And three of us were murdered!

Monisa Qadri narrates the story of an unspeakable agony.

“They were not two, I too was with them.” This is a painful story of a child, murdered inside the womb of his mom. An unborn child, yet to know what it meant to be ‘being alive’, was killed. This part of life-the pre-natal phase, normally when unborn babies, in other parts of the world, experience simply physical growth, he had to bear a trauma. It was a dreadful night, when he along with his mother, his teenage aunt, was to meet their end. His sobs don’t let me sleep and he keeps asking me, “why did it happen to me? Why?” I have no answers. Honestly, I don’t!

He was yet to be born, but he heard his mother’s heartbeats and felt her pain. He knew that his mother had been thinking about her coming life and waiting for the day when he would be born to call her ‘moujee’. Her day started praying for his health and she went into the lands of slumber, thanking Allah for him.

He tells me, how his aunt would be scared at night even inside her house and how horrendous would that ugly night have been to her. She was a child, he mocks at her killers. A child! This baby, who is dead now, narrates their story of misery, which sends shivers down my soul. I am told of a death, which came so slow that its pain was so extreme, even the dying, wanted a mercy from lord that it came sooner. Now his smiles reflect in his tears as this angel went back from where he had come-heaven.

He keeps on coming back to me, to us seeking answers for questions, which our brothers and sisters living there with him, want to have. Their sighs patiently wait till their tears ask, “Till when do we die with the sword of cruelty and poison of disgrace? We want it no more.” He keeps on coming back.

He sings his own lullabies and sang one to me:

My angel, my mom, with her ‘wings’, I travelled

Far to the blissful lands of sunshine unraveled 

I saw with her eyes and together we smiled

Now her dreams are frozen and all her hopes shattered 

My aunt was so young, she played with me

She loved to call herself ‘a birdie so free’

And one day the monsters wiped all off,

My mouj and aunt Asiya and with them ‘me’

They ran for their lives, she (mouj) did more for me

The monsters so cruel; little knew we

They took them to thorns in the black of night

Screeching, the moon hid in pain and in fret

I heard their cries. I heard their woes

Vampires kept drinking blood and roaring like foes

For they knew not the lingo of my homeland!

That of honour and that of pride

Though they stole all the fragrance my angels had,

Their wings they burnt. But to paradise we led.

Now my angels sing to me, the hymns of my land

Those of sufferings and sorrow; but all of pride

I ask my aunt the meaning of life.

Surprised, she replies, “I was too young to know

My age too tender, my heart yet to glow.”

This girl, I asked, “Do word my tale of cries”,

Visiting her dreams in her haunted eyes.

She smiles to me in the sleepless nights,

“You were too blessed to fly to paradise.”

Promises me revenge for our hapless story

Ah! She cries, praying for our glory

Only thing that hurts in her elegy 

That my mom dreamt of days with dad and me

Of dawn and the moon forever to be

But the cruel hands of my killers snatched life from ‘we’,

We were going home, which ceased so to be

We are going home. We are coming back to thee,

We are coming back to thee!!

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(Published in GK in 2009 http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2009/Jun/11/-and-three-of-us-were-murdered-40.asp

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My beloved Aasiya is still having those tears in her stony eyes... By Koshur Mazloom

Just three years have passed by. It was 29 of May 2009. My body has not yet turned into the dust in the grave. My bones are still aching. Blood on my face has not yet dried up. My beloved Aasiya is still having those tears in her stony eyes. I still remember how beasts tore apart our chaste bodies. I still remember how those savages pounced upon our modesty and trampled upon our honour. They were filled with lust and hate. I still remember how they were enjoying and were deriving sadistic pleasure out of our helplessness. Our weakness was our Womanhood. We struggled till our last bit of energy. Our fatigue from the vainful struggle became their strength. I still remember how frightening it was. I could hear angels screaming in agony, with us. I could hear my voice had gone hoarse and I was only waiting for my end. No one came to our rescue. Aasiya was calling me for help but I myself was helpless. I was crying, “Ha Myanii Khodayoo” (O! My beloved God) and she was screaming, “Katuoo Chukhh Myanii Babboo” (Where are you? my father). But savages were relentlessly obliterating our chaste bodies with their savage lust. I was already pregnant by two months and was so happy for becoming a second time mother. My toddler son Suzanne was waiting for me at home. My husband Shakeel had called me up just few minutes back and was worried for us. I had told him, not to worry as we had already walked halfway towards our home from our orchard where we had gone for the work. I did not know the cruel fate is awaiting us in the shape of some beasts wearing Indian uniform. As we passed by their camp, they stopped us and took us forcibly inside the vehicle which was parked in front of their camp. They pounced upon us like hyenas, tearing apart our flesh. Our helplessness was our only companion. Our faith was our crime and our womanhood was our punishment. Even Satan would have wept at our plight but those beasts did not show any mercy. They were establishing their superemacy over our possessed bodies. They were plundering us like barbarians used to plunder the conquered lands. After they satisfied their wild lust, they delivered some humanity on us. They just killed us and set our souls free. They saved us from living the lives of humiliation and burden. 

Had they left us alive, we would have cursed them for letting us to live.Then they threw our mauled bodies into the pristine waters of a nearby stream only to get rid of their own crime. Waters in that stream were not enough to touch our molested flesh. Stream was too shallow to drown our bodies. We were left there in the stream in dead of the night. That night was too long and too dark. And when the chirping of birds started and skies above us started to become blue for those looking for us, Shakeel along with my brother found us lying dead on those lifeless boulders. Aasiya was lying some distance away from me and she was left there with an uncovered body. Shakeel, covered her body with his shirt and we were lifted from there. That day sky did not look like the way it used to look to me. It had turned red and every human face around looked black. We were placed on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital for conducting what they say an 'autopsy'. They wanted to determine whether we were raped or not? How pathetic. We were again subjected to shame. They dissected the un- dissected parts of our bodies, took out samples of our molested flesh and confirmed our rape. But then the henchmen of molesters in the uniform came with an order for those who were doing the autopsy. They told them to change their verdict and call our death, a case of simple drowning in shallow knee deep waters. How shameful. Doctors complied with orders from the above and declared, whatever was dictated to them. This exasperated our shame. Our blood drenched faces were not enough for them, so they stabbed us again in the heart. How can power and lust be so cruel? How can those who have come into the existence from the wombs of women like me, be so unremorseful. And some of them even worship women in temples and consider them goddesses. I wonder after tormenting our souls with misery and dread, those beasts must have visited the temples of Durga or Vaishno Devi with donations and thankfulness for saving them from getting exposed. Some of them even might have taken a holy dip in the waters of river Ganga to purify their sinful souls from the burden of crime. Crime which they had left to drown in another stream which also eventually culminates into the same sea which the waters of Ganges also end up into. I wonder how our blood shall forgive their crime. No wonder why rivers of Kashmir do not pass through their lands.After wrapping the outrage of our chastity in the package of lies, a hell broke loose all around. People were agitated in flash anger and chanted high pitched false slogans of revenge. One shame was that our honour was trampled on with Jackboots of suppression and the other one was that we were raped again after our death. If only dead could speak, I would have yelled at their faces," how dare you molest us again and again". That day they did not molest me only, they also molested my unborn child living in my womb. We were taken in a procession towards our graves after someone from the puppet administration pacified the restive public with a promise of usual 'impartial' probe. We were buried in the soil which gave our bodies a soothing relief. But that was not enough; they exhumed us from our graves after few days again to conduct another 'autopsy' under the supervision of some doctors from Delhi which they claimed were ‘impartial’. They raped us again that day. Result was a usual pack of lies only to shield those vultures who represent the Indian state in our gloomy nation. Our death was again confirmed as a natural case of drowning. Not so strange anymore.This is not a shame for only those who shredded our modesty to smithereens to satisfy their lunatic lust, but this is even a bigger shame for those who shielded the criminals in uniform. This is a shame for those who claim to be the vanguards of Indian democracy and justice. Omar Abdullah, the Indian ruler of this land tried his best to convert our rape and murder into an ordinary case of death. He manipulated with medical findings, bullied those who were speaking the truth, fudged the autopsy reports, and arrested those who were protesting against this rape of justice. These thugs left no stone unturned to shield their henchmen. Indian democracy again raised its ugly head in Kashmir and the person heading that farce in Kashmir revealed his real dreadful identity. He showed his scornful indifference and reminded us that, Slaves should not yearn for justice. He became a compatriot of molesters all willfully only to satiate and safeguard his lust for power.Since this case has been closed down now by those who themselves committed the crime of compliance with the crime, I do not want you to agitate and beg before them to open it again. I know justice cannot be delivered as long as you are dead in the slumber of life. I just want you not to spectate anymore again, when some other Neelofar and Aasiya would become objects of vengeful assertiveness of hegemonic brutality. Oppressors always would want you to be remindful of your inferiority of being possessed by a frenzied army of brutal occupation. Do not become collaborators of their crime by behaving like a herd of sheep in the slaughterhouse of a butcher. Today it was us; tomorrow your turn will also come to experience the sharpness of the butcher’s knife on your throats. If you want to live a life of dignity, then do not forget our pain. I know, you all are too much preoccupied with your lives. You are in slumber of your meaningless lives. You cannot change anything. I wish if dead could come out of their graves to fight for the freedom of their living companions. But dead cannot come alive. But I still wish to see a change as I have left my innocent lad Suzanne there to suffer with you. I hope he will not live a meaningless life of shame.

