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Kashmir’s Historical Bonds with Xinjiang Explored in New Book

It is precisely this link that Prof. Kulbhushan Warikoo studies in his book ‘The Crossroads: Kashmir-India’s Bridge to Xinjiang’ (Rupa), which was released at the India International Centre…writes Kavya Dubey

As China continues to bless the Pakistani deep state’s designs on Kashmir, a former top diplomat has made a pitch for India becoming more active across the Karakoram region and reclaiming the ancient economic and cultural ties that bound it with Kashmir.

There was a time when Kashmir, a bustling centre of scholarship and trade, thrived as a gateway to Central Asia, particularly to the now cordoned-off Xinjiang province, China’s infamous ethnic cleansing laboratory.

It is precisely this link that Prof. Kulbhushan Warikoo studies in his book ‘The Crossroads: Kashmir-India’s Bridge to Xinjiang’ (Rupa), which was released at the India International Centre.

The book casts the spotlight on Kashmir’s long-forgotten historical and cultural heritage that was also influenced greatly by its socio-cultural and economic ties with Xinjiang.

“The seed of the book was sown in 1979, when I met an Uighur and learnt of the ordeal of those people in Xinjiang,” Prof. Warikoo said.

The link between the two regions go at least as far back as the eighth century CE when the emperor Lalitaditya reigned over Kashmir and the Tang dynasty ruled Xinjiang.

Shyam Saran, former ambassador to China and author of ‘How China Sees India and The World’, moderating the discussion, shared an anecdote from a visit to Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang, decades ago.

He met a Kashmiri man who first understood him to be a Pakistani. Upon learning that he is Indian, the trader got excited, spoke to him in Hindustani and opened a box full of silver coins. “This was our currency,” the man said excitedly. “It became redundant after the caravan trade stopped.” These coins were from the era of King George V.

Kashgar was a strategically important oasis on the Silk Road that linked China, the Middle East and Europe. The links with Xinjiang facilitated extensive exchange of traders, monks, philosophers and scholars with Kashmir.

The Gilgit-Kashgar route was the basis of the Karakoram highway, which connects the Gilgit-Baltistan region to the ancient Silk Road.

Fast forward to the days of the British Raj, when Kashmiri traders in Ladakh did not want Englishmen to survey their land, they were quick to relay their concern to Xinjiang.

The Englishmen were led there by an interest they had envisioned decades ahead of that time — that these trade routes were access points to different regions of a tremendously rich land.

The discussion panel also included former ambassador and Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Rajiv Sikri, who pointed out that even in the distinct eras when China and the US were friends and foes, China never opposed US support for Pakistan, nor did the US ever object to China extending support to Pakistan.

This indicates their understanding of the strategic significance of Kashmir and the challenge that Pakistan must constantly pose for it, indicating yet again the geopolitical leverage that Kashmir lends to a nation that exercises control over it.

“Kashmir is both South Asia and Central Asia. This geographical reality was forgotten to our disadvantage,” Sikri said.

“The English saw the strategic advantage of the region, Gilgit being the entry point to this route,” he added.

Their ‘Great Game’ was to check the expansion of Tsarist Russia and then the Soviet Union. But Xinjiang and the Karakoram stood as impediments to British interests, so the Chinese were encouraged to occupy the no man’s land around these regions.

Emphasising that the Indian perspective on Kashmir was “not strategic” until recently, Sikri said the Indian leadership of that time, suffering from “strategic myopia”, failed to see this region for what it was intrinsically, and instead, remained “content to inherit whatever the British left behind”.

When Kashmir became a part of India, there was no discussion about its strategic value, Sikri pointed out.

“India never saw itself as a civilisational state and did not have a maximalist approach unlike China,” he said, adding: “The question is: Should we have laid claim to the Karakoram region?” What, then, stops India from acknowledging and reclaiming its cultural history beyond the Kashmir region?

ALSO READ-Books on Mythology, Freedom Fighters, and Kashmir’s History

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Four security personnel killed in Doda terror attack

The militants who killed the four Army personnel in Monday night’s encounter are suspected to be the same group that fled after attacking security forces in the district’s Sezan forests on July 9, sources in the security establishment said…reports Asian Lite News

Four Army personnel, including a Captain, were killed in an encounter with a group of militants late Monday night inside Koti forests in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Army identified the four as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh — all from Rashtriya Rifles — and said they had “laid down their lives in the line of duty, while undertaking a counter terrorist operation in Doda in order to ensure peace in the region”. This comes a week after five soldiers were killed when militants ambushed a convoy of two Army trucks in Kathua district on July 8.

In fact, since the June 9 terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi, Jammu has seen a surge in militant activity, with the security establishment often the target. At least 10 security personnel have been killed and several others injured in encounters in Jammu division’s Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts since then.

