Kashmir.Watch

Author: hamid

  • Kashmir and the notorious world of TV News

    Umar Shah

    Ram Gopal Verma’s movie, Rann, released in 2010, and has a conversation between a journalist Anand Prakash Trivedi, played by Raj Pal Yadav and an aspiring Bollywood filmmaker Nandita Sharma played by Gul Panaag. Yadav asks Panag what she does? After hearing that the woman is a part of the film industry, Yadav tells Panag: “Madam, filmain toh hum bhi banate hain, magar hum usse NEWS kehtae hae (We (journalists) too make films. The only difference is that we call it NEWS).”

    Till July, 2015, there were as many as 403 TV news channels operational in India as per the figures put forth by the Indian government’s ministry of information and broadcasting. The only priority for these 24×7 news channels is to keep their screens buzzing with ‘Breaking and Exclusive News’ reports.

    Ahead of the 2014 polls, the BJP presented Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate, declaring him as India’s promising face who could usher a revolution in economic development and upliftment of the downtrodden. The TV cameras started zooming their lenses at Modi’s every rally and every meeting. The prime ministerial candidate in return started selling the ‘Gujarat Model’. The news channels accepted it in its very form of originality- caring little to uphold the principles of journalism and confirm the veracity of Modi’s claims. Not even a single TV journalist dared to visit Gujarat, its far flung areas, its hamlets and its countryside to confirm the truth behind the model being marketed to India’s millions of voters, young and old, rich and poor, who were aspiring to find their country prosperous and worthy to live. The news channels accepted the BJP claims without even an iota of efforts to scrutinize them, despite knowing well how such claims would decide the future of India for next five years.

    Solid ground reporting remains elusive in today’s TV journalism in India. Gone are the days when reporters would tread the treacherous paths to capture truth, that often nestles under the shades of grey. It is now the Studio talk- the cheapest way to keep feeding the 24×7 beast.

    When CAG slammed the UPA regime over numerous ‘corruption gates’, news channels found it easier to copy paste the CAG findings. They worked little to examine the facts. The SCAM, SCAM, SCAM was the cry every news channel was making then. But how many of them have themselves gone through the documents to verify and ascertain?

    The foundation of journalism lies in the principle that Governments lie. In today’s world of TV journalism in India, the arguments, counter arguments, bizarre claims and jibes by governments and opposition are the prime sources of news. Tickers buzz with quotes, allegations and rants. “The CAG said the country had lost 1.76 lakh crores in spectrum allocation; we believed it, almost uncritically,” writes eminent Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai in his book The Election that changed India.

    2014 was the year of floods in Kashmir. Ravaging waters of Jehlum wreaked havoc in Valley’s most parts, submerging houses and destroying government as well as private properties worth thousands of crores. The TV News Channels turned blind eye towards the hardships people faced in the midst of the nature’s fury. The screens started showing the selective areas, housing mostly tourists, being rescued by the army. Army later charged 500 crore rupees from state government for its rescue operations in Kashmir but who gives a dam. The beast had a breakfast, lunch, dinner and he had slept that day quietly.

    Contrary to what TV cameras revealed to their audience about Kashmir getting entirely marooned, there were still major areas where waters didn’t reach. One among them was Hyderpora where anti-India resistance Syed Ali Geelani resides. However, the breaking news in the prime time was about Geelani being rescued by army from his house. When I later went to interview the octogenarian and told him what TV channels claimed, he laughed and laughed. I had interviewed Syed Ali Geelani for more than six times till then but never witnessed such a notorious laugh on his face ever. “Didn’t they say I hugged the army tightly when they came for my rescue,” he said and laughed again.

    During flood relief operations , a short video clip of approximately 3 minutes of duration was captured by an anonymous person in which an argument between the local Congress workers and JKLF activists was recorded. The TV news channels had to split their screens into 10 boxes and an issue of JKLF stealing the rescue boat was discussed at threadbare. India’s ‘eminent faces’ including the former army Generals, writers, self proclaimed social activists were roped in to ridicule ‘PAK Agent Malik’. A former army general even shouted during the debate that it is Pakistan that has mandated its agents in Kashmir to create disruption in relief distribution so that it could regain a constituency in the region.

