Jammu And Kashmir - 2

[ramana]

Autonomy is modern word for millat. Millat is a unique Islamic concept and would lead to the complete Islamization fo Kashmir.

These guys asking for auonomy or incorporation into TSP think that some thing will happen or somebody will force India give them this. Need to think of disabusing them of this idea.

[Guest]

<b>4 soldiers die in Kashmir gun battle</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Four militants and a CRPF jawan were killed and three securitymen injured in separate encounters in Kashmir on Sunday.

Militants and troops of 137-CRPF, along with the special operation group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police were engaged in a gun battle at Shopri Bagh Burzuhama, 14 km north of Srinagar on Sunday morning.

The clash occurred during a raid on a house where militants had taken shelter. Police said the militants opened fire on the police and CRPF men. K.C. Sahu of the CRPF succumbed to his injuries.

S.M. Sahay, IG (Kashmir range) said two militants, suspected to be Pakistani cadres of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, were killed in the return fire.

Two other Lashkar commanders were killed in a separate clash at Sedav in Shopian district. The police said Lashkar militants were killed in retaliatory fire after they opened fire on troops during a raid on their hideout. The slain militants were identified as Abu Mohammad, a resident of Jammu's Reasi district and Assadullah, a Pakistani <b>resident. Mohammad was divisional commander of the outfit for Udhampur and Reasi districts</b>.
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[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Enough is enough </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
<b>Kashmir is not waqf property</b>
<b>The political controversy that has engulfed Jammu & Kashmir following the temporary transfer of 100 acres of forestland to Sri Amarnath Shrine Board is disquieting</b>. It speaks volumes for the so-called change of heart in the Valley. Having agreed to the transfer on purely logistical grounds -- thousands of devotees from all over India visit Amarnath for the annual, summertime yatra and surely they do need temporary shelter and facilities -- the PDP-Congress Government is split down the middle. Taking its cue from the extremists -- in the 2002 election Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's party had the tacit support of the militants -- the PDP has accused the Congress Ministers of acting behind its back. The PDP has ignored that its Ministers were party to the decision to transfer the land. <b>The protests are not in the nature of environmental concerns and fears of degradation, but out of, to quote the incendiary leadership of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, a desire to protect the so-called "Muslim identity of Kashmir".</b> <b>Scare-mongering is being resorted to and wild allegations are being made about how "outsiders" and "Hindus" will be resettled on the forestland to change the demography of the Kashmir Valley.</b> Such Government-induced mass migration has indeed been used as policy by the Chinese in Xinjiang and Tibet, and even by the Pakistanis in the part of Jammu & Kashmir they occupy as well as the Northern Areas. Stalin and his successors tried it in Soviet Central Asia. Yet, despite insurgencies in regions as far apart as Jammu & Kashmir and Mizoram, India - for all the failures and shortcomings of its governing system - has never adopted such measures. To accuse it of even harbouring such ideas, when all that is being sought is some resting space for innocent pilgrims, is criminal and reflects a depraved mind. <b>The Amarnath shrine was a place of worship for countless Hindus well before Islam arrived in Jammu & Kashmir or, indeed, was even accepted as a faith among the sand-dune dwellers of Arabia</b>. It is worth asking what the Hurriyat, the PDP and their gun-wielding friends have done to the original religio-cultural traditions of Jammu & Kashmir.

The entire episode has an immediate political context, of course. Assembly election is due this year and the PDP, despite having been part of the ruling coalition and contributed<b> a Chief Minister for three years, still sees itself as little more than the vanguard of the hordes who cross over annually from the other side of the Line of Control. This is not regionalism, not even Kashmiri sub-nationalism; it is extreme religious prejudice.</b> As for the Hurriyat, the alliance is virtually a second cousin of Al Qaeda and entirely shares that latter grouping's strategic interests. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's political legacy is particularly disappointing. Here is a senior politician who has been Union Minister for Home, whose party was expected to be moderated by power - gifted to it, though it was nowhere close to a majority, after a remarkably conciliatory and free Assembly election in 2002. Yet, all the PDP can do after six years is abuse Hindus and ask them to stay away from the Amarnath shrine. What if the rest of the country warms up the idea? There is, for example, a Haj House on the Delhi-Meerut highway, a permanent structure built on a verdant patch. Shouldn't the Hurriyat and the PDP want it removed?
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Stop Govt subsidy to Kashmiri Muslim for Haj and no money from Hindu tax payer.

