11 February , 2012
Tied Stones And Loose Dogs
By Souzeina Mushtaq
When the education system of Jammu and Kashmir state is already on a ventilator, another death blow to it came in the form of the Examgate scandal. State’s honorable Education Minister, Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed misused his official position to help his foster son, Imam Souban clear the 10th standard examination in 2009, with the help of present chairman Board of School Education, the then deputy director academics and other four officials
10 February , 2012
Kashmir: Forgive And Forget
By Burhan Majid
Ever since the third generation Abdullah rose to throne as the State’s Chief Minister, he continues to bat for the setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) which, he believes, would help to find out the truth behind the widespread atrocities perpetrated, by the Government forces, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir
13 January , 2012
Kashmir Saga 2012
By Abdul Majid Zargar
Mohammad Altaf Sood, 22, was mercilessly killed in CISF firing at Boniyar providing a grim reminder of the reality that human life in Kashmir continues to be dispensable. And dust had barely settled when another soul was demolished at Sopore. An innocent civilian, again a young man, was brutally done to death while crying for help in an injured condition
29 December , 2011
Kashmir: Curbing The Academics
By Burhan Majid
There have been a series of attempts when we saw the academics being interfered with by the State police. So besides the usual high handedness and meddling, the State’s police force has jumped into action in yet another field. In a way the Police in the State have become too ubiquitous marked by its arbitrary interferences which are more often uncalled for
08 December , 2011
Arrest And Harassment of Pastor C.M Khanna in Srinagar
Fact Finding Report
Report Of The Fact Finding Team To Srinagar And Jammu [ 29 November- 3 December 2011 ] Regarding The Arrest And Harassment Of Pastor C.M Khanna Of All Saints Church, Srinagar
16 October , 2011
8th Oct, A Look Back And Its Aftermath
By Sheikh Saaliq
It was truly called the 17th deadliest earthquake witnessed ever in records. Killing almost 75,000 people, injuring people in thousands and making millions homeless, the earthquake of 8th Oct 2005 still haunts everyone who witnessed it. Muzzafarabad, Pakistan being the epicenter of this earthquake was the mostly hit area but on other side of the border, Indian Kashmir didn’t’ remain un-affected. Almost 2,500 people were killed on this side too with thousands homeless
07 October , 2011
Here Is What I Am Saying To The Indian Feminists
On Conflict And Feminist Movement’s Response
By Inshah Malik
Inshah Malik's response to a discussion on her earlier article “Kashmiri women stand for peace?”
03 October , 2011
The Unmarked Graves Of Kashmir
By Sheikh Saaliq
Having a look from outside these small mounds of soil may only look like buried with mere human bodies with most of them torn by bullets or mortar shells, but in fact these small pieces of land carry a long story of pain and grief for decades to narrate
Kashmiri Women Stand For ‘Peace’?
By Inshah Malik
Women visualize peace in much different way than the ones in the seminars. Peace for Zainab who lives in front of the army camp and her daughters move through the surveillance of army and have to hear sexual remarks as usual, is nothing but “AZADI”
21 September , 2011
Kashmir: Sinking Into Oblivion, Rising From The Ashes
By Maryam Sakeenah
The jarring report on over 2000 unmarked mass graves in Indian Held Kashmir that came to light last month failed to elicit a response from the United Nations. When pressed for comments, Secretary General Ban Ki Moon apologized that he had ‘no comments for now.' This is not just the UN lacking teeth; it is the UN being reduced to virtual dysfunction- that is, irrelevance to global context altogether
19 September , 2011
The Unnoticed Regrouping Of Militants On LoC
By Jalaluddin Mughal
The residents of Neelum Valley are worried about suspicious presence of some outsiders who have been seen in the surroundings of village Dodnial since last couple of weeks. Dressed in traditional Pakistani dress Shalwar Kameez and having long beards, majority of these outsiders speak Punjabi. There must be a reason behind their dubious presence in the area, but, nobody knows exactly what the nature of their activities
Kashmir: A Legacy Of British Colonialism
By Zafar Iqbal
In the recent past British Prime Minister David Cameron, referring the Kashmir conflict, has already admitted that ‘Britain caused many of the world's problems’. Now it is time for British leadership to correct their historical mistakes by protecting human rights and democracy in Kashmir
14 September , 2011
People Of Jammu And Kashmir Have A Right To Know
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
"A few days ago I posted a video on my face book wall, in which a Kashmiri militant, known as Bitta Karate confesses to have killed many Kashmiri Hindu Pandits, not because they were criminals or they endangered his life but because he was ordered by his senior leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). He said he does not remember how many Hindu Pandits he killed; and if they were innocent or not. He had orders to kill and he did that"
05 September , 2011
Does Conflict Empower Women?
By Mushtaq Ul haq Ahmad Sikander
“Necessity is the mother of Invention” is a well proven fact; similar has been the case with women of Kashmir. The armed conflict has imposed on them new alien roles, which they have readily accepted and are fulfilling the responsibilities of the same
India In Oblivion
By Burhan Majid
Though India has invariably promised Kashmir, the fulfillment remains to be seen
02 September , 2011
They Brought Harud To My Voice
By Basharat Ali
On the postponement of the proposed literary festival, Harud Litfest in Kashmir
01 September , 2011
Harud Gov Sarudd
By Fahad Shah
The title above, “Harud gov saridd” means Harud fell cold. The on-going extensive debate on the postponement of the proposed literary festival, Harud (Autumn) Litfest in Kashmir from 24-26 September has many colours. Some say it was the vested interest of the people who opposed the festival. Some even say that it was “Islamic fundamentalism”. How can a person with intellect raise such queries? I doubt the intellect now
31 August , 2011
Harud: Season of Despondency And Loss
By Dr. Nyla Ali Khan
Is the condemnation of the Harud festival, which has now been cancelled, by a group of academics, none of whom live in Kashmir, an attempt to objectify the Kashmiri subject
25 August , 2011
Kashmir Is A Human Rights Disaster
By Naveed Qazi
A long lasting peace perhaps would be the biggest tribute to families who have been victimized through violence. People should build intense pressure for action to raise the cost of human rights abuse
15 August , 2011
Kashmir Calm, Youth Face The Brunt
By Fahad Shah
In wake of Indian Independence Day celebrations on August 15 here at a local stadium, Bakshi Stadium, the state has launched crackdown on youths. A local newspaper reported that police have detained more than 45 youth in Srinagar and south Kashmir during nocturnal raids in just two days
13 August , 2011
Construction Of A Unique Kashmiri Identity:
Awakening or Disaster
By Nyla Ali Khan
As a Kashmir observer and someone who has been writing on Kashmir for a while, I am of the opinion that L. K. Advani's recent attempt to resuscitate the ultra right-wing nationalism of the BJP is ludicrous. Such right-wing propaganda ought to be challenged by the intelligentsia, not just Kashmiri, but mainstream Indian as well. It might not be a bad idea for Advani and his cohort to take a quick history lesson
05 August , 2011
Kashmiryat: Religion Or Class?
By Inshah Malik
The author argues that the fabrics of the Kashmiryat in discourse stand on caste, class and not religion
Exploitation: What Else Can They Do?
By Fahad Shah
Contractual lecturers are on hunger strike in Kashmir valley
28 July , 2011
Rapes In Kashmir
By Abdul Majid Zargar
It is unfortunate that trouble should rock Kashmir shortly before the Pakistan and Indian foreign ministers meet in New Delhi after an agonizing one-year wait. Once again, Indian army personnel have allegedly dishonored a Kashmiri woman, leading to anti-India demonstrations by thousands of people, mostly youth, in the Manzagam village on Friday. And while the protests are in progress, there comes another molestation attempt by an Indian Soldier in Hyderbeg area of Pattan in North Kashmir
24 June , 2011
Conflict Induced Infertility In Kashmiri Women
By Ibrahim Wani
Conflict induced stress is not only taking a toll on mental health in Kashmir but also causing reproductive problems and disorders in young men and women
22 June , 2011
Rising Suicide Rates In Kashmir
By Ibrahim Wani
Suicide cases are on the rise in Kashmir with even teenagers as young as 14, attempting suicide. This issue is emerging as a major problem in the society
16 June , 2011
Navlakha's Deportation: Something Is
Brewing In Kashmir
By Fahad Shah
With the deportation of noted Human Rights activist, Gautam Navlakha the state proves there is something brewing in Valley which they try hard to ignore and hide. For being pro-people in India means anti-state, proves the last month's government action. While the government said “his presence in Valley is not needed”
Growing Drug Addiction In Kashmir
By Ibrahim Wani
Drug addiction is a growing concern in Kashmir
04 June , 2011
We Must Forget Bitterness Of The Past
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Since 1947 all ethnic groups of the State of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered; and there is bitterness and anger. Those who want to keep us divided they keep on pouring fuel on fire, and devise new strategies to promote hatred among different ethnic communities that we hold each other responsible for our miseries
Kashmir’s Freedom In Making
By Inshah Malik
To understand Kashmir’s liberation struggle as only about suppressed nationalism is a flawed understanding. The cultural nationalism is intertwined with the ‘question of justice’ and upholding ‘morality of human self’. The state they aspire sounds one of those ideal democracies which haven’t been theorized by modern theorists yet. One wonders if Kashmir has learnt from the ‘failed neighboring states’ much faster than what they were supposed to?
