Chidambaram need to get away from the traditional failed carrot and stick policy in Kashmir

This is appropos to the Indian Home Minister, Mr. Chidambaram's statement made by him in upper house (Rajya Sabha) Parliament. Some people here in Kashmir seem to be pleased with the statement of Mr. Chidambaram wherein he has desired to find a solution of Kashmir problem with equity, justice and honour. However our friends just try to attend the only part of his statement wherein he seems to be soft but donot peruse upon those parts which run contrary to his above so called goodwill gesture. In the same statement he has said that situation demands firm action by security forces. He has commended upon the role of the security forces that they are acting with great restraint. He continues to harp upon Pakistan's role of fomenting civilian unrest in the valley and above all that his immediate priority is to restore peace in Kashmir. On viewing the whole of his statement it is clear that there is nothing new what Government of India is offering to Kashmiris even after spilling so much of blood, around 50 deaths in only less than two months, thousands of arrests and almost two months complete dawn to dusk strike.

He is continuing with the Indian policy of buying time as they have been doing for last six decades and more. In late forties and early fifties Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India used to say that let the war get over in Kashmir, he will then move over to conducting of plebscite in Kashmir. Then in last twenty years they have been seeking laying down of arms by the Kashmiri fighters as a prerequisite for talks. When they were sucessful for getting assembly elections conducted here they forgot to talk on any thing. It is not that they are doing so with us. They have been seen playing similarly with Pakistan to delay solution of this vexed problem which has made the life of 13 million people hell. First they used to say them to stop exporting terror in Jammu and Kashmir as if there was nothing indigenous in Kashmir and after 7/11 in Mumbai, Indians have made it a point not to discuss Kashmir until they will not handover Hafiz Sayed to them whether he is proven guilty or otherwise. They are not ready to listen to their own people like Arundhati Roy who just recently in an Interview with Aljazeera TV network said that 7/11 episode in Mumbai has happened due to number of grievances of Indian people like genocide in Gujarat, demolision of Babri Mosque and festering sore of Kashmir. She asked Government of India to refer to the telephone tapes wherein the militants have been reported to assign revenge on above acts as a reason of their attack on Mumbai in their phone calls with their associates.

His priority is to return peace and he wants security forces to act firmly whereas the demand of Kashmiris is that the peace protests can end only if Government of India will take some immediate measures like withdrawl of draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act, getting out of security personnel out of J & K State, release of all political prisoners including the young boys arrested during the last two months, punishing guility security personnel at least those who have committed murder of youth in last two months to start with and last but not least accept Kashmir as an international dispute as it is as per the resolutions of United Nations which have been accepted by both India and Pakistan. Where is the meeting point, how can things melt down, Home Minister has a priority to get law and order problem settled whereas we wish them to first address our issues.

Home Minister needs to understand that he cannot continue to insult the people of Kashmir by saying that this native uprising is Pakistan instigated problem. Rather people seem to be angry with Pakistan that she has kept mum at the time when Kashmiris blood is running high. He needs to understand that Kashmiris are not so cheap to give thier lives for some sops or instigation. He and for that matter Government of India including all opposition parties in the parliament need to understand that Kashmiris are fighting for their right to self determination for last six decades and have time and again proved that Kashmir cannot be bullied or bought or fatigued for their justified demand which both India and Pakistan have promised to them before the United Nations. We demand without wasting any further time, Goverment of India should take immediate steps as given hereinabove and also putforth by the Kashmiri leadership time and again. This carrot and stick method has failed time and again here in Kashmir and Government of India should take cue from the past so that things doesnot go astray any further in future.

By Hamid Nilnagi
haamidi2003@yahoo.co.in

Let Turkey command from the front

As we in Kashmir are today confined in our hearths by the State lest anyone should not march to District Islamabad to protest against cold blooded murder of three young boys, I was just surfing net for some news that I had my hands laid on a report related to Turkey Israel relationship in the aftermath of raid by Israeli troops on Mavi Mara aid ship on May 31 2010. Recently two high level meetings took place between Prime Minister of Turkey and President of US besides a meeting at Brussels too was held between Ben Alizer, Israeli Trade Minister and Mr. Ahmet, Turkish Foreign Minister. Turkey has took some steps just after the incident like calling off its Ambassador from Tel Aviv, terminating joint military exercises with Israel and even banning use of Turkish airfields by Israeli Military.. Efforts seemed to be on by some world leaders to restore the relations between the two countries.

