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Music In Genes: Kashmiri Rhythm Unwraps Hearts

Kashmiri being a Dardic language hardly resembles any other Indian language in terms of accent, intonation, vocabulary, etc., but young artists are not shying away from this language barrier…reports Asian Lite News.

Music is deep-rooted in the living paradise of Kashmir. It signifies its cultural glories and not just as means of entertainment and leisure, but as a central part of heritage. Its divine music is like food for the soul — birthed in the congregations of Saints and Sufis that would surpass the physical world into the metaphysical through music.

It is a gift of nature — heard through winds in the trees, countryside calm, willow orchards, and shades of Chinar through seasons. Trees in Kashmir have granted a natural sense of rhythm to artists; it is said with the changing atmosphere and moods of the Valley, the wind carries emotions passing through a variety of trees, paving way for music that only true artists can hear.

Kashmir also has a history of traditional musical instruments like Tumbaknar, Sarang, Rabab, Noet, Nai, Santoor, Sitar, Saz-e-Kashmir, etc., having a unique sound, importance, and reason. They were given a center stage in Bollywood movies like ‘Fitoor’, ‘Haider’, and ‘Raazi’.

Lately, many music studios are coming up in Kashmir. Kashmiri music is gaining popularity in the mainstream as artists across India are taking interest in Kashmiri folk music and language. Once again like the early Bollywood era, artists are choosing Kashmir as their video shooting destination. Perhaps this is the new beginning, the revival of the Kashmiri music and culture that we have been waiting for.

AR Music Studios, a Mumbai-based Music Record Label aims to revive the eternal appeal in music by blending traditional melody with modern demands. The founder, known by a popular Kashmiri song ‘Harmukh Bartal’, Jaan Nissar Lone from north Kashmir’s Baramulla has created waves in Bollywood for his forte, Sufi tradition meets modern acoustics. Their Sufi super hit soundtrack ‘Allah Teri Kya Shaan Hai’ was even chosen as the best Sufi song of the year by Mirchi Music Awards! He has established himself as a Bollywood music director, producer, and singer, lately having composed music and sung for the hit OTT series ‘The Family Man’ Season-1.

Jaan Nissar has also taken a hands-on initiative, a live project like Coke Studio, the first of its kind in Kashmir where Kashmiri singers will sing in Kashmiri with guests artists from South Asian countries to create fusions with languages like Pashto, Persian, etc.

Such upcoming studios are inspiring the new generation to choose music as their profession. Many Kashmiri music composers are collaborating with non-Kashmiri singers across India, and are earning international acclamation. A few of these songs are ‘Peer Myanio’, ‘Khodaya’, ‘Jugni- Az Rouz Saane’, ‘Rouvmut Dildar’, ‘Katyu Chukh Nundbaane’, ‘Salaam e Wazwane’, ‘Maenzi Raath’, all sung by outsiders, who barely understand the language but are quite keen learners!

Kashmiri being a Dardic language hardly resembles any other Indian language in terms of accent, intonation, vocabulary, etc., but young artists are not shying away from this language barrier.

Rani Hazarika, from the renowned Hazarika Dynasty of singers from Assam, has sung Kashmiri songs: ‘Salaam e Wazwane’ (a tribute to Wazwan, the Kashmiri cuisine), ‘Maenzi Raath’, and ‘Katyu Chukh Nund baane’, among others.

Richa Sharma, a celebrated Bollywood playback and devotional singer is also looking to popularise Kashmir and the Sufi genre that has its soul in the Kashmir valley. Her latest album ‘Mere Ali Maula’ displays the true identity of Kashmir, its scenic beauty, and spiritual transcendence.

A huge singing sensation of the Valley, Mehmeet Syed, who topped the charts as a teenager since her music debut in 2004 with her first Kashmir musical ‘Chulhama Roshay Roshay’ is collaborating with an international group for creating a fusion of Kashmiri and foreign music. She has earned a household name by holding concerts in cities across the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. She is ready to give Kashmiri music a new, global appearance.

Some Kashmiri songs with their contemporary rendition and Hindi translations have taken Bollywood and non-Kashmiri artists by storm. They have been appreciated worldwide. The perfect example of this is Vibha Saraf’s hit song ‘Khanmoj Koor’ for the film ‘Raazi’, the Hindi rendition of which is written by Gulzar, and won her an IIFA and Zee Cine award in 2019. Due to the fame of the song, even the Telugu film industry is looking into songs in the Kashmiri language for their movies!

Few local artists too have been recognised on the National stage. Singer Rasiq Imtiyaz Khan’s solo Kashmiri song ‘Lolan’ has been released by Zee Music Company, one of the top labels in the country.

