Dateline Srinagar

The Anchar Citadel

2011-12-01T09:18:00.001-08:00

By: Arjimand Hussain TalibTo Hamza, Anchar was a mystique. He particularly didn’t like the idea of calling it as a “lake”. To him it was a Vast Expanse, shrouded by trees (especially willows), floating gardens, weeds, algae, lush green grass and some water too - often covered with green weeds, making it appear like a fantastic grassland¬. At the shore there was a small boat waiting for them. Its

Kashmiri weekend

2011-03-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Can we define the line between work and life one day? Arjimand Hussain TalibCan we marvel of a ‘Kashmiri weekend’? Pardon my ignorance, as far as I know, there isn’t something like that as of now. Even if it is practiced in isolation, or exists as an idea, it isn’t there as a culture. As modern urban lifestyles slowly and steadily breach into Kashmiris’ traditional ways of living, it is not a bad

J&K Budget 2011-12

2011-03-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Budget and bananasOur short term populism can’t substitute sustainabilityArjimand Hussain TalibThe pejorative - banana republic – for any society would sound disrespectful.But as a political science term you just can’t wish away what it describes -a politically unstable country, dependent upon limited agriculture, mainlybananas, and ruled by plutocracy. And, worse of all, dependent for

Kashmiris' English Jihad

2011-02-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

Reflections on Curfewed Night, The Collaborator, The Garden of SolitudeDATELINE SRINAGAR by Arjimand Hussain Talib Hope seldom overrides despair for we Kashmiris. Let us honestly admit, most of us often give in to what looks like ‘the inevitability of a national decay.’ Our circumstances usually leave us confused, and dejected. Left marooned and captive, we often crane our necks for a glimpse of

Reversing autonomy?

2011-01-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

RBI’s takeover of J&K Bank’s overdraft role raises many questions Arjimand Hussain TalibA new wave of anxiety has suddenly engulfed Jammu & Kashmir. The news that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken over from J&K Bank some of the jobs the latter would do for this state is official now. To most Kashmiris, this step constitutes ‘nationalization’ of their most important institution. And the

Chaos to dreams

2011-01-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

When Kashmiris can wish ‘happy new year’, and mean itDATELINE SRINAGAR by Arjimand Hussain TalibFor the people of Kashmir, the turn of a year marks just one thing – chaos to chaos. Sixty three years – and even longer – of cynicism leave little scope for optimism, perhaps. To wish “Happy New Year” sounds little awkward, rather too plastic, in our lives. Some sixth sense says that 2011 just can’t

Kashmir's Governance-Conflict Debate

2010-12-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

A lot of mess in our governance is self made. It comesfrom our collective disdain to discipline, penchant for thrivingchaos and a terribly high tolerance to incompetence. But let usalso recognize that some of the attitudes that govern these are a by-productof the political uncertainty itself – where basic survival reigns supreme.Where tomorrow remains uncertain, and rules seldom apply.Arjimand

Panchayati Raj in J&K

2010-12-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

Rejecting or delaying the elections is both unwise and unjustArjimand Hussain TalibCompulsive cynicism is always bad. And compulsive aversion to everything is even worse. As the talk of Panchayat elections gains momentum in the state, there is a flurry of political activity. At this point of time this activity looks largely negative. At one end of the ideological spectrum is the Geelani-led

Yeh sheher badal gaya hai

2010-11-29T23:57:00.000-08:00

As if ages past, I took a boat from the Jhelum Bund to the other bankThe other dayThe memories of the school days swelled into moist eyesThe times we friends would take the shikara across the riverSwelled by the passion of the unknown, and for the unknownThat boat ride at the end of school - felt like liberationTo home...Then there was no foot bridge, distances were bigTimes have passed, so much

Dr C Rangarajan's Mission Kashmir II

2010-11-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Rangarajan’s Mission IICan the latest initiative help create jobs in Kashmir?Arjimand Hussain TalibDr C Rangarajan - one of India’s respected economists - is back to Kashmir on his Mission II. He was here in 2006 as well, as part of the Prime Minister’s five panels to recommend economic rejuvenation in Kashmir. His Mission I of 2006 is history. So seems the 61—page report he had submitted then.

