Stone pelting creating rift within already divided Kashmiri separatists

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Mar 26: The apparent divide within the separatist camp seems to be widening by the day. The latest reason for the growing divide is recent controversy over stone pelting that has exposed the underbelly of separatists' claims of 'unity' and 'coordination'.
Jamiat-e-Ahli-Hadees (JAH) president, Maulana Showkat Ahmed Shah said on Sunday that stone pelting is forbidden in Islam.

"Stone pelting cannot be justified. Islam is about discipline and if the leaders are asking people to refrain from stone pelting then they should adhere to the directions. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) too has asked us to refrain from it," he said while addressing Majlis Shoora of JAH.

Chairman of Tehreek-e Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani says that stone pelting is done in reaction against the tyranny of gun wielding troops.

"If troops allow us to hold innocuous and peaceful protest why would we take to stone pelting," he says.

Referring to the first protest carried out on June 23, 2008 during the infamous Amarnath land row, Geelani says: "It was a peaceful protest, but they (troops) fired dozens of tear gas shells to disperse the protestors."

"How could an unarmed youth hold his nerve when he is provoked by the occupational forces?" Geelani asks.

Quoting a verse from Quran, the septuagenarian leader maintains that Allah permits resistance to oppression.

Senior separatist leader and president of Islamic Students League (ISL), Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi says that be it religion or the international forum oppressed lot has been given all the right to show resistance.

"Religion does not bar the oppressed and subjugated people from showing resistance," he says. "Stone pelting has remained part of the movement and the fatwas issued against it have no basis."

Obliquely referring to president Moulana Showkat's statement, Shakeel says the same people are issuing statements against stone-pelting in Kashmir who have been all along organising seminars in support of the Palestine cause and the stone throwing youth and children.

JKLF (Rajbagh) also today came out in support of stone pelting as a form of agitation.
However, senior Hurriyat Conference (M) leader and president Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Mosavi believes that stone pelting "defiles the spirit of Islam".
"There are ways to show anger through sloganeering, peaceful protests. People must abstain from stone pelting," Agha says.

'Kani jung', in vernacular stone pelting, has been the Kashmiris' distinctive way of venting pent up anger on issues ranging from religious, social, political and administrative matters to power shutdowns.

Kashmir's history is silent about this trait, however, it is said that while fighting Dogra rule in the 1930s, disenchanted Kashmiris had no other way of expressing their fury except by hurling stones and kangris at the oppressors.

Stone pelting gained popularity from 1960 onwards when supporters of two rival political groups - of the National Conference called 'sher' (lions) and of the Awami Action Committee called 'bakra' (goats) - would indulge in clashes called 'sher-bakra' battles.

Committee set up to act on SHRC recommendations

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Mar 16: After facing persistent criticism from the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) for ignoring its recommendations, the state government has finally constituted a high-level committee to review and take action on the recommendations of the SHRC - mandated to serve as a credible watchdog institution meant for safeguarding and upholding the human rights of the people of J&K. The decision is also being viewed as an attempt to improve the human rights situation in strife-torn and conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Set up by the state's Home Department, the one-member committee will be headed by the Financial Commissioner Home, Samuel Varghese.

The state government had come in for stern criticism from SHRC and state's independent human rights watchers for not taking the Commission's recommendations seriously.

Often referred to as a 'toothless tiger' and 'dead horse', SHRC is plagued by problems related to its powers and its autonomy, which have had a major impact on its functioning and credibility.

The Commission has reportedly forwarded 973 recommendations to the state government since its inception. Out of 973 recommendations, the government has taken action in merely 447 cases.

In its annual reports, SHRC had maintained that its recommendations are being treated like 'routine papers'.

It is pertinent to mention here that under Section 12 of the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act, 1997 it is mandatory for the state government to initiate action on the report of the SHRC within a period of four weeks from its receipt and intimate the Commission about the action taken.

Prominent human rights activist and president Kashmir Bar Association (KBA), Mian Abdul Qayoom termed the decision as a mere 'eye wash'.

"Earlier also the government had constituted committees for reviewing the recommendation of SHRC, but they did nothing. This committee will also do nothing," he said.

He said that unless the law is amended and more power is given to the Commission, these committees would not yield any result.

