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50 Days of Lock down in Kashmir: Women Activists Release Fact-finding Report

A group of five women visited 17 villages all across Kashmir to bring out the ground realities from Kashmir after the Centre’s decision of abrogating Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.

The team consisted of Annie Raja, Kawaljit Kaur, Pankhuri Zaheer from National Federation Indian Women, Poonam Kaushik from Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan and Syeda Hameed from Muslim Women’s Forum.

A team of 5 women visited Kashmir from September 17th-21st 2019. We wanted to see with our own eyes how this 43 day lockdown had affected the people, particularly women and children.

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Women’s Voice: Fact Finding Report on Kashmir September 17th - 21st 2019

[Kindly note: To protect the identity of the people we met, all names in the Report have been changed. We have not named the villages we visited for the very same reason]

These are lines by Comrade Abdul Sattar Ranjoor. We held these as a beacon during our

four-day sojourn in a locked and shuttered land called Kashmir.

Spring buds will flower

Nightingales’ pain will abate

Lovers wounds will start healing

Sickness will leave the ailing

Heart’s longing of Ranjoor will be fulfilled

When the poorest will rule

Wearing the crown of glory

(Ranjoor was killed in 1990)

Besides spending time in Srinagar, we visited several villages in the districts of Shopian,

Pulwama and Bandipora. We went to hospitals, schools, homes, market places, spoke to

people in the rural as well as urban areas, to men, women, youth and children. This Report

is our chashmdeed gawahi (eye witness account) of ordinary people who have lived for 43

days under an iron siege.

Shops closed, hotels closed, schools, colleges, institutes and universities closed, streets

deserted was the first visual impact as we drove out from the airport. To us it seemed a punitive mahaul that blocked breathing freely.

The picture of Kashmir that rises before our eyes is not the populist image; shikara, a

houseboat, lotus and the Dal Lake. It is that of women, a Zubeida, a Shamima, a

Khurshida standing at the door of their homes, waiting. Waiting and waiting for their 14,

15, 17, 19 year old sons. Their last glimpse is embedded in each heart, they dare not give

up hope but they know it will be a long wait before they see their tortured bodies or their

corpses… if they do. ‘We have been caged’ these words we heard everywhere. Doctors,

teachers, students, workers asked us, “What would you do in Delhi if internet services

were cut off for 5 minutes?” We had no answer.

Across all villages of the four districts, peoples’ experiences were the same. They all

spoke of lights, which had to be turned off around 8PM after Maghreb prayers. In

Bandipora, we saw a young girl who made the mistake of keeping a lamp lit to read for her

exam on the chance that her school may open soon. Army men angered by this breach of

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‘curfew’, jumped the wall to barge in. Father and son, the only males in the house were

taken away for questioning. ‘What questions?’,no one dared ask. The two have been

detained since then. ‘We insist that men should go indoors after 6 PM. Man or boy seen

after dusk is a huge risk. If absolutely necessary, we women go outside’. These words

were spoken by Zarina from a village near Bandipora district headquarters. ‘In a reflex

action, my four year old places a finger on her lips when she hears a dog bark after dusk.

Barking dogs mean an imminent visit by army. I can't switch on the phone for light so I can

take my little girl to the toilet. Light shows from far and if that happens our men pay with

their lives’.

The living are inadvertently tortured by the dead. ‘People die without warning or mourning.

How will I inform my sisters about their mother’s death?’ Ghulam Ahmed’s voice was

choked. ‘They are in Traal, in Pattan. I had to perform her soyem without her children’. The

story was the same wherever we went. People had no means of reaching out to loved

ones. 43 days were like the silence of death.

Public transportation was zero. People who had private cars took them out only for

essential chores. Women stood on roadsides, flagging cars and bikes for rides. People

stopped and helped out; helplessness of both sides was their unspoken bond. ‘I was on

my bike going towards Awantipora. A woman flagged me. My bike lurched on a speed

breaker. She was thrown off. I took her to the nearby hospital. She went in a coma. I am a

poor man how could I pay for her treatment? How and who could I inform?’ These daily

events were recounted wherever we went. At a Lalla Ded Women’s Hospital in Srinagar

several young women doctors expressed their absolute frustration at the hurdles that had

been placed in their way since the abrogation of Article 370. ‘There are cases where

women cannot come in time for deliveries. There are very few ambulances, the few that

are running are stopped at pickets on the way. The result? There are several cases of

overdue deliveries that produce babies with birth deformities. It is a life long affliction, living

death for parents”. Conversely, we were told that several women are delivering babies

prematurely due to the stress and khauf (fear) in the present condition. “It feels like the

government is strangling us and then sadistically asking us to speak at the same time,’ a

young woman doctor said as she clutched her throat to show how she felt.

A senior doctor from Bandipora Hospital told us that people come from Kulgam, Kupwara,

and other districts. Mental disorders, heart attacks, today there are more cases than he

could ever recall. For emergencies junior doctors desperately look for seniors; there is no

way of reaching them on phone. If they are out of the premises, they run on the streets

shouting, asking, searching in sheer desperation. One orthopaedic doctor from SKIMS

was stopped at the army imposed blockade while he was going for duty. He was held for 7

days. Safia in Shopian had cancer surgery. ‘I desperately need a check up in case it has

recurred. Baji, I can't reach my doctor. The only way is to go to the city, but how do I get

there? And if I do, will he be there?’ Ayushman Bharat, an internet based scheme, cannot

be availed by doctors and patients.

Women in villages stood before us with vacant eyes. ‘How do we know where they are?

Our boys who were taken away, snatched away from our homes. Our men go to the police

station, they are asked to go to the headquarters. They beg rides from travellers and some

manage to get there. On the board are names of ‘stone pelters’ who have been lodged in

different jails, Agra, Jodhpur, Ambedkar, Jhajjar.’ A man standing by adds, ‘Baji we are

crushed. Only a few of us who can beg and borrow, go hundreds of miles only to be

pushed around by hostile jail guards in completely unfamiliar cities.’

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At Gurdwaras we met women who said they have always felt secure in Kashmir.

‘Molestation of women in rest of India about which we read is unheard of in Kashmir’.

Young women complained they were harassed by army, including removal of their niqab

‘Army pounces on young boys; it seems they hate their very sight. When fathers go to

rescue their children they are made to deposit money, anywhere between 20000 to

60000’. So palpable is their hatred for Kashmiri youth that when there is the dreaded

knock on the door of a home, an old man is sent to open it. ‘We hope and pray they will

spare a buzurg. But their slaps land on all faces, regardless whether they are old or young,

or even the very young. In any case, Baji, we keep our doors lightly latched so they open

easily with one kick’. The irony of these simply spoken words!

