Sheikh Abdul Aziz Killed - Violence Flares in Kashmir

[Spring Onion]

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Sexual violence highest in Kashmir amongst conflict ridden regions

By Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has in a recently published report found that the incidence of sexual violence in Jammu and Kashmir is highest amongst the conflict ridden regions in the world.

The Dutch Nobel Prize winning global network also says problems like mental health and psychological morbidity have increased during the past six years in Jammu and Kashmir. Its report says that a large section of population in the state feels insecure and almost 44 percent have reported mistreatment.

The organisation carried out a survey last year in Budgam and Kupwara districts. An alarming 11.6 percent of respondents said “they had experienced violation of their modesty” – which is far higher than in other conflict areas such as Sierra Leone (2&#37, Sri Lanka (2%), Chechnya (0%) and Ingushetia (0.1%). More than one in 10 respondents in Kashmir said they had experienced sexual violence during the last three months. As many as 68 respondents (13.3%) had actually witnessed a rape since 1989 and 26 respondents (5.1%) had witnessed rape more than five times.

Almost one-third of respondents said they were so unhappy they were thinking of committing suicide. “Such a high percentage of suicidal tendencies within a population holding strong religious beliefs that condemn the act of suicide is a worrying indicator of the level of despair and hopelessness,” says the report.

The 30-page report says that almost 99.2 percent of people reported having confronted crackdowns and search operations between 1989 and 2005. Some 85.7 percent reported being frisked by security forces.
Almost 39 percent reported damage to their property.
In addition, 33.7 percent said they were forced to work for security forces, while 18.7 percent said they were forced to give shelter to combatants. In the same period, one in six respondents said they had been legally or illegally detained.

The MSF survey reported that almost everyone detained, whether legally or illegally, had been subjected to torture. Three-fourth of respondents were witness to arrests and half of them witnessed mistreatment. Amongst them, 9 percent reported mental problem, while 62 percent suffered from high levels of anxiety.

The survey also found a high incidence of physical complaints including headaches (23.5%), body pains such as joint and back complaints (20.5%), and abdominal complaints (16.9%).

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-12-2006_pg1_8

 

[Malang]

If Indian burtal army is not bored of Killing innocent Kashmiris in broad daylight how can i get bored by raising voice for the right of Kashmiris.

Janaji its admirable that you have much love for Kashmiris but I hope your bonds of Ummah stretch to incorporate a lot other communities.. I hope you are also pressing for persecution of those Muslims involved in killing other muslims.. nee 1971 Bangladesh Genocide..

And the pic of Kashmiris flying Pakistani flags is proof that Indian Govt is far far tolerant and its actually a disservice to your claims.. a Brutal govt would've ensured that the man who raised that flag could never stand on his own two feet.. and the photographer who took that pic could've never been able to publish it .. my 2 cents...

 

[Flintlock]

Ravishankar asks civil society to resolve Amarnath row

Srinagar (PTI): Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar on wednesday said the civil society in Jammu and Kashmir should come forward for amicable resolution of the Amarnath land transfer issue.

"The civil society should come forward for resolution of the issue so that peace is restored in Jammu and Kashmir," he told reporters after a meeting with hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his Hyderpora residence here.

He said efforts should be made to prevent the issue from being communalised and justice should be done to all.

Ravishankar is expected to meet chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Governor N N Vohra later today.

During the 15-minute meeting, Geelani said Muslims of Kashmir have never been against the Amarnath yatra and have been actively facilitating the annual Hindu pilgrimage for more than 125 years.

"Even during the nine-day agitation, Muslims set up langars for yatries and tourists ... we are not communalists, it is the VHP and Sangh parivar who are communal and bent upon weakening India," he alleged.

Geelani accused the state police chief of being communal and alleged while nobody was killed in police firing in the Jammu region during the 40-day agitation, a free hand has been given to police to kill as many Kashmiri youth as possible.

"Other than suicide committed by one person, nobody was killed in Jammu .... in just two days, the police and other forces have killed more than 20 persons in Kashmir. It is clear that the DGP wants to kill as many Kashmiri youth as possible," he told Ravishankar.

