South Kahmir is today lost to us, it is a liberated zone: Sanjay Tikoo

On the evening of the first day of the All Party Delegation to Kashmir a forty minute conversation with Sanjay Tikoo of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti has been sobering. Living in Srinagar, a vocal and sane voice for the minority pandits whose number has shrunk to less than 4,000 in the valley, here is what Sanjay Tikoo had to say.

“Nothing. I expect nothing to come out of this visit or this delegation. For two long months, the anger in the youth has been allowed to simmer. Somewhere it all began on July 8 when Burhan’s body and funeral were so badly mishandled. The agencies knew, the media knew, and the government knew what the social media depicted–that he had become a poster boy an icon for the youth; they had his photo and videos on their moboile phones! Now if you know he is a poster boy at the age of 20 – how can the establishment, agencies and the think tanks not know this? How do you deal with the funeral and mass presence? Either you do not allow it, use an iron hand or leave it and let it happen; you do not deal with it the way it was dealt with.

We have had this problem for 26 years now, it is not new. This afternoon news of the under construction district collectorate building was burnt down in Shopian, came in. I spoke to our people there, the pandits: what was the rationale behind the attack? Built with Indian tax payers money, Hindustan ka nishaam nahin rahega; ham mita denge: that was the message. What the media is not showing — neither Indian nor Kashmiri — what the government is not admitting is this: South Kashmir is a liberated zone today; the writ of the security forces does not run there. Pakistan has not lost a single soldier and the way India is handling things we are handing over South Kashmir on a platter. Even today on all or most buildings in South Kashmir it is the Pakistani flag that flies aloft buildings: are we blind, do we not want to see it?

We are very worried, as minorities. I am especially worried about the 400 Kashmiri Pandit families in South Kashmir; they are vulnerable today as the mind of the mob rules. In the midst of the night anything can happen; our people live under threat. The irresponsibility of sections of the Indian media is shocking. Times Now  etc will be responsible for starting a war on Kashmir..Srinagar is okay, north Kashmir is okay…but South Kashmir is gone.

The slide and rot started when even the previous government lost two windows and golden opportunities. NDA II under Modi was seen to be disastrous, is disastrous. But Chidambaram’s role was not much better. We lost 144 youth in 2010; historic opportunities to recover lost ground were lost in both 2008 and then in 2010.

The scary part today in 2016 is that the so-called movement for Azaadi  is under no one’s control. Each village has its own leader; its own mobiliser and organizer. No one is following a calendar of protests. None of the separatist leaders have any followers or say. They did earlier in 2008 and 2010. The youth is not listening to their own parents, how do you expect them to listen to Mehboobaji, Modi or Geelani? India is living in a fool’s paradise today, in 2016. Already we have news that Geelani has turned down Sitaram Yechury’s invitation to talk, so what can we expect from this visit?

South Kashmir is lost to us, to the security forces: districts of Shopian, Phulwama, Anantnag. The way the mob mentality works, the Kashmiri Pandit families are in real danger. Does India understand that for the last 60 days the national highways cannot be operated? What are the state and central government doing? Fifteen to twenty days back a bus was stopped at night on the highway and a mob asked if non-Muslims were on it. There is palpable fear even as ISIS videos are being widely circulated and a new kind of mentality holds sway.

There are strong rumours that October 25, the day of the Darbar Move – when the government shifts from the Valley to Jammu — will be used to test the authority of the government. Will the highways be open and free to run? Hundreds of vehicles, cavalcades go through every year. What if they are not allowed to pass? I don’t expect any respite for two months until winter sets in; I hope there are no repercussions or blood spills before that because these will impact India too.

It was the historic opportunity between 2004-2008 when the separatist sentiment had died down that India lost it’s big chance. Today even the National Conference and the bureaucracy that does not want Mehboobaji, a woman to be successful, are playing a cynical role. All in all, we remain worried in Srinagar. Not expecting much at all from the All Party delegation visit.

Background:

Sanjay Tikoo, president of Kashmiri Pandit Sangaresh Smiti, a valley-based group of Pandits who preferred to stay back in Kashmir when the insurgency broke out in early nineties, told Firstpost in 2015 that instead of creating a separate township the Centre should build smart cities which will help in the larger process of reconciliation between the people of the two communities. “I want Habba Kadal back where there used to be 60:40 population of Hindus and Muslims respectively, not separate ghettos. Where the azaan and the temple bells would ring out at the same time. At least Pandits who lived in villages still own their properties but in cities, there is congestion and these smart cities could provide space to people belonging to all religions,” Tikoo said.

"Those who stayed back for these 25 years are already living in a composite culture and sharing their life with their Muslim brethren, but building confidence among those who migrated and convince them to return is an uphill task. We don’t want another Palestine here,” he said.

