The "Big-fight" - Dirty Games Uncovered

15/08/2008 21:46:01 By VEDAPRAKASH
The "Big-fight" on the transfer and revocation of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB)
The Amarnath land transfer controversy :
The following events prove the dirty political games played by the Congress and the Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists just to fool the entire nation, under the guise of winning "vote of confidence" at one side and trying to harass Hindus in J & K and kill Hindus elsewhere through Islamic terrorists. Incidentally, these events are coincided with LOC infiltration, firing and encounters between the Indian forces and Pakistani counterparts and of course Pak-trained terrorists [1] . Read the events.
15-07-1999 :
Amarnath Yatra was disturbed [2] in 1999.
2001 :
The National Conference Government passed the Act to set up Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
29-05-2005 :
The government withdrew the order for the usage of forest land by the pilgrims, as it was against the provision of the J & K Forest Conservation Act of 1997.
The J & K High Court stayed the withdrawal of permission to use the forest land.
January 1, 2008 :
The SASB informed the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir, through a letter to the deputy chief minister, that "(t)he Governor is sovereign ex-officio holder of the power . . . who acts on his own personal satisfaction and not on the aid and advice of the council of ministers . . . the member (of the legislative council) may be explained that he does not enjoy the powers to question the decisions of the body". [3]
20-05-2008 :
The J & K government rejected the transfer of land in Baltal to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for construction of road and raising hutments on it at various points, however giving "clearance" to blacktopping of Ronga-Baltal road. The state cabinet, which met here on Tuesday (20-05-2008), rejected the Board's suggestion to construct a road from Baltal to Dumel and raise hutments along the route. The hutments were supposed to be raised for Amarnath pilgrims, a charge refuted by SASB. The cabinet rejected transferring the land on the ground that it fell in a wildlife area and its transfer would invite "adverse judicial notice." The land falls in compartment 62 which is a wildlife area and could not be transferred to the Board without sanction from Supreme Court of India, they added.
25-06-2008 :
N. N. Vohra [4] took over as a Governor and Immediately after his swearing-in, he conferred with Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) officials and was informed that not a single permanent structure had been constructed in the base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal or enroute to the cave Shrine. to transfer 39.88 hectares of forest land to SASB.
26-05-2008 :
The Secretary, Tourism was acting as the CEO of the Shrine Board, pointed out that all the toilets and camping facilities were constructed on government land and nobody objected. It was only when the bribe channels were stopped for the politicians' protégés that they objected to government land being used for pilgrims. Hence, after the stay was obtained from the High Court, the Shrine Board asked the state government in 2005 to regularise use of government land by formally transferring a few plots of land to the board en route to the Amarnath shrine. It took three years to take a decision and finally on May 26, 2008, the state cabinet passed a proposal diverting (not selling or leasing) 38 hectares of land near Baltal to the Shrine Board on a temporary basis at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore vide Government order No. 184-FST of 2008 dated 26-05-2008. The Minister of Forest, under whose jurisdiction the land was diverted for the Shrine Board's use, was a member of the PDP headed by Mufti.
27-05-2008 :
The President inaugurated the "Institute of Kashmir studies" at the University of Kashmir, Srinagar! N. Ram was there [5] .
03-06-2008 :
The State Government approved the transfer of 800 kanals of forest land to SASB (which was dubbed as "land grab" by Gautham).
15-06-2008 :
Muzaffar Hussain Baig, the Dy. CM accused two senior Congress Ministers – Mangat Ram Sharma and Gulchain Singh Charak of "blackmailing' them into transferring forest land to the SASB [6] .
