Pre-word: In August, 2020, in Jammu & Bangaluru two separate blasphemous messages were uploaded on social media which gave rise to massive protests by Muslims against the blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in both the places. The police claimed arrest of the culprits that were involved in the “communally sensitive” video in Jammu & face-book post in[Read More…]
For the past some days, whatsapp is abuzz with a news of a Buzarg ( senior citizen) from Pakistan who has won a court case after 13 years’ long legal battle in a Pakistani court. The poor man is seen standing in a photo alongside a BBC Urdu News logo & a 5000 rupee Pakistani currency note, conspicuously displayed in[Read More…]
(In response to Haseeb Drabu’s column published in GK dated 11-06-2020 ) Since few months, Shri Haseeb Drabu’s columns are carried by GK under a caption “posts for posterity” in its edit-pages. One is always within one’s right of thinking & asking, how much the opinions of a columnist, or a writer, howsoever big or small, he may be, hold[Read More…]
The State Subject Law of erstwhile State of JK had travelled a checkered path before it was adopted in the Constitution of India in the shape of Article 35-A in 1954. Before 1933, peasants of Kashmir had no ownership rights in the land. Muslims did not have proportionate education & employment rights even in the autocratic rule. Towards the end[Read More…]
The ongoing pandemic caused by Coronavirus or “SARS-Cov-2” has paralysed the whole world. It is by far the worst of the pandemics known to the human history cutting across geographies with catastrophic results for world economy & life of people with increasing daily numbers of deaths, and more testing positive for the disease. In these trying times, people living today[Read More…]
History does not forget & forgive those who make it. Making of history does not mean always doing right. It equally means doing wrong. Those who did wrong are never forgiven by those who suffer by their wrong. Similarly, those who did right are never forgotten by those who benefit from their right. Wrong or right may be a decision[Read More…]
(A) Right to property: First, in his article “Article 35 A: Myth or Reality” , published in GK on 03-04-2019, Mr. Drabu has written: “In 1950, when the J&K government initiated ‘land to tiller’, it was not legally possible to do so under the Indian Constitution. Till 1978, Right to Property under Article 19 was a fundamental right. It was[Read More…]
History is recorded in writing for enabling people know their past & the events that took place in the past. Sometimes, however, need is felt to rewrite it, also, but strictly subject to revelation of new “evidence” about the recorded events coming to the knowledge of a rewriter during his “objective investigation” of the historical events. “Genuine” revisionist, as he[Read More…]
Prelude: With the end of WWII, it became clearer than ever that India was going to get independence from British Rule. Under the Government of India Act, 1935 the foundation was already laid for an electoral democracy in United India. In winter 1945-1946, elections by “limited franchise”, though, were held for twelve provincial assembles & central assembly of “United India”.[Read More…]
In past, Kashmiris were naïve & simple. It was the time when the gradual progression of science in Europe had not yet crossed the mountains of valley of Kashmir. Modern technology & fast modes of communication were not yet discovered. The material prosperity & modernization had not yet touched the people of this landlocked country. So, in those situational conditions[Read More…]
No book of history or literature of any credence on Kashmir has anywhere used the term “Kashmiriyat” in its references to socio-cultural values of its inhabitants: Kashmiris. I. However, the term “did not emerge ex-nihilo from the soil of Kashmir. II. It has a clear background more political than pretended or projected socio-religious that gave birth to it. In a desperate[Read More…]
Everybody knows that Article 35-A is sub judice before the Apex Court of India. The petitioners who challenged the Article are proxy of the ruling class of India who want the Article to be declared unconstitutional in total disregard of the conditions under which it was incorporated in the Constitution by the First President of Free India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad,[Read More…]
In our lives, we meet varied kinds of people, and in that we sometimes are occasioned to converse or even discuss certain things with them, not knowing they are typical kinds of freaks. If it is a business discussion, where the terms of conversation or communication are often pre-fixed, our conversations are not driven by any particular conditions, so both[Read More…]
[Flipside of Sheikh Abdullah’s narrative] Sheikh M Abdullah who was key political figure from Kashmir in the whole story has written that it was Pakistani authorities in UN that, on many occasions, when the solution to Kashmir-issue was “almost finalised” or “within reach”, stumbled which, to him, seemed their “intellectual bankruptcy” or “politicking”. In support of his contention, he refers[Read More…]
