Solidarity Expressed With Dr. Fai by Kashmiri American community in NYC

New York.Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai voiced his continuing belief that India and Pakistan alone cannot solve the 65-year-old Kashmir conflict, and that genuine leadership of the people of Jammu & Kashmir must be included in all negotiations. He was speaking at a reception arranged by Captain Shaheen Butt at Royal Banquette Hall, Brooklyn, New York. The event was organized to express solidarity with Dr. Fai.

“More trade between India and Pakistan will do nothing to end the indigenous Kashmiri resistance, which is fueled by shocking human rights abuses perpetrated by 700,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces, and the denial of self-determination plebiscite for 17 million Kashmiris that the United Nations Security Council has prescribed. And no power or combinations of powers can bargain away the rights of Kashmiris; only they can determine their own political destiny,” Fai explained.

“In Kashmir, during its centuries of virtual independence, communal violence or abrasiveness was unknown between Muslims, Pandits, Buddhists, and Sikhs.  Kashmiris, Fai added, shared values and a heritage that far transcended religious divides.  But this serenity was destroyed by the onset of India's illegal military occupation of Kashmir on October 27, 1947.” With good faith by all parties, Dr. Fai maintained, common ground leading to a final settlement of the Kashmir tragedy can be discovered.  If it can happen in East Timor, South Africa, Kosovo and Southern Sudan, then it can happen in Kashmir, which is even more urgent because of nuclear and missile proliferation in the region.

Captain Shaheen Butt, while appreciating the contribution Dr. Fai has made to the cause of Kashmir said that the international community should not abandon Kashmir to the whims of India and Pakistan.  They should be persuaded to permit outside intervention to resolve the Kashmir conflict.  They should also be persuaded to permit Kashmiris to participate as full partners in the negotiating enterprise.

Sardar Sawar Khan said that the Cease-fire Line (CFL) that divides Kashmiris between India and Pakistan is as ugly and sinister as the Berlin Wall. But why is there no international outcry? Suggestions that the CFL becomes a permanent international border  is flatly unacceptable to Kashmiris, and it is their sovereignty which is at stake.

Sardar Sawar Khan said that non violent movement in Kashmir is popular, spontaneous and indigenous. This needs to be strengthened and the people of Jammu & Kashmir need to be give the right of self-determination to decide their future.

Sardar Haleem Khan explained that a free and fair plebiscite in Kashmir would yield a decisive vote in favor of independence.  India, by giving a deaf ear to that understanding, has resorted to horrific human rights violations to crush Kashmiris into submissiveness.

Sardar Taj Khan said that India is living in a dream world if it thinks it ever has or ever will capture the hearts and minds of the 17 million people of Kashmir."

Mr. Rohil Dar said that India's illegal insolence to the Security Council resolutions has persisted for many decades, but no sanctions or even moral reproaches have been forthcoming because of India's military, economic, and political muscle, the epitome of squalid "might-makes-right" international diplomacy.

Dr. Khalid Luqman explained the urgency of American intervention because of the importance of South Asia to the future of the United States in particular and mankind in general in light of the dangerous ongoing nuclear and missile proliferation in the area.

Choudhary Sarwar said that experience and human nature teach that violence begets violence and leads to nowhere, while dialogue and peaceful dissent based on universal democratic and moral principles marks the path of progress and success.

Mr. Naseem Gilgaati called for greater moral suasion and non‑violent measures to persuade India to cease its persecution of Kashmiris.

Sardar Zahid said  that peace in South Asia in general and Kashmir in particular is too important to be left to two rivals alone with their own self-interests guiding their maneuvering.

Dr. Mohammad Shafique urged that Kashmiri representatives must be brought to the negotiating table as equal partners for progress on a solution to the 65-year-old conflict.

Rana Mohammad Saeed explained that Kashmir was about the people and their destiny, not about religion or terrorism.  India and Pakistan should both cease diverting attention from this primary fact.

Sardar Imtiaz Garalvi, while moderating the event maintained that direct and effective participation of the people of Kashmir was indispensable to a successful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

The event was co-sponsored by:

Kashmir Mission, USA;

People’s Muslim League, Azad Kashmir;

Jammu Kashmir Muslim Conference, Azad Kashmir;

Pakistan Peoples Party, Azad Kashmir;

Azad Kashmir Peoples Party;

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front;

Jamaat-e-Islami, Azad Kashmir;

Pakistan Muslim League Azad Kashmir;

Jammu Kashmir Liberation League; and

Kashmiri American Council.

