News Kashmir Magazine

News Kashmir Analysis

India – Pakistan relations are on the verge of total collapse. Pertinently, the nearly three month long Kashmir agitation which has killed 88, 13000 injured and hundreds blinded coupled with URI attacks resulting in death of 19 Indian soldiers had plummeted relations between India and Pakistan.

With now India claiming that it has carried surgical strikes on militant camps killing scores the relations between India and Pakistan has collapsed.”Significant casualties have been caused to terrorists and those trying to shield them. We don’t have a plan to further conduct such strikes. India has spoken to Pakistan,” DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said.

 

On the otherhand, many countries have expressed serious concern over the growing tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of Uri militant  attack.

Recently, Pakistan Prime Minister Mr.  Nawaz Sharif devoted much of his 20-minute speech at the U.N. General Assembly session to Kashmir and the current situation in the Valley and said Pakistan “fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination.”

He demanded an “independent inquiry into the extra-judicial killings” and a U.N. fact-finding mission to Kashmir “so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished.” He further glorified slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a “young leader”.

India after few days hit back at Pakistan. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asked the world community to hold countries that “nurture, peddle and export” terrorism to account, taking forward India’s campaign to diplomatically isolate Pakistan. A unified global strategy can defeat terrorism, “and if any nation refuses to join this global strategy, then we must isolate it,” she said, speaking in Hindi.

Countering Mr. Sharif, who had accused India of human rights violations, at the UN last week, Ms. Swaraj sought to turn the table on Islamabad. “The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression,” she said, referring to the ethnic minority in Pakistan.

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a Journalist and Political Analyst stated – “The Indian – Pakistan relations have taken a worrying downslide and nothing seems to be going right for both the countries in terms of envisaging cordial relationship between the two arch rivals . Be it agitation going on in Kashmir, Uri attacks and the claims of Surgical attacks by India in Pakistan administered Kashmir the tensions seem to be spiraling out of control. The saner heads should prevail and ease the situation and try to find out some sort of headway amid these gloomy times.”

While on the otherhand of the spectrum, Trade ties, cultural ties, humanitarian relations have suffered a setback . The fears especially among the populace living in border areas are growing in wake of these escalating tensions among India and Pakistan.

Pertinently, the India and Pakistan relations are collapsing and the times ahead would be full of curiosity and tension.

 

 

Rameez Makhdoomi

Recently,  noted human rights activist, Khurram Parvez  has been booked  under the infamous Public Safety Act (PSA).Sessions court in Srinagar had ordered the release of human rights activist Khurram Parvez, who was taken into preventive detention for allegedly posing an imminent threat of breach of peace, but he was later allegedly booked under the Public Safety Act.

While the state government has resorted to arrest spree, and profuse use of PSA to crush dissent and protest in wake of massive civil agitation 2016 in Kashmir  , invoking PSA on world known human rights defender Khurram Parvez has come as shock for one and all.

Pertinently, Khurram is the Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Program Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS). Khurram is a recipient of the prestigious 2006 Reebok Human Rights Award.

From Activists to Political voices all are aghast over slapping of PSA on Khurram Parvez.

While commenting on Public Safety Act being applied  on Khurram Parvez; Sarah Hayat Shah , Additional Spokesperson of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference  stated : ” The detaining of Khurram Parvaiz, globally acclaimed human rights defender is unfortunate . On the one hand the present government talks about “Digital India”, “Mann Ki baat” and on the other they are caging people who dare to speak. The same people once bragged about “Battle of Ideas” and “Agenda for Alliance”, and today they are chopping the wings of those who have an ideology of their own. This is so unfortunate. Democracy and denial to “Freedom of expression” can’t go together.”

Co-coordinating Ambassador (OYW) for Kashmir on Peace and Human Rights and eminent activist Shahzad Hamdani stated ,  “Slapping of PSA on Khurram Parvez has indeed highlighted the real face on Indian system  which on one side highlight themselves as preachers of democracy  and human rights but cannot digest those voices which are raised against the brutality unleashed by their forces in the valley. India should understand that slapping PSA   on a Human Rights defender has brought shame to democratic credentials of Indian state  which is now turning frustrated.”

