Rahul Writes

Now get it from the horse's mouth About a nation done wrong with, and anti-nationals being coddled and fed at our cost. Every paragraph is a wake up call.

India

J&K

Politics

Borrowed

Terrorism & Kashmir

Joginder Singh, IPS (Retd.)

A CRPF Inspector General was transferred from Srinagar, on 13th August, 2008 after an uproar in the Kashmir valley, led by the terrorists and their supporters, against alleged excesses by the central paramilitary force. He was also allegedly denied a Police medal, for fear of controversy and likely protests in the valley.

There is nothing new, in this kind of approach, as the decisions makers are safe in air conditioned atmosphere somewhere else. The people facing dire situation of life and death and standing between chaos and order, are on the spot. The former judge and some times pan-der to the local sentiments by sacrificing the people on the spot, hoping, that it will buy them peace and retrieve the situation. It is, simple application of band aid, where a surgical operation is called for it.

A Former Governor of J&K had lost his job, in 1990, for taking a tough stand against the anti Indian and anti national elements. Neither his transfer did, and nor the transfer of the IGP CRPF is going to normalise the situation and convert the anti national elements and terrorists into normal citizens. On the contrary, it will encourage, such elements, that they can do any-thing and get away.

Wherever the Government of the day, has fallen for appeasement and compromise on the basic values, it has invited more and more trouble. Terrorism in valley flourishes and thrives or remains under check, in direct proportion, to the political will and strength to deal with the same effectively.

It commenced, with the kidnapping of the daughter of a former Home Minister, who is also a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. To get her released, the Government of the day released five dreaded terrorists. It emboldened them, leading to their much applauded freedom, possibly with some ransom, money, though there is no confirmation of this report. It was enough, to start a series of chain reactions in valley from 1988. I am an eye witness to that part of the history, as I was working at that time as Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force, in Srinagar.

The tendency to under play, has led, to the terrorists to openly dictating the people , about using of Purdaha by the women, closure of beauty parlours and cinemas houses, and raising pro Pakistan slogans.

The Prime Minister has given a laudable call, from the ramparts of red fort on 15th August, 2008 to shed communalism. But unfortunately, the whole agitation, in valley is based on the communal lines. However and how much we may wish, communalism of one community generates communalism in others, in accordance with the Newton's law, which enunciates, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Otherwise, how hordes of people led by the terrorists, could start a march towards Pakistan for crossing the border. The Government should have come out, with the statement, that those who cross illegally, would not be allowed, entry back into India, without the Indian Passports, as is applicable to all Indians going abroad and returning home.

A series of misconceived policies, or so called people to people contact, have brought about this situation. Otherwise, how could a partner in coalition plead for the Pakistan currency to be allowed to be used in J&K. Lack of clear policy and molly coddling, has cause the present chaos.

It would be wrong to say that transferring 39.88 hectares of forest land to Amarnath shrine board and its reaction in Jammu has led to the present situation.

The terrorists have been going, all out, to create disturbances and problems as per the following report of J& K Government which says; "A total of 42,147 people, including 20,647 militants and 5,024 security personnel, were killed in the state between January 1990 and the middle of February 2007 Violence left 33,885 people, including 12,124 security personnel and 21,659 civilians, injured during the same period in the state.. 11,221 civilians were killed by militants and another 1,678 lost their lives in grenade and Improvised Explosive Device explosions, while 173 civilians were killed when they were caught in clashes between militants. A total of 3,404 civilians were killed in cross-firing incidents between security forces and militants

The highest number of 1,438 civilians were killed in 1996, the year elections were held after a gap of seven year. While the highest number of 3,602 army and other paramilitary personnel lost their lives fighting militants, Jammu and Kashmir police lost 537 personnel since January 1990. As many as 438 Special Police Officers engaged by police in the counter-insurgency operations were killed. 127 Village Defence Committee members were killed fighting militants in the state.

The highest number of 613 security personnel were killed in a single year in 2001." Now the question arises, as to what can be done. Also whether what is being done is sufficient. In 1990, the midnight protests were sparked off, by the calls given by given 1100 Mosques, which had installed loud speakers to call the faithful to prayers. Loudspeakers in mosques, then and even now are being employed, to give calls for anti national activities and asking the people to gather in the streets or at a particular spot. The then Governor had ordered the disconnection of the loud speakers, which itself led to protests.

It is a fact that many terrorists take shelter in the religious places of their respective religion. During my recent visit to the USA, I was told that the police had installed CCTV cam-eras in mosques to monitor any such possible activity, with the cooperation of the Muslim community and their religious leaders. This is to prevent any allegation of forcible entry of the Police, which may cause desecration.

In a situation like this, which has been highly communalized, it is impossible to get any kind of evidence to prove anybody's anti national activities, as no witness would be willing to come forth to depose, even if a witness protection act, is there. In fact, at present there is no witness protection act available. Margret Thatcher used to say the publicity is the oxygen of terrorism. Any kind of publicity, which eulogizes terrorism, should be discouraged, if not exactly banned.

Terrorist leaders, their supporters and sympathizers should be immobilized by using the present laws and detained outside J&K. The Government has announced pension scheme for the families of the terrorists, on the grounds that it is not their fault, if their children have become terrorists. This approach is fraught with danger and sooner it is given up, the better it is. Why only Kashmiris should be selected for this government munificence. Such people in Punjab, Chattisgarh, Assam and other North Eastern States, have similar claims. It should not become a scheme to help the anti national and traitorous elements.

