Internet Gag in Kashmir

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Over the past few decades the medium of Internet has emerged as the lifeline for carrying our daily chorus of life  . Internet  has multiple positives -We access news and other related websites to update ourselves about the current affairs, we rely on the communication platform it offers to communicate with the world. Be it using a social networking website like Facebook, twitter  to post what’s happening in our lives and connecting with global audiences , or using an application like Whataspp, Skype or Viber to talk to our dear ones; web is the medium. Be it to get  information or to entertain ourselves, Internet is always our first choice. Even in many places internet is  used  to order food and used as medium to  shop in fast life of current times .

Unfortunately, the conflict ridden valley of Kashmir has suffered a lot due to frequent internet gags over the past few years and Infact has seen more gags imposed on internet  than war devastated Yemen, Iraq and Syria etc . Now in latest shocker and seen as a reaction to students agitation Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered suspension of internet services in the trouble-hit valley for a period of one month or till further orders.

As per the government directive, social networking sites to be suspended include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, QQ, WeChat, Ozone, Tumblr, Google+, Baidu, Skype, Viber, Line, Snapchat, Pinterest, Telegram, Reditt, Snapfish, YouTube (Upload), Vine, Xanga and Flickr.

 

Masses and all voices of sanity are aghast over the move  and demand that this latest internet gag should be revoked to prevent further damages.

Perils of Caste System on Kashmir

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Caste System is rotting the soul of Kashmiri society. Today or tomorrow, the Kashmiri society will have to undergo a serious change or chemotherapy and we all have to pass through sever pain in knowing the demons of caste system. It is well observed by sane voices that Kashmiri society can never achieve its noble objectives and become developed with these caste discriminations or caste existence. It is to be noted that this menace of the caste system exists in countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and other few nations.

In kashmir although caste system does not necessarily manifest itself into brutal violence like many other parts of world   but has serious unfavorable consequences  on the intellectual development of the Kashmiri society as it leaves people divided into water tight compartments. In Kashmir, we have had the tradition of calling some castes such as Quershis, Makhdoomis, Qadris, Andrabis etc as the so called higher castes while a number of castes are termed as the so called lower castes which is totally against the spirit of our great religion Islam.

We have also developed a shameful lexicography in this regard”. We even as a matter of great concern tend to break relations if a so called upper caste family enters into relation with the other family which is deemed low caste by our backward society.

Without a doubt the dark realities of caste system demand that every young Kashmiri should seriously commit to fight against the casteist mentality and irrational social norms which suffocated human aspirations and dreams. We need to launch a serious reform and revolution to end this menace.

Crucial Bypolls

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Rameez Makhdoomi

The upcoming by elections to Lok Sabha seats of Anantnag and Srinagar Parliamentary seats are slated to be much  crucial from the political realities paradigm. Pertinently, just few days back the  Election Commission of India (ECI) announced schedule for Bye-Elections to Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha Constituencies according to which elections on these seats would be held on April 9 and April 12, 2017, respectively.

With this  announcement of the election schedule, Model Code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect in the districts in which the whole or any part of the Parliamentary Constituencies going for bye-elections is included.

On ground zero, the elections are said to have bearing on the electoral prospects of parties ruling in the state. The PDP-BJP Government came into existence in Jammu and Kashmir to surprise of many after the fractured verdict of 2014 elections and since  then the journey of the government has been quiet turbulent. Just after becoming Chief Minister the health of PDP Stalwart and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed worsened and the condition gradually deteriorated, and he was put on ventilator support. Finally he died on 7 January 2016 due to multi-organ failure  leaving the government in limbo.

After much parleys and governor rule for few months PDP BJP Government again stitched alliance and this time created history as Mehbooba Mufti on April 4, 2016 became the first woman to hold the office, she succeeded her fatherMufti Mohammad Sayeed in the role, a few months after his death in January 2016. Mehbooba is India’s second Muslim woman chief minister after Syeda Anwara Taimur of Assam.

Pertinently, the euphoria lived very short as the agitation post killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in July 2016 dented image of Mehbooba Mufti. It is in this back drop the upcoming elections hold a key with experts stating that having presided over so many deaths, blindings and injures it is difficult for ruling PDP to win the elections.

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a Journalist Stated – “ Considering what has happened in the past two years of PDPBJP rule in the state and a manner in which tough times have engulfed the state make the journey to victory tough for the ruling coalition.  With so many killings, injuries and issue after issue surfacing It would be tough task for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to retain both the Lok Sabha seats. Certainly the contest looks all the more interesting. anti-incumbency factor, PDP’s joining hands with BJP and civilian killings  in Valley last year , the ruling party may find it difficult to retain both the seats.”

The verdict day would be certainly one to be worth analysis for major political players on PDP,BJP, NC, Congress.