In spite of the fact that the Dogra Ruler in 1933 fulfilling “its obligations to its own Muslim subjects” 19 conferred proprietary rights upon the occupancy hereditary cultivators, a good chunk of land still continued to be under the iron grip of Jagirdari & Chakdari systems, and the tenants-at-will of different categories of the landlords continued to be at their[Read More…]
J&K in the past was predominantly agricultural State. Immediately before 1947, near to 90% of its population lived in villages & depended on agriculture. Under Dogra Rule, “in Kashmir the land [belonged] to the Ruler, the cultivators [were] his servants”. 1 In Jammu, proprietorship in lands was claimed by the Dogra monarchs as hereditary, in Ladakh & Batistan it was[Read More…]
Sheikh M Abdullah in his autobiography [“Blazing Chinar” (Gulshan Books (2016) Chapter 30 titled “Mohammad Ali Jinnah & Myself” at pages 220-231] briefly mentions of an interesting criminal case of 1930s that for peculiarity of its facts had attracted attention of the whole of Kashmir. The Chapter does not divulge the full facts of the case which are, however, adumbrated[Read More…]
More than a century ago, George Bernard Shaw in his famous 1906 play The Doctor’s Dilemma has said “all professions are a conspiracy against laity”. Conspiracies are hatched & executed in groups, albeit the idea is often brainchild of a master kingpin of that group who resembles “suspense boss” of the Bollywood movies. Conspiracies are committed on back of the[Read More…]
Pre-View: When you fail to understand & resolve your own problems, then, those who suffer by your ‘inaction’ will certainly approach others for their resolution. Triple divorce is such a topic that has been over-discussed & talked through in India since decades drawing the attention of the Muslim Personal Law Board (MPLB) & Indian Muslim leaders to find a remedy to stop[Read More…]
On 6th December, 1992 the news of demolition of 464 years old mosque by Hindu Fanatics, Kar Sevaks, at Ayodhiya UP organised by BJP & VHP through their Rathyatras & speeches, cast a gloom over the entire 180 million Indian Muslim population. It was the forecast of more communal poison & violence in the lap of ever-increasing wave of palengenetic Hindu[Read More…]
Pre-View: State of J & K is most probably only piece of land on the world map that despite being profusely rich in many resources of self-reliance & self-satisfaction is not, & has not been, enabled to reap their benefit to its full advantage. Huge hydroelectric power resources of the State have not been exploited by the government-politicians & State-administration[Read More…]
Hostilities cease on death. That is why the cops doff their caps after a notorious criminal (Even) is found lying dead who deservingly, then, is allowed to be given a proper burial. BUT, why the ‘traitors’ & ‘betrayers’ of a cause or community or trust or country or nation are generally denied this respect even after their death. Why people[Read More…]
Kangri or Kangdhi , or Kanger in common Kashmiri parlance, is an indispensable part of socio-cultural milieu of Kashmir. All Kashmiris, cutting across gender, creed & age use & “consider it indispensable in the cold season”. Its cultural importance can be gauged from a Kashmiri saying: what Laila was to Mujnoon’s heart (legendary lovers), Kanger is to a Kashmiri. Kanger[Read More…]
Mythical or folklore tales have been a part of all ancient societies & communities. Such stories are still told verbally & even otherwise in writings, songs, paintings, etc, in many societies & communities to keep up their old traditions of culture & art. Romans had richest mythical history, so had Chinese & Arabs. But if you look at any of these[Read More…]
Flag is not a mere piece of fabric that flutters about in the breeze. It represents the feelings & ideals of the people for that for which it has been created & thus stands for. The first Kashmir flag was adopted by the first largest political party of J&K Muslims, All J & K Muslim Conference, which was formed in[Read More…]
Acting on the recommendation of Mountbatten, the British Government on 3rd June, 1947, announced its plan of partition of India into two Dominions of India & Pakistan. The Indian Independence Act, 1947 enacted by the British on 18th July 1947 gave legal recognition to the creation of the two Dominions. Under the Act, British suzerainty over the provinces including 584[Read More…]
There is a Persian distich “agar kahat ul rijal uftad, azehan uns kamgiri yake afghan , doyum kamboh, soyam badzaat kashmiri”: (translation: although there is no dearth of men to be there in the world, yet never cultivate acquaintances with three kinds of people: (1) Afghan, (2) Kamboh & (3) Badzaat Kashmiri) This Persian couplet has, from time immemorial, been associated with the name of[Read More…]
The narrative is the story of a community of people , Dogistan, named after the dogs that its every household owns. The Dogistan’s dogs are of two kinds: tailless and curly tailed dogs. The former are gentle and docile, while latter are very mean and abject. The curly tailed dogs outnumber the tailless dogs. A Dogistani lady, Miss Ruby, does[Read More…]
On September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court of India in a historic judgment Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India heralded a new dawn for the personal liberty in India as it decriminalised section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It is thought to be a major victory for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in India. It did[Read More…]
