Saturday, February 23, 2008

Unarmed persons cannot be killed: ICRC

‘Even Indian constitution guarantees right to live’
Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb 19: International Community of Red Cross (ICRC) Tuesday asserted that unarmed persons cannot be killed under any circumstances.“Unarmed persons cannot be killed under any circumstances,” an ICRC official said.

Philippe Stoll, ICRC Communication Coordinator wrote to Rising Kashmir in an email from Delhi that troopers or militants cannot “kill” a person who is wounded or not fighting anymore.“It is a violation of basic principles of law. These principles can be found in various treaties like the Geneva Conventions or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Stoll said.
He said that the same laws can be found even in the Indian constitution.“Article 21 of the Indian constitution guarantees the right to life,” he said. “Under all these laws and rules, the wounded, sick and prisoners of war come under specifically protected people,” Stoll said.
On Monday Rising Kashmir carried a report about the killing of an unarmed and wounded militant who, according to a lone eyewitness Ghulam Qadir, was shot dead by the personnel of Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police after a gunfight at Aglar in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Qadir had said, he brought the militant out of the house who was little conscious and critically injured. “I saw one militant with long hair lying in one of the rooms in the rear end of the house. I could not believe that he was alive,” he had said.
Qadir had said that he held the wounded militant’s head gently and somehow managed to bring him out of the completely gutted two storied house.“As we stepped outside, the SOG men standing nearby fired a volley of bullets in the militants head as he was in my lap,” Qadir had said.
The ICRC official in his e-mail reaction to Rising Kashmir said, the killing is a violation of the basic principles of law.

‘Troops can kill unarmed wounded militants’

Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb 18: Troopers deployed in Jammu and Kashmir enjoy more powers than guaranteed by the much hated Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). A top ICRC official told Rising Kashmir on condition of anonymity on Monday that the troopers can even “kill” a non combatant wounded militant “because the government of India is not signatory to the additional protocols of Geneva Conventions 1977”.

The official argued since India had not accepted the “disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir” such killings won’t amount to the breach of any Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Conventions – and their sub rules that are part of international humanitarian law – prevent the killing of civilians, medics, aid workers and those who can no longer fight. According these rules the wounded, sick and prisoners of war come under specifically protected people.
But the same is not yet applicable to Kashmir because of India’s stated position on the territory. “For the applicability of Geneva Conventions all the parties involved in the conflict need to recognize that area as a conflict zone,” the ICRC official asserted.
Last week an injured militant, according to a lone eyewitness Ghulam Qadir, was shot dead by the personnel of Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police after a gunfight at Aglar in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. “It was in the wee hours of Friday when the SOG men forced me to enter the gutted house,” Qadir, the lone eyewitness to the incident had said. “As I entered the house, I saw one militant with long hairs lying in one of the rooms in the rear end of the house. I could not believe that the militant was alive. He was little conscious and critically injured.”
Qadir said when he touched the militant identified by Police as Abdul Rehman, he (the militant) started wriggle in pain. “I lifted him. He asked to untie the ammunition pouch from his chest. I did that to relieve him.” Qadir said, “I held his head gently and somehow managed to bring him out of the completely gutted two storied house.
As we stepped outside I kept his head straight since he asked me to do so. Suddenly the SOG men standing nearby fired a volley of bullets in the militants head as he was in my lap,” Qadir said and broke down, adding, “I shouted and asked him to recite the Kalima (The Arabic declaration, according to Islamic jurisprudence, that there is no God but Allah). Qadir said the SOG men ordered him to frisk the militant after they had pumped bullets into his head.
Asked to comment on the aforementioned incident, the ICRC official said, “I am not in a position to say anything on this. But I can say this much that India has not accepted Kashmir as a disputed territory or a conflict region. By virtue of this stand no such clause of Geneva Convention which upholds the rights of wounded combatants will be relevant in Kashmir.”
The official, however, said if such an incident would have happened somewhere else then the killing of an unarmed and injured combatant would have qualified for the breach of Geneva Conventions.
“If the same had happened elsewhere, like in Sri Lanka, it was a clear case of violation of the Geneva Conventions and would have been considered as a brave breach,” the ICRC official added.
India has not yet signed and has been consistently opposing the protocol-II of the additional Geneva Conventions of 1977 that relate to the protection of victims of non-international armed conflicts.

Results evoke mixed reaction from people

Elections will restore peace; no one can rule like Musharraf
Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb19: Opposition parties in Pakistan gaining ground in recently held elections have evoked a mixed reaction from the common people here in valley. Some call the elections as the harbinger of peace in the country while some people are of the opinion that nobody can rule Pakistan the way Musharraf ruled.

“I could see a breakthrough in the political impasse in the country that cropped up since the 9/11 attacks in America,” said Muhammad Rafiq Parray, a businessman. He said the polls were free and fair and could begin an era of permanent peace in the area. “It would also help to expedite Indo-Pak talks,” he added.
Syed Najam-ud-Din Shah, who runs a readymade garment shop in the city’s Forest Lane, said, “I am happy to see pro- Musharaff parties losing,” adding, “Musharaff was a US puppet, he was anti Islamic and the parties supporting him paid for it.” He said people of Pakistan have taken a good decision. Now possibilities of Pakistan becoming stable are high. “Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) will form a coalition government, and they will not include MQM in it,” Shah said, adding, the new government will work for the benefit of Kashmir.
Another Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) fan said, “Zardari should not have waited for a long time after Benazir’s killing, rather, he should have opted for early elections.” He said that had Zardari gone ahead PPP could have formed a government on its own.
“Mushraff’s popularity graph declined when he ordered military strike on Islamabad’s Lal Masjid and repealed Supreme Court judge, followed by inflation and suicide bombings,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a book seller. He added whoever comes into the power, there would be no shift in the Pakistan’s Kashmir stance. “They will continue to support Kashmir.”
Gulzar Ahmad, a staunch admirer of President Parvez Musharaff said, “Now the corrupt people are back in power, they will not do well to their own country nor to Kashmir.” He said Musharaff wanted to make Pakistan a Malaysia type developed state, but he succumbed to US pressure. “Nobody can rule Pakistan the way pro-Musharaff parties ruled,” he said, adding he is upset with the polls results.

