Held Kashmir inquiry confirms mass graves

An Indian government inquiry says dozens of unmarked graves in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) hold more than 2,000 unidentified bodies.

The Jammu-Kashmir State Human Rights Commission says in a report that police had claimed the 2,156 corpses were militants fighting against Indian rule in portions of the disputed Himalayan region.

Rights groups say, however, that innocent people have been caught up in the conflict and some 8,000 have disappeared since 1989.

The commission was set up in 1997 after widespread allegations of rights abuses by the army, paramilitary and police.

The report is likely to deepen cynicism in restive Kashmir where anti-India sentiment runs deep and most people want independence or merger with Pakistan.

India court says mosque site to be divided

LUCKNOW: A court ruled on Thursday the site of a demolished mosque in India would be divided between Hindus and Muslims, in a ruling that could appease both groups in one of the country’s most divisive cases.

The court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh also ruled that Hindu idols could stay on the disputed land, lawyers added.

The demolition of the 16th century mosque by Hindu mobs in 1992 triggered some of India’s worst riots that killed about 2,000 people. More than 200,000 police fanned out in India on Thursday to guard against any communal violence.

If the ruling soothes tensions, it would be a boost for the the ruling Congress party, a left-of-centre group with secular roots, that does not want to upset either voter bloc. Major political parties had called for calm.

The verdict came only days before Sunday’s opening of the Commonwealth Games

India court says mosque site to be divided

LUCKNOW: A court ruled on Thursday the site of a demolished mosque in India would be divided between Hindus and Muslims, in a ruling that could appease both groups in one of the country’s most divisive cases.

The court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh also ruled that Hindu idols could stay on the disputed land, lawyers added.

The demolition of the 16th century mosque by Hindu mobs in 1992 triggered some of India’s worst riots that killed about 2,000 people. More than 200,000 police fanned out in India on Thursday to guard against any communal violence.

If the ruling soothes tensions, it would be a boost for the the ruling Congress party, a left-of-centre group with secular roots, that does not want to upset either voter bloc. Major political parties had called for calm.

The verdict came only days before Sunday’s opening of the Commonwealth Games

Police firing kills 18 protesters in Indian Occupied Kashmir

At least 18 protesters have been killed in clashes with police troops in Indian Occupied Kashmir that have been partly fueled by a report of a Quran being desecrated in the United States.
The death toll Monday was the highest since separatist protests broke out in June against Indian rule in the disputed region.
Tens of thousands of violent anti-Indian demonstrators ignored a curfew and flooded the streets, burning government buildings and throwing rocks at police stations.
Earlier a police officer told security forces shot at some of the crowds, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media.

Police firing kills 13 protesters in Indian Occupied Kashmir

At least 13 protesters have been killed in clashes with police troops in Indian Occupied Kashmir that have been partly fueled by a report of a Quran being desecrated in the United States.
The death toll Monday was the highest since separatist protests broke out in June against Indian rule in the disputed region.
Tens of thousands of violent anti-Indian demonstrators ignored a curfew and flooded the streets, burning government buildings and throwing rocks at police stations.
A police officer said security forces shot at some of the crowds, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media.

Syed Ali Gilani Says Ready to Talk to India

NEW DELHI: Veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani surprisingly deviated his longtime hard-line stand on Thursday when he hinted at holding bilateral talks with India.

Chief of his own faction of separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is a firm supporter of Kashmir’s independence from Indian occupation and union of the disputed valley with Pakistan by Kashmiri’s right of self determination.

“Kashmir issue can be resolved by negotiations and Hurriyat Conference is ready to sit with India to resolve the longstanding dispute,” Gilani told the newsmen in New Delhi.

Gilani, 81, has always insisted on resolving the dispute by holding trilateral talks involving India, Pakistan and Kashmiris in the light of United Nations’ resolutions.

“Our party has adopted a mildness in its stance and is ready to talk to India besides the fact that India has not acted upon the U.N.’s resolutions,” he added.