The militants who killed the four Army personnel in Monday night’s encounter are suspected to be the same group that fled after attacking security forces in the district’s Sezan forests on July 9, sources in the security establishment said.

Captain among four Army personnel killed in J&K gunfight, search ops on  Clockwise from top left: Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh and Sepoy Bijendra

According to sources, security forces had been looking for them for the past week. Around 9 pm on Monday, contact was made with the militants, leading to a heavy firefight in which the four soldiers were critically injured. They were evacuated to a hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.

Sources said the area has been encircled, and fresh reinforcements, including Para commandos from the Army and J&K Police’s Special Operations Group, have been rushed there. Ground teams are being assisted by helicopter and drone surveillance, but there’s no sign of the militants so far, said sources.

Sources said the search parties are facing challenges navigating the dense forests on treacherous mountain terrain, where pine trees reach a height of 200-250 feet and dense wild growth makes visibility difficult. The forests are so dense that it is difficult to see someone hiding beyond 3-4 feet, sources said.

These forests span a vast area, starting from Udhampur’s Basantgarh to Paddar in Kishtwar district and Jawahar Tunnel in Ramban district, sources said, adding that the militants are using the terrain to their advantage.

Security agencies suspect this is not the only militant group moving in Doda district; they believe there are more in the higher reaches of the district, which shares borders with Kashmir Valley, Ramban and Udhampur districts, Kathua and Himachal Pradesh.

Searches in Doda forests have been underway since April 28, when militants attacked a patrol party, killing an SPO. The searches intensified after the ambush on an Army convoy on July 8, killing five soldiers and injuring five others in Kathua district’s Badnota village.

Sharing details of the Doda encounter, Jammu-based Army PRO, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, said that “in light of the incidents in the recent past, proactive counter-terrorist operations continue… Accordingly, a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in General Area Urarbaggi, 10 kilometres North of Doda”.

“At about 8.40 pm on July 15, the search party was able to establish contact with the terrorists hiding in the area, which is a thickly forested and mountainous area with restricted visibility due to low clouds and rain. In the initial volley of fire, four Indian Army personnel were injured, who later succumbed to their injuries,” he said.

“Indian Army has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with J&K Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas and thereafter to Kashmir Valley,” he said, adding that similar operations are being conducted in Kathua.

He said an analysis of “war-like stores recovered from the slain terrorists reveals the hand of inimical agencies from across the border”.

“The Line of Control and fence is intact and alert troops have recently neutralised three terrorists attempting to infiltrate along with a large quantity of war-like stores in Kupwara region on 14 July,” he said. “We deeply regret the loss of precious lives of our four brave soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. All formations of Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue.”

Opposition slams Centre over its peace claims

After another terrorist attack in Jammu’s Doda district, which claimed the lives of four soldiers, the opposition parties on Tuesday slammed the Central government and said that a united national effort is needed against cross-border terrorism.

Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has vehemently condemned the cowardly act and criticised the Modi government’s response.

“Deeply distressed by the martyrdom of 4 brave Army soldiers, including an officer, in a terror encounter in Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda. Our heart goes out to the families of our bravehearts, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of Bharat Mata,” Kharge said, expressing solidarity with the families of the fallen soldiers.

Kharge’s remarks underscored the gravity of the situation, emphasising the need for a recalibrated security strategy amidst the escalating violence in Jammu and Kashmir. ” Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured, and we wish them a speedy and complete recovery. No words of strong and unequivocal condemnation will suffice for these acts of violence being perpetrated by cowardly terrorists,” he asserted, calling for a united national effort against cross-border terrorism.

Congress party criticised the central government by posting a graphic on ‘X’ which claimed that within 38 days of the third term of the Bharatiya Janata Party government, nine terrorist attacks have already taken place.

The post also mentions that during these recent terrorist attacks, 12 soldiers were killed, 13 injured, 10 civilians were killed and 44 were injured.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said that from all over the country, soldiers come to Kashmir for their duty but go back in “coffins.”

“Soldiers from all over the country come to Kashmir for their duty, but go back in coffins. Who is responsible for this if you say militancy has ended in the valley?… In the last 32 months, especially since this DGP has been appointed, the maximum casualties have taken place… You people guard the borders. So whose responsibility is it to stop infiltration? Is it the responsibility of regional parties?” Mufti asked the government.

“There is no accountability. By now, the heads should have rolled. The DGP should have been sacked. Almost 50 soldiers have lost their lives in the last 32 months. No one is being held accountable,” the PDP chief said, addressing a press conference in Srinagar.

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said if the Modi-led Centre is following the policy of ‘Ghar mein ghus kar marenge” then what is happening there?

He further attacked the central government, saying that the series of attacks reflects a failure of the government.

“PM Modi used to say, ‘Ghar mein ghus kar marenge’. What is this then? This is a failure of the government. They are unable to control terrorism. Whatever has happened in Doda is very dangerous,” Owaisi said.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his condolences to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Doda encounter and called upon the people to unite in the fight against terrorism.

