Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai September 5, 2016 Since the current uprising in Kashmir began with the killing of Burhan Wani on July 8, the unjustifiable and violent attack with bullets, birdshot from pump-action shotguns and extreme cane beatings by Indian military forces upon many of some 200,000 mourners who attended his funeral, who were in technical violation of a rigid curfew that was established by the police and armed forces, has provoked numerous demonstrations and violent clashes between residents. Demonstrations have occurred across the globe by non-resident Kashmiris and other human…
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Articles
Too many mistakes – What the rest of India owes Kashmir and Kashmiris
Ramachandra Guha In the late summer and early autumn of 2010, the valley of Kashmir was gripped with protest, discontent, violence and suffering, just as it is now. In August 2010, when the troubles had entered their third month and the death toll had reached 70, the experienced journalist and Kashmir watcher, Siddharth Varadarajan, wrote a piece in The Hindu urging the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to take “bold steps to demonstrate his willingness to address the grievances of ordinary Kashmiris”. Dr Singh, wrote Varadarajan, should not insult Kashmiri sentiments…
Read MoreIn Kashmir, Conspiracies Fester Under Internet Censorship
Kashmir’s “forgotten war” is misunderstood and badly reported as a direct result of government censorship on media outlets and private internet service providers By Naheed Mustafa There is a video on YouTube that shakes and hiccups through 11-and-a-half minutes of the last rites for Burhan Muzaffar Wani. Thousands of men and women stand in a clearing surrounded by trees, straining for a final glimpse, a chance for a picture, a last opportunity to touch the face of Wani, a 21-year-old militant shot dead by Indian forces on July 8, 2016…
Read MoreSocial Boycott and threats to families, Cops from Kashmir are the real losers amid the growing Unrest
Maninder Dabas The story of CRPF Jawan from the valley, Khurshid Ahmad, who despite being hit by 8 bullets is desperate to get on his feet and serve his nation, is an inspiration for many. On the other hand the resignation of two police jawans, Firdous Ahmad and Waseem Ahmad Sheikh, bowing to social pressure of them killing their own protester brothers, is a tale in contrasting realities. The ongoing unrest in Kashmir is probably the toughest time in the life for a Kashmiri cop. Being a Kashmiri, he’s always…
Read MoreKashmir: A story of defiance amid grief
People in Indian-administered Kashmir aim their anger against security forces as death toll and eye injuries mount. by Elizabeth Puranam For Abdul Rehman Mir, the grief over the death of his son has turned to anger. He is sitting on the living room floor of his small family home in the Tengpora neighbourhood of Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar, surrounded by nearly 30 neighbours. His son Shabir, 24, was killed by police on July 10 – two days into the mass protests against the Indian security forces’ killing of Kashmiri rebel commander…
Read MoreThe Rise of more Burhans
Killing of the Hizbul commander in Kashmir is radicalising youth But what has become worrisome for the security establishment is the growing support for militants in the valley. Adnan Bhat At a large rally in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a dozen kids holding toy guns and replicas of AK-47’s made out of bare wood carefully listen to sermons of Azadi being delivered from the podium. They are well aware of the situation right now in Kashmir. Some of them say they want to be like “Burhan Bhai”. Scenes like these…
Read MoreKashmir and Palestine: The story of two occupations
The growing pockets of solidarity expressed for Kashmiris are heartening, as is the solidarity for Palestinian struggle. By : Goldie Osuri The India and Israel alliance has been described as a full-blown romance, but the ongoing siege of Kashmir makes this a bloody affair – covert for years. India has bought arms from Israel since the 1960s. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to visit Israel in 2017, marking the 25th anniversary of full diplomatic relations. The two nations are passionate about their brutal occupations of Kashmir and Palestine. India…
Read MoreThe Rise of Kashmir’s Second ‘Intifada’
For the first time since 1990, the anger in Kashmir and support for azadi from India is stretched across society in the Valley. By Prem Shankar Jha Srinagar airport felt normal when eight of us – journalists and social activists – arrived on August 18. Planes were flying into the airport every hour from different parts of India. Bags came onto the conveyor belts with commendable speed and taxi drivers were waiting outside the exit to solicit passengers. But the normalcy was deceptive. My return ticket to Srinagar had cost me only Rs…
Read MoreBurhan Wani and the Power of the Internet misread in Kashmir
Derek O’Brien Years ago I read a definition of the difference between a nationalist and patriot. The nationalist loves his country, the patriot loves the people of his country. This one-liner came back to me recently as I considered the volatile and worrying situation in the Kashmir Valley, and how some people in India, on social media and on prime-time shows and in real life as well, unfortunately, seem to make a distinction between Kashmir, the land and Kashmiris, the people. As if the first is all-important to India and…
Read MoreKashmir; Controlled but Never Owned
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, most popular and acknowledged leader of his time, was quite influenced and inspired by the way India was going to emerge after its independence – democratic, socialist and secular; country with a hope for its poor and downtrodden sections of the society, constitutional guarantee of fundamental rights to its citizens. While Indian National Congress (INC) represented all segments of the population, the elite, working class, farmers and artisans, in contrast to Muslim League constituted mostly by the elites of the Indian Muslim society. Thus, Sheikh Abdullah must…
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