Dual Pain

Farzana Mumtaz/Rameez Makhdoomi

The painful saga of disappeared persons families in the valley of Kashmir is quite heartrending  and disturbing reality of our society. The families of Muhammad Shafi Rah and Mushtaq Ahmad Rah of Maharjganj Srinagar , who were doing  leather business  in Nepal bear testimony to this grim reality.  Pertinently,  the two brothers shifted to Kathmandu, Nepal in 1995 from Srinagar to earn a living. But fate wrecked miseries on them . On September 5, 2000 the two brothers were arrested by a joint team of police from Nepal and New Delhi never to be seen again. They were enforced to disappearance in custody.

As News Kashmir Team visited the families of victims, the parents of these disappeared brothers are still in shock as if the episode has taken place yesterday. Abdul Ahad Rah, the ailing 80-year-old father of Shafi and Mushtaq in painful tone narrates his woeful story – “ These 17 years have been total nightmare for our family . I have run from pillar to post with no success in finding my sons. I  rushed to Jodhpur jail  when we were told by authorities  here that they are lodged there  , initially the authorities there at Jodhpur jail acknowledged that my  sons were detained in the jail and told us to get documents done from kashmir , but then we went back with documents they said that they were not there . Some CID officials told us at Jodhpur they have been whisked away by the intelligence men from Jodhpur jail. We searched for them even in Tihar jail but could not trace them. Despite long drawn legal battles and virtually begging to the state institutions nothing substantial has come out yet. We were fleeced by lawyers, jail authorities and even at one instance a private channel in Delhi took money to highlight our plight. The relative of late Sheikh Aziz Hurriyat leader told us that he had told them that the both were lodged there in Jodhpur jail . The elder one  was though involved in minor resistance as was case with every second youth in 90s but younger knew nothing about politics. ”

As a matter of fact,  Kathmandu Post, which is the largest selling newspaper in Nepal, published the news about the arrest of Kashmiris in Nepal in 2000. The news item mentioned the names of Mushtaq and Shafi among the 27 arrested. Even the Indian embassy had given the two brothers  letter that they are working in Nepal.

The mother of these disappeared brothers Khadijah Rah states  –  “ These 17 years have inflicted seventeen million stabs on our heart . We did not get justice anywhere . Our pain is immeasurable as we don’t know what happened to our sons . Even a criminal is taken to jail and courts but not disappeared like this .I have not lost hope and think one day I will see the glimpse of my sons. I appeal to Government of India to disclose location of my sons and come clear on where the state agencies took them. ”

Rah family story is saga of million tears waiting for justice .

 

I caught a braid chopper!

By Javeed Ali

javeedaliofkashmir@gmail.com

I was browsing through my Facebook profile on my laptop. Its timeline from a long time has been displaying videos, images and contents of alleged braid chopping incidents in Kashmir. It has been over one month these views keep flaunting in front of you once you login to any social media app. The chapter started on September 04, 2017 and like a wild fire it has spread all over the Kashmir valley. Every now and then we see alleged braid choppers being held and beaten to pulp. But so far nothing concrete has come out who is behind this stratagem.

As my mind was revolving around the braid chopping incidents, I heard the noise of footsteps through our lane. It was over 12 midnight and when I peeped out of the window, I saw a middle aged man attired in Phiran (Kashmiri gown). It was an unusual thing as we reside in the area where movement of traffic and people gets curtailed before 10 in the evening. His appearance was shabby and he was looking weirdly around the surrounding. As my mind was already engrossed in the unabated braid chopping incidents in Kashmir, I straightaway suspected him as braid chopper. Without wasting any time, I gestured to him, “Tohe kya chu yepaeer karaan? (What are you doing here?)”.  Before he could utter anything, one of my neighbour who had already got on to the terrace of his house screamed, Braid chopper! Braid chopper! Within a flash, the whole horde of neighbourhood was on the ground. They caught hold of him and started enquiring about his uncommon presence in our territory. He was terrified and scared. Everyone was asking him queries and they started beating him before he could utter anything. He was punched, kicked, smashed, smacked, thumped, knocked, slammed and even abused. The ruthless and merciless beating caused him grievous injuries. He was bleeding profusely and broke down with tears trickling down his face. His clothes were searched but to our utter surprise there were only few pieces of cigarettes and no tool, blade or scissors were found.

