Source: Kashmir Watch :: Exclusives
Junaid Ahsan, Srinagar
Despite killing more than 50 unarmed civilians in less than two weeks, Kashmiris have defied massive Indian war machine in Kashmir. During the last ten days more than three million Kashmiris have held peaceful rallies throughout Kashmir in their demand for Azadi, leaving 700,000 Indian army useless as the people refused to be cowed down to the .... army.
The public sentiment reminiscent of early 1990s has led to calls from within India that Kashmiris should be given freedom, angering Hindu fundamentalist forces. Now the Indian agencies notably Research Analysis Wing (RAW) and IB have started activating their Kashmiri and Indian contacts around the world.
As the first port of call, IB used Kashmiri Pandits (a large number of Pandits have been traditionally employed by the IB) to spread disinformation about the Kashmiri struggle. Panun Kashmir and Roots in Kashmir (RIK), two militant Pandit groups sponsored by the Indian intelligence and supported by Hindu extremists like BJP and RSS have been issuing statements calling Kashmiri peaceful protestors as terrorists. RIK that is involved in many attacks on Kashmiri drivers along Jammu-Srinagar Highway near Udhampur has even justified killing of Kashmiri political leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz calling him a terrorist. Similar statements have emanated RAW contact in the US – Dr. Vijay Sazawal who formerly ran rabid anti-Muslim organisation Indo-Kashmir American Forum. Sazawal recently accused that Kashmiris were Islamists and sought to ridicule the massive public demonstrations.
Indian intelligence has re-activated its International Kashmir Alliance (IKA), a group of mainly former JKLF activists from Azad Kashmiri expatriates financed by the RAW. A recent meeting of IKA was held in Luton, UK chaired by a top official of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages from Srinagar. The said official, who was a clerc in Academy in early 1990s was later promoted to the top post thanks to his services he rendered to the Indian intelligence services. He has been attending various human rights sessions as part of Indian sponsored Kashmiri teams who justify Indian human rights record in Kashmir. Soon after the Luton meeting, IKA officials were activated to write reports to spread misinformation and psychological war in order to frustrate any efforts of large Kashmiri population in the UK from mobilizing support in support of Kashmiri freedom marches in Srinagar. As a start, IKA members started blaming Pakistan for the Kashmir mess and equated the Kashmiri massive demonstrations with communalism. Toronto-based IKA writer Mumtaz Khan is now claiming that millions of Kashmiris who have come out in Srinagar are Islamist terrorists while those of Jammu are geniuine and peaceful.
Such allegations have been spread by Indian newspapers and commentators as well – more by those who are either close to Indian intelligence of Hindu rabid groups. Syed Ali Geelani recently called Indian press as part of India's war machine – referring to the role Indian press is playing trying to divide Kashmiris. Recently a Jammu based newspaper known for its rabidly anti-muslim bias has been trying to spread rumours in order to create discord among the Kashmiris. Its Srinagar based correspondent, who is known to be close to Indian intelligence for years and has been granted millions in contract producing propaganda films for Srinagar television, has also tried to create mischief or simply downplaying the importance of Kashmiri mass uprising. Not strange, a Srinagar based Urdu weekly that has long been part of Indian intelligence network in Srinagar and with whom the JK Academy official has long been associated with has simply chosen to ignore the Kashmiris demonstrations and refused to print the newspaper. This newspaper, that has been funded by the Intelligence Bureau for more than a decade has always tried to create discord and dissension and been at the forefront of criticizing Kashmiri resistance movement. Now that Kashmiris have turned out in millions, the Indian intelligence propped media is either choosing to ignore it or trying to create dissention.
In the coming days, the Indian agencies will be working hard to break the newly created momentum of the Kashmiris mass movement through spreading lies via media as well as through its sponsored organisations like IKA or Hashim Qureshi's Democratic Liberation Front (DLP). Kashmiris should be well aware of the Indian conspiracies.
Here in Srinagar, while people are well aware of the Indian designs, it is the Kashmiris abroad, more particularly in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan who need to stay alive to the situation.
