Saturday, July 3, 2010
Announcement
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/-
More information:
International Information Resource Centre
Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001
Ph: 09858986794, 01933-223705
e-mail: iirc@rediffmail.com
Friday, July 2, 2010
We Wellcome our Indian Brothers and Sisters, especially Yatrries: Hurriyat: APHC
“Our struggle is not aimed at sabotaging Amarnath Yatra but for liberating Jammu and Kashmir,” Alam said in a statement.
Masarat made it clear that the ongoing freedom struggle is not against Yatra. “We are fighting for freedom,” he said.
Reacting to the union home minister P Chidambaram’s statement, Masarat termed it as childish, saying that “We will not be overawed by such statements.”
Masarat condemned the deployment of heavy contingents of troopers in and around the Pathar Masjid to prevent the women from assembling there as part of the “Quit Kashmir” movement. “Despite curfew and other restrictions, thousands of women led by Dukhtaran-i-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi assembled at Mughal Masjid, Chattabal, here and made the programme successful,” said Masarat, adding that special prayers were offered on the occasion for the success of ongoing freedom struggle.
Masarat strongly condemned the arrest of youth and attack on the residential houses of civilians by the police and CRPF troopers at various places in the Srinagar city yesterday evening, smashing window panes and beating inmates.
He also condemned the continued detention of pro-freedom leaders and activists including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Dr Muhammad Qasim, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Muhammad Yousuf Nadeem, Firdous Ahmad Shah, Gen Musa and Ghulam Qadir Bhat.(Writer-South Asia)
Prof. Shawl, Tramboo apprise Fazl of youth killings in IHK
London, July 02 : Acording to Kashmir Media Service reprts from London,the Executive Director of Kashmir Centre London, Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl and the Chairman of Kashmir Centre Brussels, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo in a letter sent to the Chairman of Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Maulana Fazlur Rehman apprised him of the recent killing of innocent youth and the continued human rights violations by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir.
In the letter, they said that more than 33 Kashmiri youth had been killed by the troops during the first half of this year. “Even in India, actors and leaders acknowledge Kashmir as the most dangerous place on the earth,” they added.
They further said that 11 people including a nine years old child had been killed in one week and still more and more reports were coming out of the occupied territory regarding the deteriorating situation.
They said that in Britain they were using their right to protest against the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir by the occupation authorities because protest was one of the strongest tools to draw attention of the international community toward the killings taking place in the occupied territory.
“The new spate of killings making it all the more essential to raise a very strong voice, particularly at a time when dialogue has been put back on its rails, and an improved human rights situation could become a vehicle of positive change on the ground,” they maintained.
»
Bollywood Director-2010 released
(Announcement)
International Information Resource Centre has been collected the information of Indian film Industry and brought out a CD-Rom, It contains complete information of thousands of bollywood personalities and companies from all over India.
All details of top bollywood available personalities film Stars, Directors, Producers, Film Productions, Film Studios, Film Associations, Film Makers, Television & Modeling Institutions all over India. Include details like Name, Full Postal Address including City, State and Pin code.
This is comprehensive source covering major Indian Persanalities & Film Companies. Most of the people in this database are very rich people with spending power.
Available in CD/e-mail edition
Very useful to:
Newcomers, Modeling Agencies, fan Clubs, NGO's, Film Companies, Advertising Agencies, Film Journalists, Service providers and almost all who are in entertainment industry and especially who seek an edge over its' competitors.
More details:
International information Resource Centre-IIRC
Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir-190001Ph: 01933-223705
Mob: 09858986794
e-mail: iirc@rediffmail.com
http://bollwooddirectory.blogspot.com/
“Bharat Teri Shahmat Aayi …Lashkar Aaayi…Lashkar Aaayi. Translation : India , you are now faced with worst time as "Lashkar" has arrived .
Dear editor,
Lashkar-e-Taiba is a pro-jehadi organization fighting the forced Indian occupation in Kashmir. They have been known to be the most lethal, technologically advanced, highly trained and the most destructive force among all of the Kashmiri resistance groups and have been bleeding the Indian occupation forces in Kashmir for years now. In accordance with Islamic teachings, they have a policy of not attacking civilians, and have denounced countless terrorist acts targeting civilians in both India and Pakistan.
In addition to their resolve and ability, one of the reasons Lashkar-e-Taiba has been so effective in Kashmir is the popular support they enjoy among ordinary Kashmiris. Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris have taken to the streets every day demanding freedom from India, chanting such slogans as ‘India teri maut ai, lashkar aai lashkar aai‘ and ‘lashkar-e-taiba se rishta kya, la ilaha il-Allah’
Meanwhile the vale of Kashmir reverberates with the slogan of “Bharat Teri Shahmat Aayi …Lashkar Aaayi…Lashkar Aaayi. Translation : India , you are now faced with worst time as "Lashkar" has arrived .
laming Lashkar-e-Taiba is not only a great diversion for the understandably angry Indian pulbic looking at their leaders for answers, it also helps paint Lashkar-e-Taiba as mindless terrorists and Pakistan as a state sponsor of Terrorism. Pointing towards the ‘traditional enemy’ means they can’t be held accountable, and provides the perfect cover for home grown Hindu terrorists, giving them a free hand to keep slaughtering Muslims and Christians in India.
Jahangir Khan
Via e-mail
Srinagar
Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: 'Difficult to say if Lashkar is behind J&K violence' Mufti Mehboba
Writer-South Asia (Srinagar New Delhi Islamabad Muzaffarabad: 'Difficult to say if Lashkar is behind J&K violence' Mufti Mehboba: "'Difficult to say if Lashkar is behind J&K violence' Mufti Mehboba"
'Difficult to say if Lashkar is behind J&K violence' Mufti Mehboba
Srinagar: Jully 02: People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply when asked if there was any truth in the allegation that her party has been providing money to some Kashmiris to stage-manage the ongoing violence in the valley.
In an interview with Rediff.com's Onkar Singh, the leader of Jammu and Kashmir's main Opposition party describe Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government as a total failure on most fronts.
This is downright rubbish and false to the core. Those who have made these allegations should look at their own deeds.
Even if I presume for a moment that what they say is right, then going by the same logic, it should also be said that the central government 'purchased' over 60 per cent votes in the 2008 election. is difficult to say whether Lashkar is behind these incidents of violence or not. The militancy in the state has almost come to a nil. What you see is spontaneous outpouring of anger of the Kashmiris against the repression unleashed by the central forces, particularly the Central Reserve Police Force.
33 innocents have so far lost their lives as per the statement issued by P Chidambaram. But this number could be more. The people of the state are agitating against the gross violation of human rights
I am deeply pained at these allegations, because when we were in power, violence in the valley had come down noticeably.
