Indian Home Ministry orders 'communication' gag in Kashmir

Srinagar: 5, November: Critics say that behind this decision the percept of security threat is less but of money game is more. Having population of slightly more than 1 crore, there are six mobile phone service providers and most of them have not been able to earn profit.

Just two days after, the Prime Minister of India delivered his speech at disputed Kashmir’s Anantnag region without a bullet proof glass, the Union home Minister P Chidambram announced ban on issuing and recharging of pre paid mobile service in state from November 1.

It is worth to mention that permission for starting mobile phone service was given in Jammu & Kashmir in 2003 as Confidence Building measure. This step of Chidambram has come only when the Prime Minister has announced his intentions for Kashmir solution when he talked of White Dialogue, White Diplomacy.

“The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that no pre-paid mobile connections should be issued and existing pre-paid SIM cards should not be renewed in Jammu & Kashmir after November 01, 2009. The Ministry has asked the Department of telecommunications to take appropriate action in the matter for implementation of the decision. The step comes in the wake of the reports that proper verification is not being done while providing such pre-paid mobile connections by the service providers/vendors. In some cases, a single person had been issued with multiple numbers of connections. The fake documents/identity numbers are also reportedly being used by the vendors particularly, in the case of pre-paid connections. This situation had given rise to serious security concerns. Hence, the decision.”

On 14th of this month Union Home Minister has announced in the Editors meet that Pre Paid mobile service is likely to be banned in the disputed Kashmir and the connection holders will be given sufficient time to switch over to post paid connections. But few days after that Union MoS for telecommunication Sachin Pilot denied the same during his visit to Jammu.

Critics say that behind this decision the percept of security threat is less but of money game is more. Having population of slightly more than 1 crore, there are six mobile phone service providers in the state and most of them have not been able to make profit.

In total these companies have provided about 40 lac pre paid connections and almost all the companies are running in loss in the State and there is no space for growth for the new entrants as saturation has already taken place and there is very little scope for Growth.

The companies can grow only if these pre-paid connections are converted into post paid and the consumer shall have lesser range of services available to choose from. It may be recalled that till recently only BSNL and Airtel the oldest player in the state had the major share of consumers. Aircel which came late in the day and could mange very little clientage and same was the situation fwith Reliance. Now with fresh entrants like Tata Indicom, Vodafone and Idea cellular have reportedly not been able to make much of the dent with the consumers despite launching huge campaigns and offering big soaps to the consumers. With this step all these companies will be getting a minimum fixed sum as monthly rental which is missing in case of pre paid connections.

Critics see this as a move too for creating equal level playing field for all the companies and suggest that in today’s world of information technology such gimmickry should be avoided. Not to mention the latest raid on telecom ministry by CBI wherein the ministry has been accused of showing undue favoritism to some telecom companies in allotting 2G spectrum.

As per the statement issued by Union Home Minister the reason for banning is “The fake documents/identity numbers are also reportedly being used by the vendors particularly, in the case of pre-paid connections. This situation had given rise to serious security concerns. ”

Critics say If this is the only reason for the ban then only service providers are responsible for this. It is the duty of the service provider to verify the documents before issuing any connection. In case of any short coming or negligence on the part of the provider, there is provision of penalty for the companies. For this fault of the companies, harassment to 40 lac connection holders is not justified.

On one hand Omar Abdullah boasts of his achievements of bringing militancy in the state and claims only because of his administration Prime Minister of India can dare to deliver His speech in Kashmir without Bullet Proof Glass. This was watched by whole world via live telecast. But on the other hand he remains mum on this vital decision of the Union Home Ministry. It is worth to mention that even President of India and Prime Minister deliver their speech from Red Fort under Bullet proof glass protection. (Writer-South Asia)

PPP welcomes P.M’s Offer for unconditional talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris. PPP's Roadmap is the only solution to Kashmir Problem: Er. Hilal War

By: Ed. Sheikh Gulzaar

Srinagar, October, 29: Kashmir history reveals that no political party ever since the partition of India has been able to put forth a viable, practicable roadmap for the resolution of the Kashmir tangle. Hilal War, a young, energetic, enthusiastic and visionary leader and a fiery orator, presented his Roadmap on August 10, 1996 for the resolution of Kashmir tangle. Known for his vision and farsightedness coupled with political insight, disclosed his formula before a healthy media conference 13 years back. To him the credit goes, of presenting first ever roadmap for resolution of Kashmir conflict, which is slowly and steadily being adopted by India and Pakistan these days. The visible example of this is, starting the “Goodwill Bus Service”, between both sides of Control Line. He is the architect and author of the concept of ‘Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Bus Service’. India and Pakistan have also started Truck Service between both sides of Line of Control (LoC). The first two points of aforesaid Road Map have been recognized and acted upon, by India and Pakistan, pertaining to the Human and Economic aspect of Kashmir problem.

Er. Hilal War’s Roadmap got an international recognition and the first major acknowledgement came from none other than the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair who sent an official letter to Hilal War approving the formula and congratulating him in August 2001. The said Roadmap containing Hilal Formula was referred by the British Government to the External Affairs Ministry for ‘necessary examination’. Hilal War who is the Chairman of political outfit Peoples Political Party (PPP) got another shot in the arm when International Crisis Group (ICG) also acknowledged and virtually endorsed the Hilal War’s Road Map in 2002 when it impressed upon India and Pakistan to open the control line for people of J & K State for trade and traffic. This, as a matter of the fact, the endorsement of the first two points of the Road Map.

Another approval was from SAARC Summit in Pakistan in 2004 when India and Pakistan decided to soften the control line for the people of J & K for trade and traffic. Former Indian Defence Minister, Pranab Mukerjee said earlier in year 2004 that he would adopt a 3-pronged approach to resolve the Kashmir Problem. The 3- Point program that he put forth put a stamp on the approval of ‘Hilal Formula’, which was released by a young Kashmiri leader and human rights activist, Hilal Ahmad War some 13 years back. This move by Defence Minister was treated by many as a virtual approval and recognition of Hilal formula. ‘The announcement of the Defence Minister is the victory of the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the victory of self-determination right. It is the victory of peace and justice. It is the victory of the South-Asia’ said a jubilant Hilal War after the Defence Ministry discloses formula to the media.

Hilal War’s Road Map amply reflects his ideology and thinking which is the restoration of peace, international brotherhood and a conducive atmosphere for coexistence and a resolution for all the unresolved issues so that all the obstacles in the way to progress and prosperity are removed.” Recalling the statement of Dr.. Farooq Abdullah, On May 03,2009 , where he has asked pro-freedom leaders to prepare a roadmap for resolution of Kashmir Issue, assuring that his party would help take it up with New- Delhi and Omar Abdullah , Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir , State has yesterday declared that Centre will talk to all those political parties who have roadmap. We welcome the Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh’s offer for unconditional dialogue with Pakistan and Kashmiris.He further said PPP is not averse to talks but the talks should be meaningful and result oriented. To make talks on the resolution of Kashmir Dispute a success there should be no pre-condition from both sides. Dialogue between Kashmir, India and Pakistan to create mutual trust and understanding is indispensably paramount and this is an important step towards the resolution of Kashmir dispute. Resolving Kashmir requires tough diplomacy of important countries of the globe like USA. UK. United Sates of America has already begun the diplomatic efforts to address the Kashmir Issue in order make South-Asia terror free and a peace constituency. Last year, in an excusive interview to London’s Guardian, British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, categorically said that Resolution of Kashmir Dispute is very vital for the peace and security of South Asia. This statement gave a significance to Kashmir Dispute and impressed upon the peace lovers of South Asia to rise to the occasion and press India and Pakistan to start a dialogue to resolve Kashmir tangle if they really want to be at peace . Bruce Riedel, Obama’s election campaign advisor, in his recently published book, urged Washington to resolve the Kashmir Dispute and only then can the influence of Al- Qaida decline. The first step towards the Kashmir resolution will have to be the withdrawal of all military and paramilitary forces from the Jammu and Kashmir. Bruce said India should withdraw forces from J & K and Pakistan should withdraw its troops from its administered Kashmir. The withdrawal of the forces from both parts will have to be simultaneous. General David Petraeus who heads US Central Command has confirmed that the United States has begun the diplomatic efforts to address the Kashmir Issue so that Pakistan can focus more effective on fighting Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Before taking control of the White House, President Obama, had argued that Kashmir is the root cause of the terrorism in the region and he had pledged to address Kashmir Issue with India and Pakistan. General said together with my great diplomatic wing man Ambassador Richard Holbrook, this effort actually has started. The task-force formed by US- based Asia Society has called on the Obama administration to find the lasting settlement to Kashmir Dispute and encourage behind the scene efforts to deescalate tensions between India and Pakistan over the issue. The independent task force set up last year included Richard Holbrooke, the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, and General James Jones, National Security Advisor. Mr. War said, “in the contemporary world, the political issues should be resolved through dialogue. We want process should be inclusive now onwards. The UJC and other resistance groups should also be involved. The consensus is being evolved in the international community that resolution of Kashmir is very imperative for the world peace. (Writer-South Asia)

'Love Jihad' - A Jihadi Organisations to trap Hindu girls

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): Few days back a secular Malayalam Daily, Kerala Kaumudi exposed shocking revelations about a jihadi organisation named ‘Love Jihad’ which has been conveniently ignored by rest of the media.

