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  • High Court orders closure of liquor shop near Batwara by April 25

    Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Wednesday directed closure of a wine outlet on Srinagar-Jammu highway at Batwara here in five days.
    A single bench of the court comprising Justice R Sudhakar ordered the government through Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to file compliance on closure of the wine shop housed in hotel CH2, opposite children’s hospital, at Batwara here by April 25.
    The court was hearing a plea filed by residents of Shivpora who have authorized one Bilal Ahmad Bhat for conducting the case on their behalf before the court.
    They pleaded that the government has failed to implement directions of the Supreme Court, banning sale of liquor from an outlet visible from national  or state  highway.
    “The residents have suffered immensely on account of presence of liquor shop due to which most of the times ruckus is caused by the drunkards in the vicinity subjecting the petitioners to live a life of constant fear and threat,” they said.

  • Everything is Fair in Love And War: Ram Madhav on ‘Human Shield’ Video

    Architect of the BJP-PDP alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav speaks to CNN-News18’s Shreya Dhoundial about the situation in the Valley. The BJP general secretary talks about the violence during the by-poll in Srinagar constituency, and justifies the controversial video in which armed forces are seen using a Kashmiri man as shield in front of their jeep. Edited excerpts:

    Shreya Dhoundial (SD): The Kashmir Valley is on the boil once again and complicating matters are ministers in the government who are saying ‘pathhar ka jawab bullet se dena chahiye’. Do you agree with such point of view?

    Ram Madhav (RM): No… I disagree with this statement. The politicians better leave these matters to security forces. They know how to handle the situation. I disapprove of such public utterances by political leaders. Having said it, I agree with you that Kashmir situation is certainly troubling all of us.

    SD: There is a battle of narratives going on in the valley. We have seen two videos play out over and over again on television screens. In one of these videos, a civilian is seen tied to the bonnet of an Army jeep as human shield. Do you think the young major responsible for this act should be punished?

    RM: First of all, one has to understand the kind of situations our security forces face in the valley. In this particular case, the young major was left with two options. One was to allow the mob to lynch 50 civilians and closely equal number of security personnel there… allow the people to overpower them and do whatever they wanted. The other option was to indulge in indiscriminate firing because he had 10 personnel with him. He could have used them to indiscriminately shoot people and kill them.

    I compliment the major for not allowing both these things to happen. In either scenario, there would have been huge loss of human life. He tried to avoid that. If I were to blame anybody today for that scenario, it would be those who were responsible for failing to send reinforcements when the situation was critical and it was informed to the seniors. The reinforcements could not reach in time. One can try and take a moral position on what he did was right or wrong. In a war and love, everything is fair.

    SD: Are you suggesting that there is a war happening in Jammu and Kashmir?

    RM: War-like situation emerges when 900 to 1000 people with heavy stones stand in the way, you are left with only two options. Go and crush them, indulge in some kind of killing spree, which that young major avoided. I will compliment him for the decision he took. He saved the lives of the people in the police station, the officials and also his own boys, while not allowing any civilian casualties.

    SD: A lot of commentary on the social media all over the world has been on the human rights of the Kashmiris. What about human rights of the civilian who was used as human shield?

    RM: Those who talk about human rights, everybody knows what they do all over the world. What America is doing, what Russia is doing… so let them stop giving lectures about human rights.

    SD: These are not Americans and Russians. What about Indians voicing their opinion?

    RM: No, since you used the phrase all over the world, I said we are not bothered about what world thinks about us today. We are bothered about saving the life of every single person in the Valley. In fact, I would say that this young major has protected the right to life of a large number of people, both who were in the police station, his boys, as well as the youngsters who were misled into indulging into stone pelting and all. He has protected the lives of the people, he has protected the human rights of the people. In the process, yes, he had to take one harsh decision which nobody wants. Who wants such a situation to be allowed to happen? Nobody wants it. But in order to protect the human rights of many more, if one person’s human rights are assumed to be violated or curbed, I think leave that judgment to the major.

