Short Srinagar, Pahalgam trip June 2017

Even though I’m from Jammu and have a lot of family members and friends working in Kashmir, it hasn’t been a place I cared enough to visit. Last time I was there in 1999, I had to cut short my stay after Kargil war started. Since then, I never really gave any attention to the […]

Misconceptions about Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)

The Act, served the civil administrations in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East effectively in combating cross-border terrorism. However, it has in, recent times, become target of criticism. Demands for its withdrawal have been raised, specially from Jammu and Kashmir in the North and Manipur in the East. Are these demands justified? Or are […]

Documentary on Amarnath Land Issue protests in Jammu

A 60 minute long documentary (in 6 10 minute long parts) on 2 months long protests over Amarnath Shrine Board land issue in Jammu. Contains good footage of many important events. Commentary is kind of annoying but tolerable. I got it from a friend, don’t know who actually produced it. I’d be grateful if somebody […]

Muslims and India

For quite sometime, many sections have been potraying Muslims as a community under seige from “communal” Hindus due to terrorist attacks in India and elsewhere. We are told how Muslims who are as nationalistic, patriotic and intelligent as any other Indian and they condemn every act of violence prepetrated by Islamic terrorists. A Muslim organisation’s […]

Jammu Vs. Kashmir

For some reason, Blogger disrupts any formatting I make in this post.Must be some bug or its incompatible with my browser. Kindly click on this link : http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=piAUbZEyUythttUu9InsPfw for a spreadsheet with proper formatting. Its a Google spreadhsheet.                                   […]

Dialogues In Suffering. Yeah Right

The Hindu published a very crappy article about situation in Kashmir  in July 27 Sunday Magazine.  Dialogues in suffering   Coming from a paper of such standing, its  very disappointing, to put it mildly. So I wrote a letter to the editor.  Hope it makes some difference. Dear Sir,   I’m truly apalled by “Dialogues […]

Mayhem Continues

Total lockdown of Jammu continues today for 4 days now.  On the other hand Kashmir is back to normal as if the protests never happened. That place saw violent, totally unreasonable protests by extremists and separatists for 8 days..all they got was temporary house arrest of few loudmouth leaders. While authorities imposed curfew and article […]

Strikes, Protests, Curfew, Communalism

Another strike in J&K; today.  2 weeks ago it was transporters association which called for a 3 day lockdown to pressurise govt for increase in fares after increase in fuel prices. Now its turn of political parties. Issue this time is transfer of land to Amarnath Shrine Board in Kashmir. Muslim separatists in Kashmir protesting […]