It is difficult to say whether Lashkar is behind these incidents of violence or not. The militancy in the state has almost come to a nil. What you see is spontaneous outpouring of anger of the Kashmiris against the repression unleashed by the central forces, particularly the Central Reserve Police Force.
Meanwhile,curfew in Srinagar, other towns to the Eidgah march, the authorities continue to impose indefinite curfew in Srinagar and other major cities and towns of the Valley to thwart the march towards Eidgah, Srinagar, today.
Call for the march has been given by the forum patronized by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani to protest against the unabated killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian troops in the disputed territory.
Life in the Kashmir Valley remains paralysed for the eighth consecutive day, today, amidst curfew and shutdown. All shops, business establishments, educational institutions, public and private offices and banks are closed while traffic is off the road in all the districts across the Valley.
Loudspeaker-fitted vehicles were on the streets of Srinagar making announcements of the extension of the curfew. “Policemen and paramilitary vehicles are moving through the old city and announcements have been made that curfew has been imposed,” a resident of Nowhatta told media men over phone. Similar announcements were being made in other major towns of the Valley.
“Curfew is being imposed to prevent people from marching towards Eidgah,” a police official said. “Curfew and restrictions will continue on Friday (today) in Srinagar and other towns of the Valley, which have seen massive protests in the wake of recent killings,” a police spokesman had told media men on Thursday evening.
Letter to the editor
Dear Sheikh Sahib,
The playing of Indian occupational Forces convays carring solidiers arms and ammunation, mules, fodder and other itoms is an open Chanakyaneti as not even pedestrians are spared the wrath of the armed men. People of this country traveling in buses, cars, trucks, scooters and pedestrians have to make way for playing of Indian Army Convoys and even a ambulances carrying patients for medicine facilities have to stop and at times patients die half way as delay caused by playing of Indian Army Convoys deprives them of timely medicare facilities. Even students carring school bags fear the worth of the Kashmirian Freedom Fighters (but armed), whistling all around adding to noise pollution and carrying stick and rod beating everyone that come their way thank heaven they do not open fire perhaps they fear Fidayeen.
How cruel they will be, but they have to quit my country one day the Russians withdraw from Afghanistan.
Abu Shakir, Rafiabad, Baranulla, Kashmir
The playing of Indian occupational Forces convays carring solidiers arms and ammunation, mules, fodder and other itoms is an open Chanakyaneti as not even pedestrians are spared the wrath of the armed men. People of this country traveling in buses, cars, trucks, scooters and pedestrians have to make way for playing of Indian Army Convoys and even a ambulances carrying patients for medicine facilities have to stop and at times patients die half way as delay caused by playing of Indian Army Convoys deprives them of timely medicare facilities. Even students carring school bags fear the worth of the Kashmirian Freedom Fighters (but armed), whistling all around adding to noise pollution and carrying stick and rod beating everyone that come their way thank heaven they do not open fire perhaps they fear Fidayeen.
How cruel they will be, but they have to quit my country one day the Russians withdraw from Afghanistan.
Abu Shakir, Rafiabad, Baranulla, Kashmir
All Hindus Wake up!
All Hindus Wake up! (or should it be Muslims?).......
(((Of course Muslims, not Hindus, because it's not the Hindus who're sleeping but the Muslims))))
While Muslims and Arabs are sleeping and unable to solve the problem of Palestine, Hindus working in the Gulf and Arab countries are encouraged to go pro-Israel, and anti-Muslims.
Protocol of Hindus
This book was introduced into the London book market for 5 days before it was withdrawn due to the fear of harassment and discrimination against Hindus in the Arab world.
The source of this information comes from the U.A.E Sharjah broadcasting Channel presented by Ra'ad Aman; the program name: "Foreign writings".
Book Title:" All Hindus Wake up"
Subheadings: "The protocols for Hindu leaders"
The Author: Dr. R. Singh
Only 13 of these protocols are mentioned; there're more to it.....
1. Hindus must consider the state of Israel as its most friendly ally due to its negative attitude towards Muslims.
2.. Spread sinful acts and values within Muslim communities.
3. Hindu temples must be built in all places possible (there are many these days) and be visited every day. Also the statue of "Ram" be placed in the work place.
4. . Regular meetings be held to plan ways for working against Islam.
5. Distribution of drugs, and prostitution to be carried out within Muslim countries and communities.
6. Sexual relationships with Muslim women is encouraged to ensure the production of Hindu babies within Muslim communities.
7. If you are a pharmacist or doctor, try at all costs to enduce congenital defects in the feteous.
8. If you are a nurse or doctor, whisper "Ohm" into the newborn's ear.
9. Try to spoil or damage goods in Muslim shops, if you are employed by them.
10. Become their friends, gain their trust and stab them in the back.
11. Turn others against them.
12. If you work in their homes, try to influence their children or wives, and the way of their thinking.
13. Wear a black string around your wrist. (what's the reason after that?)
By: Nasim Hajazi
Saudi Arabia
e-mail: nasimhijazi@gmail.com
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Kashmir Bleeds!
You can’t kill people at will and expect them not to protest. Protests are the strongest tool of democracy and no power on earth can stop that. Similarly silence does not help anyone but addressing the cause does. It’s time for India to get over its obsessed notion that they can get things done by a bullet but in the bargain they are creating more anger and hate to the extent never seen in Kashmir. People in the country are answerable to their conscience, if they claim to follow Ahimsa and internationally try to stand on a high moral ground. How hallow it is, has to be witnessed in Kashmir of today. If you remember that during the trail of Jassica Lal’s murder case the whole of India including the media went into frenzy to get justice for her. Similarly when the Mumbai attack happened in which innocent people died, people from different walks of life including Kashmiris stood up to condemn the killings and same was with the Nithari murder case and numerous such examples where Indians have been united to get justice for their people. Then why this double standards when something more barbaric happens in Kashmir where 11 people are mercilessly killed in one week including a 9yr old boy. Not even a single voice was raised from the length and breadth of India condemning these horrendous killings. To rub salt on the wounds the paramilitary comes out with the most bizarre statement saying they fired in self defense only to retract later, saying they never fired. Was a nine year old kid strong enough to challenge the whole Indian military might that he was killed? Do you approve of it? Aren’t we humans or its only about the land that you love. Why is it that when it comes to Kashmir Humans rights have no value? I am surprised with the statements of the CRPF trying to tell us that they are the only righteous people around and all others are lying. The comment of the Home Secretary G.K Pillai, that CRPF has shown restraint in not firing and that all these people who were killed are not innocent is, to say the least, ridiculous. He commended his forces for doing a great job. This shows how insensitive they are to the sufferings of the people. He says that the Nine year old kid was kept in front to be killed. Either he is too naive to the actual happenings or maybe they are up to something.
