[Reader-list] Oranges won't work anymore

Mon Aug 25 13:39:18 IST 2008

Pawan,
- There is by no way, I repeat no way, more than 100,000 Kashmiri Pandits as migrants. And this number is almost same as those Kashmiri Muslims who were forced to migrate to Muzzaffarabad. While I am not trivilizing migration (without any prejudice to the stated cause) I think it is important that when we talk about migration - we have to talk about both. In addition, two million Kashmiri migrants living in various Pakistani cities have to be included into it as there is at least half a million of them who would like to come back.

in solidarity,
Murtaza

--- On Mon, 25/8/08, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Oranges won't work anymore
To: kashaffairs at yahoo.co.uk
Cc: reader-list at sarai.net, "Aditya Raj Kaul" <kauladityaraj at gmail.com>
Date: Monday, 25 August, 2008, 5:48 AM

Murtazas figures seem to be as good as his "impartial" understanding of Kashmir. What a figure ? 1,00,000 KP's migrated out of Kashmir !
I wonder how many marks Murtaza got in mathematics , unless he was very good only at divisions.

Pawan 

On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 3:48 AM, Kashmir Affairs <kashaffairs at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Wonderful. Indian 'democracy' has only one policy prescription in Kashmir - whole scale murder. A friend who has been at very top post in IB recently wrote back to me that 'those who don't want to live in India should migrate'. It seems had they not attacked the LoC March whole Kashmir would have gone to the otherside. Not a bad proposition in my view - life is more precious than land.

In 1947 - quarter a million were massacred in Jammu and two million forced to migrate.

In 1990 - 100,000 Pandits had to leave and similar number of Kashmiri Muslims from villages along the LoC migrated to Muzzaffarabad.

In 2008 - thousands of Muslim families have been forced to leave Jammu and adjoining Hindu majority areas.

- 'Democracy' is just getting better. And what a wonderful way of scapegoating - anti-nationls, terrorists.

Welcome to Rene Gerrard's world - Mimesis and Violence.

Murtaza Shibli

www.kashmiraffairs.org

--- On Sun, 24/8/08, Aditya Raj Kaul <kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Aditya Raj Kaul <kauladityaraj at gmail.com>

Subject: [Reader-list] Oranges won't work anymore

To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>

Date: Sunday, 24 August, 2008, 7:16 PM

  *Oranges won't work anymore*

By Joginder Singh, Ex-Director CBI

 The CRPF Inspector-General was transferred from Srinagar on August 13 after

an uproar in the Kashmir Valley, led by terrorists and their supporters, who

alleged excesses by the Central paramilitary force. He was also denied the

President's police medal for fear of controversy and wider protests. There

is nothing new in this kind of approach as the decision-makers are far

removed from reality. Meanwhile, it is the police and the security forces

that continue to face life-and-death situations, standing between chaos and

order.

 In 1990s, the then Governor of Jammu & Kashmir lost his job for taking a

tough stand against anti-nationalist elements. That did not help the

situation, nor will the recent transfer of the CRPF Inspector-General

restore peace. On the contrary, it will embolden separatists and terrorists

who will now think that they can get away with anything.

 Wherever the Government of the day has pursued the policy of appeasement

and has compromised on basic values, it has invited trouble. Terrorism in

the Valley flourishes in direct proportion to the political will to deal

with the same. It commenced with the kidnapping of Ms Mehbooba Mufti, the

daughter of Mufti Mohammed Sayed, former Home Minister, who is now a former

Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir. To secure her release, the then

Government had freed five dreaded terrorists. This emboldened the

separatists and the terrorists, and was enough to start a series of chain

reactions in the Valley from 1988 onwards. I am an eyewitness to these

events as I was the InspectorGeneral of the CRPF in Srinagar at the time.

 The Government's tendency to sweep such incidents under the carpet has

today resulted in terrorists openly dictating terms to the people; enforcing

the *purdah* system for women, closing down beauty parlours and cinema

houses, etc. The Prime Minister, like many before him, gave a laudable

speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence day this year as he

appealed to the masses to shun communalism.

 But unfortunately, the whole agitation in the Kashmir Valley is based on a

communal ideology. The truth is, communalism in one community generates

communalism in others. Otherwise, how could hordes of people led by

terrorists start a rally with the declared aim of crossing the LoC into

Muzaffarabad? The Government should have responded that those who cross the

LoC illegally will not be allowed back into the country.

 A series of misconceived policies, or the so-called people-to-people

contact, have brought about this situation. Otherwise, how could a

mainstream political party demand that Pakistani currency be declared legal

tender in Jammu & Kashmir? It would be wrong to say that

'transferring' 97

acres of forest land to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board has led to the present

crisis. The separatists and terrorists have been going all-out to create

disturbances and problems as per the following report of the Jammu &

Kashmir

Government:

 "A total of 42,147 people, including 20,647 militants and 5,024 security

personnel were killed in the State between January 1990 and the middle of

February 2007... Violence left 33,885 people, including 12,124 security

personnel and 21,659 civilians injured during the same period in the

State... 11,221 civilians were killed by militants and another 1,678 lost

their lives in grenade and Improvised Explosive Device explosions, while 173

civilians were killed when they were caught in clashes between militants. A

total of 3,404 civilians were killed in cross-firing incidents between

security forces and militants... The highest number of 1,438 civilians were

killed in 1996, the year elections were held after a gap of seven year,

while the highest number of 3,602 Army and other paramilitary personnel lost

their lives fighting militants in the same year. Jammu and Kashmir Police

lost 537 personnel since January 1990. As many as 438 Special Police

Officers engaged by the police in counter-insurgency operations were killed.

127 Village Defence Committee members were killed fighting militants in the

State. 613 security personnel were killed in a single year in 2001, which

was again the highest."

 Now, the question arises as to what can be done. Also whether what is being

done is sufficient. In 1990, the midnight protests were sparked by the call

given by 1,100 mosques, which had installed loudspeakers to call the

faithful to prayer. Loudspeakers in Kashmir's mosques, then as now, are

used

to give calls for anti-national activities, asking the people to gather in

the streets or at a particular spot to stage demonstrations. The then

Governor had ordered the disconnection of these loudspeakers, which itself

led to protests.

 It is a fact that many terrorists take shelter in places of worship. During

my recent visit to the US I was told that the police had, with the

co-operation of the Muslim community and their religious leaders, installed

CCTV cameras in mosques to monitor any criminal activity. In a situation

like that which prevails in the Kashmir Valley, which has been highly

communalised, it is impossible to get any kind of evidence to prove

anti-national activities as no witness will be willing to come forth to

depose. Mrs Margaret Thatcher used to say publicity is the oxygen of

terrorism. Any publicity which eulogises terrorism should be discouraged, if

not completely banned.

 Terrorist leaders, their supporters and sympathisers should be immobilised

by using the present laws and detained outside Jammu & Kashmir. The

Government has announced financial assistance for the families of terrorists

on the grounds that it is not their fault if the only earning member of

their family becomes a militant. This approach is fraught with danger and

the sooner it is given up the better. It should not become a scheme to help

traitors.

 Many so-called intellectuals talk about a referendum in the Valley. With

Pakistan having hijacked the anti-India movement, any referendum or election

will be irrelevant at this point of time. The first priority is to drive the

Pakistani terrorists out of the Valley and send them to the country of their

origin. The Government should stop all dialogue with these militants who are

nothing more than agents of Pakistan. Only a tough approach will send the

right signal that the Government means business.

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