'Stable Pakistan will benefit Kashmir'

Baba Umar
Srinagar Feb 18: As Pakistan went to polls on Monday, separatist and mainstream politicians kept their fingers crossed. However, most of the leaders believed that stable Pakistan would benefit Kashmir.

“Pakistan has always supported Kashmir cause, no matter who comes into power and I hope the outcome of this election would carve out a better future for all the inhabitants of subcontinent,” said senior Hurriyat (M) leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.
Shah said that Pakistan will continue to support the Kashmir cause irrespective of who comes into power there.
“We would like to see a better and healthy Pakistan as that will have direct impact on Kashmir issue too,” said another Hurriyat (M) leader Nayeem Khan. He said it is difficult to predict the outcome of the Pakistan elections, but it won’t hamper Pakistan’s support to Kashmir.
“Pakistan is not unstable. India and the US too have internal disputes. I hope the outcome of the general elections in Pakistan would be acceptable to the people of Pakistan and all the parties involved in the elections,” said Abdul Gani Bhat, former Hurriyat (M) chairman. He hoped that after new government is formed in Pakistan the stalled Indo-Pak peace process would restart again.
Acting chairman of Hurriyat (G) Ghulam Nabi Sumji said that the polls in Pakistan would end the rule of President Musharaff who, according to him, is responsible for the mess in Pakistan as well as in Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, wished luck to Pakistani people. “I am monitoring the polls and I wish them (Pakistani people) best of luck.” He said he cannot predict the results of the election but he wishes to see a developed and happy Pakistan.
Social welfare minister and senior Congress leader Abdul Gani Vakil said, “We are happy to see free and fair elections in Pakistan. People here want immediate end to their internal disputes.” He said a strong Pakistan will guarantee a permanent peace in the region.
Mehboob Beigh, senior National Conference (NC) leader and party vice president said Pakistan is an important party of the Kashmir dispute and a democratic Pakistan would stimulate the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan. “I am excited to know the results of the polls as it would help accelerate the peace talks between the two countries.”

HR groups contest police report on violations

IGP says he has no information about the document
Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb 21: The local human rights groups have contested the police report which documents only 331 custodial killings and 111 custodial disappearances since 1989, when armed rebellion broke out in the state.Newswire agency AFP reported Monday to have obtained a police document that confirms 331 custodial killings and 111 custodial deaths in the state in the past 18 years.

Khurram Parvez, coordinator Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) rubbished the police report and said that at least 9,000 to 10,000 custodial killings and 15,000 enforced disappearances had been reported since 1989.“The police figures are ambiguous. They are nowhere near figures which we have recorded in only one district of the valley,” Parvez said.
The human rights group JKCCS have recorded 337 enforced disappearances and 416 custodial killings in district Baramulla only, which includes 205 civilians, 183 militants, seven released militants, eight political activists, seven Jamaat-e-Islami members, six renegades and troops.Downplaying the police figures Parvez said, “Our figures are based on door-to-door surveys. They are reliable and recognised.”
Police officials often have claimed that most of the disappeared people have crossed over the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India.Parvez said that his organisation has separate figures of such people. “We have also recorded the figures of people who crossed over to the other side of Kashmir. We don’t count them among the people disappeared in custody,” said he.
However Inspector General of Police, Shiv Murari Sahai said that police have released no such report."We have been recording custodial disappearances and custodial killings and it is our job. However I am not aware of any such police report," he said.
According to indiatogether.com, Amnesty International in 1995 documented 706 cases of custodial killings in the period between 1990 and 1994. Almost all of them were killed after gruesome torture, the Amnesty International report said. In its response to the Amnesty International, New Delhi responded to 519 out of 706 cases in an evasive manner, dismissing half of them as "encounter killings" without supporting evidence despite eyewitness reports to the contrary.

Explosion in lower court, 2 injured

Baba Umar
Srinagar, Feb 22: Two persons were injured when a grenade inside the recovery room of the lower court here exploded Friday morning.The blast occurred in an ammunition store at the lower court located near the busy city centre.

“The sound of a blast was heard from inside the godown this morning. Now, our men are trying to take out all the stuff lying inside the godown," said Afdul Mujtaba, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar.
No major fatalities were reported, as the place was fairly empty at the time of the blast with most of the lawyers having gone out for offering Friday prayers.
Fire fighters were called in to douse the fire, which started as result of the blast as police officials and bomb squad worked diligently to prevent any further untoward incident.The store was stocked with arms and ammunition seized from the militants.The room is used for the storage of recoveries in militant and criminal cases since 1930.
One of the injured was identified as Muhammad Shafi, incharge of the ammunition room. An eyewitness said that Shafi had just entered the room when the blast occurred as thick smoke and flames came out of the windows of the ammunition room.“I saw him entering the room and suddenly there was an explosion,” said an eyewitness. He said the lawyers swiftly bussed the injured to the hospital.
Abdul Majeed, a firefighter who was pumping water from the window of the ammunition room said he saw the whole room blackened with thick smoke and debris.“Nothing was visible inside — it was only smoke,” he said.
The lawyers and other officials of the lower court believe the blast in the ammunition room could have created a Khundroo like situation in the city.Last year an army ammunition reservoir at Khundroo in south Kashmir caught fire creating havoc in the area. The lawyers said that they have several times, in the past, requested for shifting the room from the court vicinity.Nazir Ahmad Ronga, President Bar Association, said that at least four judges sit adjacent to the ammunition room in the ground floor of one of the buildings of lower court. “It is a dangerous place to work,” he said. “The ammunition has been lying there for the past 18 years.” “We have been asking the Chief Prosecuting Officer (CPO) to shift the ammunition dump somewhere else but nothing has happened,” he added.
Joint Secretary Kashmir Bar Association, Bashir Sidique said, “The authorities have several times declared the place unsafe. I fail to understand why the explosives have not been destroyed or shifted to some other place?” Sources said that the ammunition has been gathered from 25 police stations of the city and left in the ammunition room till the cases under trial are solved.“The room contains fake currency. The possibility of someone’s involvement in the explosion cannot be ruled out,” the source said.Fire service control room officials said the room is contained with seized material worth Rs 5 crore and added that the fire fighters averted a major tragedy.“The building has suffered a huge loss and items worth Rs 8 lakh were burnt into ashes,” said an official of the department.