Turkish Foreign Minister has said that turkey is ready to bury the bickering with Israel only if either Israel apologizes unconditionally and pays damages to the families of the dead peace activists or accepts United Nations Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the incident of raid on the Turkish Flotilla in international waters. He further added that if Israel is not ready for either of them then they are ready slowly and steadily for snapping of diplomatic ties with Israel .

Things seem to be moving for something worst because just recently Israeli Prime Minister refused to offer any apology on the incident. Israel rather waiting for an international Commission of Inquiry to be set up under UN aegis got its own Commission of Inquiry constituted to probe the incident. Israel has also refused to pay damages to the families of peace activists.

Turkey has seen an economic boom in recent times which has been reported by the observers to have taken place due to policies of Turkish ruling party AKP which has been successful in improving the productive capacity of Turkey and restoring its ties with the neighboring Muslim nations like Syria , Iran , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , Egypt etc. It has also improved its relations with its arch rival Armenians. Economical Israel is believed not to hold any key for Turks, however, on the military front as well as its struggle to enter European Union Israel has been seen as dependable. However, despite all the support from United States and Israel , Turky has not been able to get itself into EU. Further Turkish military needs to fight with militants can be met by other sources. Moreso, Turks are angry over the Israel ’s deliberate attempt to target Mavi Mara ship as it was carrying mostly Turks in it.

It is pertinent to mention that an overwhelming majority of people in Turkey and in the Islamic World have never liked these diplomatic relations with Israel . They have been time and again demanding Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and other few Muslim countries to snap their diplomatic ties with Israel, the state which has been created upon the life blood of Palestinians whose life has been turned to hell both in West Bank and in Gaza, who after conceding the much difficult two nation theory have still to get any control rather freedom to move in their territories.

It is true that American will be trying their hard to get its both allies to be in good relations for its own benefits and of Israel for which it cares more in the region which is already facing isolation on part of the world community and Arab neighbors. However, if Israel is reluctant to carry its own way, then most of us will think it a blessing in disguise. We think by more isolation of Israel by snapping of ties with all of these few Muslim countries in which Turkey counts most, Israel could be forced to concede the Palestinian demands without any war.

We are looking forward to Turkey to take forward the mission of martyred peace activists of Mavi Mara ship to free Gaza / Palestine from all type of blockades. Turkey will be, resultantly, in a much better position to establish itself much better among the people in Islamic World as role model of Islam, democracy and progress.

By Hamid Nilnagi
Kashmir
Haamidi2003@yahoo.co.in

Let Turkey command from the front

As we in Kashmir are today confined in our hearths by the State lest anyone should not march to District Islamabad to protest against cold blooded murder of three young boys, I was just surfing net for some news that I had my hands laid on a report related to Turkey Israel relationship in the aftermath of raid by Israeli troops on Mavi Mara aid ship on May 31 2010. Recently two high level meetings took place between Prime Minister of Turkey and President of US besides a meeting at Brussels too was held between Ben Alizer, Israeli Trade Minister and Mr. Ahmet, Turkish Foreign Minister. Turkey has took some steps just after the incident like calling off its Ambassador from Tel Aviv, terminating joint military exercises with Israel and even banning use of Turkish airfields by Israeli Military.. Efforts seemed to be on by some world leaders to restore the relations between the two countries.

Turkish Foreign Minister has said that turkey is ready to bury the bickering with Israel only if either Israel apologizes unconditionally and pays damages to the families of the dead peace activists or accepts United Nations Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the incident of raid on the Turkish Flotilla in international waters. He further added that if Israel is not ready for either of them then they are ready slowly and steadily for snapping of diplomatic ties with Israel .

Things seem to be moving for something worst because just recently Israeli Prime Minister refused to offer any apology on the incident. Israel rather waiting for an international Commission of Inquiry to be set up under UN aegis got its own Commission of Inquiry constituted to probe the incident. Israel has also refused to pay damages to the families of peace activists.

Turkey has seen an economic boom in recent times which has been reported by the observers to have taken place due to policies of Turkish ruling party AKP which has been successful in improving the productive capacity of Turkey and restoring its ties with the neighboring Muslim nations like Syria , Iran , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , Egypt etc. It has also improved its relations with its arch rival Armenians. Economical Israel is believed not to hold any key for Turks, however, on the military front as well as its struggle to enter European Union Israel has been seen as dependable. However, despite all the support from United States and Israel , Turky has not been able to get itself into EU. Further Turkish military needs to fight with militants can be met by other sources. Moreso, Turks are angry over the Israel ’s deliberate attempt to target Mavi Mara ship as it was carrying mostly Turks in it.

