Give Audiences A Break!

Onscreen Shouting And 'Potbelly' Dancing
'Of English Speaking Gundas, Gundis and Crybabies'
By: Gowhar Geelani
Imagine a potbellied disreputable street politician sharing a platform with living legend Imran Khan on a television channel and then discussing the art of fast bowling, the swing, reverse swing and the seam movement. How ugly it'd appear onscreen is anybody's guess! That is exactly what usually happens when some of the Indian television channels, if not all, extend an open and unqualified invitation to this modern crybaby named Aditya Raj Kaul to spit venom left, right and center. I don't know whether he belongs to the Right-wing or the Ultra-right wing. Neither do I want to know. Come on, does this guy deserve such attention? All that the saner minds would want is that someone please clip his wings, whether they be Right or the Ultra-right. Give audiences a break! Don't insult their wisdom and intelligence. Please. For belly dance and solo performances of shouting, there are plenty of nightclubs available! Spare the television studios.

Yasin Malik, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front [JKLF], has, of late, developed an uncanny knack of giving even sexier soundbites than before. On one of the Indian television channels the other day, Malik profiled Mr. Kaul as an "English speaking gunda." Only previous year, the JKLF chief had, with a no non-sense attitude, said to the Editor-in-Chief of the Times Now, Mr. Arnab Goswami, that he was "intellectually bankrupt". All Mr. Goswami could say in response was this: "Thank you". Despite serious objections on Mr. Goswami's deliberate distortions with respect to the serious discourses on Kashmir, he deserves some grace marks here for keeping his cool.

The recent television debate on the CNN-IBN was about Mr. Prashant Bhushan, the senior lawyer and a key member of Team Anna, who was beaten to the pulp by three men inside his chamber in the Indian Supreme Court on October 12th, Wednesday, late afternoon. Mr. Bhushan had committed an unforgivable crime. An unpardonable sin. He had apparently favoured a referendrum, a direct popular vote, in the politically disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the media reports, the assaulters belong to a lesser known Hindu Right-wing group, 'Sri Ram Sene'. Reports also suggest that some of these attackers are associated with 'Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena'.

Anyway, the attack on Mr. Bhushan is not surprising. Because this sick bunch and all those self-styled custodians of the Indian nationalism and protectors of country's pride have been carrying out such exorbitant assaults in the past too. The appalling attacks on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Chandigarh [November 26th 2010] and Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani in New Delhi during a seminar on Kashmir are the recent examples of their unruly behaviour. Violence is their tried and tested weapon. They hate civil behaviour. They romance hate speech and deliver their verdicts through punches, kicks and slaps.

Mr. Kaul is of the view that such acts of bullying behaviour are, in fact, "manifestation of anger". Shazia Illmi, a journalist and also a member of Team Anna, gave him an intelligent response by describing hooliganism as "manifestation of complete stupidity". That's really like calling him a dolt. According to Illmi, those who counter alternative view points only through acts of vandalism are stupids of a rowdy brigade. And those who advocate such acts are exactly like Mr. Kaul. They refuse to improve the quality of their argument. All they're good at is shouting. That's it.

What exactly did Mr. Bhushan say? "Remove the draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act [AFSPA] and Disturbed Areas Act, and respect the right to freedom of expression in Kashmir. And if Kashmiris are still not satisfied with India, hold a plebiscite as demanded by them, and as promised by us. If Kashmiris want a separate state; so be it, their aspirations should be respected. In my view there's nothing wrong in that."

But according to Thackerays, Modis, Bhagwats, and now; small fishes in the filthy pond like Kauls too, there's nothing right in what Mr. Bhushan has said. Fair enough. Counter Bhushan's argument with genuine logic and sound reasoning. "What does that mean," would perhaps be their response!