Earlier, Fifty two top world academics, activists, lawyers and writers have issued an open letter appealing for immediate release of human rights activist Khurram Parvez .

Voices of sanity in unison are condemning detention of Khurram Parvez under PSA. Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, activist and writer stated – “ The slapping of PSA on noted human rights activist Khurram Parvez, is the worst form of state terrorism and a clear manifestation that state is turning totalitarian with least tolerance for dissent. The order of detaining Khurram under the draconian law makes it clear  that state wants to make an example out of him to deter others from raising their voices against human rights violations. We all need to condemn and start a movement for promotion of dissent. The local feudalist political party People’s Democratic Party along-with Hindutva BJP have now decided to have no tolerance about dissent, freedom of speech, political opposition and human rights activism.”

PSA being used as a weapon to scuttle dissent is drawing sharp criticism from rights organizations to human rights defenders and masses.

 

Farzana Mumtaz

The downslide  in ruling party People’s Democratic Party is evident, with the resigning of PDP Member Parliament Tariq Hamid Karra both from Parliament and basic membership of party , political watchers are   seeing it as severe blow to PDP.

The grassroots of PDP with the unrest emerging post Militant Commander Burhan Wani killing are showing enough fissures .Bastion of PDP South Kashmir is on fire and anger ,rage against party is at all time high. Many analysts had predicted Waterloo for PDP once it decided to have an alliance with the BJP. Since past few months  with every killing and every pellet blindness, injury caused has eroded the PDP support base .

 

Gulzar Ahmad, a commoner stated , ” PDP has committed immense blunder by first bagging votes in the name of keeping BJP away from Jammu and Kashmir and then breaking the promise by forming government with the BJP. What has transpired in the past two months of agitation in Kashmir has been gross mishandling of situation, highhandedness by government forces and callous response to people struggle and all this has hit hard the image of PDP among masses.”

 

The words used by Tariq Karra while resigning aptly define the plight of PDP .Tariq Hameed Karra says:

“Today, in the present tragic circumstances, when the people of my homeland are being subjugated to the highest degree of brutalities by a party which was floated to safeguard the life, property, honour, dignity, self-respect and their political aspirations—made a turn around and treated its subjects much worse than the Nazi forces—I feel still continuing with them would be equally subscribing to their administratively inhuman and politically unethical blunders.”

“Every single day Kashmiris are being butchered, fathers carrying coffins of their young loved ones, hundreds being blinded, and thousands being injured. The number of injured is out numbering hospital capacities and the number of arrested is outnumbering lockups.”

“Kashmiri blood is being spilled on walls, lanes and drains of Kashmir. For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, people of Kashmir were forced not to offer Eid prayers.”

“My apprehension that by PDP’s facilitation, (the) RSS-backed BJP would even impose religious ingression, stands unfortunately vindicated today. Though I was all along feeling suffocated due to PDP’s alliance with RSS-backed BJP, my conscience was shaken during the last two months, especially due to PDP’s newly-acquired avatar during the present upheaval by the treatment meted out in the hands of Central and State Government, especially by PDP.”

“My conscience cannot take it any longer. My heart is bleeding and my soul is crying for the people of my homeland. Hence taking a call of my conscience and as a mark of protest on moral grounds against the brutal policies of BJP at Centre and State Government’s complete sell-out and surrender before them, I have decided to disassociate myself from the primary membership of Peoples Democratic Party and from the membership of Parliament to which I was elected from Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency in 2014 on PDP ticket.”

“In this regard, I shall be forwarding my resignation letter to the Hon’ble Speaker of the Parliament as well. Today the Central and State Governments’ policies of unabated genocide in the worst form of inhuman brutality, continued denial mode towards the dangerous ground realities, their insensitive and adhocist approach towards Kashmir issue and for their continued blatant and open policy of dealing with Kashmiris by way of Oppressive, Repressive and Suppressive majors are other reasons for registering my protest.”

“I am leaving it to the conscience of all other Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, to decide whether they would like to side with their helpless people or let this bloodshed continue (to be) perpetrated by RSS-driven BJP and facilitated by PDP. Furthermore, I would hand-foldedly request the aforementioned public representatives that we are placed at a very critical juncture and remaining silent would be equivalent to facilitate the fascist forces for more death and destruction and decimation of our distinct identity.”