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[Flintlock]

Janaji its admirable that you have much love for Kashmiris but I hope your bonds of Ummah stretch to incorporate a lot other communities.. I hope you are also pressing for persecution of those Muslims involved in killing other muslims.. nee 1971 Bangladesh Genocide..

And the pic of Kashmiris flying Pakistani flags is proof that Indian Govt is far far tolerant and its actually a disservice to your claims.. a Brutal govt would've ensured that the man who raised that flag could never stand on his own two feet.. and the photographer who took that pic could've never been able to publish it .. my 2 cents...

I'll second that. If anyone in Tibet raised a Tibetan flag, or if anyone in Balochistan raised a Balochi flag, they wouldn't see the light of day again, and niether would the pictures.

 

[Flintlock]

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets Islamist leaders in Srinagar

Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani (left) with the Art of Living Foundation founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Srinagar on Wednesday.

Photo: Nissar Ahmad

SRINAGAR: Hindu spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrived here on Wednesday for a controversial eleventh-hour peace mission supported by the Union government.

Sri Ravi Shankar met Islamist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads the hardline Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, as well as the Srinagar cleric and All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a back-channel effort to hammer out a peace deal between Islamists in Kashmir and Hindutva groups in Jammu.

Few details were available of the meetings, but sources in the Tehreek-i-Hurriyat said Mr. Geelani urged his visitor to persuade the Hindu groups in Jammu to end their violent protest.

Governor N.N. Vohra’s office was unavailable for comment on Sri Ravi Shankar’s mission, but official sources said Sri Ravi Shankar had been accorded the status of an official state guest for the duration of his visit. He was received at Srinagar airport by the staff of the State government’s protocol division, normally handling high-level political visits.

The government said Sri Ravi Shankar had been in touch with both secessionist leaders since the outbreak of the Shrine Board violence in July.

In identically-worded letters sent to Mr. Geelani and Mirwaiz Farooq last month, copies of which are with The Hindu, Sri Ravi Shankar asked that through the government or anyone else, the Shrine Board or any other institution, basic sanitation, medical treatment, food, shelter and other facilities be provided to the yatris.

Just as Haj pilgrims enjoy government support, basic facilities must be provided to the pilgrims visiting the Amarnath shrine, he said.

However, he also made the suggestion that if the majority of the population in Kashmir is in favour of autonomy, Jammu and Kashmir should be made separate States, a highly-controversial long-standing demand of the Hindu religious right.


Sri Ravi Shankar is the latest in a long series of quasi-official mediators deployed by the Government of India in so-far unsuccessful efforts to open lines of communication with Islamists in J&K.

Earlier figures in this back-channel dialogue have included Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, lawyer Ashok Bhan, commentator Prem Shankar Jha and the former Research and Analysis wing chief, Amarjit Dulat.

Sri Ravi Shankar is the first spiritual leader to be involved in this dialogue.

 

[dr.umer]

I'll second that. If anyone in Tibet raised a Tibetan flag, or if anyone in Balochistan raised a Balochi flag, they wouldn't see the light of day again, and niether would the pictures.

It take more then words to win people's heart. Good intentions & subsequent actions are required. Intentions of Indian Govt are not fair, were never fair. Military is not always an option. Your govt needs to engage Kashmiris, and if you speak only language of bullet, then once you fire one, you get one fired back at you. Specially nothing can be more shameful when weapons are being used at a civilian protest and killing innocent people.

If someone raises a flag that is not liked by Govt & it responds by killing people, what do think. People will leave carrying flags? Next time you will see more flags & that will never end, unless you address the core issue and accept the facts. If you are not willing to accept the facts, then this will carry on for years & years until a time will come when you will HAVE to accept & address the core issues. But till that time, many people would have lost their lives.

 

[vish]

we dont need to guess the following is answer to all your questions

Oh please... want to guess how many quids was he paid for that?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Vish,

The legal status of the territory, disputed, is different from the status quo.

