J&K News and Discussion-2011

[sum]

Rights activist's detention criticised

The detention of human rights activist Gautam Navlakha at the Srinagar International airport on Saturday has been criticised even as the Jammu and Kashmir government says his entry will pose a “danger” to peace and tranquillity.

Mr. Navlakha, who has been visiting Kashmir regularly to highlight alleged human rights abuses, was to have attended a book release function on that day. He was served with an order by the Budgam district Magistrate stating that his entry had been banned under Section 144.

Since there was no flight back to Delhi in the evening he spent the night at the Humhama police station. He was sent back on Sunday.

Angana Chatterji, U.S.-based convener of the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir (IPTK), criticised the detention of Mr. Navlakha, a member of IPTK, and said such acts targeted and obstructed the work of the Tribunal.

Good work by administration..the $#%^ should have been deported out of desh long ago!

Wonder if the J&K govt is "communal"/fascist now since he has mentioned about how fascist Gujarat govt doesnt allow him in. Also, notice who is criticizing his detention ( another fav motorham of BRF)!!!

[Vikas]

Finally someone in admin throwing these dogs out of J&K !! We have had enough of these so called Human Rights people whose only agenda is to undermine Indian state.

[sum]

"What are they coming for? What does that writer want - to burn Kashmir? Let them burn some other place in India.

WTF is Shri. Abdullah suggesting?
Spare J&K but cause mayhem elsewhere in country as i dont care about it?Is this guy supposed a minister in GoI ( I = India)?

[Vikas]

^ Sum ji, I think it was more of figure of speech. At least he is focussed on getting this scum thrown out. Let's deal with one enemy at a time.

[JE Menon]

Its rhetoric boss... Farooq Abdullah is pretty famous for this sort of comment. He doesn't really mean it as such...

[sum]

119 militants active in Kashmir, lowest in 20 years

A latest census conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police shows 325 militants are currently present across Kashmir. And of them, 119 are active — the lowest figure ever since militancy erupted in the state in 1990.

The data, compiled by the J&K Police and Criminal Investigation Department (CID), shows majority of the militants are operating in north Kashmir.

Of the total 325, there are 168 local militants and 134 foreign nationals while the identity of the rest is yet to be ascertained. A chunk of the foreign militants are associated with the Lashkar.

Sources say the number of active militants, categorized as ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, respectively — as per “strategic and tactical importance” — is 119.

Despite setbacks, Hizbul Mujahideen is the largest militant outfit operating in Kashmir with 143 active cadres, including 15 foreign militants.

The Hizb is followed by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba with 92 militants in the Valley. The Hizb and Lashkar together share 72 per cent of the militant base in the Valley. No Harkat-ul-Ansar militant is present in Kashmir.

Kupwara is seen a launch pad for militants because of its proximity to the Line of Control.

Kupwara is followed by Baramulla where the number of militants, both “active” as well as “passive”, is 73.

In Baramulla district, majority of the militants are stationed in Sopore — a militant stronghold. There are 40 militants present in Bandipore.

Central Kashmir — comprising Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts — has the lowest presence of militants in any police range.

Though the police have declared Srinagar city as free of militants, 14 militants are present in the periphery.

Ten militants are active in Budgam district while 16 are roaming around in Ganderbal. In the four districts of south Kashmir, 85 militants, including 16 foreign nationals, are active. Only 13 militants are present in Shopian, once a militant hotbed.

In the South, 36 militants are present in Pulwama while 23 are active in Anantag. There are 13 militants each in Kulgam and Shopian districts, the document says. No senior police officer was available for comments.

Love the way they give the EXACT numbers in each district ( 23, 40 etc)...

Just 119 pigs in entire J&K?

[Theo_Fidel]

I read earlier that the life expectancy of a imported militant is now something like 6 weeks in J&K. So 119 is definitely believable. It doesn't take a lot to create hungama.

[Gagan]

Yes something like that. Once the passes close most of them meet their 72 during the harsh winter. Very few make it back in one piece when the mountain passes open during the summers.

Besides, the local Kashmiris don't want these riff-raff around. Most of these guys are from South Punjab, are illiterate country bumpkins, free-loading bums who ooze religious bigotry out of every orifice. Most of them can't talk much, but the one's who can talk are supremely paki. The cultural differences couldn't be more stark!

Their guides give them up to the security forces sometimes, the villagers give them up to the local police.

