kashmir: why independence? why self determination? why freedom?

8/7/2019 Kashmir: Why Independence? Why Self determination? Why Freedom?

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FROM TO

Why Independence? Why Self determination? WhyFreedom?


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For Self Sufficiency! For Self Reliance! For Self Pride!For Self Sustainability!

Farooq SiddiqiFarooq Siddiqi

We all are well aware of the political status of Jammu & Kashmir; the people understand it more clearly than theoliticians, who often mould and interpret the political status of Kashmir that suits in their own political agenda anderspective. The agenda is always a driving force that focuses on an objective that a political party has to realize.

n Kashmir, unfortunately the political agenda of parties invariably in most cases gets reduced to personal agendas of olitical leaders that head the parties, understandably in a society that struggles to live in fear psychosis.

a political agenda is based on acquiring a seat of power to relish the benefits of authority for personal well being or theell being of few in the society then such political agenda becomes malicious in its core.

a political agenda keeps changing from time to time based on the ambience of political trend, it leads to a weakness of e agenda itself.

a political agenda is to enforce the will of an outside force then such agenda is treacherous in its fundamental nature

oday when the sacrifices and dedication of people of Kashmir have forced the might of India and Pakistan to seriouslyonsider the resolution of Kashmir, we see some opportunists without remorse are trying to sneak on the recompense thatay be accessible.

is thus imperative for me to make awareness about the reason of my political agenda which is sovereignty of Kashmir.

emand of sovereign Kashmir is based on the political, social, cultural and economical reasons for the betterment of tizenry of Kashmir .It is also based on the preserving the religious ethos that Kashmir has inherited since the advent of lam in the Valley of Kashmir and the Muslim belt.

uman being of present time has ushered in an era of progress in its political, economical, social fields. But this progressas impinged his social and cultural behavior as we have seen in the west. If the ethos of a culture is not preserved sidey side while progressing; the benefit of progress is reckless.

We must learn from the mistakes of west while adapting to their technological advances. The social fragmentation in theest has started showing its signs of frustration which they are realizing now and vehemently trying to save what is leftf their social fabric.

n order to preserve the ethos of Kashmir, its culture, its religious identity and its instinctive love for its land, that hasspired its inhabitants to live in harmony for centuries, need to be safe guarded against the hegemony, coercive alien

ulture and social behavior.


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The Green Gold of Kashmir (Forest)

is not the Kashmir forest lessee who plundered the green gold (Forests) but the Northern Railways of India whobed it through State Forest Corporation.

Corporation is supposed to be for profit institution unfortunately this institution should have provided a major profitr the citizenry of Kashmir but a common Kashmiri has failed to understand what this corporation stood for.

he cost of this lumber was sold at 5% of the market rates by virtue of agreements that lasted 25 years at a stretch byarious stooge governments that were intermittently installed by the Indians in Kashmir.

n the first 40 years of Indias occupation, forests that cost hundreds of millions of dollars were felled, transported byoating in the river Chenab and transported covertly in covered grey color BSF (Border Security Force) and Beacon

Military Roads Division) trucks. The process of felling and looting the forest from highlands of Kashmir is part of ilitary occupations economic interest.

ashmirs Forest lessees could never grow into a corporate that could generate the economy locally as there was novestment from any of the financial institution or banks, a very well orchestrated plan of depriving extraction

pportunities and depriving a free market across the board for local Kashmiries.

ashmiries were made to believe that forest lessees were responsible for the deforestation of Kashmir forests. JKLFfutes this because almost all forest lessees ran in loss and abandoned this business, the examples of them are Burza`s,hahdad`s, Samad Pandits, Chaia`s, Basu`s and many more who eventually went into different businesses, mostly inoteliering.


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nancial Institution drain Kashmiri money for Indian Investmentn the beginning of 1990 JKLF appealed to the people of Kashmir to transfer all their money that was in Indian banks tommu & Kashmir Bank . Jammu and Kashmir Bank at that time was in such precarious position that even the salariesr the government employees could not be disbursed as the state government maintains majority of shares in the bank.

he call to transfer funds to State Bank was made with this assumption that the Bank would invest in the growth of localndustries so that a self sustained economy could be generated which was essential in continuing the struggle of freedom.

ut what this institution has done in the last 20 years is that it invested more than 90 percent of its assets in the Indianconomy.

he 53 percent owned by the so called government of Jammu & Kashmir state, has about 35 percent of its total advancesState government which is being used to pay the machinery that occupies us at the discretion of New Delhi. Our

oney is being used to pay the bills of CRPF, BSF and Huge Police force who are being deployed in the pretext of aintaining Law and Order.

he bank, o occupied state government who use this money for their own existence and the balance is spread across thendia, Its total deposit today is 265.27 billion rupees which equals to 6.7 billion dollars, enough for us to be credible ine international level as country with credible rating.

his money has been generated only by the investment of Kashmiri people through their deposits in 1990 onwards. Theony is that erstwhile supremo is absconding today from Kashmir and the present intellectually bankrupt may abscondhen his tenure of treachery is over.


