[Reader-list] FW: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley

Sat Aug 30 15:26:59 IST 2008

Pawan,

You probably missed the deliberately vague phrasing:

1.  "Pandit groups, mainly believed to be working for IB" where the belief
could be
      held by any one for any reason - whereas some 'believed' to be a
'terrorist' is
      inviolate.

2.   "sided with rabid-anti-Kashmiri forces including various Pandit groups,
who are allegedly
      being spreading rumours and propaganda against Kashmiris"

Do note the operative phrases 'mainly believed' in the first sentence and
'allegedly' in the second so that a mass opinion is used as a fact in a
debate while asking for facts!!

Was also a bit surprised by the phrase "has sided with rabid-anti-Kashmiri
forces including various Pandit groups" - does this mean that now the
'Pandit groups' are no longer Kashmiris?

As for blaming Kashmiri Muslims - let's all look at something clearly : Just
as all Sun's are stars but all stars are not Sun's - some militants in
Kashmir are Muslims, and no one is calling (at least, I'm not) all Muslims
terrorists. That's as incorrect as saying all Hindu's are VHP members
(again, at least, I'm not).

Rgds, Partha
..................................

On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 3:05 PM, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>wrote:

> Murtaza,
> For you to be taken seriously, would you kindly share what are your basis
> of
> the figures you have mentioned.
>
> Primarily when you quote
>
> 1. Only 209 Kashmiri Hindus were killed by terrorists in Kashmir
> 2. 150000 Kashmiri Muslims got killed
>
> If you share this, we can move ahead in the debate , else it seems like
> those justifications when Kashmiri Hindus were selectively killed and then
> labelled as "IB" agents and that included 2 year old child as well.
>
>
>
> Pawan Durani
>
> On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 2:24 PM, Kashmir Affairs <kashaffairs at yahoo.co.uk
> >wrote:
>
> > Sonia,
> > I would like to take this opportunity to expressly condemn Vijay Sazwal
> for
> > yet again playing mischif against Kashmiri Muslims. In his 'appreciating
> > guise' on Kashmiri Civil Society, he is carrying on his propaganda
> against
> > Muslims and cooking up stories about imaginery harrassement. Pandit
> groups,
> > mainly believed to be working for IB, have been doing this for more than
> two
> > decades now.
> > If Vijay is telling the truth, which i don't believe, he must mention the
> > incidents rather than spreading false stories. As much i appreciate
> personal
> > contact with him i have had with with for few years now, I have to
> condemn
> > him for his mischief and spreading lies against the Kashmiri Muslims
> > majority at the behest of I don't know who. By doing it once again, he
> has
> > sided with rabid-anti-Kashmiri forces including various Pandit groups,
> who
> > are allegedly being spreading rumours and propaganda against Kashmiris. A
> > personal friend, Prof. Rattan Lal Hangloo, is on record about Vijay
> Sazwal
> > launching a campaign against Prof. Hangloo for not blaming Kashmiri
> Muslims
> > and Islam for the current trouble in Kashmir. Moreover, Vijay has been
> part
> > of propaganda brigade that has been spreading lies about Kashmiri Muslims
> > and talking about so-called Holocaust of Pandits when only 209 Pandits
> died
> > in the crisis as compared to 150,000 Muslims majority of them by the
> >  Indian army and paramilitary forces.
> >
> > I don't see any appreciation in Vijay's letter. It is all venomous
> > propganda against the Muslims.
> > best,
> > Murtaza
> >
> > --- On Sat, 30/8/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
> > From: S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] FW: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley
> > To: "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Saturday, 30 August, 2008, 7:56 AM
> >
> > A note of appreciation from a Pandit organisation for the appeal sent out
> > by
> > Khurram and others.
> >
> >
> > ------ Forwarded Message
> > From: "Dr. Vijay Sazawal" <sazawal at gmail.com>
> > Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:41:58 -0400
> > To: <vks at kashmirforum.org>
> > Subject: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley
> >
> > Dear Friend,
> >
> > I am sending this note to just a few friends in the valley to let them
> know
> > that the minority community currently residing in the valley - which is
> > down
> > to a few thousand now - greatly appreciates the following gesture by the
> > civil society in Kashmir (see attached story in the Kashmir Observer).
> >
> > I have spoken to valley based Kashmiri Pandits almost on a daily basis.
> > Even
> > though the local media did not highlight the fears of the minority
> > community
> > earlier, the reality is that last week they had a very rough time. There
> > were numerous incidents in Pulwama, Anantnag, and Srinagar and Baramulla
> > where Pandit homes or persons were surrounded by a few ruffians and
> > subjected to oral threats ranging from, "Are you still here - when are
> you
> > going away to Jammu," to "time has come to burn your place and we
> > will not
> > let you or your family escape."
> >
> > Again, I want to make it clear that I hold no one among you or any leader
> > among the majority community responsible for it. But the reality is that
> it
> > did happen and it is to the credit of a few Pandit leaders who calmed the
> > community down. I will appreciate if journalists would mention in their
> > columns that harming or even mildly threatening Pandits is not helpful to
> > their cause whatever that may be.
> >
> > Thank you for your help in this matter. If anyone needs further details,
> I
> > will be glad to provide the same.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Vijay Sazawal
> > www.KashmirForum.org <http://www.KashmirForum.org>
> > Washington, DC
> >
> >
> > Kashmir Civil Society Calls For Ceasefire