These guys have killed 50,000 odd kashmiris in the valley.

I was talking to a couple of kashmiri guys on a train journey, and much of the above description is what they offered. About the security forces they said, that these guys don't actually bother the general public, but the moment they find out that there's a militant (the guys from kashmir pronounce them 'mil-tants') in a village, all hell breaks loose. It sounded a bit like hunting for a rat who's invaded your house, and is hiding from one room to the other. The security forces end up swatting these guys out. The kashmiri guys - one older guy was all praise for the young officers, who were very polite and respectful.

[Airavat]

Just 119 pigs in entire J&K?

The 119 are in the Kashmir region. For the whole state the number is 325.

Geographically, the tougher terrain in Jammu provides more hideouts, while the lack of infrastructure affects the numbers of patrols.

[jagbani]

[Nihat]

If the Govt. did have a proper Kashmir policy then this would be the time to kick into the next phase, with the reports of terrorists dwindling to as low as 120 in the state the threat from terror which existed in 90's and early 2000's is now almost extinct ( as long as forces remain there).

We need a strategy of sorts which will return the state to its liberal roots and help it get in touch with it's former culture rather than the deobandi crap that it has been infested with since 1989. There are still glimpses such as minorities being elected as village heads and Kashmiri topping IAS paper but this is very little. The speedy completion of Kashmir rail is important as it will reduce Isolation between the valley and rest of India, establishment of more "national universities" in the Jammu region, banking system has to be developed to encourage financial inclusion and investment and a concerted media campaign to emphasize what Kashmir was, how it was known for it's secular character and what it has become now.

GoI putting a solid effort into all this and perhaps in a decades time we'll be able to undo the damage cause by Paki dogs in our heaven, besudes why only Kashmir, it should be valid for NE as well as Naxal areas.

[Airavat]

750 kilometers gas pipeline from Bathinda-Jammu to Srinagar to be completed within 36 months

CM Omar Abdullah said that it will connect Jammu and Kashmir to the National Gas Grid. "It will relieve the State from energy crisis to a greater extent and help divert hydro power for other judicious use."

[wig]

IDSA started a reserach project in aug 09 and conducted a conference with experts and now this is the report as per the Tribune; China preparing to take over Gilgit-Baltistan

The Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in a study “PoK: Changing the discourse” released last week warns against China’s growing designs in the vital Gilgit-Baltistan area that borders the Kargil-Drass region of India. “If the current pace of Chinese penetration is sustained then China may completely take over Gilgit-Baltistan by the year 2020”, says the study. The study had a sharp focus on the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Explaining the Chinese interest, it says the Gilgit-Baltistan region is contiguous to China’s Xinjiang province where Muslim separatist feelings are strong. Therefore, China seems to be preparing to take over control over Gilgit-Baltistan, should the central authority in Pakistan becomes ineffective. “China has a strategic intent to dominate PoK in general and Gilgit-Baltistan in particular”, the 54-page study report says, while adding that Pakistan has ignored the resentment of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan against the increasing Chinese penetration into their area.

There is a suspicion that the Sunni majority state of Pakistan along with China may exterminate the Shia minority in Gilgit-Baltistan in order to silence all opposition.

According to one of the recommendations, “A message needs to be conveyed to China telling it that its role in PoK is totally unjustified in line with China’s stand that Kashmir is a ‘disputed territory’. China should be made to explain as to why it is engaging itself in developmental works in a region, that is claimed by India, without its consent”. The IDSA opines that the International community is waiting for India’s response to the presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110609/main3.htm

[ManishH]

http://in.news.yahoo.com/government-hin ... 30121.html

Jammu, June 9 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government and Hindu groups seem to be heading for a clash once again over the Amarnath yatra. While the annual pilgrimage is scheduled for June 29, groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal want it to begin June 15.
...
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's remarks on Tuesday that his government will not allow the pilgrimage before June 29 has angered the Hindu groups. ... Omar, however, was citing the track condition and the threat to the lives of the pilgrims due of the snow and vagaries of weather.
...
VHP national secretary had said that the party would clear the tracks leading to the cave shrine -- located at the height of 3,888 meters in Himalayas in south Kashmir -- if the government is 'incapable of doing so'.

How come neither weather, nor pilot strikes, nor air-traffic ever disrupts or delays the state-sponsored Hajj pilgrimage ? How come Hajj camps start operating weeks before the actual pilgrimage and enjoy virtual picnics on tax-payers' expense ?

