Indian troops martyr five more innocent Kashmiri youth

Srinagar, June 28 (Writer-South Asia): In disputed Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred five more innocent Kashmir youth in Kupwara district, today, evening.

Troops during violent military operations killed five youth in Nowgam area of the district. Earlier, three Indian troops were killed in an attack in the same area.

Kashmir, a massive march will be conducted towards Sopore town, tomorrow, to protest against the killing of four innocent youth by Indian troops.

Call for the march has been given by the front ranking freedom organisation APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani. It has been supported by the High Court Bar Association and other pro-movement leaders and organisations.

The APHC in an extraordinary meeting of its Executive Committee and General Council, chaired by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in Srinagar, today, discussed in detail the latest situation of the disputed territory. A statement issued after the meeting appealed to the people to express solidarity with the Kashmiri martyrs’ mission by massively participating in the march, tomorrow.

On the other hand, curfew continued to remain imposed in Sopore town, for the third consecutive day, today. Heavy contingents of police and paramilitary troopers had been deployed in various localities of the town and the armoured vehicles and troopers were seen patrolling the deserted streets. Protest strike was observed in Baramulla town, as well. The authorities booked Hurriyet leaders, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Mohammad Ayaz Akbar under draconian law, Public Safety Act.

A constable of Indian police committed suicide by consuming poisonous substances in Bemina area of Srinagar, raising the number of such deaths amongst Indian troops and police personnel in the occupied territory to 185 since January 2007.

In Toronto, on the occasion of G-20 Meet, Kashmiris and their sympathisers held a mammoth rally to protest against the gross human rights violations by Indian troops in disputed Kashmir. A resolution passed at the end of the rally urged the G20 nations to impress upon India to stop human right abuses, honour the rights of the Kashmiri people, release political prisoners, repeal black laws and withdraw its troops from disputed Kashmir.

Kashmir, complete strike was observed, today, on the first day of the 10-day programme to protest against the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian troops and the arrest of Hurriyet leaders.

Call for the strike had been given by the forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani. All shops, business establishments, public and private offices, banks and courts remained closed while traffic was off the road.

Earlier, leader of the forum, Masarrat Aalam Butt, announcing the 10-day protest programme before the media men in Srinagar, said that initially people would hold Quit Kashmir Campaign as a part of the protest programme.

Giving further details, he said that special prayers would be offered on Saturday and graffiti on walls and Internet on Sunday. “The people are requested to write Go India Go on any space available to them on walls, internet or other medium,” he said.

Masarrat Aalam Butt said that male students would wear black armbands and stage protests in the premises of their educational institutes on Monday and female students would protest in the same way on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he said, peaceful demonstrations would be held in mosques at night from Maghrib to Esha prayers.

He said that on Thursday, July 01, Kashmiri women would march towards Pather Masjid in the old city area of Srinagar. Masarrat Aalam Butt maintained that on July 02 and 03 there would be complete shutdown. He appealed the people to observe complete strike on July 09 and 10. He also announced a march towards Eidgah in Srinagar on July 13, the Martyrs’ Day.

F-16s can be used against any adversary: PAF chief

By Iftikhar A. Khan

Islamabad, 28 Jun, 2010 :SHAHBAZ AIR BASE (Jacobabad): The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, has said there is no restriction on the use of newly-acquired F-16 combat aircraft against any adversary.

“Our mission is to maintain peace in the region with honour, but if the primary effort fails we will use all our assets, including these aircraft, to defend our country against any internal or external threats,” he said.

The air chief was talking to reporters at the newly upgraded Shahbaz Air Base on Sunday after a ceremony held to mark the formal induction of the first three of 18 advanced F-16 fighter jets into the PAF fleet.

The aircraft have been purchased from the United States for $1.4 billion. The ceremony was attended by Chief of Staff of US Air Force Gen Norton A. Schwartz, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson, US Air Forces’ Central Command chief Gen Mike Hostage and US Defence Representative to Pakistan Vice Admiral Michael A. LeFever. Answering a question, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar said the acquisition of the hi-tech falcons would neither spark an arms race nor disturb the balance of power in the region. It would be the other way round, he said, adding that the induction would restore the balance of power as the neighbours already had hi-tech aircraft in their inventory.

Earlier addressing the ceremony, he said the PAF had decided to induct the state-of-the-art aircraft with night precision attack capability in 2006 but the contract became controversial in both the countries from the very beginning, with critics (in the United States) questioning the decision and saying that F-16s would have no role in the fight against terrorism and cynics (at home) also challenged the wisdom of a contract with the US, because of past experience.

He said that Pakistan and the US were allies in the war against terror and trust between the two countries was an essential element required to achieve success in the war. He noted that delivery of the aircraft was the beginning of a process to develop the trust.

“The issue of trust between the two countries would take some time to be established fully, but the ceremony was an important step in that direction,” he said.

