SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has reiterated its advice to local youth against running towards the site of gun-battle and issued prohibitory restrictions of up to three kilometers around an encounter site in the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian.

The advisory came amidst a political war of words on the army chief ’s recent statement that such people will be dealt with harshly.

“District administrations of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian advised people not to move towards or assemble near the places where encounters take place between security forces and militants to avoid loss and injuries to precious human lives,” the advisory, released on Thursday evening, said.

It added, “However the restrictions shall not apply to the movement of ambulances, medical, paramedical staff and Government employees.”

The government advisory comes after a year since it first issued such a notice in Pulwama district, following the increasing cases of locals rushing towards the site of a gun-battle to allegedly distract security forces and help the militants in escaping.

Speaking to HT, J&K director general of police, SP Vaid said, “We can advise and if someone still wants to jump into the fire, then what can we do?”

HT had reported exactly a year ago about this trend and experts had observed in the story that “common people openly putting their lives at stake to save militants” was an emerging reality in Kashmir.

Army chief Bipin Rawat has recently commented that those who hinder counter-insurgency operations or display flags of Pakistan and the Islamic State in Kashmir will be considered as “anti-national” and would “face action”.

Asked about why people are continuing with this trend despite knowing the dangers, Vaid said: “Vinasha kale viparith buddhi (When one’s doom approaches, then one’s mind, one’s intelligence works perversely),” he said.

Reacting to Rawat’s statement, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “The issue of internal security of the country is a serious one and there can be no compromise on it. But as I had said during the last Parliament session, atrocities should not be inflicted on innocents. Action should be taken against those involved in wrong doings but there is need to adopt restraint.”

Encounter sites in J&K tohave3km no­go zones

Officials say move is to stop civilians from risking lives

The Jammu and Kashmir government has reiterated its advice to local youth against running towards the site of gunbattle and issued prohibitory restrictions of up to three kilometers around an encounter site in the three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian.

WASEEM ANDRABI/HTKashmiri protesters throw stones at police and paramilitary soldiers during a demonstration after the Friday prayers in Srinagar.

The advisory came amidst a political war of words on the army chief’s recent statement that such people will be dealt with harshly.

“District administrations of Srinagar, Budgam and Shopian advised people not to move towards or assemble near the places where encounters take place between security forces and militants to avoid loss and injuries to precious human lives,” the advisory, released on Thursday evening, said.

It added, “However the restrictions shall not apply to the movement of ambulances, medical, paramedical staff and Government employees.”

The government advisory comes after a year since it first issued such a notice in Pulwama district, following the increasing cases of locals rushing towards the site of a gun-battle to allegedly distract security forces and help the militants in escaping.

Speaking to HT, J&K director general of police, SP Vaid said, “We can advise and if someone still wants to jump into the fire, then what can we do?”

HT had reported exactly a year ago about this trend and experts had observed in the story that “common people openly putting their lives at stake to save militants” was an emerging reality in Kashmir.

Army chief Bipin Rawat has recently commented that those who hinder counter-insurgency operations or display flags of Pakistan and the Islamic State in Kashmir will be considered as “anti-national” and would “face action”.

Asked about why people are continuing with this trend despite knowing the dangers, Vaid said: “Vinasha kale viparith buddhi (When one’s doom approaches, then one’s mind, one’s intelligence works perversely),” he said.

Reacting to Rawat’s statement, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “The issue of internal security of the country is a serious one and there can be no compromise on it. But as I had said during the last Parliament session, atrocities should not be inflicted on innocents. Action should be taken against those involved in wrong doings but there is need to adopt restraint.”

“Congress is falling to this temptation of politicising the army chief’s statement… This party can go to any extent for political benefits. It is speaking the voice of separatists for lowly political gains,” Union minister Jitendra Singh retorted.

