On 8th Sep Farooq Abdullah stated that his party, the National Conference (NC), would neither participate in the forthcoming Municipal and Panchayat elections, as also the Lok Sabha elections due next year. He wanted the government to clear its stand on Article 35A prior to it changing its decision. It was closely followed by Mehbooba two days later, who only […]
On Eid, which should have been a peaceful day, filled with gaiety and celebrations, there were four killings by militants. A police inspector was shot dead at his home in Pulwama district, while two other off duty policemen were killed in Kulgam and Pulwama. Two escaped being killed by being away when militants barged in. In addition, the body of […]
The debate on Article 35 A continues. The supreme court would now hear the case in the last week of this month to determine whether it deserves to be referred to a constitutional bench. Legal issues aside, the re-emergence of the debate has brought to fore the fault lines which exist in the state. The case, when it last came […]
The reality is that Kashmir faces a proxy war pushed on the country by Pakistan. The proxy war claims the lives of terrorists, Kashmiris and security forces. Complete Kashmir does not burn, nor are all Kashmiris anti-India. The thousands involved in the conduct of the Amarnath Yatra are also Kashmiris for whom the yatra is a source of income and […]
The UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) for the first time released a report on human rights abuses on both sides of the Kashmir border on 14 Jun. Since neither nation had given the commission access to their part, the report was based on ‘remote monitoring’. The term ‘remote monitoring’ itself is questionable as it opens the report to being influenced […]
The withdrawal of support to the PDP led government by the BJP led to the establishment of governor’s rule in the state. The assembly was suspended, not dissolved, keeping options open for the formation of the government by any party, which can break other political parties. All state parties, less the BJP, have demanded dissolving of the assembly mainly to […]
A report in the Tribune of 10 Jul 2017 stated, ‘Every year thousands of Muslims offer their services during the yatra, including renting out their ponies and working as palanquin bearers’. Hundreds of shopkeepers and traders set up shop selling walking sticks, puja items, Kashmiri shawls and handicrafts. The report quoted a local, Nazir Ahmed Lone from Kulgam in South […]
Mebooba has throughout her tenure attempted to be an optimist, at times even utopian. She has regularly called for the youth to shun violence, has announced that guns and stones are not an answer, sought to lodge FIRs against the army for retaliating against stone pelters and even forgiven those indulging in violence. All in the belief that Kashmiri youth […]
The Amarnath Yatra, which commences at the end of this month is more than just a pilgrimage. It, apart from being a major part of the national calendar of pilgrimages, akin to the Mansarovar Yatra, is an event which builds bridges. It draws the faithful from across the country for a pilgrimage which has continued uninterrupted over the years. Apart […]
The pulling out of the BJP from the coalition has led to the resignation of the present government. The coalition was from the start, a matter of convenience. The two parties were like chalk and cheese. The BJP won all its seats in the Jammu belt, while the PDP in the valley. The BJP desired a strong stance against terrorism […]