For the people who do not know the root cause of the problem I suggest going through the BBC website link below and for others please read on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/south_asia/2002/kashmir_flashpoint/default.stm
The issue of the Amarnath Land Transfer was on the forefront right from the begining of year.
I'll address the issues one by one.
1. Amarnath land row
The trouble started in Jammu & Kashmir on May 26 after the Congress-led Govt decides to transfer 100 acres of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. First there was agitation in Kashmir Valley against the transfer of the land to Sri Amarnath Shrine Board which forced the Government to take back the land allotted to The Board and now for more than a month Jammu is burning demanding the land back for the Sri Amaranth Shrine Board. What has sustained the agitation so long in Jammu? Who provoked it and for what? Is the peace of land a real issue? These are important questions which must be answered satisfactorily. It need not be stressed that it is BJP which is trying to cash in on this agitation and is having its eye not only on election in Jammu and Kashmir but on forthcoming Loksabha election in early 2009.
2. Agitation in Jammu
The agitators in Jammu claim that no party controls the agitation and that people of Jammu – meaning Hindus of Jammu themselves are leading the agitation, not any political party. Though not wholly but partly it is true. Jammu is really on fire.
The agitation in Jammu is indeed draws its dynamics not from 'land for Amarnath' issue but it is highly complex thing. There has long been simmering against "Kashmir Raj" in Jammu region of the state. Basically it is regional divide but unfortunately now it is being turned into communal divide mainly by the BJP by raising the Amarnath land issue. The noted scholar and journalist Shri Balraj Puri who has for years dedicated his life for just and fair settlement of J&K issue has repeatedly pointed out that different region of J&K be given regional autonomy. He also headed a commission to find solution to this problem appointed by Farouq Abdullah Government. However, the report prepared by the Commission, was thrown into the dustbin.
It is important to mention here that during the agitation in Jammu, the mob attacked the police/army and stabbed a sub-inspector and torched a police station and several police vehicles. Policemen were beaten with their own lathis and yet in over 70 days of voilence in Jammu 5 people were killed as compared to the peaceful protests in Valley where more than 30 people were killed. Their only fault they were carrying green flags.
3.Economic Blockade of Kashmir
Was there an economic blockade in Kashmir?? Most of the people in India can say no this is because they are ignorant of many facts which happen in Kashmir and ONLY believe the news comming from NDTV and CNN-IBN (Which is another topic within this blog ie Role of Media). Comming back to the blockade, was there a blockade....the answer is plain YES. I was there and i can vouch for it. Currently Kashmir is connected to outside world only by India’s National Highway No. 1(NH-1). All the supplies, be it medicines, food items etc come into Kashmir through NH-1 all the imports and exports go through this very road. In wake of recent Amarnath Land Transfer controversy(which was a different story all together), Jammu and some other states of India like Punjab imposed an economic blockade on Kashmir Valley for 2 long months stopping all the essential supplies to the Kashmir, leading acute shortage of essential commodities. Empty departmental stores and medicine less hospitals were enough proof of it.
While Government of India and Jammu(including other states) were consistently denying the economic blockade, one needs to be present here in order to witness it. After visiting 30 medical stores i swear I couldn't get a tin of baby food. Such was the condition. Like me there were hunderds of people searching for such stuff.
4. Protests in Kashmir against the blockade
