JAMMU-KASHMIR POLICE A SAGA OF SACRIFICE and courage TO GO TO JAIL..

Jammu-Kashmir Police ke hum, Janbaaz sipahi hum... (Jammu and Kashmir Police “A Saga of Sacrifice and courage)

This is the song and motto of Jammu and Kashmir Police, braving militancy for last two decades. Nowadays as the militancy is showing a decline, the police have found a new job -- trapping its own men for no fault of theirs.. after Shopian one feels that the motto of Jammu and Kashmir Police “A Saga of Sacrifice and courage” needs to be changed to A Saga of Sacrifice and courage TO GO TO JAIL..

Shopian case – alleged rape and murder of two women – reminds me of a bed time story where an innocent is hanged because his neck fit the noose…though my granny narrated this story in a hilarious way but I realised the ugly face recently when I found four policemen behind bars – thanks to a High Court order, unheard in the legal history of this country.

Superintendent of Police Javed Iqbal Mattoo and his Deputy Rohit Baskotra might have questioned their wisdom of serving in Kashmir when Kashmiri officers were either running away from fighting militancy or having a prize posting using political clout. An analysis of posting and transfers of police officials has seen that so called promote IPS officials from Kashmir division have either chosen to remain confined to police headquarters or administrative division or posting in Delhi while the war against terrorism in the valley.

Ironically, poor Baskotra was away in Anantnag for five days when the alleged rape and murder case had taken place and Mattoo was trying to get a proper post-mortem report so that a decision could be taken as to how the investigations should proceed. What could Mattoo or the SHO do when the doctor decided to chicken out and did not give a proper autopsy report?

I guess ever since the bodies of two ladies were recovered on May 30, the entire administration has been trying to find a scapegoat in police – ignoring the heavy presence of Jamaat-e-Islamia cadres in Shopian area. The police did not even get time to find the culprits as people poured down in dozens and dozens. Eh! What was this…pro-Pakistan slogans, pro-independence slogans, demand for withdrawal of security forces in the area…did anyone realize that the protests were for women, who were allegedly raped and murdered. Time and again Kashmir has been a witness to such mockeries, where vested interests have used such occasions to raise anti-national bogey.

And now comes judiciary – the order issued recently by a division bench surprised many legal luminaries – I believe some of them must be scratching their heads after two judges ordered the investigating officers – newly appointed Inspector General (Kashmir) Farooq Ahmed and his two “ace” investigators to arrest these four police officials.

Can a Judge Order investigating official to arrest anyone? Well, I guess no and was quickly reminded of the infamous sex scandal of Kashmir when a division bench directed a Deputy Inspector General of CBI Pankaj Singh to carryout arrests of all the accused as per the list circulated in the media. To his credit, Singh refused to carry out the order and stated in an open court that the power of arrests remained with the investigating officer, which is done after gathering all proofs and evidence.

The sex scandal case was taken out from the limits of Jammu and Kashmir jurisdiction and trials were conducted In Chandigarh as it had become next to impossible for even getting a bail for the accused.

In this case, the High Court took away the right of all subordinate courts and said any bail moved for the police officials should be referred to the division bench even when Supreme Court has been categorised that bail is a right of every individual. But I guess the interpretation of law changes when it comes to Kashmir valley, where views of separatists have to be taken into consideration. Then wonder who is calling the shots..

Eh! Not to forget, the famous Narco-Analysis test ordered by the High Court. This part of the order needs to be understood: “We direct the Special Investigating Team to produce those four officers on arrest before the Registrar Judicial on a date and time to be fixed in consultation with Registrar Judicial, High Court of J&K Srinagar for the purpose of drawing their blood sample, on being drawn, shall be sealed by.....The DNA of those police official shall, thereupon, be matched with the DNA profile of the vaginal semen of the deceased ladies....."

"We also feel that it would be appropriate on the part of the Special Investigating Team to undertake Narco-Analysis Test of those four police officers..."