    SD: There are many retired Army Generals who have gone on record saying this one image will haunt the Indian Army for years to come. Do you agree?

    RM: Fair enough. People can have different views. That was the instant reaction of many people, I know, when the video was flashed out. Flashed out in a very dramatic manner by irresponsible politicians, who always have become famous for being irresponsible on social media. When they flashed out those news items, there was immediate reaction by many well-meaning people also. But I am sure after understanding the whole situation, probably they will also revisit their own statements. Even otherwise, let them… I mean in a democracy everyone is entitled to his view.

    SD: Is it fair to interpret that the government is backing the young major?

    RM: Government is committed to maintaining peace. We do not want a dead body a day, which the militants want, which the Hurriyat wants. They only want it so that they can perpetuate their agitation in the valley. They are the real violators of human rights, they use people as human shields. Instead of questioning them, you are questioning a major who has saved the lives of many people in a very critical situation.

    SD: In a second video, armed CRPF man were heckled, hit and kicked. But they didn’t respond. The narrative that has played out is that it was a great story of restraint. But is that the image you want to go out to the rest of the world about our armed forces?

    RM: No, that image, that video shows the kind of unruliness that prevails in the valley. Let people understand that before making a judgment about what the major did is right or wrong. Let them understand that is the kind of unruliness, violent atmosphere that prevails in the valley. Again, in this case, I would say, I would partly blame those who have failed to provide the reinforcements when you have the responsibility of safely taking the ballet boxes (EVMs) to the district headquarters, you’d have enough security forces available to do that. And you have allowed the youth to mock the people, physically assault them. It is very unfortunate. Somewhere down the line, I blame our security establishment in its failure. Nobody can tolerate such things. But yes, we compliment the CRPF jawans in such a scenario that they preferred that ‘my first priority is to protect democracy’.

    SD: What is going on in the valley according to your assessment? You are the point person for the government of Jammu and Kashmir. Polling percentage of 7% and 2%. Young boys in school uniforms throwing stones at security personnel. Last year, you had said we were not prepared. This time too, the government is not looking more prepared. What is going wrong?

    RM: Well, I said in the beginning itself that the situation in Kashmir is certainly a cause of concern for all of us. Not just for us in the ruling party. I think every right thinking Indian is concerned with what is happening in the Valley today. Remember, six to seven months ago we had Anantnag Assembly by-polls. We had 80% polling. Mehbooba won with more majority than her own father, Mufti Saheb used to get. That was the kind of climate 6 to 7 months ago. This after the stone pelting and all. But 6 months down the line, we are faced with a situation where we conducted the election in Srinagar with great difficulty, low percentage of polling. And today, the second phase of elections in Anantnag had to be postponed to sometime in May. There is definitely a change in the situation in the valley. Now we are the ruling party, we cannot go and blame somebody else. We are the ruling party (coalition) in the state. We are the ruling party at the Centre. We have to take the responsibility for it, and we have to try and improve the situation. I am telling you, to the people today, that we are committed to handling the situation in a manner that would not allow these separatists and their sponsors across the border to take advantage of it. We will handle it.

    SD: You are saying very confidently that you will handle it, but where is the government? It was missing in action last time when violence broke out. It’s missing this time as well. The situation in the valley is almost like civilians Vs the security forces. The political establishment, which should have been there taking stock of the situation, calming tempers down, is missing.

    RM: I disagree with you, the PDP-BJP government in the state is trying its best to undertake a number of development projects so that people get benefit out of them. Also, trying to do its best to maintain law & order in the state.

    SD: Aren’t they failing miserably?

    RM: I agree with you. I agree that’s why I repeatedly said that somewhere down the line security establishment and the state government need to be more cautious, more proactive. We needed to do better there, we needed to do better to improve the situation. When Srinagar election happened, half of the central forces could not reach because of the landslides and road blockade at the Banihal Pass. With meager forces, the state government was forced to conduct the polls. There were situations that had led to this kind of an atmosphere in the valley that we have to take that into account. It’s our responsibility we cannot run away, that is what I am saying we will do it.

