Kashmir Halcyon:

Daanish Bin Nabi, a journalist living in Kashmir, recounts the last 51 days of horror in the valley as the curfew is finally lifted, only to be re-imposed again after fresh agitations break out. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander, Burhan Wani, was killed on July 08, on the third day of Eid-ul-Fitr. The news broke at around 8:30 in the evening. I was stuck in Sopore, my home town at the time and tried to reach Tral, but to no avail as no taxi driver wanted to travel with me. Our team at Rising Kashmir was on tenterhooks–assigning stories and keeping track of all that was happening. By July 09, news started pouring in that more boys were dying, literally taking the streets in a show of solidarity to Wani. As the madness started to breakout, I was given the task of taking charge of the online section of the newspaper as the online Editor Shah Abbas, was stuck in south Kashmir. I could foresee what was coming. Living and reporting from the valley has given me a fair perspective on how ev...

Daanish Bin Nabi Not much has changed, it seems, since the summer of 2010, when young Kashmiri protesters took to the streets and hurled stones at army soldiers. It was a unique protest, not just because a stone was used to express anger and anguish but also the demographic profile of the protesters took everyone by surprise, for they included young graduates, doctors and engineers who were enraged at years of injustice and complete denial by Delhi.  The year 2016 marks six years since 2010; six years since Kashmir witnessed a violent civil unrest. The protagonists of the latest protests are once again young stone-pelters, braving bullets and deadly pellets of the security forces. So far, more than 52 civilians have lost lives and over 3,700 have been injured, following the weekly protest calendars notified by united Hurriyat leaders. The Quint visited areas that witnessed heavy stone pelting, like downtown Srinagar, Nowgam, Batamaloo and Bemina in Srinagar city to t...

Daanish Bin Nabi Even as reports emerge that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s encounter may have been ‘stage-managed’, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) much-touted ‘healing touch policy’ seems to be falling apart within three months of Mehbooba Mufti’s taking over as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.  Mufti’s government gravely mishandled the situation after Burhan’s encounter. The security forces have claimed that the encounter took place at Bumdroo village in Kokernag. Voices are getting louder each day that the encounter was stage-managed by the security forces. Reports in leading national newspapers and a story confirm this. Veteran journalist Prem Shankar Jha put these speculations to rest when he wrote, “Every bit of information that has surfaced suggests that the encounter, if not the actual killing, was choreographed.” This has enraged Kashmiris even more. Palpable Anger There are also reports suggesting that the security apparatus killed...

Daanish Bin Nabi Saturday, August 27, marked the 50th day of consecutive curfew in Kashmir. In the last 50 days, Kashmiris have gone through many highs and lows of life. While officially the 2016 ‘uprising’ is being either labeled as “Pakistan-sponsored” or “by only 5% miscreants”, unofficially Kashmir has been put under a ruthless security blanket, which almost many Indians are unaware of. On August 22, Lal Chowk, the city centre of Srinagar was again put under the Border Security Forces (BSF). Last time the BSF had taken over the city center was twelve years ago. The force came to be known for many ills during the 1990s in the state; it remains one of the most dreaded forces among the ordinary people of Kashmir.  As per reports, the paramilitary forces (BSF) have occupied 20 government and semi-government schools besides 50 vital government installations across Kashmir. The BSF had conducted anti-militancy operations in Kashmir from 1991 to 2004 when they were re...

As clashes between the locals and security forces continue for the fifth consecutive day, Daanish Bin Nabi spends a horrifying day at SMHS talking to the casualties of what is turning out to be a civil war like situation. In the emergency ward of Kashmir’s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) there is loud wailing punctuated with sobs and there are people everywhere. The room is over stormed with casualties and volunteers—some donating blood while others give food and medicines to the injured. There is no time to waste and everyone is working swiftly as more ambulances arrive carrying even more casualties. Since the Friday killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, the hospital has received more than 300 youth for treatment. 36 have died so far and over 1,500 have been injured in clashes between the people and the authorities in the last four days. These numbers include women and young children, some as old as 4 years of age.  The air of hopelessness and anx...

Daanish Bin Nabi reports on what’s going on in the valley since news broke out that rebel commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani has been killed in an encounter On July 08, 2016, while Kashmiris were still in a celebratory mood after Eid, at around 05:00 pm in the evening, news of an “encounter underway’’ started to spread. It was taking place in the remote village of Bumdoora in the Kokernag sub-district of south Kashmir. Everyone in the valley took the news lightly when they first heard it. Encounters between the Indian army and the militants are commonplace in Kashmir. What most of Kashmir did not know then was that the young, 22-year-old, Hizb-ul-Mujahiddin commander, Burhan Muzaffar Wani was also trapped by the forces.  By 08:00 pm, the news of his killing spread like wildfire. Many did not believe that Wani was dead and rubbished the claims. By the time Jammu & Kashmir Police released the encounter pictures of Wani and his two associates on social media, Kashmir wa...