AFSPA debate meant to overshadow mass grave issue: Bar

Kashmir High Court Bar Association Monday said that debate over revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) by ruling coalition partners was meant to overshadow the growing public and international opinion about unmarked mass grave issue.

General Secretary the lawyers’ body, Ghulam Nabi Shaheen said that association wants complete demilitarization of the state. “Neither National Conference nor the Congress Party is interested in withdrawal of AFSPA but have enforced a debate on an issue to over shadow the gravity and increasing public and international opinion about unmarked mass grave issue,” he said, according to statement issued here.

It is pertinent to mention, he said, that even the European Parliament and the British Parliament debated upon the mass grave issue which has become a cause of concern for the government of India at international level.

“The international attention with regard to the unmarked mass grave issue has caused embracement to the Indian establishment in Jammu and Kashmir and across the globe; therefore, the so called state Govt. has been used to enforce a debate to mesmerize the public opinion and create a mirage to deceive the international opinion,” he said.

Shaheen said that the denial of the 15th Corpus Commander of Indian Army General Syed Atta Husnain about the discussions with regard to the withdrawal of the AFSPA in unified command meetings belies the Chief Minister Abdullah’s assertion that the sensitive issue was discussed in the unified command council meetings.

|Kashmir Dispatch|

Kashmir's children 'mistreated in adult jails'

Kashmir's children 'mistreated in adult jails'

Hundreds of youths detained in state prisons during protests in Indian-administered Kashmir last year say they have been abused and mistreated by the authorities, reports the BBC's Riyaz Masroor in Srinagar. Umar, 16, responds with a blank look when asked to recall his 35-day stay in prison last year. Jailed at 15 for throwing stones at policemen near his hometown of Pattan, 35km (22 miles) north of Srinagar city, Umar now fears any man in uniform. Umar and dozens of his fellow protesters say they were first detained in an abandoned matchstick factory. The place, they allege, served as a forced interrogation chamber of the paramilitary Special Task Force (STF) which has consistently denied all allegations that it has mistreated detainees. Those who were held say that they were later shifted by the authorities to a district jail in Baramulla, 30km (19 miles) from their homes. Umar is now out on bail, but he still faces several charges, including arson and attempt to murder, which he and his family deny. He is among hundreds of boys who were detained during the 2010 protests. Local rights groups have long criticised the state government's policy of lodging boys in adult jails. In the rest of India, offenders under 18 years are treated as juveniles and sent to separate detention facilities. 'A joke' But in Kashmir, boys above 16 are treated as adults. Rights groups have been demanding that the state government amend the detention law to make it similar to the rest of India. Kashmir-based child rights lawyer Abdul Rashid Hanjura says that the current system of dealing with juvenile offenders is "little short of a joke". "They jail boys aged between 16 and 18 and then claim they have no juveniles [underage boys] in detention," he said. "We want the state law to be on a par with the Indian law." Rights activists say holding an underage person in an adult prison amounts to a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to which India is a signatory. Umar and hundreds like him say that they were detained in adult prisons even when they were under 16. Umar says that while he was not tortured, he was initially beaten with a bamboo stick at the local police station. But he shivers when recalling his five-week ordeal in prison alongside convicted thieves and hardened criminals. Umar's parents and siblings say that they have noticed a change in his behaviour which sometimes is marked by violent outbursts. Mr Hanjura says detaining teenagers in the absence of a juvenile justice system is only going to create more trouble in future. "When the boys spend time with convicts and adult criminals, they undergo psychological trauma which creates a sense of revenge," he says. 'Rebellion' Umar aspired to become a doctor before he was arrested, but now he has lost interest in studies. He is required to appear before a trial court every month. "Every time, the judge asks me my name and marks the date for the next hearing..

