SRINAGAR, Sep 22:As 19th Commonwealth Games 2010 approach and more skeletons tumble out of the closet, Kashmiri youth working in Delhi are finding themselves on a sticky wicket (though cricket is not part of the games!).
Over 150 Kashmiris working in different companies in Gurgaon had to bid farewell to the national capital for “security reasons”. “As Kashmiris, we are being treated as potential threats,” Mudassir (name changed), who is working for a BPO company at Gurgaon, told Kasmir Times over phone. Security has been beefed up ahead of commonwealth games in Delhi and adjoining cities. “They (police) don’t entertain our company ID cards. They ask for election card or passport,” he said. “When our company recruited us we submitted the documents detailing identification requirements and we were given employees card which we have been carrying with us ever since.” Mudassir said that most of the employees were afraid to move out because policemen would often ask for their identification proofs. “Those who don’t have ID proofs are sent back to their native places,” he said. “So far 20000 employees working in different private companies have been sent back to their respective states. The best part of it is that their traveling expenses are borne by the state.” Another Kashmiri, Rafeeq (name changed), who is working as a software engineer in the city, said that the landlords have been directed by the police authorities to get a proper identification proof from their tenets. “The landlord is supposed to make three copies of the identification proof and deposited one copy at local police station, keep one for his personal information and give one copy to the tenant,” he said, adding that police only entertains election card or passport as “authentic identification proofs”. There have also been reports that in the wake of commonwealth games, Kashmiris were finding it difficult to get accommodation in hotels across Delhi. “When we tell them we are Kashmiris, the only reply they give us is that ‘sorry, hotel is full booked’,” said Mujtaba, who often visits Delhi on business trips. Pertinently, there have been numerous instances when Kashmiris, living, working or studying outside their state, were harassed in other states of India by police, more often than not without any justification. Last year, under-22 cricketer, Parvez Rasool, was arrested by Bangalore police for carrying “suspicious material”. Rasool was given a clean chit by the Forensic Science Laboratory, which said his luggage did not contain any residual of explosive substances. In 2008, two Valleyites, Irshad Ali and Mohammad Moarif Qamar were branded as members of a banned militant outfit, Al-Badr, before CBI came to their rescue and unearthed the truth. A valley-based cartoonist, Malik Sajad, who is working with local English daily, was detained by the Delhi police two years back for being a “Kashmiri”.
SRINAGAR, Sep 9: As the debate over revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) gathers steam, troops of 44-RR (Rashtriya Rifles) allegedly killed a civilian on the intervening night of September 8-9 in the forest area of Bandipora, about 55 kilometers north of Srinagar, mistaken him for a militant. Police have registered a murder case and started investigation following massive protest demonstrations in the area.
Meanwhile, 55-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Guroo, who had sustained critical injuries during clashes between protestors and police and CRPF paramilitary men at Tengpora Bypass here, succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS today, taking the death toll from three months of unrest in the valley to 70. According to reports, 34-year-old, Manzoor Ahmad Piswal son of Ghulam Nabi Piswal of Aparkudara Gujjar Basti had gone into the upper reaches of forests, Behak, with other nomads to graze their livestock. Leaving his livestock and other companions back at Behak, Manzoor left for his home in the dead of night after he received information that his lone son had taken ill at home. According to locals, while Manzoor was returning home, troopers of 44 RR, who had laid an ambush in the area, mistook him for a militant and opened fire on him, injuring Manzoor critically. After there was no retaliatory fire, troopers waited for a while before walking towards the body of the slain man, who was lying in a pool of blood. After realizing that he was a civilian, troopers immediately rushed him to a military camp nearby for treatment, however, his condition deteriorated and he was shifted to Bandipora sub-district hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 0800 hours this morning. According to hospital sources, Manzoor’s body had four bullet injuries and he had died due to massive blood loss. A pall of gloom descended on the Aparkudar Gujjar Basti after the news about Manzoor’s death broke out in the area. Hundreds of residents comprising men, women, and children raised slogans against the Army. The protestors, carrying body of Manzoor, marched throughout the area, while shouting slogans against the incident. As the protests intensified, senior officials of police, Army, civil administration reached the spot to pacify the protestors. They assured the irate