My all attempts to protect him from beating and listen to his version failed completely as he was badly overpowered by the huge group of people of our vicinity. In the meantime, police vehicles arrived and they asked to hand him over to them. The people declined to hand him over to police and started chanting slogans suspecting him as Army worker. They pelted stones on police vehicles but police burst tear smoke shells and took him forcibly in their vehicle. After that everyone started making bizarre stories surrounding the incident as is common in Kashmir.

The next day, respectable and trustworthy elders of our area went to the police station to enquire about the fate of the alleged braid chopper. They were shocked to know that the person whom we had beaten barbarously is a mentally retarded patient of our nearby locality. He was now admitted in a hospital. His family members were present there with the medical documents which confirmed that he is suffering from stress and depression since last 20 years. They were crying bitterly along with the mentally challenged person whom we had suspected as braid chopper. Doctors attending him claimed that he will take time to recuperate from the bad injuries inflicted on him by our brutal beating.

This is one instance where we have beaten an innocent person just because we are facing the case of mass hysteria as propounded by the psychologists. An unruly mob roughed up foreign tourists when they had lost their way which had sent out an undesirable example to the world contrary to the fact that we are known as best in the hospitality with the guests. In Shallabugh area of Ganderbal, a group of 3 non-local tourists and guests of a local scribe were severely beaten and thrashed by locals as they mistook them as braid choppers. Their vehicle was also damaged and later on they were rescued by police. In another incident, two men were inhumanely hammered in Wakoora area of same district when they were collecting donations for a Yateem (orphan) trust.

In one of the disheartening incident, a 70-year old person was stoned to death in Anantnag on the suspicion of braid chopper. At some places rag pickers, Bihari labourers, transgender, lovers and drug addicts were also badly beaten just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Attack on the modesty of women is unbearable and same cannot be allowed to happen in our society. Braid chopping is an ugly scene which has made inroads in Kashmir after it previously occurred in different parts of the world and across the India as well. So it has to be looked from the broader perspectives rather than through the contours of the prevailing conflict in Kashmir.  After braid choppers hit Delhi in July, the police commissioned experts from the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences to study the phenomenon. The same institute had researched complaints about a monkey-like creature attacking people in the national Capital in 2001 and concluded that the entire episode was a case of mass hysteria. It means when a fear or threat real or imagined spreads to a large number of people through rumours or narratives so much so that many of them start reporting similar symptoms. A former head of the department of Psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) reportedly told one of the news agency, “From all available evidence it seems that the women are cutting their own hair, either consciously or in an altered sensorium, likely to seek attention”. One more psychiatrist added that braid chopping could be the result of depression or stress ailments of women folk. Only time will tell us what is the exact cause and intent of this braid chopping scenario till then we should avoid believing in conspiracy theories.

We should not pay heed to rumours as there are many mischief and rumour mongers who always play pranks for their amusement and fun. Social media is helping these pranksters.  It creates fear psychosis which badly impacts the behaviour of human souls which in turn makes him or her the victim of mass hysteria. There may be genuine incidents of braid chopping but we should not blame it on any group or party without having any authenticity. We should not use the violent ways to protest against what is still a mystery. A 5-year old boy Sibti Hyder of Gangoo was injured at Pahoo, Pulwama when he was hit by a stone on his head. What was his fault? Was he involved in braid chopping? Why are we becoming the nation of vigilantes?

Last year rumour mongers got almost whole Kashmir populace on the streets on the rumour that polio drops caused deaths. Moreover, we should never forget the killing of Asrar Dar of Maisuma in 2009 who was killed by his friends on the love tangle and then his killers had protested violently for three days in Maisuma area and had blamed police for the killing. It was only after the investigation done by police which had revealed that the friends who were protesting against his death were his real killers. Furthermore, in the same year one of the relative of JKLF chairperson Mohammad Yasin Malik who was an auto rickshaw driver was strangulated to death by the robbers. At that time too, the blame was put on police for his death. Later on, investigations carried out in his death unraveled his killers as the robbers who had robbed him in his auto and strangulated him to death.

