Hang Afzal Guru!!!!

Today it marks yet another anniversary of Parliament attack.11 years back on this day, the temple of Indian constitution was attacked by the Lashkar-e-Toiba/Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists.12 people died including 5 terrorists in that Gun Battle. Investigations revealed the hand of Afzal Mohammed AKA Afzal Guru behind the attack and after a long trial, he was sentenced to death by the High court as well as Supreme court. His mercy petition is pending with the President of India.

Should he be hanged to death is a topic that has been discussed over and over again, with one section demanding vociferously his death, and other section opting for lifelong incarceration. There is a third section which alleged that the trial for Afzal guru has not been just. The politicians of Kashmir belong to the second section as Afzal Guru is a Kashmiri and kashmiri muslims empathize with Afzal. A large section of people in Kashmir believe that he has been framed.

Earlier it was Kasab, that needed to be hanged to death, now that Ajmal Kasab is dead, many politicians in the lok sabha, want the head of Guru.

Is there any guarantee that after the death of Kasab, there will be no terrorist attack on India?And suppose if Afzal Guru is Hanged to death, will it guarantee that the terrorist activities will cease to exist. The Politicians opine that the death of Guru will be a victory of justice especially the justice mentioned in the law of the land!

May I toss a question to all these intellectuals, law makers and politicians?

Why are the killers of Kashmiri Hindus roaming free and enjoying the security cover given to them by Government of India? why are the conspirators of killing and mass-exodus of Kashmiri Hindus sharing the dais of Indian politicians, law makers, Human Right activists as well as intelligentsia. Shouldn’t they be sentenced to death on the same lines as Afzal Guru?

I am sorry to say, this rhetoric is nothing short of melodramatic acts performed by maudlin stage actors. Remember Balwant singh Rajaona! His death sentence was not carried out by the Govt. of Punjab even though he openly confessed of conspiring to kill Beant singh-former Chief minister of Punjab.On the other hand the mass killer of Kashmiri Pandit-Bitta Karate is roaming free like a bird although he had also openly confessed of his crime, or for that matter Yasin malik.

The List is long , the message clear, the perpetrators of genocide of Kashmiri pundits will remain free and rule the land.

Is there some personal vendetta between the politicians and Afzal Guru!

Is the life of Indian politician more valuable than an ordinary man of India! definitely yes, that is why they want Afzal Guru to be dead. They want to send a clear message to terrorists-Don’t mess with politicians, because there are two tacit laws operating in our country-one for them and one for us….

Killing of Afzal will have livid repercussion in the Kashmir valley. Militancy will get the much needed impetus and there will be more damage to the lives of common kashmiri. The hurriyat, the mercenaries and the Pakistan will be praying for the death of Guru ,the macabre dance will give another bloodline to the precarious predators such as the Hurriyat and its coterie.

Personally, I don’t think hanging Afzal guru will serve any purpose, Afzal jailed for life will also give the message to the world, I hope that President Pranab Mukherjee will save the life of Guru although he may stay in jail for life for the crime.

Let the justice follow a chronological path …

AFSPA-should it be repealed from Kashmir?

The present

AFSPA is in the center of limelight for good or bad reasons, some say it should be removed immediately while security experts say that time is not right for the removal of this act in J&k. Mr. Omar Abdullah had hinted  that AFSPA will be removed, Some days later Dr.Mustafa Kamal who is also the uncle of Chief Minister  and leader of  National Conference(NC) circumlocutory indicated the same thing and  alleged that Army was responsible for the grenade attacks in Srinagar so that AFSPA should remain intact . His statement was snubbed by his Brother DR faroq Abdullah and termed it  out of line from NC policy, later on Dr. Mustafa Kamala retracted his statement.

The opposition party PDP also vehemently voiced their opinion on removal of ASFPA, knowing  well that it won’t be removed in the present circumstances, but nonetheless they knew that this outcry will surely garner some more sympathy and probably more votes in next elections.

Looking at the past 1989-90

In Dec 1989, Suddenly it looked as if every teenager Muslim was either going to Pakistan for arms Training  or has already come from Pakistan after the training,  It was promised to them by Pakistan’s ISI  that they will attack India once these armed insurgents attack the politicians, Kashmiri Pandits, Government establishments and officers. In jan 1990 a Doordarshan news revealed that 10,000 militants are active in the Valley to carry out the orders of their masters from Paksitan.

Then Chief Minister Dr. Faroq Abdullah, failed to give any security to anyone whether the politicians, Government officials or Kashmiri Pandits and finally he was removed from his responsibilities on  jan 1990 and Mr. Jagmohan became the new governor of J&k. Incidentally  the major exodus of Kashmiri Pandits also happened on 19 jan-20jan 1990.So no question of Jagmohan being responsible for exodus of Pandits.

Dr. Faroq Abdullah spent major part of his time outside Kashmir from 1990-95, when Kalashankov(AK-47) had become the symbol of Kashmir, Fashion and Its culture, mind you AK-47’s don’t fire Roses but Bullets designed to kill Humans.

The PDP Patron Mr. Mufti mohammed sayed was the home minister back in 1989-90,He is equally responsible for the Kashmir imbroglio. It was during his period that militancy reached a cult status, his dereliction made him  that  fiasco which India will remember for a long time..

Afganistan-pakistan

Then(80’S-90’S)- Pakistan with the support of U.S.A was assisting the Islamic militants in Afganistan against Russia.Zia-ul-Haq had Islamized Pakistan under his  decade old regime, The Frankenstein of Islamic extremism was created by The dictator with the help of ISI.

The soviets withdrew from Afganistan in 1989 leaving the armed Jihadis without job. Pakistan  started exporting these Jihadis to Kashmir as a part of low cost warfare with India.Many Army personnel lost their lives while fighting these merceneries.

Now(1996-2011)

The frankestien created by Zia-ul-haq  has become the greatest threat to the existence of Pakistan.The Baluchis are detesting every move of Pakistani Government , the residents of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir are also resisting Pakistans’s plan to change the ethnic population for long now .In Karachi  sectarian violence is all time high  and  The economy of Pakistan is in a cauldron.This precarious situation of Pakistan can be compared to that of Afganistan in 1980’s and 90’s.

It is most likely that Pakistan will push some more jihadi elements into Kashmir in the present future.

Pakistan China Connection

Pakistan and China are still a big threat to India both externally and internally. It is not a co-incidence that Maoists are coming closer to Jihadis of Kashmir as both aim at destabilising India.It is a well known fact that China gives financial aid to the Maoists of India, Today the Maoists have become a existential threat to India. in some pockets of Chattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkahnd, they are known to use terror tactics and death sentence for those who don’t adhere to their gag orders.

Pakistan on the other hand is also trying  best to use the sentiments of the Muslims in India for its vested interests. So far they have been successful in Kashmir valley and met with some success in Kerala, Maharashtra and Hyderabad. The Madrassa of India unfortunately are palying in the hands of Pakistan and saudi arabia-Madrassas biggest donor’s

In Kashmir, the sousl of Kashmiriyat – Rishi and sufi tradition were mauled by the Saudi funded Wahabis, who have given large sums of donations to the madrassas of Kashmir and are  responsible for the extremist mindset such as that of syed ali shah geelani, who has openly criticized sufis of Kashmir.

China has already taken a large part of Kashmir in ladakh,every now and then we hear from the news channels of Chinese aggression on India-China border. India needs large number of troops to be posted in J&k in order to safeguard our International Borders and also a stand by in case of immediate emergency.Kashmir serves the purpose of that stand-by.

J&K Police(1989-2011)

Back in 1989 and throughout the nineties, the pusillanimous attitude of J&K became evident, In late 89 and early 90’s many policemen turned blind eye on the crimes committed by the militants. The role of the police was almost zero and they did not dare to apprehend any terrorist although they knew everything about them. This attitude was not wrong  as they knew that nobody will come to their rescue .Anyways they paid for being a “policeman” as they were the “pariah’s” of the 90′s in Kashmir..                                                                                                      

The situation has improved a lot since 1996, they have done a good job in the 2008 as well as 2010 agitations as people don’t support the terrorism like they did in early 90’s.Having said that, they won’t be a match to the Pakistan sponsored muslim mercenaries if Pakistan decides to re-create the situation that was prevalent in 90’s of Kashmir.

 

Role of Indian Armed forces in countering terrorism(1989-2011)

 The Indian Army enforced law and order at the time(1990) when there are total anarchy and the rule of terrorism and mobocracy. The local police at that time proved to be total failure. Many government buildings, schools, bridges were burnt down by the new zealots/terrorists, properties of Kashmiri pundits were plundered and burnt down by these gun flaunting extremists ,Girls and women were raped and there was no one to challenge them except the Indian Armed forces who fought them tooth and nail and brought back Kashmir to normalcy. It was the AFSPA that helped the armed forces to counter the Pakistan sponsored terrorism. Even today Kashmir is not totally free from terrorists as still officially hundreds of terrorists are active in the valley, unofficially the figures will run in thousands if we consider those also who are hibernating in sleeper cells.

 

THE PRESENT AGAIN(KP’s VIEW)

Kashmir has somehow left the past and has emerged into a new era but its past will haunt it for a long time.4 lakh kashmiri pundits were forced to leave their hearth and homes in the middle of night to save their lives and honor, For many years this beleaguered community lived in tattered tents and in penury, but as born survivors bounced back and today with their hard work they are among one  of the most educated community in India and many of them are working in India and abroad at high positions. Still many of the KP’s would love to come back to their motherland .

“Kashmir will not be same unless Kashmiri Pandits come back to Kashmir” has been said by many Muslims in the past including some of the separatists leaders, but even today time is not ripe for the return of the Kashmiri Pandits, still their biggest threat remains-security

 

CONCLUSION

It is eventually the army who has to decide when to quit from the valley of Kashmir. They have already  reduced their numbers in the valley, they can not depend upon the state leadership as the state governments will try to politicize everything in order to be in power. The Two patrons of main political parties of Kashmir in 1989-90 deserted Kashmir and left it in a lurch, there is no reason that they will not do it again in case AFSPA is repealed and Pakistan pursues the same old policy…

AFSPA should stay for the time being…..

Osama, Geelanis and Kashmiri Pandits….

Around thirteen years back, My friend who was my classmate met me after a gap of year or so in Bangalore, a  self confessed moderate Muslim from Kashmir Valley . He was feeling ebullient because he could feel the absence of Fear and uncertainty which has become synonym with Kashmir since last 21 years. There was a visible change in his physical appearance and he was looking weak , his face had lost that healthy pinkish tinge which was found ubiquitously  on the face of Kashmiris-whether Hindus or Muslims. I  asked him the reason for his cadaverous looks and he said,” I was picked by the Police in Kashmir for being  hand in glove with the terrorists and I was beaten mercilessly and  even some of my bones were cracked”, I asked sympathetically ,” Is that True?” He said,” No, I was framed by a former terrorist who has now become an informer”.

We had a good time together until the word “TALIBAN” popped up in the discussion. Taliban was new at that time and I had no interest in another Extremist Muslim Group operating in Afghanistan. But my friend bubbled with joy at the name of Taliban and said,” Taliban is doing good work in Afghanistan, they are adhering to the tenets of Islam and I pray to Allah that their ideology spread to every part especially Kashmir.” I thought he calls himself moderate,yet he is visibly exited about “Talibanis” and got lost for a while thinking of those who  don’t call themselves moderates!!!

Yesterday Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Geelani came out with clarification for the first time after the death of Osama Bin Laden who was hunted down by the American navy seals in the Backyard of Military establishment of Abbotabad in Pakistan . Pakistan just got “exposed” and It was sheer shame and a slap on the face of Pakistan, Many wrote that Pakistan’s golden Goose is Dead. No longer can they extract  Billions of Dollars from U.S.A ,the way they used to, on the name of Osama Bin Laden.

Prime Minister Geelani flayed Al-Qiada with some strong words but Tactically omitted out the other Devil namely the Taliban. It is widely believed that Taliban is the creation of Pakistan’s  I.S.I  and whole world knows the relation of Al-Qiada with Taliban.The terminologies or names such as Jamat-ul-dawa, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen or Taliban may sound different but they are just the different facets of the same epidemic which has killed tens of thousands of innocent people and ISI has been supporting these groups for a long time now. The whole episode of “Laden” made it evident the role of I.S.I in giving shelter and other strategic tools to Osama Bin laden and thereby Al-Qiada.The other Islamic extremist groups are safe in Pakistan as long as they don’t challenge directly U.S.A the way Al-Qiada did.The role of Pakistan as the center of Islamic terrorism as well as outsourcing of terrorism on the name of Islam has become crystal clear…

Meanwhile Another Talib of Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani  lead the funeral prayers for the most wanted Terrorist of World and declared him a “Martyr” an Hero of Islamic world and said at the same time,” Kashmir is not a battle of religions”. If it is not the battle of religions then why on Earth did he led the funeral procession of a man from Middle east!! …By the way he has scored a point by restricting the duration of Amarnath  Yatra to 15 days which was previously extended to one month.

Ethnic cleansing of Minorities is widely prevalent in every Country where Islam is A Major religion. Taslima Nasreen’s Book  “Lajja” which was written in the Backdrop of Babri Masjid demolition has captured the mind and Mood of Islamic zealots Photographically. I had read that Book long time back and I still remember the names of the protagonists family  like suranjan, Sudhamoy, Kironmoyee and Maya, while Maya does,nt come back to his family and It is presumed that she has changed her faith to Islam in order to live, the other three at the end flee to India in order to survive. Isn’t it the same thing which happened to Kashmiri Pandits, we left our homes and properties too in order to live. We left our everything in order to escape  the Bloody ideology of Islamic fundamentalists, which had long time back left us with two choices-convert and embrace Islam  or Die. At the time of our exodus there was nothing like Babri Demolition, or any other Hindu-Muslim riot in India but still,  Kashmiri Pandits were ousted because they happened  to follow a different faith.

Kashmiri Pandits-the victims of Jihad ,know very well the devious designs of fundamentalists and separatists. The Crocodile tears of Former terrorists and separatists has little effect on us. They may act to be friendly  and laugh with KP’s but their laughter is like the laughter of Hyennas-Deceptive ,cunning and dangerous for the lives of K.p’s.

Is their a civil society of Kashmiri Muslims who have ever raised their voices in support of K.p’s? the answer is “NO”. There are some moderates, but what is the use of those moderates who like the three monkeys of Gandiji-see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil whenever it is a question of Kashmiri Pandits. But when it comes to the Human right issues of Kashmiri Muslims, suddenly from             Gandhiji’s Monkeys they transform into torn out loudspeakers and cry and scream for the violations.

The mainstream political parties are to some extent better than the separatists but till now there has been no sincerity, synergy and cohesiveness in their words and actions. Their lip service underline their unctuousness and their political interests  and more so over they have to water the garden of their vote bank .

Since last 21 years time has stood still from the KP perspective, Kashmir –The land of our ancestors  is still far, our deserted homes tell the story of our forced exodus, our depilated temples tell the story of the battle of our faith, The lakes and mountains of Kashmir silently recognize us as their own but cannot utter a word and those who have the power of speech have never spoken for us. we may go to visit Kashmir as many of us do But none, not even those who are working there under PM employment package can call it “SWEET HOME”…..not under the present circumstances……..

Kanea Jung(stone pelting)-The emerging sport of Kashmir…(Humour-readers take it easy!!!)

Somebody said to me that Geelani had told his followers, ”Khoon ka badla june mein lenge” which means the revenge of the blood will be taken in June. The hibernation period starts from November and lasts till the announcement of Amarnath Yatra , usually June, by then many of the front line players of the most emerging game namely “Kanea Jung” A.K.A “Stone pelting” come out from a vegetating state and play an active role in the new pastime of some youths.
Emergence and Rules
There was a long religious discussion, among the religious scholars of Islam in whole of India particularly Kashmir, about “Kanea Jung”, whether it is “Halal” (religiously legal) or “Haram” ( religiously illegal), with most of the scholars terming it as “Haram”, but that did not deter Geelani and company (sponsored by Govt. of Pakistan) and they termed it as “Halal” and thus gave a green signal to the sport of “Kanea Jung”.
“Kanea jung” for me has emerged as a new age sport of Kashmir valley,considering the involvement of a large segment of masses which includes all sects of people irrespective of their professions and educational qualifications.Stone pelting, and stone pelters had/have Conspicuously grabbed much of the attention of the Indian as well as International media, with the youths armed up to the teeth, and stones weighing from some grams to even a kilogram, ready to aim at policemen, and cry foul when retaliated back by the police personal, who attacks back in order to save their lives.
Unlike other sports where there is a binding for dress protocol, “kanea jung” has no such bindings as one can dress as per one’s will, but those dresses will be given preference which has lot of pockets and which is not very tight to the skin such as Cargos( loose with multiple pockets).sports shoes is given preference by more professional and serious players of this game, head and face cover, such as scarf, is almost a must as it helps the player to conceal one’s identity and attack ferociously on the opponents which in case of Kashmir happens to be JK Police.
This is a game which demands that the player should have strength as well as stamina, strength to throw the stones , which sometimes can weigh half to one kilogram, without missing the aim(policeman’s body particularly head ) Stamina, to run short as well as long distances (because policemen will be chasing).The positive point about this game is that there is no age limit and even female members are also welcome provided they are above 50 years of age.
This is a game of high endurance, considering the length of time which can stretch up to 10 hours a day, and a player may have to travel fairly long distances. The selection of stones is of utmost importance, and different stones are used for different purposes, small stones are used when the target is far, may be 100 meters away, medium sized stones are used when the target is at moderate distance and very large stones (as big as a boulder) are used , when a group of players of this game happen to catch a single policeman, and unanimously decide to club and bludgeon the man in khaki uniform and later on crush the bones with the boulder.
As in all the games, there are two parties to contest, so is the case with this game. A stone pelter is the protagonist of this game and the policeman is the antagonist. As far as this game is considered ,the antagonist plays rather a submissive or defensive role, with most of the time spent in saving himself from the hailstorm of stones. Occasionally ,the police team fires tear gas at stone pelters, which disperses only that team which is rather new and which probably have jumped into the fray for the very first time. The more seasoned players of this game, when confronted with the same situation ,rather very swiftly pick up the tear gas shell and throw back at their enemies, and leave them with flood of tears. However the antagonist sometimes resort to firing also, when things go more violent and that is why this sport is not meant for feeble hearted sportsmen.On the other hand, the protagonists firing disguised as antagonist at its own team is also a fact.
The rule of the game is simple, protagonists have to hit antagonists and vice-versa with stones, but to a large extent, it is the protagonist, who is attacking on most of the occasions. One more noticeable difference between the two teams in the arena is that the antagonists are equipped with shields and helmets to protect themselves from the raining stones, while the protagonist have no such armory but they make up with the numbers , as at any place of action between the two parties the ratio of protagonist to antagonist is 50:1.
Pros
1.This is a game which promotes both strength and Stamina.
2.It keeps general masses away from the real problems.
3.It promotes team spirit among the teams of both protagonists as well as antagonists.
4.It has been noted that active participants of this game have better cholesterol levels ,lower blood pressures and high bone density.
5.The high adreline rush associated with this game keeps the participants physically as well as emotionally charged, beneficial most for those who are in depression.
6.for some, It gives a purpose of life.
7.It is a good therapy to vent out oppressed emotions.
Cons
1.The cons of this game is that it is a game of labyrinth, with some of the team players of both the sides camouflaging and deceiving its own men and thus risking and playing with their future.
2.This is still an unorganized game and only few protagonists get their salaries while others shed their blood for free.
3.only few protagonist make a breakthrough and get promoted to the political arena of Kashmir.
4.the common man of Kashmir is left jobless as it is almost mandatory that such games are played with unofficial announcement of hartal/strikes, which affects most the simple man of Kashmir.
5.this game in its present form promotes unemployment and kills the working ability of the general masses.
6. The captain of the protagonist does not participate directly in this game.
7.there are no big time sponsors of this game.
8.there is a very high risk of physical disability/dismemberment or even death associated with this sport.
Role of other political parties in this sport
Other mainstream political parties, who are not in power, particularly the main opposition party,are alleged by their opponents that for their short term benefits, they are surreptitiously helping the stone pelters by giving them financial aid to keep the action alive for the whole world to watch and later attack the ruling political party for inaction and inaptness of administration. These political parties sending their stooges in the garb of protagonists cannot be ruled out.
IPL and sepratists
IPL is due next month, and like most, I too will be glued to TV for the thriller matches, after all IPL will be spending tens of millions of dollars for the event, Players like Gautum Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan got exorbitant sums like 11 crores and 10 crores respectively. Lucky guys, On the contrary this season’s “kanea jung” will be almost a repeat of last season.For the information, last years’s man of the tournament for “Kanea Jung” was “Masrat Alam” who was later found to have received large sums from across the border in order to add fuel to the fire which claimed 117 lives last year and left thousands injured.Fortunately/unfortunately he is cooling his heels in a jail and won’t be available for this season, But I am sure the captain of protagonists , Mr. Syed Ali Shah Geelani ,must have had a discussion with the selectors who happen to sit across the border, and have/has a Substitute who may be as good as Masrat Alam and who can lead his team in this seasons “Kanea Jung”.
I am not sure about the antagonist’s strategy of this season, but it can be be assumed that even they will be better prepared unlike last season, when they were suddenly awaken from the deep slumber by the thunderous noise and showers of stones.
P.S-For stone throwers
I have a businessman friend in Jammu who owns a stone crusher, he can deliver good quality stones of all shapes and sizes at your door step in the valley, Free boulder with a truckload of stones..Hurry rush your orders..limited stock.
Yours aficionado
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Return path of Kashmiri pandits…

