Hizbul Mujahideen | SabrangIndia

1200 Kashmiri students threaten to leave Aligarh Muslim University

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 11:03:52 +0000

Three students were slapped with sedition charges and suspended for holding a funeral meeting (Namaz-e-Janaza) for slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Manan Wani, incidentally also an AU scholar at the university.

Aligarh: 1200 Kashmiri students studying at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in UP will leave the campus for their homes on October 17 if sedition charges against three of them are not dropped.

Three students were slapped with sedition charges and suspended for holding a prayer meeting for slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Manan Wani, incidentally also an AU scholar at the university. The authorities that that was a video of three students shouting anti-India slogans at the gathering.

Speaking to Sabrang India, Sharjeel Usmani, a non Kashmiri student at AMU and witness to the incident, said that the funeral meeting was held to offer ‘Namaz- e-Janaza’ which offers prayers to the Almighty to forgive the sins of the deceased, have mercy on the soul and pardon the mistakes the person may have committed in this life. It is a prayer which is offered at every funeral.

He said that some students along with him had assembled in the campus lawn to peacefully to offer prayers but couldn’t do it as the proctor had arrived and dismissed them. The meeting was disrupted and later on Oct 12, 9 people were slapped with suspension and sedition charges out of which three were current students and others were graduates who were employed elsewhere. He also said that the authorities suspended them without due process or any proof of their wrongdoing. The students were not given a chance to defend themselves either.

“The media came up with headlines like ‘AU scholar joins Hizbul.’ They made the matters worse. He didn’t join the militant outfit because he was an AU scholar. He must have joined for the cause and his Kashmiri identity. We had assembled peacefully on Oct 12, a day after the news of his death came. We were lathi-charged and charges of sedition were slapped on three students and were later suspended,” he said.

“I and all other non-Kashmiri students at the university are positive that if the charges are not dropped, we will not let our Kashmiri students leave the campus. If they are forced, we will leave with them. What is happening is undemocratic and unethical,” he said.

Mannan Bashir Wani was among two Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed in the encounter in Handwara town last week.

In a letter to AMU vice-chancellor, AMU students union former vice-president Sajjad Rathar said, “If this vilification does not stop, more than 1,200 Kashmiri students will leave for their homes in the Kashmir Valley on October 17 as a last option.”

“Terming the slapping of sedition charges as “vendetta”, Mr Rathar said, “The option of holding Namaaz-e-Janaza (prayer meeting) in absentia was dropped after the AMU authorities did not give the permission. If no prayer meeting was held as confirmed by all official agencies, the slapping a case of sedition against three Kashmiri students is simply a vendetta, harassment and denial of justice,” reported NDTV.

“The letter was handed over to AMU Proctor Mohsin Khan in presence of large number of Kashmiri students at his office on Saturday night. Aligarh’s Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Sahni said police took the action (on October 12) after a video surfaced, showing the three Kashmiri students raising “anti-India” slogans. “Police have filed an FIR against Wasim Malik, Abdul Mir and one unnamed person. They have been identified on the basis of a video recording,” he said in the report.

AMU Spokesman Prof Shafay Kidwai said show cause notices have been issued to nine students for trying to hold an unauthorised gathering Thursday.

“Some AMU students from Kashmir had on Thursday (October 11) gathered near Kennedy Hall on the campus to hold funeral prayers for Wani, following which the varsity staff and the students union leaders had rushed to the spot and tried to stop them. A heated exchange erupted between the students union leaders and the Kashmiri students and they finally moved out of the area, Kidwai said, adding three Kashmiri students were suspended for trying to hold the “unlawful” gathering,” the report added.

JNUSU expressed their solidarity with the students, “Are Kashmiri students still looked as enemies or anti-nationals that every time a Kashmiri raises a question or concern, the state has to invoke sedition? Is there no space for dialogue and reconciliation left. Are we in a state of war that the authorities or the state will always muzzle the voices of harmless students instead of engaging in any dialogue?” they asked in their statement.

“Students studying in campuses across do not need militarily or draconian interventions. There is a need of dialogue to address the issues, not by ruining careers of students, by imposing sending on them, to prison them under sedition laws. This is used only to incite hatred and violence,” they said.

AMUSU president Faizul Hasan had told PTI that he had always championed the cause of freedom of speech but any act of treason or terror was unacceptable to the students’ union.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik assured the safety of Kashmiri students in AMU on Sunday and said that his administration had discussed it with the Uttar Pradesh government.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has asked Aligarh Muslim University for a report on the incident.