Boys as young as 14 or 15 are taken away, tortured, some for as long as 45 days. Their

papers are taken away, families not informed. Old FIR’s are not closed. Phones are

snatched; collect it from the army camp they are told. No one in his senses ever went

back, even for a slightly expensive phone. A woman recounted how they came for her 22

year old son. But since his hand was in plaster they took away her 14 year old instead. In

another village we heard that two men were brutally beaten. No reason. One returned,

after 20 days, broken in body and spirit. The other is still in custody. One estimate given to

us was 13000 boys lifted during this lockdown. They don't even spare our rations. During

random checking of houses which occurs at all odd hours of the night, the army persons

come in and throw out the family. A young man working as SPO told us. ‘We keep a

sizeable amount of rice, pulses, edible oil in reserve. Kerosene is mixed in the ration bins,

sometimes that, sometimes koyla’.

Tehmina from Anantnag recently urged her husband, ‘Let us have another child. If our

Faiz gets killed at least we will have one more to call our own. Abdul Haleem was silent.

He could see the dead body of his little boy lying on his hands even as she spoke these

words. ‘Yeh sun kar, meri ruh kaanp gayi,” he tells us.

A thirty year old lawyer from Karna was found dead in his rented accommodation. He was

intensely depressed. Condolence notice was issued by Secy Bar Association. Immediately

after that he was taken into custody. Why? We spoke to a JK policeman. All of them have

been divested of their guns and handed dandas. ‘How do you feel, losing your guns?’

‘Both good and bad’ came the reply. ‘Why?’ Good because we were always afraid of them

being snatched away. Bad because we have no means now to defend ourselves in a

shootout. One woman security guard said ‘Indian govt wants to make this a Palestine. This

will be fought by the us, Kashmiris’. One young professional told us, ‘We want freedom.

We don't want India, we don't want Pakistan. We will pay any price for this. Ye Kashmiri

khoon hai. Koi bhi qurbani denge’.

Everywhere we went there were two inexorable sentiments. First, desire for Azadi; they

want nothing of either India or Pakistan. The humiliation and torture they have suffered for

70 years has reached a point of no return. Abrogation of 370 some say has snapped the

last tie they had with India. Even those people who always stood with the Indian State

have been rejected by the Govt. ‘So, what is the worth in their eyes, of us, ordinary

Kashmiris?’ Since all their leaders have been placed under PSA or under house arrest, the

common people have become their own leaders. Their suffering is untold, so is their

patience. The second, was the mothers anguished cries (who had seen many children’s

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corpses with wounds from torture) asking for immediate stop to this brutalisation of

innocents. Their children’s lives should not be snuffed out by gun and jackboots.

As we report our experiences and observations of our stay in Kashmir, we end with two

conclusions. That the Kashmiri people have in the last 50 days shown an amazing amount

of resilience in the face of brutality and blackout by the Indian government and the army.

The incidents that were recounted to us sent shivers down our spines and this report only

summarises some of them. We salute the courage and resoluteness of the Kashmiri

people. Secondly, we reiterate that nothing about the situation is normal. All those

claiming that the situation is slowly returning to normalcy are making false claims based on

distorted facts.

Poets speak for humankind. We began our report with lines from the Kashmiri poet

Ranjoor, we end with lines from Hindi poet Dushyant. Both indicate the way forward for

Kashmir:

Ho gayi hai peerh parbat si pighalni chahiye

Iss Himalaya se koi Ganga nikalni chahiye

We Demand:

1. FOR NORMALCY 

Withdraw the Army and Paramilitary forces with immediate effect

2.FOR CONFIDENCE BUILDING 

Immediately Cancel all cases/ FIRs and Release all those, especially the youth who are under custody and in jail since the Abrogation of Article 370

3.FOR ENSURING JUSTICE 

Conduct inquiry on the widespread violence and tortures unleashed by the Army and other security personnel.

4.COMPENSATION 

To all those families whose loved ones lost lives because of non availability of transportation and absence of communication.

In Addition:

• Immediately restore all communication lines in Kashmir including internet and mobile networks.

• Restore Article 370 and 35 A.

• All future decisions about the political future of Jammu and Kashmir must be taken through a process of dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

• All army personnel must be removed from the civilian areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

• An time bound inquiry committee must be constituted to look into the excesses committed by the army.

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Women’s Voice: Fact Finding Report on Kashmir September 17th - 21st 2019

Greta Thunberg (Young Climate Activist) at the Climate Action Summit 201...

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 கீழடி நாகரிகம் 2600 ஆண்டுகள் பழமையானது: இந்திய வரலாற்றையே மாற்றும் அகழ்வாய்வு முடிவுகள்

முரளிதரன் காசிவிஸ்வநாதன்

பிபிசி தமிழ்

20 செப்டம்பர் 2019

 மதுரை அருகே உள்ள கீழடியில் மேற்கொண்ட தொல்லியல் ஆய்வில் கிடைத்த பொருட்களை ஆராய்ந்ததில் தமிழக சங்ககாலம் என்பது மேலும் 300 ஆண்டுகள் பழமையானது எனத் தெரியவந்திருப்பதாக தமிழகத் தொல்லியல் துறை தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

மதுரை நகரத்திற்கு தென்கிழக்கில் சுமார் 15 கிலோ மீட்டர் தூரத்தில் சிவகங்கை மாவட்டத்தில் அமைந்திருக்கும் கீழடி கிராமத்தில் 2014ஆம் ஆண்டில் மத்திய தொல்லியல் துறை நடத்திய ஆகழ்வாய்வில் அங்கு, 2,000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முற்பட்ட காலத்திலிருந்து மனிதர்கள் வாழ்ந்ததற்கான ஆதாரங்கள் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டன.

இந்தப் பகுதியில் மேலும் ஆய்வுகளை மேற்கொள்ள கீழடி அகழ்வாய்வு கண்காணிப்பாளர் அமர்நாத் ராமகிருஷ்ணா விண்ணப்பித்திருந்த நிலையில், அவர் அங்கிருந்து அசாமுக்கு இடமாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்டார்.

இந்த நிலையில், அங்கு அகழ்வாய்வைத் தொடர மாநில தொல்லியல் துறை முடிவுசெய்தது. அதற்குப் பிறகு மாநில தொல்லியல் துறை சார்பில் அகழ்வாய்வு தொடர்ந்து நடைபெற்றுவந்தது.

அந்த அகழ்வாராய்ச்சியில் கிடைத்த பொருட்கள் மீது செய்யப்பட்ட ஆய்வின் முடிவுகள் தமிழக தொல்லியல் துறையால் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளன. வியாழக்கிழமை தமிழ் வளர்ச்சித் துறை அமைச்சர் மஃபா பாண்டியராஜன், தொல்லியல் துறை செயலர் த. உதயசந்திரன் ஆகியோர் இதனை வெளியிட்டனர்.

2018ம் ஆண்டில் கீழடியில் தமிழக அரசால் நடத்தப்பட்ட 4வது அகழ்வாய்வில் கிடைத்த பொருட்களை வைத்து கிடைத்த முடிவுகள் இதில் தொகுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

கீழடி நாகரீகத்தின் காலம் என்ன?