Since Sunday five soldiers, one officer, eight militants and two civilians have been killed in gunfights in the Kashmir valley. Statistics reveal that the conflict is becoming more local and lethal. The new phenomenon has been in the making over the past two years – belligerent crowds would gather and stone the security forces with an aim to disrupt the counter-insurgency operations and enable the militants to escape.  At times, the militants were protected by the human wall of people of all age groups. This trend picked up pace especially after the killing of militant Burhan Wani in July last year. Burhan’s death became a turning point. The fearlessness with which the mobs attacked the security forces’ camps and convoys has shaped the young generation’s audacity. New information suggests more locals are joining the militants’ ranks.  The security forces are caught in a catch-22 situation for they cannot abandon their operation against militants nor can they fire live ammunition on stone-throwers. Obviously, this new mood of the people has not been factored in by the security forces and the government. The rush-and-raid strategy of the past is no longer relevant. Militants making videos of their preparations to face security forces is something unique. The circulation of such videos on social media as also that of large crowds attending the funeral processions of slain militants works up the intense passions of the young.  They are swelling the militants’ ranks. The counter-terrorism strategy has not moved with this changing pace of reality. The original infiltration-guide-militant and the overground-worker nexus is getting supplemented by fast-growing local militancy. The Jammu and Kashmir Government is looking towards New Delhi to initiate dialogue to infuse hope and defuse militancy as also violent protests.  New Delhi is relying on the old approach of getting everything done and achieved through a hammer approach and leaving things to subside on their own. That strategy appears to be backfiring.  An entire population of civilians is getting sucked into the militant’s corner. The portents of a wider conflict are becoming ominously clear.

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 14

Family members of a missing IAF jawan today met Bathinda SSP and demanded a probe into the matter.They said jawan Vipin Shukla had been missing for the past six days but despite lodging complaints, nothing had been done by the Air Force and police.The family members said Sukhla was selected as airman and was now deployed at the canteen of the Air Force at Bhisiana.The missing airman was living with his wife and children in a government quarter at Bhisiana, they added.SSP Swapan Sharma said a police officer had been deputed to look into the matter.

Sergeant’s wife gets bail in suicide case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14

A local court today granted regular bail to the wife of a 27-year-old Sergeant of the Indian Air Force in an abetment of suicide case. She was granted bail on the bail bond of Rs 25,000.Her counsel contended that her husband made her nominee for taking all benefits, thus, they had no bitter relation. And why was the FIR lodged after 24 days of the incident by her in-laws. It was further argued that the in-laws had also moved a Maharashtra court, demanding his financial benefits to be given to them. Thus, false allegations were leveled against her for claiming the same amount.Savita Swapnil Ghagare (24) was arrested on February 2, almost seven months after her husband Swapnil Babaso Ghagare, a resident of Maharashtra, committed suicide by hanging himself at his house in Sector 47. The Chandigarh police arrested his wife for abetment of suicide.The victim, Swapan, posted at the 3 BRD Air Force Station had committed suicide in June, 2016. Police officials said the victim had an altercation with his wife before he committed suicide.The victim’s mother had complained to the police that Sawpan’s wife Savita forced him to take the extreme step.After investigating the matter, the Chandigarh police arrested the deceased’s wife and registered a case under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector 31 police station.

Tej Bahadur Yadav

New Delhi, February 10

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to allow the wife of the BSF jawan, who went public through the social media alleging poor quality food being served to soldiers, to meet and stay with him for two days at the base where he was posted at present.The direction by a Division Bench of Justices GS Sistani and Vinod Goel came after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain informed the court that BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav is not under any illegal confinement and he has been shifted to another battalion, 88th Bn HQRS at Kalibari, Samba, in Jammu.Taking note of the submission, the Bench said if the wife had an apprehension that her husband was under threat, she and their son be allowed to meet the soldier.It also said, “We should not get into logistics of any kind, the wife must be allowed to meet him and let us burst the bubble.”The Bench directed the ASG, who was representing the Centre and BSF, to make all possible arrangements for the wife to meet her husband and there should be no difficulties while she visits the place. The direction came after the jawan’s wife, Sharmila Devi, moved the court by way of a habeas corpus plea, alleging her husband is untraceable.  — PTI