It is pertinent to mention that an overwhelming majority of people in Turkey and in the Islamic World have never liked these diplomatic relations with Israel . They have been time and again demanding Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and other few Muslim countries to snap their diplomatic ties with Israel, the state which has been created upon the life blood of Palestinians whose life has been turned to hell both in West Bank and in Gaza, who after conceding the much difficult two nation theory have still to get any control rather freedom to move in their territories.

It is true that American will be trying their hard to get its both allies to be in good relations for its own benefits and of Israel for which it cares more in the region which is already facing isolation on part of the world community and Arab neighbors. However, if Israel is reluctant to carry its own way, then most of us will think it a blessing in disguise. We think by more isolation of Israel by snapping of ties with all of these few Muslim countries in which Turkey counts most, Israel could be forced to concede the Palestinian demands without any war.

We are looking forward to Turkey to take forward the mission of martyred peace activists of Mavi Mara ship to free Gaza / Palestine from all type of blockades. Turkey will be, resultantly, in a much better position to establish itself much better among the people in Islamic World as role model of Islam, democracy and progress.

By Hamid Nilnagi
Kashmir
Haamidi2003@yahoo.co.in

Need for a political dialogue to end the impasse

Now almost a month is about to end in the fresh uprising which started from the fake death of three young men by Army in border area of Kupwara District. This menace of death and destruction followed to Srinagar then to Sopore then to Islamabad and finally it is again Srinagar which witnessed it (which includes death a young lady and a nine years old boy). Excepting last Sunday all of these days’ people have observed complete shut down and traffic has been off the road and peaceful protests besides incidents of stone pelting are also going on. There seems no end to this current impasse as Government seems not ready to read the writing on the wall.

Though oflate Mr. Omar Abdullah had just given a hint that it is efforts on the political front by the Government of India that will make a difference, however, he has failed on all fronts to protect the life and property of the people of Kashmir, as he is not able to rein in the security forces. Government is building castles in air by going to the areas of mourning and meeting some of their mainstream political workers outside the towns in dakbangalows. These mainstream political workers have little or no influence over the common people whose loved ones have been killed in cold blood for a justified cause. In this situation if someone had some leverage are the separatist camp but irony of the fact is rather trying to find out a solution with these people, almost all barring few among the separatists have been put in jail, making any headway impossible.

As per Greater Kashmir daily’s report Rs.15.00 crores were encashed on Sunday by the people when last time deal was given but on Saturday it rost upto 20.00 crores People were seen busy buying edible items in large caches. As Government of India is continuing with its old policy of wait,wait and wait, people feel that this time this uprising will be there for a long time and God knows better how many of us have to face the fatal bullets and teargas shells of the arrogant security people in absence of any political dialogue which not less than Army Chief of India too has sought for recently.

The only way out is for the Government of India to end its waiting policy and come out with some concrete political map to offer. It is clear now that Government of India has not been able to calm the sentiments of Kashmiri people for last more than sixty years, experiencing both carrot and stick methods. Government should release Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and others so that they too will be able to offer a political road map or demands. Government should leave its stubbornness on the pre-condition of within constitution talks so that some headway could be achieved in the talks. Pakistan with whom talks have just started should also be involved in this process. People especially younger generation has been desperate to see some development on the political front of the Kashmir problem. Without waiting for anything more gruesome to watch in the coming days Government of India should prove its sincerity by revoking AFSPA and other black laws, they should release prisoners, punish the erring security personnel atleast involved in the recent killings before making a meaning offer of dialogue with separatists.

By Hamid Nilnagi
Haamidi2003@yahoo.co.in

If Kashmir could not make to the talks but it was there to break them

The talks between the two Foreign Minister of India and Pakistan ended with no results at all. The talks were doomed to fail because of obvious reluctance of India to discuss beyond limited issues and not move beyond that. Indians wanted just to talk on the issue of terrorism and in particular action against the Hafiz Sayeed and others whom Indians allege to have perpetrated Mumbai attacks. India wants action on this front first and then she says she can talk on other issues of concern to Pakistan . On the other side, Pakistan wants to talk on Kashmir and Water though does not shy away from terror issue. Pakistan wants restoration of composite dialogue which includes talks on all issues which are concern of both the countries.

