Latest news with #MuzammilHussain
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Learning to live with the 800-pound bear next door
The Mushkoh Valley in the north Indian region of Ladakh snakes twenty miles along mighty peaks near a contentious border. Small villages of farmers and pastoralists dot the valley floor, all home to people of the Shina culture who trace their ancestry to the Mediterranean and Alexander the Great's campaigns into central Asia over two thousand years ago. Snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, foxes, ibex, and blue sheep live throughout the mountainous valley that enters a snow-covered deep freeze in the winter and becomes blanketed by vibrant wild tulips during the summer. The valley is a natural paradise, but scattered shrapnel remains hidden underfoot and memories of conflict linger. In 1999, the quiet mountain valley garnered global attention when it became the frontline for the Kargil War between India and Pakistan. While no artillery or mortar shells have fallen in Muskhoh for over twenty-five years, a new battle looms on the horizon—the fight to save one of the rarest bears in the world. Earlier this spring I sat on the back porch of the Drenmo Lodge in Mushkoh chatting with its owner Muzammil Hussain, a local conservationist from the city of Kargil. As the rising full moon illuminated the steep snow-covered slopes around me, the evening call to prayer echoed through the crisp Himalayan air. In the alfalfa field below the lodge a group of teenagers chased the fading light to finish a game of cricket, and the distant, faint flashing lights of a helicopter could be seen as the aircraft made its final supply run of the day to a nearby military outpost. Suddenly, a series of loud bangs reverberated up the mountainous valley as lights snapped on across mudbrick houses, and the sound of shouting broke through the peaceful twilight scene. Muzammil casually glanced up from his steaming mug of Kashmiri saffron tea. 'Those are firecrackers,' he whispered gazing towards the noise, 'the bears have entered the village.' Mushkoh and the nearby region of Dras are home to the highest concentration of Himalayan brown bears anywhere on earth. While brown bears themselves are the most widespread species living in northern latitudes, the Himalayan subspecies (Ursus arctos isabellinus) is critically endangered. Weighing up to 880 pounds and similar in size to the grizzlies of Yellowstone National Park, Himalayan brown bear territory spans from Afghanistan's Hindu Kush east into Pakistan, India, China, and Nepal. While the extreme topography and complex political environments of the bear's habitat have prevented biologists from conducting a comprehensive census, they estimate the population to be less than 1,000 with half of the total population residing in northern India. The high mountains of India are a treacherous environment for bears and while they often face deadly obstacles like avalanches, land mines, and packs of wild dogs, the most dangerous interactions are with people. 'From the findings of my research, the emerging threats brown bears face is habitat degradation from unsupervised livestock grazing and development activities,' says Niazul Khan, a local ecologist from Kargil, who is currently pursuing his PhD research on Himalayan brown bears in Ladakh at the Wildlife Institute of India. 'Another major issue is retaliatory [killings] against livestock and infrastructural damage.' Several times a week during the summer months, bears descend from the mountain slopes and into villages where they feed on trash, kill livestock, and occasionally break through the mudbrick walls of people's homes in search of food. A study conducted by Wildlife SOS in the adjacent province of Kashmir found that over 75 percent of most brown bear's diets consisted of trash and human waste. From his own experiences in the area, Hussain has similarly observed that although wild food is plentiful, trash offers a temptation that few bears can resist. 'We see a culture of bear cubs here that are learning to eat human food and sometimes livestock,' Hussain told me. 'Once they start it is nearly impossible for them to unlearn that habit.' Villagers often feel they have no choice but to kill the bears that eat their livestock and thus steal their livelihood. As bear deaths seldom go reported, it is difficult to know how many are killed each year. Both Khan and Hussain believe that a slow, community-driven change in the culture surrounding bears is the only way villagers may someday find a better way to coexist. In 2023, Muzammil along with his brother Tafazzul opened their lodge in Mushkoh Valley and shortly thereafter founded the Himalayan Brown Bear Trust. Their mission was to create an eco-tourism hub focused on bear conservation that could provide income and wildlife education to local villagers. Through revenue generated from tourism, grants, and government collaboration, the Himalayan Brown Bear Trust has helped villagers establish more secure storage for their food and animals, installed motion activated lights that discourage bears from nighttime raids, and employed younger villagers as spotters and wildlife guides. 'While installing [lights and food protection] worked practically, more importantly we see them as a way to build trust with the community,' reflects Hussain. Successful conservation takes time, and by embedding himself in the community Hussain is prepared to patiently teach, listen, and wait. 'I believe that conservation at its core is a generational challenge…we'd like to not just change the behavior of bears but also educate younger generations of humans,' he says, 'planting those seeds now is what will make a real difference in the future.' Twenty-three-year-old Anjum Ara grew up in Holiyal Village, one of the most heavily impacted by bear encounters. Bears typically entered her community at night, treading unseen, and as a child her only experiences with bears were monster-like tracks circling dead cows and holes ripped into the walls of her neighbor's homes. It wasn't until learning about bears from the Brown Bear Trust that she developed an unexpected curiosity towards them and joined the Drenmo Lodge as their first female spotter and guide. 'I used to think that bears were bad and dangerous,' Ara told me while watching two cubs play with their mom through a spotting scope, 'but now that I'm working as a [wildlife spotter] with people who appreciate the wild animals and see them as special, I've had a change in perspective…. I've learned that bears have their own role and space in our home, just as people have their own.' Hussain and Khan are optimistic about achieving a peaceful coexistence between bears and people. In addition to providing economic incentives for conservation, Khan believes that the community run homestays, wildlife spotting programs, and education efforts can offer tangible outcomes for protecting wildlife. 'When people have more awareness about wildlife [through education efforts],' he told me, 'they are more informed about their ecological roles and are inclined to make sound decisions and [safe interactions].' Muzammil has seen these changes take shape. 'Over the past few years, we've seen a clear shift that gives me real confidence that coexistence is possible and sustainable,' he says, 'local communities are taking ownership of their natural heritage, the government is more engaged, and the bear population has stabilized.' On my final evening in Mushkoh, I sat with my camera perched next to a cowshed watching a mother bear teach her newborn how to climb high on the steep mountain face above us. As the local school finished for the day, dozens of children ran over to investigate what a group of Western visitors were doing amongst their livestock. Peering through a telephoto lens, just like Ara had once done, they shrieked with excitement as they saw a bear in detail for the first time in their lives. 'They're really not so scary,' a boy exclaimed and as the mother began to bathe her cub, a girl giggled, 'they take care of their babies like our parents do.' The newborn cub stood on a boulder and observed as the kids looked back through their lenses. For that brief moment, two species watched each other and seemingly allowed fear to be momentarily dissolved by curiosity. As the mother huffed for her cub to snuggle beneath her, the village echoed with calls of parents summoning their children home for supper and bed. Mushkoh was quiet that night and the moonlit peaks glowed particularly bright with hope for a more peaceful future.
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First Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘Ghazwa-e-Hind, Babri revenge, sharia': 2 arrested for sharing intel with Pakistan
ATS officials said Alam joined several groups operated by Pakistani agents, and he was in touch with Pakistani nationals linked to the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik read more The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Thursday (May 22) arrested a Varanasi resident for allegedly spying for Pakistan. 45-year-old Tufail Alam was allegedly in contact with a Pakistan-based network of spies and was reportedly involved in sharing sensitive material to Pakistanis to hurt India's sovereignty and internal security. ATS officials said Alam joined several groups operated by Pakistani agents, and he was in touch with Pakistani nationals linked to the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Alam used to share photos and videos of sensitive locations on the groups, featuring Raj Ghat, Namo Ghat, Gyanvapi, railway stations, Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Nizamuddin Dargah. He would also share provocative material on groups, including videos of Maulana Saad Rizvi and messages promoting 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', revenge for Babri Masjid and the imposition of Sharia law in India. In total, he was in touch with over 600 Pakistani numbers. He used to contact a woman named Nafisa from Faisalabad, Pakistan, whose husband serves in the Pakistani Army. 'Tufail sent the link of these [WhatsApp] groups run by Pakistan to many other people of Varanasi, and he was in contact with more than 600 Pakistani numbers. He was in contact with a woman named Nafeesa, a resident of Faisalabad, Pakistan, through Facebook, whose husband is in the Pakistani Army,' the ATS statement claimed. The authorities have now booked Alam under sections 148 and 152 of the BNS. Delhi resident also booked on similar charges The UP ATS also arrested a Delhi resident on Thursday on similar charges. Mohammed Haroon, a resident of Seelampur, Delhi, allegedly maintained contacts with Muzammil Hussain, the Delhi-based Pakistan High Commission staffer whom India on Wednesday declared persona non grata. Haroon, a scrap dealer, extorted money in connivance with Hussain, promising people Pakistani visas, the ATS said. 'He is involved in anti-national activities by sharing security-related information related to national interest with Muzammil Hussain,' it said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Investigators said that during questioning, Haroon revealed he met Hussain at the Pakistan High Commission because he has relatives in Pakistan. The ATS mentioned that Haroon shared important information about India's internal security with Muzammil Hussain. Hussain then used that information to try to harm India's internal security. Haroon is also accused of giving Muzammil Hussain details about several bank accounts in India. Hussain deposited money he collected by defrauding people seeking Pakistani visas into those accounts.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UP ATS nabs two more from Noida, Varanasi for sharing info with Pak handlers
Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Thursday arrested two more men, one each from Gautam Buddh Nagar and Varanasi, for allegedly spying and sharing crucial information with Pakistan handlers, confirmed senior UP ATS officials here in Lucknow. Sharing a press note, the ATS officials said the accused arrested from GB Nagar identified as Mohd Harun, 45, of Seelampur, Delhi, was sharing crucial information with another Pakistani ISI operative working under diplomatic cover at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi 'Muzammil Hussain', who was shunted out of India by being declared persona non grata on Wednesday, and told to leave the country within 24 hours. The second accused arrested was identified as Tufail Maqsood, 34, of Jaitpura, Varanasi, who was allegedly in touch with at least 600 Pakistani mobile numbers and was sharing sensitive information related to national security of the country, they added. A senior ATS official said one Mohd Harun, who was into scrap business, initially came in touch with Muzammil Hussain while trying to procure visa to visit his relatives' place in Pakistan and started working as his agent by getting him clients to facilitate visas in return of money. He said the accused later used to transfer the same money to different people as instructed by Muzammil Hussain. He said Harun even directly shared crucial information related to national security. Another ATS official said Tufail seems to be highly radicalised as he used to share videos of banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Tehreek-e-Labbek's leader Maulana Shaad Rizvi and content related to revenge of Babri mosque demolition. He said the accused was apparently honey trapped by ISI agents through fake social media profile of a woman named Nafeesa, the resident of Pakistan's Faisalabad. He said the accused was in touch with the woman's profile and shared several crucial information on the same. He said Tufail's activities came under radar as he was in touch with as many as 600 Pakistan mobile numbers and continuously sharing crucial information related to the national security to them. He said Tufail was arrested near his residence in Adampur locality of Varanasi. The senior ATS official confirmed that two separate FIRs under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita section 148 for conspiring to commit offences related to waging, attempting to wage, or abetting the waging of war against the country and 152 section for act that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India had been registered against the two accused with the ATS police station in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow and further interrogation was going on. The two accused were arrested in continuation to further investigation to explore the network of the suspected ISI agent, Shahzad Wahab, 35, who was arrested in Moradabad on Sunday. Shahzad of Rampur had reportedly recruited 20 people, including three women, to spy for Pakistan's secret agency and provided them funds on the instructions of his ISI handlers operating from across the border. Shahzad was apprehended by the UP ATS on Sunday night, following inputs about his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities for the ISI. He travelled to Pakistan several times over the years and was allegedly smuggling cosmetics, clothes, spices and other items across the border, it was alleged.