    SD: You were one of the architects of the alliance between the BJP and the PDP. Has the alliance become a liability now?

    RM: Look, this whole question, is not about alliance or alliance government. There is a challenge to the Indian state, there is a challenge to Indian national unity and integrity. Whatever violence is happening in the state is not about the state government. If you are asking me as to whether the BJP-PDP state government has done enough to control the situation, I am ready to admit that we could have done better. We should do better and it is our responsibility. We can’t blame anybody else because we are the ruling party. But if you ask me if it is a liability, I say no. We are together with a purpose, which is to provide good governance to the state. Our government, both the parties, are striving utmost to deliver. Situation is difficult but such situations have been there in the Valley so many times before.

    SD: Some commentators are saying the situation is almost like the ’80s when militancy began. Do you agree?

    RM: Look, commentators can say anything. Those who are saying it is back to ’80s probably would have not seen ’80s at all. I am saying that in 2017, the situation is much different. Today, there is a large role of social media in promoting violence and separatism in the valley. We have to tackle that and this new-style stone pelting, which the youth have started using in the last 6-7 years also needs to be tackled differently. The whole purpose of the separatist leaders is that they just want one dead body a day, they use it to provoke more emotions and more violence. We have to maintain our calm, maintain our balance and still manage to control the situation.

    SD: Is India losing the social media battle in the valley?

    RM: No not at all, social media is a medium which cannot make you win or lose any situation on its own. It can complicate situations, it has the potential to complicate it. Are you suggesting that if we win on social media, we win over Kashmir? It does not work that way, social media plays a role of complicating your problem, which is happening in the valley today.

    SD: And we have not been able to control it?

    RM: We have to work proactively on the social media front. We have been discussing with the concerned ministries, concerned departments that we have to be more proactive but that is not going to decide whether you win or lose Kashmir.

    Courtesy: CNN-News18

  • Govt attaches Pulwama College Principal

    Srinagar: The government has attached the Principal of Government Degree College Pulwama following the assault on students by forces this week that evoked widespread students’ protests and condemnation across Kashmir.
    The principal, Professor Abdul Hamid Sheikh, has been attached to Director Colleges yesterday “till pending inquiry” and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir will inquire into the incidents that led to protests and submit the report to the department within seven days, sources in the Higher Education Department told KNS.
    Sources said that a senior most teacher of the college will replace him as head of the college. As per sources, “no reason” has been given for his attachment.
    The principal was not available for comments.
    Meanwhile, the college has submitted the information about the sequence of events that led to the assault of students which provoked students to protests and clashes.
    At least 54 students were injured in the college in clashes between students and forces in Pulwamaon Saturday. Though the police had said that students of the college pelted their vehicles with stones, the college authorities had said that police barged into the college premises assaulted the students.
    The principal had “pleaded” before the police not to barge into the premises. However, his pleased were not “listened to”.
    On Monday, widespread protests were held by students of universities, colleges and higher secondary schools, forcing the government to shut down educational institutions for two days. However, the protests continue today in Sopore, Baramulla, Kangan and Bandipora. (KNS)

  • Authorities to ban social media in Kashmir Decision to be announced soon

    Srinagar: The authorities have decided to block social media in Kashmir after the recent circulation of videos and live streaming of incidents, which are believed to lead widespread protests in volatile Kashmir valley.
    Sources told KNS that the decision will be taken “soon” to ban the social media in Kashmir valley, rather than shutting down the internet repeatedly after any volatile situation arises in the region.
    The authorities have been shutting down internet in the Valley off and on after last year’s uprising and recently during by-polls for Srinagar parliamentary seat after protests and killings of eight youth on the polling day.
    The internet bandwidth has been of the internet has been reduced to use of 2G only after the recent students protests on assault by forces on Government college in Pulwama town.
    “The decision to ban social media will be announced soon. The government is, principally, of the view that social media has been creating volatile situation in Kashmir. To avoid the spread of rumours, panicky situation and spread of fake news that leads to violence and protests, we are forces to take the decision,” a senior minister in the government told KNS.
    “We are forced to take this decision as any action or medium that is a deteriorating peace and security and proving fatal for people requires to be acted upon,” the minister added.
    A security official told KNS that the security agencies have been mulling from some time to block access to social media like Facebook, WhatsApp and other sites which are in use across the world. (KNS)