“I am deeply anguished to learn about the cowardly attack on our Army soldiers and JKP personnel in Doda district. Tributes to brave soldiers who made supreme sacrifice protecting our nation. My deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families,” J-K LG posted on X.

ALSO READ-Priyanka slams Modi govt after attack on CRPF in Manipur

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Books on Mythology, Freedom Fighters, and Kashmir’s History

Indian mythology is replete with intriguing characters and concepts, and one often wonders what purpose such elaborate craftsmanship of imagination serves…reports Asian Lite News

From the engrossing trial of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru to treats from Hindu Mythology to a walk through ‘Sirinagar’, and then a journey from trauma to liberation, here is recommendation before you retreat (or escape) to your book nook this week:

Wendy Doniger, The Dharma of Unfaithful Wives and Faithful Jackals: Some Moral Tales From The Mahabharata (Speaking Tiger, Rs 499)

Indian mythology is replete with intriguing characters and concepts, and one often wonders what purpose such elaborate craftsmanship of imagination serves.

From kingship to desire, death, anger and diseases, to the seemingly out-of-place animal character to the acts of gods that will keep one wondering, the Mahabharata’s Shanti and Anushasana Parvans is said to have the answers to an entire gamut of questions surrounding these enigmas.

Wendy Doniger’s The Dharma of Unfaithful Wives and Faithful Jackals is an engaging anthology, replete with knots and insights, and a delight for Hindu mythology enthusiasts.

Celebrated as ‘the greatest living mythologist’, octogenarian Wendy Diniger is an American Indologist with a career spanning over five decades. Her popular works include The Hindus: An Alternative History, Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva, Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook, The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology, and Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts.

Sadaf Wani, City as Memory (Aleph, Rs 399)

A valley of many wonders, Kashmir seldom ceases to attract, for one reason or another. And ‘Sirinagar’ (not Srinagar), the ancient city that bears in its bosom histories of centuries, has one in the recent past of lulls and storms—the aftermath of which remains lingering.

Sadaf Wani grew up through the 1990s when Kashmir was gripped in the inclement clutches of insurgency, and her adolescent years through the 2000s had recurring tumultuous phases with bouts of violence and civilian protests—intertwined intricately with memories of growing up and growing through a turmoil-ridden homeland.

Growing up in Varmul—most of the time spent indoors, and occasional travels to Srinagar or Sopor had Sadaf feel an overwhelming sense of freedom. Eventually, she equated life with safety which is good, and untimely death as a loss which is bad.

As she writes, the professional association with Srinagar has allowed her the flexibility to change her lens towards the city, and every time her research questions changed, “Srinagar has revealed its entirely different sides in response.”

This book is a first-hand insider account of the dynamics of Srinagar city, especially with regard to Downtown, the mezzanine part of the ancient city which established itself as the nucleus of the resistance movement in the 90s.

The author is a writer and communications professional.

Aparna Vaidik, Revolutionaries on Trial: Sedition, Betrayal, and Martyrdom (Aleph, Rs 999)

Studying afresh the Lahore Conspiracy Case and its celebrated martyrs—the “self-proclaimed revolutionaries”—Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, Revolutionaries on Trial expands the scope of the historical enquiry by scrutinising the colonial state, the revolutionaries, and the Indian press (and public) in the roles of the plaintiff, the defendants, the spectators respectively, along with the witnesses for the prosecution.

While the book reconstructs the history, it throws up questions like why were the revolutionaries even tried at all? What was the strategy of this trial besides propaganda? Can establishing the history of nationalism be a ‘collaboration’?

This book is a vivid account of the people involved and of the events of a trial that marks the early chapters of India’s struggle for Independence.

The author is a professor of History at Ashoka University.

Dhrubajyoti Borah, The Rainbow Runners (Niyogi Books, Rs 695)

Accompanying the above-mentioned non-fiction titles is Dhrubajyoti Borah’s The Rainbow Runners: the tale of young Simran whose life flips one day as he lives in insurgency-hit Assam.

Left paranoid and reticent after being consumed by raw terror, Simran finds himself wafting into the foggy realm of journalism, and then to the former leaders who surrendered to the state and now work for it. Yet, there is another episode that moves the ground beneath his feet.

Seeking new ways to find himself, his discovery of Tathagata Buddha leads him to learn about the tragic reality of the Tibetan refugees and their unwavering aspiration to restore their homeland.

Simran’s story will resonate with anyone who seeks to find new meaning and hope in life.

Recipient of Sahitya Akademi award, Dhrubajyoti Borah is an illustrious voice in contemporary Assamese literature, who writes in both Assamese and English. He has published more than 25 novels.