[acharya]

Azad, Sinha, precipitated crisis: Mehbooba Mufti

Praveen Swami

“I was not consulted on transfer of land to Amarnath Shrine Board”

“Young people across Kashmir feel their identity and culture are threatened”

“Policy-makers responsible for the communal conflagration”


SRINAGAR: People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has lashed out at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and the former Jammu and Kashmir Governor and Shrine Board head, S.K. Sinha, saying their decision to grant land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board precipitated a crisis, which was turning into a calamity.

Speaking to The Hindu from London, where she is attending a conference, Ms. Mehbooba said the PDP would insist on the revocation of the order issued in May, allowing the Shrine Board to provide temporary accommodation to pilgrims on 40 hectares of forest land.

Young people across Kashmir were out on the streets today, she said, because they felt their identity and culture were threatened. They were not terrorists or criminals. If their legitimate demands were not met, the consequences would be horrible.

Ms. Mufti said PDP Ministers in the State Cabinet had shot down proposals to transfer land to the Shrine Board on three separate occasions.

“We made it perfectly clear the PDP could not support the idea. We explained to both the Chief Minister and the Governor that, whatever the niceties and legalities of their plans might be, the grant would be understood by many in Kashmir as opening the floodgates for outsiders to seize land. We also said that the State government could provide the pilgrims whatever they needed, so what was the need to transfer land?”

However, Ms. Mufti could offer no explanation of how Minister for Forests Qazi Mohammad Afzal, a PDP legislator, granted permission for the use of land by the Shrine Board.

“I’ve no idea how it made it through the Cabinet in the end, but neither I nor my father was consulted on this. As such, it did not have the support of the PDP. I cannot imagine what the Chief Minister thought he was achieving by pushing through a proposal he knew did not have our support,” she said.

Ms. Mehbooba said responsibility for the communal conflagration lay with policy-makers who mistook the appearance of peace for normality.

“Some people thought they could do anything now that there was a decline in shootings and bombings,” Ms. Mufti said. “They thought there was no need to address the underlying resentments, anxieties and concerns of the people of Kashmir. Now, you can see the consequences.”
Sensitivities

“When my father became Chief Minister, he was often charged with being a communalist. I have faced the same allegations. But the fact is that in Jammu and Kashmir, there are sensitivities that have to be understood and engaged with. You have to respect the way people feel,” she said.

Ms. Mehbooba said Mr. Sinha showed little respect for local Muslim sensitivities, choosing instead to act like a conqueror. He made the Shrine Board and the Amarnath pilgrimage symbols of India’s control of Jammu and Kashmir, she argued, not a normal religious activity which had been nurtured and supported by the State’s people for centuries. Local residents who made a living from the pilgrimage, like porters and pack-animal providers, were forced to pay registration fees, while being denied opportunities to provide pilgrims with housing and food. As a result, the bonds which existed between pilgrims and the local people broke.
‘Show maturity’

“We expect the Congress central leadership to show maturity now in the national interest,” Ms. Mehbooba concluded. “Some people say that if the government revokes the order, it will cost the Congress support in Jammu. Perhaps it will. But are four or five seats more important than the future of Jammu and Kashmir? I feel the Congress needs to demonstrate the same maturity Prime Minister Indira Gandhi demonstrated when she made Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Chief Minister again, understanding that brute power could not win the love of a people.”

[acharya]

In god’s name

This refers to the editorial “In god’s name” (June 25). Jammu and Kashmir Governor S.K. Sinha’s act of not placing the facts related to the allotment of land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board in proper perspective and the Congress failure to speak out against him are not in good taste. The hate campaign unleashed by a few among Hindus and Muslims in god’s name should not be allowed to continue in the State. As the editorial rightly says, wisdom should be made to prevail in the State before the Assembly elections.