May 29 the Martyrdom Aniversary of Shaheed Aasiya & Neelofar..

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ARE WE PREPARED?

You, me and everybody is much known to the established fact that the Day of Judgement is not a long period from now. Every passing day takes us closer to the Day Of Judgement- the Hereafter which happens to be our Final destination. But somewhere at the backdrop of some minds may surely be the question of being prepared or Not? Known to the fate of wrongdoers, we still are tracing the track which is ephemeral though sweet and tempting. We carry on with our activities but does a regular PRAYER figure in you daily activities. Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala says in the Quran:

" Verily Prayer restrains oneself from shameful and unjust deeds" (29:45)

Ask yourself ! DO U PRAY? How much punctual you are towards our Salah? Honestly , we have no time for Namaz. We offer prayers when we are in trouble but we are having a lineant approach towards our Religion. Our negligence makes us to resort to immoral deeds. We are blind to what we are doing and get deeply engrossed in the fantasies of this world and invite our own destruction to destroy us. Our preparation for Doom's Day is not acceptable. We have to repent and seek forgiveness for this negligence towards Salah! ALLAH Subhana Wa Ta'ala mentions in the Holy Quran:

" As to those who have Faith and do good deeds surely theirs shall be a never ending reward" (41:8)

We know we recited the Shahadah but could not control ourselves. We are weak in Faith. Satan is holding our reins and much easily is making us to dance to the Satanic Tunes . Again our destination seems to be the Hell. We are letting ourselves free to embrace a never ending Punishment! Alas! Again we feel much ignorant towards the Doom's Day ! We Are Not Prepared. 

Again in Surah Al-Imran, verse 156, ALLAH Subhana Wa Ta'ala says:

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Understanding Change in Education System

By: Mudasir Tantry

Those who are not educators think that they understand education because they themselves and perhaps their children’s have been students, when they become directly involved through parent-teacher organizations, they quickly gain an appreciation of the nature of education. True holds for the educational reform, the problems of education and the appropriate solutions appear to be easy to identify. The more one knows about the problems and the proposed solutions, the more actually one knows how the complex educational reform is. Information complicates understanding, but at the same time it makes possible the discovery of hidden patterns that can lead to making sense of the complexity that is inherent in all human systems. Educational reforms have a greater potential to gain wide-spread support. Most aspects of educational system remain the same. Educational changes on the other hand have a many fold problem; transformative change is very complex and requires reeducation of the public. Changes require public understanding of something that is new and outside of their personal experience with education. Any discussion of educational change needs an understanding, for a change to succeed, so public support particularly of teacher community is an essential requirement. Educational changes are more clinical and less political in process, in the sense that those who propose change are not concerned about political action for successful implementation. Politics should not be put to challenge the educational, social and cultural practices that are in place and targeted for change. 

The integrated research base implies that professionalism in the field have a common language, an understanding of all of research methodologies employed in their field, and ability to see how the various kinds of research in their field connect with each other. Even though each discipline within the field has its own protocols, a reasoned course of action can be planned and implemented. Any educational graduate student quickly learns that quantitative and qualitative researchers see knowledge in different ways. Some scholars have identified this distinction in research methodology as the key factor that problematizes how and what we know about all aspects of education. It also contributes significantly to the problems associated with educations professional change. The dilemma that is created by this divide is not merely about how to do research but also involves the purpose of research, the origin of knowledge and the subsequent basis for education making. To fully understand this requires a keen look at the current condition of our curriculum. 