ALSO READ-Books to Expand Your Mind Before the Year Ends

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India News Jammu & Kashmir

Terror hunt in Kashmir as five soldiers killed attack

Search operations resumed Wednesday in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, following a Tuesday encounter and recent ambush in Kathua, resulting in five soldiers’ deaths…reports Asian Lite News

Five Indian soldiers have been killed in an ambush by militants in the Kathua district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir. One soldier injured in the terrorist attack on an army convoy in Kathua on Monday, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, taking to five the toll of soldiers killed in the dastardly attack.

An official said a JCO was among the five martyred army soldiers.

Para commandos were airdropped in the area after the terror attack to trace and hunt down the terrorists.

Officials said the terrorists threw a grenade and then opened automatic fire on army vehicles that were on routine patrol duty on Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road in Kathua at 3.30 p.m.

“The attack by terrorists occurred near Badnota village, which is 150 km away from Kathua town,” officials said. Earlier, officials had said the place of the terrorist attack was 52 km away from Kathua town.

The security forces retaliated, but reports indicate that the terrorists escaped from the spot.

“Ten army soldiers were injured in this terrorist attack. The injured were shifted to the hospital where five soldiers succumbed to critical injuries. Five injured soldiers are being treated at the hospital,” an official said

A massive CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) was started in the area.

Officials said that reinforcements have been rushed to the place to augment the strength of the security forces so that the terrorists responsible for the attack are traced.

Monday’s attack is the second major terror-related incident in Kathua district in the past 4 weeks.

Two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a gunfight during a search and cordon operation on June 12 and June 14 in the Hiranagar area of the district.

A major terror attack on innocent pilgrims occurred on June 9 in the Reasi district of Jammu division in which terrorists fired at a pilgrim bus returning from Shiv-Khori temple.

The terrorists killed the driver of the bus and kept firing at the bus after it fell into a gorge. Nine pilgrims were killed in that attack and 44 others were injured.

J&K DGP, R.R.Swain has said that a group of foreign terrorists is active in the hilly Poonch, Rajouri and adjacent districts who are taking advantage of the terrain and remoteness of the area.

Security forces have launched an aggressive campaign against the terrorists.

On July 6 and July 7, six terrorists and 2 soldiers were killed in two encounters between the holed-up terrorists in the Kulgam district of the Kashmir Valley.

Answer to terrorist attacks is strict action, says Rahul

Congress condemned the terror attack on Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, criticizing the Modi government’s handling of security in the Union Territory. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, emphasized that the response to ongoing terrorist attacks should be strict action, not “hollow speeches and false promises.”

The attack occurred when terrorists ambushed an army truck with a grenade and gunfire during a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 km from Kathua town. Five personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed, and five others were injured.

Congress chief Kharge expressed deep anguish over the loss of soldiers, offering heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. He condemned the attack strongly and pointed out that this was the fifth terrorist incident in Jammu and Kashmir within a month, highlighting a deteriorating security situation.

Imphal : Lok Sabha LoP (Leader of Opposition) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in Imphal, Manipur on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Photo: IANS/Video Grab)

Kharge criticized the Modi government, stating that “no amount of whitewashing, fake claims, hollow boasts, and chest-thumping can erase the fact that the government remains a disaster for national security in Jammu and Kashmir.” He added that prioritizing public relations over gathering security intelligence compromises safety.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed their sorrow and solidarity with the victims and their families. Priyanka stressed that the nation stands united against terrorism and violence, condemning the attack as an anti-humanity act.

ALSO READ-Tit-for-Tat: Pakistan Demands US Focus on Kashmir

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Tit-for-Tat: Pakistan Demands US Focus on Kashmir

PML-N member Shaista Pervez Malik urged the US Congress to address the ‘genocide in Gaza’, ‘human rights violations in Gaza and Kashmir’, and ‘state-backed atrocities against Muslims in India…reports Hamza Ameer

In a tit-for-tat move against a recent US resolution calling for a probe into the February 8 elections, the Pakistan National Assembly on Friday passed a resolution proposed by a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N), condemning the move and demanding US intervention into what it termed as ‘ongoing human rights violations’ in Kashmir.

The resolution, introduced by PML-N member Shaista Pervez Malik, slammed the US resolution calling for a “full and independent investigation of claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s February 2024 elections” that was passed on June 25 by the United States House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority, stating that it deliberately remained ignorant towards Pakistan’s electoral process.

It said the National Assembly takes serious notice of the resolution passed by the lower house of the US Congress concerning Pakistan, terming it as a blatant attempt to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

“Such interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs was inappropriate and unbecoming of global powers. This kind of meddling in our country’s internal matters is unacceptable. It is not appropriate for any global power to interfere in the internal affairs of another country,” Malik added.