J&K’s State of Environment Report

2010-11-23T04:13:00.001-08:00

Going green, at lastDATELINE SRINAGAR BY ARJIMAND HUSSAIN TALIBThough late by eight years, it is fantastic news that Jammu & Kashmir will shortly have its first State of Environment (SoE) Report. We always needed such a report quite badly. The simple reason being that we are in a pathetic condition environmentally today. And, worse, that we are deteriorating quite fast. Now that we are going to

Festival of Kashmir Interlocutors

2010-10-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

Questions before New Delhi and Geelani SahibDATELINE SRINAGAR BY ARJIMAND HUSSAIN TALIBFormer Indian diplomat G Parthasarthy, while commenting on New Delhi’s latest Kashmir initiative, in an article “Not all in J&K are Kashmiris” on October 14 in Deccan Chronicle, made an interesting statement, “Let us not forget 45 per cent of the people of Jammu & Kashmir are Dogras, Punjabis, Paharis,

Kashmir and jugaad

2010-10-11T01:13:00.000-07:00

Delhi Common Wealth Games, 2010 have taught us many things. Leave aside the debate on the relativity of the idea of hygiene and the corruption charges; one thing is clear: that India’s peculiar way of doing things – so eloquently and fondly called jugaad – is alive and works even today. Arjimand Hussain TalibMost of the world is dumb-struck. A week before the games started, there were few

Kashmir and Ayodhya

2010-10-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

New Delhi can capitalise on an environment of compromiseArjimand Hussain TalibThere is a sixth century fable which tells about a boy playing in the fields, and who got stung by a nettle. The boy ran home to his mother, telling her that he had just touched that nasty weed, and it had stung him. “It was just your touching it my boy,” said the mother, “that caused it to sting you; the next time you

UN OCHA and Kashmir

2010-10-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Thinking beyond the UNMOGIP, and its mandateArjimand Hussain TalibA spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Secretary General said last week that their office was closely monitoring the on-going situation in Kashmir. He further said they were in regular touch with the UN Military Observers’ Group (UNMOGIP) office in Srinagar. But what beyond that?The unrest and the civilian killings in Kashmir

Myth of Jammu & Kashmir's Financial Dependence

2010-10-03T08:35:00.001-07:00

Arjimand Hussain TalibYaoundé (Cameroon), July 19: It is an old story now that 60 percent of Jammu & Kashmir state’s expenditure now comes from central ‘grants.’ Within India, and even abroad, this theory is widely circulated and believed. Media in India is again posing questions today: ‘how come a state which gets such generous grants from New Delhi remains so discontent and rebels so often?’

Kashmir: A way forward

2010-10-03T08:34:00.001-07:00

Creating a win-win-win for all from the current movement Arjimand Hussain TalibFor the first time in many decades, Kashmir’s movement for the restoration of its lost political sovereignty has attained a big moral high ground. The current upsurge – which many Indian analysts admit is an uprising - has a real potential of taking Kashmir out from its decades-old suffering. It has also a potential to

End of Kashmiri fallacy?

2010-10-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Arjimand Hussain TalibIn a tussle for justice, when a stronger party controls almost all the options of the weaker party, the outcome is inevitably cynical. “The Little” Brown Book of Anecdotes, edited by Clifton Fadiman (1985), has an interesting story about Basmarck - a former German Chancellor and a German liberal politician. It is said that Basmarck, enraged at the constant criticism from

Kashmir 2010 Unrest

2010-10-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Beyond the cul-de-sacAll Kashmiri parties need to sit and chart a common agenda nowArjimand Hussain TalibKashmir today has a moment of truth across the political divide - for the ruling National Conference (NC), for the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference and others on their side. It is a moment of truth for any Baskhshis-or-G M

Kishenganga Hydel Power Project

2010-10-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Battle for Kishenganga So is it ‘Deuce’ or ‘Advantage Pakistan’?Arjimand Hussain TalibThe India-Pakistan battle for Kishenganga Hydro-electric Project is now international. Late May, Pakistan informed India that it had instituted arbitration proceedings on the Kishenganga issue with the World Bank on May 18, 2010. It cited failure of bilateral talks with India on the project and the latter’s

All Parties Hurriyat Conference

2010-10-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Brothers in Arms?Can Geelani, Mirwaiz, Abdullahs, Muftis, etc. agree to agree?Arjimand Hussain TalibA few days back, The New York Times reproduced a power point image of a stakeholder analysis done by the United States in Afghanistan. The image was bizarrely complex, making it beyond normal human comprehension. US political and military analysts shared jokes about the image. They saw it the most

Are Hurriyats Irrelevant?