Trapping naive Non Muslim girls (Read as Hindu girls) in the web of love inorder to convert to Islam is the modus operandi of the said organisation. Already more than 4000 girls have been converted to Islam by this Jihadi Romeos.

Special branch of Police started investigation when marriages of such large scales are reported within last 6 months. As per the instructions to recruits of this organisation, they have to love a Hindu girl within the time frame of 2 weeks and brainwash them to get converted and marry within 6 months. Special instructions to breed atleast 4 kids have also been given. If the target won’t get trapped within first 2 weeks, they are instructed to leave them and move on to another girl.

College students and working girls should be the prime target. Once completed their mission the organisation will give 1 lakh Rupees and Financial help for the youth to start business. Free Mobile Phone, Bikes and Fashionable dresses are offered to them as tools for the mission.

Money for this Love Jihad comes from Middle East. Each district have their own zone chairman’s to oversee the mission. Prior to College admission they make a list of Hindu girls and their details and target those whom they feel vulnerable and easy to be brainwashed.

It’s upto our Secular parents and Hindu Soceity as a whole to decide whether they should inculcate the ethos of Sanathana Dharma upon their Sons and Daughters before getting targeted by these evil doers. The story of a Marxist MLA’s daughter which hit even National Headlines (Although for Maligning Hindu Organisations) is only the tip of the iceberg.

‘Love Jehad’ is a new phrase coined by the Sangh Parivar – that is being echoed in courtrooms and cabinets across the country. The Sangh Parivar has claimed that thousands of Hindu girls are being lured by Muslim boys into conversion to Islam and recruitment into ‘jehadi’ outfits. And what is extremely worrying is that the Kerala HC, Karnataka HC and even the Maharashtra Government have expressed the same sentiments.

The Kerala HC made its comments on ‘Love Jehad’ in the context of two cases where Hindu women had eloped to marry Muslim men. The women’s parents had filed complaints claiming the women had been abducted, and the Kerala High Court ordered them to stay with their parents for a week. At the end of the week one of the women had given a statement claiming she had been brainwashed into adopting Islam and shown ‘jehadi’ CDs. Based on this single statement, the Kerala HC chose to order the Kerala Government and the Union Home Ministry to probe what it alleged was a nationwide ‘Love Jehad’ racket. Following this, the Karnataka HC passed similar observations in the case of a 23-year old woman civil engineer who told the Court clearly that she had converted to Islam of her own accord and wished to marry her lover Ashgar and live with him. The HC chose to suspect the veracity of the woman’s statement, ordered her to stay with her parents, and ordered a probe by the Karnataka police saying the matter had ‘national ramifications concerning security, besides the question of unlawful trafficking of women.’ Earlier, the Congress-NCP Government of Maharashtra had passed an order to investigate into every case of Muslim men marrying Hindu women, alleging a trafficking racket, but had to withdraw this probe in the face of protest.

The Kerala State DGP has submitted a report to the Kerala HC declaring that there is no evidence of any ‘Love Jehad’ movement anywhere in the country. Karnataka’s Dakshina Kanada district police has also busted the myth of ‘Love Jehad.’ Recently when Anitha (22) went missing in June this year, Sangh Parivar organisations claimed that she was forcibly converted to Islam by a Pakistan-backed, professional ‘jehadist lover’. The police, however, established that Anitha was poisoned to death by Mohan Kumar, a serial killer arrested on October 21, who allegedly confessed to having murdered her and robbed 17 other women by luring them with offers of marriage. A top police official told an English daily: “By cracking the Anitha case, we hoped to put an end to this ‘Love Jehad’ controversy once and for all….certain fundamentalist groups that have been carrying out vigilante attacks against inter-community couples for several years have now started using the ‘Love Jehad’ theory to justify their attacks.”

Let us recall that in innumerable cases of inter caste/inter religious marriages, where the girl has voluntarily married, her parents have falsely accused her of being an “abducted”, “brainwashed” minor, and have pressurized her into denying the relationship. Nari Niketans in every city are full of adult women imprisoned for months because their parents have accused them of being minors; the Nari Niketans separate the women from their husbands but freely allow their own parents to meet and coerce them. In the Nitish Katara case and Rizwanur Rehman case, the girls (Bharati Yadav and Priyanka Todi) eventually refused to complain against their fathers and brothers, even after overwhelming evidence that their lovers had been killed or forced to commit suicide in cold-blood. The Kerala and Karnataka HCs has absolutely no right to order adult women to stay with their parents; statements taken by such women in forced parental custody are certain to be taken under coercion, and the Courts are highly irresponsible to make such statements the basis for sweeping orders that perpetuate communal myths without a shred of evidence. Such “enquiries” into every marriage of a Hindu man with a Muslim woman – be it by Courts or the Maharashtra Government –violate the Constitutional right to privacy and choice in matters of marriage, enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution, and upheld by numerous Supreme Court verdicts.

Let us also remember that the Sangh Parivar leader Babu Bajrangi of Gujarat boasts of having ‘rescued’ thousands of women who have married outside the caste or community, and forced them to give up their husbands. Sadhvi Pragya’s organization too used to indulge in the same activity. And the Sri Ram Sene in the Dakshin Kanada district has indulged in innumerable attacks on Muslim and Hindu women who befriend each other – one young 15-year old schoolgirl even committed suicide after public humiliation by the Sene. The Courts’ observations provide a shot in the arm for the Sri Ram Senes and Babu Bajrangis – they can now claim their attacks on women are acts of ‘nationalism.’ We wonder why neither the Courts never pass orders to ban Khaap panchayats and the Sri Ram Sene; why Courts never order enquiries into suspected cases of honour killing, but the same Courts are so eager to fan up communal and anti-women flames by making irresponsible comments about ‘Love Jehad’?

‘Love Jehad’ is a communal fantasy – a new pretext to attack the freedom of women to love and marry by choice, and to witch-hunt Muslim men. In the name of ‘Love Jehad,’ every Rizwan-ur-rehman can be branded a terrorist; every Priyanka’s right to choose can be denied on the grounds that she is ‘brain-washed’ by jehadis; every police officer as well as every Pramod Muthalik justified in harassing the Rizwans and Priyankas in the name of ‘national security.’(Writer-South Asia)

DEMOCRACY AND SECULARISIM OF INDIA IS A FARCE

By: Dr. Sheikh Bilal

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.May god Help Kashmiris.

China emerging as global leader

China emerging as global leader

Er. Hilal Ahmad War

Srinagar: Before the partition there were about a dozen provinces in British India, each locally ruled by a governor under the overall control of the British Viceroy. There were also some centrally administered territories. The British Crown also enjoyed a Paramountcy over six hundred odd princely states under a treaty between them and the government of British-India. Each princely state was in essence a sovereign state in which the British-India government had posted its official ambassadors designated as British President. All these states had given the arrangement of communication and foreign affairs to the British-Indian Government. The Indian Independence Act was passed on 15th July1947 which got royal assent on 18th of July 1947, by virtue of which British-India was partitioned into two dominions i.e. India and Pakistan. The Section 7 (b) part I of Indian Independence Act, 1947 ceases the authority of Maharaja of Kashmir as a ruler. By virtue of the same Section 7 (b) of IIA-1947 all the treaties between the British-Indian Government and the rulers of the princely states got cancelled. Therefore all the princely states of the Indian sub-continent had automatically regained their full-fledged and independent sovereign status. By virtue of Section 7(b) of Indian Independence Act, the accession is illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional and in violation of the International Law. The document of accession was signed by a state subject of Jammu and Kashmir (Nation), namely Hari Singh in his personal capacity and not as a ruler de-jure.That is why the then Governor General wrote back to Dogra's that the accession has to be put to the ratification. The constitution of Jammu and Kashmir reserves 24 seats of the legislative assembly for Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There cannot be any constitutional amendment unless those are fulfilled. Even the so-called accession of the state with India cannot be justified on the same analogy. Ratification of accession is necessary for the simple reason that Dogra rule seized on 15 the august 1947.

China respects the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. China has demonstrated its conscience by recognizing Kashmir as a disputed territory which is highly appreciable. The role of China is laudable and an initiation of a new world order. The Chinese stance over Kashmir has laid the foundation of a peaceful world and mutual co-existence. China has opened a new chapter not only in the subcontinent but in world history by recognising the fundamental right of the oppressed. The dynamics of this great and historical decision has opened the Pandora’s Box for warmongers and it has opened a debate at world level among the peace-lovers and thinkers. If Barack Obama wants a change, he must change his foreign policy towards the world in general and China in particular and understand the good intentions of China. This historical and bold decision should be debated at the UNO. This debate will open a tunnel for world peace for which the key lies in the resolution of Kashmir problem. If Barack Obama’s recent statements are to be believed, then America must recognize China as a good friend without fearing that the China is a threat to the American supremacy. Debating the decision of China in the UNO will befriend china and America and America will emerge as a global leader De-Jure. The way China is upholding the golden principles of the United Nations Charter and swallows the bitter pills which originate from United Nations Charter in the interest of international security, peace and justice. The present global scenario leads the China towards a leadership role in the globe. The global developments are taking place so fast that the world is once again marching towards becoming bipolar after the fall of Soviet Russia. Since China is not ambitious to become a superpower but circumstances will ultimately lead China towards world leadership which will balance the power on the globe.

Immediately after Chinese troops had made incursions into Ladakh, the land bounded by two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges – the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram – the two sides are again involved in a diplomatic spat, this time over China’s issuing of different visas to residents of Kashmir. They have given stapled visas earlier to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, over which China claims its sovereignty .The action is seen by the authorities in New Delhi as an attempt by China to question status of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India. Several people from Kashmir have been left stranded as India and China fight over the nature of visas Indian authorities have lodged official protests with Beijing over a new practice of issuing special Chinese visas for residents of Kashmir. Strategic affairs analysts, Brahma Chellany and Acharya agreed that the visa issue was yet another attempt by China to keep India under pressure for a variety of strategic reasons. "China is opening up pressure points on various fronts to put India on the defensive”, said Chellany.

Acharya felt the Chinese strategy was aimed at pushing India into a corner so that it doesn't ratchet up other issues, like the long-standing border dispute or Tibet. The forthcoming visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, to which China has staked claim, is a bone of contention and Beijing has asked New Delhi to have it called off.

China has also been issuing stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, saying that the north-eastern Indian state, of which China claims a portion is a disputed territory and that its natives are “Chinese”. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is likely to raise the issue with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi's visit to India October 26-27, top sources told IANS. Yang will be here to participate in the trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of India, China and Russia which will be held in Bangalore.

China’s visa policy has not only triggered diplomatic row but gives a clear signal that Beijing has reservation on the status of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India as claimed by successive Governments of India.

“It is a moral victory for the people of Kashmir that China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has been accepting Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory,” The Chinese visa issue is not the only recent development to draw international attention to the Kashmir issue. Peoples Political Party (PPP) recognizes China as an ally and a strategic partner of Kashmir. China is the only country which follows the golden principles of United Nations Charter and recognized the plebiscite resolutions passed by United Nation. China has taken a very legal position by recognizing Kashmir’s disputed states and has mustered courage to take practical steps in this direction by issuing special visas to Kashmiris. Muammer Qadafi, the Libyan leader, had, in the course of his speech to the UN General Assembly on September 23, said that Kashmir should be an independent state. “We should end this conflict. It should be a Baathist state between India and Pakistan,” said a statement from the Libyan leader that not only encouraged Kashmiri leaders and parties but also won him local fans. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in a meeting, held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, said that it supported the people of Jammu and Kashmir in “realisation of their legitimate right of self-determination in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people”. The 56-member grouping also appointed its assistant secretary general, Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman al Bakr, a Saudi national, a special envoy on Kashmir after the meeting of its Contact Group on Kashmir at the UN headquarters. The United Jihad Council, an alliance of Kashmiri freedom groups, welcomes the new visa policy of China, for Kashmiri nationals and said China, being a giant regional power, has a “pivotal role” to play in resolving the Kashmir issue.

M J Akbar, a veteran Indian journalist and author, however, said China did not want war with India, but trade, which is now close to US$60 billion. “There is a rational reason why China has decided to exploit Indian weaknesses and contradictions through rhetoric and provocative gestures on the border and in its Delhi embassy. It seeks to keep India off balance, to the extent it can, at a time of great existential discomfort for its ally Pakistan,” he said. This time there appears to be a coordinated attempt by Beijing and Islamabad to intimidate India, If the turn of events leads to open hostilities India must chose the time and place most advantageous to its own troops rather than be rushed into an unequal contest”.

Indian Defence Analysts says, “Nonetheless, given the heady nature of the season at this time of the year, India should be prepared for aggressive action by its neighbours. This time it is happening in unison with malice aforethought. The signal for it was given when Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani visited Beijing and since then there has been a slow but steady escalation of tension India and her two neighbours. Calls for talks by Pakistan and China are subterfuges and camouflage for their joint intention of destabilizing India using a combination of terrorist and conventional military tactics. For both of them the jehadi organizations that constitute the United Jihad Council are the bedrock of their geopolitics in which Pakistan is the vanguard and the terrorists are their proxies. It is not for nothing that Beijing has invested so much in terms of nuclear weapons and the missiles for delivering them. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons capability is the shield from behind which the terrorist spear is hurled. It is not for nothing that at every occasion Pakistan should harp on its being a nuclear weapons power and that military confrontation could, very quickly, erupt into a nuclear exchange. It is bald-faced nuclear coercion particularly since it is the overtly stated policy of Pakistan to use nuclear weapons at short notice”.

There is a contested border with India, and India has not forgotten its defeat by China in a border row in 1962. China also borders Kashmir and the Indians do not recognise the border agreement the Chinese reached with Pakistan over the section of Azad Kashmir. Although the Chinese and Indian sides have been unable to resolve their border dispute, they have nevertheless agreed in recent years to take various measures to reduce tension and the possibility for conflict along the lines of control that separate their two forces .From a geopolitical point of view, China has consistently sought to constrain Indian power and confine it essentially to the region of South Asia. In addition to the strategic interest in not having to confront a single powerful neighbour to the south of the Himalayas, China is also concerned by the residual Indian interest in Tibet. After all India still harbours the Dalai Lama and his unofficial government in exile. Thus China continues to refuse to recognise India's claims to Sikkim, it encourages Bangladesh to stand up to India and above all China has supported India's arch-rival Pakistan. In the 1965 Indo-Pak war China went so far as to threaten to open a second front against India. But its main support has been expressed through the supply of arms. The Chinese have sought to redress the balance by helping Pakistan to acquire nuclear weapons and missile technology. From a international perspective, India and China were rivals in the Cold War era. Indeed India and the US held joint military exercises for the first time in May 2008. But China is anxious to avoid trouble with the US at a time of leadership succession, and at a time when it has to adjust to the terms of entry to the World Trade Organisation. Moreover, China has benefited to an extent from the "war on terror", which has enabled it to suppress resistance to its rule in its Central Asian province of Xinjiang. Nevertheless the Chinese eye warily the American military presence in Central Asia. Although they have not said so publicly, the Chinese are very much opposed to the possible use of nuclear weapons.

On September 28, 2009, China asked India and Pakistan to seek a solution to the Kashmir issue through peaceful and friendly consultations and offered to play a "constructive role" in resolving the "bilateral to issue". As a friendly country, China would also be happy to see progress in the peace process between India and Pakistan, said Hu Zhengyue, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, in charge of the Asian region. Kashmir is an issue that has been longstanding left from history. This issue touches the bilateral relations between the relevant countries," he told a group of visiting foreign journalists here.

China’s declared positions on the Kashmir issue have evolved through four distinct phases. In the 1950s, Beijing upheld a more or less neutral position on the Kashmir issue. The 1960s and 1970s saw China shift its position toward public support of Pakistan’s views on the issue as Sino-Indian relations deteriorated. Since the early 1980s, however, with China and India moving toward normalization of bilateral relations, Beijing returned to a position of neutrality even as it sought to balance between the need to satisfy Pakistan’s demands for support and the growing interest in developing a better relationship with India. By the early 1990s, China’s position became unequivocal that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral matter to be solved by India and Pakistan through peaceful means.

China’s Kashmir policy must be understood within the broader contexts of its South Asia policy in general and where this policy fits in Beijing’s global strategies and its bilateral relationships with India and Pakistan in particular. While in the past, Beijing supported Islamabad’s positions on the Kashmir issue to demonstrate solidarity with an “all weather” ally during periods of Sino-Indian estrangement and hostility, normalization with New Delhi has necessitated the adoption of a policy of neutrality to avoid unnecessarily alienating India and running the risk of entrapment. Indeed, as both India and Pakistan have acquired nuclear weapons capabilities, China has become extremely worried that any escalation of conflicts over Kashmir could precipitate a nuclear exchange, with horrifying consequences. Beijing is quite interested in the reduction of tension over Kashmir and therefore is particularly encouraged by recent developments, such as the ceasefire along the line of control, the defense secretary meeting on the Siachen Glacier demilitarization, the resumption of civilian flight and the opening of the bus service through Kashmir, discussion on reducing military presence along the line of control, and military confidence building measures including the agreement on missile launch notification..