“Whatever was agreed, to be done, was not done. And whatever was agreed not to be done, was done. Be it contesting validity of Article 370 and challenging Article 35A of Constitution of India, issue of State Flag, issue regarding banning beef, burning of two innocent Kashmiri truckers at Udhampur, harassing and lynching of Kashmiri students studying in different States, Dadri lynching of Akhlaq Khan, Himachal episode on beef, Haryana CM’s inflammatory statement against Muslims, rabid statements of Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti, Sadhvi Prachi, Giriraj Singh, raking up of alleged forced Hindu migration from Muslim dominated Kariana town in UP, forced feeding of Muslim Manager of Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, while he was fasting, beating of MLA Langate, Er Rasheed, open refusal of our State’s BJP Minister to accept a Muslim as a District SP.”

Tariq Karra used other strong words while resigning. Many feel that if the situation continues to remain gloomy more prominent faces might quit PDP. Undoubtedly , the ruling PDP is witnessing a downslide

Farzana Mumtaz

Eid al-Adha (, “Festival of the Sacrifice”), also called the “Sacrifice Feast” or “Bakr-Eid”, is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. On this eid, pain and gloom have engulfed Kashmir as on every nook and corner suffering is visible. Protesters shot dead by Government forces and above all those blinded by pellet guns represent the tyranny faced by Kashmir . Kashmir valley has been turned into valley of blind via brutal use of pellets .

The SMHS hospital that receives only critical patients from 10 districts and caters to the city patients, is overwhelmed with cases of pellet injuries since July 9, a day after Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani was killed.

More than  15 per cent of those injured by pellets since July 9 are below the age of 15 and face complicated surgeries.

More than three  hundred protesters have been partially or completely blinded  in Kashmir due to use of  lead-pellet guns by security forces to quell the worst violence in the region for six years.

The  victims like  eight-year-old Asif Rashid and 13-year-old Mir Arafat, both of whom were hit by pellets fired by government forces to disperse protesters in Khanabal area of Anantnag  have represented the tyranny caused by pellets  .

Few weeks back, Hundreds of pellets penetrated Arafat’s body, from his face to the lower abdomen. The pain of pellet victims is immense .“Please, father, do something. I am dying with pain,” shouted Arafat, weeping in the intensive care unit of Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital here in Srinagar.

On the global radar, Insha Mushtaq, young school going girl has represented the sufferings and blinding caused  to people of Kashmir.

She  has lost both her eyes after security forces lobbed a pellet grenade inside her house in south Kashmir’s Shopian district’s Sedow Village.

Insha Mushtaq was admitted to Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of Shri Maharaj Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital here for several weeks and doctors are battling to remove over hundreds of  pellets which had gone deep into her brain and before few weeks she was shifted to AIMS at Delhi.

Insha’s father Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, while Speaking to News Kashmir from Delhi stated – “We have gone through immense pain since Insha was injured badly due to pellets, even after so many days pellets are being taken out from different organs. On this painful day when she got hit by pellets she had entered her room and just after opening window got hit by volley of pellets fired by Government forces. Her vision has been shattered and our world has come to halt.I had dreamt of making her achieve big in career, we are in deep pain.”

Without an iota of doubt, Eid Fervor this time around is dampened in Kashmir  among killings, sufferings, maiming, blinding and suffocations.

Farzana Mumtaz

It was on September 20, 2010 that a 39-member all-party delegation visited Kashmir to assess the situation in the wake of violence that claimed more than 120 lives  .Pertinently, valley wide protests had broken out in 2010 after killing of teenager Tufail Ahmad Mattoo by security forces .

As a matter of fact, currently after killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter at Kokernag, unrest and agitation has erupted again in 2016 killing so far 70 people, injuring more than eight thousand and blinding scores due to infamous pellet gun.

Now again, an all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Kashmir on September 4 and September 5.But many a voices are calling to follow up the recommendations of 2010 all party delegation visit to achieve the desired results.