Junaid Ahsan, Srinagar
Despite killing more than 50 unarmed civilians in less than two weeks, Kashmiris have defied massive Indian war machine in Kashmir. During the last ten days more than three million Kashmiris have held peaceful rallies throughout Kashmir in their demand for Azadi, leaving 700,000 Indian army useless as the people refused to be cowed down to the .... army.
The public sentiment reminiscent of early 1990s has led to calls from within India that Kashmiris should be given freedom, angering Hindu fundamentalist forces. Now the Indian agencies notably Research Analysis Wing (RAW) and IB have started activating their Kashmiri and Indian contacts around the world.
As the first port of call, IB used Kashmiri Pandits (a large number of Pandits have been traditionally employed by the IB) to spread disinformation about the Kashmiri struggle. Panun Kashmir and Roots in Kashmir (RIK), two militant Pandit groups sponsored by the Indian intelligence and supported by Hindu extremists like BJP and RSS have been issuing statements calling Kashmiri peaceful protestors as terrorists. RIK that is involved in many attacks on Kashmiri drivers along Jammu-Srinagar Highway near Udhampur has even justified killing of Kashmiri political leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz calling him a terrorist. Similar statements have emanated RAW contact in the US – Dr. Vijay Sazawal who formerly ran rabid anti-Muslim organisation Indo-Kashmir American Forum. Sazawal recently accused that Kashmiris were Islamists and sought to ridicule the massive public demonstrations.
Indian intelligence has re-activated its International Kashmir Alliance (IKA), a group of mainly former JKLF activists from Azad Kashmiri expatriates financed by the RAW. A recent meeting of IKA was held in Luton, UK chaired by a top official of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages from Srinagar. The said official, who was a clerc in Academy in early 1990s was later promoted to the top post thanks to his services he rendered to the Indian intelligence services. He has been attending various human rights sessions as part of Indian sponsored Kashmiri teams who justify Indian human rights record in Kashmir. Soon after the Luton meeting, IKA officials were activated to write reports to spread misinformation and psychological war in order to frustrate any efforts of large Kashmiri population in the UK from mobilizing support in support of Kashmiri freedom marches in Srinagar. As a start, IKA members started blaming Pakistan for the Kashmir mess and equated the Kashmiri massive demonstrations with communalism. Toronto-based IKA writer Mumtaz Khan is now claiming that millions of Kashmiris who have come out in Srinagar are Islamist terrorists while those of Jammu are geniuine and peaceful.
Such allegations have been spread by Indian newspapers and commentators as well – more by those who are either close to Indian intelligence of Hindu rabid groups. Syed Ali Geelani recently called Indian press as part of India's war machine – referring to the role Indian press is playing trying to divide Kashmiris. Recently a Jammu based newspaper known for its rabidly anti-muslim bias has been trying to spread rumours in order to create discord among the Kashmiris. Its Srinagar based correspondent, who is known to be close to Indian intelligence for years and has been granted millions in contract producing propaganda films for Srinagar television, has also tried to create mischief or simply downplaying the importance of Kashmiri mass uprising. Not strange, a Srinagar based Urdu weekly that has long been part of Indian intelligence network in Srinagar and with whom the JK Academy official has long been associated with has simply chosen to ignore the Kashmiris demonstrations and refused to print the newspaper. This newspaper, that has been funded by the Intelligence Bureau for more than a decade has always tried to create discord and dissension and been at the forefront of criticizing Kashmiri resistance movement. Now that Kashmiris have turned out in millions, the Indian intelligence propped media is either choosing to ignore it or trying to create dissention.
In the coming days, the Indian agencies will be working hard to break the newly created momentum of the Kashmiris mass movement through spreading lies via media as well as through its sponsored organisations like IKA or Hashim Qureshi's Democratic Liberation Front (DLP). Kashmiris should be well aware of the Indian conspiracies.
Here in Srinagar, while people are well aware of the Indian designs, it is the Kashmiris abroad, more particularly in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan who need to stay alive to the situation.
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