[Reader-list] Kashmir campaigns for peace , Facebook and beyond

Wed Aug 11 12:02:51 IST 2010

Perhaps it was meant for Rashneek

--- On Wed, 8/11/10, shuddha at sarai.net <shuddha at sarai.net> wrote:

From: shuddha at sarai.net <shuddha at sarai.net>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Kashmir campaigns for peace , Facebook and beyond
To: "rashneek kher" <rashneek at gmail.com>
Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 10:49 AM

Dear Kshmendra, 

I think everyone should read as many different kinds of opinions and make up
their own minds. I agree with you that 'one must read and appreciate a point of
view no mattter how much one dislikes it or finds it factually incorrect'. I am
constantly reading things I disagree with, and dislike, and don't find it a
problem. So, I don't quite understand your anxiety when you say - "So Shuddha
if you so desire let us keep away such titles as you have recommended", I am
not a great fan of Somerset Maugham, but I see no harm in your sending Somerset
Maugham, so why should there be any harm in my sending the collected poems of
Agha Shahid Ali, one of the titles I mentioned, which, according to you is
'opinionated'? Don't young Kashmiris have the right to read one of the finest
poets in English with 'Roots' in Kashmir?

So, let whosoever send whichever book they want to whosoever they please. Let a
thousand books flower, and a hundred schools of thought contend. I have never
had any time for the secterian and Islamist agenda of SAS Gilani. So, I don't
want to send books to his office. If you want to send books to him, that is up
to you. I see no harm in it, but I wont do it myself. But in the absence of a
centralized repository that will send out books randomly to people and
organizations in Kashmir, I  would choose for myself where to send books to,
and also, which and how many books to send. There are several organizations in
Kashmir that one could send books to the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition for Civil
Society is one, Anhad Srinagar is another, I would even recommend sending books
to a cafe like Coffea Arabica on Maulana Azad Road in Srinagar, where lots of
young people, writers and intellectuals gather regularly. Coffea Arabica has an
active facebook page, and I am sure they they can be contacted I am sure there
are more. One could also send them to libraries in universities, colleges and
high schools in Kashmir. 

The SPS Public Library in Srinagar, which is a really historic library, could
do with a healthy infusion of books and support. Here is a fragment I found
about it in the online archive of the 'Rising Kashmir' newspaper. 
------------------------------------------------------
Reading habits decrease with increase in literacy

http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=archivecategory&id=0&year=2008&month=9&module=1&limit=8&limitstart=176

Rising Kashmir News
Srinagar, Sep 23: Despite increase in literacy rate reading habits are
diminishing in Valley as public libraries have only few visitors.

The treasure trove of rare books is piled up in one of the oldest libraries in
the Valley but most of the books have remained unread. The SPS Central library
at Lal Mandi, Srinagar, is the oldest library in Srinagar. It has collection of
80,000 books on a wide range of subjects. The library has now turned high tech
with the introduction of internet facilities also. But has failed to arouse
much interest from the book lovers in Kashmir Valley.

Bashir Ahmad, a retired teacher who is frequent visitor to the library said:
"Most of the time library is deserted as people in the city and elsewhere lack
awareness about the literary assistance they can get from this library.”
Ahmad blamed the present curriculum for this state of affairs. "Students in
most of the schools have been put under tremendous pressure and stress. They
devote most of their time in academic studies," says Ahmad.

A good number of students who visit the library complain that books are either
book are not available or are obsolete. "I mostly read newspapers and
magazines. Books related to my subject are not available here", says Irfan
Bashir, a B.Sc student and a regular member of SPS Library.

However, Deputy Director, Book purchasing committee, SPS library Kuldeep Singh
contests the claim, "The syllabus oriented books are available in academic
institutions so we prefer to procure books of wider scope and greater
interest."

In April 2006, internet was introduced in the library with free of cost. But
the facility failed to generate interest among the visitors of the library.
"People lack awareness and Media can be used to publicize this library but more
than that I think our city has little number of readers and people prefer TV
over books", said  Singh.

