[Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested

[Tara Prakash]

Thanks Sonia. So the issue is more muddled than we make it out to be.
It will be helpful to hear Junaid's view on this. I am waiting.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
To: "TaraPrakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>; "Junaid" <justjunaid at gmail.com>
Cc: "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested


The dispute involves  the state of Jammu & Kashmir as it existed in 1947 and
included Kashmiris, people of Jammu & Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch & Doda, Ladakh,
Mirpur & Muzaffarabad, Gilgit & Baltistan.  If you talk about solutions then
you really ought to be talking about the aspirations of all these people and
not simply 'which Kashmiris.'


> From: TaraPrakash <taraprakash at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:08:09 -0500
> To: Junaid <justjunaid at gmail.com>
> Cc: <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested
>
> Thanks for these solutions Junaid. Not that I will be able to solve this 
> old
>
problem.
Just for the record, the intent of the second question "Which
> Kashmiris" was
not mischief. If you think there is a single Kashmiri
> nationality, or
unified Kashmiri voice, either you are self deluding, or just
> canceling the
noise.
JKLF used to be a significant voice in J&K before the
> brutal Mujahaddins, in
their ecstasy of having defeated USSR in Afghanistan,
> moved to J&K. From
then on local Kashmiris had the taste of Taliban in their
> homes. Every
dissent was mercilessly crushed. Professors were murdered. Women
> were told
to stay at homes and if they dared come out, acid on their faces
> was their
fate. Hindus were massacred, on some ocasions Sikhs were massacred
> and if
that was not enough, peace loving Budhists were killed for being
> vocal.
Coming back to question which Kashmiris and JKLF. Aren't they
> Kashmiris? But
they are banned in Pakistan occupied, so-called Azad Kashmir.
> Aren't they
Kashmiris? why do you have to single out Indian government? Are
> Kashmiris in
POK free?
Those who are part of National conference or PDP,
> aren't they Kashmiris?
Aren't they different from Mujahiddins? So the
> question still remains which
Kashmiris?

----- Original Message ----- 
From:
> "Junaid" <justjunaid at gmail.com>
To: "Tara Prakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
Cc:
> <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:35 PM
Subject: Re:
> [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested


Dear Tara,

I quote you: "But
> isn't it time to move to specifics. What solution?
Which Kashmiris?" End.

I
> absolutely agree that it is time to move to specifics. But your two
follow-up
> questions, asked perhaps in good spirit, aren't the ones
that will lead us to
> specifics. If anything they will further push us
into a metaphysics of denial.
> I assume you know enough about Kashmir
and are aware that there is no shortage
> of solutions. Indian
government isn't even acknowledging that Kashmir is a
> political issue,
and they have convinced its citizens that the only issue that
> remains
is the elimination of "terrorism" i.e. people's resistance. The
> "right
solutions" emerge in a democratic process of engagement in a free
> and
fair environment. As you called them, the "chosen" representatives
> for
Kashmiris, it is clear, have no legitimacy in Kashmir, which has made
it
> clear again that a democracy stripped of its substance cannot be
forced down
> the throats of people to gloss over the crisis of state's
legitimacy and
> authority. (I somehow believe that UN, if India allows
that is, can go to
> "each Kashmiri" to figure out how to solve the
problem). The first step would
> be to give Kashmiris the "ownership" of
their problem, that is allow them to
> find the right solution with a
guarantee that it will be accepted.

The second
> question is a little mischievous--"Which Kashmiris!" Can we
really keep
> telling a suffering people that they don't exist? By
asking this question, are
> you suggesting that there are no Kashmiris?
If you believe that "the people"
> have to elect their representatives,
how can you in the same breath deny the
> existence of those same
people?

I guess the first "concrete suggestions"
> would be the dismantling of
the draconian military and police apparatus from
> Kashmir: i.e. 1.
remove the incredibly large and intensive build up of
> military and
police forces from Kashmir; 2. remove draconian laws like AFSPA
> and
Disturbed Areas Act etc, which give immunity to security agencies
involved
> in HR abuses; 3. Release political prisoners from jails; 4.
Allow Kashmiris to
> peacefully express their dissent (remove
restrictions on free speech and
> assembly of people); 5. Dismantle the
stranglehold that the security agencies
> have over the everyday life of
people through technics of surveillance and
> proliferation of threats.