31 May, 2011
Kashmir And Introspections
By Naveed Qazi
The psychological attitude pertaining among Kashmiris is that they feel occupied. There is no substitute for a resolution other than a sincere dialogue and process of self-determination
29 May, 2011
Territorial Plan: Jammu, Kashmir And Ladakh
By Inshah Malik
This territorial plan that Engels has foretold manifests in subtly different ways in Kashmir to ascertain and legitimize the power of state. These divisions created over time and investments are real threats to establishing a harmonious communion unless extending solidarities and rightful redistribution of power does not take place
15 April, 2011
Regionalism, Ethnicity, And Trifurcation:
All In The Name Of National Integrity
By Dr. Nyla Ali Khan
The question relevant to my purposes here is that is the “executive order,” not “bill” permitting the issuance of Dogra certificates to the Dogras, Hindu and Muslim, of Jammu province along the lines of Sir Owen Dixon’s proposition of the trifurcation of the State along religious and communal lines? Why is this vestige of British colonialism still given legitimacy?
12 April, 2011
Beyond Politics: Assassination Of Maulana Showkat Ahmad Shah
By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
We have lost another person to the ravaging conflict and as a norm all parties to the conflict would do politics over this assassination, and the real culprits as usual is apprehension would go Scot free
Kashmir : Internet Campaign Led Youth's Release
By Fahad Shah
Faizan Rafiq Hakim, a minor, released from prison after persistent campaign on the internet
01 April, 2011
Gilgit Baltistan A Battleground For A Future War
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Speech of Dr Shabir Choudhry in a Seminar held in House of Commons (the British Parliament) organised by The Democracy Forum on 31 March 2011
23 March, 2011
Review of Siddhartha Gigoo's Book, Garden Of Solitude
By Amit Kumar
It's a narrative of a Kashmiri Pandit longing for his homeland. If you are not aware of what happened in Kashmir in late 1980's and early 1990's, then this book with its emotional appeal and a balanced analysis is definitely going to make you cry
18 March, 2011
Human Security And Protection Of Rights Of Kashmiri People
Under Pakistani Administration
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Speech of Dr Shabir Choudhry in Geneva on 17th March 2011, in a Seminar arranged by Interfaith International
28 February, 2011
India, Pakistan And The Kashmiri Struggle
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Why I criticize Pakistan's Kashmir policy
22 February, 2011
The Collaborator By Mirza Waheed
By Abhijit Dutta
A review of the recently published book The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed
19 February, 2011
Is Egypt Revolution Parallel To Kashmir Protests?
By Fahad Shah
To draw parallels between the Egypt revolution and Kashmir freedom movement is inevitable but; is Valley ready for something alike. No doubt the last summer protests in Valley were wholly led by zealous pro-freedom public. Leaders from all groups were left aside; they just followed the public lines. The current situation of Valley so far seems to be peaceful but mere a small incident can spark off a yearlong unrest
14 February, 2011
Cloning Cairo: A New Map For Kashmir?
By Farzana Versey
Kashmir does not need to be a Cairo and cannot be. From whom or what will its people get liberated when they are pulled in several directions by a hydra-headed monster called political opportunism?
30 January, 2011
Public Debt And Economic Subjugation
By Bilal Hussain
The much talked about agreement between the Jammu and Kashmir government and Reserve Bank of India has two dimensions to be analyzed through: One financial and other political aspect attached to the pact
23 January, 2011
How Sad?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
How sad, those who want to empower people and speak for rights of all people of Jammu and Kashmir are accused of being pro India; and those who want to communalise polity of the region by dividing people in name of religion are called ‘freedom fighters’
21 January, 2011
Will India Ever Deliver Justice To Human Rights Violations In Kashmir?
By Fahad Shah
Even though United Nations rapporteur on human rights violations Margaret Sekaggya visited Kashmir on January 19, India has failed to deliver justice to human rights violation victims in the Kashmir valley since the armed rebellion erupted twenty years ago
Shaking Hands With Sworn Enemy
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
History of electoral politics of Jammu and Kashmir is replete with instances where sworn enemies have shook hands for petty political gains and political stalwarts from both Jammu Kashmir regions preferring share of power over dignity empowerment and welfare of the people. One such instance, which comes to mind, is the support extended by the corporators of National Conference to the RSS backed candidate in 1980
The Chronology of Conflict: Kashmir
By Naveed Qazi
Kashmir wasn't always dyed in blood. Here is a chronology of the conflict
19 January, 2011
Official Records In Jammu And Kashmir
'Murky' On 'Penalised' Securitymen!
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Official statements contradicting official reports and records only strengthen the impunity security forces enjoy in Jammu and Kashmir. Though several official statements have claimed penalisation of accused security men, but the records fail to shed light on the same. Who was penalized? When? Where and by Whom? These questions continue to puzzle
17 January, 2011
Right To Protest And ‘Right To Violence’
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Be it be the BJP, or any other group, no one should be allowed to promote extremism, communalism and hatred; and destroy peace, harmony and traditional Kashmiri culture of toleration. If designs of these groups are not checked then it is possible that ‘bad old days’ might return; and groups which espouse violence and hatred, and their mentors from outside will call shots and ruin Kashmiri culture of peace and toleration
10 January, 2011
Before Policing The Education, Provide Quality
By Bilal Hussain
With the recent developments education sector in Kashmir is too hot to touch, chilling chilakalan instead of cooling it down is acting as fuel to further heat it up. A local college lecture has been booked, police have filed a case against the senior professor of Kashmir University and row over winter schooling; all this puts the sector in docks
Politics Over Flag In Indian Kashmir
By Fahad Shah
Expressing his resentment against a political party’s decision of hoisting Indian flag in Kashmir on Republic day, the Jammu and Kashmir state chief minister, Omar Abdullah introduce us towards something which has been often avoided. Why hoisting Tri-colour at Lal Chowk creates such a polemical and indignant atmosphere while every year same flag is waved twice in different parts of the region?