External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup. File photo

New Delhi, February 8

Reacting strongly, India on Thursday termed as “figment of imagination” Pakistan’s contention that it is building a secret nuclear city, saying it is a “diversionary tactic” to deflect attention from issues like Pak-sponsored terrorism and harbouring of terrorists.“These are completely baseless allegations. The so-called secret city appears to be a figment of the Pakistan imagination. India has always been in compliance with all its international obligations. This is a very strange statement coming from a country that does not have a separation plan and has a strong record of proliferation which is well known to the world.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“India has very different credentials. So, clearly this shows a lack of comprehension. Furthermore, there is no doubt that this is a diversionary tactic by Pakistan which aims to deflect attention from the real issue at hand – the continued state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan and its harbouring of internationally designated terrorists,” External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.He was asked about remarks by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria that “India is building a secret nuclear city… It has accumulated a stockpile of nuclear weapons which threatens to undermine the strategic balance of power in the region.”Questioned about comments by Pakistan Planning and Development Minister of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal regarding peace talks with India after the ongoing state assembly elections in five states, he said it is not state elections in India but state terrorism by Pakistan which has stood in the way of a peaceful bilateral dialogue.“It is high time Pakistan gets the diagnosis of the problem right. It should not remain in denial on the impact of cross border terrorism on the bilateral relationship. Both the problem and its solution are within Pakistan’s reach,” Swarup said. — PTI

Mutual hostility between two nations that have in the past shared a common heritage, culture and history is self-defeating. A united subcontinent can be a formidable force. Can two poor nations so situated afford to be in perpetual conflict?

Why not talk to each other?: From right: G Parthasarathy, Anatol Lieven, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri & Ahmed Rashid, at a session on Pakistan moderated by (extreme left) Suhasini Haider at a literary festival. PTI

From L): Justice Gurnam Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab in 1967, the Governor of undivided Punjab , Evan Jenkins & the head of the Unionist Party, Sikandar Hyat Tiwana.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. — Abraham LincolnTHE partition of Punjab between India and Pakistan in 1947 is perhaps the most important event in the history of modern India, second only to its Independence. We are reaping its consequences in terms of geopolitics, erosion of civil liberties, communalism of politics and poverty.The end of World War II marked the start of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the West. A Russian presence in the Indian Ocean was seen as a threat to the Middle East and its oil under western control. Therefore, the declared British policy was to transfer power to a strong united India to prevent a Russian entry therein. The failure of the Congress and the Muslim League to reach a settlement made Partition inevitable. The demand for Pakistan did not originate from the Muslim-majority provinces of Punjab, Bengal, Sind and the Frontier but from the United Provinces (UP).  In UP, the Muslim minority feared an existential threat from Hindu organisations such as the RSS, the Hindu Mahasabha and the right wing of the Congress. Punjab was ruled by the Unionist Party, a coalition of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus led by Sir Sikandar Hyat Tiwana, who dismissed the concept of Pakistan as “Jinnahstan”. His successor Khizr Hyat broke with Jinnah on this issue. In 1946, Jinnah and his Muslim League managed to communalise Punjab politics by painting a doomsday scenario where the Punjabi Muslims would be at the mercy of the Hindu majority in India once the British left.  The same argument was used by the Hindu and Sikh leaders in reverse. Hence the Partition.The Governor of Punjab, Sir Evan Jenkins, repeatedly warned that the partition of Punjab as proposed would result in widespread massacre and damage to property. His warning went unheeded. A million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were brutally murdered and another 15 million forced to migrate from the land of their forefathers. Millions lost their properties and thousands of women were raped, abducted and forcibly converted to another faith. The damage of Partition is permanent. It altered the geopolitics of this region. China is strategically located as a Pacific Ocean power. It borders Russia, Central Asia, South Asia and South-eastern Asia. In contrast, India’s strategic location has been greatly reduced. Undivided India would have bordered the Islamic world and been an influential interlocutor on the world stage. This advantage shifted to Pakistan and China. Pakistan’s strategic alliance with China to balance India has allowed the Chinese armed forces to establish a strong military presence in the subcontinent for the first time in history.The Kashmir conflict which is directly related to the partition of Punjab has made the subcontinent amongst the most dangerous, bloodiest and costly places on earth. Pakistan inserted Pathan tribal insurgents and their copycats into India as an extension of its military strategy. The Pathans have since evolved into the Mujahideen, the Taliban, regional ISIS and Kashmir jihadis. Two armies who fought as one in the world wars face each other with hostility. Both are nuclear powers with the capacity for mutual destruction. The apprehension of a nuclear device falling into “Islamic jihadi” hands is real.The violence and chaos caused by the holocaust in Punjabinfluenced the Constituent Assembly into creating a strong executive armed with draconian powers and weak legislatures. Gurnam Singh, a retired High Court judge and Chief Minister, felt that India did not evolve into a traditional liberal democracy. It was a hybrid system, half-democratic and half-colonial where power was transferred from nominated British officials to an elected Indian executive without accountability.  He cautioned Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that the system was open to abuse of power, corruption and intimidation of opponents by implicating them in false cases or branding them as antinational. Little wonder that in a system with weak checks and balances, Prime Ministers can take major decisions like “notebandi” by an executive fiat, without reference to the public, legislature or even the Cabinet. In Pakistan, Jinnah promised a nation where all citizens were equal and there was “no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another”. Partition ended such sentiments.  Inevitably, a state founded on sectarian violence and fear of a large Hindu neighbour turned to the military and the clergy for its identity and survival. This system has little space for non-Muslims, liberal democracy and social reform. India and Pakistan are a house divided against itself. They are an anomaly: Both are sovereign states and also an integral part of each other by their origins, history and culture. Both states can pay heed to the three Franco-German Wars (1870-1945), which cost a hundred million lives. Today, the one-time enemies are close allies and economic partners to their mutual benefit. For the same reason, India and Pakistan need to be friends not enemies. Punjab was the cradle of Hinduism, Sikhism and the evolution of Islam in India. It had seen many invasions and religious conflicts. However, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh elites were integrated by a common language, culture and shared economic interests. The forced migration of Hindus and Sikhs radically changed the religious, social and intellectual structure of West Punjab. However, 70 years of separation and conflict cannot totally erase millenniums of shared bonds.  The way forward is for the people of both Punjabs to rediscover their roots and common interests by free interaction as a first step towards reconciliation between the two nations.  Secondly, the RSS Chief has a choice between an “Akhand Bharat”: a confederation of India and Pakistan he advocates, or politics of division to win elections. As long as the Muslims feel insecure there can be no peace in the subcontinent. Thirdly, the Muslim clergy must rise above dogma and meet the concerns of their own and other communities.  So far it has refused to come to terms with the damage it has caused. No doubt any radical departure from the status quo will meet with strong resistance and even violence on both sides. However, our politicians and opinion makers must appreciate that great issues are settled by statesmanship, courage and common sense in the face of seemingly insurmountable hurdles.  The writer, an educationist, is the President of the Guru Nanak Education Trust, Ludhiana.