So we should ponder that giving unnecessary attention to rumour mongers is severely damaging our business and day to day life. There are so many business hawkers who are fearful to go to any region these days fearing they might be suspected as braid choppers. Even relatives and friends don’t visit to their respective relatives or friends. Few days ago a youth was beaten ruthlessly in Kakapora area in Pulwama when he was visiting to his aunt on his motorcycle. Where are we heading. The world will laugh at us if they will come to know about our ridiculous acts. The media fraternity needs to play an important role. They should not circulate anything without verifying the authenticity of incident. Moreover, we should not believe in rumours like holy scripts as there are many elements who are propagating rumours to serve their own motives.  Let’s all confront this menace without targeting the innocent beings and most importantly we should prevent the spread of rumours which has badly impacting the life in Kashmir.

Inflation Paining Kashmir

The phenomenon of ever rising inflation is very unfavorably  impacting the life of general masses in the Valley of Kashmir. The monster of inflation is impacting significant spheres of life in the valley of Kashmir. As a matter of fact, Inflation means paying more for goods than what you were paying earlier. Off late, not only indispensable goods have seen a price hike, non-essential items have also seen this hike. In other words inflation is making a hole in the pocket of common man in the valley.

The worse part of it is that rising food prices have far outstripped the growth rate and overall income rise of masses. Tomateos,Potatoes, onions, eggs and many types of pulses are costing  twice as costly as they were about a few  years ago.

 

This hyper inflation in Kashmir has hit the common man the most. Kashmir’s logistical handicap has another reverse effect – its exports lose their competitiveness due to the relatively high transportation costs. To cope with inflation,we know that  Middle income group have cut back consumption where possible, buy cheaper products given alternatives, postpone the purchase of little indulgences and cut out discretionary spend altogether. With food eating  up more of their incomes their saving is likely to vanish altogether,

The devil of inflation has hit other parts of country as well. To curb the ills of inflation we need a collective roadmap to end the same

Braid Chopping : Unending Mystery

Farzana Mumtaz/ Rameez Makhdoomi

The series of continuous braid chopping incidents in different areas of the Kashmir valley have given rise to panic and fear. According to Wikipedia, Mysterious hair chopping incidents and rumours of Indian females have erupted in India and Nepal from late June 2017 onwards when  a news channel reported on June 23 that a female from Bikaner, Rajasthan was chopped her hair by a suspect witch when she was sleeping in night, but only one such incident was reported in the entire state at that time. After the incident, many villagers were keeping a strong eye on the woman’s house but later no evidence of a witch or any other supernatural creature was found. As this incident went viral to almost every part of India, especially in the northern states like Delhi, Bihar, Haryana, Uttarakhandand Uttar Pradesh.

The Kashmir Valley reported its first braid chopping in September, about a month after Jammu had reported several similar incidents. In all, according to the police, 35 cases of braid chopping have been reported from Kashmir so far and 192 from Jammu division.

Different reasons are being attributed to it and aptly described by the sane voices . Doctor Yasir Wani on Social Networking Website Facebook wrote :

“Braid chopping :

1) Some doctors opine it is hysterical conversion reaction which is a functional disorder more common in adolescent girls than boys and adults.

2) Some people blame the agencies

3) Some people blame the local criminals who are taking advantage of the confusion and chaos.

4) others are of the opinion that braid choppers are a reality as an organisation with a purpose to cause fear psychosis among already anxious kashmiris.

I think all above opinions are partly right. The reality might lie in the mix of all the above opinions..!!

P:S : Rumours on the social media add fuel to the fire..!!”

In addition to the fear psychosis, the politics has also heated on the issue of braid Chopping in Kashmir and with it public anger is also growing. On October 2, Riyaz Naikoo, field operational commander of the militant group Hizbul Mujahedeen, released an audio statement saying the chopping of women’s braids was aimed at “weakening” the separatist movement.

On its part the Jammu and Kashmir Police  stated recently that it doubled the bounty to Rs 6 lakhs for providing any information about the mysterious braid chopping incidents that has gripped the Valley.

 

“Incidents of mysterious braid cutting occurred in south and central Kashmir. Police announced reward upto Rs 6 lakh for info on people behind incidents,” said SP Vaid, DIG Police,  Kashmir.

“ We hope the evil forces behind the ugly incidents of braid chopping would soon be identified and arrested so that the fear created by them is defeated .Currently these braid chopping incidents have given rise to panic and unease, stated Sameena, a house wife.

Undoubtedly, braid chopping has given rise to atmosphere of chaos and fear in Kashmir.

