Category: Articles

Articles

VDCs: The new Ikhwan

Editor

The Village Defense Committees (VDCs) were set up in 1995 to fight the militancy in Jammu Kashmir. Under this strategy, the civilians, preferably, notorious hooligans and habitual offenders were armed. The government gave the justification that VDC will assist the government forces in counterinsurgency operations. VDC is a mercenary group armed, organised, and funded by the State government. In April 2013, the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the Jammu Kashmir legislative assembly that “26567 persons were working with the VDCs in 10 districts of Jammu division and Leh district…

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Kashmir: Tales of unfinished probes and denial of justice

Editor

Justice continues to be a casualty in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir, thanks to incomplete and abandoned probes into major political ‘mishaps’ and rights abuses. According to human rights defenders, the probes into political ‘mishaps’ and rights abuses in the state are ordered “only to quell public anger.” Noted human rights defender, Advocate Parvez Imroz, believes the Government of India has “hampered the criminal justice system by its overt and covert operations.” It’s believed that the “Institutional Denial of Justice’ in Jammu and Kashmir started way back in 1963 when Jawaharlal…

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Redeeming for lost Pride of Kashmiri Pandits

Editor

Recently I read a story about a teenage boy who was complaining his mother about the way he had been ridiculed among his peers and friends. His friends were taunting and making of fun him. Reason being he did not know about his aboriginal place, his family history and was unable to converse in his mother tongue. That narrative was about a young boy belonging to an indigenous tribe in Papua-New Guinea. He had been adopted by the Christian family and taken away from his ancestral village to New Zealand. He had…

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Milad Processions in Kashmir

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How the political history of modern Kashmir is suffused with a purely religious event Zahir-ud-Din The Milad processions have played a significant role in Kashmir politics since Sher-e-Kashmir’s times. The processions helped him mobalise people.  He would lead the procession every year and recite naa’ts in his melodious voice. His naa’ts evoked massive response from the people and added to his popularity. He continued to take out processions for some years after converting Muslim Conference into National Conference. However, he had to abandon the practice following severe criticism from the…

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Why use Meadows for Artillery drills!

Editor

Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat Around two years back extension of lease agreement between Jammu & Kashmir Government and Army for Tosamaidan filed firing range had created lot of tension and disturbance in Kashmir. The move was being resisted not only by the villagers surrounding Tosamaidan meadow but people in general were against the lease extension. Kashmir based Civil society organizations, political parties, writers, elected panchayat representatives, NGOs, tour and travel associations and many more groups had continuously lodged their protest against using Tosamaidan as a filed firing range. The sustained…

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Aar paar autonomy for Kashmir

Editor

Shahnawaz Gul Advocates of Aar paar (both sides) autonomy will have to educate the groups from all sides that the concept is to accommodate and not alienate them. Aar paar autonomy needs to be presented and pitched as a win-win situation for all. It is also an imperative for the conflict resolution process. Aar paar autonomy means autonomy given to both the parts of Kashmir. Autonomy, as a compromise solution, provides for the possibility to share sovereignty between the states and sub state regions with unique history and geographical proximity.…

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Leave it Mufti sahib!

Editor

Ghulam Nabi Khayal It is high time that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed now save his bruised skin from more bites being inflicted upon him by snakes he has been feeding with sweet milk for about a year now. His hugging the communal political organisation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a born enemy of Kashmiri Muslims and patron and mentor of Kashmiri Hindus, has given this veteran Kashmir politician nothing except unrest and mental disturbance out of this dangerous accord between a liberal regional organization and a pack of unbridled deadly…

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Why Suicide Rate Is On Rise In Kashmir?

Editor

Dr Qayum Hamid Changal Suicide is considered as one of the grave sins in Islam. And, also it is a sign of personal weakness and giving up, turbulent and depressive state of mind, misguided society, and oscillate government. In Kashmir, one of the major factors is the ongoing conflict and flooding of Valley with troops and restrictions by government. The source, root or origin is multifactorial. It would be unwise if we blame only a particular lapse and bury the rest. Though our society is proudly riding on the horse…

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Geelani is my leader

Editor

Dawood Nabi I believe in action not in reaction. But the reaction to Syed Ali Geelani’s recent interview prompting me up to write few lines. This is a letter that is prompted by recent “response drama” to one of the bravest and the most prominent Hurriyat leaders who did everything what was in his ambit for the aspiration of the Kashmiris. Criticism is good but only when it is constructive. Geelani Sahab remains Kashmir’s most beloved and heroic figure despite vindictive criticism. He is an ideology and idea which cannot be…

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Transported to the era of ‘Nund Rishi’- the flag-bearer of Kashmir

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Iqbal Kirmani Urging the academic world to reinterpret the teachings of Kashmir’s patron Sufi saint, Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din (RA), Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar Friday said the saint’s life needs retelling as the era of great secularism in Jammu and Kashmir. “In today’s world where Muslims face internal divisions, the era of Sheikh is an example of great secularism in Jammu and Kashmir. Like we have to rediscover the message of Quran, we have to rediscover Sheikh-ul-Aalam as a great connector between people of different faiths,” Akhtar said. The Minister was…

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