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27

From penning rhymes in support of what is being described as a “bold” stand taken by her to a joint appeal by eminent persons asking people to stand by her in this hour of “trial of democracy”, there is a groundswell of support for Gurmehar Kaur, daughter of Kargil martyr Capt Mandeep Singh, who has dared to confront the ABVP for allegedly attacking students and teachers of Ramjas College in Delhi.Punjabi poet and former president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi Gurbhajan Gill has written: “Jago mere veero, jago; apani goorhi neend tyago, jag pavo Gurmehar jagave, sutian umar beet na jave; Gurmehar zindabad (My brothers, it is time to wake up; Gurmehar is asking you to come out of slumber, and let the life not pass away while sleeping).”Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi, academician Dr Chaman Lal and several others have issued an appeal, asking people to join hands to back Gurmehar, who has taken on the right-wing forces posing a threat to the freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of academic institutions, especially universities and colleges.“Gurmehar is the honour of our country. We are all with her and will go all out to protect her honour and dignity. No one should think that she is alone. She is a woman of substance,” Dr Gandhi said.CPI executive member Joginder Dayal said someone was to take lead in confronting the ABVP, which, with active support of PM Narendra Modi and his associates, wanted to crush all dissenting forces in the country. Gurmehar has taken the lead and all right-thinking people in the country should support her to stall the taking over of educational institutions by the right wing forces and their associates, he said.Demanding a ban on the student body and exemplary action against culprits of Ramjas College violence, Capt Amarinder Singh said the ABVP, its mentors and members should be ashamed of their abominable behaviour. He said the girl’s father laid down his life for the country and she was being victimised for her legitimate act.The culprits should be arrested and put behind bars. This organisation (ABVP) had no respect for women, he said.“Instead of allowing her (Gurmehar) to be victimised for her stand, the authorities, including the Delhi and the Centre governments, should ensure that the perpetrators of violence and those issuing threats to the martyr’s daughter are given exemplary punishment,” he added.