She also raised the Kashmir issue in her address, calling on the US Congress to adopt a resolution on what she termed the “ongoing genocide in Gaza”, “serious human rights violations in Gaza and Kashmir” and “state-sanctioned atrocities against minorities, particularly Muslims, in India”.

Seeking the US’ intervention in the Kashmir dispute, the resolution called on the international community to take immediate steps to “alleviate the sufferings of people” in Gaza and Kashmir.

The resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority with at least 368 members voting in favour, with only seven opposing it.

As the resolution sailed through the National Assembly, the opposition benches continued to chant slogans against the government as Malik lashed out at them, accusing them of encouraging an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty in light of foreign intervention in the country’s internal affairs.

“It is shameful that Pakistan’s sovereignty is under attack and some among us are encouraging this assault. It is regrettable that foreign powers are meddling in our internal matters,” she said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office also raised serious concerns over the timing of the US resolution, stating that it “does not align well with the positive dynamics of bilateral relations between the two countries”.

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India Brushes Off Pakistan’s Kashmir Remarks

Regardless of the topic under discussion or its relevance, Pakistan consistently brings up Kashmir….writes Arul Louis

India has dismissed Pakistan’s attempt to inject Kashmir into a discussion of the workings of the Security Council as an undignified misuse of the General Assembly forum.

Pratik Mathur, a minister at India’s UN mission, reacting to Pakistan bringing up Kashmir, said that it “misused this forum to spread baseless and deceitful narratives, which is not a surprise.”

“I will not dignify these remarks with any response just to save valuable time of this august body,” he added witheringly.

Mathur, who did not name Pakistan and referred to it as “one delegation” was reacting to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram’s suggestion to set up a Security Council body to monitor the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir.

But the target of his condescending dismissal was clear.

Regardless of the topic under discussion or its relevance, Pakistan consistently brings up Kashmir.

While India does directly take on Pakistan by naming it by exercising its formal right of reply on major issues, New Delhi does not name it on other occasions like on Tuesday to deprive Islamabad of an opportunity to prolong the issue, which is ignored by almost all the other 192 members of the UN, but at the same time making a clear rebuttal.

Since it was not named, Pakistan did not get a right to reply when it could amplify its statement.

Because Kashmir does not get traction at the UN, Akram repeatedly tries to link it to Palestine – as he did on Tuesday – but with no effect.

For example, in last year’s high-level session of the General Assembly, only one country besides Pakistan even mentioned Kashmir – which means 191 nations ignored it.

Even that was an anodyne remark made in the passing by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who only said that resolving the dispute through dialogue by India and Pakistan “will pave the way for regional peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia.”

Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has himself pathetically admitted Islamabad’s failure to get support for its cause.

“We face a particularly uphill task to try and get Kashmir onto the centre of the agenda at the United Nations,” he said at a news conference here last year.

India “strongly object vociferously object and they perpetuate a post facto narrative” to shut out Kashmir, he lamented.

India maintains that Kashmir and all disputes between the neighbours are bilateral matters under the 1972 Simla Agreement signed by Bilawal’s grandfather Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was then Pakistan’s President, and India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Moreover, when harping on the implementation of the Security Council resolution on plebiscite Kashmir, Islamabad ignores a key element that required it to first withdraw from all areas of Kashmir it occupied.

Security Council Resolution 47 adopted on April 21, 1948, requires the Pakistani government first to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purpose of fighting and to prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State.

The “tribesmen” referred to in the resolution are Pakistani soldiers sent in disguised as tribesmen.

That resolution also requires Islamabad to not fund or arm terrorists who continue attacks in Kashmir, which element Pakistan ignores.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

ALSO READ: ‘Baloch women lead protest movement against Pakistan’

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India News Jammu & Kashmir

Abdullah concedes defeat, congratulates Rashid

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is trailing in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat…reports Asian Lite News

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) vice-president and Baramulla Lok Sabha candidate Omar Abdullah has conceded defeat and congratulated Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh for his victory in North Kashmir.

In a post on his X account, Omar Abdullah conceded defeat and congratulated Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh for his victory in North Kashmir. He added that the voters have spoken and in a democracy, that’s all that matters.

“I think it’s time to accept the inevitable. Congratulations to Engineer Rashid for his victory in North Kashmir. I don’t believe his victory will hasten his release from prison nor will the people of North Kashmir get the representation they have a right to but the voters have spoken and in a democracy, that’s all that matters,” Abdullah said in a post on X.

Baramulla Lok Sabha candidate Omar Abdullah is trailing in Baramulla by a margin of 134705 votes against independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh, as per the ECI.

This is the first Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. The elections to the five seats in Jammu and Kashmir were held in five phases.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is trailing in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had six candidates in the fray in Jammu and Kashmir but failed to win a single seat in Kashmir.

Strict security measures have been implemented to ensure the smooth counting of votes for more than 8,000 candidates in this general election. Vote counting commenced at 8 pm today.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that a “very robust system” has been put in place. “There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process,” he said.

