The Eternal Lump

The recent image by Javed Dar took me back to my childhood when I attended funerals daily as my maternal home was near the Martyr’s graveyard of Eidgah. There was a day when I attended 12 funerals while we played our cricket match in the adjacent ground. Such cricket matches never reached a conclusive end. At times, we were so exhausted and emotionally drenched that we lost interest in all worldly things and sat on the boundary wall of the graveyard, waiting for the arrival of the unknown guest. 

We all have faced times when feelings started to overflow but somehow halted just below the throat. We pretended to be strong. We acted brave just because we never wished to be called the weak link of the chain that surrounded us and held us strong. We saw our elders holding the fort amidst the crackdown announcements from the masjids. I saw my grandfather standing upfront and not allowing the men in uniform to enter our house where only females were left alone while men were asked to assemble in a play-field for identification parades.

We never got tired while quenching the thirst of innumerable families who waited outside our home that was just adjacent to a security camp. They waited on the roadside, dawn to dusk, to seek the whereabouts of their wards who were picked up from the nearby localities. They mostly returned empty handed to return the next day.

Those sleepless nights when screams of boys filled the dark skies. We heard the cries escaping the walls of those killing rooms inside the camp. Those nights were scary and I hated the sight of the moon.

This image of the boy, Burhan Fayaz crying at the funeral of his friend Amir Nazir of Pulwama, prompts us about the loss, the resentment, imprisonment of soul, the outburst and the resilience. That eternal lump we all have been carrying along since decades. The legacy that we inherited and will further pass on to the next progeny.

Our baton has been our resolve. Our tears have always oiled the wheels of resilience.

We have come across two images of the same boy (Burhan Fayaz), one by Javaid Dar and the other by Waseem Andrabi. These two and many of their colleagues are our messengers. I am proud of our storytellers who are archiving our story for the times to come.

We share the same sky,

the same moon,

the same thunder.

We walk along!

~

Majid

(Illustration: An attempt with Charcoal / Javaid's image)

Imagine, Line of Control

When the concertina wire weaves your nightmares,

overshadows your homes, stretches lengths.

Imagine, Line of Control.

They throwing letters wrapped in stones towards their own, across the stream,

they cannot meet.

Imagine, Line of Control.

When a son kneels down and mourns his father's demise,

watches the funeral from far across the fence.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Almost a no-man's land,

where shells fly more frequently than birds,

Imagine, Line of Control.

The contentious blood smeared line,

drawn out of fanatic egos, fulfilling greed.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Endless wait, dried up tears and blurred visions,

women waiting for their sons, brothers and husbands.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Decorated with electrified barbs, watchtowers and locked villages,

where each person is known by a mere number.

Imagine, Line of Control.

We watch each footstep on our own soil, unaware what might come beneath the next one

the soil may explode, ending our story in a whisker.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Where you hold your breath, trying to feel the breeze flowing towards you from across,

emotions touch the chasm.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Envy these birds in flight, they know no confines,

we too wish to fly to see life around.

Imagine, Line of Control.

Image details: This river in the above image, located in Tanghdar area of Indian Administered Kashmir, splits the two sides of Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge links the ghosts.

Chingus Sarai

'Chingus' (Persian for Gut/intestines) Sarai

A few days back I had an opportunity to visit this monument of Mughal era located on Nowshera-Rajouri route (Rajouri District in the Jammu division, J&K). The monument dates back to 16th century AD.

Emperor Jahangir passed away in 1627 A.D while travelling via Mughal road near Rajouri. In order to avoid possible confrontation of succession among the princes, Noor Jahan kept the fact a secret from the people and the caravan and to avoid decomposition of the body the entrails were buried at this monument known as Chingus Sarai.

Then the rest of the body was taken to Lahore for formal burial. After the burial of entrails, this Sarai came to be known as Mughal Sarai-Chungus or Chingus Sarai.