  • Resistance camp calls for peaceful protests after Friday prayers

    Srinagar: Resistance leadership on Wednesday condemned use of ‘brute force’ against students and called peaceful protest after Friday prayers on Apr 21.
    Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik in a joint statement issued, while criticizing state administration for invading educational institutions and assaulting students, said “it is absolute state terrorism.”
    “We won’t allow any depraved action against our youngsters. Students are future of our nation, said leadership while hailing student community for their exemplary valor. People thorough boycott declared their verdict and this frustrated Delhi and its henchmen,” said leadership.
    They said that “after the flop show of parliamentary bye-elections, the forces were infuriated, used unwanted force against protesting students and ‘barged into Pulwama College and thrashed students without any justification.”
    ”We pay our salute and are all praise for our young generation for their bravery. They stand guarantee for our promising and bright future and that is the reason that Delhi feels scare about this development,” said leadership.
    Referring to ‘repressive measures’ employed by Indian authorities, the pro-freedom leadership said that “though they tried their hard to bargain our interests, however they failed.”
    Ridiculing state cabinet for their plea for maintenance of peace, the leadership said that “it is the forces and state police that is creating anarchy and lawlessness and resorting to brute and callous approach against peace-loving people of state.”
    “The rulers instead of calling people for maintenance of peace should check and restrict their forces,” said resistance leadership.
    Blaming forces for unleashing terror across state, leadership said that “on fateful day of Apr9, forces killed eight innocents, used force against peaceful students while injuring scores.”
    “It is undeclared martial law and state has been virtually handed over to forces, said they and forces feel free to kill anybody whosoever comes in their way. Till now no one was asked for his wrongdoings nor they were brought to book,” said leadership.
    “They are law unto themselves, while referring to forces and no accountability exits,” said leaders.
    Referring to an incident in which a youth was used as human shield, the leadership said that “those involved in this gruesome act, instead of making him accountable, is being encouraged. It is shameful act that said officer is being portrayed as hero,” they said.
    Strongly criticizing NC, PDP and other pro-Indian parties, the leadership said that “their conscience is nowhere and rather it is gone. They are pursuing power politics and least care about innocent people.”
    “We are with you,” said leadership while addressing student community and nation stands with you.
    They asked people to hold protest and demonstrate solidarity with student community on coming Friday.

  • Mehbooba Mufti visits injured Iqra in SMHS

    SRINAGAR, APRIL 19: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti this evening visited SMHS hospital Srinagar and enquired about the condition of Iqra, a student of BCom 1st Year of Nawa Kadal College Srinagar who was injured during the student protests on Monday.

    The Chief Minister directed the hospital administration to provide all advanced medical treatment to Iqra adding that if need be she can be shifted outside the state for treatment.

    Wishing her a speedy recovery, Mebooba Mufti also announced that the Government will take responsibility of educational needs of Iqra and her future job prospects.

    The Chief Minister appealed the people to help restore peace and normalcy in the Valley to ensure smooth academic, economic and tourism activities. She said Kashmir already witnessed tragic human, educational and economic loss and it can’t afford be pushed into perpetual disempowerment and darkness.

  • Online abuse a modern-day weapon to silence women: Barkha Dutt

    Barkha Dutt

    I have been called a whore, a ‘randi’, ‘c***”, bitch and ‘presstitute” on Twitter and other social media platforms so often that now I barely notice it. It is not unusual for me to get tweets that go like this: “Tum agar randi bhi ban jaogi, phir bhi tujhe koi nahi ch*****” (even if you become a prostitute, no one will have sex with you). My mobile number has been shared publicly on multiple online platforms urging people to send me abusive and threatening messages.