Another artist, known as ‘Arijit Singh and Bryan Adams of Kashmir’ — Ishfaq Kawa from Bandipora district has redefined Kashmiri music in the last few years, creating a separate niche for himself without receiving any formal music training. His latest album has been highly regarded on online platforms with his biggest hit ‘Nund Bani’ crossing 7.3 million views on YouTube alone. And now he’s all set to make his Bollywood debut!

Music Composer Amit Kilam (Band – Indian Ocean) who has composed music for various blockbusters including ‘Black Friday’, ‘Swaraj’, ‘Peepli Live’, ‘Masaan’, and ‘Satyagraha’, is also joining the brigade to bringing music of the valley to the limelight. He is exploring the old folk musicians and young rap artists of Kashmir to bring them under one roof.

Few artists in the valley are doing their bit in helping the youngsters learn of their glorious roots. Harkishan Singh Sanam, a 20-something Sikh youngster from South Kashmir’s Tral region has opened a music academy to teach kids the nuances and style of Kashmiri Sufi and Bollywood music, while simultaneously working on his first Kashmiri recorded album — a unique blend of Punjabi-Kashmiri music.

With the improving situation in J&K and the Prime Minister’s inclusive brand of leadership that is changing the direction of winds in the Union Territory, there is a genuine interest among the people to take part in artistic activities because they foresee development and better quality of life. The music of this ‘Paradise on Earth’ has given expression to human tendencies, sentiments, and passions with its universal appeal and ability to enlighten the soul and it must be propagated and preserved at all costs.

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Special security group to lead anti-terror ops in Kashmir

This group will consist of officials from the Intelligence agency, NIA and the officials from the central security forces, who have started working on a plan to nab the terrorists who killed 11 civilians in the last 16 days, reports Amresh Srivastava

To effectively curb the attacks on civilians in Kashmir, a specialised group of central police agencies will now lead the counter terror operations in coordination with the Indian Army and state police, government sources said here on Tuesday.

This group will consist of officials from the Intelligence agency, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the officials from the central security forces, who have started working on a plan to nab the terrorists who killed 11 civilians in the last 16 days.

According to sources, this team will scan all the FIRs lodged earlier against the local youths and who were involved in the incidents like stone pelting and over ground workers or groups of local Kashmiris who had links with the terror cadres or sympathisers.

The intelligence inputs and preliminary enquiries of these killings have revealed that these incidents were carried out in the lone wolf attack manner, therefore, the team will scan the details of those youths who were pardoned in stone pelting incidents in the past.

During 2014 – 2018 over 4,000 youths, who were first-time offenders in the stone pelting cases were pardoned by the Jammu and Kashmir government. Sleuths from the central agencies are now seeking details of their whereabouts and are tracking their activities in the last six weeks, the sources added.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is most likely to hand over the probe of recent civilian killings in Kashmir to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as the probe so far indicates a definite pattern which is leading to the terror angle.

The killing of civilians in the valley was also discussed threadbare in the National Security Strategy Conference held on Monday wherein Union Home Minister Amit Shah deliberated on the issues with all security stakeholders of J&K.

The civilian killings in Kashmir have sent wrong signals in the valley and most of the migrant labourers and non-Kashmiris are leaving the valley, which has led to a general sense of fear even among the local residents also.

These terror attacks have also spread fear among the Kashmiris Pandits who were willing to return to Kashmir after government initiatives.

“The NIA will take over the probe in cases of Kashmiri Pandit and Pharmaceutical dealer Makhan Lal Bindroo, a Bihari street vendor Virendra Paswan and the other labourers,” the officials further added.

The Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit J&K from October 23 to 25 to review the security and developmental projects and the killings of the innocent civilians would be raised during his proposed meeting with local delegations.

Modi, Shah hold crucial Kashmir meet

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and informed him about the steps taken by the Jammu and Kashmir administration and the Union Home Ministry to improve the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah reached PM Modi’s official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in the morning to brief him about the situation in Kashmir.

The two leaders discussed the atmosphere of fear created due to target killings by terrorists in Kashmir. The Home Minister also informed the Prime Minister about the exodus of fear driven migrants from the Valley.

During the meeting with the PM, the Home Minister also briefed him about other important issues related to internal security.

In the last 16 days, terrorists have killed 11 non-local individuals in the Valley. Due to this an atmosphere of fear has been created there leading to the exodus of migrants.

Modi, Shah (ANI)

Amit Shah will visit Jammu and Kashmir on October 23-25 and will hold important high-level meetings with regard to the security situation in Kashmir. This is the first visit of the Union Home Minister to the union territory after the abrogation of Article 370. During this visit, the Home Minister will not only give tips to improve security situation but will also make various announcements related to the developmental projects.