protestors that the incident would be probed and action would be taken against the erring troops. After receiving assurances from the administration, protestors dispersed peacefully. Meanwhile, police registered a case and started investigation into the incident. According to reports, Army had initially labeled Manzoor as militant, but later on changed its statement and accepted its responsibility following huge public outcry. Local village head, Meraj-ud-Din, said that police had already registered a case against the killing and had ensured justice to the bereaved family. Meanwhile, Army spokesman in Srinagar said that troopers had laid an ambush in the forest area of Aparkudar after they received information about the presence of some militants in the area. “Army noticed some suspicious moment on Wednesday night at around 0230 hours. The man (Manzoor) was challenged by the troops, but he started running away, prompting the soldiers to open fire which resulted in injuries to the man,” the spokesman said. “After ascertaining that the injured person was not armed, the troops gave him first aid and tried to send him to a hospital, but he succumbed to injuries." There were reports that a large contingent of militants had crossed over to this side along the line of control (LoC) in the district, he added. A 55-year-old person, Ghulam Mohammad Guroo, who had sustained critical injuries in police and CRPF firing at Tengpora Bypass yesterday, succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Soura here. After the word of his death spread in the SKIMS, men and women in large numbers came out and raised slogans against Army and administration. They also shouted pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans. The body of Guroo was taken in a procession to his native place at Maloora Sumbal. The locals alleged that police had fired teargas shell towards Guroo when he, along with his two brothers, was on his way to Maloora Sumbal in a private vehicle. They said if the claim of police was correct that Guroo had sustained injuries in stone pelting then how come there was a big hole in his head. In a statement issued to the press, police spokesman said that Guroo had received head injury by a brick or stone while traveling from Letpora to Maloora Sumbal. “The vehicle they were travelling was stoned and stopped by stone-throwers at Tengpora,” the spokesman said. “The victim had received head injuries and shifted to SKIMS, Soura. He breathed his last Thursday afternoon.”
SRINAGAR, Sep 4:A week after chief minister, Omar Abdullah, served defamation notice on People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator and spokesman, and sought their public apology within seven days, state’s principal opposition, PDP, today refused to apologise and asserted that the party was ready to face court case.
“We will fight the case whenever it comes to the court,” PDP spokesman, Naeem Akhtar told Kashmir Times. Confirming the receipt of legal notice, he said that his party’s position was clear and they were ready to defend the charges leveled against the chief minister. “We received a notice some days back asking us to apologise within seven days and withdrew all the allegations or face,” he said. He said that by taking the matter to court, the government had provided an opportunity to his party to expose the government’s functioning. “We are gathering further details and evidences against the misappropriation of funds by the present dispensation, which will be produced before the court of law to expose the government,” Naeem Akhter was quoted by a local agency as saying. “We believe that assets of both father-son duo of Farooq and Omar Abdullah in Gulmarg, Srinagar and Delhi should be scrutinized,” he said, adding that the leaders of his party were ready to face similar scrutiny. Pertinently, PDP legislator, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, and Naem Akhtar had, during a press conference on August 26, accused the chief minister of receiving Rs 500 crore as kickbacks in the allotment of the Rattle Power Project. The PDP legislator had also alleged that Rs 20 crore had been spent so far on a residence being constructed for the chief minister at the Gupkar road. Taking strong note of the allegations being hurled at Omar, senior National Conference (NC) leader and finance minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, while addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference at Dak Bunglow here, termed the allegations as “baseless”. He negated the allegation that an amount of Rs 20 crore had been spent on the residence of the chief minister. “So far only Rs 1.50 crore has been spent out of the estimated amount of Rs two crore,” he had said. Two days after the press conference, the chief minister sent a legal notice for defamation to Bhat and Naeem. The notice was sent through Omar’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior advocate and former additional solicitor general of India. Terming the charges “baseless, fabricated, concocted, frivolous, false and defamatory”, the defamation notice called upon Bhat and Naeem to publicly apologise and withdraw the allegations made against the chief minister within seven days.