Covering or Blocking Press conference

Baba Umar
Just after pulling out myself from the hall where Nayeem Akhter, Secretary Tourism Department, had called for a press conference, I felt embarrassed at myself for not being answered by the speaker to one of my query. Reason: the total hijack of the event by the lensmen who stand tall in the front row. And I should not be wronged to call them “Hacks”. Why “Hacks”, because they lack journalism ethics and the much needed competence. The moral code of news gathering, particularly in the press conferences, is not being properly followed by these “Hacks”. And hence the total cessation of important information that people like me can draw out from the orators.
Before such meets, cameramen surround the speakers with their mammoth-sized tripods and wide cameras on the very front row, forming an arc that prevents scribes to note down anything—and hence not leaving an inch for the reporters who have to sit far behind the barricade formed by these “Hacks”.

Today I could see a renowned scribe of the valley who covered Gulf War, totally helpless and perplexed. He had to wade through several rows to have an eye contact with the speaker at the press conference. Shooting his poser over the head of a lensman, he, I could gauge, felt screwed up with camerapersons.

And before the organisers could wrap up the press conference, a gush from the front row thudded to rock the tables that had on it delicious freebies. It seemed as if they were hungry for several months. And then followed a complete choas.

I talked to a local channel cameraperson about why they occupy the front row leaving our notepads dry and clean. The reply came in a stingy manner, “We too have to do our job,” he said. “We find it difficult to focus on the subject from the back row.” And this tells the lack of their professional approach towards newsgathering. Hope in the next gathering, such camerapersons would cover the event after having proper tuitions from their bosses.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

CM ready for CBI probe

‘I’m fighting against corruption; whoever is involved will be punished’
Baba Umar

Srinagar, Feb 01: Chief Minster Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday expressed willingness for a CBI probe into the alleged involvement of his brothers in the high profile timber import scam.Addressing a press conference here Azad said that the CBI would probe involvement of his brothers in the timber import scam but ruled out any possibility of a CBI investigating the entire Kundal Committee report.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat in Srinagar Azad said, “The section of Kundal Committee report where my brothers are featuring will be probed by the CBI. The rest will remain under the investigation of Crime Branch of police and State Vigilance Organisation (SVO).”
The chief minister made these revelations day after the New Delhi-based news channel CNN IBN showed that Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s brothers were directly involved in the notorious timber import scam.The chief minister also distanced himself from his brothers saying, “I am not living with them for the past 41 years. I was studying in SP College when I left my brothers back home. Where then do I figure in the picture?” Azad questioned.
Reiterating his pledge to fight corruption in the state with iron hands, Azad said the guilty will be brought to book no matter whosoever would be involved.“Nobody will be spared. Even if he is someone’s father or brother,” he said. “The attempts to drag me in the timber import scam will not dilute my determination to fight corruption in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Referring to a news story run by CNN IBN and carried by a section of local press, Azad said that the report was one sided and highlighted allegations made by two ‘tainted officers’ of the forest department whose misdeeds had been established by the Kundal Committee which recommended their dismissal from service.He said one of the two officers had dual citizenship and traveled on four assumed names from six residential addresses, four of which were found to be fake. “The person travelled 23 times between USA and India and stayed in US for about 14 years. After his Indian passport expired he held the post of MD State Forest Corporation despite being a US citizen,” he added.“He also drew the salary of the period he was in US. The second official’s service book showed that he had joined the government service at the age of 14. At least 8 enquiries have been instituted against him for misconduct.”
Azad said that the two officials in order to avoid further action against them had gone to the court and were now trying to malign him to give a setback to his resolve of fighting corrupt elements.Referring to the documents displayed by the news channel as evidence against him Azad said that there was nothing in these letters that the viewers were made to believe. He showed the letters to the media persons and said one of these addressed by the then Commissioner and Secretary Forest, Najmus Saqib to the Commissioner and Secretary Finance, B B Vyas was about seeking the latter's "cooperation in bringing to book some unscrupulous elements including officials who have played a role in wanton exploitation of forest wealth in Doda district since late 80s and early 90s."
He said the migration of contractors from the state to the neighbouring state like Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh had resulted in 80 per cent decline in timber extraction in Jammu division.Azad said for seeing to it that the contractors here do not leave the state to work outside, he had marked the representation of the contractors to the then Commissioner and Secretary, Forest for discussion as was the normal procedure about such matters."How does this letter show that I have favoured any of my relatives?" he asked.
Azad said that he was the first political leader in India who had written to the successive chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir asking them not to entertain any of his relatives if they came for any favour to them. “I wrote these letters in 1983 and 1987. He said after taking over as the chief minister of J&K in 2002, the first thing I did was to issue a circular asking all Commissioners, Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners not to entertain any request of favour by my relatives.“If any of my relatives is involved in any irregularities, he will face the consequences like any other guilty citizen,” he said.
Earlier, the chief minister inspected the construction work on the projects including the legislature and museum complexes.

