fairblog

‘Normalcy’, curfew and concertina wires curfewed morning in old city on a ‘normal’ day

2010-10-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

DANISH NABI
SRINAGAR, Oct 29:
The sun is too low in the overcast sky to cast shadows on ground. The shutters are all down on almost deserted streets. There are no foreign laborers (Biharis) at the Bihari (Hawal) chowk; students and employees too are missing from the bus stop.
At a little distance from the cinema-turned-CRPF camp at Hawal, smoke is coming out from the Chimney of a Kandur (Baker's) shop. Elderly men in Pherans are rubbing hands for warmth as they walk step by step to get the morning bread. In absence of any surprise around, the frown on their faces is reflecting the intense cold unusual at this time of the year. A few policemen carrying batons are standing at a little distance from the camp gate.
A few cars whistle past Firdous cinema, uninterrupted. An elderly person enquires from a middle aged man coming in the opposite direction: “Az chu Zehre Yalai (It is perhaps open today)?”
“Waeseye chune Hartal kaenh, Pate Zaene Khudah ((As such there is no strike today. Rest God Knows better),” comes the reply.
During this exchange of enquiries, a bike moves past the men with a Maruti 800 ahead of it. The young rider wearing jeans, shirt, sweater and a helmet on is shivering with cold. His pace suggesting he is in hurry.
He looks around at the closed shops and blows horn to overtake the slow moving Maruti. But couldn’t go past it.
The car and the bike decelerate to cross the speed breaker near the camp. In that jiffy a white armored policy gypsy appears on the scene. On its rooftop is a concertina wire. A few policemen are hanging out on its back door.
The vehicle pulls up at the feet of the policemen already standing there. The driver takes right and everything comes into motion.
Policemen hanging from the doors step down and the ones already present come closer to the vehicle. An exchange of glances and a policeman brings down the concertina wire onto the road.
The Maruti has already passed but the police vehicle comes in way of the biker. He tries right but cannot pass. He slows down further, pauses and turns left. This time he is able to make way from behind the vehicle.
Behind him a policeman pulls the concertina wire to a shop inline with the camp and anchors it to something. With his baton he pulls away its other end spreading it across to the far end of the road.
The biker looks behind a couple of times, almost losing control over his steering. Then, undeterred, he accelerates in the forward direction but pulls up again near the Jammu and Kashmir bank. All shops are closed. The Hostel of Islamia college of Science and Commerce on the left looks lifeless. Only artificial light on the road is coming out from the bank ATM on the biker’s right.
He looks ahead through his helmet. Concertina wire is spreading across the road in front of him. On one side it is fixed to the electric pole near the hostel gate. On the other, it is anchored to a shop.
Across the wire are three policemen: one standing next to it and two others on either side of him at a little distance. The biker inches closer at snails pace, pulls up and lifts his helmet.
“Kanha Jana hai (Where are you going)?” policeman asks.
“College staff chu office chu gaechun (I am college staff. Have to go to the office),” the biker replies.
“Koet college (Which college)?” policeman asks again.
“Baramulla degree college,” biker replies and policeman frowns: “Baramulla College!”
He points towards the direction where the biker had come from. “Eidgah se jao (Go via Eigah),” he suggests.
“Magar Mujhe Lal chowk Jana hai wanha kanha se jao. Door padta hai (But I have to go to Lal Chowk. How can I go from Eidgah? It is a long distance away,” biker argues.
Policeman now points to right his: “Then go from here.”
The biker looks towards right with a look of disappointment on his face. He looks at his watch tied on the right wrist. It is 7:45 in he morning. Another motorcycle with rider and a pillion on is coming out from the by-lane policeman pointed to.
The biker moves inches towards right and then changes both mind and the lane. With a row of the engine the bike sets on the dilapidated side of the road. And a second or two later he is back at the white armored vehicle.
By now the concertina wire is anchored at both ends of the road. Policemen standing across have increased in number.
He pulls up close to the concertina wire. Three TATA 407 vehicles are standing across it with policemen ordering the drivers to return.
A driver argues: “Aes kapaer gachaewe (Wherefrom shall we go)?” he asks the policeman in a charged up tone.
“Jao ynah se jao. Yanha se band hai (Go away from here. It is closed from here),” intervenes a second policeman standing a little away from the vehicle.
The driver stands his ground. Policemen are enraged.
The second policeman shouts: “Argue kyun karta hai (Why are you arguing)?” that sets the first policeman into action and he starts hitting the vehicle with baton. The diver takes away the vehicle.
The policemen now turn to the biker whose world was reduced between Islamia College and Firdous Cinema.
“Kanha Jana hai (Where are you going)?” they ask him.
His reply unchanged “College staff hai office jana hai (I am college staffer. Have to go to the office).”
Policemen do not look amused and slide the wire rather unpleasantly. “Jao yana se (Go go from this side),” they point towards the Eidgah road.
The biker passes to left, speechless. His pace clearly slower than it was earlier. On the down slope a few men standing at the doors gaze at him. A young man walks past the biker who looks around with curiosity. Nevertheless, the biker moves ahead.
He passes the CRPF bunker at the end of the slope and the fenced wetland, both on his right. In the gloomy weather historic Aali Masjid becomes visible in front of him. A few CRPF men are standing outside the CRPF bunker near the Masjid.
A white Maruti 800 is coming in the opposite direction of the biker in the same lane. The biker does not notice the car or its unusual movement in reverse direction.
Seconds later another concertina is spread across the road, inches away from the bunker, hindering biker's movement. He stops. Looks right, left and then straight. The wire is anchored at both ends, blocking the passage. But there are no policemen across to talk to.
The biker sighs and turns back. He now notices the white Maruti, and perhaps the reason of it, entering into a by-lane on the right side of the road.
A middle aged civilian is moving on the road.
“Yaeth Che haez Beye kaneh waeth Ali Jan roadas paeth gaechenas (Is there any other way to Ali Jan road),” the biker enquires of the civilian.
“Aa. Yapaer gaechive. (Yes. Go from there),” he points towards the same by-lane from which the Maruti just went.
The biker starts again and takes a right turn into the small untidy and under-constructed lane. The Maruti moving ahead of him with a lady at the wheels. The biker follows.
Another Maruti 800 driven by a lady is coming in from the other side of the by-lane as the biker reaches the tip of the by-lane. The Maruti ahead of him takes right so does the biker.
Wide open Eidgah ground is standing in front of him at a little distance which is, but, manned by the CRPF men with concertina wire blocking one side of the Ali Jan road. The Maruti pulls up at the feet of CRPF men.
The biker slows down but does not stop. He moves slowly perhaps waiting for a call from CRPF men which, however did not come. He surpasses the Maruti and the men in uniform, takes left and accelerates till he reaches another CRPF bunker near Safa Kadal where another concertina wire greets him.
CRPF men standing near it are sending back every vehicle. A white car in front of him has been stopped and the driver has been ordered to window. CRPF men are looking into the car.
There are no directions for the biker but out of visible fear he stops behind the car.
“Kya barosa if I leave they may even shoot from behind (What is the guarantee that if I leave they will not shoot me from behind),” he tells this reporter.
The CRPF let go the car and the biker follows into the non-cufewed areas after a much troubled journey on an otherwise 'normal' day.

