Friday, November 20, 2009
September 2009: UNDERSTANDING J&K ECONOMY
A lost has been written and debated on politics on Jammu and Kashmir but nothing much on the economy. Reading into J&K’s annual budget that was presented in August, Epilogue’s September Issue focused on developmental and economic profile of Jammu and Kashmir.
August 2009: UNFOLDING THE LAND OF MOON
August 2009 issue was one of the path-breaking in the life of Epilogue magazine. The cover story explored many aspects of life in Ladakh and carried a first hand of research on the state of media in the Himalayan cold desert.
July 2009: THE FUTURE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
July 2009 issue offered a rare insight into the whole gamut of Kashmir issue. An ACDIS, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign sponsored study, which was the cover feature, examined Kashmir issue from different perspectives.
June 2009: LOK SABHA POLLS 2009
With Prof. Rekha Chowdhary looking into various aspects, the May issue offered a complete view of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. An interview with Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather explained most critical questions on the state’s economy.
May 2009: J&K MOVING FORWARD
May issue was one of the rare collections of ideas where 12 natives from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir poured their ideas out of the heart on how boundaries can be blurred and relations can be strengthened.
April 2009: TREADING FAILURE
As world watches keenly the new unfolding developments in Pakistan, our consulting Editor D Suba Chandran traveled to the troubled country to bring fresh perspectives for our readers in April issue.
March 2009: CONNECTING J&K
Connectivity is a major issue in J&K and people in many areas taunt the government saying that roads were laid in remote areas only because they close to borders. Our March issue looked at the connectivity via roads, rail and air to bring to the fore the missing links.
February 2009: AGENDA FOR OMAR GOVERNMENT
The coalition government of National Conference and the Congress headed by Omar Abdullah took over on January 5 but it did not declare a shared agenda. Epilogue’s February issue put together opinions of well meaning people from across the country setting out an agenda Omar Abdullah government.
January 2009: MANDATE
A collectors issue, the special number on our second anniversary came as fastest possible. Yet professional correct work, on J&K elections. Result were declare on December 28 and our issue carrying complete elections analysis and elections trends at constituency level was out before the government was sworn
December 2008: HUNG ASSEMBLY
In the middle of elections our small team of staffers along with some 30 volunteers traveled across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir to gauge the public mood. The conclusion was that there will be a hung assembly with NC as largest party, PDP second and Congress third. Looking at the pages of our December issue one can see all parties have come up with same number of seats as we had predicted except the BJP.
November 2008: ELECTIONS: CHALLENGE 2008
We have brought out three issues on assembly elections 2008 and the November issue was first in the series. Elections were being held in the backdrop of a worst separatist and communal agitation in state. With a commentary on the prevailing political and security atmosphere, the November issue carried a complete backgrounder on the past elections.
October 2008: INTRA-KASHMIR CONTACTS AND TRADE
Shortly before the historic cross-LoC trade was launched between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the United States Institute of Peace had come up with a most comprehensive study on making borders irrelevant. Under a special endowment from USIP, Epilogue carried reproduced the study in fall. It was a painstaking research taken by Hassan Askari and PR Chari, two leading policy experts of Pakistan and India, respectively.
September 2008: J&K’S SUMMER AGITATION
Summer of 2008 will always be remembered as a dark chapter in the secular and tolerance history of Jammu and Kashmir. On Amarnath land row, the lunatic and hawkish voices had completely taken over the sensible voices. We launched a search for the voices of peace and reason and came up with as many ideas as possible. We are happy that no chance was given to the narrow regional or religious views to creep in our pages.
August 2008: FALL OF COALITION
The coalition government peoples PDP and the Congress had come up with a Common Minimum Program at the time of its formation in 2002. When the government fell down in July 2008 after a bitter acrimony between coalition partners, they went out without leaving a report card on their performance. Epilogue brought out a point-wise examination of all 30 points contained in the CMP of governance and concluded that the pledges were forgotten.
July 2008: AMARANTH LAND ROW
In June-July-August 2008 Jammu and Kashmir was at face to face with a worst crisis of the history. Earlier the troubles have been involving regions this time religion was at the center of controversy. Truth was the obvious casualty when all parties involved fought pitched battles with state on streets and in the media. We carried a complete backgrounder in July issue and wrote an elaborate account of politics mixing up with religion. Then Governor Gen SK Sinha was in the line of fire. He gave a detailed interview to Epilogue –the only occasion he spoke to any media outlet before demitting Raj Bhawan office.
