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The beautiful Kashmir Region is marred with territorial conflicts between India, Pakistan and China since the British colonial rulers left India in 1947. Amidst a few wars all these countries have made claims to different parts of Kashmir, based on historical developments and religious affiliations of the Kashmiri people.



Kashmir region. Image by Wikimedia Commons. CC BY

The Jammu and Kashmir region is administered by India but enjoys special autonomy under Article 370 of the Constitution of India. It is also the only Indian state that has its own flag. Since the late 1980s a violent uprising backed by Pakistan has caused a prolonged, bloody conflict between militants and the Indian security forces in this region. The Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir has been given special powers via Armed Forces Act, which has been widely criticized.

Kashmir is boiling over tension and rage since early June when it was revealed that Indian security forces allegedly killed three innocent boys and claimed they were militants. Violent protests ensued which brought part of the region in standstill and hundreds of Kashmiri youths were arrested. Jason Oberdorf at Global Post explains the recent volatile situation in Jammu and Kashmir:

Late Tuesday (July 6, 2010) night, New Delhi deployed the army to quell protests in Kashmir for the first time since 1990, after police bullets allegedly killed three more civilians, bringing the total for the month to 15. [..]

Facebook and other social networking sites are brimming with outpourings of rage, bordering on hatred for India's security forces, from Kashmiri youth.

Reading reports about Kashmir may get tricky depending on the source. While a Pakistani media would interpret the stone pelting protests with headlines such as "Kashmir shuts down protesting Indian occupation: Want freedom, Pakistan", an Indian media would label the stone pelting as provocations by anti-national elements. There are reports that the Indian media may be allegedly fabricating blames.

Apart from tackling the stone throwing protesters the Indian military now faces a new form of insurgency. Protesters are increasingly using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, hi5, Orkut and Kashmir Friend, which is a social network dedicated to the people of Kashmir. Simantik Dowerah at Live Mint reports that "there are actually groups of Kashmiri stone throwers who have registered themselves on Facebook." The Kashmir reports with screenshots how the youths are being instigated by sharing Jihadi videos.

As the violence escalated, the Jammu and Kashmir Government banned the SMS service across the valley in an attempt to stop the flow of information and rumors. But the Kashmiris could breathe free, stay connected and share information via Facebook as Hindustan Times reported. Many news websites like Kashmir Dispatch and Kashmir are using Facebook to reach netizens.



Police patrol the streets of Srinagar, Kashmir, on the lookout for protesters and separatist troublemakers. Image via Flickr user Austin Yoder. CC BY-NC

Amidst all this there are reports that Facebook users are being screened by Police. The Daily Rising Kashmir reports that the authorities have now started scrutinizing Facebook users in South Kashmir's Anantnag (previously Islamabad) district who they claim are 'instigating' people against the state.

Sagar From Srinagar writes in protest in his blog "Tragedy Of Errors: My Kashmir", which sums up the pain of the Kashmiris:

I protest for the incompetency of the people handling my future, I protest for the lack of humanity in our (in)security forces, I Protest for the repeated insults, I protest for media using my pain for their TRPs, I protest for the short sightedness of all our leaders, I protest for none of them coming out submissively and asking for forgiveness, I protest for being ordered to be locked up in my house for no fault of mine, I protest for anyone, but never a Kashmiri, getting his 5 minutes of fame on tv, I protest for the unnecessary and insensitive comments made about my place, I protest for journalists telling the world just one side of the story...

Being Cynical at Desicritics blames the policies and politics as a reason for the protests:

Traditionally Kashmiris feel alienated- thanks to our policies and our politician's attitude to keep the Kashmir topic alive for their own gain. If you look at the video footage, it is really disturbing to see teenagers barely in their twenties are hurling stones at the security forces. On a micro analysis you would realize that these are the same guys who would have born when Kashmir was at peak of it's boiling point and their whole life till now has gone through violence, atrocities, negligence, no governance and of course the terrorists. [..]

I am sure the majority of these teenagers who are seen protesting violently might not be knowing for what they are protesting or on whom they are pelting stones.

Some analysts are labeling these protests as the 'new Intifada'. Arjimand Hussain Talib at Dateline Srinagar opines about the protests of Kashmiri youths:

Their movement will not die down because this generation is dynamic – stretches across the globe. It has technology at its hand – Internet, mobiles phones, digital cameras, You Tube, Facebook, etc. They are archiving Kashmir’s current happenings for the next generation. And are disseminating that to the world beyond to catch attention.

There are reports that the local government is trying to control the flow of information by shutting down publications and confiscating newspapers prior to distribution. Journalists are being barred from reporting on demonstrations. The world will rely on Facebook and Twitter users for first hand reports from the region. But after the SMS ban will the Jammu and Kashmir government crack down on Social networks too?