27-year-old Wani was pursuing a PhD course in Allied Geology at AMU. He had quit the university and joined Hizbul in January this year. He was killed in an encounter at Shatgund village in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Thursday.

Full Text of JNUSU Statement:

It’s very unfortunate and highly deplorable that universities are now being turned into war zones. The kind of vilification that is witnessed on AMU recently, is now getting reflected on the Kashmiri students who are studying in AMU by the mainstream media. It is very disturbing.

In a secular, democratic republic, freedom of expression is being muzzled en masse. It’s a concern for all the individuals who believe in the democratic institutions and the constitution.

University is a space where freedom of thought and expression have to be cultivated. Instead of that, we are seeing an atmosphere of fear and hatred is being created across the country.

The way mob violence has been unleashed on the Kashmiri students’ peaceful and democratic gathering is a very unfortunate sign of how students who have already been going through a lot of violence. They are being coerced into silence and fear. They had just gathered to have a discussion about the prevailing conditions in Kashmir and the dreadful situation that is also affecting them. Rather than allowing them to express their anxieties and concerns about the state of affairs in Kashmir, they were intimidated by violence.

It needs to be asked if the Kashmiri students do not have the democratic right to express; a right guaranteed by Indian constitution itself? Is it a crime to express their concern for the betterment of the conditions of the people of their native place?

Are Kashmiri students still looked as enemies or anti-nationals that every time a Kashmiri raises a question or concern, the state has to invoke sedition? Is there no space for dialogue and reconciliation left. Are we in a state of war that the authorities or the state will always muzzle the voices of harmless students instead of engaging in any dialogue?

The law of sedition is a living example of the dark colonial rule which is unfortunately followed till now. In almost all cases in the recent past, we have witnessed how sedition is being misused to scuttle voices.

Students studying in campuses across do not need militarily or draconian interventions. There is a need of dialogue to address the issues, not by ruining careers of students, by imposing sending on them, to prison them under sedition laws. This is used only to incite hatred and violence.

The charges of sedition and show cause notice to students must be revoked immediately. The govt of J&K, the Central govt, the civil society, and media have to handle this situation with sensitivity, not with an iron hand to bulldoze certain agenda of the ruling party at the centre.

The concerns that they are raising with regard to their safety of family back home or their safety on the campus are a genuine concern of common citizens.

Universities are the spaces of a battle of ideas where debate, dissent and discussion should prevail. These should not be spaces of coercion, control, intimidation, and violence.

Let hundred flowers bloom…
In support and solidarity with the Kashmiri students of Aligarh Muslim University.

Sd/-
Aejaz Ahmad Rather
General Secretary
JNUSU

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Amarnath Yatra begins with heightened security, fear and a welcome message from Hizbul Mujahideen

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 10:26:50 +0000

Since Governor’s rule was announced for the state of J&K a few days before the annual Amarnath Yatra takes place, over two lakh devotees have registered for the pilgrimage, the defence is on high alert and a Hizbul terrorist has sent a message

Jammu and Kashmir: Three-tiered security escorted the first batch of pilgrims from the base camp on Wednesday as the two-month-long Amarnath Yatra begins on Thursday.

Over two lakh devotees have registered to take part in the pilgrimage. The first batch of pilgrims, headed for the cave shrine of Lord Shiva, was escorted in a convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday. They will start their journey to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine by foot on Thursday. The Yatra concludes on August 26, which coincides with the Shravan Purnima festival.

The pilgrimage is being conducted under unprecedented security as it comes days after governor’s rule was imposed in the state following the collapse of the PDP-BJP government in the Valley and the volatile situation in south Kashmir through which the pilgrimage passes. Amid ceasefire violations and the CM resigning, special security measures are being undertaken.

“The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), headed by governor NN Vohra, which manages the affairs of the yatra, has this year decided to restrict at 7,500, from each route, the daily number of pilgrims to be allowed to proceed towards the shrine each day. This does not include pilgrims who use the helicopter services from the two base camps to the shrine,” reported the Hindustan Times.

A video seemingly went viral on Wednesday which had a supposed Pakistan sponsored Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist claiming that they were not targeting any pilgrims or the Yatra. He said that the travellers are guests and not targets.