 

Embracing Death

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Farzana Mumtaz

Since past few weeks the graph of violence in Kashmir is once again going up with deadly clashes taking place regularly.  During last week alone in encounter incidents in the State  at least eight militants, six soldiers, including a Major, and two civilians have been killed in the space of just three days. About a dozen security personnel, including a CRPF commandant and a Major, have been injured.

Words like killings, deaths, attacks, encounters are back haunting the people of Kashmir .Post the 2008, 2010, 2016 agitations  a  new breed of militants is rising in Kashmir — young, educated, tech-savvy and mostly fearless . On the otherhand as soon as encounter erupts in Kashmir the local population since past few months have reached to almost every encounter site in support of militants and pelted stones on security forces

As a matter of fact, hundreds of mainly angry youth have converged in recent months on the scene of gunbattles that regularly erupt between security  forces and militants opposed to Indian rule.

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Post the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani which gave rise to 2016 civil uprising which resulted in death of about 100 civilians and thousands wounded we have witnessed boys aged as small as  ten  to 15 took over the streets and were unafraid of walking up to armed garrisons that dot the landscape of a Valley.

Security analysts have maintained that efforts of locals to help militants — by putting themselves in harm’s way — is a worrying recent development in the decades-long militancy .

 

To compound the matters further in Kashmir valley, tensions between nuclear rivals Pakistan and India have mounted in recent  months especially after URI attack thus making matters difficult for people.

Casualty and death word have continued to remain relevant in Kashmir especially since past three decades . According to Sumantra Bose in his book, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, around 40000 (Indian estimates) to 80000 (Hurriyat estimates) civilians, separatist guerilla fighters and Indian security personnel died from the time period of 1989 to 2002 in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu .

Army Chief Bipin Rawat  statement that People creating hurdles during anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir will be dealt as anti-nationals and will face “harsh” actions, has added fuel to fire. National Conference  expressed disappointment and dismay over the “belligerent” remarks of the Army Chief about dealing “mercilessly” with the isolated and alienated youth of Kashmir and said such posturing would compound the situation and increase the hostility in the Valley.

” The unsettled Kashmir Political Dispute has taken a huge toll on Kashmir and especially the younger generation has risen above fear to seek justice and solution and thus embracing death .It is high time that Indian state leaves harsh attitude and adopts a pragmatic path to settle Kashmir dispute Democratically so as to put an end to painful cycle of never ending violence in Kashmir, states Bilal Bashir Bhat, Journalist While taking to News Kashmir.

 

 

Highway of Death

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News Kashmir Desk

Jammu-Srinagar highway has become pragmatically a highway of death on account of frequent traffic accidents, and this coupled with frequent closures of this highway due to rains and snowfalls is adding to miseries of commuters plying on this road  .

 

Heart-rending accidents have become a norm on highway . On February 7, a vehicle on way to Jammu plunged into a 500ft gorge and landed at the banks of Bishlari nallah near Digdol – 12 kms from Ramban – resulting into on spot death of four commuters . To add to woes , few days back, highway  opened  after a four-day blockade caused by heavy snowfall

Pertinently, the highway is the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country and prices of essential commodities in Kashmir inflate once this road link gets closed. It is a known fact that the closure of the highway always results in scarcity of essentials for the landlocked Kashmir Valley.

Manzoor Ahmad, a driver stated – “The Jammu – Srinagar National Highway is since long demanding attention as it has wrecked havoc and is by all means a death trap. Steps should be taken to improve the status of this all important route so that frequent blockades do not occur and precious lives are saved. Alternatives should also be thought out and a mechanism devised to sort out this problem of frequent deadly traffic accidents and closures of highway.”

What had complicated matters further this year especially was that recently, when road was closed for several days the airfares skyrocketed. A  check of airfares of different airlines from Srinagar to Delhi suggested that the spot fare was hovering around Rs 16,000 to RS 1800 . Normal fare between the two destinations is around Rs 3500 to 5,000.

On an optimistic note though, after seven years of work, the Chenani-Nashri tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu highway is finally heading towards its completion, with testing and other construction works likely to finish by the end of this month. This tunnel will not only cut the distance but reduces travel through risky portions. Although now voices are calling to revamp Banihal to Ramban road so that real headway is achieved.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government is trying to use the state-of-the-art 11 km-long railway tunnel between Banihal and Qazigund for vehicular traffic, in case the stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar highway between the two towns needs to be closed. This part of the highway is the most prone to landslides and shooting stones during bad weather.

Considering the prevalent ground realities Jammu- Srinagar Highway is still highway of death and this calls from brainstorming effective steps by concerned authorities in this regard.

 

Internet Shutdowns and Kashmir

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Internet is the lifeline of every society owing to its multi- dimensional uses. In Kashmir valley a decade back the real internet boom ushered and people of Kashmir started its use for carrying out business, social networking and other activities.