The past few days rumors were rife that Omar Abdullah was to resign and lots of social networking sites asking for it, which the CM empathetically set aside in his press conference. I can’t speak on behalf of Omar nor do I have the right to do so. I condemn the killings as all others do. No civil society would approve the use of brutal force against people. As I had said in my earlier article that killing should never be an option, but having said that I don’t understand how it would help to calm the situation if Omar Abdullah resigns. Can anyone please tell me? and who after him? The one who is responsible for bringing armed forces including the demon Jagmohan to Kashmir or the other who started the whole Amaranth controversy and the Chalo phobia or are you talking about the one who was more interested in his pillion rides, or are we talking about the turn coat who cannot set his house in order and doesn’t even know why is he, where he is. Name one person worth his salt to head the state. Why would we oppose someone who is clearly the most 'no-nonsense' CM Kashmir has ever seen in recent times. I do not want to be a loudmouth who opposes just because conventional wisdom dictates that. Wasn’t It on his intervention that the Machhil fake encounter surfaced? Was anyone aware of it ? Did anyone protest or demand an inquiry? Things would have been long forgotten had he not put his foot down and asked for all encounters to be re-examined. Now that an unfortunate incident like this has happened you can’t blame him for this when the force in question is directly under the control of the centre. Even then the CM had asked the CRPF in clear terms that no fire arms should be used, but even then they disobeyed. In such a situation if someone has to resign then it should be the Home Minister P. Chidambaram. If he offered his resignation when 73 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoist in West Bengal why doesn’t he resign today when the same force has unleashed a reign of terror against the innocent citizens of his country. If he cannot tame his forces he has no right to head them. It’s under his direction that these forces work here. These armed forces are armed with impunity under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, and their acts are beyond the purviews of the judiciary or the state government. The readers are intelligent enough to understand this. I know it’s difficult to comprehend the fact that young people are getting killed and we have all the reasons to get emotionally charged up and condemn the killings but blaming Omar without knowing the reality is being dishonest.
As Omar said in his press conference I also feel that the political parties have become traders of death. They look out for someone to get killed so they would get an opportunity to exploit the situation. They are equally responsible for the situation that Kashmir is in now. And finally, if you want to help, come up with some concrete ideas about how to stop this. Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
Abou the author : Tanvir Sadiq an be found at www.kashmirleader.blogspot.com or mailed at tanvirm123@yahoo.com. )
Troops martyr 33 innocent Kashmiris in June
Srinagar, July 01: According to Kashmir Media Service reports, In Kashmir, Indian troops, in their continued acts of state terrorism, martyred 33 innocent Kashmiris including 9 teenagers in the last month of June.
According to the data, compiled by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, 228 civilians including Hurriyet leaders and activists were arrested and 572 people were critically injured when the police and paramilitary forces fired bullets and teargas shells against peaceful demonstrators. Eight women were disgraced by the troops.
Sixteen residential houses were damaged with heavy firing and shelling during violent siege and search operations during the month. The killings rendered two women widowed and four children orphaned.
On the other hand, in an attack by Mujahideen at least two Indian troops were killed at Machil in Kupwara, today. The exchange of fire was continuing when last reports came in.
The authorities strictly enforced curfew and other restrictions, today, to thwart a march by women towards Pather Masjid in Srinagar, call for which had been given by the forum, patronised by Syed Ali Gilani. A group of women tried to take out a procession at Chattabal in Srinagar but was intercepted by the police. This led to a clash between the youth and police personnel.
The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi continued to remain under house arrest, today. Illegally detained APHC leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, talking to media men, outside Srinagar Central Jail emphasised that India would not be successful in subduing the Kashmiris by its state terrorism. He was shifted, today, to the jail from Humhama Police Station.
The APHC AJK in an extraordinarily meeting in Islamabad (Pakistan), today, expressed concern over the ongoing spate of the killing of teenagers by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir. The meeting was presided over by Convenor, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir civil society has strongly condemned the genocide of Kashmiris by troopers and policemen across the Valley.
The spokesperson of Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS), a Srinagar-based civil society advocacy group, in a statement, while demanding immediate revocation of all draconian laws including AFSPA, said, “We condemn all the barbaric acts violating the human rights with impunity.”
She urged the occupation authorities and the government of India to stop genocide in the occupied territory. The spokesperson has also appealed to the international community particularly the United Nations to take cognisance of killings; human rights violations and other heinous crimes like rape and molestation of women, extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances, murders through fake encounters, perpetuated on the people of Kashmir.
In various parts of Kashmir, thousands of Indian policemen and paramilitary forces personnel continued a strict curfew, today, in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Pampore, Pulwama, Kulgam, Islamabad, Pahalgam, Bijbehara, Mattan, Dooru, Kokernag and Achhabal to stem forceful anti-India demonstrations, which contineud against the Indian state terrorism in the territory.
Eight young boys were killed in Indian troops indiscriminate firings on mourners and peaceful demonstrations in last five days in Sopore, Baramulla and Islamabad townships. The restrictions were more intense in several towns and the people were confined to their houses. Troops restricted even the slightest movement of the people.
At least 40 people were injured in Srinagar, Islamabad, Kangan and other areas during clashes with Indian policemen while a 9-year-old girl, Shafia Mushtaq was injured in a grenade explosion at Buchoo in Pattan.
Meanwhile, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism, martyred two Kashmiri youth in Bangus valley in Handwara and Durusa in Lolab.
Medicinal Plants of India
(Announcement)
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.
Govt of India has been implementing Contractual Farming Scheme under which financial assistance @ 30% of the project cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 9.00 lakhs, is provided to farmers / growers for cultivation of identified medicinal plants. The Scheme is implemented through State Government. The Goovt of India had identified list of 32 medicinal plants for cultivation and development on priority basics-I. However, as per Operational Guidelines, projects for cultivation of other commercially important plants can also be considered for which assured market exists.
The present e-book (e-mail edition) also 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.
It also contains details of Govt. Schemes for Medicinal Plants. 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//MO only in favour of "International Information Resource Centre",
Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR Jammu and Kashmir 190001
Ph:09858986794,01933-223705
e-mail:iirc@rediffmail.com
India: Prosecute Soldiers in Kashmir ‘Encounter Killing’ : RRW
By: Johan Simith
New York, Jully 7: The recent killing of three men by soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in an apparent faked encounter with so-called militants underscores the urgency for the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers (Jammu and Kashmir) Act (AFSPA), Human Rights Watch said today. Under the Act, which has been in force in Kashmir since 1990, soldiers may not be prosecuted in a civilian court unless sanctioned by the federal government, which is extremely rare.
Police have accused Col. D.K. Pathania and Maj. Upinder Singh of the 4th Rajput Regiment of killing three Kashmiri villagers on April 30, 2010. The military men falsely claimed that the villagers were anti-government militants and shot at the Line of Control (LOC), the effective border separating the Indian- and Pakistani-administered regions of Kashmir. The army ordered an inquiry, suspended the major, and removed the colonel from command.
