J&K News and Discussion-2011

[abhishek_sharma]

^ Also include OA's statement :" Jammu and Kashmir has not merged with India but only acceded to it under certain conditions and under an agreement."

[abhishek_sharma]

Lashkar militants abduct and kill two sisters in Sopore

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Lashk ... ore/744404

I think we should demilitarize J&K.

[somnath]

After his famous "I am a Muslim and I am an Indian" (not the other way around) speech

Be fair to him - to give him his due, that speech was made in the context of the widely held narrative that muslims would oppose a closer relationship with the US (for various pan Islamic reasons)...He was making the point that he was a muslim, but he was an Indian and as one he supports the nuke deal...It was one of the better speeches made that day in Parl..

[Arjun]

And the "future" generation (I would take those attending schools as future) if anything is far more confident about themselves and the country than we were/are..(nd we in turn were/are a LOT more confident than our parents generation)...Using pop sociological analysis, that (confidence) means that there is less enthusiasm for violent revolutions...Either internally (vis a vis muslims etc) or for external adventures...Look at the political fortunes of the "right revolutionaries" - most of them struggle to save their deposits...Or look at the narrative in unis (I visit at least some of them quite often) - revolves around a higher destiny, and territorial adventures dont fall within that..

Somnath, not really following this thread lately and so not sure of the entire context of this argument regarding attitudes of university students. However, what is true is that if you take the example of the US - the student-body of all leading Ivy League colleges is invariably liberal-dominated. And this has been true for several decades. But then - the upper echelons of government in the US (both from Republican and Democrat side) are invariably drawn from these same Ivy League institutions.

The obvious conclusion is that many of these 'cocksure' university students go on to attain more insight into the world's ways and then make their own views. In many ways analogous to the dictum that 'if you are not a communist when you are young you have no heart, and if you are not a capitalist when you are old - you have no head".

Of course - one thing unique about India, which, if I am not wrong is not applicable anywhere else in the world, is that it has a larger percentage of the young than the middle and older. End result is good for economics, but one unfortunate result might be - India will always think with its heart and not with its head !!

[RamaY]

Somnath,

Since when speeches became better benchmarks than actions?

His speech in parliament was in the context that he supported the nuke deal to the directions of his masters, even if it was against Muslim interests; which is nonsense on its own. By playing the Muslim card is to claim leadership of a constituency, that he can never lead on its own unless contrasted with Hindu right.

When you want to analyze a statement logically, then it is better to do till the end. By stopping in the middle the debate becomes 'na ghar ka na ghat ka'

Standing to gain on a obviously nonsensical claim is no statesmanship nor wisdom. It is like me claiming mastery in maths by correcting a 3yr old in a 2x2=4 question. In some ways OA and RG are comparable to Zakir Nayak

[Anindya]

By not providing Indian version's of the end state, we're left with only Pakistani and other wanna-be Pakistani artifacts on the end state. So, the end state artifacts are limited to the Chenab plan, Musharraf plan and now this Saghir plan resurrected.

By being too clever and completely ruling out India-specific perspectives on the end state in Kashmir - we've limited ourselves to Pakistan-keeps-what-it-has-while-we-negotiate-over-what-India-keeps negotiation model.

Omar Abdullah kicks off process for consensus on autonomy...

Amidst growing opposition from the saffron groups, Omar Abdullah government has formally kicked-off the process for evolving a consensus on the justice Saghir committee recommendations, which has advocated autonomy for restive Jammu and Kashmir.

A seven-member cabinet sub-committee comprising four top ministers from Congress and three from National Conference (NC) has been formed under the leadership of finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather, which held its first meeting in Jammu to take a “realistic and holistic view of the Saghir report”.

Former supreme court judge Saghir Ahmad, who was heading the fifth working group of the prime minister on centre-state relations, presented its report to chief minister Omar Abdullah in December 2009 advocating restoration of autonomy to the state.

