All the people have become experts on J&K suddenly, but does anyone have the guts to say that Jammu has been wronged all these 61 years in the name of alienation? Does anyone have the courage to call everything that is happening in Kashmie anti national? They are openly proclaiming to be Pakistanis, on national news channels they shout about thier identity crisis but does any of the news service or Govt of India have the guts to call them wrong without blaming the Jammuites, or arrest them for doing so? You all have hurt the nationalists sentiments of us the Jammuites without asking us why we had suddenly refused to take anymore of supression in the name of keeping kashmir with India. If after 61 years our generation x doesnt want an unsafe future with Kashmir do they have to be ignored? What slogan should they shout to be heard in the elite press and the parliament if not Bharat amata Ki Jai. We have fought Indias battle too long and were still divorced by them.

In the sound and fury of this tumultous episode in Jammu and Kashmir conflict vis a vis Amarnath Land transfer and other corresponding chapters which got unvieled in the course of an emotive period of last month or so, i wonder are we missing out on something basic. Something which may be in our sub conscious but we never brought that to the fore in a way so that it could be fearlessly talked about in the context of the recent land issue itself. This is the rudimentary question which unless solved will pop its head again and again in whatever form and will hit us haunt us where it hurts most. This time it has pierced us right through the middle chalking out two antagonistic entities : Jammu AND Kashmir. Who could have imagined it was coming? And who could imagine what is coming?

Two months back when fans in valley cheered their throats out for their favourite football players during Santosh Trophy in Srinagar, many among them could not have imagined that they are unknowingly rehearsing their shouting skills later to be used for a more emotional cause. One never knows which direction the sun is going to rise the next morning.

So what have we achieved thus far? We have all seen a collosal amount of bloodshed. Even if we go by official figures, whose factuality is in question, 60, 000 Kashmiris dead is a big number. Where the hell, if hell is more terrible then this, are we heading?

Round Tables, Cross Border commineques, Trans Loc Buses, CBM’s, decrease in voilence in the valley, incresae number of tourists, development and tulip gardens, no doubt we have seen and heard this all. But ironically when all this is seen through the prism of the recent events, it seems a no no. A sham. A BandAid put many times over a rotten festering cancer. It is not gonna heal. All exercises of the past to achieve the most cherised a desire called peace has been flushed down the drain. Infact situation is more bleaker then ever. So what is the upshot? Why are we befooling ourselves?

India achieved its Independence from Britian. It costed many lives. She had to fight a pitched battle on all fronts to attain her freedom.She did.The stink of colonial opression and the fragrance of yet to be achieved freedom drove every child of her land to march for a greater cause.I salute their struggle.But one wonders in shock, how could she oppress anyone else? How could a nation freshly adorned with freedom quell another nations freedom? Something is wrong! 1947 is not a distant period in the history of world to be utterly forgotten by them. What collective slumber is this that they don’t dream about their colonial masters dragging them to daggers…stirring them out of sleep. Or is this collective amnesia of Indian masses borne of sheer naivity. Can’t be! Or may be because they are hugely pre occupied with their lives in the new India which,once born out of the blood of their great martyrs,is coming of age in this huge rush of Globalization. Could be!

So who is the opressor? Who do i intend to stir to action with this piece of write up? Majority of my friends are from Delhi. In tangible terms they don’t have any holding on my life.Nor do i have on theirs.They even empathise when we discuss kashmir. They don’t see themselves as my opressors. Nor do i see them as my opressors.

Their are hundreds and thousands of such Indians who we share our lives with , in work, in sport, in mundane conversations.In such dealings which happen every day, no one is opressor and no one is an opressed. It is just two human beings. But who then is the opressor? No doubt, their is someone. Why then is Kashmnir still burning? And the policies and laws that catalyses this chaos is but enacted by someone. But who is that someone? Which minority is this among the Indian masses who even common Indians can’t trace and who don’t want to see us happy?

It is a moral question which a common Indian has to answer for himself and herself.

A common India has to shun the myopic glasses on his eyes through which he sees his country.No doubt India is expanding economically like the stretch of a baloon ready to rise high up in the sky, but if the odd blotches on its surface are not doctored, it will burst mid air. It is not the Kashmir Issue alone, but infallible disparity between its rich and poor where rich are getting richer and poor poorer, issues of north-east, growing naxalism and maoism, forgotten muslims of India who are left behind in its development race, and many more blotches which poke on her face mockingly.

