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Four militants among
six killed in J&K Helping orphans build strong future Dilemma over pro-NDA hoardings Withdraw travel advisories, CM asks nations |
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Vaishnodevi yatra: registration to be computerised Amarnath pilgrimage to continue for month J&K BSP unit dissolved Incidence of divorces high among Kashmiri Pandits Two escape from police custody 13 arrested, 15 cars
recovered Farooq to attend Kashmir
conference in London
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Four militants among six killed in J&K Srinagar, May 23 Three militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kakar Dai Dadoch in the Kalakote area of Rajouri last evening, the spokesman said, adding three AK rifles, nine AK magazines, 179 rounds and two wireless sets were recovered during search operation which was still in progress. A militant identified as Jehangir Ahmed Dar of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit was killed in a gunbattle with the security forces at Shahabad-Awantipora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, the spokesman said. He said body of a constable Tanveer Hussain was recovered from Chandi Marah in the Surankote area of Poonch yesterday. Tanveer had been kidnapped by militants during the last week from the Poshana area. Militants intruded into the house of Nissar Ahmed Lone at Hanid Chowgam in the Kulgam area of Anantnag last night and shot at him after dragging him out. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Militants kidnapped three civilians, Mohammad Ashraf Dar and Soukat Ahmed Dar from awrigund-tral and Mohammad Ashraf Wani from Wayiloo-Kokernag in Anantnag district last night. Whereabouts of all the three were not known. The security forces, he said, raided a militant hideout at Sangla in the Surankote area of Poonch and
recovered four detonators, three grenades, 49 pika rounds and three rounds of rocket projectile gun, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, 14 persons, including a CRPF constable, were injured in a grenade blast in downtown Srinagar last night, official sources said today. Militants hurled the grenade on the CRPF camp in the Habbakada area around 8.30 PM but it fell short of the target and exploded with a big bang causing injuries to 13 civilians and a CRPF jawan, the sources said. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. — PTI |
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Helping orphans build strong future Kargil, May 23 Three years ago, the District Bal Ashram, Kargil, which houses orphans from Zanskar, Kargil and Drass, came under the control of the Indian Army. As the Army extended facilities to the orphanage under Operation Sadbhavana, conditions began to improve for the children, who slept in quilts on beds for the first time in life. Today the ashram's scenario is quite different. Children are being taught to tide over the past tragedy and work to build a strong future. Thanks to the availability of proper educational coaching, they secured 100 per cent result in the last academic session. Many of them are into painting and music. They have also mustered confidence to perform at the local All India Radio station which pays them for every presentation. But more than anything else, these children have understood the value of peace. They may hail from Muslim regions, communal divide is not an issue with them. In fact, most of them aspire to join the Indian Army so that they can defend the country when required. Mohd Sadiq, the eldest among them, says, “We all know what it means to be caught in a war between nations. Many of us lost our parents during enemy shelling. Now that I have completed Class X, I am ready to join the Army.” Like Sadiq, many others are waiting to join the Army for which they will be trained at Leh, which is home to the highest Army training centre in the world. They are also taking extra care of their fitness schedule, lest they are rejected at recruitment rallies of the Army. Last year 17 Muslim boys from Kargil made it to the forces. The younger ones concentrate on studies and computer. Sajad Ali (10) is learning power point. He wishes to be an IT professional. Some others pay attention to performing arts. And why shouldn't they when AIR pays them Rs 100 to Rs 400 for presenting songs/poems and reading stories. Interestingly, these children have even composed a song which voices their pain and aspirations. Before you say goodbye to them, they rush to the ground, salute the Tricolour and start singing something which leaves your cheeks bedewed: “Mamta ki god jaisa yeh ashram hamara… Kudrat ki rehmaton ka mamma-e-ghar hamara…Maa baap ka sahara bachpan se hamne khoya… Paaya hai ashram mein khoya jahan hamara…”