“The question of autonomy and its demand can be examined in the light of the ‘Kashmir Accord’ or in some other manner or on the basis of some formula as the present prime minister may deem and appropriate so as to restore the autonomy to the extent possible”, justice Saghir said in his report.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_om ... my_1501518

[RamaY]

That is congressi game plan.

Question opposition supporting panel recommendations while implementing politically motivated commission reports. That entire process is becoming a farse now.

Bji, you are right. The entire rashtra system is getting undermined; and it requires a complete overhaul instead of replacement of a political party as per democratic mandate.

[somnath]

Somnath,

Since when speeches became better benchmarks than actions?

His speech in parliament was in the context that he supported the nuke deal to the directions of his masters, even if it was against Muslim interests; which is nonsense on its own.

That wasnt the point..but anyways, not important..

Omar A has been proved to be wanting, no doubt...And like all state level politicians (good, bad and ugly) he is trying to claim the "regionalist street" - I gave some examples before...So he isnt Robinson Crusoe in that respect..But does that change status quo? absolutely NO evidence of that..

[RamaY]

But his actions sir, they speak the truth!

OA doesn't believe the Hindu right on JK state which had even deeper spiritual, cultural and emotional relationship with that region; more than Islam can ever claim.

in his capacity as CM, he is trying to erase that connection one aspect at a time and you want to give him a benefit of doubt.

We should see his political fortunes in a Jk state where the assembly constituencies are redrawn based on population. Then he will not get the opportunity to give those brave speeches.

If you accept every and any political setup that is thrown at you without questioning and then apply your research on those fundamentally flawed foundations; then you will end up with the cluster fk situations like cashmere valley. JLN committed same blunders as he too thought it is yindoo-nationalism to ask right questions in the matters of national interest.

[Vikas]

Why blame only OA when GoI seems to be an accomplice in his actions/inactions.
Personally I think they guy is not a closet Islamist or trying to don the garb of some ayatollah but only incompetent like so many others.
Good for speeches only and public display of young Indian face.

Since 1947, all KM rulers of J&K are trying to erase any edifice of Hindu relationship and claim to the holy land of Kashmir and we have been seceding space to them without any fight.

[Airavat]

It was in 1953 during the agitation of Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan and Ek Pradhan that dozens of youth sacrificed their lives in different parts of Jammu province while hoisting the tricolour, said state BJP chief, Shamsher Singh Manhas. He said the State of J&K had its separate flag and hoisting of Indian Flag was prohibited here. It became only possible when people in thousands came on roads with Tricolors to hoist it and they were received with bullets by the police.

tributes to martyrs of 1953 agitation

[Raghavendra]

2 sisters shot dead by Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UOyf4sBq6U

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists on Monday (January 31) night shot dead two sisters after dragging them out of their house in Sopore town of North Kashmir's Baramulla district, the first major strike targeting civilians this year.

Arifa and Akhtar, daughters of Ghulam Nabi Dar, were gunned down by three militants, including a Pakistani, at around 10 PM at Muslim Peer in Sopore town, 52 kms from Srinagar.

According to preliminary investigations, the three Lashkar terrorists barged into the house and forcibly took the girls, aged between 16 to 18 years, police said.

"The girls were later shot dead by the terrorists near the Ziarat (shrine) Rahim Sahib. One of them was shot in the left eye," Ahmad said, adding their bodies were found near their house.

It could not be immediately ascertained why the terrorists had targeted the sisters. The police officer said the local terrorists involved in the killing have been identified as Wasim Ganaie and Muzaffar Naikoo. Both the ultras are among 'A' category militants and carry a cash reward on their heads.

Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the killing of two sisters in Sopore. Omar said that if 'you can't condemn such killings irrespective of your political beliefs then shame on you'.

He tweeted, "May Allah grant peace to the souls of Kulsooma & Rehana, their family the strength to deal with this tragedy & us strength to learn from it. If you can't condemn the killing of these two girls, irrespective of your political beliefs & do so without qualifying it then shame on you."