Chinese analysts suggest that both India and Pakistan have a lot to gain from the current rapprochement. Prolonged tension and fighting over Kashmir has exacted severe tolls in human and material terms for both countries. For instance, maintaining supplies to the Indian troops stationed on the Siachen Glacier costs New Delhi $1 million a day. Since fighting began in 1984, some 2,500 Indian and 1,300 Pakistani troops have died over the years, not so much in direct combat but as a result of the treacherous weather and terrain conditions. Managing the Kashmir issue has become a critical consideration in New Delhi’s efforts to realize its great power potentials by channelling more resources to economic development. For Pakistan, the conflict consumes even more resources. The post-September 11 regional security environment and the U.S.-led global war on terrorism also exert external pressure for Pakistan to deal with cross-border terrorist activities. Beijing is also interested in the evolving negotiations over Kashmir due to its own entanglement, which is largely a result of the October 1963 Sino-Pakistani Border Agreement. India claims the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin of approximately 35,000 square kilometres as part of the territory in Ladaakh, Kashmir. While a remote possibility, a resolution of the Kashmir dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad could re-open the sovereignty issue left over in the 1963 Sino-Pakistani border agreement. Beijing has growing interests in seeing a stable South Asia and is seeking a better relationship with India. That explains Beijing’s more unequivocal position on the Kashmir issue, which in turn is firmly grounded in the belief that the only realistic way to resolve the Kashmir conflict is through peaceful negotiation between India and Pakistan. As Islamabad’s trusted friend, Beijing could and should use its influence to convince Pakistan that it is also in their own interest to resolve the issue peacefully. China is also lays claim on a piece of land of Kashmir from Ladakh side.Over much of the last 40 years, China has been claiming Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory. They have given stapled visas earlier to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, over which China has a genuine claim of its sovereignty.

The China is also facing problems with Islamic Separatists in s ‘Xinjiang’ .Xinjiang actually shares borders with Ladakh in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Its size is 1.8 million sq km; almost one-sixth of China; half as much as India. The pre-August 1947 Jammu and Kashmir measures some 2, 65,000 sq km. of which some 86,000 sq km is under Pakistani control; some 37,500 sq km under China; the balance, 1, 41,000 sq km, is occupied by India. Some sources believe that turmoil in Xinjiang is fanned and funded by Indo-American secret intelligence Agencies. This secret Agency is bent upon to make ‘Xinjiang’ China’s East-Pakistan. They want to disintegrate China in the same way as they did in 1971 under Agartalla Conspiracy. Uprising in Tibet is openly backed by Indian Intelligence Agencies. The American hue and cry against Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Chechinya and in some parts of China, Philippine etc. is a camouflage to keep china and Russia in dark so that fatal network could easily be established for eliminating them from the map of Great Powers.


About Author
Er. Hilal Ahmad War is the victim of history. Logic and reasoning is his forte. He is forthright, unsparing and vociferous that makes him controversial. He is energetic, enthusiastic and does not approve of narrow mindedness and believe that in an era of electronic revolution, one has view issues in a holistic manner. He is the Chairman of a political party namely “People’s Political (PPP)” which is striving for peaceful resolution of Kashmir Dispute within the four corners International Law as enshrined in United Nations Charter. He also heads the “Bhutto Memorial Trust”. He has knowledge of Foreign Affairs and International Diplomacy. He always plead that International Peace, Human Rights and self-determination right are the foundation of United Nations Charter. To him the credit goes, of presenting first ever ‘ Road Map’ on August10, 1996, for resolution of Kashmir conflict, which is slowly and steadily being adopted by India and Pakistan these days. He is the architect and author of the concept of ‘Srinagar-Muzaffarabad -Bus Service’. The first two points of aforesaid Road Map have been recognized and acted upon, by India and Pakistan, pertaining to the Human and Economic aspect of Kashmir problem. He has authored a booklet entitled “Realities behind Kashmir Problem” .He has authored another best seller book entitled “The Great Disclosures (Secrets Unmasked)”. He plans to write another book entitled, “Global ambitions of America”.
The author can be reached at: ppp.kashmir@gmail.com,warhilal@hotmail.com

Sadhvi and associates had Israel’s backing: Historian Amrish Mishra

Mumbai (India) : The candid journalist and renowned historian of India Mr. Amrish Mishra, expressed his displeasure over the withdrawal of the mcoca from Sadhvi Pragya and her associates in connection with Malegaon bomb blasts.

He said that it is regretting to note that our anti-terrorism squad (ATS) does not belong to India but it has deep roots with Israel.

He spoke to Siasat’s reporter Mr. Ather Moin from Delhi over phone and said that after the 26/11 incident in Mumbai where ATS officers including the brave Hemant Karkare, salined and in his place Mr. Raghuvanshi was appointed as the chief of ATS, it was a signal that very soon, the culprits who were on the suspect list of late Karkare, would get relief.

And it happened in the form of withdrawal of mcoca. Whatever inquiries done by late Karkare, showed that Sadhvi Pragya and her other associates affiliated Abhinav Bharat, had planned to convert India into a complete Hindu Rashtra by 2024. To gain their target, they, hands in glove with Israel, conducted bomb blasts at various places.

According to Mr. Mishra, in the charge sheet against Sadhvi Pragya, col. Purohit, swami Dayananad Pandey, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ramesh Upadhyay, it was not clarified that they were planning to convert India into a complete Hindu Rashtra by 2024.

As the points finalized by the investigations of late Hemant Karkare and Vijay Salaskar, could not have neglected totally, they were mentioned nominally in the charge sheet.

He asked a very relevant questions that why the series of bomb blasts were abruptly stopped after the arrest of Sadhvi & company?

The Muslim youths of Hyderabad, who were arrested in connection with twin bomb blast in the city, had proved their innocence and court has acquitted them but no action was taken against the faulty and communally biased police officers that had purposely indicted the Muslim youths.
(The author can be reached at: Wajid_siasat@yahoo.in)

I have no faith in Indian court, says Amir Kasab

Mumbai (India) October 12: Facing trial in the Mumbai attack case for nearly six months, the lone surviving Pakistani national Ajmal Kasab on Monday said he had 'no faith' in Indian court and made a dramatic plea for transfer of the case to an international court. But Judge M L Tahaliyani rejected 22-year-old Kasab's plea saying, "It is misconceived."

"I have no faith in Indian court and this case may be transferred to an International court," Kasab said in an application to the court. He had moved the application written in his own hand in Urdu. The application was filed through jail authorities who translated it into Marathi and produced before the court.

The judge asked Kasab whether he had written the application and he replied "Ji huzoor" (Yes, Sir). The trial of Kasab, whom police formally charged in February with several offences including 'waging war' against India, began on March 23 via a video link with his Arthur Road prison in Mumbai.

Kasab and other suspected Laskhar-e-Taiba operatives killed 166 people most of them muslims in a three-day rampage in the city on November 26 last.

In another development, the judge also rejected the plea of co-accused Fahim Ansari to stay the proceedings on the ground that he had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking transfer of the 26/11 case to some other court alleging that the recording of evidence was incorrect.

"This is yet another attempt by the accused to delay the trial," noted judge Tahaliyani while rejecting Fahim's plea to stay the proceedings.

While stating that he had no trust in the trial court, Fahim had alleged that he was not being allowed to meet his wife and proceedings of the case were not being correctly recorded.

The judge, rejecting his plea to stay the trial, observed, "The accused is employing delay tactics. His wife has been issued a permanent pass to attend the proceedings. Fahim is also allowed to meet his wife every day and the meeting time also has been increased from time to time."

"Despite getting all such facilities, Fahim has been misusing them. Also, whenever he is asked queries, he does not cooperate and gives evasive answers," the court observed.

On the allegation that proceedings were not being correctly recorded, the judge said it was 'misconceived' and added that there was no provision in law to have an audio-visual recording of the trial.

"Fahim is perhaps being instigated by outsiders," the court noted. Fahim is facing the charge of conspiring with other accused in the so-called terror attacks.

