Long before, EVR Periyar explained very well that the Brahaminical Nationalism is the best Ploy to sustain Manusmriti Rule. But it is clear now that the Brahaminical Nationality not only justifies Exclusion, Exodus, Displacement, Inequality, Injustice, Persecution, Repression, Military Option, Corporate War and FDI FII LPG Raj, but it also EXPEDIATES Ethnic Cleansing.Hindutva forces brand Human right Activists including ARUNDHATI Ray Anti National and the Ruling Hegemony tries them with chrges of SEDITION just because they do address the vexed, hitherto unaddressed questions of Nationalities and Identities complicated with the partition of Huamscape for the sustenance of the PRIVILEGE of Micro Minority Ruling Brahaminical Class as not only in the Himalayas Kashmir, Gorkhaland and Entire North East, the Aboriginal Humascape in the Central India as well as South India is UNDER ATTACK! Governemt of India Incs uses Democratic Majoritarian Nationalist Tools to Kill the Essential Discouse dealing with EXCLUDED Enslaved Bonded Communities!
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - FIVE Hundred Twelve
Palash Biswas
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/
25 August, 2010
UID Meeting In Delhi On 25th August
This meeting is organised to discuss UID's lack of a feasibility study, huge cost, legality and real danger of abuse. Hence, we invite you to come for a public discussion where people from many diverse groups will express their viewpoints on the subject on - 25th August 2010 from 10.00 am to 6.00 p.m. at the Constitution Club Auditorium, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
Kashmir Interlocutors have a busy day while Indian Army chief hits out at Kashmiri separatists.Hitting out at those clamouring for dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Army Chief Gen V K Singh is of the view that the Act is being used as a "beating stick" by the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.The Ruling Hegemony promotes the Brahaminical Blind Nationality to Abort so called Dialogue to maintain Stand Off in the Valley in Turbulance as Financial Guillotine works round the clock to clear decks for US President Barrack Hussain Obama.Long before, EVR Periyar explained very well that the Brahaminical Nationalism is the best Ploy to sustain Manusmriti Rule. But it is clear now that the Brahaminical Nationality not only justifies Exclusion, Exodus, Displacement, Inequality, Injustice, Persecution, Repression, Military Option, Corporate War and FDI FII LPG Raj, but it also EXPEDIATES Ethnic Cleansing.
Hindutva forces brand Human right Activists including ARUNDHATI Ray Anti National and the Ruling Hegemony tries them with chrges of SEDITION just because they do address the vexed, hitherto unaddressed questions of Nationalities and Identities complicated with the partition of Huamscape for the sustenance of the PRIVILEGE of Micro Minority Ruling Brahaminical Class as not only in the Himalayas Kashmir, Gorkhaland and Entire North East, the Aboriginal Humascape in the Central India as well as South India is UNDER ATTACK!
Governemt of India Incs uses Democratic Majoritarian Nationalist Tools to Kill the Essential Discouse dealing with EXCLUDED Enslaved Bonded Communities!
Home Ministry gives its nod to police on case against Geelani!At the convention on ''Azadi--The Only Way'', Geelani shared the stage with writer Arundhati Roy and pro-Maoist leader Vara Vara Rao among others. Geelani was heckled by the audience with one of them throwing a shoe.Meanwhile,the central govenment interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir Sunday had a busy day, interacting with some newspaper editors, delegations of local Gujjars and visiting the central jail in Srinagar to meet the political detainees.
The Union Home Ministry has given a go ahead to Delhi Police for registering a case against firebrand separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and few others for purportedly giving "hate speeches" at a seminar held here earlier this week. Highly-placed sources in the ministry said that an advice from the legal department was received that prima facie a case can be registered against Geelani and others for making statements which are seen as an attempt to instigate secession.
The interlocutors - Dilip Padgaonkar, Radha Kumar and M.M. Ansari - met the delegations of residents at the state guest house in Srinagar.
Sources said a meeting of the interlocutors with Governor N.N. Vohra also was lined up.
Editors of two prominent local English dailies met the interlocutors and discussed the situation and the possible ways and means to break the 63-year-old gridlock over the Kashmir dispute.
'We are here to listen and listen very carefully to everyone we meet,' Padgaonkar told reporters here Sunday.
The team of interlocutors also visited the central jail in Srinagar city and met some detainees to know their views.
They paid obeisance at the Sharika Devi temple in the old city area of Srinagar and prayed for the success of their mission.
The team Saturday visited the Hazratbal shrine and offered prayers. The trio also met state Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda.
Padgaonkar, who has been doing most of the talking for the trio, has already raised the pitch for a political discourse by referring to Kashmir as 'a dispute'.
'This is not only a departure from the usual references made by the central government and national level politicians but also marks a step forward to somewhere meet the hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, midway,' Riyaz Masroor, a senior journalist, told IANS.
Masroor said Padgaonkar's assertion that Pakistan had to be on board for a permanent solution indicated that the interlocutors had accepted the 'international dimension' of the problem.
Geelani has put forth five points for a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir to begin, and his first and foremost assertion has been that India should accept Kashmir as an international dispute.
'It is time to finally accept the fact that Kashmir is a dispute that must be resolved without losing further time,' said Muzaffar Ahmad, a college teacher.
'If this mission of interlocutors fails, then the hope of peace in Kashmir could be lost forever,' he said.
The sources said the Delhi Police has been asked to register a case, which they are expected to do soon. Geelani, who gave a call to boycott the three interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, today flew back to Kashmir.
Geelani''s speech in New Delhi had triggered sharp comments from the BJP. BJP leader Arun Jaitley had accused the government of "looking the other way" when a number of separatist groups met at a conference to instigate session and to say that India cannot be one and must be broken. This, he said, was unacceptable as there was no right of free speech available to break up the country.
This was against the sovereignty and integrity of the country and anyone exercising his right of speech in such a manner comes under criminal law. It is an offence against the state, the BJP leader said.
However, rejecting the BJP leader''s charge, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said Delhi police will take action in accordance with law over the speeches made by Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah and others at a seminar here on October 21. "I strongly reject Arun Jaitley''s charge that the Centre was doing nothing when a seminar was held yesterday in which Geelani and others participated," he had said in a statement.
Chidambaram said the authorities had videographed the entire proceedings of the seminar and have submitted them to the legal advisers for opinion whether there has been a violation of the law. "If it is established prima facie that the laws have been violated, Delhi police will take action in accordance with the law," he said.
Interlocutors Mission Kashmir-well begun and half donePunjab Newsline - - 28 minutes ago SRINAGAR: the kind of response, the newly appointed interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, were having from the wide sections of society in Srinagar on their first trip has surprised all those who were looking at the trip as a flop show. ... Kashmir interlocutors have a busy day on SundaySify - 3 hours ago Srinagar: The Central Government interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday had a busy day, interacting with some newspaper editors, delegations of local Gujjars and visiting the central jail in Srinagar to meet the political detainees. ... BJP slams Kashmir interlocutors for Pak remarkHindustan Times - 5 hours ago Describing the comments of the interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir "as if they are rationalising Pakistan's stand on its 'unfinished agenda' on Kashmir", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded a clarification from the Prime Minister's Office. ... Moderate Hurriyat Conference not to meet interlocutorsHindustan Times - 7 hours ago PTI Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference on Sunday decided not to meet the interlocutors appointed by the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir, saying such an exercise was aimed at keeping the issue lingering. "We have nothing against the team of ... People in Valley yearning for candid talk: PadgaonkarHindustan Times - 6 hours ago PTI Eminent journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, who heads the Centre's three-member team of interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday said that people in Srinagar were sceptical of "sweet words" and "tall promises" but had a yearning for candid talk. ... Interlocutors in Kashmir, say ready to talk to anyoneHindustan Times - Oct 23, 2010 PTI Interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir appointed by the Centre on Saturday said they were ready to meet anyone, including separatists, who were willing to talk to them. The three-member team headed by veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, which arrived ... Give a chance to interlocutors, says OmarHindustan Times - Oct 21, 2010 PTI In a veiled appeal to separatists, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the interlocutors appointed by the centre to hold talks with different sections of society in the state should be given a chance as their job was to facilitate ... Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India, says SoniaHindustan Times - Oct 20, 2010 Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of the country and hoped that the dialogue and policy initiatives announced by the government will end the present unrest in the state. ... J-K interlocutors to talk with all concerned with open mindHindustan Times - Oct 21, 2010 PTI The newly-appointed interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday said their talks are a "difficult" exercise but they would approach all with an "open mind and a big heart". Eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, who along with noted academician ... We know what we are talking about, says PadgaonkarSify - 4 hours ago Srinagar, Oct 24 (IANS) Dilip Padgaonkar, one of the interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, Sunday said that the criticism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over their (interlocutors') comments on Pakistan was 'unwarranted'. 'We are responsible people. ... | RelatedTimeline of articlesNumber of sources covering this story
Images The Hindu  AFP  NDTV.com  Oneindia  Oneindia  Daily News & An...  NDTV.com  India Today  Tehelka |
Pak harps on 'US role' in settling Kashmir issue
NDTV.com - 6 minutes ago Asked about the role of the US in settling the six-decade-old Kashmir dispute, Qureshi said: "They (Americans) say there should be peace in this region and ... Video: Inside Story - A message to Pakistan
Al Jazeera President Obama urged to raise Kashmir issue on Indian visit - Associated Press of Pakistan US rules out mediation over Kashmir dispute Pakistani Newspaper Kashmir has never been integral part of India: Arundhati Roy
Hindustan Times - 3 hours ago PTI Activist Arundhati Roy, who created a controversy the other day by questioning Jammu and Kashmir's accession to the Union, on Sunday harped on the same ... Serial sedition: Will Govt act this time? Daily Pioneer Interlocutors Mission Kashmir-well begun and half done
Punjab Newsline - - 30 minutes ago SRINAGAR: the kind of response, the newly appointed interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, were having from the wide sections of society in ... BJP slams Kashmir interlocutors for Pak remark Hindustan Times Life returns to normal in Kashmir
Central Chronicle - 2 hours ago Life returned to normal in the Kashmir valley as there was no curfew restrictions in any part of the Kashmir valley since yesterday. ... Trade, tourism badly hit in Kashmir The Hindu Curfew imposed in Srinagar to scuttle separatist march Calcutta Tube India assessing China's changing position on Jammu and Kashmir
Sify - 2 hours ago ... building massive Bungi Dam in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and media reports also suggest that there is concentration of People's Liberation Army (PLA). ... Parties, outfits hold rally in J&K on accession issue
Daily News & Analysis - 2 hours ago Place: Jammu | Agency: PTI Maintaining that the accession of Jammu & Kashmir with India is "full and final", several political parties and outfits today ... Kashmiri Pandits to unfurl national flags on Oct 26 Hindustan Times Advani's verdict on Omar GreaterKashmir.com (press release) ISI taking help of Kashmiri separatists to woo Naxals
Economic Times - 3 hours ago The sources said there was evidence pointing to ISI desperately trying to make inroads into the Naxal ranks and had now started seeking support of Kashmiri ... Tougher strategy planned against Kashmir protesters
Hindustan Times - 6 hours ago The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police have decided to get tough with "troublemakers" in the state, particularly in the Kashmir Valley, ... Pak violates ceasefire at LoC, jawan hurt
Times of India - 1 hour ago ... with machineguns and rockets at Indian posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Sunday evening, an army official said. ... Gujjar and Bakerwal delegation meets Jammu & Kashmir interlocutors
Daily News & Analysis - 3 hours ago Place: Srinagar | Agency: PTI The Gujjar and Bakerwal community today met the Centre's interlocutors on Jammu & Kashmir and demanded a separate Pir Panchal ...
Al Jazeera Kashmir has never been integral part of India: Arundhati Roy
Interlocutors Mission Kashmir-well begun and half done
Life returns to normal in Kashmir
India assessing China's changing position on Jammu and Kashmir
Parties, outfits hold rally in J&K on accession issue
ISI taking help of Kashmiri separatists to woo Naxals
Tougher strategy planned against Kashmir protesters
Pak violates ceasefire at LoC, jawan hurt
Gujjar and Bakerwal delegation meets Jammu & Kashmir interlocutors
Chill greets Interlocutors
'Pak Key To Kashmir Solution'
MUDDASIR ALI
SmallerDefaultLargerSrinagar, Oct 23: Amid a cold wave sweeping Kashmir, the three-member team of interlocutors arrived here and set off the dialogue process on Saturday by describing Kashmir as a "dispute" and saying solution to the problem could not be achieved without taking Pakistan onboard.
"There is a Pakistan dimension to the (Kashmir) issue. Nobody can deny it. Whosoever says the solution can be reached at without taking Pakistan onboard, it can't happen," Dileep Padgaonkar, head of the interlocutors panel told reporters shortly after landing here on a four-day visit to the state.
