Kashmir has been bleeding for the past three months. Hundreds of people have lost their lives while scores have been injured. The all party meeting chaired by Dr. Manmohan Singh in Delhi on 15th of September was expected to provide relief to the people. It was supposed to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Central government can alone explain why it had to wait for three months to convene this meeting? Both India and Pakistan are equally responsible for the sufferings of the people.  The Indus Water Treaty of 1960 deprived the J&K state  to harness its established power potential of 20,000 mega watts which would have not only made it economically self reliant but also capable of giving loans to others. On the other hand the GoI is generating about 3000 mega watts of power from the state’s rivers and filling its coffers. The present PM’s orders  five years back for handing over Sallal Hydro Project which has earned much more than the investment to the State are yet to be implemented. Not to speak of representation of Kashmiris in the central services, corporations, governors, ambassoders, non Kashmiri retired IAS officers are  occupying  some of the key positions in the State. Having learnt a bitter lesson all these 63 years, the people of the state can no longer be lured by economic and employment packages. Both India and Pakistan will have to fulfill the assurances made in the UNO so that the position of the Jammu and Kashmir is restored as it stood at the time of partition of the sub-continent in 1947. It will lead to the era of peace and prosperity in the sub-continent.
Er. S R S Madni
Formerly Secretary
Water Resources
Govt.of J&K

Avoid trouble 
Omar Abdullah should make it obligatory on all members to attend the session barefoot and the shoes near the desk of speaker so as to avoid the apprehension of hurling the same on him putting him to embrassment.
 
Mehbooba Khalid Fazili
mkfazili@gmail.com
Canton-MI,USA

Rigid India
This refers to the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir Valley. India is not serious in addressing the crisis. It is rigid in its stand vis-à-vis Kashmir. How can the crisis end when the Indian politicians are not ready to accept Kashmir as a disputed territory even though they say it is a complex problem.
Suhail Majeed
Wanihama

No outcome
This refers to the much-hyped all-party delegation visit to Kashmir. I think the meeting failed to yield any result. The separatist leaders reiterated their respective stands on the Kashmir issue. So the members failed to break ice. This is the time to act, not to issue statements only. India must realize that Kashmir is a complex problem which needs to be addressed seriously. It is a cosmetic approach when New Delhi sends a delegation to assess the situation in Kashmir which they already know. The pro-India politicians have already told them what the real issues in Kashmir are.
Showkat Majeed
Hutmurah, Islamabd

Not autonomy
This refers to the news “NC pitches for autonomy.” The ruling National Conference has been beating the drum of autonomy for long now. But it has not been able to get it sanctioned from New Delhi. The first thing Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah must realize is that people of Kashmir are not demanding Aazadi. They are not demanding jobs in government sector. They want right to self determination. They want justice. Over 100 civilians have been killed in three months. It is a big tragedy. How can we forget it.
Muneer Wani
Student
SP College
 
I wonder
What a way to assess the situation in Kashmir! One wonders with people placed under curfew, how would have the all-party delegation to Kashmir got feedback about the future course of action.
Mubarak Ahmad Shah
shahmubarakahmad@yahoo.com

Freedom struggle
The struggle for freedom in India spread throughout the country [1905-1947]. The countrywide mass struggle resumed on a scale much bigger than before. Grievance and anger of Indian people resulted in the war against British government. There were riots, lathi charges, hartals and processions in every part of country. The government let loose a reign of terror and there were arrests throughout the country. People in anger also took to violent activities. People attacked government property. There were clashes with the police at many places. The government imposed restrictions on the publication of news. Government tried to suppress the people by showing the power of gun. Millions of people were killed and number of people including political leaders, like Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abdul Kalam Azad, Subhash Chandra Bose, C.R Das, Lala Lajpat Rai, Srinivas Iyengar, Sarat Chandra Bose etc. arrested. Shadow of depression and terror spread all over the country. Isn’t this situation quiet similar to the situation prevailing in Kashmir? In my opinion people of Kashmir are going through the same situation which people of India had gone through sixty three years back. Now today after sixty three years why can’t the Indian government and Indian people understand the feelings and problems of Kashmiri people? Why pursue double standards?
Nousheen Wajahat Shah
E-mail

Why anger?
In recently concluded All Party Meeting, Congress President Sonia Gandhi in her address asked the reasons behind the anger of Kashmiri youth. It is naive to pose such questions when the reality is quite evident. Your Security Forces are killing our younger generation, humiliating our elders, disrespecting our women and destroying our properties. Are not these enough reasons for our youth to be angry? How would Gandhi feel if a security bunker is erected in her backyard to keep a vigil on her every movement?  Our youth are born amid turmoil. They have witnessed extreme human rights violence when they grew up. It is the manifestation of this that forces them to take to streets.
Firdous Khan
Vancouver, Canada

Condemnable statement
This refers to Barrack Obama’s statement “Kashmir problem is an internal affair of India.” The statement is highly condemnable and shows America’s lack of interest in the Kashmir issue. The international community should react to the statement. Kashmir is a dispute which has been accepted by the UNO as well.
Sajad Giri
Pochhal (Kishtwar)

Unexplored wealth
This refers to our unexplored wealth which if tapped can work wonders.
Fifty Million years ago, Tethyan sea, Mesozoic era ocean existed between the continents of Gondwanaland and Laurasia. The movement of Indian Plate against Eurasian plate produced, the Himalayas and the valley of Kashmir between Zanskar and Pir Panjal. The organic matter of Tethyan sea got sub-ducted and geotectonic study confirms the clue for entrapment of hydrocarbons in J&K. Pressure and temperature over the years stabilized the hydrocarbon traps within the rocks of Proterozoic and Plio-pleistocene formations. Migration of hydrocarbons during the organic episodes with entrapment between two opposing movements; resulted in oil field of Potwar basin and Sui but the other side, Kashmir, remains unexplored hitherto. Detailed field data collected by me shows the possibilities of oil and Gas at following localities:
1.Triangle between Tangmarg/Sopore/Kupwara; with huge gas shows recorded till date.
2.Anticline at Khrew(jawalaji asthapan).
3.Ramkote Anticline, Nar-Budhan Dome of Kotli, Domes of Reasi and anticline in Murrees near Udhampur.
4.Freshly broken limestone/shale; emit kerosene smell at Mandi, Banihal and Klakote.
5.Stratigraphic traps throughout the valley.
In USA 25% of power is generated through Natural Gas at a price of USD 5.50 per 1000 cubic feet. In J&K if Horizontal Drilling Technology is undertaken it is bound to unlock stunning amounts of Natural Gas in the length and breadth of the state thus making it a prosperous entity. It will be cleaner than coal, cheaper than oil and above everything; supply under our feet.
Haji Abdul Majid Butt  GEOSCIENTIST
Buffalo, New York, USA
ambutt13@yahoo.co.in

Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST