Countering the Separatist Mind-Set: An Analysis of ‘Eid-ul-Zuha 2011’

Author: TWI

As is the annual norm around Eid-ul-Zuha, the supporters of Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leader Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), were found to be distributing a booklet containing his opinion on ‘India’s oppression of Kashmir’. This 37-page booklet, in Urdu, first surfaced in 2011 titled, ‘Eid-ul-Zua 2011’, and was released by the secessionist leader on 03 Nov 2011, a few days prior to the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Zuha[1]. A severely abridged version is also routinely provided to tourists at the various hotspots in Kashmir. Ostensibly, the aim of the booklet was to allow a larger audience for his anti-India tirade. It is, and reads like, the text of a speech. With the authorities habitually disallowing him a public namaz on the festival, he stays confined to his Hyderpora house. Faced with the peril of his speechwriter’s effort being laid waste, perhaps a book-release was the sole available choice, which he exercised. The booklet serves as a good sample of Geelani’s thought-process and deserves a closer scrutiny.

This article aims to analyse, in the light of established truth, the anti-India stance of Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), as espoused in this booklet and elsewhere, most notably, his two volume autobiography Wular Kinare[2]. Even as some incidents mentioned herein may appear localized to the casual reader, the import of an event in Kashmir is only known in its aftermath through the reaction that the episode generates or how successfully the government agencies are able to contain it through preemptive action. It is important for those interested in internal security or vested with protecting it, to arm themselves with a counter-opinion on issues that catch the fancy of the masses and are regularly espoused to stoke sentiments. It is a common occurrence in various public fora in Kashmir for zealots to hog the limelight by championing Geelani’s separatist mind-set.

Broadly, the following aspects are covered in the article:-

·       Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Secessionist Extraordinaire.  A brief on the secessionist leader to better understand his thought process and the driving force behind his extremist viewpoint.

·       View-Counterview.  This part highlights the major aspects covered in the booklet and the features therein. It further analyses the major arguments put forth by Geelani in this book and elsewhere to espouse the Kashmiri cause.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Secessionist Extraordinaire

Early Life.      Geelani was born in Zoorimunz, Bandipora and underwent preliminary education at Sopore before graduating from the Oriental College in Lahore, Pak[3]. This time spent in Pak is perhaps the cause of his belief in the two-nation theory.

Political Leanings   

 

·       Pol Parties.         During the early years of his political life, he formed the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, later dissolved it and idolized the Jamaat-e-Islami (since 1950) for a number of years. He has now revived the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, a component of the Hurriyat(G) of which he is the Chairman. The declared aim of the reformed Tehreek-e-Hurriyat is the resolution of Kashmir dispute, to be achieved by demilitarization of Kashmir, followed immediately by a plebiscite under impartial control to determine the future status of Kashmir.[4]

·       Affinity for Merger with Pak.     A separatist thorough and through, The Hindu correspondent, Nirupama Subramanian, describes Geelani as ‘Pakistan’s biggest asset in India.’[5] Geelani, despite his calls for ‘azaadi’ implies only freedom from India’s forcible occupation and espouses a merger with Pak[6]. He continues to insist on tripartite talks involving India, Pak and Kashmiris[7] and shuns talks with New Delhi because of the Indian Govt’s stance of Kashmir being ‘an inalienable part of the Indian Union’.[8]

·       Anti-India Stance.            His anti-India stance seems to have been cemented because he was not allowed to attend his father’s funeral as he was serving a 13-month prison sentence in 1962 due to separatist activities.[9] In any case he’s the sole separatist to have maintained a constant and well demonstrated extremist anti-India stance.

·       Mellowing of Stance.      Though lately, he has had a more guarded approach to being seen as exclusively pro-Pak, possibly due to the failing conditions of the state and a realization that most Kashmiris, on either side of the LC, prefer Independence over merger with Pak. Hence, he now appears open to the idea of Independence from both Pak and India saying “compared to staying with India, independence is a lesser evil.”[10] The shift was perhaps forced because he began to sense disenchantment with Pakistan even among staunchly secessionist elements.[11]His party’s website also declares that “Independence for Kashmir may be a second option if all parties to the dispute agree to it.”[12] In all fairness, he has also remarked that if the people of Kashmir decide to go with the Indian Union, then the Kashmiris will ‘be the best Indians.”[13] Though this perhaps is demonstrative more of his confidence in the Indian state’s alienation of the Kashmiri people than an accommodative attitude to Kashmiri aspirations.

