[Reader-list] Oranges won't work anymore
S. Jabbar
sonia.jabbar at gmail.com
Mon Aug 25 14:41:52 IST 2008
Dear Murtaza,
The official figures of GoI put the Pandit refugees or internally displaced
persons (not migrants) at 100,000. The Pandit organisations dispute that
and claim a higher number.
You put the numbers of Muslims massacred in Jammu in 1947 as 250,000. The
Statesman correspondent in '47 had reported 60,000 dead. Since I found this
a very high figure even when compared to massacres in the Punjab (because
the killings in Jammu happened within a much shorter period) I had
interviewed old-timers of Jammu who were witness to the times and
specifically asked about this figure. Each had felt the figure highly
exaggerated-- including Ved Bhasin, Balraj Puri and others who have
otherwise opposed communalism all their lives.
You also quote the number of Kashmiri refugees post-1990 in Pakistan as
100,000. This is again an inflated figure. The official Pakistani figure
is 15,000. When I met with Kashmiri youth in Rawalpindi 2 years ago and
they had asked me to do something to enable them to return, they had put
their figures at 30,000. I would guess it's somewhere in the middle.
In times of crisis some feel the need to inflate figures. If there are 6
rapes it's not good enough, it has to be the whole village of women. If
2,000 are killed it seems insignificant when other sites of horror like
Cambodia, Vietnam, the battlefields of the First World War, the
concentration camps of the Second can claim millions dead.
Can we pause for a moment and see what it is we are doing?
On 8/25/08 1:39 PM, "Kashmir Affairs" <kashaffairs at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> 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 InspectorGeneralof 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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