K.S. Thampi,

Chennai
The editorial mirrors the atmosphere in J&K, where the partisan attitude of the highest constitutional authority has had an adverse effect on the psyche of the community which bears the brunt of the consequences of state policy.

The action of the outgoing Governor and the role played by the principal secretary have vitiated the communal atmosphere in the State. The BJP’s threat to cut food supplies to the Kashmir Valley is nothing short of fishing in troubled waters.

The Centre should appoint only people of integrity as its representatives in the State. Their primary objective should be to cement the relationship between Hindus and Muslims. The highest authority should not only be above board but also seen to be above board.

Mohamed Zafrulla Khan,

Bangalore
Just as things appeared to be heading towards normality in the State, politicians of all hues have created an issue out of nowhere and sown the seeds of discontent and discord.

Anil K. Joshi,

Ranikhet
The State government ought to have anticipated the fallout of the decision to allot 39.88 hectares of forest land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. It has done more harm than good. The insurgency in the State will get a boost, leading to the rise in the number of casualties among the armed forces.

A.H. Maqdoomi,

Gulbarga
The problem in J&K is the reiteration of the vulnerability of the believers waiting to be tapped. Hawks in some political parties, who are not averse to inflaming divisive communal tensions, pounce on opportunities created by the government’s inept handling of an issue. In this case, the agent provocateur is the Governor. Such disturbances can come to an end only if secularism is practised in its pure form — and the state is strictly separated from religion.

Kasim Sait,

Chennai
As chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, it is the Governor’s duty to provide facilities to the large number of pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath yatra. Lakhs of Hindus who make the pilgrimage every year need security and camping facilities. So there is really nothing wrong in the board permitting pre-fabricated structures on the 39.88 hectares of degraded forest land. General Sinha should have clarified to the people that no land was being transferred to the Board and that it would be used only for camping purposes. The Centre should intervene to ensure that miscreants do not provoke communal clashes over the issue.

N. Hariharan,

Coimbatore
The Amarnath shrine has been attracting pilgrims in a big way. Their numbers are growing by the year. There is nothing wrong in the allotment of some extra land for accommodating the pilgrims and for camping purposes. By protesting against the move, the people in and around Srinagar have sent a wrong signal.

B.N. Gangadhar,

Bangalore

[Guest]

<b>PDP withdraws support from J&K government</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"We had given a deadline to the chief minister to rescind the controversial land allotment order to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board. From his attitude, it appears that the Chief Minister Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad was in no mood to address the aspiration of the people in this regard," Mehbooba said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[G.Subramaniam]

Referring to acharya's post above it is clear that Indian muslims in rest of India are against giving facilities for Amarnath pilgrims

[Guest]

^^^ If the state govt falls and replaced by centre rule, would the centre be in a position (assuming it had the cojones) to abolish art 370?

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Cong does U-turn, won't transfer forestland to Amarnath Board

CNN-IBN

Published on Sun, Jun 29, 2008 at 11:02, Updated at Sun, Jun 29, 2008 in Nation section

New Delhi: A day after People's Democratic Party (PDP) pulled out from the Congress-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor N N Vohra on Sunday formally wrote to the state government saying he is willing to revoke the transfer of forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).


Following his letter, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress president Saif-ud-din Soz and other senior Congress leaders met Vohra, who is also the chairman of SASB.


PDP, however, says it stands by its decision of withdrawing support from the state government.


“I am happy with the decision. We have succeeded in what we wanted to do. We would like to see normalcy back in the state. We have already pulled out of the government,” PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said.


Mebooba added: "Once the government agrees to provide the facilities to the yatris, as was done for so many years, there will be no point of transferring the land."

National Conference president Omar Abdullah, whose party is not in favour of the land transfer, told CNN-IBN that he was pleased with Vohra’s decision but whether they’ll extend support to Congress was still unclear.


“We are happy with the Governor's decision. As of now, we are not providing support to Congress. However, our agenda will be decided in the core committee meeting on Sunday,” he said.


But Congress continues to remain confident of lasting a full term despite the split.


“I believe we will have a breakthrough. I am meeting the Governor, and together we will look for a solution. Government will run its course till the last day,” Soz said.


