Category: Community

What is India’s new endgame in Kashmir?

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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.…

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

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

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…

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

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

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…

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

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

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…

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

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

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…

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Paper-Mache to help promote Urdu in Kashmir

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Paper-Mache to help promote Urdu in Kashmir

From October, the first batch of 40 students to undergo a six-month certificate course that will equip them with vocational skills and promote Urdu through Kashmiri handicrafts. When art meets language, the result is colourful poetry. Kashmir’s traditional art of papier-mâché will soon be used to promote the Urdu language and vice-versa. The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), New Delhi, and Craft Development Institute, Srinagar, have come together to offer a six-month certificate course in papier-mâché in Jammu and Kashmir. The first batch of 40 students will…

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Slaughtering of Cows, Camels banned in J&K on Bakra Eid

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Slaughtering of Cows, Camels banned in J&K on Bakra Eid

The Jammu and Kashmir government has banned the slaughter of cows, calves, and camels on Eid-ul-Adha (Bakra Eid) in the Union territory. Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir on July 21. Sacrificing sheep, cows, and camels is an important ritual for Muslims on Eid-ul-Adha. The ban on the slaughters of cows, calves, and camels has been communicated by the director of Planning, J&K Animal/Sheep Husbandry, and Fisheries Department, to Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and Kashmir, and IGP, Jammu, and Kashmir. Citing an official letter from the Animal Welfare Board…

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For Progress, Implement UP style population bill In J&K: BJP leader Yudhvir Sethi

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For Progress, Implement UP style population bill In J&K - BJP leader Yudhvir Sethi

Strongly advocating for the imposition of the population control law in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP on Wednesday said that Jammu & Kashmir should take a cue from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s proposed population policy to ensure population control. “We are impressed with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath’s proposed new population policy 2021-30 which he unveiled on Sunday,” said Yudhvir Sethi, vice president of the BJP in J&K. “J&K should go for a similar policy to ensure population control, which is prerequisite for ultimate growth and progress of any…

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Entry of day picnickers to Sonamarg on weekends banned: Govt

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Entry of day picnickers in Sonamarg on weekends banned - Govt

The government on Wednesday issued an order citing that no day picnickers shall be allowed to visit Sonamarg on 17th, 18th, and 24th, 25th July 2021 (Saturday-Sunday).The order has been issued in view of a large number of local tourists thronging to Sonamarg tourist destination especially on weekends which poses the danger of a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in view of a possible violation of Covid appropriate behavior. The order further read that only such persons/tourists shall be allowed to proceed towards Sonamarg who possess proof of confirmed booking…

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13 July 1931 Martyr’s Day: A historical perspective, When 22 were martyred to complete Zohar Azaan

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13 July 1931 Martyr's Day - A historical perspective, When 22 were martyred to complete Zohar Azaan

The Kashmir Martyrs’ Day is observed on July 13, every year to commemorate the sacrifice of the 21 Kashmiris, who were killed outside the Srinagar Central Jail by the troops of Dogra Maharaja in 1931 during a revolt. There is a background to this painful event, which continues to be memorialized. Kashmiris have been oppressed since 1846 when the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was created and despite having an over 95pc Muslim population, the state was sold by the British East India Company to Hindu Maharaja Gulab Singh…

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