This part of the order was enough to make jump the top echelons of the state police force to go in for appeal as one cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the poor Dy SP was not aware of the case because of his pre-occupation in recruitment in Anantnag and SP, who was awaiting report from the SHO.

Ironically, while its an order for four police officials, it has been left to the wisdom (which according to me is questionable) of SIT to decide whether it wishes to carry out the Narco-test on the two witnesses, against whom questions have been raised from the day one.

The order reads: “In the event the Special Investigating Team is of the view that those two witnesses....also need to be put to such test, it shall inform the same to the central government...”

So what is the deal…Should the police force learn a lesson and join ranks with separatists and enjoy a better life style. Well readers, I am writing this blog, knowing fully well, that separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani are enjoying cool breeze in guest house at Cheshma Shahi, dare-devil officials like Mattoo and Baskotra are sleeping on hard beds of jail.

For your tomorrow, we gave our today… but one wonders what our tomorrow is!!!!

Notice

Dear Blog readers,

There have been certain queries that while the name of my blog suggests that it has to do everything about Kashmir, then why I am venturing into other areas. Some of you have even suggested changing the name of the Blog.

Well, changing the name is not possible. I must admit that the blog was intended to revolve around Kashmir and the problem but certain issues come up and are close to my heart. Hence, I don't mind taking up the same and put across to my readers.

Regards,

A Kashmir watcher

Lt Saurabh Kalia: The story behind his heroic death

''When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today"

All of sudden, in this materialistic world, I forgot a part of my life. Let me take out a leaf out of history and pay tribute to Lt Saurabh Kalia (made Captain posthumously). It was a Wednesday and I was busy making last minute arrangements at my Srinagar office to return to Kargil on the next day (June 10, 1999). Suddenly my office phone rang and it was one of my darling friends from Army calling. His voice was not the same and still reverberates in my ears. A usually smart officer is asking me to call him from some PCO and refused to answer any of my inquisitive journalistic questions.

Little did I know that, I was writing a portion of history of the infamous Kargil war while I left in a hush manner from the office along with one of my senior colleague. Half-a-kilometre away, we managed to find a PCO from where I attempted to call my Army friend. And guess what, the phone was engaged thus not only increasing my blood pressure but also heart beat. Tring tring….the phone is ringing and I just held the hand of my senior colleague as he was making all signals to calm me down.

“Write fast. Lt Kalia’s body handed over in Kaksar sub-sector along with five soldiers of 4-Jat. Mutilated severely. Their eyeballs have been gouged out and noses, genitals chopped off. Cigarette marks on their bodies. Tempers are high…” and he hung up. Tried calling him up again but he did not pick up this time.

What happened…? Was the question from my colleague. Though he was questioning me about the news but I guess he was waking me from a shock I had received after hearing the caller on other side.

After recovering from the shock, I felt so sad about being a journalist. “What are we? Someone has died because of a merciless torture by Pakistani Army and now we are supposed to write a story? What will happen to his family? What if he was just married?”

The dilemma of a journalist and a common man was topping the agenda of my brain for sometime till the senior colleague of mine gave me a “Gita updesh” and asked me to do my “karma”. And no sooner, I was at the telex machine broadcasting the news to the nation and possibly to the world about the supreme sacrifice made by Lt Kalia and his team. Camouflaging the dateline with that of Kargil, I made an attempt to save my source in the Army.

The News was there everywhere. Few Television channels and all international wire agencies were broadcasting and typing in the news. Some of my seniors were calling from Delhi complimenting me for breaking the news and I was wondering whether I should be happy or sad. What are you journalists made of? And suddenly there was a fight between me and my conscience. Though the battle still continues within me but on that day, I was left flabbergasted over the attitude of Army officials sitting in the Directorate of Military Intelligence which send its Brigadier to one of my seniors denying the news. However, he was reluctant to give the same in writing. Here I should thank my boss, who stood by me and showed the door to the Brigadier. And by evening, those denying ended up with an egg on their faces when International Committee of Red Cross and Indian Red Cross confirmed my story.