Nowadays “Scams” has become such a common word in India, 2G spectrum Scam, Adarsh Housing Scam, N-E Power scam, the list is long. These scams have for the time being pushed “Kashmir” in the backstage and it is witnessing a quite time now as compared to july-August 2010 when it had become a virtual Inferno.

Time washes away everything even the memories and sets a base for the epoch. The Hindus of Kashmir are also at the ingress of such History, courtesy to Indian politics and its polity. The indigenous kashmiri Hindus are slowly but surely losing their land of ancestors to the politics of India as Government of India and Subsequent state governments have done nothing to reverse the exodus.

When I left Kashmir, along with some 4 lakh odd Kashmiri Pandits, The political heads of India, who were at the helm, at that time were in a deep slumber probably because they were satiated and sedated with newly acquired power or they were probably the most incompetent politicians which India has ever seen. Whatever the reasons, but their ineptness has costed us dearly.

The movement of un-rest which started in late 89 and is still unabated, is purely based on Religion. India may be 3rd largest muslim populated country of World, But the fact that India is a secular country and Muslims are a minority, in a Hindu majority country, goes against India. Because the Demagogues only show one side of the coin, that side which says that Muslims are a powerless minority of India. But does a Muslim majority country really ensure what it promises at its inception or it is merely an eyewash..

We all know what happened in Bangladesh when it was known as East-Pakistan. West Pakistan is responsible for the death of 2 million East-Pakistanis,most of them were muslims, and both West as well as East Pakistan were a part of a Muslim Nation. We also know about the unrest in Sudan. Till now, It is estimated that half a million people have lost their lives in Darfur,all of them are Muslims, and 2.5 million rendered homeless. North sudan Has mostly Arab ethnicity and south Sudanese are Blacks. This battle of Colors has out weighted their common Religion which happens to be Islam.

And what about Islamic republic of Pakistan itself, It is on the brink of Balkanization. In Baluchistan, Baluchi’s despise the presence of Pakistani armed forces because they really don’t feel that they are a part and parcel of Pakistan. Even in P.O.K, dissent voices against the Pakistan regime are gaining a lot of popularity, with many ethnic people openly criticizing Pakistan’s policy on P.O.K. It is needless to say that Balochi’s and P.O.Kashmiri’s practice Islam.

There are many more such vitriolic incidents, but I will cut short here and come back again to Kashmir. During last 63 years, India has not been able to draft a viable map for the solution of Kashmir imbroglio. Merely dragging and stretching time has not given much success, neither relaxing various taxes in Kashmir has proved of much help.on the name of Kashmir, the other two regions viz Jammu and Ladakh have been constantly ignored and these two regions are totally dependant on the politicians of Kashmir for the redress of their grievances. The people of these two regions are core Indians to their Hearts just like kashmiri Hindus, and playing them as second fiddles is just not right.

From KP’s perspective,their return depends only on one factor, the same factor which compelled them to leave their hearth and homes in the dead of the night i.e “Kashmiri Muslims”. The muslims of Kashmir in 1990 had unanimously raised their voice in favor of our exodus and “vox populi” was against us because we practiced a different faith and we believed in India. The vox populi at that time was based on the notion that once Kashmiri Pandits will be ousted from Kashmir, Pakistan will come to the aid, Militarily attack India, and annex the land of Kashmir. ( believe it or not—this notion was further strengthened by the fact that India was losing continuously to Pakistan in the game of Cricket, and made many fanatics impoliticly believe that Pakistan can actually win a war.. ).

Let the loud speakers of those Mosques, who had harangued the pandits of Kashmir, appeal them to return back to their homeland,if they are really interested in the return of Kashmiri pandits to valley. I am sure that moment History will witness the reverse exodus of Kashmiri Hindus.But is this going to happen ever?Since last 22 years there has not been a single procession in Kashmir by Kashmiri Muslims, who have vociferously raised their strident voices in favor of the return of Pandits to valley.Even the mainstream political parties have maintained a stoic silence on this grave issue and not once,the two main political parties of Kashmir, who boast of millions of supporters, i.e National conference and PDP have organised any mass Rally, ever, in favor of the return of Pandits to valley. This clearly indicates that all the political parties whether mainstream or separatists don’t want KP’s to be back there…..

This fact had left Kashmiri Hindus to deliberate on a different path, the path known to most of Pandits as “PANUN KASHMIR”, that path which can lead them to the land of their ancestors, which can guarantee them and their progeny safety and a free atmosphere to practice their age old customs and beliefs…
Panun Kashmir….why not?

