In an eerie order, the Home Ministry has empowered the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) high-ranking officers to procure a large quantity of non-lethal crowd-control munitions to tackle protestors. The government issued this command anticipating long-drawn protests and demonstrations in the coming days, The Telegraph has reported.

Sources from the Union Ministry say that this decision of the government was also aimed at ‘neutralising allegations of human rights violations’. The CRPF had earlier faced criticism for using pellets as a non-lethal alternative to bullets during the 2016 protests in the valley. The pellets had blinded at least 300 people in one eye and left a dozen dead.

“Disillusionment is in the air in the Valley, so is the growing alienation. The home ministry has empowered the CRPF top brass to procure a large quantity of non-lethal munitions to tackle protesters,” a ministry official told The Telegraph.

The procurement order placed by the CRPF with the BSF’s Tear Smoke Unit (TSU) includes plastic tear-gas shells which disintegrate quicker than metal tear-gas shells, stun grenades, chili grenades that contain a chemical called PAVA (pelargonic acid vanillyl amide), rubber bullets, dye-marker grenades that help identify protestors after being hit and multi-tier tear-gas launchers which simultaneously fire multiple tear-gas shells with different trajectories.

The order is placed with BSF’s TSU unit in Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh, which manufactures all non-lethal, crowd-control ammunition for security forces except for pellets. A CRPF official admitted that though they frequently procured non-lethal munitions from the TSU, the current bulk order was of a higher quantity than any previous orders.

In 2018, the CRPF had procured 21,000 rounds of newly developed ‘less-lethal’ plastic bullets developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to tackle street protests and counter stone pelters in Kashmir.

The efficacy of these crowd-control measures being ‘less-lethal’ or ‘non-lethal’ is completely untrue. In a conversation with The Wire in January this year, a DRDO scientist, Dr. Prince Sharma, said, ““If a plastic bullet hits the face or any vital organ, it is very likely to prove fatal.”

Even PAVA shells, which are seen as the diluted form of pepper spray have come under flak from human rights activists because, as claimed, their effect may not always be short-term as expected. They can not only cause severe damage to the eyes, skin and lungs, but can even kill through respiratory arrests or a traumatic brain injury caused by flying canisters.

Stun grenades which create blinding flares of light and a loud sound are known to rupture eardrums and other delicate membranes in the lungs. Not only this, the shrapnel from such grenades can also be lethal.

While it is obvious that the government is trying to save face after the vehement protest by human rights activists against the use of pellet guns, it must be noted that any ‘non-lethal’ weapon does not guarantee to be so.

Instead of investing in a heavy defense, the government must, first and foremost recognize the right to protest as a fundamental right under the freedom of expression. It must train security personnel to follow strict protocol in terms of crowd management keeping the use of weapons as a last resort.

Related:
New Report Cites 432 Torture Cases In Kashmir From 1990-2017, 70% Victims Civilians
‘Non-Lethal’ Crowd-Control Methods Have Killed 24, Blinded 139 In Kashmir
Pellet guns return to Kashmir, baby girl shot in the eyes
 
 

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(Recently a number of retired Generals of the Army including a former Army Chief have opined that Kashmir needs a political solution rather than a military one!)

In a recent interview, the former Chief of the Army Staff General Ved Prakash Malik said that Kashmir needs a political solution and bringing peace is not solely the task of the Indian Army. The former Army Chief said, “Conflict resolution has to be done at the political level. It’s not right to place the complete burden either on the Army or CRPF. If the Army is expected to resolve the Kashmir issue single-handedly, it cannot be done. A political solution is a final solution.”

General Hooda, the former Army commander had last year during the “Burhan Uprising” given a similar statement. Lt General D S Hooda, had said “it’s been over 40 days (of uprising) and everybody is suffering due to stone-pelting and clashes.”“Everybody is suffering. Government employees, traders, school children, teachers, mainstream leaders and even police and forces have suffered over the past more than a month of cycle of conflict,” Hooda said. “So my appeal to everyone, including the separatists, is (let’s) join hands to restore peace as a single party can’t do it alone.”

Earlier, General Panag had expressed his extreme displeasure about the use of a human shield by the Army. A day after the image and video of a shawl weaver Farooq Ahmad tied to an Army jeep as human shield had gone viral on social media sites, Lt. General (Retired) Harcharanjit Singh Panag, former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command gave vent to his feelings on the social networking site, Twitter. He had tweeted, “Image of a “stone pelter” tied in front of a jeep as a “human shield”, will 4 (for) ever haunt the Indian Army and the nation”. In another tweet, he said, “When the state starts looking like a mirror image of the terrorists, it spells ominous portents”.

Lt. Gen V.G. Patankar (Retd) former Corps Commander in an article advocates a “New covenant for Kashmir”. According to him, the way forward lies in beginning a new narrative and a fresh engagement with the people. “A new narrative will usher a balanced, even handed policy that not only brings normalcy in the physical sense but also give back to the people their sense of identity and dignity”. Even the present Corps Commander has stated that the Youth of Kashmir need to be engaged with a fresh initiative. These field commanders now realise that force and more suppression are not going to bring in peace.

Apart from these important personalities, some more senior Army officers have opined that Kashmir needs a political solution rather than a military one. The reason for this contradiction in the views of some senior Army Officers and the Delhi based politicians is the knowledge of the ground situation. The Army officers have been in the field and very well know the feelings of the people on the ground. While the ruling Politicians within the state and in New Delhi claim 95% to be “loyal” and only 5% disgruntled and alienated people, the Army Officers dealing directly with the people on the ground know that the reverse is true.

India was considered to be the largest “Secular Democracy” in the world. However, the new rulers are making every effort to completely erode the secularism as well as destroy the democratic set up. The Hindutva wave has created problems not only in Kashmir but all over India. One fails to understand why these people are dragging the country back to virtually Stone Age? The clock can never be turned back. It is very strange that human beings are being degraded to a status lower than animals! It is a misfortune for India that the progressive and secular people are not able to put up a united front against the communal and divisive forces at present enjoying total government patronage. In their fanatic and chauvinistic approach they do not understand that they are “Unmaking” India.
As suggested by these top ranking Army Officers, the solution to Kashmir is not through the barrel of a gun but through understanding and dialogue. The first and foremost thing is to respect the basic human rights. Even if people have serious grievances and have been oppressed, the solution does not lie in more suppression. Putting an iron curtain like blocking Social Media and suspending internet is not going to sweep the issue under the carpet. It will emerge with more vehemence. These steps are a total negation of the Digital India concept. The sooner the advice of these high ranking Army Officers is heeded, the better for all!