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SILK (Sericulture Industry)homas Wardle a progressive businessman with expertise in production of Silk in the nineteenth century (1889 to beecise) came to Kashmir to establish the Silk industry because of potential silk production that Kashmir offered. Wardleised the subject of establishing the silk industry with the Maharaja and wanted to invest in the sericulture Industry on aivate sector basis, which would have given Kashmiries a head start in developing an industry, but Maharaja denyings offer of private enterprise agreed to start a silk Industry as a state industry. Thomas Wardle knew that the summer imate of Kashmir was similar to that of France and Italy therefore suitable for Mulberry and univolatine silk worm of

ommerce Bombyx mori . In the Book of Silk and Empire quotes he that Kashmir is the only country that has Bombyxori in the wild and in sufficient numbers to be harvested. The silk production fetched 4000 pounds in year 1900-1901

nd more than 25000 people were employed in the Silk Industry in valley alone (Ref Silk and Empire by Brenda M Kin75). When Wardle visited Kashmir in 1903, by then 44,245 Kashmiries were associated with Silk production ( Ref Snd Empire by Brenda M King p 76) he Silk from Kashmir was of such a quality that Warner & Sons made a brocade to be presented to the Queen of ngland.

ut 100 years after this pure native, indigenous and successful Industry that employed 45,000 people in 1903 has almostanished. The competing countries in 1900 were China and Japan against Kashmir silk, but today this industry is inblivion.

o Kashmiri spilled any drop of tear because they did not know. Had we nurtured this industry we would have been onef the leading silk exporting country at present. Chopra`s and Khatri`s exported our raw silk to Amritsar and Punjab tourture the industry of Silken Saris while our own silk industry gave ground. What is our sericulture department worth

commercial value?

Who is responsible for disaster of one of main industry, India? , Its stooge governments of state? or is it a well

rchestrated plan of keeping Kashmiries dependent economically?.

ohn Lockwood Kipling (Director of Art School Lahore in late nineteenth century) had described in his report theotential of silk Industry as a main Industry sustainable in Kashmir

ad we or our financial institutions helped this Industry, we would have been one of the leading silk producing countriesext to china.

s the research output of Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) is not veryncouraging, because there is no private sector to fund such researches the domination of bureaucracy has stalled thefrastructure to the private investor.

s multi-crop cultivation of mulberry is not possible, encouragement to agricultural farmers to plant mulberry trees one edges of their rice fields and orchards on a large scale could have been popularized which itself could have been alf sustained economic base.

ntegrating mulberry cultivation with farm and horticulture could provide more income and employment to the ruralgricultural labor force.


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nergy

ashmiries need to know that 20,000 MW established and so far surveyed capacity within IHK(Indian Held Kashmir)qual to 282,372 Barrels/ Day of crude oil which is more than quarter of million barrels a day pollution free energy at aost of $100 a barrel at present .A continuous income of $28.23 million per day that would increase a commonashmiries income, who is in streets by $1,700 an year As GDP of a country is defined as the market value of all finaloods and services produced within a country in a given period of time.

o one has shown them the the following map-1 that gives the information of one way exit that is anolgous to colonialays India is emptying our resources for its economic growth in Northern India by stealing the power through 750 Kouble line produced by the state from Dulhasti, Salal, and now Baghliar. The courtesy to US State department of nergy.

he Uri hydroelectric 480MWul Hasti Hydroelectric Project, 390 MWlal Hydro Electric Project 690 MW

pper Sindh 127 MWower Jhelum 105 MWhennai Hydro 1 23MWhennai Hydro 11 2MWibber Power Project 0.6MW

otal Generating Capacity at present 1,817 MW*quivalent to Crude oil 25,655Barrels/dayOut of 1,817MW, the state owns only 623 MW

hagliar 900MWquivalent to 38,362 Barrels/day

otal Surveyed Capacity 20, 000 MWquivalent to 282,372 Barrels/day

ashmiries need to know that The World Bank assisted IWDP (Integrated Watershed Development Project) Hills-IIas launched in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Uttaranchal, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,on 15 September 1999 for period of five years at a cost of 9.5 billion rupees , covering an area of 0.5 million ha (hectare) (72 watersheds). Mostf the water sheds fall within Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of developing the watersheds Indian army in Kashmir hasestroyed the watersheds. The illegally felled timber finds its way in army trucks through a well network of smugglersto Northern India.