22 December, 2010
An Open Letter To The Kashmir Interlocutors
By Javed Naqi
I want AZADI from the six months isolation during winter. I don’t want to see it as a fate as it has been accepted by my people for this long. This isolation has rendered us as the most backward district in the entire country
21 December, 2010
WikiLeaks, ICRC And Kashmir
By Murtaza Shibli
The WikiLeaks report on widespread torture employed by the Indian army and paramilitary forces in Kashmir may have come as a surprise to some people for it raises serious questions about the institutional integrity of the ‘largest democracy in the world’. However, in Kashmir the leak was simply digested as a mere attestation of what has been going on for decades. This lack of any enthusiasm at the revelations may be due to the near total cynicism among Kashmiris as the world has forgotten their sufferings
Language Of Politics
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Is there any scope for comparison between an individual like Noor Muhammed Bhat and a state that by definition is infinitely more powerful than the individuals it is supposed to represent? If there is an element of protest and dissent in Bhat's conduct, there is also a background of the reality of Kashmir's unending suppression
15 December, 2010
Kashmir: Diplomatic Deception Is No Solution
By Tariq Shah
Will silencing Arundhati Roy silence the streets of Kashmir? Will Professor Noor Mohammad Bhat's incarceration silence his students? Will the Kashmiri youth take any notice at all of a ‘show cause notice’ on Congress minister Sham Lal Sharma? The shrill answer is no, it will not change the ground reality in Kashmir
Shopian Double Rape And Murder :
Activists’ Gift To CBI,Sheets For Next Cover-Up
By KTNS
Tired of trying to seek justice through the usual channels about 100 women and men from women’s groups, students groups, democratic rights as well as concerned individuals gathered near the CBI Headquarters in Delhi today to gift the CBI some more bedsheets for their next cover-ups
03 December, 2010
I Am A Nationalist But Not Anti-Pakistan,
Anwaar Ul Haq, Speaker of AJK Assembly
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Fact remains that government of Jammu and Kashmir on the other side of LOC is called a ‘puppet government’, yet leaders of that government spend most of their time inside the State territory and enjoy considerable more powers than the government on the Pakistani side of the LOC. And despite that fact, the government on this side of the LOC is called Azad - independent, even though they have very limited powers and they spend most of their time in a capitol of a country which is perceived as an occupier by genuine sons of soil
30 November, 2010
A Wall In My Brain And A Wall On Your Head, Mr Chidambaram
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Last Friday, police in Srinagar seized a truckload of bricks near Eidgah presuming they were brought for the construction of the memorial at Eidgah. It turned out it was meant for construction of a house nearby. Last Friday, millions stared in depression at yet another curfew in the ugly jail of a beautiful vale. Last Friday, millions built a wall brick by brick, inside their brains. The one that’s on your head, Mr Chidambaram
29 November, 2010
"They Can File A Charge Posthumously Against
Jawaharlal Nehru Too"
By Arundhati Roy
My reaction to today's court order directing the Delhi Police to file an FIR against me for waging war against the state: Perhaps they should posthumously file a charge against Jawaharlal Nehru too. Here is what he said about Kashmir
24 November, 2010
A Brick In My Hand
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Truth we do need to know. Just why exactly, and how, did all those Kashmiri Hindus leave the valley? Who drove them away, who arranged for their colossal departure? How many daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers have been raped in Kashmir in the last 20 years, what happened in Kunanposhpora? How many Kashmiris have been, as they say, disappeared? Exactly how many have been killed? How many litres of lost blood would that be? Would it be enough to turn the colour of Dal deep red, Mr Abdullah?
23 November, 2010
Banks Too Have Social Obligations
By Bilal Hussain
The banks here are making profits during unrest but at what cost? I believe social, which is not fine. By taxing denizens of the valley, who are already financially strained, due to continued market closures barring few days is an act of profiteering
18 November, 2010
No, You Can’t
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
It is true that the question of Kashmir cannot be answered fully without bringing Pakistan on board. It is also understandable that the US can, if it ever so desires, push for such an engagement. However, what is more important is to recognize that it is the Indian state which is responsible for such a thing not happening. India will not bow under what the United States says or believes. To bring change, Kashmir must look back within, not without
16 November, 2010
There Is A Need To Involve The Muslim Polity Of The Country
To Solve Kashmir Issue
By Prof. Tahir Mahmood
If the Kashmir issue is solved amicably, India and Pakistan can live in peace and harmony and the people in the whole subcontinent can heave a sigh of relief. Both the governments should revise their attitude and the religious and welfare organisations should fulfill their responsibilities on this issue. Kashmiri peope have already suffered a lot. Now they need some solace
15 November, 2010
Fact Finding Report On Kashmir
Fact finding report on Kashmir prepared by a team that visited Kashmir recently. The team comprised of academic Bela Bhatia, advocate Vrinda Grover, journalist Sukumar Muralidharan and activist Ravi Hemadri of The Other Media, a Delhi based campaign and advocacy organisation, at whose initiative the effort was organised
Kashmir: Dilemmas Of The Right Of Nations To Self-Determination
By Rohini Hensman
The repeal of AFSPA and other laws providing impunity for human rights violations by the army and other security forces would help to provide an atmosphere in which the people of Kashmir and the North-East could work out solutions that guarantee democracy and self-determination for all, and not just for a privileged or dominant section
Jammu and Kashmir National Democratic Alliance :
A Step In Right Direction
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
This initiative of NAP should be appreciated and all those who took part in this important conference should also be commended; as their hard work resulted in an alliance which could be of immense importance for the Kashmiri struggle, and especially for politics of Pakistani Administered Kashmir
12 November, 2010
Militants Regrouping In Pakistani Kashmir
By Zafar Iqbal
Islamic militants have started re-emerging in various cities and towns of Pakistani administrated Kashmir
Anguish of Kashmiri People: Are We Listening?
By Ram Puniyani
Layers of democracy, within the state need to be strived for and people’s voices of dissent need to be listened carefully rather than insulted and blindly opposed without understanding the logic of their statements and suffering of the people of Kashmir
04 November, 2010
Trying For Sedition? Not Yet
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
To even remotely allow any similarity between such celebrated stalwarts of the Indian freedom struggle as Tilak and Gandhi with the likes of Arundhati Roy and Syed Ali Shah Geelani by trying them for sedition is something the Indian establishment can hardly afford. The obvious comparisons are far too damning
01 November, 2010
Plight of Kashmiri Militants in ‘Azad Kashmir’
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Story of Kashmiri struggle is a long and tragic story of suffering of human beings on both sides of the forcibly divided State of Jammu and Kashmir. During our study tour of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, I met a ‘leader’ of Kashmiri militants who still live in Azad Kashmir. Before giving details of their plight it is imperative to give short summary to the on going armed struggle
President Obama, India And Kashmir
By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
We trust that President Obama during his forthcoming visit to India will bring its influence to bear on both India and Pakistan to initiate peace process with witch the United Nations as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be associated so as to ensure that settlement arrived at will be based on the principle of justice
India's Arundhati Roy Moment
By Tariq Shah
India's post- partition generation may find it hard to let go Kashmir, India’s gene-next, however, has no time or patience, much less need, for retaining an appendage that it can do easily, and arguably profitably, without
28 October, 2010
Interview With Syed Ali Shah Geelani
By Yoginder Sikand
Syed Ali Shah Geelani of the Jamaat-e Islami of Jammu and Kashmir is a veteran Kashmiri politician. Presently, he heads the Tehrik-e Hurriyat-e Jammu Kashmir. He talks about the Kashmir conflict and its possible solution in this exclusive interview with Yoginder Sikand
26 October, 2010
Why Everybody Hates Three Idiots
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
It was no surprise that the three interlocutors from New Delhi stood rejected and disgraced before they even set their foot on the ground in the valley. Despite this, the trio might as well leave with some degree of success at the end. Such could be the cost Kashmiris pay for playing political double agents; for doing ‘Bharat ka jhanda ye ragda’ one day and running to polling booths like wild monkeys let loose the next. And just another reason why a genuine resolution process appears elusive even today
19 October, 2010
Eight Point No One
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Never in the recent political history of Kashmir perhaps was a grave dug out so fast and filled up so quickly by anyone as Omar Abdullah has done for himself. Under eternal abhorrence of Kashmir’s men, women and children alike, he lies buried today. But, truth be told, New Delhi’s man he is after all; to them he isn’t quite a No One. In the process, however, New Delhi stands predetermined in dismissing the utility of, and concern for, people’s voice in Kashmir for a long, long time to come
12 October, 2010
Let The Schools Begin, Please
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Indian Muslims would do well in putting some serious, tangible efforts in improving education among Muslims. It is the only workable means towards facing the endless onslaught of the Sangh. And, meanwhile, the Hurriyat would do well by listening to the sane voices calling for the reopening of schools for our children. The dangers of not doing so, in the long term, are categorically existential ones
10 October, 2010
Trans-LoC Trade: A Silver Lining
By Bilal Hussain
Trade through Uri-Muzaffarabad crosses INR 300 cr mark
03 October, 2010
The Bloody Streets Of Kashmir Have Spoken
By Prakash Kona
The Kashmiri on the street fights for freedom – freedom from poverty, underdevelopment and humiliation of being suspected and mistreated in the land of his or her birth. The streets have turned into oracles prophesying the doom of the exploiting classes
28 September, 2010
Languages Of A Security State
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The language of most of the Indian media in covering Kashmir has not just been ill-informed but even insensitive. That, however, should not be a surprise when Maoists have long been branded and dismissed as a “menace”. That the so-called security of the state is what often dictates this language is a given, but the security of what’s been called the idea of India hence, ironically, stands at risk