Any argument against Article 35-A of the Constitution of India in isolation from the political and social conditions in which partition of India, accession of JK with India took place and in which Orders and Notifications of 1927 and 1932 were issued by the then Ruler of JK Maharaja Hari Singh is patently bound to lead to wrong conclusions about[Read More…]
A lot has been written about 9/8/1953 removal of Sheikh M. Abdullah (for brevity, SMA) from chair of State PM. In spite of that, more curiosity stills fills many minds among pro-n-anti-SMA to know why he, after helping India, internally as well as externally, in taking JK, was considered threat to India which led to his unceremonious dismissal from PM-ship[Read More…]
Today after seven decades, JK Muslims, are struggling hard to protect “semblance” of their Unique Culture and Identity that was “guaranteed” to them under Articles 370 and 35-A by the givers of the Indian Constitution. For 70 years, Article 370 has served the interests of India beyond its expectations, internally as well as externally, keeping in view geo-political challenges it faced[Read More…]
The rising anger against age old State atrocities & injustices, augmented by the news of sacrilegious acts by non-Muslims pouring in from some Jammu areas, caused outright outrage among the Muslims of Kashmir. (Disputed Legacy, Alastar Lamb, pages 89-90) It was in 1931 when the growing dissatisfaction of the Kashmiri people burst into flame. (Danger in Kashmir, Josef Korbel, page[Read More…]
Nature has indeed endowed the valley of Kashmir & the neighbouring mountains with an abundance of fine springs including the one named “Kounsar Nag”. (The ancient geography of ancient Kashmir (1899) by M A Stein, pages 32, 72) It is a two miles long & ½ mile wide beautiful lake lying above Kongwattan village in Pir Panchal mountainous range of[Read More…]
In spite of the fact that there are a number of justifications for privatisation of education, commercial consideration underpins all its good objects of imparting quality education, of course, with the availability of adequate basic facilities of premises, toilets, infrastructure, libraries, drinking water dispensers-purifiers, computers, libraries & hostels: the facilities invariably unfound in government run educational institutions primarily for lack[Read More…]
Only a simpleton will not understand that in a “mutual admiration group” members generally degenerate themselves to a sophistry by exchange of pretended or exaggerated reciprocal praise. In this narcissist group, each member is mostly concerned with his own self-good. In philosophy, Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher, calls it self-downgrading way of making money, when [people] have to resort to sophism[Read More…]
In ancient Kashmir there existed “several market places and bazaars in the city of Srinagar”, while the first “wholesale market” of Kashmir, Maharaj Gunj, was “lately constructed”. (Gazetteer of Kashmir (1890), 772). Sir W R Lawrence writes: “In Kashmir there are certain depots of trade, the chief being Srinagar, Baramula, Islamabad, Shupiyon, and Bandipur. Latterly Panjabi traders have opened business[Read More…]
Kashmiri Dictionary defines the word “Khokh” as “an effigy used to scare away birds from fields of crop”. Its English equivalent is “scarecrow” which is used by peasants during harvest season in their farmlands to keep away the pesky birds from damaging the crop. That said, we know that this word was used by Kashmiri parents, usually mothers, till very[Read More…]
Prefatory: Notwithstanding that the printing press was invented in mid 15th century, the initial newspapers in the world started their publication in Germany, England & other European countries only in 17th & 18th centuries. During 20th century, radio & television were invented, & the journalists used them to disseminate information among public on matters related to society, politics, culture,[Read More…]
On 16-03-1846, the British Rulers of India sold the territory of Kashmir with its all dependencies for 75 Lakh Nanak Shahi rupees to Maharja Gulab Singh Dogra of Jammu vide infamous Treaty of Amritsar. Considering the total population at that time of “all the hilly or mountainous country”, every living human soul of Kashmir was sold vide the said sale[Read More…]
Every year, the world commemorates the victims of Haymarket affair that took place on Tuesday, May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, by observing May 1st as International Workers’ Day in their memory; albeit in Canada & US, 1st September is chosen as Workers’ Day. On that fateful day, the workers had gathered peacefully to demonstrate & advocate for better[Read More…]
Ordinarily, a crime does not spark a widespread reaction from the public unless its guilt is so horrific that no normal human being’s conscience can remain untouched & unshaken by the weight of its gravity. One of such rarest & cruelest inhuman acts was recently done with an 8 year old Muslim girl in Kathua district of Jammu that outraged[Read More…]