Meanwhile, the state government has made it clear that it will conduct the Amarnanth yatra instead of the Board.


BJP, however, has objected to the decision stating that J&K government is ill equipped to handle the yatra.


“We are completely against the decision of the transfer of responsibility of the yatra back to the state government, which is not equipped to deal with the arrangements and is the main reason SASB was constituted in 2002,” BJP party in-charge, Kashmir, R P Singh.


Singh added, “The standing of the government is still not clear on whether the yatra is still on. How will the government be able to handle the arrangements?”


Srinagar has been tense since June 23 after dozens were injured during clashes with police. Three people died and more than 200 were injured in protests that lasted six days.


Authorities had decided to transfer nearly 100 acres of forestland in Batal SASB to erect temporary structures for thousands of pilgrims who annually trek to the cave shrine.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/uturn-cong-rev...jk/67965-3.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->^^^ If the state govt falls and replaced by centre rule, would the centre be in a position (assuming it had the cojones) to abolish art 370? <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
thayilv isn't a 2/3rd majority needed for that?

I don't think either congress or BJP will ever replace it because every party in India is dhimmi to some extent, some are way worse than others.

[Guest]

Congress is bunch of fools and terrorist appeasers.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Pandits allege Amarnath land transfer issue communalised </b>
Pioneer.com
Staff Reporter | New Delhi
Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday come out on the streets in the Capital to protest against the "communalisation and politicisation" of the Amarnath shrine land issue. The protesters under the aegis of 'Roots in Kashmir' blocked traffic at Jantar Mantar and criticised <b>Governor NN Vohra against his wrong decision, for deciding not to pursue the transfer of forest land to the shrine board for developmental activities.</b>

The protesters, who had drawn red lines on their forehead, blocked a road near Jantar Mantar, close to the city business hub Connaught Place, for over an hour. They held placards reading, in red colour, "Kashmiri Pandits still alive... U dare not do that", "Ethnic cleansing of Hindus... Genocide. Exodus. Now the revocation of land transfer!!!" and "Don't ignore our silence". A minor clash took place between Kashmiri Pandits and the police when they set fire to the effigies of Mahbooba Mufti, People's Democratic Party (PDP) president, and another symbolising of the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

The activists also burnt the effigies of PDP leaders Mehbooba Mufti and Muzaffar Baig and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Fronts (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik for allegedly communalising the issue. Criticising the Governor, who also heads the board, the protesters said that the transfer of land benefit locals as well as pilgrims. J&K has witnessed violent protests over the past few days after the State Government decided to transfer forest land to the shrine board for developmental activities. Kashmiri Pandits warned the Government of a possible backlash on Amarnath shrine issue.

<b>"The ongoing crisis in the State is a well crafted exercise by separatists and some anti-national forces. It comes at a time when the pilgrimage of the shrine is in progress. The furore that has been created over the simple transfer of land clearly reveals the real agenda of these forces,"</b> said Amal Magazine of 'Roots in Kashmir'.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Indian Muslim can't live with any other community.

[Pandyan]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Hindus will not get Kashmir land<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hindus as usual sitting on their thumbs.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The government of Indian-administered Kashmir has said it will revoke its decision to transfer land to a body that manages an important Hindu shrine.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Scum won't even cede 100 measly acres for a temple.


<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Local environmentalists also protested against the decision.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

There is no doubt these "local environmentalists" are leftist scum parading around as concerned citizens.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7470516.stm

[G.Subramaniam]

Meanwhile foolish Chauhan, BJP CM of Madhya Pradesh wants more facilities for Haj
--

Bhajpa or Hajpa

--

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/N...how/3175112.cms

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has demanded a direct flight to Jeddah from the capital to facilitate large number of Haj pilgrims proceeding to Mekkah from the state.

[Pandyan]

Imagine these BJP are supposed to be right-wing Hindu party.

[dhu]

<b>Wandhama's endless night</b>
Sandhya Jain (Pioneer)

Jammu & Kashmir's minuscule Hindu community, victim of severe religious persecution and ethnic cleansing over the past two decades, once again lost hope of an improvement in the political climate, which might have facilitated a return home, with the quiet closure of one of the worst massacres of the past decade. Last month, the community was shocked to learn that the Jammu & Kashmir Police had quietly closed the 1998 Wandhama massacre file, claiming "untraceability of the killers", though Indian law does not allow the closure of unsolved murder cases.