Valleyties getting weary of traditional ways of lodging protests


Baba Umar:
In the past eighteen years of conflict, Kashmir had witnessed hundreds of days of Hartals and Protests. And every hartal would end up in the same fashion— shops closed, stones being pelted and separatists getting bundled into the police vans, only to be released by the evenings.

But people seem to be weary of the old-fashioned ways of lodging their protests. Getting fed up, they have now thought of something novel.
“Let us register future protests in a unique way,” says Mushtaq Khan, a book seller on the Residency Road. “Imagine shopkeepers do not pull down their shutters, instead keep their shops open—form a human chain outside their establishments, and prevent customers in.”
Then there are people like Fazal Ahmad, who feel it absurd to stay back home and do nothing on hartal days. He says people should do their routine work and simultaneously register their protest. “I will tell you the new way of observing hartal,” says Ahmad.
“Simply go to your work, and pin a black badge on your sleeves,” he says. Many believe that launching protest campaigns on evenings would do the job. They think protests could be registered without any impediment in one’s work.
“I would like to do my job first and participate in a candle light march on evenings,” says Basit Umer. “He says people in the west are getting worldwide attention from these kinds of protests and Kashmiris too can adopt the same formula. “Candle light protests really make a difference,” Umer says.
“Well, if you remember, all the closed cases like Jessica Lal murder and Priyadarshini Matto were reopened using this sort of protest.”
Danish Khan, a media student, however, wishes to participate in the silent protests without making any noise and ransack. He doesn’t believe in the positive outcome of violent protests. He says the aim of hartal is to get noticed and some novel ways (silent protests) would do. He has a novel idea for getting attention too.“I would love to take out my handycam, cover the silent protest, and send the footage to all of my friends, relatives, political leaders and those against whom I would be protesting. We can also upload it on sundry websites visited by millions of people across the globe,” he says.
The last couple of months saw two very unique ways of protests. The first one was held by Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU) against the growing human rights violation at the hands of troopers in the valley. They came out on the city’s Residency Road and held a peaceful candle light protest on the evening of December 10 to observe the International Human Rights (IHR) day. And the second unique kind of protest that never ever happened before was tossing of eggs by the protestors in the city’s Press Colony. By breaking eggs the protestors tried to mock at the ‘Zero tolerance of human rights violation’ slogan by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.

Eve teasing

We respect Them
Baba Umar
‘It is all about knowing one’s rights’. This is what the young male folk think on the issues that concern mostly women of all age groups. The women folk have always been whining of harassment, stalking, bawdy remarks and indecent approach of their counterparts in the buses they travel. And the male used to repulse this blame by simply saying that ‘they seldom do it’.
However, the present generation of young people is open to anything. They acknowledge it happens with females in the buses, and they also accept that they help girls if such situations arise.“I must say that we need to respect women,” says Zahid Ahmad, a computer student. “I once saw two girls complaining in the bus about pestering at the hands of a man who was just sitting adjacent to them and I kicked him out of the door.”
He says women should also try defend their rights and should call for help when such things happen to them.“But again it’s not fair to blame everything on male travelers,” he says.
“Imagine yourself in the bus packed of girls only. You can’t paint everyone with the same brush. They (girls) too do it.” Zahid is himself a victim of teasing at the hands of girls; however, he feels the teachings of Prophet (SAW) should be upheld at any cost, no matter what comes. “I respect women and I not only offer them my seat in the bus, if they are standing, but I also keep a vigil on any trouble-maker,” says the heavily built Zahid.
When it comes to offering seats, female folk have always caught hold males from collar. Though there is reservation for ladies in the buses, nobody follows the law, creating a “silent rift” between the standing ladies and their seated opposites. Silent in the sense, many think, is because ladies don’t claim for their occupied seats.
“When they are demanding their share in every sphere, why not in the buses too?” asks an elderly person. He says girls have done well in any realm of life and they can make their voice to be heard. “Ladies should forget shyness and ask for the seats reserved for them,” he adds.
In case of an overloaded bus, there are some who would like to offer their seat only to those women who are properly dressed. “Frankly speaking, I won’t offer my seat to a girl if she is wearing something arousing,” says Danish Illahi, a student. “And if something bad happens to them, they are themselves responsible for it, you know what I mean to say,” says he.
Others thank God for creating them as Males. They say travelling in a bus is never a great going for ladies.“I am happy that I was a male offspring of my parents,” smiles Fazal Mehmood, who thinks it a hard going for a girl travelling among the males.“I can understand the plight of a girl at such times, but they need to be vibrant and gutsy,” says he.
On girl’s reaction to any harassment or teasing in the bus, he says, the girl should report the event to police or should seek help from the driver and elders sitting in the bus.“The problem with girls is that they feel it embarrassing to file a case in the police department,” says Mehmood. “Let them break the shackles and fight for their rights.”
The police is also expressing the need of bravery and mettle in the girls who happen to come across any miscreant in the buses.Gulshan Akhter, SHO, Women’s Police Station, Rambagh says, “A girl should be alert while travelling. She should file the report with police after taking the help of co-passengers and driver of the vehicle.”And what could be the possible punishment for such miscreants?“Depends on the type of crime—it’s usually 3-4 months of imprisonment and some fine, “she says. “ But this year we didn’t receive any complaint regarding harassment in the buses,” adds she.

