J & K news and discussion

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 26 Dec 2010 03:17

The signs of normalcy from Kashmir that do not make much news

* Train services resume in Kashmir Valley, having been suspended since July this year
* Syed Ali Shah Geelani has not issued a protest calendar this month.
* Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attended Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar after 14 weeks
* 17 FIRs have been registered against Massrat Alam by the Jammu and Kashmir Police
* High and Higher Secondary Schools are opening during winters to compensate the losses suffered by the students due to closure of the institutions during the summer unrest
* Panchayat elections are scheduled to be held in the state in January 2011
* The interlocutors appointed by the Centre interacted with the public at a meeting organised by an elected independent MLA in Batagund

“For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news.”~Gloria Borger

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 26 Dec 2010 11:43

Wet Dreams or sign of things to come? Plus, Suzzana might soon be conferred Hijra-a-TSP or whatever award TSP can come up with

.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 27 Dec 2010 11:04

Who is this third guy with Tim Roemer and Farooq Abdullah?

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 27 Dec 2010 19:44

‘Hurriyat paid Rs 400 for Kashmir stone-pelting’
http://www.zeenews.com/news677068.html

Sopore: A man, arrested during the recent unrest in Kashmir Valley, has told his interrogators that the hardline Hurriyat Conference had paid Rs 400 to each youth to indulge in stone-pelting during Friday protests in Sopore, a top police officers said here on Monday.

The stone-pelting was sponsored by the Syed Ali Shah Geelani faction to create law and order problem in Sopore, Abdul Latief Lone, detained under the Public Safety Act, told Police, according to DIG (North Kashmir) Munir Khan.

During questioning, Lone, a resident of Radbugh in Kupwara district, revealed each youth was paid Rs 400 on every Friday to resort to stone-pelting, the DIG told reporters.

Lone is an Imam (prayer leader) at Jamia Masjid in Amargarh in Sopore, he said.

The money paid was raised locally by Hurriyat leaders and cadres belonging to the Geelani faction, the DIG said.

The maximum chunk of the money came from fruit dealers in Sopore, he said.

The DIG said police had recently unmasked a link between stone-pelters and militant outfits after the arrest of some youths.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 28 Dec 2010 11:48

Separatists say they turned down meeting with interlocutor

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Separ ... tor/729959

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 28 Dec 2010 11:49

2 J&K cops held for militant ‘links’, another on the run

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2-J-K ... run/729964

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 28 Dec 2010 13:08

2 J&K cops held for militant ‘links’, another on the run

This is odd - we know the following:

1 - there were Pakistani terrorists amongst the stone throwers - actively guiding and participating in the stone throwing

2 - J&K cops are now exposed to have close links with these terrorist groups

3 - Much of the actual action against the stone throwers - including the firing was done by the J&K cops

Is it possible that both sides - stone throwing and the occasional killing of the stone throwers was done by terrorist groups directly and indirectly - did we just get taken for a ride?

R_Kumar · Post by **R_Kumar** » 28 Dec 2010 13:37

abhishek_sharma wrote:2 J&K cops held for militant ‘links’, another on the run

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2-J-K ... run/729964

All cops are Hindus. I am confused.

Dipanker · Post by **Dipanker** » 30 Dec 2010 18:31

^
A few bad apples, follow the money and find out who paid them.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 01 Jan 2011 02:40

Interesting development - from
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_fi ... jp_1488491

Five top Janta Dal (Secular) leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including the party's provincial president, today joined BJP, saying they have "full faith" in its ideology.

JD(S) provincial president Gulam Nabi Wani, state vice-president GM Najar and three district chiefs Gulam Hassan Wani, Mohmmad Shafiq Najar and Gulam Mohmmad Bhat joined BJP at a function, chaired by the state BJP chief Shamsher Singh Manhas, here today.

Welcoming them to the party fold, Manhas said joining of the top leadership of JD(S) is a blow to "all such forces in the Valley which have been painting the BJP as a communal party, while the facts are totally otherwise."