He said the new F-16s would provide the PAF all-weather day and night precision attack capability, adding a new dimension to the PAF potential. He said that operationalising capabilities of the new aircraft and mastering their technology was a challenge for the PAF, but expressed the confidence that it would be done in weeks and months.

He said that Shahbaz Airbase had been developed into a modern base capable of handling the most modern fighter aircraft in the world in less than one year. Completion of this task in a record time, he said, reflected the spirit of PAF.

US Air Chief General Norton Schawrtz said the event was symbolic and a tangible demonstration of the US commitment to stand by Pakistan in the long run as an important ally.

“Pakistan’s new F-16s will give PAF pilots and Pakistan’s military an unprecedented advantage against extremist groups who threaten Pakistan and the region by enabling precision targeting in all-weather conditions, during both day and night, while reducing potential for collateral damage,” Gen Schawrtz said.

“The aircraft will also enable increased tactical inter-operability between the PAF, the US Air Force and Isaf coalition air forces – greatly bolstering our ability to jointly communicate, coordinate and work together to achieve common goals while boosting the PAF’s status as a world-class air force.”

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson said the ceremony was a manifestation of deep and broad strategic partnership between the two countries.

She referred to the useful discussion in a number of areas during the strategic dialogue and said the US was committed to a long-term partnership with an old ally.

She said both the countries were working together to make the region and the world peaceful and secure.

Indian Media and Entertainment Industry :List of TV Channels released:

By: Sheikh GULZAAR

Srinagar : The domestic entertainment industry was estimated at nearly Rs 225.0 billion and provided employment opportunities for nearly 6.0 million people in the year 1999. In terms of foreign exchange earnings, the industry contributed around Rs 4,000.0 million in the year 1999. In the current year, this is likely to increase to around Rs 10,000.0 million. This projected growth is likely to occur on account of the increasing migration of the Indian population across the globe, extensive outsourcing of content such as animation by world leaders in the entertainment industry and the imminent broadband revolution in the industry. However, massive investments are required in the area of telecommunication infrastructure with industry friendly government policies. With the domestic consumer already having access to global entertainment avenues, globalization in this industry will only increase at a far greater pace in the coming years.

Changing lifestyles and increasing disposable income levels has facilitated the increasing penetration levels of the media and entertainment industry. Recent estimates indicate that around 68.0% of total adult population have access to the conventional forms of media. The urban middle class population has grown over the years and currently accounts for over 40.0% of the total population. The southern states have a distinct edge in terms of media penetration. For instance, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have penetration levels of over 80.0% in case of mass media. Similarly, in the case of televisions, penetration levels increased to an estimated 75.0% of all urban households in the country. Satellite channels have been the fastest growing category in this segment.

Product Profiling AND SegmentationIndia is a vast country with numerous official languages and a literary history that can be traced back to the birth of civilization. Over the years, the industry has made tremendous progress in terms of technology and attaining self-sufficiency. With around 10,000 publishers and around 40,000 new titles every year, the domestic market is indeed a large market. In recent times, global authors have started to get their works published by domestic majors. This is likely to give a fillip to the industry in the near term. Simultaneously, domestic authors are gaining popularity across the globe. The low cost of production acts as a major attraction to global publishing houses.

From around Rs 6.0 billion in the year 1998-1999, production levels increased to around Rs 7.0 billion in the year 1999-2000. During the same period, import levels increased from Rs 1.4 billion to around Rs 1.50 billion. Similar to its counterparts in the entertainment industry, domestic publishers are witnessing a rapid inflow of pirated books. Recent estimates peg the level of piracy in the domestic market at around 80.0%.

The Indian Music Industry- Exponential Growth Ahead…The Indian entertainment industry is incomplete without the inclusion of music. Over the years, the importance of music has only increased, especially in case of the movie industry. Of late, movies have gone on to become huge successes largely on the backdrop of good music. While the popularity of film music increased, it also resulted in the growth of other segments such as remix, Indi-pop etc.

Distributors- Enjoying High Bargaining Power…Despite major changes occurring in the industry, reliability on distribution network still persists. Timing is highly crucial in the music industry. New releases have to reach the target audience well on time. Hence, only majors with a wider reach are able to sustain their leadership and generate profits. Furthermore, distribution companies retain a major part of the profits generated in this industry. As a result, several music companies have diversified into setting up of their own retail stores. HMV is a pioneer in this area and has an excellent chain of stores at its disposal. This helps the company to gauge the consumers’ changing perceptions and revamp its product offerings accordingly.

Low Margins- A Major Problem Area…
Estimates peg the cost of producing a cassette at around Rs 35. Purchase of the music rights is the single largest cost component. This is compounded by the incidence of taxes and royalty that account for another Rs 2-Rs 3 per cassette. Furthermore, margins to the traders, manufacturing and transportation charges account for a large chunk of costs.