Earlier on Monday, Amit Shah held a marathon meeting with senior officials including DGPs, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, IB Chief and discussed the situation of internal security in detail.

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Topmost local JeM terrorist killed in Kashmir encounter

Police said as per its records the killed terrorist was categorised and active since June 2019, figuring among the list of most wanted terrorists operating in the Kashmir Valley…reports Asian Lite News.

The topmost local terrorist of proscribed terror outfit JeM was killed in an encounter with security forces at Tral in Jammu and Kashmir’s Awantipora district on Wednesday.

Besides providing logistic support to foreign terrorists of JeM, Shamus-ud-Din Sofi alias ShamSofi was involved in civilian killings and new recruitments, officials said.

Police said on a specific input generated by Awantipora police regarding presence of terrorists in Tilwani Mohalla Waggad area of Tral, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army, and the CRPF in the said area.

“During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists was ascertained, they were given repeated opportunities to surrender; instead they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” a police officer said.

The dead terrorist was identified as Sofi.

Police said as per its records the killed terrorist was categorised and active since June 2019, figuring among the list of most wanted terrorists operating in the Kashmir Valley. He was also part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities to which several terror crime cases stands already registered against him.

“Pertinently, the killed terrorist was first arrested in year 2004 and detained under PSA. He was also involved in providing logistic support, and shelter to the active terrorists operating in Tral area before joining the terror fold. Moreover, he was also involved in motivating local youth to join the terror fold, reviving the terror folds in Tral area and conspiring to destabilise the system by means of various terror acts. Besides, he was also involved in threatening the law-abiding citizens and policemen also,” police said.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar has congratulated the joint forces for the big success that led to the elimination of most wanted terrorist involved in several terror crime cases.

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Indian Army on a mission to educate J&K youth

: Indian Army facilitates students of J&K to pursue higher education at Mewar University Release Date & Time: 2021-10-12 21:48

The Indian Army, in collaboration with Mewar University, has endeavoured to provide quality education to the talented but under-priviledged youth of Jammu and Kashmir…reports Asian Lite News

As many as 300 students from Jammu and Kashmir, who have been selected to attend various higher education courses at the Mewar University in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, were given a warm send-off by the Indian Army at a ceremony held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar on Tuesday.

Lt Gen D.P. Pandey, GOC Chinar Corps, was the chief guest at the event.

The Indian Army, in collaboration with Mewar University, has endeavoured to provide quality education to the talented but under-priviledged youth of Jammu and Kashmir through the ‘Sadhbhavna’ programme.

: Indian Army facilitates students of J&K to pursue higher education at Mewar University Release Date & Time: 2021-10-12 21:48

Mewar University is providing a variety courses, ranging from BTech in civil, mechanical, computer science, IT, and electronics and communication; B.Pharm and BSc in cardiac ccare, ophthalmology, dialysis, radio and imaging tech, agriculture, horticulture and forestry; to diplomas in med lab, and first-aid patient care, among others.

In order to empower the talented students and mitigate the financial burden that may accrue on the families, the Indian Army and the Mewar University have formulated an assistive scholarship programme.

On behalf of the Northern Command Headquarters, Pandey handed over a cheque of Rs. 2.5 crore to Ashok Kumar Gadiya, Chairman, Mewar University.

: Indian Army facilitates students of J&K to pursue higher education at Mewar University Release Date & Time: 2021-10-12 21:48

Addressing the students, Pandey encouraged them to utilise the opportunity and become productive citizens of the society. He emphasised on the importance of a good academic platform and able instructional staff, which in the present instance are being provided by the Mewar University.

He appreciated the efforts put in by the Mewar University under the guidance of Ashok Kumar Gadiya. The GOC also interacted with the past and present Kashmiri students of the university and urged them to further motivate the present batch to excel not only in studies but in other co-curricular activities as well.

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Plea in SC seeks CJI to look into targeted killings in Kashmir

The plea urged the top court to give directions to the Centre to provide adequate security to Hindu and Sikh minorities in Kashmir at the earliest…reports Asian Lite News

 A Delhi-based lawyer has filed a letter petition in the Supreme Court urging the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, to take cognizance of the recent targeted killing of Hindus and Sikhs in Kashmir.

The lawyer, Vineet Jindal, said that he had recently come across news from different news publications, social media and electronic media regarding targeted killing of Hindu and Sikh minorities in Kashmir.

He said in five days, seven civilians have been killed in Kashmir, including those from the Sikh and Hindu communities.

“The targeted killings of pharmacist Makhan Lal Bindroo, Supinder Kaur, the Sikh principal of Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Sangam Eidgah area of Srinagar, and Deepak Chand, a Hindu teacher in the same school, have evoked a feeling of agony, fear and insecurity among the minorities residing in Kashmir,” said the petition.

