Month: August 2016

National Conference questions Centre’s silence over Kashmir

Editor

The National Conference (NC) questioned the Centre’s silence over the ongoing crisis in Kashmir, which entered its 26th day on Wednesday. “Two more protestors killed last night. The CM [Mehbooba Mufti] still wants to behave as though it’s business as usual but why is the Centre oblivious?” tweeted NC working president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah. The NC’s spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu also criticized Ms. Mufti for her “obtuse remarks and shocking insensitivity”. “Ms. Mufti has left no stone unturned to vilify and provoke the agitating youth and…

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Kashmir’s women rulers

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M Ashraf Pandit Kalhana in Rajatarangini, his treatise on the Kashmiri Kings from the ancient times, which was written in twelfth century AD mentions about some of the women rulers of Kashmir. The most famous ruler has been Rani Didda who ruled for 40 years from 958 to 1003 AD. She is supposed to have been physically disabled, clever, manipulative, and ruthless. Her rule represents the peak of women power in Kashmir. She has been called the Catherine of Kashmir like the Catherine of Russia who was ruthless and ruled…

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Timber Smugglers, Encroachers take advantage of Kashmir Unrest

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Taking undue advantage of current unrest, timber smuggling in Kashmir has reached alarming levels as reports of felling of trees is pouring in from every corner of the valley. According to officials there are reports of trees being chopped down in Doodganaga range, Rithan range, Beerwah range, Kothar range, Tangmarg, Rafiabad, Doabgah range and Kandi range, Ganderbal and in some areas of Shopian-Pulwama. The smugglers have become emboldened to the extent that they are openly attacking forest officials. On July 31 when Forester Mohammed Maqsood Rather took his small team…

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National Conference attacks Mehbooba for ‘Insensitive’ remarks over Kashmir Unrest

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Opposition National Conference (NC) today lashed out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for her “insensitive” and “obtuse” remarks over the last few days, alleging her “shocking insensitivity had emboldened the brutal response” to the current unrest in the Valley. The National Conference questioned the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s sense of priorities and perspective in trying to portray normalcy in the state through the “Information Department” rather than trying to achieve “actual normalcy through empathy and humility.” “From meetings with female staff in the civil secretariat, to photo-opportunities in civil…

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#Day26, Valley seethes with anger after fresh killings, Hundreds injured in Kulgam Clashes

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Chattabal youth killed by pellets, death toll crosses 60 IG CRPF says cops involved in Riyaz’s killing won’t be spared Over 130 injured in clashes in Kulgam, 8 injured referred to Sgr hospitals Many injured in clashes in Pahalgam Curfew, restrictions, shutdown continue for 26th day Banihal, Bhaderwah observe strike against civilian killings Over 470 arrested in Kashmir: Police Kashmir remained tense after the overnight killing of a youth at Lethpora in South Kashmir in police firing and death of a 23-year-old ATM guard from Chattabal area of downtown Srinagar due…

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Come to Kashmir, the Valley of Roses, Apple Trees and Corpses

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Generation after generation in Kashmir are crushed in slow motion, and the longings of a people are inscribed on the scars and burns of their young. Shama Naqushbandi A man rows his boat in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Credit: Reuters I have been visiting Kashmir since my childhood. Over the years, the valley has taught me many hard lessons about the world. With my early trips to Kashmir, the terrain between history and reality blurred. It was the first time I realised that tragedy was not a foreign country. Its proximity was…

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Situation tense in Kulgam, dozens injured during violent protests, Geelani, Mirwaiz stages sit-in, lashes out at UN

Editor

 25 injured reach Kulgam Hospital, situation very tense Reports from Kulgam in south Kashmir suggest that situation is very tense and more than 30 persons have sustained injuries in the ongoing clashes in the district however officials were not available for comments. District Hospital Kulgam sources told Kashmir Post that they received 25 injured persons who have different sorts of injuries. Intense clashes erupted in Adeejan area of the district after thousands of protesters were stopped from marching to DH Pora. Local people had called a prayer meeting at DH Pora in…

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Army major chants azadi slogans ‘Hum Kya Chahte? Azadi!’

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Curious scenes, recorded on mobile phone cameras for posterity, were witnessed in Vessu village of Qazigund on Monday of an Indian Army officer full-throatedly shouting ‘Hum Kya Chaahte? Azadi!’, ‘Hum Kya Chaahte? Azadi!’, ‘Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-u-Akbar!’ Not just this, there were Kashmiri youth carrying the army officer on their shoulders, cheering as he chanted the slogans and his subordinate troops chanted after him. The drama began at 5:30pm in the evening when locals were offering Asr prayers in the local mosque. The major of the army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit in the…

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Two more deaths push Kashmir to the edge again

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Protests erupted in Srinagar and south Kashmir on Wednesday following the death of two young men – one in Srinagar and the other in Pulwama – on Tuesday night. People came out on roads in Chattabal area of Sirnagar’s old city after Reyaz Ahmad Shah, a bank ATM guard was found dead under mysterious circumstances near Shri Maharja Hari Singh Hospital. Protesters alleged that the guard was shot dead by security forces. Police said he was shot by a pellet gun from close quarters and had a deep wound in…

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Massive clashes erupt in Kulgam, 04 Persons injured in forces action, Pro-freedom march in Pahalgam

Editor

At least four persons sustained injuries when forces fired tear smoke canisters and pellets to disperse the protest rally at Damhal Hanjipora in south Kashmir’s  Kulgam district  on Wednesday, reports said. Massive clashes between government forces and protesters Wednesday erupted in Kulgam district after police and Para-military forces stopped people from reaching DH Pora. Earlier, a large number of people from dozens of areas in district Kulgam assembled and started their march to DH Pora to pay homage to those killed recently at the hands of government forces. Sources said…

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