Finding Kashmir's Pain in London

``but my question still remains unanswered... why wouldn`t india give kashmiris the right to decide their own fate ``

The same reason Kashmiri Muslims suppress the aspirations of Kashmiri Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. There is no ``Kashmir`` problem, its a Kashmiri Muslim problem.

Strains of homeland, on Hello Kashmir


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Air waves have become their only link to their homeland. For migrant Kashmiri Hindus, Radio Kashmir’s Hello Kashmir—a phone-in programme—is a bridge that connects them to their native land which they left 16 years ago.

At 10 pm every Saturday, when anchor Mohammad Hussain Zaffar, a local Kashmiri Muslim, airs the messages, it is all nostalgia and tears that constantly interrupt the voices. There are messages of longing, but unlike the polarised landscape of Kashmir politics, there are no villains for this pain as common Kashmiri Hindus put ‘‘unfortunate happenings, bad times and destiny’’ to be responsible for their migration.

In his message from Faridabad, UP, 95-year-old Kashinath Koul of village Ratnipora, Pulwama says that he misses the shade of the mighty chinar tree of his village. ‘‘I miss sitting with Ghulam Kak, Mahad Joo, Salam Dar, with whom I would chat under the chinar. I was a teacher and I am proud to have taught 2500 students. Most of them were Muslim,’’ Koul says in his message.

He concludes with the Persian prayers that were a regular feature at his school assembly and says he remembers all his neighbours and students.

The programme plays messages from all over India and majority of callers are migrant Hindus now living all across the length and breadth of the country.

Zaffar, who is also the devisor of Hello Kashmir, says the programme runs on ‘‘emotions and personal efforts. Radio Kashmir often gets the messages recorded personally. We also collect phone numbers and make calls from the studio’’.

The most touching message he has received so far, Zaffar says, is from a Kashmiri migrant professor MA Kaul from Habba Kadal, Srinagar, who rang up Hello Kashmir and talked for half an hour about his life in the valley. ‘‘He was nostalgic to the extent that he was crying during the whole conversation.’’

To Zaffar’s astonishment, at the end of the call Prof Kaul revealed that the corpse of his wife who had died on the same day was lying before him. ‘‘He could not hold himself when someone asked him to talk about Kashmir.’’

Zaffar says at that time even he had burst into tears. ‘‘Such is the emotional bond that makes Hello Kashmir possible...Separation is part of the human destiny. Circumstances beyond our control force us to move ahead, leaving behind people we love, things we cherish, and times we spent together.’’

The first programme was aired on 15 August 2002 and since then it has received an overwhelming response. Major publicity campaigns are carried out in all major radio stations of the country. Arrangement is made for Kashmiris residing in north and south India to get their messages recorded at any of the local radio stations.

‘‘This is the only programme that has zero financial investment. The programme is talked and discussed in every board meeting of All India Radio,’’ says Zaffar. He ends every programme on a signature line: ‘‘We meet and part, to meet again.’’

Re: # 163

you can make a good orator or a good debater but that doesn`t make your arguments more logical or more true....

and how can u be so sure that the blast were done by shias.... it could just be another farce.....

and do u think that the sindhis or the pakhtoons will opt to leave pakistan if given the choice, it`s just a small minority of people who foster such `ambitious` aspirations unlike kashmir where an ``overwhelming`` majority wants to get rid of the oppressors

and most of those kashmiris that you think are ``with`` india are only because they`ve lost hope after all these bloody and gory years and they`d rather live in slavery rather than die for freedom (and i don`t blame them for that)

but my question still remains unanswered... why wouldn`t india give kashmiris the right to decide their own fate (and now pls dont start with .... why wouldn`t pakistan give balochis the right to ... why wouldn`t pak give sindhis the ..... blaah blaah, we all know that this is just pointless and not the thing in question)

Re: # 161
dont get too ``scientific`` about it.... it`s just that the clock at chowk has lost it and showing ``am`` as ``pm`` and vice versa

http://www.saag.org/papers18/paper1758.html


05. 04. 2006

BALOCH FREEDOM STRUGGLE GATHERS FURTHER MOMENTUM

The freedom struggle, being waged by the people of Balochistan in Pakistan, continues to gather momentum despite the ruthless military operations launched by Pakistan`s President General Pervez Musharraf since December last year.

2. The deployment of over 40,000 Pakistani troops and para-military forces

---

with many of them shifted from North and South Waziristan, where they were engaged on the hunt for Osama bin Laden and other remnants of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the Jundullah and various Chechen groups-- and the use air strikes have not had any negative impact on the freedom struggle and on the determination of the Balochs not to let themselves be defeated this time........