An Open Letter to Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Website Link is below:

http://www.kashmirherald.com/featuredarticle/openlettertojeelani.html

Mr. Syed Ali Shah Geelani,

Now that Yasin Mallik has openly accused you of exploiting Islam, I feel vindicated. I along with lakhs of my fellow Kashmiri Pandits have always held that view. All the displaced Kashmiri Pandits hold the exploiters of Islam responsible for the loss of their moorings. I believe no religion including Islam will permit the barbaric persecution of a minority. I also believe in the inherent philosophy of love and brotherhood that was propagated by all messengers of God, whom Hindus call Avtars and Muslims call Prophet. I am not a great student of religion and, therefore, I cannot have an in-depth knowledge of the philosophies behind the great faiths, but I am sure no religion teaches hatred for fellow human beings. It is the hypocrites like you who have not only brought misery to their fellow beings but have also tarnished the name of their religion.

I don’t know you personally and except on one occasion, we have never crossed paths with each other. Whatever impression I have about you has been gathered through your writings, speeches and media interviews. And, of course, my very brief silent confrontation with you nearly a quarter century back has been responsible for my firming an opinion and image about you being a fundamentalist involved in exploiting the delicate religious feelings of the people for the furtherance of your political ideology. Though, you will not be able to recall that incident but I still nurture the vivid memories of that afternoon as it gave me the first hand impressions of dichotomy between your preaching and practice. One day, it would have been either 1980 or 1981, when as a fresh man out of the college and on the threshold of starting my career as a Medical Representative, I found myself stranded in the village of Doabgah on the Baramulla- Sopore road. My companion, that day, was another young man from Sopore who was also in the process of establishing his pharmaceutical business. While in the village, we found you addressing a small congregation in a nearby open space. It was a fiery speech full of political rhetoric and religious fire. As a young Pandit boy, I found your speech mortally scaring and intimidating. I desperately wanted to leave the village, though my companion, a great fan of yours, kept constantly reassuring me about your virtues of not differentiating between the people of different faiths. Nevertheless, a lone non-muslim amongst the sentimentally charged populace was proving to be beyond my comfort levels. Unfortunately, due to some blockade enroute, no buses were coming from the Baramulla side, which could have taken me away to Sopore on way to the security of my home in Srinagar. Meanwhile, we kept waiting for the busses that never came. Some time latter you finished your address and we were given to understand that you would be going back to Sopore in your vehicle. My friend, out of concern for my eagerness to reach home, volunteered to request you for giving me a lift up to Sopore. I was hesitant but on his assurance I allowed him to approach you with the request. Soon I saw him returning with his head down, cheeks red and the expression that told the whole story. As usual, the Almighty was both merciful as well as beneficent that day. Some time later a taxi screeched to stop besides me. It was my neighbour driving home after dropping somebody in another village. Many years latter I learnt at the very beginning of the Holy Quran, the first invocation reads, “In the name of GOD, the most Merciful and Beneficent.” And throughout the holy Quran, GOD’s name is thus invoked no less than 113 times. I also believe the Prophet is quoted as saying “O Ali, the best of qualities in this life and there after are the words of courtesy, generosity, and to forgive those who inflict injustice on you.” I know for sure, that taxi driver is an illiterate person and would not able to interpret the subtle niceties of religious scriptures, but that day he proved to be a true follower and practitioner of his faith. I wish I could speak the same about you the one who claims to lead his life according to divine commands and prophetic sayings.

At times, I also feel you are a confused person who isn’t clear about his objectives. On one hand you claim Iqaamat-e-Deen as your objective as Maulvi Abbas Ansari and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, according to you, are now drawing inspiration from “un-islamic ideologies like secularism, socialism, nationalism and even communism.” Yet, on the other hand you want Kashmir to become a part of Pakistan even though you also believe Pakistan rulers have not been able to live up to the moral standards which Islam demands.

You have been highly critical of some leaders whom you believe have not been acting in the true spirit of Islam and claim you invite people towards Islam and present its philosophy as a complete way of life. I have no objections towards any body living by the tenants of his faith. But, one can’t only practice what is politically convenient for him. How can you explain the exodus of an entire populace of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir? You are against secularism and pluralism, which in itself points towards your practice of exploiting the religion to suit your own agenda. I gather, when Prophet Mohammad took over the administration of Yathrib (Madina), its population consisted mostly of two large Arab (Aws) and three Jewish ( Khazraj) tribes. The Madinan Arabs wanted the Prophet to administer the strife torn city as an outsider with no vested interests in the local disputes. They also wanted this potential messiah to be part of their group and not the rival Jewish tribe. Upon arrival in Madina, the Prophet set about getting all parties together to sign a covenant, which would set standards for pluralism, tolerance and cooperation between various religious and ethnic communities. The covenant gave equality to all its citizens and accepted the coexistence of different religions in the community. The messiah’s inspiration was the Holy Quran, which makes it incumbent upon Muslims to accept and respect all the previous messengers without distinction.

“The Apostle believeth in what had been revealed to him from his Lord, as do men of faith. Each one of them believeth in God. His angels, His books and his Apostles. We make no distinction between any of his Apostles.” (Quran 2:285)

The Holy Quran states on more than one occasion that if people, Jews, Christians and Sabeans lived by their tenets they would have their just reward. ” Verily they who believe and they whom are Jews, Christains, Sabeans whoever believes in God and the Last Day, and does that which is right shall have their reward with their Lord. Fear shall not come upon then neither shall they grieve.” (Quran 2: 62)

Your assertion of only Nizam-e-Mustafa being the ultimate goal for your Tehreek-e- Hurriyat goes against not only the traditions laid down by Bul Bul Shah, Shahmir, Badshah, Nund Reshi etc, whom your co-religionists in Kashmir hold in very high esteem, but it is also against the teachings of the Quran. Nizam-e-Mustafa in a hundred percent Muslim society is understandable but in a society as diverse as Kashmir, it would amount to coercion. My small study has been able to find at least three references in the Holy Quran, which say, ” There is no compulsion in matters of faith.” (Quran 2.256, 10.99 and 18.99)

Many Muslim scholars and writers have described the propagation of Nizam-e- Mustafa as an exploitative tool employed by certain people to serve their purpose. These writers even claim, slogans like Nizam-e-Mustafa have been deliberately kept vague by its propagators to create confusion among the masses. These writers further claim since the concepts of “Aqamat-e-Deen”, (Establishment of Deen), “Hakoomat-e-Illahia”,(Government of Allah) or “Islamic Nizam” failed to cut much ice with the society earlier, a new term “Nizam-e-Mustafa” was invented. Further, concept attached to it varies form sect to sect. Different Islamic sects have even disagreement on the personality of Mustafa, let alone “Nizam-e- Mustafa”. It is pertinent to point out here that in 1951 twenty one Muslim religious scholars from different sects passed a unanimous resolution demanding all Government Laws in Pakistan be based on “The Book(Holy Quran) and Sunna”. Twenty years later, Maulana Madoodi, one of the main supporters of the resolution had to declare, ” It is impossible to make a set of public laws as per The Book and the Sunna which all Muslim sects will unanimously accept as Islamic”. In an article published by Idara Tolu-e-Islam, Lahore in 1977, the writer has made a significant observation, which says, ” The flag bearers of Nizam-e-Mustafa belonging to various Islamic sects have their own Fiqah (Jurisprudence). It is evident as all these sects considere their own Fiqah as unchallengeable Islamic law, no set of laws could be made which will be acceptable to all, their differences are so deep that each one of them have declared the other as Kafir , at one time or other.

