Kashmir's unending lockdown
To combat the Coronavirus, the entire country has been under lockdown for the last two months, but the lockdown has hardly been of any help to stop the community spread of the virus. It has, however, wrecked economic havoc in the life of the common man with the country finding itself in social and economic shambles. Further, using the lockdown as a pretext, the police brazenly committed atrocities against the common man which was reported widely in the media. The country needs at least one or two years to recover from the impact of the lockdown.
Before the lockdown was imposed across the country, Kashmir – an integral part of India – had already been in lockdown for six months. Other than Kashmir, the entire country celebrated the imposition of lockdown in Kashmir almost as if we had gained freedom. The six-month lockdown in the state seriously impinged on the rights of Kashmiris to lead their normal lives. For the rest of the country to experience how lockdown, curfew, and restrictions can suffocate and snuff the life out of people, the Coronavirus had to enter the country.
Today, let alone winning the war over Coronavirus, we have only succeeded in spreading it across the country and are now standing empty-handed having lost everything in the process. In this dire situation, we should not, however, forget the fact that Kashmir will soon complete one year in lockdown. We should ask ourselves some important questions about how successful the attempt has been to take over Kashmir through the might of the military and to what extent has the life of Kashmiris improved after annulling Article 370 and during the military lockdown. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 that gave special status to Kashmir was annulled and the state was divided as the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
Through these measures, a popular impression was created that Kashmir has been completely integrated into India. The Centre insisted that with the removal of Article 370, a huge block impeding democracy and development in Kashmir had eased off. At the same time, the country celebrated that Kashmir was also finally emotionally integrated with India. But, even after one year, Kashmir is being unofficially ruled by the military and Kashmiris are in a state of desperation after losing their rights and having been in lockdown for a year. Their lives have been further battered with the onslaught of the Coronavirus.
Leaders of Kashmir’s mainstream political parties have been in jail during this time. Not just that, opposition party leaders in Delhi have been denied permission to enter Kashmir. These actions show that after Article 370 was annulled, the gulf between Kashmir and India has only increased. The actions of the government to instill confidence in the people of Kashmir are also very disappointing. According to a report, as of 2020, farmers, businessmen, merchants, and farm laborers are battling feelings of shame, disgrace, deception, and helplessness. The number of people opposing the annulment of Article 370 is also increasing. For the elders of Kashmir, Article 370 was not merely a provision of the Constitution but also a symbol of their confidence in the administration. The annulment of Article 370 has not dented the political philosophy of extremists in the Kashmir valley in any way, rather it has handed over a powerful weapon for the extremists to take control of the common man. The government’s action is turning out to be a deeply wrenched wound. The most dangerous development, if one were to call it that, is the behavior of the mainstream political parties that have become rather dull and insipid with extremist organizations using the opportunity and trying hard to take their place.
The government’s belief that the annulment of Article 370 would stop the interference of Pakistan in Kashmir has also been proven wrong. The battle between extremists and the army has further intensified and the number of army personnel stationed in Kashmir has increased manifold. Even as the government is handling Pakistan’s interference, the relations with China and Nepal have also nosedived, which has further strengthened Pakistan’s position.
A small country like Nepal is raking up the border issue while China is repeatedly violating India’s border and trying to take control over Ladakh. Indian soldiers have already paid the price for Chinese incursion in Ladakh. The decision the government took in Kashmir has also resulted in escalating tensions with Nepal and China over the borders with clouds of war hovering around us. It has also opened up the possibilities of China encouraging extremism in Kashmir. Kashmir emerging out of the army stranglehold appears bleak. The way the situation in Kashmir has been handled has been a serious setback for India. We might have succeeded in legally integrating Kashmir through the annulment of Article 370 but till people of Kashmir are embraced and accepted wholeheartedly, Kashmir cannot be truly ours.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