28-06-2008 :
The People's Democratic Party has withdrawn its support from the Jammu and Kashmir] government. All ministers from the party submitted their resignations to Governor N N Vohra on Saturday evening (28-06-2008), party president Mehbooba Mufti told mediapersons. Mehbooba said, "We had given a deadline to the chief minister to rescind the controversial land allotment order to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board. From his attitude, it appears that the Chief Minister Ghulam] Nabi Azad was in no mood to address the aspiration of the people in this regard,"
29-06-2008 :
Next day, Vohra, in his capacity as ex-officio chairman of the SASB, wrote a letter to Azad, returning the land and also offering to relinquish the board's task of organising the annual yatra, thus making the pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine subordinate to the valley's Muslims politics and Muslim appeasement. Vohra reportedly sent his letter to Azad at 8.30 pm on June 28. "The news of that abject surrender provoked an explosion of outrage across Jammu," says a senior member of the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, a broad-based organisation without any political affiliation which is at the forefront of the protest. The governor has violated the SASB Act. As he cannot act unilaterally. Any decision of the board has to be endorsed by at least five members of the Board. He is also in contempt of the high court which had passed an interim order approving the transfer of 800 kanals of land to the board in Baltal.
01-07-2008 :
The government order transferring 100 acres of land to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board was revoked by the Jammu and Kashmir government in Srinagar on Tuesday (01-07-2008) to defuse the snowballing situation in the Valley over the past week, which claimed four lives besides injuring 300 others. The decision to annul the order was taken by the state cabinet which met at the residence of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad immediately after his return from Mumbai.
07-07-2008 :
Gulam Nabi Azad, the Congress CM resigned.
13-7-2008 :
The protest of around 150 Kashmiri Hindus gathered at the cantonment park on Sunday when the Kashmiri Hindu Sabha, in Pune, that took out a protest march to the collector's office against the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir government to revoke the transfer of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). It put forth a set of demands. It wants the government to reinstate the powers of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Boardthat was dissolved after the revocation of the land transfer order. The land transferred to the SASB was in a bid set up tents and make conditions more conducive for travel for the pilgrims," The members have also called for the reopening of the Wandhama case of 1998, when 23 people were shot dead calling for a CBI intervention into the case, as the government has also been adopting double standards in handling the protests of both communities, granting subsidies to the Muslim community for Haj, but revoking the transfer of land to the Amarnath board.
26-07-2008 : Gautham Navalakha writes[7] an article against the Amarnath yatra etc., interpreting that it was promoted to support "Hindu chauvinism" and so on.
Understanding issue :
To understand the background, Indians have to understand the context of land transfer took place. In May, 2008, the government of India and state government of Jammu and Kashmir reached an agreement to transfer 100 acres of forestland to the Amarnath board, which organises the annual Amarnath yatra. The land is for the usage to build facilities for Amarnath pilgrims as lakhs of pilgrims make the journey every year. Some environmentalists argued that the land transfer would hamper the region's delicate ecological balance. There were also reports that the SASB was planning to construct dams across River Indus to generate electricity for the shrine. One of the reasons behind the controversy is the government policy of bringing religious bodies under the state's control. The Governor heads the Hindu shrine boards and the chief minister heads the Muslim Wakfs, in other words, the appointed Governor is a Hindu and the CM a Muslim.
Political orientation as expected :
The protests, took a more political tinge as State elections are scheduled to be held later this year. The People's Democratic Party said that it would withdraw support to the Congress-led State government if it did not revoke the land transfer agreement. The opposition National Conference and the Communist Party-Marxist (CPM) - have also opposed the transfer of land. BJP said that it would hold widespread protests in Jammu if the decision to revoke the agreement is made. Now the state is polarized, as the discourse has become an issue of Kashmiris vs non-Kashmiris and Hindus vs. Muslim.
Hindus have been on the receiving end :
The "separatist groups" say the transfer of land to the Shrine Board is part of a "conspiracy to settle non-local Hindus in the valley with a view to reducing the Muslims to a minority". The "separatist groups" as has been mentioned secularly, have been only jihadi and Islamic terrorists who have been fighting against Indian government and driving away Hindus or the so-called "Kashmiri Pundits" out of their own State. The controversy has led to unity among the Mohammedan separatists – "the hardline and the moderate factions" of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) - have decided to carry out a joint campaign against the land transfer. Two people were killed and seventy-five injured when police fired into a crowd in Srinagar protesting the transfer of forested land. In addition to protesters, some Hindu pilgrims making pilgrimage to Amarnath were also injured when mobs attacked their vehicles with rocks. Angry rioters also threw rocks at vehicles in the cities of Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Bandipora and Baramulla. Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which planned the protests, were placed under house arrest.