Religious Ideology

Geelani champions the two-nation theory, arguing that “Hindus and Muslims cannot co-exist unless in a Islamic State.”[14] Further, “if Kashmir were to be a part of India the Muslims would have to give up their nationality based on Islam for one based on Indian-ness.” They would be confined to live perpetually under “Hindu slavery” and that would be tantamount to a “virtual apostasy.”[15] Clearly, playing the religious card is fair-game for Geelani.

Status of Geelani in Kashmir.         

Not all Kashmiris agree with the role that Geelani has played in the turmoil, but most agree that he’s “not a sell-out to India”[16] unlike other political leaders of the Valley. His supporters equal those who might wish the “old man finally succumbed to one of his many ailments.”[17] He gained centre-stage by orchestrating the Sangbazi (stone-throwing) agitation of 2010. But then, he possibly overplayed his hand. 2011 saw his ‘Protest Calendars’ (timelines for demonstrations) eliciting hardly a response with common Kashmiris criticizing him and questioning the point of it all – more than a 100 people dead, economy disrupted, schools closed and a number of youth booked under PSA and no tangible or intangible gain to show for it.[18] The steam seems to have escaped his Tehreek (movement).But he remains a potent threat to peace with his hard-line anti-India stance delivered to any available audience with trademark conviction and candour.

Prolonged Battle with Illness.         

Geelani suffers from medical problem in both his eyes, has been diagnosed with renal cancer, one of his kidneys and gall bladder has been removed and malignancy has been detected in the other kidney. He is 82 years old. He is reported to have undergone at least three operations in Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, when his request for a visa for the US was turned down because he has “failed to renounce violence.”[19]

Importance of Geelani for Pak.        

Geelani continues to enjoy top billing as the voice of Kashmiri secession with the Pakistani establishment, his altered position seeking self-determination in POK as part of the solution, notwithstanding. During her visit to Delhi in Aug 2011, he was received separately by the Pakistani foreign minister at the Pakistan High Commission and given a far longer hearing than what Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, leader of the moderate Hurriyat (M), received. At the end, Khar came out to see Geelani off at the high commission entrance, another courtesy not extended to the Mirwaiz.[20]

View-Counterview

Eid-ul-Zuha 2011 covers three major aspects:

·       Religion.   This part broad-brushes the genesis of Eid-ul-Zuha, promotes Kurbaani by espousing its virtues, exhorts piety in Muslims, heaps praises on Hazrat Ibrahim and highlights the teachings of the Koran.

·       Vilification of the Indian Army.            A significant part of the booklet is devoted to demonizing the Indian Army by citing recent and past allegations levelled against it.

·       Cultural Invasion of Kashmir Valley.     This section highlights the cultural degeneration of the Valley due to ‘Indian rule’ as perceived by Geelani.

          

The major arguments forwarded by Geelani and counters to each are enumerated in succeeding paragraphs.

Argument One - J&K Is Under Illegal Occupation of the Indian Army Since 1947

The Indian viewpoint is succinctly summarized by Ministry of External affairs, Government of India[21] on its official website and covers the following aspects:

India holds that the Instrument of Accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union of India, signed by Maharaja Hari Singh (erstwhile ruler of the State) on 25 October 1947 & executed on 27 October 1947 between the ruler of Kashmir and the Governor General of India was a legal act, was completely valid in terms of the Government of India Act (1935), Indian Independence Act (1947) and international law and was total and irrevocable. There is no evidence of any deceit practiced by India on Kashmir. The Government of India had no right to question the right of the Maharaja to sign the Instrument of Accession, as he alone had the right and power to take a decision for his state. To have asked the ruler to establish his right to sign the Instrument of Accession would have meant that the Government of India was going to meddle with the internal policies of the state. Law does not permit any such intervention in the affairs of another state.

The Constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir had unanimously ratified the Maharaja's Instrument of Accession to India and had adopted a constitution for the state that called for a perpetual merger of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union of India. India claims that the Constituent assembly was a representative one, and that its views were those of the Kashmiri people at the time. The most popular political party, the National Conference, was also in favour of acceding to India.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172 tacitly accepts India's stand regarding all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan and urges the need to resolve the dispute through mutual dialogue and does not call for a plebiscite.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 cannot be implemented since Pakistan failed to withdraw its forces from Kashmir, which was the first step in implementing the resolution. India is also of the view that Resolution 47 is obsolete, since the geography and demographics of the region have been permanently altered. The resolution was passed by United Nations Security Council under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter. It is therefore non-binding and has no mandatory enforceability, as opposed to the resolutions passed under Chapter VII.

India does not accept the two-nation theory that forms the basis of Pakistan and considers that Kashmir, despite being a Muslim-majority state, is in many ways an "integral part" of secular India.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was provided significant autonomy in Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

All differences between India and Pakistan, including Kashmir, need to be settled through bilateral negotiations as agreed to by the two countries when they signed the Simla Agreement on 02 Jul 1972.

Additional Indian viewpoints regarding the broader debate over the Kashmir conflict include:

·       In a diverse country like India, disaffection and discontent are not uncommon. Indian democracy has the necessary resilience to accommodate genuine grievances within the framework of India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity. The Government of India has expressed its willingness to accommodate the legitimate political demands of the people of the state of Kashmir.[22]

·       Insurgency and terrorism in Kashmir is deliberately being fueled by Pakistan to create instability in the region.[23] The Government of India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of waging a proxy war in Kashmir by providing weapons and financial assistance to terrorist groups in the region.

·       Pakistan is trying to raise anti-India sentiment among the people of Kashmir by spreading false propaganda against India. According to the state government of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani radio and television channels deliberately spread "hate and venom" against India to alter Kashmiri opinion.[24]

·       India has asked the United Nations not to leave unchallenged or unaddressed the claims of moral, political, and diplomatic support for terrorism, which were clearly in contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373. This is a Chapter VII resolution that makes it mandatory for member states to not provide active or passive support to terrorist organizations.[25] Specifically, it has pointed out that the Pakistani government continues to support various terrorist organizations, such as Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in direct violation of this resolution.

·       India points out reports by human rights organizations condemning Pakistan for the lack of civil liberties in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to India, most regions of Pakistani Kashmir, especially Northern Areas, continue to suffer from lack of political recognition, economic development, and basic fundamental rights.[26]

·       Dr Karan Singh, the state’s first and last Sadar-e-Riyast and son of the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh said that the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh was the same as signed by other states; however the state had its own separate constitution. That is why the state has special status and Article 370. With the signing of Instrument of Accession, it became an integral part of India.[27]

Argument Two - More Than Six Lakh Lives Have Been Lost In Kashmir In The Last 20 Years.

Geelani declares that the security forces have butchered six lakh people over the last 20 years. The truth is that between the period 01 Jan 1988 to 24 Aug 2014, 22,809 terrorists, 6,121 security force personnel and 14,685 civilians have lost their lives for a grand total of 43,615 fatalities.[28] In 2006, Geelani himself stated, “in the past seventeen years, over one lakh Kashmiri Muslims, mainly innocent civilians have been killed.”[29] Perhaps what Geelani has inadvertently added are the five lakh deaths he often quotes as having occurred at the hands of the Dogra forces and Hindu chauvinists in 1947.[30]

Argument Three - Unaccounted Disappearances.   

While Geelani pegs the figure broadly as ‘thousands and thousands’, according to the 2009 State Assembly figures, 3,429 persons (2,367 from Jammu and 1,062 from Kashmir) have been reported missing from their homes of which 110 disappeared from detention. While each case warrants attention, the figures are not as copious as made out by Geelani.

Argument Four - Draconian Laws like Public Security Act and Arrest of the Gen Secy of the Hurriyat. 

