Troops martyr 33 innocent Kashmiris in June

Srinagar, July 01: According to Kashmir Media Service reports, In Kashmir, Indian troops, in their continued acts of state terrorism, martyred 33 innocent Kashmiris including 9 teenagers in the last month of June.

According to the data, compiled by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service, 228 civilians including Hurriyet leaders and activists were arrested and 572 people were critically injured when the police and paramilitary forces fired bullets and teargas shells against peaceful demonstrators. Eight women were disgraced by the troops.

Sixteen residential houses were damaged with heavy firing and shelling during violent siege and search operations during the month. The killings rendered two women widowed and four children orphaned.

On the other hand, in an attack by Mujahideen at least two Indian troops were killed at Machil in Kupwara, today. The exchange of fire was continuing when last reports came in.

The authorities strictly enforced curfew and other restrictions, today, to thwart a march by women towards Pather Masjid in Srinagar, call for which had been given by the forum, patronised by Syed Ali Gilani. A group of women tried to take out a procession at Chattabal in Srinagar but was intercepted by the police. This led to a clash between the youth and police personnel.

The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi continued to remain under house arrest, today. Illegally detained APHC leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, talking to media men, outside Srinagar Central Jail emphasised that India would not be successful in subduing the Kashmiris by its state terrorism. He was shifted, today, to the jail from Humhama Police Station.

The APHC AJK in an extraordinarily meeting in Islamabad (Pakistan), today, expressed concern over the ongoing spate of the killing of teenagers by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir. The meeting was presided over by Convenor, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir civil society has strongly condemned the genocide of Kashmiris by troopers and policemen across the Valley.

The spokesperson of Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS), a Srinagar-based civil society advocacy group, in a statement, while demanding immediate revocation of all draconian laws including AFSPA, said, “We condemn all the barbaric acts violating the human rights with impunity.”

She urged the occupation authorities and the government of India to stop genocide in the occupied territory. The spokesperson has also appealed to the international community particularly the United Nations to take cognisance of killings; human rights violations and other heinous crimes like rape and molestation of women, extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances, murders through fake encounters, perpetuated on the people of Kashmir.

In  various parts of  Kashmir, thousands of Indian policemen and paramilitary forces personnel continued a strict curfew, today, in Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Pampore, Pulwama, Kulgam, Islamabad, Pahalgam, Bijbehara, Mattan, Dooru, Kokernag and Achhabal to stem forceful anti-India demonstrations, which contineud against the Indian state terrorism in the territory.

Eight young boys were killed in Indian troops indiscriminate firings on mourners and peaceful demonstrations in last five days in Sopore, Baramulla and Islamabad townships. The restrictions were more intense in several towns and the people were confined to their houses. Troops restricted even the slightest movement of the people.

At least 40 people were injured in Srinagar, Islamabad, Kangan and other areas during clashes with Indian policemen while a 9-year-old girl, Shafia Mushtaq was injured in a grenade explosion at Buchoo in Pattan.

Meanwhile, Indian troops in their fresh acts of state terrorism, martyred two Kashmiri youth in Bangus valley in Handwara and Durusa in Lolab.

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar | New Delhi | Islamabad | Muzaffarabad: Medicinal Plants of India

Writer-South Asia (Srinagar New Delhi Islamabad Muzaffarabad: Medicinal Plants of India

Medicinal Plants of India

(Announcement)

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

Govt of India has been implementing Contractual Farming Scheme under which financial assistance @ 30% of the project cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 9.00 lakhs, is provided to farmers / growers for cultivation of identified medicinal plants. The Scheme is implemented through State Government. The Goovt of India had identified list of 32 medicinal plants for cultivation and development on priority basics-I. However, as per Operational Guidelines, projects for cultivation of other commercially important plants can also be considered for which assured market exists.

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

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

The CD-based book costs Rs. 550/-

Payment: Demand Draft//MO only in favour of "International Information Resource Centre",

Mailing address: POB: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR Jammu and Kashmir 190001

Ph:09858986794,01933-223705

e-mail:iirc@rediffmail.com

web: http://medicinalplantsdirectory.blogspot.com/

India: Prosecute Soldiers in Kashmir ‘Encounter Killing’ : RRW

By: Johan Simith

New York, Jully 7: The recent killing of three men by soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in an apparent faked encounter with so-called militants underscores the urgency for the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers (Jammu and Kashmir) Act (AFSPA), Human Rights Watch said today. Under the Act, which has been in force in Kashmir since 1990, soldiers may not be prosecuted in a civilian court unless sanctioned by the federal government, which is extremely rare.

Police have accused Col. D.K. Pathania and Maj. Upinder Singh of the 4th Rajput Regiment of killing three Kashmiri villagers on April 30, 2010. The military men falsely claimed that the villagers were anti-government militants and shot at the Line of Control (LOC), the effective border separating the Indian- and Pakistani-administered regions of Kashmir. The army ordered an inquiry, suspended the major, and removed the colonel from command.

"We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians," said Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. "But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice."

The army claimed that it killed three militants after it foiled their attempt to infiltrate in the Machil sector of the Line of Control, and displayed AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, and Pakistani currency allegedly recovered from the men. Police allege, though, that a member of the Territorial Army, Abbas Hussain Shah, deliberately lured the three men - Mohamad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed, and Riyaz Ahmed, all residents of Nadihal in Baramulla district - into army custody with an offer of jobs.

Police arrested Shah, along with two alleged accomplices, after relatives reported that the three men were missing. The police said that Shah had admitted that he took the men to a village near the border, from which soldiers transported them to the Line of Control. Shah said he was acting under orders from Major Singh. The three bodies were later exhumed and identified by their relatives in the presence of a magistrate.

"The army's narrative of shooting infiltrators is the same tired story used time and again to claim military glory," Ganguly said. "The army's special powers to operate in conflict areas are being repeatedly abused and should be withdrawn."

A government-appointed review committee recommended repealing the act in 2004 because of repeated abuse. In 2009, the Indian government promised to revise the law to ensure human rights protections, but the bill has yet to be placed before parliament. The army has resisted any curtailment of its powers under the act, particularly its immunity from prosecution, saying that it will lead to frivolous complaints and will hurt troop morale. Human Rights Watch has documented numerous cases of faked "encounter killings."

For instance, in a 2000 case in Pathribal, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed murder charges against five army officers - Brig. Ajay Saxena, Lt. Col. Brajendra Pratap Singh, Maj. Saurabh Sinha, Maj. Amit Saxena, and Subedar Idrees Khan - for their role in abducting and killing five villagers in a staged armed encounter. The army challenged the charges under AFSPA since federal government approval had not been sought before the charges were filed. Court proceedings in the case still drag on, and none of the accused have been taken into custody or brought before a judge. According to some media accounts, some of the accused have continued to serve in the army and received promotions.

Everyone Lives in Fear"

We have seen too many army inquiries, supposed suspensions, and false promises of punishment whenever soldiers are implicated in killing civilians. But when the dust settles, the army obstructs prosecution under the Special Powers Act, and fails to deliver justice.
Meenakshi Ganguly, senior South Asia researcher