16 December, 2009
Shopian: CBI On A Spree Of Manufacturing Lies
By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
It didn’t take a single stroke for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to demolish the allegations of rape and murder in Shopian as a figment of imagination. It took several months to concoct a suitable story in pursuit of a conclusion that was already being gradually and selectively leaked out to the media in the last few months. The new addition is simply the ‘scientific’ presentation of the medical examination post exhumations, that trashes even the few fragments of evidence pointing to rape and murder in Shopian and jumping to the conclusion of ‘drowning’
11 December, 2009
Shopian: Manufacturing A Suitable Story
Fact Finding Report By The Independent Women's Initiative for Justice
22 November, 2009
The Charge Of The Fright Brigade
By Rafiq Kathwari
All it will take is two boys in navy blue with their circumcised dhandas to regulate traffic in front of not just the children’s hospital but all hospitals in Srinagar, ensuring safe passage for all, from one end of the road to the other, for a civil society is ultimately judged by how well its citizens regard each other, particularly its women and children
Cutting Out A Role For China
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Statement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq regarding a role of China in Kashmir dispute has surprised many. We people of Jammu and Kashmir are in limbo mainly because we are occupied by three countries, although it was only two who were considered party to the Kashmir dispute
18 November, 2009
Disputed Kashmir Serves China’s Interests
By Ghulam Nabi
The author argues that it's in China's interest to keep Kashmir as a conflict zone
02 November, 2009
Open Letter To Prime Minister
Dr. Manmohan Singh
By Seema Kazi
I applaud your rejection of war in Parliament and your vision of peace between India and Pakistan. It is my earnest hope that this vision is tempered with the political will to ensure justice and dignity for Kashmiri Muslims
28 October, 2009
End Of Solitude: Tale Of A Dead Mother
By Aakanksha Mohan Sharma
Mughli was one of the thousands women of Indian administered Kashmir who are a part of Association of parents of disappeared persons who claims that more than 10,000 men of Kashmir are disappeared since Indian counter-insurgent assault began in the kashmir valley in 1990
26 October, 2009
CBI’s Mission Kashmir: Manufacturing Consent
On Shopian Rapes, Murders
By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
The CBI may have succeeded in its mission in Shopian, that of what Noam Chomsky refers to as manufacturing consent about non-existence of any violations in the twin rapes of Asiya Jan and her sister-in-law Neelofar Jan. But this is only as far as the opinion outside Jammu and Kashmir, formed by a consistent over-drive of narration of lies, is concerned
19 August, 2009
Kashmir: What ‘Ails’ Our Resistance Movement?
By Wajahat Ahmad
A national liberation movement cannot be expected to walk on crutches. The resistance movement has to learn to walk alone when there is no forthcoming international solidarity and until the time such solidarity is earned through relentless efforts. It is high time for the younger Kashmiri generation to take full charge of the political landscape and chart new paths of non-violent and creative resistance, which are not dependent on the signposts erected by Pakistan or any other State
07 August, 2009
A Just Peace In Kashmir? Reflections On
Dynamics Of Change
By Richard Shapiro
The process must draw from the resolve of Kashmiris to struggle for justice and strengthen this resolve through principled alliance that breaks the isolation and despair that accompanies any people subjected to brutal mistreatment. The multiple legacies that inspire and haunt us must become the very sustenance that, through sharing, nurtures our struggle
03 August, 2009
Urban Poverty On Rise In Jammu And Kashmir:
Micro-Finance Institutes A Solution
By Bilal Hussain
Over the past two decades, unrest in Jammu and Kashmir has affected the valley people, especially the urban poor, either by displacing them from their livelihoods or leaving them without any. Their poverty levels are aggravating and seek an urgent but long-term solution
28 January, 2009
Why People Defied Election Boycott Call
In Jammu And Kashmir
By Ghulam Nabi
Elections were held, voter turnout was exceptional, and the government is now formed. But the big question remained unanswered why did people vote this time. The large scale turnout surprised the pro-freedom leadership and pro-Indian parties as well as the state of Pakistan, and India
08 January, 2009
Kashmir: Illusion And Reality
Of An Inconvenient Truth
By Tariq Shah
If the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) were left to its colonial techniques, Kashmiris may eventually benefit from Gilbert's discovery and Edison's invention-- the electricity and the shining bulb--in the form of megawatts of "power blockade". According to reports in the media, CERC has pulled the plug on the Kashmir Power Development Department's request for more electricity for Kashmir
10 October, 2008
O.B.Cs Of J&K – Fighting For Their
Fundamental Rights Since Independence
By Ashok Kumar Basotra
Perhaps India is the only democratic country in the World where one has to fight for his/her Fundamental Rights enshrined under the Constitution. And the mockery is that one has to wait for ages even if the Apex Court directs for providing said Fundamental Rights within stipulated period of time. Same is the plight of O.B.Cs in J&K State
30 September, 2008
Who After Geelani
By Syed Ali Safvi
A question has been haunting and disturbing me for long now: who after Geelani? What will happen to Kashmir after him? Is there anyone who can step into his shoes?
26 September, 2008
Everyone Talks About Dal, But
What About Dal Dwellers?