 

From National to Local political voices it is urged that Central Government should walk the talk on Kashmir issue .Pertinently,  AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi recently  stated that  the Narendra Modi government should adopt a consistent approach on Jammu and Kashmir and take follow-up action after the proposed visit of all-party delegation to the border state.

The Hyderabad MP said now that peace is returning to Kashmir, the central government should not give up the efforts to find a solution so that the cycle of violence does not return to kashmir.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also observed that  MPs who want an all-party delegation to visit the Valley, should have ensured implementation of the recommendations of an earlier such deputation. “I wish MPs pushing for another All Party Delegation had been this keen about pushing the implementation of the earlier one’s recommendations,” Omar wrote on Twitter.The NC leader said the MPs should have at least ensured tabling, in Parliament, the report of the three interlocutors appointed by the UPA government in 2010 in the wake of similar street protests in the Valley.At the very least they could have ensured the tabling of the report of the J&K interlocutors in Parliament, Omar said.

Pertinently, The report submitted to the Government by the group of interlocutors, comprising eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Central Information Commissioner M M Ansari, was based on their visit to the state in  the aftermath of 2010 civil agitation and deaths .

Ajaz War, a journalist stated -” All party delegations have visited Kashmir from time to time and mostly on those occasions when Kashmir has been on fire .We witnessed All Party Delegation visiting Kashmir during 2010 unrest which cooled the tempers to large extent  .But, these delegations have never implemented their own recommendations and forgot Kashmir when so called normalcy has been achieved .New Delhi remembers Kashmir only when it burns is a well -known reality, to achieve success it is hoped that this  time around All Party Delegation Visit will prove fruitful and they will make constructive recommendations and follow up actions to solve Kashmir once for all.”

Nutshell Analysis is that All Party Delegation visit to Kashmir has raised what can be safely dubbed as cautious optimism in Kashmir .

News Kashmir Analysis

 

 

Keeping in view the continued violence and unrest of Kashmir in mind the Home Minister Rajnath Singh was recently on a two day visit to Kashmir, his second visit in a month. As Kashmir unrest is on verge of completing two months post the killing of militant Commander Burhan Wani, the Home Minister invited all the stakeholders to talk within framework of humanity and democracy.

Pertinently, the vast section of civil society and entire pro-freedom leadership declined to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and it was seen by many analysts as a blow to efforts of vast outreach in solving kashmir.

In the joint Press conference on Thursday , August 25 by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Home Minister Rajnath Singh when asked whether the government would talk to the separatist Hurriyat leaders, Mr Singh said: “We are willing to talk to anyone within the scope of Kashmiriyat, Jamooriyat and Insaniyat.”

As the demand for visit by all party delegation is being found on ground zero he said that an all-party delegation would visit Kashmir soon and asked the state government to make preprations for same.

Pertinently, an officer will be appointed to tackle problems of Kashmiris outside the state, the home minister added.

On pellet gun

On the burning issue of pellet gun Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that they will soon announce a substitute to pellet guns in Kashmir. He said the committee formed to look into the issue of pellet guns will submit its report within two to four days.

 

Chief Ministers controversial words

Importantly, the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti got angry and asked a reporter not to compare the situations of 2010 and 2016.

 

“You are wrong. What happened in 2010 had a reason. There was a fake encounter in Machil. Three civilians were killed. Today three militants were killed in an encounter and how is the government to be blamed for that.”

 

 

She said that people came out on the roads after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani even though the government had imposed a strict curfew.

 

 

“Had a kid gone to buy a toffee from an army camp? A 15-year-old boy who attacked a police station (in south Kashmir), had he gone to buy milk? Don’t compare the two,” she said

 

 

Condemning the joint press conference of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Nayeem Khan, Senior profreedom leader  stated -” Rajnath Singh visit has been a mere eyewash tactics.  If Mehbooba believes only five percent people are participating in agitation than why to shun away from referendum,and this is simply cruel, misleading, illogical statement. Calling for employing 10000 SPOs is a shameless policy of arrogance of power and aims at legalising state terrorism via these private militias. Kashmir is not law and order problem but a mass movement for referendum.