J&K Young Journalists Association emerges as the maiden platform for young journalists of J&K

Srinagar: In a historical development, today, the prominent & dynamic young journalists of Jammu& Kashmir have formally formulated the first ever journalist body representing the young journalists of Jammu & Kashmir state. Pertinently, the journalist body has been named as Jammu& Kashmir Young Journalists Association (JKYJA). The Association would work to address the problems faced by the media fraternity especially the young media professionals who usually face tough times at the start of their career. The Association would be led by the interim body having -Ajaz Ahmad War, Editor-in-Chief of prominent media portal of Jammu & Kashmir-“Kashmir Media Watch.com” as the President of the for tenure of 6 months and the elections to the general body would be conducted after the expiry of 6 months and thereafter every two years.

                     The other members elected for body are: Muhammad Tauseef Mir- Secretary General (Associate-Editor Kashmir Media Watch), Bilal Furqani: Vice-President (senior correspondent (Srinagar), Kashmir News Service), Rameez Makhdoomi: Chief Spokesperson (Executive Editor Kashmir Scenario), Organizer: Majid Kapra (Srinagar correspondent Kashmir Image), Incharge Jammu Affairs: Mohit Mehra (managing editor The Jammu Jotting),

Treasurer: Bilal Bashir Bhat (Sub-Editor Voice of Kashmir). Publicity In charge: Kaiser Ahmad Mir (Associate Editor Kashmir Impact), Legal Advisor: Z A Quershi (Senior Advocate J& k High Court).  Several members belonging to different media outlets have joined the organization and the main view expressed during the inception ceremony was that it would toil for the healthy development of the journalists (belonging to any stream of journalism including photo/video journalism and freelancing) especially the young ones so as to provide them an ample space and scaffold to explore and hone up their skills as better journalists and consequently help towards maintaining the dignity of the fourth (4th) pillar of democracy. (KMW NEWS)

Kashmir European Alliance arranged seminar in Norwegian Parliament

Kashmir European Alliance (KEA) Version of seminar in Norwegian Parliament as repoted by Engineer Pervez Mehmood President KEA.

Norway: Kashmir European Alliance arranged seminar in Norwegian Parliament on 9th of Feb 2012. The seminar was attended by a large number of people of different nationalities, Norwegian Politicians, representatives of human rights organizations and NGO’s from all over the Europe and high level diplomats from different embassies in Oslo.

Those who attended the seminar were included ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Ambassador Syed  Ishtiaq Hussain Andrabi, Deputy speaker Norwegian Parliament Mr. Akhtar Choudry, Chairman Kashmir EU Council Mr.Ali Reza Syed, Member Norwegian parliament and foreign committee in Norwegian Parliament Mr. Peter Gittmark, Former member Norwegian parliament Mr. Shabaz Tariq and many other prominent personalities were included in participants.

The speakers who addressed the seminar were Ms. Sanwar Mukhtar Choudry, Ms. Kainat, Mr. Akhtar Choudry Deputy speaker Norwegian parliament, Mr. Peter Gittmark member of Norwegian Parliament from conservative party of Norway, President of Kashmir European Alliance Sardar Pervez Mehmood, and Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Andrabi. Mr. Soaib Zaki vise president of Kashmir European Alliance presided the seminar.

The speakers expressed deep concern over the attitude and passive posture of international community towards the gross human rights violations by Indian occupation forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The speakers further appealed to United Nation and EU to press India to stop human rights violations in Indian Jammu and Kashmir and withdraw its more than eight hundred Indian troops from all the districts of Indian Jammu and Kashmir.

The ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Andrabi, Mr. Akhtar Choudry and Chairman Kashmir EU council paid tribute to Kashmir European Alliance and especially to Mr. Mukhtar Ahamed Choudry chief coordinator Kashmir European Alliance for his great efforts to arrange the seminar in Norwegian Parliament which is first of its nature in Norwegian Parliament so far.

A number of MP’s those who were likely to participate could not make it due their parallel parliamentary engagements which were coinciding with the timings of the seminar.

