Tag Archives: Kashmir and India

Centre watch, Empire/ Imperialism, Everyday Life, Frontiers, Media politics, Violence/Conflict

When the State Celebrates the People’s Independence but the People Don’t: Twelve Questions for the Press Trust of India

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Srinagar's Lal Chowk on 15 August 2011. Photo credit: Zahoor Zargar / KashmirDispatch.com

To:

The Editor,
The Press Trust of India,
New Delhi.

Dear Editor:

This is regarding your news report, “I-Day Celebrated Peacefully in Kashmir Valley“.

While the news report tells us how the celebrations were held by the chief minister in Srinagar and the deputy chief minister in Jammu, and what arrangements were made for the celebrations to take place, there’s one line in that report that tells us:

Meanwhile, normal life was was affected in Kashmir Valley due to a shutdown called by both factions of Hurriyat Conference and tight security restrictions for the Independence Day.

I have a few questions for you.

Continue reading When the State Celebrates the People’s Independence but the People Don’t: Twelve Questions for the Press Trust of India →

Empire/ Imperialism, Frontiers, Violence/Conflict

A rape in Kulgam; the dishonouring of India continues

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Imagine there had been a rape in Delhi. Imagine the headlines in the papers. They would have been loud and angry. As they are, and as they must be. Do you think any of the papers would have said that the woman in question has ‘accused’ or ‘alleged’ who the perpetrator was? But there has been a rape in Kashmir and your media wants you to know that a woman has ‘accused’ an army jawan of having done so. Journalistic restrain and caution are good things when they are useful. After all, let an inquiry establish this is the truth.

Continue reading A rape in Kulgam; the dishonouring of India continues →

Bad ideas, Culture, Debates, Empire/ Imperialism, Everyday Life, Frontiers, Violence/Conflict

Let Delhi have its thali

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Guest post by HILAL MIR

During the convention, Azadi the only Way, at LTG auditorium on Thursday, a potbellied man was standing on the aisle, listening intently to the speech of professor of history at Jadavpur University Sugata Bhadra. The man, I reckon, might be easily burdening earth with nearly 130 kilograms of his fair, north Indian bulk.  The professor was stripping the Indian state to its bare minimum and the audiences clapped. The man could stand it no more. I soon found out his voice was equally weighty, and gravelly—a cross between Shatrugan Sinha and Kulbushan Kharbanda. Quite audibly he said jis thali ma khatey hai usi main chaid kartey hain. In Bollywood films this saying condemning treachery is reserved for domestic helps who fall in love with the pretty daughters of their employers. Here, the context was different. A Maoist sympathizer was sharing the dais with a Kashmiri pro-freedom leader who was sharing the dais with a Sikh secessionist who was sharing the dais with a Naga human rights defender…A veritable thali of secessionism and dissent indeed. No wonder Arnab Goswami was hysterical. Continue reading Let Delhi have its thali →