Continuing the series on Jammu & Kashmir, today, a little bit about Syed Ali Geelani – in my view, the single biggest road-block to any lasting peace in Kashmir valley.
First, some background. This excerpt is from a news-report dated 2008. I had filed this under “stories that don’t make it as a lead-item”. From Praveen Swami’s An Islamist’s resurrection in Kashmir (emphasis added):
In his pronouncements in recent weeks, the Islamist patriarch himself has left the world in little doubt of his ideological agenda. Speaking to the …

In the second part of spotlight on Jammu & Kashmir, some figures and statistics that reveal just how dependent is the state on financial support from the Union and why it is high time we called for a stop on the financial profligacy in Kashmir…Read on (emphasis mine, throughout).
Start with this snippet from a recent report by Subodh Varma, “J&K’s dependency on Centre alarming“:
In 2009-10, J&K received Rs 13,252 crore as grants from the Centre, which constitutes nearly 60% of the state’s total expenditure. In fact, for the past …

This weekend, I will be focusing on Kashmir…To set the tone, here is a small selection of some great background articles on Kashmir…Pl do read through all of them. Some reiterate points made by other commentators; others raise fresh issues. All are thought-provoking.  Read on:
First, excerpts from A ‘moth-eaten’ India? by Chandan Mitra (Feb ‘10; emphasis added):
A small but influential section of public opinion in India has been pleading for “flexibility” in the Government’s approach to the Kashmir issue. Some important opinion makers have, in fact, gone on record to …

…or how fair is Rs 125cr for Leh and Rs 1000cr for Nehru stadium? I stumbled upon this post by Rajesh Kalra yesterday. It is shocking…and sad. Read on (emphasis mine):
The devastation brought about by the flash floods, basically flood of wet mud, in Leh has resulted in untold misery for its residents. Almost an entire section of the old town seems to have been flattened with the river of mud wiping off everything in its way.
Now, Leh, among the highest inhabited town in the world, never boasted a civil …

…or how some news is best left out of the main pages. Courtesy Ashok-ji,  my attention was drawn to this brief news-item about a Dutch missionary who was asked to leave Jammu & Kashmir within weeks  – just after his visa was renewed for four years. Read on:
A Dutch missionary of the Institute Mill Hill working in the Kashmir region of India has been asked by authorities to leave the country by the end of July.
His expulsion came as a surprise since the government had just renewed his visa until …

Sh Virendra Kapoor says it like it should be. An extract from Sh Kapoor’s article in Rediff (emphasis added):
The point is, despite having preserved the demographic character of the Valley, if Kashmiris continue to betray this country’s trust and abuse its largesse, only a foolhardy administration would continue to pander them even as they behave in a most treacherous, nay, traitorous manner.
It should be noted that in the current round of violence, they have forcibly cut the hair of a number of Sikh truckers while mercilessly beating Hindu truck drivers …

Dear All, it is my pleasure to publish this brilliant satire by Pankaj Saksena on William Dalrymple’s foray into international politics and foreign affairs (first published on his blog, “The Literary Falcon“). Read and share widely. ..
*** …and Dalrymple gives Kashmir to India! by Pankaj Saksena ***

It has been proved once again that violence is not the key to any solution. Guided by secular wisdom, peaceful negotiations will solve any problem.
In a brilliant intellectual coup, William Dalrymple, the brave defender of downtrodden Indian Muslims, the upholder …

From the Indian Army website:
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.
*** Saluting our Heores – Nb Subedar Bana Singh, PVC ***

Nb Subedar Bana Singh, PVC’s story begins at the icy heights of Siachen Glacier. Winding its way through 76 kilometers, Siachen is bounded by high peaks and mountains varying …

Dear All: It is my pleasure to publish this extract from an article by Anupam Sarwaikar on the Indus Water Treaty (the full article can be downloaded here). In this extract, Anupam specifically talks about the current controversy, Pakistan’s false propoganda on the issue and deliberate distortion of facts. Please read and share widely.
*** “Current Water Crisis in Pakistan and False Propaganda” by Anupam ***
Pakistan blames construction of Hydro electric dams on Indian side for the depletion of water levels in Indus and Chenab.  The actual reasons for the water …

*** A ROLL CALL OF SHAME ***
PTI News:
Army captain, jawan, militant killed in J-K encounter
Srinagar, Feb 23 (PTI) An army captain, a jawan and a militant were killed in an encounter between ultras and security forces in Sopore district of North Kashmir early today.
DNA India:
Gun battle ends, 3 soldiers killed in Kashmir
Srinagar: Militants holed-up in a house at Chinkkipora village of Sopore on Tuesday killed three soldiers of Special Forces who had gone to flush out the ‘high-value target’.
Hindustan Times:
Sopore encounter: Two army men, one militant killed
An Army officer and …