By Syed Ali Safvi
I fail to understand why Dal dwellers are treated as second-class citizens. Preserving Dal lake should be prime concern, but that does not mean Dal dwellers be damned. They should be rehabilitated at some appropriate place
25 September, 2008
Kashmir Conflict And The Emerging
Political Scene In South Asia
By Shah Faisal
In times to come there is going to be a lot of churning and shaking and Kashmir issue will increasingly get connected to movements on the global platform. Although no one can risk his money on betting for an early conflict resolution, the way nations are experimenting with newer power equations day in and day out, it can easily be fathomed out that the days of conflict are numbered
08 September, 2008
Kashmir Is In No Mood To Be Taken For A Ride
By Syed Ali Safvi
The writing is on the wall. Kashmiris want the right to self-determination, which India has denied them for six decades. The ball is in New Delhi’s court. Being a democratic country, it cannot turn a deaf ear to the incessant demands of Kashmiris, else everlasting peace will never be achieved in Kashmir
03 September, 2008
Amarnath: An Immoral And Illegal Accord
By A.G.Noorani
The accord between the J&K Government and the Shri Amarnathji Yatra Sangharsh Samity (SAYSS) on 31 August 2008 is far worse than the order by the J&K Government only three months earlier on 26 May 2008. It grants the SASS concessions beyond what the order did. It is one-sided and marks an abject surrender to violence, blockade and to communal forces
Killing Kashmiris By Comparison
By Mohamad Junaid
How many people joined the Quit India marches at the height of India's independence struggle? A lakh? Two? India says Kashmiris are confused; that they don't know what they want. India describes the need for Kashmir's freedom as an aspiration, a Kashmiri desire. Kashmiris, however, are talking to them as straight as possible. When a million Kashmiri voices rose together in August 2008, they told India something quite uncomplicated: leave
01 September, 2008
New Phase Of Kashmiri Struggle
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
People of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered for many decades; and their struggle for right of self – determination and national identity has seen many twists and turns. The new and probably the last phase of this long struggle has begun
27 August, 2008
Kashmir And The United Nations
By Wajahat Ahmad
A history of U.N engagement with Kashmir
23 August, 2008
Land And Freedom
By Arundhati Roy
Kashmir is in crisis: the region's Muslims are mounting huge non-violent protests against the Indian government's rule. But, asks Arundhati Roy, what would independence for the territory mean for its people ?
Looking Back: Kya Khoya Kya Paya
By Syed Ali Safvi
Today, the mood in Kashmir is different. Kashmiris, irrespective of age and ideology, want freedom. The valley is abuzz with pro-freedom slogans. Thanks to the land row, secessionist groups in the valley have regained their lost political ground. The Kashmiri youth are seen rallying around the seperatists, an ominous sign for New Delhi
21 August, 2008
Jammu And Kashmir: At Crossroads!
By Ram Puniyani
We need to overcome the Hindu-Muslim approach and look at all the concerned issues in an objective dispassionate manner. Hope all these complexities and grievances of the people of Jammu, the people of Kashmir valley form the basis of peaceful and just solution to the present turmoil in the state
18 August, 2008
New Trend In Kashmiri Struggle
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Like politics of Pakistan it is difficult to predict future of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the on going struggle. The State is multi religious and multi ethnic; and has competing interests from various political, religious and armed groups. Politics of the State is controlled from outside of the State boundaries and people of the state suffer as a result of this control and interference
16 August, 2008
A Different Jammu That I Know
By Yoginder Sikand
The agitation over the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir has now threatened to snowball into a full-fledged communal conflict. The violence and the passions that have erupted in its wake are reminiscent, although on a much smaller scale, of the terror and mayhem that tore apart Jammu in 1947 in the wake of the Partition
15 August, 2008
Rethinking Kashmir Politics
By Yoginder Sikand
Many Kashmiri Muslims vociferously insist that the demand for independence of Kashmir has nothing to do with religion. Instead, they argue, that the conflict in and over of Kashmir is essentially ‘political’. What is conveniently ignored by those who make this claim is that religion and politics, particularly in the case of the Kashmir dispute, involving as it does the rival claims of Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-dominated India, can hardly be separated
14 August, 2008
Oh The Pangs Of Reunion: Reversing 1947
By Tanveer Ahmed
Amarnath is but a minor issue, perhaps not worth the environmental degradation and political agitation that it has evoked. Symbolising it as a landmark of the re-union of the sub-continent could have unlimited positive consequences. The 61 year old Indo-Pak mess could be transformed into giving the Kashmiris what the Moghuls, Afghans, Ranjit's Sikhs, the Brits and Dogra rule couldn't give them…the freedom to utilise their abundance of talent
13 August, 2008
Dangerous Portents In Jammu And Kashmir:
A View From Doda
By Yoginder Sikand
The violence that is rapidly engulfing large parts of Jammu and Kashmir, set off by a controversial government decision to grant a tract of land to a temple trust in Kashmir, threatens to totally disrupt the already tenuous inter-communal relations in the region. This has frightening portents particularly for those parts of the state where Hindus and Muslims both live in substantial numbers, such as Rajouri, Poonch and Doda, all in the Jammu province
Kashmiri Struggle In 2008
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
By promoting religious politics are we not playing into the hands of extremists who want to justify Two Nations Theory that Muslims and non Muslims cannot live together, hence pave way for division of the State of Jammu and Kashmir on religious lines
Of Omar's Labour And Faroq's Faux Pas
By Syed Ali Safvi
The statement of Farooq about the land transfer has not only ruined the hard labour of Omar, but has further widened the gap between the father-son duo, the repercussion of which will soon be felt in the NC camp, most probably before the forthcoming Assembly elections
08 August, 2008
Why Is Jammu Burning?