Police say they recovered maps of 26/11 terror locations which he allegedly handed over to LeT conspirators in Pakistan. The court has also issued contempt notice to Fahim asking him why contempt action should not be taken against him for making allegations against it in the application. (rediffmail.com)

Death is still a livelihood in Kashmir

Sheikh GULZAAR Srinagar: In strife-torn Kashmir, unemployment is rampant. But one business has boomed, thanks to militancy - the business of death. Tomb-makers and epitaph writers are an in-demand lot. Perhaps not as in demand as they were at the peak of militancy, yet, it is a viable career option. In 1989, Srinagar had seven tomb-makers. Now, there are more than 25. All are doing good business, even though the death rate has come down considerably in the last three years. "It's all is in the hands of Allah. He plays his own games," says Shabir Ahmad, a 50-year-old tomb-maker who has witnessed Kashmir's bloodiest years. "In a state where newspapers report dozens of deaths everyday, who would not try his luck in the business," he asks. Even security forces place orders for the memorial nameplates for their colleagues killed in action. Amjid Khan, 33, who did his graduation in Urdu, switched to the booming business in 1993. And there are many like him in the Valley. "The business of death is as old as time. And if the situation is 'hot' like Kashmir, it is financially very lucrative to carve tombs and epitaphs," he says. On an average, 90 people die in a month in Kashmir. In the early Nineties, it was more than 150 per month. With untimely and unnatural death becoming commonplace, graves, like life, have changed. Instead of intricately carved tombs, people now prefer granite and marble slabs. The reason - they are cheaper and can be made quicker. "There has been a 75 percent decrease in carved tombs. People prefer slabs of granite and marble instead," says Muhammad Jamal, who makes tombs and epitaphs. A carved tomb costs between Rs 800-4,000. But, granite and marble slabs cost between Rs 250-900. "These days, we inscribe 12-15 sheets of granite every month," says Jamal. He recalls the days when business was at its peak - 1990 to 1995. "Every day, we would get orders to carve epitaphs of people who had died in violent incidents." The trend of granite and marble slabs was started by the "martyrs' graveyard" and Idgah in Srinagar where more than 500 people are buried. All of them died in militancy-related incidents. The graveyard is dotted with similar slabs. Outsourcing has caught on too. "There is a sharp decrease in the supply of stones," says Ahmad Yousuf, a supplier in Khrew. Now, most of the granite and marble slabs come from Rajasthan. The katibs - people who write epitaphs - have also seen death change their lives. "There were times in 1995 when I would write on 20 stones a day." says M. Makhdoomi, a katib. On an average, a katib charges between Rs 50-100 to inscribe an epitaph. But Makhdoomi would rather not make so much money. "May Allah bring peace to the Valley," he says. Reyaz, a shop owner in downtown Srinagar, remembers when he got his life's biggest assignment. "I had to carve granite and marble for 33 people who died when police opened fire on protestors near Khanyar," he says. "All were buried in the same graveyard near the site of incident." There are approximately 17,000 such 'martyrs' graveyards' in Kashmir. Officials put the number of dead during armed freedom strugle between 55,000-70,000. But unofficially, the toll has crossed the One-lakh 80 thousand mark.(Writer-South Asia)

Hindu Zionists Behind Mumbai Attacks – Zaid Hamid

Hindu Zionists Behind Mumbai Attacks – Zaid Hamid

By Inam Abidi Amrohvi

Islamabad: I felt that a section of the Indian media acted a little immature by linking the terrorists to Pakistan even before the official word. Playing to the gallery gets you TRPs but doesn’t help the greater cause. Agreed the men came from Pakistan (as shared by the government later) but the country is itself fighting the same monster. It’s high time that we work together on countering this threat together rather than play the age old blame game. If Pakistan is serious we will get closer to the people who masterminded the Mumbai carnage. And for that it needs to do more than just mere assurances.

Replying to the Indian claims of the terrorists coming from Pakistan, a TV channel (News One) there has come up with its own weird conspiracy theory. I couldn’t watch the entire programme as it was too far fetched to digest and in a way mocked the sacrifices of some very brave men.

The video features Zaid Hamid. Hamid is an idependent Pakistani security expert and also the founder of BrassTacks – a Pakistani Think Tank devoted to the study of regional and global political events and their influence on Pakistan. He comes from a military background having signed up as a volunteer in the Afghan war. His jihadi roots speaks for his biased opinions and weird logic. On a lighter note he is a good entertainer with his kind of imagination.

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation
Srinagar: The Pak-India dialogue process, started in January 2004 when President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee met in Islamabad, has entered into fourth year. Since then, international community and more importantly, Kashmiris have been continuously pinning its hopes that these talks focused mainly on the core issue of Kashmir would help improve the ground situation in occupied Kashmir. But to the dismay of all, the situation remains as it was; Kashmiris are facing the same ordeal as before 2004. According to the data since January 2004 to March 2007, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have killed 3906 Kashmiris, including 332 in custody. Among the killed are also 117 women and 102 children. During this period, 997 structures, including shops and residential houses, have been destroyed, 328 women molested, 830 youth disappeared, 625 women rendered widowed and 1684 children orphaned. This mind-boggling number of human rights violations occurred in an era when the people of the 21st century are struggling for universal peace end harmony.
A couple of months ago, the exhumation of the dead bodies of Abdul Rahman Paddar, Maulvi Shoukat Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Ali Mohammad Paddar and Nazeer Ahmad Deka and their subsequent DNA tests conducted at Chandigarh Forensic Labs had, in fact, established the flagrant phenomena of disappearances and killings of Kashmiri youth in custody and fake encounters by Indian troops. Although India endeavored to color the incidents as the crimes committed by some individuals among the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian Police, however, the explicit matters of routine in occupied Kashmir are hard to conceal.
All the atrocities being inflicted upon the Kashmiris are systematically governed by Indian state policy to continue them to the extent that they withdraw from their legitimate struggle against illegal Indian occupation. Indian authorities by the exhumation of the dead bodies of the above-mentioned Kashmiris during the preceding months have tried to prove that HR violations in occupied Kashmir are driven by a few disgruntled individuals among SOG. To augment the effect, India has also suspended some of its policemen due to their involvement to prove the notion that these are the individuals and not the state that is responsible for HR violations in the occupied territory. Though, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody who afterwards are labeled as foreign militants, yet it is a solid proof of the day-to-day acts of Indian state terrorism in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
The SOG personnel who carried out the above heinous killings were allured by the Indian policy of giving rewards and promotions for such acts. The puppet regime, therefore, had duly rewarded the SOG personnel with 1,20,000 Indian rupees. Indian intransigence in its policy towards Kashmiris is evident from myriads of examples, one of them being Indian stubbornness for not releasing thousands of Kashmiris living in distressed conditions in different jails of India and occupied Kashmir. Among illegally arrested Kashmiris are also included prominent Kashmiri liberation leaders, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Zamruda Habib, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo, Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and many others.
Another striking fact of India's intransigence is that despite the ongoing peace process, it has blatantly shunned from repealing black laws implemented to suppress Kashmiris. Under these laws Indian troops enjoy full impunity to suppress Kashmiris (by killing, arresting, harassing). These laws include Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). Under the DAA, Indian troops have extraordinary powers, including authority to shoot the suspected and to destroy structures merely on suspicions. TADA gives Indian troops special powers for the use of force, arrest and detention. POTA has equipped Indian troops with extraordinary lethal powers. According to it, any act committed with any weapon (even licensed) can be described as a terrorist act. The suspects can be detained for three months without charges being brought against them and three more months if allowed by a special judge. Following intense international pressure, TADA and POTA was repealed, however, cases are still filed under this draconian law. Glaring examples in this regard are those of the cases filed against prominent Kashmiri Liberation leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
AFSPA gives armed and paramilitary forces sweeping powers that facilitate arbitrary arrests and detentions and extra-judicial executions and reinforce the impunity of offenders acting under it. PSA permits administrative detention for a period of up to two years on vaguely defined grounds to prevent people "from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order". Important legal and constitutional safeguards including the right to be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest and to consult a lawyer of one's choice, are not available to anyone held under preventive detention legislation. Thousands of people over the years have been detained under the Act. Under the above-mentioned black laws, confessions made before police, and army officers have been described as admissible in the courts of law. The result has been that many Kashmiri youth like Muhammad Afzal Guru and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo were awarded death sentences and life imprisonments on the basis of their so-called confessions recorded under severe torture during interrogation.
There are thousands of Kashmiris who for years have been searching for their missing kin in Indian troops' custody in every nook and corner of India and the occupied territory. During this time, most of them have also heavily greased the palms of Indian officials only to have a single look either of a missing son, father, husband, brother, mother or a sister. According to the data released by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), the number of those missing in troops custody exceeds ten thousand. Among the missing are also included children less than 10-year old. Missing for over a decade, their mothers faintly hope them to have grown up as adults.
No day passes in occupied Kashmir without a forceful protest demonstration, sit-ins or strikes, in which decades-suppressed IOK people call upon International community to press upon India to stop its troops' ever-growing human rights violations. India needs to realize that it will have to take serious measures to improve human rights situation in the occupied territory such as repealing the draconian laws and pulling out of its troops from the towns and populated areas as the first phase of demilitarization from the occupied territory. The rights violations committed by Indian troops can indeed be done away with if the demilitarization of Kashmir as proposed in the four-point formula of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is implemented in its letter and spirit. As for International community, it should take cognizance of the unabated acts of Indian terrorism and press upon India to allow international human rights bodies to investigate into the massive acts on Human Rights violations to know the crude facts of the last 18 years.