India has been building its tempo to pressurize Pakistani counterpart to fall into line to guarantee some timeframe for punishing Hafiz Sayeed and others. First Mr. Pillai, Home Secretary, Government of India came out to speak to a media outlet one day before the Foreign Ministers meeting and expressed involvement of ISI and Pakistani establishment in the Mumbai attacks. Not only this excerpts of the confessions had from David Colmen Headly during his US facilitated interrogation by National Intelligence of India were deliberately leaked to CNN IBN English Language Indian news channel just prior of the meeting. Pakistani Foreign Minister too was under immense pressure from the Kashmiri groups and his own people to talk about Kashmir which has been again in news for last month or more. Syed Salahudin, Chief of indigenous Kashmiri resistance group Hizbul Mujahideen too had lashed out on Pakistan for not doing enough on Kashmir in a recently held conference at Islamabad . All newspapers in Pakistan were seen aghast over the silence of Mr. Shah Mahmood Qureshi over some contentious remarks of his Indian counterpart in the press conference which was held after Foreign Ministers meeting.

Many believe that these talks were just orchestrated by United States to make Pakistan feel at ease on the Indian front and make them to do more on the Afghan front where United States is badly embroiled in the so called war on terror. Neither bride nor the bridegroom is ready for this knot then how can a marriage take place. Failure of the talks have resulted obviously because India wanted to push Pakistan back to back but they did not assess that pushing so much can backfire which was finally the result of these talks and was cause of embarrassment for all.

Our take on this issue is that we want that our issue is solved as early as possible because the more Kashmir issue is delayed the more people suffer here. Kashmiris are on strike for last one month, all offices, schools, business establishment are closed and traffic is off the road. Fifteen young people including a girl were killed during the recent protests which were largely peaceful. Many areas are under curfew and Army has been called on streets to flag march. Many people are believed to be out of stocks. Despite a month long strike by the people of Kashmir and even a request to Indian Prime Minister to intervene politically by all its mainstream political parties here recently, Government of India does not seem to be moving. Even its own Army Chief expressed for a need of political settlement. We also believe that Mumbai attacks should not be seen in isolation as one of the leading Indian writer Ms. Arundhati Roy said to Aljazeera TV Channel in a recently held interview that Indians should recognize the causes of such attacks by the tapes of the militants who were talking about revenge over Babri Mosque demolition, Gujarat Carnage and Kashmir problem. If Government version over the matter is believed still it confirms that militant activities are happening only over the festering problem underneath. It is ironical that Government of India while dealing with Red militancy in Central India recognizes for both that is why they are investing heavily in poverty alleviation problems besides tackling with militants. However, when it comes to the justice to Indian muslims and solution of Kashmir problem, Government of India just sees it through the prism of barrel. For India and Pakistan both it is imperative to not to only tackle militancy with force only but also reach to its causes. If causes are solved militancy will itself vaporize.

We appeal to both the Governments of India and Pakistan to restore composite dialogue in which Kashmir and terror are both discussed equally and a timeframe be kept for both of these problems to be solved only then things can be expected to be move ahead. For the time being Kashmiris will be a bit happy that if Kashmir could not make to the India Pakistan Foreign Ministers talks but it was there to break them.

By Hamid Nilnagi
haamidi2003@yahoo.co.in
hamidnilnagi.blogspot.com

Illegal confinement of our boys in kashmir should end

On Friday, 2nd of July, 2010 people at several places tried to defy the curfew imposed by the Government to march on the call of Edd Gah Chalo given by Hurriyat Conference (G). People from almost all the Districts assembled after Friday prayers to march forward but almost at all the places they were stopped by force. Even they were fired at Harai, Handwara in District Kupwara where a number of civilians are reported to have been severely injured. At most of the places State Police alongwith CRPF resorted to severe lath charge and when the people dispersed under immense charge of Canes and teargas several young boys were arrested. Not being able to punish the perpetrators of innocent deaths, Government seems to be irresponsible in the matter and has been carrying out arrest of small boys most of whom are school going, some of them in their teens. Hundreds of boys are reported to have been arrested all over the valley.

It has been reported that many of them have been confined for long term jails under draconian laws like J & K Public Safety Act. Though arrests and torture in Kashmir is not a new thing it has been used as State Policy since 1947 even the standing Prime Minister (Shiekh Abdullah) and the out going Prime Minister (Bakhshi Ghulam Muhammad) was not spared. During nineties it was a rule rather than exception that in a crackdown males were divided into two groups those who supported beards and those who did not support, then most of the bearded men of every age have to face third degree torture besides long term confinements. Thousands of youth were put in jails in and outside Jammu and Kashmir (like Sangroor, Jodhpur, Tihar so on and so forth).