Goes incommunicado

Gurmehar Kaur stopped all communication on Monday evening. Her last tweet came at 6 pm. It reads, “Please consider this tweet as my request for leave of absence. Can’t speak to anyone, anymore. Will speak up on Tuesday #FightBackDU”.

 Follow

Gurmehar Kaur @mehartweets

Please consider this tweet as my request for leave of absence. Can’t speak to anyone, anymore. Will speak up on Tuesday #FightBackDU

Parties spar, student gets threats

Delhi women panel asks police to take action as Gurmehar campaign takes ugly turn

DU’s PU fallout: On a day a war or words erupted over the “banner of revolt” raised by a Kargil martyr’s daughter against the ABVP in New Delhi, girl activists of the ABVP and Students For Society (SFS) came to blows during a protest at Panjab University, Chandigarh, on Monday. Tribune Photo: Pradeep Tewari

New Delhi, February 27

Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, whose campaign against the ABVP has gone viral, found herself at the centre of a major row today as the ruling BJP and the Opposition traded charges over the Ramjas College clashes, re-igniting the intolerance debate.

Facing death and rape threats after her social media campaign against the RSS student wing, Kaur, daughter of an Army officer killed in the Kargil war, was compared to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim by a BJP MP while Union Minister Kiren Rijiju wondered who was “polluting” her mind. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Kaur, however, got endorsement of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and many others for her stand against the ABVP and violence on the campus.The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has asked the police to act against those threatening Gurmehar. Kaur, a student of Lady Sri Ram College, insisted she won’t be intimidated. “I am not afraid because I am fighting for the right thing,” she said, adding she was getting numerous threats on phone and social media, besides filthy comments. “It would be very nice if I get protection. Fear is not in my blood. My father took a bullet for the country and I am also ready to do that,” she added. Kaur, 20, said nobody had the right to threaten any woman with rape. She took on the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which controls the Delhi University Students Union, after its activists were blamed for attacks on students, teachers and journalists on the campus. Students opposed to the Ramjas College violence of February 22 and the online threats against Kaur have decided to take out a march in Delhi University tomorrow. The issue triggered a war of words between the BJP and the Congress. “Criticise the government, but don’t abuse the motherland,” Rijiju said, after Kaur also posted: “Pakistan did not kill my father. War killed him.” BJP MP Pratap Simha from Mysuru posted an image of Dawood on Twitter with the words “I didn’t kill people in 1993, bombs killed them.” The MP added: “At least Dawood did not use the crutches of his father’s name to justify his anti-national stand.” Both Rijiju and Simha faced flak. Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said: “An atmosphere is being created to protect those who support violence or are fascist in nature. But those who try to express something within the limits of the Constitution face violence.” The Congress also targeted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his remark in London that “there is an alliance of subversion on Indian campuses”.AAP blamed the government for the threats and accused the ABVP of unleashing violence “both in the real and the online world”. Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at the Opposition for its narrative of attack on freedom of expression. “Everybody has freedom, but that does not mean that you raise slogans to weaken the country. Does freedom of expression mean raising slogans like Azadi for Kashmir, Azadi for Bastar?” asked Prasad. Naidu accused Leftists of turning universities into “laboratories for separatist experiments”. — IANS

‘Stand by her’

• Gurmehar is the honour of our country. We are all with her and will go all out to protect her honour and dignity. No one should think that she is alone. She is a woman of substance. — Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, AAP MP
• The ABVP, its mentors and members should be ashamed of their abominable behaviour. The girl’s father laid down his life for the country and she is being victimised for her legitimate act. —Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress leader

ABVP, SFS supporters clash on PU campus

Police round up 8 students, 4 each from both parties; footage to be given to disciplinary panel

Activists of the ABVP and the SFS scuffle during a protest organised by the ABVP at the PU on Monday. Tribune Photos: Pradeep Tewari