Other References
Kashmiri Pandits: Why we never fled Kashmir
 

Home Page Image Courtesy: Al Jazeera
 
 

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As the All Party Delegation Arrives in Srinagar today and several members including those of the CPI(M) and Congress push for an open and honest dialogue, Greater Kashmir reported that a youth from Qazigund died with pellet injuries, head wound. Ahangar was hit by pellets during clashes with government forces today in Vesso village of Qazigund in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Meanwhile, the visit is being greeted with cautious optimism, almost a sense of deja vu, given New Delhi's track record — not helped by the cynical politics of Pakistan-inspired separatists –-to keep the conflict on the boil.

A youth with multiple pellet injuries and a head wound was declared dead on arrival at District Hospital Anantnag, doctors said on Saturday, September 3. They said that Basit Ahmad Ahangar, son of Ghulam Muhammad Ahangar, resident of Vessu, had suffered multiple pellet injuries in his legs. “He had a head wound as well,” said a doctor, who didn’t wish to be named reported Greater Kashmir.

Greater Kashmir also reported that extensively that ahead of the visit of an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir, political parties today pitched for holding dialogue with "all stakeholders", including Hurriyat, to douse the unrest and banning the use of pellet guns by security forces. After a meeting held by the government to brief the MPs who are part of the 30-member delegation, leaders from Congress and CPI(M) said all stakeholders should be approached during the two-day visit of the delegation to Jammu and Kashmir beginning Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kashmir Times reported that five news channels have been prohibited from reporting on news in the Valley. Reports said district magistrate Srinagar in this regard has sent notices (vide order number Lgl/144-CrPC/4859-60) through SSP Srinagar to SEN Digital Network, JK Media Network Service and Take One Media asking them to block the news channels like KBC, Gulistan TV, Munsiff TV, JK Channel and Insaaf TV.

The order issued by District Magistrate Srinagar reads: “whereas Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar has informed that Cable Operators operating in District Srinagar are transmitting various programmes which has created law and order problem in the Valley in general and Srinagar in particular as these cable operators transmit programmes which promote hatred, ill-will, disharmony and a feeling of enmity against the sovereignty of State. Besides some of the channels transmitted by the cable operators viz: KBC, Gulistan TV, Munsiff TV, JK Channel and Insaaf TV have started to telecast programmes which have potential of causing mental and physical harm to particular functionaries of Government. Besides, these programmes have caused feeling of prejudice to the maintenance of harmony and public peace.” The order further reads that, “whereas, Cable Television Network (Regulation Act, 1995) provides a mechanism to regulate the operation of television network and in order to prevent the breech of peace and to stop incitement and instigation of the public to cause mental and physical threat to particular functionaries of the Government.”

Greater Kashmir reported extensively on the meeting of the All Party delegation in Delhi. "Government should invite Hurriyat for talks with the all-party delegation…. The invitation extended to others should be given to Hurriyat also. It is up to them whether they want to meet the delegation," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
 
Yechury said government should make "tangible" announcement like a ban on pellet guns, withdrawal of AFSPA from civilian areas and rehabilitation and compensation package for those who lost their lives in recent violence as a follow up of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement of taking peace initiative on the basis of 'Insaniyat, Jamuriyat and Kashmiriyat'.
 
The delegation will interact with individuals and groups aiming to bring peace in the Valley, which has been facing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the UPA is open to holding dialogue with all stakeholders. After returning to Delhi on Monday night, the delegation would meet once again "and the government will take action based on their suggestions," he said.
 
Apart from the Home Minister and Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, those who will be part of the all-party delegation include Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, his Lok Sabha colleague Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader Ambika Soni, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP), JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja, NCP's Tariq Anwar and Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut and Anandrao Adsul, TDP's Thota Narasimham, Shiromani Akali Dal's Prem Singh Chandumajra, BJD's Dilip Tirkey, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, AIUDF's Badaruddin Ajmal and Muslim League's E Ahamed will be part of the delegation.

TRS' Jitendra Reddy, N K Premchandran (RSP), P Venugopal (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Y B Subba (YSR-Cong), Jaiprakash Yadav (RJD), Dharamveer Gandhi (AAP) and Dushyant Chautala (RLD) are also in the team.BSP and Samajwadi Party have extended their support but have not been able to nominate any of their members.

Meanwhile The Times of India on Sunday led with four column story featuring the hate-filled words of Hizbul chief, Syed Salahuddin screaming, "We'll flood Valley with Suicide Bombers, says Hizbul chief. The story can be read here. The web edition had this headline "Will turn Kashmir into a graveyard for security forces."

Clearly, not the best of climate for any ice-breaker attempts in the Valley.
 
 
 

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