BetweenTheLines

Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow  on Facebook A  large number of Indians appear to have found something to cheer about in the middle of the devastation Covid-19 has caused in India—the Israeli dispossession of Palestinians. Unqualified expression of support for Israel has trended on social media in India as Israelis continued bombing the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and killed at least 119 Palestinians, including 31 children. The axiom that e nemy of my enemy is my friend  is clearly at work here and highlights the extent to which society has been dumbed down through sustained demonisation of Muslims over the last decade. The vilification is an important source of sustenance to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime, which looks up to Israel and has sought to emulate its policies particularly in Muslim majority Kashmir. It has been taken to such levels that many Indians mechanically side with Israel even with zero understanding of the issue, forgetting India’s deep and h

Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow  on Facebook I got my fingers burnt very early after my arrival in Delhi in 2004 to understand that pouring one’s heart on issues such as Kashmir was a bad idea. Anything that did not fit into the national narrative and tried to shed light on the 99.99% sufferers of the conflict in Kashmir, essentially triggered by the denial of share in power and resources to them, had consequences. From cold vibes to isolation and even physical harm, the potential and real costs taught me the virtues of nuance. I tried to give a nuanced view of Kashmir to anyone who seemed interested until I stopped talking about it altogether in 2010, which was a turning point in my life and offered me a reality check of the world around me. At least 120 people, including teenagers and kids, were shot dead in a matter of few months in firings on protest marches that year. The protests were triggered after a tear gas canister hit a 17-year-old aspiring doctor’s skull and killed him inst

Sameer Arshad Khatlani Follow  on Facebook A rare joint statement by the Indian and Pakistani directors general of military operations, on February 25, announcing that the two countries have agreed to strictly observe the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) triggered much speculation over what brought about the turnaround. Moeed Yusuf, special assistant on national security to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on national security, called the announcement a “victory of diplomacy” and added that “more avenues” will open in the future, amid reports that back-channel meetings at neutral locations led to the pact. ALSO READ: Sarkari Mussalmans And The Art of Keeping Heads Deeply Buried In The Sand Analysts linked the reiteration of the observance of the truce along the de facto border to the protracted stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh and New Delhi’s attempts to avoid a two-front conflict with two allied adversaries. Many won

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chose the Katas Raj temple complex in Punjab to warn hardliners against preaching animosity.  Sameer Arshad Khatlani I nvestigators in Pakistan have blamed a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader for inciting the mob that burnt a Hindu shrine in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last month. They told Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday that 109 people have been arrested for the arson while 92 policemen have been suspended over “ cowardice and negligence ” they showed by their failure in protecting the shrine.  The focus in India so far has been on the Pakistani Supreme Court’s order that directed authorities reconstruct the century-old shrine and recover money from the arsonists. Hardly anyone has paid attention to the political affiliation of the alleged instigator.  JUI-F is no ordinary party. Its leader, Fazlur Rehman, is leading an 11-member coalition called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) that has launched a campaign and org

Kashmir’s last independent ruler, Yousaf Shah Chak, fell in love at first sight with her while he was on a hunting trip and heard Habba Khatun singing under a Chinar tree.  livehistoryindia.com Sameer Arshad Khatlani H abba Khatun’s journey from an ordinary peasant woman to Kashmir’s preeminent cultural icon began with a rebellion in the 16th century. She walked out of an unhappy marriage, divorced her husband, and began wandering, singing songs of mystic love and melancholy from village to village. The power of her voice was so mesmerising that Kashmir’s last independent ruler, Yousaf Shah Chak, fell in love at first sight with her while he was on a hunting trip and heard Habba Khatun singing under a Chinar tree. The commoner Zoon, as she was earlier called, was named Habba Khatun (loved woman) as she became Chak’s queen. But her newfound love was short-lived. Mughal Emperor Akbar soon invaded Kashmir and sent Chak into exile. The Queen plunged into grief again and fell b