Kashmir shuts on Bar call

2010-05-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

12 Injured In Clashes Across Valley
DANISH NABI
Srinagar, May 10: The strike called by High Court Bar Association and supported by various pro-freedom groups Monday evoked total response across Kashmir Valley. Around one dozen persons were injured in the clashes between police and protesters at several places.
The summer capital Srinagar wore a deserted look as all shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed while traffic was completely off the roads. The work remained affected in most of the government and semi-government offices.
In old city areas authorities, fearing protests, imposed restrictions to ensure that propitiatory orders under Section 144 were not violated. Police and troopers had laid concertina wires on all approach roads to the old city to restrict civilian movement.
The inhabitants said policemen and paramilitary CRPF personnel were positioned at all nooks and corners of the city. “They didn’t allow anyone to come out of homes,” said a resident of Gojwara in old city.
Restrictions were also in place in some resistance hubs like Maisuma and its adjoining areas. A heavy deployment of police and CRPF was guarding the streets to restrict youth from staging protests. Forces had also placed barbed wires on Gaw Kadal in the area.
Reports said Additional Secretary (Education), Pervaiz Ahmad, received splinter injuries when a stone-hurling mob attacked his official vehicle at Bemina and smashed its windscreen. The officer, hit by pieces of broken glasses in head and face, is undergoing treatment at SMHS hospital.
In Qamarwari, however, youth came out on streets to protest in the afternoon but were dealt severely by police and CRPF, triggering clashes. Witnesses said two protesters were injured. The strike showed good impact elsewhere in the uptown.
The call for strike was given by High Court Car Association against the “Indian plan to change the demographic complexion of the state, collapse of state judicial system in mitigating the sufferings of political detainees’ and Inter-District Recruitment Bill.
The Government, however, put several pro-freedom leaders and activists under house arrest. These include chairman Hurriyat (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, his close aide, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, General Secretary Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Ashraf Sehrai, Mass Movement President Farida Behanji and Zamrooda Habib chairperson of Muslim Khwateen Markaz.
NORTH KASHMIR:
Amid complete shutdown in north Kashmir’s largest district Varmul, at least 10 persons including four policemen were reported injured in clashes between youth and police.
In the morning, youth came out pelting stones at police and paramilitary CRPF deployed near Cement Bridge. The forces retaliated with intense tear gas shelling and firing rubber bullets, resulting in injury to two youth.
Sources in the district hospital told Greater Kashmir that the duo was hit by rubber bullets.
“One of them was hit in the chest and the other in the head. But the injuries were minor and we have discharged them,” sources said.
Four youth were injured by stones and tear gas shelling at various places, witnesses said.
The clashes also took place near police station Varmul and in Delina, 6 kms from the main town.
In apple town Sopur, youth attacked a police gypsy patrolling the main road. Reports said the vehicle turned turtle and four policemen were injured. Subsequently, clashes took place between youth and forces which continued for several hours.
Complete shutdown was also observed in other North Kashmir districts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal. Reports said routine businesses in the districts remained closed and traffic was off the roads.
SOUTH KASHMIR:
Strike showed impact in most South Kashmir districts where life remained off gear. Reports said a heavy deployment of forces was maintained in all volatile areas, restricting the civilian movement.
Although there were no reports of clashes from anywhere, witnesses said in Malakhnag area in Islamabad district the paramilitary CRPF, without any provocation, went on rampage.
“They broke the windows panes of houses and also damaged the vehicles parked on roads,” witnesses said.
In the evening, youth attacked the office of District Development Commissioner Islamabad and damaged a government vehicle parked there. Police baton charged the protesters, triggering clashes.
BAR COMPLIMENTS PEOPLE
The High Court Bar Association Monday complemented the people for making today’s strike call successful. In a statement, Bar said, “The resilient Kashmiri people have time and again shown that they will not let anyone to snatch their rights.”

I-witness: ‘His foot got stuck and a bulle hit him in lower back’

2010-05-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Danish Nabi

Srinagar, Mar 16: Khursheed Ahmad had gone to his parental home in Budgam yesterday and arrived late at the shop this morning. While he was opening the shop, the gun shots in the vicinity set everyone running for cover but his foot got stuck in “something” and a bullet hit him in the lower back, causing his death in SMHS operation theatre.

Twenty five year old Khursheed, a matriculate, had been a salesman at a hosiery shop, Beauty Selection, in Koker Bazar for past 10 years. He had been staying with his employer at Hyderpora. Yesterday he had left the shop early to see his parents but it turned out to be his last visit home.

“He returned late this morning so we opened the shop late because I am paralytic and can’t do it on my own. When we heard the gun shots we went inside the shop for cover and Khursheed too started running. But his foot got stuck in something and when the firing stopped and we went to see him, he had received a bullet in lower back,” Khursheed’s employer, Noor Muhammad, told Greater Kashmir. Noor Muhammad was among dozens of people who were waiting outside the emergency operation theatre at SMHS where Khursheed was being operated upon.

Khursheed was the eldest son of the family of four comprising of his parents and younger brother, who is working at a petrol station. His family, relatives and fellow businessmen had come to the hospital to see him, not knowing that he won’t come out of the operation theatre alive.

“We heard that his pancreas is ruptured,” Khursheed’s young cousin, Zahoor Ahmad, said.

Among those waiting outside were his wailing father and brother who were moving around uneasily. On seeing others talking to media they came closer.

His farmer father, Abdul Rahim, said: “He came home yesterday and left early in the morning to reach office. But we didn’t know we will have to hear this news barely few hours after he left.” He broke into tears and others around him started to console him. Khursheed’s younger brother was also standing nearby but couldn’t help his father for his own condition was consolable.