He said Kashmir is a 60 year old complex problem and needs a political solution. "Since our appointment as interlocutors, I have been repeatedly saying that our priority mandate is to seek viewpoint and suggestion of every section of opinion because it is necessary to arrive at permanent, comprehensive political settlement of the Kashmir dispute," he said.
Padgaonkar was accompanied by the other two members of team—MM Ansari and Radha Kumar.
"Pakistan has always been there since 1947. Where is the question of bringing them in (to find the solution)," Padgaonkar responded when asked by Greater Kashmir about Pakistan's role in resolving Kashmir. "I will like nothing better than both processes (dialogue with separatists and Pakistan) to move in tandem. The Prime Minister and the whole cabinet is desirous to engage with Pakistan on entire range of issues including Kashmir," Padgaonkar said in response to a question whether it was the right time for New Delhi to re-start the stalled dialogue process with Pakistan.
However, Padgaonkar who is an eminent journalist said the Home Minister P Chidambaram had repeatedly said government was ready to walk more than half way with Pakistan to solve all issues.
"In every joint statement between heads of both countries--India and Pakistan--there has been reference to Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Asked how the fresh initiative by New Delhi was different from earlier ones, Padgaonkar said Ram Jethmalani's initiative was a private one.
"This time we have endorsement at the highest political level. The Home Minister has said Kashmir is a unique problem and needs unique solution. Let me add that it is because of the complexity of the situation you have to keep your expectations low," he said.
About their engagements in Kashmir, Padgaonkar said he would have no hesitation to meet separatists.
"I know them since I was part of Kashmir committee. I have good rapport with many of them. Ours will not be confrontational attitude. They can have compulsions and we have to understand it," he said.
About separatists describing the present initiative as "joke", he said they have right to exercise their opinion.
"Ours is not one-time event. We will move out and meet people, visit jails, hospitals and homes. Whenever they (separatist) wish we will be at their doors to talk to them. Protocol is not important, solution is," Padgaonkar said.
Stressing the need for reaching out to the younger generation, he said it will be his priority to meet stone-pelters. They, he said had not used guns or bombs to make their point.
"They are using stones. We have to listen to them and sit down and exchange ideas rather than exchanging stones. They have emotions and they are angry. They are alienated and in a state of great frustration. You have to address them you can't just close your eyes on them," he said.
The team, he said had come with "open mind and big heart" to listen to people, to focus on jail inmates and see their condition and focus on youth. "There is a governance issue. How should administration run to lessen day to day problems of people," he said.
He said Kashmir was a complex situation because there were different perceptions in the three regions—Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. It is a question and the team he said would have to see how the initiative could be taken forward.
Responding to a question on five point formula set by Hurriyat Conference (G) led by Syed Ali Geelani, Padgaonkar said there were different formulas proposed for Kashmir solution including Autonomy and Self Rule.
"For past 60 years slogans have been raised about Azadi, merger with Pakistan and India. We are ready to discuss them," Padgaonkar said.
The interlocutors have mandate for one year but they would be forwarding recommendations and suggestions to New Delhi every month after staying here for ten days.
"We have got the assurance at highest level that the recommendations will be implemented," he said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Radha Kumar said it was unfortunate that the separatists don't want to meet them.
"We understand the present situation and also understand that they can't meet us. But we will try to reach out to them," she said. "I know them personally I have good terms with them. We are hopeful that if not today they will meet us next time."
She said the priority of the team was to first set the atmosphere for dialogue process.
Bhagwat Puran of A Different Kind :
Conflating Hinduism and Hindutva
By Subhash Gatade
23 October, 2010
Countercurrents.org
I.
Mr Mohan Bhagwat, the 'young' Supremo of an eighty plus year old exclusively male cultural organisation called Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is in high spirits these days.
It is not very difficult to understand the glee on his face which has to do with the latest developments in the cause celibre of Sangh Parivar . One can even notice that every member of this different kind of 'family' also seem to be upbeat , whose representatives can be traced on neighbourhood playground in the morning doing drills, playing games or listening to 'sermons' of their seniors which they call Baudhik .
The Ayodhya verdict which deliberated on the sixty plus year old legal dispute over the title of a piece of land where a mosque stood for the last five hundred years and which was demolished by hordes of gangs inspired by the ideas which the Sangh Parivar still espouses has in fact come as a blessing in disguise for Mr Bhagwat. While every peace and justice loving person felt betrayed with the judgement which neither mentioned the criminal act of demolition of the Mosque, or the blows it gave to the Indian Constitution and the crude manner in which it rediscoverd virtues of faith, it has emboldened the Parivar which had never felt comfortable with the rule of law enshrined in the constitution. Any cursory glance at the making of the constitution provides details of the manner in which the then leaders of Project Hindutva opposed the whole process and wanted that newly independent nation adopt Manusmriti - the code of conduct of the Hindus scripted by Manu -in its place. From time to time their fascination for Manu's edicts , which supports hierarchial division of society based on caste and gender which denies basic human rights to wider populace, has been visible in very many ways. It was not for nothing that when BJP, one of the affiliated organisation of RSS came to power at the centre twelve years ago, it did not waste much time in appointing a commission to review the constitution. Although they could not tinker with it as they lacked necessary majority but still they made their intentions clear.
As any neutral observer would be able to tell that apart from the 'vindication' of their ideas the verdict has solved many of the immediate problems facing the Parivar. Gone is the talk of disarray in the fraternity with every other affiliated organisation trying to put blame on the other for the dip in their collective fortunes, gone also is the defensive posture which the RSS had to adopt when recently many of its 'wholetimers' (called Pracharaks in their lexicon) were found to be involved in terrorist acts, with sleuths of different investigating agencies raiding their houses and parading these Pracharak terrorists hooded like common criminals. In fact the situation seemed so serious that in June the top leadership of RSS assembled for a five day emergency meeting in Jodhpur to deliberate on the whole situation. Anyone can guess that the overall mood within the Parivar was quite gloomy. The verdict has altered the scene completely. Sensing this opportunity when secular-democratic camp has gone on defensive and is contemplating next line of action, like a true general Mr Bhagwat has decided to strike back. Basing himself on the ageold maxim 'Offence is the Biggest Defence' he seems to have decided to take the plunge to take the battle to the camp of 'pseudoseculars' themselves.
One is reminded of the manner in which Balasaheb Deoras, the third Supremo of RSS went round the country claiming victory ( Jitam Maya - We have won) after the emergency was over (1977) and Janata Party had come to power. The high moral posture adopted by the likes of Deoras about the 'valiant struggle by the RSS against Emergency' did not last long when it was disclosed that the same Deoras had written long letters to Indira Gandhi and tried to persuade Vinoba Bhave to mediate so that ban on Sangh is lifted. The Sangh leadership had even directed thousands of its volunteers/activists lodged in different jails to give an undertaking to the jail authorities assuring them 'good behaviour' if they are released from jail. ( For details of the correspondence readers may refer to 'RSS by D.R. Goyal, Rajkamal, Delhi )
II.
Terrorism, Hindus are oxymoron: Mohan Bhagwat
17 October 2010 , press trust of india
Nagpur, 17 OCT: Taking strong exception to the use of the term 'saffron or Hindu terror', RSS chief Mr Mohan Bhagwat today said terrorism and Hindus are "oxymoron" and can never be linked to each other.
"There is only one country left in the world on which you can't put the blame of terrorism and that country is India . Terrorism and Hindus, terrorism and saffron, and terrorism and the Sangh are oxymoron and can never be related to each other.
"This (effort to connect the two) was an attempt to weaken the strength of Hindus in India and, at the same time, to appease Muslims, he said ..addressing the annual Dussehra rally at Reshim Bagh ground here. ..."These are sinister conspiracies to mislead the Hindus through a campaign of lies and defame Hindu saints and noble citizens,"
Close watchers of RSS know the long tradition within the organisation wherein the Supremo gives a speech on its foundation day (i.e. Dusshera) which is supposed to be a guideline to all the affiliated organisations - ranging from the parliamentary to the extraparliamentary ones . Newspapers tell us that during his speech on the Reshim bagh ground in Nagpur Mr Bhagwat basically raised three points in his speech: One, he welcomed the Ayodhya verdict and hoped that the day is not far off when they would build a 'Grand Ram Temple' at Ayodhya ; two, he talked of deteriorating situation in Kashmir and emphasised that coming months it would on the focus of the Parivar ; thirdly, he said that Hindus and terrorism are oxymorons and whosoever is calling Hindus terrorists is stigmatising the whole community.
Nobody can deny that Ayodhya and Kashmir are important issues and every social-political formation will have to devise its own strategy for intervention. And looking at the difference in world view, any truly democratic and secular intervention would be qualitatively different from what Mr Bhagwat's boys intend to do as part of their 'nationalist' duties. Not some time ago RSS had devised a unique plan to tackle the Kashmir situation by suggesting to trifurcate it on religious lines - Leh for Buddhists, Jammu for Hindus and Kashmir for Muslims. It is a different matter that this divisive plan did not get any support from the rest of the polity despite the Saffron dispensation holding the reins of power at the centre.
It is not much difficult to see that the highlight of the speech is the new wisdom which has dawned on Mr Bhagwat. that Hindus and terrorism are oxymorons. Definitely it would soothe the egos of many among the community who have no qualms in rationalising incidents like Gujarat genocide or Kandhamal riots or attacks on Churches or forcible separation of two adults belonging to different religious communities supposedly to defend community honour.
Coming to this new found thesis which emphasises incompatibility of Hindus with terrorism one wishes to ask Mr Bhagwat whether he or his organisation has made any new discoveries as far as the religious affiliations of the first terrorist of independent India called Nathuram Godse is concerned, whose band of terrorists included Madanlal Pahwa, Karkare, Parchure and several others. The same Nathuram who cut his political teeth in the RSS shakhas only and later focussed on his work on the Hindu Mahasabha front. Interestingly during his trial Nathuram formally said that he had left RSS in 1933, but in an interview to the magazine 'Frontline' in late 90 s his younger brother Gopal Godse, who was also part of the conspiracy specifically said that none of the brothers ever left RSS. When the reporter asked him pointedly why Nathuram 'lied' about his dissociation, pat came the reply : To save the organisation from harassment.
It has been on record that there were five attempts on Mahatma Gandhi's life during his life time and the last one proved fatal. It is revealing to know that Hindu fanatics were involved in all these attempts who were eager to eliminate the Mahatma - for many 'the biggest Hindu of 20 th century'.
Of course, it is possible that for many among the Hindu right who yearn to build a Hindu Rashtra of their dreams the death of the Mahatma was not a terrorist act rather it was a 'patriotic act'. It is an open secret that every year many from the hindu right do celebrate the day Nathuram was hanged as 'Martyrs day'? And it is not a Pune specific phenomenon where Nathuram lived. A narco analysis of those involved in the Nanded bomb explosion (April 2006) which saw the deaths of Himanshu Panse and Rajeev Rajkondwar - both activists of RSS/Bajrang Dal - tells us how these 'patriots of a different kind' use to organise programmes on this day.
And what about Savarkar the pioneer of the idea of Hindutva who escaped conviction in the case of Mahatma's assasination only on technical grounds. It is a different matter that the Kapoor commission which was formed in the sixties to look into the conspiracy angle of Mahatma Gandhi's assasination - where many fresh witnesses to the case appeared - rightly concluded that Savarkar was very much a part of that conspiracy. And why did these fanatics killed him, only because Gandhi was trying to practice Hinduism in his own way. And so when independence came, this frail old man - who was called 'One Man Boundary Force' by the then Governor General for singlehandedly bringing peace to strifetorn Calcutta by resorting to fast unto death - did not join the celebrations but rather was touring Noakhali to console, help people affected by riots.
While the role played by Hindu fanatics in Mahatma's assasination is widely known, not much has been written on the bomb blast in Shikarpur area of Karachi at the time of independence which witnessed deaths of two Sangh Pracharaks namely Vasudev and Prabhu Badlani. Their third accomplice was apprehended by the Pakistani police and had to languish in their jail for quite some time. And how come there was a bomb blast in the residential area in a house owned by one Raibahadur Tolaram which was rented by the RSS people supposedly to run tuitions for kids ? (RSS in Sindh, Economic and Political Weekly, 8 July 2006 ) The plan hatched by a 21 member team of RSS workers was to organise bomb blasts in different places in Karachi and kill as many people as possible. The house served the purpose of storing bombs. Police records reveal that the explosion was so severe that the whole house came literally crumbling down. Anderson and Damle who have penned down a monograph on the Sangh Journey 'Brotherhood in Saffron' also provide details of the incident. Perhaps Mr Bhagwat can get few more details of the case from Lal Krishna Advani, who was looking after the work of Sangh in the area. It need to be investigated further whether Mr Advani was in the know of things or not ?
