An Open Letter To Yasin Malik – Madhu Kishwar

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.

Temples of Kashmir – Looted & Plundered

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 !!!

Hindu Temples in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

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 …

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Raghunath Temple in Evening – Mirpur Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Pictures Courtsey : Mohsin

Why Kashmir has no case for self-determination – Vivek Gumaste

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.’

Vir Sanghvi finally speaks up against ‘Islamic blackmailers’

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.

500000 Kashmiri Pandits Fled From Kashmir :Beersmans Paul [ President Belgian Association..]

 

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. 

‘Panun Kashmir’ Homeland – Better Sooner to save India !

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

 

The secular Kashmiri Muslims !

Here is the real face of Kashmiriat for all of you:

“I will advise Kashmiri Pandits not to take a foolish step to return to the Valley. And those leaders who have sympathy with the Pandits’ return, leave Kashmir and stay with them in Jammu,” – Ahsan Dar – Founder Hizbul Mujahideen [ Aug’03-2008 ]

And the pusedo seculars of India still call Kashmir as a role model secular state of India….I pity them.

The Truth Behind Holy Amarnath

Please Click on link below to download a file in .pdf format to know the truth behind Amarnath. It contains the fact sheets and would serve as an eye opener as how relegious rights of hindus are being curbed in muslim majority state of ‘secular’ India.

Pls forward and share the file with as many people.

AMARNATH.PDF

Speech, Blog, Iphone & Lies of Mr. Omar Abdullah

It took me quite a while to decide about the subject of this post. I did not want to be as blunt in the subject-line as I ended up doing. The reason being that not much long ago i still believed that Omar was a bit different from the rest of Kashmir leadership. Finally I decided the subject as I have chosen would still do the least of justice to this post.

Last one week, India has witnessed and discussed the recent speeches made in parliament of India,which also happens to be the black day of Indian democracy.

Omars speech was admired for the passion and Barkha Dutt even went ahead to write in a newspaper column that her”Oscar” goes to Omar for his speech. I still fail to understand of what makes people of Indian subcontinent  to admire a speech ? Is the leader supposed to hold a comedy show to make the parliament of India laugh or resort to rhetoric to get noticed finally ? For me the speech was  all sound and fury but woefully short of substance.

Omars speech had been full of lies and self contradictions.And i feel ashmed that the “educated” people of India falied to notice it.  Here it goes ………

AMERICA : FRIEND or FOE OF MUSLIMS ?

“The US is no friend of the Muslim world that is a point well ” – Omar Abdullah in his Blog on 4th July

That Comment made me think that was it right for a leader to make who has been the MOS for External Affairs in Govt of India and who still holds chance to become a minister again. I asked him through his blog if his opinion is based on Omar’s experience of having been the former minister in external affairs ministry or because of you being a Muslim  ?

Though not expected Omars reply came and he said “Why does it have to based on one of the other? Why not because of both or because of a completely different reason? Perhaps its based on what I see, read and understand.”

 

“the enemies of Indian Muslims are not the Americans, and the enemies of the Indian Muslims are not ‘deals’ like this” – Omar Abdullah in Parliament

Which Omar Abdullah do we trust. The Omar Abdullah who considers America not a friend of Muslim world or the Omar Abdullah who admits in parliament that America is not the enemy of Indian Muslims ? Is he playing to different galleries at different times in short span ?

Mr Abdullah , Would you care to clarify ? What exactly do think America is …a friend or a foe of muslims ?

 

ON AMARNATRH YATRA :

“You show me one place where Kashmiris have attacked Amarnath Yatra Pligrims“- Omar Abdullah in Parliament

Omar , though aspiring to be the next Chief Minister of the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir is so away from facts and news and it is something I find it hard to believe.  I find it hard to believe that Omar who plans to blog through his Iphone can not care to google the history of number of attacks which have happened on Amarnath Pligrims in last 19 years …atleast.. A simple google can refer him dates when 10 people were killed and when two got killed in grenade balsts and it seems he has been so involved with parliament trust vote that he is not even aware of the blast in Srinagar on Amarnath pilgrims when 5 people got killed , though unfortunately the victims turned out to be migrant labourers. In 2008 atleast four major attacks have happened to Amarnath Yatra piligrims at Banihal, Gulmarg, Ganderbal and Batmaloo. 

