[Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested

[S. Jabbar]

3 articles on the subject of little kashmiri boys..:

The Hindu
'Stone-pelting turns into a ‘lucrative business’ in J&K'

Police on Friday arrested a person, alleged to be the kingpin of
stone-pelters in the Kashmir valley, and claimed to have found documents
which suggest this has fast turned into a lucrative ‘business’ for
unemployed youths offering their ‘service’ for a price.

Police had launched a massive drive against stone-pelters in the valley and
their investigations led to a house in Bemina colony on the outskirts of the
city after which they found several documents suggesting his involvement in
stone-pelting business for nearly last two years, official sources said here
on Friday.

The arrested person identified as Irshad Ahmed was interrogated by the
police and they recovered dozens of SIM cards, threat letters, fake press
identity cards, cheque books and well maintained account registers which
state the expenditure for stone-pelting incidents in various parts of the
valley.

The first register contained 294 names along with their photographs and
mentions the details of money paid to them for their stone-pelting
activities in the last one year in the downtown city, the sources said.

Police claimed to have recovered sketches of roads leading from Ganderbal to
Leh, a route used by the Army personnel to maintain essential supplies to
Ladakh division, they said.

Business worth lakhs of rupees is estimated to be generated through this
activity.

Separatist groups, especially those owing allegiance to Pakistan-terror
outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba, are alleged to have formed
several groups comprising a minimum of dozen people, sources in the
interrogation team said.

These groups are paid an amount ranging between Rs five to eight lakh, they
said, adding a part of this money is handed over to another group known as
“initiators” who pick up stones and start pelting on police and paramilitary
forces.

The groups, which are alleged to have been receiving funds from a political
party as well, have stationed their people in various localities and other
districts of the valley, the sources said. This could be the reason for
stone-pelting incidents occurring in a synchronised manner throughout the
valley during agitations and protests, they said.

-------------------------------------------------

Kashmir valley's stone pelters graduate to petrol bombs

Ishfaq ul Hassan / DNAFriday, February 19, 2010 2:34 IST
 
Srinagar: Stone-throwers have added lethal petrol bombs to their armoury to
target security forces in strife-torn Kashmir. The disturbing trend is now
fast catching up with the youth.

“Petrol bombs were thrown at security forces some places during recent stone
pelting incidents. Youngsters were seen using those petrol bombs,” CRPF
spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said.

Making petrol bombs is easy. The youth fill glass bottles with petrol and
wrap some clothes around them. The clothes serve as wicks. After igniting
the wicks, they throw the bottles on security forces. The bottles explode
and the petrol spreads and catches fire.

“Such bombs can cause heavy damage,” Tripathi said.
Security forces are now devising a new strategy to deal with this threat.
“We use barricades and other tools to keep petrol bomb throwers at bay,”
said Tripathi.

Nearly 1,500 CRPF jawans have been injured in stone pelting incidents in the
past one-and-a-half years. Around 373 vehicles were also damaged due to
stone pelting during that period. About 100 CRPF men have been injured in
the recent stone pelting incidents. In addition, hundreds of state police
personnel have also suffered grievous injuries.

Police have arrested several suspected stone throwers and booked them under
stringent acts, including waging war against the state.

“We are interrogating them. The government has proof at hand to show that
huge money in being pumped into such violent activities by vested interests.
They don’t have any ideology. The government will soon expose the sponsors
of the stone throwers,” Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said.

The hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference has called for a Kashmir Bandh
on Saturday to protest the crackdown on stone throwers.
--------------------------------
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010
Stone pelting emerging as a major challenge for Govt
In Srinagar, network expands from 300 youth in 2008 to 1500 in 2010

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Feb 14: Registering five-fold increase in the last two years,
network of stone pelting youth in the capital city is clearly emerging as a
major administrative challenge for Omar Abdullah-led coalition government in
Jammu & Kashmir. In sharp contrast to serious allegations leveled by some
Ministers and legislators of the National Conference (NC), authorities have
failed to find mainstream Opposition party PDP’s hand behind the stone
pelting frenzy. Officials claim to have completed the mapping of nearly 50
spots and identified cadres of two Hurriyat (Geelani) constituents and a
trade union leader’s “private militia” among the actors of unarmed violence
that is now publicly getting support from separatist outfits including
Hurriyat and High Court Bar Association.

According to authoritative sources, the number of youth indulging in stone
pelting on Police and CRPF, as well as on civilian transport and businesses,
has phenomenally increased to 1,500 from just 300 in Srinagar in the year
2008. “Those directly having stakes in separatist armed strife want to
desperately switch over to a different mode of turbulence after militancy
has reduced to trickle. As of now, Government’s entire counter-insurgency
initiative stands designed on an agitation full of arms and ammunition”,
says a Police official who has a stint of nearly 10 years in Special
Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police to his credit.