Surprisingly, MLA Langate Engineer Rashid during his meet with Home Minister Rajnath Singh urged on having plebiscite . He stated – “Kashmir can’t be ruled under the barrel of gun but blinding and maiming Kashmiris has only strengthened the sentiment of plebiscite.”

On holistic paradigm Home Minister Rajnath Singh Visit looked to be a lackluster visit.

 

 

Rameez Makhdoomi & Farzana Mumtaz

Kashmir is witnessing currently an unprecedented wave of unrest and agitation . Scores are dead, thousands injured and many other blinded due to infamous pellets in the 2016 agitation so far. Just few days back five persons were killed and 18 injured in fresh clashes in the Valley when security forces opened fire on protesters in Budgam district , raising the death toll to 65 in the unrest since the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

A look at past few Chief Ministers shows how throne of Kashmir is proving to be graveyard of reputations of chief ministers despite touted labels on account of unsettled political issue of Kashmir .

When Ghulam Nabi Azad was sworn in the 10th chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir at the picturesque Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex in November 2005 , it was a coronation with  euphoria and hope. He was the first non-kashmir valley Chief Minister of the state.

But in 2008 On 26 May 2008, the government of India and state government of Jammu and Kashmir reached an agreement to transfer 99 acres (0.40 km2) of forest land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) in the main Kashmir valley. To set up temporary shelters and facilities for Hindu pilgrims. This caused a controversy, with demonstrations from the Kashmir valley against the land transfer and protests from the Jammu region supporting it. The largest demonstration saw more than 500,000 protesters at a single rally, among the largest in Kashmir’s history. Scores were dead and injured in this agitation mainly in Kashmir valley.

As a consequence of this, Ghulam Nabi Azad   resigned on July 8, 2008 as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister after withdrawing his confidence motion at a special session of the Assembly.

The State at that time was put under Governor’s rule as no party was ready to stake claim to form a government in view of the Assembly elections in Octoberear that year. With this, the Congress-People’s Democratic Party coalition rule had come to an end.

 

On January 5, 2009, Omar Abdullah became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party. Tipped as Kashmir’s hope, he began with a clean slate and distanced himself from the political and administrative blunders committed by the previous governments.

But the year 2010 really worsened the reputation of Omar Abdullah as a leader. On June 11, 2010 as Tufail Ahmad Mattoo headed home from a tutoring center where he was studying for the medical entrance exam, a tear gas canister fired from close range bashed a hole in his skull. He died almost instantly. This tragic death led to 125 deaths of mostly young people throughout the Kashmir. For entire summer of 2010, the valley of Kashmir saw naked dance of death and destructions. Curfews and arsons became order of the day. All this resulted in major electoral debacle to Omar Abdullah lead NC in 2014 elections.

On 4th April, 2016 Mehbooba Mufti became the  first woman Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was sworn in as the 13th chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Hopes were raised once again.

 

And, already the 2016 unrest has taken much sheen out of her rule.

Syed Tajamul Imran, a young activist whole talking to news kashmir said, “Be it Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah or for that matter Mehbooba Mufti all have failed as Chief Minister’s of the state in one or the other respect.  Despite much hyped labels by National Media the unresolved kashmir dispute has made all of them face severe public anger. All these Chief Minister’s have faced serious civil agitations. Whatever be the sensation created especially by national media governing kashmir in peaceful manner is an impossible dream until Kashmir dispute is not settled.”

Political analysis and ground view is that political nature of Kashmir issue is making the governance of state of Jammu and Kashmir a daunting task.

 

Farzana Mumtaz

Kashmir is tremendously suffering on account of the prevailing situation which has worsened over the past few weeks, since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. With more than 55 deaths, 6000 injuries and about 200 mostly youngsters hit by pellets on eyes which has endangered their vision , the unabated  siege and curfew continuing since more than 35 days and simply now the human suffering has attained new heights in already browbeaten Kashmir.

Sharing the pain of the suffering Kashmiris, Parliament few days back unanimously appealed to people of the valley to restore peace and harmony even as the government expressed readiness to hold talks with moderate groups and others and decided to call an all-party meet on the issue.

But, many are not satisfied with this and terming it a mere rhetoric as they feel now there has been history of lip- service without much concrete action to end the pain and sufferings of Kashmir .

Syed Tajamul Imran, a young columnist while talking to News Kashmir Stated – “Human sufferings in Kashmir are tremendous . Kashmir on account of atrocities has been ruined. Our youngsters are falling to bullets and we have been reduced to a mourning place .Where are the voices of humanity and voices of conscience. Kashmir  is being brutalized under the barrel of gun. If political issues are not addressed and policy of suppression follow unabated it would have disastrous consequences. Yells, Pain, Cries have become our fortune. Sanity should prevail and issues, aspirations should be addressed .”

As rightly analysed, the crux of the Kashmir problem is very simple (although often carefully elided in many essays on the subject): The Kashmiris want a voice in their future.

Even the depth of pain is gauged from what is written on the social networking sphere , Muhammad Tauseef, a volunteer who has worked untiringly during this agitation to reach to distressed , writes on his facebook wall –“ Met an innocent looking and sober kid brother Shahid Ali today. The thirteen year old boy was a Hafiz-e-Qur’an in making who has already memorised about 22 chapters of the holy book. According to his relatives He, this year led the taraveeh prayers at Pinjoora Village in Shopian. He had been called at a congregation at his native place Chee, Islamabad to do the Tilawat (holy recitation) on last friday but received pellets in his eyes during the event. The noble kid laments that had the tragedy befallen him after completing his Hifz (complete memorisation of Qur’an) he would not have felt that bad. He also fears that his dream to be a Mufti (Islamic Jurist) might be shattered.

Also whilst his mother learned about the episode she left home in search of him only to receive a  volley of pellets in her abdomen including private parts….

I fall short of words to express my feelings but just one prayer may the might of Almighty come to our rescue.”

Be it the loss of vision   caused by the  pellet gun or the arrest spree and the continuous death cycle the pain and misery in Kashmir is heartrending.

 

News Kashmir Exclusive

Kashmir is witnessing unprecedented suffocation, siege in the current wave of 2016 agitation that erupted after killing of Burhan Wani, Hizb Commander. From North to South, Central to remote parts life is paralyzed in Kashmir since more than  one month now.

Downtown areas of Srinagar city also known as the old city areas and entire South Kashmir belt from Kakapora to Qazigund are under virtual siege . In North Kashmir, Frontier District of Kupwara is most volatile. Protests, curfews, arrests, blinding and maiming on account of pellet guns is the only news emanating currently from Kashmir .

 

Tempers are running high in each and every part of Kashmir valley especially after the killing spree of civilians . Just a few days back,  a guard at an ATM booth was found dead, with hundreds of pellets fired from close range, officials and residents said.

 

The cause of Riyaz Ahmad Shah’s death was confirmed by an autopsy report. Official sources revealed  that doctors who performed the post-mortem found over 300 pellets in his abdomen. The volunteers working in hospitals are revealing the horror that the Kashmir is witness to with the breakdown of state machinery looking imminent.

Muhammad Tauseef Mir , President Youth Council and one who has worked closely these days in hospitals while talking to News Kashmir states – “ I have seen the enormous brutality witnessed by Kashmir since past few weeks. Felt heart wrenched recently  to discover a young brother from Pulwama who was earlier discharged from the hospital whom I had seen nearly 20 days back at the ophthalmology ward with pellet injuries in one of his eyes admitted at the hospital yet again. He was among the first lot of pellet (eye) victims admitted at the SMHS. Upon my enquiry he told me that since day first he had been played upon; with his surgery delayed every day. Many a times including few days he was made to wait at the Operation theatre and later sent back to the ward without being operated upon. Hope he is attended by the Doctors soon before his other eye also gets involved. There are similar other stories too.

With all this happening and over the days of my work at SMHS hospital Srinagar I have discovered a hybrid of suppression and pretence being employed by the state and its functionaries to deal hidden blows to the browbeaten people:

1: As per our informal conversations with some staff members, the hospital claims to have operated about 206 pellet (eye)patients out of 262 admitted there so far. Out of this 3 have been rendered fully blind and 3 happen to have lost one eye. But the fact is many of the patients like the above mentioned case were sent home after a superficial treatment of a few days and with pellets still stuck in their eyes to be called for follow-up after a few weeks, just to not let the people and media know how many are being blinded by the state. Moreover, the initial eyewash and first-aid of the eye is being counted as surgery to inflate the figure of surgeries performed like above, whereas the most of the patients who are returned home have hardly regained their vision. In a way the state is actualizing its blinding campaign in ways more than one; some hidden and some manifest.