Another separatist leader, Shakeel Bakshi said: "SHRC is a toothless tiger and the creation of a committee to review the Commission's recommendations is an attempt to keep Kashmiris in good humour."

Shakeel said that the state's Defence was in the hands of New Delhi and not in the hands of the state. Even the state legislature has no power to interfere in Defence related matters, he said.

Two former chairpersons of SHRC - Justice Abdul Qadir Parray and Justice AM Mir - have expressed concern over the government's callous attitude in implementing the recommendations of the Commission.

Justice Parray had made a complaint in 2002 stating that "cases of human rights violations in Kashmir at the hands of security forces are gathering dust in the official chambers of LK Advani. Our commission is only a recommendatory body and has not been provided with enough powers to force implementation."

Similarly, Justice Mir was quoted as saying, "Insofar as the implementation of the SHRC's recommendations was concerned, I am effectively whipping a dead horse".

Justice Mir had later resigned from the post of chairman SHRC to protest "growing human rights violations in the state and non-implementation of the Commission's recommendations".
"Right from the day I assumed the office, I have been observing that the government is not serious about the Commission. All along I made strenuous efforts for drawing the attention of the Government to the difficulties of the institution. The position has worsened from day to day," he had written in the resignation letter to the then Governor, Lt Gen (Retired) SK Sinha. "During my tenure, not a single recommendation made by the commission was implemented. SHRC has not been able to accomplish the object for which it was established. I waited for long in the hope that my efforts might yield some results."

The Common Minimum Programme of erstwhile Congress-PDP government had listed the strengthening of SHRC as one of the key objectives. Similarly, present government has also vowed to strengthen all the commissions, including SHRC. Despite the tall promises, the Commission's recommendations are biting the dust.

The Amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA) in 2002 stripped the SHRC of powers to appoint its technical staff and transferred this power to the government. The Commission can not appoint its own staff, and the government has failed to do so. Instead, the government transfers and replaces the SHRC staff at will, without consulting the chairperson.

For an institution that is often required to carry out independent investigations in order to verify and/or address complaints of human rights violation, the presence of investigating officers is essential. This is also stipulated in Section 11(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir PHRA.
After the exposure of the infamous fake encounter cases, then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, in February 2007, said in the state Legislative Assembly that "all human rights violation cases in the state since 1990 will be probed". In October 2008, a Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), constituted a Special Task Force (STF). The STF was directed to visit different districts and have meetings with District Level Screening Committees, headed by Deputy Commissioners, to review the implementations/ recommendations of the SHRC since its inception (1997-1998). The STF was asked to submit its report to the Cabinet by November end, but the report never saw the light of day.

The human rights watchers have been relentlessly blaming that the state government for having failed to implement the recommendations of SHRC.

"The government, in some cases, has been simply cold shouldered. It has not even implemented SHRC's recommendations related to grant of compensation to victims in many cases," said a human rights watcher.

‘Omar's zero tolerance promise proved false’

Jammu, February 25 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, since new puppet Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah took over the reins of administration, nothing much has changed in terms of human rights violations. Incidents involving gross human rights violations and killing of innocent people by Indian forces continues unabated. Also, over 40 persons have been reportedly detained under infamous Public Safety Act (PSA).

Syed Ali Safvi wrote this in a local daily ‘Kashmir Times’. He pointed out that a day after Omar took over as the puppet Chief Minister, a deaf and dumb man - Abdur Rashid Reshi - was shot dead in cold blood by army guards near Omar's Gupkar residence. As always as a mere ritual, police and army ordered high level inquiry into the killing.

On February 3, 17 days after Omar's statement, a 25-year-old tailor - Fayaz Ahmad Mir - was shot dead by the troops in Lolab area of Kupwara district. On Feb 10, CRPF men thrashed a shopkeeper in Maisuma area. More than a dozen people were injured in the subsequent protests and clashes between police and protestors. On Feb 21, two innocent youth - Mohammad Amin Tantray and Javed Ahmad Dar - were killed in army firing at Bomai Sopore. The apple town was rocked by massive protest against the killing.

He wrote that Omer Abdullah had called for zero tolerance to human rights violations and had asked the concerned authorities to investigate the violations in a transparent manner and give quick punishment to the erring troops. However, Omar’s plea seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Safvi quoted the President of Bar Association of the occupied Kashmir, Mian Abdul Qayoom, as saying that incidents involving human rights violations are going bad to worse. "Since Omar took over, 48 persons have been detained under Public Safety Act (PSA). Another two are languishing behind bars without any justification. People are being arrested and killed. It is going from bad to worse," Qayoom said.

