Dear Yasin,

Dialogue on the Future of Jammu & Kashmir organized by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies gained enormously by your presence on November 7, 2009. We recognize that the overlap in timing meant you had to rush to Delhi after registering your attendance at a TADA court hearing in Jammu. I also appreciate the fact that despite provocative slogans against you by a group of Kashmiri Pandits opposed to your presence in the Dialogue, you sat through the meeting to the end and not only explained your politics but also made a public commitment to consider some of the solutions proposed at the meeting as a starting point for a wide spectrum dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

However, your outbursts of anger, disappointment and your cynical comments directed at the civil society organizations of India seem to me so misplaced and misleading that they demand a public response; a lot of them were directed at Manushi and at me. Since they have been widely reported in the Kashmiri and Pakistani newspapers, hence my response is also through the media.

For those who do not know the background, let me summarize your grievances as stated in your presentation at the Dialogue. You said that you had given up the gun at the urging of civil society organizations in India, that you took to “Gandhian methods of struggle” due to our persuasion. However, despite your move to non-violent means of struggle, you feel “betrayed” by the human rights community in India for ostensibly failing to help you achieve your political ends. You also claimed that subsequent events and your failure in achieving “azadi” have convinced you that Gandhian methods do not work in today’s India. In your view, they worked only while the British ruled India because the British provided a supportive environment for non- violent struggles.

What proof do you offer for that conclusion? That Gandhi was not subjected to third degree torture by the British, nor was Gandhi killed in an encounter with the police! No responsible leader would provide this form of naive praise of the British. You cannot dismiss the brutalities of the British colonial regime so easily. You don’t have to go too far—just read the life story of Badshah Khan—Gandhi’s most valued colleague and the most inspiring satyagrahi of that period. The brutalities inflicted on the army of satyagrahis mobilized by Badshah Khan—popularly known as the Frontier Gandhi— would put to shame even the apartheid regime of South Africa. Lakhs and lakhs of non violent satyagrahis were tortured in British jails. Many innocents were murdered in cold blood. The manner in which unarmed women and children were massacred in Jallianwala Bagh by General Dyer was not an isolated example of British brutality. Hundreds of thousands of satyagrahis took deadly beatings without raising their hand even in self-defence during the Salt Satyagraha. The cruel treatment routinely meted out to the Indian peasantry in extracting unprecedented high revenue and confiscating their lands arbitrarily for failure to pay ruinous usurious revenue, not sparing them even during crop failures, led to millions dying in unprecedented man made famines and left many more millions destitute, malnourished and terrorized.

You claim to have taken to Gandhian methods and claim that the movement for “azadi” in Kashmir is non violent —all on the grounds that some years ago you gave up the gun. Dear friend Yasin, you gave up the gun after you were arrested and jailed, not while you were on the outside, fighting. You never gave up supporting and defending those who continued using the gun. In the November 7 meeting, you declared openly that you are proud of having been the first one to take up the gun for the cause of Kashmir. When a young Kashmiri Pandit commented: “You may have given up the gun but that does not mean Kashmiri Muslims gave up the gun. The Hizbul Mujahiddin is also comprised of Kashmiri youth.” Your response was: Since the Indian government did not hand over “azadi” to the “non-violent” JKLF, and since human rights organizations in India failed to persuade the Indian government to do so, Hizbul Mujahaddin are justified in taking up the gun. Yasin bhai, a true commitment to non-violence should not be so conditional and fragile. Gandhi did not say: “Give India independence or else I will unleash terrorist brigades on you.” That was Jinnah’s method, not Gandhi’s.

As one of many people committed to strengthening democracy and human rights in India, one of my mandates is to ensure that even those who take to terrorist means, are given fair treatment, due process, and a fair trial, and that innocents are not targeted by security forces while combating terrorism. Our primary task, however, is to try to prevail upon the Indian government that draconian laws should not be used to crush democratic dissent. I don’t think I have failed in being consistent about those issues. I have often done my best to intervene with the government of India to defend the Constitutional rights of you and your colleagues, even when I have strong differences with your political goals and means you make use of to achieve them.

For example, when you asked me to intervene on behalf of some of your colleagues held in detention centres who you claimed and seemed to me to be innocent, I did so without hesitation. I even succeeded on some occasions in helping get them released—your verbal assurance that they were not involved in any terrorist crimes was an important consideration in my efforts. Do you think you could get such relief for your colleagues if they had been arrested on account of suspected terrorist links in England—a nation you so ardently admire— or in the US—the country you had put most faith in to help you gain “Azadi”?

In the November 7 meeting, you expressed your annoyance over the fact that representatives from Ladakh, Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri had been invited. You dismissed their presence with open contempt saying: ” Is this a mohalla meeting that we have gathered all these people to discuss local affairs?” This attitude of assuming that it is only Kashmiri Muslims of the Valley— and that too of a certain political persuasion— who ought to have the right to determine the future of the entire state of J&K has created huge fault lines and murderously hostile camps in the State.

No one organization has the right to be the sole spokesperson of the Kashmiri people. The strong voices opposing your politics in Jammu, Ladakh and even within Kashmir have to be given their due importance.

While you expected human rights organizations in India to help you secure “Azadi”—you have allowed the concept to remain so fuzzy that I have not yet understood what concretely you mean by it. I have spent hours trying to persuade you to work out the concrete modalities of your plank of “Azadi” and explain to us how your Azadi will be any different from the bloody 1947 Partition of India. What will be the fate of minorities in your ‘Azad’ Kashmir? What happens to the rights of those in Kashmir, Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Leh and Kargil and those in the Valley who do not wish to secede from India and do not want to live in your mythical Azad Kashmir? I never got anything resembling an answer. It also makes me very uneasy that the JKLF does not even have a constitution, leave alone any democratic machinery for managing its affairs.

Why on earth would human rights organizations help you partition Jammu & Kashmir in as senseless a manner as Jinnah did the entire subcontinent? Even for the November 7 Dialogue, I repeatedly requested you to give a concrete statement in writing on the form and content of Azadi. You said you don’t believe in putting things down in writing. Instead you preferred to talk about your personal trials and tribulations, how 600 of your JKLF cadres have been killed in encounters by security forces. Much as I mourn the loss of those lives, much as I deplore how our security forces sometimes lawlessly eliminate or brutalize those suspected of terrorism, Yasin bhai, you have to recognize that, unfair as it seems to you, those who live by the gun have to be prepared to be hunted down by the gun.

You say you are still proud of the fact that you took up the gun because without that the Kashmir issue would not have gained due attention. This is not how morally committed non-violent satyagrahis reason. That is not how those who draw inspiration from Gandhi should earn world attention. One does not become a satyagrahi by merely laying down arms, that too without ever expressing remorse for having unleashed a reign of terror and violence. A satyagrahi does not romanticize the power of the gun, especially when it has already caused havoc for millions.

To qualify being a satyagrahi also means:

Being an unconditional soldier of peace by actively opposing all forces of violence. Unfortunately, your love affair with the gun is not yet over, or else you would not claim to be proud of having been the first one to take up the gun as a means of furthering your politics; Even today, you do not condemn terrorist killings without reservations.

Being committed to the path of Truth ( Satya) as a permanent seeker rather than as a self declared authority on Truth. A satyagrahi cannot be selective in choosing facts to suit his political arguments, which you often do. Being able to face unpalatable facts about one’s own movement and an ability to take diverse view points and perspectives into account is vital for adhering to the path of Truth. A truth seeker does not indulge in mere partisan politics nor does he/she overstate his /her case, as you often do

Being able to keep one’s anger under check and control so that it does not distort one’s vision. A Satyagrahi does not demonize his/her opponents, nor does he/she hold malice and ill will towards others whose politics and vision are at variance from that of the satyagrahi. You seem to be in a permanent state of upset with people who do not agree with your politics.

It was a very revealing moment, Yasin, when you told me after one of your visits to Pakistan which I quote from memory:

“I have now realized the great difference between the human rights activists in India and Pakistan. The Indian activists mostly come from ordinary middle class families so they are small minded. The Pakistani human rights activists are mostly from aristocratic families—daughters of generals and wealthy land owning aristocrats. Therefore, they are large hearted and have a broader vision.”

You have been understandably impressed by their pampering and hospitality extended to you. But you would do well to remember, many of them pamper you because you are a thorn in the flesh of the Indian establishment. They do not pamper their home grown secessionists–the Baluchis, the Pakhtoons and Sindhis, who wish to break away from Pakistan, as they do you.

You would also do well to remember that the aristocratic elite of Pakistan has done a poor job of defending their own democracy. They have also done a poor job of resisting the growing influence of the Taliban over their polity and civil society. Pakistan Administered Kashmir has a much poorer track record of democracy than the Kashmir you inhabit. The diverse ethnic groups and regions in Pakistan have far fewer rights than minority communities and regions have in India. No matter how well they treat you personally, the aristocratic elite of Pakistan are unlikely to deliver the “azadi” you are seeking.

Kashmiri society is being torn asunder by the conflicting ambitions of its leaders. As you well know, the mutual hostilities and suspicions of various Kashmiri leaders have even taken murderous forms. That is why it is vital to bridge these divides and important that diverse leaders come together to thrash out differences and explore common ground. Many of those who attended the November 7 meeting considered it an auspicious start of a new process whereby secessionist leaders who had never sat together on a common platform with mainstream political parties not only came together to seek out a consensually acceptable peaceful solution but also agreed to carry forward the debate around the concrete and innovative new Self Rule formula presented by the PDP.

Instead of expecting the human rights community in India to become your followers, instead of expecting them to fight your battles for you, it would be far better if you worked out a political platform that was more in consonance with their perspective. For all their limitations and humbler origins, the Indian middle classes which dominate democratic rights organizations in India have succeeded far better in keeping the authoritarian tendencies of their rulers under a measure of check and control. J& K has too many gun toting self appointed spokespersons of Kashmiri people. What it lacks is a vibrant community of people committed to strengthening human rights and democratic freedoms. Such voices have been marginalized or crushed by the gun in J&K. Reviving that tradition needs much greater courage and conviction than required for taking up the gun. I hope to see you occupy that space in the coming years.