June 2008: CROSS-LOC TRADE
Trade across the Line of Control has arguably been the mother of all confidence building measures between India and Pakistan involving Jammu and Kashmir. Epilogue was arguably the first news and current affairs publication to come up with a comprehensive issue on broad contours of Cross-LoC trade. The bottlenecks we had talked about were later evident when trade was actually initiated in October.
May 2008: IDENTITY AND POLITICS
May 2008: IDENTITY AND POLITICS
We believe that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir can not be dealt with properly without obtaining an understanding of identities –regional and ethnic. Our May 2008 issue was about the tribal identities which have not been touched upon in researches and also in the larger political discourse. Gujjars, spread across the state, and Dards of Ladakh were the two tribes we covered in this issue with a promise to cover all identities in subsequent issues.
April 2008: FOOD SECURITY
In the thick of politics the crucial issues of food and shelter are often lost. Our April 2008 issue dealt with the question of food security in Jammu and Kashmir and that perhaps the most comprehensive coverage of the subject. A lead essay by father of green revolution MS Swaminathan left hardly any thing to add. State Agriculture Minister gave the policy vision and Vice Chancellors of two Agriculture Universities in J&K made an elaborate account of research and technology in making Jammu and Kashmir food secure.
March 2008: PAKISTAN ELECTIONS
We can say with authority and confidence that no other magazine in India could cover the general elections in Pakistan as we did in March 2008 issue. There were indepth reports, regional trends and analysis. We transcended borders to cover Pakistan elections as restoration of democracy in our neighbourhood assumed a huge importance for India in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular.
February 2008: MONEY MOVEMENT
This issue came after presentation of J&K’s annual budget and therefore carried a comprehensive analysis of the proposals made therein. As members of ruling coalition and opposition locked horns leaving almost no scope of debate inside assembly, we carried it here in the magazine. Finance Minister wrote for Epilogue what he could not say in assembly. There are articles from Abdul Rahim Rather, the leader of opposition who was also the former Finance Minister and interview with Mohammad Shafi another Finance Minister
January 2008: ECONOMY & OTHER IDEAS
For past some time the state government has been seen laying a huge stress on economic revival of Jammu and Kashmir. Our January 2008 issue came up with an analysis of the performance on economy where the former Finance Minister and the incumbent Finance Minister shared their ideas and approaches to the subject. Issue assumed significance as the budget session of legislature had been advanced by a month. Then Governor SK Sinha spelt out his stand on a variety of issues in a detailed interview.
December 2007: FORESTS & FORESTERS
Jammu and Kashmir should have been known better in country for its supposedly thick forest cover. The fact of the matter, however, is that now it is known more its depleting greenery. At a time when protection of forests appeared a non-priority and their exploitation had become a rank priority in the government we dared to bring out this special issue which was taken by a pinch of contempt by department’s top brass. Nevertheless, government institutions, forest agencies and non-governmental organization dealing with subject are still writing us for copies of this issue.
EPILOGUE: November 2007
The present day Jammu and Kashmir is comprised of three distinct units and Ladakh, the least visited is perhaps the least understood. Our November 2007 issue was therefore a tribute to the land of the moon and its innocent people. It explored the politics, art, culture, life and style. With this exclusive issue on Ladakh we initiated our editorial commitment with this last place of the country. Since November 2007, Epilogue carried a regular section on Ladakh bringing reports from grassroots and connecting with the people.
EPILOGUE: October 2007
It was the month of October 1947 that the events, one after the other, pushed Jammu and Kashmir into a most enduring of the conflicts world saw in recent history. That no two people have been seen or heard sharing same opinion on Kashmir issue, we requested many to send in their view points. Few of them responded with their understanding. Notable among them were Wajahat Habibullah, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Aziz Zargar, Masud Chaudhary, MY Tarigami, Iftikhar Geelani and KN Pandita. In their own perspective, the authors trace genesis of conflict and its journey over 60 years.
EPILOGUE: September 2007
This was second of our four issues exclusively devoted to the people-to-people contacts between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. A team of experts traveled different parts of state including Ladakh and spoke to key stakeholders before concluding that Jammu and Kashmir can essentially be a land of contact not only between India and Pakistan but also in the South and Central Asian region. Backed with extensive research, this issue analyzed importance of throwing other routes to open to trade and tourism
EPILOGUE: August 2007
The problem with our younger generation in understanding Jammu and Kashmir is that they know very little about past. They key events most of the people in our age remember are the partition and wars. Our August 2007 issue was essentially a commemorative volume chronicling metamorphosis of change Jammu and Kashmir underwent from 1947 to 2007. Every key development arranged in a sequential order made this issue an essential reference on J&K. Which is why August 2008 issue is still in demand not only from across the country but also from abroad.