He said that according to the Court records, as many as 365 persons were detained under PSA last year. Out of these, over 300 were detained during Amarnath land row and so-called elections, he said. "Omar had promised during election campaign that if elected to power his administration will release all those who have been detained under PSA, but nothing has been done," Qayoom said adding that number of inquiries had been ordered but no body has been punished.

"Basically the problem is of lack of accountability. Police and army have been given unbridled powers under Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). They have been given a license to kill anybody," he said. "Justice is being made difficult under the laws. Unless the draconian laws are not withdrawn, there will be no improvement."

http://kmsnews.org/news/%E2%80%98omars-zero-tolerance-promise-proved-false%E2%80%99

NC's defeated warriors get prime party posts

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Feb 20: In the run up to Legislative Council (LC) elections scheduled to be held on March 7, National Conference (NC) today nominated former legislator Ali Mohammad Dar and advocate Rattan Lal Gupta as new provincial presidents of the party for Jammu and Kashmir provinces.

Dr Mehboob Beg

Dar, who lost from Chadoora assembly segment, is NC's district president Budgam. He was elected from Chadoora in 1996 assembly elections. He was defeated twice by People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former minister Javed Mustafa Mir in 2002 and 2008 assembly elections fro Chadoora.

Gupta has been a political secretary to the NC president, Farooq Abdullah. He was also NC's senior vice president.

Dar will replace former minister Mehboob Beg, and Gupta will replace former minister Ajay Sadhotra as provincial president in Jammu and Kashmir provinces, respectively.
Both Dar and Gupta are considered very close to the NC president.

Highly placed sources in the party told the Kashmir Times that Beg and Sadhotra have been shifted because they are likely to be adjusted as MLCs.

Expressing discontent, a senior party leader said that the party was favouring defeated candidates over the winning candidates.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dar, Beg, and Sadhotra were defeated in the recently held assembly elections in the state.

Beg lost to former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed from Anantnag assembly segment, while Sadhotra lost to Choudhary Sukhnandan of BJP from Marh assembly segment.
Elections to the upper house are still 15 days away; however, the aspirants have already started to flock to the residence of the party president. In a bid to keep himself away from a battery of MLC aspirants, Farooq decided to move out of state for some time. The NC president is presently holidaying in Delhi, and according to the party sources, he is likely to stay there until the end of this month.

Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah

If the sources are to be believed, Farooq will be back only after the announcement of the party nominations. As has been the norm so far, NC will have to take nod from 10 Janpath before announcing the names of its candidates. Chief minister Omar Abdullah had also flown to New Delhi yesterday evening. It is believed that both the father-son duo may have met the Congress high command to discuss the seat sharing arrangement in the ensuing Legislative Council elections.

The biennial elections for the 12 seats of Legislative Council will be held on March 7.
The coalition partners - Congress and NC - have decided to contest all the 12 legislative council seats in the state.

Sources added that Congress is likely to put up its candidates on the five seats of the upper house while NC will contest all the six seats. One seat is for local bodies.
However, both NC and Congress have preferred to remain tight lipped about naming the candidates.

Polling for 11 seats is scheduled to be held on March 7 and counting of votes will also be done the same day.

Eight seats of the Legislative Council will fall vacant after the retirement of Nassurallah of Kargil and Phuntsog Namgyal of Ladakh on March 9, 2009, Ali Mohammad Sofi of Kashmir province and Ved Prakash Gupta of Jammu province on March 16, and Amrit Malhotra, Choudhary Bashir Ahmed Naz and Lal Mohammad Sabir of Jammu province on March 9.

'India has a failed neighbourhood policy'

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Feb 19: Terming China a "bigger threat" to India, Vice Chancellor University of Jammu (JU) Prof Varun Kumar Sahni today said India has defined its military thinking in terms of Pakistan, but not to the bigger threat China.

Stating that India has been adopting failed regional policies for last 60 years, Sahni said, "No doubt undivided J&K is important, but the much bigger game is the game vis-a-vis China. I feel that India is on losing wicket."