 

 

 

 

Radicalization and Resistance

writes

Hakim Shahzad Hamdani

 

The word ‘Radical’ has been defined in different ways by different people. Some have defined it in terms of favouring a drastic political, economic, or social reforms while others have found its meaning within those persons who hold or follow a strong conviction or extreme principle advocating fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.
While trying to understand and club these two definitions it may not be wrong to relate the word ‘Radical’ as a conviction in the mind of an organization or an individual to drastically impose political, economic or social reforms through an uncompromising methods. Where conviction comes out of a deep rooted ideology to impose such principles which may not be proportionate to the ideology of the majority but opposite to it.
This definition makes you understand that radical or radicalization is not always extremist in form or action but it depends upon on the reforms on which its sole conviction is based. For example the famous ‘Land to Tiller’ law which was enacted by then head of kashmir namely Sheikh Muhammah Abdullah was a radical reform meant to bring equality and end of feudal system since it was drastically imposed and equally opposed, yet fruitful in nature. Even the radical reforms during British India were enacted to bring a social reform by abolition of untouchability and bringing caste equality. The 19th century’s radical reforms brought by Raja Rammohan Roy cannot be ignored. He fought relentlessly against social evils like sati, polygamy, child marriage, female infanticide and caste discrimination. All these reforms have been of radical nature which means these reforms were initiated through the conviction of one individual or an organization and against the will of those who opposed it.
This conviction to drastically bring reform in a social system had been against the majority’s conviction at that point of time but yet it was all for the betterment of the society. So being of extremist/Radical nature or not, solely depends upon the reforms one is inclined to bring within a society. Today a majority of Indian people applaud the reforms of the 19th century because all these radical reforms came through a legitimate process and not through force even though it was imposed upon those who considered it wrong. Having said that we now learn that the word ‘Radical’ or ‘Radicalization’ can be either a prosperous radical reform or a disastrous radical reform, all depends upon the ways it has been brought in the society.
A prosperous radical reform may be disliked by many and enjoyed by few in the beginning but as it spreads the real essence of it is slowly realized and appreciated by the masses. A disastrous Radical reform is disliked by many and enjoyed by few in the beginning but as it spreads the real purpose is slowly realized leading to mass uprising against it. The biggest example of it can be found in Indian History. The formation of ‘East India Company’ by the then British state was initiated for the purpose of trade but as it started to bring economic reforms in India its purpose was later realized and opposed.
In this fight between a prosperous yet radical reform and a disastrous yet radical reform comes the word ‘Resistance’.
Hoping many of our esteemed readers have a brief knowledge about the famous 1857 Revolt of British India where some selective princely states of Northern India had the conviction to bring a drastic political change and to rise against the tyrant rule of British in comparison to the majority of Princely empires in central and southern India who were not of the same conviction rather it later led to one of the reasons for its failure. Question remains, was it a radical reform by the then people or rise of a resistance force against the social, political and economical oppression enforced by the then British empire?
Is being Radical also a form of being resistant?
Today the people of Independent India uphold that famous revolt as ‘The first war of Independence’. Their projection doesn’t relate their own act as Radical but a war or resistance which was raised against the then British empire. After 70 years of Independence and 70 years of slavery the essence of being Radical and Resistant still exists. Yes, it exists but not in the narration of that nation which got Independence but the one who lost its independence.
Today every political voice in India considers the ongoing resistance of Indian administered Kashmir as Radicalization. They narrate the freedom struggle of Kashmir as a conviction to drastically bring a social, political and religious reform against the majority voice of kashmir but fear of holding a legitimate plebiscite to seek the majority’s aspiration.
Who initiated this drastic political reform in the valley and who are the ones who took away the Independence of this peaceful nation of Kashmir?
Why resistance of kashmiris is being Radical and India’s fight against the then British being Radical is their Resistance?
Alas! None of these political voices have been able to answer these question. It is an irony that you live in your house and a visitor comes and just that he has a deep rooted ideology to make some changes in your room, he starts pulling you out of your own room. You object to that change and end up being of a Radical ideology.
The present and past situations in Kashmir is nothing less than that room and one has to go deep into the roots of history to find the answers.
The history of this Himalayan region is not of a recent origin but dates back to 625 CE. Its history is filled with rulers from Karkota Empire of 625 CE to Afghan Durrani dynasty of 1771 and the Maharaja Hari Singh rule till 1947.
Every empire brought Radical reforms which basically pleased their own interests and suppression of the majority’s voice against it.
In the British census conducted in 1941, Kashmir was registered as a Muslim majority population of 77%, a Hindu population of 20% and a small population of Buddhists and Sikhs comprising the remaining 3%. During the same year Prem Nath Bazaz, a Kashmiri Pandit journalist in his book ‘Inside Kashmir’ mentioned that the poverty of the Muslim masses was worst. Most of the majority population happened to be landless labourers.