To be very frank, one can quote n number of other examples which can help puncture Mr Bhagwat's argument that 'Hindus cannot be terrorists'. The exposure in the Malegaon bomb blast case (Sept 2008) which brought to the fore an elaborate national network of terrorists involving military officers like Lt Col Purohit, religious people like Swami Dayanand Pandey or for that matter Sadhvi Pragya or the likes of Dr R.P Singh, Himani Savarker or RSS activists like Ramji Kalasangra, Aseemanand or Sunil Joshi ( killed by his own people) or the actions by Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagruti Samity like putting explosives and bombs in crowded places just goes to show that contrary to popular perceptions Hindus can be found to be equally involved in such anti-human actions.
One need not go into details of every incident but the point worth underlining is that terrorism cannot be the sole preserve of a this or that community. One can find terrorists in every community and also sane elements in every community. Just as there are good people or bad people in every community, there are fanatics or sane elements in every community.
Singling out a particular community for the ills of society or for negative traits reflects what is popularly known as a communal understanding of society. Today's multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual and multireligious world where the world seems to becoming a global village such an outlook definitely sound at variance with the growing intermingling of people, communities, cultures.
Nobody can deny that post 9/11 developments have contributed a lot to further strengthen a warped understanding of history. The manner in which US declared 'War Against Terror' as a new strategem to further its influence and gain legitimacy for its criminal actions, effectively got reduced to stigmatising and targetting people, formations or countries owning allegiance to Islam. It was a sheer coincidence that BJP an affiliated organisation of RSS was in power at the centre when US rulers unleashed the 'war against terror'. Looking back one can say that there was deep resonance between what Bush regime wanted and what was on offer for them here.
III.
The 'thesis of oxymoron' has shades of the concept of Supreme Hindu Race emanating from it. In fact it can also be interpreted as an indirect admission that whereas Hindus and terrorism are incompatible with each other terrorism easily gels with all non-Hindu communities. Definitely it is a very dangerous statement not only because it tries to denigrate every other community, it tries to pass on blame to others. It can thus be seen as a poor attempt to deflect attention from the n number of crimes committed by Hindu fanatics.
To avoid confusion of any sort when we are discussing crimes of Hindu fanatics then it should in no way construed as one is soft towards the crimes of Islamic fanatics or Christian fanatics or similar faith based fanaticisms. Fanaticism of every kind needs to be condemned in every possible manner. In fact, history is witness to the fact that religion based fanaticism has killed more innocent people than any other social catastrophe.
Surprisingly Mr Bhagwat's speech also conveys the deliberate conflation of two distinct terms : Hinduism and Hindutva. According to him all those people who talk of Hindu terrorism are trying to denigrate the whole community. It cannot be denied that few people did describe the role of Hindu fanatics in terrorist operation as 'Hindu terrorism'. But a large majority of the critics avoided describing it in this fashion and instead talked of Hindutva terrorism.which seems to be a more accurate description of the phenomenon.
All those people who are not aware of the debates in the movement would feel that what is the big difference between Hindu terrorism and Hindutva terrorism. Perhaps it would be better to refer to a book by Savarkar, who is considered to be a pioneer of the Hindu Right or 'Hindu nationalist movement'. This monograph which is named 'Hindutva' has reached classic status and lays down the guiding principles of the idea.
What does the monograph say ? Its key contribution is the way in which it differentiates between Hinduism and Hindutva :
Hinduism is only a derivative, a fraction, a part of Hindutva. Unless it is made clear what is meant by the latter, the first remains unintelligible and vague.Failure to distinguish between these two terms has given rise to much misunderstanding and mutual suspicion between some of those sister communities that have inherited this inestimable and common treasure of Hindu civilisation.[..] Here it is enough to point out that Hindutva is not identical with what is vaguely indicated by the term Hinduism. By an 'ism' it is generally meant a theory or a code more or less based on spiritual or religious dogma or system. But when we attempt to investigate into the essential significance of Hindutva, we do not primarily and certainly not mainly concern ourselves with any particular theocratic or religious dogma or creed. Had not linguistic usage stood in our way, then 'Hinduness' would have certainly been a better word than Hinduism as a near parallel to Hindutva. Hindutva embraces all the departments of thought and activity of the whole being our our Hindu race[..] It is imperative to point out that we are by no means attempting a definition or even a description of the more limited, less satisfactory and essentially sectarian term Hinduism.
(V. D. Savarkar, Hindutva ( Delhi : Bharti Sahitya Sadan, 1989 ; sixth edition}, 3-4)
It is imperative that before getting confused with what Mr Bhagwat wants to convey , it would be definitely helpful if one refers to this classic monograph and understand for herself / himself that when we say Hindutva terror then it is does not at all mean all those people who have deep faith in principles of Hinduism. Just as Islam and Political Islam cannot be considered equivalent, Hinduism and Hindutva cannot be measured on the same scale.
Looking at the emphasis on action as opposed to contemplation (which involves reading also) in the whole Hinduva movement, it can easily be presumed that a large majority of those people who today owe their allegiance to the ideas of Savarkar, Hedgewar and Golwalkar and who want India to usher into Hindu Rashtra must not have bothered to even read Savarkar's monograph. And this cannot be said to be an exaggeration There have been instances when RSS-BJP people had to withdraw books which were published under their own aegis or withdraw articles from textbooks which they themselves had ratified.
A newsitem is worth taking note of :
Mystery surrounds the sudden withdrawal of one of the 16 volumes of an official account of the Jana Sangh-BJP history, four months after it was released as part of the silver jubilee celebrations in Mumbai. The series, written by historian Makhan Lal under the supervision of senior BJP leader J P Mathur, carry a foreword by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani. (Indian Express, 9 th May 2006)
But perhaps the Orissa experience truly shows the mental abilities of the plethora of activists of the Hindutva brigade who needed around five years to notice 'discrepancy' in a textbook when the person in charge of education department was a hardcore RSS pracharak called Samir Dey himself. It was the period when BJP was sharing power with Biju Janata Dal.
In its report on its front page captioned 'In NDA Orissa, a textbook equates BJP with Lashkar' (Indian Express, Delhi, 2 nd February 2007) the paper gave details about the manner in which a textbook on 'Indian Polity' for second-year degree students in Orissa clubbed Lashkar-e-Toiba with BJP. According to the report
The chapter on the 'Existence of Terrorist Organisation' says : "Terrorist organisations create tension in the country. Communal parties like the BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal, Hurriyat Conference and Lashkar-e-Toiba are responsible for fomenting violence..leading to the killing of hundreds in the country and especially Kashmir ."
It is worth noting that the said textbook - which was written by one Amarendra Mohanty and Shyama Charan Mohanty, teachers of political science was taught since 2003. The matter could come to light only after a BJP worker in Salepur, about 60 KM from the state capital, noticed it and lodged a FIR. And as expected to remove the egg on its face members of the Hindutva brigade did lot of things which can be bracketed as 'taking law into their hands.'
Mr Bhagwat who is in high spirits these days, would do his organisation a great favour if he could inculcate some reading habits in his people who believe more in action.
http://www.countercurrents.org/gatade231010.htmMarvi announces Kashmir Solidarity Chain on October
| Islamabad, October 23: A large number of people from all over the country will express solidarity with Kashmiri nation and new Kashmiri Intifada on October 27 along the Line of Control at Chakothi, Azad Kashmir by forming human chain and holding demo, said Marvi Memon Member National Assembly who is organizing the event. The Kashmir Solidarity Chain joined by considerable number of people from Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab, KPK, and Gilgit Baltistan will start from Islamabad Press club at 9am on October 27 to demonstrate unity with the Kashmir cause. The Solidarity Carvan will reach Chakothi, near Muzaffarabad where it will be welcomed by Kashmiris and a large human chain will be formed to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir fighting for their absolute right of self determination. The human chain will lodge peaceful sit-in protest for at least 24 hours under Kashmiri skies to pay their tributes to Kashmiris. Kashmiris observe 27 October as Black day to protest against the illegal occupation of India when it landed its troops in Kashmir on 27 October 1947. Thus the Kashmir Solidarity Chain will include various political parties, civil society members and media who will unite on single point agenda of Kashmir. It will be the first of its kind when people from different provinces and walks of life will share their empathy with Kashmiris at Chokothi near Line of Control (LoC) in AJK and protest peacefully, said Marvi Memon Member National Assembly who is organizing the event. The aim of this event is to extend complete moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir who are engaged in an untiring peaceful resistance against the Indian forces." Miss Memon added.PML MNA said that Pakistani people will give the message to their Kashmiri brethren that they are not alone in this noble struggle. Entire Pakistani nation irrespective of political affinity and geographical location will continue to support Kashmir cause till complete freedom. She said that during the ongoing Intifada Kashmiri nation proved that freedom is their only and sole option and they could not be suppressed by brutal force and intimidation of women and elders. The severity of the struggle in Kashmir demands that Pakistani government must raise the human rights violations on all international fora to condemn Indian violence. In light of upcoming visit of President Obama to India and in order to draw UN Secretary General's attention we must make all efforts to focus international eyes on Kashmiri struggle. International community must not abdicate its responsibility towards resolving core dispute of Kashmir which is the salvation for peace and stability in our volatile region," she further said. She held that India should respect the will of people of Kashmir and the lingering dispute of Kashmir must be resolved through the fair and impartial plebiscite which already has been endorsed by the United Nations. |
19 October, 2010
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Never in the recent political history of Kashmir perhaps was a grave dug out so fast and filled up so quickly by anyone as Omar Abdullah has done for himself. Under eternal abhorrence of Kashmir's men, women and children alike, he lies buried today. But, truth be told, New Delhi's man he is after all; to them he isn't quite a No One. In the process, however, New Delhi stands predetermined in dismissing the utility of, and concern for, people's voice in Kashmir for a long, long time to come
12 October, 2010
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Indian Muslims would do well in putting some serious, tangible efforts in improving education among Muslims. It is the only workable means towards facing the endless onslaught of the Sangh. And, meanwhile, the Hurriyat would do well by listening to the sane voices calling for the reopening of schools for our children. The dangers of not doing so, in the long term, are categorically existential ones
10 October, 2010
Trans-LoC Trade: A Silver Lining
By Bilal Hussain
Trade through Uri-Muzaffarabad crosses INR 300 cr mark
03 October, 2010
The Bloody Streets Of Kashmir Have Spoken
By Prakash Kona
The Kashmiri on the street fights for freedom – freedom from poverty, underdevelopment and humiliation of being suspected and mistreated in the land of his or her birth. The streets have turned into oracles prophesying the doom of the exploiting classes
28 September, 2010
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The language of most of the Indian media in covering Kashmir has not just been ill-informed but even insensitive. That, however, should not be a surprise when Maoists have long been branded and dismissed as a "menace". That the so-called security of the state is what often dictates this language is a given, but the security of what's been called the idea of India hence, ironically, stands at risk
27 September, 2010
In The Killing Fields Of Kashmir (aka paradise on earth)
By Ather Zia
A young Kashmiri returns to the killing fields of SrinagarKashmir's Stone Pelter: Answers To Questions
From Someone Called The Sovereign
By Ather Zia
This young pelter's stone is lying by the pavement, he used it, he may or may not pick it up again, depends how you corner him this time. But one thing is as clear as the day which is frozen under curfew in the valley that he will invoke law as an ideal of justice, however elusive. You may mediate its language but you cannot override it
26 September, 2010
By Angana Chatterji
"Freedom" represents many things across rural and urban spaces in India-ruled Kashmir. These divergent meanings are steadfastly united in that freedom always signifies an end to India's authoritarian governance
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political Self-Determination
By Yoginder Sikand
Concluding part of a five part series on understanding Syed Ali Shah GeelaniHeard And Unheard Voices From The Kashmir Valley
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
The moral from the all the heard and unheard voices from the valley is that Kashmir is a unique problem, which requires a unique solution and this idea needs to be brainstormed, carried forward and strengthened
24 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political Self-Determination
For Jammu And Kashmir ( Part IV)
By Yoginder Sikand
Geelani paints a striking contrast between the 'Islamic state', on the one hand, and a secular, welfare state, on the other, bitterly denouncing the latter even if it is able to better serve and meet the secular needs of its Muslim citizens
Conflict Renders Money Useless In Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
The unending unrest in Kashmir has rendered the currency worthless as it couldn't serve the very purpose of money. The currency here during these tough times couldn't be used to procure essential commodities, medical services, transportation and many other vitals for survival as there are no takers for it at this point of time due to continuing curfew and protests. Baring few days, market places in the valley remained closed for over three months now
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
That the Hurriyat sets in motion a genuine political mechanism is all the more necessary since New Delhi's policy of denial and procrastination bears an ever looming threat of a return of the gun. This is crucial even if it means taking the issue actively overseas
23 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu and Kashmir (part III)
By Yoginder Sikand
Even in the face of the desire for an independent state of their own on the part of probably the majority of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, Geelani has consistently continued to press for the state's merger with Pakistan and to vehemently oppose the demand for an independent Jammu and Kashmir
22 September, 2010
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu and Kashmir (part II)
By Yoginder Sikand
Despite lamenting the conditions of Pakistan, which he regarded as far from satisfactory, Geelani continues to plead for Kashmir's accession to that country, even in the face of widespread and increasing disillusionment with Pakistan among many Kashmiri Muslims
21 September, 2010
Kashmir Inc Turns Down Economic Package
By Bilal Hussain
In a significant development here the business fraternity in Kashmir valley prefers to talk about 'gross human rights violation' over financial losses they have been suffering from past three months of unrest on Monday in a meet with the all-party 39-member team from New Delhi
Kashmir: Too Early For The Next Round
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
Before trying to imagine anything as a possible resolution for J&K, it is vital that Kashmir be placed in its correct Historical context. The least that any delegation from New Delhi could do is to take home one fact: that revisiting the territorial integrity of the so called state of J&K is not just vital but a historical necessity. Sadly, the current delegation is so late in its arrival that it's too early for such a round of talks
By Yasir Irshad
The corridors of power from Srinagar to Delhi and from Islamabad to Washington have been shaken by the uprising of Kashmiri youth. For the past ten weeks, major parts of the valley have seen widespread protests, strikes and unrest. Everyday life has been brought to a standstill in most districts including Srinagar by this forceful movement. And the attempts to crush the movement on the part of the state apparatus are adding fuel to the fire
20 September, 2010
Text of Joint Memorandum To All-Party Delegation
By Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik
By Agence India Press
The chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Mohammad Yasin Malik and chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday decided not to meet the 39-member all-party delegation that arrived here this morning. However, Mirwaiz and Malik have decided to send a joint memorandum to the delegation. Here is the full text of the memorandum
Syed Ali Shah Geelani And The Movement For Political
Self-Determination For Jammu And Kashmir--Part 1
By Yoginder Sikand
Not many Kashmiri Muslims might share his particular hardliner version of Islam or his passionate advocacy of Kashmir's accession to Pakistan, but, still, 82-year old Syed Ali Shah Geelani commands widespread respect among his people for his firm stance on azadi or freedom of Jammu and Kashmir from Indian rule, a stance that he has never wavered from. Geelani's popularity among vast numbers of Kashmiri Muslims rests principally in the fact that he is seen as one Kashmiri leader who has never compromised with India
By Sheikh M Ashraf
Plight of children in curfew bound KashmirA Kashmiri Woman In An Indian Jail
By Mushtaq ul-Haq Sikandar
A review of the book "Prisoner Number 100: The Story of My Ordeal in an Indian Prison" By Anjum Zamrud Habib
18 September, 2010
Enlightenment That Took Thousands Of Kashmiri Lives
To Dawn Upon The Indian Government!