Mohammad Ashraf,  I.A.S. (Retired), Former Director General Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir

Courtesy: www.countercurrents.org
 

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Kashmir is a tinderbox now. Areas like Charar-e-Sharief and Khansahib assembly segments in Budgam used to witness 70% plus polling and during 2011 Panchayat elections, the turnout was 80 to 90% in Budgam district.

What is the reason for this huge shift? Why 99% people  in Budgam district which is part of Srinagar Lok Sabha seat have boycotted the recent elections? Why was there so much of violence? Different people have different reasons for this massive election boycott and subsequent violence, but I view all this development in a different  perspective.

The rise of BJP–RSS lead Hindutva forces across India and subsequent riots , murders & torture of Indian minorities especially  Muslims has added fuel to  anti India sentiments among Kashmiri youth. The 5 month long 2016 summer agitation is also linked to it. Dozens of provocative videos depicting atrocities on Indian Muslims have become viral on social media from last few years. Almost 90% of Kashmiri youth who own smart-phones  have these videos in their cell phones and this has made them believe that India is no more a secular country and BJP –RSS combine are posing a direct threat not only to Indian Muslims but they are a threat to Kashmir as well. The increased incidents of stone pelting from last few years in Kashmir can be related to growing activities of rightwing Hindu extremists across India.
 
Tagores’s My Heaven:

12-year-old Faizan Ahmed Dar, a Seventh Standard student was shot dead on April 8 by security forces on poll duty in Dalwan village of Badgaon district in Central Kashmir. Photo credit: Greater Kashmir.

Famous Bengali poet Ravindra Nath Tagore who was awarded Noble prize for his book Gitanjali has around 157 poems. One of the poem  is titled “My Heaven”.  More than 100 years back Tagore prays to God that the people of his country (India) should be fearless and society should not be divided in the name of caste, language and religion.

Faizan Ahmed Dar, the 12-year-old boy from Dalwan had been taught the same poem in his local school. In neat handwriting this little boy answers the question written with red pen: “What does Tagore wish for India and Indians”?  Faizan pens down the answer in blue pen: “He wished people of free India should be fearless, proud of their culture and loving”.

While writing this answer Faizan would have never ever thought that he would become a victim of violence which is someway related to  growing religious intolerance across India that has a direct effect not only in Alwar, Muzaffar Nagar or Dadri but in the remote Dalwan village of Kashmir as well. India has once again been divided in the name of religion.

The way 55-year-old Pehlu Khan from Rajathan was murdered by cow vigilantes is a blot on Indian democracy. Irony is that local BJP leader and MLA who was on a TV show, didn’t have words to say sorry to Pelhu’s son’s. Similarly, a communal BJP leader Adityanath Yogi who is known for his anti-Muslim stand was appointed Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

How can we expect peace and calm in this whole scenario?  Pertinently Pehlu Khan had not purchased two cows for slaughtering them but he wanted to have their milk, but nobody listened to him; reason was his religion.

Conclusion:  
How can we call it a democracy when people are asked to vote under the shadow of gun?  While I am writing this piece I see at least 300  military personnel outside my house to guard a small polling station with 2 rooms. This polling station is among 38 polling booths where re-election for Srinagar parliamentary seat is being held by Election Commission of India (ECI). It was so shocking to see CRPF personnel’s being kicked out in some village during recent elections. Why shall these poor people become victims of state’s  high headedness? 

Our youth are becoming more and more violent day by day and Indian state instead of listening to them will continue to use force on them. Why is BJP lead government  pushing our youth towards militancy?  People of Kashmir need peace and resolution of their political problem. It cannot be achieved by holding elections or use of force but through a meaningful dialogue which is unfortunately not happening. BJP and its offshoots should stop harassing Muslims, Dalits and other minorities across India.

Indian leadership has been portraying past Assembly and panchayat elections  as a referendum  in their favour. Now there has been only 7 % voting in recent  by-election in 3 districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal, will  BJP, Congress and other Indian mainstream political parties have a courage to call this complete election boycott a referendum?  It is the time when New Delhi must stop acting like an ostrich.

Courtesy: Greater Kashmir.

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Image: Indian Express

आज सदन के शुरू होते ही विपक्षी सदस्यों ने नेशनल कांफ्रेंस के विधायक अली मोहम्मद सागर के नेतृत्व में यह मांग उठाई कि सरकार को यह स्पष्ट करना चाहिए कि वह घाटी में पिछले साल पांच माह तक चले तनाव में मारे गए लोगों के परिजनों को पांच-पांच लाख रूपए का मुआवजा देगी या नहीं।

सागर ने कहा, ‘‘मुख्यमंत्री महबूबा मुफ्ती ने तनाव के दौरान मारे गए लोगों के परिजन को पांच लाख रूपए का मुआवजा देने की घोषणा की थी लेकिन गठबंधन की घटक भाजपा इस पर आपत्ति जता रही है।’’ विपक्षी दल के सभी सदस्य सदन के बीचों बीच आ गए और ‘हमारे सवालों का जवाब दो’ और ‘दोहरी नीति नहीं चलेगी’ के नारे लगाने लगे।

तनावपूर्ण स्थितियों में जान गंवाने वाले लोगों के परिवारों के पुनर्वास की मांग के संदर्भ में पिछले सप्ताह महबूबा ने कहा था, ‘‘वे हमारे बच्चे हैं और हमें उनका पुनर्वास सुनिश्चित करना है। हमने मारे गए लोगों के परिजनों के मुआवजे के लिए पांच लाख रूपए की अनुग्रह राशि रखी है।’’ उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘ऐसे किसी अत्यधिक नाजुक मामले में, सरकार इन परिवारों को और अपनी देखने की क्षमता गंवा चुके बच्चों को नौकरी दिलवाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है। हमारी सरकार उनके परिवार के सदस्यों को नौकरी दिलवाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध हैं।’’ उन्होंने कहा कि स्थायी विकलांगता का शिकार बने लोगों को 75 हजार रूपए मिलेंगे।
 

The post कश्मीर मे अशांति के दौरान मरने वालों के लिए मुआवजे की मांग कर रहे विपक्ष ने विधानसभा बाधित की appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Brief Report of a Visit by Concerned Citizens’ Group to Srinagar

A group consisting of concerned citizens visited Srinagar from October 25-27, 2016.

Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation played a catalytic role in facilitating this visit and arranged its programme in Srinagar. The group was not, however, limited to any ideology or institution and was not sponsored by anyone.

Although former minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh of the Congress and former MP Ms. Brinda Karat of the CPI (M) were also scheduled to join the group, they were unable to do so for various personal reasons.

The visiting group consisted of the following:
1. Yashwant Sinha (Former External Affairs Minister )
2. Wajahat Habibullah (Former Chief Information Commissioner and former Chairman of National Minorities Commission)
3. Air Vice Marshal (Retd) KapilKak
4. Bharat Bhushan (Editor, Catchnews) and
5. Sushobha Barve(Executive Program Director of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation – CDR)
Everyone paid for their own expenses and no security or financial help was accepted from any institution or government body to ensure that the integrity of the group as concerned citizens was maintained.
The group had the following meetings in Srinagar over three days (October 25, 26 and 27:

25th October
11.45AM  – 12.45 PM    Meeting Syed Ali Geelani at his residence
(Present at the meeting were his two sons, Dr Nayeem Geelani and Mr Naseem Geelani as well as one Yusuf Mujahid/Mushahid and a video cameraman)
2.00 PM – 3.00 PM    Meeting with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at his residence.
(Except the group members, no one else was present at this meeting with the Mirwaiz)
5.00 PM  – 6.00 PM    Meeting with Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat at his residence
(Except the group members, no one else was present at this meeting with Prof. Bhat)
6.15 PM – 7.00 PM    Meeting with Shabbir Shah at Raj Bagh Police Station (Group members met him minus Yashwant  Sinha)
8.00 PM    Separate Meetings with Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Mr. Vijay Dhar

26th October
10.00 PM – 11.00 PM    Meeting with Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(About a dozen past and present office bearers of the KCCI were present)
11.30 PM – 12.30 PM    Meeting with Kashmir Economic Alliance at Hotel Grand Mumtaz
(About 20 members of various trade and commerce unions were present)
1.00 – 2.00 pm    Meeting with Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti members
2.00 PM  – 3.00 PM    Meeting with intellectuals – academics, writers/journalists, doctors at Comrade Inn Hotel, Raj Bagh
3.30 PM- 4.30 PM    Meeting with members of Kashmir Centre for Development Studies at Comrade Inn Hotel, Raj Bagh.
5.00 PM – 6.00 PM    Meeting with High Court Bar Association
8.00 pm    Dinner meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti (No officials present)

27th October
9.30 AM    Second meeting with Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his residence (minus Yashwant Sinha and Wajahat Habibullah )
11.30 AM    Meeting with the Governor N N Vohra (No officials present)
2.00 pm    Meetings with Members of Kashmir Hoteliers Association
The meetings with Main stream political leaders – Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Mr Saifuddin Soz and Mr. Yousuf Tarigami who are supporting this initiative were by individual members of the group. All of them were unanimous in welcoming the group’s visit and talks with the Hurriyat leaders. Members also met separately with other civil society organizations……

BASIC FINDINGS:
Across the political spectrum, the Kashmiris we met spoke to virtually the same script about the history of the Kashmir issue. They may have varied in the exposition of a particular issue but basically all of them argued for a political solution to what they perceived as a political issue. They made the point that this is the fifth generation of Kashmiris which was protesting but to no avail.

Each one spent a considerable amount of time recounting the activities of the security forces which had alienated the population of the Valley. Our interlocutors told us the reasons for the immediate anger and the long term anger which we are quoting below without endorsing them –

REASONS FOR IMMEDIATE ANGER:

A person, who received back injuries, being treated in Srinagar’s SMHS hospital on Thursday. Dozens of persons from Khrew –Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district were allegedly left injured after the army and Special Operation Group (SOG) raided their residences last night and beat them up ruthlessly A person, who received back injuries, being treated in Srinagar’s SMHS hospital on Thursday. PHOTO BY BILAL BAHADUR
 

1. Excessive use of force by the security forces

The violence which began with the funeral procession of slain militant Burhan Wani has so far resulted in the death of nearly a hundred people. The question that most Kashmiris are asking is: Why were unarmed people going to offer last prayers for Burhan Wani fired at? They were not carrying any sticks, firearms or grenades that they represented a threat to the security forces. Nor did they attack the security forces. The firing at the funeral processions (there were nearly two lakh people gathered for the funeral and the last Namaz Janaza for Burhan Wani had been offered  40 times) is being seen as action of unaccountable security personnel and is being projected as an example of India’s ‘inhumanity’.
The business and trading community is claiming that in the current situation it is not bothered about profit and loss but human loss and about the worsening situation in the Valley. They want an amicable resolution and end to violence by the security forces.
 

2. Use of pellet guns

Use of pellet guns for crowd control was the sorest point of all conversation with Kashmiris we met. They want the pellet guns banned and cannot understand why GoI is delaying this decision and why Indian security establishment is reluctant to give up this weapon.

The use of pellet guns has led to several people, including children – some as young as 4-years-old – being blinded or partially blinded. These weapons, the Kashmiris point out, are not used in the rest of India even under grave provocation. They were not used in the Jat agitation in Haryana, the protests against Cauvery water sharing in Karnataka or the Patel agitation in Gujarat. All these agitations had resulted in large-scale damage to public property and in some cases even in gang rape of innocent women as in Haryana. Yet pellet guns were not used against the protestors. The fact that the use of pellet guns was reserved only for Kashmir elicited the most amount of anger against India and Indian security forces in the people we talked to.