It was further explained that a phase of absolute corruption had spread under the Hindu and Sikh rule. Muslims were pushed to pay hefty taxation, discrimination in the legal system and forced labour without wages was at its peak.
Another person George Forster in his book ‘A journey from Bengal to England’ published in 1786 writes about the Radical reforms in political and economic spheres that started to change the economic scenario of kashmir.
He writes that till Afghan rule the Shawl industry in addition to other commodities and trades received newer customers in the form of Iran, Turkistan, Russia as well as Afghanistan.
Kashmiri merchants as well as those from abroad could meet and trade with one another without being worried that most of their profit would go to the state.
It was later during the Sikh and Hindu rule, radical economic reforms started to emerge. The State made it difficult for foreign traders to prosper due to
increased forms of taxation. A time when foreign merchants largely traded not with Kashmiri shawl weavers but the State. By the 1900s, the Shawl industry in Kashmir was almost dead.
The end of british rule and Partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, the infamous Instrument of Accession signed by then Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir (who was already overthrown by the then Kashmiri leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah) with India, the UN intervention on Kashmir as a dispute and the promises made by the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to hold plebiscite in Kashmir were something that started to shape a different history of Kashmir.
The Participation of Muslim United Front (MUF) in elections of 1987 and forced detention of MUF members followed by mass rigging in Kashmir Elections by India was the last drastic political change or one can say the last nail in the coffin of Kashmiris tolerance. Kashmir was now becoming resistant against those radical reforms by India which entered as a visitor and now was reluctant to leave.
Since the illegal occupation, India has always used its sponsored elected members to dilute each and every form of Independence which ever existed in Kashmir. From pushing hard laws like AFSPA to changing the demography of Kashmir by occupying agricultural land through its forces. There are infact countless radical reforms implemented in the valley, be it Political reforms by diluting the 1957 status where kashmir had its own Prime Minister or economic change by implementing GST, occupying Kashmir’s owned Hydro Power projects and killing the backbone of kashmiri Agriculture.
Today those self claimed intellectuals of India who are showing there concerns and are equating the resistance of Kashmir with being Radical have ignored the level of suppression this Himalayan region has been going through all these years. They are ignoring the radical reforms forced upon the people of kashmir since the day India entered in Kashmir through its forces.
Even after witnessing hundreds of massacres by India through its forces, the valley never turned its back to speak with their oppressor and end the cycle of bloodshed and conflict. They welcomed talks even though it came in phases or as an immediate response to end the cycle of violence whenever kashmir would erupt against innocent killings.
These initiatives by India had always been to buy time and move on rather than to sit down and settle the issues once and for all but still the people of Kashmir never lost the hope of dialogue and still they dont.
Contrary to it the level of radicalization has reached such a point in the minds of Indians that the founding father of their Independence is now a traitor and the killer is a national Hero. Where people are now being subjected to torture for what they eat and where minorities are forced to convert to Hinduism under the slogan of ‘Ghar Wapsi’ and leaders of India calling for a Muslim free nation by 2021.
Incidents of dadri and lynching of minorities is still haunting the soul of Indian secular vision.
One really wonders that after all these drastic reforms happening in India and the radical approach that India holds in past and present vis a vis kashmir, what moral ground they hold to label the resistance of kashmir as a growing radicalization.
How much Radical their own country can become where its judiciary hanged Afzal Guru (a pro freedom leader) just to satisfy the conscience of Indian people and then threw away the principles of humanity of not allowing even his family to have a last meet. Later disallowing to hand over even the mortal remains to his family so that they could bury and satisfy their own conscience.
The bitter reality is that India has started making new friends under a new Prime Minister having new approach to handle disputes with new strategic partners. With this radical approach, Kashmir has also started to realize its own fault of waiting everytime at the doorsteps for someone who could talk to them and end their miseries. The space for dialogue which started to narrow in 2010 is filled up with anger and broken promises.
This anger which is now leading the valley to such a stage where the advantage of fear phycosis unleashed by India since 1989 is nomore relevant. Where people irrespective of their age run towards battlegrounds to stand in between Indian forces and armed Kashmiri fighters.
This younger generation of kashmir has grown up listening to the killing of Militant commander Ashfaq Majeed and Hanging of Maqbool Bhat and now they count themselves with Burhan Wani and Afzal Guru.
It will be the right way to sum up by saying that Kashmir is surely becoming intolerant and this transformation is not their becoming Radical but their becoming intolerant towards the radical approach of India which was never prosperous but disastrous.
The rhetoric statements from India have no more takers left in the valley. The only thing left are those who are trying to linger on with their lives while watching the young guns of kashmir falling down to pellets and bullets every day.