"We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians," said Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice."
The army claimed that it killed three militants after it foiled their attempt to infiltrate in the Machil sector of the Line of Control, and displayed AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, and Pakistani currency allegedly recovered from the men. Police allege, though, that a member of the Territorial Army, Abbas Hussain Shah, deliberately lured the three men - Mohamad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed, and Riyaz Ahmed, all residents of Nadihal in Baramulla district - into army custody with an offer of jobs.
Police arrested Shah, along with two alleged accomplices, after relatives reported that the three men were missing. The police said that Shah had admitted that he took the men to a village near the border, from which soldiers transported them to the Line of Control. Shah said he was acting under orders from Major Singh. The three bodies were later exhumed and identified by their relatives in the presence of a magistrate.
"The army's narrative of shooting infiltrators is the same tired story used time and again to claim military glory," Ganguly said. "The army's special powers to operate in conflict areas are being repeatedly abused and should be withdrawn."
A government-appointed review committee recommended repealing the act in 2004 because of repeated abuse. In 2009, the Indian government promised to revise the law to ensure human rights protections, but the bill has yet to be placed before parliament. The army has resisted any curtailment of its powers under the act, particularly its immunity from prosecution, saying that it will lead to frivolous complaints and will hurt troop morale. Human Rights Watch has documented numerous cases of faked "encounter killings."
For instance, in a 2000 case in Pathribal, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed murder charges against five army officers - Brig. Ajay Saxena, Lt. Col. Brajendra Pratap Singh, Maj. Saurabh Sinha, Maj. Amit Saxena, and Subedar Idrees Khan - for their role in abducting and killing five villagers in a staged armed encounter. The army challenged the charges under AFSPA since federal government approval had not been sought before the charges were filed. Court proceedings in the case still drag on, and none of the accused have been taken into custody or brought before a judge. According to some media accounts, some of the accused have continued to serve in the army and received promotions.
Everyone Lives in Fear"
We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians. But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice.
Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher
New York, Jully 7: The recent killing of three men by soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in an apparent faked encounter with so-called militants underscores the urgency for the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers (Jammu and Kashmir) Act (AFSPA), Human Rights Watch said today. Under the Act, which has been in force in Kashmir since 1990, soldiers may not be prosecuted in a civilian court unless sanctioned by the federal government, which is extremely rare.
Police have accused Col. D.K. Pathania and Maj. Upinder Singh of the 4th Rajput Regiment of killing three Kashmiri villagers on April 30, 2010. The military men falsely claimed that the villagers were anti-government militants and shot at the Line of Control (LOC), the effective border separating the Indian- and Pakistani-administered regions of Kashmir. The army ordered an inquiry, suspended the major, and removed the colonel from command.
"We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians," said Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice."
The army claimed that it killed three militants after it foiled their attempt to infiltrate in the Machil sector of the Line of Control, and displayed AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, and Pakistani currency allegedly recovered from the men. Police allege, though, that a member of the Territorial Army, Abbas Hussain Shah, deliberately lured the three men - Mohamad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed, and Riyaz Ahmed, all residents of Nadihal in Baramulla district - into army custody with an offer of jobs.
Police arrested Shah, along with two alleged accomplices, after relatives reported that the three men were missing. The police said that Shah had admitted that he took the men to a village near the border, from which soldiers transported them to the Line of Control. Shah said he was acting under orders from Major Singh. The three bodies were later exhumed and identified by their relatives in the presence of a magistrate.
"The army's narrative of shooting infiltrators is the same tired story used time and again to claim military glory," Ganguly said. "The army's special powers to operate in conflict areas are being repeatedly abused and should be withdrawn."
A government-appointed review committee recommended repealing the act in 2004 because of repeated abuse. In 2009, the Indian government promised to revise the law to ensure human rights protections, but the bill has yet to be placed before parliament. The army has resisted any curtailment of its powers under the act, particularly its immunity from prosecution, saying that it will lead to frivolous complaints and will hurt troop morale. Human Rights Watch has documented numerous cases of faked "encounter killings."
For instance, in a 2000 case in Pathribal, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed murder charges against five army officers - Brig. Ajay Saxena, Lt. Col. Brajendra Pratap Singh, Maj. Saurabh Sinha, Maj. Amit Saxena, and Subedar Idrees Khan - for their role in abducting and killing five villagers in a staged armed encounter. The army challenged the charges under AFSPA since federal government approval had not been sought before the charges were filed. Court proceedings in the case still drag on, and none of the accused have been taken into custody or brought before a judge. According to some media accounts, some of the accused have continued to serve in the army and received promotions.
Everyone Lives in Fear"
We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians. But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice.
Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher
(Announcement) Travel Grants for Cultural and Artistic Exchanges in Africa
Art Moves Africa (AMA) is an international nonprofit organization working to “to facilitate cultural and artistic exchanges within the African continent. AMA offers travel funds to artists, arts professionals and cultural operators living and working in Africa to travel within the African continent in order to engage in the exchange of information, the enhancement of skills, the development of informal networks and the pursuit of cooperation.”
AMA offers travel grants to “artists, arts professionals and cultural operators living and working in Africa to travel within the continent in order to engage in the exchange of information, the enhancement of skills, the development of informal networks and the pursuit of cooperation.”
Art Moves Africa supports the travel of artists and cultural professionals working in the following artistic fields:
Performing arts : theatre, dance, story telling…etc
Music
Visual arts
Cinema
Literature
Applications are accepted round the year and the next deadline to process the applications is 1 September 2010. For more information, visit this Website: www.artmovesafrica.org
ART MOVES AFRICA (AMA)
Khadija El Bennaoui, Coordinator
98, rue Antoine Dansaert. 1000 Brussels/Belgium
Tel.: +32476676149
Fax: +32 251 15 202
Website: www.artmovesafrica.org
Email: info@artmovesafrica.org
Indian Army restrict Kashmiris to houses: Mirwaiz Farooq
Srinagar, Jully 1 (Writer-South Asia): In disputed state of Kashmir, the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that, on one side, the Indian troops and police personnel are killing Kashmiris and, on the other, the people of Kashmir have been restricted to their houses through undeclared curfew.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement issued in Srinagar appealed Kashmiri people to continue their peaceful protest against Kashmiris’ massacre by troops. He said that if the occupation authorities prevented them from holding demos on roads, then they protest in mosques.
He said that the people of Kashmir have pledged to take the ongoing liberation struggle to its logical end despite the use of brute force by Indian troops. He said that no power of the world could stop them from their just struggle for right to self-determination.
The APHC Chairman appealed the world community to send teams to the occupied territory to review the situation and also urged it to put pressure on India to stop massive human rights violations in Kashmir and resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with Kashmiri’ aspirations.