The plea said the targeted killing of the members of minority communities has reminded people of the gory incident of massacre of 36 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora village in Anantnag in 2000.

“Many government employees who returned to the Valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants have quietly left their accommodations with the fear of losing their lives and for the sake of their families’ well-being,” added the plea.

The plea urged the top court to give directions to the Centre to provide adequate security to Hindu and Sikh minorities in Kashmir at the earliest.

Also, it urged the CJI to establish a special delegated unit to structure and administer a system to ensure the safety and security of the minority groups in Kashmir.

The plea urged the top court to issue direction to the National Security Agency to investigate the recent killing of Hindu and Sikh minorities, and also grant Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of the victims along with a government job to one of the family members.

Citing Article 21, which says no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure established by law, the plea said the acts of killing against these minority groups call for creating and adopting a comprehensive mechanism to secure the lives of these sections of people.

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Pakistan’s Kashmir Agenda Fails Internationally

In some cases while the Pakistani side has raised the Kashmir issue, the concerned foreign agency in turn has asked the Pakistani side to first clean their own house on the human rights front, reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s consistent efforts to portray the apparent distraught human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir referring to vague and unrealistic figures of troop presence and the nature of violence that apparently occurs on a daily basis has not only led to a creation of bland and superfluous narrative over the years but has been irritating those being approached by the Pakistani government on the Kashmir issue.

In the European Union (EU) circles, the Pakistani narrative is referred to as the “‘K’acophony”. Usage of this jargon has become common among EU members who tend to ignore the push made by Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Western countries are increasingly beginning to believe that there is no role for them to play in the Kashmir issue and that the matter has to be settled through dialogue between the two countries.

The pressure being built by the Pakistani government is thus having a reversal effect. The traditional practice of sending out letters at the highest levels by the Pakistani government on a regular basis to their counterparts in different countries on alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir has only made the issue appear redundant and insipid.

Moreover, such efforts have led to the realisation that this is part of diversionary tactics by Pakistan to take away global attention from the internal problems it faces. A careful analysis of the trend indicates that over a period of time, the Kashmir issue has lost traction with the international community/institutions.

In some cases while the Pakistani side has raised the Kashmir issue, the concerned foreign agency in turn has asked the Pakistani side to first clean their own house on the human rights front. The UNHRC, at its leadership level, appears to be seriously concerned about human rights violation in Pakistan including the ongoing harassment of ordinary people in the form of continued detention, denial of rights to freedom of expression, restrictions on public assembly, pressure faced by journalists and alleged use of unlawful means of dealing with general crime. The UNHRC has also been concerned about the situation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which remains pathetic as far as human rights condition and freedom of expression is concerned.

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In the last two months, with glaring human rights violation surfacing in Pakistan, the UNHRC feels that there is need for introspection by the Pakistani government on gross human rights violations on various fronts including efforts to suppress the voice of the minorities. The UNHRC also feels there is need for teams from the UNHRC Working Groups, dealing with “enforced and involuntary disappearances” as well as “torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, to visit Pakistan to assist the government in formalising legislations on “enforced disappearances” and “torture”. This would have to be preceded by a thorough assessment of the ground situation that prevails in Pakistan.

The UNHRC also feels that Pakistan should bear responsibility for assisting Afghanistan in sustaining the spirit of human rights, especially in the case of women and girls. The UNHRC feels that functional requirements of the UNHRC in Afghanistan should also be assisted and facilitated by Pakistan to the extent possible considering the latter has a significant hold over the government in Afghanistan.

There is a realization among European nations and also among international organisations working in Pakistan to exert pressure on Pakistan to first clear its own mess and also help Afghanistan build a transparent and homogeneous society free of any human rights violation before any recognition is accredited to the help and assistance sought by Pakistan from the international community. Much though Pakistan might try to draw the attention of the world to the Kashmir issue, the fact remains that the world’s focus now is on Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s credibility would depend on how it delivers on this front, while clearing up its own mess.

Targeted killings by terrorists operating from Pakistan

Delhi-based Law and Society Alliance has written to UN Human Rights Commissioner expressing deep concern on the latest terror strikes and targeted killings of Indians in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorist groups aided and abetted by Pakistan and operating from Pakistan’s soil.

“We also ask that you publicly support the creation of a much-needed UN fact finding mission to assess the scale and nature of terror attacks and targeted killings of innocents in Jammu and Kashmir by terror groups that have a haven in Pakistan yet carry out these attacks on the Indian citizens in Jammu and Kashmir”, the letter by the human rights organisation to Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.