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation Srinagar: The Pak-India dialogue process, started in January 2004 when President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee met in Islamabad, has entered into fourth year. Since then, international community and more importantly, Kashmiris have been continuously pinning its hopes that these talks focused mainly on the core issue of Kashmir would help improve the ground situation in occupied Kashmir. But to the dismay of all, the situation remains as it was; Kashmiris are facing the same ordeal as before 2004. According to the data since January 2004 to March 2007, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have killed 3906 Kashmiris, including 332 in custody. Among the killed are also 117 women and 102 children. During this period, 997 structures, including shops and residential houses, have been destroyed, 328 women molested, 830 youth disappeared, 625 women rendered widowed and 1684 children orphaned. This mind-boggling number of human rights violations occurred in an era when the people of the 21st century are struggling for universal peace end harmony. A couple of months ago, the exhumation of the dead bodies of Abdul Rahman Paddar, Maulvi Shoukat Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Ali Mohammad Paddar and Nazeer Ahmad Deka and their subsequent DNA tests conducted at Chandigarh Forensic Labs had, in fact, established the flagrant phenomena of disappearances and killings of Kashmiri youth in custody and fake encounters by Indian troops. Although India endeavored to color the incidents as the crimes committed by some individuals among the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian Police, however, the explicit matters of routine in occupied Kashmir are hard to conceal. All the atrocities being inflicted upon the Kashmiris are systematically governed by Indian state policy to continue them to the extent that they withdraw from their legitimate struggle against illegal Indian occupation. Indian authorities by the exhumation of the dead bodies of the above-mentioned Kashmiris during the preceding months have tried to prove that HR violations in occupied Kashmir are driven by a few disgruntled individuals among SOG. To augment the effect, India has also suspended some of its policemen due to their involvement to prove the notion that these are the individuals and not the state that is responsible for HR violations in the occupied territory. Though, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody who afterwards are labeled as foreign militants, yet it is a solid proof of the day-to-day acts of Indian state terrorism in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir. The SOG personnel who carried out the above heinous killings were allured by the Indian policy of giving rewards and promotions for such acts. The puppet regime, therefore, had duly rewarded the SOG personnel with 1,20,000 Indian rupees. Indian intransigence in its policy towards Kashmiris is evident from myriads of examples, one of them being Indian stubbornness for not releasing thousands of Kashmiris living in distressed conditions in different jails of India and occupied Kashmir. Among illegally arrested Kashmiris are also included prominent Kashmiri liberation leaders, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Zamruda Habib, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo, Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and many others. Another striking fact of India's intransigence is that despite the ongoing peace process, it has blatantly shunned from repealing black laws implemented to suppress Kashmiris. Under these laws Indian troops enjoy full impunity to suppress Kashmiris (by killing, arresting, harassing). These laws include Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). Under the DAA, Indian troops have extraordinary powers, including authority to shoot the suspected and to destroy structures merely on suspicions. TADA gives Indian troops special powers for the use of force, arrest and detention. POTA has equipped Indian troops with extraordinary lethal powers. According to it, any act committed with any weapon (even licensed) can be described as a terrorist act. The suspects can be detained for three months without charges being brought against them and three more months if allowed by a special judge. Following intense international pressure, TADA and POTA was repealed, however, cases are still filed under this draconian law. Glaring examples in this regard are those of the cases filed against prominent Kashmiri Liberation leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik. AFSPA gives armed and paramilitary forces sweeping powers that facilitate arbitrary arrests and detentions and extra-judicial executions and reinforce the impunity of offenders acting under it. PSA permits administrative detention for a period of up to two years on vaguely defined grounds to prevent people "from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order". Important legal and constitutional safeguards including the right to be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest and to consult a lawyer of one's choice, are not available to anyone held under preventive detention legislation. Thousands of people over the years have been detained under the Act. Under the above-mentioned black laws, confessions made before police, and army officers have been described as admissible in the courts of law. The result has been that many Kashmiri youth like Muhammad Afzal Guru and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo were awarded death sentences and life imprisonments on the basis of their so-called confessions recorded under severe torture during interrogation. There are thousands of Kashmiris who for years have been searching for their missing kin in Indian troops' custody in every nook and corner of India and the occupied territory. During this time, most of them have also heavily greased the palms of Indian officials only to have a single look either of a missing son, father, husband, brother, mother or a sister. According to the data released by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), the number of those missing in troops custody exceeds ten thousand. Among the missing are also included children less than 10-year old. Missing for over a decade, their mothers faintly hope them to have grown up as adults. No day passes in occupied Kashmir without a forceful protest demonstration, sit-ins or strikes, in which decades-suppressed IOK people call upon International community to press upon India to stop its troops' ever-growing human rights violations. India needs to realize that it will have to take serious measures to improve human rights situation in the occupied territory such as repealing the draconian laws and pulling out of its troops from the towns and populated areas as the first phase of demilitarization from the occupied territory. The rights violations committed by Indian troops can indeed be done away with if the demilitarization of Kashmir as proposed in the four-point formula of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is implemented in its letter and spirit. As for International community, it should take cognizance of the unabated acts of Indian terrorism and press upon India to allow international human rights bodies to investigate into the massive acts on Human Rights violations to know the crude facts of the last 18 years.

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation Srinagar: Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation Srinagar: The Pak-India dialogue process, started in January 2004 when President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee met in Islamabad, has entered into fourth year. Since then, international community and more importantly, Kashmiris have been continuously pinning its hopes that these talks focused mainly on the core issue of Kashmir would help improve the ground situation in occupied Kashmir. But to the dismay of all, the situation remains as it was; Kashmiris are facing the same ordeal as before 2004. According to the data since January 2004 to March 2007, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have killed 3906 Kashmiris, including 332 in custody. Among the killed are also 117 women and 102 children. During this period, 997 structures, including shops and residential houses, have been destroyed, 328 women molested, 830 youth disappeared, 625 women rendered widowed and 1684 children orphaned. This mind-boggling number of human rights violations occurred in an era when the people of the 21st century are struggling for universal peace end harmony. A couple of months ago, the exhumation of the dead bodies of Abdul Rahman Paddar, Maulvi Shoukat Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Ali Mohammad Paddar and Nazeer Ahmad Deka and their subsequent DNA tests conducted at Chandigarh Forensic Labs had, in fact, established the flagrant phenomena of disappearances and killings of Kashmiri youth in custody and fake encounters by Indian troops. Although India endeavored to color the incidents as the crimes committed by some individuals among the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian Police, however, the explicit matters of routine in occupied Kashmir are hard to conceal. All the atrocities being inflicted upon the Kashmiris are systematically governed by Indian state policy to continue them to the extent that they withdraw from their legitimate struggle against illegal Indian occupation. Indian authorities by the exhumation of the dead bodies of the above-mentioned Kashmiris during the preceding months have tried to prove that HR violations in occupied Kashmir are driven by a few disgruntled individuals among SOG. To augment the effect, India has also suspended some of its policemen due to their involvement to prove the notion that these are the individuals and not the state that is responsible for HR violations in the occupied territory. Though, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody who afterwards are labeled as foreign militants, yet it is a solid proof of the day-to-day acts of Indian state terrorism in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir. The SOG personnel who carried out the above heinous killings were allured by the Indian policy of giving rewards and promotions for such acts. The puppet regime, therefore, had duly rewarded the SOG personnel with 1,20,000 Indian rupees. Indian intransigence in its policy towards Kashmiris is evident from myriads of examples, one of them being Indian stubbornness for not releasing thousands of Kashmiris living in distressed conditions in different jails of India and occupied Kashmir. Among illegally arrested Kashmiris are also included prominent Kashmiri liberation leaders, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Zamruda Habib, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo, Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and many others. Another striking fact of India's intransigence is that despite the ongoing peace process, it has blatantly shunned from repealing black laws implemented to suppress Kashmiris. Under these laws Indian troops enjoy full impunity to suppress Kashmiris (by killing, arresting, harassing). These laws include Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). Under the DAA, Indian troops have extraordinary powers, including authority to shoot the suspected and to destroy structures merely on suspicions. TADA gives Indian troops special powers for the use of force, arrest and detention. POTA has equipped Indian troops with extraordinary lethal powers. According to it, any act committed with any weapon (even licensed) can be described as a terrorist act. The suspects can be detained for three months without charges being brought against them and three more months if allowed by a special judge. Following intense international pressure, TADA and POTA was repealed, however, cases are still filed under this draconian law. Glaring examples in this regard are those of the cases filed against prominent Kashmiri Liberation leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik. AFSPA gives armed and paramilitary forces sweeping powers that facilitate arbitrary arrests and detentions and extra-judicial executions and reinforce the impunity of offenders acting under it. PSA permits administrative detention for a period of up to two years on vaguely defined grounds to prevent people "from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order". Important legal and constitutional safeguards including the right to be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest and to consult a lawyer of one's choice, are not available to anyone held under preventive detention legislation. Thousands of people over the years have been detained under the Act. Under the above-mentioned black laws, confessions made before police, and army officers have been described as admissible in the courts of law. The result has been that many Kashmiri youth like Muhammad Afzal Guru and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo were awarded death sentences and life imprisonments on the basis of their so-called confessions recorded under severe torture during interrogation. There are thousands of Kashmiris who for years have been searching for their missing kin in Indian troops' custody in every nook and corner of India and the occupied territory. During this time, most of them have also heavily greased the palms of Indian officials only to have a single look either of a missing son, father, husband, brother, mother or a sister. According to the data released by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), the number of those missing in troops custody exceeds ten thousand. Among the missing are also included children less than 10-year old. Missing for over a decade, their mothers faintly hope them to have grown up as adults. No day passes in occupied Kashmir without a forceful protest demonstration, sit-ins or strikes, in which decades-suppressed IOK people call upon International community to press upon India to stop its troops' ever-growing human rights violations. India needs to realize that it will have to take serious measures to improve human rights situation in the occupied territory such as repealing the draconian laws and pulling out of its troops from the towns and populated areas as the first phase of demilitarization from the occupied territory. The rights violations committed by Indian troops can indeed be done away with if the demilitarization of Kashmir as proposed in the four-point formula of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is implemented in its letter and spirit. As for International community, it should take cognizance of the unabated acts of Indian terrorism and press upon India to allow international human rights bodies to investigate into the massive acts on Human Rights violations to know the crude facts of the last 18 years.