    I have been married off to men who either don’t exist or who do but have had no romantic connection to me. Even my Wikipedia profile is routinely edited (despite formal complaints to them) to describe me as married to these men. The tweets about my fictional husbands have underlined that the men were Muslim by way of explaining my secularism — which, of course, is a word used as a slur. When I started publicly rebutting the rumours, with anger, humour and exasperation, the internet entries were amended to say I was “twice divorced.”

    Falsehoods aside, why isn’t anyone discussing the marriages, divorces, and affairs of my male colleagues? Why the fixation with my private life? Because, the public scrutiny of women — and especially those of us who are proudly ambitious and fiercely independent — is very different from the standards used to measure men. And the subtext is always sexual. How you look, what you weigh, your sexual morality, and the men in your life — or the lack thereof. It is within these contours that they, the lynch mobs of the virtual world, come hunting in packs for the women they disapprove of. There are females among the assaulters too because misogyny is the one thing that truly is gender-neutral. “Presstitute”, that insult of choice online, is a gendered smear, no matter which way you slice it. Quite aside of the debate it raises about how you view sex-workers, the very origin of the affront seeks to link integrity and sexuality.

    And no, there is nothing that is considered beyond the pale of decency. When I decided to go public about my experience with child sexual abuse — a choice which for every woman is first a battle with your own demons — among the gems in the reactions from my social media trolIs, was this.

    “Barka Dutt ‘tujhe to meri gali ka kutta bhi na dekhe, mardon ki to baat hi chhod de’ (Even the dog in the alley behind my house wouldn’t look at you, forget about men). Even in this age when some live in a make-believe world of post-feminism, molestation was repeatedly linked to desire and not the coarse abuse of power that it is. And then there was also this. “Every feminist has a rape fantasy nowadays, it’s so easy and cheap to get popular.”

    While on the subject, rape threats to women are startlingly commonplace on social media. Once again, we forget that rape is a weapon of mass control; an age-old atavistic assertion of male power. It has nothing to do with sex, other than to use it as a vehicle of abuse. Yet, on forums like Twitter, rape threats are treated like a privilege bestowed on you. If you remain silent, you are complicit in normalising it; if you call them out — as I have several times — you are once again told as I was: “Who would rape you?”

    Yet, not just are we required to have “skins as thick as that of a rhinoceros” — as Hillary Clinton once told me — we are expected to not even protest, because to do so is apparently to play victim. And as tough women, God forbid if we ever come across as whiny! So even though we can see that the trolling for us is sexually abusive in language and patently violent in thought, we have internalised it, as a sign of the times.

    I did try the route of a criminal complaint once after being stalked and abused on WhatsApp groups and cold- called because my number was shared widely on social media. A man, using proxy servers, would call several times a day, sometimes with a group of men also cackling and sneering into the phone and threaten to rape and kill me. I appeared dutifully before a Delhi magistrate. I was provided security for a short while. No one was ever able to crack the case.

    Frankly, now, trolling has become part of my daily life. I don’t even notice it any more; that’s how dangerously inured I have become to the gross innuendo and violent and sexually explicit abuse that is heaped on so many women. But this is so wrong. And our silence — my silence, my numbed weary acceptance of it or even my defiant engagement with it — is a disservice to all our women. Because in the end, trolling is a modern-day weapon of patriarchs; an attempt to control, intimidate and eventually silence women, all of us who think for ourselves.

    Barkha Dutt is an award-winning journalist and author. This piece is part of HT’s new campaign, Let’s Talk About Trolls, which focuses sharp attention on online abuse and bullying.

  • Kashmiri woman develops App to help foreign tourists traveling India

    A  Kashmiri woman living in India has developed a mobile application with another person to help foreign tourists who need assistance for their travel across the country.

