Community Archives | Page 43 of 183

GoI can help Sikhs fleeing Afghanistan find a home in Kashmir Valley

September 10, 2021 Editor

The hasty withdrawal of the American troops from Afghanistan last month and the rapid advance of the Taliban to Kabul to capture power created a very insecure environment for the minorities, including the Tajiks, Hazaras, and the Sikhs. The Indian government with some reassurances from the Taliban was able to evacuate most of the Indian community, including the Sikhs and Hindus residing in Afghanistan for several generations. The announcement of the Taliban government wherein proscribed terrorists has been made ministers, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, a dreaded leader, has further confirmed the…

Global spotlight on harassment of J&K Journalists grows with latest letter from UN Experts

August 30, 2021 Editor

The communication joins a list of the growing chorus by global bodies and international watchdogs against the worsening press freedom scenario in India. By – Shakir Mir The UN Special Rapporteur for protection of the right to freedom of expression’s “serious concerns” over the reports of arbitrary detentions and intimidation of journalists in Kashmir is the latest in what has been a global spotlight on Jammu and Kashmir’s lack of press freedom. The communication, sent to the Indian government on June 3 earlier this year, was made public on Wednesday,…

‘Film-City’ in Kashmir on cards, Govt mulling to encourage owners to re-open existing cinema halls

August 27, 2021August 28, 2021 Editor

The government of Jammu and Kashmir is mulling to encourage and incentivize owners to reopen closed cinema halls in Kashmir Valley. Pertinently, cinema halls in Valley were closed after the eruption of militancy back in the 1990s. Some of the cinema halls of Valley have been converted into medical facilities, malls or have been occupied by government forces. Film Policy-2021 which has been implemented in Jammu and Kashmir states that besides encourages cinema hall owners to re-open their cinema houses, incentives will be offered to them. The government is also…

Kashmiri’s accuse Indian forces of Arbitrary Arrests, Intimidation

August 23, 2021 Editor

Arbitrary arrests and intimidation by security forces wielding batons and snatching phones leave many too scared to voice dissent. Public protests in Indian-administered Kashmir were once an almost weekly occurrence. But two years after New Delhi imposed direct rule on the region, locals say arbitrary arrests and intimidation by security forces wielding batons and snatching phones have left many too scared to voice dissent. A week before the region’s partial autonomy was abolished, and as a massive troop deployment fanned out to help forestall a local backlash, Rafiq (name changed)…

Kashmir governor’s public relations blitz leaves the press in tatters

August 23, 2021 Editor

Newspapers now publish little more than government handouts about Manoj Sinha and his supposed feats. By Rayan Naqash In Kashmir’s front-page headlines, there’s just one newsmaker. His utterances and field trips are not only prominently placed, some newspapers dedicate nearly all their pages to his feats and often print several pictures of his on the same page. A glance at Kashmir’s newspaper stands and you won’t miss the multitude of mastheads – there are 171 titles registered in Kashmir currently and 180 in Jammu – but look closely and you…

What is India’s new endgame in Kashmir?

August 14, 2021 Editor

A man on a motorbike shows his belongings to an Indian security force personnel during a cordon and search operation, in Srinagar

The Indian government has changed its approach to the ‘Kashmir problem’ because it has new strategic priorities. By- Umar Lateef Misgar If performance and posturing were the only indicators within politics, it may be said the political scene in Indian-administered Kashmir has been abuzz with renewed activity in the past few months. Earlier this summer, New Delhi initiated a new dialogue with local collaborators it has forged inside Kashmir, signaling its willingness to once again put its trust in them to help it subdue and rule the valley’s rebel population.…

Kashmir’s lone rose water maker Abdul Aziz Kozgar, scents uncertain future

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 Editor

Declining sales, insecurity in Kashmir have dealt blow to Abdul Aziz Kozgar’s business The sweet smell of rose water filled the air as Abdul Aziz Kozgar opened the shutters of his nearly 100-year-old shop in Srinagar for another day of business that has been hit by a sharp decline in sales over recent years. Wearing a skull cap and a loose kurta salwar, the traditional dress of most Kashmiri men, Kozgar smiled when reminded of his status as the last rose water maker in Srinagar, skills he acquired from his…

After two years revocation of special status Kashmiri’s continue to suffer

August 5, 2021 Editor

Two years after the revocation of Kashmir’s special status, India is still working to silence Kashmiris and erase Kashmiri’s identity. Ather Zia On August 5, 2019, in the wake of the Indian government’s move to revoke the parts of the constitution that give Indian-administered Kashmir special status, I penned an article for Al Jazeera titled There is reason to fear for the safety of every Kashmiri in India. In the two years since my worst fears have come true. After revoking Articles 370 and 35-A of the constitution, which ensured…

Post abrogation of article 370 more locals are joining rebel ranks in Kashmir?

August 5, 2021 Editor

Every time Bashir Ahmad Bhat’s gaze falls on the bloodstains on the walls, he is reminded of the night his brother, a policeman in Indian administered Kashmir, was murdered. It was June; Mr Bashir had been preparing to go to sleep when he heard the sound of gunshots coming from next door. Alarmed, he sprang out of bed to check. A heart-wrenching scene awaited him – his brother lay dead at the entrance of his home. His wife and daughter lay next to him, bloodied and struggling in pain. They…

J&K Govt lifts ban on Muharram procession after 3 decades, Shia Muslims split over the decision

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 Editor

Divisions have appeared in the Shia community in Kashmir over the administration’s purported decision to allow symbolic Muharram procession in the Lal Chowk area in Srinagar after a gap of three decades. All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association has claimed the administration has decided to allow the procession after 30 years and has welcomed the move, but prominent Shia leader and former minister Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said the decision raises more questions than it answers. President, All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association, Imran Reza Ansari said they welcome the…