“It’s essentially a political movement. Resistance will continue to adopt
one or the other colour---from guns and grenades to stones and brickbats to
massive peaceful demonstrations--- until a political solution is found to a
political problem”, argued a High Court lawyer. Asserting unconditional
support to stone pelting, speakers at a High Court Bar Association-sponsored
conference today cautioned media and politicians against “denigrating” the
stone pelters with usage of “derogatory” phrases like “Sangbaaz” (stone
pelter). 

But most of the Police officials tasked to neutralize this nascent mode of
turbulence insist that combination of different factors has resulted in
breakdown of law and order, particularly in Srinagar and parts of Baramulla
and Sopore towns in north Kashmir. They categorically said that some
Ministers’ and legislators’ allegation of engaging the youth on cash payment
against PDP was unfounded as no such hand had been identified till date.
“Huge amount of Rs 40 Lakh was established to have been invested in stone
pelting in Srinagar alone during Amarnath land allotment controversy in
2008. When we reached close to the handlers and zeroed in on the key layer
in 2009, we faced considerable resistance from none other than NC’s senior
leaders in Khanyar and Batmaloo”, he added.

“But this does not mean that the ruling party is organizing the whole show.
We have found five major modules---two being directly funded by a couple of
constituents in the hardliner Hurriyat and yet another by a trade union
leader, himself working in the government. We are still groping in the dark
with regard to funding of two more modules”, said the official. He claimed
that “Crores of Rupees” had been invested in stone pelting in the last two
years. According to him, it was a “fully coordinated and organized activity”
as Police had lately observed that the handlers had meticulously done the
mapping of nearly 50 spots in Srinagar and specified the modus operandi. He
claimed that Police had seized at least one of such maps in recent days and
done its own mapping of more than 50 flashpoints.

“One of the major objectives is crippling the authority of the government so
as to grab prime land, resist arrest of criminals and create an underworld
of multi-layered insulation”. With a serious expression of concern, he
added: “Half-baked initiatives will only lead us to a situation where you
will, for the first time, find private militias operating under the command
of powerful people in Srinagar. It will be definitely a state of lawlessness
and anarchy. That may simultaneously serve as fuel to sustenance of
disorder”. 

With none of the officials willing to speak on record, another officer
maintained that the “menace of stone pelting” would neither stop or end in
absence of a clear initiative from the government. “There’s a major
difference. We have a clear-cut initiative with regard to countering armed
terrorism. Just three officers in the city of 17 Lakh people seem to be on
the forefront of countering stone pelting. Do or don’t do, it doesn’t
matter. If you take an initiative of your known and there’s something wrong,
everything will explode on your own head. We don’t feel our Government on
our back. Even CM’s directions given to senior officers do not percolate
down to the field”.

Men in J&K Police strongly support punishment to those who break the law
like the BSF officials in Nishat. They believe that suspension of officials
without even holding an inquiry had perceptibly demoralized the rank and
file in Police. A day after an ASI’s suspension, on the allegation of
killing a boy in teargas shelling, a senior civil official and member of J&K
Special Tribunal was attacked by a mob that damaged his official car in
front of Police beat at Budshah Chowk. Calling for help, Police officials
expressed their helplessness to the senior KAS officer and argued that they
would not like to act and attract suspension or attachment.

Conservative estimates suggest that at least 50 people have died and more
than 4,000 sustained injuries in incidents of stone pelting and resultant
reaction from Police and armed forces in Kashmir valley in the last two
years. Number of civil and government vehicles damaged in such incidents is
believed to be over 1,000.Director of SKIMS, Soura, Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar
said that a dozen of his hospital vehicles had been extensively damaged in
last three months alone. He said that about 50 of his hospital employees
attacked by the mobs included himself and Medical Superintendent Dr Syed
Amin Tabish.

“It’s an irony that when these stone pelting youth get injured in Police
action, they approach the same doctors and our paramedical staff for
treatment. We are committed to our professionalism. We still provide them
best possible treatment”, Dr Zargar said with a passionate appeal that all
ambulances and hospital vehicles and staff be exempted from such unruly
attacks.