    Foreign tourists have many questions before they decide to travel to India. Because of the travel advisories and stories in media, they think about their safety before planning their visit to India.

    “We developed an application for assistance to foreign tourists. And provide assistance and distress management service to the tourists who connect with us,” says Moqierish Tak, who is the cofounder with Harish Khatri of India Assists app. Moqierish Tak is from the Anantnag district of Kashmir.

    The assistance is provided to the tourists in distressing situations like theft, medical complications, transit problems or altercation with someone.

    “A tourist first enrolls with us through a call, then a call is generated to our customer care through the app,” she says.

    “We provide phone assistance allover India.  But ground service is provided in Jaipur, Delhi and Agra cities,” she says.

    “We help them by connecting them to concerned authorities,” she says.

    The app is available on Android phones and will be available on IoS soon.

    The duo is in talks with the Kashmir tourism authorities and wants to provide assistance to the visitors who visit the tourist-heaven.

    “We are discussing the idea with Kashmir tourism authorities,” she says.

    Know the founders?​

    Muqierish Tak (Co-Founder)

    The dynamic professional has been associated with Sports and Event Management since 2010. She has managed the Commonwealth Games- Delhi 2010, Lusofania Games- Goa 2013 and many other major events. A Mathematics Hons. Graduate from Delhi University, she has a Masters’ degree in International Sports Management from Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK.

    Harish Khatri (Founder)

    A visionary who founded Redwood Media in 2010 with a vast experience of 12 years in managing renowned and big ticket events. He was also a one of the founding member of GroupM ESP and worked as Regional Head- Deccan Charges.

    Now as a founder of CarRentalAssist.com and India Assist, Harish has made a mark in travel and tourism industry.

    KNS/ KASHMIR MAGAZINE/ KASHMIR TODAY

     

  • Two wrongs never make a right

    To justify 2016 killings by saying same happened in 2010 isn’t right way to go, as two wrongs never make a right. Former Chief Minister and opposition National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah in an exclusive interview Omar Abdullah, talks about the current political situation, his party’s alliance with Congress and lesson he learnt from 2010 uprising

    Here are excerpts:

    Q: How do you view prevailing political situation in J&K especially after the recent surge of BJP in state elections in UP and other states?

    BJP’s surge in other states has limited implications for Jammu and Kashmir as its presence is confined to Jammu province and Ladakh. So there is no real need for us at this point of time to assess BJP’s ground state in the state. If everything goes as per schedule, the nearest elections in J&K is 2019 Parliament polls. Lots can change between now and then. To assess BJP today, I think is premature. Yes they have received a boost by their victory in UP, but as I said things change.

    Q: By-elections for two Parliament constituencies in Kashmir are due and you have entered into an alliance with Congress. Why so?

    It is not an alliance but seat sharing agreement. Alliance is normally for forming government. We have entered into a tactical understanding with Congress whereby we will field one candidate in Srinagar and they will field one from Anantnag.

    Q:  Voices are emerging that National Conference has conceded south Kashmir to Congress as in 2014 Lok Sabha polls NC had fielded candidates from all three Valley seats despite being in alliance with the Congress?

    It is not a question of conceding south Kashmir to Congress. Basically it is a tactics. It is no more a concession of Srinagar to National Conference by the Congress and then it is a NC to Congress in south Kashmir. We know where we are strong and where they (Congress) are strong. If you look at the ground situation today and given the current upsurge in south Kashmir and particularly in Pulwama, Shopian and parts of Kulgam, looking at all these factors we decided that it was the best option.

    Q: Whom would you blame for the current spell of militancy in Kashmir?

    At the end of the day, the ball is in the hands of the state government. They are the ones responsible for maintain security, peace and calm. And if there is any surge in the militancy or deterioration of law and order situation, obviously primary responsibility and the blame falls on the Chief Minister and her government.

    Q: In last year’s uprising nearly 100 people, mostly youth were killed, and thousands others were injured. People question how can NC in opposition criticise the PDP-led government when they did the same in 2010 when you were Chief Minister. How would you defend?