Actually, there was never any serious investigation of the massacre. The massacre saw the cold-blooded killing of 23 Hindus in Wandhama village in Ganderbal, the constituency of then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, on the night of January 25, 1998, the eve of Republic Day. One of the worst instances of ethnic cleansing, the victims included four children, nine women and 10 men; 14-year-old Vinod Dhar was the sole survivor. The Union Government had declared inability to help with the investigation in any respect, no doubt on account of Article 370.

Dhar revealed that masked gunmen entered the homes of the four Hindu families around 11.30 pm. They spoke Urdu, not Kashmiri, and asked for tea, which was served by his mother. Suddenly, firing broke out in all homes; the boy hid upstairs; the men set the house on fire before leaving. Vinod came down and saw the bodies of his family; the three other Hindu homes and a temple were also burning. Most Muslim neighbours were at the mosque for the holy night of Shab-e-Qader, and learnt of the killings when their women alerted them.

The State police said an unknown organisation, Intikaam-ul-Muslimoon, had left a letter on one of the bodies, claiming responsibility for the killing and warning of forthcoming attacks to avenge killings in Handwara. Villagers from both communities blamed the massacre on the "unwise" decision to shift an Army camp from the area seven months ago. Understandably, the slaughter triggered a fresh flight of Hindu families from Jammu & Kashmir.

Worse, the tragedy went virtually uninvestigated despite several pleas by Kashmiris. Instead of asking a superior investigating agency like the CID or CBI to help identify the killers, an incompetent or indifferent police callously closed the case on the grounds that no one had been identified as the killer of the Pandits. This is an ominous form of exoneration.

Though Wandhama shook the nation, agitating Kashmiri Hindus had to break down police barricades in New Delhi to get a hearing with the politically correct National Human Rights Commission. Panun Kashmir convener Agnishekhar fell unconscious when hit by a water cannon and had to be hospitalised. This compelled NHRC chairman Justice MN Venkatachaliah to order an on-the-spot investigation and issue notices to the Union Home Secretary, the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Jammu & Kashmir, regarding the safety of citizens in the Valley. It sought an action-taken report from the State and ordered special care for the upkeep of sole survivor Vinod Dhar.

But the problem of Kashmiri Hindus, then as now, can be summed up as 'studied neglect'. On January 28, 1998, even as people mourned the tragedy, then Prime Minister IK Gujral celebrated the inauguration of the National Winter Games at Gulmarg with Mr Farooq Abdullah and Union Environment Minister Saifuddin Soz. This struck such a jarring note that the CPI(M) state general secretary felt forced to say that "as a mark of respect to the carnage of the innocent Pandits, the Government should have at least cancelled the colourful cultural programme, keeping in view the gloom that has engulfed the Valley people".

The Wandhama massacre marked the second stage of Hindu killings in the Valley; the first targetted individuals or males in groups of two or three. Wandhama saw the concentrated killing of entire families in chosen villages. By this time, the militancy was controlled by jihadis from Pakistan, products of Dawat-ul Irshad at Muridke, or madarsas affiliated to the Jamaat-e-Islami or Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (which spawned Taliban). They were doctrinaire in their commitment to global Islamic resurgence and determined to wrest Jammu & Kashmir.

Scanning Press reports of the massacre, one found grieving Muslim neighbours reporting having advised the Hindu families to seek safety in Jammu, which the Hindus resisted, saying they loved the village. While respecting the sorrow of local Muslims, India must demand more from its Muslim citizens in the face of its unending suffering at the hands of jihadi outfits trained and sponsored by Pakistan and Bangladesh. For a start, Kashmiri Muslims must appreciate that the land of Rishi Kashyapa has a rich and hoary Vedic tradition which they must venerate and preserve if they truly believe in a composite Kashmiri culture, called 'Kashmiriyat'. The State language should be Kashmiri, not Urdu.