[Nihat]

J&K exits World Bank project over ‘disputed territory’ tag

Jammu: The Jammu & Kashmir government has abandoned the Rs 740 crore integrated watershed development project after the World Bank sought a disclaimer from the Union government that the aid plan would not recognize India’s territorial claim over the state.

[Pranav]

2 sisters shot dead by Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UOyf4sBq6U

If the BJP were smart they would co-opt such Muslim victims of terrorism ... and there have been many. There's nobody reaching out to them. So it's an untapped constituency.

[SwamyG]

There is hardly any indication that OA shows humility or represent national interests.

You understood my post wrong. I am talking about his personal interest. I was pondering on what benefits he has in order to do what Kanson suggested.

[chandrabhan]

Fellow Brfites,
There are some very disturbing talks that I have been privy to. May be these are going on for a while and I did not know about them being away from the country. May be I was not into the whole political circle for sometime. Due to a family tragedy, I have been at home and all sort of people have come down for condolences, many of the current political leaders.

I have already put forward the views expressed by a CM on current INC crisis in strategic leadership thread. Here I want to share my conversation with a businessmen who have been funding Congress for many years.

Mr X : Look at the Nautanki that BJP has done! By hoisting a flag do we think that Kashmir will become India's part?

Me: Excuse me, what makes you think that It is not India's part. It very much is,legally as well as we administer it. People regularly vote there.

Mr X : I don' think so as. We hold it because we have retracted on our promise of plebiscite. Why doesn't India get over and done with it. it is bad for business. I want to open up my business in pakistan. they are next door.

Me : Are you aware what are the pre conditions of holding a plebiscite which Pakistan is supposed to fulfill? J & K assembly had already endorsed the accession of state to india under Shaikh Abdullah. It is pakistan who is supposed to vacate the area occupied by them.

Mr X : We should give Pakistanis what they want and move on. We must make peace at any cost. Fighting is bad for business.

Me : Do you think it will stop if we give Kashmir on a platter? What if tomorrow Assam and then Hyderabad? Do you understand the ideology behind this demand of pakistan and real need of the feudals to want Kashmir - Water. How will we feed our population ? How will we grow? WHy shd we give up what is ours legally ?

I lost my cool by then and moved on to Lapdog-Vijay Singh speaking to my brother. Again some inane discussion on Kashmir and saffron terror was going on.

I left frustrated and chided my brother for all these discussions. He felt helpless as Lap-dog is General secretary and he wants to be in his good books to stake a claim

[Dilbu]

Ask that gentleman what is his best price for his mother? I will throw in another Rs.50 if that will make him happy. Ba$tard.

[Sanku]

Ask that gentleman what is his best price for his mother? I will throw in another Rs.50 if that will make him happy. Ba$tard.

50 from me too, if he protests, tell him since we understand his principle only the price needs be fixed.

[sum]

I have already put forward the views expressed by a CM on current INC crisis in strategic leadership thread. Here I want to share my conversation with a businessmen who have been funding Congress for many years.

I lost my cool by then and moved on to Lapdog-Vijay Singh speaking to my brother. Again some inane discussion on Kashmir and saffron terror was going on.

Always love to visit BR for atleast some positive news amidst all the gloom and get to read news like this which causes more despair about where the country is being led..

[Muppalla]

Fellow Brfites,
There are some very disturbing talks that I have been privy to. May be these are going on for a while and I did not know about them being away from the country. May be I was not into the whole political circle for sometime. Due to a family tragedy, I have been at home and all sort of people have come down for condolences, many of the current political leaders.

I have already put forward the views expressed by a CM on current INC crisis in strategic leadership thread. Here I want to share my conversation with a businessmen who have been funding Congress for many years.

Mr X : Look at the Nautanki that BJP has done! By hoisting a flag do we think that Kashmir will become India's part?

Me: Excuse me, what makes you think that It is not India's part. It very much is,legally as well as we administer it. People regularly vote there.

Mr X : I don' think so as. We hold it because we have retracted on our promise of plebiscite. Why doesn't India get over and done with it. it is bad for business. I want to open up my business in pakistan. they are next door.