By Avinash Pandey Samar
Enlightenment, it seems, has finally dawned upon the Indian government. The words of wisdom that came out of yesterday's all-party meeting on Kashmir convened by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, point to that. The wisdom was best summarised in the consensus the meeting arrived at that the "Constitution of India provides ample scope to accommodate any legitimate political demand through dialogue, civil discourse and peaceful negotiations"
Another Slap On The Shopian Victims
By Independent Women's Initiative for Justice
Women's groups condemn the reported reinstatement of four police officers accused of tampering evidence in the Shopian rapes and murders case
16 September, 2010
By Dr. Shah Alam Khan
The bloody trail of the past three months should be discomforting for a nation which bears foundation of a non-violent freedom struggle. The call for azadi can be overlooked but can we ignore the smell of human flesh and blood? It is said that peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice. The Kashmir valley pleads for justice
14 September, 2010
Intellectual Arrogance In India
By Inshah Malik
Kashmir continues to make itself heard globally but sadly it needs more innocent lives from the street of Kashmir to end the 'forced ignorance' and 'intellectual arrogance' in India. There is no life of dignity in Kashmir, and street will not retreat till it catches the Indian society and intelligentsia by its moral conscience
What Are Kashmir's Stone Pelters Saying To Us?
By Sanjay Kak
Kashmir's sang-bazan - stone pelters- have captured the popular imagination, but the uprising has yet to be accorded the same political pedigree as the Intifada. Neverthless, images of boys as young as nine and ten being dragged off into police vehicles, or shot dead by the paramilitary forces, have begun to dent conventional truisms about what is happening in Kashmir
13 September, 2010
By Aljazeera
At least 14 people across Indian Kashmir have been killed in protests against the Indian government and reports of Quran burning, in the most deadly day of violence since mass demonstrations against Indian rule began three months ago
Independent People's Tribunal Report On
Human Rights Violations In Kashmir Released
By Independent People's Tribunal
The findings and recommendations of the Jury10 September, 2010
By Shuddhabrata Sengupta
For the past several weeks, I have been watching, and forwarding, several videos uploaded on to Youtube and facebook from Kashmir. Every video that I have seen contains evidence of the brutality of the Indian state's footprint on the Kashmir valley, and of the steadfast yet resilient courage of its people, and of the innovative use they have been making of the internet to bear witness to their oppression
Conflict In Economy: The Other Perspective
By Bilal Hussain
The normalcy too costs heavily on Kashmir's economy; it too merits a detailed cost benefit analysis on whether normalcy cots more or unrest? Day in and day out the state's economic dependency is increasing on outsiders. A last thought to end the piece, is unrest or normalcy jeopardizing J&K's economy?
Eid Is For Others Not For Us: APDP
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Association of parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) is still waiting for the return of their missing wards almost for a decade. As per the government figures, 3744 persons have gone missing since the inception of militancy in the state but the Non Governmental Organizations and other Civil organizations claims the number is much higher than given by the government
By Wasim Khan
In a major development chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik joined hands on Friday and announced to carry forward the ongoing movement jointly
09 September, 2010
By Mushtaq A. Jeelani
The people of Kashmir are yearning for peace, justice, freedom and the right of self-determination. They want a just and dignified peace that guarantees total freedom from foreign occupation and alien domination. Their struggle to achieve that right of self-determination will not be extinguished until India and Pakistan accept its exercise by the people of Jammu and Kashmir
08 September, 2010
Kashmir: A Place Of Blood And Memory
By Nitasha Kaul
In attempting to suffocate a separate Kashmiri identity, India reveals the cracks in its own idea of nationhood, argues Nitasha Kaul
Kashmir: Unleashing Non-Lethal Terror
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
New Delhi's cruel obsession with the argument of lethal vs non-lethal methods of crowd control in Kashmir does not mean that it has failed to identify the ever-growing political nature of the conflict. It is just that it chooses not to acknowledge what it knows is staring it in the face. Sadly, India's persistence with its law-and-order theory means that a worse phase of turmoil in the valley is never too far away. For, any non-political method of "control" in Kashmir will ultimately prove lethal
29 August, 2010
By Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
Events in the last few days have been particularly shocking, making a mockery of democratic practices, culminating in the resignation of J&K Bank chairman Haseeb Drabu. Drabu was forced to resign by the state government. His fault? He kept the bank open on a day that there was no hartal call by the separatists. Is that supposed to be a crime?
26 August, 2010
Why Kashmiris Should Speak To Indians,
By Shivam Vij
People-to-people dialogue is the best way out of the Kashmir logjam25 August, 2010
By Sajad Hamid
You are an eternal creature, for in your little body dwells a never dying soul. You represent our very best hopes and dreams. Sleep well and gain lots of strength. You'll need it for what lies ahead of you. Who knows what the future holds for you?
There Isn't Always A Second Ramadhan
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The Ramadhan of 2008 struck the first and last nail in the coffin of the spectacular rise and fall of the Hurriyat's power to negotiate a political deal, in the wake of protests against the Amarnath land transfer. Two years later, people have brought the Hurriyat to the same strategic advantage. But the monotony of the so called protest calendars so far seems to suggest that an overwhelmed Hurriyat is clueless of the road beyond the turn
23 August, 2010
Kashmir: An Epitome Of Struggle
By Naveed Qazi
Those who are trying to confuse the issue at this juncture, and are trying to deprive the genuine Kashmiri struggle of internal and external support by projecting it as religious and extremist, are not friends of the people. And if we want to improve the situation in Kashmir and build a society that believes in pluralism and have peace and harmony, then we have to stand together and fight these elements and encourage discourses
By Shoaib Rafiq
How difficult it's to live at a place where life is no more sacred. It's not to be lived. Putting my ear to the conversation of a bunch of kids in the local mosque today, I heard them discussing palmistry. During the sermon for righteousness, martyrdom, etc. of the imam – they were trying to stretch their life lines. Just to outgrow their age. Their peers and mentors are dead, of aged 8 and 9. One killed by a bullet in the head and other thrashed to death. Dead
21 August, 2010
I Am A Pacifist. But Here's Why I Want To Be A Stone-Pelter
By Zahid Rafiq
A heart wrenching story from Kashmir, one of the best to have come out of Kashmir, since the recent turmoil started
20 August, 2010
By Abdul Majid Zargar
In a combo pack of rage & satire, Jug Suriya, noted Journalist,Colouminst & Associate editor Times of India, has delivered a sermon exhorting Kashmiris to Go to Pakistan in his Editorial Piece titled " Kashmir Wool" published in TOI of 11th August 2010. In a true Jug Suriya Style, he has mocked Kashmiris for opting Pakistan on the basis of its shoddy Democracy & lop-sided Development
Who Is Asking The Sikhs In Kashmir To Convert?
By Farzana Versey
Who is asking the Sikhs in Kashmir to convert? It must be noted that these are unsigned letters. Whose evil designs are these? If members of the community do decide to convert, will it not alert the authorities? Will their converting to Islam not become an even greater hindrance to the civilian war taking place?
19 August, 2010
India Employing Israeli Oppression Tactics In Kashmir
By Jimmy Johnson
Israel's pacification efforts against Palestinians have proven valuable for the Indian police, army and intelligence services in their campaigns to pacify Jammu and Kashmir with numerous Indian military and security imports from Israel leading the way
Fresh Clashes Wound Dozens In Kashmir While A Wounded Boy Dies
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Eight people including two girls got wounded one of them critical when police and CRPF troopers opened fired on a protest march at Soura on the city outskirts. Earlier in the day, eight-year-old Milat Ahmad Dar succumbed to injuries in SKIMS where he had been admitted on last Saturday in a critical condition. Reports here said the boy was playing with his friends in Harnagh village when a bullet fired by security men hit him
Kashmir Protests: What Do They Want?
By Majid Maqbool
Nights have become new days in Kashmir. People protest late into the nights, sleepless. On the streets, in every mosque, in the lanes and by-lanes of every locality, only one cry reverberates in the air -- Azadi!.
18 August, 2010
Is Kashmir An Integral Part Of India?
By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India's assertion that "Kashmir is an integral part of India" needs to be supplemented by some observations from the viewpoint of the people of Kashmir. This deserves to be borne in mind by all those who wish the conflict to be justly resolved once and for all
By Bhat Iqbal
Few days back when in the campus of India's most democratic institutions, a student wing of Bharatiya Janata party organized a protest . Their protest was somewhat different in colour as well as creed. Their slogans were something which any human conscience can never expect. They were uttering out words like long live CRPF, Kashmir protests down down..and so on. No where a single mention of killing of innocent children as a concern of human rights was there in the slogans
17 August, 2010
Despite A Normal Day, Two More Die In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
A man hurt in a clash with security forces succumbed to his injuries here Tuesday, while a cyclist died after being knocked down by a paramilitary vehicle trying to escape a stone-pelting mob, taking the toll in the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley to 61
Shoe Thrower Ahad Jan Released
By Agence India Press
Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah says he has forgiven a police Head Constable who threw a shoe at him on Independence Day and has ordered his release
By Mehran Qureshi
With nothing but stones in hand, people of Kashmir, including women and kids, come out to streets, to shatter the glass facades of criminal silence and neglect on part of civil societies and international community. Ironically, our spectacle does not have an audience. The pretentiousness of democracy becomes all more evident. Should we conclude that the world is dead?
16 August, 2010
By Idrees Athar
I had vowed some years ago not to write even a single line – much against my intrinsic tendencies. The gory images of young boys and their descriptions rattled my conscience. For days I couldn't sleep. Despite the bunch of high worded prayers nothing came to my rescue
By Rahul Pathak
It is necessary that we should understand this Kashmiri imagination and then progress with the healing process. Only lamenting the deaths of children is not the healing that can be provided to Kashmir. Kashmir needs a serious dialogue amongst all the stakeholders and a dialogue which will not betray the deaths of these children who had their imaginations about Kashmir and which we are unable to see because of our Indian sunglasses
Shoe Throwing On Independence Day!
