Peace Watch » Archive
Washington: Third Party Mediation in Kashmir
To be read along-with Obama’s proposed visit to India Punchline Z.G. MUHAMMAD The “Freedomists” are busy in extending a helping hand to the flood hit people. Ostensibly have freed themselves from their announced election boycott campaign. And have almost left the space to the ‘electoralists’ to play the ball. The BJP and its team of IT experts from Mumbai have started a blazing media campaign in the state. Flooding media with advertisements, the party has almost outsmarted the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Kashmir-Talk
Impact of US Withdrawal From Afghnsthan On South Asia
Z.G. MUHAMMAD Just one and a half month from now, 2014 with all its politics will be relegated to the pages of history. Three years back Washington had announced that from July 2011 NATO and U S troops will start withdrawing from Afghanistan and by December 2014 the withdrawal would be complete. From the security point, the decision being significant the wait for the lost contingent of US troops departing from Kabul started in South Asia in general and India and Pakistan in particular started from 2014. The announcement had generated lots of debates across the world. Many experts looked at withdrawal announcement with a ‘deep sense of pessimism’ and expressed their anxiety at the decision- the worry was more perceptible in the neighbouring countries particularly India, Pakistan and Iran. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Next Role-Player in Jammu and Kashmir?
From the trashcan of politics Z.G. MUHAMMAD For understanding contemporary Kashmir politics, sometimes it is rewarding to stir through trashcan of history. No moment one stirs through it, some nauseating stories come to the surface that one finds are being replicated even today. The other day glancing through the broadsheets and reading about eagerness of some “electoral-politicians” signing ‘Faustian-contracts’ for strutting across the corridors of power for some time- a line from ‘As You Like It’ less read Shakespearean drama, repeatedly resounded in my mind: “Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not”. Seen in historical perspective the quoted line could be an appropriate title for history of sixty seven years relations between New Delhi and Kashmir “electoral- politicians”. With New Delhi, any politicians has been or is okay, so far he … Read entire article »
Filed under: Kashmir-Talk
Understanding Dynamics of Electoral Politics in Kashmir.
Z.G. Muhammad Some forty two years back a leading New Delhi newspaper had published an editorial titled, “Weep Over This Victory”. This incisive and piercing commentary on the 1972 State Assembly elections, had stirred my young mind and made me think if ‘electoral politics’ in the state could ever be credible. Thinking this piece of writing was worth preserving for posterity I had pasted it on a white sheet of paper. It was part of my small archives till silverfish feasted upon it and consumed it completely but during many an elections including those held after 1996, I re-read it and found it as apt for all the elections held in the state as it was at the time of its publication. All these election with much trumpeted songs of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Election 2014 in Kashmir A New Political Gamble
Floods Should Make Us Think Institutions are subservient to human needs, not the reverse Z. G. MUHAMMAD It will be unfair, unjust and unrealistic. Yes! Holing elections in mid-winter when mercury drops to sub-zero in the state more particularly in Kashmir and some worst hit areas of Jammu will not be a fair game. It will make life of the multitudes, suffering the after-flood blues and struggling for survival more miserable. Elections in the near future certainly are going to deflect the attention of the administration from ravages of floods and human sufferings to the maintenance of law and order. True, holding “elections” for the State Assembly before January is a ‘constitutional’ requirement but in extraordinary situation- a human crisis, as has been obtaining in the state after the September 7 deluge such a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Elections Are Bound To Add to Suffering of People in Kashmir…
Z. G. MUHAMMAD It is not being impolite. My considered view is, whatever their façade mostly they are on assignment in Kashmir. Few weeks back, when more than half of Srinagar city was still submerged in ice cold waters, thousands marooned in their houses were waiting for crumbs of relief and were on a lookout for brave hearts to rescue them. Thousands others were suffering ordeals in temporary shelters and relief camps some activists from New Delhi arrived in Srinagar. Ostensibly, to express solidarity with the deluged multitudes, assess magnitude of the losses, severity of the situation and to advocate adequate funds for rehabilitation of people and reconstruction of the state. These activist, otherwise having a friendly profile in Kashmir invited a select group of scribes, civil society members and business … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Allow Us to Rebulid Kashmir
Diaspora, Donors and Reconstruction Why dovetail reconstruction of the State with politics PUNCHLINE Z. G. MUHAMMAD Smaller Default Larger Ahmed 5, the naughtiest grandchild in our family is fond of toy cars and toy images of cartoon characters Spiderman, He-Man, Batman, Ironman and many others. He had quite good collection of toy cars- and was passionately possessive of them. The flood waters washed away all his toys except his cherry red BMW. His seven year sister, who also had lost all her dolls and toys to the deluge consoled him – ‘grandee will get new ones for us’. But, when Daneen 6, his cousin sister, thousands of miles away in Almaty heard the sad news, she told her father ‘pack all my toys and send them to Ahmed- lest he weeps’. Concern shown by innocent … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take