Epilogue because there is more to know www.epilogue.in CONTENTS Prologue 3 Editor in Chief Letters to the editor 4 Zafar Choudhary Hear & Hear Consulting Editor Who Said What 5 D. Suba Chandran Columns Associate Editor Keen Eye 6 Irm Amin Baig Ladakh Designs & Layout Agriculture 44 Keshav Sharma Interview 47 Mailing Address Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2008 Diary 49 PO Box 50, HO Gandhi Nagar, Jammu IN FOCUS Stop Press Fire 2008 Review of Media 51 Phones & email Office : +91 191 2493136 Reviews Jammu And Kashmir Editorial: +91 94191 80762 9 Movies 53 Administration: +91 94190 00123 Beginning Of The Endgame [email protected] Post-Agitation 18 Epilogue [email protected] Uphill Task For Jammu’s Politics, Economy From the Consulting Editor 56 [email protected] 22 Amarnath Confrontation : Is It Sureal ? Edited, Printed & Published by 26 Replay Of 90’s ? Zafar Choudhary for CMRD Still No Lessons From History Publications and Communications Find The Enemy Published from ‘Ibadat’, Madrasa 28 ...It Is Communalism Lane, Bhatindi Top, Jammu, J&K 33 Our Mis-Leaders, 39 Hectares Printed at Of Land And Seesaw Of Faith Dee Dee Reprographix, Jammu 35 Jam-Kash Showdown Clash Of Vested Interests Disputes, if any, subject to jurisdiction 39 Reconnecting Kashmir : of courts and competitive tribunals in Need For Reopening Traditional Routes Jammu only. 41 After 2500 Cr Loss, Eyes On Jhelum Valley Road Price : Rs 15 For more News, Views & Analysis Log on to www.epilogue.in Epilogue Ø 1 × September 2008 Epilogue b e c a u s e t h e r e i s m o r e t o k n o w Jammu & Kashmir Center For Contemporary Studies The J&K CCS, a non-profit institute, is engaged in research on issues of contemporary importance involving Jammu and kashmir ANNOUNCEMENT For an upcoming project on people of Jammu and Kashmir, the J&K CCS invites proposals from researchers, scholars, teachers, journalists and other dispassionate observers of life to write brief biographical account of the personalities listed below. It may be noted that the list is not complete and will be continuously updated during life of the project. Interested writers may also suggest names of people who, they believe, have contributed to change in Jammu and Kashmir. The biographical account involving a critical analysis of personality, successes, failures and contributions to various aspects of general life, shaping up thoughts and present positioning in the public space should be in around 2500 to 3000 words. A modest honorarium of Rs. 1000 is being offered for each submission. Any particular author can not write on more than two personalities. Interested authors are requested to list their choice of personality with J&K CCS before starting the assignment so as to avoid many authors writing on same person. THE PEOPLE Aagha Ashraf Ali • Muhammed Yusuf Taing • Prof Rehman Rahi • Syed Ali Shah Geelani • Syeda Aasiya Andrabi • ZG Muhammad • Khwaja Sonaullah Bhatt • Omar Abdullah • Farooq Abdullah • Mehbooba Mufti • Mufti Mohammad Sayeed • GM Shah • Mirwaiz Omar Farooq • Shabir Ahmed Shah • Mohammad Yasin Malik • Pervez Imroz • Mian Abdul Quyoom • Nighat Shafi Pandit • Prof Hamidi Kashmiri Contact : J&K CCS ‘Ibadat’ Madrasa Lane, Bathindi Top, Jammu Ph : (O) 0191 2493136 , 94191 80762 email : [email protected], [email protected] PROLOGUE FROM THE EDITOR Thus Begins The End Zafar Choudhary round three months back a rigging the1987 elections. Then it took front page story in Srinagar 20 years to restore some order of newspaper and later a much semblance. Yet no lessons were learnt. Epilogue detailed report also in a This time around the government in A because there is more to know Srinagar based magazine asked, “who Jammu and Kashmir which triggered the says separatists are not participating in Amarnath landmine was headed by elections?” At that time the buzzword in Congress. The Government in New Delhi EPILOGUE aims at providing a Kashmir was about the forthcoming is also headed by the Congress. Do we platform where a meaningful elections. Further explaining the still need to blame the Pakistan's ISI for exchange of ideas, opinion and argument, the story pointed out that all this mess? The worst scenario this thoughts can take place among the much of the separatist sentiment has time, however, is that there has been people and about the people of been consolidated by the mainstream dangerous fallout in Jammu –a place Jammu & Kashmir. The attempt is to political parties seeking to work under which endured everything silently and research, investigate, communicate the constitutional ambit. The reference welcomed everyone who felt insecure and disseminate information, ideas was to Peoples Democratic Party and in rest of the state. All those gaps which and alternatives for the