Yogi's Corner

            The landscape of Kashmir is dotted with magnificent religious places that bear an eloquent testimony to thousands of years of Hindu spiritual heritage.  They create idyllic spiritual ambiance for the devotees. The temples and shrines are inextricably linked to the physical and spiritual existence of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs). These are the defining landmarks and symbols of their faith. Apart from being inalienable Spiritual Centres of KP Community, these shrines and temples have immense heritage value. Several of these temples have been mapped by INTACH, a Valley based NGO, under the auspices of UNESCO- as part of thousands of years of Kashmir’s Hindu heritage that must be preserved and protected.             Historically, Hindu temples and their other places of worship in the Valley have been subjected to desecration and plunder ever since advent of Islam t...

Come January 2019, insurrection in Kashmir will turn thirty. How do we assess the present status of this insurgency in the Valley?   Indeed, insurgents are setting the narrative in Kashmir. A report compiled by the J&K Police, in August 2018, establishes this reality. Over the last decade, the number of active insurgents hovered around 200, even touching a low of 78 in 2013 – lowest since 1990. Police report projects their present figure to be 327 of which majority, 211, are locals. While Hizb-ul- Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) - estimated cadres 141 and 128 respectively- retain their dominance, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) too have strengthened its base this year 1 . In the backdrop of high attrition rate, 200 in 2017 and 130 thus far this year, these numbers are ominous. The insurgency in the Valley has had its lows- periods of relative peace- yet it has sustained all this while and end to this conflict seems nowhere in sight. Over the last three decade...