Me : Are you aware what are the pre conditions of holding a plebiscite which Pakistan is supposed to fulfill? J & K assembly had already endorsed the accession of state to india under Shaikh Abdullah. It is pakistan who is supposed to vacate the area occupied by them.

Mr X : We should give Pakistanis what they want and move on. We must make peace at any cost. Fighting is bad for business.

Me : Do you think it will stop if we give Kashmir on a platter? What if tomorrow Assam and then Hyderabad? Do you understand the ideology behind this demand of pakistan and real need of the feudals to want Kashmir - Water. How will we feed our population ? How will we grow? WHy shd we give up what is ours legally ?

I lost my cool by then and moved on to Lapdog-Vijay Singh speaking to my brother. Again some inane discussion on Kashmir and saffron terror was going on.

I left frustrated and chided my brother for all these discussions. He felt helpless as Lap-dog is General secretary and he wants to be in his good books to stake a claim

Great post. This is exactly what I wrote between 44 and 50 pages of previous thread.

Business and making money is becoming priority over future national existence. In this pursuit the arguments will include poverty alleviation a.k.a builing lavotories as a strawman. Folks want to getrid of valley and Tawang to buy peace and moveon. There is no historical perspective to any of these arguments. Anyone talking about past will automatically gets branded as revivalist, rabid-communalist etc.

By the way the money is being made by a section only and that is not going to poverty alleviation.A few sections have formed like mafias and they are the only ones that are making money while thorwing some bread crumbs to the yuppy crowd (ITVty types). The educated society is completey dumbed out.

[SwamyG]

Corporations, by their very nature, are on the look out for making money. That is their bottom-line, that is their goal. Everything else comes next. Rulers of any country, try to co-exist or survive because they can help those people make more money. Between 14th and 16th centuries, the British monarchy was fast losing out its clout to a rising tide of business men; the monarchy had to survive, they helped the business community set up charters/corporation. The monarchy controlled the rules/regulations and allowed business monopolies in different parts of the World. It was a win-win situation. Businesses minted money, the rulers clung to power and were enriched by the taxes ityadi.

Surplus Capital. Ah.....it is both a poison and antidote. Like white rice or salt.

[Muppalla]

Ask that gentleman what is his best price for his mother? I will throw in another Rs.50 if that will make him happy. Ba$tard.

He probably will tell the price and sell too. Do not be surprised. I am dead serious.

[Prem]

Ask that gentleman what is his best price for his mother? I will throw in another Rs.50 if that will make him happy. Ba$tard.

50 from me too, if he protests, tell him since we understand his principle only the price needs be fixed.

Spice it up and tell the money will be paid in $s and if he wish ,may be in Swiss,Macau or Gelf account.

[RamaY]

Corporations, by their very nature, are on the look out for making money. That is their bottom-line, that is their goal. Everything else comes next. Rulers of any country, try to co-exist or survive because they can help those people make more money. Between 14th and 16th centuries, the British monarchy was fast losing out its clout to a rising tide of business men; the monarchy had to survive, they helped the business community set up charters/corporation. The monarchy controlled the rules/regulations and allowed business monopolies in different parts of the World. It was a win-win situation. Businesses minted money, the rulers clung to power and were enriched by the taxes ityadi.

While this is true within limits, too much emphasis on wealth and money without proper focus on culture and military weakens the nation state from within.

B-ji, can you please re-post the comment you made on mercantilism and materialistic community or something like that in the deleted 'civilizational thread'?

[brihaspati]

RamaY ji,
perhaps it will be deemed OT? But very briefly, I think the anecdote about the biz person, is generally reflective of current vocal propagandists of "secularism+9% growth+talk of concessions which are not concessions until given+if itfavours Pak then it is perceptive".

