Starting thought for the day:  Jammu & Kashmir is going to define India – or rather how we respond to the crisis in Jammu & Kashmir is going to define India.
This concluding post in the “Spotlight on Jammu & Kashmir” series has been the most difficult one to write. Partly because there are no easy answers here – and partly because the most “obvious” approach and solution appears to be very hard to implement – if not totally impractical.
But as a blogger, I have the advantage that most politicians don’t …

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 …

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 …

Please take a moment today to remember the heroes of Kargil. As many of you would know, today is “Kargil Vijay Diwas” – a day to remember the valour and the supreme sacrifice of the men in uniform in Kargil. The conflict in Kargil involved the largest peace-time mobilisation of Indian troops of which 20,000 were believed to have been involved in actual operations in the harsh and inhospitable terrain. The conflict also saw four of our men receive India’s highest military honour – the “Param Vir Chakra” for …

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 …

Start your weekend with these excerpts from a conversation between Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and an IAS probationer, Shri Yuvaraj Karan in 1950, reproduced from the print edition of the monthly magazine “Secularism Combat” (thanks Jiggs).
…Shri Yuvaraj Karan, a former IAS Officer, who is also one of the escapees from Pakistan has written a book “Understanding Partition” published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. When he was at the IAS training institute in Dehradun, in the first batch IAS trainees, Jawaharlal Nehru was invited to address them. At the end of Shri …

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 …

This is what I am reading this weekend.
How Bengal towns are becoming transit points for fake notes
West Bengal’s intelligence agencies have expressed concern that Pakistan-and Bangladesh-based racketeers are using the state’s Murshidabad and Malda districts as transit points to smuggle in fake notes to India.
Statistics reveal fake notes of nearly Rs 2.5 crore was seized from more than 300 people arrested over the past five years…
The arrested people revealed Murshidabad and Malda as transit points for the fake money racket.
…Chapai Nawabgunj is one of many centres in Bangladesh where …

I am writing this at midnight from Bengaluru.  Thanks to a hectic schedule and travel, I have slept for just about 13hrs since Thursday morning…yet I am finding it hard to sleep.
What happened in Pune is tragic but neither surprising nor unexpected. Pune was very much on the “list”. It was only a matter of time.
Some reports have linked the timing of the blast to the killing of Shahid Azmi, who was defending Fahim Ansari (26/11 accused).

Others have suggested that the heavy police bandobast for MNIK may have distracted the …