During the course of the surgery they kept waiting outside, hoping to get good news from the surgeons. But it didn’t happen. Khursheed died on the operation theatre after a prolonged two and a half hour surgery.

What happened at Koker Bazar

“We were returning from a patrol. Our three men (two of whom got injured) were moving ahead of us. Two men in early 20s, one carrying AK-47 and another carrying a pistol, appeared in the internal lane and started firing at the three men moving ahead of us. Two of our men fell down on the spot and one started running away. We too started running towards our camp,” said Constable Arun Naik of 132 Batallion CRPF who was guarding his injured colleague in causality ward of SMHS.

“Three was too much crowd around and after hearing the gun shots everyone started running. And in that the “militants” also fled from somewhere. They were in civvies, not donning Pherans,” the constable added.

Locals, however, said the CRPF also opened fire, though not sure how the civilians got injured.

“After a few gun shots initially, I saw CRPF men running towards the bunker in Palladium and they were firing bullets. We saw them firing but can’t say whose bullets injured the persons,” said Riyaz Ahmad a Shopkeeper in Koker Bazar, who had been in his shop when the incident took place.

“We came out only after police arrived at the spot and the firing had stopped. We saw two salesmen, Khursheed Ahmad and Mehraj Ahmad Wani, and a young shopkeeper, Mehraj-u-Din Shah, had received bullets,” he said.

Proper care at right time can prevent suicides

2010-05-10T04:57:00.001-07:00

Danish Nabi
Srinagar, May 10: Charming smile on her dull-looking face and the whisper of the lips “han mai jeena chahti hon (yes I want to live)” is proof enough that at least one innocent life has been saved from falling prey to suicides.
As the twenty year old Shaista Amin (name changed), whose lean and weak physique makes her look younger than her age, enters the doctors’ room at Psychiatric disease hospital, it is with a desire to live and get well. But it was not the case when she was brought to the hospital earlier this month in a state of acute depression and intending suicide.
“When we decided to brought her here she put a condition to it that the doctor must poison her in the hospital,” Shaista’s much relieved father, Muhammad Amin (name changed), said.
Shaista, according to her father, was “always ill” and she had been under treatment of noted psychiatrist in the town. Despite being on medication, she had often attempted to commit suicide in the past. And she had done the same before she was brought to the hospital.
“She stopped taking food, water and even medicine for 14 to 15 days just with the intention of dying. Her condition had started to deteriorate and we took her to the doctor, who gave her medicine. Such was her condition that she swallowed the medicine without taking water,” Muhammad Amin narrates.
“But even that didn’t help her as she abandoned food and medicine again. When her condition deteriorated alarmingly, I put my head on her feet and begged her to let us take her to the hospital. We had no option but to accept the condition she put for agreeing to go to the hospital,” he said.
After treatment Shaista is eager to live and her desire to get well makes her seek doctor’s advice on uneasiness she faces: “I often stop my breath for long time that makes me feel uneasy. Please help me come over it so that I can go home and live peacefully.”
There have been several cases of suicides in the past and the number of victims is rising alarmingly. In a recent incidence, a 10th standard student of Burn Hall Public School strangulated himself due to academic pressures.
An analysis by psychiatrists has shown most number of unnatural deaths after the start of militancy in Kashmir has taken place due to suicides. And there is an outcry against rising umber of suicides from all walks of life including pro-freedom leaders like Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who often quotes it as an example of moral degradation of the society.
Psychiatrists feel that suicides can be avoided if the family is keen to do it.
“The people with suicide tendencies are always read to harm and hurt themselves. If the family picks up the signal and brings them to the doctor for treatment, their lives can be saved,” Shaista’s doctor at Psychiatry disease hospital told Greater Kashmir.
“All deaths because of suicide are preventable. We as society and community should do everything possible to prevent deaths because of suicides,” psychiatrists say.

‘Barbed Wire Around CRPF Camp Was Electrified’

2009-07-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

DANISH NABI
Srinagar, July 23: An irrigation official was electrocuted when he accidentally grasped electrified barb wire fencing of a CRPF at Hamadania Colony Bemina on Thursday. Police have registered a case of negligence, while the people protested by observing a strike.
Witnesses said that the 32-year-old Fayaz Ahmad Bhat of Khalidabad, Bhagaat slipped from the banks of the Bemina canal he and six of his colleagues were measuring.
However, he grabbed the barb wire around the CRPF camp to stop his slide into the waters.
“The wire was connected to electricity. He was taken to hospital in half-dead condition and he later succumbed,” said an eyewitness, Noor Muhammad.
After the incident, all the shops in the area closed down and the residents started dismantling the fencing. But when they tried to bring down the fencing of the bunker, the CRPF troopers stopped them, triggering a demonstration. The protesters blocked the traffic and shouted slogans against the CRPF.
The CRPF camp housing 44 battalion has been recently deployed in the area. The residents said the troopers have connected barb wire to a supply line from a nearby power transformer. “We avoid going close to the camp, but people who are not aware are prone to fatal electrocution like what happened today. If the wiring is not removed it may consume more lives,” they added.
Fayaz was working as a helper in the Irrigation and Flood Control department and he was lone bread winner of his family. He is survived by his wife, mother, and a 3-year-old daughter. The body was taken to police control room for post mortem and it was handed over to the family for last rites.
Relatives of Fayaz said, “He left for the job in the morning but only hours after his departure we came to know about his death. We don’t know what happened to him. All we have been told is that he was electrocuted,” said a relative of Fayaz.
The commandant of the CRPF, P K Mandal, said the wire was not electrified for security reasons. “It is Just an accident. Our power supply line passes underneath the barbed wire and its insulation may have got damaged, resulting in electrification of the concertina wires,” he said.
Sub-Inspector of police at Parimpora police station said the police have registered a case of accident and negligence under section 304 Crpc. The Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Riyaz Bedaar, said the police would investigate.
“We are waiting for a statement of the employees who were accompanying him at the spot. After that we can fix the blame,” he said. Asked about the electrification of the fencing for security reasons, he said, “We don’t know anything about it yet but we will investigate into it.”

Hit by earthquake in 2005, family looses new house in windstorm

2009-07-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

Danish Nabi

Kulangam (Handwara), July 28: After loosing their house in the 2005 earthquake, the nature chose this family for another spell of destruction on Sunday when the devastating windstorm made uninhabitable their newly constructed house here.