கீழடியில் கிடைத்த 6 பொருட்கள் ஆக்சலரேட்டட் மாஸ் ஸ்பெக்ட்ரோமெட்ரி (Accelerated mass spectometry) ஆய்வுக்காக அமெரிக்காவின் ஃப்ளோரிடாவில் உள்ள பீட்டா அனலிடிகல் லேப்பிற்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டன. அதில் கிடைத்த முடிவுகளின்படி, அந்தப் பொருட்கள், கி.மு. மூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டுக்கும் கி.மு. ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டுக்கும் இடைப்பட்ட காலத்தை சேர்ந்தவை எனக் கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கீழடியில் 353 செ.மீ. ஆழத்தில் கிடைத்த பொருள் கி.மு. 580வது ஆண்டையும் 200 செ.மீ. ஆழத்தில் கிடைத்த பொருள் கி.மு. 205வது ஆண்டையும் சேர்ந்தது எனக் கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த இரு மட்டங்களுக்கு கீழேயும் மேலேயும் பொருட்கள் இருப்பதால், கீழடியின் காலகட்டம் கி.மு. ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டு முதல் கி.மு. ஒன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டு வரையிலானது என தொல்லியல் துறை முடிவுக்கு வந்துள்ளது.

தமிழ்நாட்டைப் பொறுத்தவரை வரலாற்றுக் காலம் என்பது கி.மு. மூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டில்தான் துவங்குகிறது. ஆகவே கங்கைச் சமவெளியில் நடந்ததைப் போல, இரண்டாவது நகர நாகரீகம் இங்கு நிகழவில்லை எனக் கருதப்பட்டுவந்தது. ஆனால், கீழடியில் கிடைத்த பொருட்களை வைத்து, கி.மு. ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டிலேயே இரண்டாவது நகர நாகரீகம் துவங்கியுள்ளது என்ற முடிவுக்கு தொல்லியல் துறை வந்துள்ளது. கங்கைச் சமவெளியிலும் இதே காலகட்டத்தில்தான் நகர நாகரீகம் உருப்பெற்றது.

கொடுமணல், அழகன்குளம் ஆகிய இடங்களில் கிடைத்த எழுத்தின் மாதிரிகளை வைத்து தமிழ் பிராமி எழுத்தின் காலம் கி.மு. மூன்றாம் நூற்றாண்டாகக் கருதப்பட்டது. ஆனால், தற்போது கீழடியில் கிடைத்த ஆய்வு முடிவுகளின்படி, தமிழ் பிராமி கி.மு. ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்ததாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது. ஆகவே 2,600 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பாக கீழடியில் வாழ்ந்தவர்கள் எழுத்தறிவு பெற்றிருந்தார்கள், எழுதத் தெரிந்திருந்தார்கள் என்ற முடிவுக்கு தொல்லியில் துறை வந்துள்ளது.

கீழடியிலிருந்து கிட்டத்தட்ட 70 எலும்புத் துண்டுகள் கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டன. இவற்றில் பெரும்பாலானவை (53%) காளை, எருமை, ஆடு, பசு ஆகியவற்றினுடையவை. ஆகவே கீழடியில் வாழ்ந்த சமூகம் பெரும்பாலும் ஆடு, மாடுகளை வளர்த்த சமூகமாக இருந்திருக்கலாம் என்ற முடிவுக்கு வந்துள்ளனர் ஆய்வாளர்கள்.

கீழடியில் கிடைத்த ஓடுகள், செங்கற்கள், காரை ஆகியவை வேலூர் இன்ஸ்டிடடியூட் ஆஃப் டெக்னாலஜியில் ஆய்வுசெய்யப்பட்டன. அவற்றில் மண், சுண்ணாம்பு, இரும்பு, மெக்னீசியம், அலுமினியம் ஆகியவை இருப்பது கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது.

 இங்கு நடத்தப்பட்ட ஆய்வுகளில் சுவர்கள், கட்டடங்களின் இடிபாடுகளும் கிடைத்தன. தரைகள் வழுவழுப்பான களிமண்ணால் மெழுகப்பட்டிருந்தன. கட்டடங்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை அவற்றின் சுவர்கள் கூரை வரை எழுப்பப்பட்டிருக்கவில்லை. மாறாக சுவர்களுக்கு அருகில் கம்புகள் நடப்பட்டு கூரைகள் போடப்பட்டிக்கின்றன.

இந்தியாவில் கிடைத்த வரிவடிவங்களில் சிந்து சமவெளியில் கிடைத்த வரிவடிவங்களே மிகப் பழமையானவை. சிந்துவெளி பண்பாடு மறைந்து தமிழ் பிராமி எழுத்து தோன்றியதற்கு இடையில் கீறல் வடிவில் ஒரு வரிவடிவம் இருந்ததாக தொல்லியலாளர்கள் கருதுகின்றனர். சிந்து சமவெளி எழுத்துகளைப் போலவே இவற்றின் பொருளும் இதுவரை முழுமையாகப் புரியவில்லை. செப்புக்கால பண்பாட்டிலும் தொடர்ந்து பெருங்கற்கால பண்பாட்டிலும் இக்குறியீடுகள் கிடைக்கின்றன.

 தமிழ்நாட்டில் ஆதிச்சநல்லூர், அழகன் குளம், கொற்கை, கொடுமணல், கரூர், தேரிருவேலி, பேரூர் உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில் கிடைத்த பானை ஓடுகளில் இந்த வரிவடிவங்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. இலங்கையில் திசமஹரம, கந்தரோடை, மாந்தை, ரிதியகாம போன்ற இடங்களிலும் இது போன்ற குறீயிடுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. கீழடி அகழாய்வில் 1001 ஓடுகள் இத்தகைய வரி வடிவங்களுடன் கிடைத்துள்ளன.

இலங்கையில் திசமஹரம, கந்தரோடை, மாந்தை, ரிதியகாம போன்ற இடங்களிலும் இது போன்ற குறீயிடுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன.

அதே போல, இந்த கீழடி அகழ்வாய்வில் தமிழ் பிராமி எழுத்துகள் பொறிக்கப்பட்ட 56 பானை ஓடுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. இவற்றில் குவிரன், ஆத(ன்) உள்ளிட்ட பெயர்களும் முழுமையடையாத எழுத்துகளும் கிடைத்துள்ளன. இதில் ஆதன் என்ற பெயர், அதன் என்று குறிப்பிடப்படுகிறது. முற்கால தமிழ் பிராமியில், நெடிலைக் குறிக்க ஒலிக்குறியீடு இடும் வழக்கம் இல்லை என்பதால், இந்த தமிழ் பிராமி எழுத்துகள் காலத்தால் மிகவும் முந்தையவையாகக் கருதப்படுகின்றன.

இந்த எழுத்துகள் பெரும்பாலும் பானைகளின் கழுத்துப் பகுதியில் எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளன. பானையில் கிடைக்கும் எழுத்துகள் பெரும்பாலும் பானை செய்வோரால் சுடுவதற்கு முன்பாக ஈர நிலையில் எழுதப்படும். கீழடியில் பானைகள் சுடப்பட்டு, உலர்ந்த பிறகு எழுதப்பட்ட எழுத்துகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. அவற்றின் எழுத்தமைதி (எழுத்தின் வடிவம், கையெழுத்து) ஒரே மாதிரியாக இல்லை. ஆகவே வெவ்வேறு ஆட்கள் இவற்றை எழுதியிருக்கலாம்.