With good wishes,

Madhu Kishwar,
Founder Editor, Manushi
Senior Fellow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
November 14, 2009

Source: Outlook

Also Read :

• Talveen Singh in The Sentinel
• Nancy Kaul in VijayVaani

Shiv Temple [ Bod Mandir ], Near VB College, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir

Shiv Temple Naidyar,Rainawari ,Srinagar,Kashmir

Shiv Temple, Jogilankar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir

Shiv Temple, Near Bridge, Naidyar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir

Shiv Temple, Near Mishan Sahib, Naidyar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir

Shri Vaital Bhairav, Mal Mohalla, Jogilankar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir

Shri Vaital Bhairav, Motiyar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir 

Shri Gopantar Ashram, Bagh-i-Jogilankar, Rainawari, Srinagar,Kashmir 

Also Check THIS

Video Courtsey : Mr Vijay S

Vande Mataram. Welcome, minorities. The helpless, disadvantaged, poor, famished, persecuted, religious minorities of India. Population-wise constituting nearly one-fifth of India, they qualify to be a minority in a country which, because of their sheer numerical strength, earns the solemn distinction of being the world’s second-largest home, after Indonesia, to a faith which knows no boundaries. And those belonging to, rather longing for, the faith zealously claim — or proclaim by firman or fatwa — to abjure violence that they perceive inherent in the Bankim Chandra Chatterjee-composed national song “Vande Mataram”. The logic: if they simply mutter it, it is tantamount to apostasy.

No wonder, the country is thankfully indebted to them for their humility not to reject the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” as perfidious to their creed. Who knows, they may jettison it, tomorrow.

Probably, it is a matter of time before they so choose. A few years ago the same “minority clan” of India raised a hue and cry over the recitation of “Saraswati vandana” as a prologue to school prayers. And, the country’s “liberal class”, cutting across the barrier of colour and creed, lent its unqualified support to them, justifying the inclusion of such a religious intonation as repugnant to the secular spirit of the Constitution.    

The volte-face by Union home minister P Chidambaram that “he was not present” when the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind adopted a resolution at its 30th general session at Deoband a couple of days ago, asking Muslims not to recite “Vande Mataram”, betrays a sense of vacillation, nervousness and indecision on the part of the country’s talking-tough-and-acting-firm home minister.

As a party person — Congressman — his stance of “not being present that moment” may be politically correct but as India’s “internal security” minister it simply does not hold water. More so, it comes at a time when such “Jamaats” hold the world to ransom by the insidious propagation of their bigotry in belief of the divine sort and a violently virulent streak of such an extremist school of thought has been wreaking unprecedented havoc on Indian society and nationhood.

If religious belief is in conflict, even remotely, with what defines nationhood, the latter expressly supersedes the former. Any edict by a religious minority — or for that matter any religion-based dispensation — if it generates or has the potential to generate a conflict of interest between what is mandated by the state or the statute and what the edict seeks to attain has to be treated as null and void.

Such “commands” do not carry the sanction of law and no immunity can be sought under the exclusivity of a “separate” personal law. Any personal law guaranteed by the Constitution for the protection of socio-religious rights of a section of the population is by no means a carte blanche for sowing the seeds of separatism. If it brooks disaffection, which in turn may lead to the fragmentation of a secular society, it ought to be dispensed with before it runs riot with the quasi-federal notion of the Indian state.       

What assumes seriousness in the context of the turmoil the country is facing at present owing to the deviant nature and deviousness of a particular faith needs no reiteration. The flip to the fissiparous tendency by such edicts — emanating from the extremist Islamic school of thought as represented by institutions like Deoband — is of far-reaching consequences and seditious in nature.

Such tendencies, and actions that follow from them, if allowed to go unchecked by the state, will eventually reverberate — on religious fault lines — into a call for separatism from the Union of India.

Such an eventuality may seem to be far-fetched at the moment and dismissed as a figment of imagination but the Khalistan movement and Kashmiri separatism, too, germinated in a similar fashion until they near-consumed the whole nation. Better nip the evil in the bud. It is better late than never. The state must show it has the will to exercise the hard option in a similar vein as it has now woken up to the twin challenges of Naxalism and militancy

Written By : Ramesh Khazanchi

Original Source : Times Of India

Also Visit an earlier Post HERE

CONSTITUTION & POSSIBILTY OF CREATION OF PANUN KASHMIR 

Continuing with the discussion of what the constitution says about creation of a separate state /union territory , I would touch the few specific points available in constitution of India , J&K and under article 370.

What does the Constitution of India say ?

According to the constitution of India and its first schedule,the The territory of India shall comprise:

The territories of the States The Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and such other territories as may be acquired. In the article 2 , it states that Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.

In the article 3 it states that Parliament by law may form a new State by separation of territory from any State .

In the above context the law is clear that a new state formation is possible by a law passed by the parliament.

Possibilities according to constitution of J&K and the role of SADAR -E-RIYASAT

Under Article 370 , any changes to be bought should be passed by the J&K assembly. Where does that lead us ?

The answer does not stop just here.Firstly we must understand that Article 370 is a temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover there have been many contradictions itself within the constitution, according to my understanding, unless i am being made to understand otherwise.

The constitution of J&K recognise the heading officials as “Sadar-E-Riyasat “( President) & “Wazir-E-Azam” (Prime Minister),the terms which have now been abolished but may still be reflecting in the constitution.

The Constitution of J&K says the qualification of the “Sadar -e _riyasat ” has to be following :-

The Sadar-i-Riyasat shall be the person who for the time being is recognised by the President as such:

Provided that no person shall be so recognised unless he:

(a) is a permanent resident of the state;

(b) is not less than twenty-five years of age; and

(c) has been elected as Sadar-i-Riyasat by a majority of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly in the manner set out in the First Schedule.

In the present case I do not feel that the Governor (Sadar-E-Riyasat ) is any longer required to be a resident of the state ,and no longer requires an approval from legislative assembly. The reason I am discussing the role of the Governor is because the Governor of J&K has many powers which can alter the future of J&K state.

The constitution states that the Governor ,except in few matters can not bring in a rule unless approved by the legislative assemble of J&K by 2/3rd majority. However at the same time the constitution states that the constitution make such incidental and consequential provisions as appear to the Sadar-i–Riyasat to be necessary or desirable for giving effect to the objects of the Procla-mation, including provisions for suspen-ding in whole or in part the operation of any provision of this Constitution rela-ting to any body or authority in the State :

The rule can easily be surpassed by will of the central Government by invoking Article 356 and 357 of the Indian Constitution which was extended J&K in 1964, giving emergency powers to the President in the event of the failure of the Constitutional machinery .

The authority of the Governor or Sadar -E Riyasat can not be challenged in court as the law states in act 143 that :

143. (1) The Sadar-i-Riyasat shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise of performance of the powers and duties of his office or for any act done or purposing to be done by him in the exercise and performance of those -powers and duties , and in part 2 it states that

2) No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the Sadar-I–Riyasat in any court during his term of office. No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the Sadar-i-Riyasat shall issue from any court during his term of office.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR PANUN KASHMIR

We all should understand that a strong Government is required at Centre ,capable of taking strong decision in national interest.

The Public awareness has to be created to make the nation understand the necessity of a separate Union Territory.

Good Friends have to be made across all Political Parties.

WOULD CONSENT FROM ALL NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES MAKE PANUN KASHMIR POSSICBLE.

Not necessarily. Considering the case of Telangana case of right for statehood, all Political parties with the exception of Congress(I),have given their formal support.

Even in last election the Congress promised the separate Telangana state and its ally was TRRS.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

According to my understanding the Supreme court can play a BIG BIG role in affairs of J&K. Maybe as I said the political will is needed.

Any legislation can be stuck down by Supreme court and that may include article 370 as well.

The example being In 1974, the Supreme Court of India in the landmark case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala enunciated the Basic Structure Doctrine, which expanded the scope of judicial review to include the power to review Constitutional Amendments passed by the Legislature. Using this doctrine, the Supreme Court has struck down the 39th Amendment and parts of the 42nd Amendment as being violative of the Basic Structure of the Constitution. The doors of Supreme Court are also open for us to alter the consitution.

WHAT DOES ALL THE ABOVE TELL

1. Panun Kashmir is possible constitutionally.

2. Achieving Panun Kashmir is certainly not an easy job,neither is it easy for anyone else as well. It would be a long sustained campaign and can be achieved through our collective effort.

3.The idea of Panun Kashmir has to be sold to all Indians and each Kashmiri pandit would have a role to play.

4. Panun Kashmir has to present themselve as nationalistic rather than a Hindu right wing organisation.

Changing strategies as needed is important. We should have  more thoughtful people to be part of the Team to help us achieve the goal. Would we have a fellow soldier in you ?

An elderly Kashmiri Hindu lady shares her experience of how she and her pregnant daughter in law fled Kashmir in the middle of night to escape being killed by Jehadis

This video should make every Kashmiri Hindu nostalgic and it would be very diffcult to fight back tears.

I would be greatful if someone can translate the Kashmiri Song in English so that the same may be added to this blog.

Update [ 30th Sept.,2009 ] “Irma” has shared the below translation of the song which is in the background.

MY  LOST  HOME  IN KASHMIR
GET  UP  ALL, 
WE WILL  TOGETHER  CROSS  TO  OUR  HOMES
ON  FOOT  WE  WILL WALK  TO  OUR HOMES,
HOME WHICH  WE  LEFT  BEHIND, 
WHICH  WE  LOST TOGETHER 
WE  ALL WILL  SEARCH  THAT  HOME!

SMALL  AND LITTLE  WAS  THAT  HOME  OF  MINE
SMALL  AND  LITTLE WAS  THAT  HOME  OF  MINE ;
LOVELY  AND PLEASING  WAS THAT  HOME  OF  MINE :
HOME,  WHERE  I  PLAYED  IN MY  CHILDHOOD  DAYS.
I YEARN  TO  SEE THAT  HOME  ONCE AGAIN  !
GET  UP  ALL ,  WE WILL TOGETHER  CROSS TO  OUR  HOMES  !