We don’t know which direction the sun is going to rise next morning. And in our curious wait for tommorow’s dawn wherein we hope to put all our issues to rest and build peace, i wonder, what if we are engulfed by the darkness of this night never to come out of. For in utter darkness they won’t even be able to put shallow bandaids on this cancer.
suhail akram….

I think what India fears the most in giving Kashmiris a plebiscite is that even if they choose to remain a free nation or become a part of Pakistan,the issue of Pakistan still continuing to pester us remains. What guarantee is there that Pakistan’s state sponsored terrorism will end.For all you know…Himachal and Punjab will become sensitive areas. In an ideal situation I would love to see Kashmir to be independent and I am sure India would love to help an independent Kashmir grow but like Bangladesh,which is slowly becoming another hub for anti india terrorist trainings,India cannot afford to see Kashmir go that way as well. Pakistan is currently unstable and never has as such managed to become a true democracy…and that can be scary

No India No Pakistan only United Kashmir is our aim

Despite polls that CNN-IBN along with Express carried out just recently revealing over 87 percent of Kashmiris opt for Independent State and ‘worldopinionpoll.org’ too finding almost the same statistics, the oppressor continues to misinform its people.

These polls clear all the confusions among Indian audience that Kashmir wishes to remain single and not with either of the two countries, claiming half of it each.

Back to early 1990s, Kashmiri struggle was purely indigenous and it should have had seen the support of Kashmiri Pandits, but they backtracked and left the valleyties forever. No doubt 209 Pandits were killed (express reported it), but what about 90,000 Muslim Kashmiris. Moreover, what about 506 Muslim civilians who were killed after being hit my troopers’ vehicles only?

Pandit organisation ‘Roots in Kashmir’ might claim to have been thrown out of valley and subjected to genocide, what about those Muslim Kashmiris who remained here and bore the maximum brunt of the slaughter. If 209 is genocide, then 506 and 90,000 are huge figures. “Roots in Kashmir’ should also talk about that. Remember here in Kashmir, Muslim Kashmiri participate in the pandit Kashmiri marriages and make sure to provide every facility to them.

We have here the two letters by Kashmiri pandits, who have exploded the myth propagated by the pandits in Jammu regarding their situation and Amarnath land row. And one has even said that eratwhile SASB headed by SK Sinha was an ‘eco-terrorist organisation’.

They are airing their views that ‘Panun Kashmir has been hijacked and hell bent on dividing the region on communal lines’. And they does say that a particular party collected millions of dollars in our name all over world and distributed plastic buckets to our people living in camps only for media coverage.

In Kashmir, despite protests and bandhs, not a single yatri was harmed. Over six lakh visited this year only breaking the record of 3.2 lakh the previous year. Right wing Hindus always ask about Kashmir’s hajj quota. It is just 6600 this year and hangs around the same figure each year. However, yatris come in swarms as if on picnic. For last 160 years, no restriction has been imposed on their flow. The Malik family who discovered the cave and Kashmiri pandits who would look after the cave and yatris were banished from handling the yatra affairs.

However, right wing Hindus worry all Indians that annual yatra is in trouble, but all pilgrims should understand that Kashmiri land belongs to Kashmiris and the yatra is going on for the past 160 years. Even Hindus in Jammu blocked the highway, Kashmiris shouldered 0.6 million yatris on their backs to the cave.

Most of the yatris come from central India, Maharashtra and Delhi, so what was aching to Jammunities. It needs to be seen from all perspectives. Land transfer should have been there problem too but why Jammu being pushed on front line by the rightwing Hindus. Is not it the vote bank politics to earn votes and kill Muslims from as many as bullets the so-called security forces present here have. And to make us economically backward by blocking the only route to ‘ integral part’ which has already seen 500 crore loss in business.

It needs a better understand on what happens when a son in the family wishes to part from his father or mother. Well he is given his share of the property and he leaves. Likewise, democracy is like a family. If Kashmir wants freedom, then what is wrong in that?

It is all about what one likes and what one does not. Right wing Hindus cannot force Kashmir to accept things neither can they push Kashmir for what it does not want under the guise of social equality and democracy.

But here people have already surrendered the word ‘Democracy’. Have you.

http://www.umarblogs.blogspot.com

I am 30 years - So called the newer generation who according to you is open to taboo question of plebiscite in Kashmir. This is not the case. The media is biased.

Kashmir will not be handed to Pakistan on a platter. Let them fight for it.