My point was originally that, just before the Islamic invasions from 8th to 13th century, there is indication that the merchants and mercantile activity based on finance capital increased - with increasing influence on the kings and regimes. The kings and merchants seem to have also allowed and protected the growth of Islamic colonies/institutions in Indian kingdoms. Important cities and university townships which are later slated for genocide appearto have had significant growth of Islmic residents in the period immediate before attck or destruction. The cases of merchants of Gujarat who participated in the double-faced activities of a Muslim merchant establishing a mosque, and the rich urban Buddhist merchants [narrated to be living it up with slaves etc] of Nirun in Sindh who were the first to welcome Qasim and provision him - shows that growth of mercantile mentality always uncannily comes with concerns about continued profits from foreign trade. Thus such a class will be ready to compromise with foreign powers and interests - as for them the hope will be that by doing so they can maintain their profits.

This means thats since the security and even basic economic interests of their birth culture and country become exchangeable commodities with a monetary price, [everything has a price right?], a stage is reached where everything becomes a tradeable asset - self, country, family, wife, daughters, children, birth society and culture, land and people. In fact the first signs of the mercantile mentality - among other things - appear in counting heads against costs, where we speak of oh only 2000 people lost their lives, but comparedto that we had 8.7% growth - just think if we went to war we might have lost 20,000 people dead and been subjected to -1.2% growth for the next 50 years. Or talk of the "smallness" of the proportion of human losses, or insignificance of trauma of a rape or enslavement which can always be compensated by some monetary price.

Actually the mercantile mentality once firmly rooted becomes the shield behind which the man hides - his absolute dehumanization into an automaton which only responds to the fetish of monetary prices. The person no longer needs to be human, with emotions, feelings, attachments, loyalties or committments - all such responsibilities and difficult value choices can be passed on to money and prices.

Once thsi stage is reached, as is obviously being reached with J&K - there is no escape from this mentality. It is the ultimate escape from humanity, from having to make human choices, based on human ideas and ideologies and values. We can see this absolute dehumanization when people innocently ask as to why is it wrong to give it all up on a platter when in return we can avoid war and make profits - they have already lost the ability to see their own dehumanization.

[SBajwa]

Actually the mercantile mentality once firmly rooted becomes the shield behind which the man hides - his absolute dehumanization into an automaton which only responds to the fetish of monetary prices. The person no longer needs to be human, with emotions, feelings, attachments, loyalties or committments - all such responsibilities and difficult value choices can be passed on to money and prices.

It has been happening all along and will continue to do so even after many divisions of the mother land. Traders always sell their mother.

[Frederic]

Chandrabhanji!

While reading about your encounter with the "peace-at-all-costs" trader was depressing, (some would even say disgusting), there are countless examples of commerce being fiercely nationalistic and indeed driving defence.

Off the top of my head:

*Raja Raja Chola's main tiff with the SriVijaya kingdom ( and the real reason for his eventual invasion of the said kingdom) was the ill-treatment of the Tamil traders from the then Chola kingdom.
From the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola_Dyna ... eign_trade
we have:

"A fragmentary Tamil inscription found in Sumatra cites the name of a merchant guild Nanadesa Tisaiyayirattu Ainnutruvar (literally, "the five hundred from the four countries and the thousand directions"), a famous merchant guild in the Chola country.The inscription is dated 1088, indicating that there was an active overseas trade during the Chola period."

*During the reign of one of Raja Raja Chola's descendents, Kulothunga Chola, the empire went to war with Kalinga. Again due to the insults and grevious hardships suffered by the then abundant Tamil trading community in Kalinga.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chola_Dynasty
"Jayamkondar’s masterpiece Kalingattuparani provides an example of narrative poetry that draws a clear boundary between history and fictitious conventions. That describes the events during Kulothunga Chola I’s war in Kalinga and depicts not only the pomp and circumstance of war, but the gruesome details of the field."