(A detailed article follows soon)

Wikirebels - The Documentary

A USB Stick is mightier than sword

Here is an exclusive rough-cut of first in-depth documentary on WikiLeaks and the people behind it!

From summer 2010 until now, Swedish Television has been following the secretive media network WikiLeaks and its enigmatic Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange. 

A great attempt by reporters Jesper Huor and Bosse Lindquist who have traveled to key countries where WikiLeaks operates, interviewing top members, such as Assange, Spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson, as well as people like Daniel Domscheit-Berg who starting his own version - Openleaks.org after parting from Wikileaks. 

The documentary makes us think about this revolution. Where is Wikileaks heading? Stronger than ever, or broken by its opponents? Who is Assange: champion of freedom, spy or rapist? What are his objectives? What are the consequences for the internet? All this and more. Watch this awesome inspirational piece on youtube.

You can also download Wikirebels from the link through a torrent client.

Truth prevails no matter how long it takes.

The man behind WikiLeaks - Julian P Assange

Seemingly out of nowhere, Julian Paul Assange, a silver-haired Australian, has emerged as the world's most important newsman. He's done so by hosting a website, WikiLeaks.org, that publishes classified military reports and other secret information.

"Since it went online, three and a half years ago, the site has published an extensive catalogue of secret material, ranging from the Standard Operating Procedures at Camp Delta, in Guantánamo Bay, and the 'Climategate' e-mails from the University of East Anglia, in England, to the contents of Sarah Palin's private Yahoo account," reported The New Yorker's Raffi Khatchadourian in the best profile of Assange to date. "The catalogue is especially remarkable because WikiLeaks is not quite an organization; it is better described as a media insurgency. It has no paid staff, no copiers, no desks, no office. Assange does not even have a home."

WikiLeaks garnered worldwide attention in April when it posted footage taken from a U.S. Apache military helicopter over Iraq in 2007. The footage showed American soldiers killing at least 18 people, including two journalists. On Sunday, in its latest disclosure, the site posted roughly 92,000 classified documents on the American war effort in Afghanistan.

Khatchadourian explains about this man and the idea behind WikiLeaks.org:

"He had come to understand the defining human struggle not as left versus right, or faith versus reason, but as individual versus institution. As a student of Kafka, Koestler, and Solzhenitsyn, he believed that truth, creativity, love, and compassion are corrupted by institutional hierarchies, and by 'patronage networks' -- one of his favorite expressions -- that contort the human spirit. He sketched out a manifesto of sorts, titled 'Conspiracy as Governance,' which sought to apply graph theory to politics. Assange wrote that illegitimate governance was by definition conspiratorial -- the product of functionaries in "collaborative secrecy, working to the detriment of a population.' He argued that, when a regime's lines of internal communication are disrupted, the information flow among conspirators must dwindle, and that, as the flow approaches zero, the conspiracy dissolves. Leaks were an instrument of information warfare."

Assange first tested his concept in 2006. Wikileaks' first post was a document allegedly signed by a Somali rebel leader calling for the assassination of Somali government officials.

In the video below he defends releasing tens of thousands of secret files about the war in Afghanistan.

Excerpts from Aolnews.com
Video: YouTube 

Fahrenheit 9/11 – a must!

It took me a long time to post a review about one of my very few all-time favourite documentaries. Among the chosen ones, “Fahrenheit 9/11” stands tall.Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terrorism, and its coverage in the American news media. The film holds the record for highest box office receipts by a general release political film.

In the film, Moore contends that American corporate media were "cheerleaders" for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and did not provide an accurate and objective analysis of the rationale for the war or the resulting casualties there. The film's attack on the Bush administration generated much controversy around the time of the film's release, including disputes over its accuracy. In response, Moore published an extensive list of facts and sources for the film on his website.

The film debuted at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival in the documentary film category and was awarded the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm), the festival's highest award.

The film had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 23, 2004. Sony reported first-day DVD sales of two million copies, again a new record for the genre.