[ManishH]

Another instance where the "administration" was being used to obstruct and delay return of KPs ...
http://in.news.yahoo.com/return-kashmir ... 00767.html

Omar said he has directed the Inspector general of CID to expedite the verification of Kashmiri Pandit youth, who have been employed under Prime Minister''s job plan in Kashmir Valley recently.

"I have directed the IG (CID) to fast track the clearance for them," he said when asked about why wages were not being paid to the new recruits even after five months of joining the service.

Implies that the J&K police or bureaucrats have been obstructing KP return by delaying the verification and even the wages!

We are making efforts for their return but they (Kashmiri Pandits) have to be prepared for it. They should feel assured and confident about their return," Omar told reporters after paying obesiance at the Tulmulla shrine here, 27 kms from Srinagar.

Wait a minute Sir. Isn't it the responsibility of the administration to make all citizens feel secure ?

[Anindya]

From http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?724647

J&K: BBC Journo Booked for Spreading 'Disaffection'

Jammu and Kashmir Police has filed a case against a London-based BBC journalist of Kashmiri origin on the charges of spreading "disaffection", following the death of a businessman at Lal Chowk here earlier this week.

"A case has been registered against foreign-based journalist of Kashmiri origin Naeema Ahmad Mehjoor for spreading disaffection as she had claimed that the shooting at Lal chowk on June 6 was carried out by the police," Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S M Sahai told reporters here.

Mehjoor, who works for BBC's Urdu service, had generated a debate on social networking site Facebook, claiming that Mohammad Afzal Khan, a businessman from Sopore, was shot dead by the police.

but what really happened....

"The deceased used to lend money on interest and a cheque of Rs 32.70 lakh was recovered from his belongings," he said.

Farooq Ahmad Dar and Parvaiz Ahmad Tantray, both residents of Reban, Sopore, had a dispute over money transaction with the deceased, the IGP said.

On questioning the duo, the conspiracy behind the murder was cracked, he said.

The duo took help of Lateef Ahmad, a released militant, and Shabir Ahmad to eliminate Khan, Sahai said.

"Under the plan, they asked Khan to open an account in a bank in Srinagar where he could get the money. Tantray accompanied the deceased for purpose of identification and the plan was executed at Residency Road," he said.

Lateef fired at the deceased from a point blank range and fled from the spot in a car which was waiting for him, Sahai said.

Farooq Ahmad Dar, Parvaiz Ahmad Tantray and Shabir Ahmad have been arrested and the weapon of offence (pistol) has also been recovered, the IGP said.

[abhishek_sharma]

Rift within J&K coalition over accession widens now

J-K accession not conditional: Cong

Empower people on ground: Delhi to Omar

[ManishH]

Amarnath yatra impasse over.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/amarnath-yat ... 155-3.html

"They have agreed upon our demands, and have said that the yatra will commence from the proposed date of June 15, though in a symbolic manner," said the national spokesperson of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Surinder Kumar Jain.

[Sachin]

^^^ And what does the "symbolic manner" mean?

[abhishek_sharma]

Plan panel grants J&K Rs 6,600 crore

[ManishH]

"symbolic manner" meant that a delegation of the nyas were to be flown via chopper to the holy cave and will do the first puja. But rest of yatris will be able to begin not before June 29.

Latest reports suggest that even the token delegation could not offer the prayers at the cave shrine ...

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article ... id=5210725

For the first time in 150 years, the 'partham pujan' that symbolises the start of the Amarnath pilgrimage was not performed at the cave shrine in the Himalayas but at a spot six km away. No reasons have been attributed for this, in spite of an agreement having been reached on performing the prayers at the shrine.

It's sad that GoI could not even ensure minimal logistical support needed to uphold the sacredness of Purnima as the starting day of the pilgrimage that reflects ancient Indian culture.

I've never heard of pilgrims missing flights or flight delays or even pilot strikes on Hajj

What's worse is that no political pressure is brought upon by any of the self-proclaimed culturally conscious political organizations. Hope in the reign of Brahma-rakshasas, we don't live to see a day where this is repeated in Vaishnodevi shrine too.

[Raja Bose]

Read Angana Chatterji's wikipedia entry here

Seems like it is written by her or one of her admirers

[abhishek_sharma]

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil with the Girl Students from Kashmir, those who are under “Operation Sadbhavna”, organised by CIF HQ(K) Sig Regt, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on June 17, 2011.