No one is arguing over the status quo - I think we can see the situation on the ground, but regardless of what India says, the territory is internationally recognized as disputed, recognized in the UN as disputed, and that gives Pakistan the right ot voice its complaints over actions threatening its interests as a party that has a claim to the disputed territory.

That is what I am pointing out to Ghatak, why Pakistan has a right to voice its concerns. Comments about the status quo are a diversion from the argument raised.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

nations such as Pakistan, China, US, Russia, UK, France etc. all nations guilty of the most heinous crimes..

As is the case with India as well, especially its actions in Kashmir - lets not denigrate others when your own hands are not clean.

Underhanded attempts at flames are not welcome - stick to the discussion, which is going along with civility so far.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Kashmiris are not the only ones to decide.. All of India should decide.. Tomorrow there should be a plebiscite for every state, district then gully.. this is not the way things happen.. British abused the system and allowed for a partition by adhering to teh wishes of the minority...

Hogwash - not every state in India is disputed between two nations, with UNSC resolutions pending implementation.

This is a straw-man argument thrown up by some Indians to wiggle out of the fact that the status of Kashmir is radically different from anything else, and find excuses for ignoring the UN resolutions and completing the condition of plebiscite attached to the Instrument Of Accession. Similarly incorrect attempts are made to compare Balochistan to Kashmir to argue against a plebiscite.

and correct if I am wrong.. A plebiscite is to be held by India in all of Kashmir.. and in their own sweet time with as many soldiers as they want... but Mushy himself said the then Plebiscite conditions are not acceptable..

The answers to your questions (and further discussions) regarding the UN resolutions and their implementation can be done on this thread:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/strate...es/7904-kashmir-resolutions-explanations.html

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan has always had multi-faceted policies, to use a more decent term, so I really see no reason why one should take the words of its leaders at face value.

Thats not really different from India's own policies throughout the years - which you yourself admitted to in a discussion a few months back - that India would like to merely keep postponing a resolution while it tries development in the region as a means of winning the loyalty of the Kashmiris.

That is a rather two faced policy (to not use so decent a term), since on one hand there is talk of 'peacefully negotiating a resolution, while on the other there is no intent of actually working towards that solution. In fact I pointed out that Pakistan's policy of supporting an insurgency in Kashmir is a direct result of the belief that India is following a 'two faced policy', that it has not intention of bilaterally resolving the dispute.

So as in the case of Malang, 'lets not blame others when your own hands are soiled'.

I for one am beginning to lose faith in the peaceful settlement of this issue. It will take some enlightened leadership to bring it back on track, but I don't see that coming from either India or Pakistan. India, there is still hope with Manmohan Singh, but Pakistan seems to be incapable of pursuing a coherent foreign policy.

To the contrary, MMS is the one who backed off recently with ''we cannot have business as usual". Pakistan has continued to work on CBM's, such as liberalizing its trade and investment policy towards India and working on easing travel restriction and expanding the existing facilities.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Whatever man....you can have your salt. Till Pakistan can settle its domestic situation and talk in one voice, I really don't see how the peace process can go forward.

Pakistan had just that during Musharraf's eight years - as we can see there was tremendous movement from the Indian side to move on the 'peace process'.

Its really just one excuse after another.

At the end of the day Gillani and Zardari will push the same policies as they have so far. Public statements, often delivered for populist appeal, are not 'policy'.

I'd have to agree with Ice on this - Narayanan, as with his 'destroy ISI' statement, is engaging in rhetorical theatrics to vilify Pakistan.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I'll second that. If anyone in Tibet raised a Tibetan flag, or if anyone in Balochistan raised a Balochi flag, they wouldn't see the light of day again, and niether would the pictures.

You have Balochi separatists getting their anti-federation statements published in the major newspapers, so lets not just conjure up facts.

Those who are peaceful have been allowed to voice their opinions, even during Musharrafs era.