You have also strange logic for justifying the militant activities of fidayeen by terms their violence as sacrifice. Nothing can amount to more blatant exploitation of religion then that. “….. and GOD calls to the home of peace.” (10:25). Kashmir press is now openly accusing you of playing your politics as a Pakistani stooge and interpreting the religion to suit your convenience.

You may have your reasons for playing the politics the way you do. The justification of that politics is a subject matter of a different debate, however, one needs to understand enough blood has been spilled over the beautiful vale of Kashmir. The madness needs to stop now. Otherwise, the history will not pardon the people who have prostituted Kashmir according to their own peculiar religious and political beliefs.

The author has drawn heavily from the following sources for writing this piece:

Teachings of Islam- Imam Shirazi.
On Islam and Jihad- Dr. Farida Khanum
Questions about Islam, Answers that every muslim should know- Dr. Jamal Badawi.
Islam and Pluralism- Javed Akhtar.
“Sirf Eik Sawal”- English translation by Ubedur Rahman Arain.

The Author of this article is Mr. Kamal Hak

the changing political situation of then and now…

It is needless to say that Kashmir is witnessing phases of killing and violence during last 21 years. “Killings “ has become such a common word whenever anyone refers Kashmir .All the communities in Kashmir viz Muslims, Pandits and Sikhs have lost their brethren to sanguinary violence. Probably all the communities of Kashmir are looking for those who can empathize and sympathize with their pain, no doubt the heart of a common Kashmiri is bruised and wounded and has inured to pain, sufferings and Humiliation. The holy land of Rishis and Sufis has become the land of Human sufferings and Humanity is lost somewhere in this chaos.

Being a K.P, I too have witnessed death due to violent activities by terrorists who flaunted their A.K 47’s and killed scores of my Brethren in early 1990.They took Guns and killed many innocents with this belief that they are the soldiers of Holy war. Not once, the thought and act of killing unarmed KP , sounded absurd, unholy and irreligious to them. the crowds cheered them for their acts of crime…That was the beginning of downfall of Humanity in Kashmir. But amidst this madness there were many Kashmiri Muslims who cried on the death of their KP’s Brothers.

The viscous cycle of violence continued unabated, except some intermittent and brief periods of peace. The armed forces of India and terrorists backed by Pakistan played the cat and mouse game of killings with each other and many innocent kashmiris lost their lives in this deadly game. The strategies of warfare between Pakistan and India is constantly changing, but a war is a war whether hot or cold, and wars have killed people everywhere. Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Sikhs too are the victims of politics and war. KP’s became targets of those who advocated the concept of Islamic state. K.M’s became targets of those who didn’t wanted Islamic state and Sikhs became the targets of both the parties.

The separatist political parties of Kashmir are obviously paid handsomely by the Pakistani agencies to keep the pot of hatred against India boiling. This is the main reason that they are not interested in talks with the Indian central government. So what do the separatists do to ensure that peace never returns to the strife stricken valley? The answer is that they are using the religion to incite the hatred for India without considering the implications of their devious act. But this effort is akin to striking the head against a Mountain and the result will be injuries and precisely that is what is happening in Kashmir. There has been unprecedented increase in the injuries of common Kashmir whether police or civilian. Geelani’s Hurriyat have become the whole sole distributors of Pakistan sponsored concept selling of Islamic Jihad.

Somebody has to remind them that India is one of the most populous Muslim countries of World. This concept selling by the the geelani faction is believed to have made S.A.S.Geelani richer by some 20 million U.S $ in last 5-6 years alone. His prime responsibility of showing rosy pictures to gullible public has yielded results for his masters sitting across the Line of control. The world of dreams created by Geelani in the grab of religion has already killed thousands of kashmiris in the last two decades.

During my last visit to jantar Mantar on 8th Aug 2010, I was a witness to the propaganda by the young Muslims from Kashmir. A gentleman reiterated that both Kasmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits are victims of terror and in the same breath declared that 207 pandits and one lakh muslims have been killed in the 2 decade insurgency. It was such a Hypocritical statement because the figure of 207 has been provided by the state government agency and the same government agency has put the tally of overall deaths at 37,000. Out of 37,000, the number of civilians killed by terrorists and para military forces are 11,135,security forces number at 5223 and terrorists backed by Pakistan killed are 19,273.Of course the statistics provided by government are not right. But 1lakh is an exaggeration by several degrees of magnitude; It means 14 death per day, every day for twenty years.

Now imagine 65 people have died in Kashmir by the direct or indirect involvement of Police and Pakistan backed terrorists during last 3 months. The after effects of these causalities are well known to all of us .Stone pelting, strikes and virtual shut down are the reactions of these deaths. Now imagine if 1288 would have been killed, what would have been the magnitude of reactions. These canards though baseless are being invented, marketed and subsequently spearheaded by Geelani faction.

Kashmir has in the past also witnessed several protests. I am witness to the death procession of late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah a.k.a Sher-i-Kashmir(lion of Kashmir).As a young boy, I was taken by my Grandfather to some place near Chatti Padshah gurudwara, Rainawari to witness that procession. At the point where I was sitting and witnessing the procession, It took almost three hours for that procession to pass. Many people were crying and many were beating their chests in grief and many more fainted. It was as if someone from their own family had expired. That was also a time, and today It is the geelani who is controlling the political sentiments of Kashmiri Muslims. The phase of Late sher-i-Kashmir was temporary and the phase of Geelani is also not permanent. At that time The late Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was termed as “Lion” and the Present Hurriyat leaders as “Lamb”. The deadly mixture of religion and politics has metamorphosised the lamb into the Lion. Only time will tell who will be remembered in the History of Kashmir and who will emerge as the real winner and the real friend of the general masses.

Photographs of protest@jantar mantar(8-8-10)

Hello!!! Kashmir is my home...

media..will you really report????

I too have a voice...

see my tiranga!!!!

my protest--my way

tiranga---tricolor---my true color

even in pain, I can manage to have a smile...