The indiscriminate confinement of young people and their torture rendered many of them futureless and some even disabled. Many of them had to leave their studies half way and many lost their jobs and businesses. One of my friends in jail was denied to even sit in the competitive medical entrance test even after his parents had done all formalities and had got Court Orders also. The families of these young men had to suffer even more, large expenses for visiting their sons various jails at Jammu, Delhi, Punjab and even Rajasthan which they could not bear. I remember one of our neighbors had not enough money to visit their son in Kotbhalwal Jail at Jammu and finally succeeded only when his other young siblings provided him the pocket money which they had collected for years together. The pain and agony of these families did not end here. These boys could not apply for the Government Jobs because Police will never provide them Character Antecedent Certificate a pre-requisite. They cannot go to Indian mainland because Police there always haunts for them. They cannot even leave for the foreign soil because they cannot be issued Passports. A perpetual punishment for being a kashmiri muslaman. Many of these families are now living hand to mouth and some of them who could put brave face are on the forefront of the Kashmiri Resistance Movement.

We may need hundreds / thousands of pages to put down the sufferings of those who were subjected to illegal confinement and torture for all of these years. However, what we wish is that this vicious circle of confinements and torture should not start again even when the so called elected Government projects to have heart for the people. We demand that these boys should be released immediately without any delay as they have committed no crime except some of them have shown their dislike for the perpetual killing of their brothers and a few more are peacefully demanding to be given right to self determination which India has promised them. Hope the policy of perpetual punishment to the Kashmiri Nation is not continued.

Illegal confinement of our boys in kashmir should end

On Friday, 2nd of July, 2010 people at several places tried to defy the curfew imposed by the Government to march on the call of Edd Gah Chalo given by Hurriyat Conference (G). People from almost all the Districts assembled after Friday prayers to march forward but almost at all the places they were stopped by force. Even they were fired at Harai, Handwara in District Kupwara where a number of civilians are reported to have been severely injured. At most of the places State Police alongwith CRPF resorted to severe lath charge and when the people dispersed under immense charge of Canes and teargas several young boys were arrested. Not being able to punish the perpetrators of innocent deaths, Government seems to be irresponsible in the matter and has been carrying out arrest of small boys most of whom are school going, some of them in their teens. Hundreds of boys are reported to have been arrested all over the valley.

It has been reported that many of them have been confined for long term jails under draconian laws like J & K Public Safety Act. Though arrests and torture in Kashmir is not a new thing it has been used as State Policy since 1947 even the standing Prime Minister (Shiekh Abdullah) and the out going Prime Minister (Bakhshi Ghulam Muhammad) was not spared. During nineties it was a rule rather than exception that in a crackdown males were divided into two groups those who supported beards and those who did not support, then most of the bearded men of every age have to face third degree torture besides long term confinements. Thousands of youth were put in jails in and outside Jammu and Kashmir (like Sangroor, Jodhpur, Tihar so on and so forth).

The indiscriminate confinement of young people and their torture rendered many of them futureless and some even disabled. Many of them had to leave their studies half way and many lost their jobs and businesses. One of my friends in jail was denied to even sit in the competitive medical entrance test even after his parents had done all formalities and had got Court Orders also. The families of these young men had to suffer even more, large expenses for visiting their sons various jails at Jammu, Delhi, Punjab and even Rajasthan which they could not bear. I remember one of our neighbors had not enough money to visit their son in Kotbhalwal Jail at Jammu and finally succeeded only when his other young siblings provided him the pocket money which they had collected for years together. The pain and agony of these families did not end here. These boys could not apply for the Government Jobs because Police will never provide them Character Antecedent Certificate a pre-requisite. They cannot go to Indian mainland because Police there always haunts for them. They cannot even leave for the foreign soil because they cannot be issued Passports. A perpetual punishment for being a kashmiri muslaman. Many of these families are now living hand to mouth and some of them who could put brave face are on the forefront of the Kashmiri Resistance Movement.

We may need hundreds / thousands of pages to put down the sufferings of those who were subjected to illegal confinement and torture for all of these years. However, what we wish is that this vicious circle of confinements and torture should not start again even when the so called elected Government projects to have heart for the people. We demand that these boys should be released immediately without any delay as they have committed no crime except some of them have shown their dislike for the perpetual killing of their brothers and a few more are peacefully demanding to be given right to self determination which India has promised them. Hope the policy of perpetual punishment to the Kashmiri Nation is not continued.