In Jammu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists orchestrated counter-protests, supportive of the land transfer, and threatened to shut down the city on 26 June. 20 kilometers away, in Nagrota, BJP supporters blocked a highway and burned tyres. Throughout the Srinagar area, most public buildings, including schools and government offices, along with many businesses have remained closed. India moved hundreds of security forces into the region with Indian authorities restoring the Amarnath pilgrimage route after a brief disruption. As the land transfer controversy has become an occasion for all sides to trade communal allegations, many believe It has more to do with the Kashmiri sub nationalism where every move aimed at the transfer of land to non-state subjects has been opposed.
Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti :
The NDTV's description of the Samiti [8] : "At the centre of the Jammu and Kashmir divide is a little known group called the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti. It is a group of about 28 social and political outfits like the Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Transport Union and even the Jammu Bar Association. Protests of the Samiti were somewhat low-key in the beginning, that is early July. The agitation gathered strength only after the suicide of one protestor." Thus, it is evident that NDTV has been biased against the Samiti, as it does not analyze other organizations, which have been creating problems and killing people for so many years in India. In fact, in the said-above program, Gautham Navalkhar is introduced as a Social activist", though, he has been a "communist ideologist", pro-separatist Islamic movements and anti-Hindu.
"Action Committee against Land Transfer" :
This pro-Pakistani anti-Indian outfit called off its strike, the moment the land allotment to the Shrine Board was cancelled on July 1, 2008 and its chairman – Mian Abdul Qayoom [9] asked people to resume "normal live" declaring it as a "victory". The NDTV or Gautham Navalkar do not whisper about this organization or why they should oppose. That the tourism department would get the land and it would provide facilities for yatris and all prove the intention o the government actually facilitates the Mohammedan parties of all shades to such money from the Hindus. They have already collected Rs. 2.5 crores from the SASB. Incidentally, when all this drama was going on, the Pakistani troops were firing at the so-called LOC and 11 militants were reported to be killed in encounter [10] . On July 4th, 2008 (Friday), Shabir Ahmed and other separatist and anti-national elements celebrated the "victory" near the Hazratbal. The Hindu [11] gloriously publishes a photo showing that he was "manhandled". However, none cared for the Hindus killed or hundreds of them injured, got fractured and taken to hospital. No photos of Hindu women crying, Hindu children running for life, Hindu old-men clasping hands with request to protect their lives. This has been the ant-Hindu reporting of the print and electronic media.
NDTV' "Big-fight" program (09-08-2008) :
NDTV started on the issue of J & K Big-fight naming it as "Big-peace" reportedly bringing both sides of the divide for discussion. It has become an eye-opener for a general Indian to understand the persons who participated in the program, which has been edited and controlled as I could note from the clippings joined together [12] , voices coming, but cameras focussed on different persons [13] etc.
The participants were:
1. Muzaffar Hussain Baig - Former Dy. CM of Jammu & Kashmir, PDP.
2. Leela Karan Sharma – Convenor Amarnath Sangark samiti (through video conference)
3. Dr. Farooq Abdullah, NC and for CM (through video conference)
4. Sabir shah, Youriat Conference, separatist leader (through video conference)
5. Kamal Kak – representing Kashmiri Pundits.
6. Gautham Navalkha[14], Social activist.
Farooq: The question of land but beyond. There has been discrimination with Jammu and some people want division of Jammu. Now some people want to agitate all over India. What they want? Do they want to burn whole India. Sengupta commission report recommends the number of yatris should be restricted. The land was there, but unfortunately the last government ordered the land transfer and withdrew.
Baig: The people of J & K have understanding since 1947. There are living together. Now the problem started only because Samiti asked for the land.