The Loan family of fruit growers has been living at the Veranda of their single storey house since Sunday evening as the wind blew apart the roof top of their house. The rainwater entered all rooms of the house, forcing the family to move out. The damaged house is surrounded by debris of roof top, fencing, damaged furnishing, clothes of the family members left for drying and the relatives who had come to see them.

The son of the family Tahir Ahmad Loan, said, “Our house was destroyed in 2005 quake and it took us almost four years to reconstruct the new one. But the nature did not spare us this time.”

Narrating the horrifying 60 minutes of devastation, the daughter-in-law of the family, Mubeena Loan, said, “I was sitting along with five kids in the house when the windstorm started. As it gained speed kids started shouting and we all shrunk in one corner of the kitchen. The roof of our house blew apart with a bang and my infant daughter, Tabish, became unconscious,” she narrated.

“The windstorm was followed by the intense rainfall and hailstorm. The rains entered into all the rooms and I had to rush to our neighbor’s for shelter. The children of the family were crying and it was impossible to calm them down,” she said.

Another daughter-in-law of the family Aisha Loan wife of Muhammad Iqbal Loan, said she was out in the orchard when the windstorm hit the area.

“When the wind started, it appeared everything would be blown apart. Hell was let loose on the area and I went to a house near the orchard for shelter. It was more horrifying than the 2005 quake,” she said.

“My three-year-old son, Zakir Loan, was playing at the canal nearby and the wind had drowned him in the water. He was rescued by his aunt and she brought him home when the storm stopped,” she said.

The family comprises of three women, five children and three men. Most members of the family, however, were away from the house when the earthquake struck. “I was coming back to home in a sumo when the windstorm struck. We could not move ahead in that storm. I was aware that the storm could have damaged everything at my home but the storm did not allow me to come for their rescue,” Muhammad Iqbal Loan said.

“When I returned home I saw the roof top was blown apart and my family had run out to neighbor’s house. Soon the other family members returned and we had to spend the night outside the house. Everything was destroyed and it will take us months to repair the damage,” he added.

Storm wrecks havoc in Handwara Trees, houses damaged

2009-07-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

Danish Nabi

Handwara/Langate, July 27: Uprooted trees, blown up roof tops and broken fences of hundreds of houses lying on the roadside here in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district tells tale of destruction caused by 60 minutes of devastating wind which, the survivors say, was more horrifying than the 2005 earthquake.

The windstorm that started at 6PM on Sunday caused devastation in 39 villages in the district. The storm has damaged around 1200 houses including five completely destroyed ones. Forty persons were injured in the storm and one woman lost her life when a tree fell over her. Officially around 700 hectares of standing fruit crops were destroyed in the storm.

The most hit villages include Guloora, Chutipora, Kargam, Maratgaon, Kohru, Ranen Ashpora, Mawar, Langate, Pohru Chakla, Galoora, Bonagam, Lalbugh, Kargama, Chutipora, Hangah, Shathgund, Pandithpora, Hampora, Kulangam, Chogal, Braripora, Handwara town, Nutnusa, Vodhpora, and Wadipora.

Most roads were either partially or completed blocked by the trees and electric poles that were blown apart by the wind. The broken trees had blocked the road to Langate Tehsil and its far-off areas were completely inaccessible.

People were seen walking miles to reach Handwara as the transportation to Langate was suspended. The electric lines are down on the roads at most places and the power-supply to both the Tehsils has been cut off.

While many fruit trees were lying uprooted in the Orchards, around 70 per cent of the standing crops on the trees are damaged by the storm. The experts say the storm has damaged 30 per cent fallen crops of apple and walnut.

“The maximum damage to the crops is seen in Kulangam, Chutipora and Langate areas where 70 per cent standing fruits are damaged. The storm has degraded the quality of both the fallen and standing crops,” programme coordinator Krishna Vigyan Kendra Kupwara, Abdul Hameed Hakeem, told Greater Kashmir.

All along the way from Chowgal, visible traumatized people were clearing the rubble while the official machinery was nowhere visible. At many places rainwater had entered the houses, forcing the inhabitants to seek refuge elsewhere.

‘Our roof top was blown apart and the rain entered our houses damaging the entire furnishing of the house. We spent the night at our neighbor’s house,” said Aisha Lone, whose family has been living in the lawn.

The survivors said the windstorm let lose the hell for an hour that was followed by intense rain and hailstorm. “I haven’t seen anything like this before. At around 6 PM the wind started slowly and everything went dark. Within seconds it started blowing at full speed and it appeared everything will be blown apart,” said Bashir Ahmad War of Kulangam whose house’s roof top was blown off by the wind.

“It was more horrifying than the 2005 earthquake. When the windstorm hit here it appeared like a doomsday and we went searching for cover. There were noises of rooftops falling apart,” said Manzoor Ahmad of Chtipora. In Chutipora alone around 40 houses were damaged by the windstorm.

The survivors said they have been clearing the debris since last evening and they have been left on their own. “Till 10 PM Sunday we were clearing the debris. We started again this morning but no one came to our help,” said Muhammad Aslam. The people themselves had partially lifted the electric poles at many places to make way for the traffic.

People said they were still scared of going into the houses. “It was like a God’s providence and we fear there may be another storm. We feel secure outside the houses,” they said.

12 HR violations in 4 months

2009-06-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

Danish Nabi

Srinagar, May 29: While the human rights violations seem to be reaching no end in the Valley, 12 civilians have been killed by the CRPF and army across the Valley since the beginning of 2009 till date. Interestingly police is yet to make any arrests in the incidents.

Over last four months the human rights violations include killings of civilians by CRPF and army, custodial killings and loss of life in the force action over the protesters.

In first human right violation case, on January 6, 45-year-old deaf and dumb, Abdul Rashid Reshi of Veersaran-Pahalgam, was shot dead by army near chief minister’s residence at Gupkar Road during the late evening hours.

Reshi was reportedly going to her sister’s house on the fateful evening, but he had lost the way and “trespassed” in high security zone, where he was mistaken for identities.

In a similar incident on February 1, 28-year-old Fayaz Ahmad Mir of Khirhama Zab area of Lolab in north Kashmir was mistaken for fidayeen by army and shot dead in his compound.

In another incident on February 21, two civilians, Muhammad Amin Tantray and Javaid Ahmed Dar were killed when 22 Rashtriya Rifles personnel opened fire on devotees at Bomai village in north Kashmir.