PSA of 1978 is the law relating to preventive detention in J&K and permits detention without trial for a period of one year if a person is deemed likely to act in a way that is ‘prejudicial to maintenance of public order’ or up to two years if ‘prejudicial to safety of the state.’ The same law is applicable to most of the country.[31]

In J&K, the law was applied to arrest stone-pelters and criminals who were intimidating innocent people. A widespread sentiment that had been actively and violently suppressed through the stone pelting campaign was the freedom of choice. Any failure to follow Geelani’s calendar was met with ‘swift reprisals; shop keepers who failed to down shutters were thrashed and their shops vandalized, school buses were stopped and burned, trucks and cars stopped on the roadside for hours on end. Arguments and protests were met with broken windscreens and sometimes more.’ These abettors of violence were targeted by the PSA to bring the sit under cont. Through this Geelani argued that the protests were a spontaneous reaction. Abdul Ghani Bhat, Chief Spokesman of the Hurriyat Conf remarked, “There was a shut down for five months and more than a 100 people died. And at the end of it there is nothing by way of achievement. This happens when there is no thinking, no strategy.”[32]

The Gen Secy of the Hurriyat, Masrat Alam, was arrested because he admitted to initiating and mastering the stone-throwing campaign. He had received Rs Four Million from Geelani for the responsibility and for monetary encouragement of the stone-pelters. His admission is held with the police.[33] Even as these thoughts are being penned, the State government has announced amnesty to stone-pelters and they are expected to be released shortly.          

Argument Five - Case Of Unmarked Graves.          

Unmarked graves were confused with mass graves and Kashmir erupted. Vested interests led the common man to believe that unmarked graves contained bodies of innocent individuals killed by the security apparatus. The counter-view runs thus:-

·       As claimed by the CM in the State Assembly, 2090 foreign terrorists lie buried in these graves.

·       No mass graves exist in Kashmir. No grave has more than two persons buried in them.

·       Unmarked graves are a common feature in rural areas because of the cost of constructing masonry graves.[34]

Argument Six - Shupiyan Double Rape and Murder Case 

This incident in 2009 held the entire nation hostage as emotions overflowed in Kashmir over the deaths of two young women in Shupiyan. Their bodies were found on the banks of the Rembiara Nadi that runs through Shupiyan. While the CRPF and JKP were initially alleged to have committed the heinous crime, the following findings by the CBI and Justice Jan Commission lay bare the facts:

          An autopsy of the exhumed bodies found that one of the two victims was a virgin. Forensic experts showed the intact hymen to doctors of Majlis-e-Mushawarat Shupiyan, an amalgam which spearheaded the 47-day agitation against the alleged rape and murder of the two women. The doctors were present at the site[35].

          The Justice Jan Commission that was constituted to investigate the deaths has blamed the media for sensationalizing and false reporting:[36]

·       A newspaper reported that the husband of one of the victims had received a phone call from her that she was being chased by CRPF personnel. Investigations proved that she never carried a cellphone and scrutiny of 32,686 calls made in Shupiyan on May 29 proved that none was from any cell that could have been in the victims possession.

·       Hinting that the police had shown unusual interest in the case it was reported that a certain Constable Mohammed Yasin had made several phone calls to his superiors while the bodies were being looked for. The Commission found that the constable had made only four calls through the day and none during the time the search was on.

·       An eye-witness claimed to have been abducted after the bodies were found was found to be living at Dehgam, close to Shupiyan.

·       Media accounts suggested that both women were badly beaten and gang-raped. However, pathologists found no evidence to support the proposition. Only one woman bore signs of external injuries.

·       To buttress their reports that the women were raped, some reported that the clothes of the victims were torn. However, all witnesses interviewed by the Commission said that the clothes on the women were intact.

·       Some journalists even tried to give it a communal tinge by shamefully distorting and projecting a blood mark from a head injury as a mark of sindoor.

Finally, the commission concluded that drowning in the Rembiara Nadi was the cause of the deaths and the external injuries were caused by the boulders in the river as the women fell and were washed away.

Argument Seven - The Panchayat System Has Been Propagated to Abet Corruption. 