2010-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the ground realities say not reallyArjimand Hussain TalibIndian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, during his last week’s Valley visit repeated what he and his predecessors have said previously: that “New Delhi was ready to talk to representatives of all sections who are opposed to terrorism and violence.” The repetition of the “representatives of all sections” phrase needs to be underlined

My baby's first tryst with terror

2010-09-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

As we got surrounded by a hundred soldiers. And hit!By Arjimand Hussain TalibDATELINE SRINAGARDaily Greater Kashmir 14 Sept, 2010This Eid in Kashmir was quite different from any other Eid we have ever lived. There were no festivities. Mood was sombre, and gloomy. Social sharing was modest. For the first time in my living memory, there were no toys being sold. No children with fancy dresses going

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International's balancing acts on Kashmir

2010-07-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Arjimand Hussain TalibIn any credible democratic system, the rule of law is paramount. India’s democratic values, press freedom and commitment to the rule of law within its borders are generally well respected globally. When it comes to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), the standards fall short of global benchmarks and Kashmiri expectations. The current state of human, civil and political rights, civil

Case for UN-OCHA in Kashmir

2010-07-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

Thinking beyond the UNMOGIP, and its mandateArjimand Hussain TalibA spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Secretary General said last week that their office was getting regular updates about the on-going situation in Kashmir. When asked whether the UN would like to comment on the situation here, there was no answer. The unrest and the civilian killings in Kashmir over the last one month are

Kashmir’s new enemy - PowerPoint

2010-07-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Understanding Kashmiri and Afghan similarities Arjimand Hussain TalibPresident Barack Obama’s sacking of the top American commander for Afghanistan, General McChrystal, last week was preceded by an interesting drama. American commanders banned the use of Microsoft PowerPoint (PP) presentations for all kinds of meetings and briefings in that country. International Herald Tribune produced an

Kashmir's new enemy - PowerPoint

2010-06-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

The message from Kashmir's street is clearArjimand Hussain TalibBarack Obama’s sacking of the top American commander, General McChrystal, for Afghanistan last week was preceded by an interesting drama. American commanders had banned use of Microsoft PowerPoint (PP) presentations for all kinds of meetings and briefings in that country. The logic was that PowerPoint presentations for new commanders

Brothers in Arms?

2010-05-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Can Geelani, Mirwaiz, Abdullahs, Muftis, et al agree to agree?DATELINE SRINAGAR By: Arjimand Hussain TalibA few days back, The New York Times reproduced a power point image of a stakeholder analysis done by the United States in Afghanistan. The image was bizarrely complex, making it beyond normal human comprehension. US political and military analysts shared jokes about the image. They saw it the

Shabby Srinagar!

2010-05-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

Issues PWD, SMC, UEED, ERA, etc. need to addressARJIMAND HUSSAIN TALIBA sensitive look at Srinagar city today makes you sad. Despite a lot of hoopla about making it green, clean and ‘developed’, it doesn’t get any better, it seems. Worse, it is losing its pristine aesthetic charm quite fast. Some of its grand historical landmarks are degrading. Some have been totally lost. Others have simply

Kashmir’s Politics of Reservation

2010-04-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/today/full_story.asp?Date=11_4_2010&ItemID=25&cat=17What Inter-District Recruitment Bill (Amendment April 2010) means to KashmirArjimand Hussain TalibThe cloud of confusion and suspense over the bill banning inter district recruitment is over. The battle lines are clearer today. So is whose heart lies where in the state’s power politics. The bill in its amended form

Kashmir's brain drain

2010-03-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

DATELINE SRINAGAR (Greater Kashmir, Sunday March 28)Kashmir’s brain drainA loss or a blessing? Time will tellArjimand Hussain TalibKashmir doesn’t really look the same. Does it? There are two perceptible changes: one is the change in the manner we do the daily business here. In that, there is a feeling of a vacuum. A vacuum of energetic, passionate and able people. Second is the disturbing street

J&K’s Budget 2010-11

2010-03-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

Populist and smart(Dateline Srinagar, Sunday, 14 March, 2010) By: Arjimand Hussain TalibContrary to anticipations, the state’s budget for 2010-11 has no surprises. It is a classical South Asian-style budget – which generally aim to consolidate rural vote banks, provide sops to specific constituencies and enhance hidden general taxes. The expected boldness and innovation from this budget are

Kashmir on Facebook

2010-03-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

First publihsed in daily Greater Kashmir (Dateline Srinagar) SundayStreet to FacebookBeyond Kashmir’s '3 Idiots' controversyArjimand Hussain TalibInternet - and now social networking sites - have changed our lives in incredible ways. The letter-writing era has really gone with the wind. Political propaganda machines too have changed almost totally. The means of networking and mobilisation have

Kashmir on Facebook

2010-03-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Beyond Kashmir’s '3 Idiots' controversy Arjimand Hussain Talib Internet - and now social networking sites - have changed our lives in incredible ways. The letter-writing era has really gone with the wind. Political propaganda machines too have changed almost totally. The means of networking and mobilisation have radically transformed. Today, battles of ideas have shifted their

2010-03-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

J&K Budget 2010-11

2010-02-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

First published in daily Greater Kashmir, Feb 28, 2010Omar’s new roadWould Budget 2010-11 go beyond populism?By: Arjimand Hussain TalibJ&K state stands at a crucial juncture of its history. Its political economy today plays a critical role in shaping its politics. And even security.The state’s budget for 2010-11 has to make a choice: either to take the beaten track or chart a new destiny based on