This was followed by the CRPF troopers killing a carpenter, Ghulam Mohiudin Malik at Khaigam Pakaherpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on March 18.

Custodial killings

Three custodial killings have been reported from across the Valley so far this year, according to a report by Public Commission on Human Rights—civil society working on human rights in Kashmir.

The First custodial killing occurred in January 31 at Bandipora.

Ali Muhammad Bhat (18) was summoned by 51 RR stationed in the Village on January 29 and his body, bearing torture marks, was handed over to his family after three days, the report quoting Bhat’s relative says.

The family was threatened by army not to disclose the incident to anyone, it adds.

In the second custodial killing, Muhammad Sadiq of Mangota Village in Marmat Doda was killed in custody by army on May 7.

The report by PCHR, quoting locals, says that Sadiq was picked up by army on May 6 and his body was recovered from the area next morning.

A magisterial probe was ordered into the case on intervention of local MLA, Abdul Majeed Wani.

In the recent case on May 18 at Aloochi Bagh, a youth Manzoor Ahmad Beigh (40) was reportedly arrested by the Special Operation Group men from his shop and tortured to death at cargo.

The erring SOG was suspended from duty and the district administration called a magisterial inquiry into the case. The inquiry report was tabled a week later before the district commissioner Srinagar.

Civilians killed in protests

Two three persons lost lives in police and paramilitary CRPF action over the protesters at old city.

One youth was killed in forces action over the troopers at Nowhatta Chowk after Friday prayers on March 6. The CRPF troopers reportedly opened indiscriminate fire at the protesters killing a youth Shahid Ahmad Ahangar son of Muhammad Khalil Ahangar of Rainawari.

A teenager, Arif Ayub Bhat of Ganderpora Eidgah, was killed on May 26 in police action over the protesters. Arif was hit on head by a tear gas during Friday protests in the old city and was under treatment at SKIMS for two days. He however succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. There was no case or inquiry called in the case.

Human shield killing

A retired police constable got killed on April 20 at Kupwara in an encounter between militants and troopers when he was reportedly used as human shield by the forces.

According to the eyewitnesses, Shamsudin was forced to enter the house in Kupwara where militants were holed up. After massive protests by the people, the district administration had assured a probe into the matter.

Civilians killed in encounter

A woman, Zahida Bano, was killed in the ‘cross fire’ between army and the militants on April 19 in Kishtiwar district.

While army claimed Zahida was militants’ accomplice, her family said it was a case of target killing. However, neither was any probe ordered into the case nor was any case registered against the army.

Army kills 3 more civilians in Kashmir

2009-02-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

DANISH ZARGAR
Yet another chapter of killing innocent Kashmiris was written in the history of Kashmir’s movement for liberation from Indian occupation when the three youth were martyred in cold blood by the Indian Army’s counter insurgency wing, Rashtriys Rifles, in Bomai, Sopur in North Kashmir on Saturday, February 21, afternoon.
The murder of three, identified as Muhammad Amin Tantray son of Muhammad Shaban of Bomai and Javid Ahmad Dar son of Muhammad Ismail of Muslim Peer, Sopur and Firdous Ahmad Khwaja son of Abdul Ghaffar, who scummbed to injuries in SK medical institute, was not the first and it may not be the last. It is just one more incident added to atrocities against Kashmiris which has left more than one lakh people dead in past several decades.
The incident was nothing but a cold blooded murder, for there was no bomb blast or stone pelting which army could claim provoked the RR to open fire. Yet they fired several rounds from their assault rifles and semi automatic machine guns.
The armed struggle which began in Kashmir in the early ‘90s is almost dead now. There are no bomb blasts, no suicidal attacks nothing but people are still being killed even when they voted in huge numbers in the recent assembly elections held only months ago. Indian think tanks, media were on the forefront claiming that the voter turn out was the victory of democracy. And perhaps it was, but where does the ethics and morals of ‘democracy’ go when the people are being killed even when they aren’t on the roads demanding azadi.
Witnesses said the incident occurred when an Army convoy of 22 Rashtriya Rifles was passing through the area near Bomai. “The convoy halted near a bund and without any provocation opened indiscriminate fire on a group of youth walking there. Two youth died on the spot,” eyewitnesses said.
Nothing has changed all these years. Like the past, Indian army has yet again declared the murder in Sopur as ‘causalities in cross firing’.
“The RR troopers were informed about terrorist in a bus. When they stopped the vehicle and asked men in the bus to lift their pherans (The traditional winter gown used in winters in Kashmir) they opened fire. And the cross-firing resulted in three civilian causalities,” the statement from the northern command of army read a day after the incident.
And also nothing has changed when it comes to calling an inquiry by the army into the incident.
In a state where even thieves aren’t brought to book, Police have registered an FIR against the army into the incident.
The deputy commissioner, Varmul, Baseer Ahmad Khan, said a magisterial inquiry had been ordered into the incident. “SDM Sopur has been appointed as inquiry officer. Law will take its own course,” Khan said
It would be just one more FIR added to the police register where thousands of FIRs against army are already longing for the culprits to be brought to justice.
May be yes there will be investigations, but then in a state where crime is mightier than law who will book whom.
And then if, supposing, the law gets mightier than crime this time can the three be brought to life? More importantly can the killings be stopped in future?

Srinagar SCAN 'pani pani re---'

2009-02-16T00:46:00.000-08:00

DANISH NABI

If you fear that the once prestigious water bodies like the Dal Lake and the Jhelum might be lost forever, think again. As for most Srinagarites, the Jhelums and the Dal Lakes have been brought to their door steps, curtsy lackadaisical approach of the authorities in dewatering the areas post few inches of snowfall in Srinagar.
  But this time the credit must go to the authorities because unlike Dal Lake, which could not be saved even by investing millions, they are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the ‘rivers flowing in every lane’ today don’t die soon. For that they make tall claims for dewatering the roads-turned-rivers but do not provide dewatering pumps; they keep the state machinery ready to deal with any kind of complicacy but not necessarily operational at the time of crisis; and they make control rooms without control.
  After much hue and cry when they leave their air-conditioned rooms in luxurious cars to see if people are enjoying life under water, they inspect the affected areas; make notes and then what follows would be like stating the obvious.
  Millions must have been spent on readying the state machinery but when it comes to seeing them in action, they are found wanting. But then people do not realize that this oblivion of the ‘ever ready state machinery’ can save a large part of state economy; why to spend it on dewatering when the water would dry naturally any ways. And then water logging in the areas like Hyderpora, Gulshan Nagar, Lal Bazar, Indranagar and others has been there before, people have been coming on the roads, but does it matter?