 கீழடியில் இரண்டு இடங்களில் 4 மீட்டர் அளவுக்குமேல் மிகப் பெரிய அளவில் பானை ஓடுகளின் குவியல்கள் கிடைத்ததை வைத்துப் பார்க்கும்போது அங்கு மிகப் பெரிய பானை வனையும் தொழிற்கூடம் இருந்திருக்கலாம் என்ற முடிவுக்கு தொல்லியல் துறை வந்துள்ளது.

மேலும் கீழடியில் நூல் நூற்கப் பயன்படும் தக்கிளி, தறிகளில் பயன்படுத்தப்படும் தூரிகை, தறியில் தொங்கவிடும் கருங்கல் போன்றவையும் கிடைத்திருப்பதால், இப்பகுதியில் வாழ்ந்தவர்கள் நெசவுத் தொழிலிலும் ஈடுபட்டிருக்கலாம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

கீழடியில் பெண்கள் பயன்படுத்திய தங்கத்தாலான ஏழு ஆபரணத் துண்டுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. பல்வேறு மதிப்புமிக்க கற்களால் ஆன வளையல்கள் கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

இங்கு பல விளையாட்டுப் பொருட்கள் குறிப்பாக ஆட்டக்காய்கள், தாய விளையாட்டிற்கான பகடைக்காய்கள் அதிக அளவில் கிடைத்துள்ளன. இவை பெரும்பாலும் சுட்டமண்ணால் ஆனவை.

மேலும், வடமேற்கு இந்தியாவின் மகாராஷ்டிரம், குஜராத் போன்ற பகுதிகளில் பரவலாகக் காணப்படும் அகேட் மற்றும் கார்னீலியம் கற்களால் ஆன மணிகளும் கிடைத்துள்ளன. ரோம் நாட்டை சேர்ந்த அரிட்டைன் பானை ஓடு மண்ணடுக்கின் மேல் நிலையில் கிடைத்திருக்கிறது. இவை ரோம் நாட்டில் கி.மு. இரண்டாம் நூற்றாண்டில் புழக்கத்தில் இருந்தவை.

இங்கு ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக சுடுமண்ணாலான 13 மனித உருவங்கள், 3 விலங்கு உருவங்கள், 650க்கும் மேற்பட்ட விளையாட்டுப் பொருட்கள், 35 காதணிகள், பிற அணிகலன்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. ஆனால், வழிபாடு தொடர்பான தொல்பொருட்கள் எவையும் தெளிவான முறையில் இதுவரை கிடைக்கவில்லையென தொல்லியல் துறையின் ஆய்வறிக்கை கூறுகிறது.

கீழடி எங்குள்ளது?

மதுரை நகரிலிருந்து தென்கிழக்கு திசையில் 13 கி.மீ. தூரத்தில் இந்த இடம் அமைந்திருக்கிறது. இந்த இடத்திலிருந்து வடக்கில் இரண்டு கி.மீ. தூரத்தில் வைகை நதி ஓடுகிறது. இந்த ஊருக்குக் கிழக்கே மணலூரும் தென்கிழக்கில் அகரம் என்ற ஊரும் மேற்கில் கொந்தகையும் அமைந்திருக்கின்றன.

கீழடியில் உள்ள தென்னந்தோப்பில்தான் முதன் முதலில் அகழ்வாய்வுப் பணிகள் நடத்தப்பட்டன. பெங்களூரில் உள்ள இந்திய அகழ்வாய்வுப் பிரிவு 2014 - 15, 2015- 16 ஆகிய ஆண்டுகளில் ஆகழ்வாய்வுகளை மேற்கொண்டது. இதற்குப் பிறகு தமிழ்நாடு அரசு 2017 -18ல் அகழாய்வுப் பணிகளைத் துவங்கியது.

கீழடியின் முக்கியத்துவம் என்ன?

தமிழ்நாட்டில் இதுவரை செய்யப்பட்ட அகழ்வாய்வுகளில் சுட்ட செங்கல்களால் ஆன கட்டடங்களுடன் நகர நாகரீகம் இருந்தது இங்குதான் முதன் முதலில் வெளிப்பட்டுள்ளது. தவிர, கி.மு. 3-ம் நூற்றாண்டிலிருந்து கி.பி. 2-ம் நூற்றாண்டு வரையிலான காலப்பகுதியே தமிழில் சங்க காலம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது. ஆனால், இங்கு கிடைத்த பிராமி எழுத்துகளை வைத்து சங்க காலம் மேலும் மூன்று நூற்றாண்டுகள் பின்னோக்கிச் செல்லலாம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

 கங்கைச் சமவெளியில் இரண்டாம் நகர நாகரீகம் (சிந்து சமவெளி நாகரீகம் முதலாம் நகர நாகரீகம்) கிட்டத்தட்ட கி.மு. ஆறாம் நூற்றாண்டில் தோன்றியது. ஆனால், அதற்கு இணையான காலகட்டத்தில் தமிழகத்தில் எந்த நகர நாகரீகமும் இருந்ததற்கான ஆதாரங்கள் இதுவரை கிடைத்ததில்லை. முதன் முதலாக கீழடியில் அதே காலகட்டத்தில் நகர நாகரீகத்திற்கான ஆதாரங்கள் கிடைத்துள்ளன. ஆகவே, இரண்டாம் நகர நாகரீக காலத்தில் தமிழகத்திலும் நகர நாகரீகம் இருந்ததாகக் கொள்ள முடியும்.

இந்த ஊரில் வாழ்ந்த மக்கள் வட இந்தியா, ரோம் போன்ற பகுதிகளுடன் வணிகத் தொடர்புகளை வைத்திருக்கக்கூடும் என்பதற்கு ஆதாரமாக பல வெளிநாடுகளைச் சேர்ந்த பானை ஓடுகள் கிடைத்துள்ளன.

"அடுத்தகட்டமாக கீழடிக்கு அருகில் உள்ள கொந்தகை, அகரம், மணலூர் ஆகிய இடங்களில் அகழாய்வு செய்ய இருக்கிறோம். ஆதிச்சநல்லூரிலும் புதிதாக ஆய்வுகளைத் தொடங்கவிருக்கிறோம். இதில் கொந்தகை ஆதிகால மனிதர்களைப் புதைக்கும் நிலமாக இருக்கலாம் எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது. இங்கு கிடைக்கும் எலும்புகளின் மரபணுவை ஆய்வு செய்ய மதுரை காமராசர் பல்கலைக்கழகத்துடனும் ஹாவர்ட் மெடிக்கல் ஸ்கூலுடனும் இணைந்து செயல்படவிருக்கிறோம்" என மாநில தொல்லியல் துறையின் செயலாளர் த. உதயச்சந்திரன் கூறினார்.