Sharma: SASB asked for the land, writ was filed in High Court and it ordered to transfer. But you are the Law Minister (addressed to Baig) and your government filed appeal against the order. The Forest Minister of PDP allowed the transfer. Then, why you changed the stand? Is it not criminal agenda? You are supporting the separatists – under pressure. You are supporting them who are shouting " Indian dogs go back", "Pakistan jindabad" and so on.
Baig: The Court made interim order to make available on temporary basis – since 1860, the yatris have customary right – but the secretary transferred on permanent basis. Shrine board should withdraw the claim of land
Sharma: the original order should be restored. We want restoration of order and not revocation (NDTV suggest that he does not want the permanent transfer, while he was talking!)
Baig: why can't they trust the government? I was not a party of the revocation of the order.
Sharma: That does not satisfy. The Board was constituted Rs. 2.5 crores on licence basis and Rs. 19,94,000/- (Rs. Nineteen lacs ninety-four thousand only) on account of Compensatory Afforestation to be carried over 79.96 ha. land.
Baig: It is interpretation of the order. They interpret it as sale then I oppose it.
Sabir Shah: we have seen secularists and others in Hindusthan [15] . The yatra has been going on and land was there for them at their disposal and now also available, then why they want land? They burn houses. They want to burn...(started talking about ) "Sangh Parivar" role in the issue.
Sharma: (Refuted that) Sangh Parivar is not involved.
Sabir: they were burning houses
Both started arguing simultaneously
Sharma: No economic blockade. Call for bandh / "Chakka dhan" Jammu, Udhampur and areas are suffering. Army is cutting of the supply and the people are suffering there.
NDTV: Putting leading questions
Sabir shah: Note the role of army in dealing with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The vehicles of the Muslims are burned. There firing and tear-gas.
NDTV: points out that firing of army were there in Jammu.
Sabir shah: went on arguing that land is there already and available to the yatras. The Muslims help yatris therefore do not insist for the transfer.
Sharma: they want the minority community to migrate they do not want Hindus there. During Amarnath yatra, grenades were thrown by the terrorists.
Baig: Politically motivated position has been created.
Baig": The President of BJP declared that they would make the people of Kashmir to starve. Then, what they would do? We are short of medicine...Naturally, they would look across the border.
Sharma: refuted the point of economic blockade. It is only bandh. If they are suffering how is that they are still fighting with the government?
NDTV: the economic blockade is serious. Otherwise the people of Kashmir would look across the LOC. The national high way life-line connects the state with India. You know and I know there are people who make irresponsible statements (evidently, the NDTV was suggesting "deliberate economic blockade").
Kamal Hak: When Kashmir closes for months together that amounts to economic blockade. When Kashmir was closed for many months, it was like the blockade. (Baig started interfering stating that it is done by the militants [16] ). The Governor clarified that there is no official economic blockade. It is only the result of the on-going bandh. They are trying to camouflage the whole thing and they are basically trying to mislead the whole nation on the subject from the people. What is the wrong in transferring the land of 40 or 80 kanals of land how it affects the constitution, Kashmir polity, ... if you can allot land Islamic University in Kashmir ,if could allot Grahshah Badshah University Rajouri why can't you allot land to........(Baig interferes)
Baig: what about land given to Matha Vaishadevi
Kamal: but you have not allotted land to Sharadadevi University
Baig: it was done by legislative not by the government –
Kamal Hak: Voice is coming, but camera was focussing on Gautham.
The voice: Even though, you were ruling, you took five years for giving the land!
Gautham navalakha: (interfering Kamal and NDTV) that not 40 or 50, but thousands of kanals are used by the yatris. No forest land was transferred to Islamic or Badsha Universities. 3000 yatris . In the case of allotment to Universities, no forest land was allotted. (He started stressing on the regulation of yatris on the Nitish Sen gupta commission). It is not just yatra but High mountain climbing -
Sharma: pointing out the pseudo-secular nature of his argument.
Sharma and Gautham started talking together Gautham was interfering Sharma..
