Year: 2017

Amid politics in Kashmir, a mosque gives in

Editor

As the government talks of heritage tourism, Jamia Mosque, which managed by separatists, remains ignored Witness to Kashmir’s history 14th century onwards, Srinagar’s central mosque, Jamia Masjid, continues to live to tell the tale of the times gone by. It has braved hazardous fires. It has braved historic wars. It has braved decades of bloodshed. What the architectural marvel may not be able to brave is neglect from the government, ironically at a time when it is looking to promote heritage tourism in the state. The grand mosque is located…

Read More

Opposition, Hurriyat on same page over amnesty to stone-pelters

Editor

The Hurriyat Conference and Opposition parties NC and Congress are on the same page over the scrapping of cases against stone-throwers and stated that the PDP was only trying to recover the “ground lost by the party’’ after the “massive” pro-freedom protests in Kashmir. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti led PDP-BJP coalition government’s decision to grant amnesty to “first time stone-pelters” is seen by the pro-freedom camp a policy “ framed in Nagpur, packaged in Delhi and marketed in Kashmir with a very deep motive”. But people who faced cases say…

Read More

Tanvir War, Specially-abled youth ‘Threat to Peace’: Police

Editor

Police Sunday said that a specially-abled Tanvir Ahmad War alias Binda War of Drangbal, Baramulla, was at the “forefront of pushing young boys into trouble’ and endangering their lives. A spokesman said that War, presently lodged at Central jail Srinagar, was actively involved in 2016 unrest in old town Baramulla. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief, Yasin Malik, had accused government of harassing youth stating that a public safety act (PSA) was registered against a specially-abled. He had termed the PSA as a glaring example of “mental bankruptcy” of…

Read More

Wullar !!!! Water Level drops, lake’s future in jeopardy

Editor

Wular, Asia’s largest fresh water lake, has been witnessing degradation due to decline in water level, fish, water chestnuts and ‘nadroo’ (lotus stem). It is endangering its life and adversely affecting the economy of over 3.52 lakh people. The 130-sq km lake, designated as a Wetland of International Importance in 1986 and as a Ramsar Site in 1990, falls in Bandipora and Baramulla districts. The growth of over 21.84 lakh trees in its vast expanse in the foothills of Harmukh has transformed its shape. Earlier, the state government had envisaged…

Read More

Truce violations by Pak along border highest in 7 years

Editor

Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir more than 720 times this year, the highest in the past seven years. According to the data compiled by the Union Home Ministry, Pakistani forces have violated ceasefire 724 times along the IB and the LoC till October in comparison to 449 times in 2016. As many as 12 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed in the firing from across the border till October, a home ministry official said quoting…

Read More

‘Beti Bachao, Bahu Lao’ Hindu outfit plans campaign to counter Love Jihad

Editor

Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), affiliated to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), plans to convince in six months 2,100 educated Muslim girls to marry Hindu boys. Announcing a campaign to counter ‘love jihad’, Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), affiliated to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), plans to convince in six months 2,100 educated Muslim girls to marry Hindu boys. State president of ‘Bahu Beti’ cell of HJM Ajju Chauhan and HJM city unit president Jitendra Pratap Singh told media persons that 15 Muslim girls had been convinced in the last one year and their…

Read More

Centre’s mission Kashmir seems to be losing steam

Editor

The visit to Kashmir this week by the Centre’s representative, former Intelligence Bureau Chief Dineshwar Sharma, has ended with even less hope that a way forward will emerge. In fact, commenting on the visit, former RAW chief and long-time IB operative Amarjit Singh Dulat remarked that ‘I hope they don’t reduce him (Sharma) to a zero.’ Dulat, who has led the Centre’s covert talks initiatives in the past, acknowledged that hope appears to have dimmed. Increased Numbers To be sure, a larger number of delegations met Sharma than during his…

Read More

Zakir Musa’s portrait displayed during Milad procession in South Kashmir

Editor

In an extraordinary development in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the Sufi sect of Muslims displayed portraits of militants including that of al-Qaida’s Kashmir chief Zakir Musa during the Eid-ul Milad procession on Friday, police sources said. Al-Qaida emphasises on Wahhabism that discourages shrine-going and even observing the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad. Milad celebrations are in complete contradiction with the philosophy of al-Qaida, which propagates extremism and call for Islamic caliphate. Security forces allowed the procession but there were clashes in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district after some youth who were…

Read More

Tibetan Muslims who have made Kashmir their home

Editor

Sometimes when you think you know a place, you come across a fresh aspect of it, which reminds you how little you know. I’ve been visiting Kashmir fairly regularly for more than twenty years. I have been to Hari Parbat fort, the magnificent Mughal-era monument which dominates the Srinagar skyline. But I had never before come across the small, quiet, community that nestles in its shadow. Two thousand or more Tibetans have made their home in Srinagar. These are Tibetan Muslims. A few Muslim families remain in the Tibetan capital,…

Read More

India must ‘Cherish and Nurture’ its Muslims: Obama to Modi

Editor

India needs to “cherish and nurture” its Muslim population, which is integrated and considers itself Indian, former US president Barack Obama said on Friday. It is an idea that needs to be reinforced, he emphasised at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here. Obama touched on a host of topics, including his relationship with Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh, terrorism, Pakistan, the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his love for Indian ‘dal’ and ‘keema’, during his address and the question-answer session that followed. Obama, the first African American president of…

Read More