வவுனியாவில் எட்டு வயது மாணவி மீது `பெண்ணின இம்சை`

தண்டனை வழங்க தந்தையார் அழைப்பு! அறைகூவல்!!

வவுனியா நெடுங்கேணி கிராமத்தில் உள்ள தமிழ்ப் பாடசாலை சுற்றாடலிலேயே இவ் இழி செயல்(21/22) இன்று இடம் பெற்றுள்ளது.

பாடசாலை முடிந்ததும் பெற்றோரிடம் கையளிக்காமல், நிர்வாகத்தால் அநாதரவாக விடப்பட்ட, மூன்றாம் வகுப்பு மாணவர்களில் ஒருவரே இந்தச் சிறுமி.

தனியாக வீடு செல்ல முயன்ற வேளையில் பாடசாலை சுற்றாடலில் கட்டிட வேலையில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த கும்பலில் இருவர் இச் சிறுமியை `பெண்ணின இம்சை` செய்துள்ளனர்.

குழந்தை ஒருவாறு தப்பி ஒரு கிலோ மீற்றர் வரை ஓடிச் சென்று தன் தந்தையாரிடம் நடந்ததை விளக்கி கதறி அழுதுள்ளது.

இதன் பின்னணியில் குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மக்களே தண்டனை அளிக்க வேண்டும், அதற்காக மக்கள் ஒன்று திரளவேண்டும் எனக் கோரி சிறுமியின் தந்தையார் வெளியிட்ட வீடியோ மேலே இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மக்கள் தண்டனை அளிக்கவும், பாடசாலை நிர்வாகத்தை சீர் செய்யவும் சிறுமியின் பெற்றோருடன் மக்கள் ஒன்று சேர வேண்டும்.

இந்தக் குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மட்டுமல்ல தமிழரை நிராயுதபாணிகளாக்கிய குற்றவாளிகளுக்கும் தண்டனை அளிக்க மக்கள் ஓரணி திரளவேண்டும்.

22-09-2019/ செய்தி அறிக்கை சுபா. 

Sri Lanka to hold presidential vote on November 16

https://uk.reuters.com/Ranga Sirilal, Shihar Aneez

Sri Lanka to hold presidential vote on November 16

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will hold a presidential election on Nov. 16, the head of the island nation’s election body told Reuters on Wednesday, as its $87 billion economy struggles to recover from a political crisis and the aftermath of deadly Islamist bombings.

The official notification of the election would be published later on Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. Nominations for the contest will close by Oct. 7.

Election Commission officials have said there could be a record 18 candidates in this year’s election, while analysts say it is possible that a run-off count will be needed to decide the winner of a tight contest is which no-one is likely to poll more than 50% of first-preference votes.

The main opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has already nominated his younger brother and wartime defence chief Gotabaya.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s centre-right United National Party (UNP) is yet to nominate its candidate, but party sources told Reuters it was likely to be decided between deputy leader Sajith Premadasa and Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.

Gotabaya, 70, is widely seen as the frontrunner due to his popularity among Sri Lanka’s Sinhala Buddhist majority, many of whom credit him with ending the 26-year civil war in 2009 and believe that Colombo needs a seasoned leader after Easter bombings that killed more than 250 people.

However, Gotabaya faces a legal battle over allegations of misappropriation of state funds when he was defence chief, which he denies, along with questions over the renunciation of his U.S. citizenship.

There is no opinion polling on the popularity of candidates.

The next president will have fewer powers than his predecessors, following a 2015 constitutional amendment that will hand more powers to the prime minister and parliament after the election.

Sluggish economic growth, national security, endemic corruption and deep ethnic and religious divisions in the South Asian nation will be key issues at the upcoming polls, political analysts say.

Economic growth is expected to hit a nearly two-decade low this year, after the Easter attacks on luxury hotels and churches hurt the country’s tourism industry.

A seven-week constitutional crisis in the last quarter of 2018, after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former leader Rajapaksa, also hurt the economy as the political uncertainty slowed investment.

Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Euan Rocha and Alex Richardson

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

தேர்தல் புறக்கணிப்பு தொலைக்காட்சி விவாதம்

தேர்தல் புறக்கணிப்பு

சமரன்: நவீன திரிபுவாதத்தையும் கலைப்புவாதத்தையும் எதிர்த்த...

சமரன்: நவீன திரிபுவாதத்தையும் கலைப்புவாதத்தையும் எதிர்த்த...: கனுசன்யாலின் வலது சந்தர்ப்பவாத  நிலைப்பாடும் கட்சி ஐக்கியத்திற்கான முயற்சிகளும் பிளவுகளும் முன்னுரை-பகுதி1

"Sons of the country" calls for a boycott of the occupation elections

 Palestine PFLP 02 Sep 2019

The movement of the people of the country renewed   its appeal to the Palestinian people in the occupied territories in 1948, to boycott the elections of the "Knesset" Zionist held in September.

This came in a statement issued by the movement of the sons of the country, the first Sunday of September, in which she said "for the second time in a few months we find ourselves in front of Israeli elections to the Zionist Knesset."

In its statement, the Movement affirmed its position on boycotting the occupation elections, saying, "Our position in the movement of the sons of the country calling for a boycott of the Knesset elections is known to the far and wide." Palestine, from its sea to its river. "

The people of the country stressed that, accordingly, participation in the occupation elections on the basis of the oath of allegiance to the occupying power and the sufficiency of a meager political ceiling dropped by the occupation after a quarter of a century of absurd negotiations with our people Our people and the whole world, which is a stab in the side of the struggle of the free people of the whole world to narrow the circle of boycott against Israel and a Palestinian knife! What's new in these elections! "

The people of the country affirmed, "We in the movement of the people of the country believe in the absolute necessity of our unity as a people and political forces to face the challenges of the stage, and the dangers ahead of us, the liquidation of the Palestinian right to return and independence and the division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and depriving us of our lowest civil rights derived from our success in our homeland. Keeping us under occupation in sporadic cantons in Gaza, inside and in the  West  Bank. ”

The movement considered that participation in these elections, and even the announcement by the chairman of the joint list of readiness to participate in the occupation government, "is nothing but an administration that has emerged to fight against the occupation and to reduce our national cause with crumbs of rights that we can obtain at the very least if the same efforts are invested in organizing our institutions and building our struggle." Emancipation "

The movement appealed to the Palestinian people, saying, "The people of our father's people .. The campaigns of these elections, as every election Knesset, refuses to be only on our blood. The race between the Zionist parties is on one of the most able to expose our rights and blood on the one hand and to obtain international support for this On the other hand."

"Participation and voting in these elections for any of the Zionist parties is a humility and a contribution to penetrate our consciousness and cancellation of our Palestinian national identity and a prize for the criminals against him and it is our duty to confront it and preserve our achievements as a living people struggling and struggling against its occupier."

