With Congress support, PAGD can head 12 DDCs leaving 5 districts for BJP
PC registers highest success rate of 72.72%, winning 8 of 11 contested seats; Apni Party wins 12 out of 134 with lowest strike rate of 8.95%
In Srinagar and Poonch, independents would be key players; In Reasi, BJP may need to woo one independent or Apni Party which has 2 seats Srinagar: As expected the results of the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections held in Jammu and Kashmir have thrown up many surprises, laying bare some false notions and clearing […]
Look who is talking!
Yes, I am shooting the messenger because the message is factually incorrect, and loaded with multiple agendas
The received wisdom in Kashmir is that luxuries of life distort your perspective to the point of being disconnected from the reality. The apocalyptic story in Kashmir being that when the King was informed of a famine, he ordained that people must restrict themselves to a five course meal instead of a seven course one! […]
Aga Sahib, as I know him
I and a few of my friends were having tea with Aga Ashraf Ali (popularly known as Aga Sahib) at his Rajbagh residence way back in 1997. He offered us Qatlam (a Kashmiri bread) saying these have come as a gift from Zadibal area (Shia dominated) of Srinagar. One of my colleagues had no appetite […]
Geelani quits but questions remain
Instead of writing to the constituents of his All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Geelani owes an explanation to the people of Kashmir.
In a surprising development, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has resigned from All Parties Hurriyat Conference, which he had carved out from a similarly named ‘parent’ grouping in 2003; he later went on to become its life-long chairman. Geelani’s audio clip and a two page letter, written to the constituents of the conglomerate, announcing his resignation […]
Demonizing local media
After August 05 last year, the politics of this Himalayan region (Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh) has undergone a phenomenal transformation. From Azadi to Autonomy, the discourse has shifted to restoration of statehood and some sort of domicile rights. The Azadi camp is completely out of circulation and so are the proponents of Autonomy and Self […]
Paying tributes to Mirwaiz and Lone
May 21 is the day when two great leaders of Jammu and Kashmir fell to bullets though in different years. Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed by assassins on May 21, 1990 and Abdul Gani Lone fell to their bullets on same day in 2002. Tragically Lone was killed near the grave of Late Mirwaiz as […]
Ceasefire and surging militant attacks
Separatists can’t always shout ‘kill the umpire’ but get ready to play the game
The unprecedented surge in militant attacks in the holy month of Ramazan following a ceasefire announced by the Government of India (GoI) has generated a debate in the political circles of Jammu and Kashmir. The big question that haunts every citizen, though it may not be spelled out publicly due to known reasons, is that […]
Me and Vinod Khanna
A tribute to a veteran actor
We were three friends – Khursheed, Shabir and me. Young, carefree, full of energy and ideas (the ideas not necessarily very creative or productive). All the time roaming in the lanes and by-lanes of Batamaloo. This Srinagar outskirt area was our den. I was Amar (friends thought I was look alike of Vinod Khanna), Khursheed […]