Geelan's vilage boycotts polls, polling staff

2009-02-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

DANISH NABI

Doru (Sopur), Dec 7: Obliging poll boycott call by the Coordination Committee, pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s home village, Doru, observed complete boycott on Sunday. Till 12:30 PM not a single vote was cast at the three polling booths in this north Kashmir constituency. The locals even denied civic facilities to the polling staff in the area.
The polling booths here wore a deserted look with only polling staff and troopers inside. Since morning the residents had gathered outside the polling stations to see if anybody would vote cast vote and they inquired the vote count from every media person who returned from the booth.
“We are sitting here since morning to see if anybody would dare to vote,” the residents said.
The residents came out on the streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The protestors pelted stones at the troopers who responded by baton charge and firing several tear gas rounds. Troopers also fired several bullets in the air to disperse the protestors, however, when the situation went out of control, more force was called into the area.
A protestor, wishing anonymity, said, “Coordination Committee’s call is the ultimate word for us. Not even a single person will vote here, rather we will see who dares to enter the polling booth.”
“The people that voted in the earlier phases do not understand what Azadi means. They think the elected leaders would help them but it is their misconception as the leaders have always betrayed this nation,” the protestors said, adding, “We have never voted and we will not vote this time also. Insha Allah victory will be ours.”
The residents have been observing complete social boycott with the polling staff that has been placed in the area. The staff has been denied all essential commodities including bread, food and water.
“People are not providing us anything here. When we go to the shopkeepers to buy something they refuse to sell us the goods. The people don’t even provide us the water for ablution,” Sajjad Ahmad, a poll staffer in the Doru 59-A polling station told Greater Kashmir.
“What have we done wrong? We are the employees and we are simply performing our duty.
The residents said the poll staff would not be provided any facilities as they have “betrayed the people of Kashmir.”
“They are negating the sacrifices of Kashmiris who laid their lives for the Kashmir cause. They are supporting India in conducting the elections and we have socially boycotted them,” the residents said.

Hope makes victim’s family vote

2009-02-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

DANISH NABI

Dandipora (Kokernag), Dec 17: Family of a 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly gang raped by the troops on December 3 in this south Kashmir hamlet, on Wednesday voted with the hope that politicians who would come into power would “punish the culprits” involved in the heinous act.

Victim’s mother, Rukaya begum told Greater Kashmir, “The memories of that horrifying night are still afresh in my mind. We’ve clearly mentioned in our statement that my daughter was gang raped by the troops. The officials recorded our statement, but we don’t know what they wrote.”

Officials had claimed that the family members of the victim in the written complaint had made no mention about the alleged rape, and had described it as a case of molestation.

Rukaya said that after the incident candidates of different political parties visited their house to express solidarity with them.

“Abdur Rahim Rather of National Conference and Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed of Congress had come here. They assured us that the incident would be investigated and culprits would be punished,” she added.

However, Rukaya said that voting had got nothing to do with the tragedy that struck their family. “We have been asked to vote by the candidates who came here for campaigning and we will definitely vote. As they (candidates) have promised us, after they win they would not spare the culprits,” she said. “I don’t know what will happen if I vote or if I don’t vote, but I will try. My husband and brother have gone to cast their vote. We were busy with some work but we would all be going to the polling station soon.”

The other family members who were standing besides Rukaya said their area sans basic amenities. “We don’t have water. We suffer for the basic needs of life. The candidates have assured us that they would provide us all the facilities,” they added.

Tengpora residents stay away from poling booths, demand whereabouts

2009-02-09T06:16:00.001-08:00

MAJID MAQBOOL/DANISH NABI

Srinagar, Dec 24: On election day residents of Tengpora in Batamaloo here stayed away from the polling booths to express solidarity with the family members of three youth of the locality who were subjected to enforced disappearance in 1997.
As pro-freedom and anti-election slogans reverberated in the lanes of Tengpora on Wednesday, Rahte wept inconsolably outside her home, remembering her son, Mehraj-u-din Dar, who along with two other youth Mushtaq Ahmad Dar and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, disappeared in custody after troopers arrested them on April 22, 1997.
Around the polling booth, troopers stood guard. And the people of the area kept away, standing outside the doors of their homes. “Why should we vote? This area has been a witness to the atrocities of the troopers over the years. We have lost many youth for the movement and we are for total election boycott,” said a resident, Abdul Razak Dar.
“The politicians have given us nothing except miseries. If vote is for development then why have the politicians failed to bring any development over the years?” he asked.
Out of 679, 676 and 783 voters in three polling booths in the area, only 37, 26 and 29 votes were   polled till 3:30 pm.
“We boycotted elections to express solidarity with the family members of the three victims,” residents said, amid pro-freedom and anti-election slogans.
All these years the families of the victims have been waiting for them to return. They have been told that the three youth have been “killed and their bodies thrown into Jehlum.”
“Our Mohalla president yesterday informed us that we should no longer wait for the return of our sons as all the three youth, who disappeared in 1997 from this area, have been killed,” Rahte, the mother of Mehrajudin, said mournfully with a note of sadness in her words.
“My son was a shopkeeper and he worked very hard to earn livelihood for his family. That night troopers barged into our house. They took him away and didn’t even tell us why he was arrested”, Rahte said, struggling to hold back her tears.
Rahte, while showing the framed picture of Mehrajudin said, “We tried hard to trace him. I spent around 8 lakh Rupees to locate him but of no avail. We approached officials and other authorities but all these years all we got were assurances,” Rahte said. “Many people from media and other agencies came but till now no one has been able to bring back my son,” she said.
Mehrajudin’s two children - Shabnam and Sahil - have never seen their father. Mehrajudin’s family of seven has been suffering since his disappearance. “My children have grown up without seeing their father. I have to manage all their expenses on my own,” said Naseema, Mehrajuddin’s wife.
Just a few houses away from the Mehrajuddin’s home, the crowd had assembled outside the house of Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, another youth who also disappeared in 1997 after their arrest.
Mushtaq has four children, and the eldest of them was only two years old when his father was arrested. “He was also taken away on the same night along with two other youth of the locality. He was happy with his life and I fail to understand why they arrested him,” said Mushtaq’s sister.
“No one has come forward to help us. My children often ask about their father but I don’t know what to tell them,” Mushtaq’s wife Rafeeqa said.