Geelani contends that the Panchayat System is aimed at filling the coffers of a select few and is part of the grand Indian plan to keep the Kashmiris subjugated. On the contrary, the Panchayat system promises power back to the people.

·       Numerous powers encompassing various sectors have been entrusted to the Panchayats with effect from 01 Sep 2011.[37]

·       Panchayats exercise powers of preparation and implementation of special development plans for alleviating poverty and employment generation through integrated rural development programmes.[38] 

·       The Hurriyat leaders do not have the moral grounds to lecture on corruption. Geelani has been booked by CBI for violating the Foreign Contribution Act 1976 (FCRA). He is established to possess assets disproportionate to his income (no known sources of income). The involvement of Hurriyat leaders in Hawala (money laundering) transaction was proved way back in 1991.[39]

Argument Eight – There is a deep Indian Conspiracy To Degrade Kashmiri Culture and Alter the Demography of the State.  

Geelani alleges that the Indian government through the Army has embarked on an evil campaign to degrade Kashmiri culture and alter the demography of the state. He has cited cultural programmes in the Army-run Goodwill Schools and National Intergration Tours (a cross-section of the society is taken to various parts of India to evoke national unity) as the harbingers of loose morals. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Apparently, Geelani confuses the distinctive and tolerant Kashmiriyat with Islamist values of fundamental conservativeness defined in the Hadiths. The Amarnath Land Controversy of 2008 was projected by the separatists as evidence of the Indian State’s effort to alter the Demography of the State. The following counter-views merit consideration:-

·       Kashmiri culture has rich traditions of Sufi music and songs and dance are a part of traditional customs in community events. Indeed, even people working in the fields, where men and women work together, can be heard singing to raise their spirits as they engage in hard manual labour. Similarly so, weddings are quite similar to Hindu weddings insofar as the celebrations are concerned.

·       Mushairas, held all over the country, find active participation by Kashmiris.

·  Bollywood movies and tracks have been a perennial favourite of the Kashmiris, irrespective of age.

·   Schools aim at all-round devp of a child for which extracurricular activities are all important. To conclude that schools coerce participation with the aim of degrading Kashmiri culture would be an apparent falsity.

·       Further, while Article 370 grants special status to the state and prohibits people from outside the state to buy property, every Kashmiri who marries outside the state cannot be believed to have been lured into it only to circumvent the statute. Marriage is a personal choice made by consenting adults and such generalizations do not carry weight.

·       Even wards of Hurriyat personalities are studying in various parts of the country and abroad with the aim of imbibing quality education.[40]

·       Insofar as the issue of the National Anthem being recited in schools is concerned, it is a practice common to all schools and again there is no coercion. Identifying with a National Flag and a National Anthem provides children an identity and infuses pride, spurring them to become achievers in varied fields.

·       With the partition of Kashmir, post 1947 and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the demographic pattern of the state has been permanently altered.[41]

Conclusion

          Geelani has been ailing for years now but has proved himself a doughty and committed warrior for Kashmiri self-determination. However, he has of late probably begun to realize that an independent Kashmir is not something he will be able to witness[42]. He may have a feeling he is cornered both politically and by time. He is trying to make the best of the situation. He is also trying to reach out to a much larger constituency both in India and POK. As he grows older, he probably wants to not go down as a bigot; he wants to leave behind a legacy that finds some sort of acceptance with Kashmiris of all hues. Hence, the stress on cultural degradation and loss of values stemming from the perceived Indian occupation of Kashmir.

          Geelani’s diatribe compiled in the Booklet ‘Eid-ul-Zua 2011’ does not make for an interesting read primarily because there is nothing new that he has espoused. Baseless allegations and playing the primal religion card, this work will inspire only the ignorant Kashmiri or the long-distance activist. His failure to comment on excesses by terrorists is highlighted and may be, yet again, taken as his tacit approval of their means.  Without holding himself accountable, Geelani indulges in reckless rumour-mongering, is forever at pain to link religion to politics and gives evidence of an afflicted, uncompromising stance that will find few, if any, takers amongst the intelligentsia.

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[1]Geelani releases booklet on Eid eve. Umer Maqbool in Greater Kashmir, 04 Nov 2011.