By Zafar Choudhary
The Government of India has been fighting its Kashmir case from different levels last 50 years but fragility of sentiments within the region seems to have been overlooked all this time. When small spark has put the state on fire it has also demonstrated that efforts of dousing flames in one region may well prove as fuel in the other. It is high time that New Delhi’s Kashmir policy is redrawn and sentiments beyond Kashmir are also taken care of
25 July, 2008
Why I Said Good Bye To JKLF?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Time and again people ask me why I left JKLF, or more precisely, why we dissolved the JKLF. They know I have worked hard for the party and jeopardised my future ambitions and academic career because of the JKLF and its ideology. After working so hard and making so many sacrifices why on earth I left the JKLF and became part a of new and smaller party Kashmir National Party
13 July, 2008
Mass Graves In Kashmir
By Dr. Angana Chatterji
On 18 June, we visited Raja Mohalla in Uri, Baramulla district, 110 kilometres from Srinagar, where 22 graves were constructed between 1996-1997. Then to Quazipora, where 13 bodies were stated as buried in seven graves in 1991. Then we travelled to Chehal, Bimyar village, Uri, holding 235 graves
02 July, 2008
Political Uses Of The Official History Of Kashmir
By Mohamad Junaid
The newly-formed Institute of Kashmir Studies has provoked a shrill debate among academics, and also in some sections of the civil society. The debate, despite its frequent tumble into abuses and allegations, is only a sign of how the story of Kashmir can no longer be a monologue, but must contend with a democratisation of its recitation. There are many stories of Kashmir now, all vying for validity, but none commanding authority. The history of Kashmir is no longer something which can be imposed from above: its democratisation will ensure that it will always remain in the making, and never find its conclusion. It is being created as it is spoken about
Kashmir- A Fools Paradise
By Shah Faisal
The results are out and our audience,the world, is calling us communal once again. Our irrational impulsiveness is being mocked at and the world might even take a serious offense,this time. Sooner or later,Kashmiris will have to learn being hopefully humorous without being mockingly poignant,something that the residents of a paradise are supposedly popular for
30 June, 2008
Kashmir: Another Public Uprising
By Syed Ali Safvi
Protests over land transfer have snowballed into public uprising, and with People's Democratic Party (PDP) pulling out from the coalition government it has already trigerred a major political cricis in the State. It is one of those issues which has united the Kashmiris, irrespective of the political divide. There is no denying the fact that the issue will have a gargantaun impact on the forthcoming assembly elections
02 June, 2008
Kashmir: A Call For New Realism?
By Murtaza Shibli
It is high time that the Hurriyat Conference and other Kashmiri leaders learn from their previous blunders that have contributed and perpetuated the sufferings of Kashmiris. They must unite in order to achieve realistic goals and direct Kashmiris towards a path that is away from unending suicide and destruction. In order to achieve this, the Hurriyat Conference must undertake wider consultations and evolve ideas with one voice and one vision built on peace, reconciliation and progress
07 April, 2008
Kashmiri Nation- An Identity Of Their Own
By Rizwana Abbasi
If the Kashmir issue is not resolved promptly, the growing expansion of defence capabilities in the region will have catastrophic results. In a war between India and Pakistan – a war which we are told is ‘unthinkable’, but which is still possible given the posture of the two armed forces and the political establishments -- Kashmiris will fall the victim of the first use of nuclear arsenals in the sub-Continent. This is an outcome which sixty years of fruitless negotiations to date ought to have taught us to avoid at all costs
14 March, 2008
Fight Against Terrorism And Rights Of
Kashmiri People
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Speech delivered by Dr Shabir Choudhry in a seminar at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 11 March 2008
13 March, 2008
Of The Sin And The Sinners
By Syed Ali Safvi
As elections approach and poll fever grips the State of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties have started the blame game to win over the gullible public. The practice of blame game, however, cannot always prove productive. It may, at times, land you in trouble, and expose that part which you otherwise want to conceal or try to erase from public memory
22 January, 2008
Musharaf And Pro Pakistan Kashmiris
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Musharaf factor is important in the context of Kashmir. He has transformed pro Pakistan Kashmiris in to 'Pro Independence' and 'Pro Kashmir' Kashmiris. This is something we have been working for so many years and have always faced uphill struggle, but Musharaf has done it within few years
There Is Pause And Not Full Stop
At The End Of Peace Process
By Prof Amitabh Mattoo & Zafar Choudhary
Interview with Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu
15 January, 2008
Kashmiris Are Suffering
By Gulam Jeelani
For India, Kashmir is perhaps an ‘integral part’ of the country, the only Muslim majority state and thus the bedrock of its democracy and secular preamble. For Pakistan it is not less than a ‘jugular vein’ and often supposed to be an unfinished task at the time of partition. While asserting this way both the countries have suffocated the Kashmiris in between
14 January, 2008
"We Need A Jammu And Kashmir-Centric Solution"
By Zafar Choudhary
Interview With Jammu And Kashmir Governor
08 January, 2008
The United Nations, India And Kashmir
By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai
If promises are made to be broken, then Kashmir may be summoned to prove the treacherous proposition. Broken promises haunt Kashmir's history, and explain its tragedy
Kashmir: Difference Of Opinion
By Kashoo Tawseef
Jammu and Kashmir needs a step-by-step approach to normalization and confidence building between the various parties, leading eventually to a solution which will be according to the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir
04 December, 2007
“In Search Of A Future:The Story Of Kashmir”
By Mohamad Junaid
Book review: “In Search of a Future: The Story of Kashmir” By David Devadas
20 November, 2007
Peace: What Does It Mean?
By Kashoo Tawseef
Peace to me means peace of the second type Peace which results out of justice not out of oppression says Kashoo Tawseef
19 November, 2007
Orphans Of Jammu And Kashmir Await Justice
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Prior to the ongoing conflict in the state, we had only one orphanage run by an NGO and only two homes run by the social welfare department. Now we have ample number of orphanages and Bal Ashrams in the state but accountability has gone missing. Homes for the orphan have been declared insufficient by various international organizations
13 November, 2007
Would the Kashmiri Muslims Be heard,
Would They Get The Answer?
By Sareer Khalid
Kashmiris are denied travel documents for their alleged connection with militants
Suffering Kashmir: Present Tense...
Future Imperfect
By Kashoo Tawseef
Kashoo Tawseef encapsulates the miseries that Kashmiris have been going through all of these years
12 November, 2007
Jammu & Kashmir's National Song
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Jana Gana Mana or Lehra Aye Kashmir Kye Jhanday - Which is the "National Song" of Jammu and Kashmir?