This tendency to pay rather low prices for Indian music titles is prevalent even in the overseas markets. For instance, while a consumer is willing to pay around US$9-US$11 per cassette for an international music album, he is ready to pay only US$2 for an Indian music album. Such low margins results in music stores only unwilling to retail Indian titles. Consequently, Indian music titles are predominantly found only in Mom and Pop stores in the US.

Generally, in the domestic context, prices are determined mainly by the acquisition price of the music title, the stars involved and the target audience. With music not being on the priority list of a huge chunk of the population, any price hike results in demand shifting to pirated products. Also, there exists a differential pricing policy with regard to classical/ devotional music albums. While the target audience for film music is rather large, the customer base for classical/ devotional music is rather low. Hence, these albums are retailed at higher prices. Also, demand for classical/ devotional music tends to be seasonal in nature. This has a strong bearing on pricing policies.

The Indian Motion Picture IndustryFrom the days of shaky pictures and poor sound quality, the domestic film industry has gone on to become highly sophisticated in terms of infrastructure and product offerings. Furthermore, the domestic film industry is the largest in the world, producing over 800 films per annum, across 52 different languages. The industry generates employment opportunities to nearly 2.5 million people. By the year 2005, this is projected to increase to over 4.0 million. Currently, the industry is witnessing a period of rising pre and post-production costs.

The Changing Television Industry…Since the advent of deregulation in the domestic television industry, the going for Door Darshan has been rather tough. Various private satellite channels have emerged as strong competitors. This is evident from the recent decline in the revenues of Door Darshan. From around Rs 5.7 billion in the year 1996-1997, revenues declined to Rs 3.99 billion in the year 1998-1999. The year 1999-2000 has seen a improvement to Rs 5.0 billion, largely on account of cricket revenues of Rs 1.6 billion.

Simultaneously, revenues for DD Metro have also declined from over Rs 786.0 million in the year 1998-1999 to Rs 460.0 million in the year 1999-2000. Similarly, in terms of coverage and viewership, DD has witnessed an increased in the year 1999-2000.

Around 90.0% of the country’s population had access to DD, while area-wise coverage was estimated at around 75.0%. During the period June 1999-January 2000, viewership of DD’s programs during primetime increased by over 57.0% in the metros and mini-metros. Major reasons for this increased viewing is on account of improvement in the reception quality of signals, presentation of programs and a wider range of programs for viewers.

Satellite Cable Television- A Major Growth Engine…The boom in the satellite cable television segment has been a major cause for the high growth in the entertainment industry. The cable subscriber base has increased from around 0.05 million in the early 90s’ to around 24.0 million in the year 1999-2000. This is further estimated to increase to nearly 48.0 million by the end of the current year. With the rapid proliferation of channels (over 75), and imminent possibilities of the privatization of Door Darshan, growth in this segment is projected to be rather high.

The Coming of Regional Channels…The satellite television and software (content) industries are all set to witness a surge in demand in the coming years. Increasing emergence of regional channels is the major growth driver behind this likely growth. Subsequent to the advent of satellite television in the early ‘90s, regional channels are currently the key focus areas for majors. This is likely to offer a wider range of programs to viewers across the country. Furthermore, factors such as a decline in the pricing of color televisions, technological advancements etc have resulted in a wider audience base. This has resulted in regional advertisers clamoring for a bit of the action. With only around 30% of all households in the country speaking Hindi, this development was inevitable.

While in the past, Door Darshan monopolized the regional landscape with its 14 channels, over 20 regional channels are likely to make their debut this year. While in the South, the current trend is to diversify into news based channels, other markets such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab etc are witnessing their first dose of regional satellite television. This huge demand has even prompted global major News Corp and market leader Zee TV to look at this market.

Emerging Trends and New DevelopmentsSome of the major fast growing segments in the domestic industry include the music, cable and satellite advertising, infrastructure, exports, animation and FM. The domestic music industry was estimated at around Rs 17,000.0 million in the year 1999 and is projected to grow to around Rs 30,000.0 million by the end of the current year. The export segment is also expected to increase from around Rs 4,000.0 million to around Rs 10,000.0 million during the same period. Revenues from the animation segment are also forecasted to increase from Rs 2,200.0 million to nearly Rs 4,400.0 million by the end of the current year.

In order to capitalize on this fast growth ahead, companies are making large-scale investments in terms of infrastructure. For instance, the Modi Family has invested around Rs 1,500.0 million towards the construction of multiplexes that can screen around 16 films simultaneously. At the same time, majors such as Zee Telefilms and Eenadu TV are expanding their horizons to other markets as well.

TheGlobal Media AND Entertainment Industry- A Snapshot…Changing consumer choices, advent of new technologies and rapid globalization has been the growth drivers of this industry. Increasing penetration of the Internet has changed the dynamics of the industry. The US market has witnessed the maximum impact on account of these changes. Reports indicate that entertainment related expenditure is projected to increase from around US$675 per person in the current year to around US$814 by the year 2003.

Despite such increased spending, majors are also witnessing faster increases in costs. With margins coming under pressure, majors are trying to develop new distribution channels to minimize the impact of such cost increases.

Emerging Trends and New DevelopmentsIn the long term some of the major developments likely to have a deep impact on the global media and entertainment industry include,
· Shifting Preference For Internet-Based Content And The Emergence Of Interactive TV
· Proliferation Of Wireless Application Devices
· Large-Scale Migration To E-Tailing
· Development of Sophisticated Telecommunication Technologies
· Faster Globalization
· Growing Popularity of Mega- Theaters, Super Stores Concept etc
· High Degree of Consolidation in the Industry
· Increasing Digitization in the Industry
· Convergence of the Entertainment, Information and Telecommunication Segments and
· Rapid De-regulation in the Industry

Phenomenal growth in the cable and satellite television business has presented new revenue streams for global entertainment majors. Reports indicate that movie majors are projected to witness revenues of around US$ 11.0 billion by the year 2002 on the sale of their content to satellite television networks. This represents an increase from the 1998 level of nearly US$7.0 billion. As a part of the ongoing “Americanization” of the world, companies such as CNN, HBO, Espn etc have started to focus on their regional versions. Consequently, the scenario in the European, Asian and Latin American markets is fast changing.

However, this globalization process is likely to take some time with the respective governments of various countries still protecting their domestic media industry. This is largely on account of the politically sensitive nature of this medium. With the liberalization process gathering momentum across the globe, these companies will be forces to reckon with in the future.

However, Piracy Remains a Key Issue…Piracy remains the single-most important issue across the global entertainment industry. Estimates indicate that the revenues lost on account of piracy in case of the music industry is around 25%. Furthermore, this level is likely to increase to 40% in the near term. Consequently, the music industry could be affected to a larger extent than its counterparts. This is largely on account of the highly fragmented nature of this industry. Smaller players are likely to suffer the most.

In this regard, the major initiative taken by the industry to protect its intellectual capital is the launch of the Secure Digital Music Initiative (Sdmi). The Sdmi comprising of around 150 companies has adopted the first set of standards to prevent the piracy of music. April 2000 was decided as the deadline for the second phase of regulations. The members of this initiative include music distributors, on-line PC communications service providers. PC manufacturers, home electronics appliances manufacturers etc.

The Internet is not perceived to be a threat by certain majors. Sony Music for instance has been aggressive in formulating an e-strategy. The company has forayed into activities including the promotion of digital broadcasting. Also, strategic alliances have been forged with majors such as EMI, Universal Music, Warner and IBM in order to facilitate the download of full-length CDs. IBM and Microsoft are intensely competing to gain a foothold in this emerging area. IBM and Sony Music have formed a partnership to deliver pirate-free songs over the net. Microsoft, on the other hand tied up with Musicmaker.com to enable users to access the latter’s entire product catalog over the net. Other players including AT& T, Matsushita and Seagram are also trying to foray into this segment. Seagram has formed an alliance with Bertelesmann AG, Germany in order to compete in the on-line music retail segment.

However security protection is still in a primitive stage in this area. For instance, when Microsoft launched its Wmdm software, hackers cracked the software code within hours and distributed the same over the net. Despite such initial problems, there exists a huge potential for music software. In the long-term, companies need to develop technologies that facilitate the freer flow of content rather than trying to enforce more stringent regulations that are only difficult to monitor.

Future Outlook…
The Indian entertainment industry is on a high growth path. Domestic majors are finding better earnings potential in the huge overseas markets. At the same time, corporatization is finally starting to emerge in this highly unorganized industry. This is likely to instill a greater discipline in the functioning of the industry and lead to greater consolidation in the future. The domestic consumer will opt for more sophisticated technology in the near future. Consequently, domestic majors will have to redefine their product offerings.

With literacy levels forecasted to increase in the future, the publishing industry will continue to witness growth. Advent of new technologies such as e-book etc will take a longer time to have an impact on the domestic market when compared to the global markets. While piracy levels are declining slowly, better copyright laws and the rapid implementation of the same are imperative to preserve the creative talent in this industry. The government needs to implement the same in order to facilitate the high growth in this industry.

Innternational Information Resource has been collected the contact information of Satellite TV Channels from all over India and brought out a database on CD-Rom. It contains complete details of hundreds of all Satellite TV Channels of India.

Features: Each data Contains Name of the TV Channel , Channel Logo, Complete postal address, Email, Address,website address, phone No, Fax No. etc.
| Pages: N/A | | Format: Word | | Price Rs: 1550/- US$150

For more details:
International Information Resource Centre
PO Box 667 Srinagar SGR JK 190001
Admin. Off: Ist Street, Shaheed-e-Azemat Road, Nambalbal, Pampore PPR JK 192121
e.m: iirc@rediffmail.com,director.iirc@gmail.com
Cell: 09858986794
Ph: 01933-223705
http://mediadirectoryindia.blogspot.com/

Cultivation of Medicinal Plants in India

India has 15 Agroclimatic zones and 17000-18000 species of flowering plants of which 6000-7000 are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy.  About 960 species of medicinal plants are estimated to be in trade of which 178 species have annual consumption levels in excess of 100 metric tones.

Medicinal plants are not only a major resource base for the traditional medicine & herbal industry but also provide livelihood and health security to a large segment of Indian population.  The domestic trade of the AYUSH industry is of the order of Rs. 80 to 90 billion (1US$ = Rs.50).  The Indian medicinal plants and their products also account of exports in the range of Rs. 10 billion.

There is global resurgence in traditional and alternative health care systems resulting in world herbal trade which stands at US$ 120 billion and is expected to reach US$ 7 trillion by 2050.  Indian share in the world trade, at present, however, is quite low.

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) set-up in November 2002 by the Government of India has the primary mandate of coordinating all matters relating to medicinal plants and support policies and programmes for growth of trade, export, conservation and cultivation.  The Board is located in the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Medicinal plants play an important ROLE IN HUMAN LIFE TO COMBAT DISEASES SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. The rural folks and tribals in India even now depend largely on the surrounding plants/forests for their day-to-day needs. Medicinal plant are being looked upon not only as a source of health care but also as a source of income. The value of medicinal plants related trade in India is of the order of 5.5 billion US$ (Exim Report-1997) and is further increasing day-by-day. The international market of herbal products is estimated to be US $ 62 BILLION. India share in the global market of medicinal plants trade is less than 0.5%. In view of the innate Indian strengths, which include diverse eco-systems for growth of medicinal plants, technical/farming capacity, strong manufacturing sector, the medicinal plants sector can provide a huge export opportunity after fulfilling domestic needs.

The present e-book covers systematic account of most different plants with pictures used in medicines. It covers Medicinal Plants containing alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, additives and other active matabolites.

We hope that this e. book will be useful not only for technologists, professionals, but also for farmers, traders, students, NGOs, institutions, exporters and importers of Medicinal Plants.

The CD-based book costs Rs. 550/-

Payment: Demand Draft/IPO/MO only in favour of "International Information Resource Centre",
Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR Jammu and Kashmir 190001
Location of our Office: Ist Street, Shaheed-e-Azemat Road, Nambalbal, Pampore PPR J&K 192121
Ph:09858986794,01933-223705
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web: http://medicinalplantsdirectory.blogspot.com

Ministry of Minorities in India released List of Scheemes

By: Sheikh Gulzaar

Srinagar: As the Indian Constitution is committed to the equality of citizens and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. It is the responsibility of the state to preserve, protect and assure the rights of minorities. The United Nations Declaration on the Human Rights of persons belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities enjoins states to protect the identity of such minorities within their respective territories and also to encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. Appropriate emphasis is therefore required to be given to protect the interests of minorities and ensure that they do not lag behind in the progress and development of the society.

On 23-10-1993 Government has notified Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zorastrians (Parsis) as “the minority communities” under clause [C] of Section 2 of the NCM Act, 1992. The International Information Resource Centre has just released Database of Government Funding Schemes for NGOs/Institutions in CD-Rom/Print/e-mail edition.

This is a first database of its kind which covers all Government Financial Schemes in all the sectors including the policies, guidelines, Notifications, Circulars & Press Releases, Application Forms, Declarations, Specimens, and hundreds of schemes of Government of India.

The database of Government of India Schemes is a outcome of a survey of all Government Institutions and Departments during the last five years. Editor Sheikh Gulzaar from International Information Resource Centre and his colleagues have collected details of Government Funding Schemes.

Government at both Central and State levels encourages particulars of the NGO's in developmental and welfare activities. Certain approved programmes are implemented through NGO's. International Information Resource Centre has published 850 pages of e-book on the Government of India schemes and centrally sponsored schemes. The database of Government of India Schemes is an outcome of a survey of all Government Institutions and Departments during the last 3 years. More details:

International Information Resource Centre
Ist Street, Nambalbal, Pampore PPR J&K 192121, Contact person:
Ed. Sheikh Gulzaar, (Programme Incharge)
Ph: 09858986794, 01933-223705
E-mail: iirc@rediffmail.com
web : http://ngoinindia.blogspot.com

Kashmir Solidarity Day - 5th February

By : Zaki Ahmad (Saudi Arabia)

Srinagar: Feb 5^th : Since 1991, Pakistanis from around the world, observe the 5th of February as a day to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, who have been the victims of the worst Indian state terrorism for struggling and rendering unparalleled sacrifices to achieve their birth right, the right to self-determination, for the past six decades. There are several reasons why Pakistan and its people express solidarity with Kashmiris. The most striking is the strong cultural, religious and geographical bond which for centuries has tied the people of both areas into one unity. Moreover, the people of Pakistan rightly feel that Kashmir is the unfinished business of the partition of the subcontinent.

To understand the importance of the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day, one needs to understand the history of India’s occupation of Kashmir, which dates back to the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 after a century of British rule. According to the Partition Plan of June 3, 1947, the subcontinent was to be divided into two sovereign states. The Hindu-majority areas were to form India and the Muslim-majority areas were to be included in the state of Pakistan.

Under the criterion of partition, the princely states had to accede either to Pakistan or to India, keeping in consideration the geographical situation and communal demography. Being a Muslim-majority state, with an 87% Muslim population, Kashmir had a natural tendency to accede to Pakistan, but the evil designs of its then Hindu ruler and the Indian National Congress paved the way to destroy the future of millions of people of Kashmir. India occupied the state by deploying its army there on October 27, 1947, in total disregard to the spirit of the partition plan and against the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

The people of Kashmir did not accept the illegal Indian occupation from day one and have been conducting their liberation struggle ever since. They started an armed struggle supported by a public uprising. On January 1, 1948, realizing that its troops could be defeated by the Kashmiri Mujahedeen (freedom fighters), India approached the United Nations Security Council, which in its successive resolutions, accepted by both Pakistan and India, approved a ceasefire, demarcation of a ceasefire line, and demilitarization of the state and called for a free and impartial plebiscite to be conducted under the supervision of the UN. The demarcation of ceasefire resulted in dividing Kashmir into two parts, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Indian Occupied Kashmir. Phase one of the UN resolutions — the ceasefire — was implemented while demilitarization of the territory and the holding of a plebiscite under the UN umbrella remains unimplemented till this day. One of India’s founding fathers and its first prime minister, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, whose government took the Kashmir issue to the United Nations, told the Indian Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1947: ‘In order to establish our bonafides, we have suggested that, when the people (of Kashmir) are given the chance to decide their future, this should be done under the supervision of an impartial tribunal such as the United Nations. ‘On June 26, 1952, Nehru told Indian parliament, ‘If … the people of Kashmir do not wish to remain with us, let them go by all means; we will not keep them against their will, however painful it may [be] for us.’

The most deplorable aspect of the Kashmir dispute is that India itself had taken the issue to the United Nations but later backed away from the promises it had made in front of the international community regarding the settlement of the dispute and allowing the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination.

India has committed numerous human rights violations in Kashmir. And still it tries to project itself as a secular and peaceful democracy. If India is so confident that the people of Kashmir have full faith in the Indian Constitution and that the overwhelming participation of Kashmiris in recent elections is proof of that, and then let it hold a plebiscite in line with the decades-old UN resolutions. What is India afraid of? All we are asking is to grant Kashmiris the right to decide for themselves.

Freedom of thought and expression is the most fundamental of human rights. There are a few countries in the world that claim to be democratic but are actually barbaric. They hide their war crimes by using their official and private media as a war machine. India is one of these countries, which has used all types of brutal force against Kashmiris but has been evading criticism because of the worst press censorship. To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable.

Despite committing grave human rights violations, India tries to deceive the world by presenting itself as a “secular and the largest” democracy. For how long will the world stand by and allow this genocide to continue? UN should wake up to the blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions and the UN Charter by the Indian troops. These troops have been given a free hand to kill, detain and torture any person irrespective of their age and gender under the draconian and black laws, such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act - 1958, Public Safety Act (PSA) - 1978 and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act - 1992. Indian forces have killed nearly one hundred thousand innocent Kashmiris. Youth have suffered the most as the Indian troops suspect them to be freedom fighters. Fake encounters, custodial deaths and enforced disappearances are common in the Indian-occupied Kashmir. However, the steadfast Kashmiris are, in fact writing an inspiring golden chapter in their epic history by making supreme sacrifices with the advent of every sunup. Nowhere in the world, has such a ghastly state terrorism existed.

On the other hand Pakistan is very sincere in solving the Kashmir issue. Pakistan has always invited India for starting the peace dialogue again after the 26/11 attacks but India has always run away from it. Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized that it would never accept any option for the resolution of the core issue between Pakistan and India, which goes against Kashmiris’ aspirations. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have repeatedly said that Kashmir belongs to the Kashmiris and they are the arbiters of their fate.

The core issue of Kashmir, between India and Pakistan, has led Pakistan to face three wars and have devoted a major portion of their national incomes to defense budgets. World leaders have stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan to avoid an eventuality that may cause a catastrophe in the region. Kashmir is the nuclear flash point of Asia, surrounded by three nuclear powers. It is incumbent on the international community in general and governing world bodies in particular to intervene and force India to stop shedding innocent Kashmiri blood. Kashmiris should have the right to decide their fate according to the UN resolutions, which were adopted to resolve the issue. Without any doubt, Kashmir is jugular vein of Pakistan and it cannot evidently abandon it under any conditions. With both the South Asian neighbours armed with nuclear weapons, another conventional war on Kashmir has the potential to turn into a nuclear exchange that could be disastrous not only for South Asia but for the world at large. September 11, 2001 changed the course of history. The formation of the US led alliance to combat terrorism provided the Indians the perfect excuse to turn back on their promise of finding a just and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue based on the wishes of the Kashmiris. They tried to confuse world opinion by pinning the blame on Pakistan for aiding the ‘militants’ through ‘cross-border terrorism’. The observance of the Kashmir Solidarity Day is, thus an unambiguous manifestation of Pakistan’s commitment to the veracity. Thus the 5th of February is a day to acknowledge Kashmiris’ struggle for justice, peace, truth, and fundamental human rights. (Writer-South Asia)

Why S M Mushrif’s book “Who Killed Karkare?” not discussed in Indian Saffron Media

By Mohd Ziyallah Khan,

To tell a truth in front of a tyrant ruler is the biggest crusade in the sight of Lord. And perhaps, this saying sounds so true to Mr. S M Mushrif (retired IPS officer – former IGP Maharashtra) when he wrote his book ‘Who killed Karkare?’ published a couple of months back. Ironically, despite all the truth he has managed to jot down in his daring work, he couldn’t get the kind of coverage or response in the Media.

The sort of debate or discussion it should spark off in the market sounds missing though, the reasons are obvious, which he himself disclosed in his recent visit to Nagpur on 2nd and 3rd January 2010 in a conference organised by Bahujan Sangarsh Samiti Nagpur Chapter.

He said that 20-25 different journalists from the various big and small media houses – both the print and electronic – which interviewed him on 28th October 2009 at his Pune residence, but nothing really appeared the following day, except in small time newspapers of the city. His work was totally kept under the carpet; nobody really cared to debate or discuss it in public domain, thanks to the kind of pressure the Saffron brigade has created on the media industry. So one can imagine the fear in which they dwell these days. To this point Mushrif added a humor saying, “the saffron elements happen to be the real terrorist, but with my book they seems to be terrorized, so in this way I now call myself a more bigger terrorist than them”.

The most interesting speech in the two-day program of Bahujan Sangarsh Samiti, was in the symposium on ‘Hindu Nation and Bahujan Society’ (Bahujan Society is referred to the non-Brahmin communities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikh, Dalits, OBC’s etc). In his speech, Mr Mushrif said that the real trouble before the anti-national elements (saffron groups) were the true nationalist people like Karkare, Salaskar, Kamte etc, who managed to find the real culprit behind the series of bomb blasts executed in various places including, Malegaon, Nanded and Parbhani etc. The two laptops recovered by Karkare after Sadhvi Pragya’s arrest disclosed, how the Hindu terror network was responsible for the series of bomb blasts carried out, making Muslim innocent youths responsible for the same.

The laptop recovered had ample of information about how the Hindu terror group materialized this anti-national activities using people and groups of different expertise and resource. These groups of men included some high profile industrialists, politicians, media professionals, historians, academicians and so on. This new nexus coming into light was well exposed by our real hero, the ATS Chief, Hemant Karkare. This man made a promise to himself that he will leave no stone unturned to let the world know the truth. However, before he could do this, he was knocked out of this mortal world in a very mysterious fashion during the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

According to Mushrif, the elimination of Karkare was nothing but an innovative way of getting rid of a person who was likely to expose the anti-national elements which is nothing but the saffron brigade. This innovative way is – certainly killing people like Karkare under the shadow of some operation like 26/11, so it was a good team work between the so called Lashkar men and the saffron elements.

According to Mushrif, the IB was well informed about the LeT men hatching a plan to attack the Taj, they had been knowing this fact since 18th November 2008, but unfortunately, they never passed on this information to the Navy or to the Mumbai police, rather they preferred to give it to the coast guard which has nothing to do with the internal security. So it was nothing but efforts done too little too late, failing thus to avert this attack. The IB despite being informed about the movement of the boat carrying the men with lethal weapons remained tongue tied. Earlier the IB was provided with 35 different suspicious cell no’s by the RAW, the same numbers used during those 72 hours of terror in Mumbai, including many ISD calls and only one call made in Mumbai, just before the death of Karkare. In this way Hemant Karkare was killed by the men as per the directions of the saffron elements, while the message went to the masses was, ‘LeT men killed him’.

According to Mushrif, he had found 11 stark contrasting elements in two operations. The Taj-Oberoy-Trident was completely different from the one at Cama and Rangbhavan lanes. How can same people be at two different places at the same time? Also, he came across so many loopholes, in the 26/11 investigation. Sr. IAS officer Rangari told Times of India, Mumbai edition that during the attack at CST, out of 35 CCTV cameras, 16 were shut down at that particular day for no valid reason. The SIM recovered at CST station of the terrorist belonged to a person based at Satara (a city in Maharashtra), the police investigation was intervened in the midst of the due process, and this owner of the SIM was never brought to books. The lady beside the coastal area identified these men who came from boat, and was the eyewitness to the massacre perpetrated at Taj in the broad daylight, but was soon forced to leave for US.

The interesting remark made by Mr. Mushrif at the end of his speech was, that the IB in India is worst than any RSS Shakha, and that if these men who happen to be custodians of our security and who remain hand in glove with the enemies of our society, then its time to stand up for a new revolution.

(The writer is a freelancer and media activist based in Nagpur, can be contacted at writeziya@gmail.com)

DEMOCRACY AND SECULARISIM OF INDIA IS A FARCE

Srinagar: In disputed of Jammu and Kashmir India deals with the people according to their religion. In Jammu Fanatic extremist Hindu parties and their activists and the people of Jammu who being armed with swords trishuls( a three edged spear)petrol bombs, who torch lynch and cut Muslims and Muslim cops as well are given cold drinks by Indian Army and Hindu dominated Jammu police. they are given a free passage for attaching Offices of Kashmir based newspapers, Throw petrol bombs on the trucks of Muslim drivers plying on pathankot Srinagar highway. Who set on fire whole Gujjar (Muslim) huts in Jammu.Sambha, Kathua. Indian communal army watches them with pride and pats them.People like Brig.Suchet sing(retd) Who during the time of service took oath under secular constitution was found shoulder to shoulder assisting advising communal and fanatic Hindus how to attack and enforce economic blockade against Muslims of Kashmir, Doda, poonch . And harass Muslims of Jammu region.

If a person of such calibre and post in Indian army can be of dubious character what about the common solider of this army. After the events of Jammu it should be eye opener of everyone who harbour illusions about the secular fabric of Indian army. We remember that during Gujarat massacre of Muslims we were told that had there been army called out by George Fernandez ,Muslims could have been saved but time has proved wrong. What is the difference now when in Gujarat an ex M.P (Muslim) is killed by throwing burning tyre on him in the absence of Army and fanatic Hindu youths who on riding a motorcycle throw petrol bombs on a Kashmiri Muslim truck driver who got burnt 90% and is waiting for death to overcome him as all the burnt people die of septicaemia. Sure death. This all was done in broad daylight in the presence of Hindu police and Secular army of India.Now the question arises how many Suchet singhs will be in the Indian army having masks of secularism on their face and when they get an opportunity to inflict harm to the Muslims they would be doing that without any let or hinderence.If Govt.of India wants to give an example to others then it should annulate the pension of this communal ex Brig.Take the medals if any from him as a punishment for defaming the army,otherwise this taint will remain on the army and secular fabric will be always disputed.

Now lets talk about what the same army does when they are in Kashmir.Unarmed protestors whose weapon is faith and trust in Allah, Who never pour venom against Hindus.Who consider Common man of Jammu their own.Who take Hindu piligrims on their shoulders to their place of worship high up in the mountains of Kashmir.Who at the time of the adventure of tribals in 1947 saved the Hindus in Kashmir only for their betrayal in 1990 when the same Hindus left valley in order to Give Jagmohan a free hand to Kill the Muslims in Kashmir which he did with full impunity. Freedom is a right of every Human being.Kashmiris who were betrayed and deceived by Sheikh Abdullah want freedom from Indian occupation and want use the right of self determination as promised to them by UN and the first prime Minister of India.When Kashmiris raise their voice against the oppression and ask for eroding the cease fire line so as to avoid confrontation with Hindu fanatics of Jammu, ask for freedom. The secular army of India spray them with bullets and such tear gas shells which are supposed to used during combat. Beat them with Bamboo sticks to pulp. In 21 century a protest rally in other parts of world is stopped by spraying water on the protestors so that no life is lost. But India doesn’t consider Kashmiris their citizens which have been proven again again and again from 1947 till date. Why then kashmiris should consider themselves Indians. In Kashmir when people protest army gets so frustrated that they enter residential houses and beat the immates break windows, Molest women.

The cold blooded killings of last two days have revealed again the real face of secular India and its secular army. Kashmiris who were caught between a rock and hard place by the economic blockade were just trying to get their Just voice heard by the higher authorities of India. If govt. of India would had clamped curfew in the city as soon as the time of March towards Muzzaffarabad was announced we would have understood that all this is done in good faith but Unfortunately The occupational forces have long ago tasted the blood of unarmed Kashmiris and they want to taste it again and again.The unknown graves in Kashmir. The fake encounters.Criminal attacks on ambulances and doctors who were transporting injured. Beating women and children have again proven the dubious attitude of Indian army and its sister forces towards Kashmiris.Now it’s a high time for kashmiri’s to understand that its do or die situation now and as we all know that Independence from Indian occupation cannot be a reality until we all fight together against those who have deprived us of it fro centuries.We must listen to our leaders and act as per their command so as to get success. (Writer-South Asia)