Many so called intellectual talk about referendum in valley. With Pakistan having hijacked the anti national elements, any referendum or election will be irrelevant at present. The first priority is to drive the Pakistani terrorists out of the valley and send them to the country of their origin. The Government should stop all talks of dialogue, with so called militants, who are nothing more than front men of Pakistan. Only a tough approach will send the right signal that Government means business. The Government is spending much more on Kashmir than on other States.

A Kashmiri gets eight times more money from the Centre than citizens from other states. While per capita Central assistance to other states moved from Rs 576.24 in 1992-93 to Rs 1,137 in 2000-1, that of the Kashmiri spiralled from Rs 3,197 to Rs 8,092. To get a perspective, translate the numbers: this cash, managed by the state Government, were to be dispatched by money order, each Kashmiri family (with five members on an average) would get Rs 40,460 every year.

In 2001-2, the state spent Rs 7,516.6 crore of which Rs 4,577 crore-or 60 paise of every rupee spent-came from the Centre. The state’s non-development expenditure was Rs 2,829 crore including a salary bill of Rs 1,193 crore while its own revenues were barely Rs 1,095 crore. The state could not have paid even the wages of its employees without the Centre’s help.

It is reported that the benefits of central funds have remained confined only to about 150 families in Kashmir and the rest of the money has disappeared or not spent or improperly spent or drained off. The benefits of Central aid have not reached the common man, who has not developed a stake in India. The Government priority number one should be to root out corruption. With these steps, it should be possible to send a right message both to Pakistan and its henchmen and people in the valley.

(The Author is former Director Central Bureau Of Investigation, INDIA)

Source: YFE Crusader, Issue 2, Sep 2008. You can download the e-zine from www.yfemovement.com

Picture: Which place is called Paradise of India? What a joke!!! ???

J&K

Three Men ' Three Destinies

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(1) One man standing who became the Tank Man (1)

Do you know who Tank Man was? Tank Man, or the Unknown Rebel, is the nickname of an anonymous man who became internationally famous when he was photographed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in China.

Students were protesting against the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party and wanted democratic reforms. Govt had sent tanks to suppress the students' movement. At that time, a fleet of tanks were moving towards the square where students were protesting. This man simply walked up to them, and stood in front of a column of 5 Chinese tanks and thus prevented their advance!

What happened to this Tank Man? He could have been one of the hundreds of students, workers, physicians, and children later found dead, shot in the back

One man is enough And one tank is not

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(2) One man's speech ' and the after effects (2)

We all know about the famous speech of Omar Abdullah in the parliament during the trust vote for UPA. He had spoken about how he regreted once being part of the communal NDA/BJP and now he had decided to be with the secular force Congress. He also talked about how the Left parties who were against NDA/BJP then were now joining hands with the BJP.

There, along with wise words, he had also said this, referring to Amarnath land controversy: "Woh hamari zameen ka muddha tha. Hum apni zameen ke liye lade. Aur hum marte dum tak apni zameen ke liye ladhenge!" (That was an issue about our land. We fought for our land. And we will fight for our land till our death.)

(Meaning that the land of J&K is the land of the locals and any Govt of India has no right to take or use the land for any purpose like giving shelter to the outsider (non-Kashmiri) Indians who come there to visit the shrine)

After the speech, Mr. Abdullah says:

"Frankly, my speech was neither rehearsed nor designed to appease anyone. I just spoke what I felt. But to tell you the truth, I was very angry at not being given a chance to speak. I thought to myself that while people were openly talking about an MP being worth Rs 20-25 crore, here I was, not getting even 20 seconds to speak. It was a speech that I almost missed.

After that, I have been flooded with phone calls, letters and requests for interviews. Everyone in Kashmir, including some hard-liners in my own party, appreciated my speech. Yes, it was a moment that one cannot get even in a million years."

"The National Conference took a stand that the land cannot be given away." "My party is hoping that the people are fed up with six years of coalition rule and will give us a clear mandate. I am not even thinking of pre-election tie-ups right now."

Latest: The video of his speech has been watched a record number of times and Mr. Abdullah plans to write a book on the events around his speech!

Politicians will make speeches. And will fall in love with them. And we Indians still think that those who speak well are good leaders. Like kabootars kept repeating: Shikari aayega, jaal bichhayega, dana dalega, usme fassna mat. But do we still keep getting trapped?

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(3) One man's poem and the after effects (3)

Kuldeep Raj Dogra, in his mid-30s, was participating in a hunger strike at Jammu’s Parade Ground. He decided to do something tragically dramatic: He consumed poison, stood up to read out a passionately patriotic poem he had penned, faltered and fell dead.

It was his way of registering his protest against Omar Abdullah’s speech in Parliament… he was incensed by the National Conference leader’s duplicity.

The police panicked. They forcibly took away Dogra’s body to his hometown, Bisnah, 15 km from Jammu, and tried to cremate it using old tyres, kerosene oil and liquor. His widow Shilpi tried to prevent the cremation and raised a hue and cry. The police have been accused of insulting, abusing and assaulting Shilpi to silence her. But a huge crowd gathered and snatched Dogra’s body from the police. It was taken to Jammu and the situation subsequently just went out of control. Since then, the Hindu intifada has gathered both force and speed.

Don't you think we Indians can do it better than the Chinese? And in the mess of Kashmirs and Maharastras, can we still recognize our India?

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(*) Three Men ' Three Destinies (*)

Three men and three different destinies The Man walking up to the Tanks ' got a bullet in his back and is still anonymous, The Man talking his speech got a million appreciations and is a youth icon, and The Man who was a poet, got to drink poison

Note: This piece quotes some portions from the following pages, with due acknowledgement and credit to the original articles: One man standing: Link1, Link2, One man's speech: Link, One man's poem Link.