From PIB, Govt of India.

[jaibhim]

Heating up Cashmere? Here's another groovy article by Boga!

Ali feels that his close relationships have been affected because of the torture. “I hate pity. I just hate it when people do that,” he says, as he looks away.

The United Nation’s Convention Against Torture states that torture cannot be “justified under any exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency”.

According to NGOs working in the Indian administrated Kashmir, last summer several youth and underage boys were picked up by the authorities for participating in street demonstrations against the ‘Indian occupation‘. Often, under the ambit of draconian laws, youth and children as young as ten are held, even in isolation, and not produced in court. Human rights lawyers in Kashmir complain that the details of these detention cases are not recorded, giving the forces involved impunity from prosecution. No First Information Report were lodged against the perpetrators and acts like Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) – Section 4 permit arrest without a warrant.

Dilnaz Boga is an Indian journalist and the recipient of Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize for her work in Indian-administered Kashmir.

[wig]

Pakistani troops fire on Indian posts near LoC in Poonch

In a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistani troops today opened heavy firing from medium machine guns (MMGs) and small arms along with rocket-propelled grenades on Indian forward posts in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

"Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire. They fired RPGs and opened MMG and small arms firing on Indian forward posts in Krishna Gati sub-sector in Poonch district," an army officer of 16 Corps said.

Pakistan troops subjected our posts in Poonch to heavy fire using 3 rounds of RPG and 80 rounds of 7.62 mm MMG and small arms at around 1.35 pm, he said, adding that it continued for half an hour.

http://www.ptinews.com/news/1693075_Pak ... -in-Poonch

[nithish]

Army busts militant hideout in Doda

Army troops on Sunday busted a militant hideout and recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and explosive material in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district. Based on intelligence inputs, a joint column of 159 Infantry Battalion and Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation in Phuklan Top and busted the natural cave-hideout, an army officer said.
One .303 rifle with one magazine, 13 rounds of sniper rifle ammunition, one IED switch were among the seizure from the hideout, he said.

[Dipanker]

Some Stats

Here's what the data says. In the last 21 years, 43,460 people have been killed in the Kashmir insurgency. Of these, 21,323 are militants, 13,226 civilians killed by militants, 3,642 civilians killed by security forces, and 5,369 policemen killed by militants. The 21,323 militants were killed in operations by security forces and include both Kashmiri and foreign militants. And of the 5,369 members of the security forces, around 1,500 are Kashmiri policemen.

[SSridhar]

Setting the course right
This is how a Retd. air Marshal of the PAF and one who actively participates in Track II re-writes history.

In 1947 the Dogra ruler of Kashmir dithered in acceding to the new state of Pakistan on the expected lines of a Muslim majority state; a rebellion followed and he asked for the support of the Indian army to fight the rebellion. India sought an instrument of accession, which the Dogra ruler was happy to furnish and the Indian forces were allowed into Kashmir. The Quaid ordered his troops into Kashmir to fight off an engineered occupation and accession. The British chief of the newly liberated Pakistani army refused to fight Indian forces because they belonged to the British Crown and the Quaid was forced to order the use of lashkars (militias) from the tribal regions to supplement some troops of the Pakistani army under the command of then-Brigadier Akbar Khan to fight India’s troops.

But, one thing is that he admits that it was the Quaid who ordered the tribal lashkar into J&K, something that is under denial in Pakistan.

[Vikas]

So what was Paki explanation about sending Army into J&K. Wasn't it between India and state of J&K ?
Assuming Pak forces would have occupied J&K, under what legal precedence (Except for physical ownership) they could have claimed J&K to be their own. After all the treaty of accession allowed the ruler to decide the fate of his/her state.

[jaibhim]

Thanks for the timely reminder Mr.Gerard. If I recollect correctly,the source and date of publication were duly reported in that piece. One was only trying to make things easier for readers instead of them having to take the trouble, of going back to that dawn webpage.
Just noticed this and wanted to alert members. Shall we say this is about keeping the momentum going? Appears to be of number of parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiX8k4hmiXk

[Gerard]

If I recollect correctly,the source and date of publication were duly reported in that piece.

That does not permit reproduction of an entire article

[jaibhim]

Thank you for reminding me about the rules of this forum. I will keep your suggestion in mind.

[AnimeshP]

Apologies if posted earlier ...

http://my.news.yahoo.com/those-threw-st ... 19570.html

Some interesting excerpts ...