My Take 

When we talk of education system in India and that too in our state of J&K, it needs a concrete reform, I might not go into the details here but one may get senseless smell from this aroma, following things need to be done starting from elementary education: 

• Our school exams, (I am referring o 5th, 8th and 10th standards) should not be BOSE prioritized as this provides some sort of hiccups to provide basic education to all. Instead an evaluative unitizations which will take the results score of each unit countable in the final marks sheet should be there. Reason behind that is that this may provide a candidate opportunity to show his talent. 

• At intermediate level English which is compulsory subject, need to be Communicative English only, there is no need to put details of English scholars, dramas etc, these application will provide opportunities students to target on other subjects whom they make a goal, particularly science borrowed students. Communicative English will generate English communication, which seems to be compulsory. 

• Scientific temperament is very important, it should be made compulsory to have science subjects upto 12th standard, as science washes the idle brain. 
• The 12th standard should me more standardized, should be made little bit more comprehensive as this transits school education from the higher one. Evaluation system for this exam should be thorough for this exam. 

• In colleges English as one of the subject should be removed, provide three subject theory to college undergraduates so that the time which they spent on it, will get commutative on other subjects. 

• Masters should made more optional, as the subject becomes optional, your understanding of the subject becomes proliferative and that too helps in research perspectives. 

• Our M.Phil program seems to be devil mans idle time, instead that much time should be put in PhD programme. 

• Our Doctorate (PhD) programme needs a major change, we in our system get little practical training and that is not enough to go into market after PhD. 

• PhD programme be based on American System. PhD programme should of eight semesters, with some comprehensive theory papers and student should have to submit ORP (Original Research Proposal). ORP is an innovative idea (not merely synopsis) where student can think of any research problem and document it, so that it will become idea to get a project, worth to work on. It helps the students about research ideas and how to go after PhD (even after becoming Academician or Researcher). It helps them how to document research done by them through practical’s as manuscripts. Most of manuscripts of our PhD graduates are being written their supervisors, this is not supervisors are reluctant towards their students, this is because, students have not confidence in them how to review and document it properly. So ORP should be mandatory for a PhD graduate, this will cope them how to adjust with USA or European research standards where most the funding comes from ORPs. We have in India funding agencies such as DST, DBT etc, but we lack understanding how to generate innovate ideas, this will be only when we incalculate some sort of ORP at PhD level. Comprehensiveness should too be in teach. 

Suggestions should not be generalized, these are authors personal opinions. Mudasir Tantry is a Research Scientist at University of Mississippi, USA 

Feedback: mudaek@gmail.com

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Feel Our Pain! We Are The Future Of Kashmir.

By: Sajad Mir
I have been a student of prestigious institution of Kashmir. Like thousands of fortunate parents, my parents also felt joyous and proud of my selection in post graduation in prestigious university of Kashmir which  on sequent landed me among the company of "Educated Unemployed Youth" After 2 and a half years of unimagined hard work i earned a degree in science with 70 percent marks but alas! I committed a blunder. I went to every nook and corner of the Kashmir in search of a contractual job but i could not mould the mindset and opinion of people that i am a pass out of Kashmir university although with a less percentage.. They demanded merit and i was rejected. Reason being that my manufacturing factory (Kashmir university) had bidden me farewell with low percentage citing the reasons of dignity and line of control of its Evaluation pattern. 

It hardly cares for the future of its pass outs. It just knows the job of manufacturing Educated, Unemployed, handicapped youth who later on roll down like stones from merit lists. Attaining a degree of post graduation was a dream unseen and goal uncherished few years back, as it meant to get birth in the scholar class people. But now my next door "Moong Fali" vendor is post graduate from some "Baba" or "Maharajah" university. He has finished his M.Ed from Almond university whose offline shop is run by a "Safai Karmachari" in Srinagar. In just 2 years he has finished 3 degrees and myself just 1, although he is yet to see the glimpse of famous Jawahar Tunnel as he has never been to outside Kashmir. His belief is rock solid of his selection being in teacher list.

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Smoking is Dangerous?

Life is a precious gift from Almighty Allah. It is not just like other gifts because you get it only once unlike other gifts. It depends only upon us how we take it? Some people know its value while others throw it away in many ways not knowing their importance in their families and societies. 

One of the deadly forms of throwing this precious gift of almighty God is SMOKING. Smoking may give pleasure for sometime but in real; it is not pleasure it is seizure of life. When a smoker is asked, “Why do you smoke?” The Smoker replies, “It releases me from tension and depression”. I must tell them that there are much better ways of releasing tension and depression without spending a single penny, best among which is worshiping your creator with your full zeal and zest. I assure you it will lead you to a happier smoke free life. 