WHAT  WORTH  HAS  ONE  
WHO  HAS  NO  HEARTH  AND  HOME  ?
IT’S  LIKE  OUR  EYES  WITHOUT  THEIR  VISION.
UP  AND  DOWN   I  WOULD LIKE TO RUN IN MY HOME ,
AND  DANCE  AND PRANCE  IN  MY  COURTYARD  ONCE  AGAIN  !
I YEARN  TO SEE THAT HOME ONCE AGAIN .

THEY  SAY  SOMEONE  HAS  TAKEN  OVER MY  HOME     ,
SOME  SAY  A  STRANGER  HAS BEEN ALLOTTED  MY  HOME
SINCE  THEN  I  FEEL  I  AM  DYING    ONCE  AGAIN .
GET UP  ALL ,  WE  WILL  TOGETHER  CROSS  TO  OUR  HOMES  !

(HARI) PARBAT AND TULAMULA  (OUR  RELIGIOUS  ICONS)  WERE  NEAR  MY  HOME ,
ZEETHYAR AND MATTAN  (OUR  SHRINES  ) WERE  MY  RELIGIOUS  BACKBONES  ‘
OH  THEN!  WHY  WAS  MY  HOME  SHATTERED  TO  SHAMBLES ?
I  YEARN  TO  SEE  MY  HOME  AGAIN  !
GET  UP  ALL,  WE  WILL  TOGETHER  CROSS  TO  OUR  HOMES ,
ON  FOOT  WE  WILL  WALK  TO  OUR  HOMES :
WHICH  WE  LEFT  BEHIND ,  WHICH  WE  LOST
TOGETHER,  WE  ALL  WILL  SEARCH  THAT  HOME  !!

It may be noted that Goverments of both countries, India and Pakistan have allowed muslim population of Kashmir to cross the line of actual control and have allowed trade as well across the border , both these countries are not allowing Kashmiri Hindus to visit the above shrine despite many requests.

Prior to independence, Hindu Pandits were settled in great numbers, in the Northern areas of Kashmir. Sharadi is a small village in Northern parts of Kashmir, which was famous for an ancient temple of Goddess Sharada. A Kashmiri Pandit family headed by Thusu Ladarwani was settled in this village. This Thusu family was compelled to migrate to Srinagar from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and again due to the terrorists and their activities, had forcibly to shift to Jammu and stay in a transit camp there.
At present, Shri Shambhunathji Thusu from this family is ninety four year old and possesses an exceptionally remarkable memory. He is well versed in Urdu, and Kashmiri language . Shri Shambhunathji provided me a map in Urdu prepared by him, giving details of the “Sharda Temple”. He has successfully retained many memories, about the “Sharda Temple” right from 1920 A.D. Shri. Shambhunathji reiterated that there was no idol of the Goddess Sharda in the temple, but there was only a stone plinth, admeasuring six feet long, seven feet wide and one and half feet high. “Just outside the temple, not very far, was a Shivaling.( i.e . symbolic idol of Lord Shiva). The devotees worshipped at both the places.

Shri. Shambhunathji was born and brought up in Shardi and he spent his prime youth there only. His family owned a business there. He aptly recollects the fair held at Shardi in the month of Bhadrapada (the sixth month according to Hindu Calendar) on the eighth day of Shukla Paksha i.e. a fortnight of rising moon.

He makes a mention of the briefings by a scholar in History from “Shardi”, about the assistance rendered, by a Gaud King to the “Sharda Temple Complex”. The village Shardi is situated at a distance of 130 Kilometers from Srinagar and 140 k.m.s. from Muzaffarabad. This place, presently, has the following postal address in Pak occupied Kashmir. (POK).
Village Shardi, Tehsil Atta Mukam, District Muzafferabad.

Since olden times, the village Shardi was renowned for the following two things
1. temple of Goddess Sharda, and
2.  Sharda Peetham (Centre for Advanced studies)

Prior to the partition, a fair was held at village Shardi in the month of Bhadrapada and on the eighth day of the Shukla Paksha, and devotees from all over India, flocked the place in thousands, for receiving the blessings of the Mother Sharada deity. There is a place called “Tikkar” at a distance of one and half kilometers from Kupwara, in Kashmir. From here, there is a short cut for going to Shardi which measures 40 k.m. Many Pilgrims treaded this path only.          
  
   Prior to the partition of India, many Kashmiri Pandit families were settled in “Shardi”. Those professing as priests and traders had their shops   and   establishments   in the   near vicinity of the Sharda Teerath. Besides,   many  saints,   ascetics and their associates/disciples and their servants also lived there.

Shri. Pradeep Kaul, from Srinagar, informed that every scribe offered his writings to Goddess Sharda, for obtaining her blessings. The following alleged legend in this regard runs as follows. The Kashmiri Scribes, kept their Bhurjapatra manuscript covered in a platter overnight, in front of Goddess Sharda, for obtaining her blessings. If the pages of writings remained undisturbed, it was taken for granted that the works had the blessings of the Goddess. If, however, the pages of the works were found sifted, the works were considered as disapproved by the Goddess.

Presently , the Sharda Temple lies within POK territory and one has to travel from Muzaffarbad to Thitwal – 80 K.M. from Thitwal to Karna-20 k.m., from Keran to Dudhe Niyal – 24 km, and from Dudhaniyal to Shardi- 16 K.M., to reach Shardi.

Prior to 1947, some travellers went to “Udi” from Barahmulla, and then from “Udi” to Shardi, via Muzaffarabad. In Shardi, the Sharda temple is on the right bank of river “Krishnaganga”. At this spot, there is a confluence between river Madhumati and river Krishnaganga. In Sanskrit, the word Sharda denotes both Goddess “Saraswati”, and Goddess “Durga”. An old styled, stringed musical Instrument called “Veena” is also addressed as “Sharda”. The Kashmiri Pandits, rever this Goddess Sharda as a symbol of strength. The brief history of “Sharda” in Kashmir is as follows.

“Kashyapmir” aka Kashmir means the Land of “Kashyap: Rishi the ascetic. Kashmir was a home of erudites and scholars. Here was an University of the extremely learned Pandits and philosphers in all branches of knowledge. The epic, Mahabharata, refers to Kashmir as “Kashmir Mandal”. Ancient History of India describes that there was a temple of “Goddess Sharda” in Kashmir also. There was a centre for providing education, Sharada Peetha had four doors facing four direction. The southern door was always closed and no one from South ever entered from this door. “Shankaracharya” in 8th cent A.D. opened this door and entered the Centre . He defeated all the scholars there and won the highest hierarchial position of Acharya. An ancient volume “Shakti Sangam Tantra” has a stray reference to “Sharda complex”. The volume describes Kashmir as a Land from Sharda Complex to “Saffron mountain ” Keshara Parbat extending upto 50 yojana.

At present, in POK, the valley of river Krishnaganga lies at a distance of 125 k.m. from Muzaffarabad towards North. It is now being addressed as “Neelam Valley” by Pakistani authorities.

The village “Shardi” lies in between Gurej and Karna: the two places in Neelam valley. At Shardi, wreckaged remains of the temple of Goddess Sharda can be seen. One can reach Shardi within 4 hours from Muzaffarbad. The following are the lines from the verse of “Goddess Sharda” (residing in Kashmir) in praise of her.

Prior to Division of Kashmir in last century Mr. Bamzai, a Kashmiri Pandit, has very aptly described the Sharda Temple had the main girdle of 22 feet dia. It had an entrance door in the west. The other entrances had arches over them, and these arches were 20 feet in height .The main entrance had foot steps. On both sides of the porch, there were two square shaped pillars, 16 feet high and 2′6″ x 2′6″ in sectional size. Carved out of a solid stone Block. The construction inside the temple was very plain and unadorned . The temple was situated on a hillock, on the right’ bank of river Madhumati”. The rectangular sanctum had 63 foot steps, each 9′ wide. The name and fame of this Sharda Teerath was well spread throughout ancient India.

Kalhan, the famous Historian, who wrote “Rajtarangini has given a reference to “Lalitaditya” of the eighth’s century. He says, disciples of the Gaud King had come all the way from Bengal to Kashmir to pay a visit to this Sharda Mandir.

Alberuni, the famous traveller of the 10th century has made a mention of this “Sharada Mandir”. He narrates “After traversing the interior portion of the valley of Kashmir, one reaches the Bolair Mountain, which is mid way between “Ladakh” and “Gilgit’. Many pilgrims come here for receiving the blessings of Goddess Sharda”. Albe-runi further states that this “Sharda Teerath is equally famous like Som Nath of Gujarat, the Vishnu Temple of Thaneshwar, and the Sun-Temple of Multan.

“Bilhan” Pandit the famous author of the Later half of the 11th Century has also made a mention of the :Sharada Teerath”. Though settled in South India over a long period, “Bilhan” has dedicated all his Literary works to Goddess “Sharda”.

Between the period 1088 A.D. and 1172 A.D., an erudite, Shri Hemchandra had completed his “Prabhav Karta” a voluminous treatise. Under the auspices and patronage of King “Jay Singh” of Gujarat, he was required to compile a volume on “Grammar”. So, king Jay Singh deputed his representative to Kashmir, and made available to Shri Hemchandra a manuscript of the subject of grammar, from the Library of Sharda Teerth. This enabled Shri. Hemchandra, to complete his treatise called “Hemkandra” (Siddha Hemkandra) . This amply proves, how the name and fame of the library of “Sharda Teerth” was well-known in ancient India and as to, how abounding was the Library of “Sharda Peeth”.

Historian Jon Raja has made a reference, as to, how Sultan of Kashmir Zain-ul-Abidin visited this place in 1422 A.D.
Abul Fazal has also made a reference to this place. The stone crafted Sharda Mandir, he adds, a beautiful temple at that-is situated on the bank of river Madhumti (Krishna Ganga). Gold was often found in the river basin here. A fair is held here, on the eighth day of every month of the (Shukla Paksha) fortnight of the rising moon. After the Mughals, the Dogra regime assumed power in Kashmir and the then Collector of Muzaffarabad, Col. Gundu repaired the temple and provided a new ceiling made of wood. He got fixed an annuity for the priest of the temple, under the orders of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir.