*Coming a bit closer to our times, in the early 1800s the fledgeling United States of America did not have a single frigate let alone a battleship. Of course the Napoleonic wars were in full swing and the seafaring US merchants minted money by trading with both the British and the French. Every trickery in the book was used ( changing flags, sailing from other neutral ports etc). Point being, when the Barbary pirate states (roughly current day Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) started intercepting US vessels in the Mediterranean ( and started taking slaves, they needed Christian galley slaves you see), it was indeed the seafaring merchants who more or less pressurized the govt and created a navy literally from scratch. Before this US did not even have a secretary of Navy! The following book, Six Frigates by Ian Toll is a delightful read about the founding of US navy.
http://www.amazon.com/Six-Frigates-Epic ... 0393058476

Point being, mercantile and nationalistic interests need not be always mutually exclusive.

My hope too is that good sense prevails and the realization that everything is NOT for sale dawns on the movers and shakers. But I admit that the current situation, especially wrt J&K is bleak.


Best Regards
Fred

[ramana]

Valley reaction to the killings of the two sisters

Pioneer:

Valley silent over LeT killing of Sopore sistersFebruary 02, 2011 3:42:57 AM

Khursheed Wani | Srinagar

Hundreds of people silently participated in the funeral of two young sisters in Sopore town of north Kashmir on Tuesday. The siblings were killed allegedly by Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) terrorists on Monday evening.

While the family members are clueless about the reason for the killing, the mainstream and separatist groups have condemned the gruesome incident. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah came down heavily on the “double standards of those who raise a hue and cry” on security forces’ “highhandedness” but “maintain silence when terrorists perpetrate horrible violence”.

No group has claimed responsibility for the killing, but police said that three terrorists — two of them locals — were involved. Sources said that even as people resented the killings, there was no shutdown to show resentment. “There were around 1,000 persons in the funeral procession. They were silent and raised no slogans. The life returned to normal during the day,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a local resident, on phone.

The two sisters -- 20-year-old Arifa and 17-year-old Akhtara were abducted from their residence at Muslim Peer locality of Sopore late on Monday and shot within minutes. Their inconsolable father Ghulam Nabi Dar, a labourer, said he had no clue as to why his daughters were killed.

“My nieces had no association with any political party or agency. They were lending a helping hand to the family by selling fried potato chips and fish to street vendors,” uncle Merajuddin said.

Superintendent of Police Altaf Khan said three LeT terrorists were involved in the crime. “We have identified the killers. Two of them are local terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Tayyeba,” he added.

The girls’ father said he was inside their house when the militants struck. “It was around khoftan (late evening prayer) when some of them came inside and others stopped in the courtyard. They asked me about the girls. One of them went upstairs and another stood in front of me. They took them away and, some time later, we heard gunshots. I was then told that my daughters have been killed,” an inconsolable Dar said.

Hundreds of people attended the last rites of the slain sisters. People condemned the killings and demanded immediate arrest of the killers. Minister of State for Horticulture Javed Ahmad Dar visited the bereaved family and handed over a cheque of `2 lakh as ex-gratia relief.

{Would have been better if they caught the terrorists.}

“There have been many such killings in Sopore town. The traumatised people are clueless. Nobody dares to speak up publicly,” Ahmad said.

{They would if the CM wasn't appearing to be on side of the separatists!}

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and politicians of various hues have condemned the killings. Stating that violence in all its manifestations was condemnable, the Chief Minister came down heavily on the killers and “those who do not condemn such acts but raise hue and cry when security forces are accused of breach of discipline”.

He said, “Why this was done, I find it difficult to understand. Obviously no one has the guts to take responsibility and this brings out the contradictions in Kashmir. If there was the slightest indication of high-handedness by forces, the whole Valley would have been up in flames. But since terrorists are involved, condemnation -- if any -- is muted. All kinds of violence need to be condemned.”

Hurriyat hardline faction’s spokesman Ayaz Akbar deplored the Government’s attempt to blame separatists for observing silence on such killings. “We condemn such heinous crimes. It is the Government that awards killers,” he said and demanded an “impartial probe” into the incident. The moderate faction of Hurriyat and JKLF also condemned the killing.