Once these steps are taken, we can move to the next
> ones. At least it
will show that the Indian government is sincere in its
> efforts to
solve the problem, and is not simply bidding time, hoping to
> tire
people out.

Junaid


On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 8:07 PM, Tara Prakash
> <taraprakash at gmail.com> wrote:
> "Kashmir is a political issue that needs to
> be solved, with the full
> involvement of Kashmiris."
> Agreed. But isn't it
> time to move to specifics. What solution? Which
> Kashmiris? A democratic
> exercise requires people to elect their
> representatives who can talk on
> their behalf. But those who are chosen,
> are
> found to be going "to any
> extent to please their masters in Delhi"
> I don't think the Indian govt or UN
> can talk to every Kashmiri on this
> earth
> for the resolution of the
> problem.
> It will help people like me if there are some concrete suggestions
> towards
> resolution of the issue. One way of garnering support is to educate
>
> people,
> so that they can start suggesting their leaders and build a
> climate
> towards
> resolution of the issue.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Junaid" <justjunaid at gmail.com>
> To: <reader-list at sarai.net>; "Junaid"
> <justjunaid at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 5:57 PM
> Subject:
> [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested
>
>
>> Dozens of young boys have
> been arrested across Kashmir under draconian
>> laws over the last few weeks.
> The charges that have been filed against
>> them range from "waging war
> against the state" to defiling "state
>> honor". In recent months Indian
> military and police commanders have
>> described protests in Kashmir as
> "agitational terrorism" and
>> "non-violent terrorism" in order to justify
> violent clampdown on
>> protests by Kashmiris. In the same period around 8
> people, mostly
>> teenagers, have been either shot to death or fatally injured
> by
>> indiscriminate use of tear-gas shells. Over the last two years the
>>
> number of dead in shootings is more than a hundred. Meanwhile
>> thousands of
> people have been injured. Many of them will be left with
>> permanent physical
> disabilities. The police authorities have banned
>> any peaceful assembly of
> people. Many places in downtown Srinagar and
>> other towns have reported
> police brutalities. Even the villages are
>> not being spared. Only yesterday,
> mourning villagers were attacked by
>> CRPF troopers in Redwani in South
> Kashmir. Dozens of them were injured
>> by CRPF's indiscriminate firing. Most
> of the injuries were inflicted
>> above the waist showing an intention to
> kill.
>>
>> India's dirty war in Kashmir has been going on for many years now,
> but
>> in the last two years it has acquired a particularly cruel
> dimension.
>> The systematic nature of brutal tactics is meant to discipline
> and
>> demoralize Kashmir's struggling masses. At the same time, the Indian
>>
> state has kept up the rhetoric of confidence building measures to
>> deceive
> its own citizens. In this light, the move to allow Kashmiris
>> in Azad
> Kashmir to return home is nothing new. This surrender policy
>> has been there
> for many years, but is ceremonially dusted and brought
>> back every few years
> to earn brownie points.
>>
>> National Conference government which has proved
> its inability to
>> function without authorization from New Delhi, and can't
> even remove
>> an erring official without Delhi's explicit approval, has
> sought to
>> play it safe: i.e. to stay in power they will go to any extent
> to
>> please their masters. In photo-ops Omar Abdullah is seen begging for
>>
> leniency from Chidamabaram, but at home he has reinvigorated the cruel
>>
> police apparatus his father put into place in mid-1990's. CRPF and
>> Kashmir
> police has increased their level of savagery in recent months,
>> perhaps in a
> bid to show that they can handle Kashmir without Indian
>> army's help.
>>
>>
> Indian media has mostly blacked-out the grim news from Kashmir (apart
>> from
> the few and far in between stories, like the ones below). It is
>> time, the
> conscientious and rational Indian citizens form a solidarity
>> with
> Kashmiris, disseminate widely the stories about Indian state's
>> inhuman
> tactics in Kashmir, and build pressure on their government to
>> stop human
> rights violations in Kashmir. And to accept the fact that
>> Kashmir is a
> political issue that needs to be solved, with the full
>> involvement of
> Kashmiris.
>> _____________________
>> Stone-pelting an act of war: J-K
> gov;
>>
>> Riyaz Wani
>>
>>
>>
> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Stone-pelting-an-act-of-war--J-K-govt/580232