“In a video clip circulated in social media, operational commander of terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Naikoo said, “Amarnath Yatra is not our target. They (pilgrims) come here to perform their religious rituals. They are our guests.” Terming the claims of the state police chief SP Vaid that the militants are planning a strike on Amarnath pilgrims as baseless, Naikoo said, “We have never attacked Amarnath pilgrims. We are not at war with the Yatris, we at war with those who forced us to pick up the gun. We are fighting for our rights and our freedom. Our war is against the Indian state and not against the people of India,” The Economic Times reported.

The Indian Express reported that around 40,000 security personnel from the police, paramilitary forces, National Disaster Response Force and the Army have been being deployed this year. Security forces have also turned to technology including radio frequency ID (RFID) tags to track convoys, drones and CCTV cameras along the yatra route, specially designed motorcycles and ambulances during the 60-day Yatra to the South Kashmir Himalayas.

Many of the devotees that have undertaken the pilgrimage this year had to convince themselves and their families and friends to go for the Amarnath Yatra without fear. It was suspicious to see a message discouraging travellers being circulated widely on Facebook.

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Restoring Civil Liberties, Respecting Human Rights the Only Way Forward in Kashmir

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 05:50:34 +0000

Photo: AFP

Jammu and Kashmir is again in the news for violence and counter violence. Again, several solutions are proposed. Any such exercise, however, needs a reality check if peace is to return in the state in the foreseeable future.

The present unrest began after killing of Burhan Wani, a local commander of Hizbul Mujahidin, an organisation that vows to liberate Kashmir by unleashing suicide bombers in Kashmir (Times of India, 4 September 2016). The unrest is restricted to the Kashmir valley comprising 7.1 percent of land and 54.9 percent of population of the state numbering 6.8 million (Census of India, 2011). In a fresh round of bloodshed over seventy people have died and thousands are injured.

To defuse the situation, among the solutions being offered is merger with Pakistan and 'freedom' from India. The third solution — status quo — is supported by the major political parties, though with differing caveats.

Merger with Pakistan

The merger with Pakistan is incongruous for the simple reason that Kashmiris will be an additional minority group in Pakistan that already has a disturbing record towards its ethnic and sectarian minorities including Mohajir, Baloch, Pashtun, Ahmadis and Hazaras. Many of these people are forced to seek refuge in other countries.

According to latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Pakistanis are the sixth largest group seeking asylum in Europe following Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis. Australian immigration report 2013-2014 reveals that the largest number of people who sought humanitarian visa on arrival came from Pakistan (Elibritt Karlsen: 2014, Parliament of Australia).

Pakistan's human rights record on Baluchistan has also been disconcerting. Since the last decade about 18,000 people have allegedly ‘disappeared’ in the province. According to the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, 157 mutilated bodies were found and 463 people disappeared in the state in 2015. (Balochwarna News, 3 January 2016). The prime suspects in these incidents are the security forces.

Pakistan administered Kashmir is no better. Of the $38bn proposed investment in energy sector on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Gilgit-Baltistan has not received any allocation as compared to other provinces (The Dawn, 12 May 2016). On the contrary, the planning minister of Pakistan warned the protesting farmers of the region that the terrorism act would be invoked against them if they obstructed the project (Times of India, 18 August 16).

Freedom

The option of freedom for J&K is equally fraught with problems. If freedom is a demand for all the five regions of the state, then it seems a non-starter given the Indian and Pakistan position on it; and if it relates only to the Indian part then without taking into consideration the views of the people of Jammu and Ladakh region it is unlikely to move any farther.

The demand of freedom for only the valley of Kashmir is fraught with a moral dilemma in light of about a half a million Kashmiri pundits' virtual exile from the region. Besides, freedom for Kashmir will have a ripple effect in Muslim majority districts of Poonch and Rajouri, and Kishtwar and Doda, separated by Hindu majority districts of Jammu and Udhampur, which will further add to the instability in the region.

Another difficulty regarding freedom for Kashmir is the use of violence and terrorism as a method to achieve it. Contemporary history shows that a violent movement does not produce a sustainable democratic state as is seen in many African countries which were inspired by various violence based ideologies.

And finally, there are reports that mosques are being used for mobilisation of people and ISIS flags are being waved in rallies in Kashmir (Indian Express, August 21, 2016). Successful culmination of such a movement can only lead to a theocratic state that would be against the spirit of 'kashmiriyat', which has already suffered considerable erosion in the valley.

Way Forward

The central government owes it to the Constitution of India to restore civil liberties by withdrawing the laws like AFSPA from civilian areas in the Valley, ensure accountability for human rights violations, secure transparent governance, launch de-radicalisation programs and identify a genuine leadership in the valley for a dialogue. Nationally, toning down ‘saffron nationalism’ might greatly assist. It is the only way forward for a humane and democratic Kashmir.