The letter said that on October 5, three civilians were killed in cold blood by Pakistani backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. And since January 2021, more than 20 civilians have been killed by terrorists, including a four-year-old girl, an infant.

Out of the three civilians killed, one was a pharmacy owner, Makhan Lal Bindroo, a Kashmiri Hindu and the owner of Srinagar’s most famous shop that vends medicines to all Indians in Kashmir and foreign tourists. Bindroo’s pharmacy served the people of Kashmir — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, all of them. But Pakistan has a history of silencing people who work for the welfare of the ordinary Kashmiris, the letter said.

Within an hour of killing Bindroo, terrorists targeted two other civilians, one was a non-Kashmiri, a non-local street vendor, Virendra, and the other was a local Kashmiri, Mohammad Shafi Lone.

Today, Taliban’s takeover of Kabul has emboldened Pakistan’s terrorist proxies like the Taliban, the Haqqanis, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujhahideen, who continue to perpetrate jihad against India in Jammu & Kashmir.

“So, we appeal to you to add the weight and influence of your office to the growing number of voices speaking out publicly, against such terrorist strikes and targeted killings by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups that are acting with impunity and with the open and direct support from Pakistan government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi”, the letter said.

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28 civilians killed by terrorists in Kashmir in 2021: IG

“In 2021, 28 civilians have been killed by terrorists so far. Out of the 28, five persons belonged to local Hindu/Sikh community while 2 were non-local Hindu labourers,” reports Asian Lite News

A total of 28 civilians have been killed by terrorists in Kashmir in 2021, IG Kashmir Vijay Kumar said in a statement on Thursday.

He said the terrorist handlers across the border have been frustrated by the successful operations against them and the elimination of many militants in Kashmir, which has led them to change their strategy and target civilians belonging to the minority communities, including women.

“In 2021, 28 civilians have been killed by terrorists so far. Out of the 28, five persons belonged to local Hindu/Sikh community while 2 were non-local Hindu labourers,” the IG said in a statement.

“Due to killing of huge number of terrorists of all outfits, especially their leaderships, destruction of their support structures and continuous and effective maintenance of law and order, terrorist handlers across the border have become frustrated and changed their strategy and started targeting unarmed policemen, innocent civilians, politicians and now innocent civilians from minority communities, including woman,” the IG said.

The statement further said that in all such cases, the terrorists used pistols.

“These acts are committed by newly-recruited terrorists or those who are about to join terrorist ranks. In some cases, overground workers have been found directly involved. J&K Police are working hard and we are identifying all such part-time/hybrid terrorists and strictest action shall be taken against them,” the statement said.

“We have received several leads and are working on them. We have also been launching operations along with the security forces. We appeal to the general public, especially the minority communities, not to panic. We have been maintaining peace and will continue to do so,” it added.

ALSO READ: Civilian killings haunt Kashmir again

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Civilian killings haunt Kashmir again

Killing on mere suspicion has been the hallmark of terrorist killings in Kashmir….reports Asian Lite News

 Three civilian killings in less than three hours of each other in Kashmir on Tuesday cannot be dismissed as yet ‘another act of frustration by the terrorists’.

These are message killings whose import on the developing security and political situation in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be wished away.

Charity must begin at home. So must the safety of innocent citizens in Kashmir before we intend to bring back thousands of Kashmiri Pandits who were forced out of their homes nearly 31 years ago through terror acts like those of Tuesday.

Makhan Lal Bindroo was a respected and trusted man for all those who bought medicines from his shop, ‘Bindroo Medicate’ near the Iqbal Park in Srinagar city.

When the majority of Bindroo’s community including his relatives and friends migrated out of the valley in early 1990s, Bindroo stood his ground.

He continued to sell medicines at his shop which was then located at the top end of the Hari Singh High street in Srinagar.

There was a security force bunker some distance away from Bindroo’s shop. Militants hurled grenades and fired at the bunker more than a dozen times during militancy.

Bindroo remained undeterred. He was a common Kashmiri who was living a normal life without messing around with anything else.

Long years of having lived and survived normally, added to Bindroo’s confidence that he had nothing to fear.

He shifted his business to a bigger shop outside the Iqbal Park in Srinagar. His wife started assisting him during peak hours to dispense medicine to the needy.

His doctor son had also set up a clinic in the first floor of the same shop where he treated patients.

It was a rather dull, sleepy autumn Tuesday evening when Bindroo was behind his counter with hardly a customer around.

Terrorists entered the shop and fired at him from close range.

Doctors at the hospital said he had sustained four critical bullet wounds and had died en route to the hospital.

Bindroo’s murder is no ordinary revenge killing.

This brazen act of terrorism has occurred at a time Awhen the government of India has announced an ambitious plan to retrieve the properties of Kashmiri Pandits who had sold these properties in distress while fleeing the Valley.