The boycott was seen as a struggle mechanism that could repel this attack, which is being heard in light of the joint statements about its willingness to make alliances in different formats with the same forces that compete with it in the elections. Zionist parties except in the form !. "

In its statement, it stressed that boycotting these elections under these political circumstances and after decades of betting on the Knesset is the struggle and political message that must be faced by everyone who is betting, and betting on the adaptation of our people from their central issues.

`` It is a challenge to the declared Israeli policies in getting us out of the general political equation in return for crumbs of budgets.It is a declared refusal to muzzle anti-Israeli legitimacy, and attempts to define our political ceiling by pursuing boycott voices and promoting a national movement that does not derive its political legitimacy through the occupation parliament. ''

No attempt to forcibly take over Rupavahini Corp. - Ruwan

http://www.dailynews.lk/ Thursday, September 12, 2019

Defence State Minister and Mass Media Minister Ruwan Wijewardene denied speculation on internet social media that he was planning to forcibly take over the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), the state-owned national television network that was recently transferred out of the Media Ministry and put under the purview of the Defence Ministry.

Defence State Minister and Mass Media Minister
Ruwan Wijewardene

Speaking to news media at the Media Ministry last evening the Minister said he had never engaged in thug-politics and therefore, that information was totally baseless.

Wijewardene said that he had no quarrel with President Maithripala Sirisena for taking over the national television, which had been under the Media Minister’s purview but, the issue was about a media institution being gazzeted under the Defence Ministry. “This move is an attack against democracy and also the country’s media freedom,” he pointed out.

Wijewardene also pointed out that the SLRC has been incurring losses in hundreds of millions since 2014. Mismanagement, as well as fraud and corruption, had resulted in this situation, he claimed. However, four attempts by him to make changes to the institution’s management have been averted by the President, he said.

“This is the first time in the country’s history that a television network was gazette under the Defence Ministry. Such things did not happen even during the war. Therefore, I am totally against his move,” the non-Cabinet Media Minister said.

சமரன்: 2019 தியாகிகள் நாள் கழகக் காட்சிகள்

சமரன்: 2019 தியாகிகள் நாள் கழகக் காட்சிகள்:

செப்டம்பர் 12 இந்திய விடுதலைப் புரட்சித் தியாகிகள் தினம். நக்சல்பாரிப் போராளி, மார்க்சிய லெனினிய போல்சுவிக் புரட்சியாளர், கம்யூனிச ஆசான்,கழகத் தலைவர் தோழர் ஏ.எம்.கே.நாமம் நீடூழி வாழ்க!

‘You will never break our will’ – Palestinians to Netanyahu after Jordan Valley annexation pledge

middleeastmonitor.com September 11, 2019

“It’s our parents’ and grandparents’ land. We will hold onto it no matter what it costs.”

‘You will never break our will’ – Palestinians to Netanyahu after Jordan Valley annexation pledge

Palestinian protesters hold placards prior to the arrival of the Israeli prime minister to attend a state memorial ceremony at the Ibrahimi mosque, in the West Bank city of Hebron on 4 September 2019. [Mosab Shawer-Apaimages]

Palestinians tilling the fertile Jordan Valley said on Wednesday they have been rooted for generations to the West Bank land that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to annex, and they vowed never to give it up, Reuters reports.

“We tell Netanyahu, and whoever follows him, you will not break the Palestinians’ will, you will never break our will, never, never,” said Hassan Al-Abedi, a 55-year-old farmer who lives in the village of Jiftlik.

“It’s our parents’ and grandparents’ land. We will hold onto it no matter what it costs.”

Drawing condemnation from Palestinian and other Arab leaders , the right-wing Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he plans to “apply Israeli sovereignty” to the Jordan Valley and adjacent northern Dead Sea if he prevails in what is shaping up as a tough battle for re-election on Sept. 17.

Palestinians seek to establish a state in all of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and their leaders said Israeli annexation would violate international law and effectively nullify interim peace deals from the 1990s that included security cooperation.

Against the backdrop of Jordan’s desert mountain range to the east, Palestinian farmers tended their crops and worried about their future in an area where the town of Jericho and the River Jordan are reminders of a biblical past.

“This is not Netanyahu’s land to give,” said Ismael Hassan, a 75-year-old Palestinian from Zbeidat village. “Whether or not Netanyahu succeeds (in the election) we won’t accept it. This land is for Palestine, for the Palestinians.”

In Israel, which captured the West Bank in a 1967 war, Netanyahu’s declaration was widely seen as a bid to sap support from far-right election rivals who advocate annexation of Jewish settlements, and from a centre-left that for decades has argued that the Jordan Valley should be kept on security grounds.

Retaining the Jordan Valley would effectively leave Israel encircling any Palestinian political entity that emerges.

CRAFTING OPINION

Following up on his speech with remarks on Facebook on Wednesday, Netanyahu took credit for having persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to recognise Israeli sovereignty over another strategic slice of occupied territory – the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967 – and to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

The White House was informed in advance of Tuesday’s annexation announcement, Netanyahu said, adding that he was “crafting opinion in favour of recognition of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley”.

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu (R) show members of the media the proclamation Trump signed on recognising Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights after their meeting outside the West Wing of the White House 25 March 2019 in Washington, DC. [Alex Wong/Getty Images]

A U.S. official confirmed Washington had been pre-notified but said the announcement was not coordinated between the sides.

“He (Netanyahu) is a politician making a political statement,” another U.S. official said.

Netanyahu’s decision to issue the promise showed, however, that he had little reason to fear any pushback from the Trump administration, which has hewed to a heavily pro-Israel policy and backed him at almost every turn since taking Trump took office in 2017.

BREADBASKET, BORDER

Some 53,000 Palestinians and around 12,800 Israeli settlers live in the Jordan Valley, according to monitor Peace Now. The main Palestinian city in the region is Jericho, with around 28 villages and smaller Bedouin communities.

Palestinians often refer to the Jordan Valley as their “breadbasket”. In his speech on Tuesday, Netanyahu described it as Israel’s eastern border with Jordan.

“Even Netanyahu’s main rivals believe that any Palestinian entity that is established in the West Bank should be completely encircled by Israel, having no border with Jordan,” said Nathan Thrall, an International Crisis Group analyst.

“The annexation plan shouldn’t be dismissed as election bluster. If re elected, Netanyahu will be under tremendous pressure to implement it.”

The valley, which at 2,400 square kilometres (926 square miles) accounts for nearly 30% of the West Bank, has dozens of Palestinian farms as well as open areas that the Palestinian Authority has sought to develop for solar energy projects and industrial zones.

There are some 30 mainly agricultural settlements in the area, along with 18 smaller Israeli outposts, Peace Now says.

“It’s impossible to have a Palestinian state without the Jordan Valley,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters in an interview from his office in Jericho.

“My prosperity can come (only) if I can control my natural resources, my shores on the Dead Sea, my shores on the Mediterranean, my water, my land.”

Erekat said the Palestinians would welcome “a third party presence” such as NATO or the European Union but said: “A Israeli military or civilian presence in the state of Palestine is not okay. Because this will not make peace.”