    The channel that was first to air this anonymous video with the hashtag ‘Exclusive: PAK thief exposed’, didn’t even bother to confirm the authenticity of the video ahead of airing it to millions of its viewers. It was finally the Bureau Chief of that channel who threatened to resign if views of the ‘accused party’ aren’t included. Furious, Yasin Malik was finally given a chance to appear as a guest on the channel. What we saw before the JKLF chief’s screen turned blank was he furiously telling the news anchor ‘You are a mental patient and you immediately need a psychiatrist.’

    Post 2014 witnessed the emergence of ISIS and Pakistan flags during protests in old city of Srinagar. Such pictures turned enough for the TV news anchors to declare ISIS presence in Kashmir. As the first protest got a massive prime time chuck, next Friday saw the number of these flags doubled. I asked a stone thrower in old city about the reason behind the waiving of such flags during protests. “We eagerly wait for 9.P.M news in our homes every Friday. We see people fighting and screaming over the issue. We see how flags are encircled with red colour and shown for hours with commercials staring celebrities,” was how he put forth the reason. But does he and others, waving such flags know what it really means? “It means nothing for us but everything for the news channels.”

    Today, when Kashmir is reeling under constant curfew, strikes and clashes, the TV news channels have exposed their Kashmir correspondents to serious threats. These ‘sound-bite hungry soldiers’ can’t freely walk in civilian areas, leave alone covering any public event. If you watch them on TV giving Piece to Camera (PTC) on Kashmir’s roads, believe it that the road is either deserted or guarded by the forces’ personnel.

    We have seen how TV journalists were thrashed and beaten up by people in hospitals where injured were rushed after post July 8 protests. We have seen how resistance leaders have barred these correspondents from covering any of their events. We have seen people sensing India’s mood about Kashmir’s plight through these media houses results in more anger, more protests and more killings.

    Whether these channels would ever rise up from the wild accusations, bizarre claims and uncalled for provocations is yet to be seen. All we can say at present is that these channels whose screens keep buzzing like the monitors at the airports announcing flight schedules, have so far contributed much in brewing up the anger that we witness sauntering on Kashmir’s every street. May Journalism prevail in its true sense and meaning!

    (Umar Shah is a journalist based in Kashmir. If you wish to contribute to Kashmir Today, Please send your submissions to [email protected])

  • Kashmir unrest: Developmental works come to halt, engineers take rest

    Sources said while the engineers working in Power Development Department make sure to attend offices, “their counterparts in PWD, R&B, Flood Control and PHE are sitting idle.”

    Unrest in Kashmir has brought to halt the developmental projects in the Valley. Sources said the engineers and technocrats working in various works divisions in Kashmir have virtually become “idle.”
    Unable to perform any work, according to sources many of the engineers in Public Works Department, Roads and Building Department, Flood Control and PHE “have either gone outside the state along with their families to ‘enjoy vacation’ or prefer to stay at home.”

    “Since July, no work on any developmental project has been carried out. The construction of bridges, macadamization of roads, etc., in Kashmir has come to halt in the wake of civilian killings,” sources said.
    “Attendance in various wings of the PWD is appalling,” sources said.
    Sources said while the engineers working in Power Development Department make sure to attend offices, “their counterparts in PWD, R&B, Flood Control and PHE are sitting idle.”

    Sources said the engineers of these departments could have utilized the services of self-help-groups to possibly complete the pending projects.
    To mention, several key developmental projects in Kashmir especially in Srinagar including the vital Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover are facing delays and missing deadlines in view of the prevailing situation.
    Similarly, construction of Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover and expressway corridor in Srinagar city has been abandoned as more than 600 skilled, semi-skilled labourers from outside the state left for their homes leaving the worksites.
    Economist, Professor Nisar Ali said, “The state wage bill is Rs 27,000 crore a year, of which Rs 14000 crore is paid in Kashmir alone. If we calculate it, government paid around Rs 2000 crore ‘free salary’ without any work and contribution of majority of state employees,” he said.
    A senior engineer in Roads and Building department said that the government “has now ordered that salary of only those employees be released who attend their duties.”
    Minister for Roads and Buildings, A R Veeri said the work on developmental projects will resume soon. “Government will ensure that the projects are completed on time and there will be complete accountability,” he said.