He said being a responsible national party, BJP has been raising people-centric issues and agitating for the welfare of the citizens.

After joining the party, Wani said, "We have full faith in the principals and ideology of BJP. Even people in Kashmir want to join in more numbers to BJP."

He said a handful of elements in Kashmir have been misleading innocents for their personal gains and many political leaders in the Valley are promoting such activities.

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 01 Jan 2011 13:05

Infiltration bid foiled along LoC in Jammu & Kashmir; Pakistani guide arrested
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_in ... ed_1488781

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 02 Jan 2011 13:48

The Sopore Shadow

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/The-S ... dow/732040

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 03 Jan 2011 04:48

Granting of such an initiative to APDP is not a good sign - this is Pervez Imroz's handiwork. Those who saw the report created by Angana and Pervez a few months ago, will remember the openly pro-Pakistan tilt in the report.

I'm surprised that GOI has allowed this particular institution to be used for this.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110103/j ... 384250.jsp

Srinagar, Jan. 2: The human rights wing of the UN has chipped in to help the families of Kashmiris who have been missing for the past two decades after the security forces allegedly picked them up.

The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has selected the Srinagar-based Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) for a grant under its voluntary fund for victims of torture.

“The project will be implemented through the APDP. We have to undertake a survey to ascertain the number of disappeared persons across the state. Each case will be documented and we will also come to know the circumstances under which they disappeared or details of the agency (responsible for) their disappearance,” Zahoor Wani, the project coordinator, said.

The survey has started in the Srinagar and Kupwara districts. “The entire survey across the Valley will take six months. It will later be extended to Jammu,” Wani said.

The APDP believes that some 8,000 men have disappeared in the Valley, mostly while they were in security forces custody.

This is the first time that a UN body has come forward to help the families. New Delhi is averse to “outside interference” on Kashmir and has denied international human rights groups access to the state.

“No family will be provided any cash assistance but the UN body can arrange legal and medical assistance. Additionally, the educational requirements of the children of the victims can also be arranged,” Wani said.

...
“Our estimates are that some 8,000 men have gone missing in custody while the government puts that number at around 3,000. A survey approved by the UN will have more teeth and will help us pressure New Delhi into setting up a commission to probe these disappearances,” an official said.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 03 Jan 2011 12:29

TA jawans 'double-crossed'

JAMMU, Jan 2: Two Territorial Army (TA) jawans, who were killed by the militants at Kheori Kund in Bhatpora area of Bhimdassa, Gool in Ramban district yesterday, appeared to have been "double-crossed’’ by a source. The TA jawans fell into the trap of their source and got killed. Investigations by security agencies have revealed that the TA jawans had an information from their source that dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Abu Moosa had shifted his hideout from Khari in Banihal to Bhimdassa in Gool following pressure maintained on him by security forces few days back.

The militants had prior information about the arrival of TA jawans to gather information about their hideout. The TA jawans fired few shots from their pistols but the militants survived them. Later, the ultras were reported to have kidnapped the jawans and killed them.

The pistols of TA jawans were also taken away by the ultras while fleeing from the spot.

Meanwhile, bodies of TA personnel—Mohammad Sharief of Arnas and Khaleel Ahmed of Nehra, Ramban were today shifted to Gool from Kheori Kund forests. After floral tributes and completion of legal formalities, the bodies were sent to their houses for burial, which will be performed tomorrow.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 03 Jan 2011 12:31

Pak violates ceasefire again

Jammu : In the first ceasefire violation this year, Pakistan troops resorted to small arms firing on Indian forward posts along the border in Poonch district.

"There was small arms firing on forward posts along the Line of Control in Krishnagati sector of Poonch district around 2140 hours last night", a senior Army officer told.

Army troops guarding the LoC did not retaliate, he said.