Israeli leaders have ruled out such a foreign peacekeeper force, citing the failure of a similar proposal for Gaza after Israel quit that territory in 2005.

“We did not get an era of peace. We got three wars. We’re not going to allow that to happen to our east,” said Dore Gold, a Netanyahu confidant who runs the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs think-tank.

POLITICAL GAMBIT

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in 2014.

The Trump administration is expected to release its long-delayed peace plan after Israel’s election, and it is still unclear the proposal will adhere to previous U.S. support for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

That rollout is unlikely to be affected even if Netanyahu goes ahead with the Jordan Valley annexation plan after the election, a U.S. official said.

Palestinians have boycotted the Trump administration, accusing it of pro-Israel bias.

A far-right coalition partner of Netanyahu hinted at doubt about the premier’s sincerity, saying there had been no movement on the Jordan Valley question during his decade in power. “How come this matter (annexation) is coming up now, a week before the election?” Bezalel Smotrich told Israel’s Army Radio.

Netanyahu also reaffirmed a pledge to annex all of the settlements Israel has established in the West Bank. But he said that broader step could take longer and required “maximum coordination” with Washington.

Netanyahu is fighting for his political life after an inconclusive election in April. His right-wing Likud party is running neck and neck in opinion polls with former armed forces chief Benny Gantz’s Blue and White. 

"Operation Yellowhammer" - The Document

Wales On Line  11 SEP 2019

By Ruth Mosalski Political Editor

 "Operation Yellowhammer" - The Document

Government publishes secret Operation Yellowhammer plans for a no-deal Brexit

The Government has released documents relating to Operation Yellowhammer - its contingency plan for a no-deal Brexit.

MPs won a vote to force the Government to release the documents on Monday.

Only one section of the document is redacted. The rest shows:

• 'Low-income groups will be disproportionate affected by any price rises in food and fuel'
• Disruption at ports will last three months before it starts to improve
• Lorries could face delays of up to 2.5 days
• As Brits will face immigration checks, there will be delays at airports, train stations and ports
• Electricity prices will increase "significantly" to consumers and businesses
• Medicines are "particularly vulnerable" to extended delays
• It will be harder to prevent and control disease outbreaks
• Supplies of fresh food will decrease - there is a risk of panic buying
• UK nationals overseas will lose rights and access to services
• Protests and counter-protests will take place across the UK - 'there may be a rise in public disorder and community tensions'
• Trade with Ireland will be "severely" disrupted with "agri-food" hardest hit
• There is a likelihood of clashes between fishing vessels as EU nations fishing vessels will be in UK waters
• Care for the elderly services are vulnerable.

The document is titled: "Operation Yellowhammer: HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions"

On Wednesday, business secretary Andrea Leadsom said that Operation Yellowhammer documents were a "worst case scenario" about leaving without a deal rather than a "prediction".

"I actually do not think that it serves people well to see what is absolutely the worst thing that could happen."

The Prime Minister's spokesman said MPs demands to see Operation Yellowhammer, and messages by Downing Street staff about prorogation were "disproportionate and unprecedented".

The documents are here .

இலட்சோபம் மக்கள் திரண்ட கற்றலான் ஆர்ப்பாட்டம்

By Associated Press September 11, 2019 

Massive Rally for Catalonia's Secession in Barcelona

BARCELONA, SPAIN - Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards who support the secession of Catalonia gathered in Barcelona on the region’s main holiday Wednesday, just weeks before a highly anticipated verdict in a case against 12 leaders of the separatist movement.

Supporters of Catalan secession came from all parts of the wealthy northeastern region to its main city. Many carried flags or wore T-shirts supporting Catalan independence as they met for the rally in a large public square.

Protesters hold esteladas or independence flags as they take part in a demonstration during the Catalan National Day in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 11, 2019. 

The Sept. 11 holiday memorializes the fall of Barcelona in the Spanish War of Succession in 1714. Since 2012, it has become the date of massive rallies for the region’s secessionist movement.

The Barcelona police said that around 600,000 people turned out for the event.

Polls and the most recent election results show that the region’s 7.5 million residents are roughly equally split between those in favor and those against breaking with the rest of Spain.

Spain’s caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who has tried to thaw tensions with Catalonia since taking power last year, wrote on Twitter that “Today should be a day for all Catalans. For the path of dialogue within the Constitution, harmonious coexistence, respect and understanding.”

This year’s rally comes while a dozen leaders of Catalonia’s 2017 failed attempt to secede await a verdict from the Supreme Court on charges that include rebellion. They face spending several years behind bars if found guilty, and a heavy punishment would most likely spark public protests in Catalonia. The verdict is expected this month or next.

The movement, however, is going through its most difficult period since separatist sentiment was fueled by the previous decade’s economic difficulties, from which Spain has only recovered in recent years.

The pro-secession political parties have yet to agree on what the response to a guilty verdict by the Supreme Court should be. That has earned the criticism of the leading grassroots groups which have fueled the secessionist drive.

Regional Catalan president Quim Torra says that a guilty verdict would provide an opportunity to make another push for independence, without specifying how that could be carried out.

“The objective of independence should be the horizon of this country after the verdict,” he said in a recent interview on Catalan public television.

Other separatist politicians think the best move is to call regional elections in an attempt to increase their representation in the regional parliament and focus on gaining the backing of more than half of Catalans. Those against independence complain that the separatists have monopolized the holiday for their political ends.

But some activists have accused all their political leaders of not taking concrete steps to achieve their goal. Radical activists recently expressed their anger by throwing garbage and excrement on the doors of the offices of pro-secession parties.


“Not only have we not advanced, but we have taken some steps backward,” Elisenda Paluzie, the head of the influential pro-secession grassroots group ANC, told the crowd. “We demand that our leaders don’t let us down.”

Rupavahini Corporation brought under Defence Ministry

Colombo Telegraph September 9, 2019 

Rupavahini Corporation brought under Defence Ministry

State television, Rupavahini Corporation, has been brought under the Ministry of Defence. 

A gazette notification has been issued bringing the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) under the purview of the Ministry of Defence which is headed by President Maithripala Sirisena. 

The move comes as the Elections Commission prepares to call for Presidential elections. 

Rupavahini Corporation was earlier under the Ministry of Mass Media which comes under Non Cabinet Minister Ruwan Wijewardene.

India tightens Kashmir crackdown with curfew

India tightens Kashmir crackdown with curfew

காஸ்மீர் வீடியோ

Indian police have clashed with Shiite mourners at banned religious processions in Kashmir. Indian authorities have warned residents "not to venture out of their home" amid a tightening crackdown in the contested region.

Indian authorities on Sunday imposed curfews in several parts of Kashmir amid a growing crackdown across the contested territory. 

"People are advised to stay indoors and not venture out of their home," police announced over loudspeakers in the Lal Chowk square in Srinagar, the biggest city in the state. "Strict action under law will be taken against violators."
Authorities tightened restrictions in the area after police clashed with Shiite mourners during a banned religious procession. 

