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With the govt and Hurriyat not showing any signs of moving from their set position, senior journalist Bashir Manzar says the Valley is in for a bad time.

It seems the government and the Hurriyat are in a race to deny our children education,’’ rued Bashir Manzar, editor of the Srinagar daily Kashmir Images. At a talk arranged by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai on Saturday, the senior journalist spoke despairingly about the closure of educational institutions and the burning of 25 schools in the Kashmir Valley, since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by security forces on July 8.

The entire Valley followed the weekly bandh calendar set by the Hurriyat, whose leader S A S Geelani had declared that it was unsafe for Kashmiri children to attend school. However, some parents’ associations had met Geelani recently, said Manzar, as they didn’t want their children to lose a year.

Manzar blamed the government for “lack of compassion” towards the people of Kashmir. Nearly 100 youngsters have died, mostly by pellet guns, and 3,000 injured in the protests that followed Wani’s killing. “Yet, the government showed no remorse, not even an acknowledgement that it had used excessive force,” said Manzar. “Yes, stones were thrown on the security forces, but can pellets, which blind and even kill, be the answer to stones and rocks?”

Kashmiris were asking why no pellet guns were used against Jats in Haryana and Patels in Gujarat, whose protests had also been violent, added Manzar.

According to Manzar, Wani’s killing was the last straw for Kashmiris who had been seething ever since the PDPBJP alliance came to power in January 2015. As it is, for the last 20 years, there was anger that neither the State’s Chief Secretary, nor the chief of police, had been a Kashmiri. But the December 2014 Assembly elections had been fought on only one slogan: “Keep Narendra Modi out.” That was why the PDP had received a massive mandate.

When it allied with the BJP, said Manzar, Kashmiris felt betrayed and apprehensive that the RSS was now ruling them. A series of incidents: the refusal of BJP ministers to fly the Kashmiri flag on their official cars; their proposal to set up Sainik colonies knowing that no non-Kashmiri is allowed to buy land there; the challenge to Art 370 in the Delhi High Court; and finally the killing of a truck driver in Udhampur on the suspicion that he was transporting beef, had set the Valley on edge.

Manzar recounted meeting an old man in Srinagar who was out on the streets with the young stone-pelters. “We have to fight, else the RSS will come and put tikas on our foreheads,” the man explained to Manzar.

But Manzar was also critical of the Hurriyat. With everything closed for three months, fatigue had started setting in, and people had started moving out for work a few weeks back. However, two auto rickshaws and two taxis were burnt for defying the bandh. “There was no condemnation of this by Geelani,” pointed out Manzar. “His silence validated this violence against people who simply wanted to go back to earning their livelihood.”

With winter round the corner, and the shifting of the capital to Jammu, MAnzar felt the Valley was in for a bad time. Every section was struggling to make ends meet: be it fruit traders, shopkeepers or shikara owners. But neither the government nor the Hurriyat showed any signs of moving from their set positions. It was obvious that the government wanted to tire the protesters out, said Manzar; but the Hurriyat seemed to have no new strategy to keep the movement going.

Manzar traced the alienation of Kashmiris to 1953, when Kashmir’s Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah was put into prison for 11 years. Since then, the only Prime Minister to have reached out to Kashmiris was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said. “In his first public meeting in Srinagar he acknowledged that Kashmiris had been wronged; that democracy had never reached us. And he declared his willingness to talk to Pakistan.” (Mumbai Mirror)

New Delhi: The Centre has told the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure security at schools and make efforts to resume studies hit for over four months due to the ongoing unrest.

‘Tall claims of ministerial heads to be seriously concerned about education of our youth’