 

The writer is a co-coordinating Ambassador of One Young World (UK) from Indian administered Kashmir and can be reached at: shamdani.hussain@gmail.com

 

Modi’s Jhappi

News Kashmir Exclusive

Recently, on India’s 71st Independence Day  Prime Minister Narendra Modi speech contained fair amount of reflection on Kashmir situation too. PM Modi stated – Na goli se, na gaali se Kashmir ki samasya hal hogi (Neither bullets nor brickbats will solve the Kashmir issue)”, adding, “it will only be solved by love and by embracing all Kashmiris.

 

 

The speech came at a time when  Kashmir is sliding from bad to worse  and worst hit is especially the violence hit South Kashmir . Bloodbath has become  order of day and many had not thought that Indian Prime Minister in his Independence day speech of 2017 ,his fourth as Prime Minister from ramparts of Red Fort Delhi would sound a softer , changed approach on Kashmir .

 

Voices  in Kashmir are optimistic that this speech would be translated into action and especially the orders will be passed on to end grave human rights violations and Government  forces would be held accountable for any undue action against common masses. From Quite sometime now  we have seen increased instances of youth  getting killed in Government forces action .

 

Ground opinion is clear that the first step that would give this speech meaning is the ugly cycle of death would be put to end .

 

While talking to News Kashmir, Journalist Ajaz War, Chairman JKYJA Stated  – “ The speech can be good beginning provided it is realized via concrete action. Following the first step, one hopes PM Modi would initiate a meaningful dialogue with the pro freedom leadership and Pakistan to find an amicable solution to this deadly conflict of Kashmir whose no resolution has added to chaos . We have to agree bullets , deaths won’t solve Kashmir but broad vision, dialogue with all stakeholders  would. Sanity is the need of current times .”

 

In his column in NDTV senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar wrote –“ The Agenda for Alliance that led to the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir binds the BJP to reaching out to every Kashmiri. So there is nothing new in Modi’s words – although they come in the wake of a long trail of broken pledges. There has been lots of “gaali”, lots of “goli”, but, to Mehbooba’s despair, no attempt at “embracing every Kashmiri” (that includes Geelani, who I have embraced and been called a “traitor” for my pains). Mehbooba has been pleading all along for dialogue – above all, with the Hurriyat. At every turning, she has been thwarted. And by whom? By Narendra Modi, of course. Once again, the culprit remains the same”

Pertinently, the PM Modi Speech on Kashmir has definitely given rise to what one can term as cautious optimism and measured reactions.

Glamorizing Death

News Kashmir Desk

 

Continued bloodshed through violence is benefiting none in kashmir. Daily we see large number of deaths, injuries, blinding, arrests etc taking place due to unaddressed political issue of Kashmir.

But it is worrisome to note that some are glamorizing death sitting as armchair analysts and offering no solution, on the otherhand by this attitude they are glamorizing death.

People getting killed in protests and near encounter sites is the latest troubing developments in Kashmir.

 

Pertinently , more than 20 civilians  have been killed this year near encounter sites_*

 

July 1: Tahira Begum and Shadab AhmadChopan of Dialgam villagein Kokernag killed by bullets near encounter site.

 

June 22: Ajaz Ahmed Malik injured in firingat encounter site in Pulwama on June 21 succumbs to injuries in hospital.