Asked about stone-pelting, most Kashmiri leaders denied that youngsters were being paid to throw stones. They claimed that this was being done in ‘self-defence’ by unarmed people protesting against India.
 

Laptops in their hands! Damaged in forces action during raid in Barzulla on Oct 23, 2016 at 4:30 AM. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
 

3. Night-time raids by security forces

These are ostensibly search operations which have resulted in destruction of property at Kashmir homes –windows, doors, and household goods. Apparently electrical and electronic gadgets are destroyed in the name of search operations. This continues even when the search operation yields nothing.

One explanation we heard of this was that because the security forces get pelted with stones while returning to camp in the evening, they go back at night in anger to take revenge. That revenge in the form of wanton destruction of property to punish the people.

Youth arrested by police at Bemina.
 

4. Misuse of Public Safety Act (PSA)

The PSA is seen as a revolving door process by the Kashmiris to keep people in jail. Brought into being to deal with timber smugglers by Sheikh Abdullah this draconian law, which does not require the victim to be produced before a magistrate and charged for up to a year, is used to keep trouble-makers in jail for longer than a year. As they are released in one case, another one under PSA is slapped on them in a different police jurisdiction.

However, the major misuse of the PSA is against minors. The amended Juvenile Justice Act for the state does not allow the police to arrest minors under PSA. Yet this has happened on a significant scale. The separatist leaders claim the number is about 6,000 while government sources place the figure at slightly less than half at 2,500. Even this is a large number of children. As there are no juvenile homes or Borstals for confining minors in J&K, they are kept with hardened criminals which can have long term deleterious impact on the minors imprisoned.

Kashmir leaders also allege that people arrested from the Valley are being housed in jails in the Jammu region so that their families cannot get easy access to them. This they claim is against a Surpeme Court order. Kashmir, they claim, has also become the only state which has run out of jail space and seeking to transfer the overspill to jails in MP and other states.

5. Destruction of electric transformers and crops in rural areas

A strange phenomenon of destruction of electric transformers in rural Kashmir is being reported. Apparently over 200 transformers have been destroyed – allegedly by the security forces. This again is apparently aimed at punishing villagers for either pelting stones at them or protesting against them.

There have also been some cases of standing paddy crop ready for harvesting being set on fire at some places. It is not known who is behind this. However, the news of such incidents – some verified and others unverified —  is also fanning anger amongst people.

Scores of students marched on Residency Road in Srinagar on Sep 29, 2016 demanding resolution of Kashmir Issue. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
 

6. Attacks on Kashmiris outside J&K

There have been some reports of Kashmiri students as well as some Kashmiri traders being attacked in states outside J&K. The Kashmiri people want the safety of students and traders to be ensured by the GoI.

With everyone we strongly raised the issue of opening of schools.

REASONS FOR LONG TERM ANGER:

1. Refusal to recognize Kashmir as a politically contentious issue
Across the cross section of people we met there was anguish about India not recognizing that Kashmir was a dispute. The refusal to see Kashmir as a political issue, people claimed, had resulted in the present situation because a political issue cannot be solved through law and order measures.

2. Refusal to recognize the emotional and sentimental aspects of the Kashmir issue
India, Kashmiri separatist leaders believe, has not understood the wounded psyche of the Kashmiri people. Therefore, it is unable to understand why Kashmiris have locked horns with the world’s largest democracy.

Their argument is that because India does not see the psycho-historical aspects of the problem it tries to reduce it to issues of lack of development or economic growth, need to create jobs or offering economic packages and incentives.

This has not suppressed the sense of hurt in the Kashmiri people or quell their political aspirations because these measures do not address the political issue of Kashmir.

3. Designating all Kashmiris as Pakistani puppets
There is also anger among Kashmiris that everything that happens in the Valley is being seen through the Pakistan prism and that this is being done to deny that they are free agents who are raising their own issues with India.

Another consequence of equating the protests in Kashmir with Pakistani machinations, they believe, is that every protesting Kashmiri can be equated with a terrorist and leadership, especially the Hurriyat Conference, is projected on a par with extremists when in fact, it was organised as the political face of a peaceful protest movement.

Even if GoI gets upset with the Azadi slogans, they argue, there is a need to recognize that the Kashmiris are upset and there is a sentiment for Azadi; and that this has little to do with Pakistan. Protestors pick up Pakistani and Chinese flags not because they want to solicit support from these countries but because they know that this riles India. And they want to rile India because it does not listen to them. “If everything that happens here is because of Pakistan, then what are we doing here?” a Hurriyat leader asked.

Prime Minister NarendraModi (right) with his Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on Friday

4. No dialogue with Pakistan
Kashmiri separatist leaders also think that unless India and Pakistan talk there can be no permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. While most of them recommend tripartite talks on Kashmir between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership (without specifying which leadership), others are willing for some other form of dialogue between the three as in Vajpayee’s time. They called it “triangular dialogue” – presumably one in which India and Pakistan talk to each other and each of them then talks to the Kashmiris also.

There is widespread belief that without engaging Pakistan there can be no resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Hurriyat (M) Leaders with the then Prime Minister of India, AtalBihari Vajpayee.

5. Vajpayee line on Kashmir jettisoned
Most Kashmiris believe that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was sincere in his approach to resolving the Kashmir tangle. They quoted him as saying that Kashmir is an issue which needs to be resolved and that even if Kashmiris want to distance themselves, even that had to be done through cooperation and goodwill.

They believe that Vajpayee saw the human aspect of the Kashmir issue and there was a need to once again appreciate the humanitarian aspects of the issue, irrespective of the state of India-Pakistan relations.

6. Indian public is indifferent to the plight of Kashmiris
Kashmiri separatist leaders believe that while Indian citizens are politically quite aware and quick to question the government, when it comes to the Kashmir issue, they keep quiet. This, they believe, is because they have been conditioned and encouraged to view the developments in Kashmir through anti-Pakistan glasses. GoI’s approach to Kashmir also pushes this point of view. As a consequence, even politically aware Indian citizens have no time for Kashmir.