The firing was aimed at pushing in militants into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), the officer said.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 03 Jan 2011 12:35

Women harbourers of ultras again surface in Doda

JAMMU, Jan 2: Nearly half a dozen women harbourers of the militants have surfaced in Doda district following sustained questioning of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commanders Ghulam Nabi Sheikh alias Javaid Qureshi and Jameel Ahmed alias Nissar Qureshi. More than 30 Over Ground Workers (OGWs) have also figured in the interrogation of the two militants, who were arrested last month in Dehradun, Uttaranchal and Kangra, Himachal Pradesh and now have been shifted to Doda.

About six to eight months back, Doda police had undertaken a major exercise to identify the women harbourers of militants and reform them. The women, whose identity was kept a secret, were won over with the help of some elderly citizens, former Panchayat members and SPOs after it was found that they were working for the militants. They were assured that the police would not book them if they give up the path of militancy.

They had agreed and were spared by police as a one-time exception.

According to sources, the questioning of Javaid and Jameel has revealed that a number of local people in Doda district had helped them during their 17 year long stint in the militancy. Some of their contacts were also exposed with the Cell phones. After the launch of mobile service in the State, the militants had changed more than 100 mobile phone numbers to dodge police.

Sources admitted that some of the people had helped the militants out of coercion. These persons are not being listed in the category of OGWs. Only those people including the women, who had voluntarily worked for the militants, have been treated as OGWs and were being searched for sustained questioning and likely arrest.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 03 Jan 2011 15:01

Some interesting admissions....

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/m ... der/185296

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 03 Jan 2011 22:40

'Separatists killed by our own people'
http://www.zeenews.com/news678320.html

Srinagar: A senior Hurriyat leader has created a flutter by saying that two separatist leaders and his brother were killed by "our own people" and not security agencies, prompting J&K government to term it as a "late admission" and a call for a probe to fix responsibility.

"No police was involved (in the killings).... It was our own people who killed them," former Hurriyat Conference Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat said.

He said time had come to speak the truth about the killers of Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone, who were shot dead in 2002, and his own brother Mohammad Sultan Bhat, who was murdered in 1995.

Asked to identify the killers, Bhat said, "What is the need to identify them.... they are already identified."

Farooq, father of the present chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was shot dead at his residence on May 21, 1990 while Lone, father of Hurriyat executive member Bilal Lone, was gunned down during a commemorative rally for the senior Mirwaiz on the same day in 2002.

The separatist leaders had earlier blamed the security forces for the killings.

Bhat said that his brother Mohammad Sultan Bhat also fell to the bullets of those espousing the separatist cause.

"I had said this then and I am saying it now. There is no ambiguity or confusion in my mind," he said.

Other moderate Hurriyat leaders chose to maintain a studied silence on Bhat's remarks.

The state government has held that then Hizbul Mujahideen commander Mohammad Abdullah Bangroo had killed Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq while a commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen had shot dead senior Lone.

Hizbul Mujahideen is considered to be ideologically inclined towards hardline Hurriyat faction leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani while Al Umar is believed to be the militant-wing of Awami Action Committee headed by the Mirwaiz.

Geelani refused to comment on the statements made by the former Chairman of the undivided Hurriyat Conference.

"I have nothing to say about their remarks," Geelani said to a news agency.

CPI(M) state secretary M Y Tarigami said Bhat's statement was "revealing" and the incidents need credible investigation.

"A credible investigation should be carried out so that responsibility for the killings is fixed," Tarigami said.

Sajjad Gani Lone, the youngest son of the slain leader, had blamed Geelani for the killing but retracted his statement few years later.

Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda said that "the person involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Farooq is also buried in the same 'martyrs' graveyard' where the senior Mirwaiz was laid to rest".

"So this explains a lot. The killer and the killed are both declared as martyrs by them," Khoda said.

A senior Hurriyat leader, who did not wish to be named, said there was nothing new in Bhat's remarks.

"Bhat has made the same speech in 'Azad Jammu and Kashmir' (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) Assembly five years ago," the leader said.

Bilal Lone and the Mirwaiz chose not to react to the statement.

Sources in the Hurriyat said that the leaders of the amalgam will maintain a "meaningful" silence over the remarks.

The moderate faction of the Hurriyat is unhappy with the way Geelani had handled the recent summer unrest in the Valley as many of them questioned the tactics of strikes and stone-pelting during a seminar yesterday.