Omar. Wake up …your Iphone can google as well !

 

ON AMARNATH …. FIGHT OF NATIVES ……. & KASHMIRIS NOT BEING COMMUNAL…ON KASHMIRIS NOT BREAKING TEMPLES ETC ETC .

Omars Speech in parliament  was probably to convey a message to people of valley that he can be as communal as Ms Mehbooba Mufti or Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

How can Omar decide for Amarnath Yatra land to be handed over for Yatris or not . Amarnath Yatra is linked to Kashmiri Pandits for thousands of years.What Omar has tried to alter the history. His knowledge about Amarnath goes only as back as communal elements of Kashmir want him to Know . What he does not know is that Amarnath Yatra has been happening since almost 2000 years , even before Islam came to Kashmir . Linking Amarnath to “false” benevolence of Kashmiri muslims . Omar needs to read this article or Rajtangini to know about the history of Amarnath Yatra if at all he has to speak about this Amarnath Yatra.

He speaks about Kashmiris not having destroyed temples is again a gesture to mislead the people of the country. In a place where only temples have been destroyed, his memory fails to recollect it. For his memory here is the partial list of attacks on Temples in Kashmir  ,if he ever tries to speak truth again. For a little more detailed list of destruction of temples , Omar may visit this link.

No wonder this comes from the president of the party whose activist was one of the founder of terrorism in J&K and was a National Conference man and later become commander in chief of JKLF . The person who was H in HAJY gang was non other than Hamid Sheikh .

 Mr Omar Abdullah also said in Parliament that he was a Muslim and was an Indian too and that he found no difference between the two. I wonder why Omar preferred to issue no statement on this issue when threats were served to the non Kashmiris ( labourers) to leave the valley ?

ON his blog when he was confronted by a reader  (soulinexile) that his Iphone is illegal in India, Omar had come to his own defence by stating that he has bought the Iphone in France where it was illegal for Apple to sell locked phone . Though it was quick one from Omar , but what he missed out was by stating this he has once again lied to his readers . What he does not know is that even the unlocked Iphone bought in France wont work in India . iPhone sold in France— is not really unlocked. It retains a country lock, meaning the device will only allow use of SIM cards for carriers that operate in France. In other words, you can’t take your French, “unlocked” iPhone to Spain, the United States, or anywhere else, pop in a foreign SIM card, and make calls on a local carrier — you’re still stuck paying international roaming fees to your French carrier. Check here for details.

Do you Omar , still have the guts to admit that you have been lying ? Whether it is Amarnath , Kashmir or Iphones ?

 

 Hate Me As you would …..but the fact remains  !! Satymeva Jayate !!

HISTORY OF AMARNATH PILGRIMAGE

  

 

AMARANTH YATRA HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR CENTURIES;
AND IS NOT 150 YEAR AFFAIR

HISTORY OF THE AMARNATH PILGRIMAGE

The separatists in Kashmir and their “secular” supporters are trying to spread the myth that the Amaranth Yatra is of a recent origin. They claim that it started only after a Muslim shepherd of Batakot, a certain Buta Malik, originally”discovered” the Amarnath cave when he lost his flock and found that it had strayed into the sacred spot some 150 years ago. There is no documentary proof of this so-called discovery, the story having probably been concocted to give credit to Muslims for having started the most popular Hindu pilgrimage of Kashmir.

 There is ample and conclusive historical evidence, on the other hand, to prove that the holy cave and the ice lingam were known to the people since very ancient times and have been continuously and regularly visited by pilgrims not only from Kashmir but also from different parts of India.