> From: Tara Prakash <taraprakash at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:52:46 -0500
> To: Junaid <justjunaid at gmail.com>
> Cc: "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>, Sarai <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested
> 
> Thanks Junaid. Point taken. People should have right to self determination.
> First scenario is that Kashmir becomes a sovereign state. What would you say
> to those skeptics who are afraid, genuinely or otherwise, that a new country
> where fundamentalism has enjoyed some welcoming constituency  in the past,
> will become another safe haven for the destructive elements linked to Al
> qaeda ideology to pursue their destructive agenda. Do you think people are
> right to be skeptical that Kashmir as a free nation will become like Yeman,
> or worse, Somalia?
> 
> My second query, again for my personal information, and it is about the
> second scenario. I have heard people in the past that Pakistan is lesser
> evil than India. How do they justify this and do you agree with them? This
> is an international listbut when it comes to Kashmir, it appears that
> Kashmir on the Pakistani side does not exist or that there is no military
> presence. Are the people on Pakistani side free?
> 
> 
> Best
> TaraPrakash
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Junaid" <justjunaid at gmail.com>
> To: "Tara Prakash" <taraprakash at gmail.com>
> Cc: "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>; "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Little Kashmiri boys arrested
> 
> 
> Hi Tara,
> 
> I agree with Sonia that the Kashmir "dispute" involves a number of
> parties and peoples. I believe as time has passed we have let
> ourselves believe that the issue is so "complicated" as to paralyze
> our thinking, vaguely hoping that one day the issue will settle by
> itself. These are man-made problems and need human and humane
> solutions. Also we should not let state "interests" determine the fate
> of a people. These issues can't be left to fester perpetually. Even if
> we go back to early 50s there were plans to hold regional referendums
> (Dixon plan etc), which, with all their problems, sounded like more
> hopeful ways out of the imbroglio than our present "muddlings."
> 
> Personally, I believe the best way would be for both India and
> Pakistan to relinquish claims over those peoples (and their lands) who
> don't want to be under their sovereignty. These countries need to let
> Kashmiris (and those who also don't want to be part of either country)
> be. For the process to start India and Pakistan need to create
> conditions in which people can freely and without fear discuss,
> negotiate, argue, oppose and come to a mutually agreeable solution.
> When I say mutually, I mean different constituencies within 1947
> Kashmir. We must believe in the creative powers of people to solve
> issues what seem to be "complicated." Second step would be to initiate
> a democratic process, perhaps under the auspices of international
> observers to hold elections to choose representatives of the people
> who can give shape to a new constitution, new institutions, and
> negotiate permanent agreements with India and Pakistan. The whole
> thing can be conducted under international guarantees to secure the
> the process and its outcome.
> 
> Southasia desperately needs a new direction. And, sincere efforts on
> the Kashmir question can be a very important beginning and aspect of
> this shift. Southasians need to understand southasia is not made up of
> states, but of peoples and their intersecting histories and
> aspirations. We cannot let ourselves be seduced by the illusions and
> the desires that the state's "super"-power has generated in us.
> 
> Junaid
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Tara Prakash <taraprakash at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 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/5802
>>> 32
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The Jammu-Kashmir government has decided to arrest stone-pelters for
>>>> 
>>> Owaging war against the stateą, 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 ł20
>>> 
>>> more such youths˛.
>>>> 
>>>> 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 łthe
>>>> 
>>>> exact number of youths˛ booked under
>>> 
>>> PSA or Section 121 of CrPC. łI am
>>>> 
>>>> out of station and donąt have the exact
>>> 
>>> number,˛ 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. łYes madam.
>>>> 
>>>> Present madam˛, 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.
>>>> 
>>>> łHow did you know all the names of the arrested youth in
>>> 
>>> advance?˛
>>>> 
>>>> judge Jabeen asked the investigation officer of the police.
>>> 
>>> łThrough
>>>> 
>>>> reliable sources,˛ replied the investigation officer.
>>>> 
>>>> łHow
>>> 
>>> is it possible? I donąt know anyone of these boys. Who are these
>>>> 
>>>> reliable
>>> 
>>> sources?˛ asked judge Jabeen. To which the investigation
>>>> 
>>>> officer, looking
>>> 
>>> at the floor, said: łThey are active stone throwers,
>>>> 
>>>> and involved for the
>>> 
>>> last five years.˛
>>>> 
>>>> There was sudden commotion in the court room, when
>>> 
>>> Zahid, one of the
>>>> 
>>>> accused, interjected saying, łThis is for the first time
>>> 
>>> we are in the
>>>> 
>>>> lock up,˛ 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. łDonąt worry justice will be
>>>> 
>>>> done,˛ 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:
>>>> 
>>>> łWe were not involved. They let go who do stone pelting and
>>> 
>>> arrested
>>>> 
>>>> us,˛ they said.
>>>> 
>>>> While a policeman shouted back: łThey have
>>> 
>>> snatched our peace.˛
>>>> 
>>>> _________________________________________
>>>> 
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>>> 
>> 
>> ______________________
>>> 
>>> ___________________
>> 
>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the
>>> 
>>> city.
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