Results of the Assembly elections in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today.

The Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases- on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. (ANI)

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India News Jammu & Kashmir Politics

J&K records highest polling in 35 years 

With Phase 6 polls, the 5-phase election process in Jammu and Kashmir has been successfully completed…reports Asian Lite News

J&K Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P. K. Pole on Saturday said that the tentative poll percentage in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency is 53 per cent while for the entire J&K, the poll percentage is 58 per cent, which is highest in last 35 years.

“The tentative poll percentage for the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency is 53 per cent which can marginally go up as statistics are still being finalised,” the CEO said while addressing a press conference.

He said that the voting has been highest in the Surankote segment where 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded. In Rajouri, the turnout was more or less equal to Surankote.

“The lowest voter turnout in today’s poll was recorded in Kulgam segment where only 34 per cent turnout was recorded,” the CEO said.

The CEO said that with the Phase 6 poll, the 5-phase election process in J&K has been successfully completed.

“The entire poll process in the UT was held with no stone pelting incident, no shifting of polling stations, no stone pelting on vehicles carrying polling staff and polling material. There was, however, an incident of violence that was not directly related to the elections,” he said.

He said that for the entire Jammu and Kashmir, the turnout was 58 per cent which is the highest in the last 35 years.

When asked about the former Chief Minister and PDP candidate for Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, Mehbooba Mufti sitting on a ‘Dharna’ alleging that her workers and polling agents had been arrested, the CEO said, “We all know the past history of Kashmir. Persons with OGW or criminal background were detained to prevent them from disrupting the democratic process.”

He said that while we take such security measures the administration does not see the socio-religious background of the persons involved.

After fresh delimitation of electoral constituencies, two districts of Jammu division, Poonch and Rajouri were added to Valley’s Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency while Pulwama district was deleted from this constituency and was made a part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, just nine per cent voter turnout was recorded in Anantnag while Rajouri and Poonch polled 72 per cent votes.

There are 20 candidates in the fray in this constituency. The main contest is, however, between Mian Altaf Ahmad, senior Gujjar/Baksrwal leader of the National Conference (NC), Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Zafar Iqbal Manhas of J&K Apni Party.

BJP has unofficially supported the Apni Party candidate and has not fielded any candidate in this constituency.

Pahari community living in Poonch and Rajouri districts form a significant number of voters in the constituency.

This community was given ST status by the Central government recently.

In addition to the Pahari community, Gujjar/Bakarwal community also form a significant part of the constituency’s electorate.

Cash, liquor, freebies seized in J&K

Election authorities and other enforcement agencies seized around Rs 95 crore worth of cash, liquor, and other freebies, meant to be used to influence the voters during the five-phase Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.  

The election process in J&K ended on Saturday with voting in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

“Despite the voter turnout having broken a 35-year-old record in Kashmir, some candidates had tried to use money, liquor, freebies etc to influence the voters. We seized material and cash with a total value of Rs 94.797 crore from the date of commencement of the Lok Sabha elections in J&K,” an Election Commission official said.

Officials credited the J&K Police with playing the most important role in checking the use of money and freebies as it accounted for Rs 90.83 crore seized during the campaign.

Cash, liquor, drugs and other freebies were seized by various enforcement departments. Major department-wise seizures included seizures by the police valued at Rs 90.831 crore, the Income Tax Department at Rs 42 lakh, the Excise Department at Rs 1.01 crore while the Narcotics Control Bureau seized drugs valued at Rs 2.32 crore, officials said.

“In order to ensure a level playing field for all contestants, we took action against over 40 government employees who were allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct. We received 143 grievances on the CVIGIL app out of which over 80 have been resolved while the remaining are under the process of resolution,” the EC official said.

“To monitor various election-related activities and also check the Model Code of Conduct compliance, we had established a command and control room at the CEO office in Jammu as well as in Srinagar. Similar mini-control rooms were also established in every DEO’s (district election officer) office and were functioning round-the-clock. All electronic media channels and social media platforms were monitored here. Any violation so detected was reported and the concerned RO/ARO issued a notice,” the official added.

“All techno-savvy facilities, including GPS monitoring, live surveillance, telecommunication, etc. were put into use to secure one of the most exhaustive and elaborate poll processes in J&K amid concerns about the disruption of this democratic process by anti-national elements in the past,” the EC official said.

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PDP will aid Kashmiri Pandits’ rehabilitation: Mehbooba

Mehbooba Mufti

Mehbooba Mufti said she knows the trauma of Kashmiri Pandits, “as they want to come back to their homeland.”…reports Asian Lite News

Appealing to the Kashmiri Pandit community to vote for her in the Lok Sabha elections, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that she has an idea about the trauma Kashmiri Pandit community had to face in the early 1990 insurgency that led to the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley.