A contended journalist in me had a smile but a human being in me was still crying for the loss of a young life. That was the restless night for me as I was trying to imagine what could have been going in the mind of Kalia. Was 22 an age for him to die in such a gruesome manner? What would be going on his family? What would have happened to his family members. After talking to martyr Kalia’s father, I bowed by head in respect towards the entire family but what bothers me still is that why did Army attempted to deny the story at the first instance? And why did the Army authorities and those in the Government find it fit to decorate Lt Kalia and his men who woke up a sleepy nation and a sleeping Army.

A Prayer

         Shopian, Omar Abdullah and Kashmir. The only common thing with them is that they hold the key to each other in maintaining sanity. By the way hello readers, its me again. I know that my blog has lost its readership but this blog is dedicated to a dear dear friend who wants me to write (though never insisted so). Well, this friend of mine does not that I wish to save my readers from the torture of going through my posts... Anyways, of late, I have travelled virtually to every nook and corner of the Kashmir valley and met cross section of people. 

Well, I was trying to understand Kashmir's people again. Why do they go hyper over issues? Shopian incident was something which should not have happened but did anyone give time to Omar Abdullah to react to the situation. The very next day, people were on streets enforcing bandhs.And even before Omar could react, he found himself drowned in confusion and chaos from every side. The truth of Shopian can be found only in Shopian and one needs to talk to the neighbourhood of the victims...the truth is there but no one is willing so say that. The doctors who conducted the postmortem on the two victims have surprisingly written no cause of death and privately they have acknowledged that they have found nothing fishy. But still who will bell the cat?????

The irony lies in another fact which has been found in this town of South Kashmir, predominantly a Hizbul Mujahideen militant dominated area and having a considerable Jamaat population.

Ten kilometres from the site of Shopian village lies another dead body of a girl who has been brutally raped and later murdered by Hizbul Mujahideen militants. Barely a few days before after the Shopian incident, Nigeena Awan was dragged out of her home at Kellar, beaten up and executed with an assault weapon from point blank range. Her father, Mohammad Sharif Awan, was ordered to bury his daughter without ceremony; the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, which carried out the execution, also warned neighbours against dignifying her death with last rites.

Hours after her death, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti visited Shopian to stage a protest against the alleged rape and murder of two local women — one of them, like Awan, a high school student. The death of Awan execution did not figure anywhere in her speech nor did it in speeches of clerics who have emerged as the key leader of the Shopian protests. No one has called for the men who killed Awan to be found and prosecuted. No one even bothered to visit her family, even though the hamlet of Pahlipora at Kellar is just a 10-km drive from Shopian.

People, sitting back at their homes in posh drawing rooms, have already started giving numbers to Omar Abdullah for his performance. Some are giving him four out of 10 and some even minus five. I don't hold a brief for Omar but would like to ask these people a question. Stand in front of mirror and and answer to your own self, what wrong has Omar done. He only promised to bring out truth and all he requires to have some time. Cant we give him. At least his track record of bringing out the truth has been 100 per cent be it in Sopore incident or be it a canard spread by PDP MLA about damages in Bandipore.

Omar has come and is aware of the expectations that the younger generation have from him. Let us Give him a chance. Does he not deserve one??? I have never met him but still have faith in him...Let us pray that our Kashmir becomes a heaven on earth...a true heaven. Amen....

Thackeray has started barking again....