India is greater than religion

do u hear us?

this is not peace

small girl appealing for some common sense

Sikhs and Muslims also joining in...

scapegoats,stone pelters, and Omar Abdullah

Another year in exile for Indigenous inhabitants of Kashmir. For the sake of statstics, This is my 21st year in Exile.There is a mixed response when Kashmir is discussed among Kashmiri Pandits.” I would like to live the rest of my life in Kashmir” says a relative of mine who is a septuagenarian. On the other hand, a teenager son of a friend of mine, who was born and raised in Delhi says, ”I will settle abroad, once I finish my studies”. I guess, this is what is known as generation Gap.

Thanks to Pakistan sponsored terrorism, which they have successfully painted with the color of “Holy Jihad”. They have made sure that for Kashmiri Pundits, there is no return route to Kashmir. Times change, so does man , and so has Kashmir. Stone pelting has become the new “in” thing. The emotionally charged, misguided miscreants and paid agents , who are backed ,groomed and guided by Pakistan are using their time and energy to find the best stones of Kashmir. The puppets of ISI viz “The hurriyat conference” have successfully staged the Drama and have held at Ransom Whole of Kashmir.

Time and again, amid these protests one thing has been made clear to one and all that, “this is a Islamic war”, whether one likes it or not. Another thing which has come up time and again from Pakistan backed separatists is that there is no room for “secularism” in Kashmir. Long time back, I used to hear that Kashmir is a land of Rishis and Sufis and the life force of Kashmir is “Kashmiriyat”. Unfortunately, “Kashmiriyat” died long ago ,with the genocide and mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. May be, It is still left with some people in Kashmir who adhere their daily life and routine to Universal spirituality and not only to religion. Personally, I don’t think that religions must have been designed to kill fellow Human beings.

With the arrest of Shabir Ahmed Wani, It has become crystal clear now that the protests and agitations, were staged by the Pakistan Backed separatists and terrorists, in order to create unrest in civil society .These idiosyncratic misanthropists earnestly yearned and prayed to Almighty for the deaths of civilians. For them somehow the pot should keep boiling, Their bread and butter is directly linked to unrest and deaths of civilians .After all this is their profession and they are handsomely paid by their Masters in Islamabad.

Stone pelting is a barbaric act and I was told that even Islam considers this to be unholy, but who cares!!! After all, isn’t Religion also a commodity to be exploited for selfish reasons? And who knows this fact better than “Kashmiri Pandits” who have seen the practical face of Islam. Islamic Scholars may argue endlessly in order to prove that Islam means “Peace”. With due regards to them,they should have taught the actual meaning to those who killed my friends and relatives. Somebody has to remind them “actions speaks louder than words”.

Sufism, which I believe, is an integral part of Islam, has in the recent times lost its sheen and is held hostage by the more stringent Wahabis. Sufism cannot help and motivate anyone to take up gun and kill fellow human beings ,as Sufism has a different way of looking to nature and life.One of the beliefs of the sufi’s is that Allah has made man almost perfect, and other living and non living beings try to emulate Humans, so that they can also become or transform into Humans. I have read a particular sufi arguing that a rock or stone at the river bed of a River or Stream earnestly years to become Human, he also insists to look more closely to a pebble in a stream, and just look at how even a pebble struggles hard to get into the shape and try to resemble that of a Human Face. However, This school of thought will never appeal to stone pelters of Kashmir, who according to sources are paid Rs 50 to Rs 150 per day for engaging the JK Police and CRPF. Isn’t it Irony that stone wants to become Human being, and in Kashmir, some humans have become as cold as a stone….

Separatists who have distorted their religion for the sake of their Selfish cause can twist anything at anytime according to time and Situation. Some of these so called Pseudo-Scholars have targeted the Chief Minister of J&K for a reason which is purely natural.I am talking about ageing. We all know ageing is a natural process, but not with ISI backed separatists. They are arguing that the Chief Minister’s hair has suddenly turned grey because of his unholy acts. Had It been pre-1990’s, When there was euphoria about National conference and when the masses idolized Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah , the similar situation would have been interpreted differently. They would have argued differently and may be compared Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with The great “Moses”, who had also turned grey within a short span of some 40 days when ten commandments were revealed to him at Mount sinai. They would have further sealed this argument as ultimate truth, by comparing the respective ages of Moses and Omar Abdullah. At the age of 40 , Moses was revealed ten commandments, and the present age of Omar Abdullah is also 40 Years…

Approximately 200 million muslims live in my country out of which 5 million muslims live in Kashmir. The only difference between 200 million and 5 million is that the former constitutes minority of India(except J&k)and the latter constitutes majority of J&k. The minorities of India viz Muslims and Christians are mostly at peace with India ,except at some occasions when political parties try to divide the masses of India either on the basis of caste, creed or Religion. But never in the History of India, the situation of any ethnic group has been so deplorable as that of Kashmiri Pandits. In other parts of India, after political turmoil or riots, Occasionally minorities or weaker sections/groups move out of their native places and come back again to their Homes , once Riots subside.However in case of K.P’s, things are different as Kashmir Pandits do not form any vote bank and hence politically unwanted and can only be used as Scapegoats. It is easy for the politicians to blame Kashmiri Hindus for anything and everything. Government is not able to generate enough jobs or livelihood, because either they are inefficient or corrupt, but they are answerable to public,particularly their vote bank.To cover their shortcomings, somebody has to be made a scapegoat,In case of J&k, It his your’s truly” kashmiri pandit”.For the sake of votes, politicians furnish arbitrary evidence and twist the statistics in such a way which somehow makes it evident that Kashmiri pandit is a real culprit.Can’t blame them as there are serious loopholes in Indian vote bank politics and Indian way of Democracy. Kashmiri Hindu is also a culprit because he is well educated, he is non-violent, he is law-abiding, he is hard working, he is still a survivor and above all his heart beats for India. You must have heard of “Kumbah ka Mela” and “ Lord Rama”. Kumbh Mela comes after 12 years, and the Vanvas(exile) of Lord Rama who had to move out of Ayodhya lasted for 14 years. But Hello!!! we are not talking about mythology,we are talking about K.P’s-the hindu minorities of J&K,who don’t have a legal and constitutional voice.Excuse me for reminding you once again that I am a Kashmiri Pandit, uprooted from Kashmir,at the brink of cultural extinction,Victim of politics,still in exile,longing to go back to Kashmir and this is my 21st year in Exile…..

Mr Geelani, were you served biriyani for the day?

Mr Geelani, were you served biriyani for the day?