Mehbooba Mufti said that her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, always ensured that relationship between majority and minority communities must be maintained in Jammu and Kashmir.

Holding a public meeting with Kashmiri Pandits community, Mufti said, “I understand your pain. I have an idea of how older people might feel when they miss Kashmir. The beginning of the pain was from our house. We also have faced a lot. My father thought that the relationship between majority and minority must be maintained. This is the reason he made a lot of effort when he became the CM. I was raised in Kashmiri Pandits’ homes. I understand how important it is for all of us to live together.”

“I know the trauma of Kashmiri Pandits, as they want to come back to their homeland. Mufti Sahab was very saddened by what happened to Kashmiri pandits,” she added.

Mehbooba Mufti is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Voting in the constituency will be held on May 25.

On the healthy voting percentage in Jammu and Kashmir in the first four phases, Mufti said that people are voting in large numbers as they are expressing their anger against the Centre for abrogating Article 370.

“I have come here to request that you kindly give me your vote. A large number of people are casting their vote this time because they are expressing their anger against what was done in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370,” he said.

Reacting to the killing of former Sarpanch, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh in Shopian and the attack on a couple in Anantnag, Mehbooba Mufti called it “delebrate negligence” of the government.

“Yesterday, there were attacks in Shopian and Anantnag, Home Minister came few days ago. Why these attacks? No security is in place. Maybe they want that there should be less voter turnout,” she said.

Earlier today, PDP leader Iltija Mufti also targeted the Centre over the attacks on civilians, saying that the government is scared of the increased voting percentage. She said that the government is trying to rig the elections.

“The chronology needs to be understood. The polling percentage in Srinagar was very high, Seeing this, the government got scared and they are trying their level best to create panic in the hearts of the people of Anantnag. On the one hand, they say there is normalcy, no militancy suddenly, these kinds of incidents are happening. They want democracy to be accepted only when their candidates get elected. They are trying to rig the elections,” she said.

BJP Jammu and Kashmir President Ravinder Raina lashed out at Pakistan a day after a BJP worker and a former Sarpanch, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, was killed in a terrorist attack in Shopian district, saying that the coward terrorists of the neighbouring country have spilled blood here.

“The coward terrorists of Pakistan have spilled blood in Kashmir. Kashmiriyat has been murdered. The merciless killing of party worker Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh is the murder of humanity. The perpetrators of this terrorist attack would be dealt with as per law and God will also not spare them,” Raina said in an emotional video message on Sunday.

Earlier, a former BJP Sarpanch, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh was killed, and a couple from Jaipur were injured in two separate incidents of firing by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts, respectively, late on Saturday night.

In the second incident, a couple from Jaipur was injured in the Yannar area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.The police stated that the terrorists fired upon and injured a lady, Farha, a resident of Jaipur, and her spouse, Tabrez, at Yannar in Anantnag. The injured were evacuated and taken to the hospital for treatment. According to sources, the condition of the injured couple is stable. (ANI)

Abdullah seeks probe on recent killings in J-K

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has called for a thorough investigation into the twin terror attacks that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the media on Sunday, Abdullah urged the central government to launch a probe into these violent incidents, which took place the previous night. He also implored Pakistan to cease its support for terrorism in the region.

Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, emphasized that if the Centre fails to initiate an investigation into the attacks, his party would seek the intervention of an international committee to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The terror attacks in question involved two incidents: the killing of Aijaz Sheikh, a former sarpanch affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Shopian, and the injury of a tourist couple from Rajasthan in Anantnag. These attacks have raised significant concerns about the ongoing threat of terrorism in the region.

Speaking at an election rally in Mendhar, Poonch district, Abdullah criticized the central government for misleading the public by attributing the root cause of terrorism to Article 370, which was abrogated several years ago. He questioned the effectiveness of this narrative, highlighting that terrorism has not ceased despite the abrogation.

Referring specifically to the murder of Aijaz Sheikh, Abdullah lamented the loss of an innocent life, asserting that everyone in a democratic nation has the right to propagate their political ideology without fear of violence. He called for a swift and transparent investigation to uncover who was behind the killing.

Additionally, Abdullah demanded an inquiry into the attack on the tourists in Anantnag. He stressed the necessity of establishing peace in the region, which he believes is contingent upon the cessation of terrorism. He urged Pakistan to halt its support for terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that peaceful dialogue between India and Pakistan could follow once terrorism is eradicated.

Abdullah also commented on Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Srinagar, alleging that Shah met with individuals opposed to the National Conference (NC) during his trip. Abdullah inferred that the purpose of Shah’s meetings, which reportedly extended past midnight, was to undermine the NC.

In response to Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari’s claim that the Home Minister’s visit was intended to benefit the NC and PDP ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, Abdullah dismissed the allegations, focusing instead on the broader issues of terrorism and political manipulation in the region. He alluded to certain individuals who historically facilitated the influx of weapons and funds from Pakistan, suggesting these elements are now aligned with the BJP.