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27

A minor clash took place between supporters of the ABVP and the SFS on the Panjab University (PU) campus today when an SFS member termed supporters of the ABVP at Ramjas College in Delhi “goons”. The police rounded up eight supporters, four each from the ABVP and the SFS, from the university. The supporters of both student parties had a heated argument at the PU during a protest held by the ABVP against the SFS alleging that it had used derogatory remarks against the Army during a discussion on the campus. Later, both parties raised slogans against each other at the Student Centre. The PU security staff intervened, but failed to control the situation following which the police were called.Supporters of both parties entered into a scuffle four times. PU chief security officer Jatinder Grover said a written complaint had been submitted to the police along with the video footage of the incident for action.Allegations and counter-allegations were levelled by both parties against each other over the clash.ABVP members alleged that its woman supporter was manhandled by the SFS. However, the SFS claimed that a woman supporter of the party had tackled the ABVP supporter, who tried to enter into a scuffle. “We condemn the violence by the SFS. The police have arrested ABVP members Harmanjot Singh, Saurbh Kapoor, Kushal Kondal and Akshay,” said Harmanjot Singh of the ABVP.“After the JNU and the DU, the ABVP today tried to impose its pseudo nationalist agenda in the PU and demonstrated against the SFS. After the demonstration, a local journalist invited the SFS for a talk. While the journalist was conversing with members of both student parties,  ABVP ‘goons’ showed their true face and started using abusive language,” said Daman of the SFS. “Ramanpreet Singh, Ravinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Ramanpreet Singh were taken into police custody following the scuffle,” said Daman.The SFS had organised a protest at the PU on Saturday and quoted an NHRC report on an incident of rape of 16 tribal women allegedly by the security forces in Chhattisgarh. The ABVP had organised a protest against the SFS and other Left organisations today alleging that they had shown the Army in poor light during their protest on Saturday. 

What the chief security officer says

• The PU chief security officer said the footage of the scuffle would be forwarded to the PU disciplinary committee on Tuesday morning for action. He said a complaint had been sent to the PU VC, the Registrar and the Dean, Students Welfare, by the security department.

Subversive, who?

Jaitley mistakes violence for free speech

Speaking to students of the London School of Economics on Saturday, Finance Minister Jaitley sought to turn incidents of student violence — in which ABVP highhandedness comes out clearly in various media reports — into a case of free speech. He even discovered a threat to the nation’s sovereignty from an “alliance of subversion” and went on to conclude “the separatists and the ultra-Left are speaking the same language in certain university campuses”. The facts do not justify the interpretations made. The violence at Ramjas College was over two JNU students being invited to a seminar. When the ABVP objected, the college cancelled the invitation. It is here the right to free speech is involved. Injuries to students, teachers and journalists and charges of police complicity point to a different narrative.Being on a power high, the BJP leaders, including a moderate Jaitley, see political virtue in the unruly ABVP boys. Nor have they cared to tell the Delhi Police to enforce the rule of law without bias. The lawyer in Jaitley shifted to a free speech bhashan: “If you believe, you have free speech to assault the sovereignty of the country, then be ready to concede free speech to counter that.” It is the ABVP that does not seem “ready to concede free speech”. If he meant those who raised anti-national slogans at JNU, well they have never been arrested. Both Kanahiya Kumar and Umar Khalid are out on bail. The leftists and Kashmiri separatists are ideologically apart. Where is the alliance?  The ABVP hurry to penetrate universities with or without state power is understandable. From Hyderabad to JNU, to Allahabad, Jodhpur and now Delhi University, it is the same story. Force and arrogance of authority rather than argument sometimes produce an unintended backlash, the kind seen in the popularity of the Facebook post of a Kargil martyr’s daughter which said: “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP”. Marxist-Leninist and Kashmiri groups have pockets of influence but none that should drive the country’s Finance Minister to make alarmist proclamations on foreign soil. He ended up prettifying the ABVP boorishness.   

‘She is not representing all martyrs and their kids’: Hooda on Gurmehar row

File photo of Randeep Hooda.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27A Kargil martyr’s daughter, whose social media campaign against the ABVP has gone viral, got caught up in a Twitter war on Monday with ex-cricketer Virendra Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda who called her a “political pawn”.The 20-year-old, Gurmehar Kaur, a Delhi University student, had started the campaign ‘I am not afraid of ABVP’, following the violence at Ramjas College, which went viral and received a massive support from students of various universities.Hooda, who faced a lot of flak for his posts, refused to be cowed down and in a Facebook post wrote, “This girl’s voice is important, but not more important than every other citizen. She is in no way representing all the martyrs and their children. It’s her personal opinion and should be taken as such.”Further clearing the air Hooda wrote: “As for being insensitive to a martyr’s daughter, let me tell you that six of my classmates have sacrificed their lives for the nation and so have many others, senior and junior to me. Every village in my state has martyrs who have been saluted for more than two centuries. Yes, war is wrong but we didn’t start it or persevere with it. We don’t back down from protecting our borders even if it takes our loved ones away. How do we deal with it ? With ironical humour!!”