04 November, 2007
Kashmir's Debt Trap
By Arjimand Hussain Talib
If the government of India gives its go ahead in the coming days, it would mean a 720 million dollar loan for constructing two hydel power projects at Karthai and Ganderbal, besides "capacity building" in power sector. This time round we are glad there has been honesty at governmental level to say it plainly that the loan would come at an interest of 6-7 per cent. But looking at the fissiparous and highly divisive regional and communal polity of the State do you see hope that this loan will achieve its objectives?
30 October, 2007
Kashmir's 'City Of Bunkers'
By Wajahat Ahmad
Recently there were news stories regarding the Indian military's impending plans to induct around 12000 more troops in Kashmir. It seems quite likely that Srinagar would receive a fair share of these new troops and by extension the population of new military camps and bunkers is bound to grow. Soon, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Srinagar, ''The city of bunkers''
10 October, 2007
Wailing Woes
By Aaliya Anjum
Women in Kashmir suffer rape, molestation, kin's disappearances, psychological trauma and torture, while the much-hyped slogan of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proclaiming 'zero tolerance' towards human rights abuse stares him in the face!
05 October, 2007
Entire State Of Jammu And Kashmir Is Disputed
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Kashmir dispute, whether you call it India and Pakistan problem or give it any other name, is essentially related to national identity and future of people of Jammu and Kashmir. To make it further clear it is an issue of right of self – determination, which is our birthright and doesn’t have to be granted by anyone
12 September, 2007
Honouring A Pledge
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Both India and Pakistan also made pledges to us Kashmiris. India pledged to protect life, property and honour of the Kashmiri people in 1947.We were also assured that we would have an opportunity to determine our future. We all know what happened to those pledges, and how our lives, property and honour were trampled.Similarly Pakistan also made some pledges, and still claims to be well-wisher and big brother of the Kashmiri people.If Pakistani governments had fulfilled their pledges and sincerely supported Kashmiri peoples unfettered right of self - determination, rather than converting it to right of accession then perhaps people of Kashmir would have been free of oppression and independent by now
09 September, 2007
Straight Lines: Real Feelings, False Expressions?
By Firdous Syed
The happy-going, pragmatic and materialistic Kashmiri will reflect the deep desire for peace without any stomach or inclination for any strife or conflict. The thousands of deaths, hordes of widows and orphans, deep scars on body and mind and the festering wounds on collective psyche amply stand witness to the real feelings of suppressed souls
28 August, 2007
Identity For Kashmiris
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
A look into the identity crisis that Kashmiris living in Britain face
27 August, 2007
Straight Lines: Muddy Water's Murky Politics!
By Firdous Syed
Whom should one believe: Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir who has day-in and day-out tirelessly been emphasising near-total return of normalcy and people "defeating the nefarious designs of militants", or the Governor who wants us to believe that there are thousands and thousands of Kashmiris waiting in the wings to pick up the gun again?
26 August, 2007
Kashmir: Struggle For Independence
Or A Proxy War?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
It was never our struggle. We people of Jammu and Kashmir never had any control or say over it. Be it talks with India or militancy, control has always been in hands of Pakistan; and this causes anger and frustration in minds of even most pro Pakistan Kashmiris.Evidence shows that it was a proxy war and not a war of liberation; and lesson from history is that you cannot win a war of liberation by becoming a proxy for another country, especially when that country also has territorial interest in that state
24 August, 2007
Prisoner Of Its Own Doing
By Firdous Syed
Only an honourable settlement for Kashmir, amicable for India and Pakistan, has the potential to usher not only an era of peace and stability in the region but also a process of reconciliation between the people of Kashmir, India and Pakistan. And who knows, even the dream of borderless South Asia could become a reality in future
21 August, 2007
Talk-shop In The Name Of Assembly!
By Firdous Syed
For the past 11 years, the Assembly has not worked for more than 100 days [in Srinagar].Now if it is not a joke in the name of democracy then what is it? Can a legislator do justice to his job in such a little time? Does this genuinely not cast shadow on the working of this all-important democratic institution in the state?
12 August, 2007
Straight Lines: Crisis Of credibility And Hope!
By Firdous Syed
Even when the separatist leadership of all hues and colours has lost much of its appeal today, the cause of Azadi (freedom) is as popular as it used to be. In fact given the immense sacrifices including indignities braved by the common people in the Valley, the sentiment of Azadi is more deep-rooted today than ever before
10 August, 2007
Putting Your Foot Into Your Mouth!
By Firdous Syed
Addressing a public meeting at Langate in Kupwara district on Tuesday the 24th of July, Syed Ali Shah Geelani said "majority of non-state subjects were professional criminals and they should be driven out of Kashmir in a civilised and dignified manner". As if taking a cue, militant organisations also joined the fray, and taking a step further, issued dead-lines and ultimatums to the migrant labourers to leave Kashmir
09 August, 2007
Xenophobia, Kashmiri style!
By Arjimand Hussain Talib
Kashmiris have always been thought as the last ones to be chauvinists. But why are today flocks of migrant laborers being driven out from the Valley? How did a people who are celebrated and cherished throughout the world for their warmth and hospitality are today feeling insecure and reacting?