Pakistan is estimated to have more nuclear warheads than India: NNW, report
While Pakistan is estimated to possess 70-90 nuclear weapons, India is believed to have 60-80, claims Robert S Norris and Hans M Kristensen in their latest article 'Nuclear Notebook: Worldwide deployments of nuclear weapons, 2010'.
Russia 13,000*
United States 9,400**
France 300
China 240
Britain 180
Israel 80–100
Pakistan 70–90
India 60–80
North Korea ?
Iran ?
Tota l ~23,360
The article published in the latest issue of 'Bulletin of the Atomic Science' claimed that Beijing, Islamabad and New Delhi are quantitatively and qualitatively increasing their arsenals and deploying weapons at more sites, yet the locations are difficult to pinpoint.
For example, no reliable public information exists on where Pakistan or India produces its nuclear weapons, it said.
"Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not believed to be fully operational under normal circumstances, India is thought to store its nuclear warheads and bombs in central storage locations rather than on bases with operational forces. But, since all three countries are expanding their arsenals, new bases and storage sites probably are under construction," the two nuclear experts said.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
No plan to ban Lamhaa, says Govt
The film, set in Kashmir, tells the story about a soldier played by Dutt and his Kashmiri love interest, played by a de-glamorised Basu. Parzania director Rahul Dholakia had made the film. Director Rahul Dholakia told 16 June to Ed. Sheikh GULZAAR in from Mumbay that film is stated to release on Jully 16.
The home secretary felt that stalling or banning a movie is not the answer to the problem. "This is a democratic set-up and in a democracy people have the right to speak up and put forth their views. I am confident that the release of such a movie will not add to the existing problem," he added.
Dholakia told Rediff.com that he is happy with the home secretary's statement. "This is the right decision. It is the time to create an environment of trust so that the problems are solved. Kashmir is burning today and it is our responsibility to create an environment of trust," the director said.
His movie, he added, is not reflective of the government's views, but deals with the plight of resident Kashmiris. The film does not deal with the sentiments of India or Pakistan on this issue, he added. "We are just dealing with the state of the residents of that beautiful place."
"I am hopeful that the movie will do well," Dholakia said. His last film, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika is yet to be released in Gujarat.
Withdrawal of troops from entire Jammu and Kashmir and joint supervision by India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who will be meeting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Islamabad Images ] on July 15, said the two countries should build on progress made in any area and look at ways to make progress where it has not been done.
"We will not like to ignore anything. We will not like to ignore any development or any positive development that has taken place between India and Pakistan," he told PTI in an interview in Islamabad.
He was responding when asked to comment on India's emphasis that there was a need to "reaffirm" the progress made through "complex negotiations and dialogue through patient and unsung effort" whether in the composite dialogue or back channel diplomacy.
"Any issue, whether it is Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, water, any issue where progress can be made, should be made. Where it hasn't been made, we should look at ways and means how to make progress. Where progress has been made, let us build on it further," Qureshi said in a wide-ranging interaction.
Asked whether his government endorses the four-point formula floated by Musharraf in December 2006 to resolve Kashmir issue, he said, "The four-point formula that Gen Musharraf made then was his thinking. It was being done through quiet back-channel diplomacy."
The formula envisaged softening of Line of Control self-governance, phased withdrawal of troops from entire Jammu and Kashmir and joint supervision by India and Pakistan.
"We are a democracy, Parliament has to own them, Parliament has to endorse them, Cabinet has to discuss them," the foreign minister said, adding these proposals were "neither discussed by Cabinet, nor endorsed by Parliament. So, as democrats, there are certain parliamentary procedures that we have to fulfill."
Qureshi noted that over the last six decades many proposals have been made for resolution of the Kashmir issue.
"Over 61 proposals have been under discussion, some (given) by India, some by Pakistan and some by third party experts on how to resolve it," he said.
"It is a complex problem, there are no easy solutions, but if environment is created, then both sides can see what lies in their interest," the Pakistan foreign minister said.
Queried whether he had any proposals to resolve Kashmir issue, he responded, "I have ideas but can't share with you. I can share with Mr Krishna... I would like to be transparent with him, I would like to be candid, I would like to be honest and I would like to be constructive."
On whether he planned to share these ideas with Krishna during their upcoming meeting on July 15 in Islamabad, he indicated that he may not do so.
"This is the first meeting after a considerable pause. We will have to build on confidence level on both sides," he said.
Asked whether he had any new confidence-building measures in mind, he said this aspect could be talked about "when the time comes".
Kashmir needs direct UN focus: M. Farooq Rehmani
Farooq Rehmani in a statement condemned in strong words killing of youth in the northern area of Kashmir, crack down on peaceful political demonstrators, undeclared curfew in parts of the territory and large scale arrests of Hurriyat leaders and workers in Srinagar.
He deplored that the United Nations and its Council for Human Rights were indifferent to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where people were being treated like sheep and goats. He said that the threat to life of people was increasing day by day, so it was the duty of the world body to call an emergency session of the General Assembly, make India answerable before it and force her to abolish inhuman laws in the region and follow the International Human Rights Laws in Kashmir.
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani warned that if the UN did not come forward to rescue the Kashmiris, India would get emboldened and no bilateral talks or the so called peace diplomacy would save the region from disaster. »
India using IHK for military experiments: IPT
Convener of IPT, Angana Chatterji, while addressing media persons, said that Kashmir was a laboratory of violent experiments conducted by Indian military and armed forces had got increasingly powerful in the territory.
She said that the occupation authorities, in collaboration with Hindu nationalists, were promoting militarised Hindu nationalism and vowed to externalise the recent spate of innocent killings in the occupied territory.
The IPT demanded of the international community to be accountable towards the gruesome situation in the Valley.
Speaking on the occasion, founder of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), Parvez Imroz said the occupation authorities had no feeling of accountability. “The massive repression is highly condemnable,” he added.
Urging the international community to intervene, Imroz said that the US, European Union and other nations should help resolve the Kashmir dispute, as its amicable settlement was imperative for peace and stability of the region.
The Tribunal also condemned the presence of armed forces in educational institutions, hospitals, shopping centres, cafeterias, playgrounds and markets.
Protesters attack now NC leader’s house
Srinagar, 30 Jun: Srinagar: Protesters attacked the house of senior National Conference leader Sharief-ud-din Sharik at Handwara in north Kashmir on Wednesday, police sources said.
“Protesters pelted stones at Sharik’s house and tried to barge into it. However, policemen deployed there chased them away,” sources added.
Protesters also pelted stones of NC members on various parts of Kashmir also. In Pampore 200 youths attacked the NC worker Nazir ahmad Mailik.
“Protesters pelted stones at Sharik’s house and tried to barge into it. However, policemen deployed there chased them away,” sources added.