For the time during the last 30 years something tangible was being done to bring back the migrant Pandits to the Valley.

By murdering an innocent Kashmiri Pandit, who had neither migrated nor cast his lot with thousands of his community members, terrorists intended to send a powerful message to the community.

How the government restores an already shaken confidence of the migrant community will have to be watched.

The second civilian killing on Tuesday was of a street vendor belonging to Bihar. The poor fellow sold Bhelpuri by the roadside in the Lal Bazar area of Srinagar.

: Srinagar : My father was a fighter: Shraddha Bindroo.(photo:Umar Qadir)

He was killed by the terrorists to assert their nefarious design of not allowing outsiders to settle in Kashmir after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

The third civilian killing happened in north Kashmir Bandipora district.

Muhammad Shafi Lone of Shah Mohalla was killed by the terrorists within less than three hours of Bindroo’s murder.

Lone was a taxi driver who had recently been chosen as the president of Sumo taxi drivers union.

Rumours in the area said some years back there had been an encounter at Lone’s home in which some terrorists were killed.

Rumours said the terrorists suspected Lone to have tipped off the security forces about the presence of the terrorists.

Whether the rumour is credible or not, there is hardly any doubt about why the terrorist killed Lone.

Killing on mere suspicion has been the hallmark of terrorist killings in Kashmir.

In the background of these message killings, it is clear that unless the security of those living in the Valley is ensured, trying to woo the Kashmiri Pandit migrants back would be asking for too much.

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Lal Ded: Rare diamond of Kashmir’s civilisational ethos

Indeed, Lal’s vaakhs enable one on an individual journey through the woes of the human condition, disillusionment with the world, an anguished search for God, and, ultimately, to the realisation of the highest liberating truth.

 In the fourteenth century, a woman writing in any language was a rarity, but it happened in Kashmir. A voice which resonated in the valley and spoke directly to the people, was heard with all seriousness, and recorded in collective memory and later penned down as ‘Vakhs’ – meaning ‘Speech’. This is the voice of the mystic of the Kashmir Shaivism school of Hindu philosophy – Lal Ded, whom the Kashmiris, Muslims and Hindus alike venerate to this day as a prophetess, their North Star.

The fact that Lal Ded was a rare diamond – both as a saint and as a poet – is an undisputable argument acknowledged by all Kashmiris. It is evident through the vaakhs, which she uttered as direct outpourings from her heart rather than intentionally shaped poetic compositions, that Lal Ded is the most powerful symbol of Kashmir’s civilisational ethos.

There was no polarisation between Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims in her time; the vaakhs made a remarkableimpact on the collective psyche of the two communities. She was called ‘Lalleshwari’ by one community while ‘Lalla Arifa’ by the other, showing that both recognised her spiritual attainment in accordance with their religious perceptions.

Lal’s vaakhs suggest she belongs to the Trika school of Kashmiri Shaiva mysticism or devotional Shivadvaita, which originated no later than the eighth century CE. Shiva-Shakti worship in Kashmir dates to at least the second century CE. This school, that came to be known as Pratyabhijna (Recognition) or Trika (triad of Shiva, Shakti and Nara), was represented in the works of great scholar-siddhas like Bhatta Narayana (eighth century), Utpaladeva (ninth century), Abhinavagupta (tenth to eleventh centuries) and Shitikantha (thirteenth century).

Before the advent of Islam in the medieval period, Kashmir was known as the Land of Parvati or Rishi Bhumi; and later was called Peer Vaer, an abode of Saints and Sufis. The Valley has offered fertile ground for the emergence of various Hindu (primarily Shaivites Saints) and Sufi Saints, who collectively knitted a culture called Kashmiriyat.

A fusion between Islam and Vedanta (Kashmir Shaivism in the Valley) gave rise to Sufism. The Sufi saints came to be known as Rishis. The most famous of them is Sheikh Nur-ud-Din, the founder of the Rishi Order, the Alamdar-e-Kashmir, is lovingly known as Nunda Rishi. Unfortunately his famous shrine at Char-e-Sharif was burnt down by the Pakistan-sponsored Islamist Mast Gul during the holy month of Ramadan in 1995. Nunda Rishi was largely influenced by Lalleshwari, his senior contemporary.

Many Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims became Nunda Rishi’s disciples. They renounced the world, dedicated themselves completely to meditation. On their death, these Rishis were buried in their Ziyarats. Kashmiris have great reverence for these Ziyarats and lovingly go there to place flowers on the graves. Due to their universal appeal, these shrines gained popularity aspilgrimage for both Muslims and Pandits, helping propagate a humanistic philosophy to build the Kashmiri ethnic identity.