State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar described the admission by separatists as a "good development".

"It has taken them very long to admit the reality but it is better late than never," Sagar said.

He said the separatist leaders have to be "realistic" if they are serious about resolution of the Kashmir issue and should stop treating the mainstream parties as "untouchables".

"We have to sit together if Kashmir issue has to be resolved permanently. The separatists should support and strengthen the efforts of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in this direction," he said.

In response to a question about unity efforts among the separatists, Bhat said it was "irrelevant" at the moment and that he would take a decision about it in his individual capacity if such a development takes place.

"I have never been part of and never will be part of any meaningless exercise. Why are you flogging us with the unity lash," the Hurriyat leader said.

Hurriyat Conference suffered a vertical split in September 2003 after Geelani accused Bhat and other moderate leaders of not running an effective anti-election campaign in 2002 assembly polls when he was in jail.

Geelani also accused People's Conference headed by Bilal and Sajjad Lone of participating in the assembly elections through proxy candidates.

Hurriyat leader's statement proves our point: Police
http://www.zeenews.com/news678344.html

Jammu: Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Bhat's admission that militants and not Indian security forces were to blame for the killing of top separatist leaders vindicates the police stand, the Jammu and Kashmir police chief said Monday.

"Bhat has said what we have been saying all along," Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda told the media while commenting on the remarks of the former All Parties Hurriyat Conference chief.

Bhat told a seminar in Srinagar Sunday that the assassinations of Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, father of moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Peoples Conference chairman Abdul Ghani Lone were caused by militant rivalry and that the security forces had no hand in them.

The statement stunned the audience, among whom were several separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Khoda said the police had always maintained that militants were killing leaders of rival factions.

"Now, when a separatist leader himself makes this disclosure, all I can say is that our stand has been vindicated," he added.

'J&K militants receiving money through trade'
http://www.zeenews.com/news678329.html

Jammu: In the first such public comment, Jammu and Kashmir's police chief on Monday said militants in the state continued to receive funds through different channels like cross-border trade and electronic transfers.

"The funding of the militants started the day militancy began in Jammu and Kashmir more than two decades ago," Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda said at a press conference here Monday afternoon.

"The militants have adopted different channels to bring in money. The money also came to them through trade across the Line of Control (LoC)," he said.

"The militants were also given money through electronic transfers... some money was brought by people directly. While some of the sources of the funding have been blocked, others are yet to be blocked as they remain undetected," he said.

He claimed that the state police had arrested some people in this connection.

"We are on the look out for others who are involved in these illicit transactions," he said.

Khoda also claimed that the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Jammu, Samba and Kathua were now "free of militancy" while some militants were operating in the hilly areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu region.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 04 Jan 2011 02:29

The killer and the killed are both declared as martyrs by them," Khoda said.

Less pious being killed by the more pious.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 05 Jan 2011 11:35

Malik to BJP: Will see who hoists Lal Chowk flag

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Malik ... lag/733406

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 05 Jan 2011 12:17

Caution: Economist on high-octane pot

First, as the pot sinks, a bit of pro-Suzzana propaganda completely distorting her seditious remarks and making them look less ominous and casting her detractors as some kind of crazed fanatics

In October, a writer, Arundhati Roy, suggested Kashmiris might have legitimate complaints, and that Pakistan might have a justifiable interest in Kashmir. Hindu nationalists demanded she be tried for sedition.

And now the pot has hit the central nervous system

As long as political leaders exist to channel, and moderate, the rage of the stone-pelters and innocent victims, such excited talk might be discounted. Mr Geelani, a frail octogenarian, is one such. He condemns India as “an occupying imperialist power”, but he is largely a moderating influence. He opposes any return to arms. He supports the pelters’ goals, but not their methods. His practical demands, for the repeal of draconian laws, the end of police abuse and talks with the central government, are hardly off the wall.