The Northeast province of our vast country India is Kashmir. Kashmir has its own style of temple Architecture. This style was developed, during the reign of King Lalitaditya (724 A.D.) and in 9th Century reached its Zenith, during the regime of Avantiverman. There are a few ancient temples in Kashmir. Among these, the Rudrash temple at Ludo, the sun-temple at “Martand” and the “Shankaracharya Temple at Srinagar are conspicuously famous. Generally, a temple in Kashmir has two parts, a square sanctum and a porch in front of it. These structures have centres and subcentres of Learning associated with them.
Experts opine that the pillars and columns of Kashmiri temples compare favourably with those of Derrik style. There is an expansive courtyard around the temple. This ancient Sharda Mandir is in (P.O.K.) today and has nurtured all the Salient features of Kashmiri style of Architecture.

Yograj Razdan and Mr. Ratan Kaul made available this rare photograph of Sharda Mandir from Sharadi. It is at their instance, it was available to me.

Kashmir, in olden days, was a centre for education , pursuit of knowledge and studies of various sciences. That is exactly why, Kashmir is also called Land of Goddess Sharda, City of Goddess Sharda and Sharda Peetham (University).
The famous Chinese traveller, Hue-en-tsang visited Kashmir in the year 632 A.D. and lived there for almost two years. His notings assert that at Shardi, there are Pandits who are exceptionally brilliant, endowed with perspicacious wits and acumen and are genius in the real sense of the term. There is a narrative, regarding Goddess Sharda in Hindu Scriptures. When Pandits refuse to perform the sacred thread ceremony of “Shandilya” the son of ascetic “Vashishta”, he (Shandilya) under instructions of his father, went to Kashmir, to offer his services to Goddess Sharda. He bathed in the water tank near Sharda temple and got his body, transformed into radiant gold, afterwards, he, by the grace of Goddess Sharda obtained accomplishment and became famous as Shandilya Rishi the ascetic.

The Sharda Shastranam Stotra is a canticle depicting Goddess Sharda as follows :-
Goddess Sharda is “Sheeladevi” (A Goddess in stone) she sits on a stone seat and has a pleasantly smiling face. Her form and appearance resemble those of Goddess Parvati (Wife of Lord Shiva). She holds a Sword in one hand. Her eyes are glowing and radiant like the Sun, the moon and the god fire, she is the Supreme controller of all the three “Lokas” (According to Hindu Mythology, there are three lokas i.e. worlds swarga (the heaven) Mrutya (the Earth) and Patal (the under world). She has six arms and sports the sacred thread of Yagyopavit Shandilys, the ascetic. Her devotees are blessed with the eternal light from the outer world.

The members of the Gujar and Pahadi Communities, residing in the nearby area of the “Shardi” village had an abiding and unalienable faith in the sheeladevi shakti peeth (a source of power). They offered cow’s milk and cereals and other agricultural produce to Goddess Sharda. In the recent times, Swami Nandlalji a famous Yogi (a hermit) from Kashmir had his hermitage near the Sharda temple, and his disciples were both’ Hindus This is how the imposing and magnificent history of Goddess Sharda for a few centuries in the post goes. The following lines from a Sanskrit canticle are enough and sufficient to stress the importance of the history of Goddess Sharda.
 

Article Courtsey Author : Mr Sanjay Godblode  ;

No matter how much the media tried to hide the facts , the truth is there for everyone to see.

The Temples of Kashmir having been looted and destroyed by Islamic fanatics even in the capiltal city Srinagar . One of the temple is just a stone throw away from the ’secure’ area near world famous Dal Lake.

And the world continues to remain silent !!!

THIS BLOG IS BEING SHUT DOWN

Thank you readers for visting and revisiting this blog .

May our dreams continue to live , even if this blog shuts down.

Pls do not post any inappropiate comment .

If you find any comment which hurts the relegious sentiment of any community or relegion, kindly brining to the notice at vicharnaag@gmail.com

Debates have to be won by discussions and not name calling.

I hope the readers would cooperate , else I may have to bring down the blog

Mirpur has a special place in sub-continent’s history. The famous battle between Alexandar and Porus was fought here in 323 BC.  A large number of Hindus lived in Mirpur once . Today Mirpur doesnt have any hindus living in there.

Please find below the state of Hindu temples in Mirpur …

“

Shiva Temple - Mirpur [Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

RaghuNath (Ram ) Temple in Old Mirpur [ Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Raghunath Temple in Evening – Mirpur Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Raghunath [ Ram

Pictures Courtsey : Mohsin

For a Change , besides usual Politics , I would be introducing the readers of this blog to the youth of Kashmiri Hindu Community , their talent and their contribution to the society.

These youth are the future of Panun Kashmir.

To start with , please find below video of Priya Raina , who now hails from Jammu at “India Got The talent Show” . This show featured on 19th July 2009.

Pls do vote for Priya Raina

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a resolution unanimously today expressing support to the demand of Union Territory for Kashmiri Pandits in the valley of Kashmir. The resolution was moved by Mr. Umashankar (MLA) and supported by Mr. Deshraj Singh (MLA) and state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr. Kailash Vijay Wargi. The resolution was passed at 6:15pm today after an hour long discussion on the subject. The resolution besides other things demanded that the Government of India should in the meanwhile establish a commission of enquiry to find reasons for the plight of Kashmiri Pandits which includes their exodus from Kashmir. It also demanded that Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) including an economic package be announced for the community. It also demands that a bill to protect temples and shrines of Kashmiri Pandits be introduced with the concurrence of Kashmiri Pandit representatives for which a dialogue should be initiated with ‘Panun Kashmir’ the representative body of the community. The resolution further demanded that the Government of the country should take all necessary measures to ameliorate the sufferings for the community.

When the bill was introduced, discussed and passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assemby; a team of community members was present in the Speaker’s Gallery of the Assembly, besides others who were present included Dr. Agnishekhar, Convener, Panun Kashmir and Shri Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, Panun Kashmir.

Source : PTI , Yahoo , Hindustan Times , Zillr ,

Pls download the day actvity of Madhya Pradesh assembly MP – PK Resolution  HERE…

Self-determination is a lyrical, mesmerising phrase that sparks the fire in a revolutionary and excites the cerebral neurons of a libertarian, galvanising both into frenzied activity. But self-determination shorn of its prerequisites and mindless of its implications can prove to be a toxic, self-mutilating instrument with deleterious consequences for its protagonists and antagonists. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of Kashmir where it holds an uncertain future for its proponents in the Valley and can be the axiom that seriously erodes the basic fabric of India’s Constitution.

Self-determination in quest of a new nation-State cannot be a whim but must be a proposition grounded in solid reason. There must be justifiable cause to advocate separation. Do Kashmiri Muslim aspirations qualify for legitimate independence or is this brouhaha nothing more than a devious design by a majority to establish its hegemony?

The recent events in Kashmir are a microcosm of the movement itself: much ado about nothing. Acutely conscious of its waning influence and sensing a general apathy towards separatist fervour, as evidenced by the successful conduct of the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Hurriyat is in a tizzy, resorting to obfuscatory tactics to remain relevant. How else can you explain its tendency to impart an anti-Indian hue to each and every untoward incident that occurs in the Valley?

Courtesy - AP

The immediate trigger for the latest spate of protests in Srinagar  appears to be the alleged murder of Asrar Mushtaq Dar, a 20-year-old student who went missing on July 3 and whose mutilated body was found in a city graveyard on July 8. Details of the murder are still sketchy and the identity of the culprits is yet to be ascertained. But that really doesn’t matter.

“Asrar was later found to be murdered by his friends . The cause was a love traingle ..Ref : Indian Express “

For in the charged and biased atmosphere of the Valley, any unnatural death becomes a cause celebre to whip up anti-India sentiments and implicate the security forces, ethics being an expendable appendage in the process.

Prior to this was the Shopian incident in which two young women, Neelofar Jan and her sister-in-law Asiya Jan, were found raped and murdered on May 30. While a judicial inquiry called for an ‘in-depth investigation’ and stated that ‘there is material on file to hold that the involvement of some agency of the J&K police cannot be completely ruled out’, it went on to give details of a possible family angle to the twin murders as the following news excerpt with verbatim quotes from the commission’s report indicates (Shopian panel even suspects victim. Majid Jahangir. Kashmir Live, July 11):

The police isn’t the only target. The report calls for a probe into the “rift” between the family of Neelofar and her in-laws. The fact that Neelofar, a woman from the upper-caste Peer family, eloped with Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar — who belongs to a family of blacksmiths — is also cited as a subject for further probe.

The report calls for a detailed investigation into the possible role of Neelofar’s estranged brother, Zeerak Shah, a police constable. “It is required that sustained questioning/interrogation of Zeerak Shah, his associates and relatives, be carried out so as to work out the possibility of their involvement in rape and murder of Neelofar and Asiya Jan”.

The commission also puts a question mark on the conduct of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar, Neelofar’s husband and Asiya’s brother. Claiming that he is ‘known for his immoral activities’, the report says: ‘His assets are quite disproportionate to his known source of income, thus requiring in-depth investigation to work out the possibility of Shakeel and his friends/associates in the present incident’.

Then the report goes on to even suspect the victims themselves. ‘Spot inspection of the orchard reveals that the orchard is fenced with CGI sheets from three sides and there is no proper gate for entry into the orchard. There are about 35 small and big fruit trees, without any pruning/cutting and ground is full of weeds. The purpose of their regular and frequent visit to the orchard could not be established so far… It is quite possible that during these frequent visits to the orchard in last six/seven months, they (but more particularly Neelofar Jan) might have developed some relation with other persons.’

Another recent death being exploited to keep the pot boiling involves the death of a young woman who was allegedly molested and killed by a Territorial Army jawan, Ashiq Hussain. Far from being an example of police brutality as portrayed by the Hurriyat, this incident as well has shades of a family wrangle. Below is a statement by the Srinagar police:

‘The accused was known to the family of the deceased and is related to the family. An expert team has been constituted to conduct the post mortem in a fair and transparent manner. The investigation is on.’ (Kashmir Live. Valley on boil, jawan held for girl’s death. July 10)

These three incidents, apart from indicating a state of moral bankruptcy, define everything that is wrong with the Kashmir movement. Devoid of just cause, the Hurriyat has no qualms of blatantly distorting facts to make its case; a case that becomes even weaker when viewed from a historical or demographic perspective and when evaluated in terms of the monetary subsidy that Kashmir receives from the central government.