 A number of diplomatic circles, human rights organs, NGO’s and feedback from general public has rendered great appreciation and applauses to the endeavouring efforts of Kashmir European Alliance in making this seminar a great success. 

Kashmir European Alliance believes in united efforts for peace and respect for human rights in Jammu & Kashmir. KEA is a human rights organization and working through an effective coordination with many other similar organizations in Europe.

The principal declaration of Kashmir European Alliance emphasize strongly to  reject and condemn all fake media stunts those are aimed to bring personal fame and advertisement, especially on the cost of human rights violations in Indian Jammu & Kashmir.

Kashmir European Alliance is strictly committed to basic moral values and ethics in order to avoid any kind of personal differences or disputes, prejudices or biased attitudes aimed towards any other organization or person individually or collectively. Kashmir European Alliance do deny strongly and with emphasize that neither any individual nor the very organization itself is aimed to engage in any sort of conflict or differences but only that may concern to any malign propaganda directed to the integrity or any activity of the organization from any individual, entity or media organ.

Principal stand from Kashmir European Alliance emphasize to reject any sort of marketing boost to a political career at the cost of Kashmiris being humiliated, raped and killed in Indian Jammu & Kashmir. We think this is a crime not less heinous than what Indian troops are involved in Indian Jammu & Kashmir. KEA appeals to all political circles working on Kashmir Issue in Europe and America to coordinate their efforts. We been requesting all activists to avoid the misuse of the issue and work for the sacred cause to highlight the human rights violations in Indian Jammu & Kashmir. We hope they will give up their mischievous dynamics and confusing propaganda and pray to God for their great sins they been involved.

Norway is enjoying agreements with India in the fields of science, research and environment. These agreements got strengthened during the past ten years. Kashmir European Alliance is trying its best to influence the opinion in Europe and especially in Norway to bring up a decisive change in Norwegian foreign policy towards India. 

Kunan-Poshpora Mass Rape-Saga of Pain

Report by Kashmir Media Watch.

SRINAGAR: 21 years ago, Kashmir witnessed one of the worst human rights violations by the Indian Security Forces notoriously known as The Kunan-Poshpora Mass Rape wherein a number of women (ranging from 7 to 70 years) of the said village were gang-raped by 4th Rajputana Rifles on 23 February 1991 in this small village of District Kupwara.

According to an elderly woman narrated the story to the team of  Kashmir Media Watch who visited recently Kunan Poshpora , “ around 10 to 15 soldiers entered every home on that day in the village. They gagged the women to prevent them from raising hue and cry. We were not able to make much noise,” she said. There must have been around 1,000 soldiers in the village that night, she burst into tears while recalling that horrific night. When interviewed in 1991, villagers claimed about 100 women were molested. “They left the very small girls untouched,” she adds. “Besides them, no one was spared.”

In this carnage, the women were systematically assaulted and gang-raped, regardless of marital status, pregnancy, or age. It was the most inhuman act in the history of humancivilization.

As the events unfolded, according to one of the victim the next day at 10:00 am, the Deputy Commandant came to the village. “He told the women that the army has not done anything wrong.”Furious, this elderly lady pulled her friend, who was also abused that night, out of her home to stand in front of the army commandant. “I told him that she is an 80-year-old lady, but even she was not spared by his men.”

“He didn’t say a word. He stood speechless,” she recalls. “He just looked down”. International media sources have reported the horrific nature of this event in their own way. On April 7, 1991; the New York Times reported the Kunan-Poshpora rape incident under the headline, “India Moves against Kashmir Rebels.” According to the report, on March 5, 1991, villagers complained about the incident to the then-Kupwara District Magistrate, S.M Yasin, who visited the village two days later to investigate. “According to a report filed by Yasin,” the article reads, “the armed forces behaved like violent beasts.” He identified them as members of 4th Rajputana Rifles and said they rampaged through the village from 11:00 pm on Feb 23 until 9:00 am the next morning.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Indian authorities have dismissed the mass-rape charges as “groundless.” No further investigations have been conducted. The Kunan-Poshpora rape case has been buried like thousands of other cases of basic human rights abuse by men in uniform in Kashmir.

However, in its 1992 report on international human rights, the United States Department of State rejected the Indian government’s conclusion, saying there was “credible evidence to support charges that an elite army unit engaged in mass-rape…in Kunan-Poshpora.”