By Mustafa Khan
Kashmir valley's crop of grapes of wrath will ferment more discontent than we have seen so far. Bullets and stones will erode whatever democratic pretensions we still have in our repertoire
14 August, 2010
Two Killed In Fresh Kashmir Clashes
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Two youths were killed as fresh clashes erupted on Saturday between protesters and security forces in Kashmir, where 59 civilians have died during two months of unrest
By Rajinder Sachar
The school children throwing stones are the targets of lethal guns fired by security forces. Even in common idiom "if you hit me with stones, I will return it with bricks". But the security forces have turned this on head by returning with bullets. There are limits which no civilized government can cross - unfortunately Kashmir and central govt. let the security forces do that
By Nawaz Gul Qanungo
The current turmoil in the valley has yet again exposed the farce of the "mainstream" political establishment, and brought the Hurriyat (G) to the forefront. But Geelani's call for the "celebration" of Pakistan 's Independence Day shows the gulf between the Hurriyat's politics and the larger scheme of political goals of today's Kashmir – a gulf that needs to be bridged before it's too late
Kashmir: It's Ominous Partition And Its Present Relevance
By Naveed Qazi
Well-informed, economically prosperous, globally conscious members of the coming generations of Kashmir are likely to translate into secure decision makers of the future. The present youth are better placed to resolve the dispute than previous generations
13 August, 2010
Kashmir Erupts Again: Four More Killed
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
In a spate of renewed violence, four people were killed on Friday when security forces fired bullets and tear-gas shells at protesters in north Kashmir's Pattan, Kupwara and Sopore areas
'The Right Wing Fringe' And The Impossibility Of Kashmir
By Rahul Pathak
Kashmir already has drained a lot of blood, no one wants more. The dialogue process has to be peaceful and there is no second opinion on that, what we can probably do is to only hope for a better sense to prevail on the ultra-violet fringes
12 August, 2010
By Abdul Majid Zargar
What Advani ji has concealed from Indian public is that there are similar articles in the Indian constitution bestowing special position to other States as well. For instance Article 371A gives special position to Naga land. Similarly Article 371B & 371C bestow special positions to Assam & Manipur.However, abolition of these articles is not in the scheme of Advani Ji's things for obvious reasons
11 August, 2010
Aftermaths Of Indian PM's Speech
By Naveed Qazi
Indian Prime Minister addressed the nation, about Kashmir in broken Urdu, totally restraint, disciplined about Kashmiri sentiment now, not uttering words like 'stone pelters' or 'Lashkar' influence and not faulting his neighbor- a political custom- for the long occurrences of protests; a rare happening a Kashmiri could have witnessed. He promised reviewing AFSPA, hinted autonomy, which was designed and eroded by late Sheikh Abdullah
By Akhila Raman
An excellent analysis of the Kashmir conflictBy Anuradha Bhasin
What adds to the anger is not just the insensitivity of the government, it's inept handling but also provocation - describing stone pelters as 'paid miscreants' and Lashkar agents, sending in more troops and repeatedly talking about crushing the 'miscreants'
The Deception Of The Indian Liberal Discourse On Kashmir
By Mohamad Junaid
The liberal discourse in India on the question of Kashmir is not open, fair, or objective, but often borders on, and oftentimes overlaps, the more popular, explicitly nationalist polemics
Badyari's Killing Shatters His FamilyBy Sana Altaf
Story of Ghulam Nabi Badyari, one of the victims of recent violence in Kashmir
Kashmir Survey Was Designed To Achieve Desired Results
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Dr Robert Bradnock's s survey, ' Kashmir – Paths to Peace' indicates how some interested parties want to resolve the Kashmir dispute
10 August, 2010
Kashmir: Winning Hearts And Minds
By Rekha Chowdhary
It is important at this moment for New Delhi to understand the level of discontent, anger, disillusionment and mistrust in Kashmir. Winning 'hearts and minds of people' in this situation is not very easy. It needs to create a minimum level of trust. But even for that, it will have to make extra efforts
By Smita Singh
For Kashmiris the story of dissent and its repercussions has always been the same, perhaps it is time for us to listen
CRPF On Rampage: Attacks Houses With Stones, Batons
By Danish Nabi
Paramilitary CRPF men deployed have allegedly unleashed a resign of terror in the old Srinagar city by going on rampage of the houses after dusk
09 August, 2010
Competing Nationalisms And Religions And The Kashmir Conflict
By Yoginder Sikand
An enquiry into the Kashmir conflict and possible resolution in the light of the competing narratives of Kashmiri nationalism and religious identity
08 August, 2010
A Good Friday Agreement For Kashmir
By Naveed Qazi
The prospect for peace in Kashmir lies, according to Naveed Qazi, is an adaptation of an arrangement similar to the one that brought peace to North Ireland
By Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Fifty people mostly teenagers have been shot dead in the past two weeks. It is a story which defies decencies of theme, plot and technique. It is awash with despair and innocent blood. The state of denial in which Delhi is wrapped has not only dehumanized the Muslim majority but also delivered a body blow to Hindu-Muslim relationship. The door of the mosque broke the chain of thoughts
06 August, 2010
Kashmir: Peaceful Protests Continues, Five Wounded In Sopore
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
After seven days of consistent news of deaths and violence, the Kashmir Valley on Friday witnessed less-violent protests amid rains and strict imposition of curfew. One youth was, however, critically injured in security forces' action in north Kashmir
Statement Released by Women And Mothers on Killings in Kashmir Valley
The Mothers of India calls out to the mothers all over India to make sure that no child is killed in Kashmir; that no mother cries in silence that violence does not beget more violence
The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) views with grave concern the escalating violence in Indian controlled Kashmir
05 August, 2010
Two More Die In Kashmir Violence
By Sheikh Imran Bashir & Manoj Khar
A youth was killed Thursday in firing by security forces, while a 50-year man died in hospital of injuries sustained Wednesday, taking to 49 the toll in the cycle of violence sweeping the Kashmir Valley since June
Battling Stones With Bullets In Kashmir! Is India
A Medieval Empire Or A Modern Democracy?
By Avinash Pandey Samar
The human aspect which deals with those 26 people killed by the security forces since last Friday alone, or the total 43 who have perished since 11 June, when the current cycle of violence began. These are all real people like us, with jobs to do and families to return to. Some of them were too young, youngest being nine years and many of them under 15 years, too young to cause any serious threat to the security forces and their personnel
03 August, 2010
By Sameer Bhat
Three full fortnights of strikes have passed by. While it strikes one as windy and impractical, given the fact that the axe falls first on the less privileged, the effrontery is seriously alarming. Six million men and women of Kashmir are finding it hard to grasp what they can do and what they are allowed to do. No one talks about the silver minted look of Omar anymore. As if on cue, everyone is looking up at the sky. The clouds appear shaped like stones
David Cameron And The Continuing Mayhem In Kashmir
By Murtaza Shibli
Kashmiris may have become the unintended victims of David Cameron's verbal attack on Pakistan, which has encouraged the hardline Indian establishment to continue to brutalise Kashmiris in the Kashmir Valley
02 August, 2010
Kashmir Mayhem Continues, 8 Killed In A Day
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Eight more people including 8- year old boy were killed in police and paramilitary firing on Monday as violence continued across the Kashmir Valley with the curfew proving ineffective to curb protesters
Kashmir: Act Before Foreign Forces Land In Srinagar
By Zafarul-Islam Khan
A prolonged protest, wanton wholesale murder of the civilians and children by the security forces and collapse of the dummy civilian government will be enough to pass a resolution in the UN to authorise foreign military intervention and the small men in Delhi will not be able to prevent such forces from landing in Srinagar. The Valley today is a Kosovo-in-waiting. Act now before it is too late
By Naveed Qazi
Bookstalls give me a feeling of disgust. People from every conflict zone have written their stories but there is lack of profoundity in our own telling because no one has passionately written about it. As a Kashmiri, it is a pain for me, as much as an absence of a beloved. People have to write and speak about it because it is a gut wrenching tale waiting to be told
01 August, 2010
Kashmir Unrest, 9 Killed In A Day
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
Fresh violence has erupted in Kashmir and there is tension across the valley. At least 9 people, including a girl have been killed today in separate incidents of violence
By Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Today as each district of Kashmir is under curfew and people are peering into the abyss of darkness Gandhi would have placed himself in the home of one of the shot dead teenagers, and sat on a fast unto death. Given an understanding of what he did in his lifetime his set of demands would be clear and unambiguous
The Role Of 'Memory' In The Present Crises In Kashmir
By Inshah Malik
This current resistance is the outcome of 'memory' instigated by state's dim-witted response to the youth
31 July, 2010
Kashmir: Our Human Rights Concern
By Naveed Qazi
People have been struggling for truth and justice since late 1980's. A long lasting peace perhaps would be the biggest tribute to families who have been victimized through violence. People should build intense pressure for action to raise the cost of human rights abuse
30 July, 2010
Two Civilians Killed In Kashmir
By Tajamul Islam & Sofi Iqbal
Two youths have been killed and fifteen others wounded as security forces opened fire on protesters in Sopore and Kreeri in Baramulla north districts of Kashmir
29 July, 2010
Kashmir: A Month Of Melancholy
By Naveed Qazi
About nineteen natives have been killed since the past month. It included young children and youth. It also included women and men, who were the lynchpins of their family. For us, life would move on, but for their sorrowing families, the struggle has just started. Kashmiri mornings are full of causerie, but think about their mornings, will they be peaceful? It would start with a suffocating silence which wouldn't end till the night. Pain. Misery. Melancholy. Suffering ; would be ruling their minds and hearts, and it won't cleanse away easily
28 July, 2010
Strike, Restrictions Continue In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
After a normal day, Kashmir valley once again observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday in response to the call given by the Hurriyat Conference (G) spearheading the ongoing "Quit Kashmir Movement."
By Danish Nabi
Mother of one of the youths killed in recent violence in Kashmir speaks: ' He was not chased to death, he was beaten and drowned'
27 July, 2010
Kashmir Resumes Normal Life Today
By Rahi Firdous
An uneasy calm prevails in the Kashmir Valley, yet after a day's strike, life returned to normal in Kashmir Valley today with shoppers flocking the markets and schools and businesses reopening as authorities lifted restrictions imposed on movement of people
25 July, 2010
Temporary Normalcy Returns In Kashmir
By Sheikh Imran Bashir
An uneasy calm prevails in the Kashmir Valley, Schools, banks and business establishments have reopened after days of curfew, restrictions and shutdowns, Kashmir Valley is abuzz with normal life on Sunday as the Hurriyat (G) called for the resumption of normal activities on the day. Vehicles too have come back on the roads. Despite an official holiday on Sunday, most banks, private-run schools and shops were open in Srinagar
24 July, 2010
The Resentment Persists In Kashmir
By Raoof Mir
Indian Press might claim the restoration of normalcy but the anger of the people over the recent killings in Kashmir can't be covered up. The resentment still persists. It is important for Indian state and its media to introspect and at least give a compassionate thought to the cries of pain
Humanitarian Crisis In Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
International Aid Organization's slow response concerns experts
22 July, 2010
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan argues that the time has now come for the Kashmiris to rise above their leaders and to view the entire Kashmir conflict afresh—not in the light of the pronouncements of their leaders, but, rather, in the light of practical realities. Doing so, they must chart the course of their lives anew. There is simply no other way for them to succeed
21 July, 2010
By Nilofar Suhrawardy
Questions have been raised as to why have innocent Kashmiri civilians in the Valley been denied their right to live and protest? The situation would have different if they were killed in genuine or even fake encounters. But this has not been case in the Valley, where more than a dozen innocent Kashmiris have fallen victim to state controlled guns in less than a month. True, Kashmir-issue is significant for India, but why isn't the needed importance to lives of innocent Kashmiris, why?