When power cuts mean ‘Fun’

Baba Umar

Heavy snow and rains, and within a jiffy, the bulbs fade and lights go off. And the most common noise one can hear in the locality at that time is a loud 'Gou power' asserting utter displeasure. Why not, after all the abrupt power cut might have interrupted your much-loved television soap, film, computer work, reading, and many other important activities.
Power cuts are frequent during snowy season and we rely so much on electricity that we get rankled when there is a power failure.
Ishfaq Ahmad, a Medico says: “I simply cannot figure out what to do on a power cut. I know I cannot do anything, I simply wait uncomplainingly for the light to reappear."
However, Ali Malik, a computer student, thinks the other way. He says he enjoys power cuts when the snow is falling.
“In my locality, the lights usually go off during snowfall. When people complain of falling wires or power disruption, I just sit in my veranda and watch the snow flakes. It is really enjoyable."
Ali’s uncle, Asif Malik, a retired Tourist Officer, feels the power cuts take him to his childhood. He says, he along with his friends would make snow-man and dupe family members with ‘Sheene Sharat-a forgotten play now’. He says getting wood from the nearby snow clad slopes too was a treat.
"I was brought up in a small village of Uri and electricity was something new for me. When there is a power failure, I get pleasure from the serenity around, with no raucous noise or musical gadgets,” he says. “I like to stand by my window, just look at the white skies and enjoy the peace."
Then there are others who take the power cuts for good omen. They believe it brings the family around one gas lamp plus innumerable tales of Granny for little kids.
“On evenings," says, a home maker, "I think it would be enjoyable to have a dinner at home with my family members for the period of a power cut instead of complaining about it."
So next time, there is an abrupt power disruption, do not curse the power department; instead, take fun out of it.

‘If peace prevails, would I become the Chief Minister?’


Baba Umar

Running parallel to the city’s Residency Road is a lane which is famously called as the ‘News Hub’ of Kashmir or in common parlance Press colony. All the leading newspapers of Kashmir and national News Bureaus line up on one side of this small lane with the bill boards erected on their entry gates. And just facing the ‘Daily Kashmir Times’, is a tea stall owned by an elderly man. He is doing this business since the onset of 90’s. And that makes his stall one of the oldest among other stalls in this narrow lane. Bashir Ahmad, 62, is a tall and muscular man. He had his schooling up to intermediate level and that easily helped him in getting a government job in the Agriculture Department. But in 1986, he took a voluntarily retirement. And believe it or not he left the job because of too many female employees in that department. “Frankly speaking, I can’t work with women who are stranger to me,” he says. He backs his statement from the sayings of Prophet (S.A.W) and the Quranic verses, though he is not clear. “You know what I mean to say,” he refuses to speak explicitly on the issue.


And then, a new life was about to start. Now, living on the pension and finding it difficult to get a private job living became a double edged sword. He decided to open a tea stall at a place where most scribes nestle. He says, he earns around 200 rupees a day and he is satisfied with it.“It’s because of this Press Colony I am surviving,” he says without any eye contact while being busy in making another cup of tea. “You know,” Bashir recalls, “I was picked up by the police a decade ago after having a verbal duel. Before the police party could reach the station, some scribes were already there and they managed my release within an hour.” “And that event”, he says with pensive look, “I will remember till death.”“They were all good people who got me out of the police station,” he says. “You could imagine how police treats you in the lock up.”Albeit the growing age, the zeal and energy to work is unparalleled. And as a young boy approaches and orders for a half-a-dozen tea cups and some biscuits, he smilingly tells him to wait for half-an-hour as it is the time for afternoon prayers.“I never miss prayers,” Bashir says and proceeds towards the Masjid.For years, he has been doing this business and the locality around too seem indebted to him. They call him ‘Daddy’, showing respect and value. The scribes love to hang on his tea stall. They discuss, brainstorm and chat about everything. Even press releases are distributed on the Daddy’s tea stall.“This stall not only serves us good tea, but something more than that,” says a vibrant young scribe, sipping a hot cup of tea. In the hectic schedule and the pressure cooker situation it’s Ahmad’s tea stall, where scribes relax and gossip about things. And what is going to be tomorrow’s headline the Daddy’s stall is first to know it.Bashir, after half an hour, is back and he has to prepare half-a-dozen cups of tea. Lighting the stove and increasing its flame, he welcomes the waiting customers. There is a visible glow in his eyes too. “Sorry, I kept you waiting,” he modestly speaks out. He says he knows what the people are going to read tomorrow. Because everything is discussed here on his stall and his experience and intellect with regards to politics and Kashmir issue is a great help to scribes.“I bet you do not know what I know now,” he says. “I mean whatever will appear in the newspapers, I will come to know that beforehand.” Ask him about the present situation of Kashmir, and he keeps mum for a while followed by a volley of events that have shaped the present valley. He recalls every major happening in the Kashmir conflict. He even recalls the major ‘setbacks’ received by the people here. From Abdullahs to Mirvaizs to Geelanis, he says he knows everyone’s deeds. However, he likes, Yusuf Shah, popularly known as the Syed Salahuddin—the chairman of United Jihad Council (UJC). He has offered prayers behind Shah and according to him, ‘Shah is a good human being’.“At least Shah is not like Qadir Ganderbali (a Police officer at the time of Sheikh Abdullah, who was a sort of terror and feared for his torture cruelties),” says Ahmad. “I remember, one of my friend saying, how Ganderbali put a big rat into his trousers till he fainted.”“And everybody knows how Ganderbali died,” he addsBashir wishes the present situation changes forever for everlasting good. He daily prays for the peace in the valley. He wishes to see the end of bloodshed and human rights violation before his death.Before I bade him goodbye he stops me and asks, “If peace prevails, would I become the Chief Minister?” he smiles to my surprise. “No, I won’t, I will remain the same Chai Wala, but there will be no loss of life and destruction in my Valley.”