>
>>
>> The Jammu-Kashmir government has decided to arrest stone-pelters for
>>
> Owaging war against the state¹, a crime punishable with death or life
>> in
> jail.
>>
>> The state has already slapped the Public Safety Act against
> eight
>> stone-pelters, all between 15 and 18 years old, over the past week
>>
> while 16 youths from downtown Srinagar are being tried under section
>> 121 of
> CrPC (waging war against the state). Sources in the state Home
>> Department
> told The Indian Express that the government was ready with
>> PSAs against ³20
> more such youths².
>>
>> The 16 youths were produced before a Srinagar Court
> on Monday. Police
>> sought their remand for eight days, which was soon
> granted by Judge
>> Masarat Jabeen.The boys, the investigating officer told
> the court,
>> were directly involved in pelting stones at police and
> security
>> forces.
>>
>> However, counsel for the accused Rafique Joo said
> the youths were held
>> in random raids across the city and were not involved
> in
>> stone-pelting. He opposed booking of youth under Section 121 of
> CrPC.
>>
>> J&K first started booking stone-pelters under the Public Safety
> Act
>> during the 2008 Amarnath land row agitation. The first person to be
>>
> booked was Nayeem Ahmad of Rainawari, Srinagar. Though he was released
>>
> shortly after, Ahmad was again picked up in June last year during
>> protests
> over the death of two women in Shopian.
>>
>> IGP, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad said
> he was not in a position to give ³the
>> exact number of youths² booked under
> PSA or Section 121 of CrPC. ³I am
>> out of station and don¹t have the exact
> number,² Ahmad told The Indian
>> Express.
>> Police say waging war against
> country, judge not impressed
>>
>> _____________
>> Police say waging war
> against country, judge not impressed
>>
>> Peerzada Ashiq
>>
> peer.mushtaq at hindustantimes.com
>>
>> Srinagar: Who is Zahoor Ahmad? shouted
> Masrat Jabeen, sitting on a
>> raised platform in 14X14 room with three rows
> of chairs. ³Yes madam.
>> Present madam², replied a boy standing among 16
> jostled youth with red
>> cheeks and red hands because of cold.
>>
>> This is
> no classroom but a court hearing of 16 boys arrested on Sunday
>> in downtown
> Srinagar for allegedly pelting stones at policemen. The
>> police presented
> them before the court on Monday for extending their
>> police remand. But
> after hearing the two sides, judge Jabeen sent the
>> boys to judicial remand
> for 15 days.
>>
>> ³How did you know all the names of the arrested youth in
> advance?²
>> judge Jabeen asked the investigation officer of the police.
> ³Through
>> reliable sources,² replied the investigation officer.
>>
>> ³How
> is it possible? I don¹t know anyone of these boys. Who are these
>> reliable
> sources?² asked judge Jabeen. To which the investigation
>> officer, looking
> at the floor, said: ³They are active stone throwers,
>> and involved for the
> last five years.²
>>
>> There was sudden commotion in the court room, when
> Zahid, one of the
>> accused, interjected saying, ³This is for the first time
> we are in the
>> lock up,² adding he was just 16 year old and a school-goer,
> who was on
>> the bike when the police arrested him.
>>
>> The boy, wearing a
> pair of jeans and jacket, started crying and are
>> joined by others in the
> room, with the lawyer, Muhammad Rafiq Joo,
>> requesting them to wipe tears
> and be mum. ³Don¹t worry justice will be
>> done,² said Joo adding since Chief
> Minister Omar Abdullah told the
>> media we are launching a crackdown against
> stone-pelters, the police
>> are picking up anyone who comes in the way.
>>
>>
> The boys --- in the age group of 15 to 22 and brought to the court in
>> heavy
> chains --- are facing the charges like the waging war against
>> the state and
> insulting the national honour. The punishment includes
>> life imprisonment.
> The boys have been arrested from downtown Srinagar
>> and were presented
> before the court by the Nowhatta Police Station.
>>
>> Lawyer Joo contested
> that the police cannot impose the waging a war
>> against the nation unless a
> magistrate has done an investigation in a
>> case and the police cannot do it
> on their own.
>>
>> While the weeping boys in chains left the court room in a
> row, their
>> relatives shake their hands. The boys keep pleading their
> innocence:
>> ³We were not involved. They let go who do stone pelting and
> arrested
>> us,² they said.
>>
>> While a policeman shouted back: ³They have
> snatched our peace.²
>> _________________________________________
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