19 July, 2010
By Praful Bidwai
What Kashmir needs is healing-and restoration of the citizen rights and freedoms that its people have long been denied. This demands a bold political initiative, including the scrapping of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and other draconian laws, release of political prisoners, thinning out of security forces, and retraining of the long-marginalised state police. No less important is dialogue with Pakistan
Kashmir: Unending Conflict, What Is The Way Out
By Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer
To solve Kashmir problem internally what is needed is a measure of negotiated autonomy, economic development, greater recruitment of Kashmiri youth in and outside Kashmir including Central Government jobs which will give them greater sense of belonging to India, expeditious development of Railway network and ensuring non-violation of human rights and minimizing presence of armed forces except in border areas can lead to internal peace
18 July, 2010
AFSPA And Political Violence In Kashmir
By Avinash Pandey Samar
The only road to that elusive solution is by restoring the law of the land to the province while doing away with archaic, colonial and brutal laws like AFSPA made for disturbed lands. The road to peace can only be taken if the government of India pulls its act together and brings the officers responsible for firing at and killing innocent civilians under the ambit of the law while stripping them of the immunity offered under the AFSPA
By Raja Jaikrishan
A displaced Kashmiri pundits memories of his native Srinagar
15 July, 2010
By Ali Ahmed
The clear message is that while the insurgency is under control, the 'root causes' remain. An acknowledgment of this is visible in both the chief minister Omar Abdullah and the Army Chief recently accepting the need for a 'political' solution
Essentials Shortage Hits Kashmir
By Bilal Hussain
Defying government claims of sufficient supply of essential items to the valley, locals here say they are facing shortage of critical commodities. Traders too maintain, not to have taken fresh supplies from past few weeks
13 July, 2010
Crackdown On E-Protestors :Terrified, Facebook Users Leave Valley
By Danish Nabi
Next time you wish to register your protest against the ongoing political crisis in Kashmir valley on social networking sites, make sure you exercise utmost restraint; else you would find yourself behind bars. In a bid to strangulate the voices of dissent emanating from social networking site - Facebook, the state police has started crackdown on internet users of south Kashmir for posting "anti-national" remarks on Facebook
12 July, 2010
New Website on KashmirAn excellent website on Kashmir which provides historical context to Kashmir conflict. It is edited by Akhila Raman, a researcher on Kashmir. This website is expanded from a Kashmir chronology She compiled overseveral years. This site has a historical timeline and FAQ with clickable online references to materials ranging from 1948 Indian White Paper, Instrument of Accession to 1989 insurgency and recent human rights reports. http://www.kashmirlibrary.org/
08 July, 2010
Kashmir: Answering Stones With Bullets
By Ershad Abubacker
More than fifteen civilians, mostly youngsters, have been killed in police firing in past three weeks of civil unrest in Kashmir and yet the government is under the colonial impression that people could be won over at gunpoint. But how many more civilian deaths would suffice the government to act sane has been the question echoed everywhere
07 July, 2010
By Aleem I Akhtar
The latest killings in Sopore bring home the point of how Omar Abdullah is the best man New Delhi could hope for. The past two months have perhaps been the worst period of human rights violations under any dispensation, elected or selected. The status quo has moved from the customary disappearances and the occasional encounter to a consistent trajectory of cold blooded massacres; rather suicides, if you like Omar
By Majid Maqbool
Experiences of two young people in Kashmir30 June, 2010
Kashmir In Turmoil: The Boys vs The State
By Inshah Malik
The year 2010 has been marked as the 'year of teenage killing' in Kashmir for the reasons that are obvious to people. Since January 2010, 16 children have been killed by the Indian troopers so far
By IPTK
Between January-June 2010, reportedly 40 civilians have been killed (25 of whom were killed by security forces), 107 persons identified as militants have been killed, and 57 soldiers have been killed (of the 57, 28 soldiers were killed by militants, 14 committed suicide, 2 died in fratricidal killings, 7 died in grenade/mine explosions, and 6 were killed by unidentified gunmen). Those killed by the Central Reserve Police Force and police were all young men, all Muslim
29 June, 2010
By Syed Basharat
Disappointed and disillusioned with the results of investigations carried by different agencies so far, Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar husband of Neelofar and brother of Asiya Jan today filed a protesting petition before a city court here seeking fresh enquiry into Shopian rape and murder incident
28 June, 2010
By Kavita Pai
Hartals and the boys of Srinagar whose lives and dreams are shattered by the unending cycle of violenceBy Abdul Majid Zargar
It was imprudent of Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University, Mr. Riyaz Punjabi, to participate in the Seminar organized by Dr. Shyma Prasad Mukerjee foundation in Kashmir on 23rd June 2010 & share stage with communal & fascit forces of the country, whome even the ordinary indians look down upon with contempt & disgust
27 June, 2010
By Sameer Bhat
Still coming to terms with the death of three kids in police firing in Srinagar in the last few weeks, bullets flew thick and fast in Sopore, North Kashmir. In less than ten minutes, two boys were sent to their graves on Friday. Prematurely. Suddenly. Coldly. Kashmir has stopped keeping a count of its injured. That is a mere footnote in our pursuit of justice. As I write, Sopore has been completely curfewed over
By Raja Jaikrishan
Not a day passes when one or two youth don't get killed in the Kashmir valley. Some of them are angry demonstrators, others members of militant outfits or security forces. These boys dare the paramilitary with violent protest and in retaliation the forces open fire and the boys get killed
Resistance And Resolution Amidst the 'Simmering Kani Jung':
By Inshah Malik
Over past one year children have died on the roads of Kashmir and the frequency of getting rid of them is faster that any of the state functionaries. This feeds into decades of mistrust and injustice between state and its subjects vigorously
26 June, 2010
Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project - An Environment Disaster
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
At a time when different provinces and politicians of Pakistan were arguing with each other whether to construct the Kala Bagh Dam or not, puppet leaders of Islamabad in Pakistani Administered Kashmir said : for sake of Pakistan we will build 100 dams in Azad Kashmir
25 June, 2010
Hurriyat (G) Calls For 'Quit J&K'
By Syed Ali Safvi
Sixty four years after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah gave the call of "Quit Kashmir" against Maharaja Hari Singh, Syed Ali Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference today called for "Quit Jammu Kashmir" campaign, raising the pitch of separatist rhetoric
22 June, 2010
By Ram Puniyani
This Kheer Temple congregation is a signal of revival of the spirit of Kashmiriyat, the heart and souls of Kashmir. One hopes and wishes this spirit will strengthen in times to come, aspirations of people of Kashmir will be expressed and implemented through the democratically elected Governments of Kashmir and India-Pakistan are able to cultivate the friendly relations, which is the best guarantee for peace in the region
14 June, 2010
Lock Down In Srinagar, Victim's Family Awaits Justice
By Dilnaz Boga
This is not the first teenager to be killed on the streets of Srinagar this year. Here, unfortunately, draconian acts that have been put in place have managed to stamp out the expectation of justice, while protecting those who carry out cold-blooded murders in the name of national security and preventing terrorism
Serial Killings Of Teenaged Boys In Police Action
Cause Anguish, Fear Psychosis Among Parents
By Bismah Malik
The killing of Tufail Ahmad, a teenaged boy in police action at Gani Memorial Stadium is yet another indicator of the unabated killings of teenaged boys, continuing despite assurance of zero tolerance to human rights violations, in Kashmir
13 June, 2010
Gilgit Baltistan And Shafqat Inquilabi
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
For the first time in the past 63 years, rulers of Pakistani Administered Kashmir were allowed to visit Gilgit Baltistan, area of the State which has been under direct and oppressive rule of Pakistan
10 June, 2010
Kashmir Valley's Spiraling Drug Abuse
By Dilnaz Boga
This 26th June, the Valley has little to show for, as the world observes International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Several studies carried out on addiction in the Valley reveal a strong correlation between conflict and drug abuse. The studies show that in Kashmir, drugs are not used for recreational purposes but as a coping mechanism to deal with the stresses of conflict in the most militarized region in the world
08 June, 2010
Kashmir: A Journey To Paradise And Back!
By Gagan Rism
Apart from ethereal beauty, Kashmir had lot many lessons to give, esp. in image-difference. What Kashmir is portrayed in media, and what it in reality is, are so different. Kashmir is not about militancy alone as media portrays it to be; it is about people, like you and me – their hopes, needs and aspirations, their daily struggle to keep alive with dignity and of course, it is about beautiful landscape, soft music of those old romances. True, rest-of-India perception, at times, fails in Kashmir
24 May, 2010
Poor Prime Minister Of Azad Kashmir
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
Raja Frooq Haider is a Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, or 'Pakistani Occupied Kashmir'. This is the post which all members of the Azad Kashmir Assembly and other politicians wish to occupy. But not every one is 'lucky' or 'suitable' for this post. Before a politician becomes a candidate for the Assembly in this territory declared as Azad, meaning independent, he has to declare he will be loyal to Pakistan
22 May, 2010
Some Clarifications Regarding Kashmir Dispute
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
A historical analysis of the Kashmir dispute16 May, 2010
Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province (Part 1)
By Yoginder Sikand
An eight part series on Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province by Yoginder Sikand10 May, 2010
'Never Married Percentage' Of J&K
By Bismah Malik
People increasingly preferring either 'no marriages' or 'late marriages' in valley: Study
06 May, 2010
By Bilal Hussain
Debt ridden Jammu and Kashmir is on the verge of drowning in the sea of financial liabilities. A recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has revealed that the state fiscal liability for 2008-09 was a whopping Rs 24,287 crore
03 May, 2010
Challenges, Options And Role Of Kashmiri Diaspora
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
want to present that alternative view that people could understand facts about Pakistan's support for Kashmir; and 'favour' Pakistan has done to people of Jammu and Kashmir
27 April, 2010
Why Azad Kashmir Is Called Azad?
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
There are hundreds of independent countries in the world, but no country write independent with its name, as it is understood that they are all independent. However with Kashmir Pakistani authorities have included azad (independent), it clearly means there is something wrong – daal main kuch kala hai – something sinister is at play; and they have something to hide. This word is included to fool people of Jammu and Kashmir, just to give them false sense of independence
19 April, 2010
India, The United Nations And Kashmir
By Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
There is but one fair, just, legal, and moral solution to Kashmir which was provided by the United Nations. The procedures contemplated at early stage of the dispute at the United Nations for its solution may be varied in the light of changed circumstances but its underlying principle must be scrupulously observed if justice and rationality are not be thrown overboard. The setting aside of the UN resolution is one thing; the discarding of the principle they embodies is altogether another. So the settlement has to be in accordance with the wishes of the people; impartially ascertained; in conditions of freedom from intimidation
16 April, 2010
No Police Officer Penalized For HR Violations In J&K
By Shruti Oza
Jammu and Kashmir government has neither punished nor prosecuted police officers allegedly involved in 168 cases of human rights violations which includes cases of custodial killings and enforced disappearances in which state government had ordered magisterial inquiries and judicial probes
Role Of Economy In Deconstruction Of Conflict
Or Construction Of Self Sufficiency In Kashmir
By Inshah Malik
The state government of Jammu & Kashmir treats the economy in the state as one of the imperative factors in driving the youth for the so called contructive growth and empowerment but to subside the demands of the educated youth the state government has considerably failed time and again
15 April, 2010
Working Group Report On Center-State Relations
By Syed Junaid Hashmi
Contrary to general impression, Justice (Retd.) Sagheer Ahmed working group report on crucial subject of centre-state relationships has neither recommended nor rejected proposed autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir but urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that controversial issue of granting certain constitutional guarantees to state be debated further for a possible consensus
J & K Budget 2010-11: 'Fancy Rhetoric'
By Bilal Hussain
The budget 2010-11 is an attempt to appease all. But unfortunately it couldn't gather decent points on public scoreboard as this time expectation were too high. The denizens of Jammu and Kashmir were made to believe that the budget would address the hardcore issues like burgeoning unemployment, shortfall in power, price rise and like
By Tanveer Ahmed
A little over a month ago on the 4th of March, Shafqat Ali Inqalabi filed a petition in Pakistan's apex court questioning the legitimacy of the State Executive's "Empowerment" and "Self-Governance" Order for Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly referred to as "Northern Areas"), on September the 9th last year. Pakistan's ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and IB (Intelligence Bureau) have constantly hounded Shafqat Ali Inqalabi - directly and indirectly - over the phone, since the petition
12 April, 2010
Family, Separatism And Militarization
By Ms. Inshah Malik
Muslim women in Kashmir are silenty playing their roles without being sufficiently trained as to how to deal with the complicated situations outside. It is these silent deaths that they are living and in reaction to that government is ready to send more and more army as and when required to fight a war against its own people and the biggest demon of security threat from Pakistan that seems to be satifying the ego of the larger government system
21 February, 2010
Human Rights Violations In Jammu & Kashmir
By Independent People's Tribunal
Independent People's Tribunal Interim Report10 February, 2010
Another Round Of Jihad Is To Start Soon In KashmirBy Dr Shabir Choudhry
The last 'jihad' in Jammu and Kashmir started in 1988/9; and that brought death, destruction and loss of a generation. That 'Jihad' or a 'proxy war' further divided the Kashmiri people, as it communalised the Kashmir polity and divided people in name of religion. The wounds of that 'jihad' which has not ended yet are still fresh; and signs are that our 'friends' in Pakistan want to add a new chapter to the 'Jihad' in Kashmir
22 January, 2010
By Dr Shabir Choudhry
If we want peace and stability in South Asia then we need to resolve the Kashmir dispute; and we cannot resolve the Kashmir dispute by making it a Muslim problem or a problem of water and resources. It is deeply disturbing that despite enormous sacrifices by the people of Jammu and Kashmir the Kashmir dispute is still perceived as a dispute which has to be resolved by the governments of India and Pakistan
05 January, 2010
Jammu And Kashmir's Employment Policy
By Bilal Hussain
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, recently unveils the employment policy. The policy document gives a good reading, mentions exploitation of most economic sectors of the state and generation of huge employment. However, like most of the state's policy documents it too misses the much needed viability strategy
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23 October, 2010
Majority Report Of MOEF Committe A Vindication Of
Peoples Just Struggle Against POSCO Porject
By Ashok Chowdhury, Dr. Manoranjan Mohanty & Leo F. Saldanha
For project affected communities, the Committee's majority findings are a strong vindication of their resolute stand that the POSCO project represents the worst form of development – where our nation's resources are looted, our environment is devastated and Transnational Corporations walk away with tonnes of money, and not merely our iron ore
21 October, 2010Ensuring Right To Education In The Red Corridor
By Gladson Dungdung
The Indian State must understand that the right to education and the police camps in the schools cannot go together. The Indian State has been practicing betrayal tricks (giving rights by one hand and taking away by another mighty hand) with the marginalized people of the country for last six decades. If the Government doesn't stop it, the rapid growth of left-wing extremism cannot be halted
20 October, 2010POSCO Project Justification Based On Flawed Data
By Mining Zone People's Solidarity Group
Orissa Government and POSCO Have Misled the Public on Benefits to the Country, says New International Report
18 October, 2010Majority Of POSCO Enquiry Committee
Confirms That POSCO Project Is Illegal
By Abhay Sahoo
Today, three of the four members of the committee set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests confirmed that the POSCO project is illegal and that all of its clearances were obtained by breaking the law. The Committee has also found that the project has potentially very dangerous impacts on issues like water, air pollution, and the coastline, and none of this was ever properly evaluated12 October, 2010
The Maoist Versus The State Of India
By Prakash Kona
The author considers the historic reasons of maoist uprising in India and raises some questions about its objectives
29 September, 2010
The Jury Verdicts of IPT, Ranchi
By Gladson Dungdung
We are extremely pleased to inform you that we had organized a very successful Independence People's Tribunal on Operation Green Hunt in Ranchi on 25th and 26th of September, 2010 under the banner of the Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum with the support of Operation Green Hunt Virodhi Nagrik Manch, Jharkhand Indigenous People's Forum, Jharkhand Initiatives Desk, Jharkhand Jungle Bachao Andolan, Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination Committee and many other groups
18 September, 2010State Response to Maoist Violence in India: A Critical Assessment
By K S Subramanian
Maoist violence is the consequence of increased atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (especially in the central tribal belt) and widespread tribal unrest due to commercialisation of forest resources. Ignoring such analysis and acting primarily on reports by the Intelligence Bureau, which is not equipped to study the multiple complexities of developmental conflicts, the Ministry of Home Affairs has resorted to brute police force to deal with the violence. But, as suggested by several reports, the problem should be handled politically and administratively, implementing the constitutional provisions for dalits and adivasis that have so far been ignored
16 September, 2010Lucas Tete, Maoist Violence And K Balagopal
By Biswajit Roy
It's a welcome development that Arundhati Roy, G N Saibaba, Mahasweta Devi, Sujato Bhadra and others have condemned the killing of Maoists' POW and Bihar policeman Lucas Tete as reported by Bengal Post
31 August, 2010Niyamgiri To Bellary, Polavaram To Konkan:
Stop All Destructive Projects Now
By Dipankar Bhattacharya
The cancellation of the Vedanta group's 'mining rights' in the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha's Kalahandi district surely marks a huge victory for the growing people's movement against corporate invasion and plunder
Niyamgiri: A Temporary Reprieve
By Ranjan K Panda
The Dongria Kondh know that their battle against Vedanta and for the preservation of their sacred Niyamgiri is not over in a state where money matters, people and the environment don't, reports Ranjan K Panda from Orissa
