Suggesting Kashmir’s demilitarisation is a must for the right to self-determination, author Arundhati Roy terms AFSPA as “the absolutely unbelievable law”.
Participating in a panel discussion on Kashmir at the Asia Society with famous writer Pankaj Mishra and a Kashmiri PhD scholar Muhammad Junaid, Roy termed Kashmir as “one of the most protracted, ignored and bloody occupations in the world” where “freedom of speech is non-existent” and human rights abuses a routine. “Why (does) the international community not see that when you have two nuclear-armed states, like Pakistan and India, there couldn’t be a better thing than a buffer state like Kashmir between them, instead of it being a conflict that is going to spark a nuclear war,” she was quoted saying.
EIDGAH
Arsalan Bashir was 9 and watching the detective serial CID. Sometimes he was trying to imitate scenes. In one such effort, he strangled himself to death. School kids are usually glued to the TV and watching almost every kind of show. Crime related serials have better TRPs and Arsalan’s ‘suicide’ is just a case in point. Positive parenting can help, psychiatrists say.
JAMMU
It was coup of a sort. Rakesh Chib, the president of Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association was spearheading a movement against the NC for its faulty recruitment policy in the evening. The next morning, he was seen joining the party with many others in tow. Immediately after, he was appointed as the Provincial President of the party’s student’s union. Omar Abdullah had talked about the ubiquitous ABVP and Panthers Party Students Union a few days back that encouraged his adviser D S Rana to accept the challenge. He got Chib and Co, and NCSU was born. While Rahul Gandhi has informally got NSUI into the University of Kashmir campus, can students now in Kashmir University get the right to have a union of their own?
GULMARG
Solar Punch is an American rock band that sings about ecology and use solar energy to power its performances. Last week, they performed in front of a small audience in Amar Singh College and later in Gulmarg on the invitation of the India Youth Climate Network. Members James Bank, Dean Conklin and Alan Bigelow said they use music to sing about science and environment, and hold workshops to explain solar concepts. There was a lot of media coverage, but no one knows if anyone from the audience got the message. At the end of both the functions, people were talking more about the drums!!
STADIUM
Altaf Ahmad was adjudged Mr Kashmir 2011 in the body building competition in Srinagar in which 40 competitors participated. Animal Husbandry Minister Aga Syed Ruhullah did the honours. The competition, held after a gap of four years, was held in different categories starting from 60 kg to 90 kg.
AKHNOOR
Thanking the Archaeological Survey of India, the Dalai Lama has suggested more excavation at the Ambaran heritage site that he visited. Speaking to a huge gathering of mostly locals and Buddhist students, he praised India’s democracy, culture and secularism. He promised research on the newly discovered (1999-2000) site that excited hosts Sharma brothers – Madan Lal and Sham Lal, of the spot becoming a tourist destination. Earlier in Jammu, where the Chief Minister received and drove him to a photo exhibition, Dalai Lama told reporters that things in Kashmir will improve through talks and through understanding. He dodged a question on whether India has softened its stand on Tibet.
