When he takes his sheep and goats to graze in the mountains, Gulla is always careful - of bears and leopards, the terrible Banbudhiya, and also of the men with guns. But one day he sees a little hangul being chased by wild dogs and he forgets to be careful. In rushing to save the deer, Gulla goes deeper and deeper into the forest. This story from Kashmir, where the hangul is a protected animal, carries the many shades and tones of the region - the quiet life of the villagers in the valley, their close link with nature, as well as the underlying disquiet that they learn to live with. This rugged, rocky and less familiar part of the beautiful state is evoked by the illustrations with a soft charm.
Putul Lives By The Ganga In A Fishing Village In Bengal. In The Torrential Monsoons One Year, The Mighty River Swells Over The Banks And Into The Huts, And Two Friendly Dolphins Come Leaping In The Water Right Through Putul's Window! The Story Strikes A Universal Chord By Highlighting The Empathetic Relationship People Share With Nature When Their Everyday Lives Are So Closely Linked With It. Clear Lines And Earthy Colours Of The Folkstyle Illustrations Capture The Grand Sweep Of The River And Life Beside It.
The Himalaya, a global biodiversity hotspot, sustains about one-fifth of the humankind. Nestled within the north-western mountain ranges of the Himalaya, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State harbours more than half of the biodiversity found in the Indian Himalaya. The wide expanse of State, spread across the subtropical Jammu, through the temperate Kashmir valley, to the cold arid Ladakh, is typical representative of the extensive elevational and topographical diversity encountered in the entire Himalaya. This book, the most comprehensive and updated synthesis ever made available on biodiversity of the J&K State, is a valuable addition to the biodiversity literature with global and regional relevance. The book, arranged into 7 parts, comprises of 42 chapters contributed by 87 researchers, each of whom is an expert in his/her own field of research. The precious baseline data contained in the book would form the foundation for assessing current status of knowledge about the bioresources, identify the knowledge gaps, and help prioritization of conservation strategies to steer the sustainable use of biodiversity in this Himalayan region. Given the breadth of topics covered under the banner of biodiversity in this book, it can surely serve as a model for documentation of biodiversity in other regions of the world. The book will be of immense value to all those who, directly or indirectly, have to deal with biodiversity, including students, teachers, researchers, naturalists, environmentalists, resource managers, planners, government agencies, NGOs and the general public at large.
Key recommendations - A note on methodology. -- Background: People, the India-Pakistan dispute, political history, recent developments, and peace talks. - The people of Jammu and Kashmir - India-Pakistan dispute - Political history inside Jammu and Kashmir. -- Legal causes of abuses and impunity. Preventing arrest: Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Code - Preventing prosecution: Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code - The Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act and Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act -- The Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 -- Legal weaknesses in the Human Rights Protection Act -- Weaknesses in military court jurisdiction. -- The origins of impunity: failure of accountability in Jammu and Kashmir since the start of the conflict. A. Shootings at Gawakadal, Srinagar - B. Death of Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq - C. The Beijbehara killings - D. The killing of Jalil Andrabi - E. Chattisinghpora massacre and ensuing killings. -- Recent abuses and continuing impunity. A. Killings - B. "Disappearances"--C. Torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment - D. Arbitrary detentions. -- Militant abuses. Militant goups and Pakistan's role in the conflict. - A. Politically motivated killings, summary executions, and intimidation - B. Direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians - Militant attacks on schools and recruitment of children. -- Recommendations. To the government of India - To the state government of Jammu and Kashmir - To militant groups - To the government of Pakistan - To the United Nations - To the international community, in particular those states with significant influence on India, Pakistan, and militant groups. -- Acknowledgements.