Surprisingly, even Mr. Anna Hazare--who in Kashmir too was respected by many for his ongoing fight against murky corruption and scams in India, distanced himself from Mr. Bhushan by declaring that Kashmir remains an "integral part" of India. He even threatened to review his decision of keeping Bhushan with him, or, even ousting him from his famous brigade named Team Anna. If this is Shri Anna's stance on moral corruption in politics, then God save the Indians! Arvind Kejriwal, another key member of Team Anna, also didn't agree with Mr. Bhushan's remarks on Kashmir. When one is made to read the distorted history pages and doctored text books, this is the expected consequence.

After the latest unfortunate episode [attack on Mr. Bhushan], I wonder what the conversation between Shri Anna Hazare and Mr. Prashant Bhushan would have been like. Perhaps somewhat on these lines:
Mr Bhushan's explanation to Anna: "Anna Jee, I did no wrong by favouring a plebiscite in Kashmir. It is our moral duty to support a genuine struggle of Kashmiris."
Anna's reply: "Our team was formed only to continue fight against the financial corruption in India."
Bhushan: "But why? That's grossly unfair!"
Anna: "Since the moral conscience of the majority in India is dead, I can't take such a risk. And honestly, I, too, am morally corrupt, if not financially. Tell me, who will follow me and our team if I start supporting Kashmiris?"
Bhushan: "Thank you. Then I'm happy to be labelled a seditionist or a Maoist sympathizer if the act of advocating people's rights has been declared a crime in modern India!"
Anna: "Iss Mudde Pai Ab Aur Baat Nahin Hogee [There will be no further discussion on this topic.]"

There the conversation ends.

Welcome to the elite club of anti-nationals and seditionists, Mr. Bhushan. After people like Arundhati Roy--celebrated author and social activist, and Gautam Navlakha--a renowned human rights defender, it is your turn Mr. Prashant Bhushan to listen to the 'ghazal' of democracy.

What Mr. Bhushan has said is nothing new. He's actually expressed his views quite in tune with India's first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, who promised a plebiscite in Kashmir. Independent history books, our own elders whose old eyes have been witness to the wretched history of injustices and denials in Kashmir, and many historians of international repute inform us that Pandit Nehru, in a broadcast to his nation on 3 November 1947, said this: "We have declared that the fate of Kashmir is ultimately to be decided by the people. That pledge we have given not only to the people of Kashmir and to the world. We will not and cannot back out of it." After that in his letter [No. 368, dated 21 November 1947], addressed to the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, Nehru wrote: "I have repeatedly stated that as soon as peace and order have been established, Kashmir should decide of accession by Plebiscite or referendum under international auspices such as those of United Nations."

Mr. Nehru could express such views on Kashmir, because it was still Gandhi's India then! Mr. Bhushan can't even repeat what has already been promised to Kashmiris, because it's modern India now!! Put as many exclamation marks as would please you.
Gowhar Geelani is a Kashmiri journalist with more than 10 years of professional experience, both at the national and international level.
feedback at gowhargeelani@gmail.com

Democracy On Sale In Kashmir

Sequel of 'Ghayal' Could Be Shot in Kashmir!
By: Gowhar Geelani
Disclaimer:
All characters appearing in this film are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Plot:
Recall Sunny Deol [Ajay Mehra] starrer 'Ghayal' [1990]. Ghayal, a Hindi word, meaning, the wounded. As an amateur boxer, Sunny Deol, finds out that his brother, Raj Babbar [Ashok Mehra], is missing. His inquiries and a complaint lodged with the Police only lead him to pain, agony and eventually disaster. Sunny is frustrated. And then, Raj Babbar's body is found. Ironically, Sunny is charged with murdering his own brother, and having an illicit relationship with Raj's wife, his sister-in-law, Moushmi Chatterjee. In prison, Sunny gets new friends in hardcore convicts. But all of them are good at heart. They make a special and much needed offer to Sunny. After preparing a well-crafted plan, they escape the prison by overpowering the policemen and security guards. Thus begins Sunny's just struggle, which ends with the death of the dreadful villain, Amrish Puri [Balwant Rai]. And the rest is history.

Now, set aside the reel world. Welcome to the real world. Concentrate on the characters, their roles and the plot.