Also published in Global Voices Online

Protests in Dhaka. Image from Flickr by Vipez. CC BY-NC-ND

After three years of respite Hartal, a South Asian form of strike action is back in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's opposition alliance has called for a hartal on Sunday (27th of June, 2010) to press for its 11-point demand including solution of the utility crisis, tender manipulation, persecution of opposition leaders and workers etc.

Things have heated up as on the eve of the Hartal day there are news reports of cars and buses being torched in different areas of the capital Dhaka with passengers suffering serious burns.

Nazmul Hasan Babu at Prothom Alo blog provides some background of the Hartal culture in the country:

গুজরাটী শব্দ "হরতাল" কে বাংলাদেশের রাজনৈতিক দলগুলো যেভাবে ব্যবহার করেছেন তা বোধ হয় বিশ্বের কোন দেশই করতে পারেন নি। [..] আর হরতালের আভিধানিক অর্থ যা ই থাকুক না কেন বাংলাদেশের প্রেক্ষাপটে হরতালের সংজ্ঞা হচ্ছে- এদেশ আমার বাপ-দাদার, চাইলেই বন্ধ করে দেব সবকিছু।

বাংলাদেশের মানুষেরও আত্মার সাথে মিশে গেছে হরতাল। হরতাল আমাদের সংস্কৃতির ও একটা অংশ। হরতালের তারিখ নির্ধারণ মানেই হচ্ছে- আজকে আমার দোকানটা বন্ধ থাকবে, না হয় লুট হবে। আজকে আমার কষ্টার্জিত উপার্জনে কেনা সখের গাড়িটা ভেঙ্গে টুকরো টুকরো হবে। হরতাল মানেই হচ্ছে আজকে আমার কাজে যাওয়া হবে না। বড় কর্তার বকুনি। নয়তো ছেলেমেয়ে নিয়ে না খেয়ে থাকা।

এসবই পুরনো কথা। দীর্ঘ প্রায় আড়াই তিন বছর পর আবার শুরু হচ্ছে হরতাল। এ আড়াই তিন বছরে বাংলাদেশের জনগন বোধহয় ভুলেই গিয়েছিলেন হরতাল শব্দটি। এরই ফলে তারা হয়তো আর হরতাল চায় না। কিন্তু তারা না চাইলেই কি হবে, নেতারা তো চান! [..]

মাননীয় বিরোধী দলীয় নেত্রী কি ভেবে দেখেছেন, হরতাল হলে দেশের একদিনে ক্ষতি কত হবে? কত মানুষের ভোগান্তি হবে? অবশ্য এসব আপনাদের ভাববার কথা নয়, কারণ আপনারা জনগন দিয়ে রাজনীতি করেন জনগণের জন্য নয়। তাই জনগনের কি ক্ষতি হলো তা ভাববার মতো সময় আপনার কোথায়?

The political parties of Bangladesh are using the Gujrati term Hartal in a way which was never achieved by any other country of the world. [..] Forget how Hartal is defined universally, in Bangladesh perspective it means the country is our inherited property and we can close everything on our will.

Hartal has been engraved in the spirit of Bangladeshis. It has been part of our culture. The declaration of a Hartal date means that my shop will either be closed or be looted. On that day my beloved car will be broken by picketers. Hartal means that I will not be able to go to work and will be scolded by my supervisor. The consequence will be that I will not get my pay and will starve with my children.

These all are known facts. After a long break of almost three years Hartal has come back in Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshis may have forgotten about this nightmare. So they probably don't want it to come back. But it does not matter what they want, because the leaders want it.

Respected leader of opposition, have you thought how much the country will lose in one day because of the strike? How many lives will be disrupted? Of course you don't have to think about it, because your politics is driven by people, not for people. So you don't have time to think about the problems and losses of the citizens.

Habib at Amar blog writes:

হরতাল বল্লেই প্রথমে তা সম্পর্কে মনে আসে যে হরতাল করলে দেশের ক্ষতি। এবং রাজনৈতিক দলগুলো বিরোধীদলে থাকলে হরতাল জায়েজ, আর সরকারীদলে থাকলে নাজায়েজ ।"

দেশে অরাজকতা তৈরী করে সরকারকে বিপদে ফেলার একটা কায়দা হল - হরতাল।

The first thing comes into mind when talking about Hartal is that it brings huge loss for the country. If a political party is in the opposition, Hartal is absolutely ok for them, if they are the ruling party then obviously they are against Hartal.

Because Hartal is the way to put the government in an awkward position by creating anarchy.