Sharma: you are supporting the separatists. 15 years was there any police-firing
Gautham: How can I support Pundits? They say that the land should be handed over to kashmiri pandits – who are you to ask to transfer the land he asks Sharma
NDTV: Short or medium term solution
Faroog: Committees have been formed by PM and governor. They would talk and find out a solution.
Baig: There should be a "All party meeting" comprising politicians and educationalists – If BJP really plays a construction role it is welcome
Sharma: the separatists have no role . the centre to come out clean without supporting the separatist forces
Sabir Shah: They set fire – land has been there for them. We have been helping them. But the so-called Sarkar act differently- it has been going for years. they are killing people .............
NDTV: Heaven-sent opportunity
Baig: They are narrowed down the issue solidified
Kamal: transfer the land to the Samiti, they are not allowing Hindus in Kashmir, they are preventing Pundits to live there. They are not allowing hindus to go back. They are not allowing Hindus there.
NDTV: (asks directly )why Hindu influence is prevented
Sabir: yatrir tourists can come –they can buy land in Jammu they can buy land in Kashmir Kashmir pundits can come they can "hum ajadhi ke ladai lad rahe hai"
Kamal: rhetoric please come. At one side, he is talking about the right of Hindus etc., but at the other side he talks about "fighting with the government". We Hindus are part and parcel of India and we need not fight with India.
Sabir: you have every right
Gautham: bringing the issue of Kashmiri pundits pitting against Misl;ims –is highly objectionable
Kamal and Gautham started arguing with each other.Kamal Haq points out that Gautham was misinterpreting the facts).
Gautham: Ecological issue, no. Of yatris to be regulated
The oldman (from audience): The question is not the ownership of the land. The expulsion of pundits is incorrect – let the jihadis do that, let the militants do that – you are making army to fight with Indians – instead of protecting Indians, they are fighting with Indians - ecomic blockade has to be stopped
Rajesh Kaul : national sentiments against anti-national sentiments – tricolour holding and burning tricolour – this is national movement
A young girl: talks in general
Youth (man): agitation is slipping out of hands – should let the issue into fire of riots.
Youth (woman): why Kashmiri pundits is coming now? Why can't people deal with current problems.
NDTV: asking for final comment from the panellists
Farooq: All live here – maintaining communal harmony.
Gautham: I just read out from the Nitish Sen Gupta report: 1996 strategy, he points out that Muslims helped yatris. No allegation eve-teasing, bad behaviour etc. there are lot of myth about Kashmir - Kashmir He criticises pseudo-nationalism (pointing to Rajesh Kaul) with rationality, reason and logic
Kamal: You allow anti-nationalism, you allow Pakistan flag you allow militant activities – you allowed shouting of slogans "Pakistan jindabad, Hindustan murdabad"..... (Gautham interferes). Amarnath is not the issue (NDTV and Gautham interferes)
Baig: I have been attacked four times by the militants Pointing to Sharma that he enjoys life sitting with comfort and security in Jammu; we are hurt when they say we are anti-nationals we have to live and die together – they should stop asking for the title - why ask for the title –
Sabir – repeats the same (addresses "the people of Hindusthan") – you believe us - the land is yours, you can sit on it – and so on – we are secularists by nature - talks in separatist tone and tenor.
Sharma: (before talking NDTV interferes) Jammu people suffered for 60 years – black mailed India, Pakistan, Indians – they cannot be believed – they deprive the yatris by denying the land
NDTV: Is there any final compromise
Sharma: what compromise you want - Shrine has been formed under the statue – where is the question of cancelling
NDTV: If facilities given why ask for land
Sharma: now they may give but later, they ask to vacate through army.
(For this, NDTV did not respond, but decides to end the program).