SPC library was established in 1898. The library is a free government run
library with just a few hundred registered members. The bookish assets of this
library range from pre historical to modern, from newspapers to philosophical
text and from modern studies to religious manuscripts. "
-------------------------------------
By the way, I have to say, in all honesty, that I am not a wholehearted fan am
getting kids off the street and sending them back to school. I attribute my
education to the fact that I cut a lot of classes when I was in school, and was
on the streets a lot, and in public libraries, reading everything from
philosophy to pornography. And finally, I found that the education I got on the
streets and outside classrooms was much better than the one that they were
dishing out in school. 

Sometimes picking a good stone and throwing it well can teach you lots of
things as well. And sometimes a good book can teach you a thing or two that
stones can't. No harm in a bit of both, I think. But that's just perverse me. 

best

Shuddha

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:00:17 +0530 rashneek kher <rashneek at gmail.com> wrote

> Dear Shuddha and all other friends,
> 
> Let us all work together in this.We have sent books to SAS Geelani's office
> as of now.But I have more books lined up.
> I have friends in Kashmir who will be glad to do the dissemination part.We
> can send to them.One is in Badgam District another in Shopian.
> Although the books Shuddha has mentioned are opiniated versions yet one must
> read and appreciate a point of view no mattter how much one dislikes it or
> finds it factually incorrect.
> Unlike Shuddha I wont recommend any titles or say they should read XYZ to
> get a "better grasp of situation" or it will help them handle "oppression
> better".My aim is simply to have kids back in school and not on a street
> throwing stones.I have sent Shams Faqir,Rasul Mir and likes alongside story
> books.
> So Shuddha if you so desire let us keep away such titles as you have
> recommended and simply send them Somerset Maugham or Saki or Motilal Saqi or
> Aggaey or Dharmavir Bharti or Ahad Azad for now.
> You and me can recommend titles later.
> I offer to Rs 10000/- for this cause.
> 
> Best Regards
> 
> Rashneek
> 
> On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 11:44 PM, shuddha at sarai.net <shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:
> 
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Now here is a campaign that I have no hesitation at all in supporting.
> > Thank
> > you Aditya Raj Kaul for drawing my attention to this initiative. I am
> > always in
> > favour of people getting books to read. Here is a list of books that I
> > would
> > recommend, and I hope they can be sent to Kashmir so that as many young
> > people,
> > (especially young adults in colleges and universities), as possible, are
> > able to
> > read them, especially as I think that these books will help them get a
> > better
> > understanding of their situation and also, because I believe that their
> > thought
> > provoking contents, will help them think about the best way to overcome the
> > oppression and violence that grips Kashmir.
> >
> > The books are as follows :
> >
> > 1. The Veiled Suite : The Collected Poems of Agha Shahid Ali
> > 2. Azad Kashmir: A Democratic Socialist Manifesto by Prem Nath Bazaz
> > 3. Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer
> > 4. Kashmir : The Untold Story by Humra Quraishi
> > 5. Languages of Belonging by Chitralekha Zutshi
> > 6. Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects by Mridu Rai
> > 7. Kashmir in Conflict by Victoria Schofield
> >
> > Almost all the books, other then the last one, are easily available in a
> > bookshop like Bahri Sons in Khan Market. And the second book by Prem Nath
> > Bazaz
> > is easily available in Srinagar. I can volunteer to make photocopied
> > versions of
> > the last book available. I would be happy to arrange for copies of some of
> > these
> > books to be delivered to the campaign, in the hope that they can be sent to
> > Kashmir, in order to provide better and far more effective ammunition than
> > mere
> > stones into the hands of a thoughtful young person in Kashmir who might
> > chance
> > upon them.
> >
> > Since Rashneek Kher is mentioned as one of the people leading this
> > campaign, I
> > would be happy if he could send me an address where I can send these books
> > to.
> > I do hope my offer is taken in the spirit in which it is made.
> >
> > best
> >
> > Shuddha
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:23:26 +0530 Aditya Raj Kaul <
> > kauladityaraj at gmail.com>
> > wrote
> >
> > > Kashmir campaigns for peace, Facebook and beyond
> > > The Peace Book Campaign is an effort by a motley crowd of peace loving
> > > Kashmiris who wants a irenic and developed Jammu and Kashmir.
> > >
> > > Link -
> > >
> >
> >
