Briefing (November 10-16, 2019)

In Srinagar’s Raj Bhawan, Malik holds the record of being the historically vocal governor who speared nothing and nobody. After taking over as governor on August 23, 2018, Malik effectively stalled the possibility of an all party government in December when he dismissed the elected assembly. By late July 2019, Malik recommended the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A at a time when the MHA had kept almost everything ready to face the situation. Till last moment, Malik would tell everybody that nothing is happening.

Malik personally led a sort of a tirade against the political class and even singled out “corrupt” having huge houses and costly carpets. Once, he even suggested militants to kill the politicians. In his year long stint, he interrupted various processes and was always in a cold war with a section of the bureaucracy.

As the deadline for rolling out of the UTs neared, he hoped to continue as the Lt Governor for Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. But when he was told about his transfer, he quietly took a flight home, almost a week ahead of the arrival of his successor G C Murmu, and leaving India’s most sensitive state almost headless. The next time he was in news was when he took oath of office as governor of Goa, one of India’s smaller states. Even there, it was Kashmir that got him back to the newspaper front pages.

JAIPUR

Yet another novel set in Kashmir has bagged a JCB Prize for Literature. The Far Field is the debut writing by Madhuri Vijay, 27, who is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a recipient of the Henfield Prize. A resident of Bengaluru, Vijay spent most of the four year, ending 2016 as a teacher at Haji Public School in upper Doda where she discovered Shalini, the protagonist of her novel.

“The Far Field is an impressively ambitious novel of stunning emotional and psychological acuity,” the 5-member jury said in Jaipur. “This deeply introspective story, located in troubled Kashmir, is also a panoramic exploration of our ideas and assumptions about nationhood. Rendered in visually evocative, lucid prose, and driven by a fragile but compelling narrator-protagonist, this tragic novel teems with unforgettable characters. We are proud to celebrate the arrival of a luminous new talent in Indian literature.”

The novel revolves around Shalini, who, while tracing her missing mother, reaches Kashmir after she felt convinced that her mother’s death is somehow linked to the disappearance of Bashir, a Kashmiri salesman who used to frequent their house in her childhood. AS she reaches Kashmir, she is confronted with Kashmir’s politics and its tangled history.

“When I was thinking about becoming a writer, back in 2010, I wrote a short story. It revolved around a mother, daughter and a Kashmiri man who comes to sell clothes in Bengaluru,” Vijay was quoted saying. “It was then that these characters appeared in my head and stayed, and I wanted to write more about them. While writing about them, I started to think about Kashmir and why no one is talking about any of it when it was happening with such intensity for over two decades.”

SRINAGAR

Under Operation Maa, the army said they have saved lives of about 50 Kashmiri youths who had joined militancy. Gen KJ Singh Dhillon, who heads the 15 Corps, said at some places, encounters were stopped right in the middle of action to facilitate surrender of youths who had picked up guns. Newspapers reported an army compiled data suggesting that 83 per cent of the youth who had joined militancy had a record of stone pelting. 7% of the youths who became militants were killed within first 10 days of picking up arms, 9% within one month, 17% in three months, 36% in six months and 64% in the first one year itself. ““In totality, the shelf life of any youth picking up guns is one year and that is what was conveyed to parents. I am sure no father would like to shoulder coffin of his child and there started this discreet operation of restoring smiles on the faces of these family members,” Gen Dhillon was quoted saying.

Meanwhile, Army chief Gen BipinRawat told a multi-faith delegation of Reasi and Rajouri districts to work for peace in the region. The delegation comprising 15 Maulvis, twoGranthis and fourPanditscalled on the General in Delhi as part of their 8-day national integration tour under Operation Sadbhavna.

SRINAGAR

After the government decided to screen movies for the people in auditoriums in anentertainment-starved Kashmir, various districts have had shows in last few weeks. Last week, Kupwara screened a “local documentary” for local officials. In Srinagar, DC Shahid Iqbal told reporters that they have screened two Bollywood movies and are planning a film festival for children with 50 documentaries. These shows have sent people down the memory lane when the entertainment shows were a routine in Bakhshi era. Though people have access to films on TV, off late, they were accessing special movies on-line, a facility that is inaccessible since August 5. Kashmir has no cinemas for around 30 years now but one investor is setting up a cinema in Srinagar.

SOPORE

The counter-insurgent grid has claimed the identification and destruction of a 17 x 6 ft underground dungeon where the militants were being trained in handling explosives. NDTV reported that detained Lashkar militant Tariq Channa has given the bunker location. The report quoted police saying that some ammunition was recovered from the bunker located in an apple orchard.

UNITED NATIONS

Kashmir still echoes in the UN. The representatives of India and Pakistan do not leave a chance to fight over Kashmir. Last week, when Pakistan’s outgoing diplomat, Maleeha Lodhi raked up Kashmir in a committee meeting and talked about 11 Security Council resolutions, India strongly fought back.