Protesters also pelted stones of NC members on various parts of Kashmir also. In Pampore 200 youths attacked the NC worker Nazir ahmad Mailik.
All India Media Directory released
International 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 news, Entertainment from all over India.
Features: Each data Contains Name of the TV Channel , Channel Logo, Complete postal address, Email, Address,website address, phone No, Fax No. etc.
For more details:
International Information Resource Centre
PO Box 667 Srinagar SGR JK 190001
e.m: iirc@rediffmail.com,director.iirc@gmail.com
Cell to Sheikh GULZAAR 09858986794
Ph: 01933-223705
web: http://mediadirectoryindia.blogspot.com/
2700 unmarked graves discovered in Indian Held Kashmir
Srinagar, 30 June: A human rights group in Kashmir urged authorities to launch a probe into 2,700 unmarked graves believed to be people who died as a result of the region's revolt against Indian rule. Srinagar, India.
In disputed Kashmir, 2,700 unmarked graves containing over 2,943 bodies across 55 villages in three districts, Bandipore, Baramulla and Kupwara have been discovered.
The Srinagar based human rights group, International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice for Kashmir (IPTJ) in its report released today in a press conference claimed that the graves could be of those missing from the custody of Indian troops. Rights groups put their numbers at ten thousand. The report is based on research between November 2006 and November 2009 and has been authored by prominent human rights activists of India and occupied Kashmir, Angana P. Chatterji, Parvez Imroz, Gautam Navlakha, Zahir-Ud-Din, Mihir Desai, and Khurram Parvez.
112-page dossier, titled ‘Buried Evidence’ was released at a press conference in Srinagar today by Angna Chatterjee, the convener of the group. The report documents in considerable detail how the actions of Indian military and paramilitary forces in Kashmir inflict terror on the local population, killed through extra-judicial means.
The detailed press note issued in Srinagar at the press conference is as follows:
BURIED EVIDENCE is authored by Angana P. Chatterji, Parvez Imroz, Gautam Navlakha, Zahir-Ud-Din, Mihir Desai, and Khurram Parvez.
[Dr. Angana P. Chatterji is Convener IPTK and Professor, Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies.
Avocate Parvez Imroz is Convener IPTK and Founder, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society.
Gautam Navlakha is Convener IPTK and Editorial Consultant, Economic and Political Weekly.
Zahir-Ud-Din is Convener IPTK and Vice-President, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society.
Advocate Mihir Desai is Legal Counsel IPTK and Lawyer, Mumbai High Court and Supreme Court of India.
Khurram Parvez is Liaison IPTK and Programme Coordinator, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society.]
Findings
The graveyards investigated by IPTK entomb bodies of those murdered in encounter and fake encounter killings between 1990-2009. These graves include bodies of extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, as well as massacres committed by the Indian military and paramilitary forces.
Of these graves, 2,373 (87.9 percent) were unnamed. Of these graves, 154 contained two bodies each and 23 contained more than two cadavers. Within these 23 graves, the number of bodies ranged from 3 to 17.
A mass grave may be identified as containing more than one, and usually unidentified, human cadaver. Scholars refer to mass graves as resulting from crimes against humanity, war crimes, or genocide. If the intent of a mass grave is to execute death with impunity, with intent to kill more than one, and to forge an unremitting representation of death, then, to that extent, the graves in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara are part of a collective burial by India’s military and paramilitary, creating a landscape of “mass burial.”
Post-death, the bodies of the victims were routinely handled by military and paramilitary personnel, including the local police. The bodies were then brought to the “secret graveyards” primarily by personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The graves were constructed by local gravediggers and caretakers, buried individually when possible, and specifically not en mass, in keeping with Islamic religious sensibilities.
The graves, with few exceptions, hold bodies of men. Violence against civilian men has expanded spaces for enacting violence against women. Women have been forced to disproportionately assume the task of caregiving to disintegrated families and undertake the work of seeking justice following disappearances and deaths. These graveyards have been placed next to fields, schools, and homes, largely on community land, and their affect on the local community is daunting.
The Indian Armed Forces and the Jammu and Kashmir Police routinely claim the dead buried in unknown and unmarked graves to be “foreign militants/terrorists.” They claim that the dead were unidentified foreign or Kashmiri militants killed while infiltrating across the border areas into Kashmir or travelling from Kashmir into Pakistan to seek arms training. Official state discourse conflates cross-border militancy with present nonviolent struggles by local Kashmiri groups for political and territorial self-determination, portraying local resistance as “terrorist” activity.
Exhumation and identification have not occurred in sizeable cases. Where they have been undertaken, in various instances, “encounter” killings across Kashmir have, in fact, been authenticated as “fake encounter” killings. In instances where, post-burial, bodies have been identified, two methods have been used prevalently. These are 1. Exhumation; and 2. Identification through the use of photographs.
The report also examines 50 alleged “encounter” killings by Indian security forces in numerous districts in Kashmir. Of these persons, 39 were of Muslim descent; 4 were of Hindu descent; 7 were not determined. Of these cases, 49 were labelled militants/foreign insurgents by security forces and one body that was drowned. Of these, following investigations, 47 were found killed in fake encounters and one was identifiable as a local militant.
IPTK has been able to study only partial areas within 3 of 10 districts in Kashmir, and our findings and very preliminary evidence point to the severity of existing conditions. If independent investigations were to be undertaken in all 10 districts, it is reasonable to assume that the 8,000+ enforced disappearances since 1989 would correlate with the number of bodies in unknown, unmarked, and mass graves.
Allegations
The methodical and planned use of killing and violence in Indian-administered Kashmir constitutes crimes against humanity in the context of an ongoing conflict. The Indian state’s governance of Indian-administered Kashmir requires the use of discipline and death as techniques of social control. Discipline is affected through military presence, surveillance, punishment, and fear. Death is disbursed through “extrajudicial” means and those authorized by law. These techniques of rule are used to kill, and create fear of not just death but of murder.
Mass and intensified extrajudicial killings have been part of a sustained and widespread offensive by the military and paramilitary institutions of the Indian state against civilians of Jammu and Kashmir. IPTK asks that the evidence put forward in this report be examined, verified, and reframed as relevant by credible, independent, and international bodies, and that international institutions ask that the Government of India comply with such investigations.
We note that the international community and institutions have not examined the supposition of crimes against humanity in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. We note that the United Nations and its member states have remained ineffective in containing and halting the adverse consequences of the Indians state’s militarization in Kashmir.
We ask that evidence from unknown, unmarked, and mass graves in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir be used to seek justice, through the sentencing of criminals and other judicial and social processes. As well, the existence of these graves, and how they came to be, may be understood as indicative of the effects and issue of militarization, and the issues pertaining to militarization itself must be addressed seriously and expeditiously.
