The latest developments in the means of communication have revolutionised our daily life especially the flow of information, interaction and networking. The Face Book is just one example of various virtual modes of networking that connected billions of people across the globe regardless of geographical borders or cultural, national, ethnic or racial backgrounds.
Against this tide of globalisation some social scientists argue that the nation-state is no longer relevant. But as a closer look reveals despite a growing worldwide web of virtual communication and cyber relationships, the physical presence of individuals and geographical realities of nations and material conditions of both remain distinct and distinguishable and bounded to the national boundaries. That is why there are still hundreds of nations struggling for liberation from different forms of foreign occupation.
The virtual space has opened up many opportunities for all countries like Kashmir which are divided under different occupiers who made communication between people of Kashmir in different areas impossible. Subsequently, scores of stereotyping, myths and misunderstandings have been generated and popularised by the occupiers in different parts about the Kashmiris in other parts. Face Book has provided us an opportunity to talk directly to each other rather than about each other.
Having Kasamira, a Kashmiri Face Book while staying part of the global networks is a welcome development in connecting Kashmiris across the globe as a distinct national community of the citizens of Kashmir state. Kasamira is not confined to the Kashur Valley but the entire state of Kashmir. Kashmiri here is used as the political identity of the state subjects that has emerged historically as a political identity of the state regardless of but respecting all the religious beliefs and regional and cultural identities of all the state subjects. In other the Kashmiri as a political identity for us incorporates the religious, regional, cultural and political diversity of the United States of Kashmir.
So all citizens of former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit& Baltistan, whether they agree with any of the above or don’t, can join in have their say.
Non Kashmiris and supporters of Kashmir can join as well to debate and connect with Kashmiri.
Kasamira aim to connect divided state citizens and Kashmiri diaspora around the globe.
Kasamira is KRRC's third biggest IT project for Kashmir after (Fouq Library and Kash Tube)
You can log into Kasamira website with your Facebook account and integrate your Facebook status and avatar. User or political organisations can create groups to share pictures and videos.
Suggestions for developing the aims and objectives of the Kasamira are welcome
Jammu Kashmir.TV is Kashmir's Youtube project of KRRC to televise videos about Kashmiri music, drama and documentaries about different languages of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu Kashmir.TV is an open project of KRRC and every one can participate in it by using video link to add or upload in our server.
All video clips are not owned by us but its collection database from (mostly youtube and google video) all over the internet in one website.
We can help to transfer old record videos to digital format and upload in our server or youtube/Google video servers.
EARTHQUAKE AFFECTED AREAS OF PAKISTAN by Dr Stephen Platt and Emily So
19 July 2006
The funding for this field trip was provided by the EPSRC. Dr Stephen Platt is Chairman of Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd and Emily So is a doctoral student at the Martin Centre, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge.
Muzaffarabad
The main street through the town is bounded by a vertical wall of iver boulders which by some miracle hasn’t collapsed. Some tentsare still in evidence, but everywhere there is a huge amount of ebuilding. Commerce is thriving, teeming humanity throng thestreets, bumping and jostling into us as we squeeze past, trying to void by mown down by taxis and trucks. Tractors crawl along inthe heavy traffic hauling heavy duty trailers full of grey sand dug rom the bed of the river Jeelum. People making money. Rich andpoor making their way in different ways.
Mubashar Lone, our contact from Burnley for Kashmir, takes us to hotel to meet his friend, a Kashmiri surgeon who also works for KCT, the Kashmir Charitable Trust. The hotel is huge with a wide errace overlooking the river. There are signs of cracking in thewalls that have been patched and inside there is a major repair and efit programme going ahead.Chella Bandi, suburb of Muzaffarabad hella Bandi is a suburb of Muzaffarabad about a mile from the town entre. We are shown signs of damage from the road side and theinterviewers are dispatched in pairs along different side streets. ost of the houses are damaged and some have collapsed entirely.Many are still in tents. Those that own their houses and land arecamped in the cleared ruins of their homes. Those from the landslide area which completely wiped out their community are in smalltented camps.
We are being shepherded around by a couple of young coordinators rom KCT who have been working here . We are introduced to a young man in his late twenties called Rajah Kalim who invites us to ee his home. His was the richest and most influential family in the community.