MIRPUR
Kashmiri nationalist, Marxist writer and politician barrister Qurban Ali Khan died in London at 81. His body was flown to Mirpur for burial. Born in Mirpur in 1932, Qurban graduated from Mirpur College.
Then he moved to Karachi for LLB and then to Britain to get Bar-at-Law from Lincoln University. He founded Marxist Jammu Kashmir Peoples National Party (JKPNP) in 1985 and became its president. Over the last three decades, JKPNP worked for the unification of “progressive nationalist elements” in PaK and in the diaspora of 1.8 million Kashmiris to achieve the goal of an independent Kashmir and setting up an egalitarian secular society through peaceful democratic struggle. Qurban authored over a dozen books on Marxism, class struggle and Kashmir issue. He was a staunch supporter of reunification of the divided J&K.
LONDON
It has been sudden and swift. After a long time, Britain got a Kashmir dose last week when Channel 4 screened 48-minutes documentary on the scale of torture that was used to manage Kashmir after a revolt broke out. Stuffed with crude cases of torture and inhumanity include rape, the film had larger part of it about a lawyer, Parvez Imroz, who has emerged as a major voice against violations of human rights. Imroz is recipient of Ludovic-Trarriux International Human Rights Prize that was first given to Nelson Mandela. But the lawyer could not fly to receive it for lack of passport. Incidentally, the Guardian, on the next day ran a full length story about the nameless graves that exist everywhere across the state. Times of India termed it a “clearly co-ordinated assault against India’s human rights record.”
BUDGAM
In an interesting turn of events, Hurriyat leader Agha Syed Hasan’s shopping mall was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir as senior cops and civil administration officials were in the clapping audience. His son has termed Mir “just a guest”. The event has set the tongues wagging. DGP is unhappy with his subordinates. And newspapers have identified the compromises that various government agencies have made in making the mall a success. Who represents whom?
JAMMU
Nobody has reacted to it from the secretariat. A Jammu newspaper reported that “a senior cabinet minister” has sent cash-filled briefcases through a private airline from Srinagar to Jammu, four times in last two months. Modus operandi has been simple – his PSO would use the secure ‘zullo’ system (listed vehicles not required to be searched) and reach the airport and handover the box to the airliner under ‘rush tag’ –required to be flown and to be handed over to a person at Jammu. Every time the police knew the briefcase was stuffed with cash that was detected at x-ray screening. Incidentally, every time the minister would fly to Jammu in a following flight. It has identified the minister as “a meticulously clean politician with an intellectual bent of mind.” Clean and intellectual! Who is he?
ANDHRA PARDESH
Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, 28, a resident of Soozath village in Narbal died mysteriously in Andhra Pardesh. Family alleged that he was working in a hotel and a private security agency before going to Andhra Pardesh (AP). He left to AP to get a better job as promised by one of his friends there. The family is disputing over police theory that Ashraf fell ill and died in a train. The death of a father of two daughters triggered clashes at Narbal. Locals want police to ensure investigation of the “murder”. Police said Ashraf was unwell and died in Andoman Express on the way home from Chennai.
BEERWAH
Son of a Congress lawmaker Ghulam Qadir War is seeking investigations into his June 1990 murder. In an application pending disposal before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Budgam under Sections 173 and 176 of Crpc, son Ghulam Hasan has accused the then SP Budgam SP Vaid of summoning his 75-year old father to his office on June 10, 1990. Same night, War was allegedly flown to Kotbalwal jail Jammu where he died under torture. Son identified father’s corpse but could not get it for burial. War was buried by police at Trikuta Nagar, Jammu. Vaid is now an additional DGP.