  • India asks Pak to return soldier

    Director General of Military Operations, Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh has written to his Pakistan counterpart for returning the soldier.

    India has sought return of its soldier who was captured by Pakistan, but has not got a positive response yet, said informed sources on Monday.
    The soldier, Chandu Babulal Chouhan had crossed the Line of Control and was captured by Pakistani troops.

    Indian Army has said that the soldier, who belongs to the Rashtriya Rifles, was not involved in the surgical strike.
    Director General of Military Operations, Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh has written to his Pakistan counterpart for returning the soldier.
    The sources however said on Monday that while the message has been received, there is no response from the other side yet.

    “They have received the message, but there is no response yet,” a source said.
    An official said straying across LoC happens at times as soldiers may get disoriented and lose their way.
    Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said on Sunday that the the mechanism through the DGMO has been activated seeking return of the soldier.
    Chavan’s grandmother had passed away after hearing the news of his crossing over to Pakistan.
    Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention protects captured military personnel, some guerrilla fighters, and certain civilians. It applies from the moment a prisoner is captured until he or she is released/repatriated. One of the main provisions of the convention makes it illegal to torture prisoners and states that a prisoner can only be required to give their name, date of birth, rank and service number if applicable.

  • Arundhati to come out with fiction work after 19 years

    Arundhati Roy will come out with her next work of fiction in June 2017, 19 years after her Booker prize-winning novel “The God of Small Things” was published.
    “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” will be published by Hamish Hamilton UK and Penguin India, a statement said. “I am glad to report that the mad souls (even the wicked ones) in ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’ have found a way into the world, and that I have found my publishers,” Roy said.

    “To publish this book is both a pleasure and an honour. What an incredible book it is – on multiple levels; one of the finest we have read in recent times,” said Simon Prosser, Publishing Director of Hamish Hamilton & Penguin Books UK; and Meru Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief, Literary Publishing of Penguin Random House India.
    “The writing is extraordinary and so too are the characters – brought to life with such generosity and empathy, in language of the utmost freshness, joyfully reminding us that words are alive too, that they can wake us up and lend us new ways of seeing, feeling, hearing, engaging. It makes the novel new – in the original meaning of novels,” the statement said.
    According to Roy’s literary agent David Godwin, “Only Arundhati could have written this novel. Utterly original. It has been 20 years in the making. And well worth the wait.”

  • Pakistan, India NSAs agree to reduce tension along LoC: Aziz

    According to Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan”s NSA Nasser Janjua and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval talked to diffuse tension between the two countries.

    The National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan talked on Monday morning to reduce tension between the two neighbouring nations along the Line of Control.

     According to Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s NSA Nasser Janjua and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval talked to diffuse tension between the two countries.
    “Both the officials stressed on the need to establish contact to reduce tensions along the Line of Control,” said Aziz.
    According to Aziz, India was escalating tensions with Pakistan at the Line of Control “to deflect the attention of the world from Kashmir issue”.
    He said that Pakistan wanted to bring down tensions with India.
    “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had indicated quite clearly that till the issue of Kashmir was not resolved, tensions across the border would remain.”
    Tension escalated between India and Pakistan following the recent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and the “surgical strikes” carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
    Pakistan has however challenged the Indian claim of surgical strikes and termed it as a “drama to fool Indian people”

  • Pak boy crosses IB, BSF returns him to Rangers

    They said he “inadvertently” crossed the International Border (IB) and came over to the Indian side in search of drinking water from a tube-well as he was thirsty.

    In a noble gesture amid heightened tension between the two countries, the BSF today handed back to Pakistan authorities a 12-year-old boy who had accidentally crossed over to the Indian side in search of drinking water.
    Officials said the the boy identified as Muhammad Tanveer was apprehended by the Border Security Force last evening at the Dona Telu Mal border post in Punjab.

    They said he “inadvertently” crossed the International Border (IB) and came over to the Indian side in search of drinking water from a tube-well as he was thirsty.
    The BSF, officials said, took care of Tanveer overnight and kept him at their camp and early today contacted their Pakistani counterparts so that he could be sent back to his village Dhari in the Kasur district of that country.
    “Tanveer was handed over to the Rangers at about 11:00 AM today as per the policy of handing back inadvertent crossers on humanitarian grounds,” they said.