Lodhi said Kashmiris have been waiting for their inalienable right to self-determination. “The agenda of the right of peoples to self-determination, however, has been sought to be misused once again by one delegation, by conflating it with another situation that does not pertain to the decolonisation or foreign domination context,” India’s Permanent Mission to the UN PaulomiTripathi said during the General Assembly’s Third Committee discussion on Right of peoples to self-determination. She termed the reference to Kashmir, as “callous” and termed the objective as Pakistan’s “territorial greed”. The Indian diplomat said the “truth is that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir has never been on the United Nations Right of peoples to self-determination agenda.” Insisting that none of the resolutions make a reference to right of self-determination on Kashmir, she said the principle of self-determination is a vehicle for decolonisation, not a justification for secession or undermining territorial integrity of any Member State. She added: “Self-determination in the UN context refers to the rights of people that have been colonised or continue to be under foreign domination. It clearly refers to the peoples of non self-governing territories or trust territories.”

Meanwhile the UN SC is unlikely to take up the Kashmir issue in November. “We have not picked Kashmir because the Security Council had an opportunity to discuss it recently and we have not been asked by any other Security Council member to schedule a meeting,” Karen Pierce, the British Permanent Representative who is heading SC this month, was quoted saying. UN SC held a closed-door meeting in August at the request of China, a SC permanent member, to discuss the Kashmir situation after Prime Minister NarendraModi’s government revoked the region’s special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. There was no statement issued after the meeting.

At the same time, however, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres continues his appeals to India and Pak to talk. “Well, just to reiterate our basic concerns that the Secretary General has previously expressed his concerns about the situation in Kashmir,” UN chief’s Deputy Spokesman FarhanHaq was quoted saying. “As you know, he has met representatives of India and Pakistan at their request to discuss the situation.” Haq said the UN chief had appealed to both countries “to deal with the issue through dialogue, and, as we’ve made clear and, particularly, as the High Commissioner for Human Rights has made clear, the situation in Kashmir can only be solved with full respect for human rights”.

PUNJAB

Human values have nothing to do with politics, faith and geography. Parvez Ahmad, 28, has been with Sanjiv Kumar, 24, since October 15, when the latter was admitted to SMHS hospital after he survived an attack by suspected militants in Trenz village of Shopian. Sanjiv and Charanjit were two traders purchasing apple in Kashmir when they were attacked. Unlike Charanjit, Sanjiv survived. Parvez has been their trading partner. “I’m not doing him any favour,” Parvez told The Telegraph. “We are all humans, and I will stay here as long as it takes him to recover.”The situation on ground has no impact on Parvez’s commitment to his trading partner. So far, suspected militants have killed 11 non-Kashmiris, including five workers from Bengal – and injured several more. Reshu Toda, Sanjiv’s brother-in-law who arrived from Punjab along with three other relatives a day after the attack, said that if Sanjiv survived it was because of Parvez. “Parvez did not leave us for a minute all these days. He did not go to his home even once. We know nothing about this hospital; it is he who takes care of everything,” Toda told the newspaper. “I don’t allow them to spend a penny on his medicines. I told them we would discuss that when he recovers. Money is not an issue but survival is,” Parvezsaid.“An army colonel visited us a few days ago and offered some Rs 25,000 but I did not accept it. The state has given Rs 50,000 to the family, but the money is lying with them.”

LONDON

Real Kashmir’s Scottish coach David Robertson will be playing a role in a Bollywood film. He revealed the secret at the BAFTA Scotland awards ceremony after his documentary, Real Kashmir for the BBC Scotland, revolving around reviving football in the war-torn Kashmir. Now, they see Bollywood as the next destination. A production house has already approached Robertson early this year. “They’ve been in talks and have already been around the club a lot,” Robertson was quoted saying by British media.“They’ve obviously watched Greg’s programme and wanted to give it the Bollywood treatment. It will either be a film or as a Netflix-style series. I’m not sure who will be playing me, though!” This is happening at a time when BBC Scottish channel’s Greg Clark has started recorded a follow up documentary. Robertson is the Real Kashmir coach and his son Mason, 25, plays for the club. The Real Kashmir club that was set up after September 2014 foods is being seen “the most heartwarming story” of Kashmir football. “From playing in the lowest tier of domestic football to challenging for the I-League title last season, the club’s journey has been a scarcely-believable one,” Indian Express reported. “And Robertson has masterminded it.”

GERMANY

When German Chancellor, Angela Merkel flew to Delhi, host Prime Minister presented her a special gift: a handloom woollen khadi stole from Ladakh. This is seen as a departure and an encroachment over the Kashmir shawl that has dominated the fashion streets in history.Merkel was the first foreign dignitary that visited Delhi after the bifurcation of the Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs.