Abdullah reiterated his longstanding position in Parliament, cautioning against those who, after facilitating violence in the past, now stand with the ruling party.

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Weak BJP not fielding candidates from Kashmir: Congress

Congress expressed confidence in the party’s ability to secure victory in the Jammu region’s two seats,..reports Asian Lite News

Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani asserted that the BJP’s decision not to field candidates in the Kashmir region’s three Lok Sabha seats reflects its weakness in the area. He expressed confidence in the Congress’s ability to secure victory in the Jammu region’s two seats, affirming that an INDIA bloc government at the Centre would safeguard culture, jobs, and land, restore statehood, and organize assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

In response to BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina’s defense of the decision, Wani dismissed Raina’s justifications as fanciful, labeling him a “Hawa Baaz” (one who builds castles in the air). Wani argued that the BJP lacks a voter base, public support, polling agents, campaign infrastructure, and cadre base in Kashmir, rendering their participation in elections infeasible.

Highlighting perceived disenchantment with the BJP in both Jammu and Kashmir, Wani attributed this to the BJP’s failure to deliver on promises over the past decade, characterizing their efforts as mere token gestures. He contended that the electorate’s dissatisfaction manifested in the first phase of polling in Udhampur, predicting a similar outcome in the Jammu Lok Sabha seat.

Expressing gratitude to the people of Udhampur for their robust participation in the electoral process despite adverse weather conditions, Wani interpreted their engagement as a desire for change and expressed confidence in the Congress’s electoral prospects.

Wani seized upon the theme of change, suggesting a shifting political landscape in the country and criticizing the BJP’s actions regarding Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into Union Territories. He assured voters of the Congress’s commitment to preserving culture, jobs, and land rights, along with restoring statehood, reinstating the bi-annual Darbar move tradition, scrapping smart electricity meters, and implementing promises outlined in the party manifesto, including farmer loan waivers.

Omar accuses PDP of working for BJP’s benefit

National Conference Vice President and former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday accused the PDP of working for the BJP’s benefit in the Kashmir Valley.

After having dismissed Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP as a “spent force”, he said that the party, by contesting the election against the INDIA bloc in J&K, is benefiting the BJP.

Omar Abdullah also accused the PDP of having joined the INDIA bloc only to get the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

Addressing an election campaign in Anantnag district, he said that the INDIA bloc is fighting the BJP and the alliance is here on this stage. “Those who are not on this stage are trying to benefit the BJP,” he said.

Stressing that his NC has joined the INDIA bloc only to keep the “communal BJP” away, Omar Abdullah said: “It is unfortunate that in this constituency, we are fighting with another member of the alliance. Now we are being accused of being selfish. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, in her speeches every day, says that NC is acting selfishly.”

He noted that both the Congress and M.Y.Tarigami of the CPI-M have also supported the NC candidate in the constituency, and asked the PDP whether they deem both the Congress and the CPI-M as selfish too.

In another election meeting in Pulwama district, which is part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, Omar Abdullah appealed to people to vote for NC candidate Syed Ruhullah Mehdi. He called the Lok Sabha elections as the semi-final and told people that the final (Assembly elections) will also be held by September this year.

Mehbooba Mufti slams Akram over remark

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that Congress should think about their support to the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir after the leader of the latter Chaudhary Mohammad Akram equated the Congress with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The statements made by Choudhary Akram while joining JKNC, he said that there is no difference between Congress and BJP. He said BJP is Congress. He is the same Choudhary Akram whose father (Chaudhary Mohammad Aslam) was part of the Congress party. What worse can he say about Congress? I don’t understand how the Congress workers would support the NC. The NC leadership used to refer to Congress workers as ‘gandi naali kay keeday’ (the worms of the gutter). They used to face social boycott,” Mufti told reporters.

She said that it was “unfortunate” that Akram chose to describe the Congress in that manner.

“This is for the Congress workers to think about. They have to support the National Conference (in this election) but they (Akram) are calling them the B team of the BJP,” she added.

Akram joined the National Conference earlier this month and he was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket in the 2014 polls.

Earlier on April 8, the Congress and National Conference announced the seat-sharing agreement for the five constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir and one constituency of Ladakh.

Under the seat-sharing agreement, the Congress will contest from Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary constituencies, while the National Conference will contest from Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats.

Polling in Udhampur was held on April 19 (Phase 1), while Jammu, Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar, and Baramulla will poll on April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.

In 2019, polling for the Lok Sabha was held for six seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, following the abrogation of Article 370, which resulted in the split of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories–Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, there is no longer a separate Lok Sabha constituency for Ladakh.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP won three seats while the National Conference won the remaining three.

The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting on April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

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