But Mr Geelani’s influence is waning, along with his health. It is doubtful that anyone among a handful of potential successors could command as much local respect. The alternative could be more troubling. Some observers fear that as India succeeds in neutering Kashmir’s nationalist politicians, religious groups will flourish.

Rajdeep · Post by **Rajdeep** » 05 Jan 2011 12:35

I was just browsing facebook, when one link leads to the other and I landed on this.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5 ... 1140920323

What kind of hate is this for India? These are all young people, educated even, who support the lashkar e taoiba. It is written on some of those photos. These people of India want Indians killed? They dream of an islamic republic of Kashmir?

You think there is a way of integrating such people? I fear for us.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 05 Jan 2011 13:47

Omar Abdullah slams BJP over flag hoisting

http://www.timesnow.tv/Omar-Abdullah-sl ... 361951.cms

sum · Post by **sum** » 05 Jan 2011 15:03

"They should not hold me responsible if there is a fallout of that in Kashmir. They will have to come and sort it out. They shall not hold me responsible", Omar who was flanked by his father and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, said.

Wah, what a great CM!!!
Dont hold me responsible for what happens in my state. Expect the same statements from the clown prince when he becomes PM and there is a crisis in Desh.

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 05 Jan 2011 15:46

CRamS wrote:Caution: Economist on high-octane pot
But Mr Geelani’s influence is waning, along with his health. It is doubtful that anyone among a handful of potential successors could command as much local respect. The alternative could be more troubling. Some observers fear that as India succeeds in neutering Kashmir’s nationalist politicians, religious groups will flourish.

birathers at Economist must be moderately enlightened, calling hardline jihadist as moderates

Political stances
Geelani has stood for Nizam-e-Mustafa or rule of Islam that is based on the laws of Sharia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 05 Jan 2011 18:10

ahmad rashid used to sometimes write on south asian matters for the economist if memory serves me right
similar foul deeds may be afoot

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 06 Jan 2011 07:22

x-post from POK thread:

ashokpachori wrote:Omar asks BJP not to hoist flag in Srinagar

Have not we seen Pakistani flags in each and every nukad of India?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 222368.cms

This needs to be handled with care. Already Yasin Malik has smelled a cause to make himself relevant.

Recall Amarnath days. Jammu BJP people blocked the road for maybe 1 day, and it was blown completely out of proportion, Hurriyat started marching towards POK border, a Hurriyat leader died, more protests etc.

It would have been far better to have gotten some Jammu-based trust to quietly and privately acquire land in the Valley for the Yatra.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 06 Jan 2011 11:17

I disagree, the time is to fight public battles and win publicly.

The time for Chankian under the table handling is long gone.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 06 Jan 2011 11:31

Pranav wrote:x-post from POK thread:

Recall Amarnath days. Jammu BJP people blocked the road for maybe 1 day, and it was blown completely out of proportion, Hurriyat started marching towards POK border, a Hurriyat leader died, more protests etc.

It would have been far better to have gotten some Jammu-based trust to quietly and privately acquire land in the Valley for the Yatra.

Actually it was almost like this onlee. Shrine board was formed and permission taken from goberment and High Court to acquire the land to raise temporary shelters. Even the environmentalists had given the green signal. But KMs started their

against the process by raising environment bogey and then their Ijlam being in danger by mere presence of Shrine Board. Nothing short of castrating these Paki terrorists is going to work.

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 06 Jan 2011 15:20

I think we tend to think too much about the feelings of the enemy and his/her well being. You don't like Shrine board in J&K, well tough luck!
If you have problem with Seeing Indian flag in Lal Chowk, go back to Pakistan or Arabistan. Omar abdullah should understand that J&K is part of India and hosting tricolor anywhere in India is right of every Indian. If he can not handle the heat, then step aside. We have more corrupts around to take your place.

Enough of pandering to these closet and open Islamists. The more you bend, more they think they are powerful.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 06 Jan 2011 15:37

Sanku wrote:. . . the time is to fight public battles and win publicly. The time for Chankian under the table handling is long gone.

