Peace Watch » Entries tagged with "Zahid G Muhmmad"
Who Is Going To Tell Kashmir Story
Z. G. Muhammad Sometimes, I feel downcast not for the fast changing political discourses. Not for the pipers and drummers of the ‘peoples narratives’ subtly joining the ‘dominant discourse’ and singing songs in symphony with actors that they often told us not to believe in but for our failure to tell our story effectively. It is not a new phenomenon, our history is full of bagpipers of ‘people’s narrative’ suddenly joining the drummers of the ‘dominant discourse’- some out of fatigue, some falling prey to the machinations of the ‘powers that be’, some out of lust for power, some for petty consideration and some stumbling for taking wrong steps at right moments. Nevertheless, the ‘people’s narrative’ never died. Our ancestors successfully always breathed fresh life in it by passing on ‘the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Kashmir Perspectives
Z.G. Muhammad Even those suffering from ‘ostrich syndrome’ cannot deny it. For past sixty-five years, ‘Kashmir dispute’ has been running through India and Pakistan narratives as blood runs through veins in human body. It has been steering and shaping the foreign policy of the two countries and has been hugely influencing their domestic politics. To think of politics in the two countries without Kashmir is unimaginable – any major history work on the post-independence India like ‘India After Gandhi’ by Ramachandra Guha testifies it that Kashmir has been at the centre of Indian polity – and all other issues have rallied around it.’ Since January 1948, when Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru took Kashmir to the United Nation, with all its lows and highs the dispute is seen as threat to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Tribesmen and Kashmir narrartive
Z.G. Muhammad Many stories about 1947 happenings in Kashmir have remained untold. The reason has not been that there were no historians or scribes around to record them but for fear of reprisal by what one would call as ‘neo-fascists’ rulers many dared not to record the happenings as they happened. Those that dared to violate the dictates were exiled or deported to AJK. It was denounced as “gangster rule” by Mehr Chand Mahajan in his … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take
Kashmir: 1947 Lies Exposed
Kashmir: 1947 Lies Exposed BY Z. G. Muhammad Manufactured narratives’ do not stand the test of the time. Like a soap bubble this burst once put to the litmus test of history. Christopher Snedden, an Australian politico-strategic analyst, author and academic in South Asian studies in his recently released book, “Kashmir: the Unwritten History’ has dismantled much orchestrated ‘dominant discourse’ about the Kashmir ‘dispute.’ For over past sixty six five years New Delhi has been asserting that Kashmir’s ‘conditional … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Featured
Why Did Plebiscite Front Die?
Z.G. MUHAMMAD On a cold but not freezing February afternoon pushing my way through crowded and crushing Residency Road to a nearby bookshop I was stopped by an old time Plebiscite Front worker. Given to intolerance of some contemporary “top” leaders, “clerics” and their “hangers-on”, initially, I thought, he has not liked some of my writings about once towering leader or his scions. There was no anger on his face but from expressions on his face, I … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
I am Proud! I am a Srinagar Downtown Boy
The Downtown Boy Everyone in Kashmir has a story to tell. The octogenarian has a tale to tell- he has seen towering South Asian leaders at best of their eloquence addressing hundreds of thousands in the Muslim Park and in our own Red Square. The septuagenarian has his stories to tell about the royal river procession and Russian Communist leaders in majestic boats rowed through the Jhelum. And their rehashing the ‘dominant discourse’ and giving it proletarian flavor. That born ‘at the stroke of midnight hour, when world was sleeping and India awoke to freedom’ and when South-Asian Muslims after gusty storms like weaverbirds were dexterously making a home out of straw, has his narrative to share. Moreover, the Young man bubbling with fervor and boiling with fury has his own … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Perspectives
Saga of Kashmir Failures- Is Hurriyat Conference Dying?
It has been an enigmatic story that of birth with a bang and death with a whimper. In our state political organizations wither away much before they realize their political objectives but irrespective of their melting down political sentiments that these organizations articulate survive… The melting starts as and when the political organizations fail to synchronize their political stand with that of the popular political sentiment. My belief is grounded in the seventy-one year political history … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take