 

June 16: Mohammad Ashraf, 34, and Ahsan Mushtaq, 15, killed during clashes near encounter site in Arwani.

 

June 6: Adil Farooq killed from bullet during clashes in Shopian near encountersite in Ganowpora village.

 

May 27: Civilian killed in firing by government forces during encounter withHizbul commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his aide Faizan Muzaffar in Saimoo village of Tral.

 

May 14: Mohammad Hussain Dar injured on May 6 in firing by militants on a police party at Mir Bazar on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Kulgam districtsuccumbs to injuries in hospital.

 

May 6: Three civilians killed in crossfire when militants attack a police party in Kulgam.

 

April 27: Mohammad Yusuf, 55, killed after army opens fire on protesters seeking bodiesof two slain militants who attacked an army camp in Panzgam village of Kupwara district.

 

March 28: Three civilians, Zahid Rashid of Chadoora, Amir Fayaz of Wathora, and Ashfaq Ahmadof Rangreth killed when government forces open fire on civilians protesting against a siege laid in Chadoora area of Budgam.

 

Mar 14: Kaneeza, 9, killed in Kupwara after being hit ‘stray bullet’.

 

Mar 9: 15-year-old Amir Nazir killed by government forces at Padgampora village in Pulwama

 

Feb 23: A woman killed by ‘stray bullet’in exchange of gunfire between militants and army, police say.

 

Feb 12: Two civilians killed when government forces open fire near encounter site in Kulgam.

 

Every death means catastrophe for the family concerned and this unstoppable bloodshed is paining many hearts .

An eminent scholar while pleading anonymity states – “ This bloodshed is leading us no where . India, Pakistan states and people of Kashmir should adopt path of sanity to settle political issues . There are some vested interests on all sides who thrive by this business of death .The contractors who make merry by bloodshed are enemies of humanity . The intellectual poverty in Kashmir is complicating the realities for us and yielding us no results .”

The need of the hour is to stop glamorizing death in Kashmir and let peace, rationality take the center stage and voices promoting bloodshed be discarded.

Joyless Eid

Farzana Mumtaz

Id al-Fitr is being celebrated by Muslims worldwide with much religious fervor and zest .  Pertinently, Id al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر‎‎ ʻĪd al-Fiṭr, “festival of breaking of the fast”) and  is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm). As a matter of fact, the religious Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality.

We are celebrating Eid this year in the backdrop of one after another  tragedies  that have shaken the nation of Kashmir frequently , and definitely this  time our most happy festival has  come on the occasion of grief.  The Kashmir conflict has taken more deadly turn and valley is virtually now a killing field .

Just few days before eid , three militants were killed in a gunfight with forces in an overnight encounter in New Colony Kakapora.   The killings triggered massive protests and clashes in which one civilian was killed and dozens injured. One of the dead militant was 14 year old and civilian just 22.

Sane opinion on ground zero is that intimidation and cruel measures can no longer be an answer to quell the political sentiment of Kashmir and time has come to recognize Kashmir as political problem and offer political solution. The painful situation in Kashmir has also been termed by many intellectual voices of India as a blot to “Indian democracy.

 

 

 

Mehvish Khan, a journalist stated – “It is indeed a moment for somber reflection and prayers on this Eid for lasting peace as we are facing sorrow times . We share the agony and the pain of those who have lost their loved ones and pray that the Almighty bestow His choicest Blessings on them.  We should celebrate Eid with simplicity and pray from the core of heart that peace, happiness returns to sorrow hit valley of Kashmir .”

Gulzar Ahmad, a commoner stated – “ We are celebrating the festivity of Eid in the backdrop of continuous killings .The dance of death is happening everywhere in the Valley of Kashmir . It is high time that for the sake of humanity all stakeholders start brainstorming to solve the deadly political issue of Kashmir.On this Eid the grief of pain hit valley of Kashmir has multiplied.”