7. Kashmir being pushed towards anarchy
The situation in the Valley is not being controlled by the separatist leaders as they were all in jail for four months since the day after BurhanWani’s death. The Hurriyat leaders admitted that the street protester is  not under anyone’s control. The streets are being controlled by youngsters who give the call for spontaneous protests. If this continued, they think that they would lose whatever little authority they exercise over the local population and they would not be able to give the protests any political direction.

If such an anarchic situation was to develop in Kashmir, then India would have no reasonable person to talk to, they claim.

8. Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley
The Kashmiri Pandits who have continued to live in the valley since 1990’s want to be treated on par with Kashmiri migrants and be given same benefits as them because in a sense they are also migrants who have shifted from the original villages to towns. This had been agreed to by the former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh but never implemented. Because of the ongoing agitation, many of the Pandit families, whose breadwinners were employees of commercial establishments were now deprived of a livelihood. The Kashmiri Pandits fear that in light of breakdown of law and order and withdrawal of security their own security was compromised leading to the migration of employees to Jammu where they were not getting salaries unlike other employees who were not able to their offices.In consequence, out of remaining 850 familes, 350 families were planning to migrate.

9. Regression from autonomy to uniformity; togetherness to communalism
Kashmiris believe that today Indian politics has taken such a turn that there is no willingness to listen to even demands for autonomy. Today Kashmir issue is being seen as Hindu vs. Muslim and governance is seen as Jammu vs. Kashmir.

RECOMMENDATIONS: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:

The sense of despair and desperation in Kashmir is increasing by the day. There was unanimity among the civil society and mainstream political leaders that dialogue must begin with the inclusion of the separatist political leaders.
The question then is how to ease the existence of ordinary Kashmiris while leaving aside the complexities of resolving the Kashmir issue permanently.

Protesters throw stones at police after clashes erupted in old city following killing of a civilian by forces near martyrs graveyard, during his funeral in Srinagar, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016. (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)

After listening to a cross-section of Kashmiri voices, the group came to the conclusion that some small steps can be taken by the State government and the Union government to bring some semblance of normality in Kashmir. These proposed steps are listed below.

Steps that the J&K state government can take:
1. Start the process of reopening schools and as a precursor to this, release forthwith all first time offender school children and minors arrested under PSA.*

2. Consider postponing school examinations to a later date instead of insisting on holding them from November 15. Children who have been in jail have not probably had access to textbooks and other teaching material. They should be given sufficient time to prepare for exams.*

3. Repeat offenders amongst minors must be shifted out of adult jails and put up in temporarily designated juvenile detention centres and given psychological counseling.

4. Compensation must be announced for the next of kin of the civilians killed and for those wounded in police or action by the other security forces. This money may be transferred as DBT to designated accounts to prevent extortion and rent-seeking from the suffering families by the state bureaucracy.

5. Rehabilitation packages must be announced to ensure the life-time income needs of those permanently blinded by pellet guns.

6. Compensation and free treatment (both in India and abroad, if necessary) at state government expense for those who have been partially blinded by pallet guns.

7. Set up a blind school in Srinagar for children blinded by pellet guns. The state does not have a blind school and this may be a means of rehabilitation by the state to provide education for children with blindness or partially blindness.

8. Order a judicial commission into excesses by the police, especially the wanton use of pellet guns. While it is widely accepted that such commissions rarely lead to any conclusions, they serve a therapeutic purpose of allowing people to emotionally express themselves and it also helps project the state government as an accountable institution.

*Syed Ali Shah Geelani reciprocated this sentiment when the group met him for a second time to urge him to allow children to go to school, although he couched this in rhetoric that made it the responsibility of the state government to provide the secure conditions for children to attend school.

PM NarendraModi in Srinagar on November 07, 2015. (KL file Image: Bilal Bahadur)

Steps that the Union government can take
1. Ban the pellet gun with immediate effect as a crowd control weapon. This will have a salutary impact on the Kashmiris. This is not something that should be left to committees or to the security forces.
2. Work with the media not to escalate the situation in Kashmir. Educate media owners about the sensitive nature of the Kashmir issue and not add fuel to the fire in search of viewers and revenue.
3. Dispel the perception that Kashmir and Kashmiris are mere tools to be used for electoral purposes.
4. In its interactions with Kashmiris the centre might reiterate the approach enunciated by the Hon’ble PM that Kashmiris are Indians.
5. GoI move quickly to give facilities of migrants to Pandits continuing to reside in Kashmir Division of J&K.

Although separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq talked of being prepared for a dialogue (Geelani talked of “unconditional” talks), it was not within the competence of this group of concerned citizens to suggest when or if such a dialogue process should be started.

However, what we would like to emphasise is that we noted an overwhelming sentiment amongst the Kashmiris we interacted with for setting up a permanent process of dialogue with New Delhi. One of the reasons why so many doors were opened for us by the separatists and ordinary Kashmiris alike was because they saw our visit as a beginning of engagement with ordinary Indians.

The agenda of alliance of the BJP-PDP Coalition Government also commits to a dialogue with all the stakeholders. We recommend that such a dialogue is initiated at the earliest.

The Kashmiris we interacted with acknowledged that we had limitations in leveraging the complexities of the Kashmir issue. Yet, there was a consensus that we repeat our visit and continue this engagement with them.

Yashwant Sinha (Former Foreign Minister)
Wajahat Habibullah (Former Chairman Minorities Commission)
Kapil Kak (AVM-R)
Bharat Bhushan (Editor, Catch News)
Sushobha Barve (Programme Director, Centre for Dialogue & Reconciliation)

The post What agitates Kashmiris & What’s to be done? Fact-finding Report of Concerned Citizens’ Group appeared first on SabrangIndia.