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Dilemma over pro-NDA hoardings Jammu, May 23 Two such hoardings across the highway have been put up within 17 km. These were covered with cloth on orders of the Election Commission that took serious note of complaints that the BJP was using these as part of the election campaign. The elections are now over and a new coalition government led by the Congress is in place, but the fate of these hoardings is yet to be decided. The authorities, it is learnt, plan to keep the hoardings covered till fresh directions come from the top. Each hoarding, carrying the picture of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and details of the project, is said to have cost lakhs of rupees. Besides these hoardings, several small signboards of the project have also been put up along the road. Although work on the project is going on at a snail’s pace, the BJP campaign managers here had tried to get maximum electoral benefit out of it. So far, the widening of only 17.2 km out of the total length of 98 km has been taken up. The work was sanctioned in January 2002, but only earthwork has been done on some patches since then. It is learnt that further work could not be started so far as no sanction has come for the stretch beyond the 17.2 km. The Border Roads Organisation has been assigned the task of widening this stretch. Hundreds of full-grown trees have been axed on this stretch and many more are likely to go. |
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Withdraw travel advisories, CM asks nations Srinagar, May 23 “Whatever the reasons of issuing such notes be, they can be withdrawn as the Kashmir situation has taken a positive turn,” Mufti Sayeed said while asking the foreign diplomats who had come to participate in the Ambassador’s Cup Golf Championship, to withdraw the advisories. The J-K Government has identified 21 new spots which will be developed as attractive tourist destinations with the help of the private sector. “Apart from upgrading the existing tourist destinations, new spots would be developed to attract more tourists in the near future,” Mufti Sayeed said here yesterday. Admitting that the state was facing a shortage of infrastructure facilities, the Chief Minister said the private sector would be involved in raising these facilities at famous tourist spots like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Patnitop and Yusumarg, besides 21 other sites. “Events like the just-concluded golf championship send a positive message that the state is as safe as any other tourist destination.” The diplomats said they were overwhelmed by both exquisite beauty of the Royal Springs Golf Course as well as the hospitality extended to them. The Chief Minister said his government’s strategy would be to focus on other golf courses. Mufti Sayeed added that the Sahara group, J&K Bank and Jet Airways were also coming forward to organise similar championships in the state. — PTI |
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Vaishnodevi yatra: registration to be computerised Jammu, May 23 “We have decided to computerise yatra management system by the use of Bio-Metrics, including fingerprints and plastic photo card for a better security setup for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage”, Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Arun Kumar told reporters after its meeting, headed by Chairman of the board and Jammu and Kashmir Governor S.K. Sinha, here. This will help in upgradation of security, he said adding computerised registration will not only help devotees in planning their yatra but will also ensure better utilisation of board’s infrastructure. He said to add to the splendour of the panoramic site of the Himkoti, the Board is going to set up an aesthetic and eco-friendly ice temple. This would be first of its kind in the world and will be in the form of a snow dome to portray mythological depictions of gods and goddesses. Facility of donations through J&K Bank network has been inaugurated by the Board, he said and added that this facility would help in paying obeisance to the goddess especially for those who are unable to visit the holy shrine. Efforts are on for similar arrangements with UTI bank, HDFC and Bank of Punjab, he said.
— PTI |
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Amarnath pilgrimage to continue for month Jammu, May 23 The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board had last week proposed to stretch the pilgrimage to two months from the existing one month. It is learnt that the government has not allowed stretching of the pilgrimage as it would be difficult to provide security on the two routes, through Baltal and Pahalgam, for such a long period. A spokesman of the government said several aspects had to be taken into account and adequate planning and preparations had to be made before making any change in the existing pattern in view of the sensitive nature of the pilgrimage. Terrorists have earlier targeted Amarnath pilgrims twice. This city would continue to be the base camp for the pilgrims as in the past. Advance registration of the pilgrims would be done at various branches of J&K Bank. |
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J&K BSP unit dissolved Jammu, May 23 “BSP Chief Mayawati has dissolved J-K BSP due to poor performance in recent LS elections. She has called all party office-bearers to New Delhi to change the entire party setup,” a senior BSP leader told PTI before leaving for New Delhi. The entire J-K unit of BSP will be reformed and Kashmir unit would be announced by the BSP chief, he said. Nearly 13 office bearers of the party have left for New Delhi. — PTI |