"Reasonable restrictions are necessary for peace and protection of life," said Ajit Doval, India's national security adviser, late Saturday. He said restrictions would not be lifted until Pakistan stopped deploying "terrorists" to the area and accused Islamabad of fomenting unrest.
Meanwhile, some Sunni Muslims have said they would join a procession with Shiite mourners on Tuesday, the Ashura — a religious day marking the 10th day of Moharram, the first month of the Islamic year. 

Indian policemen detain Kashmiri Shiite Muslims as they shout pro-freedom slogans 

Some Kashmiri Shiite Muslims have vowed to resist Indian authorities as they attempt to observe religious traditions 

Crackdown 

Last month, India withdrew Kashmir's special autonomous status by revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The controversial move triggered further unrest in Kashmir. 

At the time, Srinagar residents told DW that the area had become a "garrison," with some saying: "We're not allowed to move out and all streets are filled with security personnel." 

Critics have accused the Indian government of overstepping its powers by attempting to split Kashmir into two separate territories and changing inheritance rights for native Kashmiris. 

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from British colonial rule, two of which have centered on the disputed Kashmir region. 

Since 1898, roughly 70,000 people have been killed in the course of Kashmiri uprisings against Indian rule.

Source: DW 

India’s end game in Kashmir could blow up

India’s end game in Kashmir could blow up
By SAIKAT DATTA

More than a month after India ended the special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it is preparing to restore a high degree of normality by mid-October. This means that the curbs on people’s communication and movement in force since August 5 are likely to continue for another month, highly placed Indian government sources have told Asia Times.

“We believe that by mid- or end-October we will have snowfall in the mountain passes that link the state to Pakistan-administered Kashmir,” a senior official said. “Once the passes are closed, attempts by armed militants to infiltrate into the Indian side will diminish rapidly. That seems to be the ideal time to restore normalcy in the region.”

On August 5, India removed Article 370, a Constitutional provision that gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir a high degree of autonomy. While the degree of autonomy had been progressively whittled down since it was first passed, it had remained a major talking point since an armed insurgency broke out in the state in 1990. The Bharatiya Janta Party, which has been in power since 2014, promised in its election manifestoto abrogate Article 370.

Violence on temporary hold

Officials in the federal government are aware that the abrogation will lead to considerable violence in the coming months. In anticipation the government airlifted nearly 30,000 additional federal police personnel to the state a week before the decision was announced. All forms of communication were cut off in the state after midnight on August 5, and restrictions placed on movement.

Government officials agree that there will be considerable unrest when communications are restored. “We have seen how they use WhatsApp to arrange protests. Once the internet and mobile phone communications are restored, we are likely to see a major outbreak of protests,” a security official said.

The major reference point for Indian security officials worried about the fallout in Kashmir is the killing of Kashmiri militant commander Burhan Wani three years ago. He was killed on July 8, 2016, and as news of his death spread, protests broke out across the Kashmir Valley.

Since then, on hid death anniversary each year a  communications shutdown is ordered across the valley. Wani was a local who joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, a group that has traditionally been staffed by locals, unlike other armed militant groups that have drawn on Pakistanis. Wani was active on social media and was seen as a major hero to youngsters, who saw him as a symbol of Kashmir’s separatist aspirations. His killing by a Indian Army unit led to furious clashes between protestors and security forces.

At that time, the use of WhatsApp and mobile phones had allowed groups to coordinate large protests. Therefore, keeping all forms of communications closed was an imperative before India abrogated Article 370.

However, most of the senior officials in the state as well as federal officials posted there were unaware about the government’s intent to abrogate Article 370. Several senior officials who spoke to Asia Times confirmed that very few people were in the loop before the federal government announced the decision in Parliament. While everyone was told that a major decision was coming, most assumed that it would be the revocation of a sub-clause of Article 370 that prevents outsiders from buying land in the state.

India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, a former career intelligence officer with extensive experience in Kashmir, said that Pakistan’s reactions would determine how quickly India can restore normality in the state.  “We would like all restrictions to go but it depends on how Pakistan behaves. It is a stimulant-and-response situation with the stimulant coming from Pakistan to create provocations, unrest – intimidate and threaten,” he said.

Basic rights curtailed

It’s highly unusual for a senior Indian government official to acknowledge, Pakistan’s moves on Kashmir as a factor to India. New Delhi has steadfastly maintained that Kashmir is an “internal issue” and therefore, it is free to take decisions as it sees fit.

The Narendra Modi-led federal government has been arguing that the abrogation of Article 370 will facilitate greater investments and quicker development in the state. However, this is a view that is increasingly being challenged based on the little evidence that has emerged from the state since the unprecedented lock down was imposed.

“The biggest worry for us is the erosion of the middle ground in Kashmir,” a veteran federal official who spent years in the state told Asia Times. “The government decided to detain all the prominent elected leaders since August 5 to prevent any uprising. Many of them were supportive of India’s policies in the state. They have now been put in an extremely difficult position.”

The state’s politics were dominated by two local political parties for decades. The National Conference, first led by Sheikh Abdullah, the state’s first prime minister under the special constitutional status, was the dominant party. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was formed much later. It managed to run a coalition government with the BJP for four years until the latter withdrew support. The federal government promptly placed the state under its direct rule.

Now leaders from both parties are under “preventive detention,” resulting in a major vacuum in the state’s politics. Worryingly, the government’s assessment is that the state’s political landscape is being replaced by banned groups that advocate a more fundamentalist version of Islam. “This is likely to increase radicalization among the youth and will lead to a major rise in violence,” a security official said

The fact that the state has curtailed the internet for over a month has also caused irreparable harm to the local economy. “The internet is pretty much basic to most banking and financial transactions now,” that security official said. “The lack of the internet and mobile telephony has made it impossible to carry out large financial transactions. This has hurt the economy of the region quite a lot and will be a major deterrence to any investments in the state. We are likely to see tough days ahead as the local economy comes to a standstill.”

Journalists who have managed to report from the state say that the information clampdown is leading to reports of human rights abuses being suppressed. On September 9 reports of journalists being hurt by pellet guns used by the police to control crowds emerged for the first time. While India has won considerable international support for its move on Kashmir, this could be waning as the lockdown continues.

For India, the immediate endgame in Kashmir is to keep the protests and violence down. But the longer the lockdown remains, the harder it will become for authorities to suppress the coming uprising.

Pakistan Arrests 22 Protesters at Pro-Freedom- (JKLF) Kashmir Rally

9 September 2019 

Pakistan Arrests 22 Protesters at Pro-Freedom- (JKLF) Kashmir Rally

"Our main demand is that the international community must take steps to resolve the issue of Kashmir and take steps to send back the armies of both countries [from Kashmir]," a protester said.

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09-09-2019

Afghan Government Praises Trump Suspension of U.S.-Taliban Negotiations

Amid much relief, there also was uncertainty and uneasiness about the fate of efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement of America’s longest war