resolution of the National Conference. One leading were required to be filled in for common problems facing the state example was given of Mohammad Yaqub achieving a larger goal of peace and and society of Jammu & Kashmir and Vakil –one of the founder members of stability have been widened. The gulf in the context of their significance to Hurriyat Conference –who joined the between Kashmir and New Delhi, the South Asia as a whole. PDP and was tipped to contest elections gulf between Kashmir and Jammu and from one of assembly constituencies in more dangerously the gulf between We welcome contributions from central Kashmir district of Badgam. various sections of society has never academics, journalists, researchers, Yaqub was not a case in isolation. He been as wide as it is being seen today. economists and strategic thinkers. was among at least three dozen such When things were normal no efforts We would also like to encourage politicians who continued to toe the were made to make people talk to each first-time writers with the only separatist line and at the same time other. Our present issue carries well requirements being a concern for and prepared to participate in a democratic opinionated essays and articles on the the desire to understand the exercise. A month and half later, when bloody fire which has engulfed Jammu prevailing issues and themes of life in Yaqub issued a statement on his and Kashmir. Gautam Navlakha's lead Jammu & Kashmir dissociation from the PDP; again he was essay comes as an eye opener for all not the case in isolation. All those who those who have been rubbishing the Contributions may be investigative, had been thinking on these lines stand eruption as temporary. Syeda Afshana descriptive, analytical or theoretical. thrown back to the scene of 1990s. A gives a poetic sketch of life's return They may be in the form of original stage has reached in the Valley where journey in Kashmir. Interviews with the articles or in the form of a comment on even the PDP and NC are now shy of members of Shri Amarnath Yatra current events. All contributions have talking about elections. They are asking Sangharsh Samiti –which spearheaded to be neatly typed in double space and for a larger debate on Azadi. This is how Jammu agitation –open a window to the may be sent to the address given New Delhi lost its plot in Kashmir in a discrimination sentiment in the region. I alongside or e-mailed to the editor. period of just little over two months. am afraid if New Delhi can do anything at Looking back at such eruption 20 years this stage but at least the Civil Society While the editor accepts back once can recollect how Congress can take a lead in picking up the threads. responsibility for the selection of the twisted the neck of democracy in 1984 material published, individual (by toppling an elected government) Feedback : authors are responsible for the facts, and then buried this institution by [email protected] figures and views in their articles. Epilogue Ø 3 × September 2008 M A I L B O X LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mail your letters to [email protected] They eroded essence of 2002 Get some views from other side Spare labourers also 2002 assembly elections in Jammu and It is deeply regretted that the poor Kashmir were hailed and applauded labourers from outside the state are With EPILOGUE We feel relaxed and world over for their fairness. being treated shabbily by none other informed about the political and Unfortunately what followed later was than the so called secular voices of the otherwise happenings in Jammu and unfair. The ruling coalition partners, the Kashmir. (Biharis on radar in Kashmir, Kashmir, but at the same time it is PDP and the Congress eroded credibility Epilogue, August 2008) God knows, why requested that a view from other side of of the whole exercise for their mutual they are destroying the very essence of and continuous engagement in a bitter Kashmir may also be carried, after all Kashmiriyat i.e. tolerance? A secular acrimony next five and half years. Yes the world knows very little about society like that of Jammu and Kashmir indeed, they had made 30 pledges to Neelam Valley. Now time demands a leaves no space for the communal and the people at the time of assuming vision and voice from Muzzafarabad intolerable forces that are hell bent to office but they conveniently forgot to also, so you can be helpful to bridge the spoil the progress of the state. issue a white paper while demitting the gap. Anyhow the last issue covering the office. Kudos to Epilogue (August, 2008 Ladakh story with statical figures Mohit Sharma issue) for a precise but still fair analysis deserves appreciations Jammu University of the points of coalition's Common Minimum Program.