The stole, however, did not push Kashmir away from the table. She told German media that she would discuss the issue of Kashmir with Modi.“We have not talked about Kashmir specifically yet. I can and will say tonight – when it will be on the agenda – that we are committed to de-escalation and relaxation. Above all, we want India and Pakistan to find a peaceful solution. We are well aware of Indian position, but I would like to hear arguments of the prime minister today. The current situation for people there is not sustainable and not good. That certainly needs to be improved,” Merkel was quoted telling the German media, accompanying her.

Later, in a joint statement, India and Germany called for a halt to “cross border movement of terrorists” and asked all countries to ensure that their territory is “not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries”.

Media’s diplomatic analysts said Markel’s statement indicated “growing impatience within the international community”. So far, only the USA – and the UK to an extent – has expressed strong concern among western countries about the restrictions still in place in Kashmir, especially related to political detainees. Markel statement came within days after Delhi flocked some 27 EU parliamentarians to Srinagar on a controversial “private visit”.

A day after the Indian parliament approved the constitutional changes related to Kashmir in August, the German foreign ministry spokesperson had said that Berlin hoped that “all further steps of the (Indian) government will comply with India’s constitution”.She had also called on New Delhi to “hold dialogue with the population concerned about its plans, its intentions”.

Nearly two month later, German envoy to India, Walter Lindner had said that Germany considers the developments in Kashmir as “internal matter” of India, but added that they have “regional consequences”. Germany, he said on September 30, would like to see “early lifting of restrictions”. However, Lindner had also added that easing of restrictions has to be “done in accordance with security issues”.

“But there should be no violations of human rights and trespassing of provisions,” said Lindner, adding that the “world would be closely watching”.

India and Germany are huge trading partners with the bilateral trade rising to $24.06 billion (18.5 billion pounds) in fiscal 2018-19 fiscal year ending in March from $22 billion the previous year, while German companies have invested nearly $12 billion in India since 2000. One of major India’s trading partners in Europe; almost 1700 German companies operate in India. More than 20,000 Indian nationals are studying in Germany.

BANGKOK

Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana apart, Prime Minister Modi is talking about Article 370 globally to the Indian diaspora. Recently when he was in Bangkok for participating in the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Modi had a long address to the Sawasdee PM Modievent. “You are aware that India has decided to eliminate a big reason behind sowing of seeds of terrorism and separatism,” Modi was quoted saying to the audience, in a direct reference to Article 370. “When decision is right, its echo is heard across the globe. And I can hear it in Thailand as well.” He got a standing ovation for that, which, he gave to India’s Parliament and parliamentarians.

As many as 5000 Indian community members attended the meeting scheduled to greet Modi on the first day of his three-day Thailand visit. In the first official visit to Thailand, Modi said he saw lot of “Indianess” in Thailand. “Once the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway is opened, there will be seamless connectivity between both our countries. I am glad that all of you will have a chance to be part of this story,” he said.

The trade between India and ASEAN stood at US $96.79 billion in 2018-19 with ASEAN imports at $59.32 billion and Indian exports at $37.47 billion. However, India refused to join the the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that ASEAN is fathering. RECP is anticipated to be world’s biggest free trade zone involving 15 countries that cumulatively have half of world’s populating and one third of the global income. In anticipation of the summit, Congress and Left parties had led a campaign against RECP saying joining the grouping will destroy India’s economy.

In the backdrop of Modi’s Bangkok engagements, Pakistani media prominently highlighted ASEAN parliamentarians who are visiting Pakistani side of Kashmir. Led by DatoAzmi Abdul Hamid, President of MajlisPerundingan Islam, Malaysia (MAPIM), and the delegation has members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Dato told hosts that they have set up ASEAN Kashmir Advocacy Group for highlighting Kashmir. The delegation is slated to visit the LoC.

SRINAGAR

Snow had reduced the public movement hugely, partly because the authorities delayed the snow clearance. Still, massive deployments were made by the authorities to prevent congregation of the faithful at the shrine of Hazratbal. This may eventually prevent the traditional display of the holy relic to a larger gathering, a practice that did take place perhaps once in last more than 200 years. But this is not specific to Hazratbal alone. In Kishtwar, the police imposed curfew restrictions to percent a congregation at the local shrine. Last week, they prevented the Khuja Digger, a tradition in which people offer late afternoon Asrprayers outside the KhawajaSahab shrine in Srinagar. In fact, there have been no prayers in the Jamia Masjid for last 14 weeks, especially on Fridays. Authorities say restrictions under section 144 CrPC continue in Kashmir.

LAHORE

Rabi Pirzada, Pakistani pop singer and TV host known for courting controversies has quitted showbiz. In wake of abrogation of Article 370, she was in news in August when she released her threatening video statement to Prime Minister Modi while holding snakes in hand. The DahdiKuree(2005) star was seen later wearing “a suicide bomber jacket” with almost the same message. Her songs MujheIshqHai, Jadooand Kisi KeHoKeRahowere a sensation in Pakistani music that landed Pirzada weekly television show, a TV production, and eventually a 2018 film debut in ShorSharaba. Last week, when her nude images and sexually suggestive videos were leaked online, she gave up her entertainment profession.