26 August, 2010Not Only Niyamgiri: Stop Resource-Grab Everywhere!
By NFFPFW
The NFFPFW (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers) welcomes Indian government's decision to deny forest clearance to the Vedanta mining project at Niyamgiri. Though much delayed , this decision is a just move, and perhaps for the first time in the history of the country the government has said 'no' to a large and powerful corporation on social and environmental grounds
Uttar Pradesh Farmers Latest Victims Of
By Arun Kumar
Three protesting farmers were shot dead and more than forty others injured August 14, when police opened fire on a protest at Jikarpur, a village in the Aligarh District of Uttar Pradesh (UP).The farmers were protesting against the land expropriations being carried out by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state government to build a 165-kilometer highway, the Jamuna (or Yamuna) Expressway, linking India's capital, New Delhi, with Agra, the city that is home to the Taj Mahal
24 August, 2010Faking An Ecounter: Killing The Peace Process
By Coordination Of Democratic Rights Organizations
Preliminary Report of the All India Fact Finding Team on the Killing of Azad and H. C Pandey. Released to the media at Hyderabad on 22 August, 2010
On The Support To Mamata Banerjee -
An Open Letter To Intellectuals
By Sumanta Banerjee
An open letter to Mahashweta Debi, D. Bandyopadhyay, Suvaprasanna, Sujato Bhadra and other friends…
21 August, 2010By Nagarik Mancha
On 17th August 2010, social activist and our General Secretary, Naba Dutta, had been arrested from West Medinipur. Owing to unprecedented public outcry against the arrest, he was granted bail next day, but not before serious, and totally fabricated, criminal charges were brought against him. Why and how did this happen?
17 August, 2010This Is Your Army Mr Chidambaram!
(And The People Belong To This Country)
By Reyaz-ul-Haque
We know very well Mr. Chidambaram that you will never apologize for the atrocities committed at your behest. This brutal army represents the real face of your government
16 August, 2010The Cold-Blooded Murder In Jharkhand
By Gladson Dungdung
On July 5th, 2010, the security forces picked up 45 year-old Etwa Munda of Papirdah village in Ranchi district of Jharkhand and killed him in a fake encounter
14 August, 2010Superpower Democracy Mass-Murders Abroad!
Largest Democracy Mass-murders Its Own Children
By Jay Janson
US media have never called millions killed in their own homes, by US military during invasions and occupations since Korea through Iraq, mass murder. Likewise, the annually legislated starvation of millions of Indians in the 'largest democracy in the world', is never called mass murder. India buys WMD, with money saved, seeks to use the market to solve the problem. NY Times fields a question, "Should Food be a Right?
13 August, 2010Unlikely Alliances In Fight For Sacred Lands
By Tess Thackara
Major shareholders are joining the Dongria Kondh tribe's fight to protect their homeland from mining by Vedanta Resources
12 August, 2010Signals From Vijayawada And Lalgarh:
And Challenges Before Revolutionary Communists
By Dipankar Bhattacharya
The CPI(M) will have to pay the price for its opportunist sins and revolutionary communists can have no sympathy for it on this score. Any meaningful defence of the legacy and gains of the Indian communist movement and resistance to the anti-Left offensive of the ruling classes necessarily calls for a firm and decisive rejection of and struggle against the CPI(M)'s opportunism
11 August, 2010By Rahul Pathak
Lalgarh rally suggests towards the possibility of mediation which can bring some peaceful solution to the naxalite problem, the opposition should welcome this move rather than politicizing it
09 August, 2010By Sadiq Naqvi
After the genocide in 2002 and a string of fake encounters targeting Muslims, the 'Hindutva lab' is again active. Now, secular social activists are being branded as Maoists and jailed
06 August, 2010Environment Ministry Directs Orissa Government
To Stop Work On The POSCO Project
By Campaign for Survival And Dignity
The Environment Ministry today finally issued a welcome but ambiguous order directing the Orissa government to stop work on the POSCO project and the illegal process of forest land takeovers that is taking place. While giving some immediate relief by stopping the illegal land grabbing that the Orissa government started last week, the order is silent on the basic issue: the illegal forest clearance granted by the Ministry on December 29, 2009
05 August, 2010Brazen Mockery Of The Forest-Rights Law
By Subrat Kumar Sahu
In yet another unfortunate incident in which how the FRA 2006 – which the government dubs as an instrument to correct 'historical injustices' meted out on forest communities – has rather been used as a tool of oppression and intimidation, a Dalit villager in Orissa was arrested on 21 July 2010 for raising issues of forest rights
By Javed Iqbal
In Bastar, the un-sanitized war is brutal, unforgiving and uncompromising. And it's impact on families has been specifically devastating. Battles aren't just fought in the jungles – this a war where villages are the battlefields, homes are the trenches and your family is a weapon and a target
The Dispossession And Criminalisation Of
By Stan Swamy
The dispossessed Adivasi is hunted as a criminal; the looter-outsider has become 'honourable citizen'
By Sadanand Patwardhan
A couple of rupees of difference in consumption levels that are used in defining poor is all it takes to shift literally hundreds of millions of people from poor to non-poor and vice versa. Once this is learnt it becomes obvious that Poverty Line is unlike an internationally recognized BORDER that it is made out to be – inviolable & sacrosanct - a sort of litmus test to decide whether to bestow or to withhold "welfare largesse" . In fact, what we have is apicture of Poverty Spectrum – a continuum – of deprivations that has wafer thin separations
03 August, 2010
Half of India's Population Lives Below
By Arun Kumar
According to a new Oxford University study, 55 percent of India's population of 1.1 billion, or 645 million people, are living in poverty. Using a newly-developed index, the study found that about one-third of the world's poor live in India
31 July, 2010Endless Cry In The Red Corridor
By Gladson Dungdung
After the arrival of the Monsoon, the city dwellers are enjoying the cool weather. The farmers are busily preparing their paddy fields. However, the atmosphere in the red corridor is more or less the same, a mood of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, pain and shock prevails in the region
30 July, 2010POSCO, Polavaram Projects Illegally Take Over Forest Land:
By Campaign for Survival and Dignity
Recent actions by the Environment Ministry and the Orissa and Andhra Pradesh governments with respect to the POSCO and Polavaram projects are in total violation of the law and of democracy. They show yet again that the forest bureaucracy is among the key drivers of land grabbing across the country
28July, 2010Andhra - Independent Fact-Finding Team
On The 14th July Sompeta Firing
Interim Report
The firing occurred on 14 July 2010 in which two persons died and five were injured by bullets (including a cameraman of TV-9 Telugu channel). In the events prior to the firing, about 300 people belonging to the neighbouring villages opposing the power plant and about 50-60 police personnel were injured
27 July, 2010
Land Grab For POSCO Project Begins
Campaign for Survival and Dignity
Today the Orissa government initiated "acquisition" of land in the proposed POSCO project area of Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa. The project is in complete violation of the law and this "acquisition" is part of an illegal land grab
24 July, 2010Lalgarh - Massive Protest By Women Against
Rapes Committed By Security Personnel
By Partho Sarathi Ray
On 20th July, around 50,000 women under the banner of "Committee to save honour of women" tried to march into Jhargram town to protest against the recent incidents of raping of women in Sonamukhi village by the joint security forces
Odisha Poverty, Corporate Plunder And Resistance
By Prafulla Samantra & Asit Das
Odisha has become the beacon of hope for the struggling workers and peasants of this country in their heroic struggle against the predatory mining and industrialization of the state uprooting the toilers of the soil. Massive people's resistance is going along the length and breadth of the state. Some prominent ones are Kalinga Nagar, Niyamgiri, anti-POSCO (Korean Steel Company), and anti-Vedanta University people's struggles
19 July, 2010Dear Chhattisgarh Police, Are You Mad?
By Javed Iqbal
And a few days ago, to my surprise, the Chhattisgarh police branded me a Maoist agent. And I'm not the only one who receives this 'honour' from the police
By Mahtab Alam
It came as a shocking, rather, frightening news when I read about the arrest of my friend Abdul Shakeel Basha, a peace and human rights activist, a few days back. For a moment, it felt as though we had almost turned into a fascist state, where campaigners of peace and justice have no place. Shakeel was arrested on 17th June 2010, by the special cell of Delhi Police on the requisition of the Gujarat Police for his alleged affiliation with Maoist/ Naxal movement of India
15 July, 2010Gujarat: Making Of A Fascist State
By Ram Puniyani
Social activists are being put behind bars in Gujarat branding them maoists
12 July, 2010
'Cholera' Outbreak Kills Over '60' In Bastar
By Javed Iqbal
A suspected cholera outbreak has killed around an estimated 60 people in Bijapur District of South Bastar, Chhattisgarh since the beginning of the 7th of June this year when the first fatality was confirmed in Gadiguda village in Pamed Block.Yet violence continues unabated in affected-areas
Maoists Attack Contractor's Home
By Javed Iqbal
Two killed, two injured, including 11-year old son of contractor10 July, 2010
By Raja Jaikrishan
'I feel guilty of Azad's untimely killing. I think as Azad was keeping regular contact with me to hold peace talks with the centre, that's why he died so early,' Swami Agnivesh said. In the guilt of Swami Agnivesh is guilt of the entire civil society has been damned
03 July, 2010Statement on arrest of Dr. Nisha Biswas
and other civil rights activists in Lalgarh
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are shocked by the arrest on 14th June of Dr Nisha Biswas, Scientist - Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute Kolkata, Manik Mandal, writer, Kanishka Choudhary, school teacher, and ten other persons by the W Bengal police from Lalgarh area, where they had gone at the request of the local people to investigate human rights violations by police and paramilitary
30 June, 2010Maoists Ambush Indian Police Patrol; 26 Killed
By Aljazeera
Suspected Maoist rebels have killed at least 26 police officers during an ambush in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh state on Tuesday
29 June, 2010
Terrorizing The Democratic Space
By Gladson Dungdung
Terrorizing of human rights activists in Jharkhand
Indian Environmentalist Arbitrarily Arrested
By William Gomes
Mr. Moirangthem Ashnikumar Singh, an environmentalist and Vice-President of Thanga Elfare Committee, Secretary of Keibul Lamjao National Park Forum, was arbitrarily arrested on 27 April by the Bishnupur police in Bishnupur district of Manipur state
28 June, 2010Pictures That Turn A Generation; Armies That Lie
By Trevor Selvam
Let this picture then tell the lie about India shining. Let this picture be the turning point of the struggle for genuine democracy. Let this picture be carried around in every demonstration to show the world how G20 Manmohan's India follows the Geneva conventions
Economics That Causes Militancy: W(h)ither The Republic?