“While the earliest reference to Amarnath can be seen in the Nilamata Purana (v.1324), a 6th century Sanskrit text which depicts the religious and cultural life of early Kashmiris and gives Kashmir’s own creation myth, the pilgrimage to the holy cave has been described with full topographical details in the Bhringish Samhita and the Amarnatha Mahatmya, both ancient texts said to have been composed even earlier.”

References to Amarnath, known have also been made in historical chronicles like the Rajatarangini and its sequels and several Western travellers’ accounts also leaving no doubt about the fact that the holy cave has been known to people for centuries. The original name of the tirtha, as given in the ancient texts, is of course Amareshwara, Amarnath being a name given later to it.

Haj Pilgrims Vs Amarnath Pilgrims

Haj Pilgrims Vs Amarnath Pilgrims

 

Kashmiri Muslims Protest Against proposed facilities to Hindu Pligrims to Amarnath

 

Are Muslims violent – Ask the pligrims

 

Pls shre your views in the comment section

Wandhama Massacre- The Forgotten Human Tragedy

Dr K.L.Chowdhury’s poem on Wandhama…

Sangrampora, ten months back,
was a mere rehearsal, a consolation,
but here in Wandhama
it is total extermination-
not just seven males
but without discrimination
of age, sex or position,
the whole Pandit population
and their gods without exception.

Could there have been
a more austere occasion
than the devotional Shabe-qadar night
when the whole Muslim population
was out in the mosques
for a night-long prayer and recitation
while their Pandit neighbours
joined the Muslim incantation
with their death throes and supplication
as lethal ammunition was being pumped
into their frames and formation,
right under the nose of the administration?

No orphans this time, no heirs,
no widows no widowers,
no gods nor their worshippers;
twenty-three victims, without survivors,
crying to the Indian nation
on this foggy morning
of the 48^th Republic Day celebration
for their final rites and cremation.

All that remains of the Pandits
is a dark cloud in the Wandhama sky
hovering like a huge question mark:
what was that terrible compulsion
that drove the fanatics
to pump eighteen bullets
into the tender constitution
of a tiny kid
that had just begun its locomotion
when a single would have done? ”

 

The Silent Scream – By Pooja Shali

And then he breathed his last…

A year before he was shot dead, the child was sucking milk from the soft white breasts of his mother. The mother recited those famous Lalded’s verses to soothe his nerves while her golden pair of athoor dangled in the air, from the upper earlobes.

The dreams for this young infant were being passionately weaved like the sweater he would have worn, if he had managed to stay alive. But alas..! Even before he understood that he was to pray with hands folded in Namaskar (and not otherwise), the guests had arrived. He, perhaps, was trying to figure out these new unfamiliar voices in the room which soon transformed into the disturbing noise of fireworks. A noise, profoundly, he heard for the last time, ever.

Read the Complete article HERE

Arjun Dev Majboor , a great Poet , on arrival of first spring after Wandhama Massacre

Charer hyu aaz chu basaan nov baharaes

Nachan Aalav che bekas yath shahraes

A strange void enshrouds this spring

Helpless and astray our prayers are

Chu Cholumut choor-e-Kustyaan doore shaye

Masheth gomut chu maechar naag-e-haraes

In somber silence, his quiet flight to a distant land

And forgotten is the virtue of sweetness to the spring of love

Mooshq nyumut muhit chukh aaz zamanas

Tavay Aaamut chu khur maa gaatejaaraes

Lost to us is the essence of fragrance

Entangled wisdom is in the mesh of frenzy

read the Complete Poem & Translataion HERE

Sh. Brij Nath Betab – Vocturnes Of Wandhama

The mortified skies
Enclosed with dark clouds
Unable to snoop into the cries,
The willow trees
Dried,
The paddy fields
Scorched,
When the dead night
Cried,
The earth
With every shudder
Kept counting
The dead
number,
Twenty three
And lost the count of deaths,
The last bullet
Pierced through the smiling silence
Of some suckles
Few Breaths
And a horror,
Milk dropped out of the veins
And the tiny drops
Wrote the history of terror.