Coming to the effect of smoking…. 

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer). It also causes peripheral vascular disease and hypertension. The effects depend on the number of years that a person smokes and on how much the person smokes. Starting smoking earlier in life and smoking cigarettes higher in tar increases the risk of these diseases. Also, environmental tobacco smoke, or secondhand smoke, has been shown to cause adverse health effects in people of all ages. Cigarettes sold in underdeveloped countries tend to have higher tar content, and are less likely to be filtered, potentially increasing vulnerability to tobacco-related disease in these regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century. Similarly, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide.” 

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YOUR EXPLOITATION WONT STOP!!!

Its women's day. Seminars and debates are arranged. My rights are talked of. I am discussed. Time runs away and seminars and debates are winded off. A creation 4 a day and a discussion of hrz does no gud to me. My exploitation, oppression, degradation, humiliation and discrimination chuckles sarcastically at me. I am offended. History tells me your exploitation is a trend since ages. It will not stop. It vl progress on and on. Historical references say Cleopatra (69 - 30B.C. ), the Queen of Egypt was exploited by Caesar. Helen was abducted by Trojan Prince. And now, ua exploitatn vl b a hstry in near future but it vl not STOP! Time is helplessly watching atrocities done on me. I sometymz become the victim of Dowry Death. Was i born 4 all this? PEOPLE feel humiliated vn i am born. Ultrasonographic technology is illegaly aborting female foetuses. A murder is carried out ! ! And a girl is crashd and shattrd.

! ! And exploitation, humiliatn, oppression is not STOPPED! ITZ 8th MARCH , I DNT CELEBRATE , I DON'T REJOICE. MY MIND AND MY SOUL Z RESTLESS BY THE VERY UNHEARD CRIES OF THOSE BABY GALZ WHO R YET TO B BORN BUT ALAS THEY DIE BEFORE BIRTH . . . . . . 

A poet Bashir Bas writes : 

"Baeti houn ismai bhala maera kya qasoor hai , maeri wajah sy dahar ko ha'asil suroor hai. Maera bura na soach zamanay k na khuda, jo houroun ko mitata, mitta wh zaroor hai."

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Eve-teasing!

By: Muzaffar Mir

EVE-TEASING is a rampant social evil. It is all pervasive — beaches, roads, cinema halls, buses and sadly even in educational institutions. When eve-teasing persists even inside educational institutions, one can obviously infer that even the educated youth don't necessarily desist from indulging in this uncouth behaviour.time. Public memory happens to be short and soon things return to the usual anarchy and we accept the fact that `nothing much can be done'.

Eve-teasing is not a victim less crime as it appears on paper. It has resulted in deaths, and when it goes unchecked could lead to public humiliation of women even in broad daylight. The rape of a medical student in Delhi in the recent past shocked the whole nation. Eve-teasing also portrays a bad image of the country among tourists.The immeasurable damage to a woman's self-esteem and the subsequent avoidance of public places by single women could hardly take us on the way to achieving gender equality.

Eve-teasing is a typical social crime, where the perpetrators and victims are ordinary people. There is no easy way of rounding up everyone concerned and settling the issue. Schools and colleges could easily discipline students for such activities on campus, but this only induces them to indulge in such acts outside campus. Police prosecution can also never be severe because of the reluctance of victims to depose in court. A behavioral change is the only lasting solution to this problem. This requires an extensive public education

aimed at every section of society at large.

Every action is performed with an intention. The intention behind eve-teasing is: to catch a girl's eye and to arouse attention in some way;and more importantly this harassment is an early manifestation of patriarchal masculinity. Gender segregation and a `boys will be boys' attitude furthers this behavior. Innumerable movies show that eve-teasing eventually `wins' a girl's attention. Changing this behavior is easier said than done. However, if things are left alone, they could hardly get better. Active solutions should be sought. For starters, a massive sustained campaign by women's organisations highlighting this evil must be initiated. Students in colleges must specifically be counselled. Debates on this issue must be organised in colleges, TV shows, etc., with responsible moderators — who would listen and reason an argument instead of sounding outright biased.

Every parent should talk to his son about this. Cinema is a powerful medium to showcase this issue. The majority of the eve-teasing crowds are undoubtedly movie junkies. Maybe when a movie addresses the fear,

hurt and humiliation a girl experiences will people think about this `other side' of eve-teasing. 

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