    If two wrongs make a right, then it is fine. But the fact is that very costly lessons, and I mean costly in terms of human lives, were learnt in 2010 agitation. Those lessons allowed us to ensure relative peace and calm in remaining four years of NC-Congress government. We ensured that past mistakes were not repeated. It allowed us to have a reasonably successful Parliament and Assembly elections in 2014.  I am not for a moment suggesting that we need to ignore or forget what happened in 2010. Nobody can. I personally can’t and never will and I am sure that is true for most of the people. But to suggest that because something happened in 2010 and that justifies what happened in 2016 is also wrong. If the lessons we had learnt in 2010 and had been implemented by Mehbooba Mufti and her government in 2016, we would not have this problem.

    Today I am not in power and I don’t think anything will be gained by continuously asking me to explain what happened in 2010. Or anyway trying to justify at all what happened. The fact is that it is the current government that needs to explain its failures, its acts of omissions and commissions and why it allowed the situation to deteriorate to the point where it was last year.

    Q: 2010 happened, 2016 happened. What is that the guarantee such situations won’t happen in future?

    It is a hypothetical question. There is no guarantee. Can you guarantee anything in life? Can you guarantee anyone sitting in this room will be alive tomorrow?

    Q: Then isn’t blaming the NC government in 2010 and PDP government in 2016 playing politics over dead bodies?

    Why isn’t it right? Didn’t you hold me responsible and accountable for 2010, you did. By that logic don’t you have to hold current government responsible for 2016? Because the similar situation may arise in future, doesn’t mean you can absolve the current dispensation. The fat is that what happened in 2016 was the result of successive failures at the state government level, compounded by failures at central government level. They have to be held responsible. God forbid if a similar situation happens in future, whoever is in power, we will demand accountability from him/her. But let us hope and pray situation like this doesn’t happen in future.

    Q:  As leader of opposition, what according to you is the immediate solution to the crisis and chaos in Kashmir?

    There is no immediate solution. If there would have been, it would have been found long time ago. The problem is so deep rooted that there is no immediate solution to any of the ills. But there are certain steps that can be taken. First and foremost is an expression of desire on the part of the central government to actually talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. When I say talk with the people of Kashmir that doesn’t mean Mehbooba Mufti and PM Modi meeting in a room in Delhi or Home Minister and Chief Minister meeting in Delhi. I mean actual long term sustained dialogue between Delhi and all shades of opinion in Kashmir. But that is not happening.

    Everybody accepts the problems that arise due to the use of pellet guns. We received assurances from everybody that it will be relooked at. But today we hear that number of pellet guns have been increased by four or five times. Basic SOPs that need to be followed around encounter sites to ensure that collateral damage to property doesn’t happen, that “stray bullets” don’t hit people. If you don’t follow SOPs to make sure that needless deaths don’t happen, then who do we blame? These are the sort of things, which may appear to be very simplistic, but actually if implemented will help to gradually reduce levels of anger. There are various reasons to this anger. We need to understand it which unfortunately neither central government nor the state government has tried to do. It is very easy to bran all protesters anti-national. These are the same people who two years ago were willing to come out and vote. Suddenly today you are telling them you are “anti-nationals.”

    Q: You blame the present government for failure to initiate a dialogue with separatists and Pakistan. But the matter of fact is that the dialogue process had been derailed when you were Chief Minister?

    No that isn’t true. The dialogue between the New Delhi and the separatists resumed when I was the Chief Minister and Mr Chidambaram was (Union) Home Minister. There was a track II dialogue between the separatists and New Delhi.  Subsequently, the appointment of interlocutors took place. I agree top leaders of separatists didn’t meet them, but middle rung leaders met them, whether in Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch or Rajouri. To suggest that no dialogue took place in my tenure is wrong. Yes if there is something which you can hold us guilty is that we didn’t follow up interlocutors report. It was not discussed in the Parliament. Even Mr Chidambaram has said that he regrets it. But to suggest that nothing happened when we were in power isn’t correct.