By S.G.Vombatkere
Armed militants ambushing or attacking State power is bad news concerning everyone. But neglecting first causes and suppressing the symptoms by up-scaling police action (like Operation Green Hunt) only enlarges the circle of innocent adivasi people caught in the crossfire and paying with their lives and livelihoods. The nation as a whole loses
By D Bandyopadhyay
It was time that one should check up what type of governance tribals had before the civil administration collapsed? A basic ingredient of any civil administration is the administration of justice. How was it done before the territories were "lost" to the Maoists?
26 June, 2010
Maoists Respond To Chidambaram
By Sanhati
Letters from P. Chidambaram and CPI(Maoist) to Swami Agnivesh regarding the possibility of dialogue
25 June, 2010For Whom Are The Forests Turning Red ?
By M Suchitra
A journey through Chhattisgarh, the heartland of maoist- government conflict
By Javed Iqbal
Summer 2010, and it is becoming evidently clear that the adivasi refugees from the Maoist-Salwa Judum conflict in Dantewada, residing in Khammam district have either no access to water nor food. There are an estimated 16,024 IDPs identified in 203 settlements in Khammam district alone with a 110 settlements in the Reserve Forest. At the same time, the Forest Department is struggling to prevent the clearing of forests by the IDPs for podu cultivation
Attack On CRPF Camp Or Fake Encounter?
By Tusha Mittal
The government story of a a Maoist attack on a CRPF camp at Lalgarh in West Bengal's West Midnapore district may be fake
17 June, 2010
Death And The Maiden
By S V Rajadurai and V Geetha
A photograph featured in The Hindu, dated 17-06-2010 shows security personnel in West Bengal , carrying the body of a woman killed in a purported raid on a Maoist hideout. The woman's body had been trussed up like the carcass of a dead animal. The photo speaks volumes of how the Indian state views those it considers a threat to the internal security of the nation - as people beneath its contempt and consideration
Rights And Wrongs Of Armed Resistance
By Gautam Navlakha
A discussion on armed resistance in the context of the Maoist resistance in India
15 June, 2010By Javed Iqbal
Rape as a weapon in the war between the Maoists and the Indian government
By Raja Jaikrishan
An environment has been created where the abuse of power by the governments of the Indian subcontinent is visible and invisible at the same time. It is like a mirage, which disappears as we draw close to it. The institutions of democracy are being used to muzzle screams of victims and numb their thinking
14 June, 2010Operation Green Hunt's Urban Avatar
By Arundhati Roy
While the Indian Government considers deploying the army and air force to quell the rebellion in the countryside, strange things are happening in the cities
Kottacheru: A Short History Of Violence
By Javed Iqbal
This is the story of Kottacheru. But this can also be the story of thousands of villages in India
09 June, 2010Letter to PTI against concocted report on
Arundhati Roy's speech at Mumbai
By CPDR
Letter of protest to PTI against concocted report on Arundhati Roy's speech at Mumbai07 June, 2010
Arundhati Roy, Operation Green Hunt
By Abhijit Dutta
Abhijit Dutta argues that the Indian Middle Class should be engaged rather than castigated in the people's movement against government of India's "Operation Green Hunt"
04 June, 2010By Gautam Navlakha & Arundhati Roy
Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights held a public lecture by Gautam Navlakha and Arundhati Roy on the 2nd of June in Mumbai. This was purportedly Arundhati Roy's first public meeting in India after her visit to Maoist controlled territories in Dantewada. She outlines her views and clarifies a lot of her 'controversial' opinions and paints it in the larger canvas of the nation and the globe as a whole. Gautam Navlakha, another writers and a passionate opponent of state brutalities on people and who has also lived amongst the Maoists and written a beautiful essay, puts across his views.- A Video Series
03 June, 2010By Surya Shankar Dash
The situation in Orissa is gradually worsening in every area where people have put up brave resistances against forcible land acquisition and mindless mining and industrialization at the cost of life and livelihoods of millions of people. It is very difficult to say if these movements can withstand the disaster which looks so imminent
By Raja Jaikrishan
The success of evicting Tata from Singur catapulted Mamata Banerjee as the savior of adivasis in Singur. She maintained since that land couldn't be taken from unwilling peasants. She has humbled the CPM in Bengal, twice –first during the Lok Sabha poll and now in the civic body poll with the support of the Maoists
01 June, 2010
The Indian Government Should Surrender
To The Maoists: An Immodest Proposal
By Jesse Ross Knutson
Jesse Ross Knutson suggests that Indian state will do well to avoid a confrontation with Maoists and surrender to their policies
29 May, 2010Scavenging Consent: Desperate For Casus Belli
By Trevor Selvam
Now the tone is changing gradually regarding yesterdays train mishap. A foot and half of fish-plates were found removed. A BBC cameraman has displayed the gap in one of their broadcasts. No evidence of a blast any longer. No evidence of gelatine, dynamite, ammonium nitrate. The foreign press had already expressed some caution, in their statements and terminology. But not the Indian press. They are so free, unfettered and dynamic when it comes to spreading innuendo!
By Tusha Mittal
A civilian bus is blown up. Six men are arrested below radar, a mindless cycle of violence rolls on in Dantewada
28 May, 2010Have You Looked At Barsa Lakhma's Face?
By Nirmalangshu Mukherji
The Hindu, 25 May, posted the above photograph of a person on its frontpage under the head "Six Naxals held for Dantewada massacre". The person, Barsa Lakhma, is alleged to be a Naxal "leader", a "commander" who is said to be involved in the gunning down of 76 security personnel. Take a close look at Barsa Lakhma's face. With his puzzled eyes and full cheeks, how old does he look like? 15? 16?
27 May, 2010Illegal Clearing of Forest for POSCO Project
By D Raja
D. Raja's letter to Prime Minister of India
By Fact Finding Team
A fact finding team traveled to Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa to look into the human rights violations in the wake of May 15 police attack on the activists of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) and villagers affected by the proposed POSCO project. The fact finding team demanded the immediate withdrawal of all forged cases against villagers and anti-POSCO movement leaders, release of those arrested, withdrawal of police force from the area and initiate immediate withdrawal of the proposed POSCO project from this site
25 May, 2010The Big Fat Brutal Lie
A Video
Police bruatlity against peaceful protesters against POSCO at Balitutha, Orissa state, India on May 23, 2010
Examining The Myth Of Maoists Concern For Tribal Welfare
By Nirmalangshu Mukherji
The state dismantles operation green hunt since its immediate victims are unarmed tribals under mental and physical seize. The state announces total and universal amnesty to the young tribal people in the militias and the PLGA—and a safe and concrete programme for their rehabilitation—once they surrender (only) to a citizen's body . The essentially non-tribal leadership of CPI (Maoist) is brought to justice for their crimes against humanity
24 May, 2010The Real Face of Vedanta
A Video
The plight of tribals in the Niyamagiri hills of Orisa state, India, where Vedanta's bauxite mining is destroying the livelihood and life of the people
By A K Agrawal
Would the Naxal problem have been there if 25% of the mining profit was spent on the poor and the tribal living in the mining area and whose life was uprooted by the greedy corporate/mining mafia with active connivance of the law enforcers and policy makers
23 May, 2010We Will Not Leave Our Village (gaon chodab nahin)
Video By K.P Sasi
This song describes the present day exploitation of tribal land and forests in the name of development in India
22 May, 2010
By Dr.B.D.Sharma
Former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, B.D Sharma's letter to the President of India
16 May, 2010Conspiracy Against Non-Violent Resistance Movements In Orissa
By Nachiketa Desai
A macabre drama is unfolding in the poverty-stricken Indian state of Orissa where a democratically-elected government has begun to crush over a dozen people's peaceful resistance movements against their forceful eviction from their forest, farm, water bodies and source oflivelihood to help giant multi-national corporations usurp mineral-rich forest and fertile agricultural land
D Raja's Letter To Prime Minister Of India
I am writing in the context of the brutal attack of the Orissa police on the peaceful protesters of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti in Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa. More than 100 people, including many women, have been injured; those seriously injured are receiving no medical care; the police have burned houses and shops as well as the protesters' tents; and the police are blocking the entry or exit of any person from the area. This kind of atrocity can never be justified. But what makes it doubly criminal is that the Orissa government claims to be doing so as they have rights over the land
Can 'Civilised' People Show Such Disrespect
For The Land And Those Who Cultivate It
By Felix Padel
This state violence perpetrated by police and goondas contains the seeds of future atrocities, and acts as the surest recruiting ground for Maoist insurgency
By Nachiketa Desai
'Mining Happiness' is the catch-line of the recent multi-million-rupee multi-media advertisement campaign of the Vedanta Aluminum Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange listed mining giant Vedanta Resources PLC. Vedanta's advertisement campaign claims the company's one million ton alumina refinery to be scaled up to five million tons at Lanjigarh in the state's Kalahandi district, ill-famed for recurring droughts and starvation deaths, will wipe off poverty and bring about all-round development of the region
15 May, 2010Police Atrocity Against Villagers In Orissa
By Nachiketa Desai
In a massive armed assault using crude bombs, bullets and batons, the Orissa police cracked down on over 1,500 villagers staging a peaceful sit-in dharna since January last against their imminent displacement to make way for South Korean mega corp Posco's 12 million ton Greenfield steel plant in the coastal district of Jagatsinghpur, Orissa state, India. More than 100 people, five of them seriously, including women and children were injured in police action which began since the crack of the dawn on Saturday
Stop Police Attacks On Peaceful Protesters
Appeal By Concerned Citizens
We believe that, to crush peaceful dissent in such a brutal manner can only serve to undermine Indian democracy and push large sections of the Indian population to the point of desperation. At no point, in their struggle for over five years, have the anti-POSCO protesters indulged in any violent activities and have instead set an example to the rest of the country on how to carry out a democratic struggle based solely on the mass support of ordinary men and women
Police Attack On Anti-POSCO People's Movement - Chronology Of Incidents
By POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti
'More than 100 villagers injured, the condition of 5 persons is serious and 18 persons including 5 women got arrested by the Police under the direct supervision of Orissa Chief Minister'- POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS)
The Real Story Of The POSCO Project
By Campaign for Survival and Dignity
This is not just a "dispute over land acquisition for development." The POSCO project is illegal and will not bring any benefits for the local population or the country's economy. Rather, it is simply plunder of lives and resources
Timeline Of Events In POSCO Project Area Relating To Forest Rights
By Campaign for Survival and Dignity
Timeline of events in POSCO project areaHorrific Images Of Police Brutality ( VIDEO)
See the horrific images of what the police was upt at balitutha today
Kalinganagar Police Firing ( VIDEO)
Footage of the police firing at Chandia village on 12 May 2010 that caused the death of Lakhman Jamuda, aged 55, and an active member of Bisthapan Birodhi Janmanch.Lessons From Chhattisgarh Peace March
By Nachiketa Desai
Having met with nasty protest from traders of Jagdalpur and Dantewada, the peace marchers held a review meeting in which several participants stressed the need for crossing the Indravati river into the 'Red Corridor' to express solidarity with the Maoists' cause of giving the ownership rights to the adivasis over land, forest and water bodies,
with the rider that taking up guns was not the solution
03 May, 2010
Am I A Maoist?By Gladson Dungdung
I'm neither a Maoist nor a Gandhian but I'm an Adivasi who is determined to fight for his own people, whom the Indian State has alienated, displaced and dispossessed from their resources and is continually doing it in the name of development, national security and national interest even today
28 March, 2010By Trevor Selvam
One can dispute many of the tactics of the Maoists and one can critique many of their actions, but it is time for India's intellectuals to comprehend that diminishing and ridiculing the stand taken by Arundhuti Roy will be a permanent scar on the evolving history of this nation. She is merely stating that the regular channels for genuine change in India are exhausted. Someone has to state this very clearly. That those who are attempting alternate methods are being violently suppressed. And it is their story that she wants to tell
22 March, 2010
By Arundhati Roy
Last month, quietly, unannounced, Arundhati Roy decided to visit the forbidding and forbidden precincts of Central India's Dandakaranya Forests, home to a melange of tribespeople many of whom have taken up arms to protect their people against state-backed marauders and exploiters. She recorded in considerable detail the first face-to-face journalistic "encounter" with armed guerillas, their families and comrades, for which she combed the forests for weeks at personal risk
http://www.countercurrents.org/indiaburning.htm
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