India is a vast mosaic with cultural and ethnic variations; all areas despite their distinctive characteristics have been successfully moulded together to create an impressive pluralistic state that celebrates diversity but yet maintains a powerful adhesive that irrevocably and voluntarily binds every state together. A shade of cultural variation alone cannot be the basis for a call to secede; a concept if applied universally would engender a thousand mutinies and splinter India into a thousand fragments, dispossessing millions of their rights and displacing multitudes from their homes.

Traditionally Kashmir has never been an island distinct from the rest of the country. Its very origin is steeped in the composite mythology of the land as expounded in the Nilmat Puran. For aeons Kashmir has been inextricably intertwined spiritually with the rest of India, or Bharatvarsha as it was known, marking the northern outpost of its reaches as exemplified in the eight century by the extent of Shankaracharya’s religious expanse. Today, Shankaracharya Hill, a majestic mound overlooking the capital Srinagar, marks the site of Shankaracharya’s stay in Kashmir and is a standing testimony to Kashmir’s inseparable bond with India.

Tradition and mythology apart, Kashmir with its innumerable holy shrines holds special significance to Hindus of present day India. For instance, my 78-year-old aunt who lives in a small town near the Karnataka-Maharastra border travelled thousands of miles to pay homage at Amarnath. Notwithstanding Article 370, what this exemplifies is the legitimate moral right to Kashmir of every Indian regardless of which part he or she resides in.

Setting aside ideology and tradition that can be brushed off as subjective banter, let us focus on tangible economics of current times to counter the polemics of our egalitarian naysayers. Is Kashmir the impoverished, neglected stepchild of an authoritarian state? Is India guilty of not providing adequate funds for its development? The answer is in the negative.

I quote from an article by Vir Singhvi, (CounterPoint. Hindustan Times, August 16, 2008):

‘Then, there is the money. Bihar gets per capita central assistance of Rs 876 per year. Kashmir gets over ten times more: Rs 9,754 per year. While in Bihar and other states, this assistance is mainly in the forms of loans to the state, in Kashmir 90 per cent is an outright grant. Kashmir’s entire Five Year Plan expenditure is met by the Indian taxpayer. In addition, New Delhi  keeps throwing more and more money at the state: in 2004, the prime minister gave Kashmir another $5 billion for development. Kashmiris are happy to take the money and the special rights but they argue that India has been unfair to them…’

So Kashmir, despite getting more than its share of economic booty even at the cost of other more needy and deserving states like Bihar, unfairly feigns ill-treatment.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir  does have a religious configuration that is at variance with the rest of the country. It is the only Muslim majority state in the Union, with Muslims making up 64 percent of the combined population of J&K. The Hindu population stands at 33 percent with the remaining 3 percent accounted for by Sikhs and Buddhists.

Across J&K, the Muslim majority is significant but not overwhelming enough to warrant a separate identity. It is in the Valley which constitutes a mere 16 percent of the state’s land mass that one finds a marked demographic homogeneity: Muslims form 99.9 percent of the population. And, not surprisingly, from this Islamic dominance stems the call for autonomy from predominantly Hindu India.

At the outset this may seem like a valid assertion but one that nullifies itself when scrutinised closely. The perceived homogeneity is the outcome of centuries of coercive religious policies instituted by fanatical despots and the forced expulsion of Kashmiri Pandits in recent times. However, for the sake of debate, let us concentrate primarily on recent demographic manipulation.

The Global IDP project of the Norwegian Refugee Council is an international non-governmental body working for the welfare of internally displaced people. Their records indicate that close to 350,000 Kashmiri Pandits have been displaced from the Valley, constituting more than 90 percent of the Hindu population of Kashmir. Data from the National Human Rights Commission indicates that Kashmiri Pandits constituted 15 percent of the population in 1941. In 1991 this number stood at 0.1 percent: these figures are self-explanatory.

Can a consensus derived by the forcible eradication of dissent be a valid basis to call for self-determination? And were a referendum to be held today, would the results be valid or abrogated as one tainted with a rigging of sorts? This forced eradication of Hindus from the scene has sullied the milieu and disrupted the gradient of the playing field. Self-determination in this setting fulfils neither democratic values nor ethical principles. A democratic proviso cannot be invoked by a people after indulging in an exercise that is the very antithesis of such a concept.

Granting Kashmiris the right to secede is fraught with serious repercussions for the rest of the country. A nation must exhibit and sustain a uniform ethical code to maintain its credibility and function effectively.

Shorn of the pretentious façade of self-determination, the Kashmir movement boils down to what it basically is: a charade, replete with deliberate misinformation, subtle coercion and outright religious discrimination, all with an intention of extracting an unfair advantage and fulfilling its ultimate goal of fundamentalist Islamic state. That has always been the goal despite sanctimonious protestations to the contrary.

Moreover, the endpoint of this Machiavellian gameplan in Kashmir is an azadi whose definition is vague. A choice between accession to a failed, anarchic State with less liberty and security than what they possess, or a landlocked unsustainable sovereign status: a Hobson’s choice. A people are being misled and a country held to ransom to fulfill the evil designs of a fundamentalist, fanatical clique that has little regard for rules or norms. The earlier the Indian nation realises this, the better.

What the people of Kashmir need is not freedom from India but an enlightenment that clears their cloudy perception and releases them from the clutches of terrorism, religious fundamentalism and unscrupulous politicians, and making them law-abiding citizens of a democratic, secular and economically resurgent nation: a win-win situation. But till this happens we need to confront the demons in our midst with a firm hand and a focussed mind. There can be no room for laxity or vacillation in dealing with separatists, if the nation has to salvage any remaining credibility. It is time to call their bluff.

On a practical level, in India today, it is hard to segregate one community from another or one region from another because centuries of intermixing have created a complex interplay of dependencies and obligations that make such a move impractical for governance, culturally crass and morally declasse.

Story Courtsey : Rahul Pandita

There it is. Huddled among other dolls and a few shreds of cloth. It is wearing a blue dress. I don’t remember what mine wore, for it has been sixteen years since I saw it. It might not be there anymore, but I would like to believe that it is there, invisible to the new occupants of my house. It is a dancing girl made of earth, decorating a corner of my friend’s drawing room. Touch it a little and it will start dancing, moving her neck gracefully. My dancing girl, mother bought it, when I was a child, from a potter selling his stuff on a pavement in Lal Chowk.

And sixteen years later, as I speak to you, there is no significant noise outside my room. No guttural voice and no sound of my mother’s U-shaped walker making its presence felt through the small corridor of my house. Mother fell down from her bed again this morning.

23 years ago, in Srinagar, a team of health officials was to arrive at our school. Their aim was to administer cholera vaccines to children. But for that we were supposed to take the written permission of our parents. Back home I told my father and as expected he wrote ‘No’ on my home task diary. I found it very insulting. Tomorrow all my classmates would take the vaccine and sing laurels of their bravery. And me, I would be hidden in some corner, red-faced with shame. It was not acceptable to me. So I erased father’s nay and wrote ‘Yes’ on the diary. Next morning as the needle of the syringe pierced my left arm, I did not even flinch once. I became an instant hero. But as it is with most acts of heroism, I had to pay a price for mine as well. By late afternoon, a lump had formed in my arm. By the time I reached home I was feverish and drenched in sweat. As I pulled off my shoes, mother saw me and in one instant she knew what had happened.

It was August and even by Kashmir valley’s standards, it was hot. I flung myself on the bed. Mother came and sat next to me. She gave me a glass of milk and kept her fair arm on my forehead. It felt very soothing and cold; like a spring. I went off to sleep. Next morning as I opened my eyes, the fever was gone.

Mother handled the affairs of the house like a seasoned ascetic would control his senses. She knew what was kept where. Rice, coal powder, woollen socks and gloves, soap – she kept a tab on everything. Her daily routine was more or less defined. She would wake up in the wee hours of the morning, wash clothes in the bathroom, sweep and mop the floor of every room and corridor, put burning coal dust in Kangris in winters and ultimately take stock of the kitchen. She did not believe much in spending time in worship. She was not an atheist but her belief was restricted to occasionally folding hands in front of the Shivalinga. Her God was her home and hearth.

But mother was in awe of nature. She feared its fury. Sometimes, when a storm blew, she would close all doors and windows and sit in one corner. When she no longer could face it, she would ask my father, “Will this storm stop?” Father would usually try to pacify her, but ultimately he also lost his patience. “What do you think? Would this storm last till the doom’s day?” he would snap at her. But the same meek heart turned into brave heart when any family member struggled with adversity.

It was in the mid of 1988 that my father had a mild heart attack. Actually father had a pain in the stomach and an injection prescribed by a gastroenterologist reacted, which led to the attack. Everyone in the family was too shocked to react. But not my mother. She single-handedly took my father to the hospital in an auto rickshaw. At the hospital, mother recalls, a doctor appeared like an angel. He had a black mark on his forehead, a result of praying five times a day. The moment the doctor started examining him, my father vomited. Mother says it was so intense that it went right into the doctor’s shoes. But not once did he raise his brow. He kept on treating my father.

By the end of 1989, men like that doctor somehow became rare in Kashmir. One day mother came back from office and she was crying. In the bus someone had tried to help an old Hindu lady in getting down from the bus. Another woman, who was a Muslim, criticised that man saying that the woman he helped was a Hindu and she should have been kicked out of the bus. Mother didn’t know whether what she heard was true or whether it was a nightmare. But what she had heard and seen with her naked eyes was what seemed like holding a mirror in front of Kashmir in a few months time. The time had come, once again, to leave our homeland. The migration began. Salvaging whatever little we could, essentially a few utensils and educational degrees of my college-going sister, we reached Jammu.

After spending a couple of nights in a hotel, father hired a room in a marriage house. It was situated in the old city, amidst a bristling market of saris and dupattas. Every now and then marriage ceremonies were solemnised in the marriage house. When the crude ovens, laced with mud and gas cylinders arrived at the house, we would understand that a marriage was taking place that evening.
In the ten by ten feet room, ants held a sway. No matter what you put outside, it would be swarmed by ants in a matter of minutes. They appeared in hordes, hundreds of them, attacking every edible item. It was similar to how people would come out on streets in Srinagar, few months before we were forced into exile. Mother obviously could not put up a fight with them, but she always managed to save a bowl of curd from the marauding ants, by keeping it in a basin of water. I always felt that whenever mother took out that bowl of curd, a secret smile would pass her lips. It was like a symbolic victory for her or so I thought.