    An Indian soldier, Chandu Babulal Chavan, is in Pakistan’s custody after he “inadvertently” crossed over last week.
    Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said a well-established mechanism through the DGMO has been activated to bring back Chavan.

  • Pak Parliamentarians issue joint statement: ‘We are united in face of external aggression’

    After offering Fateha for the personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces and the “martyrs of Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir,” it was unanimously resolved

    The Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday chaired a meeting of the Leaders of the Parliamentary parties including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Chairman PPP), Syed Khurshid Ali Shah (Leader of Opposition), Aitzaz Ahsan (PPP), Qamar Zaman Kaif (PPP), Hina Rabbani Khar (PPP), Naveed Qarnar (PPP), Sherry Rehman (PPP), Farhatullah Baba (PPP), Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi (P1-1), Shireen Mazari (PTI), Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar (MQM), Dr. Khalil Maqhool (MOM), Siraj-ul-haq (Ameer JI), Sahibzada Tarig (JI), Sardar Kamal Khan Bangulzai (NP), Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo (NP) Usman Khan Tarakai (Ai-FP), Syed Essa Nori (BNP), Dr. Mr. Ghulab Jamal (FATA), Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri (BNP-AWAMI), Jehanzeb Jamaldini, BNP) Moulana Fazal ur Rehman, Mehmood Khan (JUI-F), Mehmood Khan Achakzai (PKMAP), Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi (President PML-F), Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi MNA (NPP), Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour (ANP) and Kantil Ali Agha (PML-Q).

    After offering Fateha for the personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces and the “martyrs of Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir,” it was unanimously resolved:

     That the people, the government, the political parties and the armed forces of Pakistan are firmly united in supporting the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, as guaranteed to them in the UNSC resolutions.
     That we condemn the continued killings of innocent Kashmiris, which are a grave violation of human rights and of international humanitarian laws.
     Recognising that Indian occupation forces have killed more than 110 innocent civilians, including women and children, and blinded over 700 people by use at-pellet guns in last 87 days.

     That the recent unprovoked Indian aggression and repeated ceasefire violations pose a threat to regional peace and security.
     That we reject Indian efforts to shift the focus from its brutal atrocities to suppress the indigenous uprising of the Kashmiri people for liberation from Indian occupation, to false claims of cross-border terrorism.
     That we deplore the continued use of draconian laws against the Kashmiris and recurring curfews in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir which have aggravated the miseries of the local population, which are in clear violation of all international human rights conventions.
     That we reject the Indian government’s ridiculous claims that Kashmir is an integral pat-t of India, when India itself took the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the UNSC, thereby accepting it as an international dispute between two sovereign UN members.
     That we condemn India’s documented interference in Balochistan, a federating unit of sovereign Pakistan.
     That we condemn the attempts by India to destabilise Pakistan as substantiated by the capture and confession of serving Indian naval officer from RAW, Kulbashan Yadav.
     That we regret Indian designs to scuttle all diplomatic efforts for bilateral and multilateral dialogue, including the refusal to engage constructively at the SAARC forum.
     That we condemn the stated intent by India to use water as a weapon against the people, not only of Pakistan but of the region, in flagrant violation of its international treaty obligations. Any Indian attempts at unilateral revocation shall be taken as an act of aggression.
     That we reject ludicrous Indian claims of carrying out “surgical strikes” across the LoC, as blatantly false and brazen attempts at diverting international attention away from its atrocities in IOK.
     That we appreciate the courage, valour and commitment of successive generations of Kashmiri people for their ongoing struggle for self-determination as promised to them by the international community in UN Security Council resolutions.
     That we applaud the bravery and unwavering commitment of the armed forces of Pakistan for their befitting response to Indian aggression.
     We welcome the decision of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a fact-finding mission to Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and support a similar mission announced by the OIC.
     Recognizing the UN Security Council’s implementation of its resolutions on self-determination for East Timor and South Sudan, we urge the international community, especially the P5, to take concrete steps for implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
     We express Pakistan’s continued and unwavering support to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for self-determination.
     Recognising that Pakistan is engaged in an unprecedented war against terrorism and violent extremism, we reiterate our resolve to implement the NAP in letter and spirit as agreed to in the last APC.
     We call upon the PM to forge national unity to deal with external threats and in that spirit all current national issues be resolved so as to build democratic and parliamentary inclusion.
     We reiterate our commitment to standing resolute and united in the face of external aggression and all threats to regional peace and security.
    COURTESY DAWN