      When I was thinking of going to bed after a day's long work, suddenly a news item on television caught my attention -- Maharastra's Navnirman Sena -- led by Raj Thackeray -- attacking a school in Nashik which was celebrating Republic Day. Eh! What happened. I had heard this happening in Kashmir when some premises were targeted by militants for celebrating Republic Day, why in Maharashtra. Oh! it was school which taught some North Indian languages. And who is this Raj Thackeray? Leaves me wondering, if I am not mistaken then he seems to be the same person who closed himself behind the four walls of his house due to fear of 10 mid-20's youths from Pakistan on November 26. I wonder this guy has a cheek to come out again and indulge in such activities. May be a politician, of third rate class, can do this. I feel people like him should be sentenced to death without any trial or may be shot publicly so that no one dared to raise such kind of ugly head again. May be this may seem to be mad suggestion but one day this will a necessary measure to tackle such incorrigible people, whom Almighty forgot to put some brains while sending on earth. least did Mr Thackeray forget that it was the North, South and East Indians who came and saved Mumbaikers on November 26 from the audacious attack by terrorists from Pakistan. Mumbai, which is called as a city that never sleeps, had gone into a deep slumber during the attack. It were people from other states which brought it to life again. Wish one of the terrorist could have killed insane people like him. Leaders like him can sit and issue statement only when they have ensured that enough policemen are there to guard their ass. 

       The incident of Mangalore is another example which can be seen as Talibanisation of Hinduism. Wonder what difference is between those maniacs who kill innocents all over the world in the name of Islam and these morons. Possibly a very thin line is dividing them but as we see the developments, the day is not far when this thin line will also break and I may have to rename my blog as INDIA CHOKED

PS: All readers (though very few). Please circulate this link to as many people as possible in the interest Indian Nation.

deshdrohi -- a torture :(

Deshdrohi...Hey friends have you heard about this movie. I have a very dear friend who had been insisting that this movie needs to be watched and the leading actor Kamal Rashid Khan is a hunk and an actor by birth. The only thing where I went wrong was taking my dear dear friend on the face value. So let me try and recollect the trauma I had to undergo in watching this movie with my brother on a pirated DVD, a copy of which is available at all paan-bidi shops in Mumbai. The first scene begins at some village where a guy is regularly being beaten up by his father. Eh! is he the hero...yes hero...in his under-shirt showing his supposed to be masculine (read malnourished) body. A unique movie where a love song begins with 90 seconds of the movie. Thanks to the fast-forward button on the remote control which gave me a respite for sometime so that I could control my brains from exploding. His dialogue delivery was somewhat akin to a women vegetable vendor whose voice has lost its cord because of excessive shouting. Then comes a time when this malnourished hero transforms into Sylvester Stallone of Hollywood and starts beating bad men. Hello, wake up...I am only sharing a torture...Then comes a scene where the macho-man KRK emerges out from a garbage truck to kill one of the villain. That scene was quite close to reality. Garbage coming out from the right place. As I struggled towards the end, it was the time for KRK Saheb to surface from the ground and that too jumping 10 feet into air...as if somebody had kicked his bums asking him to get lost into the space. His shout....Shrivaaaaaaaaaaaastaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvv.... I wished this earth bursts again and he goes back from where he came. And till I came to know that the entire movie was his contribution only...Producer/Lead role/lyrics/screenplay dialogue/story writer. On this occasion, I would like to thank the honourable Judges of the Bombay High Court who banned the movie and saved the Mumbaikers from the torture...at least for sometime. Ah I forgot to tell you the reason why I narrated you this story. I would recommend that this movie should be shown to terrorists (captured). Trust me they will start singing like parrots.

Has anyone seen Mr Shivraj Patil? Not meeeee. Well this is a general reply once journalist friends of mine try and and enquire about him. So if anyone asks me the count of Mumbai's 26/11 terror strikes, I say the official count is 183 but mine is 184, with Patil Saheb being one of them. The 4-Janpath, official residence of obnoxiously-incompetent and pre-historical Home Minister, which had been sprawling with flashing Police Control Room vans, barricades and traffic policemen (to stop the traffic so that other's are not infected due to his incompetence)...None are seen there. Wonder, whether he can have a peaceful sleep when he is the person of spreading incompetence in the key Home Ministry. Does his conscience not prick him? Does anyone not feel that he should come out in the open and apologise to all those widows, orphans because of his wrong policies. We know that our intelligence gathering mechanism is not that great and having an actionable intelligence is not possible always. But he is one such person, who instead of nursing the wounds of terror victims, used to sprinkle salt and all kind of spices over them. Has Congress Party, country's oldest and large cadre based party, gone so bankrupt that it cant call spade a spade?