मेरे दोस्त क्या आप आजकल अखबार पढ़ रहे हो? पढ़ना जरूरी है। आपको हमारी करतूतों के बारे में तो जानना ही चाहिए? हां, वैसे आजकल आप कर क्या रहे हैं? आपने हजारों कश्मीरियों की जान ले ली है। सिर्फ इसलिए कि वे आजादी चाहते हैं। कुछ लोग कहेंगे कि पाकिस्तान कश्मीर पर कब्जा करना चाहता है। कुछ कहेंगे भारत इस पर कब्जा बनाए रखना चाहता है। लेकिन हम यह भूल रहे हैं कि कश्मीरी न तो पाकिस्तानी हैं और न ही हिन्दुस्तानी। वे सिर्फ कश्मीरी हैं। वे कश्मीरी ही रहना चाहते हैं। न इससे ज्यादा और न इससे कम।

Image: Shuaib Masoodi / Indian Express
 
लेकिन हम क्या हैं? हम इंसान हैं और इंसान के तौर पर हम जो काम बेहतर तरीके से करते हैं, करना चाहिए। हमें बेकसूरों का कत्ल करना चाहिए। उसमें जो थोड़ी-बहुत सच्चाई बची है, उसे खत्म कर देना चाहिए। हमें उन्हें इंसान भी नहीं समझना चाहिए। हमारे लिए तो यह भारत और पाकिस्तान की लड़ाई है। … और इसके अलावा हर चीज बस एक तकनीकी मुद्दे के अलावा और कुछ भी नहीं है। बाकी हर चीज को नजरअंदाज कर दीजिये।
 
आपने बिल्कुल सही समझा? हमें उस 11 साल के बच्चे नासिर को भी नजरअंदाज कर देना चाहिए, जो पैलेट गन का शिकार होकर इस दुनिया से रुखसत हो गया। हमें इस बात को नजरअंदाज करना चाहिए उसके शरीर और चेहरे पर कितने लोगों के पैरों के निशान पड़े थे। हमें यह भी नजरअंदाज करना होगा कि उसके कान नीले पड़ गए थे। यह भी कि उसकी मुट्ठियां खुल नहीं सकती थीं क्योंकि उसकी उंगलियां बुरी तरह तोड़ दी गई थीं। यह भी कि जब उसकी बहन ने उसके सिर के पीछे हाथ लगाया तो यह खून से सन गया। हमें इस बात को भी नजरअंदाज करना होगा उसकी पीठ पैलेट गन के निशाने से बुलबुले वाली प्लास्टिक सीट की तरह लग रही थी। जैसे यह पीठ की चमड़ी न होकर निशाना लगाने की कोई दीवार हो।
 
……और हमारी सरकार कह रही है कि पैलेट गन नुकसानदेह नहीं है। इसलिए इससे मर्डर का सवाल ही नहीं उठता। नासिर की उम्र महज 11 साल थी। उस नन्ही जान ने ऐसा क्या जुर्म कर दिया था, जिससे उसे मौत दी दी गई। क्या उसने किसी की जान ले ली थी। बिल्कुल नहीं। जान तो हमने ली है। उसने जिंदगियां बरबाद की होंगी। नहीं, बिल्कुल नहीं। यह भी हमने किया है। उसने बड़ी बेरहमी से दूसरों को चोट पहुंचाई होगी। इसका भी जवाब नहीं में है। यह सारे काम तो हमने किए हैं।
 
बदकिस्मती यह है कि सिर्फ 11 साल का नासिर ही नहीं ( यहां मेरे ये शब्द भी कश्मीर के हालात को बयां नहीं कर पा रहे हैं) तमाम कश्मीरी जनता, नवजात से लेकर 90 साल के कब्र में पैर लटकाए बुजुर्ग, गर्भवती महिलाओं से लेकर विकलांगों और बेहतर भविष्य वाले जहीन बच्चे से लेकर तमाम औरत-मर्दों की जिंदगी उलट चुकी है। हमारे और आप जैसे बच्चों से लेकर बड़े लोगों यानी हमारे पैरेंट्स की जिंदगी पूरी तरह बदल गई है। इस कश्मीर में इन सारे लोगों की जिंदगी घिसट रही है। धरती की जन्नत मानी जाने वाली इस धरती पर रह रहे ये लोग बेकसूर हैं लेकिन धीरे-धीरे मर रहे हैं। देह से भले ही ये मौत की तरफ न बढ़ रहे हों लेकिन उनकी मानसिक मौत जारी है।
 
क्या आप खुद को एक सेकेंड के लिए इन हालातों में होने की कल्पना कर सकते हैं? क्या आप पैलेट गन की गोली से बच कर सुरक्षित घर लौटने या मारे जाने की कल्पना कर सकते हैं? क्या आप ऐसी स्थिति की कल्पना कर सकते हैं, जब आप जिधर देखें आपको बंदूक थामे सिपाही नजर आएं। क्या आप हर रात यह सोचते हुए बिस्तर में जा सकते हैं कि कल जिंदा बचूंगा या नहीं? क्या आप हर वक्त डर के साये में जी सकते हैं। 

यह डर आपको अंदर ही अंदर मार डालेगा। आपके दिमाग की नसों को खा जाएगा। आप जिंदा लाश बन जाएंगे। भय, सिहरन, झुरझरी और अवसाद आपको घेर लेगा। किसी के लिए यह दोजख साबित होगी। मेरे लिए? जी हां मेरे लिए भी।
 
ये कश्मीर के हालात नहीं हकीकत हैं। आपसे हजारों किलोमीटर दूर की एक हकीकत। जब आप अपने आरामदेह कंबलों में लिपटे हुए चाय की चुस्कियों के साथ टीवी देख रहे हों तो मुमकिन है कश्मीर में लोगों की लाशें मच्छरों की तरह गिर रही हों। उसी तरह जैसे मच्छर मारने की दवाई छिड़कने या लगाने पर झुंड दर झुंड ये मारे जाते हैं। इससे ज्यादा दुखद स्थिति और क्या हो सकती है….. और हम कहते हैं कि हम तो इंसान हैं।
 
यह सोचने वाली बात है। ऐसे हालात में कुछ न कुछ करने की जरूरत है। हम कुछ कर क्यों नहीं रहे हैं। हम न्यूजपेपर में कश्मीर के बारे में पढ़ते हैं और इसे कश्मीर मुद्दा कहते हैं। हमें लगता है हम जो पढ़ रहे हैं वही हो रहा है। मसलन –
 