27 September, 2010
In The Killing Fields Of Kashmir (aka paradise on earth)
By Ather Zia
A young Kashmiri returns to the killing fields of Srinagar
Kashmir’s Stone Pelter: Answers To Questions
From Someone Called The Sovereign
By Ather Zia
This young pelter’s stone is lying by the pavement, he used it, he may or may not pick it up again, depends how you corner him this time. But one thing is as clear as the day which is frozen under curfew in the valley that he will invoke law as an ideal of justice, however elusive. You may mediate its language but you cannot override it
26 September, 2010
Kashmir: A Time For Freedom
By Angana Chatterji
“Freedom” represents many things across rural and urban spaces in India-ruled Kashmir. These divergent meanings are steadfastly united in that freedom always signifies an end to India's authoritarian governance
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political Self-Determination
For Jammu And Kashmir -Part V
By Yoginder Sikand
Concluding part of a five part series on understanding Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Heard And Unheard Voices From The Kashmir Valley
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
The moral from the all the heard and unheard voices from the valley is that Kashmir is a unique problem, which requires a unique solution and this idea needs to be brainstormed, carried forward and strengthened
24 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political Self-Determination
For Jammu And Kashmir ( Part IV)
By Yoginder Sikand
Geelani paints a striking contrast between the ‘Islamic state', on the one hand, and a secular, welfare state, on the other, bitterly denouncing the latter even if it is able to better serve and meet the secular needs of its Muslim citizens
Conflict Renders Money Useless In Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
The unending unrest in Kashmir has rendered the currency worthless as it couldn’t serve the very purpose of money. The currency here during these tough times couldn’t be used to procure essential commodities, medical services, transportation and many other vitals for survival as there are no takers for it at this point of time due to continuing curfew and protests. Baring few days, market places in the valley remained closed for over three months now
India: In Denial In Kashmir
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
That the Hurriyat sets in motion a genuine political mechanism is all the more necessary since New Delhi’s policy of denial and procrastination bears an ever looming threat of a return of the gun. This is crucial even if it means taking the issue actively overseas
23 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu and Kashmir (part III)
By Yoginder Sikand
Even in the face of the desire for an independent state of their own on the part of probably the majority of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, Geelani has consistently continued to press for the state's merger with Pakistan and to vehemently oppose the demand for an independent Jammu and Kashmir
22 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu and Kashmir (part II)
By Yoginder Sikand
Despite lamenting the conditions of Pakistan, which he regarded as far from satisfactory, Geelani continues to plead for Kashmir's accession to that country, even in the face of widespread and increasing disillusionment with Pakistan among many Kashmiri Muslims
21 September, 2010
Kashmir Inc Turns Down Economic Package
By Bilal Hussain
In a significant development here the business fraternity in Kashmir valley prefers to talk about ‘gross human rights violation’ over financial losses they have been suffering from past three months of unrest on Monday in a meet with the all-party 39-member team from New Delhi
Kashmir: Too Early For The Next Round
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Before trying to imagine anything as a possible resolution for J&K, it is vital that Kashmir be placed in its correct Historical context. The least that any delegation from New Delhi could do is to take home one fact: that revisiting the territorial integrity of the so called state of J&K is not just vital but a historical necessity. Sadly, the current delegation is so late in its arrival that it’s too early for such a round of talks
The Kashmiri Intifada
By Yasir Irshad
The corridors of power from Srinagar to Delhi and from Islamabad to Washington have been shaken by the uprising of Kashmiri youth. For the past ten weeks, major parts of the valley have seen widespread protests, strikes and unrest. Everyday life has been brought to a standstill in most districts including Srinagar by this forceful movement. And the attempts to crush the movement on the part of the state apparatus are adding fuel to the fire
20 September, 2010
Text of Joint Memorandum To All-Party Delegation
By Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik
By Agence India Press
The chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Mohammad Yasin Malik and chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday decided not to meet the 39-member all-party delegation that arrived here this morning. However, Mirwaiz and Malik have decided to send a joint memorandum to the delegation. Here is the full text of the memorandum
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu And Kashmir--Part 1
By Yoginder Sikand
Not many Kashmiri Muslims might share his particular hardliner version of Islam or his passionate advocacy of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, but, still, 82-year old Syed Ali Shah Geelani commands widespread respect among his people for his firm stance on azadi or freedom of Jammu and Kashmir from Indian rule, a stance that he has never wavered from. Geelani’s popularity among vast numbers of Kashmiri Muslims rests principally in the fact that he is seen as one Kashmiri leader who has never compromised with India
Hapless Kids
By Sheikh M Ashraf
Plight of children in curfew bound Kashmir
A Kashmiri Woman In An Indian Jail
By Mushtaq ul-Haq Sikandar
A review of the book "Prisoner Number 100: The Story of My Ordeal in an Indian Prison" By Anjum Zamrud Habib
18 September, 2010
Enlightenment That Took Thousands Of Kashmiri Lives
To Dawn Upon The Indian Government!
By Avinash Pandey Samar
Enlightenment, it seems, has finally dawned upon the Indian government. The words of wisdom that came out of yesterday's all-party meeting on Kashmir convened by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, point to that. The wisdom was best summarised in the consensus the meeting arrived at that the “Constitution of India provides ample scope to accommodate any legitimate political demand through dialogue, civil discourse and peaceful negotiations"
Another Slap On The Shopian Victims
By Independent Women's Initiative for Justice
Women's groups condemn the reported reinstatement of four police officers accused of tampering evidence in the Shopian rapes and murders case
16 September, 2010
Kashmir: Let’s Blink
By Dr. Shah Alam Khan
The bloody trail of the past three months should be discomforting for a nation which bears foundation of a non-violent freedom struggle. The call for azadi can be overlooked but can we ignore the smell of human flesh and blood? It is said that peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice. The Kashmir valley pleads for justice
14 September, 2010
Kashmir: Forced Ignorance And
Intellectual Arrogance In India
By Inshah Malik
Kashmir continues to make itself heard globally but sadly it needs more innocent lives from the street of Kashmir to end the ‘forced ignorance’ and ‘intellectual arrogance’ in India. There is no life of dignity in Kashmir, and street will not retreat till it catches the Indian society and intelligentsia by its moral conscience
What Are Kashmir's Stone Pelters Saying To Us?
By Sanjay Kak
Kashmir's sang-bazan - stone pelters- have captured the popular imagination, but the uprising has yet to be accorded the same political pedigree as the Intifada. Neverthless, images of boys as young as nine and ten being dragged off into police vehicles, or shot dead by the paramilitary forces, have begun to dent conventional truisms about what is happening in Kashmir
13 September, 2010
14 Killed In Kashmir
By Aljazeera
At least 14 people across Indian Kashmir have been killed in protests against the Indian government and reports of Quran burning, in the most deadly day of violence since mass demonstrations against Indian rule began three months ago
Independent People’s Tribunal Report On
Human Rights Violations In Kashmir Released
By Independent People’s Tribunal
The findings and recommendations of the Jury
10 September, 2010
Kashmir's Abu Gharaib?
By Shuddhabrata Sengupta
For the past several weeks, I have been watching, and forwarding, several videos uploaded on to Youtube and facebook from Kashmir. Every video that I have seen contains evidence of the brutality of the Indian state's footprint on the Kashmir valley, and of the steadfast yet resilient courage of its people, and of the innovative use they have been making of the internet to bear witness to their oppression
Conflict In Economy: The Other Perspective
By Bilal Hussain
The normalcy too costs heavily on Kashmir’s economy; it too merits a detailed cost benefit analysis on whether normalcy cots more or unrest? Day in and day out the state’s economic dependency is increasing on outsiders. A last thought to end the piece, is unrest or normalcy jeopardizing J&K’s economy?
Eid Is For Others Not For Us: APDP
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Association of parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) is still waiting for the return of their missing wards almost for a decade. As per the government figures, 3744 persons have gone missing since the inception of militancy in the state but the Non Governmental Organizations and other Civil organizations claims the number is much higher than given by the government
Mirwaiz, Malik Join Hands
By Wasim Khan
In a major development chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik joined hands on Friday and announced to carry forward the ongoing movement jointly
09 September, 2010
Kashmir: Struggling For Peace
By Mushtaq A. Jeelani
The people of Kashmir are yearning for peace, justice, freedom and the right of self-determination. They want a just and dignified peace that guarantees total freedom from foreign occupation and alien domination. Their struggle to achieve that right of self-determination will not be extinguished until India and Pakistan accept its exercise by the people of Jammu and Kashmir
08 September, 2010
Kashmir: A Place Of Blood And Memory
By Nitasha Kaul
In attempting to suffocate a separate Kashmiri identity, India reveals the cracks in its own idea of nationhood, argues Nitasha Kaul
Kashmir: Unleashing Non-Lethal Terror
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
New Delhi’s cruel obsession with the argument of lethal vs non-lethal methods of crowd control in Kashmir does not mean that it has failed to identify the ever-growing political nature of the conflict. It is just that it chooses not to acknowledge what it knows is staring it in the face. Sadly, India’s persistence with its law-and-order theory means that a worse phase of turmoil in the valley is never too far away. For, any non-political method of “control” in Kashmir will ultimately prove lethal
29 August, 2010
Unbelievably Ridiculous!