Read the Complete Version HERE

Guts ! Whatz that Omar ?

Omar Abdullah , Former Union Minister in Indian Cabinet and current President of J&K National Confernce did finally have to bow down .

Omar , a youth leader who has taken to blogging would have never imagined that his blogging could have made such a news . And this time it was with refrence to his observation of the role played by muslims in Kashmir during the exodus of Kashmiri Hindu minorities from Kashmir in 1990.

On May 14th., Omar quotes ” Its so easy to say that we””””ll lay down our lives to bring Kashmiri pandits back to the valley and I appreciate the sentiment as I””””m sure the Kashmiri Pandits reading it will. Pity that sentiment was missing when our mosques were being used to drive these people out. None of us was willing to stand up and be counted when it mattered. None of us grabbed the mikes in the mosques and said this is wrong and the Kashmiri Pandits had every right to continue living in the valley. Our educated, well to do relatives and neighbours were spewing venom twenty four hours a day and we were mute spectators either mute in agreement or mute in abject fear, more often than not it was muteness driven by fear because the guns turned against the Pandits found their target elsewhere as my party workers found, but mute none the less. “

This was an Omar who perhaps believed that blogging and being trutyhful on net may not effect the politician in him , but he was wrong . And he started realising it soon , the pressure seemed to have been building upon him eversince to win back the muslim voters of Kashmir , which many of his partymen would have felt may have been upset over his blog and media statement regarding the role of Musilms during 1990.

on May 16th., he tries to win counter what he believed was his mistake by playing the same old card of defaming the Indian Army . Omar  Quotes

“Who investigated the allegations? The army. Who passed judgement? The army? Who carried out the sentence? The army. Yet we are supposed to believe that the process was transparent, fair and free from bias.”

Thw worst was yet to come . Some of the Kashmiri Pandits who had perhaps believed that Omar was a welcome change from corrupt & communal leadership of Kashmir Valley ,had their optimism shortlived .

On May 20th Omar Quotes “Suddenly Times Now claimed that I had accepted a genocide where I had done nothing of the sort. Though how less then two hundred and fifty deaths in a total of more than sixty thousand qualifies as a genocide is a matter of a completely different discussion.”

I wonder what made Omar believe that less than two hundred fifty Kashmiri Hindus were killed by terrorists in Kashmir ? If he believes the Govt version , then Omar needs to quotes around 16000 as the number of total civilian deaths in Kashmir in last 18 years , and this includes the muslims as well as hindus. And if Omar asks me my source , I would gladly share it with him , provided he starts to quote those figures only . And if does not believe in those figures , he needs to stop refering 250 as the number of Kashmiri Hindus killed in Kashmir by Islamic terrorists.

Again , I have a list of more than 800 Kashmiri Hindus who were killed and can provide the data to Omar , should he be more honest in future .

And for time being , Omar may check an online data by clicking “HERE” which is more than the figure he states.

Omar , do i expect you to come clean one more time ? This post may not be liked by you or maybe you would . Didn’t you say in your latest post

“I never expected bouquets of roses. In fact I enjoy the thorns much more because its criticism that one learns from, not praise.”

Bye Omar , looking forward to meet you some day ! Out here in Delhi …..thatz where i live in Exile !

 

 

Yasin Malik: Insensitive India-Today’s Youth Icon

Yasin Malik: Insensitive India-Today’s Youth Icon    LALIT KOUL

“What India needs is political vision and a leadership that has nothing at stake except India.” These are the words of Mr. Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group.

  

What is the significance of these words, you might ask.

  

These words are significant because Aroon Purie is a respected journalist whose words influence the powers that be and that he used these words to promote recently held India Today Conclave 2008 – that was billed as a conclave that “addresses the subject of Leadership For The 21st Century and hopes its efforts at bringing the best minds together to discuss, debate and offer solutions to issues that plague the world will make a difference.”

  To Read The Complete Article , Kindly Click HERE