"This discontentment was channeled by the separatists for their ends. For example if the separatist got 500,000 rupees from Pakistan or the other Muslim countries, which fund the separatist movement, they distributed 100,000 to each leader. They in turn paid each young boy 5000 rupees to throw stones. Those young 16-18 year old boys who were sitting at home because of schools being closed due to bandh calls by separatists, and who have little job prospects, with nothing to do and fed on azadi slogans, picked up stones without realizing that they were being used as pawns. We all did it."

"Now, those boys are either dead or in jail for the past several months under the PSA Act (Public Safety Act). But those who sent them to throw the stones are still getting money from both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan. They still travel abroad whenever they want, they attend international conferences, the interlocutors meet them, and their children are studying in Delhi. Yes, I am talking about all the Hurriyat leaders. What fools they have made of you Indians and Pakistanis."

Teary-eyed Ghulam Nabi who has a feeble looking horse tells me on camera, "Madam aap yahan sey koi galat report mat keejiye, hum chahte hain ki Amarnath ke liye yatri aayen. Hum gareeb hain, bus is ek maheene mey jo kamaate hain (about Rs.3000 a day) us sey hamarey 6 maheeney ka guzara ho jaata hai" (Madam, please don't do a negative report from here, we want the pilgrims to come here. We are poor; what we make in one month sees us through the next six months.)

hether it was Gulam Nabi, the porter, or Mohammad Zargar the shopkeeper who hoped for the return for peace, almost everybody who was poor said that Azadi was a slogan raised by "people with full stomachs" for "zaati mufaat" (personal profit). Mohammad Ashraf, a shopkeeper, unhesitatingly says, "Pakistan ka kya aitbaar karna, usney to Sheikh ko bhi pakadva diya." (How can one trust Pakistan, they even betrayed the Sheikh-Osama bin Laden).

[Vashishtha]

Mohammad Ashraf, a shopkeeper, unhesitatingly says, "Pakistan ka kya aitbaar karna, usney to Sheikh ko bhi pakadva diya." (How can one trust Pakistan, they even betrayed the Sheikh-Osama bin Laden).

OUCH!!!

[Sanku]

Mohammad Ashraf, a shopkeeper, unhesitatingly says, "Pakistan ka kya aitbaar karna, usney to Sheikh ko bhi pakadva diya." (How can one trust Pakistan, they even betrayed the Sheikh-Osama bin Laden).

OUCH!!!

The important thing to note is that the person has not lost trust in the "core issue", only whether Pakistani state can deliver on it. Always does good to remember the whole picture, with the warts as well as with the roses.

[Sanku]

Let us always remember who is who

http://www.timesnow.tv/videoshow/4376649.cms

In what can be seen as a massive provocation, TIMES NOW has access to copy of a letter written by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to Separatist leader Mirwaiz where Kashmir has been referred to as an 'occupied territory'.

[ramana]

Smita Prakash was on ANI news on Sony TV last night. Her report was verbatim above stuff.

[abhishek_sharma]

[ManishH]

108 youths from PoK can return

With intelligence and security agencies having okayed the return of 108 Jammu and Kashmir militants, who are currently either in Pakistan or in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), the Centre too is likely to clear their cases by next month.

Over 3,000 Kashmiri youths went to PoK to receive arms training. Their return is being made possible under the government’s Rehabilitation Policy announced last year. It covers all people and their dependents who crossed over to PoK between 1989 and 2009 to take up the gun.

The J&K government received applications from the kin of around 700 such militants, who want to return. The government had decided the names of those who had been not been active militants would be cleared. Many are doing petty jobs, mainly as helpers in shops and factories, or as domestic help.

Sources said the applications of 28 militants had already been cleared by a committee comprising represen- tatives of the state government, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Army.

Ads by Google

“Eighty more names will be cleared by the end of this month. Hopefully, all these 108 militants will return home next month,” an official said.

Sources said the identity of the rehabilitated militants would be kept a secret.

Sources said the MHA would send a list of all cleared names to the Pakistan High Commission in India to ensure safe passage for them.

[ManishH]

'No room for compromise on J-K'

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani on Thursday warned of a nationwide protest if the central government compromised on Kashmir issue during the ongoing talks between foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan. Addressing at a public rally in New Delhi, Advani said there should be no compromise on the Kashmir issue, as there could be adverse effects