Those who have watched this Filmfare Awards' winning movie would recall why Raj Babbar was killed and by whom? Who the villain was and how much power and influence did he enjoy? It is not that difficult to find some character resemblance to the recent mysterious death of Mr. S M Y Shah, a National Conference sympathizer, in Kashmir. Deceased Shah's son seems convinced about who has killed his father and why? One prime eyewitness also seems sure that Mr. Shah was interrogated at the Chief Minister's residence/office. Is it [the CM's office] the interrogation centre, where Mr. Shah was allegedly manhandled and threatened of dire consequences? "Shah was fine and healthy when he entered the CM's office. He vomited blood once he came out," says Abdul Salam Reshi, Kokernag. The second witness, Mohammad Yousuf, Ganderbal, could be the key. But he has zipped his lips. We're told that he'd only speak to the judicial commission.

The bribe-givers belong to the incredible National Conference. The one demanding the bribe, now the deceased Mr. S M Y Shah, too belonged to the National Conference. The final destination where the huge amounts of cash money had to reach, it seems, also was the party National Conference.

In times of Dusshera, Diwali and Eid the Indian democracy is on sale in Kashmir. For a ministerial berth it is probably only one crore rupee [INR]. If your desire is to confirm a seat in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council, don't worry! You'll get a 50 percent discount. The rate is only 50 lakh rupee. These rates, however, are fixed. This damn good offer may not remain valid till eternity or after the festive season is over. The practice, albeit, is going to continue. There will be new rates in new seasons. And if, by chance; there is a change of guard, what is going to happen then? The new governments will have their say in determining the new price tag! The Peoples' Deceptive Party [a new term coined by a journalist friend from the Valley] too will want to take advantage of the new marketing and management skills of politics in modern times.

The whole media is biased. The opposition is unfair and spreading lies after lies. The son of the deceased, S M Y Shah, is not speaking the truth. The victim family too is lying. The eyewitness, Mr. Reshi, is not being impartial. We all are biased. Only Mr. Farooq Abdullah, his son, Mr. Omar Abdullah, their cohorts and nodding goats are telling us the truth! That's the verdict from the royal family. We've no choice but to accept it on the face value.

One should always endeavour to be fair. Credit, therefore, must go where it is due. So, many many congratulations to the world's largest democracy, India, for developing a new culture of sale in festive season in Kashmir. Earlier Kashmiris would often cry about the price hike, especially during the important festivals. Now, the situation seems under control and ever improving on this front.

What has been revealed in the short and sweet press conferences by the son, Omar Abdullah, and his able father, Farooq Abdullah, so far, is only suggestive. And what has been deliberately kept hidden by the wise father-son duo is essential! Shri Anna Hazare's assignments are getting tougher with each passing day.

May I bother you again? Sorry for this. Recall 2010 Kashmir summer uprising. Sagacious statesman, Farooq Abdullah answering a volley of questions thrown at him by Karan Thapar. Yes, in the audience's favourite television programme, "Devil's Advocate".
Karan's Question:
"Your party, the National Conference passed a resolution for the restoration of autonomy, New Delhi rejected it; your party demanded partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), New Delhi rejected it; you, your son and your party demanded change in the status quo in Kashmir; New Delhi rejected it too, aren't you disappointed, isn't your party marginalized, isn't your credibility eroded?
Farooq's answer:
"No, not at all. I'm not disappointed. Credibility is a temporary thing, it isn't important. It comes and goes. What do you want me to do? Should I jump into a well?
Interjection:
Even jumping into a well needs some credibilty!

Scenario after the alleged custodial death of Mr. S M Y Shah:
Scene:
Mr. Omar has been clean bowled on all tracks in all seasons. He's failed to score on all major issues that include the issue of governance, arresting corruption, and safeguarding the human rights. Farooq Abdullah bats for his son, Omar Abdullah. Mr. Farooq addresses a press conference. One of the journalists asks him a question with regards to the unquestionable eroded credibility of his party, the National Conference. Visibly perturbed, both mentally and emotionally, Mr. Farooq talks about his party's credibility and even dares the scribes to go and ask the Cabinet Ministers and the Members of the J&K Legislative Council how much amount of money have they paid to secure their berths?
Interjection:
Why should we ask them if you, Mr Farooq, presumably know the answer! And rates may vary from season to season!!