A must see, highly recommended for those who are yet to watch this masterpiece. The film is a lesson for budding journalists, an awesome case study for upcoming film makers.

I saw a Beetle!!

I saw a Super Beetle Saloon 1302 L parked on a street. It was an awesome sight as I had never seen this beauty on roads. My fingers tickled and in no time took out my weapon and started shooting this little star. I had read a lot about the car and even seen it on TV but I relished the moment when I touched this legend.

My dream car was originally known as Käfer, the German word for "beetle", from which the popular English nickname originates. It was not until August 1967 that the Volkswagen corporation itself began using the name Beetle in marketing materials in the US. In Britain, VW never used the name Beetle officially.

Beetle was first made in 1938 and was discontinued in 2003. 21,529,464 Beetles were built within this period.

Recently, in an international poll for the award of the world's most influential car of the twentieth century the Beetle came fourth after the Ford Model T, the Mini, and the Citroën DS.

Made my day today!

Super Beetle Saloon 1302 L

Super Beetle Saloon 1302 L

Super Beetle Saloon 1302 L

Super Beetle Saloon 1302 L

All of these are clicked on my Canon EOS 1000D. (Specifications on request)

Dan the Don!! - Danish Ismail

He saw his mud house getting washed away in flash floods.
He saw his father pushing cart at Amira Kadal and took snap of him.
He saw his family having no money for burial of his father.
Not very literate but educated enough, Danish Ismail, is one of the brilliant photo-journalists of Kashmir who is working with the international news agency Reuters. He also works as photo-editor in Kashmir Speaks. Immensely talented Danish has, many a time, won laurels for being one of the best photo journalists of Kashmir .
Hailing from an economically poor background Danish, who once could not afford to buy his school-uniform, today rubs shoulders with the elites. He carved a niche for himself and succeeded to achieve great triumphs in life. He has proved that one can achieve the zenith of one's desires by dint of hard work and dedication. For him, qualifications matter little.

It is hard to believe that Danish Ismail, the household name in Kashmir and internationally renowned photo-journalist is not even a matriculate. Ask him why he left studies; he cites 'poverty' as the reason for giving up his studies just after 9th standard. But he continued to struggle and worked hard to achieve the position where he stands today. Born in Syed Kocha Dobi Mohalla Batamaloo in Srinagar , 28-year- Old Danish did his schooling from Islamia Model School Batamaloo, an Urdu medium school. Danish divulged that Riyaz Masroor, who is at present executive editor of the English daily The Rising Kashmir , has been his teacher. But destiny didn't allow Danish to carry on his studies. His childhood aim was to become a bus driver.

His father, Muhammad Ismail Wani, was a labourer and "was unable to earn more than 40 or 50 rupees a day. Danish revealed, UI was not able to deposit my fees in time. So I decided to help my family out." in the early nineties, Danish, a student of 8th standard joined a Printing Press and worked there as a press representative earning rupees 200 per month. Besides he was provided a motor-bike by the same Printing Press. But severe financial crisis compelled him to leave his studies.
Talking about their condition in his childhood years, Danish said, "Our house was made of mud. The only room of the house was partitioned into two parts—one side would serve as kitchen and the other as bed-room and drawing room. On one fateful day, harsh realities of life dawned on us when a heavy rainfall damaged our house and rendered us homeless. That time I was in 3rd standard". Danish is thankful to his neighbours who came to their rescue and offered them shelter for many months till they reconstructed their own house.
Danish owes a lot to Zahir-ud-din Bhat, Editor-in-chief, Etalaat, who provided him financial help even in his school days. According to Danish, Zahir-ud-din, the then Executive editor of Greater Kashmir, proposed that he should work as a photographer for the same newspaper.