Jammu & Kashmir Forest Policy 2010

2010-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

First published in daily Greater Kashmir (14 Feb, 2010)Trees, Mr. Minister Arjimand Hussain Talib The last 3-4 decades have seen devastation of forests in almost every country, barring a few exceptions, mainly in Europe. Now, there are two kinds of countries: one, that have reversed the trend of deforestation, and, second, that live with the decay. We belong to the second category. The

Dedicated to all Ghousians, with love

2010-01-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

First published in daily Greater Kashmir – 23 January 2010 4 Idiots Of fuzzy dreams, degrees and DNA By: Arjimand Hussain Talib ‘3 Idiots’ movie is a soul stirrer. It is nostalgic. The reason it seems so popular is that everyone could somehow relate himself or herself to its characters. It makes you laugh, and brings tears too. It has also a potential to shatter. The movie

Kashmir: Understanding Religious Radicalisation

2010-01-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

By: Arjimand Hussain(First published in Monthly Epilogue Magazine, Jammu)Background:Kashmir Valley has often been celebrated as one of the living ideals of syncretic traditions, where various religious beliefs have peacefully co-existed and flourished side by side since centuries. However, the Valley’s history has also witnessed periods when all major religions have competed for political and

Demystifying Kashmir's Economic Growth - I

2010-01-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Demystifying Kashmir's Economic Growth - IAugust 19, 2009By: Arjimand Hussain The exchange of words between Finance Minster, Abdul Rahim Rather, and Muzaffar Hussain Baig in the Assembly on Tuesday was interesting. Both the gentlemen gave some exciting insights to and analyses of our State finances.Surely, all statistics are generally like lamp posts: they are good to lean on, but they don’t shed

Demystifying Kashmir's Economic Growth - II

2010-01-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

J&K’s GDP puzzle: picking the right threadsBy: Arjimand Hussain Consumption is a critical variable in the measurement of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or GSDP. In J&K’s case consumption automatically does not mean production, given our high reliance on imports. The relation between our imports and consumption has some finer details which need attention.It is for sure that our overall consumption

Demystifying Kashmir's Economic Growth - III

2010-01-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

Higher growth needs a new vision; our times have changed When a lot remains desired on the accuracy of the GDP, an automatic distortion in economic growth figures is a natural outcome. The 2008-09 Economic Survey of J&K, presented in the Assembly, reveals that our income has grown around six per cent during 2008-09. A six per cent growth in today’s low-growth times is a rarity – a virtue seen

Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project in Kashmir

2010-01-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

First published in Daily Greater KashmirSaving Gurez and KarewasAfter Kishenganga, J&K loses its oil and gas Arjimand Hussain TalibJ&K state and its people are bracing for two catastrophes. One is shaping up in the form of the Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project in Gurez. The other one is still in the making – the on-going oil and gas exploration in Kashmir’s beautiful Karewa lands. The use of word

Justice Saghir's Kashmir Report

2009-12-29T22:34:00.000-08:00

First published in Daily Greater Kashmir - 27 Dec 2009 Making cynics smileWould New Delhi own Justice Saghir’s report? Arjimand Hussain TalibIf something was to describe the symbolism and the substance of the (Rtd.) Justice Saghir Ahmed’s report, a single word would be apt – casual. The first and the fundamental question that arises is: where the report was supposed to go? To India’s Prime

Divisions between Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh - II

2009-12-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

DATELINE SRINAGAR A ‘collective suffering’? - IIMoving towards a common futureAn eminent vice chancellor of a Kashmir-based university made an interesting proposition at the Jammu University workshop: he called for contemplating identity as a verb and not as a noun.But what does that practically mean for J&K?The cumulative effect of the processes of economic and cultural globalisation in today’s

Divisions between Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh

2009-12-12T22:58:00.000-08:00

J&K's Collective Suffering Are Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh really incompatible?DATELINE SRINAGAR BY ARJIMAND HUSSAIN TALIBRational human thought makes the difference between self-interest and want clear. When we humans mature through our early days, we learn that being conscious of one’s interests as an individual and as a community is but natural. But when this consciousness reaches the

Who needs to access information under J&K RTI Act?

2009-12-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Unacceptable!The debate on the legal definition of who can access information under J&K RTI Act, 2009 in J&K has some sub text as well. That sub text has serious political implications for the subjects of the J&K state. It is important that we remain sensitive to those aspects of the debate. Firstly, the erosion of the special status of the J&K State within the Indian union (as enshrined in the

They call silence 'agitational terrorism'

2009-11-02T01:46:00.000-08:00