An Ad can change your business

In today’s world of marketing, advertisement is an effective tool to sell your products to the masses.
Baba Umar
‘You can tell the ideals of an area by its advertisements’, says Norman Douglas, and in case of Kashmir valley these ideals seem to be growing exponentially. A number of colourful and eye pleasing hoardings are quite visible on the Srinagar roads. Its marked change and one that goes to show that people are no longer going to buy your items unless and until they don’t know it before hand.

From the last two years advertisement techniques have changed here. Since the market in Kashmir is considerable growing so much so that many feel the ads are changing from being banal to trendy. The business intellect is basically on rise in the valley; people prefer to put in their money in small scale industries, manufacturing units, educational sectors and share markets,” says Parvaiz Ahmed, an Ad maker. “And we can’t sideline the competition from all forces—that are there to make much through the advertisements. He says the advertisement techniques have not only advanced but have become cheap too for the masses.“Today even small level businessmen are expanding their market by simply putting their products on advertisement hoardings.”
On Srinagar roads one could see the big fiber made uni-pole ads that dot the city and the adjacent areas, and, even the small ad-hangers (30’x40’) have come up to attract the potential buyers. There are so many square-shaped boards that read ‘Space available here’ followed by the contacts of the service provider.
And this was not the case in the past many acknowledge.“It is basically a sign of the time - a natural reaction to the environment where communication is the key and here ads play effective role,” says Hayat Ahmad, Managing Director, Helpline Advertising Service (HAS).
“And it’s interesting to see it happening here in such a big way.”HAS is the contract holder of these uni-pole hoardings and have installed close to one hundred of such hoardings in the city. Ahmad says the demand is on the rise and the company is planning to come out with Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) hoardings in the next month.
“We have already installed one LCD hoarding at the Polo View and three such hoardings are also with the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), and they will be used in the bus stands and other resting places in the city.”
Earlier in the ad creation sector, there used to be a dearth of professionalism particularity in the making of Fibre Uni-poles ads, which meant that considerable chunk of money, was going outside for designing such ads. However the trend has changed. These ad-hoardings are prepared in the valley and no outside manpower is used, claims the HAS official.
“Ad makers early had dearth of technical support and perfection,” says Ahmad. “But now everything has changed, we are no more dependent on the outside machinery or labour.” Even the onlookers of these hoardings react with the same tone.
“I could see graphics, colors and special treatment given to ads in these hoardings,” says Fazal Malik. “And that’s quite a revelation.”

Saturday, February 2, 2008

JAN 26: Green absent from Indian ‘flag’



The Indian flag comprises of three colours; Saffron, White and Green. But here the troops let the ‘green’ disappear from the array.Any answer why?


Baba Umar


No country is complete without its sense of loyalty which comes with symbols like the Country’s flag and it is only fearless who bear the flag’s commitment on their sleeves.
But this commitment seemed to be missing in a group of special troopers as well as their wardrobe selectors. On January 26, when the whole of India was celebrating its 59th Republic Day, in Bakshi stadium a section of troops in three main rows were supposed to wear clothes to form a tri-colour, but it all went haywire. Instead of spotting all the three colours only two colours were visible. There are many who smell a rat in this whole affair. They say troopers donned in saffron and white clothes had deliberately kicked the “green” out of the tri-colour flag.
“Clearly saffron stands for ‘Hinduism’ and green represents ‘Islam’, but they want to make it look something else,” said an elderly person who had come all the way from Islamabad to witness January 26 celebrations in Bakshi Stadium. Bracing snow and chill, he had come early in the winter morning to celebrate the day; however, he said, he was taken aback to see the waywardness of these troopers.
“Does it make any impression of Indian flag when looked from a distance?” he quips, while pointing to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingent that stood on the spectators stand forming a bi-colour flag. “Where is the green?” he asked.
When contacted on the issue, Public Relation Officer (PRO) of CRPF, Prabhakar Tripathi said he has no idea who had made the CRPF personnel to dress up in the two colours only.
“The Department of Information and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has made all the Republic day arrangements,” he said. “May be they had asked the troops to wear in only two colours.”
However, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal, was busy in a meeting when tried to contact several times and the Director Information, Zafar Bhat, was also not available for his comments.

Had to go Hazratbal, landed at Congress Hqts


It is a story of ten-year-old boy whose father asked him to accompany for Friday prayers at Hazratbal but found himself sloganeering in favour of Sonia Gandhi and ‘some’ Azad at State Congress headquarters.


Baba Umar


As the Minister of State for Power, Babu Singh and the Minister for Social Welfare, Abdul Gani Vakil were addressing the party workers in the Congress headquarter, a little boy of ten-years-old was observing the whole seen from a corner of the lawn where the Congress workers had gathered.
Standing against the wall, the red cheeked, Rouf Ahmad seemed not interested in the affair. He was fetched by his father (a loyal congress worker) from home on the pretext that it was Friday and the duo would offer prayers in Hazratbal Shrine.
“I was conned by my father, and here he wanted me to raise pro-Congress slogans to appease the visiting ministers,” says Rouf, who was in his reading room when father asked him to come alongside him. “Come with me, we will go to Dargah”, my father insisted.
His father is a priest and among the top workers of the Congress party. Though Rouf has no interest in politics, he has been unreasonably, according to him, brought to a place against his wishes. In the crowd he doesn’t wish to join other party workers in sloganeering and clapping before the Congress party leaders. But coming here was against his wishes which he couldn’t resist due to the intense pressure from father.
“I do not know Sonia Ghandi, yet I raised slogans in her favour!” he says. “I even chanted few slogans in some Azad Sahib’s favour, but I have never seen him!”
While the Minister for power speaks at length on the power crisis he is going to overcome during his tenure, the kid keeps on thinking about the line of work and dreams he has knit. Like the Minister he does wish to solve Kashmir’s electricity problems, but he doesn’t want to be a politician. He has thought of becoming something else.
“I want to become an Electric Engineer,” say Rouf. “And then there won’t be any power cuts in my locality.”
Ask about his presence that has made him the youngest sloganeer among the crowd, he says, he wished to do winter homework rather than joining this congregation, where everyone is alien to him.
“Em khute chu gari parun behtar (It is better to study at home),” he says.
And as the party leaders finish their speech; Rouf scuds into the crowd to locate his father who is in the front row near the podium; hoping that his father might take him home before evening so that he can finish his winter work.
“Bye—Do pray for me,” he smiles and waves at me before he finally disappears into the swarm of party loyals’.