Ganderbal district presented a grim sight: 23 funeral pyres were erected; a lonely child lit each in turn. There was no one left, he said, to look after him, his fields, orchards, cattle. What an inheritance. The Wandhama massacre exposed the claims of the Centre and the State Government that the Valley was returning to normal. In fact, the return of an elected Government witnessed three massacres of Hindus -- Sangrampura (March 1997); Gul Gulabgarh (June 1997); and, Wandhama (January 1998). Kashmiris who fled naturally rebuffed Mr Abdullah's calls to return, as he failed to admit or mitigate their security concerns. The Centre was a mute spectator.

Currently, in election year, political parties are frantically calling Kashmiri Hindus back to the Valley, announcing sops and financial incentives to regain international credibility. The objective is to restore the shattered myth of composite culture, a euphemism for Hindu acquiescence in the politico-cultural domination of Islam. <b>Subordination induced by centuries of oppression led Kashmiri Hindus to adopt a peculiar self-apartheid and insist on having a distinct identity from other Indian Hindus; the price was a chilling Hindu indifference to their predicament. </b>

But the wheel turned full circle when the flight of Hindus weakened the position of Kashmiri Muslims vis-à-vis Pakistan on the issue of independence. Recognition has belatedly dawned that Hindus are a bulwark against outright absorption into the 'land of the pure'. As the Prophet inducted Arabs into his new faith tribe by tribe, Islam failed to eradicate tribal-ethnic identities, though it cannot admit them. Kashmiri Muslims cannot submit to Punjabi domination in Pakistan.

[Guest]

<b>What Mughal Road didn’t that shrine land-transfer plans did</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kavita Suri
JAMMU, June 29: Three years ago, when the then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir<b> Mufti Mohammed Sayeed decided to revive the centuries-old Mughal Road in the region, no one in Kashmir even uttered a single word on the massive destruction of environment in Pir Panjal mountain ranges of the Himalayas</b>.
The revival of the old Mughal Road which was once used by the great Mughals to travel to Kashmir from Lahore and its subsequent reconstruction ordered by Mufti <b>Sayeed not only witnessed destruction of over 10,000 trees and 26 wild life sanctuaries but also fragmented the habitat of the highly-endangered wild Markhor goat. India is estimated to have a total population of only 300-200 of this species, which is found in southwest Kashmir's Hirpora, Lachipora and Limber wildlife sanctuaries falling on Mughal Road.</b>
Surprisingly, all the political parties remained silent over the issue of degradation of environment and destruction of the wild life sanctuaries due to the work on the Mughal Road
But when the Jammu and Kashmir government recently decided to transfer 40 hectares of forest land at Baltal and Domail for the proposed camping sites located on the right side of the Sindh River for the purpose of constructing temporary shelters for the Amarnath pilgrims, the political parties in Kashmir have opposed it tooth and nail on the pretext of environment degradation.
The issue had deeply polarised the entire state. Politicians and other organisations in Jammu see it as a deliberate move to suppress Hindu identity and communalisation in the region. “When 10,000 trees were cut and the habitat of the wild Markhor destroyed for the reconstruction of the Mughal Road, no one said anything but when SASB wanted to set up temporary shelters for two months only, there was an uproar,” Dr Nirmal Singh, member, national executive & former state president of the BJP said.
The PDP, National Conference and other parties were playing with fire by communalising the whole issue of the Amarnath Yatra and opposing the decision to transfer 800 kanals of land to SASB for creating facilities for pilgrims, he added. To prevent environmental destruction due to the work on the Mughal Road, a Kashmir-based NGO, Bio-diversity Conservation Trust had gone to Supreme Court arguing that construction work would affect the region's biodiversity and the movement of wild animals, especially the Markhor goat.
The Wild Markhor is on IUCN's Red List of highly endangered wild animals and is also named in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Jammu Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act, 1978 (amended in 2002).
But in the case of SASB, the transfer of 800 kanals (40 hectares) of forest land was no issue at all. The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board had assured the government that it would take all possible environmental safeguards in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board to ensure that no damage is caused to the ecology of the area. “The SASB camping sites did not involve any area of Thajwas Wild Life Sanctuary, which is located on the left side of River Sindh. The Shrine Board had to use prefabricated structures for the camping purpose of the pilgrims and would not have gone for construction of permanent structures,” the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad had pointed out.
<b>Raising a few pertinent questions, Dr Singh asked as to why no hue and cry was raised when the Mufti government transferred over 5,000 kanals of forest land to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University at Rajouri which also affected the environment badly. No one uttered a single word then.</b>
“Besides, Sharda Peeth university project was scuttled whereas government gave free land to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University project and also free land was transferred to Islamic University at Awantipora in South Kashmir,” adds Dr Agnishekhar, president, Panun Kashmir. People in Jammu believe that all this points to the complete cleansing of the last vestiges of Hindu presence in the valley.
<b>“The protagonists of this vicious tirade dub the holy Amarnath Yatra as a cultural invasion of Kashmir affecting its ecology, cultural identity and demography. Whatever ecological damage Kashmir has suffered is as a result of illegal felling of trees by land mafia in connivance with corrupt administration over the years,”</b> said Dr Agnishekher adding the systematic reclamation of water bodies and continuous flow of waste materials into lakes like the famous Dal lake and uncontrolled construction activity has resulted in much more ecological damage than the Amarnath pilgrimage.
“An environmental impact assessment report to the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board regarding the Mughal Road clearly said that it would cut through 67 hectares of the Hirpora sanctuary disturbing the habitat of the Markhor. The cutting of many trees would have a cascading effect on the associated biota. Besides, traffic on the road may cause death of many animals that utilise verge habitats or try to cross the road. The presence of motor vehicles may introduce the potential for contamination of soil, air and water adjacent to the road and in the case of surface water, well beyond the immediate surroundings. Chronic contamination may become a problem for animal species, especially those at the top of the food chain.why there was no public outcry then,” asks Dr Agnishekher.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

