May 21, 2019 | Kashmir POST

How conflict and stigma are creating mental health crisis in Kashmir

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

The embattled district of Shopian in the south of Kashmir is at breaking point. An unknown gunman has shot and injured a local politician in the village of Chitragam. He is the third politician shot this week in Shopian district alone. Earlier that day, streets across the region were filled with thousands of protesters demanding the death penalty for the man who raped a three-year-old girl. And the past week has also seen the return of shelling between Indian and Pakistani forces in Kashmir, with civilians reportedly injured. Such violence…

Turkish president, Erdogan calls on Muslim countries to unite and confront Israel

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Muslim leaders to unite and confront Israel, days after scores of Palestinians were killed by Israeli snipers as they marked 70 years of Israeli occupation. Speaking at an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday, Erdogan said Israel should be held accountable over the killings which drew widespread international condemnation and triggered a wave of protests from Asia, through the Middle East, to North Africa. “To take action for Palestinians massacred by Israeli bandits is to show the whole world that humanity…

Mohammad Jammal, PDP worker paid by his life as his family cast 5 of 7 votes in south Kashmir

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

Police officials said militants were behind Mohammad Jammal’s killing as they want to create fear among the people for the next elections to the assembly for which dates are yet to be announced. PDP worker Mohammad Jammal from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district knew casting his vote would not be easy this time, yet he insisted he and his family would not stay away from the polling booths. On April 29, the polling day, the 65-year-old from Zungalpora was unwell and could not go out to vote. But he made sure…

As UN demands details on Civilian killings in Kashmir, India stops engagement on topic

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

UN experts have asked for clarification on 76 cases of torture and killings of civilians in the last 29 years. Three special rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have written to India asking for details on steps taken to punish or provide justice to victims and their next of kin in 76 cases of torture and arbitrary killing in Jammu and Kashmir since 1990. The letter to the Indian government, dated March 18, is written by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard,…

To prevent Eidgah march restrictions imposed in Downtown

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

Authorities have imposed restrictions in Srinagar on Tuesday to prevent a separatist-called commemoration march. The Hurriyat Conference has called for the march to the Martyrs Graveyard in the Old City’s Eidgah area to pay homage to two senior separatist leaders, Mirwaiz Moulana Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone, who were killed by unidentified assailants on this day in 1990 and 2002. Mirwaiz Moulana Moulvi Muhammad Farooq, the father of Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was killed at his residence in the outskirts of the city on May 21,…

Caged within smartphones

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

While walking down the memory lane, we pre-2000 generation has a lot to cherish. Starting from open baths in nearby streams and rivers to playing gilli danda, all was pristine and natural. We still remember and cherish the social pluralism and shared neighbourhood wherein borderlines were irrelevant. It was breakfast at home, lunch at Payri jee’s house and dinner at Khal soab’s house. From every household the feeling of home was consistent and persistent. After the paddy harvest, the collection of left out individual paddy straws for some monetary benefits…

Zanskar demands repolling

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 Editor

In a major political development ahead of the counting of votes on May 23, three of the four candidates from the Ladakh parliamentary constituency on Monday jointly wrote to the J&K Chief Electoral Officer, demanding repolling in the Zanskar subdivision of the region. Congress nominee Rigzin Spalbar and two Independents — Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai, who is a Congress rebel, and Sajjad Hussain Kargili, who has been backed by the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and the influential Islamia School Kargil — have alleged malpractices at all polling stations in…