So he joined GK in 1997 as a trainee photographer. "Since I had no camera, I just used to observe how to become a perfect photographer, and gradually I learned the art of photography Danish shared. Danish is grateful to Habib Naqash and Sajjad Hussain, the senior Photo-journalists for guiding him all time.
Few months after joining GK, his brother who was working as a sales-man at a shop in Batamaloo, borrowed Rs 8000 from his Manager. He bought a camera/ flash and camera-bag for Danish. There was no digital photography then. Simple black and white pictures developed by using developer and fixer used to be published and the pictures were pasted not computerized. Danish recalled, "My first picture published in GK depicted Child Labour in the state".
For two years, Danish worked as a volunteer Photographer. He was only being provided three film-roles and pay for developer and fixer for a week. After two years, he started getting Rs 300 per month. Then, a year later, his salary was hiked to Rs 1000 a month.
However, Danish said, life was not the same as it is now.
"Today, Alhamdullilah (Thank Allah) we are living a luxurious life but earlier it was really hard for my father to support his family. Many times we were not able to have two square meals. Now the time has entirely changed."
The only difference is that my father left us for good. “Poverty killed him", Danish added with tears glazing his eyes. He tried to straighten up and revealed that his father expired on 9th February 2003, just three days before Eid-ul-Zuha.
"I had no money for the funeral ceremony. My brother could arrange only a few bucks," Danish divulged adding, "But thanks to Fayaz Kaloo, Editor-in-chief, Greater Kashmir aid Rashid Makhdoomi, General Manager GK Publications. The duo helped me out financially when I was in dire need".
Impressed by his outstanding talent and hard work, Fayaz Kabli, staffer photo-journalist of Reuters, offered Danish a job in Reuters. And it was on 27 May 2003, he joined Reuters as a stringer fetching Rs 1000 per photograph. Danish was asked to use a digital camera. He is thankful to Fayaz Kabli, whom he considers his role model/ for guiding him and teaching him everything/ be it digital photography/ editing/ captions/ computer use or Photoshop.
Earlier, Danish would use a Cosina camera with plastic body costing Rs 7000. And, at present/ he uses EOS-1 Mark II Digital which can click 9 pictures in a second. He further disclosed that his total equipments he uses today including camera/ lenses/ etc, cost almost Rs 22 lakhs. According to him. Photography in the earlier days was very different and difficult as compared to the present times.
On 29th May 2003/ his first picture went for Reuters (that depicted an Indian army personnel in a vehicle with his service rifle in His hands, and a poster of Sonia Gandhi at his back. Fortunately this picture was published on the front page of Indian Express. Since then he continued working both with Reuters and Greater Kashmir. Meanwhile, he was also sent to Thailand for training.
Danish was honoured with the best picture of the week award in 2007. He again got the same award after few months in the same year. Besides, one of the photos clicked by Danish comes under the World's Best Pictures published by Reuters. According to Danish he has a different style of working. He stresses more on quality rather than quantity. Wherever he goes he is determined to get his work done anyhow. Danish was invited as a Visiting Faculty by the University of Kashmir for delivering a lecture on digital photography. He delivered the same to the students of Mass Communication and Journalism in the year 2007.
Today Danish has a command of many languages including Urdu, Punjabi, English and Kashmiri. Though being illiterate, he is able to write captions for his own pictures. Interested in Urdu Poetry and a die-hard fan of Fazil Kashmiri, Danish is a religious minded person. He is now harbouring a dream—to get his two sisters married.
When asked if he ever felt an inferiority complex for being the son of a labourer, he smiled, paused for a while and shared, "Once I saw my father pushing a cart on the road. I was accompanied by one of my foreigner friends. I went to my father and helped him in pushing the cart. My father got astonished and asked me not to disclose it that I was his son. When my photo-journalist friend from Japan asked me who he was, I proudly told him that he is my father".
Danish believes that it is the blessings of his parents which brought him such fame. He further suggested, if you are obedient to your parents and are determined about your goal, you can definitely achieve great success.

(a profile by Ruhela Gul)