  • Govt to ramp up autonomy of higher education institutions

    Naeem Akhtar asks KU, JU to initiate academic reforms in tune with market needs

    SRINAGAR: Calling for expediting reforms in the higher education, Minister of Education, Naeem Akhtar today said the government will further strengthen financial autonomy of the State’s Universities to ensure quality education to the students.

    The Minister was speaking at a meeting to discuss financial reforms in the University of Kashmir and University of Jammu. He said the government has taken up various steps to increase the base of higher education and raise the quality of academia to global standards.

    The meeting was attended by Vice Chancellors of Kashmir and Jammu University, Commissioner Secretary Finance, Commissioner Secretary Higher Education and other officials.

    The Minister assured the Vice Chancellors that the government will provide full support to both the universities in their endeavor to raise new infrastructure, start new courses, improve the curricula, begin new research projects and other steps.

    The Vice Chancellors raised concern that the annual hike in their budget from state government is limited to 10 percent which has a potential to arrest the growth of the universities due to inability to hire new faculty. The Minister assured the meeting that the state government will devise a financial model where Universities will be encouraged to raise their own resources whereas any deficit will be covered through the state budget.

    The Minister asked the Universities to expedite the reforms in education by removing those faculty positions of subjects that are outdated and adding the new faculty positions that are in vogue in market. He said the need of the hour is to produce job creators and not job seekers besides producing human resource that will bring positive change to entire socio-economic scenario of the state.

  • Family living in a rented accommodation appeals Army to vacate their house

    Bandipora: From past 10 years a family from North Kashmir has been living in a rented house in Bandipora after in 2006, Indian Army unit from 13 Rashtirya Rifles according to them forcibly occupied their one storey residential house located in Argam village of the district.

    “It was March 4, 2006, when Army personnel forcibly entered into my house and occupied it and since then all my efforts to retrieve the house have proved futile as neither authorities nor the Army is ready to help me. I along with my wife and three daughters have been staying in a rented house in Bandipora,” Naseer Ahmed Khan who had arrived in Press Enclave Srinagar along with documents told news agency CNS.

    He said that Rent Assessment Committee Bandipora in 2008 had asked Army to clear the rent of the house and: “under that assessment Army is bound to pay Rs 19,8912 as rent to me, but till date I have not received a single penny from them.”

    The Argam resident said that he doesn’t need or demand rent from the Army but wants Army to vacate from his house. “Army didn’t oblige to the orders of Deputy Commissioner Bandipora when he directed them to relocate their camp to some other place,” he said and appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to look into the matter.

    When contacted an Army official from 13 RR told CNS that they will look into the matter. (CNS)

  • Surgical thread tied with instrument removed after 5 months from woman’s body

    Srinagar: A woman found out the brutal pain coming from her bladder was a surgical instrument left in her body five months ago, according to Block Medical Officer Pattan Dr Manzoor Hakim.

    Raja Begum wife of Abdul Ahad Tantray, a resident of Sherpora Pattan area of North Kashmir checked into Sub-District Hospital complaining of severe pain- only to find out that the cause of the discomfort was a surgical thread tied with an instrument left over from when she had been operated by Doctors at SMHS Hospital Srinagar some five months ago.

    “I was admitted at SMHS Hospital five months ago under MRD number 65024. The doctor whom I don’t know removed my gallbladder and since then I was suffering from severe pain,” Raja Begum told news agency CNS.

    “She was in pain and then an X-ray found the surgical thread inside her body. We removed that thread during a two-and-a-half-hour operation,” BMO Pattan Dr Manzoor Hakim said.

    The husband of the affected woman said that they are now considering legal action against the doctors at SMHS hospital Srinagar. (CNS)