2: Now if the family wants to have a second opinion elsewhere, or get the patient treated outside the hospital does not give the medical records of the patients. The patients as such are discharged without any medical documents, which the hospital denies the patients. It anyways creates a major hindrance in the cure and treatment of the patients.

3: Many of the family members of the patients have been complaining of regular calls from police to enquire about the patient, just to further mentally suppress and harass them and bundle up the patient as soon as he is out of the hospital in a stable condition.

4: The patients and their attendants are given medicine, food and other stuff by voluntary organizations belying the tall claims of the government that they are providing the stuff. For instance one of the camps that I have been volunteering with has a daily consumption of about 4 and half quintals of rice (approx 5000 plates), around 20Kg mutton for soup, tea and bread worth 15000 bucks approx, etc. and there are many other camps working on similar scale and lines….similarly many other medicinal camps distribute medicine worth lakhs daily, and the government is literally nowhere in doing its bit unlike its claims.

As such all the claims are mere eyewash, everything is done by the people further consolidating the fact that we are worth independence.”

 

Unambiguously, Kashmir is under complete suffocating siege currently.

Farzana Mumtaz

Pellet Gun has come to symbolize  new face of tyranny  in Kashmir over the past few years. Loss of Vision, terrible injuries and often fatalities have been aftermath of deadly pellets fired from  pellet guns on humans of Kashmir. Pertinently, a pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be fired from an air gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in fire arms because of the pressures encountered: airguns operate at pressures as low as 50 atmospheres, while firearms operate at thousands of atmospheres.

Even during the current wave of unrest, the indiscriminate use of pellet gun is giving nightmare to people of Kashmir with analysis emerging that-“Pellet Guns Are Giving Kashmir’s Young & Restless A Dark Future”. Pellets impact on vision of Kashmiris has been devastating

The brutal pellets have in this current wave of unrest destroyed vision of scores of boys and girls in kashmir.

. Ninth class student Insha Malik  resembles the brutalism inflicted by pellets as she has lost vision in her left eye that was pierced by pellets fired by forces, and doctors say there are “zero chances” of the teenager regaining vision in her right eye, also badly damaged by the pellets. Her case has gained worldwide attention owing to media coverage.

 

14-year old Insha, one of more than 100 pellet victims, few days back was  lying unconscious in the Surgical ICU of general specialty SMHS hospital here. Her face and neck resemble a wire-mesh with dozens of holes made by pellets therein.

Pertinently, Out of the thousands injured are 180 protesters including children and women who were hit by pellets. Reportedly more than 40 have lost their eyesight.

“The pellets have ruptured her right eye and it has come out. The left eye is lacerated with zero chance of recovery,” said a doctor attending to her. Insha hails from Sedow village of south Kashmir’s Shopian.

The doctor added: “She does not even have perception of light in the eye that she is left with.”

The book by Mannan Bukhari titled scars of pellets released last year that depicted pain of pellet victims documents 2010 SKIMS study which shows that from June 2010 to September 2010 alone, 198 patients were identified who had sustained pellet gun-fire wounds with patients ranging from minor age of 6, elder ones being 54. Most of the patients suffer multiple wounds and at instances even 70 to 80 wounds.

 

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a journalist and one who has covered pellet victims states -” Pellet is yet another horrible weapon used against the browbeaten nation of Kashmir as since six years of its inception it has devastated vision of many Kashmiris and Pellet is a round ball loaded with lead. If it penetrates the eye, which is a water ball, damage is done. In this agitation it has been used brutally by government forces to smash the vision of Kashmiris and this pellet represents a blot on the so called democratic credentials of India. It is shame that the authorities are still adamant not to replace this weapon of tyranny. It is high time for conscience voices to impress upon the government to ensure its ban .”

Undoubtedly, Pellet is shattering many a dreams in Kashmir and making people blind forever.