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MAP-1


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OAL RESERVEShe coal reserves that are present in the south western parts of Kashmir, these coal fields are the only coal fields of orthwest Indian subcontinent..he Much talked Railway line from Jammu Udhampore and Barumullah to Qazi Gund may seem to be some thing of anvestment in Infra structure to Kashmir economy and people but in fact these railway lines is long term planning of

ndia to drain the mineral reserves especially the coal.

MAP-2


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ashmiries are paying the debt while Indian Industrialist flourishn Example of how India is conducting its Investment and burdning the Kashmiri with debt in the name of evelopment , be it a Power Station, a High way Bridge, a Railway Lineailway Line from Jammu to Udhampore or Qazi Gund to Uri

Main Items % Cost Investment/BenefitCost to Kashmiries

Benefit Cost to Outsiders in India

ost of Boghey`s 20% 0% 20%*ost of Railwayracks

30% 0% 30%**

ost of Steel Sleepers 20% 0% 20%***ost of Gravel 5% 5% 0%ost of Earth Work

Machinary5% 0% 5%****

abour Cost 20% 5% 15%*****otal Cost of Project 100% 10% 90%

Manufacturer of Bogeys and railway Engine are Indian Steel Industries

Manufacturer of Railway Tracks are Indian Steel Industries* Manufacturer of Steel Sleepers are Indian Steel Industries** Manufacturer of Eartwork Machinary and Trucks are Indian tata`s and Birla`s and other Steel Industries*** 75 % Labourers employed are from Bihar , Orissa and Madhya pradesh.

Labour Employed are from Bihar and other states of India who come to work in Kashmir


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uclear Power Uranium

Mr. Rajeev Upadhyay, a geologist at Kumaon University in Nainital For his study, reported in the journal Currentcience, Upadhyay took samples from thick exposed granite from a place north of Udmaru village in Leh district. Thellage in the Nubra-Shyok River Valley is situated on a volcanic rock formation known as the Shyok Volcanics.he samples of rock mineral (zircon) were analyzed at the isotope laboratory of the University of Tuebingen in Germanyhere he had gone under the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship.nalysis of the separated zircon grains showed exceptionally high concentration of both uranium (0.31-5.36 percent) andorium (0.76-1.43 percent),' Upadhyay said. He added that the study is preliminary and 'detailed work is in progress'.ccording to Upadhyay, uranium-bearing magma tic rocks are located all along Kohistan, Ladakh and southern Tibetrom east to west).This exceptionally high concentration' in Ladakh, the icy Himalayan region in Jammu and Kashmir at has strategic significance for India. Samples of rocks analyzed in a German laboratory have revealed uranium

ontent to be as high as 5.36 percent compared to around 0.1 percent or less in ores present elsewhere in the Indiandia wants to capitalize on this futuristic energy ingredient.


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Horticulturehe horticulture sector occupies an important position in the agriculture system of Jammu and Kashmir. We have threegro-climatic conditions: sub-tropical, temperate and cold arid. Each agro-climatic region has its own potential to growpecific fruits. Temperate fruits like apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, cheery, walnut, etc. grown at elevation of 1000 to000 meters above sea level are important economy base.

ost-harvest handling of fruitsis ironic that having such a base for production of fruits parallel only by California which is the 4 th largest economye world and which has the agriculture the primary base of its economy, we have not been able to develop the marketr want of having cold storage facilities in Kashmir. The fruits that we transport to the markets of Delhi must be soldithin twenty four hours of reaching Delhi, where all of our traders are subject to blackmail and hostage situation. If theyo not accept the offer his fruits will get rotten in the heat of Delhi.

is worth while noting here that the land and even the foundation lay out of Lal Ded hospital was acquired andonstructed for construction of cold storage for apple growers as they could have been in a position to negotiate the pricerior to shipment which is the basic norm of any trade, but Indian government deliberately stopped the funds for theonstruction of cold storage as Manali fruit that is of lower grade than Kashmir fruit was getting effected.

hiekh Mohammad Abdullah was enticed to change the site for a hospital thereby axing the fruit industry of Kashmir.

here is no initiative in private sector as the JK Bank has invested in out side Kashmir.

here is no Export Promotion Zone to promote the export of selected fruits and vegetables including strawberry,ushroom and cumin seed.

here is no technology and awareness for optimum use of land by using high-density crops like apples. The tissueulture technology has not been implemented

he climate of the Kashmir is ideally suited for production of exotic, high-value vegetable crops like asparagus andushrooms. Asparagus, mushrooms and broccoli that can grow the economy of Kashmir to its heights as the comingends in the world is that shortage of food to cater the needs of projected 12 billion people by the end of the Century isevitable.