[2] The two-volume autobiography, written in Urdu, has been translated by local formation headquarters to enable wider reading.

[3]www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani, accessed on 10 Aug 2014.

[4]http://www.jkth.org/Aboutus.html. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[5]TneAzadi sentiment can never be killed, Interview with Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu, 29 Nov 2010.

[6]http://www.countercurrents.org/sikand281010.htm Interview with YoginderSikand, accessed on 09 Aug 2014.

[7] ‘We will be best Indians if…’ Interview with Syed UbaidurRehman of the Milli Gazette, vintage unknown.Geelani insists, “without the inclusion of Pakistan no lasting solution can be found.” Further, “I want to clear one thing, there will be no talks without the inclusion of Pakistan.”

[8]www.newageislam.com. The Militant Path, YogindarSikand, 22 September 2010.

[9]Father’s Death ‘cemented Geelani’s Anti-India Stand’:Wikileaks.Junaid Rather in Kashmir Despatch, 11 Sep 2011

[10]http://www.countercurrents.org/sikand281010.htm Interview with YoginderSikand, accessed on 09 Aug 2014.

[11]http://alaiwah.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/syed-gilani-talks-about-the-rights-of-pakistani-kashmiris-with-hina-r-khar/. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[12]http://www.jkth.org/Aboutus.html. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[13]http://www.countercurrents.org/sikand281010.htm Interview with YoginderSikand, accessed on 09 Aug 2014.

[14] Ibid.

[15]www.hindustanglobe.com. Kashmiri History by Syed Geelani, 22 Mar 2011. Accessed on 10 Aug 2014.

[16]TneAzadi sentiment can never be killed, Interview with Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu, 29 Nov 2010.

[17]A Separatist separated from his people. The Foreign Desk – International Despatches from Independent Correspondents, Andrew Buncombe, 23 Feb 2011.

[18]TneAzadi sentiment can never be killed, Interview with Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu, 29 Nov 2010.

[19]www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani, accessed on 10 Aug 2014.

[20]http://alaiwah.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/syed-gilani-talks-about-the-rights-of-pakistani-kashmiris-with-hina-r-khar/. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[21]"Ministry of External Affairs, India – Kashmir Issue". www.meaindia.nic.in. Accessed 11 Aug 2014.

[22]www.Meaindia.nic.in. Ministry of External Affairs, India – Kashmir Issue. Accessed 11 Aug 2014

[23]www.CNN.comPakistan, India meet on Kashmir. Accessed 11 Aug 2014.

[24]www.telegraph.co.ukA brief history of Kashmir conflict. Accessed 11 Aug 2014.

[25] Ibid.

[26]www.indianembassy.org.A Comprehensive Note on Jammu & Kashmir THE NORTHERN AREAS". Accessed 11 Aug 2014.

[27]http://www.indianexpress.com/news/karan-echoes-omar-but-j&k-part-of-india/701340/

[28]www.satp.org. South Asian Terrorism Portal, Annual Fatalities in violence by terrorists. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[29]http://www.countercurrents.org/sikand281010.htm Interview with Yoginder Sikand, accessed on 09 Aug 2014.

[30] Ibid.

[31]www.amnesty.org. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[32]www.satp.org. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[33] www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/data_sheets/annual_casualties.htm. South Asian Terrorism Portal, accessed on 30 Aug 2014.

[34]Politicisation of Unmarked Graves should be avoided. State Times, 12 Oct 2011.

[35] Autopsy Reveals One Victim a Virgin. PTI, 29 Sep 2009.

[36]Media Misrepresented Key Facts on Shupyian Rape-Murder. Praveen Swamy

[37] www.dayandnightnews.com/2011/08/omar-announces-transfer-of-powers-to-panchayats-in-jk/

[38] Ibid.

[39]www.jammu-kashmir.com/insights/insights.html.Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[40]www.ibn.com. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[41]www.censusindia.gov.in.  Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.

[42]http://alaiwah.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/syed-gilani-talks-about-the-rights-of-pakistani-kashmiris-with-hina-r-khar/. Accessed on 11 Aug 2014.