Aminul Haque Bachchu at Pothom Alo blog explains Hartal with a poem:

লাঠি হাতে মাঠে চল
এলো ঐ বিপক্ষ দল
হরতাল হরতাল ।

গরীব মারার নয়া কল
রাজনীতির এক মাত্র বল
হরতাল হরতাল ।

মানুষ ক্ষ্যাপানোর কৌশল
ক্ষমতায় যাওয়ার ছল
হরতাল হরতাল ।

পকেটে পিস্তল, হাতে মশাল
গাড়ী ভাঙ্গতে রাস্তায় চল
হরতাল হরতাল ।

On the field with sticks in action
Here comes the opposition
Hartal Hartal

A new device to kill the poor
The only ball of the politicians
Hartal Hartal

Its a tool to instigate citizens
Its a trick to come to power
Hartal Hartal

Torch in hand, Guns in Pocket
Lets take the street and break the cars
Hartal Hartal

However some netizens are also supporting the Hartal. Blogger Dhibor at Somewhereinblog.net gives logic for the strike:

আগামীকাল আঃ লিগে দুঃশাসনের বিরুদ্ধে প্রতিবাদ জানাতে যে হরতালের উদ্যোগ নেয়া হয়েছে, সেখানেও কঠোর অবস্থানের কোন বিকল্প নেই। কেননা আওয়ামী লিগ ভদ্র ভাষা বোঝে না। তারা যেমন নীতিতে কর্মে সন্ত্রাসি, সেরকম শক্ত প্রতিরোধ না গড়তে পারলে, ওরা পুলিশকে সাথে নিয়ে পেটোয়াবাহিনি লেলিয়ে দেবেই। ইতিমধ্যে কিছু কিছু আলামত স্পস্ট হয়েছে।

তাই মার খেয়ে পালানোর কোন সুযোগ নেই। যে কাজ অনেক অনেক দিন আগেই করা উচিত ছিল, (যদিও ইস্যুর তো কোন অভাবই ছিল না), সেটা এতদিন পরে হলেও যে করা হচ্ছে, সেজন্য মৃদু ধন্যবাদ বিরোধী দল পেতে পারে।

There is no alternative to taking a tough stand by a Hartal declared to protest (ruling party) Awami League's repressions. Because Awami League does not understand peaceful language. As they are dominant in their work and policies, if the resistance is not strong enough, they will put the police on our back to beat us. Some symptoms have already been divulged.

There is no achievement in running away after being beaten. The opposition should have done this a long time ago (the issues were present) and they have finally decided for it - they should get thanks from me.

The above statement shows the confrontational state of Bangladesh politics.

Twitter users also reacted this way:





Banglar Manchitro at Somewherein questions:

বিরোধীদলতো হরতাল বাদে অন্য যেকোন কর্মসূচি দিতে পারতো। তারা লংমার্চ, অবস্থান কর্মসূচি, অনশন করতে পারতো। তাহলে তারা কেন এই ক্ষতিকর হরতাল দিল।

আমাদের দেশের জন্য আমরা কি এই হরতাল সর্মথন করি?????

The opposition could declare other means of protests except Hartal. They could use long march, sitting protests, hunger strike etc. So why did they declare this destructive Hartal?

Do we really support this Hartal for our country's sake?

Also published in Global Voices online.

Thinks look grim in Dhaka as more than 50 people were injured while protesting peacefully against the offshore gas contracts awarded to three foreign energy companies. Professor Anu Muhammad, member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, was among the injured.

Photo credit: The New Age

The rally was intercepted by police at Paltan and in the ensuing melee police mounted a baton charge that left committee member secretary Prof Anu Muhammed and dozens others injured. Prof Muhammed, a teacher of economics at Jahangirnagar University, told bdnews24.com: “We were peacefully observing our programme when the police beat us without any reason. Several people were injured in the incident. We waged this movement to protect the assets of the country. We are not against the government. It is the government’s responsibility to protect the life and property of citizens. I cannot understand why this incident took place,”.

Here in an interview taken by photojournalist and blogger Shahidul Alam prof Anu Muhammad tells that "the government does not change, its an issusion." Although the govt. has changed recently, the same imperialist forces are at work trying to plunder the nation's wealth and they try to repress any force that try to oppose them:



According to the New Age:

Both legs of Anu Muhammad, also a professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University, were badly fractured in the police attack while a number of other left-leaning political leaders and activists, including Saiful Huq, Mushrefa Mishu, Jannatul Marium Tania, Montu Biswas, Srikant Samaddar, Biplab Mandal, Gazi Shafiullah and Sumi Akhtar sustained injuries.

Condemning the police action Anu Muhammad told reporters that their campaigns were aimed at protecting the natural resources of the country. ‘We are not against the government; we are against the move to export our natural resources. It is the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of the citizens. I don’t understand why the police pounced on us,’ he said.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs, headed by the finance minister, on August 24 approved offshore oil and gas exploration deals with the two companies in three sea blocks in the resource-rich Bay, on condition that they would not operate in the disputed areas in the blocks.

At the rally, Shaheedullah said they demanded cancellation of the Model Production Sharing Contract 2008, approved by the last interim government, saying pressure from ‘colonialists’ had been behind it.