The violences of militarization in Indian-administered Kashmir, between 1989-2009, have resulted in 70,000+ deaths, including through extrajudicial or “fake encounter” executions, custodial brutality, and other means. In the enduring conflict, 6, 67,000 military and paramilitary personnel continue to act with impunity to regulate movement, law, and order across Kashmir. The Indian state itself, through its legal, political, and military actions, has demonstrated the existence of a state of continuing conflict within Indian-
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Is Lashkar-e-Taiba a real global threat
By: Abdullah Muntazir
Srinagar, June 29: There is a debate going on in the west on the issue of a possible threat from Lashkar-e-Taiba – A Jihadi group fighting against Indian occupation of Kashmir and blamed for Mumbai attacks in 2008 – to the western interests. There is no doubt Lashkar hates United States for a number of reasons. Apart from the widespread anti-America resentment in almost all Islamic groups across the globe, the group has some of its own reasons to dislike US. US declared Lashkar-e-Taiba a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) a few months after 9/11 without any substantial reason. The group until then never attacked or planned any attack on US interests. Its focus was totally on Kashmir against Indian forces.
The group believes that by declaring it terrorist organization US wanted to please India and press Pakistan to back off from freedom struggle in Kashmir. Despite its anger the group refrained from attacking US interests in the region but US was not satisfied with its own measures by putting Lashkar on FTO list of the State Department and went to UN Security Council in 2005 for international sanctions against the group. Eventually UNSC put the group in the list of Al-Qaeda and Taliban affiliates and asked the member countries to freeze its assets and impose embargo on purchase of weapons while its members were banned from international travelling. These sanctions could not affect the group in Pakistan as technically it was not active in Pakistan anymore after January 12, 2002 when the then president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf banned the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Sipa-e-Sahaba, and Tehreek-e-Jafria.
US also tried its best to put the name of Jamat-ud-Dawah – a charity and preaching Islamic organization accused of being a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba – in the same UNSC list. Nevertheless, China blocked these moves repeatedly until December 10, 2008 when china, on the request of Pakistan, withdrew its technical hold and Jamat-ud-Dawah and the names of its some prominent leaders were included in the list of banned entities. Jamat-ud-Dawah denies any links with Lashkar and interestingly it took US almost five years to conclude that Jamat-ud-Dawah is an alias of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Lashkar was declared FTO in 2001 while US included the name of Jamat-ud-Dawah in the lists of aliases of Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2005.
In short, Lashkar has obvious reasons to be an anti-American Jihadi group but we will have to see whether this so-called anti-Americanism is ever translated into a practical action or it is just rhetoric in the west on the provocation of some Indian lobbies active in the west – particularly in the United States.
For a number of reasons I believe that Lashkar-e-Taiba is not a direct or indirect threat to western interests. Here are these reasons;
Although the group advocates revival of Khilfphah in the Muslim world but at the same time, it also believes in Pakistani nationalism from an Islamic context. For Lashkar, there are only two states on the world map based on ideology, which are Israel and Pakistan. Pakistan came into being exclusively on the base of Islam while Israel is Jewish state. Lashkar believes that protecting Pakistan is like protecting Islam. No transnational pan-Islamic Jihadi group honors geographical borders. For them these borders are un-Islamic and it is sinful to willingly accept these ‘un-Islamic lines’ drawn on the ‘land of Allah’. On the other hand, Lashkar believes Pakistan is a ‘gift of Allah’. Due to this pro-Pakistan ideology, the group naturally becomes closer to Pakistani security establishment. It thinks in the same line as Pakistani armed forces think –India is the number one enemy of Pakistan. It was quite rational for Pakistani security establishment to rely on Lashkar-e-Taiba for freedom of Kashmir. The group has successfully engaged Indian armed forces in Kashmir for almost 15 years along with other Jihadi groups fighting in Kashmir.
There was tremendous pressure on the group after 9/11 to join Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to fight against US and NATO forces but the group did not want to create problems for its sympathizers in Pakistani state institutions, therefore it openly declined this popular demand of fighting America. Instead of shifting its focus from Kashmir to Afghanistan, the group expanded its operations from Kashmir to inside India. India accuses Lashkar for attacking dozens of high value targets inside its border including attacks on Mumbai, Indian Military Academy, Red Fort, Akshardham Temple, nuclear institute in Bangalore, Mumbai train attacks in 2006 and others. With its high profile attacks on Indian interests, it appealed the young Indian Muslims who are annoyed by dominating Hindu extremists. Massacres of more than five thousand Muslims by Hindu extremists in Indian state of Gujarat poured oil on fire and provided Lashkar with a great opportunity to exploit the Indian Muslim youths. Pakistani security establishment had/has no problem with Lashkar’s anti-India agenda because India is always suspected for its covet activities in FATA and Baluchistan.
Lashkar has ‘sacrificed’ more than five thousand ‘mujahedeen’ in Kashmir. For Lashkar, it will be betrayal to the souls of those five thousand plus martyrs if it leaves the ‘mission Kashmir’ uncompleted and indulges itself in a battle which is already saturated as far as the number of Jihadi groups are concerns. Lashkar believes that by attacking nations other than India will damage its Kashmir campaign.
Popularity graph of Lashkar in occupied Kashmir and Pakistan is on its peak. There was a time when Al-Qaeda was the mentor for all Jihadi groups and Osama bin Laden was one of the most beloved people in Pakistan. However, suicide attacks inside Pakistan became counterproductive and as result, Al-Qaeda and Taliban are deprived off their good reputation in Pakistan. However, this is not the case with Lashkar. It has an ideology that forbids attacking Muslim states. Therefore, Lashkar not only refrained from attacking Pakistani interests but it discouraged other groups too.
Due to its pro Pakistan ideology and policies, it has deep roots in Pakistani society. It is now able to work as a pressure political group in a number of areas in central and northern Punjab. Although it openly denounces democracy but covertly, it supports candidates of its choice. They can be from any political party. Lashkar knows very well that if it started a global Jihadi campaign it will no longer enjoy such a political advantage in Pakistan.
The group very well appreciates its weaknesses and strengths. It is not capable of challenging the whole west. Not only it will be fool enough to create more and more enemies but it will also invite the wrath of Pakistani security establishment, which is not tolerating Al-Qaeda at any cost, although it views Taliban from a different angle. For Pakistani security establishment Taliban are potential allies in the future but Al-Qaeda is ‘an enemy’. The simplest definition of Al-Qaeda is ‘anyone who attacks the west and has an Islamic origin’. Therefore, if Lashkar starts attacking western targets, Pakistan will obviously consider it Al-Qaeda.
Another reason that Lashkar cannot become ‘Next Al-Qaeda’ is that Al-Qaeda itself does not trust Lashkar. It blames Lashkar as a ‘B’ team of ISI. Due to Lashkar’s reluctance in fighting against US, some of its member defected and tried to join Al-Qaeda but they were considered ‘planted’ people and could not win trust of seniors of Al-Qaeda leaders. One such fighter once told the author of this report, “We are never allowed to see the people of higher ups because they don’t trust us due to our Lashkar background.” While one cannot rule out Lashkar’s support for Afghan Taliban, it seems unlikely that Lashkar and Al-Qaeda can cooperate with each other in current circumstances. Most of the experts in the west quote the example of arrest of Abu Zubaida –a senior leader of Al-Qaeda – from a safe house of Lashkar-e-Taiba but these experts ignore that this arrest was the end of a short love affair between the two groups started right after 9/11. Lashkar was reportedly trying to evacuate ‘Muslim brethrens’ from the war zone but Al-Qaeda members blamed it for betraying and ‘selling’ Abu Zubaida to ISI and US.
Some analysts present David Headley’s case –an American citizen with alleged links with Lashkar as well as CIA –as a catalyst to prove that Lashkar has now global reach and next time a Mumbai style attack may occur ‘not in India but in Manhattan’. A question arises that why these experts and analysts ignore the fact that David Headley was working with Lashkar-e-Taiba since 2003. It was very easy for Lashkar to use Headley and his contacts in US to plan and execute an attack on American soil. Headley’s plea agreement clearly shows that an attack on US or other western countries was never even discussed. Headley only confessed to plan an attack on Danish newspaper. It is an exceptional case as the Danish newspaper committed a crime against the whole Ummah and anyone at anytime can go at any extreme in this cartoon-controversy.
There is a need to view Headley case from another perspective. While Al-Qaeda uses all its available human resource against western targets, Lashkar-e-Taiba succeeded in utilizing a western human resource against its prime enemy India. Think for a while that if David Headley was affiliated with Al-Qaeda what would have happened? A man with American passport, travelling freely across the world, having blessing of some US intelligence agencies –Al-Qaeda would have loved to use him against Pentagon or CIA headquarters or NATO headquarters in Brussels instead of asking him to scout Mumbai.
Virginia Jihad Network also proves that Lashkar is not interested in attacking US or the west. In this case, some American Muslims with Pakistani and Arab origins were allegedly involved in helping Lashkar-e-Taiba for its war against India. US had to enact an old law to convict them because they were not found guilty of harming US citizens. US government accused them that they were trying to harm a US ally. The sentencing of half dozen Muslims was highly criticized by human rights groups.
Pakistani experts on militancy also disagree with the hypothesis of a section of western press and US politicians that Lashkar-e-Taiba is a global threat. These Pakistani experts are not ready to buy the ideas that Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba are one and same, and that ‘Lashkar is next Al-Qaeda’. Hamid Mir, a leading Pakistani journalist who interviewed Osama Bin Laden more than twice, while commenting on the article of Newsweek magazine in which Lashkar is presented as Next Al-Qaeda, said, “The author of the Newsweek’s article deliberately ignored certain facts to prove his point. Hafiz Muhammad publically condemns suicide bombings and killings of innocent non-Muslims while al-Qaeda does not condemn suicide bombings or killings of innocent people. Jamat-ud-Dawah works in rural Sindh province to help Christians and Hindus but the author of the article mentioned only its relief activities in Kashmir. Lashkar is not like Al-Qaeda.”
Another leading Pakistani journalist and expert on militancy Amir Zia, who works with SAMA TV and News Line Magazine, while talking to the author of this article, said, “Lashkar always remained a Kashmir focused group. It fights against Indian atrocities in Kashmir and tries to attack only military targets. After Mumbai attacks this perception prevailed that this group may become a threat to the west but for me it agenda is limited to Kashmir and India”
Defense analyst and a professor at renowned Quad-e-Azam University Islamabad commented on the issue from a different angle and said “It will be premature to say that Lashkar is a bigger threat than Al-Qaeda. The situation is a bit complex. The group is in evolution process. It works in different forms. It also works in the name of Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation to focus on relief activities. There can be some nexus between some old members of the group but as a whole, the group is not focused on the west. It tries to adopt same line as that of the government of Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed now has started to take up political issues between the two countries.”
Indeed Lashkar is a real threat to India and it is capable of bringing India and Pakistan to war. This indirectly may affect US interests in the region, as it wants Pakistan’s total focus on its western border. Pakistan can use its influence to keep this group away from any Mumbai style attacks inside India but trying to crush this ‘bunch of savages’ as demanded by anti-Pakistan US senator Gary Ackerman may become counterproductive.
Lashkar is not occupying any specific territory just as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan did in Sawat and Waziristan. It is impossible to launch a military operation against the group in Pakistan. If India with its hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Kashmir could not control a few thousand fighters of Lashkar, how can Pakistan control millions of its supporters across the country? The government of Pakistan can only take administrative measures which it has already taken by arresting 7 top commanders of Lashkar and trying them in an anti terror court.
During current strategic dialogue, US officials demanded actions against Lashkar and its leaders. US are very much concerned on the issue. Nevertheless, Pakistan will have to think of its own interests. While Pakistan cannot support a militant group but it also cannot create another Tehreek-e-Taliban in Pakistan. The strategy of crushing the militants is no longer working and the world is compelled to find ways to peruse Afghan Taliban for dialogue.
Although Pro India senator Gary Ackerman is trying to convince US policy makers that resolution of Kashmir issue will not satisfy Lashkar-e-Taiba but the reality is that Kashmir resolution will end the reasons for Lashkar and other groups fighting in Kashmir to take up arms. On January 17, 2009, Lashkar itself made it categorically clear that it will lay down arms if Kashmir issue is peacefully resolved. Its spokesperson Dr. Abdullah Ghaznavi had said “Our struggle is only confined to Kashmir and we have no relations or association with armed groups operating at international level. We have no global agenda. We just want freedom of Kashmir and if it comes peacefully we will welcome it. We don’t see armed struggle as the only way to achieve our goal. If the world listens to our cries and play its role in resolving the Kashmir issue there would be no reason for is to fight.” ( Kashmir Newspaper )
One can argue that it is just a political statement of Lashkar to mislead the world opinion. Of course, it can be a political statement but if Kashmir issue is resolved then groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba will no longer enjoy sympathies of Pakistan. If the west really wants to contain Lashkar, it should ask India to come out of the fear that if it gives up Kashmir the whole India will disintegrate. A nation of more than a billion citizens should not be fearful from giving people their due rights. Boiling Kashmir will spoil the Indian dreams of becoming a permanent member of UNSC. For its growth and prosperity, India must adopt a conflict free policy in the region. This will make the Indian market secure for the western investors. So the west in general, and US and UK in particular, should come forward and help India in resolving Kashmir issue instead of pressing Pakistan for no long-term benefits.
About the authors: Abdullah Muntazir author of this report is an expert on militancy and regional security.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)