The Hindu shrines and Muslim ‘Asthans’ faced each other, and both communities visited the living Saints alike. Saint-worship was very common until the year 1989 – that marked the beginning of a new face of religion, fundamentalist in nature and based on hatred. Nobody could have imagined that the soil blessed with Rishis spreading the messages of spirituality and universal oneness would be one day soaked in the blood of its own, and one’s own siblings would be forced to leave their ancestral land, all in the name of religion.

Other important seers of the valley are Rupa Bhawani (1625-1721) who regarded Lal Ded as her guru, Parmanand (1791-1879), and Shams Faqir (1843-1914). Faqir extended a tribute to Lal Ded in his poems.

For the Shaivite Kashmiri Pandit woman, he uses conspicuous Kashmiri words of Sanskrit origin, such as ‘Praan’ (vital air), ‘Jnaan’ (knowledge), ‘Aakaash’ (ether), and ‘Karmavaan’ (meaning life’s workshop).

Lal Ded’s philosophy rejects the otherness of God and understands the world as an extension of one’s own inner consciousness, and that is why she appeals to masses of all shades of religious thought. She questions dogmatic thought of today’s world with vaakhs displaying her inclusivity where she not only break barriers between religions by shining the sun upon everyone without distinction, but uses the Islamic title of ‘Saheb’ to the apparent Shaivite reference to Shiva. The verses reveal, in their own syncretic idiom, the religious, mystic, and linguistic blend they support. She has indeed established a tradition of harmony and tolerance – a priceless heritage.

But who will carry her message to the world today? Time will soon come, when the people of Kashmir, fed up by extremism and narrow fundamentalism, will rekindle this inter-religious faith that Lal Ded started and Nunda Rishi and others carried forward. Such a movement is shaping up once again which will help overcome the parochial minds and open up floodgates of harmony and love in Kashmir.

Pic credits Wikipedia

Indeed, Lal’s vaakhs enable one on an individual journey through the woes of the human condition, disillusionment with the world, an anguished search for God, and, ultimately, to the realisation of the highest liberating truth. They take the reader on a journey from the superficial outer world to the inner world.

It is worth mentioning, that Lal Ded did not found any movement or order of followers; she came and went unaccompanied, a wanderer – her message meant for the redemption, upholding the highest human values. In line with her school of thought perhaps lies the solution for rebuilding the society having mutual respect and trust that went missing during the last three decades. It is equally reassuring to find that some organisations in the Valley have started conducting seminars and conferences on Sufism reminding the masses at large,particularly the youth, of their glorious past.

And this is why Kashmir is indeed a Peer Vaer – above the insignificant matters and bondage of society and focused on upholding of human values manifested by synthesis of Lal Ded and Nunda Rishi.

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‘Well-connected’ Kashmir not too far

Till 2014, there were only seven National Highways in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir, including Ladakh but in 2021 J&K alone has eleven National Highways…reports Asian Lite News

 The process to build ‘Naya Jammu and Kashmir’ commenced much before August 5, 2019 — when New Delhi announced its decision to abrogate J&K’s special status and divided it into two union territories. After the change of guard in the Centre in 2014, the dispensation led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, focused on reaching to the root causes of the problems in J&K.

The government identified lack of proper road connectivity as one of the major issues that needed to be addressed. Just within a year, i.e., in 2015 the Prime Minister announced road infra projects worth Rs 40,900 crore for J&K, out of which work on projects of about Rs 38,000 crore is already underway. Till 2014, there were only seven National Highways in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir, including Ladakh but in 2021 J&K alone has eleven National Highways.

To give impetus to the ongoing development works Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stones for four National Highway projects worth Rs 3,612 crore in the J&K UT on September 28, 2021.

PIc credits Twitter .@OfficeOfLGJandK

Gadkari, who was on a 2-day visit to J&K in connection with the Centre’s outreach programme, stated that there was no dearth of funds. He assured that every possible logistic support would be provided to the J&K Government to overcome the challenges in building new highways and roads.

“The new projects will further strengthen the road connectivity in J&K. It will open up new livelihood avenues for the local population, enhance tourism and business activities and improve the quality of life of the people,” he said.

The Minister stated that the government is working on a comprehensive plan to lessen the travel time between the cities. “Be it Delhi-Jammu, or Jammu to Srinagar, the time to travel would be reduced to half by providing expressways and better road connectivity to the people. Mega highway road and tunnel projects will reduce the travel time from Delhi to Kashmir to 8 hrs in coming years,” he announced. (1)

Road connectivity has remained a major issue for Kashmir since 1947. The 300 kilometre Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, only all-weather road connecting the Valley with the rest of the country, has been the most unreliable highway. Its frequent closure, especially during the harsh winter season leads to shortage of everything, including the essential commodities, but during the past seven years work on this highway has been expedited and it’s likely to become a four lane express highway within two years.