"India has a failed neighbourhood policy. It cannot deal with China at South Asian level now, because China has left us far behind," he said at a function organised by General Zorawar Singh Chair of Excellence and Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies JU at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium Complex here.

He was speaking on relevance of undivided Jammu and Kashmir to security and peace in the region.

Stressing upon the need for softer border and greater interaction to improve bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, Sahni said that India needs to think over cultural power vis-…-vis Pakistan.

"Don't underestimate cultural power. Softer power and greater interaction is the key to improve bilateral ties," Sahni told a gathering comprising retired army men, soldiers, academics, NCC cadets, and students.

Sahni, however, maintained that India has started to take good steps.

"As a liberal democracy India must protect itself. India's reaction to Mumbai attacks has shown that India has developed as a nation," he said. "India has forced Pakistan to change its foreign policy."

Earlier, delivering a presentation, Brig (retd) K Kuldip Singh gave historical account of India's regional strategies vis-…-vis its neighbouring countries and strategic significance of J&K.
Stressing the need for federation of South Asian states, Sharma said that US president Obama's vision to create federal world order: one Israel, Palestine, Jordan; two, South Asian states was a very sensible development.

Stating that Jammu and Kashmir was the most misunderstood subject, Singh said that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions had always been integral parts of the J&K state.
"J&K has been India's politico-cultural domain. Khirbhawani temple, Ganpatyar temple, Shankaracharya temple, Buddha's statues were testimony to the fact that the state had always been a part of rich Indian culture," he said.

Speaking about the strategic significance of J&K, Singh said that the state was a convergent point of three civilizations: Russian, Chinese, Indian and Afghan.
"J&K has had strategic importance throughout history. 90 per cent of invasions on India have been done from North West frontier," he said.

Singh said that British not only abetted Gilgit coup, but it also abetted Pakistan's strategy to grab J&K.

"Two days after J&K's accession to India, Gilgit scouts staged a coup with the help of British on Oct 28, 1947," Singh said. "British also supported Pakistan's plan to grab J&K through invasion to capture the valley, on regional grounds, through stand still black mail and through intervention by the UN."

Ruling out the possibility of holding plebiscite, Singh said that according to UN resolution August 13, 1948 plebiscite is possible only when there is complete ceasefire and withdrawal of Pakistan troops and tribal invaders.

Giving cursory details of economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh said that the state was far ahead as compared to Pakistan and Northern Alliance (NA).

"Literacy rate in J&K is 59 per cent as compared to 44 per cent in Pakistan and 7 per cent in Northern Alliance," he said.

Quoting his own study, he said that 15 per cent non-Kashmiri Muslims, 13 per cent Shia Muslims and 14 per cent Gujjars and Paharis are in favour of staying with India.

"Only 22 per cent of Sunni Muslims are in favour of Azadi," he said.

Sharma said that it was high time for both India and Pakistan to solve all bilateral problems.

"Indo-Pak dispute is bilateral and there must not be any outside intervention," he said. "It is for the first time that moderate section of Pakistan is looking for Indian cooperation to fight terrorism in their country, instead of looking for the US," he said.

The presentation was followed by an interactive session.

Farooq blows hot, blows cold

Syed Ali Safvi

JAMMU, Feb 8: Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today blew hot and cold as he indulged in a bit of Pakistan and China bashing as also called for peace and friendship in South Asia, all in the same breath.

Castigating India for adopting dual policy on China-Tibet issue, Abdullah said when China attacked and took away Tibetan's independence, India remained silent.

"When Dalai Lamba is in India, he is barred to speak anything against China, because India does not want to hamper its ties with China," he said while addressing a function at Hotel Asia organised by J&K Forum for Peace and reconciliation. "Appeasement policy will not yield results. You can't make friends for the time being. We only talk about Mahatma Gandhi's principles when it suits us, otherwise not."

Castigating the policies of both India and Pakistan, the NC president said that on one hand there were talks about opening routes and on the other hand people were being killed. Stating that creating war hysteria was a destructive thinking, Farooq said that war was not a solution to any problem.

"Peace is possible with a common man in Pakistan. They know that if they want to move ahead in terms of development, they have to be friends with India," he said, adding that the leaders of Pakistan need to realise that.