01 August, 2007
Wither Kashmir: Short-Term Glory
Or Long-Term Solution
By Ather Zia
The UN Resolution albeit updated with a third option, is the only means to pave way for a permanent solution for Kashmir
30 July, 2007
Simmer Discontent
By Syed Ali Safvi
It's a travesty of justice that Kashmir do not have a single building, road, hospital or any other public infrastructure named after any of our freedom fighters who laid down their lives only that we could breathe in the ambience of freedom, peace and tranquility; where we would not be forced to pay tax to live on our own soil. Instead of commemorating them, we have roads, colleges, public parks named after the Dogra rulers who had been cruel and savage.In their rule, Kashmiris simmered in the smoldering fire
16 July, 2007
Crime Rate 13 Times More Than Militancy
In Jammu And Kashmir
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
In a state where voices seeking withdrawal of security forces from civilian areas and giving the charge to the state police are being looked upon with suspicion, official reports of Union Ministry of Home Affairs and state home department when compared reveal that incidents of normal crime reported and registered in the year 2006 are 13 times more than the militancy related incidents
07 July, 2007
Mela Chamliyal - Yet To Become
A Testimonial Of Friendship
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Standing barely at a distance of 600 yards from the shrine of Baba Chamliyal, 11 year old Shifa Fatima, daughter of an officer of Pakistan Rangers' wonders, why she cannot visit the shrine of the saint whose martyrdom signifies irrelevance of boundaries. She questions the building trust between India and Pakistan saying that if both the countries are trying to be triumphant over each other's heart, then why she cannot cross over and interact with children from this side
06 July, 2007
Despite Years Of Turmoil Sufism
Still Holds Sway In Doda
By Renu Bhran & Syed Junaid Hashmi
Ask people in district Doda, they would tell you that being an area where Sufism has been thriving from centuries, possibility of communities getting engaged in religious, regional, racist and gender conflicts are meager. Despite changing times, Sufism continues to enjoy supremacy in district Doda
04 July, 2007
Kashmir Dialogue Process Needs To Be Broadened
By Wajahat Habibullah & Priyashree Andley
An interview with India’s Chief Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, who is also New Delhi’s expert hand on Kashmir affairs
26 June, 2007
Immunity, Floating Of Norms Encourages
High Rate of HR Abuse In Jammu And Kashmir
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
In a state where impunity rules the roost, procedural safeguards designed to prevent torture and other mistreatment of persons in custody are allegedly being routinely floated by security forces. Those arrested merely on suspicious grounds are allegedly tortured, humiliated and abused
20 June, 2007
Trauma Of Daily Violence In Jammu
And Kashmir Telling Upon Mental Health
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Ravaged by conflict, traumatized by lack of accountability and strangled by social taboos, people in Jammu and Kashmiri have been both witness to and victims of violence which has had a significant effect on their mental health. While a sustainable political solution to "K" problem seems far away, psychological wounds inflicted by violence and impunity on the Kashmiri society continue to increase and go well beyond socio-economic problems
18 June, 2007
AFSPA In Jammu And Kashmir
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
With Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in "application", people across the state who have been battered by impunity being enjoyed by security forces under this law, desire the law to be revoked at the earliest. However, separatists and mainstream "representatives" of these voices are yet to reconcile and demand revocation of the act in one voice
16 June, 2007
Looking Beyond ‘K’ Issue
By Zafar Choudhary
What Jammu and Kashmir would look like the day after Kashmir conflict is amicably resolved with a consensus between New Delhi, Islamabad and separatist leadership of Srinagar
22 May, 2007
Peace Into Pieces
By Syed Ali Safvi
The ground situation in Kashmir will not improve unless and until the Govt. of India or the State govt. (remember, it has the power to do so) revoke the draconian acts – Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA). The government must ensure that errant troops involved in the humanitarian crimes should be brought to book so that others would learn a lesson
14 May, 2007
We Salute Our Journalists
By Syed Ali Safvi
We salute our journalistic fraternity for showing the utmost audacity and commitment in order to sketch a real picture of Kashmir, sometimes with the colour of their own blood. We salute those indefatigable journos who braved the tyrannical establishment and highlighted the atrocities of the forces and in the process laid down their lives for a cause – the cause so dear to their hearts, the cause of projecting the TRUTH
03 May, 2007
Army And The Peace Process In Kashmir
By Ram Puniyani
Today the thinking on the Kashmir issue has to begin with the idea of respecting the wishes and well being of Kashmiri people, and to apply the soothing balm to the wounded psyche of average person in Kashmir. While dialogue with the dissident factions goes on we need to reduce the heavy-handed presence of army in the area. We also should register the fact that a long stay of army will affect the way of thinking of army itself
01 May, 2007
Jammu And Kashmir Public Safety Act-1978
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
One of the most draconian laws applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, Public Safety Act (PSA), that is being liberally used as a repressive measure to scuttle any dissent, often also for victimising innocent youth, ironically finds its roots in the Defence of India Act (DIA) during the British rule. In fact, the PSA happens to be a more punitive form of the DIA that was described by various National leaders including Mahatma Gandhi as draconian and a black law enacted by Britishers to suppress Indian freedom struggle
24 April, 2007
Crackdown In Jammu And Kashmir:
Humiliation At Its Worst
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Researchers from Kashmir University maintain that a lot of women are crying for the fate of their husbands and sons who either went missing or were killed in custody after being arrested during a "crackdown" where they were identified by informers working alongside army and paramilitary forces
31 March, 2007
Conflict Rape Victims: Abandoned And Forgotten
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Deserted by their families, abandoned by society, forgotten by both separatists and mainstream political parties, rape victims during the last seventeen years of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir live an appalling life. Reports of Kashmir based social organizations put the figure of women raped, molested and abused above one thousand
29 March, 2007
Militancy Toll; J&K Women Pay Heavy Price
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Seventeen years of turmoil has not only ruined Jammu Kashmir economically but has turned the state in to a land of widows and orphans. Various human rights organizations put the figure of orphans at twenty-five thousand and that of widows around six thousand. Various organizations contradict the figure and say that it may be more
24 March, 2007
Over 100 Believed Missing In Banihal
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
More than 100 people have gone missing from various parts of Ramban and Banihal during the last 16 years of turmoil says a list compiled by veteran social activist from Banihal Abdul Gani Tantry. The indicted for disappearance of these 100 people are mostly "unidentified Gunmen" and army in a few cases
22 March, 2007
Kashmir: Terrorism Or Freedom Movement?