Boycott campaigners beaten in Trehgam

2009-02-08T22:16:00.001-08:00

Danish Nabi

Trehgam (Kupwara) : Troopers resorted to baton charge against the people holding pro-freedom and anti-election demonstration in the third phase of elections in Trehgam constituency on Sunday.

A few hundred demonstrators, most of them women, in the home town of legendary pro-independence leader Maqbool Bhat, were beaten to pulp when they marched in a procession towards a polling station, shouting anti-India and anti-election slogans.

The troops cornered the protestors, including a 70-year old lady, and snatched banners they were carrying. In response to police action the demonstrators pelted stones, triggering clashes.

The protestors were booed people who were voting inside the polling booth, telling them the “area had given great sacrifices for the Kashmir cause and voting would negate those sacrifices.”

“Troopers have killed several men in the village including Maqbool Bhat who was among the first martyrs of Kashmir. We won’t waste their sacrifices by casting votes,” said Shamshada, a protestor.

“We want Azadi and we will fight for it till our last breath. Voting will do us no good,” said another protestor Khalida.

The protestors said they had assembled so that “they would see the people who rejected the election boycott call given by Coordination Committee.”

“We support the call given by CC and we would not cast our vote come what may. We have gathered here to see the people who come out to vote ignoring the sacrifices that Kashmiris have made all these years,” said Abdul Hameed, a resident.

“All these years we have seen what Indian government is all about but every Kashmiri should understand that by casting the vote they are playing into the hands of India,” he added.

The demonstration immediately showed its effect: the line of voters disappeared and the polling booth got empty.

But a number of people voted with a refrain that elections and freedom were separate.

An elderly person, Kaiser Malik, waiting in a line for his turn to vote, said, “I have been casting vote since I became eligible for voting. It is necessary to elect the representative who would work for our development. But this does not mean we don’t want Azadi.”

The voters said they were voting to defeat the legislator who ignored them.

“We vote because we don’t want the same people to win again. They have ignored us all these years,” said a lady voter, Sara who had come to cast her vote after the police and paramilitary forces had chased the anti-election protestors away.

they are victims of ecconomic blockade

2008-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

DANISH NABI

Seven-year-old Bisma looks shabby in ragged clothes. There are no chances of her getting a new pair on Eid. The father who used to get her dresses every Eid is no more. He was killed by Hindu fanatics during the economic blockade of the Valley in August.
Muhammad Latif, a truck driver, was critically wounded when extremists attacked his vehicle with stones on the Srinagar-Jammu highway during the economic blockade of Valley on August 5. He succumbed after 12 days at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
“They were already very poor. Now their financial situation has gone worse. The family has lost its sole bread winner,” said Jigri, Latif’s aunt.
Latif’s widow had gone to G B Pant Hospital with her 10-year old daughter Saima, who had developed stomach pain.
“You can imagine the fate of kids who are 10, 7 and 5 years old. Their mother is illiterate. They have no other option but to beg for sustenance,” said Jigri.
Latif’s own life had been full of misfortunes. When he was three-months-old, his parents got separated, and both of them remarried. Latief was brought up by his relatives, and he didn’t receive parental love.
“Like their father, these kids have been deprived of father’s care,” Jigri said.
The family lives in a single rented room of a house at Pantha Chowk.
Jigri said some individuals from adjoining areas and some pro-freedom parties provided financial assistance to the family after Latif’s death.
“But we are really concerned about the future of these children and their education,” Jigri said.

Kashmiri youth at a risk of diabetes epidemic: studies “25%” youth suffers from abnormality of glucose

2008-10-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Danish Nabi
A study by Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) endocrinology department has revealed that Kashmir has a risk of diabetes epidemic among young adults between the age group of 20 to 40 years.
The study aimed at estimating prevalence of known and unknown diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) in the youth of the Valley has shown 25 per cent of the young adults have “abnormalities of glucose” which is likely to transform into diabetes. The study has revealed a higher risk among the urban youth of the Valley.
The study has revealed that overall incidence of diabetes in these young adults to be around “2.4 per cent.” It has also revealed a higher prevalence of diabetes and other related disorders in the youth as compared to the overall population of the valley.
The study has shown that in these youth “prevalence rates of Diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed), Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), Impaired Fasting Glycemia or IFG (WHO) and IFG (ADA) were 2.5per cent, 2.0 per cent, 11.9 per cent and 26.7 per cent respectively
Whileas The overall prevalence rates of “Diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed), IGT, IFG (WHO) and IFG (ADA) were 2.4 per cent, 1.6 per cent, 11.1 per cent and 25.2 per cent respectively”
The study has revealed higher prevalence of Diabetes in the predominantly urban district of Srinagar. It has shown 3.8 per cent higher prevalence in Srinagar as compared to the rural districts of the Valley.
It has also revealed that subjects with unknown Diabetes belonged to relatively higher age group, between 30 and 32 years. The study has revealed that the risk of having abnormal glucose tolerance was about one and a half times higher in the age group of 30 to 40 years as compared to 20 to 30 years age group.
The study has shown that the ratio of known to unknown diabetes cases in the Valley is 1:10 i.e; “for each diagnosed diabetes patient in the Valley there are 10 cases who unknowingly suffer from diabetes.”
Talking to Greater Kashmir director SKIMS, Dr Abdul Hameed Zargar, said the transformation of abnormality of glucose into diabetes would directly depend upon the obesity, dietary habits and life style of the people. He said the people can avoid diabetes by changing their lifestyle.
“If people avoid calories, non-veg diet and exercise regularly they can avoid diabetes for decades. If people can change their life style they may not develop diabetes at all,” he said.
He said the sedentary life style in urban areas has been responsible for increase in diabetes among the youth. “Earlier the age for diabetes occurrence was 40 years but now it is just 20 years and it is more prevalent in urban youth,” he said.
The study conducted completed this year was the first large population study from North India conducted to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and other abnormalities of glucose tolerance in young adults. It has been accepted by “diabetes research and clinical practice” for publication.
The study was headed by director SKIMS Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar and the others included in the team were Dr Abdul Ahad Wani, Dr Bashir Ahmad Laway, Dr Shariq Rashid Masoodi, Dr Arshad Iqbal Wani, Dr Mir Iftikhar Bashir and Farooq Ahmad Dar.—

why kashmir' s struggle for freedom- guest column

2008-10-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

By D.N ZARGAR

While growing up in Kashmir through the 90’s, the question of Kashmir’s struggle would always put my childish brain to scrutiny. Those slogans of ‘Indian dogs go back’ and ‘jive jive Pakistan (Long live Pakistan)’ made me think and rethink why the people raised such slogans? Why were the people sacrificing their peace and harmony to struggle against India? Everyday I would see mobs taking to streets against armed forces. Everyday the news of scores being killed across valley had become a norm. People were being treated like inhuman beings. No respect. No human values. Rights of people were taken to task everyday if at all they had any rights. The question kept lingering in my mind every day from dawn to dusk. And if I ask someone they would tell me “We are fighting against the accession of India who had forcefully occupied our land.”