SRINAGAR, Aug 3:Ruling out division of Jammu and Kashmir state, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, today called for social boycott of all pro-India leaders.
Urging the denizens of the state to distance themselves from unwarranted adulation of their leaders, Geelani said that it was this approach which had ruined the state in the past.
“I appeal to people of Kashmir that if Geelani budges from his stand, you are free to leave him,” he said. “The present struggle has passed on to the youth and it should be carried to its logical end,” Geelani said while addressing a gathering at Pather Masjid here.
Earlier, Geelani appeared outside the Pather Masjid this afternoon in an auto rickshaw. Upon seeing him, hundreds of youth present there shouted pro-Islam and pro-freedom slogans, and escorted the octogenarian leader into the mosque.
Addressing the congregation, Geelani said that the result of two and half month long agitation have started to appear.
“International community has started building pressure on India regarding the resolution of Kashmir dispute, and put an end to this bloodshed” he said.
He said that the ongoing agitation had compelled members of Indian civil society to come forward and express solidarity with Kashmiris.
“They (civil society members) are blaming their own government for spilling blood of Kashmiri civilians on roads,” he said. “So this is our victory.”
Stating that pro-India leaders were strengthening the hands of those forces which were engaged in spilling the blood of Kashmiri youths in the valley, he asked them to stop toeing the line of their masters, and join the present agitation.
“If they (pro-India leaders) care about the people of the state then they must join the agitation at this crucial juncture,” he said.
He said that Hurriyat Conference (G) had already given its 5-point proposal to New Delhi.
“If they (New Delhi) want to regain trust of Kashmiris then they must accept our proposals,” he said.
He said that the present struggle of Kashmiri people have shaken up New Delhi.
Geelani asked the people to refrain from shouting inflammatory slogans and ransacking of public property.
“We should carry forward this struggle in a peaceful manner,” he said. “There is no role of Hizb (Hizb-ul Mujahideen), Lashkar (Lakhkar-e Toiba), or Jaish (Jaish-e Mohammad) in the ongoing agitation, but still poisonous weapons are being used against the peaceful protestors.”
The veteran separatist leader draw parallels between Kashmir imbroglio and Palestinian problem.
“Today we are observing ‘Youm-e Quds’ to show solidarity with oppressed Palestinians,” he said. “Palestine and Kashmir face similar problems with colonial powers strangulating voices of the subjugated people.”
He said that India would not succeed in suppressing the “Azadi sentiments” among Kashmiris.
“The onus is on the youth to show discipline while carrying forward the ongoing struggle,” he said. “Youths must defeat New Delhi’s plan to defame the moment.”
Geelani also dared union minister and NC president, Farooq Abdullah, to come to Lal Chowk and dare to speak in the same language in which he had spoken in Lok Sabha during a debate on the unrest in Kashmir on August 26.
He appealed to the people to strictly follow the conglomerate’s protest calendar.
Later, Geelani was taken in a motorbike procession to his Hyderpora residence.
SRINAGAR, Sep 1: A day after senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari, accused state government of pressing into service Ikhwanis (government-backed gunmen) to create fissures among the Muslim community, ruling National Conference (NC) today took a potshot at Ansari, describing him as “political chameleon”.
Ansari’s statement has sparked a political controversy with former renegade, Padma Shree Ghulam Mohammad Mir alias Momma Kana, refuting the allegation leveled against him and terming them as offshoot of the rivalry between NC and PDP.
“If I have committing wrongdoings in the past, I apologize to the entire community for that,” Momma Kana told media persons at his Magam residence today.
Moulvi Ansari had yesterday, in a statement, alleged that Momma Kana and another notorious and dreaded Ikhwani, Qasim Khaar, were, with the tacit support of NC, shaping a group in the name of Shia community to create Shia Sunni wedge.
“This group will certainly not succeed in sowing the seeds of discord between Shia and Sunni Muslims of the state,” he had said. “The government may try to do something more desperate to defame the people of Kashmir as they have been trying to do recently by raking up Sikh security issue or calling an entire community as stone pelters. The crimes of the present dispensation have now assumed very serious dimensions and the unholy effort to create fissures among the Muslim community are the most reprehensible.”