I wish he would listen to me." He says life has changed for him after his jail term. "Earlier I used to play unmindfully. Now I need to remember the date of the next trial. If I miss it, the policemen will knock on the door. I am scared." Leading psychiatrist Dr Arshad Hussain says young detainees tend to pick up adult behavior faster when in jail. "When they are out, parents complain of rebellion but they don't realize the scale of the psychological impact," he said. The state's Internal Security Minister Nasir Aslam refused to comment on the allegations. But officials say the government has tried to remedy the problem, recently setting up a "juvenile home" on the outskirts of Srinagar. This secluded and quiet three-storey building is situated in the scenic surroundings of the famed Harvan Mughal garden. But its picturesque qualities are lost on the teenagers who are lodged here. They argue that they would be better off in mainstream prisons because they feel so lonely. 'No rehabilitation' "No sports, no education. We only sleep," says a boy facing murder charges. The home now houses fewer than 10 juveniles - most of them booked for throwing stones at the security forces or for shouting anti-India slogans. "We'll soon offer sports and other fun activities besides moral education," says its administrator Bashir Ahmad. Campaigners say that besides setting up the home, the authorities have done little to rehabilitate juvenile offenders rounded up during last year's anti-India street protests. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently announced an amnesty for those not facing serious accusations, but many of the boys charged with stone-throwing or attending a procession either remain in jail or are on bail facing trial. Offenders are generally charged under the draconian Public Safety Act which allows police to detain a person for longer periods without trial and recommend a minimum two-year prison term. The government says it wants to soften the law to reduce this punishment to six months. But that has not impressed separatist groups who blame the government for inflicting "mass punishment" on the people of Indian-administered Kashmir for "rising against injustice and repression".

|BBC|

Dr. Ali Jan: The Lukmaan Of Kashmir

Medicine And Ali Jan Sound Synonymous In The Kashmiri Context Writes Dr Javid Iqbal

Some called him Luqman, the age old medical legend. Many considered him the finest physician Kashmir has ever had; the ones who worked with him conceded the highest pedestal in the profession to him without dissent. The ones taught by him - I have had the privilege to be one of them - remember him for the lessons that remain imprinted in memory, four to five decades from the date his grace descended on the lecture halls of GMC. The tale and the trail of the legendary physician live on, and it is highly unlikely to fade away in foreseeable future! Prof (Dr) Ali Jan was born in an age of rapidly changing times. The period itself is significant, a period of transition, a period of change, and a period of high drama, as centuries without much of a change yielded to rapidly changing times. European renaissance had taken the occident to heights of glory, though some moral questions remained in the West. The orient, the East might have retained its chastity; quest for moral perfection, however, deprived it of material comforts, and it did not translate into taking educational strides. Western education was erroneously taken to be a polluting influence, hence resented. In such a scenario, to qualify for lower grades in any academic stream was a quality, few could attain. To attain the highest grade in the highly rated profession of medicine, few could dream of! It was given to the selected few to aim for and attain it. SMHS Hospital! Old hands much before GMC came into being in 1959 related with relish the tales of earlier years…of early fifties when Fazl-ur-Rehman the surgeon wielded his scalpel deftly and Dr. Jan solved medical mysteries. Diagnosis, the chief element of medicine came to him as easily as the breath of fresh air. What eluded others, he could read like the palm of his hand. By the time, GMC got established; Dr. Jan was already a legend. Profession apart, his social stock soared to dizzy heights. Healing touch apart, he had developed a rapport with high and the mighty, to an extent where even power corridors started having a feel of his grace. Recently I was wonderstruck when an old hand in politics related to me an episode, wherein some political bigwigs entrusted Prof. Jan with drafting an important political document. Mirza M. Afzal Beg, the constitutional expert, the old political hand of Kashmir who would normally do it was missing. Dr. Jan offered to try; later Beg could hardly believe that this could come from a doctor in medicine. Such was the diversity of Prof. Jan-the legend carries on, as more and more water flows down Vitasta. He is remembered, related, and renowned to the extent that medicine and Prof. Jan sound synonymous in the Kashmiri context. Precisely in that context, he could easily be placed in the galaxy of famous Kashmiris. Scores would attest to the fact in the nook and corner of the vale. With all the accolades, a controversy of sorts developed. Sangh Parivar leader Shama Prasad Mukerjee’s death in custody in fifties, while he was under Dr. Jan’s treatment has been adversely commented upon in some political narratives. Mukerjee had been booked for venturing into J&K State without a permit, as was the regulation in early fifties. It would be beyond Dr. Jan not to give his patient the best he could, Mukerjee or anyone else. To cast aspersions on the manner of treatment could only be the handiwork of a sick mind. Dr. Jan’s fair name was needlessly dragged into controversy, which hardly affected his high professional standing and societal rating. Professional standing! He was an epitome of excellence in clinical medicine, in an age when para-clinical diagnostic tools were limited to laboratory investigations and radiological techniques, few could afford. The modern imaging techniques—ultrasonographic [USG] computerized topographic [CT] magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] were unknown. With barely a stethoscope as the diagnostic tool he would pick up, what eluded others in clinical examination; often merely the history of the patient had him make an impression. Some attributed it to his sixth sense; others would relate it to his constant study. As his students, we would often see him engrossed in study in his SMHS hospital chambers. Societal Rating! My father Prof. Saif-ud-Din - an academic- was his batch mate in S.P.College and a life long friend, he predeceased him and Prof. Jan paid him glowing tributes on radio Kashmir. It remains a prized taped possession. I remember an occasion when my father cajoled him to visit a relation on death bed, as he was retiring after a tired day’s work. “Saif” protested Prof. Jan [as he would always call him] “didn’t I see him and tell you that it is terminal case of cancer with no hope for remedy”. “Yes, you did, that was in your clinic” retorted my father “but his sons say if you do not visit him before he dies in his home, people might accuse them of allowing their father to die without Dr. Jan seeing him”! Could there be a greater tribute to the genius, whose students we have the privilege of being! The road that takes us to the tertiary care center SKIMS bears his name—rightly so, as long as he lived he provided the ultimate care!