Former Mr Kashmir says no scope in Body Building

Baba Umar
He is a five time Mr. Kashmir title holder, has three national certificates in hand and two Mr. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) titles under his credit, but he thinks himself at the bottom rung of the ladder. Ask him about his career and the scope of body building in Kashmir; he has a woeful saga to put forth.
Born in a middle class family and nourished at the time when militancy was at its apex, Mudasir Aziz opted to lift iron plates, when other friends of his same age opted for guns.
“It was in 1997 when I started body building as a career,” says Mudasir Aziz. Aziz says it was his father’s continuous support that he finished runner-up in the 1999 Mr. Kashmir championship and the next year he was successful in making it to the Mr. Kashmir title. “My parents were very much supportive,” he says. “In fact they wanted me to make a career out of this activity.Aziz says he would continue his studies besides sticking to his obsession. And the year 2000 turned out to be promising. “I qualified my 12th class examinations and I won Mr. Kashmir title in that year,” recollects the strongly built Aziz.The next year too bore good results as Aziz defended his title and also finished Mr. J&K Junior. He had the two big titles in a single year and that made him feel on the sky.“I received so many best wishes and compliments from my relatives and friends,” says he. And then the quandaries started to bulge. He needed a government job on the basis of his performance. But, he got tangled in the false promises.
Aziz remembers when he was promised civil service by the then ministers for his achievements, but those promises turned out to be a ‘prank’. Aziz says, he would visit the ministers for a job but to of no benefit.
“Body building was proving to be an expensive game for me and what I needed was a job to help continue my passion,” says Aziz. “They (Ministers) did nothing for me when I was representing their state in several events outside the State.”
Even though, Aziz continued with his passion and he again won the title of Mr. Kashmir in 2002 and Mr. J&K senior in the same year. And again he was promised a government job by the high profile people who had come to witness the championship.“I was again guaranteed a government services for my performance by Mangat Ram Sharma who was the chief guest in that competition,” he recalls.
Aziz who played for Mr. India title in 2004 was ranked among the top ten contenders. In the same year he played in North India competition and won the gold medal. And in the same year he was again declared as Mr. Kashmir. However, medals and trophies, he says, did not satisfy him.
“What I needed was a government job,” say he. “The state could have provided me a simple clerk’s post,” asks he.
Aziz says that the then Minister for Youth Service and Sports Haji Nissar sent a letter to Director General of Police (DGP) Gopal Sharma for his appointment who later referred that letter to Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Sports Officer, Police. But that too didn’t work in his favour.“I was shocked to learn that there is no sports category quota in police particularly for body builders,” Aziz says. He says he also visited the then Minister of State (MoS) for youth services and sports, Manoj Panth, who only collected his certificates but did nothing substantial.“While playing in North India competition, I was offered jobs by Northern Railway and Air force, they guaranteed me a job, but I opted to represent my state,” says Aziz. “My fault was that I was playing for my sate but at the stake of my career.”
On seeing Aziz’s pathetic situation, his parents, he says, changed their stance and wished him to start doing something else. And he decided to quit playing the game and rather start coaching young people.
“Now I am earning Rs. 1800 a month,” say he. “I am coaching the valley’s budding body builders in the ‘Muscle Free Gym’.”Aziz says some of his friends used to play football and many of them got jobs in The J&K Bank and State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC).Aziz foresees ‘no- career’ in this game if people are not influential or well-off. “I do not want to discourage my juniors, but if they are middle class or poor then there is no scope in this game,” suggests he.

And they started their preparation


Baba Umar

With January 26 just around the corner, people in the city, mostly who are put up in the vicinity of Bakshi Stadium, where the parade is scheduled to come about, have started their preparation. Even if there won’t be any separatists’ call for the complete shutdown, people won’t be indulging themselves out in the streets at least for the moment when the troops will be manning the roads.
“I will be visiting my uncle at Nishat,” says Sheikh Irfan of Magarmal Bagh. Irfan has been visiting his relatives every year on January 25 because this day has snatched a life of one of his family members.
“My brother was dragged out from house and shot dead next day (Jan 26),” recalls Irfan, whose brother Sheikh Yasir was picked up by Rashtriya Rifles in 1993. And till date, the males in the family have developed a practice of leaving their house empty on every Jan 26. “We cannot afford to lose another member,” Irfan says.
And so is the case with other household who are located in the vicinity of Bakshi Stadium. They fear militants might attack on the troops in the stadium and they could be sandwiched in between.
“Even if there won’t be any Hartal call, I won’t open my shop,” Tariq Ahmad says. Ahmad runs a shop in Solina and has been keeping his shutters down since 1989 on these days. “Let them (troops) celebrate their republic day.”
However, there are others who have planned something unusual on the date.“I have bought a new book and I will try to finish it on Jan 26,” says Asiya Khan (name changed on request). “I have heard people telling that ‘In search of Future’ is a nice book, so I will be busy for the day,” adds she.
Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, owner of Oriental modern sweets says that it has become a trend in Kashmir not to be visible in markets on this day and he too won’t take any risk. “I will go with the people,” he says. And what will masses do? “They will likely remain in their homes till January 27th morning.”