Enough of this jaded negativity, cynicism and sarcasm. There are two ways of looking at a glass half-filled with water. It is half-empty for you, if you're a born cynic. The glass is half-filled, goes the optimistic expression. Let's be optimistic.

Disclosure of this fraudulent money business scheme highlights at least two positives for all of us. One that Kashmir is really growing and developing. People, especially, the sympathizers of the ruling National Conference have enough money. They're ever ready to pay 50 lakh rupee for securing a seat in the J&K LC and one crore rupee for confirming a ministerial berth. Who says there is dearth of money in Kashmir? Now, don't be negative again and start talking about those poor people, the majority. In most places, more than 70 percent of population survives in poor living conditions anyway. That's normal. Please stop being negative again and again.
Another positive is that Kashmiris will finally have some respite in festival times. So what if there are no discounts on the products meant for domestic consumption on important festivals like the Eid, Diwali and Dussehra? At least the Indian model of democracy is on sale in Kashmir. And it is no joke when the system of governance is put on sale!

So, rush and seize this opportunity.

By the way, where have all the bollywood masala scriptwriters gone? Remake or a sequel of 'Ghayal' could be shot in Kashmir this time!

Gowhar Geelani is a Kashmiri journalist with more than 10 years of professional experience, both at the national and international level.
feedback at gowhargeelani@gmail.com

Fact Finding In A Valley Of Versions Is Daydreaming!

By: Gowhar Geelani
Mehbooba Mufti should buy herself either a made in New Zealand or made in Singapore mirror. Both these countries score an impressive 9.3 points on Transparency International's corruption perception index of 2010. Made in India products are not trustworthy. India's score is paltry 3.3 and the country is ranked 87th. In that mirror of durable quality she'd be able to see the real face of her party and her own as president of the Peoples' Democratic Party [PDP]. Before making a passionate demand for Omar Abdullah's resignation in relation to the mysterious death of the National Conference [NC] sympathizer, Syed Mohammed Yousuf Shah in Police custody, September 30th, Friday, deceptive Mehbooba should have gone through her own party's history first. In a state of abstract musing and daydreaming, Mehbooba wants to make Kashmiris believe that Omar Abdullah will resign under her pressure. The words moral and morality have long been deleted from Kashmir's political lexicon. Omar Abdullah didn't feel the need to resign on moral grounds even when more than 112 persons, mostly teenaged boys, were killed in brutal Police action in 2010. Expecting him to resign over the death of one individual, and that too a party worker, in 2011 only means getting lost in reverie!

Normally, Kashmiris are used to give a patient hearing to the sermons delivered by religious clerics in mosques on Fridays, but Omar delivered his sermon in the guise of a press conference on Monday soon after the ugly display of tempers in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Moulana Iftikhar Ansari--known as dexterous cleric while delivering religious sermons to his followers and fans in some parts of the Valley --tried his hands on the pedestal fan present inside the J&K Assembly to hit the Speaker, Mohammed Akbar Lone. Perhaps with an intention to enhance his fan following, who knows? The Speaker, on his part, reacted like a disgruntled ticket collector of a flop circus show. In all such theatrics and exaggerated mannerisms, the focus on the death of NC sympathizer, Yousuf Shah vanished into thin air.

Mr. Omar Abdullah has dismissed all the allegations made against him by saying these were "beneath contempt". He's made all of us believe that the judicial inquiry ordered by his incredible government would separate water from milk. "Mera Qaatil Hee Mera Munsif Hai, Kya Merey Haq Main Faisla Daiga" [My murderer is my judge, will he deliver justice in my favour]. In a place as volatile as Kashmir Valley, the history of judicial probes has been no different from those locked wardrobes hidden in the basements, where everything fishy is kept secret. And this is an open secret. One doesn't require intelligence of a rocket scientist to understand this basic problem with judicial probes in Kashmir, a conflict-hit place.