"Planned settlement of Non-state residents In Kashmir” : Seminar By Hurriyat G| An Overview

Proceedings Of One Day Seminar Organised By Hurriyat (G)

Entitled

Planned settlement of Non-state residents In Kashmir”

The proceedings of the seminar were managed by Mr. Ayaz Akbar (spokesperson, Hurriyat G). There were 9 speakers which include people from Civil Society, members of Hurriyat G and famous columnists of the valley.

The speakers deliberated upon various aspects

Jenab Ghulam Nabi Sumji (General Secretary Hurriyat G):

Started with a few verses from Holy Quran. He talked about various strategies adopted by imperialists cultural aggression, ethical and mor facets pertaining to the settlement of non-Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir by the puppet administration and the ramifications which might arise therein. Here is the crux of what each speaker said about the issue:wherever people resist sinister designs. He talked about Short Term Policies and the Long Term Policies. The short term policies include harassments, arrests, injuries, killings, custodial disappearances, rapes. Long term policies include; bankruptcy, change of demography by settling non-state actors like the way it has been done by Israeli’s in Holy Land-Palestine. He suggested that people should contribute towards the cause of free Kashmir on an individual level rather than putting the entire load on Qaid-i-Inquilab Jenab Syed Ali Shah Geelani Sb. Though, he maintained that Geelnai Sb is our torch-bearer.

Jenab Abdul Majid Zargar: Zargar Sahab is a famous columnist who writes for daily Greater Kashmir and is a Chartered Accountant. Mr. Zargar pressed for understanding the context of the problem that was the topic of the seminar. He talked about various types of occupation carried out by imperialist regimes

which include Military Occupation, Political Occupation, Economic Occupation and Cultural Occupation. Military occupation involves muzzling every voice which is raised against the corridors of power by use of brute armed force. The political occupation aims to make leaders out of the suppressed lot so as to gain insights of resistance. Economic occupation involves gaining control over the resource base of that particular region like what India is doing with our Hyro-power, forests, etc. The theme of the seminar henceforth comes under political occupation wherein the puppet administration wants to settle outsiders in K&K so as to change the Muslim dominant demography to a non-Muslim state and then finally implementing UN resolutions which will go in favour of India. He discussed about past attempts m

ade by the central government at Delhi like Women’s Property Bill, Amarnath Land Row, Dogra Certificate, etc. He also informed audience about a place in Jammu called Qasimnagar where thousands of non-state slum dwellers reside without belonging to the state.

Jenab Z G Mohammad: is a famous columnist who writes for daily Greater Kashmir. He informed audience that the state subject law was passed by Pandits in 1929 to prevent people from other states to settle in J&K fearing economic losses like job opportunities. He added another

term i-e; Mental Occupation and pressed on how to liberate Kashmiris of this menace. He pressed for unanimity of thought between various parties over here fighting to end Indian occupation in J&K. He also talked about Resettlement Bill which was passed twice in the state assembly and the causes that lead to the bill being declared Null and Void after 20 years. He suggested that we should work as one nation and put pressure on India at various forums/fora so that our demand of free J&K is attained.

