VOA标准英语2008年-Kashmiri Separatists Shift Focus from Militancy

The recent unrest in Kashmir has taken on an economic hue¹ as Kashmir's separatist groups shift their focus from militancy² to the marketplace. With the only road between Kashmir and the rest of India blocked by Hindu protesters - and supplies of food and fuel to Kashmir running short - Kashmiri leaders are calling on India to open the road linking Kashmir to Rawalpindi in Pakistan, reviving a centuries-old trade route that was shut down when India and Pakistan split in 1947. Raymond Thibodeaux reports for VOA from Srinagar, the summer capital of the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Wahid Ahmed, a 23-year-old mechanic, and his brother Munir, 24, a truck driver, were carrying their truckload of about one hundred sheep from Delhi to Kashmir when Hindu extremists attacked them and about 60 other trucks.

Wahid describes the attack. He says the Indian Army had been escorting the truckers. They said it was ok to go and left them. At around the same time, they were attacked by groups allied³ with India's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. He said the attackers included Bajrang Dal people, Shiv Sena people and Hindu Parishad people. He said they threw stones, attacked with acid and used swords and knives. He said the police were nearby but did nothing.

Wahid escaped with a gash⁴ on his head requiring 15 stitches. His brother had cuts and bruises⁵ on his arms and legs, but was able to drive them out of harm's way. They said the attackers in Jammu, the southern district of Jammu & Kashmir state, looted more than half the sheep on their truck.
　
A protester shouts slogans against Jammu and Kashmir state leaders during a protest in Jammu, 25 Aug 2008

They are lucky. Hindu protesters along that stretch of highway in Jammu have killed at least one truck driver, and injured about 40 others, according to several newspaper reports. Jammu police reported that dozens of trucks have been vandalized, some of them set on fire with petrol bombs. The violence stems from a land dispute in Jammu. The protesters rage was sparked by a state government decision to rescind⁷ an order that gave about 40 hectares of land of forested land to a Hindu shrine⁸ board. The land would have been used to provide temporary shelters for Hindu pilgrims visiting a nearby cave shrine.

The partial blockade - the attacks and the looting - have spread fear in the trucking community, choking off supplies of food and fuel to Kashmir Valley. That has waked Kashmiris to a harsh reality: that a relatively⁹ small group of protesters could sever⁶ Kashmir's main lifeline to the rest of India.

Umar Farooq is an imam and a senior leader for the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a coalition¹⁰ of Kashmiri separatist groups.

"People are realizing that economic independence is probably more important than political independence," he said. "Nobody was realizing that before. India can choke us anytime. No matter what the situation is tomorrow, the first they will do is stop the supply into Kashmir.
　
Map of Srinagar to Muzaffarabad/Rawalpindi route

The solution, Farooq and other Kashmiri leaders say, is in a relatively unused road that goes from Srinagar to the Pakistani border town of Muzaffarabad, and from there to markets in Rawalpindi, on the outskirts¹¹ of Islamabad, Pakistan's capital. It is a relatively small stretch of an ancient trade route - the Silk Road that connects Europe and Asia - that was shut down when India and Pakistan split in 1947, cutting off trade in the region.

Their hope is that framing Kashmir's conflict in economic terms could make it an easier sell to the West - and to India. For many Kashmiris, the conflict is no longer only about freedom. It is also about free trade.
　
Protest in Srinagar, 22 Aug. 2008

At massive rallies recently in Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, protesters for the first time shouted slogans like, "Kashmir's market is in Rawalpindi."

The shift in focus from militancy to the marketplace seems subtle for many outsiders, but it is seismic¹² for many Kashmiris, who have seen violent conflict between Indian security forces and armed separatists for nearly two decades.

But the road toward Rawalpindi is not without risk. Earlier this month, a planned march to Muzaffarabad alongside a convoy¹³ of trucks loaded with apples - Kashmir's biggest cash crop - was cut short by Indian security forces, who fired into the crowd of thousands, killing¹⁴ five, including a senior Hurriyat leader, and injuring more than 200.

Omar Abdullah is a member of India's parliament and president of the National Conference, a mainstream¹⁵ political party in Kashmir. He says India has stalled the issue of reopening free trade between Kashmir and Pakistan.

"Trade between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad is part of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan that has time and again been talked about by mainstream political parties," he said. "Unfortunately, New Delhi has not responded.. As a result, the separatists have jumped on the same bandwagon. That is when the fruit growers and everybody else said, 'Hang on. If the rest of India's market is closed to us, then we will start heading the other way."

India's government claims that it is ready to open the trade route for Muzaffarabad. It blames Pakistan for stalling the issue. Pakistan, for its part, blames India.

The only civilian¹⁶ traffic plying¹⁷ that road now is a bus service launched three years ago. The bus departs every two weeks, but it is frequently shut down during periods of insecurity.

Meanwhile, as the blockade in Jammu continues, many Kashmiris say that supplies of medicine, baby formula, meat and fuel are running low and prices are starting to rise. For many here, the road to Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi never looked better.

1 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

2 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

3 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

4 gash   

v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝

参考例句：

• The deep gash in his arm would take weeks to heal over.他胳膊上的割伤很深，需要几个星期的时间才能痊愈。
• After the collision,the body of the ship had a big gash.船被撞后，船身裂开了一个大口子。

5 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sever   

v.切开，割开；断绝，中断

参考例句：

• She wanted to sever all her connections with the firm.她想断绝和那家公司的所有联系。
• We must never sever the cultural vein of our nation.我们不能割断民族的文化血脉。

7 rescind   

v.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan.他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。
• Trade Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise.工会领导已经要求政府阻止价格上涨。

8 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

12 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

13 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

16 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

17 plying   

v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rather Mrs. Wang who led the conversation, plying Miss Liu with questions. 倒是汪太太谈锋甚健，向刘小姐问长问短。 来自汉英文学 - 围城