Kashmir Halcyon:

I would love to serve my own people and leave no stone unturned: Athar Eight youth from Jammu Kashmir cracked the highly-competitive civil services exams this year. An engineering graduate from south Kashmir’s Anantnag district secured second rank in the prestigious exams. It is only the third time that anyone from Kashmir achieved this feat. This year, Athar Aamirul Shafi Khan from Devipora village joined the ever-growing list of Indian civil services from Jammu Kashmir. In an interview with Rising Kashmir’s Daanish Bin Nabi , he speaks about his life and preparations, and gives out valued advice to aspiring candidates. Excerpts · The only way to crack IAS is hard work · No need for a candidate to be a meritorious · Candidate of any educational background can crack civil services · There is diversity in IAS · You have to convince yourself first, then only can you crack it · I am ready to serve in other states as well · Honesty, dedication and belief i...

Daanish Bin Nabi Writing about Syed Ali Geelani is never easy. Whenever Geelani stoked any issue in the political spectrum of Jammu Kashmir, it spread like wildfire. From opposing Musharraf’s four-point formula (when almost everyone was on Musharaff’s boat) to opposing Sajjad Gani Lone and his lifetime enemy India, Geelani has always stood like a rock, and a beacon of hope for the people of Jammu Kashmir. It is our tragic fate that we may have to see the end of this hope anytime now (Allah knows best). Geelani’s recent heart stroke has again brought to the fore the old question: After Geelani, who? This question has been fervently tossed about some time, and has dominated the opinion pages of newspapers.  Geelani’s all weather Friend Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, Geelani all weather friend, is seen by many as his shadow. Many say Sehrai is tipped to be the next leader of the resistance camp. He does not have unanimous support, though. Not everybody is convinced that ...

Daanish Bin Nabi reports on how the Handwara case is proof that narratives are routinely changed in Kashmir to justify abuse of power Five civilians, including four youth and a 70-year-old lady were killed in the border district of Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, less than a month ago during protests against the Indian Army. As summer once again comes to the now ill-fated valley of Kashmir, the ghosts of violent summers past (2008 and 2010) loom large over it.  Controversy Follows Death On the afternoon of April 12, massive protests erupted in Handwara after an Army Trooper belonging to 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) attempted to molest a girl in a public washroom. The students started protesting near the army bunker where the accused trooper had sheltered himself. The police resorted to aerial firing and  lathi  charge, but the angry protestors refused to budge. The Indian Army who has AFSPA for refuge, fired volley of bullets on the protesters resulting in on spo...