Government Order No. 184—FST OF 2008 Dated: 26-05-2008 [17] :
Sanction is accorded to the diversion of forest land measuring 39.88 ha falling under compartment No. 63a/Sindh, in Block Kullan, Range Sindh, Sindh Forest Division for raising pre-fabricated structures only for camping purposes of pilgrims, without going in for construction of permanent structures, at Baltal and Domail by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board on the following terms and conditions:
1. The proprietary status of forest land shall remain unchanged.
2. The forest land so diverted shall be used only for the purpose for which it has been diverted. It shall not be transferred to any other agency without approval of the Forest Department.
3. The forest land so diverted shall not be mortgaged, reassigned or sub-leased by user agency in any manner what so ever to any other agency.
4. The User Agency shall pay Net Present Value of the forest land to the tune of Rs. 2,31,30, 400/- (Rs Two crore thirty-one lacs thirty thousand four hundred only) as calculated by the concerned DFO as per Hon'ble Supreme Court Order dated 30-10-2002 in I.A No: 566 in Writ Petition (Civil) No: 202 of 1995 T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad V/S Union of India.
5. The User Agency shall pay Rs. 19,94,000/- (Rs. Nineteen lacs ninety-four thousand only) on account of Compensatory Afforestation to be carried over 79.96 ha.6. The user agency shall take foolproof measures on modern scientific lines to ensure that any water of nearby Sindh Nallah does not get polluted.
7. Any damage done to the forest by the user agency or its employees and contractors or people employed by them shall be charged from the user agency at the rate of ten times the standard rate of 1992.
8. The forest land so diverted shall return to the Forest Department free of any encumbrances when it is no longer required by the User Agency.
9. The user agency shall construct complete retaining/breast walls on the both sides of the road/railway/ earth work/ tunnelling etc, and take other necessary steps, so as to minimize soil erosion/land slips. In this regard, the user agency shall seek technical guidance from Director, Soil Conservation Department, J&K.
10. The user agency shall also pay any other amount which will become payable as per orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court or Government/Forest Department, J&K.
11. The user agency shall be responsible to get requisite clearance under any other relevant law in vogue.
12. The user agency shall submit an undertaking that in case of any upward revision of rates of Net Present Value, the user agency will pay the amount of differential Net Present Value.
13. The possession of Forest land diverted for non-forestry purpose under the orders of the competent authority, should not be handed over to the user agency till all payments due against Compensation of trees, NPV/Compensation of land, Compensatory afforestation costs etc are not deposited with Chief Accounts Officer in the office of the PCCF.
The revocation of order by the Governor was hailed as "victory" by the separatist organizations [18] .
Observation on the NDTV [19] show :
I have carefully watched the video [20] many times and it appears clearly that the show broadcast as been completely edited, many portions cut and brought as suitable for `broadcast". Vikram Chandra [21] was interfering Sharma and Kamal Hak repeatedly by putting some questions, however, he was appreciating and complimenting Gautham and Baig. As camera was focused on different person and voice was coming, it is evident that just like Tehelka, they are manipulating the recording and broadcast. The NDTV's comments on Amarnath Sangarsha Samiti [22] , the background of Gautham Navalakhar (his pro-seperatist support ideology, EPW writings etc), Vikram Chandra's attitude clearly prove that they have been biased against Hindus. It is ironical that they do not want to discuss the sufferings of the pundits. Though, very often they dub them also as "Kashmiris", they make others to forget that they are Hindus, but they have been and are still treated as "refugees" in their own state and country. The attack on them, making them to leave their crores of properties, many of their men, women and children have been hunted and killed by the Islamic separatists and terrorists, and everything, they want not be mentioned or talked. Why the simple issue of buying and selling of land should be made bigh issue, they are not analyzing. As a citizen of India, any person who has money buys land and none objects,. But why here, the Big-fight etc? Though, the learned people talk about ecology, environment etc., they are benumbed about the rights of Hindus.
The environmental and ecological issues / secularism! :
Wherever and whenever, hundreds or thousands of people gather, their waste would be produced and thrown out. It happens at cinema, cricket and political meetings and tamashas. Much water is wasted in Star hotels, while millions do not get water even for daily routines. However, when the question pilgrimage etc., comes, experts start talking about these issues. It is well known fact that the vast area has been raped by the Islamic separatists and terrorists by their activities. Thus, their waste – shells, plastic items etc., could be found in the areas of valley and borders and accumulated in tonnes. But, the environmental and ecological pundits are not worried. When the question of "Pundits" comes, these Pundits would jump. When the question of human rights comes, these Pundits again forget Pundits, but support Islamists of all categories. What type of bias is it? Is there any secularism to be followed even in these issues?
Why the land should be charged instead of giving free?
In fact, a question arises as to why the land given on temporary basis, that too for religious purposes should be charged by the secular government? Can't it be given free for facilitating pilgrims? Huge Haj subsides are given by the secular government to the Mohammedans. Then, why they charge for temporary usage that too for one and half months 2.5 crores? Is it a type if "Jizya", as imposed by the Mohammedan / Mughal rulers? Why Gautham Navalakhar-type secularists forget history here?
VEDAPRAKASH
11-08-2008
[1] Secret skirmishes scar LoC, The Hindu June 13, 2008 (Front page report, Chennai edition).
[2] http://pib.myiris.com/features/article.php3?fl=b27271
[3] Greater Kashmir, June 12, 2008. Can be accessed at: http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=13_6_2008&ItemID=40&cat=1
[4] The Hindu welcomes his appointment editorially: The Hindu June 13, 2008, p.12.
Four LeT militants killed in J & K, The Hindu June 23, 2008, p.15.
LoC incident will help Pakistan rebut charge: Four Pakistan soldiers killed in an ambush by "miscreants", The Hindu June 23, 2008, p.16.
[5] The Hindu June 27, 2008, p.12.
[6] Congress blackmailed us to give land to shrine board: J-K Dy CM, see at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/323208.html
[7] Gautham Navalakha, Kashmir: State cultivation of the Amarnath Yatra, Economic & Political Weekly, July 26, 2008, pp.17-18.
[8] http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080060266
[9] The Hindu July 2, 2008 (Front page report, Chennai edition).
[10] The Hindu July 3, 2008 (Front page report).
[11] The Hindu July 5, 2008, p.19.
[12] Many times, Leela Karan Sharma's speech was cut, interfered.
[13] Gautham Navalaka was shown, when the mediator (NDTV) voice is coming.
[14] See his articles to understand his mind: In his Kasmir: State Cultivation of Amarnath Yatra, he calls "A Little Known Shrine", thus putting blame on the Indian government. See: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/navlakha080808.html . Gautam Navlakha is Consulting Editor of the Economic & Political Weekly . This article first appeared in the Economic & Political Weekly on 26 July 2008, pp. 17-18. It is reproduced here for educational purposes, to provide background information for the current development.
See, also, "Douse the Flames in Jammu & Kashmir: CPI(M)," The Hindu , 8 August 2008 - http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/08/stories/2008080861691200.htm ; and "Hindus and Muslims Clash in Jammu-Kashmir," Al Jazeera, 5 August 2008:
[15] He was talking as a separatist only without mincing words. However, it is ironical that the media and others give prominence to him.
[16] Thus the fact is not denied. In spite of the so-called Deliberate economic blockade":, how they could fight effectively?
[17] http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20080806&fname=arif&sid=3
[18] http://etalaat.com/english/News/front-page/1287.html
[19] NBC Universal Inc., the American media and entertainment parent company of the NBC television channel, has reached an agreement with NDTV Networks – the holding company of New Delhi Television Ltd., India's largest private television-production company – to purchase a 26-percent stake in the media conglomerate for approximately $150 million.
[20] http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=35754
[21] He is the Senior Editor of NDTV and serves as the CEO of NDTV Networks. NDTV Networks is the group company under which are companies like NDTV convergence, NDTV Labs, NDTV Imagine etc. Vikram studied at St. Stephen's College and at Oxford University, before training in broadcast journalism at the Mass Media Institute, Stanford University. He has been with NDTV since 1994, and lives in Delhi.
[22] http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080060266