 

[IceCold]

UN can do nothing mate. Accept it. It doesnt matter one cent if UN says that Kashmir is disputed or even for that matter if they say that Kashmir is a part of Pakistan. No action can or will be taken. No country will support Pakistan in its stand apart from OIC, which is a useless bunch of countries anyways. As far as UNSC is concerned, Russia will veto any resolution in the UNSC. And considering the relationship India has now, neither UK or France will support any action from the UNSC. US is on the moon with India, i dont see them supporting anything either. Only China would move such a motion, and tbh, even they wont do anything to jeopardize their bilateral relationship with us. This is tantamount to declaring hostility against India.

Malay its not about whether UN can do anything or cannot, frankly i don't think UN can do much about it, but this is not what we are discussing, i said that Kashmir is disputed and as long as UN has Kashmir in the list of disputed territories it will be one irrespective of what one nation thinks. As for the veto, yes it will be done however what you need to realize is by doing veto, does not change the fact over the status of the territory, rather it reflects personal interests. All countries including the US has said that they want a peaceful resolution to this dispute, why do you think they say that if this is indeed an Indian territory? US has even said that it is willing to act as a third party if two main parties India and Pakistan agree, but every time India rejects it calling it a bilateral issue and even that has changed now as India has started calling it as its own territory.

No military in the region can take Kashmir away from India.

While i don't wanna sound heroic and patriotic in that sense where one is high on emotion and low on reasoning, but the part that we took was not handed over to us in a dish rather we took it by force.

Or maybe, since the Pakistani domestic situation is in shambles, all the leaders have found this scape goat. Musharraf maybe trying to deflect attention away from his impeachment! or maybe they are trying to turn the attention of the militants from Pakistan to Kashmir...

Don't try to mix issues as the two are completely different issues. What purpose will this scape goat serve for Pakistan and its leaders. Absolutely nothing. In fact the last thing we would want to do now is to create another issue for Pakistan.

Could you please give a link. I dont agree India would do such a thing.

Musharraf impeachment may leave big vacuum: Govt - Express India

This thing has created a pretty huge cry in Pakistan as all were calling it a direct involvement by India in our matters. I'll try to find the exact article that geo was quoting yesterday.

And what would be different?

Pakistan has been trying that since 1947, if you even count the fact that for the last few years, Pakistan was not trying, it is still a bloody long time.
And it includes from direct wars to indirect militancy, none of which has succeeded. Militancy has destroyed Pakistan's social fabric as well.

Today the direct military imbalance b/w India and Pakistan is the highest and is only growing. For indirect militancy, India has really used the period of calm to beef up its defences, a far cry when militants used to run around Kashmir in the open totting AK-47's at the peak of the militancy.

What Pakistan has been trying was going on and off with different governments having different Kashmir policy with PP and Musharraf government hurting the most. And about the difference, dude even if Kashmir stays with you, once the hard line approach is adopted, both countries will remove all energies from all sectors and will start pondering money into defense, that doesn't make any difference for you, also don't come up with India does not see Pakistan as a threat because honestly speaking it does and once we get back to square one, India will see even more. And as for the military imbalance that you are talking about, you forget that those things are yet to come in the Indian arsenal for e.g the MRCA of western origin, or your AC's or anything that could seriously shift the balance in India's favor, the rest more or less we are equal, only difference lies in numbers and that too declining in terms of your air force. You have not reached world power status that no one can challenge you, so don't come up with this full of emotion patriotic statements of no county in the region can challenge you. If you were that powerful you would have attacked us back in 2002 when that drama about attack on the Indian parliament was staged. Infact we made you realize how flawed your war machinery is resulting in the new doctrine of yours called the cold start.

Bottom line is that unless and until a permanent solution accepted to all parties mostly importantly accepted to the kashmires, no peace and development can bee seen even though if India maintains its control over the territory.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Oh please... want to guess how many quids was he paid for that?

How about you tell us with confirmed links and proof?

Beyond which could say that any Kashmiri supportive of staying with India was "paid X number of Quid" or did so out of fear out of the massive Indian military presence in Kashmir.

250,000 protectors, Pakistani flags waving, those killed being buried draped in Pakistani flags - says it all.

I pointed out to Salim once, that Pakistan's coup in Kashmir has been ideological, that is pretty obvious now.