Jenab Mohd Shafi Reshi Sahab deliberated extensively on the issue. He stated that by doing this it is getting easier for India to proliferate roots in J&K with lesser investment while achieving signification gains including demographic and cultural change. he informed the audience that it all began in April this year and kudos to Rising Kashmir for highlighting the issue. The government had proposed to build and/or develop infrastructure of slums in and around Jammu. He said that we should be determining to crack the sinister designs of India besides sensitizing the masses so that the bill is not passed in the state assembly.

Dr. Javid Iqbal: is a pediatrician and writes for daily Greater Kashmir. He informed audience about the Rajiv Awas Yojna for development and settlement of slum dwellers at places where ever they exist. He said that two colonies in the outskirts of Jammu have come up in the recent times. One colony is called Maratha Nagar and the other is settled around BC road. He informed audience that there is no need to pass the bill as Schedule 6, 8, 9, 10 of the constitution of J&K nicely deals with the issue. As per the census of India the number of slum dwellers has increased from 395000(2001) to 494180(2011), an increase of 98900 all this being done under a well thought about plan of RSS and its allies. He also talked about how NHPC is bartering hydro-power resources of J&K and how the royalty which was fixed at 50% has gone down to 12.5%.

Jenab Mohd Rafiq Ganie: started his speech by reciting Surah Maidah Verse 45. He gave historical insights into the Kashmir conflict right from 1920s and what tactics are being employed by Indian to weaken the freedom resolve among Kashmiris. He talked about the lakhs of people killed in Jammu in 1947 wherein the Muslim-dominant division of the state was converted to Muslim-minority division.

Jenab Ashraf Ashai: is a retired Engineer. He talked about the RRS ideology and its ramification on Kashmir, He talked about the ‘state within state’ concept of panun kashmir. He also talked about the policy adopted by Delhi and NHPC to rob the people of J&K of economic benefits of hydro-power. He also discussed about the policy which is being adopted by Israel in Palestine and how it changes the demography of Palestine. He said India is doing the same stuff in J&K.

Prof. Shiekh Showkat: Teaches at department of Law, University of Kashmir. He dealt with the problem of settlement of non-state persons very intelligently by giving in various inputs. He also suggested that our freedom struggle should have ‘social agenda’. He informed social stigma is attached to various jobs and that is why non-state actors dominate overhere in evert sector from barbers to masons and carpenters. He also talked about the causes of decline in Sex ratio and held Census of India responsible for it by pointing out vital discrepancies in the census. He said that non-local population is also counted along with the locals and because non-locals mostly comprise of males the sex ratio is bound to fall.

Qaid-i-Inquilab Jenab Syed Ali Shah Geelani Sahab: dealt strongly with the issue in light of Quran and hadith. He said that how can the conscience of certain people allow them to forget 6 lakh martyrs. He said that India is doing everything it can to prove its legitimacy but by the grace of Almighty we will not allow that to happen. He asked people to establish Baitul Maals and Darsgahs. He said that settling non-state people is the handiwork of RSS and Indian Intel agencies to weaken our just and noble cause of freedom. He also said that religious clerics should inform people about the consequences of the same. He said only Quran and Sunnah can help us in better understanding Islam in its true perspective and throwing imperialist India out of our lands.

He said media should sensitize people about the agenda behind the settlement of slum dwellers over here. He said that a proper Islamic dress code should be followed by our sisters and daughters to prevent immorality in the society. He told about the cultural aggression being promoted in Universities, educational institutes, mobile phone companies and devised people to keep vigil on kith and kin. He informed audience that from 5 Sept, he has not been allowed to meet anyone or move out of home by the puppet Indian police. He also said that Hurr G activists are arrested and tortured in various camps and jails to break the resolve of freedom. Lastly he ended the talk by saying that Quran and Hadith are the way for our prosperity and liberation from Indian occupation.

Appoint Desmond Tutu A UN Arbiter To Resolve Kashmir, Says American Council

A landmark idea has been floated in Washington and New York to tackle one of the oldest items on the UNSC agenda

An elite group of Kashmiri Americans has proposed to UN secretary general Mr. Ban Ki-Moon to appoint rights activist Bishop Desmond Tutu as head of a UN effort to stabilize Kashmir, where 2,700 unmarked graves were discovered last month.

Warning that Indian occupation soldiers are responsible for a “semi-genocidal campaign” in the disputed territory, the Kashmiri American Council [KAC] used the occasion of the raising of Libya’s new flag at the UN to paint a dark picture behind India’s media blackout on Kashmir.