From the Indian Army website:
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.
*** Saluting our Heores – Naik Jadu Nath Singh, PVC ***

A tribute to Naik Jadu Nath Singh who sacrificed his life on this date,  62 years ago.
January 1948: The battle to liberate Jammu & Kashmir is now in its final stages. The airlift in Oct …

On the occassion of Martyr’s Day
Please take a moment to remember the ones who did not come back
And have a look at this series on National Heroes
|| Jai Hind, Jai Bharat ||

Start this weekend with a story on Hyderabad’s links to Islamic terrorism
Next, read Sandhya Jain on the apparent unravelling of Jammu & Kashmir
Then read a retelling of the story of Shantanu by Jai Joshi
and finally, a personal request from Sanjeev Sabhlok, founder-member, Freedom Team of India.
Excerpts from all the articles below, as always.
.
*** Excerpts from How Indian-born Islamic …

Is someone ghostwriting for Prof Chomsky or has the wise professor chosen to ignore facts?
Thanks to Amitabh (and Rachna) for alerting me to this statement from a recent article by Prof Chomsky. Writing in “War, Peace and Obama’s Nobel“, Prof Chomsky says (emphasis added):
Iran hasn’t invaded another country for hundreds of years—unlike the United States, Israel and India (which occupies Kashmir, brutally).
As Rachna mentioned in her email,”Someone well known is lying. He is Noam Chomsky and he has lied about India and the lie is huge”.
Nothing more needs to be …

Start this weekend with excerpts from Kashmir: Propagation of Islam and the Terror of the Sufis” by M A Khan (emphasis mine):
How did Islam come to Kashmir?
“It came through the peaceful missionary preaching of the Sufis,” comes the answer.
Sufis have been universally credited with the peaceful propagation of Islam around the world. An Islamic legend tells us that there was a king in Kashmir, at an unknown point in time, who had no religion. One day, he wished to adopt a religion. Both Muslims and Hindus came to convince him. …

Is this a mohalla meeting that we have gathered all these people (from Ladakh, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri) to discuss local affairs?

- Yasin Malik, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Brief excerpt from Madhu Kishwar’s Open Letter to Yasin Malik:
In the November 7 meeting, you expressed your annoyance over the fact that representatives from Ladakh, Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri had been invited. You dismissed their presence with open contempt saying: “Is this a mohalla meeting that we have gathered all these people to discuss local affairs?”
This attitude of assuming that it is only …

Thanks to Sanjay for alerting me to this…
Pl. see below two versions of Google map of India: one as seen in India and the other as seen in China

Note in particular that Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are both shown as “disputed” in the Indian version while the boundary is fully settled and neatly demarcated in the Chinese version.
Error, misunderstanding or double standards?

Related Post: Arunachal: Sleepwalking into a disaster

Start this weekend reading about “Maccha Yantra” – which might have been the precursor to the mariner’s compass of today…
Next, read former Governor of J&K, Jagmohan’s account of  his trek to Amarnath…
…and finally, ponder over Chandan Mitra’s provocative piece on the purpose of history
Excerpts from all the three articles below, as always.

From the Indian Army website:
The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.
.
*** Saluting our Heores – Major Somnath Sharma, PVC ***

A tribute to Major Somnath Sharma, Indian’s first “Param Veer” who sacrificed his life on this date, 62 years ago.
August-September 1947:  These are heady days. While most of the country is celebrating “independence”, the streams of …

Excerpts from Pakistan’s fifth column by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, National Post (emphasis mine)
…As the campaign (against Taliban in Swat) winds down, and local residents begin to return, significant questions remain about future counterinsurgency operations. For example, while Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has asked Washington for his own armed Predator drones for use against the Taliban, regional newspaper Dawn reports that U. S. intelligence officers oppose this move — in part because several years ago “American officials gave Pakistan advance word of planned Predator attacks, but stopped the practice after …

How many of you missed this? I did (emphasis added).
Prior to the 13th round of India-China boundary talks, Indian defence and security agencies reported an increased spurt in “intrusions” and “incursions” by the Chinese, particularly in the western sector.
Not suprising.
But this is worrying:
…on June 1, a combined Indian Army-ITBP patrol was intercepted by the PLA in Depsang Bulge and forced to turn back after the PLA planted vehicles in front and behind the Indian patrol vehicle and escorted it back across the Chinese “perception of the LAC”. Later in the …