By Akhila Raman
Despite recent welcome thaw in Indo-Pak relations, Kashmir is continuing to bleed. This article argues that the massive bloodshed continuing in Kashmir is not merely a result of cross-border terrorism as the Indian State would like us to believe, but that there is also a genuine freedom struggle going on against the repressive Indian State by the Kashmiris who are alienated equally with India, Pakistan and the militants and whose grievances have their historical roots in the events of 1947
02 March, 2007
Kashmir: The Land Of Widows And Orphans
By Pradeep Mohinder
Seventeen years of turmoil has not only ruined the Jammu Kashmir economically but, has turned the valley in to the land of widows and orphans. It is matter of fact that that in the state there are more than twenty-five thousand orphans (25,000) and approximately six thousand 6000 widows
26 February, 2007
Baglihar And Other Chestnuts
By Zafar Choudhary
Baglihar is not a case in isolation, there are at least 27 power projects being built or already operational on Indian side which have been objected to by Pakistan. Quite often, Pakistan uses its logic of objections on these projects, under the ambit of Indus Water Treaty, to halt progress on Kashmir issue resolution
25 February, 2007
Kashmiri Separatist Seeks End To Armed Struggle
By Michael Deibert
When Kashmiri political leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told a crowd in Islamabad, Pakistan, last month that he was calling for an end to armed struggle as a means to bring the region out from under the yoke of Indian rule, he did so at no small personal risk
24 February, 2007
Right To Self-determination,
A Key To Kashmir Solution
By Syed Ali Safvi
India and Pakistan must show a positive approach, if Kashmir dispute is to be solved amicably. Without that everything done will be an exercise in futility. Confidence Building Measures are just slogans if they don't bring a positive change in the ground situation, comments Syed Ali Safvi
21 February, 2007
Genesis Of The Kashmir Dispute
By Syed Ali Safvi
India and Pakistan must keep the interest of Kashmiri people paramount and take serious and resolute initiative in order to make things better for the common mass of Kashmir and settle the Kashmir issue once and for all
08 February, 2007
It's Infinite, Not Zero Tolerance
By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
How easy it has become for the state to purge the very existence of healthy young men in a conflict zone like Kashmir. This has been a common thread binding one conflict to another across the globe. But when a democratic country like India, which believes in justice, equality and democracy resorts to the same tradition without questioning the logic of such tyranny, it appalls everyone. Does India today exercise what it actually stands for?
Huge Blind Spot, Only For J & K
By Bharat Bhushan
Has Kashmir become a blind spot for Indian human rights activists and the media?Kashmiri civil society activists certainly believe so. The serial killings in Noida, near Delhi, they point out, occupied the nation's attention for days on end. But Indian civil society and media did not get agitated in the same way with the exhumation of bodies of innocents killed by the security forces in Kashmir
23 December, 2006
Kulhand, Doda: Eight Months After The Massacre
By Yoginder Sikand
Eight months ago unidentified gunmen shot dead almost two dozen Hindus in Kulhand, in Kashmir's Doda district. Months after the carnage, the survivors now struggle to rebuild their lives, with little help forthcoming from the state
01 December, 2006
HRW Documents Repression In Kashmir
By Parwini Zora & Daniel Woreck
A recent report by the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) documents the systematic human rights abuses carried out by the Indian security forces in the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the protection of the Indian government and legal system
15 November, 2006
Kashmir: A Year After The Quake
By Yoginder Sikand
Forgotten by the media and quickly abandoned by the state their own fate, one year after the deadly quake that struck this part of Kashmir last October the denizens of this region struggle to rebuild their lives
03 November, 2006
Innovation, Experimentation Marks Azad's Year
By Zafar Choudhary
The lasting peace though still continues to be elusive for this restive state, one year of Ghulam Nabi Azad as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister saw a vital focus on 'administrative discipline and infrastructure development' as innovation and experimentation marked the central theme of his action plan
30 October, 2006
Does Self-Rule Have New Delhi 's Backing?
By Zafar Choudhary
History makes a full circle on Jammu and Kashmir at United Nations when former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will address the UN General Assembly next week. But what exactly will Mufti say there involves a crucial question on Government of India's Kashmir policy
28 October, 2006
The Massacre Of A Town
By Murtaza Shibli
On 22nd October 1993, during a peaceful protest against the Hazratbal siege, around 50 civilians were killed and 200 injured by the Indian paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) in Bijbehara, district Anantnag, on the Indian side of Kashmir. The atrocity was committed by the 74 Battalion of BSF, and was initiated and directed by its second most senior officer, Deputy Commandant JK Radola, who fired the first shot in the crowd
27 October, 2006
DD Kashir Needs Overhaul
By Zafar Choudhary
DD Kashir is finally on its way to where it ideally should have been –Srinagar. A welcome step indeed, but still a lot more needs to be done to appropriate the role of a television channel running on the public exchequer
26 October, 2006
A Tribute To Heritage Of Poonch
By Zafar Choudhary
For nearly five decades a marvelous building with English architecture, in frontier district of Poonch in Jammu region, stood as a clue to the drawing of a bloody line dividing not only territory but also the people of Jammu and Kashmir into two parts
14 October, 2006
J&K Reluctant To Share Information With Public
By Zafar Choudhary
The identity of Jammu and Kashmir as a State that refuses to share power with people or devolve authority to the grassroots democratic institutions of governance can be seen in the regional and sub-regional dissension. Over a period of last two and half years Jammu and Kashmir has assumed yet another unique identity –a State that refuses to share information with people
13 October, 2006
Kashmir Earthquake Survivors Face
Another Freezing Winter
By Vilani Peiris
A year later after the Kashmir quake many refugees face the dangers of another Himalayan winter without proper shelter, basic supplies or adequate health services
26 September, 2006
Scripturalist Islam In Kashmir
And The Possibilities For Dialogue
By Yoginder Sikand
This image of Islam in contemporary Kashmir is clearly limited, selective and highly sensationalized. While it is true that the radical Islamist fringe does exist in Kashmir, support for its ultimate agenda among most Kashmiris is limited. The lack of overt and vocal opposition to such radicals must not be taken as necessarily implying widespread support of their agenda of a state based on their peculiar version of Islam
24 September, 2006
A Cliché From Nawab Din's Story
By Zafar Choudhary
After living a life for ten decades the centurions are normally expected to wait for the eternal journey, but in case of Nawab Din who has lived little more than that an aspiration is still coupled with a struggle. And interestingly his struggle has a loud message for the peaceniks and diplomatic mandarins of New Delhi and Islamabad
20 September, 2006
What Is The State Doing For
Orphan Girls In Doda?