I, for one, certainly don't know exactly under what circumstances did Mr. Yousuf Shah breathed his last. I don't know whether his was a natural death or otherwise. I don't know whether he was tortured first and murdered later. But, as a Kashmiri, I want to know. Like many Kashmiris, I too want to get to the bottom of the story, the truth, and all the facts leading to the death of Mr. Shah. For that to happen in ideal circumstances, all those suspected of playing any role whatsoever leading to his death must go. But, many of us know that is unlikely to happen in Kashmir.

Two fellow party workers, Muhammad Yousuf, Ganderbal, and Abdul Salam Reshi, Kokernag, have accused the 61-year-old Mr. Shah, a NC worker from South Kashmir's Anantnag district, of taking Rupees 1.18 crores from them for "assuring them a ministerial berth and a berth in the J&K Legislative Council." The government version on the issue is that the trio was called to the Chief Minister’s camp house on September 29th, late Thursday afternoon. All three, according to the statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, were handed over to the Crime Branch at Mr. Omar's residence for an inquiry in the matter, on the same day. "Yousuf died at police hospital following 'cardiac arrest' next day," the statement said. And this official statement itself raises too many serious questions than it seeks to answer.

Let's ask some of these questions, if not all, to Mr. Omar Abdullah, hoping that asking questions has not been declared a crime until now. There are, however, undeclared curfews. And most of us are also aware that only last year Mr. Noor Mohammad Bhat, a college lecturer, was arrested for asking a question: "Are stone pelters the real heroes? Discuss." But, let's take a chance and run the risk nevertheless.

If there were serious allegations of corruption levelled against Mr. Yousuf Shah, why a complaint was registered at Chief Minister's residence and not in a Police station? Is it that even the ruling party members have no faith left in the Police system? Why did Mr. Omar chose to act as a judge, jury and the hangman himself rather than advising the complainants to report to the Police? Mr. Yousuf Shah reportedly died while in police custody early on Friday morning. He was handed over to the Crime Branch by Mr. Omar for allegedly promising two party members senior positions in the government in exchange for huge amounts of money. Was Mr. Shah that influential and so close to Abdullah family that he could promise so big and so much? And if he was, is this how this government functions?

Mr. Omar has appealed the media to refrain from presenting an opinion in the guise of an objective report, not to editorialize the serious matter, not to twist the facts or distort them. But, Mr. Omar should also know that the journalists ideally have to present all sides of the story, that is, the version of the family members of the deceased Mr. Shah, the opposition in the PDP, the opinion of the common masses, and the views being expressed by the civil society on how this matter is being handled by the State Government; etc.

Despite an unprecedented gag on the media and censoring of free speech in Kashmir, Kashmiri journalists will still endeavour to behave a little differently than the Chief Minister's Public Relations Office or the State Information Department. Profuse apologies for this, Mr. Omar. An embattled politician, we assume, should know that the cases of criminal nature are neither solved at Chief Minister's residence/office nor by tweeting on the social networking sites. At least, you should trust the dubious institutions whose credibility is questioned by the majority for genuine reasons. Kashmir is a region where the two former heads of the State Human Rights Commission [SHRC] have described the institution they headed as "toothless tiger" and "dead horse".

After all, it is a grave matter. A death of a human being. Irrespective of the deceased Mr. Shah's political ideology, the questions about the human rights violations, if any, have to be asked. It is quite possible that for some sections of the populace in Kashmir, Mr. Shah may remain only a NC worker whose death shouldn't matter to them anyway. But for many Kashmiris he will remain a human being, who died in extremely questionable conditions. And all those important questions leading to Shah's suspicious death, therefore, must be asked and possibly answered too.
Fact Finding in a Valley of Versions, however, is almost daydreaming! Yes, a reverie.
　
Gowhar Geelani is a Kashmiri journalist with more than 10 years of professional experience, both at the national and international level.
feedback at gowhargeelani@gmail.com