As a Pakistani,I want to say that noone in my country is interested in Kashmir,or interested in fighting for Kashmir.It is a mere ideology,a concept that exists in our mind & I am sick of the army & politicians on both sides of the border making a big deal of it.Let it be independat,& let the subcontinent move forward & bury old woulds.

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

it is a really interesting discussion.
i would like to first of all like to tell the details of the
problem of the land transfer which is as follows:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE FACTS AND THE REASONS OF OPPOSING LAND TRANSFER TO AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD BY THE COMMITEE SET UP BY DIVERSE GROUPS IN KASHMIR WHICH INCLUDES TRADE BODIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY HEADED BY EMMINENT LAWYER MR MAIN ABDUL QAYYUM.
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS :
WHY AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD REQUIRES LAND?
AS PER STATE GOVT AS WELL AS THE SHRINE BOARD TO PROVIDE PROPER FACILITIES.
WHAT FACILTIES A PILGRIM WILL REQUIRE?
ACCOMODATION,FOOD ,TRANSPORT & OTHER FACILTIES LIKE DRINKING WATER AND LAVATORIES.

ACCOMODATION:

THE AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD SAYS THAT THE ACCOMODATION IS TO BE CREATED IN THE FORM OF TENTS AS WELL AS TEMPORARY HUTS.THE LAND IF IT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS AND AS PER THE GOVT COMMITEE TO DECIDE ABOUT THE DURATION AND NO OF PEOPLE TO VISIT THE AMARNATH HAS FIXED IT OF 1 MONTH AND NOT MORE THAN 5000 PER DAY THEN THE TOTAL SHOULD BE NOT MORE THAN 150000 IN NO.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN BOTH PAHALGAM AND SONMARG HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CATER TO THIS IN TOTALITY AND IF THERE ARE EXTRA SPACE NEEDED THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING TENTS WITH THIER EXPERTISE AND THERE IS NO NEED FOR LAND TO BE TRANSFERRED ON THIS ACCOUNT.
IT MAY NOT BE OUT OF PLACE TO MENTION THAT THE LAND IN BALTAL PRESENTLY BEING USED BY THE AMARATH SHRINE BOARD IS OWNED TO THE EXTENT OF 385 KANALS BY VILLAGERS OF NILIGRATH WHO HAVE EVEN THIER BURIAL GROUND THERE.
THE AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD HAS CREATED PERMANENT STRUCTURES AT BALTAL CAMP THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHICH WE HAVE AND WERE DISTRUBUTED IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
IS THE LAND TO BE GIVEN TO AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD TO TAKE OVER THE BUSINESS OF ACCOMODIATION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR FOR OTHER REASONS LIKE CREATING PERMANENT STRUCTURES FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

FOOD:
THE CONCEPTS OF FREE LANGARS IS IN SIKHISM AND THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE TRAINED TO MAKE VEGETARIAN FOOD AND WHAT IS THE IDEA OF BRINGING IN HUNDREDS OF FREE LANGARS TO BALTAL AS WELL AS PAHALGAM AND BECAUSE OF THIS ASK FOR LAND TO GIVE FACILITATION TO PILGRIMS WHILE THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS CAPABLE OF DOING IT.
TRANSPORT:
TRANSPORT IS BEING DONE BY PILGRIMS BY BUSES ,TAXIS,PONIES,LABOURERS,HELCOPTER SERVICE.
THE J&K GOVT HAS ALLOWED OUTSIDE VEHICLES INCLUDING BUSES AND TAXIS ALTHOUGH IN LADAKH THE BUSES AND TAXIS OF KASHMIR OR JAMMU FOR THAT MATTER ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PLY WITHIN LEH .
FOR THS FACILTATION NO LAND IS REQUIRED.
IN CASE OF PONIES THE AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD CHARGES MONEY FROM THE OWNERS AND FOR THIS ALSO THEY WOULD NOT REQUIRE LAND.
IN CASE OF HELICOPTER SERVICE THERE IS LAND REQUIRED BUT AS PER ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS IT IS DETERMINTAL FOR THE LINGAM ITSELF AND THE OPERATION OF THIS FACILITY SHOUD BE WITH THE GOVT AS THE AIR SPACE IS OWNED BY THE GOVT AND NOT THE AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD.
OTHER FACILTIES LIKE LAVATORIES:
THIS IS ONE FACILTY WHICH WILL REQUIRE LAND BUT NOT IN CONTINUITY AND EVEN IF 100 SUCH FACILITIES ON EACH SIDE ARE CREATED IT WILL NOT REQUIRE 50 KANALS AND THAT ALSO NOT IN CONTINUITY.
THIS COULD BE DONE BY NGO AND THEY HAVE TO BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE AND NON POLLUTING.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE IS DURATION.

