Autumn & winter 2016 Edition
The Kashmir region in the northwestern Himalayan region has been very famous for its scenic beauty from ancient times. It is also used as the root of “cashmere“ the high-class fabric. I (the representative of the Himalaya Archive Japan) once visited the Pakistani side of Kashmir and did enjoy the splendid scenery such as sharp crags stretching to the sky, Nanga Parbat the 9th highest mountain in the world at 8,126 meters above sea level blazing with sunlight and so on. Unfortunately, Kashmir has been the about 70 year-world longest conflict region(Kashmir conflict): The region is mainly divided into three parts by India, Pakistan and China. Especially, India ad Pakistan the nuclear armed nations have been fighting each other intermittently over it’s sovereignty. This year, in Srinagar the capital of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, the conflict between local people especially the youths and Indian security forces is getting intense. The two nations have started to accuse each other and the relationship is obviously getting worse. The conflict between the nuclear-armed nations has caused international concern. It seems to me that Gandhi in “the heaven” is deeply mourning the recent situation because he once repeatedly pointed out that if India became divided, that would lead us to serious problems in the future. Through the issue of Kashmir conflict, we could deeply understand worldwide problems such as human-rights violation, reconciliation of religions, nations and ethnic groups, environmental destruction, state control of information and so forth.
The brief explanation of the Kashmir conflict by the British Broadcasting Corporation with text, map, picture and timeline.
Kashmir's beauty
The tour from Tokyo, Japan to the disputed Kashmir region by Google Earth
VIDEO / PICTURE
Inside Story - Kashmir conflict: security or political problem?
A discussion program on the Kashmir conflict by Al Jazeera: A Kashmiri writer and a director of India Policy Foundation have a heated discussion each other over the legitimacy of India’s sovereignty of Kashmir. The writer appeals for the referendum at the local level, while the director strongly supports the India’s policy on Kashmir. The discussion seems to fail to reach any agreement…
A New Intifada in Kashmir? Arundhati Roy & Sanjay Kak on the World's Most Densely Militarized Area
On Democracy Now! an independent American news program, Ms.Arundati Roy, a renown Indian writer and social activist and Mr. Sanjay Kak, a Kashmili filmmaker talk about the India’s brutal military crackdown on Kashmir’s locals. They have visited and covered Kashmir many times, which makes their opinions more trustworthy. (March 2013)
"How we celebrate freedom?" - Part 1
This is the documentary film on the Kashmir conflict produced by the above filmmaker Mr. Sanjay Kak in 2007. Using skillfully on-the-ground research and file footage, it deeply descries India’s unjust policy to control Kashmir by the overwhelming force and wily means including tourism. The Himalaya Archive Japan produced the Japanese-subtitle version of the film and screened it in Himalaya Film Festival in Japan.
How we celebrate freedom? - Part 2
This is the documentary film on the Kashmir conflict produced by the above filmmaker Mr. Sanjay Kak in 2007. Using skillfully on-the-ground research and file footage, it deeply descries India’s unjust policy to control Kashmir by the overwhelming force and wily means including tourism. The Himalaya Archive Japan produced the Japanese-subtitle version of the film and screened it in Himalaya Film Festival in Japan.
In pictures: Siachen, the world's highest battlefield by BBC
The 80-km Siachen Glacier in the western Himalayas is located at about 6000 meters above sea level and the second longest in the world’s non-polar areas. “Siachen” in the local language refers to “a land with an abundance of roses." India and Pakistan Armies have been fighting each over the dominium of the glacier because it lies with the controversial border of Kashmir. The scene that both the armies have poured in a great number of soldiers as well as a great deal of military supplies on the white shining beautiful glacier bearing the lovely name is obviously bizarre. This is surely one of the most foolish actions rooted in ego.
Siachen Glacier - World's Highest Battleground
This video explains the miserable fighting at “the World's Highest Battleground” between India and Pakistan in an easily understood format through the skilled drawings in a row.
"Siachen: A War For Ice" (Digest)
The conflict over Siachen Glacier has caused many casualties from both the sides due to battles, accidents including avalanches and so on. In addition, the two sides spend several hundred billion dollars per year to maintain their military posts at the glacier and furthermore military supplies as a mountain of rubbish have caused environment pollution there. This documentary film ”Siachen: A war for ice” extensively shows the reality of the Siachen conflict through interviews with both key persons, on-the-ground research and so on. We the Himalaya Archive Japan produced the Japanese-subtitle version of the film and screened it in Himalaya Film Festival in Japan, which we organized.
"Siachen: A War For Ice" (Part-1)
The conflict over Siachen Glacier has caused many casualties from both the sides due to battles, accidents including avalanches and so on. In addition, the two sides spend several hundred billion dollars per year to maintain their military posts at the glacier and furthermore military supplies as a mountain of rubbish have caused environment pollution there. This documentary film ”Siachen: A war for ice” extensively shows the reality of the Siachen conflict through interviews with both key persons, on-the-ground research and so on. We the Himalaya Archive Japan produced the Japanese-subtitle version of the film and screened it in Himalaya Film Festival in Japan, which we organized.