    Q: You said in October 2011 that AFSPA will go in your tenure only. Do you regret that you couldn’t keep your promise?

    Off course I have. That was an optimum time. Violence was so much lower, there were areas where militancy had ended. And that was the time when we could have taken the risky decision. Atleast selected areas could have got out of the purview of the AFSPA which would have helped. But again unfortunately it didn’t happen.

    Q: Is now the time to repeal AFSPA?

    It is not for me to say. If you couldn’t do it when the levels of violence were lower, how could you do it when there is higher violence. Areas which had been cleared of militancy are today showing the signs of revival of militancy. Local recruitment into militancy has increased. In this situation, if you could repeal the AFSPA, I will be the first person to congratulate you.

    Q: Coming to Parliament by-elections. Some politicians in other states of the country have alleged that electronic voting machines are being tampered. Do you subscribe to this theory?

    The problem with us raising doubts about the EVMs is that we only raise it when we lose elections. I am yet to see a person who has won an election and raised doubts about the authenticity of the EVMs. But yes people raising doubts about EVMs should worry the Election Commission. They should go the extra mile to reassure the people that there is no possibility of tampering or rigging. And I believe one of the ways is to ensure that all EVMs are the ones which have printout of the vote. I believe that going forward Election Commission should scrap all the old EVMs and only implement the usage of those EVMs which give you a printed receipt of your vote. But as I said when complaints of rigging and tampering come from only those people who lose elections, there is less credibility in these allegations.

    Q: During last year’s unrest, NC and Congress as an opposition went to Delhi and highlighted the Kashmir problem with the Prime Minister, the President and other national leaders. But since then, there has been no forward movement from the opposition. Reasons:

    That is not true at all. Whether it was our delegation to Delhi or subsequently when Home Minister led delegation visited Kashmir or even more recently concluded Budget session which issue of people we didn’t highlight. We have continuously been highlighting issues and pressing for acceptance of the political nature of Kashmir problem. But the fact is that we can only push from here. AT the end of the day it has to be the government which has to take the initiative. We can’t take delegation to Prime Minister every day.

    Q: How do you see situation turning up in Kashmir in 2017?

    I am concerned in terms of militancy. The level of local recruitment into militancy is a worry. I hope we don’t see similar summer agitation like last year. Tourism numbers have been very depressing this year. Even now booking are not very high. But hopefully once tulips bloom and relative calm is maintained, people will start coming. Normally after a bad summer, following year the number of tourist arrivals are less

    KNS/ KASHMIR MAGAZINE/ KASHMIR TODAY

  • Over 50 students hurt in Pulwama clash

    Pulwama: Over 50 students were injured in a clash with security personnel today over the setting up of a checkpoint near Government Degree College (Boys), Pulwama, in south Kashmir.The clash erupted outside the college when some students allegedly started throwing stones at a CRPF vehicle that was parked outside the gate.Eyewitnesses alleged that soon after the vehicle was spotted at the college gate, the students started protesting against it.“After the protest erupted, the police at the gate started firing teargas shells in retaliation. Many students resorted to stone-throwing,” said a student, while accusing the police of “excesses” on them.A medical official from Pulwama said about 54 students injured in the clash were brought to District Hospital, Pulwama, and six were shifted to the Primary Health Centre, Newa.The official said five among the injured were referred to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar. “Four of the injured from the District Hospital and one from the health centre were shifted to the SMHS,” the official said.Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Mohammad Rayees Bhat said the students threw stones at security personnel who had laid a checkpoint, about 200 m away from the gate of the Pulwama college. “The students threw stones on the CRPF and police personnel who in retaliation fired teargas canisters to control the situation,” he said, adding that more police teams were sent to prevent further escalation in the situation.Meanwhile, many parents also assembled near the principal’s office. Accusing him of collaborating with the the security forces, they blamed him for the fracas on the college premises. They also questioned the need for a checkpoint near the college.