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eo Thermal Region The Geo thermal energy of of Jammu and Kashmir is estimated to be more than 4000MW that India is contemplating to steal from Puga Valley for its energy needs in future. The work onreliminary investigation has started.

tp://thinkgeoenergy.com/archives/1340

y Region ,Asia , By Region , Projects - April 09, 2009

eothermal projects in Puga Valley, India disputed

here seem to be some players in the region that see any activities in the region as the plundering of nationalsources by India.

eported locally, there seem to be some players in the region that see any activities in the region as theplundering of national resources by India. Sources close to players either working on or interested inevelopment at Puga, say that there is no such conflict as the land clearly belongs to India and is not indisputed territory. So this seems to be an interpretation issue.
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recious Stone and Sapphires.

pphire and heavy metal fields

More than a century of continuous looting of Kashmir Saphire

chard Hughes in his book, Ruby & Sapphire writes

While India's use of impure corundum as an abrasive appears to stretch back at least a millennia or more the country'sstory of gem corundum production is relatively brief. Low-grade ruby has been mined for an indefinite period , butdia did not enter the major leagues of gem corundum production until the 1880s, with the discovery of sapphireKashmir. It is to these mines that we now turn.

lbert Ramsay Says (1934):

n India my eyes have been dazzled by such jewels as never have been seen in the Western world. When I was last in therinagar palace of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir thirty trays were brought before me, and if I were to say that anyne tray, sent to market, would fetch a million dollars, I would be giving only a faint impression of the astonishingealth and beauty of those treasures of an Indian gentleman.

handsome man is Colonel His Highness Maharaja Sir Hari Singh. In the afternoon he had shown me his sapphires andld me the story of how they were found.

or one of the smaller fragments I offered His Highness $25,000. He just laughed at me; he does not want to part withny object in his beloved collection, but, oh, how I should like to buy some of those treasures!(Albert Ramsay (withoyden Sparkes), 1934


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istory of Sapphire in Kashmir is evident that Kashmiries did not benefit out of the deposits of Saphire,

87982 Blue sapphires are first discovered in the Padar region of Kashmir, allegedly where a landslip had uncoveredeir occurrence (Mallet, 1882; Shepard, 1883; Ball, 1885b; La Touche, 1890).

882 Sapphires begin to appear in Simla. The Maharajah of Kashmir intervenes by sending a regiment of sepoys to takeontrol of the mines (Ball, 1885b). Delhi jewelers buy up more than two lakhs (#20,000) worth of stones (Mallet, 1882).88287

The glory days of the Kashmir sapphire mine. During this period, crystals as large as 5" (12.7 cm) long by 3" (7.62 cm)ide are found (La Touche, 1890).

ne stone reportedly sells for 2000 Pounds (Heron, 1930).

911 Lala Joti Parshad visits the mines as Mining and Prospecting Officer. He mines the southwest opening of the NewMines.

920 Sohnu Shah of Jammu leases the mines,

924 Pandit Labhu Ram, Junior Assistant Superintendent Mineral Survey, maps the area of the Old and New Mines.

926 Lala Jagan Nath of Jammu is given a prospecting license and obtains 5,500 tolas (~64 kgs) of sapphire.

His license is revoked due to certain irregularities (Middlemiss, 1931).

927 Lala Joti Parshad and Pandit Labhu Ram of the Kashmir government extract 39,029 tolas (~454 kgs) of materialom Lala Jagan Nath's trench at the New Mines in 15 days.

93338 Systematic mining again commences. Average annual production is 641,656 ct (128 kgs)

944 Geologist R.V. Gaines and R.C. Rice, on leave from the US Army in Calcutta, visit the mines.

heirs is the first trip by Western geologists in many years. They find the mine guarded by a team of police (Gaines,946). 194551 mining by private lessees, from India.

960 The mine is taken over by Jammu & Kashmir Minerals Ltd., a state government concern. 1961 Kashmir overnment geologist, B.K. Raina, makes a detailed, but confidential , survey of the mines 196667 Raina and M.L.arimoo undertake a detailed, but confidential , mapping of the mines 197779, based on the reports The Indianovernment decides to lease the mines to non state subjects till date


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View of the Kashmir sapphire mines. Taken in 188788, this is among the earliest photos of the fabled deposit. (From La Touche,890)

he sapphire washing apparatus constructed by LaTouche at the Kashmir mine.Taken

n 188788, this is the earliest photo known of mining at this storied location. (From La Touche, 1890)


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here are 150,000 educated youth without any jobs in the state, With 18,000 youngsters joining the queue every year, theoblem can only get worse.

o be continued

arooq Siddiqi

kashmir: why independence? why self determination? why freedom?

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