By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
Events in the last few days have been particularly shocking, making a mockery of democratic practices, culminating in the resignation of J&K Bank chairman Haseeb Drabu. Drabu was forced to resign by the state government. His fault? He kept the bank open on a day that there was no hartal call by the separatists. Is that supposed to be a crime?
26 August, 2010
Why Kashmiris Should Speak To Indians,
Not India
By Shivam Vij
People-to-people dialogue is the best way out of the Kashmir logjam
25 August, 2010
Letter To An Unborn Kashmiri
By Sajad Hamid
You are an eternal creature, for in your little body dwells a never dying soul. You represent our very best hopes and dreams. Sleep well and gain lots of strength. You'll need it for what lies ahead of you. Who knows what the future holds for you?
There Isn’t Always A Second Ramadhan
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The Ramadhan of 2008 struck the first and last nail in the coffin of the spectacular rise and fall of the Hurriyat’s power to negotiate a political deal, in the wake of protests against the Amarnath land transfer. Two years later, people have brought the Hurriyat to the same strategic advantage. But the monotony of the so called protest calendars so far seems to suggest that an overwhelmed Hurriyat is clueless of the road beyond the turn
23 August, 2010
Kashmir: An Epitome Of Struggle
By Naveed Qazi
Those who are trying to confuse the issue at this juncture, and are trying to deprive the genuine Kashmiri struggle of internal and external support by projecting it as religious and extremist, are not friends of the people. And if we want to improve the situation in Kashmir and build a society that believes in pluralism and have peace and harmony, then we have to stand together and fight these elements and encourage discourses
Kashmir: The Story Now...
By Shoaib Rafiq
How difficult it’s to live at a place where life is no more sacred. It’s not to be lived. Putting my ear to the conversation of a bunch of kids in the local mosque today, I heard them discussing palmistry. During the sermon for righteousness, martyrdom, etc. of the imam – they were trying to stretch their life lines. Just to outgrow their age. Their peers and mentors are dead, of aged 8 and 9. One killed by a bullet in the head and other thrashed to death. Dead
21 August, 2010
I Am A Pacifist. But Here’s Why I Want To Be A Stone-Pelter
By Zahid Rafiq
A heart wrenching story from Kashmir, one of the best to have come out of Kashmir, since the recent turmoil started
20 August, 2010
A Rejoinder To Jug Suriya
By Abdul Majid Zargar
In a combo pack of rage & satire, Jug Suriya, noted Journalist,Colouminst & Associate editor Times of India, has delivered a sermon exhorting Kashmiris to Go to Pakistan in his Editorial Piece titled “ Kashmir Wool” published in TOI of 11th August 2010. In a true Jug Suriya Style, he has mocked Kashmiris for opting Pakistan on the basis of its shoddy Democracy & lop-sided Development
Who Is Asking The Sikhs In Kashmir To Convert?
By Farzana Versey
Who is asking the Sikhs in Kashmir to convert? It must be noted that these are unsigned letters. Whose evil designs are these? If members of the community do decide to convert, will it not alert the authorities? Will their converting to Islam not become an even greater hindrance to the civilian war taking place?
19 August, 2010
India Employing Israeli Oppression Tactics In Kashmir
By Jimmy Johnson
Israel's pacification efforts against Palestinians have proven valuable for the Indian police, army and intelligence services in their campaigns to pacify Jammu and Kashmir with numerous Indian military and security imports from Israel leading the way
Fresh Clashes Wound Dozens In Kashmir While A Wounded Boy Dies
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Eight people including two girls got wounded one of them critical when police and CRPF troopers opened fired on a protest march at Soura on the city outskirts. Earlier in the day, eight-year-old Milat Ahmad Dar succumbed to injuries in SKIMS where he had been admitted on last Saturday in a critical condition. Reports here said the boy was playing with his friends in Harnagh village when a bullet fired by security men hit him
Kashmir Protests: What Do They Want?
By Majid Maqbool
Nights have become new days in Kashmir. People protest late into the nights, sleepless. On the streets, in every mosque, in the lanes and by-lanes of every locality, only one cry reverberates in the air -- Azadi!.
18 August, 2010
Is Kashmir An Integral Part Of India?
By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India’s assertion that "Kashmir is an integral part of India” needs to be supplemented by some observations from the viewpoint of the people of Kashmir. This deserves to be borne in mind by all those who wish the conflict to be justly resolved once and for all
Campus Woes
By Bhat Iqbal
Few days back when in the campus of India’s most democratic institutions, a student wing of Bharatiya Janata party organized a protest . Their protest was somewhat different in colour as well as creed. Their slogans were something which any human conscience can never expect. They were uttering out words like long live CRPF, Kashmir protests down down..and so on. No where a single mention of killing of innocent children as a concern of human rights was there in the slogans
17 August, 2010
Despite A Normal Day, Two More Die In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
A man hurt in a clash with security forces succumbed to his injuries here Tuesday, while a cyclist died after being knocked down by a paramilitary vehicle trying to escape a stone-pelting mob, taking the toll in the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley to 61
Shoe Thrower Ahad Jan Released
By Agence India Press
Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah says he has forgiven a police Head Constable who threw a shoe at him on Independence Day and has ordered his release
Hearken To The Vale
By Mehran Qureshi
With nothing but stones in hand, people of Kashmir, including women and kids, come out to streets, to shatter the glass facades of criminal silence and neglect on part of civil societies and international community. Ironically, our spectacle does not have an audience. The pretentiousness of democracy becomes all more evident. Should we conclude that the world is dead?
16 August, 2010
Kashmir: Green Turns Red
By Idrees Athar
I had vowed some years ago not to write even a single line – much against my intrinsic tendencies. The gory images of young boys and their descriptions rattled my conscience. For days I couldn’t sleep. Despite the bunch of high worded prayers nothing came to my rescue
Imagining Kashmir From India
By Rahul Pathak
It is necessary that we should understand this Kashmiri imagination and then progress with the healing process. Only lamenting the deaths of children is not the healing that can be provided to Kashmir. Kashmir needs a serious dialogue amongst all the stakeholders and a dialogue which will not betray the deaths of these children who had their imaginations about Kashmir and which we are unable to see because of our Indian sunglasses
Shoe Throwing On Independence Day!
By Mustafa Khan
Kashmir valley’s crop of grapes of wrath will ferment more discontent than we have seen so far. Bullets and stones will erode whatever democratic pretensions we still have in our repertoire
14 August, 2010
Two Killed In Fresh Kashmir Clashes
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Two youths were killed as fresh clashes erupted on Saturday between protesters and security forces in Kashmir, where 59 civilians have died during two months of unrest
Peace In Kashmir
By Rajinder Sachar
The school children throwing stones are the targets of lethal guns fired by security forces. Even in common idiom "if you hit me with stones, I will return it with bricks". But the security forces have turned this on head by returning with bullets. There are limits which no civilized government can cross - unfortunately Kashmir and central govt. let the security forces do that
Why Celebrate August 14?