One of the villagers revealed to Kashmir Media Watch that his story is like that of the old woman. “It was snowing outside that night. People were sleeping in their homes. The army came and entered every home. The men were taken out and interrogated near the village bus stand.”

He pauses, briefly. “Then they locked the rooms and raped our mothers and sisters.”

As the dawn broke after that horrific night in 1991, the soldiers let the men of the village go. The men immediately ran for their homes. The villager further stated “When we reached our homes we found our womenfolk weeping,” says the villager. Despite their rage, which prompted them to seek swift justice for the crimes of the soldiers, the people of the village were unable to do anything. “We would have gone to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) against the army, but we couldn’t as the entire village was cordoned off.”

Four days after the incident, the villagers eventually were finally able to gain an audience with the nearby authorities. They collectively lodged an FIR at the nearby rural police station. The police arrived in the village to collect evidence and file a case against the army.

It was not difficult to muster up evidence and credible witnesses: doctors and nurses examined the women, police confirmed mass rape, and a report was submitted. But according to the villagers, almost two decades later, the reports of doctors confirming rape are still lying in the Trehgam police station near Kunan-Poshpora. Dilbagh Singh, who was the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kupwara that time, investigated the case, but after he was promoted the investigation was stopped.

The incident has had serious ramifications for the women in Kunan-Poshpora that extends far beyond psychological damage and sensitivity. Memories of the incident are raw. Some women are even now afraid of marriage, while others are harassed or ignored by the men of the village because of the stigma associated with rape.

A young woman named Rahte was holding her baby in her lap when the men entered her home. “She fell from my arms near the window as I shouted for help.” Rahte’s daughter – who was a baby in 1991 on that night – comes inside the room, limping from the injury on her left leg that she sustained that night. More than thinking about her own past, her mother is worried about her daughter’s future. Her daughter hides behind Rahte’s scarf, shying away from any talk about her. “She doesn’t want to marry now,” Rahte described this to Kashmir Media Watch as her daughter keeps her eyes lowered, fiddling with the edges of her mother’s scarf.

What is tragic to note is that over the years,  Kunan-Poshpora families have opted to marry their daughters to relatives because it is now difficult to find suitable matches in other villages. “People outside the village talk about our daughters, and say they are from ‘that’ village,” she says, putting emphasis on the word so that it becomes derogatory. “This label has made our lives difficult.”After the incident, some women who were unable to live with the shame fell into depression and died in the years that followed. Many refuse to talk about the abuse they have subsequently suffered from their neighbours and others.

Another damsel Sakeena’s life has taken a turn for the worse since 1991. Her eyes are cold and expressionless as she explains that her mother was 35 years old when the men barged inside their home. Sakeena herself, who was a small girl at the time, was not hurt, but she was in the house while her mother was raped.

Sakeena was married outside her village in Nowgam six years ago, but at the time of her wedding, her in-laws were unaware of her village’s sad history. When they eventually learned about the incident from newspapers and relatives, life became difficult for Sakeena.

“She was harassed and taunted by her in-laws,” her mother had revealed in her modest house overlooking a narrow street. Three years ago, Sakeena was sent back to her home in Kunan-Poshpora. Her in-laws are now seeking a divorce, but instead of talking to Sakeena directly, they delivered the message to her neighbours. The shame they seek to impart on her is manifest. Her husband never came to take her back and she had a stillborn child.

As a matter of fact, the men of Kunan-Poshpora have had difficulty dealing with the reality and aftermath of the incident. Some have resorted to violent revenge. After the mass rape, approximately 35 unmarried young men, between the ages of 18 and 30, left their homes to cross the border into Pakistan for arms training. They wanted revenge. According to the villagers, about 20 out of those 35 boys have been killed by now, and more have disappeared.

Certainly, the lack of justice in the Kunan-Poshpora incident is a matter of great concern for the democratic setup of India.

All Party Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir Boycotts Kashmir Meeting

Report by Kashmir Media Watch. 

Oslo:  All Part Group on Kashmir in Norwegian Parliament  has boycotted the Kashmir meeting held in the Parliament premises with the support of Deputy Speaker of Norwegian parliament Haque Nawaz Akhtar Chaudhry (Socialist Left Party) and an Norwegian MP.  None other than these two officials from parliament attended the seminar.  Apart from that Pakistani Ambassador based in Norway on one hand attended the seminar  just to bowing the pressure of ’ baradarism’ and on the other hand PPP the ruling party leader Mirza Zulfiqar boycotted it. 