Mumbai, Feb 26 (PTI) Amid the controversy over an Army jawan describing the menial duties a Sahayak is entrusted with by the Army officers and their families, comes the tale of a senior Army officer flying all the way from Canada to attend a wedding in his Sahayaks family.

For Col G S Ghuman, all it took was a call from his former buddy – as Sahayaks are known in the Army – inviting him to attend his sons wedding.

Havildar Balagowda Raigowda Patil worked as the Colonels buddy for almost two decades, before the two retired from the Army around 10 years ago.

“He (Patil) is family. How could I say no? I had to attend his sons wedding. So here I am, in India,” Col Ghuman told PTI.

The feeling was reciprocated by Patil, who said, “Saabs (Col Ghuman) mother treated me like her fourth son. Saab also never treated me as a junior but like a brother.”

“I was with saab since the IPKF days in Sri Lanka. I never felt humiliated as a buddy,” Patil, who retired in 2006, said.

Col Ghuman retired the next year. Both were in the 25 Madras Regiment, where Patils son, who got married recently, is posted as an Army jawan.

The wedding took place at Patils native place, around 50 kms from Belgaum.

Col Ghuman also used this trip to reconnect with former jawans in his unit, and travelled to places like Mangalore, Kochi and Hyderabad to meet them and their families, before flying back to Canada.

Col Ghumans gesture comes amid reports that the Army is contemplating withdrawing combat soldiers working as Sahayaks from peace stations across the country and post them back to their field formations.

Called by various names like orderly and batman, the sahayak/buddy has been, and remains, an intrinsic part of an Army officers life.

“A buddy forms a strong relationship with his officer that remains even after retirement. A wrong idea is being put across that combat manpower is being misused for the benefits of officers and their families,” he said.

Last month, after Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh posted a video complaining about the Sahayak system, the Army has stipulated that buddies should not to be detailed for looking after pets, toddlers and children and also should not be assigned for washing the private vehicles of officers. PTI VT ARS PTP

Retired Col travels from Canada on Sahayak’s call

Mumbai, February 26

It’s a buddy tale. A retired Colonel of 25 Madras Regiment has come all the way from Canada to attend the wedding of his former Sahayak’s son.The friendship between the officer and the Sahayak is in contrast to some recent cases of the Sahayaks being misused or abused by the officers. For Col GS Ghuman (retd), all it took was a call from his former ‘buddy’ — as Sahayaks are known in the Army — inviting him to attend his son’s wedding.Havildar Balagowda Raigowda Patil worked as the Colonel’s ‘buddy’ for almost two decades, before the two retired from the Army around 10 years ago.“He (Patil) is family. How could I say no? I had to attend his son’s wedding. So here I am, in India,” Col Ghuman said. The feeling was reciprocated by Patil, who said, “Saab’s (Col Ghuman) mother treated me like her fourth son. Saab also never treated me as a junior but like a brother.”“I was with him since the IPKF days in Sri Lanka. I never felt humiliated as a ‘buddy’,” Patil, who retired in 2006, said. Col Ghuman retired the next year. Both were in 25 Madras, where Patil’s son, who got married recently, is posted as a jawan.The wedding took place at Patil’s native place, around 50 km from Belgaum.Col Ghuman also used this trip to reconnect with former jawans in his unit. — PTI

There is an ideological change taking place in Kashmir. It needs to be countered, and the funding choked. Cases of mob attacks have increased because many who initiated violence were allowed to get away unpunished.