Unfortunately, due to ongoing political upheavals the medium of internet has been biggest causality .

As a matter of fact,Jammu and Kashmir has experienced 27 Internet shutdowns since 2012, highest for any other Indian state, with nine such incidents reported in 2016, data by legal service organisation SFLC revealed. On the otherhand, as a standard procedure, mobile services and mobile internet is snapped in Kashmir valley on Indian Republic and Independence days, with an exception on this year’s Republic Day.

The data released few days back  provided by Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) reflects that since 2012 there have been 62 incidents of Internet shutdowns across various regions in 12 states in the country, with 30 being reported in 2016 itself, and four instances in the first month of 2017.

Last year for many months internet was shutdown affecting life adversely in Kashmir valley. Pertinently, after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed on July 8, 2016, mobile internet services were snapped by the authorities citing security reasons. The services were restored on November 19 for post-paid connections and on January 27, 2017 for pre-paid connections.

One hopes there will be end to this frequent internet shutdowns in Kashmir.

Stormy Assembly Session

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News Kashmir Desk

The recently concluded Winter Assembly Session of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly at Winter capital Jammu witnessed much uproar and disruptions coupled with controversies and heated exchanges between members.

At the very start of session, With the Governor NN Vohra address to  the joint session of both the houses of state legislators  scenes of uproar and disruption were  witnessed inside the central hall of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly , all the legislators from opposition National Conference, Congress supported by others stood up and raised anti-government slogans. The opposition shouted slogans like , “PDP ka badlav kya , boli sai nahi goli sai”.

During the session, another controversy erupted when The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was adjourned amid opposition protests after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti blamed the National Conference for rigging elections and giving birth to militancy.”People who sowed seeds of secession by demanding plebiscite in the state also rigged elections in 1987 to give birth to militancy,” the Chief Minister told the house.NC reacted sharply. Pertinently, the National Conference members took strong exception to the remarks and started raising their voice.

In another related development that caught attention and  headlines , National Conference MLC Shauqat Hussain Ganai described in the Legislative Council the slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani as a “martyr”, triggering protests from the ruling PDP and BJP.

Although, in an optimistic development on the 27th anniversary of migration of Pandits on 19th January ,2017  the Jammu and Kashmir government today passed a resolution in the state assembly for the return of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley.”A good conducive atmosphere should be created for their safe return to the valley, “J&K Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, announced in the house, during the ongoing winter session.

The real drama was witnessed when on 31 January the Jammu and Kashmir  Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took a strong stand on article 370.The very next day the Assembly witnessed violent protests on the remarks on Article 370 by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, forcing Speaker Kavinder Gupta to surprisingly and unexpectedly adjourn Assembly sine die.

As a matter of fact,  BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia had  took strong exception to Mehbooba’s remarks in Assembly  in which she had called those opposing Article 370 as “anti-national”.

 

Ajaz  War, a Journalist states -“Assembly session was marred by controversies .This Assembly session was  one of the major acid tests for the coalition partners BJP and PDP as the state is once again witnessing heated polity in wake of politics surrounding 2016 killings, refugee , separate settlements for Pandits. But, overall what one could mostly see in this session was ugly politics, aggressive behavior and mudslinging on one another. With the session ending prematurely showed that this was quiet stormy one .”

Political analysts have termed the recently concluded session as one of the stormy assembly sessions in state legislature history.

 

Weather Vagaries

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News Kashmir Desk

 

Weather vagaries have become order of day in Kashmir over the past few decades. Few weeks back the valley of Kashmir was reeling under one of the prolonged dry spells and now from past two to three weeks the snowfall is happening nonstop giving rise to avalanches and frequent blockade of road and air links to the Valley of Kashmir.

Especially, the second spell of continuous heavy snowfall in Kashmir has brought the life in Valley to standstill and most of the mountainous areas remain cut off. Statistics say it all –  Gulmarg received 5.6 feet, Tangmarg 3 feet, Baba Reshi 4 feet, Kunzar 2 feet, Pattan 10 inches, Chandoosa 2.9 feet, Boniyar 2 feet, Baramulla 21inches, Macchil 3 feet, Z-Gali 3.6 feet, Keran 2.6 feet, Furkiyan 3.6 feet, Karah one feet, Sadna 3.6 feet, Kupwara 2 feet, Lalpora 2.6 feet, Sogam 2.6 feet, Kralpora2 feet, Handwara 1.6 feet, Zachaldara 2.6 feet, Wudar Bala 3 feet, Kalamabad 2 feet, Mawar 3.6 feet, Nowgam 4 feet, Bangus 10 feet,

Pertinently, the summer 2014 saw Kashmir witnessing one of the horrible floods in its history. As a matter of fact, In September 2014, the Kashmir region suffered disastrous floods across many of its districts caused by torrential rainfall. The Jammu and Kashmir state and adjoining areas received heavy rainfall from 2 September 2014 onwards, during last stage of monsoon in India. This triggered flooding and landslides in India and the adjoining areas of Pakistan. On 5 September, the Jhelum River in Srinagar was reported to be flowing at 22.40 feet (6.83 m) which was 4.40 feet (1.34 m) above the danger mark and at 33 feet (10 m) at Sangam in Anantnag district above the danger mark. The discharge rate in the river was recorded as 70000 m3/s against the normal discharge of 25000 m3/s.