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The current turmoil in the valley has yet again exposed the farce of the “mainstream” political establishment, and brought the Hurriyat (G) to the forefront. But Geelani's call for the “celebration” of Pakistan 's Independence Day shows the gulf between the Hurriyat's politics and the larger scheme of political goals of today's Kashmir – a gulf that needs to be bridged before it's too late
Kashmir: It's Ominous Partition And Its Present Relevance
By Naveed Qazi
Well-informed, economically prosperous, globally conscious members of the coming generations of Kashmir are likely to translate into secure decision makers of the future. The present youth are better placed to resolve the dispute than previous generations
13 August, 2010
Kashmir Erupts Again: Four More Killed
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
In a spate of renewed violence, four people were killed on Friday when security forces fired bullets and tear-gas shells at protesters in north Kashmir's Pattan, Kupwara and Sopore areas
‘The Right Wing Fringe’ And The Impossibility Of Kashmir
By Rahul Pathak
Kashmir already has drained a lot of blood, no one wants more. The dialogue process has to be peaceful and there is no second opinion on that, what we can probably do is to only hope for a better sense to prevail on the ultra-violet fringes
12 August, 2010
No Anarchy Due To Article 370
By Abdul Majid Zargar
What Advani ji has concealed from Indian public is that there are similar articles in the Indian constitution bestowing special position to other States as well. For instance Article 371A gives special position to Naga land. Similarly Article 371B & 371C bestow special positions to Assam & Manipur.However, abolition of these articles is not in the scheme of Advani Ji’s things for obvious reasons
11 August, 2010
Aftermaths Of Indian PM's Speech
By Naveed Qazi
Indian Prime Minister addressed the nation, about Kashmir in broken Urdu, totally restraint, disciplined about Kashmiri sentiment now, not uttering words like 'stone pelters' or 'Lashkar' influence and not faulting his neighbor- a political custom- for the long occurrences of protests; a rare happening a Kashmiri could have witnessed. He promised reviewing AFSPA, hinted autonomy, which was designed and eroded by late Sheikh Abdullah
Kashmir In Turmoil
By Akhila Raman
An excellent analysis of the Kashmir conflict
Kashmir: Why The Anger?
By Anuradha Bhasin
What adds to the anger is not just the insensitivity of the government, it’s inept handling but also provocation - describing stone pelters as ‘paid miscreants’ and Lashkar agents, sending in more troops and repeatedly talking about crushing the ‘miscreants’
The Deception Of The Indian Liberal Discourse On Kashmir
By Mohamad Junaid
The liberal discourse in India on the question of Kashmir is not open, fair, or objective, but often borders on, and oftentimes overlaps, the more popular, explicitly nationalist polemics
Badyari’s Killing Shatters His Family
By Sana Altaf
Story of Ghulam Nabi Badyari, one of the victims of recent violence in Kashmir
Kashmir Survey Was Designed To Achieve Desired Results
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Dr Robert Bradnock's s survey, ‘ Kashmir – Paths to Peace' indicates how some interested parties want to resolve the Kashmir dispute
10 August, 2010
Kashmir: Winning Hearts And Minds
By Rekha Chowdhary
It is important at this moment for New Delhi to understand the level of discontent, anger, disillusionment and mistrust in Kashmir. Winning ‘hearts and minds of people’ in this situation is not very easy. It needs to create a minimum level of trust. But even for that, it will have to make extra efforts
Why Kashmir Burns
By Smita Singh
For Kashmiris the story of dissent and its repercussions has always been the same, perhaps it is time for us to listen
CRPF On Rampage: Attacks Houses With Stones, Batons
By Danish Nabi
Paramilitary CRPF men deployed have allegedly unleashed a resign of terror in the old Srinagar city by going on rampage of the houses after dusk
09 August, 2010
Competing Nationalisms And Religions And The Kashmir Conflict
By Yoginder Sikand
An enquiry into the Kashmir conflict and possible resolution in the light of the competing narratives of Kashmiri nationalism and religious identity
08 August, 2010
A Good Friday Agreement For Kashmir
By Naveed Qazi
The prospect for peace in Kashmir lies, according to Naveed Qazi, is an adaptation of an arrangement similar to the one that brought peace to North Ireland
Thirty Minutes In The Mosque
By Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Fifty people mostly teenagers have been shot dead in the past two weeks. It is a story which defies decencies of theme, plot and technique. It is awash with despair and innocent blood. The state of denial in which Delhi is wrapped has not only dehumanized the Muslim majority but also delivered a body blow to Hindu-Muslim relationship. The door of the mosque broke the chain of thoughts
06 August, 2010
Kashmir: Peaceful Protests Continues, Five Wounded In Sopore
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
After seven days of consistent news of deaths and violence, the Kashmir Valley on Friday witnessed less-violent protests amid rains and strict imposition of curfew. One youth was, however, critically injured in security forces’ action in north Kashmir
Statement Released by Women And Mothers on Killings in Kashmir Valley
The Mothers of India calls out to the mothers all over India to make sure that no child is killed in Kashmir; that no mother cries in silence that violence does not beget more violence
The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) views with grave concern the escalating violence in Indian controlled Kashmir
05 August, 2010
Two More Die In Kashmir Violence
By Sheikh Imran Bashir & Manoj Khar
A youth was killed Thursday in firing by security forces, while a 50-year man died in hospital of injuries sustained Wednesday, taking to 49 the toll in the cycle of violence sweeping the Kashmir Valley since June
Battling Stones With Bullets In Kashmir! Is India
A Medieval Empire Or A Modern Democracy?
By Avinash Pandey Samar
The human aspect which deals with those 26 people killed by the security forces since last Friday alone, or the total 43 who have perished since 11 June, when the current cycle of violence began. These are all real people like us, with jobs to do and families to return to. Some of them were too young, youngest being nine years and many of them under 15 years, too young to cause any serious threat to the security forces and their personnel
03 August, 2010
Kashmir: The Domino Effect
By Sameer Bhat
Three full fortnights of strikes have passed by. While it strikes one as windy and impractical, given the fact that the axe falls first on the less privileged, the effrontery is seriously alarming. Six million men and women of Kashmir are finding it hard to grasp what they can do and what they are allowed to do. No one talks about the silver minted look of Omar anymore. As if on cue, everyone is looking up at the sky. The clouds appear shaped like stones
David Cameron And The Continuing Mayhem In Kashmir
By Murtaza Shibli
Kashmiris may have become the unintended victims of David Cameron's verbal attack on Pakistan, which has encouraged the hardline Indian establishment to continue to brutalise Kashmiris in the Kashmir Valley
02 August, 2010
Kashmir Mayhem Continues, 8 Killed In A Day
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Eight more people including 8- year old boy were killed in police and paramilitary firing on Monday as violence continued across the Kashmir Valley with the curfew proving ineffective to curb protesters
Kashmir: Act Before Foreign Forces Land In Srinagar
By Zafarul-Islam Khan
A prolonged protest, wanton wholesale murder of the civilians and children by the security forces and collapse of the dummy civilian government will be enough to pass a resolution in the UN to authorise foreign military intervention and the small men in Delhi will not be able to prevent such forces from landing in Srinagar. The Valley today is a Kosovo-in-waiting. Act now before it is too late
Kashmir: Through History
By Naveed Qazi
Bookstalls give me a feeling of disgust. People from every conflict zone have written their stories but there is lack of profoundity in our own telling because no one has passionately written about it. As a Kashmiri, it is a pain for me, as much as an absence of a beloved. People have to write and speak about it because it is a gut wrenching tale waiting to be told
01 August, 2010
Kashmir Unrest, 9 Killed In A Day
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Fresh violence has erupted in Kashmir and there is tension across the valley. At least 9 people, including a girl have been killed today in separate incidents of violence
Gandhi On Fast In Kashmir
By Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Today as each district of Kashmir is under curfew and people are peering into the abyss of darkness Gandhi would have placed himself in the home of one of the shot dead teenagers, and sat on a fast unto death. Given an understanding of what he did in his lifetime his set of demands would be clear and unambiguous
The Role Of ‘Memory’ In The Present Crises In Kashmir
By Inshah Malik
This current resistance is the outcome of ‘memory’ instigated by state’s dim-witted response to the youth
31 July, 2010
Kashmir: Our Human Rights Concern
By Naveed Qazi
People have been struggling for truth and justice since late 1980's. A long lasting peace perhaps would be the biggest tribute to families who have been victimized through violence. People should build intense pressure for action to raise the cost of human rights abuse
30 July, 2010
Two Civilians Killed In Kashmir
By Tajamul Islam & Sofi Iqbal
Two youths have been killed and fifteen others wounded as security forces opened fire on protesters in Sopore and Kreeri in Baramulla north districts of Kashmir
29 July, 2010
Kashmir: A Month Of Melancholy
By Naveed Qazi
About nineteen natives have been killed since the past month. It included young children and youth. It also included women and men, who were the lynchpins of their family. For us, life would move on, but for their sorrowing families, the struggle has just started. Kashmiri mornings are full of causerie, but think about their mornings, will they be peaceful? It would start with a suffocating silence which wouldn't end till the night. Pain. Misery. Melancholy. Suffering ; would be ruling their minds and hearts, and it won’t cleanse away easily
28 July, 2010
Strike, Restrictions Continue In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
After a normal day, Kashmir valley once again observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday in response to the call given by the Hurriyat Conference (G) spearheading the ongoing “Quit Kashmir Movement.”