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

WHEN DARKNESS DESCENDS

Badee Uz Zaman

 

There was a cry outside- a loud agonizing cry. Some uncanny mourning silence fell over the clamorous ambiance of the room. Khan Sahib, who otherwise was a man of cool and compact behavior, immediately got off his fluffy praying rug –his lips were absolutely moisture-less as he peeped into the dark emptiness outside through the crack of the window only to discover a vast stretch of night and nothing else.  His wife- Nasreena was still struggling with the microscopic buttons of the remote control of their brand new television set and her trembling hands were unable to press the red button on it. Then she tried to reach out to the wall socket so that she could pluck out the power lead from it. But as she got up, she staggered and stumbled of asphyxiation before her hands could even move. She was lying there facing towards the roof decked with immaculate designs of ‘Khatemband’. The perennial beads of precipitation were dripping from it. Nasreena started to read the ‘Ayat Ul Kursi’ written in a spherical design around the caricature of Holy ‘Kabba’ crocheted with dark black thread on the green background of a rug- hanging from the wall painted with white synthetic colors.

Qasim, their only son wasn’t home yet and the situation outside was very dangerous and deadly, that’s at least what the white collard guy on TV news channels would continue to speak every evening.

Khan sahib brought her a tumbler filled with water and Nasreena was able to drink only a couple of drops from it, they both stood there frozen no one speaking a world, only their eyes exchanging the words of hope in a language known to them only, and she continued to recite the ‘Ayat Ul Kursi’…

The silence was finally broken by the ringing of the phone. Breathing became impossible for them and the air in the room seemed to be absent for a moment and no one found the courage enough to answer the phone which continued to ring for an eternity. Khan finally managed to put his hand on the receiver but before he could pick it up the ringing stopped leaving the room again in the ambiance of deadly silence. He checked the caller ID, and the call was made from the local dispensary. As he declared this in a creaking voice, Nasreena started to beat her chest and Khan was sobbing with hiccups. He dialed back the number, without will and life and waited for someone to tell them the news. After only two or three rings, someone picked up the phone; breathing became completely impossible for him and he was about to give a loud cry but instantly his eyes sparkled as he heard the voice of his son. “I was coming back to home but Qadir kak’s foot skidded into the pothole and I drove him to the dispensary, I’ll be back in ten minutes ”, said Qassim.

 

Toothless Tigers

News Kashmir Exclusive

A nation, society or state cannot progress any further unless it does not have an efficient governance and accountability and to ensure the same powerful commissions and bodies are required.

As a matter of fact, most of the of the bodies, commissions constituted in Kashmir to fight corruption, ensure action against human rights violations and envisage transparency are most of the times either lying headless or for the most of times just  toothless tigers and have been thus more often than not  lying  dormant for a long time .

 

Importantly, often the case is that a number of  constitutional bodies in the state of Jammu and Kashmir  are defunct  because the government  does not appoint their heads and members. Most of the times the vacancies gets created after the term of the statutory heads and members gets expired and are not immediately filled .

Pertinently , the valley of Kashmir on account of lingering political conflict has seen many human rights abuses but most of the times headless and powerless State Human Rights Commission has in a way ensured no justice to victims of injustice.  Resultantly, the word Inquiry has remained  the most abused word in the Kashmir lexicography in the past 27 years of blood drenched history   . In the past three decades every  Government  year after year has ordered  countless inquiries  to probe the violation but these inquiries yielded no fruitful results and have met the same ill fate as was met by inquiries conducted on  previous killings and  atrocities  .

On the otherhand, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir the menace of Corruption is  eating into the very vitals of our society since long. Corruption has been termed by rationale  voices as  mother of all vices. Unfortunately, the malevolence of corruption is very much out of control in the J&K State.

After dropping a bombshell in the year 2005 by ranking Jammu and Kashmir as country’s second most corrupt state, Transparency International (TI) (a Berlin-based international corruption watchdog and a non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to curbing corruption in various countries), had at time  dubbed the state as ‘alarmingly corrupt’ and concluded that levels of corruption have increased despite state’s disappointing ranking.Even today not much has changed and J&K is considered much corrupt .Commissions, bodies constituted to fight corruption too are toothless.

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a young journalist states – “ A society cannot progress in right direction unless it does not enforce the concept of accountability and ensure justice. All this can be ensured when we have efficient, powerful commissions and bodies who are not just paper tigers but have the power to act against the wrong elements, but unfortunately in the state of Jammu and Kashmir  the defunct nature of these commissions, statutory bodies  means lack of regulation, vibrancy, transparency in the system as a result negatives remain embedded .We need to strengthen all the commissions and bodies to move in right direction.”

The need of the hour as per opinion on ground is to ensure that our commissions, bodies constituted become powerful, enforcing, efficient and not toothless tigers .