Absolutely. What is acceptable and not must be made known for everyone to understand. But, GoI must be prepared to use law if these are violated, something about which we are unsure of, an example being the lack of will to slap sedition charges on Arundhathi Roy.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 06 Jan 2011 19:36

^^^

people have high hopes from this government.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 06 Jan 2011 19:45

SSridhar wrote:
Sanku wrote:. . . the time is to fight public battles and win publicly. The time for Chankian under the table handling is long gone.
Absolutely. What is acceptable and not must be made known for everyone to understand. But, GoI must be prepared to use law if these are violated, something about which we are unsure of, an example being the lack of will to slap sedition charges on Arundhathi Roy.

but GOI had plenty of will with Binayak Sen
so presumably there were other considerations made...?

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 06 Jan 2011 19:55

LM,

OT in Sens case it was the state govt that was driving the show. The Center has made up its mind to no uphold the national interests in any way shape or form.

The only where it is on the offensive is the saffron terror issue. that ought to tell us what the priorities are.

sunnyP · Post by **sunnyP** » 09 Jan 2011 04:42

Farooq seeks forgiveness for ethnic cleansing

"One of the major tragedies that we had to go through was the ethnic cleansing that took place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," said the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir at a book launch in the capital.

"I think it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the state that will always remain and for which even for years if we ask God for forgiveness I wonder if it will ever come," he said.

The minister was alluding to the displacement of Pandits from the Valley at the peak of militancy in the early 1990s.

"People had to leave their land and other holdings suddenly overnight, not knowing what the future holds for them. The hurt due to this tragedy still exists in young Pandits," said the minister who holds the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy portfolio.

Abdullah also rued the loss of cultural identity that these people have to face due to their displacement. "People in Kashmir don't know what Pandits look like..what the now empty temples meant for them..they have become aliens..I wonder if I'll be able to see it (the repatriation) in this birth," he said.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/faroo ... 110108.htm

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 09 Jan 2011 20:09

J&K: Oppressing a free press

NC-Congress regime penalizes Early Times

It is a measure of the insecurity of the Omar Abdullah government in Jammu & Kashmir that, despite an impressive mandate, the regime has for the past one year been actively harassing the news daily, Early Times, denying government advertisements without tangible rationale other than the fact that the paper has failed to serve as a virtual mouthpiece of the ruling dispensation in the state. Management and staff members are routinely humiliated on one pretext or other, and repeatedly told to project Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ‘properly’ by giving him ample space on the front page, else there will be ‘consequences’.

In behaviour surpassing the infamous Emergency of 1975, senior management officials are harassed at the personal level as well. Senior government personnel have openly warned the management to stop taking up public issues and conform to the comfort levels of the rulers. This has naturally caused dismay to the management as in the nine years of its existence Early Times has established a niche among readers in Jammu & Kashmir as a bold and independent journal that takes the lead in highlighting issues of public importance. It has the second largest circulation in the state.

Playing a blame game, the regime alleges that the newspaper is ‘communal’, ‘anti-Kashmir’, and ‘anti-Muslim’. The fact of the matter is that the proprietors are Hindus and the most senior journalists on the staff happen to be Muslims, though their real qualification is that they are professional journalists, viz., Ahmad Ali Faraz in Srinagar, and Syed Junaid Hashmi in Jammu.

Temple triggered row

What brought matters to a head, however, was the publication of news item of an attack on a temple at Anantnag last year. This was based on the Press Release of the Police Control Room, and other publications also carried the news.
Publication by Early Times, however, became the pretext for government launching a virtual harassment campaign against the daily, with authorities sealing both the Press and Office of the newspaper on July 1, 2010 vide order DCJ/camp/2010/001-03. No notice was served on the management; they were just handed a copy of this dictatorial order when they sought to know the reasons for sealing of their premises. Indeed, the formal notice was issued only after the seizure of the Press and the Office.