Faizan’s Mother Speaks
By Danish Nabi
Mother of one of the youths killed in recent violence in Kashmir speaks: ‘ He was not chased to death, he was beaten and drowned’
27 July, 2010
Kashmir Resumes Normal Life Today
By Rahi Firdous
An uneasy calm prevails in the Kashmir Valley, yet after a day's strike, life returned to normal in Kashmir Valley today with shoppers flocking the markets and schools and businesses reopening as authorities lifted restrictions imposed on movement of people
25 July, 2010
Temporary Normalcy Returns In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
An uneasy calm prevails in the Kashmir Valley, Schools, banks and business establishments have reopened after days of curfew, restrictions and shutdowns, Kashmir Valley is abuzz with normal life on Sunday as the Hurriyat (G) called for the resumption of normal activities on the day. Vehicles too have come back on the roads. Despite an official holiday on Sunday, most banks, private-run schools and shops were open in Srinagar
24 July, 2010
The Resentment Persists In Kashmir
By Raoof Mir
Indian Press might claim the restoration of normalcy but the anger of the people over the recent killings in Kashmir can’t be covered up. The resentment still persists. It is important for Indian state and its media to introspect and at least give a compassionate thought to the cries of pain
Humanitarian Crisis In Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
International Aid Organization’s slow response concerns experts
22 July, 2010
Peace In Kashmir
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan argues that the time has now come for the Kashmiris to rise above their leaders and to view the entire Kashmir conflict afresh—not in the light of the pronouncements of their leaders, but, rather, in the light of practical realities. Doing so, they must chart the course of their lives anew. There is simply no other way for them to succeed
21 July, 2010
Kashmir: Unanswered Questions
By Nilofar Suhrawardy
Questions have been raised as to why have innocent Kashmiri civilians in the Valley been denied their right to live and protest? The situation would have different if they were killed in genuine or even fake encounters. But this has not been case in the Valley, where more than a dozen innocent Kashmiris have fallen victim to state controlled guns in less than a month. True, Kashmir-issue is significant for India, but why isn’t the needed importance to lives of innocent Kashmiris, why?
19 July, 2010
Defusing The Kashmir crisis
By Praful Bidwai
What Kashmir needs is healing-and restoration of the citizen rights and freedoms that its people have long been denied. This demands a bold political initiative, including the scrapping of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and other draconian laws, release of political prisoners, thinning out of security forces, and retraining of the long-marginalised state police. No less important is dialogue with Pakistan
Kashmir: Unending Conflict, What Is The Way Out
By Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer
To solve Kashmir problem internally what is needed is a measure of negotiated autonomy, economic development, greater recruitment of Kashmiri youth in and outside Kashmir including Central Government jobs which will give them greater sense of belonging to India, expeditious development of Railway network and ensuring non-violation of human rights and minimizing presence of armed forces except in border areas can lead to internal peace
18 July, 2010
AFSPA And Political Violence In Kashmir
By Avinash Pandey Samar
The only road to that elusive solution is by restoring the law of the land to the province while doing away with archaic, colonial and brutal laws like AFSPA made for disturbed lands. The road to peace can only be taken if the government of India pulls its act together and brings the officers responsible for firing at and killing innocent civilians under the ambit of the law while stripping them of the immunity offered under the AFSPA
A River And Nine Bridges
By Raja Jaikrishan
A displaced Kashmiri pundits memories of his native Srinagar
15 July, 2010
Kashmir Back In The News
By Ali Ahmed
The clear message is that while the insurgency is under control, the ‘root causes’ remain. An acknowledgment of this is visible in both the chief minister Omar Abdullah and the Army Chief recently accepting the need for a ‘political’ solution
Essentials Shortage Hits Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
Defying government claims of sufficient supply of essential items to the valley, locals here say they are facing shortage of critical commodities. Traders too maintain, not to have taken fresh supplies from past few weeks
13 July, 2010
Crackdown On E-Protestors :Terrified, Facebook Users Leave Valley
By Danish Nabi
Next time you wish to register your protest against the ongoing political crisis in Kashmir valley on social networking sites, make sure you exercise utmost restraint; else you would find yourself behind bars. In a bid to strangulate the voices of dissent emanating from social networking site - Facebook, the state police has started crackdown on internet users of south Kashmir for posting "anti-national" remarks on Facebook
12 July, 2010
An excellent website on Kashmir which provides historical context to Kashmir conflict. It is edited by Akhila Raman, a researcher on Kashmir. This website is expanded from a Kashmir chronology She compiled overseveral years. This site has a historical timeline and FAQ with clickable online references to materials ranging from 1948 Indian White Paper, Instrument of Accession to 1989 insurgency and recent human rights reports. http://www.kashmirlibrary.org/
08 July, 2010
Kashmir: Answering Stones With Bullets
By Ershad Abubacker
More than fifteen civilians, mostly youngsters, have been killed in police firing in past three weeks of civil unrest in Kashmir and yet the government is under the colonial impression that people could be won over at gunpoint. But how many more civilian deaths would suffice the government to act sane has been the question echoed everywhere
07 July, 2010
Kashmir: From Ground Zero
By Aleem I Akhtar
The latest killings in Sopore bring home the point of how Omar Abdullah is the best man New Delhi could hope for. The past two months have perhaps been the worst period of human rights violations under any dispensation, elected or selected. The status quo has moved from the customary disappearances and the occasional encounter to a consistent trajectory of cold blooded massacres; rather suicides, if you like Omar
The Question Of Identity Card
By Majid Maqbool
Experiences of two young people in Kashmir
30 June, 2010
Kashmir In Turmoil: The Boys vs The State
By Inshah Malik
The year 2010 has been marked as the ‘year of teenage killing' in Kashmir for the reasons that are obvious to people. Since January 2010, 16 children have been killed by the Indian troopers so far
Military Governance In
Indian-Administered Kashmir
By IPTK
Between January-June 2010, reportedly 40 civilians have been killed (25 of whom were killed by security forces), 107 persons identified as militants have been killed, and 57 soldiers have been killed (of the 57, 28 soldiers were killed by militants, 14 committed suicide, 2 died in fratricidal killings, 7 died in grenade/mine explosions, and 6 were killed by unidentified gunmen). Those killed by the Central Reserve Police Force and police were all young men, all Muslim
29 June, 2010
Shopian Rapes And Murders:
Shakeel Seeks Fresh Enquiry
By Syed Basharat
Disappointed and disillusioned with the results of investigations carried by different agencies so far, Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar husband of Neelofar and brother of Asiya Jan today filed a protesting petition before a city court here seeking fresh enquiry into Shopian rape and murder incident
28 June, 2010
The Boys Of Srinagar
By Kavita Pai
Hartals and the boys of Srinagar whose lives and dreams are shattered by the unending cycle of violence
Imprudence Of Riyaz Punjabi
By Abdul Majid Zargar
It was imprudent of Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University, Mr. Riyaz Punjabi, to participate in the Seminar organized by Dr. Shyma Prasad Mukerjee foundation in Kashmir on 23rd June 2010 & share stage with communal & fascit forces of the country, whome even the ordinary indians look down upon with contempt & disgust
27 June, 2010
Kashmir Burns Again
By Sameer Bhat
Still coming to terms with the death of three kids in police firing in Srinagar in the last few weeks, bullets flew thick and fast in Sopore, North Kashmir. In less than ten minutes, two boys were sent to their graves on Friday. Prematurely. Suddenly. Coldly. Kashmir has stopped keeping a count of its injured. That is a mere footnote in our pursuit of justice. As I write, Sopore has been completely curfewed over
Toppling Game In Kashmir
By Raja Jaikrishan
Not a day passes when one or two youth don’t get killed in the Kashmir valley. Some of them are angry demonstrators, others members of militant outfits or security forces. These boys dare the paramilitary with violent protest and in retaliation the forces open fire and the boys get killed
Resistance And Resolution Amidst the ‘Simmering Kani Jung’:
Collecting Stones For Freedom
By Inshah Malik
Over past one year children have died on the roads of Kashmir and the frequency of getting rid of them is faster that any of the state functionaries. This feeds into decades of mistrust and injustice between state and its subjects vigorously
26 June, 2010
Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project - An Environment Disaster
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
At a time when different provinces and politicians of Pakistan were arguing with each other whether to construct the Kala Bagh Dam or not, puppet leaders of Islamabad in Pakistani Administered Kashmir said : for sake of Pakistan we will build 100 dams in Azad Kashmir
25 June, 2010
Hurriyat (G) Calls For 'Quit J&K'
By Syed Ali Safvi
Sixty four years after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah gave the call of “Quit Kashmir” against Maharaja Hari Singh, Syed Ali Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference today called for “Quit Jammu Kashmir” campaign, raising the pitch of separatist rhetoric
22 June, 2010
Kashmiriyat Revisited
By Ram Puniyani
This Kheer Temple congregation is a signal of revival of the spirit of Kashmiriyat, the heart and souls of Kashmir. One hopes and wishes this spirit will strengthen in times to come, aspirations of people of Kashmir will be expressed and implemented through the democratically elected Governments of Kashmir and India-Pakistan are able to cultivate the friendly relations, which is the best guarantee for peace in the region
14 June, 2010
Lock Down In Srinagar, Victim’s Family Awaits Justice
By Dilnaz Boga
This is not the first teenager to be killed on the streets of Srinagar this year. Here, unfortunately, draconian acts that have been put in place have managed to stamp out the expectation of justice, while protecting those who carry out cold-blooded murders in the name of national security and preventing terrorism
Serial Killings Of Teenaged Boys In Police Action
Cause Anguish, Fear Psychosis Among Parents
By Bismah Malik
The killing of Tufail Ahmad, a teenaged boy in police action at Gani Memorial Stadium is yet another indicator of the unabated killings of teenaged boys, continuing despite assurance of zero tolerance to human rights violations, in Kashmir
13 June, 2010
Gilgit Baltistan And Shafqat Inquilabi
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
For the first time in the past 63 years, rulers of Pakistani Administered Kashmir were allowed to visit Gilgit Baltistan, area of the State which has been under direct and oppressive rule of Pakistan
10 June, 2010
Kashmir Valley’s Spiraling Drug Abuse
By Dilnaz Boga
This 26th June, the Valley has little to show for, as the world observes International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Several studies carried out on addiction in the Valley reveal a strong correlation between conflict and drug abuse. The studies show that in Kashmir, drugs are not used for recreational purposes but as a coping mechanism to deal with the stresses of conflict in the most militarized region in the world
08 June, 2010
Kashmir: A Journey To Paradise And Back!