एक शख्स की मौत…. कितना दुखद।
भारतीय सेना ने कार्रवाई की।… यही इस मर्ज की दवा है।
पाकिस्तानी सेना ने हमला किया।….. यह तो होना ही था।
लोगों की जिंदगियों पर कर्फ्यू लग चुका है।….. ठीक है, ऐसा होना लाजिमी है। 
 
जी नहीं। यह बिल्कुल लाजिम नहीं है। हम इंसानों की बात कर रहे हैं। हम उन लोगों की बात कर रहे हैं जो घायल हो रहे हैं, कत्ल किए जा रहे हैं पीटे जा रहे हैं। हम जिंदा की इंसानों की बात कर रहे हैं। क्या हम ऐसा नहीं कर रहे हैं।
 
हम सिर्फ इन चीजों को तथ्य या घटनाएं कह कर खारिज नहीं कर सकते। कश्मीर के लोग अच्छी जिंदगी के हकदार हैं। एक बेहतरीन जिंदगी के हकदार। और कुछ नहीं कर सकते तो उनके प्रति संवेदनशील तो हो सकते हैं। क्या आप ऐसा करेंगे। अगर नहीं कर सकते हैं तो कुछ और करिये।
 
मैं दरख्वास्त करती हूं। कुछ भी करिये, वहां के लोगों और हालातों को खारिज मत कीजिये। अगर आप इसके बारे में सोच रहे हैं तो कम से कम इन हालातों की चर्चा तो कीजिये। इससे एक अच्छी तस्वीर बन सकती है। भले ही आपको लगे कि ऐसा संभव नहीं है।
 
इसे पढ़ने के बाद हो सकता है आप सोचेंगे और फिर भूल जाएंगे। लेकिन क्या यह भूलने वाली बात है। मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह चीज कभी दिमाग से हटेगी। इस त्रासदी की इबारतें उन हजारों कश्मीरियों के दिमाग में तब तक उभरी रहेंगे जब तक वे जिंदा रहेंगे। हां, उनके लिए जिंदा रहना भी तो एक नेमत ही है।
 
कश्मीरियों के लिए खून, गोलिया, लाशें और खौफ जिंदगी का हिस्सा बनता जा रहा है। यह डरावना सपना है। सपना भी नहीं हकीकत है। हमारी और हमारी तरह ही ये हालात भी वहां की तरह हकीकत हैं।

आप सांस में हवा लेते हैं। लेकिन मौत ही उनकी सांसें हैं। आप खाना खाते हैं, कश्मीर आदमियों को खाता है। आप पानी में नहाते हैं। कश्मीर में लोग खून में नहा रहे हैं।
 
फिर भी हमारी सोच अभी तक कश्मीर नाम के जन्नत पर अटकी है। यहां भारतीय अपनी कहानी कहते हैं और पाकिस्तानी अपनी सोच बयां करते हैं।… और मीडिया पाठकों और दर्शकों को ये दोनों नजरिया बेचता है। हमारे और आपके जैसे पाठकों को।
 
पाठकों को अब यह समझना होगा यह कश्मीर का मामला भारत बनाम पाकिस्तान नहीं है। यह हमारे ( हम सभी) बनाम बेकसूर कश्मीरियों का मामला है। वो कश्मीरी जो जिंदगी के लिए लड़ रहे हैं। जो सिर्फ जिंदा रहने, सांस लेने के लिए जूझ रहे हैं।

क्या इसे ही जम्हूरियत कहते हैं। क्या यही उदारवाद है। क्या इसे ही समाजवाद और जीने का हक कहते हैं।
 
अगर ऐसा हो तो लानत है हम पर। शर्म आनी चाहिए हमें खुद पर।

मैं दरख्वास्त करती हैं। प्लीज इन हत्याओं को रोकिए। चाहे आप चुपचाप ये हत्याएं क्यों न कर रहे हों। कश्मीर को पाकिस्तान , भारत या किसी दूसरे देश के नागरिक की तरह न देखें। उन्हें एक इंसान के तौर पर देखें। सोचिए। वो एक अच्छी जिंदगी के हकदार हैं। एक बेहतर जिंदगी के।
 
(आनंदी पांडे 11वीं क्लास में पढ़ती हैं और लखनऊ के स्टडी हॉल की स्टूडेंट हैं।)

The post कश्मीर पर हम शर्मसार हैं – आनंदी पांडे, उम्र 15 साल appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Times of India

The move to restrict sale of pellet or air guns was made after a sustained campaign by animal rights activists and on the recommendation of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).A one-and-a-half decades’ struggle of animal rights activists has finally yielded result as the Central government has ordered that sale of pellet or air guns will be only through a licensed arms dealer.

The MHA has through a notification banned the unrestricted use of pellets against animals, but the Jammu and Kashmir High Court (recently) has not banned their use against civilians in Kashmir. The MHA has reportedly constituted a committee of experts to suggest alternatives to the use of pellet guns. An air gun releasing two joules energy can kill a bird, five joules energy can kill a monkey and 20 joules can kill a human being. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), according to PTI, issued this notification protecting animals, very recently. The move to restrict sale of pellet or air guns was made after a sustained campaign by animal rights activists and on the recommendation of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

The uncontrolled use of pellets by the army, paramilitary and police, on protesters in Kashmir have blinded close to 100 persons, especially young children inside homes had resulted in national and international outrage as most victims have been blinded by the use of pellets banned internationally Official data relating to 45 days of street violence in Kashmir, procured by The Hindu from 10 districts, showed that around 3,000 civilians were injured by pellets and 122 by bullets. This report said that around 51 per cent of the 5,800 civilians injured in Kashmir in the ongoing violence were hit by pellets and most of them were in constituencies represented by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in south Kashmir. Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts saw relatively fewer injuries.