And one night, that smile was also snatched from my mother’s lips.

I remember that evening. Somebody was getting married in the marriage house. The entire compound was filled with men, women and children, dressed in shimmering clothes. The stereo with huge speakers played popular Bollywood numbers as some of the guests danced on the tunes. And a few metres away, we had closed ourselves in the room.

When the bride was taken away and the noise had eased, there was a knock on our door. Mother opened the door and found a young man standing there. He was holding a plate in his hand. He said that he had been told that there were refugees living here and so he came to offer us some food. Before mother could say something, he handed over the plate and turned back. Mother lifted the cover and I caught a glimpse of the food inside. There was rice, dal and some vegetables. Mother kept on staring at it for some time and then she cried.

After this incident, Mother developed a strange habit. She would tell all, whether they cared to listen or not, “ Our house in Kashmir had 22 rooms”.

For the next few years, we would keep on shuttling from one place to place, becoming victim of the whims and fancies of landlords. We stayed at various places. After the marriage house, we stayed in a window-less room in a dilapidated lodge, where the number of mosquitoes was probably more than the cells constituting our bodies. Then we rented a single room where we ate, studied, slept, cooked and ate our food as well. Then there was another house. The bathroom there had no door and we had to keep on coughing for obvious reasons. Amidst these episodes of Greek tragedy, mother kept her struggle on. Everyday was a battle. From filling water from a leaking tap to bathing under the tap of an adjacent vacant plot, life threw numerous challenges at us.

It was years later that I completed my education somehow and came to Delhi. Few years ago, we bought a 2-bedroom flat in Delhi. But the struggle of Jammu has left a mark on mother. She cannot walk now. Her left leg is paralysed. Sometimes she falls down as she tries to drag her leg. As it happened this morning. She cannot even speak now. Degenerative neurosis, whatever that means. With each passing day, her condition is worsening.

I walk on the road. There is a sea of vehicles moving; endless. Sometimes I feel that there are more vehicles than humans in Delhi. And when I cannot bear the noise any longer, I feel like shouting, “Our house in Kashmir had 22 rooms.”

[ This story is a personal experiance of young and famous Kashmiri pandit journalist Rahul Pandita ]

August 16th, a day after india celebrated yet another Independance day,while as Kashmiri Pandits continued to live as refugees in this great country, Vir Sanghvi in his editorial, Think The Unthinkable’, for Hindustan times wrote the following in his controversial article

………The exception to this trend has been Kashmir. Contrary to what many Kashmiris claim, we have tried everything. Even today, the state enjoys a special status. Under Article 370 of our Constitution, with the exception of defence, foreign policy, and communication, no law enacted by parliament has any legitimacy in Kashmir unless the state government gives its consent. The state is the only one in India to have its own Constitution and the President of India cannot issue directions to the state government in exercise of the executive power of the Union as he can in every other state. Kashmiri are Indian citizens but Indians are not necessarily Kashmiri citizens.  We cannot vote for elections to their assembly or own any property in Kashmir. ……..

In the above para Vir Sanghvi writes what every other Indian thinks,but is hesitant to demand a change to overcome this. Vir Sanghvi as a ’sickular’ writer is also from the same bloc, which is no surprise. He continues with statements and writes further..

Then, there is the money. Bihar gets per capita central assistance of Rs 876 per year. Kashmir gets over ten times more: Rs 9,754 per year. While in Bihar and other states, this assistance is mainly in the forms of loans to the state, in Kashmir 90 per cent is an outright grant. Kashmir’s entire Five Year Plan expenditure is met by the Indian taxpayer. In addition, New Delhi keeps throwing more and more money at the state: in 2004, the Prime Minister gave Kashmir another $ 5 billion for development. ……

Given that Kashmir has the best deal of any Indian state, is there anything more we can do? Kashmiris talk about more autonomy.  But I don’t see a) what more we can give them and b) how much difference it will make. …..

The write up of Vir Sanghvi was almost a surrender to the people who have a nonsense value. People who use violence to make a state surrender to their idiotic demands which are backed by Islamic fanatics . Vir Sanghvi seemed to be saying, lets give up Kashmir and buy peace.

It discouraged me and many like me who eagerly wait every Sunday to read Virs editorial. I hated Vir & Hindustan times, i hated it for indirectly supporting those people who made me homeless.

And then i read todays Hindustan times ,six months later,and reluctantly opened the editorial . It reads “Stand up to the Mullahs“……It was a strange heading coming from a ’sickular’ editor who are not supposed to write against Islamic might and mullahism , else they risk being called ‘hindu communalist’.

As i read the artcile i wondered where the hell is Vir going to run ? Is he going to be another Salman Rushdie or Tasleema Nasreen ? How has he dared to take on mullahs ? How has he rebuked even the moderate muslims ?

Just read the following excerpts from the article by Vir Sanghvi

The rioters said they were offended by a passage in the article where Hari referred to the Prophet’s marriage to a much younger woman and his directive to burn Jewish villages. (In all fairness, he was as critical of other religions and of the Israeli assault on the West Bank.)

The rioters say that nobody can criticise any aspect of the Prophet’s life.

Why?

There’s no shortage of books and articles criticising Jesus, suggesting that he might have been secretly married (as in The DaVinci Code), arguing that the resurrection was a hoax or that Mary was never a virgin.

Vir Sanghvi questions the might of fanatics and gets even bolder and writes

 And yet, it is an article of faith with Muslims — even moderate ones — that the Prophet’s life is beyond reproach.

Does this make any sense?

Vir continues with much more reasonable arguments and makes a quick comparison of how tolerant Islami fanatics and moderates are , he writes

It is now clear that the liberal society has been suckered into relaxing its standards for free speech by militant Islamists.

Let’s take the most obvious example. Every liberal I know is outraged by the attacks on MF Husain. Why shouldn’t he paint nude Saraswatis? That’s his right. If people are offended by the paintings, they shouldn’t see them.

So far, so good. But now imagine that Husain had painted an extremely reverential portrait of the Prophet. (Never mind cartoons, nude pictures etc.)

There would have been riots. And even secular liberals would not have supported him.

We would have said: Islam prohibits any visual representation of the Prophet so Husain has committed a great crime.

But so what if Muslims cannot visually represent their Prophet? Why should non-Muslims be bound by their religious edicts? Why should non-believing Muslims be forced by liberal society to obey the restrictions of their religion?

Believers should follow what the Holy Book and the mullahs say. But why should the rest of us? Why should we abandon our right to free expression?

Nobody I know has ever explained why the double standards are justified.

In his concluding argument Vir Sanghvi accepts that we surrender to islamic fanatics …just read what he writes…

The real reason we give in to Islamic fanatics is the desire for a peaceful life or, to put it another way, cowardice.

Every one of their objections is always framed in terms of violence. Ban The Satanic Verses or we will kill Salman Rushdie. Apologise for the Danish cartoons or we will offer a reward for the head of the cartoonist. Arrest the editor of the Statesman or we will shut Calcutta down by rioting in the streets.

Faced with these threats, we abandon our principles and say things like, “Come on, is a single article worth the death of so many people?” or “Let’s just ban the book, otherwise these guys will keep rioting.”

The fanatics know this. They have identified the cowardice at the heart of our liberalism. So every demand is a) pitched in terms of protecting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community or b) facing murder, mayhem and more.

Almost every single time, we cave in.

Either we say that Islam is a peaceful religion

Or we get death threats.

…. Isn’t it time to finally stand up to these thugs and blackmailers?

It is good that Vir Sanghvi has finally spoken what is truth, spoken about being blacmailed by Islamic hardliners.

It wont be late when taliban , which are already knocking our doors, would be trying to rule us. Making our life miserable.

Today is it only the Kashmiri Hindus which have suffered and non speaks about them . Tommorow rest of Indians are likely to suffer from the same fate and that would perhaps make some ’sickulars’ speak….

Perhaps it would be late then……..Its time Pronoy Roy, Barkha , Karan Thapar, Rajdeep , Sagarika and the rest wake up.

Wake up , speak the truth to save our India.

Dear Omar (Abdullah please and not Omar Farooq),
 
As one of your contemporaries, I will take the liberty of addressing you by your first name and not as the honourable CM or any of the official titles. I write to you as a fellow Kashmiri whose ancestors shared the same land, air and water as yours.  But somewhere I seem to have lost the right over the place while you have achieved the highest office in land. As an Indian and a Kashmiri I was thrilled to see someone like you take the oath of office of the CM, rather than a rabble rousing ranter. The gods of Kashmir seem to be finally listening.
 
Though you might know and be aware of the existence of the community of Kashmiri Pandits, I don’t know how many of the current generation of the Valley are aware that such people did live alongwith their ancestors not so many years back. For their information I will add a few details about the community. Kashmiri Pandits are Hindus (all of them Saraswat Brahmins) whose generations were the early habitants of the Valley. Sparing the detailed historical tomes over here, the Kashmiri Pandits or KPs as they are called for short, suffered a series of religious persecutions over centuries. Yet to the surprise of everyone they managed to survive and achieve a high-level of erudition, both at the scholastic and spiritual levels. However as history teaches us, smartness doesn’t always lead to success. Continuous years of persecution created a shift in demographics against us pushing us to lose our religion and culture. However being a very stubborn and at times a very arrogant race, the Kashmiri Pandits decided to fight back on ways to preserve their way of life.

One of the many stories that Kashmiri Pandits tell their children is about an era when due to the religious persecution only 11 KP families were left in the Valley. It is left to that and no details are given. It is left to the imagination of their children to think of the dogged determination of their ancestors to struggle in the face of severe winters and a primitive lifestyle to safeguard and retain their culture and way of life for their descendents. Setting apart its religious angle, it is a story which strengthens the resolve amongst many of us– the descendents of those 11 families– to conserve and retain that culture. Over the years brothers of the different branches of families decided to leave the Valley and become part of the rest of the country. Here also they flourished. Of course one can never forget the legacy of the Nehrus, the Saprus, the Haksars to name a few.
 