When all efforts to rein in Early Times failed, miscreants allegedly close to an Advisor to the Chief Minister began grabbing around 45 kanals of land legally owned by ET proprietor Bansi Lal Gupta. Worse, the malefactors have threatened everyone from the owners to the personnel of the concerned police station, as also revenue officials, of dire consequences if they interfered with this blatant illegality. Hence the concerned police station is doing nothing to stop the open land grab despite a high court notice; it was said the miscreant was the ‘Advisor’s man’. Where is the rule of law?

read the article in full.
This is one of the responses from former governor of J&K.

Dear Shrimati Jain, Thank you for your well written piece on Early Times. I regularly read your articles in The Pioneer and I find myself in agreement with your well articulated views. Today, I am perhaps the oldest living man with a long and intimate association with Kashmir. I went to Kashmir as a Major on Day One that is, 27 October 1947. On that day we were only 300 strong at Srinagar airfield when the enemy at Baramulla was 10,000 strong. I organised the airlift of troops from Safdarjung airport in Delhi to Srinagar grass landing ground in fifteen days. This was the limited window of opportunity available to us because winter was fast approaching and due to snow the landing ground would become unusable. Eight hundred sorties were flown in fifteen days. That saved Kashmir. I was connected with the planning and conduct of operations that lasted for over a year in 1947-48. I went to the UN Conference as the Secretary of the Indian delegation for delineating the Cease Fire line in Kashmir in 1949. I served thereafter for over 12 years in different ranks in Jammu and Kashmir, in all its regions. From 2003 to 2008, I did a full term as Governor of the State for five years. Given this background I am not surprised to read what you have written about Early Times. Newspapers in the Valley like Greater Kashmir and Rising Kashmir keep pouring venom against India. They constantly indulge in false anti-India propaganda. Yet they get generous State assistance in the form of advertisements and other concessions. Of course our national media ignores all this in the name of secularism. We have lost the media war in Kashmir long ago and all my efforts to change the bleak situation in this regard came to nought due to the apathy of the Centre. I hope your article about Early Times will focus national attention on the assault on freedom of the Press. However I confess that I do not have much hope of our Soft State doing anything in the matter. Regards
(Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha
08 Jan 2011

depressing indeed.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 09 Jan 2011 23:08

^^^^^
It is such a shame that we are not able to even keep the old man happy. It is depressing to read S K Sinha's letter.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 09 Jan 2011 23:12

sunnyP wrote:Farooq seeks forgiveness for ethnic cleansing

"One of the major tragedies that we had to go through was the ethnic cleansing that took place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," said the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir at a book launch in the capital.

"I think it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the state that will always remain and for which even for years if we ask God for forgiveness I wonder if it will ever come," he said.

The minister was alluding to the displacement of Pandits from the Valley at the peak of militancy in the early 1990s.

"People had to leave their land and other holdings suddenly overnight, not knowing what the future holds for them. The hurt due to this tragedy still exists in young Pandits," said the minister who holds the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy portfolio.

Abdullah also rued the loss of cultural identity that these people have to face due to their displacement. "People in Kashmir don't know what Pandits look like..what the now empty temples meant for them..they have become aliens..I wonder if I'll be able to see it (the repatriation) in this birth," he said.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/faroo ... 110108.htm

This reminds me of American Football anology I wrote in Nukkad a longwhile ago. If football you keep moving yard by yard. The yards that you occupied are yours. Similary WTF it is going to help by an apology after doing the ethnic cleansing. Do something like pass aborgation of ART-370 in JK assembly so that nature will take care of the problem and ethnic cleansing could be reversed.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 09 Jan 2011 23:13

Muppalla wrote:
This reminds me of American Football anology I wrote in Nukkad a longwhile ago. If football you keep moving yard by yard. The yards that you occupied are yours. Similary WTF it is going to help by an apology after doing the ethnic cleansing. Do something like pass aborgation of ART-370 in JK assembly so that nature will take care of the problem and ethnic cleansing could be reversed.

Islamization is like American football.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 09 Jan 2011 23:32

Chinese troops enter Indian territory again

why cant India start questioning one china one tibet one taiwan policy.
why cant India issue stapled visas.
why cant India object to KKH as it passes thru Indian territory.
........many more.