> > Srinagar, Aug 29- Kashmir civil society has expressed concern over
> reports
> > in New Delhi based media about possible attacks¹ on minorities in Kashmir
> > and have urged upon the governments and the militant leadership to
> > implement
> > a comprehensive ceasefire in the wake of present peaceful people¹s
> movement
> > to realise the right of self-determination.
> > They have also urged the community and religious leaders, political
> > parties,
> > militant leadership and government to ensure the utmost respect and
> > tolerance for the minorities.
> > ²We the conscientious people of Jammu and Kashmir believe and uphold that
> > the human life and its dignity are sacrosanct and in this regard we feel
> > deeply concerned and aggrieved over the news story carried by sections of
> > Indian media on 28th August 2008, in which it is reported that the Indian
> > Intelligence agency has expressed fears about the possible attacks on
> > minorities in Kashmir², a signed statement by several prominent citizens
> > and
> > groups said today.
> > ³Since 1989 there have been some massacres of minority communities under
> > mysterious circumstances, which created an atmosphere of fear and
> mistrust
> > amongst the communities. It is surprising that every time these killings
> > take place, the people¹s movement of Kashmir is at a critical phase. The
> > killings of Kashmiri Pandits in early 1990s or the massacre of 36 Sikhs
> at
> > Chittisingpora in 2000 (during the visit of US President Bill Clinton) or
> > killings of innocent Hindus at Kulhand and other places creates an aura
> of
> > mystery around all these cold blooded killings. Investigations ordered by
> > government to probe these killings have always been inconclusive. Bill
> > Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States in his foreword to
> > Madeline
> > Albright¹s book titled ³Mighty and the Almighty² has clearly accused
> Hindu
> > fanatics of massacring innocent Sikhs at Chittisingpora², the statement
> > said.
> > The statement is signed besides others by  Grand Mufti, Mufti Mohammad
> > Bashiruddin, Mirwaiz Riyaz Hamdani of Shah Hamdan Mosque, Agha Syed
> Hassan
> > Mosavi of Anjumane Sharie Shiayan, Islamic Study Circle, Jammu Kashmir
> > Coalition of Civil Society, Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir,
> > Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owner¹s Federation, Valley Citizens Council,
> > Chairman Kashmir Traders Federation and Noor Ahmed Bilal  President
> > Kashmir
> > University Teachers Association. ³In the present scenario where the
> > non-violent mass uprising for the attainment of right to
> self-determination
> > of people of Jammu and Kashmir is resonating not just in India but also
> in
> > the International media and institutions, the reported threat to minority
> > communities whether Hindus or Sikhs is a serious concern for the civil
> > society of Kashmir², it said.
> > ³In view of the above mentioned concern, we urge upon the community
> > leaders,
> > religious leaders, political parties, militant leadership and government
> to
> > ensure the utmost respect and tolerance for the minorities and refrain
> from
> > any such act which makes the lives of minorities uncomfortable. The
> > minorities should not be treated as the cannon fodder to carry out the
> > agenda of vested interests in sabotaging the people¹s movement of
> Kashmir.
> > In the wake of present peaceful people¹s movement to realise the right of
> > self-determination, the only democratic process for peace making, we urge
> > upon the governments and the militant leadership to implement a
> > comprehensive ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. We the people of Jammu and
> > Kashmir while welcoming the United Jihad Council¹s recently announced
> > statement, in which they promised to halt their activities within
> civilian
> > areas, request them to broaden the scope of their statement into a
> > comprehensive ceasefire covering the entire Indian administered Jammu and
> > Kashmir. This would also mean their respect and primacy to the people¹s
> > movement.²
> > The statement further urged the government of India to halt the brutal
> use
> > of force against the people and respect the people¹s right to assembly
> and
> > freedom of expression both in Kashmir and Jammu terming the arrests and
> the
> > killings unacceptable.
> > ³We consider this as the testing time for all of us as humans. We
> certainly
> > have been victimised but the challenge for the conscientious people is
> > always to be humane besides being politically correct², the statement
> said.
> > ³In the present situation where the political leadership has been
> arrested,
> > communications blocked, curfew imposed, there is every likelihood that
> > situation may descend into chaos. It is therefore we urge international
> > community to take cognizance of the situation where in the whole
> population
> > of Kashmir is being pushed towards the wall. For international
> institutions
> > it is the time to intervene for preventing the catastrophe and for the
> > restoration of people¹s rights², the statement added.
> > ³We take this opportunity to assure our Hindu and Sikh brethren who form
> > the
> > inseparable part of our cultural and political mosaic that they will find
> > their Muslim brethren besides always. Whatever be the circumstances we
> have
> > lived and suffered together and would continue to strive together for our
> > political emancipation².
> > Others who have signed the statement include prominent physician, Dr.
> Altaf
> > Hussain, columnist Arjimand Hussain Talib, academics Dr Hameeda Bano,
> Prof
> > Shaikh Showkat Hussain, Dr Noor Ahmed Baba and poet Zareef Ahmed Zareef.
> >
> >
> > ------ End of Forwarded Message
> >
> > _________________________________________
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> >
> > _________________________________________
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-- 
Partha Dasgupta
+919811047132