By Yoginder Sikand
Ever since the outbreak of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, several thousand children have been orphaned as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region. The state has done little for these children, who have, by and large, been left to their cruel fate. The plight of orphaned girls is, obviously, even more precarious than that of boys
05 September, 2006
My Permanent Address
By Omkar Nath Koul
A Kashmiri Pandit intellectual talks about his childhood in Kashmir and endless desire to revist his homeland and stay at his village home that lies in ruins and thus his long yearned dreams
30 August, 2006
Orphans In Doda: Hapless Victims
Of An Endless Conflict
By Yoginder Sikand
No one seems to be in a position to offer even a rough estimate of the total number of orphans in Doda. The largest district in Jammu and Kashmir after Ladakh in terms of area, Doda has been racked by seemingly endless violence in the last fifteen years
21 July, 2006
Kashmiri Sufism: Theological Resources
For Peace-Building
By Yoginder Sikand
Kashmir provides some of the clearest instances of shared religious identities, remnants of which are still to be found, in however attenuated forms, today. As numerous writers have noted, the Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits shared several customs and beliefs in common, and the numerous Sufi shrines that dot the Valley attracted Hindus as well as Muslims in large
numbers
20 July, 2006
Peace In Kashmir: Engaging Creatively With Religion
By Yoginder Sikand
While the political and economic roots of the Kashmir conflict cannot be ignored, the religious dimension is of central importance, but this is often missed out even in serious analyses of the question
12 July, 2006
Kulhand: A Month After The Massacre
By Yoginder Sikand
Early last month, unidentified gunmen shot dead 22 Hindus in Kulhand, a remote mountain village in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir. The massacre is an indication that the situation in Doda district, racked by conflict over the last fifteen years, continues to be volatile
30 October, 2005
Kashmir Quake, Delhi Bombings And Our Response
By Yoginder Sikand
Yesterday's devastating blasts in Delhi have added a new dimension to the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir. It is possible that the blasts might make relief work in Kashmir by NGOs from outside the state even more difficult
29 October, 2005
A Visit To The Quake Ravaged Kashmir
By Yoginder Sikand
At the moment the most urgent need of thousands of families in the Tangdhar and Uri areas is suitable temporary shelters to help survive the harsh winter snows that are due in two weeks' time. People can no longer continue living in the tents and shacks that they have set up, and it is feared that unless they are able to make suitable temporary shelters (of tin sheets and wood) many of them, especially children, face a certain death
31 August, 2005
How Violence Has Changed Kashmiri Society
By Ershad Mahmud
It almost seems a mystery how a once docile people have turned violent. The present generation -- "the children of war" --knows little about their ancient Sufi culture and Kashmir's high level of tolerance. The people are living under tremendous stress, and this has deeply changed their cultural and social values
30 November, 2004
Kashmir- A Step Forward
By Beena Sarwar
It is unrealistic to expect any overnight solution or success in the ongoing dialogue process - which is a process and not an end in itself. But if we keep our sights fixed firmly on a solution as the ultimate goal, and include Kashmiris in the process, we will move towards it
18 November, 2004
Kashmir's Endless Autumn
By Rehana Hakim
In Kashmir, the battle lines are drawn: 'Either you are with us - the militants or the security forces - or you are against us. And whichever side you are on, prove it.' There is no sitting on the fence, no such entity as neutral observer
12 November, 2004
Kashmir- Thinking Out Of The Box
By M B Naqvi
Joint control of Kashmir by both India and Pakistan is one of the interesting suggestions that have been thrown up
11 November, 2004
A Blueprint For Kashmir
By Kuldip Nayar
My suggestion is that both Kashmirs should be given autonomy. The border between the two Kashmirs should be made soft so that the citizens of the two sides travel freely, without any passport or papers, in both parts
18 October, 2004
Visiting Jammu & Kashmir
By Imtiaz Alam
The real issue is that both Islamabad and New Delhi stop treating the Kashmir issue as a territorial dispute and, instead, address together the aspirations of the people of the valley in some appropriate form that is to the satisfaction of the two big brothers. The solution lies in the process, not in any pre-determined formula
14 October, 2004
Hearing New Voices In Kashmir
By Mariana Baabar
Mariana Baabar, diplomatic editor of the Islamabad-based newspaper, The News, who was on a visit to the Indian part of Kashmir writes about her experience
30 June, 2004
Re-thinking Kashmir
By Beena Sarwar
A review of the documentary 'Crossing The Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India' by Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian
21 June, 2004
Detroying Human Rights, Desecrating Kashmir
By David Devadas
Torture is not a method employed by security forces in Iraq alone,it is happening everywhere, including Kashmir where even false reports to settle scores lead to the torture of innocents at the hand of security forces
02 June, 2004
Visit To Kashmir: A Kind Of Normalcy
By Rakesh Shukla
Human rights groups can keep asserting gross human rights abuses and the Government can keep denying the killings and rapes. However, it is the almost invisible, intangible humiliation suffered in everyday life which in a major way contributes to the alienation of kashmiri people
09 May, 2004
Another One Falls in Kashmir,
But What's The Point?