EPILOGUE: JULY 2007
Jammu and Kashmir is a classic case of summering from what the state has in plenty. For long, during peak winters and harsh summers, the people have been told that Indus Water Treaty’s discriminatory clauses against J&K have left the state devoid of its electricity generating potential –waters of Chenab and Jhelum flowing to Pakistan. The fact of the matter, however, remains that J&K never had a visionary policy on harnessing its hydro-electric potential. Our July 2007 was a piece of comprehensive research on water potential and politics.
EPILOGUE: June 2007
What we tried to underline in our June 2007 issue became dominant nationwide cry exactly a year later. In June 2008 thousands of people in Jammu were on streets and the state was engulfed in a fire of regional and communal hatred. This issue was a forewarning on the fallout of a skewed political approach. Our main argument was based on the premise that external dimensions of Kashmir issue can be resolved by force or by diplomacy but no resolution can be lasting without addressing the internal dimensions.
EPILOGUE: May 2007
Former Finance Minister of Pakistan, Shahid Javed Burki had written a paper for United States Institute of Peace. The study suggested an investment of US Dollar 20 billion for infrastructure development on both sides of J&K and argued that subsequent stakes in economy will overrun politics to pave way for Kashmir becoming conduit of peace between India and Pakistan. Our analysis of this research endorsed the argument but with an addendum: emphasis on economic development is good but political aspiration can’t be overlooked. This issue also carried an interview with J&K Finance Minister and President of PaK Bar Association.
EPILOGUE: April 2007
Describing themselves as natural allies at the time of formation of coalition government in October-November 2002, uncalled for conflict between PDP and Congress started showing towards the end of 2006. It reached almost a point of no return on March 2007 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened to save the coalition form a disastrous fall. Our April 2007 issue, thus, came out with a fearless commentary on the politics of vested interests. This issue also carried an interview with Zulfikar Abbasi, president of PaK CCI who later led a trade delegation to J&K in October 2008.
EPILOGUE: MARCH 2007
In the backdrop of World Bank appointed neutral expert Prof Raymond Lifette’s award on Baglihar hydro-electric project on Chenab, our March issue focused on management and resolution of conflicts between India and Pakistan. Indus Water Treaty one such agreement between both countries which withstood all harshest tests of the times since 1960 and this was first time ever that both countries first agreed to appointment of a third party arbitration and then both accepted the award describing it s victory in their own way.
EPILOGUE: February 2007
Year 2007 began in Jammu and Kashmir really on a promising note. There was a huge push to the peace process and the talk of Cross-LoC trade gained currency. We interviewed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq a day before left for Pakistan and the Pak administered Kashmir tour. He talked of ‘imaginative solution’ to Kashmir issue. Almost same sentiment was echoed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani in another exclusive interview. State budget advanced by two months promised a massive employment program to take the youth out of quagmire.
EPILOGUE: January 2007
THE ANNUAL REVIEW BOOK Bringing out the inaugural issue was a challenge. The idea was to offer something to readers which clicks immediately and had a longer shelf life. Since the first issue was to hit the stalls on first day of New Year, therefore, we came up with an annual review issue. It was then not surprising that the first issue went out of stalls within 10 days. That was the time we started getting calls for distributors and vendors asking for more.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Kashmir Government Considers Release of Reformed Convicts
The state government has today constituted two high level boards –separate for Kashmir and Jammu provinces to consider and recommend the cases of convicts for remission of their sentences.
This move is being seen as a humane and pragmatic step and big relief for the prisoners who have become reformed beings while serving their jail terms. The boards, both headed by Director General Prisons Dr Ashok Bhan, will study the individual cases of convicts to make recommendations for remittance of their sentence.
An official spokesman said that the Government has constituted two Review Boards, one each for the Jammu and Kashmir divisions, to consider cases of convicts eligible for remission of sentence. These Boards have been constituted for a period of two years and will be chaired by Director General of Police, Prisons.
The Members of the Board for Kashmir division are; District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, District Magistrate, Srinagar, Dr. Afzal Qadiri, former Professor, Law department, University of Kashmir, Miss Fozia Imam Ashai, Project officer, State Resource Centre, University of Kashmir, Dr. Qazi Masood, Professor, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Ms Nighat Pandit, NGO Help Foundation and a nominee of Advocate General while Superintendent Central Jail, Srinagar will be its Member Secretary.
The Members of the Board for Jammu division are District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, District Magistrate, Jammu, Dr. V. K. Kapoor, former Professor, Law department, University of Jammu, Mrs. Seema Shekhar, Advocate, Dr. Ved Ghai, Director Social Welfare, Jammu, a nominee of Advocate General while Superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu will be Member Secretary.
