Kashmir is sliding into disaster

[manlion]

The slide to chaos began in July 2016 with the killing of Burhan Wani. That was only the immediate trigger, the seeds had been sown earlier. In 2014, after the election to the J&K legislative Assembly, two unlikely partners, the PDP and the BJP, formed a coalition government. That was, and remains, a grave provocation. The PDP is seen as a betrayer and the BJP is seen as the usurper. Pulled in opposite directions, the state government has remained passive and helpless while the armed forces have implemented a muscular policy to quell dissent and disturbance

Since July 2016 and up to January 20, 2017, the violence in J&K claimed 75 lives. Besides, 12,000 people were injured, 1,000 lost vision in one eye due to pellet injuries and five were blinded (as per a report in this newspaper).

As I write this, the situation in J&K has worsened. There were two by-elections — in Srinagar and Anantnag constituencies. Srinagar constituency, spread over three districts, went to the polls on April 9. The voter turnout was 7.14 per cent, the lowest in 28 years. There was widespread stone-pelting. Eight people were killed in police firing. Re-polling in 38 booths took place on April 13, no voter turned up in 20 of those 38 booths, and the voting percentage in the re-poll was 2.02 per cent. Meanwhile, polling in Anantnag constituency was postponed to May 25. The non-vote is actually a vote of no confidence against the state government and the Central government.

The writing on the wall is clear. The alienation of the people of the Kashmir Valley is nearly complete. We are on the brink of losing Kashmir. We cannot retrieve the situation through a ‘muscular’ policy — tough talk by ministers, dire warnings from the Army Chief, deploying more troops or killing more protesters.

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/kashmir-is-sliding-into-disaster-4614675/

 

[hussain0216]

Kashmir has awoken!!!

The people of Kashmir are making their voices heard, they wanted Partition, they supported the message of Jinnah and justice was denied to them..

They want freedom, to become a part of Pakistan as they always envisioned and an end to indian occupation

The writing is indeed on the wall!

 

[manlion]

The election where no-one came to vote

On Thursday India attempted to re-run the disrupted ballots. There was massive security in place. But an election without voters is a very sad affair.

I arrived at one polling station five hours after it had opened. Not one ballot had been cast. The eyes of seven bored election officers looked up expectantly as I walked in.

It was a sorry scene. The windows were broken but no-one had bothered to sweep up the puddles of broken glass on the floor.

Polling booths remained empty despite government efforts to conduct elections again

Yes, separatists called for a boycott and yes, there were stone-throwing mobs at some polling stations, but if the electorate had been persuaded that politicians could deliver a brighter future, more would surely have made the effort to vote.

That was certainly the view of the group of young men I got talking to outside another of the polling centres that had been attacked.

When I asked how many of them had been part of the stone-throwing mob, they shuffled nervously. Then 13, 14, 15 hands went up: half the group.

The justification was all too familiar - "azadi" or freedom.

Kashmiris have long dreamt of creating an independent nation up here in the bright green valleys of the Himalayas. It's an ambition India has no intention of allowing.

Kashmir is one of the most militarised places in the world

But what is the alternative? The answer these young men gave doesn't auger well for Kashmir - or for India. They said they wanted to fight.

"When you suffer atrocity after atrocity you lose all fear. We aren't scared of anything now," claimed Aijaz Amin, his long eyebrows fluttering nervously.

He said he had never been involved in violence but he used an ominous Urdu phrase. The direct translation is, "We have shrouds over our heads." It means they will do anything to get what we want, and it implies a fight to the death.

By late afternoon I had arrived at one of the most notorious villages in the constituency. Once again, no votes had been cast but, with a sickening inevitability, hundreds of young men came out to throw stones at the security forces.

The battle that followed had a ritual quality. These riots are repeated virtually every week here in Kashmir.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39598688

 

[American Pakistani]

Death to 7 lakh indian occupier terrorists scum roaches.

Kashmir will be free sooner or later. IA.

 

[Dash]

If Kashmir wants to die then so be it.

 

[manlion]

Taking advantage of the mob, militants escape in Shopian: Police
http://kashmirreader.com/2017/04/16/taking-advantage-mob-militants-escape-shopian-police/

 

[hussain0216]

If Kashmir wants to die then so be it.

Simply fulfill the purpose of partition, let them cede the state to Pakistan or even a is sensible decision of valley going to Pakistan

 

[manlion]

The situation in Kashmir is tensely grim that police have been advised to be cautious when visiting their homes

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), Apr. 16 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday issued an advisory for its personnel in the wake of the soaring violence in the Valley, advice them to avoid visiting their hometowns for the next few months as their personal security is of paramount importance.

In view of these unfortunate incidents, police personnel, particularly from south Kashmir, are advised to exercise extreme caution while visiting their homes. They should preferably avoid visiting their homes for the next few months as their personal security is of paramount importance," the advisory said.

All the unit heads have been directed to brief their officers and men regarding the threat and ensure that the life and property of police personnel is well secured.

Earlier on April 2, at least 14 police personnel were injured in a grenade attack by militants in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar.

http://www.aninews.in/newsdetail-Mg...nel-to-exercise-039-extreme-caution-039-.html

 

[manlion]

Video grabs of a boy being beaten to pulp by army personals

Observer News Service• Apr 17, 2017

Srinagar: Hitting out hard at Security forces including Army, Independent MLA from frontier Langate constituency Er. Rasheed Sunday said that the videos which have gone viral, have been uploaded on social media with calculated and organized intentions to give a message to Kashmiris that New Delhi doesn’t care and will do everything to ‘demoralize, suppress and humiliate Kashmiris’.

In a press statement, Rasheed said, “Since all the terrible and inhuman incidents have not taken place in public but inside Army camps and vehicles after the youth were captured, so it is for sure that Army and other security agencies have recorded the incidents and then released them through social media. It is obvious that no Jawan could have done it without permission of his superiors and as such it is part of strategy to send Kashmiris a tough message that we can go to any extent and for New Delhi Kashmiris are worst than slaves.”

He alleged that the security agencies want to terrorize and demoralize Kashmiris through these videos and also to make them believe that not only Kashmiris but world community cannot stop Indian forces from doing all what is ‘immoral, unlawful and inhuman’. Er Rasheed however added that “such terrible incidents would strengthen the commitment and will of Kashmiris and world must realize that India is at war with Kashmir.”