Kashmir Halcyon:

Daanish Bin Nabi   Few days ahead of PM Modi’s Srinagar visit, the state witnessed a series of attacks. The clamor was heard from Srinagar to New Delhi. Like always, violence and straight talk from Delhi went hand in hand. However, the attention in Srinagar city was grabbed largely by massive frisking exercises as the ground was prepared for Modi’s Monday speech. Like always, there was a strike call from the senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani and the entire city wore a deserted look with forces even securing river Jhelum in boats. Like always journalists and media persons had their itineraries set for the city and the venue – Sheri-Kashmir Cricket Stadium. The city was sanitized beforehand with forces searching almost all vehicles in and around the city centre Lal Chowk, walls were adorned and the banner work in the late hours nicely done by BJP’s paid or rather hired supporters. A day before Modi spoke wearing a pheran, many unknown faces in the city were noticed – people ...

By not naming his childhood friend in the recent reshuffle, Syed Ali Geelani has sent a strong message across Hurriyat’s political spectrum Daanish Bin Nabi The thorn in India’s side in Kashmir is Syed Ali Geelani, the de-facto leader of young Kashmir. Geelani has not been keeping well for years now, and talks of his succession have been in air since last two to three years. To fit his shoes is a tough job. The riddle for his party is: After Geelani, who? Some of the men in Geelani’s inner circle have been in the limelight. Some are little known to the outside world. Among them is his trusted aide, Mohammad Ashraf Ali, whose nom de plume is Ashraf Sehrai. His significance can be judged from the fact that many consider him the likely successor of Geelani. Sehrai was born in 1944 in Tickipora Lolab, Kupwara. His forefathers migrated to this part of Kashmir much before partition. His family hails from the Khans of Pakistan. His father’s name is Shamas-ud-din Khan. Seh...

From self-sufficiency to dependency Daanish Bin Nabi Till 1953, Kashmir was self-sufficient and did not import anything apart from salt, tea and clothing. However, the political coup and the subsequent arrest of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on August 8, 1953 changed the political as well as economic course of Kashmir. In 1947, the import-export ratio of Kashmir’s trade was 1:3, indicating that Kashmir had a surplus trade. But 68 years down the line this ratio has taken a u-turn. Today the trade ratio of import-export of Kashmiri goods stands at 7:1. Kashmir now import goods of worth more than Rs 40,000 crore a year and only export goods worth Rs 7000 crore. There is a deficit of Rs 33,000 crore, which increases every year.  Import and Export of Goods In 1951, a devastating draught hit Kashmir and there was dearth of rice. At that time, council of minster of then Prime Minster Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah suggested that Kashmir should import food grai...

Daanish Bin Nabi Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee walked an extra mile to reach the people of Kashmir as the attack on Indian Parliament in 2001 had driven a wedge between India-Pakistan relations and put to freeze conclusive dialogue and talks on Kashmir. Despite the criticism and annoyance at home, Vajpayee addressed the people of J&K at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in April 2003. For his intent and openness he was well received with slogans of “Na Banduk Se Na Goli Se Baat Banegi Boli Se” (only talks are the way out). In his address, Vajpayee made a reference to the then situation in Iraq and said, “Bloodbath should end in Kashmir because guns and war is no solution to any problem.” Cut to 2015; state Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed did everything to please Prime Minister Narendra Modi who reached Srinagar on November 7 and addressed a rally in the same stadium. Tweaking the same slogan, Mufti Sayeed said at the same venue, “Na Grenade Se Na Goli Se Baat B...

International Youth Day Daanish Bin Nabi On 12 August, the Internati onal Youth Day is celebrated all across the globe to discuss issues of the youth. Unfortunately, on this important day the Kashmiri youth seems to have been completely forgotten. World Youth Day has a different connotation for Kashmir for various reasons.  Around the world, the youth are sharing and discussing new ideas. They are talking about new concepts, innovations, development and progress. In Kashmir, the youth is struggling to find a space even for a free exchange of ideas. The space for a youth stands choked and there is such a controlled environment that a Kashmiri youth is not in a position to think of development and socio-economic progress. The Kashmir conflict has claimed thousands of lives and coerced youth in activities which can’t be termed as constructive by any standard. This phenomenon often leads to disastrous results. There is a negative impact of conflict on the youth of...

Kashmiris have always been ready for a result-oriented dialogue with India, but this should come with dignity Daanish Bin Nabi  Dialogue, no doubt, is a part of a freedom struggle. Many conflicts in the world were known to have been resolved only through dialogue, after sustained violent clashes between various groups. The conflict in Northern Ireland was resolved through a proper and sustained conflict resolution process (read dialogue). The Kashmir conflict is no different from any other, and this "dispute" has to be resolved through a process of conflict resolution.  The chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said in an interview that dialogue was the only way forward - a theory with which many of his close aides and associates also agree. On the opposite end of this divide is the lone but upbeat old stalwart of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He also says that he is ready for a dialogue with New Delh...

The 23rd March 1987, the day that changed Kashmir as never before Published at 06/08/2015 03:33:50  0 Comment(s) Daanish Bin Nabi Many formidable Indian politicians have said on record that elections for Jammu and Kashmir’s legislative assembly have seldom been free and fair. The alleged widespread rigging in the 1987 elections could well be described as a watershed moment in the Himalayan region’s tumultuous political history, as the then newly formed political alliance of like-minded parties, Muslim United Front (MUF), felt disgruntled after most of its candidates were declared unsuccessful. Did the 1987 elections compel Kashmiris to question a political process controlled and managed by New Delhi and did the ‘rigging’ fuel popular anti-India armed uprising of 1989, Daanish Bin Nabi  tries to ferret out.  In words of Prem Shankar Jha, one of India’s leading journalists and columnists, it was New Delhi which put a question mark on the electoral process...