This move is being seen as a humane and pragmatic step and big relief for the prisoners who have become reformed beings while serving their jail terms. The boards, both headed by Director General Prisons Dr Ashok Bhan, will study the individual cases of convicts to make recommendations for remittance of their sentence.
An official spokesman said that the Government has constituted two Review Boards, one each for the Jammu and Kashmir divisions, to consider cases of convicts eligible for remission of sentence. These Boards have been constituted for a period of two years and will be chaired by Director General of Police, Prisons.
The Members of the Board for Kashmir division are; District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, District Magistrate, Srinagar, Dr. Afzal Qadiri, former Professor, Law department, University of Kashmir, Miss Fozia Imam Ashai, Project officer, State Resource Centre, University of Kashmir, Dr. Qazi Masood, Professor, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Ms Nighat Pandit, NGO Help Foundation and a nominee of Advocate General while Superintendent Central Jail, Srinagar will be its Member Secretary.
The Members of the Board for Jammu division are District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, District Magistrate, Jammu, Dr. V. K. Kapoor, former Professor, Law department, University of Jammu, Mrs. Seema Shekhar, Advocate, Dr. Ved Ghai, Director Social Welfare, Jammu, a nominee of Advocate General while Superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu will be Member Secretary.
Epilogue's November offiering: Bridging Divides
Epilogue's November 2009 issues brings in ideas and opinions on bridging divides between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir. An interview with Nyla Ali Khan introduces to the people of Jammu and Kashmir the mind of the author who has brought a fresh and authentic account of the Kashmir conflictQuiet Diplomacy Impresses Kashmir Politics
Breaking an unusually long lull, the Home Minister P Chidambram’s offer for unique model of dialogue has come as welcome move for all hues of mainstream and separatist outfits in Kashmir but the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah is not quite reconciled even as he has changed stance twice this week much to the political discomfiture of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
There is a sudden burst of positive vibes from Kashmir soon after Chidambram (popularly referred to as PC) declared in Srinagar on October 13 that New Delhi was engaging in one-to-one and two-to-dialogue with different shades of opinion in Jammu and Kashmir. While the separatists longing for resumption of dialogue and the mainstream parties pushing for it have found Chidambram’s statement inspiring, the model of quiet diplomacy is being welcomes for all as earlier at many occasions separatists have rejected a dialogue which involved other opinions simultaneously.
Chidambram’s Srinagar declarations comes close to the heels of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq making its intentions clear about getting engaged in an unconditional dialogue with New Delhi. It may be recalled here that Early Times had reported in its October 7 issue that New Delhi was engaged into back channel one-to-one dialogue with many leaders in Kashmir but it was not being made known to the people at large for the risk of breakdown in case of wide differences between the engaged parties.
Since there are no conditions attached to the exercise, all parties have welcomed the Home Minister’s announcement. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti says the commitment of the union government to work for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue adds a new and positive dimension to Kashmir discourse. She said the Home Minister’s description of Jammu & Kashmir as a place with unique history and unique geography that would need a unique solution is in line with the thinking and efforts of the PDP.
She said Chidambaram could not be more accurate in out lining the contours of the problem and its possible solution when he said that J&K would need its own solution in view of the peculiar back ground of its problems and that no other arrangement could serve a model for the state.
In New Delhi, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “it (Chidambram’s statement) speaks that there is a greater realisation in Delhi right now, that they do address and accept the fact that we have to move beyond traditional issues and we have to move beyond traditional statements, otherwise we have been only hearing in the last two-three years that Kashmir is an integral part and on those lines. So I think now we are seeing that people are talking in terms of realities on the ground."
"I think all the parties - Kashmiris, India, Pakistan slowly and gradually are realising that we all have to come together. When we talk about Kashmir we talk about regions, we talk about regional aspirations.
While everybody realises that this problem has to have a political solution, it cannot have a military solution. Kashmir problem cannot be resolved by military means, either by force or by suppression," he added.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is being seen as a facilitator of the dialogue as he and Chidrambram have been seen echoing almost the same words but National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah seems to be differing on range of issues. Earlier Farooq differed with Omar on the prevailing security situation in state and later on the contours of dialogue. While speaking at the Editor’s conference he virtually put Omar in a piquant position when he contradicted the latter on a range of issues.