According to a notification issued in the case of animals only a few weeks ago, sale and transfer of pellet guns can only be made through a registered arms dealer. Earlier, it could have been procured from toy shops easily. The fresh notification said that “sale, transfer and keeping for sale or transfer of all types of air weapons including air rifles, air guns and paintball markers or guns irrespective of the muzzle energy or calibre or bore shall be only through the authorised arms and ammunition dealers or the air weapon dealers licensed under these rules”.

An air gun having muzzle energy less than 20 joules can only be sold against an identification and residence proof of the buyer and such a gun with muzzle energy of more than 20 joules will be sold only through an authorised arms and ammunition dealer to a valid arms licence holder. An air gun releasing two joules energy can kill a bird, five joules energy can kill a monkey and 20 joules can kill a human being.

So, while the Jammu & Kashmir Bar Association lost its battle to get pellets banned (and the high court there held that until there is violence by unruly mobs, use of force is inevitable.), animals have been protected by this irrational use by the MHA.

[A bench comprising chief justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also declined the plea to prosecute the officers who ordered use of pellet guns or fired them even as it directed the authorities to provide adequate medical treatment to the injured by specialists in or outside the state This plea had been filed in the J & K High Court in late September, seeking a ban on the use of pellet guns in the valley, animals have won this right to be free of being targeted by pellets. On September 21, the court had also said, “ “Having regard to the ground situation prevailing as of now and the fact that Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs has already constituted a Committee of Experts through its Memorandum dated July 26, 2016 for exploring other alternative to pellet guns….“Before filing of the report by the Expert Committee and a decision taken at the government level, we are not inclined to prohibit the use of pellet guns in rare and extreme situations,” the court said in its order.]

The AWBI was more successful with the MHA. While making its plea to the Union Home Ministry had said that air guns, air pistols or air files procured without a license would adversely affect the animals. Animal right activist Gauri Maulekhi of People For Animals (PFA), an organisation which has been spearheading a campaign for banning unrestricted sale of air guns, said her organisation had received hundreds of complaints about its misuse.

“PFA received hundreds of complaints from people about how their neighbours were shooting stray dogs and how children were doing target practice on birds and other animals. “To us this suggested a trend which led to a stakeholder consultation and then we decided that there should be some kind of restriction,” she said.

PFA had first moved the Delhi High Court in 2000 seeking ban on unrestricted sale of air guns, air pistols and air rifles and secured a favourable order in 2002. However, the order was challenged by National Rifle Association of India and Manufacturers of Toy Airgun, Rifle, Pistol and Pellet Association in the Supreme Court which stayed the high court verdict prompting the activists to approach the government again.

“We told them that a pellet gun is a killer and that gun is going to be used on either birds or squirrels or dogs. It is creating a whole viciousness. You either license them or remove them,” Maulekhi said and expressed her happiness over the government order which was issued in later part of July this year.

References:
As pellet guns continue to be used on protesters in Kashmir, Govt bans their use on animals
 
 

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तीन पत्रकारो का यह दल 11 से 14 सितंबर के बीच घाटी में रहा और तमाम लोगों से उसने बात की। हक़ीक़त देखकर उनकी आँखें खुल गईं। अभय कुमार दुबे ने लौटकर मीडिया विजिल से साफ़ कहा कि कथित मुख्यधारा मीडिया कश्मीर के बारे में रात-दिन झूठ प्रसारित कर रहा है। उन्होंने बताया कि लौटकर उन्होंने तमाम चैनलों से संपर्क करके सच्चाई बताने की कोशिश की, लेकिन किसी ने रुचि नहीं दिखाई। उन्हें यूपी में समाजवादी पार्टी में जारी उठा-पटक पर चर्चा के लिए तो बुलाया गया लेकिन कश्मीर को लेकर किसी ने भी उनकी या वहाँ गये साथी पत्रकारों की बात प्रचारित-प्रसारित करने में रुचि नहीं दिखाई।

बहरहाल, एक बार फिर ईटीवी उर्दू ने उनसे चर्चा की। लगभग आधे घंटे के इस कार्यक्रम में तमाम ऐसी बातें हैं जो कश्मीर को देश नहीं उपनिवेश मानने वालों को बेचैन कर सकती हैं, लेकिन उपचार की पहली शर्त निदान है। और निदान तभी हो सकता है जब बीमारी की हक़ीक़त को स्वीकार किया जाए। ख़ैर मीडिया विजिल आपके लिए यह बेहद ज़रूरी वीडियो लाया है, देखिये, सुनिये और गुनिये—

Article was first published on Media Vigil

The post तीन कश्मीर-पलट पत्रकारों से जानिए वह सच जो भक्त-मीडिया छिपा रहा है ! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez was detained a second time, immediately after a court ordered his release from administrative detention on Tuesday.

“Detaining a person right after he is released, without any intention to charge him or bring him to trial, amounts to using a revolving door of persecution,” said Aakar Patel, executive director, Amnesty International India.

“This kind of arbitrary use of the law suggests that the Jammu and Kashmir police are determined to lock up Khurram Parvez at any cost,” he added.

Khurram was earlier arrested on September 16 and put under administrative detention in a Kupwara jail for allegedly posing an imminent threat to 'breach of peace'.

The police claimed that on September 15, Khurram stood outside a mosque inciting people to shout slogans and march towards a government building. Rebutting the claim his wife maintained that they were at her parents’ house in another part of the city at the time.

There were widespread protests against first the curb on his freedom of movement and then his detention. Colleagues, friends and family moved the court against these arbitrary acts.

On Tuesday, the session court judge ruled, "I am of the opinion that the order passed by the learned Magistrate is not in accordance with the law. Same is liable to be set aside and is set aside accordingly. The petitioner (Khurram Parvez) is ordered to be set free."

A copy of the order was sent to the SP of Kupwara district jail. Reports indicate that Khurram Parvez was moved to Kothi Bagh police station in Srinagar and that he has been re-arrested under another section of a 'security' law existent in the state. Therefore he continues to be detained against the earlier court order!

In its statement, Amnesty International India demanded that either Parvez be released immediately or charged with a recognizable criminal offence and prosecuted in a fair trial. 

"Pending his release, he must be protected from torture or other ill-treatment, given access to his family and lawyers, and provided adequate medical care," the statement added.

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