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Srinagar: Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation
Srinagar: The Pak-India dialogue process, started in January 2004 when President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee met in Islamabad, has entered into fourth year. Since then, international community and more importantly, Kashmiris have been continuously pinning its hopes that these talks focused mainly on the core issue of Kashmir would help improve the ground situation in occupied Kashmir. But to the dismay of all, the situation remains as it was; Kashmiris are facing the same ordeal as before 2004. According to the data since January 2004 to March 2007, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have killed 3906 Kashmiris, including 332 in custody. Among the killed are also 117 women and 102 children. During this period, 997 structures, including shops and residential houses, have been destroyed, 328 women molested, 830 youth disappeared, 625 women rendered widowed and 1684 children orphaned. This mind-boggling number of human rights violations occurred in an era when the people of the 21st century are struggling for universal peace end harmony.
A couple of months ago, the exhumation of the dead bodies of Abdul Rahman Paddar, Maulvi Shoukat Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Ali Mohammad Paddar and Nazeer Ahmad Deka and their subsequent DNA tests conducted at Chandigarh Forensic Labs had, in fact, established the flagrant phenomena of disappearances and killings of Kashmiri youth in custody and fake encounters by Indian troops. Although India endeavored to color the incidents as the crimes committed by some individuals among the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian Police, however, the explicit matters of routine in occupied Kashmir are hard to conceal.
All the atrocities being inflicted upon the Kashmiris are systematically governed by Indian state policy to continue them to the extent that they withdraw from their legitimate struggle against illegal Indian occupation. Indian authorities by the exhumation of the dead bodies of the above-mentioned Kashmiris during the preceding months have tried to prove that HR violations in occupied Kashmir are driven by a few disgruntled individuals among SOG. To augment the effect, India has also suspended some of its policemen due to their involvement to prove the notion that these are the individuals and not the state that is responsible for HR violations in the occupied territory. Though, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody who afterwards are labeled as foreign militants, yet it is a solid proof of the day-to-day acts of Indian state terrorism in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
The SOG personnel who carried out the above heinous killings were allured by the Indian policy of giving rewards and promotions for such acts. The puppet regime, therefore, had duly rewarded the SOG personnel with 1,20,000 Indian rupees. Indian intransigence in its policy towards Kashmiris is evident from myriads of examples, one of them being Indian stubbornness for not releasing thousands of Kashmiris living in distressed conditions in different jails of India and occupied Kashmir. Among illegally arrested Kashmiris are also included prominent Kashmiri liberation leaders, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Zamruda Habib, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo, Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and many others.
Another striking fact of India's intransigence is that despite the ongoing peace process, it has blatantly shunned from repealing black laws implemented to suppress Kashmiris. Under these laws Indian troops enjoy full impunity to suppress Kashmiris (by killing, arresting, harassing). These laws include Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). Under the DAA, Indian troops have extraordinary powers, including authority to shoot the suspected and to destroy structures merely on suspicions. TADA gives Indian troops special powers for the use of force, arrest and detention. POTA has equipped Indian troops with extraordinary lethal powers. According to it, any act committed with any weapon (even licensed) can be described as a terrorist act. The suspects can be detained for three months without charges being brought against them and three more months if allowed by a special judge. Following intense international pressure, TADA and POTA was repealed, however, cases are still filed under this draconian law. Glaring examples in this regard are those of the cases filed against prominent Kashmiri Liberation leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
AFSPA gives armed and paramilitary forces sweeping powers that facilitate arbitrary arrests and detentions and extra-judicial executions and reinforce the impunity of offenders acting under it. PSA permits administrative detention for a period of up to two years on vaguely defined grounds to prevent people "from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order". Important legal and constitutional safeguards including the right to be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest and to consult a lawyer of one's choice, are not available to anyone held under preventive detention legislation. Thousands of people over the years have been detained under the Act. Under the above-mentioned black laws, confessions made before police, and army officers have been described as admissible in the courts of law. The result has been that many Kashmiri youth like Muhammad Afzal Guru and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo were awarded death sentences and life imprisonments on the basis of their so-called confessions recorded under severe torture during interrogation.
There are thousands of Kashmiris who for years have been searching for their missing kin in Indian troops' custody in every nook and corner of India and the occupied territory. During this time, most of them have also heavily greased the palms of Indian officials only to have a single look either of a missing son, father, husband, brother, mother or a sister. According to the data released by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), the number of those missing in troops custody exceeds ten thousand. Among the missing are also included children less than 10-year old. Missing for over a decade, their mothers faintly hope them to have grown up as adults.
No day passes in occupied Kashmir without a forceful protest demonstration, sit-ins or strikes, in which decades-suppressed IOK people call upon International community to press upon India to stop its troops' ever-growing human rights violations. India needs to realize that it will have to take serious measures to improve human rights situation in the occupied territory such as repealing the draconian laws and pulling out of its troops from the towns and populated areas as the first phase of demilitarization from the occupied territory. The rights violations committed by Indian troops can indeed be done away with if the demilitarization of Kashmir as proposed in the four-point formula of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is implemented in its letter and spirit. As for International community, it should take cognizance of the unabated acts of Indian terrorism and press upon India to allow international human rights bodies to investigate into the massive acts on Human Rights violations to know the crude facts of the last 18 years.