Independent legislator Engineer Rasheed said that just like the Government, it was obligatory upon the terrorist leadership to make its stand clear. “If they have killed the women, they should accept it openly and tell the people reasons for it. But if they haven’t, they also should unambiguously condemn it,” he stressed.

{Govt == terrorists for this idiot!}

Most likely some rejected rascal tipped of the terrorists that these two girls were working for India.

The crime is from Sopore only.

[ramana]

Tribune version of the report:

KILLING OF TWO SISTERS IN SOPORE
For grieving family, the only hope is their son Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

Sopore, February 1
Though life remained normal in Sopore in Baramulla district today, an eerie silence prevailed in the town following the kidnapping and killing of two teenaged sisters by suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba militants last evening.

The sisters, Akhtara(20) and Arifa(17), daughters of a labourer, Ghulam Nabi Dar, were kidnapped by masked gunmen from their house around 8.15 p.m.last evening and shot dead after about half-an-hour near the shrine of Rahim Shah, about 200 yards away from the house.When the two sisters were kidnapped and killed, their father was working at the market place.

The killings have left the poor family in the congested locality of the town shocked with neighbours and relatives pouring in to console it.

For the middle-aged parents of the girls,who live in a one-room house, the only hope now is Jeelani, their school-going son.

“Three gunmen entered the house and kidnapped the girls while 10 others joined them later”, said the father.

The neighbours and relatives, who tried to raise the alarm, were threatened by the gunmen, he added.

According to the police, two of the three militants, who kidnapped and killed the girls were identified as Waseem Ahmad Ganie, alias Sheer Yuni, from Chankipora, Sopore, and Muzaffar Ahmad Naikoo, alias Muz Molvi, from Khushal Mattoo, Sopore.

Altaf Ahmad, SP, Sopore, said the three militants belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

The reason behind the killings could not be ascertained so far, the SP said, and added the militants had used AK 47 rifles in the crime.

While one of the sisters was shot on the left side of the head,the other was shot on the left side of the chest, leading to their instant death,said Dr Basher Ahmad,who examined the bodies at the sub-district hospital, Sopore, last night.

The SP said this was the first civilian killing by militants this year.At least, four civilians were killed by militants in the area last year. In their operations,the police and the security forces had killed 38 militants last year, the SP added.

Remember the two girls in your prayers.

So it was local youth from the same district.

How far was the place from Sopore town police station? Are there no police patrols etc in and around the town? Or were they cut back as sepratists pleasing measure?

[brihaspati]

Should they not hand over the investigation to the CBI? Then they in turn would find the recently "frustrated" Saffron Brigade as engineering these atrocities after having failed in their "heinous and dirty political objectives"!

At least it is getting reported because of the religious background of the victims. The "silence" and relatively low key reaction when the crime is sourced by co-religionists, compared to when there is the accusation of similar atrocities by the army which is assumed/painted as that of "Hindu India" - there will be riots. This is the hallmark of all community reactions from that community - reaction is selective based on perceived religious affiliation of perpetrators. Now from this why is it so difficult for people to understand what happened with the Kashmiri Pundits and why the community never came forward rioting against similar crimes on the Pundits? And why there was not much noise about it either!

[ramana]

Sopore is a scene of terrorist activity. Its a wonder the police didnt give cellphones to proper individuals to tip them off nor have patrols once dusk falls. Now that they know the identity of the two terrorists it shouldn't take too long to locate them.

Or to use RM terminology "Accident them".

I think the terrorists had a grudge on the girls and got them killed. Lets see what turns up. This act should sahme the average Kashmiri as to the true nature of the terrorists.

OA seems shocked at the silence of the bakras.

[ramana]

What do Daily Excelsior and Greater Kashmir say?

[niran]

So it was local youth from the same district.

