also make us proud .

 

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.

Rameez Makhdoomi

(Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world – Nelson Mandela)
Schools are cradles of civilizations. School education lays the foundation stone in building the personality of a person. The growth and future of any  country highly depends upon health of its Schooling system. The knowledge learned in school plays a major role in peoples’ daily lives. …School is also important for developing important social skills.

Unfortunately in Kashmir on account of political turmoil spanning over past three decades the very schools have had to bear  the worst brunt.

More than 20 mostly Government schools in Kashmir have been burned in a wave of arson attacks over the past four months of unrest and agitation – with the arson incidents being blamed on unknown miscreants.

On the otherhand, according to local media reports Government has reportedly assigned the job of securing schools in Kulgam district to teachers and asked them to spent nights in their respective schools to thwart attacks by miscreants .Pertinently, the move  has however infuriated the teachers who accused the government of making them a soft target of the attacker.

Importantly, these continuous dastardly acts of burning schools in Kashmir are paining one and all. In an official statement, education minister and government spokesman, Naeem Akhtar lamented that the damage to schools is not just burning of an institution but a “colossal loss for the entire society”. “During the last few months Kashmir has gone through a bad phase which has caused pain to everybody,” he said.

Sometime back, Officials of the directorate of school education stated  that 17 government middle, high and higher secondary schools have been burnt mysteriously during the unrest. Of these, seven were reduced to ashes while 10 were damaged partially in the fire.Besides the 17 government schools, two prominent private schools were also been damaged in fires, But since these days more schools have been burnt down.

Most of the schools have been burnt in the dead of the night by unknown ‘miscreants’.

While talking to News Kashmir, Bilal Bashir Bhat, a young activist and Journalist stated – “ Schools are building blocks of every civilized nation of the world. We cannot think of a tolerant, educated, peaceful, civilized world without schools. The burning of schools has a direct negative impact on the right of children to realise their right to basic education. This heinous act clearly undermines the basic right of our children to education. Miscreants burning schools should be identified and handed exemplary punishment.”

Sadly, on Thursday 28 th October, the news of arson attack on two more schools- one at Pattan in North Kashmir, other at Khag area of Budgam in Central Kashmir came, with masses urging on the law enforcement agencies to nab the heinous forces behind burning of schools.

 

Certainly, arson is  the  big  issue which is plaguing the present and  future of education in Kashmir these days.

 

 

By Farzana Mumtaz

 

In the latest dramatic turnaround of events, The Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir has sacked 18 officials for their alleged role in fuelling unrest in the state. More than 100 others are being watched closely, and there could be more sackings, sources said. Kashmir has been witnessing a 105 day upheaval since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani which has lead to killing of more than 90 protesters, thousands injured and arrested.

On the otherhand, scores have been blinded by pellet gun. Now, many are stating that this move of terminating services of employees is brutal assault on freedom of speech and set democratic norms. Both employee leaders and employees have threatened government with massive stir if it does not revoke the termination. Importantly, the government has written to departmental heads to issue termination letters to these employees without any delay even though the latter can approach court to question the sacking ‘without holding mandatory inquiry into the charges leveled again them’.

 

The criminal investigation department (CID) and central intelligence agencies are reportedly said to have prepared a list of more than hundred employees for ‘leading or nudging’ protests in Kashmir.

Pertinently, President Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) Abdul Qayoom Wani told news agency CNS that the number of sacked employees was more than 12.

“The number of sacked employees exceeds 12 and it is round about 40,” he said, adding that the incumbent government has crossed all the limits of “suppression”.

“All the sacked employees are lower rung employees and we will protect their interests at any cost,” he said.

 

Accusing the government of trampling the rights of people particularly employees, Wani said that EJAC will convene a special session to discuss the future course of action. While as, reacting to the termination of more than dozen employees by the state government in wake of their participation in ongoing Kashmir agitation, Prominent Employee Leader and Government Employees Conference Chairman Ishtiyaq Beigh has castigated the move terming it as murder of Democracy.