Caught Off guard

They say two is company three is crowd and when you are in Iqbal Park never think you are alone. You are being watched and every action of yours is monitored.
Baba Umar
If you are among the couples who visit the city’s Iqbal Park any time of the day, watch out, you are being observed! Your activities are being monitored from a tiny camera, installed by the police years back. “It is sheer interference in our privacy,” says a visibly disappointed boy. “What on the earth are they doing that for?” he questions, while referring to the police’s policy of having Closed Circuit Television cameras (CCTVs).
A middle rung police source, however, backs the intention of the department. He says the park falls in the vicinity of highly guarded Bakshi Stadium, Air Cargo and Indoor stadium and is the strategic location with regards to security of the city.“Yes we can trace any movement in that area and in the Park too,” he confirms. He says that closed circuit TV cameras were installed in the whole of India and these gadgets have helped the police in curbing the anti-social activities. He further says that it is also a new way of ‘moral policing’.But the ‘love birds’ find it hard to gulp down.“I am shocked to see them (Police) maintaining security at the cost of my privacy,” says Ajaz Ahmad. Ajaz studies engineering in a Chandigarh College and had come to Srinagar on a ten day leave. But after coming to know that he and his would-be wife is under scanner he finds himself in a tight spot.“I am engaged to a girl and I have come to meet her here in Iqbal Park,” he says. “But I guess I must change the place and timing,” he says, as he phones his ‘better half’ not to come for the rendezvous.Some even believe that on the name of moral policing, sitting somewhere in the screening department of Police Control Room, the cops might be having their part of entertainment out of it.“You don’t know on what they will be fixing these cameras?” quips Sarwar, a student.Even the park caretakers are coming to the rescue of the visitors. They say the visitors need to be protected and the park is manned by guards who are on the prowl if any thing of ‘such kind’ happens here.“The guards in civvies keep on checking for any trangresional acts,” says Altaf Ahmad, who is the in charge of Iqbal Park. “I guess we don’t need cameras to trace anything.”Most of the visitors, mostly couples, are not happy with the move. They feel such an act would cut the income of the park. Though families throng to Iqbal Park but unfortunately for the last couple of days no one was visible in the park. It would have been interesting to get their reaction on the said issue.

If crime is there where is law!

BABA UMAR

How many times do we log on to the net and share happily our information with others? Never ever suspecting of any foul play. Even sometimes we casually logout from our email account without checking whether we logged out successfully or not.
Meet Feroze Ahmed, State Project Manager, Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), several months back he got a mail from Google.inc directing him to send his email ID along with the password and other credentials. He mailed the details to the sender without consulting anybody. And he was in for nightmare. His password got hacked and the hacker now had full control over his e-mail ID.Taking advantage from his mail the hacker misinformed his acquaintances that he has gone to Nigeria where he lost his bag and money. The hacker impersonating one Ahmed sought $3,400 from all the friends and pledged to pay them back once he returns to Kashmir.The next day, Ahmed got a call from one of his colleagues from Hyderabad verifying when he had gone to Nigeria. His friend also mailed him the letter seeking money to be deposited in some bank account. Ahmed got suspicious and checked his email. Fortunately he had second email account too and from that mail he mailed to one and all about the fraud and the hacking of his official mail address. He had saved himself and his friends from getting duped, but he didn’t inform police about the incident. “They (Police) don’t have a cyber crime cell here in Kashmir,” he says. “It would have been a futile exercise to report in the police station.”In Kashmir, there has been a sudden increase in the cyber crimes since the escalating use of computers and internet. Cyber sins like making fake certificates, pirated DVD’s, password thefts of credit and debit cards, and pornography were reported several times in the past. Even there has been a case last year when hackers tricked a medico by hacking his password and the state police looked helplessly. Or when some miscreants morphed pictures of an Orkutain and posted the fake profile on the net. “We have a cyber crime cell here but it is not fully functional,” confesses a Srinagar Crime Branch official who wished not to be named as he was not authorised for any attribution. “Every case is inspected by the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB), Jammu,” the official says.He says that the Jammu Crime Branch has got all the high-tech machinery and softwares and hence they are able to investigate such crimes in the area. Another official who wished not to be named said that the department is lacking the cyber crime related facilities and infrastructure. He said, in the past the higher officials have been making pledges to upgrade the department with latest gadgetry, but so far nothing substantial came forth.“We don’t have the hard disk mappers, recovery softwares and other necessary equipments,” he says.Even experts say that such a cell is essential in Srinagar too as the internet and computer usage has been on surge. They say that every district should have a cyber crime related cell.“Local police doesn’t have the know-how on cyber crimes, so there is obviously an urgent need for a high-tech cyber cops here in Kashmir,” says Muheet Ahmad, a software engineer working in the University of Kashmir. “Cyber crimes are those unlawful acts wherein computer is a tool or target or both. So it is necessary to have techno’s in the police department and total up-gradation of the present cyber crime cell in the city.”Some sections also fear the helplessness of the police due to the non applicability of Indian Penal Code here in the State and the cyber laws that fall under Information Technology ACT 2000 of India. However, Mohammed Ashraf, Additional Secretary Law, says that the IT acts are applicable anywhere in India including the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “Yes all the cyber laws are valid in the State,” the official says.It is unbelievable that valley has got cyber boom but without any law to check the menace and stop the cyber crime. However one thing that remains certain is that till a crime of high magnitude happens via cyber no one will bother to ask the police why they don’t have effective and working cyber law