When India became a sovereign nation, while the rest of the country burnt in communal frenzy, the Kashmiris fought back the tribal invaders and retained their independence. I don’t think I even need to delve on the way your grandfather Sher-i- Kashmir, Shaikh Abdullah managed to retain Kashmir for us and ensured that none of the KPs were harmed.
 
Post independence we worked and managed to build our lives in the state. Many of the landed gentry lost their land in the decree of “land to the tiller” without being given any compensation. But we never resisted or opposed those socialist decrees. We hung our heads down, prayed to Mother Sharika and walked to Ganpatyar for our morning prayers.

For us we did not care about the religion of our neighbor. We shared a common bloodline with our co-religionists in the Valley and we lived by it. So while rumours started in the 90s and people talked in hushed tones about our leaving the Valley, we did not think that was essential. We thought it was a bunch of lies. But then the killings started and the loudspeakers became blaringly louder to the cries of “kashir nimav bhatav bhagar bhatneyov saan” (we will take Kashmir, without the KP men but with the KP women). This time we knew it was over. The 11 families had managed to survive the sword, but we could not have managed in front of the Kalashnikovs. So we packed and moved. The heat and dust of the plains consumed many of us. But it did not matter. Nobody bothered about us. We were not even a minuscule part of the electoral ballot. As was with our ancestors we sought refuge in our pedagogy. We spread across this vast country. So many of us moved across the seven seas, to the US, UK and the rest and started again the process of reconstruction alongwith a tenacious determination to preserve the centuries old traditions.
 
As things start settling in the Valley, we understand if we are not wanted back. After all we can be a demographic danger to the rest of our brethren in the Valley. It is but obvious human nature to feel insecure. But I want to ask this to you and to everyone out there. What kind of history of Kashmir will be taught at the schools? When books are written about the history of Kashmir, will there be no mention of the Kashmiri Pandits? I am a citizen of India. The constitution of this country makes me feel very secure about my fundamental rights. But that security does not extend to the land of my forefathers. As a KP not born in the Valley I have no legal claim over the place. For that I have to first become a state subject and go through corrupt and red tape state babudom to get such a status. More so, as a KP married outside the community, I have completely negated my right over the land of my ancestors. My marriage is registered under the Hindu Act which was furiously debated and given a modernized outlook by the fathers of the constitution but sadly enough this did not extend to my legal claims over Kashmir.

Israel is lambasted for taking away the land of the Palestinians. What will the current denizens of the Valley answer for? As the head of the state, you need to start asking your people some of these questions.  Because if you do not history will question them tomorrow. However, if you think these questions are irrelevant, and we need to again bow our heads and keep silent, please let us know.  At least the souls of the ancestors of those 11 families will know their final status in a land which they fought so hard to be a part of.

Contributed By :- Preeti Bakaya

While as past has no reasons for Kashmiri Pandist to keep hoping for good , neverthless the ‘endangered race’ of Kashmiri pandits still keep on hoping that justice would be delivered.

Omars party did not field any Kashmiri pandit for the elections , however one of the first promise Omar made was that a Kashmiri pandit would be made a minister in his cabinet.
Till date with around a month of having sworn in, the promise seems to have taken a back seat.
No policy has been announced for how Kashmiri Pandits would be delivered Justice….Killers like Yasin malik and Bitta Karate are still free…
Is it business as usual ?

It is a matter of pride for all Kashmiri pandits, that perhaps the oldest Kashmiri Pandit organization, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference has a website of its own.

In 1931 under the able and bold leadership of Late Pt. Hargopal Koul, Known as Sher-e-Kashmir, “ROTI MOVEMENT” Was Launched and All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference Was formed Officially.

The Website has the following address http://askpcsheetalnath.org/index.html

• Declare Kashmiri Hindu community as Internally Displaced People (IDP). The Human Rights Working Group on Minorities in Geneva has since recognized Kashmiri Hindus, formally, as a Reverse Minority. The use of the insulting term ‘Migrants’ for this forcibly exiled community may be removed from all records and communications relating to us hence forth.
• Direct the Government of India to set up a ‘Commission of Enquiry’ to establish the causes that led to the selective and targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus and their subsequent forced exile, and appropriate the responsibility and punish the guilty.
•  Direct the Government of India to ensure adequate protection to the residual Kashmiri Hindu population currently living in the Kashmir valley.
• Direct the Government of India to restore Kashmiri Hindus’ political and economic rights that would give them equal status rather than a second class citizenship in their native land of Kashmir. Share of Kashmiri Hindu jobs in government bureaucracy, placement in state supported professional educational institutes and the representation in the state assembly has steadily diminished to virtually nothing in the last two decades.
•  Grant funds to Kashmiri Hindus for the preservation and documentation of relics of Kashmiri Hindu heritage and culture.
• Direct the Government of India to hand over the management of Kashmiri Hindu religious shrines, icons and cultural centers to Kashmiri Hindu leadership.

It is further requested that the United Nations Human Rights Commission may put on record these Human Rights Violations by Pakistan and its agents, and Pakistan be declared a terrorist state.

The complete memorandum can be downloaded by clicking here iakf-un-memo-sept262008

For more info , log into www.iakf.org

REPORT ON THE STUDY TOUR OF BEERSMANS PAUL, PRESIDENT OF THE BELGIAN ASSOCIATION FOR SOLIDARITY WITH J&K TO INDIA AND THE INDIAN J&K STATE FROM 02 TO 30 AUGUST 2008

Syed Ali Shah Geelani started agitation against the land transfer to the Amarnath Shrine Board because he feared Hindus would settle permanently and thus change the demographic composition of the population.  This fear is completely without ground as it is impossible to settle permanently in that area: more than six months of the year this area is covered with snow, there are blizzards and it is so cold that nobody can survive there.  On the other hand, it is surprising that the same concern regarding the demographic composition of the population was not there in 1990.  In that year, the Kashmiri Pandits were hounded out of the Valley by militancy in 1990.  The Kashmiri Pandits are the original Kashmiri speaking inhabitants of the Valley.  Some 500.000 of them fled from the Valley to safer places.  This exodus changed drastically the demographic composition of the population in the Valley.  At that time, nobody cared about this: no agitation, no demonstrations, no harthals, no bandhs, no strikes, nothing.  After more than eighteen years, the return of the Kashmiri Pandits is more and more blurred.  Nevertheless, they have their emotional attachment with their birth ground, their roots.  They only can return when peace is there and when the rule of law, not the rule of majority is re-installed.

Pakistan has no stand in J&K.  Pakistan invaded J&K and is at the origin of the de facto partitioning of the State.  As early as 13 August 1948 the UN Commission for India and Pakistan requested Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the State as a pre-condition for organising the plebiscite.  The same Commission in its resolution of 5 January 1949 repeated this request.  Until this date, Pakistan has not withdrawn its armed forces and consequently the plebiscite has not been held. 

This conclusion is confirmed by the ‘Report on Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’ of Rapporteur Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Union, and almost unanimously adopted by the Committee on Foreign Affairs (March 2007) and by the European Parliament. 

A Homeland for the seven hundred thousand displaced Kashmiris in the valley will be the only logical, natural and permanent solution for the displaced Kashmiris. Homeland is where home is and home is where land is and our land is in the valley of Kashmir. Our demand for a Homeland within the valley, from where we have been driven out by armed Islamic terrorists, is an assertion of our rights as much as of our patriotism for India. In order to save Kashmir from the clutches of Pakistan which has been instigating, encouraging and perpetuating terrorism in Kashmir, the Indian nation has to shed all inhibitions and unequivocally declare its resolve of resettling tbe displaced Kashmiri Hindus in the Homeland which will serve as a bastion of secularism and democracy in an otherwise Islamic State.

Panun Kashmir is an expression of the innermost hopes and urges of the Kashmiris displaced from Kashmir valley, that were suppressed for centuries and lost in the nethermost corner of their subconscious. It is a natural and instinctive desire of the community to seek its roots, to preserve its identity and to assert its political, legal and historical nghts. It provides a nascent political rostrum to translate the idea and vision of an honourable and peaceful existence emanating from a sense of pride and a feeling of self- esteem which has been snatched from this community. 

Essentially the Homeland will contribute to the aims a ideals of democracy, secularism, free exchange of thought, trade and culture, right to work and right to live, justice and equality for all, including women. It will not be a theocracy. It will identify with the letter and spirit of the Constitution of India and exist in amity and brotherhood with all the regions and provinces of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and with the rest of India.

We have asked for the area North and East of the River Jehlum. The valley has to be divided in acceptance of our claim. River Jehlum provides a natural geographial divide and, therefore, shall represent a line of demarcation between the Homeland and the rest of the valley. The southern region of the State to the North and East of the Jehlum with the National Highway passing through it also happens to be the region with most of our holy shrines including the holiest of the holy, Sri Amarnath. Logistically and demographically, this area is most suitable for conversion into the Homeland with a Union Territory status. 

Picture courtesy : Mr R.Raina ;Mr Aditya Raj Kaul

Contents : www.panunkashmir.org

An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly that made the world community smile.

A representative from India began: ‘Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named.

When he struck a rock and it brought forth water, he thought, ‘What a good opportunity to have a bath.’

He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water.

When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.’

The Pakistani representative jumped up furiously and shouted, ‘What are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren’t there then.’

The Indian representative smiled and said, ‘And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech’  :)

PANUN KASHMIR is an effort to Save Kashmiri Pandits…. to Save Kashmir…. to Save India.

 

For more details log on to www.panunkashmir.org

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to turn a Nelson’s Eye to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, 3.5 lakh of whom have been displaced from homes due to terrorism.

In a statement here, she said, ”the displaced pandits lived in abominable conditions in make-shift camps in Jammu and Delhi despite being the original inhabitants of an idyllic paradise with a 5,000-year-old well-documented history.” She added that known for their highest literacy rate among all groups in the country the pandits’ liberal, broad-minded and secular views made them good teachers, but their small numbers and polite and passive temperament made them easy to be ignored and overlooked. 

In the 90s’ militant groups destroyed or took away their property and thousands brutally killed and they became refugees in their own motherland.

As many as 1,800 Kashmiri Sikhs also became the targets of Islamic militancy as well, she claimed and said they deserved to be viewed with the same sympathy as the Christian victims of Orissa violence.