DURATION:
WE OPPOSE THE DURATION BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE AREA OF AMARNATH CAVE IS A PART OF THE HIMALAYAN RANGE ON WHICH DEPENDS OUR FORESTS,WATER,TOURISM,WILDLIFE .AROMATIC PLANTS AND HERBS.
IT IS HIGHLY FRAGILE AREA AND WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY IN THIS CASE OUR ENVIRONMENTALISRTS ALL OVER INDIA ARE QUIET WHILE AS THERE WAS NO OBJECTION IN THE CASE OF GANGOTRI IN UTTARKHAND WHERE THE NO OF PILGRIMS HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED.

OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES:
WHEN THE AMARNATH YATRA IS ON IT IS NO GO AREA FOR TOURISTS AND EVEN LOCALS THEREBY PRACTICALLY TAKING OVER OF PAHALGAM AND SONMARG .IF THIS YATRA IS EXTENDED FOR ONE YEAR THEN THESE TWO PRIMARY TOURIST RESORTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO OUR TOURISM SECTOR.
THE FEARS:
1)TAKING OVER OF SONMARG AND PAHALGAM
2)IN ONE OF THE PRESS REPORTS THE CEO DR ARUN KUMAR IS ON RECORD TO MENTION THAT THE AMARNATH SHRINE BOARD CAN GENERATE ELECTRICITY ALSO TO FACILITATE THE PILGRIMS.IMAGINE BY TRANSFER OF LAND THE CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS AND CONTROLLING OUR LIDDER AND SINDH RIVERS .
3)WHEN WHOLE OF SONMARG AND PAHALGAM ARE TAKEN OVER THERE IS POSSIBILTY OF CHANGING THE DEMOGRAPHY OF OUR STATE PARTICLURALY KASHMIR

now the people of kashmir want thier right of self determination and they will not be kept by india just because of other muslims are in india who remained of thier free will in india after partition or just because india cannot hold together just because indians have a false notion of secularism just because they have kashmir.
we kashmiris have suffered with low investements because of pending settlement ,our tourism has suffered now our horticulture and kashmir can survive by just tapping its water resources for power which is like oil.
let it be like switzerland wth both countries having access and kashmir can be a free zone with an international financial centre and be zone of peace for the whole region with everybody able to come.

This is really an irony that most of us including the auther have failed to realise that the movement in Jammu region is not directed against a religion, a region or mererly for the sake of 100 acres of land , it is rather a movement of the masses against the politicians who have no dignity or moral values and and are misleading and propelling their own people to disaster. People of Kashmir have failed to look after what the Maharajas of Dogra empire had left for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. You all need to broaden your knowledge of history of Jammu and Kashmir!

It is never too late to let the People decide what they want. Lets not loose our democrtic soul in the fear of loosing a part which wants to part. Now living is Florida, USA for fourty years, hailing from a Kashmiri Pundit family, I was born in Lahore from a migrant family from India. In all honesty my parents regreted the move till death. But truthfully just like the fanatic Muslims a lot is to be blamed on the fanatic Hindus as well. But over all the Indians are a lot tolerant folks than Pakistanis and that is becomeing more and more popular with time, thanks to rational thinking. Mix culturs like India thrive only on secular principls. The problem with Pakistan is, it is 96% Muslims who are misguided Muslims fundamentaly trusting the distorted translated versions of todays Muslim religion which is contrary to the original Islamic teaching of freedom of thought. Actually/Factually speaking the role of a religious Pundits/ Mullahs Pyramid was shattered by Original Islam and getting the enlightenment from the Quran was to be upto the individuals, but today that freedom of thought has long been forgotton. I hope the Kashmiri’s if given a chance to choose, choose for Independence as a whole country and choose to be a secular state. The alternative choice to join Pakistan will be just devastating for their economy and their rich culture and they will regret it. To be the foremost will be the slaughter of the still somewhat intact freedom of 1/2 of the Kashmiri Women. In my opinion, India with all its limitation of discrimations at all levels is marching forward where as the Muslim world in general and Pakistan in Particular is sliding fast in the Dark ages of Islam. I agree that India is bogged down with Kashmir. Good Luck.