More than a decade-and-a-half back I was on a photographic assignment to Fatepur Shekhawati, a town in Sikar district of Rajasthan, known for its exquisite havelis and frescos. It was a beautiful, wintry but sunny Friday afternoon at the bus adda in Jaipur. When the bus didn’t leave at its stipulated Rajasthan Roadways timing, I went to the driver to ask why he was delaying the departure. “I am sorry for the delay, bhaisahab,” he said politely and pointing towards a remote corner on the platform, he added, “Some countrymen are offering their Friday namaz.” As I turned around, I found some 8 to 10 Muslims offering namaz in a seamless queue and in perfect synchrony. It was a sight to behold, and to be honest I loved it. For a Muslim in India, and that too in a state like Rajasthan, where Advani et al had left no stone unturned spewing venom against Muslims some years before that on Babri issue, it was azadi at its best.

Since it was only a few years before this incident that I had become a so-called Kashmiri migrant (some Indian dhoti-clad, paan-spitting politicians still call us refugees, not knowing the difference between the two; but that is another story, not debatable here), my instant reaction to this incident was that the bus driver is a Muslim. I could not hold my inquisitiveness and asked him if he was himself a Muslim. Pat came the reply, “I am a Hindu.” Needless to say, I had asked a ridiculous question.

More than a decade-and-a-half later, and some 3 weeks back, as I was taking pictures around old Amirakadal in Srinagar, I found this little boy of around 8-9 years jumping into almost every other frame till he caught me perfectly into one that I intended to have this gloomy-looking but typically-smiling man (a trait wed to Kashmiris – both Pandits and Muslims – despite pain and parch) in thirties selling fresh currency notes in exchange for the old, torn-out currency.

The boy was impressive and innocent, likable to the core, and rather than dissuading him from doing his lovable mischief, I tried to strike a chord with him. Reluctant and shy in the beginning, he walked a step towards me later. “You look pretty smart in the picture,” I complimented. He smiled and came one more step closer, his cheeks growing pink. “Do you want to see how you look?” I asked. “Aa hawkhe haz,” he asked as if doubtful. As I handed over the camera to him for a live view, his doubts shrank and trust grew more. Looking at himself he smiled and tried to frolic away; but before he would, I asked him if he was studying. He gave a vertical nod first and soon effaced it with a horizontal one; seemed to be in no mood to take another question on the topic and freed himself from my grasp and went out of sight.

Long after the incident, the boy was lingering on my mind and I wondered what his hybrid nod meant. Did he mean he was enrolled in a school but because of frequent hartals and official/ unofficial closures he was infrequent to attend; or did he mean school, as it used to be, was nomore a basic right of children in the Valley? I cannot and must not presume answers for this dilemma; because I leave that to Syed Ali Shah Geelani and men and women of his ilk who are so blinded by their personal aspirations and interests that for young boys as these they feel it is wise to let them march from post to pillar instead of encouraging them to go to school. For innocent boys as these – sadly some of whom fell prey to bullets recently – this certainly is not azadi of any sensible kind.

However, for people like Syed Ali Shah Geelani this must be azadi of the very true and ‘kind’ kind. Diagnosed with renal cancer he knows no other country (not to speak of a bankrupt nation as Pakistan) could have been as sumptuous on him as India by providing him free sarkari biriyani and free medical treatment throughout his detentions and doing everything to defy God’s will and keep him up and running against the nation itself. Azadi, for him, is his best weapon to incite vulnerable parents of the Valley to deprive their children of the previous gift of education, exploit youth to pick stones, take out procession and alas, destroy their own futures by what can never be a fulltime, honorable profession; so much so that youth of the Valley have found a good pastime in sanghbazi until CRPF retaliates.

For Syed Ali Shah Geelani azadi, as a Urdu word, would be more sweeter than Kashmiri phirni, since it is this word that helps him blackmail India and extract money from Pakistan to prevent his own fortunes from plummeting. There are reports that Hurriyat chairman has received a whooping 80 crore rupees ever since the “struggle for self-determination” began. Hurriyat is once believed to have remarked that the money was “collected” for “relief and rehabilitation” of “militancy-affected people of the Valley”. Relief and rehabilitation? One may ask where and what did they rehabilitate so far. And can one expect relief and rehabilitation from a party that incites hapless Kashmir’s to come out in to streets, pick stones with an intention to kill or get killed in the process. All this looks preposterous; it may be a human being on one or another side of the fence; at the end of it all, it is someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s husband and someone’s loved one that departs.

It has become an irony in Kashmir that when a sanghbaz gets killed, people who initiate him into the most medieval act actually convey his dear ones a message that he was worth just Rs 50 to 150 a day. Well-meaning, thoughtful people of the Valley realize this; some even want to speak out since they believe it is time to be in peace rather than turmoil, but they can’t since either they fear elimination or don’t have a platform to do so. History is also testimony to the fact that evil spreads fast; trampling goodness on its way.

Goodness in the Valley has been strangulated; but fortunately still prevails. People at the grassroots, irrespective of being rich or poor, still beat with a warm heart; they welcome you, they hug you and they respect you as a fellow human being, a fellow Kashmiri from whom they had departed 20 years ago. Matchless hospitality, as against azadi, runs through these people’s veins. Such people – during my personal and innumerable interactions with them – have come as a ray of hope who might keep the impeccable Kashmiriyat alive.

The general perception that I gather is that people of this understanding are well-informed about all aspects of the Valley as it stands ruined post-terrorism now and as it was beautifully flourishing before murderers started getting glorified post-1990s. That must bring Kashmiri awam to Yasin Malik, whom money accumulated from terrorism landed him from a congested Maisuma Bazar house to a plush new bungalow in Maisuma, not to speak of commercial buildings, hotels, and investments in real estate not only in Kashmir but in United Kingdom also. Renunciation of violence, as he has done, after accumulating so much of fortune is a natural and safe recourse from the movement that took lakhs of lives in what he had promised as “separation of Jammu & Kashmir from secular India as an Islamic Nation”. Ironically the guy who can barely speak sense, whenever he opens his mouth, says now he is looking for “peaceful methods to come to a settlement on the Kashmir conflict.” Sadly no one questions his integrity that he had shown earlier, no one dares him ask his accountability for the personal fortunes he has built over the dead. Average, hapless Kashmiri has been and still is at the receiving end; his mind practically a hostage to a misled thought emerging from a perverted mind. The trend is fatal, and if it continues parents would wish in future if only they could have reverse the past for their children’s good.

Bytheway, it is Friday again, and across the length and breadth of the country devout Muslims would be offering juma namaz peacefully (and surely in complete azadi) in thousands of mosques. In the Valley, however, menacing concertina wires have been put up to prevent any human movement. A friend calls me up and says he has run out of milk and vegetables for lunch; and in the same breath (almost as a salute to his Kashmiriyat) he asks me if I needed anything? I tell him I can live on just oxygen-rich air nonstop for at least 76 hours; but am seriously worried about Geelani whether or not he was served in time his regular biriyani for the day ….

source:Dr. Sanjay Parva
the author can be contacted at– drparva@gmail.com