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in his autobiography “Blazing Chinar” ( 2016 edition, Gulshan Books Srinagar) in chapter 36 titled “Medley of Internal Troubles” has in a real medley of things connected “accession” & “sending of Indian troops” to Kashmir to the “Tribal Raid” of 23rd October, 1947. However, he openly admits that it was only at his repeated “request” & after[Read More…]
In Voltaire‘s novel, the title character, Candide, on board, asks another character, an old sage, Martin: “Do you believe that men have always massacred one another as they do today..?” Martin tacitly concurring with Candide, says: “Do you believe that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they have found them?” ”Without doubt,” said Candide. Without doubt, on fateful day of[Read More…]
No historian on Kashmir has ever used the term “Kashmiriyat” in his reference to its socio-cultural values. There are, however, some “assumptions” about its genesis, all converging on a single point that it was brainchild of NC. Many say it has its origin to post-1947 political developments of JK when NC founder under the influence of his countable number of[Read More…]
On First April, in many societies & Western countries, lies are spread in the shape of jokes, hoax & pranks by people on their friends, relatives, neighbours & colleagues which put the latter to great embarrassment & sometimes to harassment or actual harm. It is a custom called April Fools’ Day which actually calls upon people to concoct a special[Read More…]
The Kashmiri word “Pheran” is contraction of the Persian word “pairahan” which literally means garment & which clearly shows its origin to the time of Mughal rulers who had Persian descent; notwithstanding, some Kashmiri Pandits in recent times have tried to connect its origin to the Greek word “Apron” & even the Tajik word “Peraband. But both these words are[Read More…]
In 2015, one Deepak Sharma a RTI activist from Jammu filed an application with General Administration Department/GAD of the State Government seeking details about who had conferred sobriquet of “Shere e Kashmir” on Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah / SMA. GAD in reply said that there was not any official record conferring or confirming that the sobriquet was ever officially bestowed upon[Read More…]
Sana was the master idol maker of a large community of Bedouins who inhabited & dotted along the long stretch of oasis in the Arabian Desert. The Bedouins didn’t have cohesiveness, centrality & uniformity in their worshiping practices of any particular God or God’s image. Strong pre-historic roots of animism running through their entire cultural edifice had made them venerate[Read More…]
Even after seventy years of Partition, the discourse as to who, Jinnah or Nehru, Indian Muslim League or Indian National Congress, was responsible for division of the Indian subcontinent. There are divergent views. Some blame Muslim League, some Congress while others both. Every one of these views has some arguments to put before us. From Congress point of view, since[Read More…]
Homer is the name ascribed to one or more men, presumed to have lived between 700-800 BC, among Greek . Homer is credited with writing of two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which hold central position in Greek mythology & Western literature. The Iliad is the sequel to the Odyssey. Both are classic poetry that will hold sway[Read More…]
Nicknaming people, places & things is an old practice among all communities usually to express affection, but in Kashmir certain nicknames in vogue till now, while some others handed-down the memory lane by elders for posterity carry ridicule with them. To start with, if you think the underlying purport of the nicknames “Nabdhi” , “Ikhwani” or “renegade” or “betrayer” &[Read More…]
State-interests run supreme: India is in essence a unitary State where apart from three basics of defense, communication & foreign affairs, overwhelming items of legislative competence have been constitutionally vested in the central government, albeit “few” federal features also exist in its constitutional scheme. Despite being a predominantly unitary system, it can’t be lost sight of that the State governments[Read More…]
Pre-view: Propaganda isn’t anything new in the world. It’s a history since pre & post medieval wars when, however, its use was confined to around battlefields only. But with passage of time, & advent & advancement of science & technology, it assumed looming proportions reaching out to larger populations of several countries, at a single time, to garner their support[Read More…]
Any argument against Article 35-A of the Constitution of India in isolation from the political and social conditions in which partition of India, accession of JK with India took place and in which Orders and Notifications of 1927 and 1932 were issued by the then Ruler of JK Maharaja Hari Singh is patently bound to lead to wrong conclusions about[Read More…]
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This article is based on the 25th Chandrashekar Memorial Lecture delivered on 20 September 2020. The original lecture was delivered in Hindi and the event was organized by Punashcha, the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA) and Koshish. Friends, comrades gathered here; I am very honoured to be invited to deliver the Chandrashekhar Memorial Lecture this year but I cannot say[Read More…]