How far was the place from Sopore town police station? Are there no police patrols etc in and around the town? Or were they cut back as sepratists pleasing measure?

there has been persistant low noise about daughters of poor forced to satisfy
physical needs of people powerfull enough, maybe these girls refused or they tried whistle blowing or the father refused tax to support the cause

[RamaY]

Valley silent over LeT killing of Sopore sistersFebruary 02, 2011 3:42:57 AM

Khursheed Wani | Srinagar

Superintendent of Police Altaf Khan said three LeT terrorists were involved in the crime. “We have identified the killers. Two of them are local terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Tayyeba,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and politicians of various hues have condemned the killings. Stating that violence in all its manifestations was condemnable, the Chief Minister came down heavily on the killers and “those who do not condemn such acts but raise hue and cry when security forces are accused of breach of discipline”.

He said, “Why this was done, I find it difficult to understand. Obviously no one has the guts to take responsibility and this brings out the contradictions in Kashmir. If there was the slightest indication of high-handedness by forces, the whole Valley would have been up in flames. But since terrorists are involved, condemnation -- if any -- is muted. All kinds of violence need to be condemned.”

RIP sisters, RIP

***

Follow-up with action, dear CM!

Catch the killers if you can. See if the residents of Sopore stand up against the killers of their daughters.

Mr. Altaf Khan must be careful about the autopsy as there can be another RANDE working there.

[ramana]

Autopsy over and buried. Read the Tribune version.
There is some mchodi in Sopore. Even earlier there were two women killed and the whole thing blown out of proportion. Something is afflicting Sopore people.

[Anindya]

Ramana - links please.

[ramana]

Its Tribune Chandigarh for god sakes.

[somnath]

The kings and merchants seem to have also allowed and protected the growth of Islamic colonies/institutions in Indian kingdoms. Important cities and university townships which are later slated for genocide appearto have had significant growth of Islmic residents in the period immediate before attck or destruction. The cases of merchants of Gujarat who participated in the double-faced activities of a Muslim merchant establishing a mosque, and the rich urban Buddhist merchants [narrated to be living it up with slaves etc] of Nirun in Sindh who were the first to welcome Qasim and provision him - shows that growth of mercantile mentality always uncannily comes with concerns about continued profits from foreign trade.

And of course, the "mercantilist" approach of the Mughal court in establishing trade relations with Britain! How much more ludicrous can it get?

Napolean made that famous "country of shopkeepers" comment - of course that "mercantilist nation" traded its money for the country over the next 200 years! And France remained the beacon of principled nationalism!

It is the mercantilist generation of the last 20 years that has given India the muscle to shrug off every single outsider allusion to Kashmir...From UNSC references being formally dropped to every single world leader forced to pay obeisience to Indian money AND trade it for hands-off on Kashmir - its all a reflection of India's mercantile success..

I was browsing through Jaswant Singh's "Call to honour" last night....And was reminded of the famous ABV Lahore yatra effort...While the PM was in the midst of that yatra, there were three separate targeted terror attacks on civilians in Jammu. The uber nationalist PM did not call off his yatra...

It is only a confident country that can try various things, sometimes even pushing the boundaries ever so often...In a democracy the bottomlines are etched in stone, and everyone is aware of that..It is better to, as Raghu Gulati (was it him?)said, try new things and at least make new mistakes rather than sticking to the old axioms and repeat the same mistakes and outcomes all the time..

[RamaY]

What is so new in this economic-progress strategy?

It is the strong, united nation based on certain culture that results in economic progress for its citizens. But the converse is rarely true.

The catch line here is "too much" importance. Now what is too much?

It becomes too much when we try to "concede" national interests (small portions of the nation) to protect the economic interests of the majority, then we are on our own path to purity (in Paki sense)

As far as J&K is concerned, that bottom line is - J&K accession to India is final and entire J&K state rightfully belongs to India. The parliament resolution unanimously accepted during PVNR.

Even PVNR supplied Biriyani to terrorists during Hajratbal hostage issue. But neither PVNR nor ABV forgot that bottom line mentioned above.

[Yagnasri]

Now Pakis got some 110 Nukes begger than UK as per the report. How this will change it policy towards J&K issue? any gurus?