By Bashir Manzar
Leaders like Yasin Malik and Shabir Ahmad Shah owe an explanation to Kashmiris and will have to answer, if not today but sometime in future, that what they actually stand for. If they really believe in non-violence and peaceful means of struggle, why don't they take the same message to those Kashmiri boys
17 March, 2004
Hamid's Message To The World:
A Kashmiri Cry For Sanity
By Yoginder Sikand
A young Kashmiri, who underwent arms training in a jihadi camp in Pakistan speaks of his experiences in the camp and his anxt over kashmir
10 March, 2004
The Spirit Of Kashmir
By Beena Sarwar
“We Kashmiris must be allowed to dialogue among ourselves,” reiterates Ved Bhasin. It is time this dialogue was allowed to begin, so that the River Neelum need never again witness the tears of a people divided
26 January, 2004
A Different Doda
By Yoginder Sikand
Doda was once a symbol of Hindu - Muslim amity, but now it's a ghost town where Hindu and Muslims hardly mingle
15 January, 2004
Civil Society Initiatives And Peace In Kashmir
By Yoginder Sikand
Insofar as the basis of the Kashmir conflict is political, a lasting solution to the conflict can only come about at the political level. Despite this, civil society groups in Kashmir, and in India as well, do have a crucial role to play in promoting a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in the region
28 August, 2003
A Progressive Discussion Forum On Kashmir
Report on a dynamic discussion forum on Kashmir , organized by People for Peace in Kashmir and Social and Cultural Anthropology Program at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco
15 August, 2003
A Story Of Saffron
By Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir
Is it too hopeful, if not offensive, to imagine a future where the state of Jammu and Kashmir can participate in a meaningful political power sharing arrangement with a coalition government at the Centre?
31 July, 2003
Co-joined With Kashmir
By F. S. Aijazuddin
Is Kashmir a core issue, or simply a corps commanders' issue?
13 July, 2003
'Disappearances' In Kashmir
By A G Noorani
The disappearance of large numbers of persons in Kashmir, what the UN Declaration on the subject terms as 'enforced disappearance', is a matter of national shame
07 July, 2003
What Will They Do To Kashmir Now?
By K Balagopal
India and Pakistan think that the dispute is between them and ignore the people of Kashmir. And now they have the assistance of the world's primary rogue state
27 June, 2003
Kashmiri Identity
By Navnita Chadha Behera
Look closer at Jammu and Kashmir, and you see more than Kashmiri Muslims. There are also Ladakhis, Dogras and Gujjars, all of them seeking some space of their own within India and within the state of J&K
23 June, 2003
A Guide To Kashmir Peace Plans
By Muzamil Jaleel
By Muzamil Jaleel examines some of the suggested solutions to the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan
22 June, 2003
Unsolved Disappearances And
Beheaded Tourists In Kashmir
By Arshad H Naqshabandi and Richard Powell
Outcry over 3500 unsolved disappearances and beheaded tourists in troubled Kashmir
18 June, 2003
Kashmiri Students In India Face Discrimination
By Rama Lakshmi
Scores of Muslim students, traders and professionals who quit violence-wracked Kashmir for other parts of India in search of education and job opportunities face increased harassment and discrimination
25 April, 2003
NHRC Seeks Details On Missing Kashmiris
By Anjali Mody
The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government for a report with regard to the "disappeared'' persons in the Kashmir valley
24 April, 2003
Scared of peace?
By Dr Mubashir Hasan
Peace activists in India and Pakistan must join together to mobilize their people for peace.
23 April, 2003
Miles From Peace Mission,
Kashmir Village Gets Cruel Reminder
BY Muzamil Jaleel
Even as a piecemeal effort for peace got under way in Srinagar, another village was scarred by violence visited on innocent people
Nadimarg and Kashmiriyat
By Akhila Raman
Massive solidarity demonstrations by the Kashmiri Muslims following the brutal killings of Pandits at Nadimarg reveal that Kashmiriyat continues to flourish. They also highlight the alienation and plight of the Kashmiris who continue to be brutalized by the militants and the Indian forces
Kashmiris want Peace, Azadi
by Amit Chakraborty
Almost all Srinagar residents want peace, azadi, and an end to the authoritarianism of Indian forces. Amit Chkraborty who observed the recently-concluded elections in J&K, explains why the polls were a farce, and how the will of the people is being muzzled
Jammu and Kashmir Elections first phase
Interim Report of the Phase I of the 2002 J& K Assembly elections in the two districts of Baramulla and Kupwara on 16 September. The Report was prepared by the members of the Independent Observers’ Group, organized by the civil society coalition,
Jammu and Kashmir Elections Second Phase
Interim Report of the Second Phase of the State Assembly elections held on 24th September 2002 The Report was prepared by the members of the Independent Observers’ Group, organized by the civil society coalition, covering fifteen constituencies and around 120 polling booths in the districts of Srinagar and Budgam.
Jammu and Kashmir Elections Third Phase
Interim Report of the Third Phase of the elections to the J&K assembly conducted on 1st October 2002. It stands out for the spread and extent of violent coercion in most of the 16 constituencies of the two districts of Anantnag and Pulwama.
Jammu and Kashmir Elections Fourth Phase
Interim Report of the fourth Phase of the elections to the J&K assembly conducted on the 8th October 2002 in the four major regions of the Doda district. The chosen constituencies included Banihal, Doda, Baderwah and Kishtwar.
