Jammu’s aspirations vs. Kashmir’s hegemony
On October 13, the Union Cabinet cleared the establishment of an Indian Institute of Management in Jammu as part of the Prime Minister’s development package for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre had earlier announced that an Indian Institute of Technology and an All India Institutes of Medical Sciences would also be set up in Jammu. The…
Martyrs Day: Forgotten Pandits killed by terrorists In Kashmir
In Jammu & Kashmir’s convoluted lexicon, which is mostly dominated by Tehreek-e-Azadi, an individual who fights against Indian rule in Kashmir and, in the course, loses his life is a martyr. Many Kashmiris, especially those who believe in secession from India, will tell you that the Indian state is the “oppressor” in Kashmir. The narrative…
Kashmir separatism is Islamism by another name
In an interview to a news channel, former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar has Abdullah expressed his disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments about the separatist violence following the killing of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in the Kashmir Valley. Modi broke his silence over the violence and on-going unrest after…
Why the discussion on Jammu and Kashmir is half-baked and dishonest
Each episode of violence in Kashmir reminds us that it is unlike any other place. Peace is relative in the Valley, so is violence. More than 50 people have been killed and over 5,000 (including civilians and security personnel) injured in the unrest that followed the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani by security…
A House, But No Home in Kashmir
Two weeks ago, on a hot summer day, I visited Jagti along with my father. Jagti is a village near Nagrota town in Jammu province, which straddles the national highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar. At present, Jagti gives shelter to around 4000 families; seeing the clustered structures, I couldn’t fathom how they must live. Families…