(Pushkar Raj is a Melbourne based author of Kahsmiri origin. Formerly he taught political science in Delhi University and was the national general secretary of PUCL. He can be reached at raajpushkar@ gmail.com).

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‘Islam is just a facade for Pakistan’

Wed, 30 Jun 1999 18:30:00 +0000

We reproduce below excerpts from the website run by the Shabir Shah-led Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, castigating Pakistan for using the façade of a ‘jihad’ to impose its own agenda in the Valley

The ruling elite and the military establishment of Pakistan is paranoid about an independent Kashmir — and I really don’t understand why. Pakistan talks about "self–determination" as long as it means Pakistan will be able to gain. Pakistan is completely allergic to the "I" word. They have an agenda to suppress, undermine, and prevent any organized movement that begins to harness the natural aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir for independent Kashmir.

Pakistan has backed groups that have a destructive approach to the freedom struggle and have a distorted agenda which exploits the name of Islam. In 1990, Pakistan realised that JKLF would not serve its selfish interests so they went to the old habits they learnt from the CIA in the Afghanistan war theatre — they backed multiple groups, most notoriously Jamaat-e-Islami and Hizbul Mujahideen and encouraged them to wipe out the pro–independence struggle while they fought India. The battle or "jihad" waged by these groups was designed to create chaos and create desperation but it never was disciplined, organized, strategic, or aimed to empower the common people of Kashmir to stand up for themselves.

Pakistan supported extremists with a Pakistani nationalistic agenda in Kashmir. It must be understood that their agenda is separate from main stream Islam and they only exploit the name of Islam for their political agenda. As such they tried to create a desperation in the Kashmiri society and force a communal revolt. There are reasons for this. An activist of Jamaat Islami once explained that they must wipe out tourism and education in order to make the common people desperate and ready for "revolution".

I never understood why in Kashmir schools were burnt or why blasts were placed in civilian, non–military zones. Why bridges were destroyed. Why Kashmiri people were kidnapped. I know of people who would have sacrificed everything for freedom who were kidnapped and told to pay so many lakhs of rupees or give their son for their organisation or be killed. Why did this happen? And why did this continue with full knowledge of the leadership of these organisations? Its absolutely inexcusable.

A Jamaat supporter once explained to me that sometimes you have to force a people to wake up and realise what is best for them. He said without jobs and education "jihad" will be the only avenue. These politicians call this creation of chaos, this self–destruction "jihad"? I call it a "facade". Do these organizations think you can call something "Islamic" and that is enough?

(T)hey manipulated and extorted. Their methods broke down political and social institutions when what was needed was a strengthening of these institutions so they might be utilised for the cause of freedom. What’s more, these organizations directly targeted JKLF boys and then they fought even among themselves. How could these organisations be expected to succeed with this type of treachery and lack of morals?

We have seen what was done to Kabul in the name of Islam — the blood of Muslims was made to run through its streets at the hands of other Muslims. Hekmatyar had a dispute with Prof. Rabbani and it resulted in the death of thousands of Afghans. Mosques were destroyed. An entire city which survived the evil Soviet onslaught was razed to the ground. This was a dispute between two Jamaat Islami supporters. And both sides called it "jihad". What’s more, the Taliban have taken their place, also in the name of Islam and also with the backing of Pakistan.

Tolerance is the epitome of Jammu and Kashmir and all the people of the state of different faiths have, do, and will live in peace with each other. And the communal flames of the last nine years have been ignited by foreign hands and have nothing to do with Kashmiri actions. And if Islam is to spread further in Jammu and Kashmir it will spread by example and by practice and according to the will of Allah— just like it did when Islam first came to Kashmir.

The truth is the people of Kashmir are sincere Muslims – meaning that they are also tolerant, positive, and caring human beings. There is a profound love for Islam and the people of Kashmir embrace tolerance and compassion towards all as part of their belief. Likewise, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not just Muslim. In fact a significant portion of the population is Buddhist, Sikh, and Hindu. And Kashmiris have co–existed in a peaceful way for centuries.

Much to the dislike of Pakistan and pro–Pak groups, the majority of Kashmiris want re–unification and independence. And they are going to have to come to terms with this reality sooner or later. And no matter how much they cloak their rhetoric in terms of "Islam" this fact is not going to disappear.

Archived from Communalism Combat, July 1999, Year 6 No. 51, Cover Story 3

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