Kashmir Conflict And The Lost Generations

Home - Commentators say that most children join protests propelled by their own bitter experiences.
“They are children of conflict. Most of such children are from poor families, and on many occasion they have witnessed brutalities. Their reaction is genuine, even though they might not know whose hands they are playing into,” said Sheikh Mushtaq, a senior Srinagar-based journalist.
Security personnel, however, beg to differ.
“There are many cases when we have found out that children are not even aware as to why they are on the streets protesting,” said SJM Gillani, inspector general of police, Kashmir.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which is often at the receiving end of the public’s ire, agrees. “These children also pelt stones. May be someone tells them to or they see others, but they do pelt stones and sticks sometimes,” said Ashish Kumar Jha, PRO of the CRPF, Kashmir.
But human rights activists allege that these children end up being treated as adults by security forces.

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India's Spin On Kashmir Dispute

Home - The announcement came after an "icebreaking" meeting in Islamabad between foreign ministers of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of a regional ministerial conference.  Top foreign ministry officials have been tasked to work out dates for holding the dialogue.

Monday in Islamabad, India’s enovy to Pakistan T.C.A. Raghavan predicted the “landmark development” in bilateral relations will lead to “major improvements” as the so-called Comprehensive Dialogue proceeds.

He said in the absence of “a meaningful” relationship” between India and Pakistan progress on long-running disputes like Kashmir will not be possible.

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Farooq Abdullah today said autonomy for the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the region under Pakistan’s control, and a porous Line of Control would result in a “happy situation” and described it as a “joint family” solution

Farooq said if Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) becomes Pakistan’s region with a “similar autonomy that we have” and borders become easy and accessible for everybody it would lead to a “happy situation” and settle “many problems of India and Pakistan”.
“Everybody from here can have access to that place and everybody from that Kashmir can have access to this place. So we can trade. Our boys can marry girls from there and their boys can marry girls from here. It will be like a joint family,” the NC patron told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Farooq said the “only trouble” in implementing the solution was that the “shops of those who want this trouble in Jammu and Kashmir to continue will close down”.
He said the NC had no problem in accepting any other solution that created good relations between India and Pakistan.
Responding to criticism about his earlier statement that Pakistan will hold on to its side of Kashmir and India will retain this side of Kashmir, Farooq said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also suggested it when he travelled to Pakistan.
“He (Vajpayee) had suggested to him (then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif) to keep that (Kashmir) and we keep this,” Farooq said, adding that there is no other solution.
“If they have any other solution and they think they can occupy that (Kashmir) with military force, why are they not doing it?” he said.

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India troops in deadly Kashmir gun battle

At least 10 people have been killed in a gun battle between Indian troops and suspected Pakistani militants in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

The clashes erupted after the gunmen infiltrated an abandoned army bunker in the Jammu region in Indian-administered Kashmir.

At least three civilians were among the dead, according to reports.

Pakistan and India have overlapping territorial claims in Kashmir and have fought two wars over the region.

The two countries are currently attending a regional trade summit in Nepal, but some observers say their rivalry has overshadowed attempts to strike a deal.

Thursday's fighting happened near an Indian army base in the town of Arnia, an area that saw deadly fighting between Pakistani and India troops in September.

A senior police official in Jammu told the BBC that about five militants gained access to the disused bunker.

After locals informed the border guard, troops were called in and began to surround the area, he said.

A gun battle then erupted, lasting for approximately six hours.

Civilians in the area - which is only 3km (2 miles) from the international border with Pakistan - were evacuated and schools closed down, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir since an anti-India uprising began in 1989.

In recent years violence has abated from its peak in the 1990s, but the causes of the insurgency are still far from resolved.

A ceasefire agreed in 2003 remains in place, but the nuclear-armed neighbours often accuse each other of violating it.

Last month both sides issued warnings to one another after violence in the region saw at least 19 civilians killed.

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