On the otherhand, the grave scenario with reference of climate has hit us hard at a time when in Kashmir the overall paradigms are quiet terrible with reference to ecological balance as we have lost several valuable environmental resources especially waterbodies and forest cover.

Over the past few decades, we have lost a bulk of wetlands and lakes. The phenomenon of deforestation has increased. Many are opining that as we have lent a great blow to our natural resources and thus the abnormal climate patterns like increased rainfall, flooding, high temperatures have augmented.

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a Journalist while talking to News Kashmir on the topic of weather vagaries and Kashmir states – “ Over the past few decades we have seen Kashmir losing forest cover at alarming pace due to multiple reasons; water bodies have dwindled and constructions have boomed in fragile environmental zones . I believe we are losing our ecological balance and that finally results into weather vagaries . Noted reports are already pointing towards looming dangers. There is also global warming on global level that impacts every region. We need to increase our forest cover coupled with conserving water bodies and other natural resources to avoid fury of nature in form  of weather vagaries and other disasters. “

 

Undoubtedly, weather vagaries are becoming a frequent occurrence in ecologically fragile beautiful valley of Kashmir.

Inefficient WAKF

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Farzana Mumtaz

Kashmir is the known globally as being land of great Saints, Sufis. It is bestowed with great religious wealth in the form of abundant shrines and places of worship enjoying reverence and allegiance from people professing different faiths.

 

It is a known fact that the beautiful valley of Kashmir with the inception of Islam did undergo reformative changes at all levels and strata of society. The imprints which Islam left on Kashmiris have been aptly put  by the noted historian Prem Nath Bazaz “Politics had dehumanized the Kashmiris; Islam made them men again. Just as the Muslim rule was established in Kashmir without much bloodshed, so was Islam spread throughout the length and breadth of the valley by peaceful preaching and lucid persuasions of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani(RA) and hundreds of the Sayyid Missionaries who came from Hamadan and other parts of Persia.

In this regard, Muslim Wakf Board, which has the unique distinction of being second largest asset rich body in Jammu and Kashmir after the State government is the custodian of these 47 holy shrines in the Kashmir Valley.

But, over the decades WAKF has failed to perform effectively and has been in news for all the wrong reasons. Recently, scores  of shopkeepers and traders under the banner of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) and Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) staged protest against what they termed as “arbitrary and unjustified” hike of rentals of shops leased out by Wakf Board.

On their part,  traders have alleged  Wakf Board has “cheated” them by engaging them into negotiations and on the other side sending officials for recovery of rents at hiked rates.

KCCI President Mushtaq Ahmad Wani and Secretary General KTMF Bashir Ahmad Kongposh, who were leading the demonstration, said, “the token protest was held to remind the concerned authorities that the traders’ fraternity has not forgotten the ultimatum given to the government.”

“We will resist such sinister moves of the government tooth and nail,” said KTMF President Haji Muhammed Yasin Khan.

“State government and the Wakf board authorities are dancing to the tunes of rightwing fanatics. The Wakf board authorities are behaving like RSS bhakts and it seems they have been guided to do so. We will give a befitting a reply soon which will surely shake the corridors of power,” Khan said.

On the other hand of the spectrum, despite generating tremendous income one fails to witness any impressive work done by the WAKF Board. Even many of the shrines lack proper facilities, management. A visit to many shrines under its management reveals this negative  veracity. At many points, even the staircases leading to this famous Shrines are in shambles and the bathrooms, rooms constructed for devotees are also highly unhygienic. This is despite of the fact that shrines  gets huge donations from devotees.

 

WAKF has also failed to lend any notable contribution to health and education sector. Parents spend several hours of their precious time in quest to just owe a single admission form of the reputed Christian missionary schools whileas no such things are witnessed in case of schools owned by the  WAKF Board.

While talking to News Kashmir, Advocate Iftikhar Ahmad states – “WAKF Board has more or less been a failure as it has not lend any notable contributions to the society. WAKF Board has also not made any mark in the all important education and health sector as it has failed to construct hospitals for the poor masses of Kashmir which otherwise should have been done by the WAKF Board years back  considering its impressive economic strength. Overall, WAKF has disappointed the people of Kashmiris via its inefficiency .”

In nutshell, WAKF performance is quiet dismal according to voices on ground.