In spite of all the injustices being heaped upon us Hindus, we can do literally nothing.

This time, the wretched islamists will not fail to exploit this "threat to their culture" to the hilt. In raising commotions and wild protesting, there is none so vocal as the Muslims. Those devils will even complain that Kaffirs are not offering themselves for slaughter!! And our media by ignoring the issue(most publications), or taking the side of the muslims (the Hindu), are conveying a totally erroneous picture of the matter to the outside world.
I fear that the events in Amarnath will embolden these rascals and as a result trouble may spread to all regions of India. Especially Bengal, Kerala are highly vulnerable as was demonstarted when Muslims held Calcutta in hostage during the Nandigram riots. In case this actually comes too pass, we cant expect any help from the west, as it would precisely be what they have always cherished: the transformation of Indians into the people of the books.
The more one observes successive governments, the more one feels that Hindus can no longer rely on their governments to protect them. Through the formation of a private army or defense force, we should call the bluff of these vermin and teach them a lesson. We need not care for ethics as in this case it is almost a war of survival for the Hindus. The Jews have in the past often exposed Muslim bluster and bravado by the simple technique of obliterating anyone remotely hostile. It has worked very well for them and it should work for us too. Simply hanging on to vague and ill defined concepts like human rights, humanism, equality (only to appear "democratic" to the west, which anyway doesnt care), we must not place our survival at stake.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The more one observes successive governments, the more one feels that Hindus can no longer rely on their governments to protect them.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Brahma I have come to the exact same conclusion as u a while back about not relying on the dhimmi gov't for protecting ourselves and feel that legalized firearm ownership is a must like in the US, remember that the Muslim fanatics already have enuf weapons even though they are illegal while law abiding citizens get massacred by these scum for following the laws while the gov't sucks its thumb.

Even in an intifada hit state like Kashmir the gov't gives outdated guns to the people in VDC's leading to massacres by terrorists with ease.

I think its a first step in the right direction if firearm ownership is legalized for law abiding citizens.