"Kashmir - Inside A Friday Protest" (Part 1)
In Srinagar, the capital of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, on every Friday after the afternoon prayer, local people especially the younger generations have demonstration against the India’s security forces, throwing rocks at them. This is a documentary to closely show the conflict, reporting from the scene. Showing the fierce fighting and many interviews, bizarreness and sadness of the customary sport competition-like fighting, people’s deep anger toward Indian government, complexity of the Kashmir conflict and so on are getting revealed. A young man joining the demonstration says, “When we throw stones, we are throwing them at India’s occupation of Kashmir. We aren’t throwing them at the Indian soldiers. We are throwing at the policy that keeps us under India’s control!”
"Kashmir - Inside A Friday Protest" (Part 2)
In Srinagar, the capital of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, on every Friday after the afternoon prayer, local people especially the younger generations have demonstration against the India’s security forces, throwing rocks at them. This is a documentary to closely show the conflict, reporting from the scene. Showing the fierce fighting and many interviews, bizarreness and sadness of the customary sport competition-like fighting, people’s deep anger toward Indian government, complexity of the Kashmir conflict and so on are getting revealed. A young man joining the demonstration says, “When we throw stones, we are throwing them at India’s occupation of Kashmir. We aren’t throwing them at the Indian soldiers. We are throwing at the policy that keeps us under India’s control!”
Related News / Article
India and Pakistan's Kashmir dispute: What you need to know
The exposition of the Kashmir dispute by Cable News Network (CNN)
India relocates 10,000 from around Kashmir as tensions rise by CNN
On September 18, 2016 an Indian security force’s base in Kashmir close to the border with Pakistan was attacked by an armed group and 19 soldiers were killed. India’s government has accused Pakistani government of engaging in the attack and raided a terrorist base. Pakistani government has officially denied any involvement in the event and accused India’s government of doing the baseless military operation. India’s major TV seems to come into line with the government. In addition, Pakistani actors start to be excluded from Bollywood. On the other hand, a Pakistani major movie theater chain has started to call off screening Indian films. The conflict over Kashmir casts a bad influence on daily lives in both the nations.
Kashmir conflict affects all dimensions of women’s life, ‘Women’s Voices in Jammu and Kashmir’ report
This is a comprehensive report in 2014 on women’s hardship under India’s military control over Jammu and Kashmir. EHSAAS, a non-profit and non-political organization, which conducted the survey, has been doing activities for improving the welfare of women in the state. According to EHSAAS, it is women that have been the worst victims under the longtime Kashmir conflict. The damage covers various aspects such as physical, mental, social and economical ones.
Rights abuses by security forces add fuel to Kashmir conflict
According to an India’s leading newspaper, the infringement of human rights of Kashmiri people by Indian security forces has been widespread. For the sake of rewards or promotions, they have faked up cases, abducting, interning, killing innocent people and making them Pakistani terrorists. There is a “convenient” law to protect army personnel in ‘disturbed areas’ like Kashmir from prosecution behind the misdoing. The locals have called for the abolition of the law on India’s government, but the government has never seriously considered it. That has incited people’s senses of distrust toward the government. The newspaper also exposes various other cases of human-rights violation. Regarding the Kashmir conflict, where could we find the precious teaching of “ahimsa (non-violence) “ that is the essence of Indian philosophy of religion and Gandhi practiced for his life?
Kashmir newspaper ban criticised
Since last July the clash between Kashmiri locals and India security forces has been becoming more violent, which has caused many casualties. Reacting to this situation, Indian authorities have started to control the media: They have ordered a well-known local English-language daily to stop publishing without any prior notice. Local journalists officially criticize the ban. Amnesty International also strongly calls on India’s government to protect freedom of speech. The legitimacy of India’s democracy has been questioned.
Related Film
One of the main causes for the Kashmir conflict is obviously Partition of India. The Partition of India was the 1947 partitioning of the British Indian Empire into India and Pakistan. Gandhi tried to prevent it for his life because he deeply understood that if India became divided, that would lead us to serious problems in the future. Even after Pakistan was founded, 78-year-old Gandhi intended to visit there to reconcile India with Pakistan. Sadly, Hindu extremists hated and considered Gandhi’s consistent attitudes too-large concessions to Muslims, and finally he was assassinated…Here are a documentary and a film about the partition:
India Pakistan Partition: BBC Special Presentation
Partition: A Thought-provoking story based on Partition of Indian Subcontinent
The documentary by BBC highlights how people faced difficulties and tragedies in the chaotic situation of the partition, using the period’s file footage and interviews of persons concerned.
The film depicts the tragedy of a family caused by the partition. In the chaotic condition of Indian’s partition, a man had a fateful encounter with a woman. They got married, overcoming their different religious backgrounds. However, the partition starts to cast a dark shadow over the family…
Finally, we would like to introduce a piece of poetry by Rumi, a Sufism’s giant born in Afghanistan the western Himalayan region. He has been loved by not only many Muslims but many Hindus, and Kashmiri people have a deep faith in Sufism.
Only Breath
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or in the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.
Categories