Even Depty Speaker of Norwegian Parliament who was embrassed not to see any member or official belonging to  All Party Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir changed the tune of his speech by criticising the organisors for not inviting or involving the ‘official group’ on Kashmir in Parliament. It is also reported that two Pakistani origin British parliamentarians also avoided to attend the seminar despite they were approached from their respective ‘baradaris’.

The organisors skipped to involve the All Party Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir which is actively engaged in monitoring the situation in occupied Kashmir for about a decade. The group was first formed in 2000 and Mr Knut Arild Hareide senior leader of Christen Democratic Party is currently its Chairman.

The Kashmir group in the Norwegian parliament came into existence as a result of the long term efforts of Sardar Ali Shahnawaz Khan, a businessman, diplomat and human rights activist based in Oslo, Norway.  Mr. Khan established the Kashmiri Scandinavian Council in 2000 and being executive director of the council he has for over a decade been working hard to achieve awareness for the Kashmir cause and understanding of the Norwegian authorities and public. His long term efforts through the work of the Kashmiri Scandinavian Council resulted in creation of the Kashmir group in the Norwegian parliament.

Kashmir is misused by many clever businessmen and selfish politicians mostly belonging to the Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir just to boast up their businesses and political profiles to become the  big tycoons here and political figures back to their own country in future.

Kashmiris suffering inside the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir at the hand of brutal military and armed forces has nothing to do with the photo sessions and so called seminars aimed to build their careers and businesses.

These activities has never reduced  the human rights violations graph in Kashmir.  Kashmir needs the secret lobbying as India is doing. You cant find any Indian political party flag waving on the streets in front of embassies or else where. They believe to achieve the goal and hence we lose the sacred mission of our martyrs. They do counter secretly the Kashmir lobbying and we do create parties withing parties by creating more and more disunity.

All Party Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir has recently raised the issue of discovery of unidentified mass graves in Kashmir’ in the parliament and has urged that crimes against humanity that lie behind these findings should be investigated and prosecuted.

Too many cooks can spoil the broth so can many leaders also be a problem.

If the Pakistani and Azad Kashmiri community living abroad are sincere to kashmir cause. Did they tried to raise the issue of Dr Fai’s detention who was charged on politically motivated case at the cost of Pakistan-USA diplomatic clash. Did any group came on streets in London or any European city to show solidaity with a sincere Kashmiri leader?

PPP Chief calls for Shutdown on 21 January

                                            Hilal War pays tributes to Gaw Kadal martyrs

Srinagar :The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Political Party (PPP), Chairman, Engineer Hilal Ahmad War has called for a shutdown in Maisuma, Gaw Kadal and other adjoining areas on 21 January to mark the 22nd martyrdom anniversary of Gaw Kadal Martyrs.

Speaking about the incident Mr. War said that more than 52 people were martyred and 250 sustained bullet injuries by Indian troops on 21 January in 1990.

Mr. War said, “The Gawkadal Massacre was a well thought plan of the then Home Ministry of India which was aimed at to pave the way for Kashmiri Pandit’s exodus from Kashmir”. It is pertinent to mention here that the conspiracy of Kashmiri Pandits exodus was hatched by the then Governor of J & K, Mr. Jagmohan in collaboration with Home Ministry of India.  The Home Ministry of India was then headed by PDP Chief Patron, Mufti Muhammad Sayed who claims to be the well wisher of oppressed Kashmiris. 

PPP Chief urges International Human Rights Organizations to set-up an International Independent Tribunal to probe the Gawkadal Massacre so that the conspirators be unmasked and punished under International Humanitarian Law.

In the statement while condemning the cruel and brutal tactics of the Indian armed forces to suppress the liberation movement of the innocent and browbeaten people of J&K especially Kashmir Er. War said that the Kashmiri nation would not allow go waste the sacrifices rendered by the people for this pious and righteous cause.

“The massacre in Gaw Kadal was replicated in Handwara, Zakura, Bijbehara and at many other places in Kashmir,” he said, adding that “The 21st Jan 1990 laid the strengthened of Tehreek or freedom movement in Kashmir and the best way to pay homage to the martyrs is to keep their mission and dream alive,” (KMW News)