#162 by kaami on April 11, 2006 3:15pm PT

>>>> bottom line still remains that the fate of the kashmiris MUST lie in kashmiris` hands and that`s one basic right that they are being brutally deprived of ......

the fate of the Balochis MUST lie in Balochis` hands ...
the fate of the Sindhis MUST lie in Sindhis` hands...
the fate of the Pashtoons MUST lie in Pashtoons` hands...
the fate of the Shias MUST lie in Shias` hands (message conveyed today in Karachi)


>>>> just because the pigoen closes its eyes doesn`t mean that the cat isn`t there anymore.....

Who is the pigeon here?

>>>>we (as in most pakistanis) do not want the ``piece`` of land that is kashmir... what we want is the ``peace`` of land...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha h ha ha ha ha ha ha ha h a ah ah haa ha.....
I`m laughin all the way to Karachi.

Re: # 159

regarding the treatment that is given to the minorities in pakistan, i`m not all for the treatment given to minorities but basically, the minorities in pakistan are ``at the worst`` neglected..... it`s not that we kill hindus or christians just because they are hindus or christians....

some shia and sunni fanatics do kill poeple of other sects based on their beliefs but that`s a different ball game.. they are both muslims, and shias in pakistan are not a minority as such... they are in considerable numbers

<>
from where did you cook that up....

and whatever u like to think the bottom line still remains that the fate of the kashmiris MUST lie in kashmiris` hands and that`s one basic right that they are being brutally deprived of ......
c`mon people, wake up to it.... just because the pigoen closes its eyes doesn`t mean that the cat isn`t there anymore..... be brave and try and face it just for once.... give the kashmiri their basic right of plebiscite

and for that matter, we (as in most pakistanis) do not want the ``piece`` of land that is kashmir... what we want is the ``peace`` of land...

#160 by aquaris on April 11, 2006 2:31pm PT

Yup..the earth is flat and everyone is in the same timezone..

#156

By bharath.......!! ..... an Indian.....?????

``
SHIAS constitute a different nation. Their inalienable rights
for freedom can not be denied. Today SHIAS are indulging
in DAD in Karachi- Direct Action Day ``





At least 50 martyred in massive Karachi blast

http://www.geo.tv/geonews/details.asp?id=114454&newscategory=pakistan




whats the story Mr...!!!!!

how did you knew before hand......

your post 11:30 am..... and the blast took place during Maghrib Prayers...
!!!!

Re: # 158
>>>.>Is it a coincidence that Shia muslims support India ?

(It was startegically important)but in 1999 Kargil was selected by lead Sunni Mush because of its Shia population. Shias in Baltistan are completely muzzled, and Kaami givs a damn for their human rights.

Re: # 155
> from where did the religion come into the equation...

From observation. Partition never was a question of human rights ... it was always bout
religion. (Boy, and I am thankful for it :)...
Similarly - is it coincidence that Kashmiri Hindus support India ? Is it a coincidence that
Kashmiri budhdhists support India ? Is it a coincidence that sunni kashmiris oppose india ( at
least most of them) ? Is it a coincidence that Shia muslims support India ?

Somehow I think it is a question of religion ....

As for the human rights - all of us here in india get almost the same human rights,,, not
counting Bihar. Hindus have lesser rights there !
And you know and I know what happens to minorities in muslim majority countries ...

Re: # 155
``it`s more about human rights``

Whaaaaaaaaat? Human rights? u know what it is?

Do you give human rights to Ahmadiyas in Sunnistan?
(forget about the feeble Hindus)

Re: # 155
``it`s more about human rights``

Whaaaaaaaaat? Human rights? u know what it is?

Do you give human rights to Ahmadiyas in Sunnistan?
(forget about the feeble Hindus)

re:#150 by masanamuthu on April 11, 2006 9:05am PT
,>>>>who is the `oppressor` and `oppressed` in this case..

SHIAS are the oppressed and u kno who r the oppressors.

SHIAS may live in different regions of Sunnistan , SHIAS may
eat the same food, SHIAS may live in shia majority mohallas, there
may be SHIA majority towns across the length and breadth
of Sunnistan, SHIAS may even speak the same languages,

but...

SHIAS constitute a different nation. Their inalienable rights
for freedom can not be denied. Today SHIAS are indulging
in DAD in Karachi- Direct Action Day

If my above comment sounds like a statement made by
Mamood-AL-Jin-Jin Aha, it is only a coincidence!!!!!!!!
LET FREEDOM RING.

Re: # 154
from where did the religion come into the equation... and that too from an indian (read secular) ?
it`s more about human rights, i think


and by the way, i appreciate the fact that u chose to reply to my `interact` in an amicable way, unlike most interactors here

Re: # 153
Is it a coincidence that it comes from a muslim kashmiri ? Is it a coincidence that the
supporters are only muslim Pakistanis ? Is it a coincidence that it is opposed by non-muslim
indians ?

I beg to differ too :)