Kashmir: Everyone has lost in their own way

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Beena Sarwar is a good writer. So it must be a good write up. But I don`t even read anything on Kashmir anymore.

Kashmir has basically turned into a war to death between Islam and Hinduism. Islam has cleansed Kashmir valley of Hinduism, as it did earlier the area occupied by Pakistan.

The question is - will Hindus hand over the Kashmiri land too to Islam or will they stand up and fight back to preserve what they have.

Two very different systems with two very different outlooks to history. It will be interesting to see what happens.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Stories like these have turned me away from religion!!

I used to believe in God!

God did not create us!! But we created God because we wanted something bigger then us.

Now! In the same God`s name we turning into monster.

Atheist

re: this article
The same old story.
Where muslim are in a majority, there is always trouble if they are surrounded by people of other religions. Islam has not reconciled to other religions. What is happening in Kashmir is not unexpected.
Where muslims are in a minority, they want a secular govt!
Talk of hypocrisy.
Sridhar

Beena Sarwar

You should be ashamed of yourself. Just because now Muslims (according to you Mullahs) have taken over the helm to liberate Kashmir from oppression does not mean that you should give up your sense of judgement between right and wrong. Just because Mullah has taken up on a cause does not mean that the cause has now become wrong.

Lahola wila quawwat.

Oh Great, now we have Indian National Assembly on fire again. Lemme guess - the un-known arsonists who disppeared after the act were carrying Paksitani passports and ID cards.

dair ko Hindu kee musjid ko MussalmaaN ki talaash
kho gaiee iss khoj meiN insaaN ko insaaN ki talaash

in India the Hindutva Talibanis have been defeated by the secular democratic Hindus themselves -- and nobody else

..... in Kashmir -- Muslims have to re-learn to live with Hindus, Sikhs Christians and Buddhists....have to master the art and science of -- how to be Democratic -- and how to be Secular...not a difficult curriculum

Islamic Talibanism is no more in fashion........it`s dead

jo baichtay thay dawa-e dill vo dukaan apni brhaa gaye -- not in a million year there will be a Islami Hukoomat -- in the Muslim Valley......period

Beena,
I`ve seen the film, and this is an excellent write up of it. As you wrote, one can`t help empathizing with the women whose stories are presented.

I think ``Autumn`s Final Country`` is a strong attempt at narrowing in on the experiences of victims - which is often lost in the debate around the Kashmir issue. And in focusing on women, the film presents a side that is too often overlooked when conflict is studied.

For more on the experiences of women in war, see some of the publications and documentaries produced by the ICRC`s (International Committee of the Red Cross) Women and War project at

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList2/Focus:Women_and_war?OpenDocument

a moving writeup

as the title aptly says:
everyone has lost in kashmir. but those who kill in the name of god cant see reason.

Re:Urstruly#7

Instead of just verbally dueling and complaining all the time, why doesn`t Pakistan take some concrete steps on this whole matter? As of now, the APHC is still disunited, with Geelani singing one tune and others singing some other tune. Pakistan can use its leverage and have APHC and other disenchanted Kashmiris speak with one voice. Then they can demand assembly level elections supervised by UN observers. Jinnah and Mujib had both proved themselves via elections in 1946 and 1970. Let the APHC prove itself that it truly represents Kashmiris and that its agenda has popular support.

At the same time, India and Pakistan can start negotiating seriously. Let Pakistan propose some alternatives besides plebiscite. Many people have voiced solutions like quasi-independence, joint sovereignity etc. There are enough creative people around who can come up with a Northern Ireland type solution. At the right time, the proven APHC can enter the negotiation process. Finally the compromise solution can be voted upon in a referendum held under UN auspices.

The point is that Pakistan wants to change the status quo. Fine. There is a constructuve process to do that. Pakistan can take some initiative to change it instead of just complaining all the time.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

ankit,

Nor those who kill in the name of their country.

Amit

Pakistan and Muslims will not shut up as long as India is oppressing the people of Kashmir through a passive but lethal process of genocide. It is un-acceptable to us as human beings. With your post, you sound like a genetic anamoly to me but personally I think that the military solution is the only solution to the problem of Kashmir and it is working quite effectively for both India and Pakistan. For India it is working because with 700000 strong army stationed in occupied territory and incarcerating a whole nation behind fence is the only option that India has to keep its occupation. For Paksitan, the military solution is working because an unrelenting support to the freedom fighters is the only way to change the status quo. When hindu does not give a damn to the UN resolution then please explain to me why in the world he would agree on changing the status quo unless its arms is twisted thru an unrelenting militancy and freedom struggle. Militant freedom struggles always win, no matter how long it takes. The history of world attests to this fact. So India has two options at hand at this time - exit honorably or you will be kicked out. But pretty soon India will be left with only one option and you know damn well, which one.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

wow... looks like I`m late to the party and there`s blood all over the floor (cf. the exchange between arjun_m and urstruly)

the chowk banner says ``unflinching idealism``
and it`s idealism that seems to have caused the most deaths in history...
(or is it idealism manipulated by commercial interest, until someone decided that he could sell enlightened greed and self-interest as an ideology in itself too... and then there was the inevitable backlash in the form of communism... but that`s for some other discussion...)

among the ideologues I found here, only four are not frothing at the mouth... do you like being manipulated? when will you think for yourself?

for starters: can you justify nationalism? have you read even one of the many, many articles on the theoretical basis and the historical evolution of this most nebulous of organising institutions? if nowhere else, then on chowk itself? darn, now I’m hectoring too...

---

Beena Sarwar, thanks so much. This is new information - one keeps hearing things like the ``human fallout``, the ``refugees``... but to actually have first-hand testimony is valuable information on the changing social dynamics in the area.

---

very typical ``debating`` point regarding minority muslims wanting secularism and majority Muslims wanting shariah. Yet, what if it`s true? Is this really the case, or just a perception? If perception, whose? If not, it would be interesting to sit down the campaigners of both positions and see them argue it out.

---

(first foray into the heart of darkness... let`s see what the natives do to me...)

---