By Gagan Rism
Apart from ethereal beauty, Kashmir had lot many lessons to give, esp. in image-difference. What Kashmir is portrayed in media, and what it in reality is, are so different. Kashmir is not about militancy alone as media portrays it to be; it is about people, like you and me – their hopes, needs and aspirations, their daily struggle to keep alive with dignity and of course, it is about beautiful landscape, soft music of those old romances. True, rest-of-India perception, at times, fails in Kashmir
24 May, 2010
Poor Prime Minister Of Azad Kashmir
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Raja Frooq Haider is a Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, or ‘Pakistani Occupied Kashmir’. This is the post which all members of the Azad Kashmir Assembly and other politicians wish to occupy. But not every one is ‘lucky’ or ‘suitable’ for this post. Before a politician becomes a candidate for the Assembly in this territory declared as Azad, meaning independent, he has to declare he will be loyal to Pakistan
22 May, 2010
Some Clarifications Regarding Kashmir Dispute
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
A historical analysis of the Kashmir dispute
16 May, 2010
Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province (Part 1)
By Yoginder Sikand
An eight part series on Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province by Yoginder Sikand
10 May, 2010
‘Never Married Percentage’ Of J&K
Higher Than National Average
By Bismah Malik
People increasingly preferring either ‘no marriages’ or ‘late marriages’ in valley: Study
06 May, 2010
A Mess Of Its Own Making
By Bilal Hussain
Debt ridden Jammu and Kashmir is on the verge of drowning in the sea of financial liabilities. A recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has revealed that the state fiscal liability for 2008-09 was a whopping Rs 24,287 crore
03 May, 2010
Challenges, Options And Role Of Kashmiri Diaspora
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
want to present that alternative view that people could understand facts about Pakistan’s support for Kashmir; and ‘favour’ Pakistan has done to people of Jammu and Kashmir
27 April, 2010
Why Azad Kashmir Is Called Azad?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
There are hundreds of independent countries in the world, but no country write independent with its name, as it is understood that they are all independent. However with Kashmir Pakistani authorities have included azad (independent), it clearly means there is something wrong – daal main kuch kala hai – something sinister is at play; and they have something to hide. This word is included to fool people of Jammu and Kashmir, just to give them false sense of independence
19 April, 2010
India, The United Nations And Kashmir
By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
There is but one fair, just, legal, and moral solution to Kashmir which was provided by the United Nations. The procedures contemplated at early stage of the dispute at the United Nations for its solution may be varied in the light of changed circumstances but its underlying principle must be scrupulously observed if justice and rationality are not be thrown overboard. The setting aside of the UN resolution is one thing; the discarding of the principle they embodies is altogether another. So the settlement has to be in accordance with the wishes of the people; impartially ascertained; in conditions of freedom from intimidation
16 April, 2010
No Police Officer Penalized For HR Violations In J&K
By Shruti Oza
Jammu and Kashmir government has neither punished nor prosecuted police officers allegedly involved in 168 cases of human rights violations which includes cases of custodial killings and enforced disappearances in which state government had ordered magisterial inquiries and judicial probes
Role Of Economy In Deconstruction Of Conflict
Or Construction Of Self Sufficiency In Kashmir
By Inshah Malik
The state government of Jammu & Kashmir treats the economy in the state as one of the imperative factors in driving the youth for the so called contructive growth and empowerment but to subside the demands of the educated youth the state government has considerably failed time and again
15 April, 2010
Working Group Report On Center-State Relations
Non-Committal On Autonomy
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Contrary to general impression, Justice (Retd.) Sagheer Ahmed working group report on crucial subject of centre-state relationships has neither recommended nor rejected proposed autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir but urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that controversial issue of granting certain constitutional guarantees to state be debated further for a possible consensus
J & K Budget 2010-11: 'Fancy Rhetoric'
By Bilal Hussain
The budget 2010-11 is an attempt to appease all. But unfortunately it couldn’t gather decent points on public scoreboard as this time expectation were too high. The denizens of Jammu and Kashmir were made to believe that the budget would address the hardcore issues like burgeoning unemployment, shortfall in power, price rise and like
The State vs The Activist
By Tanveer Ahmed
A little over a month ago on the 4th of March, Shafqat Ali Inqalabi filed a petition in Pakistan’s apex court questioning the legitimacy of the State Executive’s “Empowerment” and “Self-Governance” Order for Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly referred to as “Northern Areas”), on September the 9th last year. Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and IB (Intelligence Bureau) have constantly hounded Shafqat Ali Inqalabi - directly and indirectly - over the phone, since the petition
12 April, 2010
Muslim Women In Kashmir:
Family, Separatism And Militarization
By Ms. Inshah Malik
Muslim women in Kashmir are silenty playing their roles without being sufficiently trained as to how to deal with the complicated situations outside. It is these silent deaths that they are living and in reaction to that government is ready to send more and more army as and when required to fight a war against its own people and the biggest demon of security threat from Pakistan that seems to be satifying the ego of the larger government system
21 February, 2010
Human Rights Violations In Jammu & Kashmir
By Independent People's Tribunal
Independent People's Tribunal Interim Report
10 February, 2010
Another Round Of Jihad Is To Start Soon In Kashmir
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
The last ‘jihad’ in Jammu and Kashmir started in 1988/9; and that brought death, destruction and loss of a generation. That ‘Jihad’ or a ‘proxy war’ further divided the Kashmiri people, as it communalised the Kashmir polity and divided people in name of religion. The wounds of that ‘jihad’ which has not ended yet are still fresh; and signs are that our ‘friends’ in Pakistan want to add a new chapter to the ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir
22 January, 2010
Independence Or Accession?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
If we want peace and stability in South Asia then we need to resolve the Kashmir dispute; and we cannot resolve the Kashmir dispute by making it a Muslim problem or a problem of water and resources. It is deeply disturbing that despite enormous sacrifices by the people of Jammu and Kashmir the Kashmir dispute is still perceived as a dispute which has to be resolved by the governments of India and Pakistan
05 January, 2010
Jammu And Kashmir's Employment Policy
Misses Viability Strategy
By Bilal Hussain
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, recently unveils the employment policy. The policy document gives a good reading, mentions exploitation of most economic sectors of the state and generation of huge employment. However, like most of the state’s policy documents it too misses the much needed viability strategy
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