http://www.livemint.com/2010/08/10174832/Kashmir-campaigns-for-peace-F.html?h
> > > =A1
> > > Simantik Dowerah
> > >
> > > New Delhi: Not all Kashmiris want to battle government bullets with
> > stones.
> > > A fair number of citizens from Jammu and Kashmir would much prefer peace,
> > > and are trying to reach out to likeminded people via Facebook. Last
> > month, *
> > > Mint* did a
> > > story<
> > http://www.livemint.com/2010/07/07184209/Fling-it-on-Facebook.html?h=A1
> > > >on
> > > Facebook groups that supported stone throwers and urged people join
> > > their
> > > cause. But the group Roots in Kashmir, is very different.
> > >
> > > Started four years ago with 65 members, Roots in
> > > Kashmir<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18880022736>was started
> > > to help Kashmiri pandits or the Hindu population who were forced
> > > out of the state due to militancy. However, with their state simmering in
> > > violence the group most recently launched the Peace Book
> > > Campaign<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112782675436590>asking
> > > people to help restore peace in the valley. So far, over 1,700 joined
> > > the campaign as on date.
> > >
> > > “The *Peace Book Campaign* is not a sole Roots in Kashmir campaign but
a
> > > campaign where saner Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris cutting across religious
> > > and sectarian lines have come together to appeal for peace in Kashmir,”
> > > said
> > > Rashneek Kher, a representative of the group.
> > >
> > > Kher said group members were hurt to watch Kashmiri youths being killed
> > on
> > > the roads. “On the face of it might seem that the young people are
> > throwing
> > > stones but the malaise behind the same are instigators like (Syed Ali)
> > > Geelani and others. So as Kashmiris it is our duty to do our bit to bring
> > > down tempers, cool frayed nerves and bring some semblance of sanity,”
> > Kher
> > > said.
> > >
> > > The group has not limited its efforts to cyberspace. “Roots in Kashmir
> > > tried
> > > everything from approaching the government to sending our proposals to
> > > separatists to knocking at the doors of human rights commissions. But our
> > > plea has fallen on deaf ears,” Kher said.
> > >
> > > “So we have set forth a mission of peace that is completely unbiased
and
> > > requests nothing but sanity. We have no tolerance for people who support
> > > violence and people who seek support for stone throwers are again those
> > who
> > > we think of as instigators and not someone who actually throw stones. So
> > we
> > > will be sending books to them as they need it most,” he said.
> > >
> > > And what kind of books they are going to send?
> > >
> > > “We already have about 400 odd books on different subjects from simple
> > > story
> > > books to books on history and religion. We will send them as soon as we
> > know
> > > it will reach them and not got stuck in some post office,” Kher said.
> > Books
> > > are answer to stones and bullets, said Wangoo.
> > >
> > > Explaining why he joined the *Peace Book Campaign*, another group member
> > > Nadeem Jafri said, “This is the true way of fighting the menace. If we
> > > educate people and equip them with right knowledge, I am sure they would
> > not
> > > face the atrocities which they are currently facing. And even if they
> > face
> > > they will be capable of fighting it out.”
> > >
> > > On being asked, about the success of such a campaign, Kher was however,
> > not
> > > very sure.
> > >
> > > “Honestly we don’t know how far it might or will go but that
> > > notwithstanding
> > > we must make concerted efforts for peace no matter howsoever small or
> > > inconsequential it might seem,” said the representative of group, which
> > has
> > > already registered over 1,500 members.
> > >
> > > Jafri sounded far more positive.
> > >
> > > He said the campaign would certainly create a flutter among the educated
> > > people.
> > >
> > > “It is going to take some time but it will be effective,” he said.
> > >
> > > *simantik.d at livemint.com*
> > >
> > > --
> > > Aditya Raj Kaul
> > >
> > > India Editor
> > > The Indian, Australia
> > >
> > > Cell -  +91-9873297834
> > > Web: http://activistsdiary.blogspot.com/
> > > _________________________________________
> > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > > Critiques & Collaborations
> > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe
> > > in the subject header.
> > > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> >
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Rashneek Kher
> http://www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com
> http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com

_________________________________________
reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
Critiques & Collaborations
To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header.
To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>