Addressing media persons, Momma Kana said that he was an ordinary person and not an Ikhwani.
“I used to be a Congress supporter, but now I vote for National Conference (NC),” he said.
He said he was a member of state Congress unit when PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was its president and Ansari was also its member.
“During PDP’s reign, after he failed to get a suitable candidate for local bodies’ elections, Mufti gave mandate to my daughter,” he said.
He said he was now living life of an ordinary citizen therefore labeling him as Ikhwani was unjustified.
“I don’t know whether Iftikhar sahib has given this statement of his own or on the advice of anyone else,” he said.
He said the need of the hour was to stop every kind of violence in the valley.
“Killings will not achieve anything,” he said.
“I request the Indian government to allow Kashmiris to visit Pakistan so that they can decide for themselves what will be better for them,” he said.
Meanwhile, taking a dig at Ansari, spokesman of NC todaytermed his statement as “his frustration and figment of imagination”.
Denying allegations about government’s hand in reviving the Ikhwani culture, the spokesman of NC alleged that Ansari had himself sought help of Ikhwanis in last assembly elections to ensure his victory.
He said that it was an open fact known to people of Sonawari assembly constituency that Ansari’s younger brother, Abid Ansari, had engaged Qasim Khaar, who played a “prominent role” during Abid’s electioneering campaign in the assembly segment.
“The people of the state are witness to the fact that National Conference has always promoted unity between Shias and Sunnis under the pioneering leadership of late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,” he said, adding the party has been playing historic role in promoting harmony and co-existence among different religions, castes and sections.
Stating that PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, had introduced daughter of Muma Kana as the party’s candidate for local bodies’ elections, the spokesman said that Ansari was actually trying to conceal his “record breaking irregularities of the past and ill-gotten massive wealth”.
“The leader has lost his credibility,” he said.
The spokesman added the government would shortly reveal the irregularities committed by Ansari.
“Ansari has broken all records of defection. His past statements are still reverberating in political circles. Ansari is on record having said during Parliament election of 2004 at Khurhima Batmaloo and other election rallies that a dozen of PDP candidates have won due to rigging in 2002 as well as with the help of four army commanders,” he said. “Ansari even accused Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of making a sell out of Kashmir.”
The spokesman also expressed surprise over the statement of Mehbooba, stating the onus of turning the state into a garrison and bringing the draconian AFSPA to the state was on former chief minister and PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
“He (Mufti) was responsible for dislodging elected government in 1990 and bringing Jagmohan as governor of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “The hardliner Jagmohan was responsible for bloodshed and creating mayhem in the state.”
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I will expose NC: Ansari
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Sep 1: Senior PDP leader, Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari, today dared National Conference (NC) to reveal the financial irregularities allegedly committed by him.
“If they (NC) think I have committed irregularities let them come out with evidences,” he told Kashmir Times. “Even I am ready to make public all the financial wrong-doings of NC since 1947.”
He said that his revelation would leave the entire state stunned and would expose the real face of NC and its leaders.
Referring to the allegation of NC that Ansari’s younger brother, Abid Ansari, had engaged dreaded Ikhwani, Qasim Khar, during the former’s 2008 election campaign, Ansari said that he or his brother had nothing to do with Ikhwanis.
“Neither I nor my brother has any links with Ikhwanis,” he said.
He said that NC has been blaming PDP for its own failures.
“They hold PDP responsible for the present unrest and blame us for instigating youth,” he said. “I would suggest them to accept their failure. Hurling baseless accusation will not help restore peace in the valley.”
Reiterating that the government wanted to create dissention among Muslims to divert public attention away from the present unrest, Ansari asked the people of Kashmir to remain vigilant and not play into the hands of divisive forces.
Ansari had accused NC of reviving the Ikhwani culture by pressing into service Ikhwanis to create fissures among the Muslim community.
“Padma Shree Momma Kana and dreaded Ikhwani, Qasim Khaar, were, with the tacit support of NC, shaping a group in the name of Shia community to create Shia Sunni wedge,” he had said.