KAC’s statement is linked to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s remarks during The Otto L. Walter annual lecture at the New York Law School. In the lecture, Mr. Ki-Moon appeared to be reviving a key function of the UN: to support the will of the people.

KAC is an American group lobbying for peace by resolving one of the oldest international disputes on the agenda of UN Security Council. India first involved the UN in the dispute and its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, pledged on 2 November 1948 to allow Kashmiris the right to decide their future but later reneged and forcibly annexed the region.

Mr. Ki-Moon said that support for the Libyan people has revived UN’s mission of standing by the people when their government cannot or will not protect them.

Kashmiris in the Indian-controlled territory and the large Kashmiri Diaspora worldwide “look to the Secretary General of the United Nations as the custodian of the moral responsibility of the United Nations,” KAC said in a statement.

Copies of KAC’s statement were received at powerful offices in the US capital, including the White House, the Department of State and the Capitol building.

The KAC board also referred to petitions submitted earlier to the office of the UN Secretary General:

“The people of Kashmir have tried to address to you various petitions and communications regarding the situation in Kashmir. The information establishes that a massive campaign of brutal oppression that was launched by India in 1990 continues unabated. Various estimates are given of the death toll of civilians so for. Making due allowance for unintended exaggerations, the figure runs into tens of thousands. Countless individuals have been maimed and countless women molested and assaulted. United States, Department of State’s country report on human rights says that 8,000 to 10,000 people have involuntarily disappeared.”

The group’s principals made sure to remind Washington and the international diplomatic presence at the UN of the unmarked graves in Kashmir, which is a scandal for India because the country is already home to 21^st century’s first and biggest genocide so far, where 2,000 Indians were butchered over three days in 2002 for being non-Hindus.

“The Board quoted Amnesty International which in its report on September 26, 2011, said that over 2700 unmarked graves have been identified by an 11-member police investigation team of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in four districts of north Kashmir. The state government must ensure that all past and current allegations of enforced disappearances are promptly, thoroughly, independently and impartially investigated and that, where there is sufficient evidence, anyone suspected of responsibility for such crimes is prosecuted in proceedings which meet international fair trial standards.”

In a proposal that could help nudge Kashmir on the UN Security Council’s agenda, KAC offered key suggestions:

“The Board warned that India has succeeded in erecting a smokescreen by claiming that the Kashmir issue is to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan without the intervention of a third party. That wishful thinking has never allowed a meaningful dialogue for a durable and equitable settlement of Kashmir dispute. The human urgency of the situation in Kashmir demands that tripartite negotiations between Governments of India and Kashmir & the genuine leadership of the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir be initiated under the leadership of the United Nations. The U.N. can appoint a person of an international standing, like Bishop Desmond Tutu to be the facilitator in this regard.”

Kashmiri-American sources in Washington DC tell PakNationalists.com that Kashmiri-Americans are already in contact with US lawmakers and diplomats from several countries, including Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China and Pakistan, in addition to senior UN officials, to push the idea of Mr. Tutu leading a UN-sponsored arbitration of the Kashmir dispute.

US officials and experts working to improve the chances of peace between Pakistan and India find the idea worth considering.

Syed Ali Geelani issues a statement against the ongoing religious aggression in Kashmir

Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, tuesday alleged that Christian missionaries in Kashmir were luring “naïve” muslim boys and girls with money and other incentives to convert to Christianity.

In a statement issued here, Geelani appealed ulema to fulfill their “religious responsibility and defeat this heinous conspiracy.”

“Hurriyat would take ulema into confidence and devise a strategy to save the nation from this cancer. We hope the ulema would rise above differences and extend their full cooperation in fighting these conspiracies,” he said in a statement here to PBI.

“Even though we are not against any religion, we cannot allow anyone to lead astray our children or take undue advantage of their naivety,” Geelani said.
“Christian missionaries have been utilizing funds from America and Europe for converting naïve people of other religions to Christianity, and this has often led to conflicts in several parts of the world,” he said.
“When the entire subcontinent witnessed unprecedented bloodbath in 1947 , not a single incident of the sort took place in Jammu and Kashmir . However, the conspiratorial activities of Christian missionaries can lead to disturbances and lead to an unfavourable situation because no Muslim can see his child being lured with money to shun his religion,” he said. (PBI)