He and Kushwant...

And thus wrote Kushwant Singh on Saturday's edition in The Hindustan Times

            .......I am overjoyed at the emergence of young Omar Abdullah as the unquestioned leader of new Kashmir. There’s more to him than just a spokesman of Kashmiri aspirations. His voice resounds across the length and breadth of the entire country. He is perhaps the first Muslim leader since Independence who commands the respect of all Indians.

            He is articulate and a good orator in Kashmiri, Urdu and English. What he says is not empty rhetoric but makes good sense and warms everyone’s hearts. He has all the qualities of leadership laid down by Allama Iqbal to the leader of the caravan: Yaqeen mahkam, amal paiham, mohabbat Fateh-aalam Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain yeh meer-e-kaaraavan kee shamsheeren (In man’s crusade in life, he has three weapons: Faith that his cause is just, courage to wage a war till eternity, love that embraces all humanity).

            Omar Abdullah’s lineage is impeccable. He is the grandson of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah who opted to remain in secular India rather than join Islamic Pakistan. He is the son of Farooq Abdullah, ex-chief minister of Kashmir. He is highly educated, a product of Burnhall School, Srinagar; Lawrence School, Sanawar and Sydenham College, Bombay, from where he passed his BCom to become a management consultant.....

Omar II

In all his fairness, Omar Abdullah, after donning the cap of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has been surprising every one with his surprise visit. Surprisingly, he finds himself surprised when normally the staff is missing and basking in the winter sun back at home. :) Welcome to the world of reality! Poor Omar does not know that missing from the office is the work culture of the state. Now if you hit at the employees, they will quickly start beating the militancy drum and show how pathetic their life has been with the militancy. Hello! this is the work culture of Jammu and Kashmir. Now what remains to be seen is whether Omar will be able to change this CULTURE. One thing is there that he is not suspending anyone but making an immediate replacement. A good political move and hope that the people of the state will realise that they only need to strengthen his hands. Give him a chance in all fairness. That is what may change the destiny of the state..."AMEN"

Omar Abdullah

Kashmir has got a silver lining finally after so many years. Hello, excuse me, some of my readers will be thinking that this blog smells like as if the author is in awe of Omar Abdullah but its not like that. The author wishes to place on record his statement that he will try and reflect the actual mood of the people he had met during his stay in Kashmir.

Kashmiris, as usual were waiting with bated breath as to who was going to lead them after the nice performance in elections and as the days drew closer, it was clear that the new generation was knocking at the door. It was Omar Abdullah, a unanimous choice without any doubt. His victory rally back to Ganderbal with people dancing and jumping in joy...all was evident that Omar, an outsider few years back, had now become an insider....

As I walked through the lanes and by lanes for nearly two kilometres to attend his first public appearance at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket stadium, I was surprised that that my foot steps were being matched by thousands others, who had come to meet their young Chief Minister. For the fact I only remembered him saying sometime back that people will come together and walk with me to make a caravan of success in Jammu and Kashmir.

So, Mr Chief Minister, the task undoubtedly is difficult and you have miles to go... His every action is being watched carefully not only by the people of the state but may be the entire country. One mistake and things will start tumbling like a pack of cards. As they say, a god beginning is like half job done and for young Omar, half of things are done as the beginning has been wonderful.

Mr Chief Minister as others, I would also like watch you carefully and see that you succeed in your endeavour and I this blog as Kashmir -- a Road to prosperity.