At present the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working on the ‘treacherous’ terrains on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The 36 kilometre long Ramban-Banihal stretch is full of ‘trouble points’. This stretch was realigned and the work on it is likely to get completed by December 2024. The danger points, including Marog, Panthial, Khuni Nullah, Digdol, and Battery Chashma, have been bypassed after realignment. To avoid landslide-prone and sinking areas, tunnels and bridges are being constructed as per realigned project (2).

Work on the widening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway had started in 2011. Two major tunnels, Nashri tunnel and Banihal-Qazigund tunnel, have been thrown open for the general public and this has reduced the travel time and distance between Jammu and Srinagar. Four laning work from Srinagar to Qazigund and from Jammu to Udhampur was completed long ago. The NHAI is hopeful about completing the remaining work within the stipulated time.

PIc credits Twitter .@OfficeOfLGJandK

New highways in Jammu region

Earlier this month, the Union Ministry for Road, Transport and National Highways had approved two projects worth Rs 2,556.36 crore on the Samba-Jammu and Akhnoor-Poonch National Highways.

The ministry had also approved development work of the Jakh (Vijaypur)-Kunjwani section of National Highway-44 to six-lane Expressway. Jakh-Kunjwanifalls on Samba-Jammu road and is part of the Pathankot-Jammu National Highway. which is presently four-lane.

The ministry had also approved Rs 734.64 crore for work of rehabilitation and upgradation to two-lane with paved shoulders from existing chainage, including the construction of Bhimber Gali Tunnel under 31 TF on Akhnoor-Poonch road (National Highway 144A).

Prior to this the Central Government had already approved widening of Jammu-Akhnoor road followed by Akhnoor-Poonch road via Nowshera and Rajouri.


Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels

Srinagar-Leh National Highway remains closed nearly four months during winter due to heavy snowfall at Zojila, but the under construction 13.2 kilometre Zojila tunnel would provide all weather connectivity to the union territory of Ladakh. It will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel.

Several bridges are being constructed along this route. The Z-Morh tunnel is being constructed in the Zojila Ghats between Sonamarg and Kargil. The entire work is divided into two divisions in the 33 km span.

The project site of Zojila tunnel is located at existing highway (NH-1) starting from Sonamarg (UT of J&K) and ends at Minamarg (UT of Ladakh) at an elevation ranging from 2700m to 3300m, thus making the Zojila Tunnel the longest tunnel at this elevation in Asia. The present site location falls into seismic zone IV and all precautionary measures have been provisioned to safeguard the structures in the project.

According to Brigadier Gurjeet Singh Kamo, executive director, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), work at Z-Morhtunnel is expected to be over by next year against the target of December 2023 while the Zojila project would be over by 2026.

During his recent visit to the tunnel, Gadkari described Zojila tunnel as a landmark project (3).

Earlier Gadkari had stated that a hill station, more enchanting than the world-famous Davos in Switzerland, is being planned in the picturesque landscape between the 18-km stretch of Zojila tunnel in Ladakh and Z-Morh tunnel. Once the project is completed it will change the dynamics of both Ladakh and J&K and create huge employment.


Mughal Road

This 84-kilometre long road which connects Kashmir with Poonch district in Jammu was opened in 2009 for light motor vehicles. However, it remains open only in summer months.

When it was thrown open for public, politicians in Kashmir had termed it as their “dream project” and had promised the people that it would serve as an alternative all-weather road for the Valley. However, not much headway was made in this regard even 10-years after it was thrown open for the public. In December 2019, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited engaged a Spanish Consultancy firm and an Indian private consultant to prepare a report for the construction of a tunnel near Peer-Ki-Gali which receives massive snowfall during winter.

It is a historical route and is known for its beautiful sights and scenes, which can persuade the tourists across the country to visit this area. It is surrounded by snow laden mountains which glitter like silver throughout the year. The work on this road is all set to be expedited in coming months.

In 2020-21, 3300 km rural roads were constructed

In 2020-21, a record 3,300 km of roads were constructed in remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose of these roads was to provide safe and secure all-weather connectivity to far-flung areas across the Union Territory.

Former J&K Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam in May this year had stated that most of the work was undertaken under the flagship programme ‘PradhanMantri Gram Sadak Yojana’ (4).

Addressing the issue of road connectivity to Kashmir is a leap towards bringing the Valley closer to New Delhi and the government is working on it. The projects that have been undertaken during the past seven years have helped in changing the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir. People too have responded positively and have boarded the bandwagon of peace, prosperity and development.

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