While appreciating the Prime Minister for announcing a package of assistance for victims of Kandhamal violence in Orissa, she requested him to declare the Kashmiri Pandits as victims of religious extremism and provide them with rehabilitation package similar to that offered to the Orissa victims.

Source :News Kerela : Sept4.,2008

Much has been discussed and propagated by Pseudo Secularists and “Jhola Chaaps” about an article by right wing writer A.G.Noorani .

AG Noorani

Here I would like to share the points with the readers of how biased A.G.Noorani is when it comes to sharing the right facts.

The accord ignores completely Kashmir where the land is to be given. Jammu alone was represented. – A.G.Noorani

What Noorani has forgotten that Jammu & Kashmir is a one complete state and anyone in Jammu & Ladakh has an equal right over every single inch of land in the whole state. Also Noorani has completely ignored that Kashmiri Hindus who have been in the forefront of the agitation led by Sangarsh Samiti also represent Kashmir in particular. The authors seems to have probably bowed to the wishes of Kashmiri terrorists by erasing the thought of Kashmiri Hindus from even the memory.

Even the controversial order nowhere used the word “exclusive”

What Noorani does not either know or does not want to be known is that there is a order of High Court dated 15.04.2005 [ OWP No 732/2004 Rampal Bathonia Vs State ] in which the Hon Court Ordered ” Since the Board intends to upgrade the infrastructure across the tracks and at different places, the state shall,immediately permit the use of Forest Land by the board,if not already allowed,to enable it to carry out the development activities for the benefit of the Yatris. I am informed that the Forest Department has already granted permisssion to the board for the purpose.”

The state Govt went in to appeal to the Division Bench of High Court. The division bench vide its interim directions on 17.5.2005 ordered as follows ” The land to be allotted by the board would be only for the purpose of the user and would remain limited for the duration of Yatra.

I wonder if Noorani has ever read the court orders, which I am sure he may not have , as it did not suit his own support to the fundamentalists in Kashmir and elsewhere.I wonder if Noorani understand the meaning of these judgements and the least he could is to understand the meaning of “only” in the above order.

The Baltal route is a recent demand. It was regarded by the Army and Nitish Sengupta Report as dangerous.- A.G.Noorani

Again,Noorani misses the finer points. Noorani does not care to share with his readers that out of 20 odd recommendations by Nitish Sen Gupta committee on Amaranth.,the prominent was activation of shorter Baltal route to reduce the hardships via Chandanwari & SheshNaag route.

This violates the citizen’s fundamental right under Art. 19 (1) D to move freely throughout India.–A.G.Noorani

Alas Noorani uses the fundamental rights to his own requirements. Wonder why Noorani does not support abrogation of Article 370 of Indian constitution. Of all the fundamental rights listed in our constitution the first one is “Right To Equality”…..”The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.” Does Noorani not feel that 100 crore citizens of India are denied these rights as they do not equal the pampered state subject of Jammu & Kashmir. Why deny the right to buy land in Jammu & Kashmir to 100 crore Indians? Why is Noorani silent on this fundamental right ?

 namely “undertaking measures relating to … preservation of ecology” etc. Breach entails no fine… A.G.Noorani

Even though the Amarnath Shrine Board has insisted that they would be taking measures to reduce any harm to ecology the concerns were largely raised when someone said that the “Thajiwaas” glacier is endangered. Again what Noorani does either not know or does not want to share with his reader is that in a report  submitted by Chief Wild Life Warden , WLP/Tech/1971/07 dated 11.06.2007, after on spot inspection, the following information was shared “It was noticed that the proposed site for construction of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board Complex,falling in the compartment 63(s)/ Sindh/Kullan is located on the right side of Sindh rivulet.The proposed complex does not seems to have any significant impact on the ecology of “Thajwaas” Wild Life sanctuary. ……It is also given to underastand that the board is using pre-fabricated structures as such likely pollution due to discharge of muck and garbage should not be significant.

The order of 26 May was rescinded on 1 July. The accord will require a fresh order to implement it. By itself the accord has no legal force. Section 2(a) of the J&K Forest (Conservation) Act 1997 says “the Government shall not, except on a resolution of the Council of Ministers based on the advice of the Advisory Committee” constituted under the Act “make any order directing that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any non-forest purpose…..A.G.Noorani

The recommendations of the Forest department has already been heard by council of Ministers and a decision taken. The whole idea was to understand the feasibility of land for the board. Since the land was approved by Forest Committe and under order No 108-FST dated 17.03.2008 , it clarifies that the camping site and Thajiwaas wild life sanctuary are divided by Sindh river.The Forest committee recommended that SASB should take Safeguards for pollution control.It also agreed that land be used for pre-fabricated structures for camping of pilgrims . It was basis of the report of the committee constituted vide Govt. Order no 108/FST dated 17.03.2008 the Forest Minister cleared the file for diversion of file to the Shrine Board.The cabinet followed vide its decision No 94/7.

One can understand the total partisan article coming from A.G.Noorani who always find anything related to Hindu rights as communal.

He talks of Amarnath accord as “Gunah” , and that makes me believe that when it comes to even justice….a Muslim lawyer is a Muslim first and the “real” justice” comes as a second priority. And for me that is a real “Gunah”

Alam asks the Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief to “take action” against Butt, who he identifies as “tambakoowala.” or “the tobacconist,” in a sardonic reference to his heavy smoking. In the evident belief that Alam is advocating Butt’s assassination, Shah replies that such an action would discredit the Hizb ul-Mujahideen. Alam then clarified that he wanted the Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief to ask Butt’s backers in Pakistan to exert pressure on him…..

…………………Later in the conversation, Alam claims that three members of the pro-dialogue faction —Mirwaiz Farooq, Sajjad Lone and Malik — met with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan during his August 19 visit to Srinagar. He also asserts that Lone flew to New Delhi with the NSA……………………..

Source :http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090556951200.htm

SRINAGAR: Strains among secessionist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have reached the breaking point in the wake of a wiretap operation which shows that hardline Islamists have been lobbying terrorists for help to intimidate their more moderate counterparts.

Tehreek-i-Hurriyat leader Masrat Alam Bhat, the August 21 police wiretap shows, complained to the Hizb ul-Mujahideen’s Pakistan-based chief that efforts to accelerate the pace of anti-India mass mobilisation were being sabotaged by a group of spoilers seeking dialogue with the Union government.

Jammu and Kashmir police sources said that a tape of the conversation had been circulated to all top All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders, including its chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

In the tape of the intercepted August 21 conversation, Alam — who was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police after a fortnight-long hunt on Thursday — criticises the pro-dialogue group led Mirwaiz Farooq, who he derogatorily refers to as the “bachccha maulvi,” or “baby cleric.”

He also names Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik, identified sarcastically as “Gandhi,” as another key pro-dialogue spoiler.

Some of Alam’s harshest invective is reserved for the APHC’s leading pro-dialogue dove, Abdul Gani Butt. Alam asks the Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief to “take action” against Butt, who he identifies as “tambakoowala.” or “the tobacconist,” in a sardonic reference to his heavy smoking. In the evident belief that Alam is advocating Butt’s assassination, Shah replies that such an action would discredit the Hizb ul-Mujahideen. Alam then clarified that he wanted the Hizb ul-Mujahideen chief to ask Butt’s backers in Pakistan to exert pressure on him.

Alam praises two APHC members — People’s League leader Shabbir Shah and Jammu Kashmir National Front chief Nayeem Ahmad Khan — for supporting Geelani and the Tehreek.

Later in the conversation, Alam claims that three members of the pro-dialogue faction —Mirwaiz Farooq, Sajjad Lone and Malik — met with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan during his August 19 visit to Srinagar. He also asserts that Lone flew to New Delhi with the NSA.

Neither allegation, highly placed government sources said, was true — but illustrates in stark relief the levels of mistrust between the two secessionist groups. Although the APHC has refused to comment on the contents of the tape, informed sources in the secessionist group said that the Alam-Shah conversation had inflamed its leadership. APHC sources said that at a meeting at Mirwaiz Farooq’s Nigeen home on Wednesday an incensed Butt threatened to issue a public letter accusing Pakistan of harbouring terrorists. Bilal Lone, for his part, demanded that Mirwaiz Farooq review the APHC’s alliance with the Tehreek.

Towards impasse?

While the Mirwaiz appears reluctant to make a public break with Geelani, efforts to shape a unified programme of anti-India agitation appear headed towards an impasse.

On Wednesday, a meeting of a coordination committee responsible for forging unity between the APHC and Tehreek had released a programme of agitation on behalf of both factions.

Secessionist leaders G.M. Hubbi, G.M. Bhat, Fazl-ul-Haq Qureshi, Shakeel Bakshi and Nahida Pervez called on Jammu and Kashmir residents to participate in a one-hour shutdown after congregational prayers on Friday, and follow this up with a strike on Saturday.

Geelani, speaking to journalists on Thursday, rejected the coordination committee’s programme, saying it does not have the hardline group’s consent. He announced that he would offer prayers at the Hazratbal shrine — a long-standing symbolic centre of National Conference authority — on Friday. Tehreek leaders, including Alam, had earlier chosen not to participate in the meeting, saying they feared arrest.

In July, Geelani had given a similar call for a march to Hazratbal.

Both he and Mirwaiz Farooq were detained before the July 4 march, but several second-rung leaders — including Alam, Shah and Khan — had participated in Friday prayers at Hazratbal.

Such public displays of unity have, however, done little to paper over the deep chasm between the two secessionist factions.

Geelani and Mirwaiz Farooq had signed a unity declaration on June 19, soon after protests began against the allocation of land-use rights to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. But bitter disputes broke out between the two groups after Geelani proclaimed himself the sole leader of the anti-India movement in Jammu and Kashmir at an August 18 rally in Srinagar.

 

An Indian Army Doctor Treating an Old Muslim Lady in Kashmir

 

Despite the propaganda unleashed in Kashmir by pro separatists, terrorists and Pakistan based support groups and the pseudo secular supporters in India, the humanitarian Indian Army continues its good work in the Kashmir valley. Not only have they established schools and orphanages, but give free medical consultation and treatment to muslim citizens of the Kashmir valley.

These are facts that the Islamic fanatics would never like the world to know.