There is a sudden burst of positive vibes from Kashmir soon after Chidambram (popularly referred to as PC) declared in Srinagar on October 13 that New Delhi was engaging in one-to-one and two-to-dialogue with different shades of opinion in Jammu and Kashmir. While the separatists longing for resumption of dialogue and the mainstream parties pushing for it have found Chidambram’s statement inspiring, the model of quiet diplomacy is being welcomes for all as earlier at many occasions separatists have rejected a dialogue which involved other opinions simultaneously.
Chidambram’s Srinagar declarations comes close to the heels of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq making its intentions clear about getting engaged in an unconditional dialogue with New Delhi. It may be recalled here that Early Times had reported in its October 7 issue that New Delhi was engaged into back channel one-to-one dialogue with many leaders in Kashmir but it was not being made known to the people at large for the risk of breakdown in case of wide differences between the engaged parties.
Since there are no conditions attached to the exercise, all parties have welcomed the Home Minister’s announcement. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti says the commitment of the union government to work for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue adds a new and positive dimension to Kashmir discourse. She said the Home Minister’s description of Jammu & Kashmir as a place with unique history and unique geography that would need a unique solution is in line with the thinking and efforts of the PDP.
She said Chidambaram could not be more accurate in out lining the contours of the problem and its possible solution when he said that J&K would need its own solution in view of the peculiar back ground of its problems and that no other arrangement could serve a model for the state.
In New Delhi, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “it (Chidambram’s statement) speaks that there is a greater realisation in Delhi right now, that they do address and accept the fact that we have to move beyond traditional issues and we have to move beyond traditional statements, otherwise we have been only hearing in the last two-three years that Kashmir is an integral part and on those lines. So I think now we are seeing that people are talking in terms of realities on the ground."
"I think all the parties - Kashmiris, India, Pakistan slowly and gradually are realising that we all have to come together. When we talk about Kashmir we talk about regions, we talk about regional aspirations.
While everybody realises that this problem has to have a political solution, it cannot have a military solution. Kashmir problem cannot be resolved by military means, either by force or by suppression," he added.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is being seen as a facilitator of the dialogue as he and Chidrambram have been seen echoing almost the same words but National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah seems to be differing on range of issues. Earlier Farooq differed with Omar on the prevailing security situation in state and later on the contours of dialogue. While speaking at the Editor’s conference he virtually put Omar in a piquant position when he contradicted the latter on a range of issues.
Minister assures action in Shopian double rape and murder case
Asserting governments commitment to punish the people responsible for the Shopian murder and rape case, the Minister for Rural Development, Panchayats, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar said that no leniency would be done in this regard.
The Minister was addressing the series of public gatherings after taking review meeting cum public darbars at Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam. The Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Sakina Itoo also attended the public darbar cum review meeting at Kulgam.
Sagar said that the Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah has already assured the people of Shopian that the culprits responsible for this heinous crime would not be spared at any cost. He said that the government is fully cooperating with the central government and in this regard every sort of logistic help has been provided to the CBI which is investigating the case. “We have promised the people of Shopian that guilty would not be spared at any cost and in this regard the Union Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and the Chief Minister have already assured that action would be taken against the persons responsible this dastardly crime”, he maintained.
While referring to forces inimical to the peace, the Minister said that they would not be spared and every possible effort would be taken so that there nefarious designs are defeated.
The Minister while taking review cum public darbar at Pulwama was informed that an amount of Rs. 52 crore has been earmarked for various developmental works. The meeting was told that an amount of Rs. 4.77 crore has been spent under various social service schemes. Similarly, an amount of Rs. 62 lakh has been spent under R&B sector and Rs.1.2 crore has been spent under Irrigation sector.
The Minister was addressing the series of public gatherings after taking review meeting cum public darbars at Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam. The Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Sakina Itoo also attended the public darbar cum review meeting at Kulgam.
Sagar said that the Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah has already assured the people of Shopian that the culprits responsible for this heinous crime would not be spared at any cost. He said that the government is fully cooperating with the central government and in this regard every sort of logistic help has been provided to the CBI which is investigating the case. “We have promised the people of Shopian that guilty would not be spared at any cost and in this regard the Union Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and the Chief Minister have already assured that action would be taken against the persons responsible this dastardly crime”, he maintained.
While referring to forces inimical to the peace, the Minister said that they would not be spared and every possible effort would be taken so that there nefarious designs are defeated.
The Minister while taking review cum public darbar at Pulwama was informed that an amount of Rs. 52 crore has been earmarked for various developmental works. The meeting was told that an amount of Rs. 4.77 crore has been spent under various social service schemes. Similarly, an amount of Rs. 62 lakh has been spent under R&B sector and Rs.1.2 crore has been spent under Irrigation sector.
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