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation

Srinagar: Over 3-years' dialogue sans change in Kashmir situation
Srinagar: The Pak-India dialogue process, started in January 2004 when President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee met in Islamabad, has entered into fourth year. Since then, international community and more importantly, Kashmiris have been continuously pinning its hopes that these talks focused mainly on the core issue of Kashmir would help improve the ground situation in occupied Kashmir. But to the dismay of all, the situation remains as it was; Kashmiris are facing the same ordeal as before 2004. According to the data since January 2004 to March 2007, Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have killed 3906 Kashmiris, including 332 in custody. Among the killed are also 117 women and 102 children. During this period, 997 structures, including shops and residential houses, have been destroyed, 328 women molested, 830 youth disappeared, 625 women rendered widowed and 1684 children orphaned. This mind-boggling number of human rights violations occurred in an era when the people of the 21st century are struggling for universal peace end harmony.
A couple of months ago, the exhumation of the dead bodies of Abdul Rahman Paddar, Maulvi Shoukat Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Wani, Ali Mohammad Paddar and Nazeer Ahmad Deka and their subsequent DNA tests conducted at Chandigarh Forensic Labs had, in fact, established the flagrant phenomena of disappearances and killings of Kashmiri youth in custody and fake encounters by Indian troops. Although India endeavored to color the incidents as the crimes committed by some individuals among the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian Police, however, the explicit matters of routine in occupied Kashmir are hard to conceal.
All the atrocities being inflicted upon the Kashmiris are systematically governed by Indian state policy to continue them to the extent that they withdraw from their legitimate struggle against illegal Indian occupation. Indian authorities by the exhumation of the dead bodies of the above-mentioned Kashmiris during the preceding months have tried to prove that HR violations in occupied Kashmir are driven by a few disgruntled individuals among SOG. To augment the effect, India has also suspended some of its policemen due to their involvement to prove the notion that these are the individuals and not the state that is responsible for HR violations in the occupied territory. Though, it is only the tip of the iceberg of the killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and during custody who afterwards are labeled as foreign militants, yet it is a solid proof of the day-to-day acts of Indian state terrorism in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
The SOG personnel who carried out the above heinous killings were allured by the Indian policy of giving rewards and promotions for such acts. The puppet regime, therefore, had duly rewarded the SOG personnel with 1,20,000 Indian rupees. Indian intransigence in its policy towards Kashmiris is evident from myriads of examples, one of them being Indian stubbornness for not releasing thousands of Kashmiris living in distressed conditions in different jails of India and occupied Kashmir. Among illegally arrested Kashmiris are also included prominent Kashmiri liberation leaders, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Zamruda Habib, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo, Bilal Siddiqi, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and many others.
Another striking fact of India's intransigence is that despite the ongoing peace process, it has blatantly shunned from repealing black laws implemented to suppress Kashmiris. Under these laws Indian troops enjoy full impunity to suppress Kashmiris (by killing, arresting, harassing). These laws include Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), Terrorism And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Jammu And Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act (DAA). Under the DAA, Indian troops have extraordinary powers, including authority to shoot the suspected and to destroy structures merely on suspicions. TADA gives Indian troops special powers for the use of force, arrest and detention. POTA has equipped Indian troops with extraordinary lethal powers. According to it, any act committed with any weapon (even licensed) can be described as a terrorist act. The suspects can be detained for three months without charges being brought against them and three more months if allowed by a special judge. Following intense international pressure, TADA and POTA was repealed, however, cases are still filed under this draconian law. Glaring examples in this regard are those of the cases filed against prominent Kashmiri Liberation leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
AFSPA gives armed and paramilitary forces sweeping powers that facilitate arbitrary arrests and detentions and extra-judicial executions and reinforce the impunity of offenders acting under it. PSA permits administrative detention for a period of up to two years on vaguely defined grounds to prevent people "from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order". Important legal and constitutional safeguards including the right to be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest and to consult a lawyer of one's choice, are not available to anyone held under preventive detention legislation. Thousands of people over the years have been detained under the Act. Under the above-mentioned black laws, confessions made before police, and army officers have been described as admissible in the courts of law. The result has been that many Kashmiri youth like Muhammad Afzal Guru and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo were awarded death sentences and life imprisonments on the basis of their so-called confessions recorded under severe torture during interrogation.
There are thousands of Kashmiris who for years have been searching for their missing kin in Indian troops' custody in every nook and corner of India and the occupied territory. During this time, most of them have also heavily greased the palms of Indian officials only to have a single look either of a missing son, father, husband, brother, mother or a sister. According to the data released by the Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), the number of those missing in troops custody exceeds ten thousand. Among the missing are also included children less than 10-year old. Missing for over a decade, their mothers faintly hope them to have grown up as adults.
No day passes in occupied Kashmir without a forceful protest demonstration, sit-ins or strikes, in which decades-suppressed IOK people call upon International community to press upon India to stop its troops' ever-growing human rights violations. India needs to realize that it will have to take serious measures to improve human rights situation in the occupied territory such as repealing the draconian laws and pulling out of its troops from the towns and populated areas as the first phase of demilitarization from the occupied territory. The rights violations committed by Indian troops can indeed be done away with if the demilitarization of Kashmir as proposed in the four-point formula of Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is implemented in its letter and spirit. As for International community, it should take cognizance of the unabated acts of Indian terrorism and press upon India to allow international human rights bodies to investigate into the massive acts on Human Rights violations to know the crude facts of the last 18 years.

Kashmiris to observe September 11 as Martyrs Day

Kashmiris to observe September 11 as Martyrs Day

Srinagar, September 06 In disputed state of Kashmir, the forum patronized by senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has said that September 11 will be observed as Kashmir Martyrs Day and September 18 as Youm-e-Qudus.

The forum in a meeting held in Srinagar appealed to all the Imams to make “Philosophy of martyrdom” the topic of their Friday sermon on September 11 and organize special prayers for the martyrs.

The spokesman if the forum expressed apprehensions over the recent meeting of puppet Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and Indian Army corps commander, General Bikram Jeet Singh. He said that India was looking for legal means to justify the occupation of lakhs of kanals of agriculture and horticulture land by its army in the territory.

The spokesman of the forum said that during the meeting it was decided to agitate peacefully against the occupation of land by Indian army an in this regard strategy would be announced soon. He also strongly condemned the use of force by Indian troopers and police personnel against the peaceful protestors in the Valley. (Writer-South Asia)

Freedom Politics In Kashmir: Issues, Problems and Future Prospects

Freedom Politics In Kashmir: Issues, Problems and Future Prospects

By: Dr Syed M Inayatullah Andrabi,

This is a universally accepted fact that Kashmiri people do not want to live with India. With the emergence of a new post-colonial south Asia in 1947, Kashmir like all other Muslim majority states would have opted to become a constituent state of Pakistan, had it not been for the fact that India occupied the state by sheer intrigue and military force, and stopped the natural course of history.

India’s real achievement in Kashmir is not its successful military occupation, but cultivation of a proxy-puppet, but nonetheless, working political system. This puppet politics(commonly but wrongly termed as ‘mainstream politics’) is fake, a counterfeit product because it does not reflect peoples’ aspirations, nor is it based on any lofty vision where, in the face of its intrinsic merit, one would ignore its unpopularity. The puppet politics is rootless, but organized, structured and fully functional. On the other hand, the freedom politics is deeply rooted in genuine aspirations of Kashmiri masses. It has firm roots, but right from 1947 it is beset with problems of organization, resources and leadership. Its problems started when in early nineteen thirties Muslim Conference got infiltrated by forces of the so-called Indian Nationalism ultimately leading to the exit of the late Mirwaiz Maulvi Yusuf Shah from Kashmir which in turn gave National Conference a full sway over Kashmir’s political space. Being reflective of the popular political sentiment in occupied Kashmir, the freedom politics could not consolidate itself into a solid structure with a credible leadership and a clear strategic course of action. Although it represented the popular political sentiment, yet it could not successfully entrench itself in masses. Perhaps, freedom politics was at its best in the form of All J&K Plebicite Front when it functioned as a mass political party which in reality it is.

Present

In the recent past since 1989 things have not become any better. For the first time since 1947, the freedom politics had an underpinning of an armed movement which did favourably change the India-Kashmir power equation, and provided a higher pedestal for the freedom politics to operate from, but again the problems of organization, structure and leadership prevented any gains to change into successes. Although, one big factor why freedom politics could not consolidate itself as a solid political institution has been Indian repression and brute force right from the beginning, yet in recent times some other factors have also played a negative role in a big way. Because of these new factors, various groups with particular sectarian or political interests within the freedom politics have entrenched themselves, and have been busy in competing with each other within the space of freedom politics making the common cause of freedom a tragic casualty. Huge financial resources from a number of vested interests and dubious quarters around the world have aided and abetted this process. Given the time and the environment when it was formed, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) could have by now grown into a formidable political institution, which it unfortunately did not for two kinds of reasons, both complimenting each other: on one hand, it never had a clear sense of direction, and sense of common purpose, and on the other, it was the victim of outside interferences with particularist agendas. The net result is: freedom sentiment in Kashmir, undoubtedly the popular sentiment, still lacks, though not wholly, proper channels of articulation. It is a very powerful and genuine sentiment, but does not have an equally powerful vehicle for expression.

Current Topic:

Freedom Politics In Kashmir: Issues, Problems and Future Prospects

Looking Ahead

Nothing is more reassuring than the fact that the freedom sentiment has survived the test of time. The young generation is equally unwilling to live with India as were their forefathers in 1947. However the historic challenge remains:

How to ensure the existence of a dynamic, credible, and politically institutionalised freedom movement in Kashmir.

The assets are there as ever. The peoples’ sentiment is the core asset, and so is moral, political and strategic rightness of the Kashmir Cause. Changing world scenario, and power equations between Islam and the West particularly in the Middle East (where these are most significant) are again very favourable factors. Although the final objectives have not been achieved, yet there will be quite a few important gains that will have been made in the course of struggle for the past 19 years. These gains have to be identified, and consolidated.

If Kashmir Cause/Movement means complete end to India’s sovereignty over Kashmir, which it really does, then one has to look for a political movement sustainable for as long as it takes to deliver its goals, which should be very clearly spelt out. People cannot afford to go in circles, nor can they undergo trial exercises of the type that since Pakistan changed policy we had to stop at D, otherwise we would have gone up to B. People will say, if you had to stop at D, we would have not moved at all in the first place. People of Kashmir can, as do other people in the world, start at a point, and progressively move on the right direction without unnecessarily suffocating. At any point in time, it should be clear to a fair observer that they are nearer to the destination than they were at the preceding moment.

Credible movement has got to be independent in its decisions, flexible in its approach and general operation, and financially self-sufficient. Funds are always needed and, therefore, welcome, but a proper freedom movement in Kashmir can and should mobilise enough finances within Kashmir. This must be borne in mind that any political movement that seeks to liberate Kashmir from India’s occupation, and make it a part of wider Muslim fraternity, is essentially securing the future of Islam in Kashmir. As such, all those assets, which are related to Islamic heritage in Kashmir and Muslims’ attachment and loyalty to those, are actually the assets for the freedom movement. There is no reason why all the income from the shrines, particularly Dargah Sharif Hazratbal, should not be utilized for the cause of the freedom of Kashmir. So far, these assets have been exploited by puppet politics, and the puppet politicians continue doing this without shame.

Let us deliberate over these issues with the sole aim of making a contribution, doing one’s own bit, and not indulge in blame games and point scoring. May Allah(SWT) be our helper at all times, and in all situations.