” Employees are part and parcel of society, and are bound to participate in their sufferings, happiness, lows and highs .The termination of services of employees on pretext of being part of current protests is a step taken in wrong direction. This move has sent wrong signals to the employee fraternity – spread an environment of disappointment and sadness.”

Ishtiyaq Beigh urged Government to revoke the termination soon as to avoid a large scale protests from employees on the move .

 

 

Ground watchers  say such terminations had occurred in the 1990s when armed militancy and separatism was at its peak in Kashmir. Interestingly, Education minister Naeem Akhtar was among five government employees dismissed from service by the state government in 1990 for his alleged involvement in anti-national activities.

It is worth mentioning here that most of the sacked employees are lower run and employee leadership has maintained  sacking lower rung employees this government has virtually stabbed their families.

What will the future situation lead to remains to be seen.

 

Rameez Makhdoomi

On third day of Eid ul Fitr , July 8 , 2016, when whole Kashmir was busy with festivity the evening came with a news that would go on to alter the entire situational paradigm of Kashmir ; Hizbul Mujahedeen Commander and widely popular militant Burhan Wani was killed along with his associates in an encounter with security forces at picturesque resort of Kokernag in South Kashmir. Since then protests, killings, pellet injuries, blinding and continuous shutdown for over hundred days has defined life in Kashmir and the valley has been turned into war zone.

In between, the pellet blinded people and the dead eye of victims have defined the  tyranny faced by people of Kashmir .The killing of young children in forces action has given rise to enormous outrage. Insha Mushtaq, the 14-year-old who lost her both eyes when she was fired with pellets by state forces at Sedow Shopian emerged as the poster girl for Kashmiris protesting against pellet injuries caused by pellet  firing over the last three months.

Arrests, detentions have been the only response to calm down tempers as Public Safety Act has been profusely used to scuttle dissent. Communication gag has also been implemented over this period.

As a matter of fact, On the other hand, a  day after Wani’s death, former Chief Minister of state Omar Abdullah said that his killing had made him the new icon of the disaffected section of the Kashmiri society and further warned that more Kashmiris will join the militancy after his death as compared to when he was alive.

Yasir Zargar, a columnist reflecting on the hundred day volatile situation in Kashmir states states – “The current uprising or what we call the2016 intifada has returned to the streets of Kashmir. Its third time since this type of uprising took place on the streets, across villages in Kashmir. The 2016 uprising marks its deep roots in the hearts of Kashmiri’s which somehow makes sense that the people of Kashmir have had been oppressed since along. The current intifada almost completed three months and it may go long. In these days people came out on streets to cull de sac with a slogan that they want freedom from Indian occupation. The Indian state forces who are responsible for gross human rights violation have continued their occupation by maiming a thousand youths by hitting them in their eyes. They killed a hundred young men and women who took part in an agitation by protesting against them. They are curbing down the clamor of slogans but unfortunately that echoes out from the walls and reverberates making the voice clear that the people stand for the freedom which is their basic right and unfortunately not given to them. They stand for those young boys who have had been killed in cold blood, they stand for those young people who lost their eye sight. If India continues to treat the voices of Kashmir as filthy disdain and exploiting the sentiments by giving a name as “Pakistan back sponsored” then the time would come near soon and the ground would witness chaos. It’s clear that they haven’t yet understood that it’s not either Pak sponsored nor Hurriyat sponsored but this agitation has links with the unsettled dispute. This ire among people should make sense that people have always been stood for the cause of freedom. They may call it perversion but honestly speaking that they have to swig it. There is a renewed spirit among Kashmiris. We now believe more than ever that Azadi is our destiny.”

 

In nutshell, killings, shutdowns, curfew, internet gag, mobile gag, pellet victims, funerals, arrests, detentions have defined the life in Kashmir in past 100 days in Kashmir.