Srinagar: Terming the blinding of yet another 3 teenagers by pallets at Ruhmu Pulwama as barbaric, Hurriyat Conference (G) said that shrapnel’s of Indian army cease to blunt even after slaughtering thousands of our men for the last 7 decades particularly past 115 days.
In a statement issued to KNS, Hurriyat (G) said that tall claims of ministerial heads to be seriously concerned about the education of our youth, is nullified by the ruthless killings and blinding of these girls. Hurriyat said that how can these liars face the grief stricken parents of hundreds of innocents, from Insha to Ifra, as they continue to cripple our coming generation for the lust and greed of their power.
While giving the details of the incident at Ruhmu Pulwama, Hurriyat said that in the village army and police started house to house searches and resorted to the brutal and inhuman beating of people and villagers protested against this high headedness and hatred of rogues in uniform, who started pushing their triggers to convey the clear “date sheet” to these young girls on to where and when they have to get operated.
Hurriyat said that these are the unending blessings of the Indian “Democracy” as in this piece of land with “special status” a special definition of democracy is practiced, and we are being treated as experimental animals to test its armory.
Referring to the continuous and unstoppable spree of gutting the educational institutions, Hurriyat said that even those, who claim to belong to the religious families, resort to the untruly rhetoric of deceit and lies, just to safeguard their ministry and keep themselves in good books of Sang Parivaar, only to divert the attention from the basic issue and ground realities.
Blaming the pro-freedom leadership for such unsocial acts, these foul smelling mouthpieces of the brutal oppressive regime, have once again stooped too low to be even talked about. They, after hand in glow with the Saffron brigade, have waged a war against the people especially Muslims. Otherwise everybody here knows that in the thick of night either police and armed forces roam around or those faceless politicians who represent them, as in broad daylight their wicked and cruel faces may invite public bashing and banging.
Hurriyat questioned as who else is responsible, other than these killer forces, in destroying residential houses and ransacking the belongings of the people and burning of harvest crop during night.
Hurriyat has always said and today also forcefully reiterates its stand and a clear position that those involved in gutting the schools, Bank robberies, thrashing of innocent people or any other unsocial activity can never be a well wisher of the movement, and these acts of grave human and social disrespect are dangerous and venomous for the movement. We believe that this is the handiwork of the government agencies and frustrated pro-Indian political elite as this only profits them.
Hurriyat said that in the fire and flames of the buildings these stooges want to burn, the visionless eyes from Insha to Irfa, our 94 butchered fellows, our injured and crippled youngsters and in the sorrowful cracking sounds of these education houses, they want to muffle and mute the heart-touching cries and yells of our youth in various police stations and interrogation centers, only to provide a shameless shield and unholy cover for their heinous crimes.
Hurriyat said that we only want to ask these collaborators and the willing veils of this oppressive regime, that aren’t they ashamed of anything? If not for themselves at least for the sanity and honor of the religious podiums of their forefathers, don’t they believe that if not here, they will be answerable for their evil deeds hereafter and there will be no media to give front page coverage to their trumpery lies and nonsense accusals and no armed security to harass and threaten others.
Hurriyat said that glamour, wealth, name, fame and authority based on straight lies, prevarication, deception is artificial, unreal and imitated and their slumbered minds must also curse and condemned them sometimes.
Hurriyat said that the present killers have flooded this valley with these armed forces to strengthen their autocratic and unjust rule and to lodge them they crafted a well-nit conspiracy in such a cunning way that not only common man but every mindful and sensible individual including judiciary cried with their throat full voices to ensure safety of schools, thereby killing many birds with one stone. These cheep and mean parasites of our blood and flesh deprived our kids of their schools, to malign and tarnish the image of present uprising, they wickedly blamed pro-freedom leadership. Above all in the name of security they provided this killer force accommodation in these schools, enlighting new generation with the real essence of the education as a long cherished goal of worthy, educated, noble, pious and God fearing education minister. Hurriyat said that nation as a whole is aware of these multi-faced punks and their sinful and loathe politick and hopefully our people will not repeat past blunders which these stooges take advantage of. 

‘Such acts part of diversionary plan to shift focus from actual issue’

Srinagar: A motley group of writers, rights activists, journalists, lawyers and others, have called upon the government to grant an “unfettered” access to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) to investigate allegations of Human Rights violations while seeking an end to repression in Kashmir.

 In a number of demands, they asked the government to immediately lift the curfew and stop violence against civilians in Kashmir.

 “Open channels for political dialogue in consultation with all stakeholders and explore every possible solution including–complete autonomy or pre-1953 position and even plebiscite.

  “Immediately drop all charges against activists, human rights defenders and civilians booked under the PSA and release them.

 “Grant unfettered access to United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) to investigate allegations of Human Rights violations.

 “Work forcefully to demilitarize both sides of the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Further, to demilitarize all of Kashmir and immediately revoke impunity laws such as the AFSPA, PSA, and DAA etc.

 “Create credible mechanisms for accountability and justice, (such as an international criminal tribunal), for human rights abuses in Kashmir over the past three decades, including extra-judicial killings, torture, sexual and gendered violence, enforced disappearances and unknown and mass graves.”

 The members said that they were dismayed over the ongoing crisis in Kashmir.

 “We have watched in horror and shock the repetitive cycle of state aggression leading to violence, deteriorating state of civil liberties, violation of fundamental rights and ever escalating loss of human life and dignity in Kashmir. In the last 114 days, we have lost over 100 lives in Kashmir.More than 15,000 civilians have been injured, out of which 4500 persons have suffered grievous injuries due to pellet-guns, 4664have been injured by bullets.Over 8000 people have been arrested out of which 434 people have been detained under the Public Safety Act (toll as on October 30, 2016),” they said.

 They also censured the government for imposition of curfew and gag on newspapers.

 “Stop the crackdown on media and lift the ban on Kashmir Reader,” they demanded.  It said that there are reports of vandalism and violence during raids by the police and security forces.

 “As the pillars of a modern democracy are wrecked with the media gag, the abuse of the impunity accorded to the law enforcement agencies is bound to escalate. There have been instances of harassment, abuse and baseless arrests of Kashmiris working and studying, not only in Kashmir but also in different parts of India, for having voiced their political views.”

 Intense militarization of the valley has left deep scars on the social, economic and psychological well being of every life in Kashmir.

 “Laws such as Public Safety Act (PSA), Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) etc., are draconian and are not conducive to contributing to a solution. Irrespective of what the situation is, whether we agree with what the Kashmiris are demanding or not, there is no law in India which allows the Indian armed forces to use their position to ransack people’s houses, decimate their food grains, crops and livestock.”

 Impressing upon the government to understand that Kashmiris were the principal party to the settlement of the dispute, they said: “Whatever the stand of the Government of India on the demand of Kashmiri people for independence, it is imperative to create an environment of understanding and openness and initiate a purposeful and sincere dialogue with all the stakeholders for an amicable settlement.”  (CNS)

Deplores burning of institutes

Srinagar: Amid rising incidents of burning of schools in Kashmir, the father of slain Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani Tuesday appealed people to make sure that such incidents aren’t repeated and the schools all over the Valley are secured.
Talking to KNS correspondent in Tral, Muzaffar Ahmad Wani, a higher secondary principal, said, “As teacher, I appeal everybody to make sure that educational institutes aren’t targeted. We have to secure the school buildings as these institutions belong to our future generations.”
“Instead of going into the blame game as who was behind the burning of school buildings, whosoever is doing it is trying to push students out of schools which is deplorable,” he added. (KNS)