Farooq said the day when army in Pakistan would realise that India is not their enemy, change would start taking place. "I wonder if that day would ever come. So many leaders of India and Pakistan who devoted many years to foster peace and reconciliation, have died, but the hatred still persists," he said, adding that amid growing tension, Jammu and Kashmir was paying heavy price.

Stating that only lip service was not enough, hearts should be pure, Farooq said that India and Pakistan must adopt flexible approach to resolve all impending issues.

Terming the Mumbai attack dossier controversy as unfortunate, Farooq urged Pakistan to punish all those involved in the Mumbai terror attack The NC president said that feudal hegemony was still in vogue in Pakistan and Madrasas - meant to impart religious education - were breeding ground of hatred against India.

"People of Pakistan are against terrorism. They know if terrorism continues to grow in the country, it would be wiped off the map," he told a galaxy of intellectuals comprising academics and members of civil society.

Stressing the need to adopt flexible approach, Farooq said that dialogue process and honesty of purpose was a must to douse the flames of hatred in India and Pakistan. "The only problem between India and Pakistan is that they are suspicious of each other," he said. "Friendship is possible only if there is a true give-and-take and not only take, take and take".

Referring to trans-LoC trade between the two parts of divided Kashmir, the former chief minister said that trade was only possible when there are banking facilities in place so that there is no problem of currency exchange.

However, Farooq appreciated the role of Indian government to built international pressure on Pakistan to crack down on terrorist network operating on its soil. He said that whatever Pakistan was doing today was all because of the international pressure India had built on it.

"My contribution to the history of Kashmir has finally been recognized"

Born in Srinagar Kashmir in 1924, Prof Fida Mohammad Hassnain was recently conferred 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by Jammu and Kashmir state government. He is the recipient of several degrees and awards from various universities and institutions of India, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Mexico.

He started his service career in 1953 as Professor and retired as Director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums in 1980.

He is associated with the Occult Foundation Calcutta, OISCA-International Tokyo, the Temple of Understanding New York, Sri Aurobindo Ashram New Delhi, Swami Gitananda Yoga Centre Pondicherry, World Congress of Faiths London, Hazrat Inayat Khan Sufi Centre New Delhi. He is also a spiritual healer and conducts Sufi Therapy Workshops in the Dynamic Psychiatry Hospitals in Germany.

In an interview with Syed Ali Safvi, Prof Fida Mohammad Hassnain talks about Kashmir history, and his upcoming books.

Syed Ali Safvi (SAS): How it feels to be honoured with prestigious lifetime award for your contribution to the history of Kashmir?

Prof Fida Hassnain (FH): The news about the Award gave me a feeling of happiness. I felt thankful and appreciative of what was done for me by the State Government. I thought that it has now been recognized that I have made some contributions to the history of Kashmir. It gives me encouragement to do more.

SAS: Tell us something about your self?

FH: I was born at Srinagar in 1924. My parents were teachers. My grand-father Mohammad Ali Khan Khokhar had migrated from Sialkot to Kashmir during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. I did my B.A. from Lahore and M.A.L.L.B. from the Muslim University Aligarh. I began my service career as Professor in 1948 and retired as the Director of Archives Archaology, Research and Museum in 1980.

SAS: As a historian how do you trace the history of Kashmir?

FH: Our ancient geographical work, the Nilamata Purana informs us about the emergence of Kashmir out of a sea. It is clear that 7500 years ago the valley emerged out of the Noah's Flood. He is Mano of the Hindu Scriptures mentioned in the Nilamata Purana, and Noah of the Old Testament. For this reason a Japanese scholars terms Kashmir as 'Mother of the Earth'.

SAS: In the light of history how do you see the future of Kashmir?

FH: I feel Kashmir has a bright future. I can express my feelings by quoting Godfrey Thomas Vigne (1844) who says: "Kashmir will become the focus of Asiatic civilization: a miniature England in the heart of Asia…. and, presenting so many attractions, it will become the sine quo non of the oriental traveler, whether he be disposed to consider it as the Ultima Thule of his voyage, or a resting place whence he may start again for still more distant regions."

SAS: Tell us something about your upcoming books?

FH: I feel honoured of being the only Kashmiri author whose several books have been translated into Russian, French, Italian, Polish and Arabic. My 36 titles have been published so far and the 37th – Shri Amarnath Tirtha is in the press. I am compiling a new title 'Kashmiriyat' at present.