Community Archives | Page 54 of 183

1442 Hijri, Islamic New Year begins today

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020 Editor

The Hijri New Year 1442 begins on Friday, 21 August 2020, J&K Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam announced today. The Grand Mufti confirmed the sighting of the moon and announced that 21 August would be the first day of Muharram. He said ample number of testimonies were received from various districts about the sighting of Muharram moon and Friday will mark the first day of the first month of the Islamic calendar. The Youm-e-Ashur would be observed on August 30. Imarat-e-Sharia Hind announced the sighting of Muharram moon on Thursday evening.Chairman Central…

Kashmiri’s in Limbo and Lockdown since past 12 months

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020 Editor

On 5 August 2019, the Indian government stripped Kashmir of its constitutionally guaranteed special status and split the region into two federally-run territories. A stringent curfew was imposed and thousands detained along with a communications black-out. The lockdown began to be eased in March, but was then re-imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been a year of shutdowns, anger and fear. The BBC spoke to 12 different Kashmiris, to find out what their lives have been like during this year. Sanna Irshad Mattoo, 26“In our line of work,…

India’s new domicile law in Kashmir amplifies demographic fears

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020 Editor

For almost a century, no outsider was allowed to buy land and property in Indian-controlled Kashmir. That changed Aug. 5 last year when India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the Himalayan state’s semi-autonomous powers and downgraded it to a federally governed territory. It also annulled the long-held hereditary special rights its natives had over the disputed region’s land ownership and jobs. Since then, India has brought in a slew of changes through new laws. They are often drafted by bureaucrats without any democratic bearings and…

In one year, BJP’s political project sees J&K’s regional symbols vanishing

August 5, 2020August 5, 2020 Editor

The symbols promote a sort of collective sentiment of a distinct history and memory, says political expert If not fully meeting the agenda of development and progress, the political project of the BJP has seen most of the regional symbols vanishing in the past one year in J&K, which is bereft of any special status now, a political expert has said. “All the moves made [post August 5] were in line with what the BJP has been claiming that Kashmir needs to be fully integrated. Given the history of these…

One year post Article 370 revocation from a Kashmiri’s prospective

August 5, 2020August 5, 2020 Editor

Nazir Masoodi It was the most tense and uncertain night of our life. Troops were in every nook and cranny to impose a tough curfew. Before midnight, a complete communication blockade was enforced. Mobile phones, the internet and even landlines were snapped. Ahead of that historic August 5 decision, all the security measures were in place to quell any public revolt. A massive troop buildup, contingency orders, the evacuation of non-locals, tourists and Amarnath pilgrims – for us locals, these were ominous signs. The worst fear was that the centre…

‘Things have gone worse in Kashmir’ amid year’s lock-down: Rights Body

July 25, 2020July 25, 2020 Editor

Anger and alienation in Kashmir are having a disastrous economic, social and political impact, a New Delhi-based rights body says in a report released a year into India’s lockdown of the region. On Aug. 5 last year, New Delhi annulled Article 370 of the country’s constitution, which had guaranteed Kashmir’s special autonomous status and granted locals exclusive land and job rights. The move sparked widespread anger, which was met with a brutal response from India’s military, detention of political activists and civilians, suspensions of all democratic rights and a media…

All you need to know about J&K’s new Domicile Law

July 23, 2020July 23, 2020 Editor

Difference between Article 35A and 3A of J&K Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order 2020: Article 35A of the Indian Constitution was an article that empowered the Jammu and Kashmir’s state legislature to define “permanent residents” of the erstwhile state and provided employment opportunities only to those permanent residents. On the other hand, Section 3A of the J&K Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order 2020, under the J&K civil services (decentralisation and recruitment) Act, defines “Domicile” for the purpose of appointment to the post carrying a pay scale not more…

GoI amended J&K Development Act for ‘Land Grabbing’: Regional Political Parties

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020 Editor

A day after the Jammu and Kashmir administrative council amended the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, paving the way for armed forces to notify “strategic areas” for themselves, regional political parties accused the government of being “on a mission of a major land grab”. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in a statement said the move could be anything ranging from establishing colonies to the special deployment of defense equipment to creating an army establishment in J&K. The party described the proposed amendment as a remnant of colonial era laws.…

Post the killing of Sheikh Bari, Resignation of BJP cadre started flowing in from across Kashmir Valley

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 Editor

All is not well in BJP as activists from J&K Unit are continuously turned up with resignations in one pretext or other. A senior party leader admitted that the repeated delay from the administration in providing adequate security cover is the main reason for fear among party cadres which led distances by members while another admitted that efforts are on in this regard. Several BJP activists have given up the party either after receiving life threat by militants or having indifferences with party higher ups. At least three party activists…