Kashmir:  Recap 2013

 ARTICLE BY BILAL BASHIR BHAT

The year 2013 in Kashmir, witnessed a number of controversies, Scams, disclosures, killings, encounters and of course the big News Afzal Guroo’s execution. From Hundreds of original stories that happened in 2013, it is not easy to select just a few. But to give readers a recap of the year, I present 12 stories.

1)            Afzal Guru’s Execution: Under the banner of Operation Three Star, accused for the Parliament attack Afzal Guru was secretly hanged in Tihar Jail on 09 February. On the day of hanging Government in Kashmir imposed strict Curfew throughout the whole Valley which remained almost a month. Despite Curfew and restrictions Internet was also barred. However youth defied curfew and restrictions at many places in the region including the home town of Guru and staged anti-India demonstrations. On Feb 25 various pro-freedom groups formed a united forum Mutahida Majlis-e-Mashawarat (MMM) for a joint resistance programme to seek Afzal Guru’s body. Later the forum disappeared with unknown reasons. 

2)            Zubin Mehta’s Concert: Despite lot of opposition by different shades of people of Kashmir, the concert itself came off smoothly, beginning as Mehta raised his baton on 7th September in the Shalimar Gardens of Srinagar. Hundreds of policemen were deployed inside the venue, with hundreds more in armored vans that monitored the streets outside. A mile of roads leading from the venue was blocked, and the city of Srinagar was peppered with police checkpoints. A mere inconvenience to the chauffeured dignitaries was an affront to the citizens of Srinagar.

3)            Gulzar Peer’s Scandal: Once a darling self-styled the so called Sufi dervish Gulzar Ahmed Bhat was arrested on May 23 by Jammu and Kashmir police for raping and sexually abusing several young girls at his religious centre, Khansahib in Budgam district. The scandal came to light when one of Gulzar's disciples, Imtiyaz Ahmad Sofi saw him indulging in a sexual act with a young girl. Police said Gulzar was arrested after four girls recorded their confessional statement before the court of the sub-judge in Budgam.

4)            Girls Rock Band: The teenage girls who came to limelight in December 2012 after their scintillating performance at the annual 'Battle of the Bands’ decided to disband the Pragaash Band, after they allegedly received threats of death and other physical harm on social networking sites, the Grand Mufti also issued a fatwa terming singing as un-Islamic and asked them to abandon it.

5)            VK Leaks: Former Indian Army Chief Gen.V.K. Singh's claim that the army paid from its secret funds to ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government which triggered a political storm in the state. Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council summoned former Army Chief General V K Singh for his alleged comments about pay-offs to state politicians. Later VK Singh did a unexpected U-turn over his statement in a reply Letter to Legislative Assembly.

6)            Prime Minister’s Visit and Militant attack: on Jun 24 eight CRPF personnel were killed and 13 were injured, when two militants opened fire on an Army convoy on the outskirts of Srinagar, just a day before a visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. 

7)            BOPEE Scam: The aggrieved aspirants and their parents complained that the merit list issued by Board of Professional Entrance Examination BOPEE in 2012 carried names of aspirants whose performance in class 10 and class 12 was dismal. The revelations that entrance exam papers for obtaining admissions in medicine and engineering colleges in the state have shocked everyone in Kashmir with aspirants and parents questioning the credibility of the entire test. Later the former BOPEE chairman Mushtaq Ahmed Peer was arrested by crime branch of Kashmir police which is investigating the case.

8)            Encounters & Militant Attacks:  A large number of Encounters and Militant attacks were witnessed throughout the year, as per the statistics 61 personnel and 97 Militants were killed during the year 2013.

9)            Civilian Killings: Among other gory incidents, Gagran Shopian Killings, Markundal Killings, causalities aftermath the Afzal Guru’s execution  and also the alleged killings of students outside the state, resulted strikes and curfews throughout the year.

10)          Jammu Impact: Gool Ramban firing incident and Kishtwar Riots in which nine men were killed and almost 100 people were injured triggered the protest in Kashmir in solidarity with the Muslims of Jammu, Curfew was immediately imposed in Kashmir and several changes were made in administrative positions.

11)          Geelani’s Release: After being put under house arrest for nearly Eight Months, the chairman of his Hurriyat faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani was released as the as Police withdrew its personnel from his Hyderpora residence on 29 Oct. Geelani addressed various mammoth gatherings in different parts of Kashmir excluding Srinagar, however he was again place under house arrest after he threats to hold a ‘historical’ rally in Srinagar.  

12)          Parvaiz Rasool: On 14 Feb Parvaiz became the first cricketer of Jammu-Kasmir, who played in I.P.L. Getting his maiden call-up for the national team for India's Zimbabwe tour of 2013, Rasool became the second cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir, after Vivek Razdan,to get selected for the national side.