But seeing the harmonious other states of India the justification looked vague. What was wrong in being with India? Being part of a fast developing nation. A democratic nation that bragged of its secularism. Where the songs and slogans “ Mazhab Nahi sikhata aapas mai baere rakhna” and “hindu, muslim, sikh, eesai sab aapas mai hai bhai bhai” were enchanted by people of all ages and all religions with shear enthusiasm.

The threat of bomb blasts and the potential risk to life that waited at everybody’s doorsteps had made the struggle murkier enough for me to hate it at its face value. It had snatched my childhood. The luxury of playing in free air with my fellow growing ups.

It was a ‘childhood’ where guardians would never let us step outside. Not into the lawns of our houses even, fearing that a bullet or a bomb shell might hit us there. Strikes and curfews would punctuate the schedule more often than not. So much that every morning people would ask “isn’t it hartal today! Rather than asking is it hartal today?”

Whatever, nothing could keep time from marching ahead. In that chorus of gun fire and screaming families of deceased youth, years passed-by leading me into an age where I may still have the same childish brain but the experience has added one more dimension to its thinking. Time answered my questions and experience taught me, “I am the best teacher”.

Time and again India proved people of Kashmir right and justified their struggle to end Indian accession. It has not to do with the human rights violation only but on a bigger canvas India showed Kashmir is no better than a colony to India.

Subjects of the Valley have been subjected to genocide for more than sixty years now and the death toll is in lakhs but hardly did any one from ‘secular India’ raise its voice against the atrocities. Rather Kashmir over the years became a storehouse of suspects for India which they use to pick out one to levy allegations of any bomb blast in India to show the brilliance of their judicial agencies.

The number of women raped by the ‘security forces’ here might be in thousands but never did I see any women activists and human rights agencies from India even commenting upon the issue. Where so much is being said and done for the empowerment of Indian women, the chastity of our mothers and sisters have always been slaughtered at the hands of Indian agencies but the issue could never be a mere topic of discussion even anywhere in the Indian society.

However, when Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) decided to poison thousands of stray dogs across the city to free it of the dog menace, the animal activist in Mainka Gandhi sprayed its love for the dogs and SMC had to stop its drive against dogs.

Recent History of Kashmir’s struggle has examples like kunanposhpora where the whole community was mass raped but all we got from India was once in a while condemnation by the culprits themselves.

A huge chunk of our youth is missing from decades and their families still peer at the doors envisaging the return of their beloveds who may never return. No body in India ever bothered about it but on the contrary if a kid falls in a pit somewhere in India it gets the attention of the Prime minister even.

India’s claims about Kashmir being an integral part of it have always proven hollow and baseless. Had Kashmir been anything more than a colony to India the struggle over the years would have jolted whole of India as the issues in rest of India does. But they never make any mention of what is being done with the Kashmiri people.

Kashmir has inhuman laws like Armed forces special Powers Act (AFSPA) and POTA used to crush the people but the laws were never challenged positively by any political party anywhere in India.

Indian media strangulates the professionalism of Journalism not to report the situation in Kashmir. In fact, all Kashmiri’s are terrorists in their view and they present us in that way only.

However, once in a while criminal act anywhere here has been highlighted to devastating heights that has marred the image of people of Kashmir all over world. No matter what has been the role of India in exploiting the people in committing such crime? Or the very fact that Indian forces and officials have been the criminals themselves.

You name it and India has committed the atrocity over the innocent people here and their emasculation as terrorists is being used to hide the ugly face of India’s attitude towards the people of Kashmir.

From human rights violation to cultural imperialism; from fake encounters to custodial killings India showed that the struggle of the people has a firm grounding. It showed that India always wanted Kashmir but never its people.

Recent Shree Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) controversy was no different. When the Valley was reeling under protest against the transfer of forest land to SASB, ruthless baton charges and bullets were used to disengage the protestors. The protests were never on the communal lines but it had to 1do with the change in the demography of the state and the support provided to yatris by the locals in those testing times even reflected non-communal intentions of Kashmiri people. Though Muslims in Kashmir have always been front runners in making Amarnath yatra a success year after year for more than 100 years now yet their protests where hard dealt with and as many as seven people were killed during the protests.

But when it came to the protests in Jammu not even a single bullet was fired even when it was a clear attempt to divide otherwise communally harmonious state of J&K on religious lines. Jammu and Kashmir belong to the same state but the step motherly approach of India here tells the story of its ‘secularism’.

Not only was the strategy different during the protests but whole of India took the side of Jammu in making the issue Kashmir V/s rest of India.

Indian media blindfolded themselves during the protests in the Valley but when the communal forces in Jammu came to streets all media was itching to report it in the exaggerated manner. Media did its best to establish that Kashmir is against Amaranth yatra which is never true.

Protestors in Jammu starved the Valley for all commodities of life by blocking the Highway and all that government of India did is they kept asking “where is the blockade.” Petrol pumps dried out, fruit and other industries in the Valley lost produce worth crores of rupees for want of transportation to markets outside but authorities could see none of it. In fact, had there been no threat of alternate Jhelum valley road to India they might never have bothered to take the issue seriously.

Now decades have passed but the people in the valley still have same struggle left in them. All these years all atrocities by India have failed to crush the longing of people for liberty.

People still come on to the streets facing the bullets. They protest tirelessly hoping that they will succeed one day. People get killed but the slogans never die down.

Harmony has not returned to this land nor have the atrocities died down but the people never bother about it. Their longing for freedom keeps longing, whatsoever.

Now the question that scrutinized my mind has long been answered. Having experienced India and its ‘secularism’ over the years I better understand the struggle now. I understand the cause of it now. Right here right now I might not say “jive jive Pakistan” but my even my every breath shouts ‘jis Kashmir ko khoon se seencha woh Kashmir hamara hai’ (We have irrigated this land with our blood it is ours)