Protesters throwing stones at paramilitary forces after a village was cordoned off in South Kashmir on Wednesday. Tribune photo

The eruption of militancy in the Kashmir valley in 1989 and the subsequent terrorism has been long seen as an internal political issue, exploited by the ISI in cahoots with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (AHPC) in an attempt to dismember J&K from India. The recent intensification of mob violence, stone pelting episodes and even attempts to interfere in the Army’s operations have thrown open the question whether it continues to remain a purely political problem? There is evidence of ideological changes, which need to be identified, their impact studied and a way ahead found.Jammu and Kashmir has been the cradle of Sufi saints, often referred to as the “Muslim rishis”. It is through the preaching of these Sufi saints that Islam gained ground in the Valley. Some like Syed Sharaf Uddin Rahman (Bulbul Shah), Mir Muhammad Hamdan, Noor ud-din Noorani (Nand Rishi), and Hazrat Baba Payamudin (Baba Rishi) left an indelible imprint on the lives of the people of J&K. It grew as a mature society, inclusive of all religions. Where does it stand today?The arrival of militancy and the consequential terrorism in Kashmir has led to wanton destruction of schools, factories and infrastructure. The law and order machinery in the state has been paralysed, the youth subverted and encouraged to take up arms, and Kashmiri Pundits forced to flee. It has been a breakdown of the age-old culture and tradition of peaceful co-existence. The worst was the burning of Charar-e-Sharief, a bastion of Kashmiriyat, by terrorists from Pakistan. People of the Valley remained mute spectators to this unsavoury assault.Amidst intense anti-terrorist operations of the 1990s, the Army launched operations to ‘win hearts and minds of people’ that had gone astray. It was formalised as “Op Sadbhavana” in late 1997. Its five-pronged approach was to revitalise education, health care, community development, improvement of infrastructure and youth development. By 2010, over Rs 400 crore allocated by the Centre had been spent on various schemes under Op Sadbhavana. Government schools were restored and Army Goodwill Schools (AGSs) established. Intense counter-terrorist operations coupled with Op Sadbhavana yielded positive results. The casualty rate in 2006 came down to 1,116, against 5,204 in 2000. The number of tourists in the Valley jumped to 7 lakh from less than 1 lakh. The economy of the state started growing by 5-7 per cent from 2006 to 2010.The state has a large number of Waqf Board schools and madarsas run by Deobandi organisations. Against 30 AGSs, the madarsas are more than double, many of which have affiliations with terrorist organisations in Pakistan. It is these madarsas, coupled with mosques supported by the APHC, that are responsible for subverting minds of the youth to make them pro-Pakistan and anti-Indian establishment. This continuous assault on Kashmiriyat is instrumental in the change of ideology.Since 2010, separatist leaders have managed to re-group. The cases of Pakistan/ISIS flags being waved, stone-pelting mobs, attacks on police station, looting of banks, burning of schools and youth development centres have witnessed an abrupt rise. The few who initiated violence and escaped without retribution were elevated to exalted positions and became influential. This encouraged bystanders to join as active participants. The violence reached a crescendo in 2016 in the aftermath of the killing of Burhan Wani, who was a Hizbul Muzahideen terrorist.Troops operating in the Valley In the early 1990s also faced mob violence. Though the Army operated with restraint, those responsible for acts of violence were given a clear message to stop or face the music. By 1996, when the first elections were held, mob violence had stemmed and the situation continued to improve till its resurgence in 2010. The occurrence of recent mob assault on the troops deployed in Handwara is a repetition of the past. General Rawat’s warning to the supporters of terrorists/separatists that hereafter they would be treated as anti-nationals is the need of the hour. There is an ideological change taking place in the Valley – a clear departure from Sufism to violent Islam. It needs to be countered – their funding needs to be choked.A number of people from the Valley have moved to other tourist centres in India and set up businesses. A case in point is Jew Town in Cochin, which has nearly 40 per cent stores run by Kashmiris, including some ‘hardliners’. Cochin is an important naval base. The presence of ISI moles in various parts of India is a well-known fact. There is a need to keep tabs on the hardliners’ funding. It is estimated that terror funds to the tune of thousands of crores annually flow into the Valley. Demonetisation was one attempt to block this funding, but the recent discovery of fake currency has put a question mark on its efficacy. There has to be multiplicity of effort on this front.Peace could return to the Valley if the lost culture of Kashmiriyat/Sufism is restored and the gun culture curtailed. It is the people of the state who have to realise this, and do it themselves. Followers of a moderate Islam have to find their voice for the sake of their future generations. The government has been talking to all stakeholders, including the separatists/AHPC, for a long time. It may be time to leave them in a limbo to generate space for the moderate voices if the country has to find a solution to the Kashmir imbroglio.