[acharya]

Translated from Dainik Jagaran:

<b>“Amarnath Pilgrims will Now become hostage”</b>

<i>Hindu organizations are enraged at the decision to hand over all arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra to the J&K state government after the disturbances over the decision to allot a patch of land owned by the forest department to the Shri Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board. Dainik Jagran interviews Prof. Nirmal Singh, member of the national executive committee of BJP and ex-head of the BJP state unit to understand what is happening.</i>

<b>What is the reason behind the large-scale disturbances over allotment of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board?</b>

These disturbances have been solely due to National Conference, Congress and PDP. All this is happening only because of vote bank politics. If the issue was so sensitive, why did nothing happen in 2005 when the decision to allot the land to the Board was taken originally? Now the state elections are drawing near, hence this drama has been enacted. PDP and Congress both want to draw the attention of the people away from issues such as corruption and inflation.

<b>What has been the attitude of the Central Government toward this controversy? What should be done to control the disturbances?</b>

The Central Government has been a silent spectator. The Centre wants the state government to continue to rule somehow. It is least bothered about the interests of the Hindus. The centre has maintained a criminal silence over the matter. The Congress is trying to profit from this matter, much like the monkey in the dispute between the two cats.

<b>PDP and Congress, both are competing with each other to appease the Muslims of the valley before the elections. What effect will this have on the state?</b>

This is not mere appeasement but indirect support to separatist and terrorist forces in the state. The issue that Hurriyat raised has beeen promoted massively by Congress and PDP. This issue is related to the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Through this episode the country has finally got to know the attitude of PDP and Congress toward this matter. The people of the country know very well about parties like these and are not going to be fooled any longer.

<b>Is the atmosphere in the state becoming like what it was two decades ago?</b>

Absolutely. The situation in the Valley and the rest of the state is fast turning to what it was in 1990. The situation is being projected as Hindus versus Muslims or Jammu versus Kashmir. This is worsening the situation. In this dispute, the role of the average Muslims has been praise-worthy. They are not against the allotment of land to the Amarnath Board. But some organizations do not want peace to be maintained in the state. It has happened for the first time after 1990 that in Kashmir slogans have again been raised in favour of Pakistan and independence.

<b>Was it necessary for land to be allotted to the Amarnath Board? Was there some alternative to this?</b>

Who says land has been allotted to the Board? It has only been leased to it for a mere two months. High court has clearly said in its judgement that for the benefit of the Amarnath pilgrims, pre-fabricated huts should be created on a patch of land. After two months, the land will again return to the Forest Department. So what is the dispute all about? This decision was taken after the verdict of the High Court, so there is no question of any alternative.

This is not the first time in the State that land held by the Forest Department has been assigned to someone. In Rajouri, the Baba Budshah Gulam University has been built over 5000 kanals of forest land. In fact, the houses of Farooq Abdullah and many State politicians have been built on forest land.

Some time earlier, there was a conspiracy to build a Muslim colony at Sidra over forest land but this decision had to be taken back after protests by the BJP. In Kashmir, to build the Mughal road, 20,000 trees were cut because of which 26 species of wildlife were pushed to the verge of extinction, but there were absolutely no protests from anyone. Why did so much disturbances occur only over the decision to assign a patch of land to Amarnath Board for a mere two months in a year to build pre-fabricated huts for Hindu pilgrims?

<b>How do you assess the role of the State Governor in this matter?</b>

The Governor has not taken any decision on its own. There has been complicity of the central government in this matter. The Central government has lowered the dignity of the institution of the Governor. Whatever the governor has done is totally against the feelings of the nationalists of this country.

The Governor is the chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board. He should have understood that this is an issue related to the feelings of millions of Hindus. But he surrendered to a few individuals. BJP with other organizations will protest to the hilt the proclamation of “Nizam-e-Mustafa.” Now the Amarnath pilgrims will be held hostage and, in future, there is a possibility that there may be a movement toward self-rule by the Kashmiris.

<b>Jammu has been the fortress of the RSS. But what is the reason that Jammu has always surrendered to the wishes of the Valley? Why does everything happen in the entire state according to what the Valley demands?</b>

This situation has occurred due to the wrong policies of the Congress. Today in the state assembly, there are a total of 87 seats, out of which 46 are from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu. The way Congress created political equation in the state has given rise to the predominance of Kashmir valley in the affairs of J&K. If for the first time somebody from the Jammu division has become the chief minister, this has been possible only due to the BJP.