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Incidence of divorces high among Kashmiri Pandits Jammu, May 23 The community had yet not come to the terms with the 1990 exodus from the Valley, so an unprecedented increase in the petitions from couples in the age group of 25-40, seeking divorce, had only added to its trauma. The Kashmir Sentinel, an official organ of Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of displaced people, in its latest issue, said that petitions seeking divorce had increased ten-fold during the past two to three years. The paper had published an article from an expert, Dr R.K. Shivpuri, which stated in 1995 out of 250 petitions seeking divorce 39 cases belonged to Kashmiri Pandits. Dr Shivpuri said that after 1995 the incidence of marital disputes witnessed a six-fold
increase. In 2002 out of 970 divorce petitions pending in different courts about 600 cases were from Kashmiri Pandits. According to Mr Amar Nath Vaishnavi, president, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, the number of marital disputes was quite high because all contending parties did not file divorce petitions in the courts. Dr Shivpuri attributed several factors to this high incidence of marital disputes. He said many Kashmiri women sought divorce owing to their disillusionment with their unemployed husbands. In certain cases mental illness was also responsible. Family incompatibility and mother-fixation syndrome among boys were other major factors. Explaining the mother-fixation syndrome the expert said that under this situation mothers-in-law interfered in the life of couples. Such interferences led to emotional disorder, resulting in divorce. Dr Ajay Chrungoo, president Panun Kashmir, said that economic distress was making atmosphere in camps and in small-rented rooms unfit for consummation of the nuptial ties. Others said that infidelity was another reason for marital disputes. There had been cases where boys settled in foreign countries married Kashmiri girls under pressure from their parents. But after marriage the brides discovered that their husbands were already married to foreign girls or were having extra marital affairs. Both Mr Vaishnavi and Dr Chrungoo said such cases were reported to them months or years after the contending parties had filed divorce petitions in the courts. Mr Vaishnavi said that though there had been no dowry deaths among the displaced community, there had been separations among couples when the parents of the girl had failed to fulfil the demands of the boy’s parents. He said out of 200 weddings a year, hardly 10 boys and their parents did not demand any dowry. Dr Chrungoo called for awakening among the community people failing which “we may one day be treated as a community of divorcees.” The Pandit leaders suggested to the government to deal firmly with those trying to torture their daughters-in-law for dowry or otherwise. |
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Two escape from police custody Jammu, May 23 The duo gave the police a slip near the District and Sessions Court complex in Kathua town last evening when they were being escorted to the police station, the sources said. The duo, involved in several cases of murders and burglaries in Jammu and Kathua areas of the state, was arrested by the police three months ago, they said. Action would be taken against the four policemen entrusted with the task of bringing the gangsters to the police station, they said. The gangsters have been identified as Aslam Bhai alias Vicky Bhai of Gangua village in Saharanpur (UP) and Rashid resident of Muzaffarnagar (UP), they said.
— PTI |
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13 arrested, 15 cars
recovered Jammu, May 23 Acting on a tip-off, the state police raided several hideouts in Udhampur district last night and arrested six persons whose modus operandi was to steal cars from Delhi and other places and then sell these in the state, the police said. As many as 15 stolen cars-five Santros, one Zen, one Tata Indica and eight Maruti 800s cars-were also recovered. In another major seizure, the police recovered fake currency notes worth Rs 5 lakh and 19 pieces of sapphires worth Rs six lakh from the possession of seven persons. Those arrested have been identified as Sonam Narboo, Shiv, Kuldeep Raj, Vidhya Sagar, Madan Dogra, Sonam Toshi (all residents of J-K) and Rashid Lehar from Jaipur. Meanwhile, the police seized 11 kg of charas and 11 kg poppy powder in several raids in recent days. — PTI |
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Farooq to attend Kashmir
conference in London Srinagar, May 23 The conference would discuss the current situation in the state and the possible solutions to Kashmir issue, they said. Besides Mr Abdullah, the NC delegation will comprise newly elected party MP from Baramula Abdul Rashid Shaheen and Deputy Speaker of state assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone. Among others, representatives of Kashmiris living in different parts of the world and delegates from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and Pakistan are also expected to attend the conference, the sources said. Mr Abdullah, who left for Jammu yesterday to attend a religious conference being held at Poonch, will leave for London on May 25 and return here on June 2, they added.
— PTI |
Two girls hit by security vehicle, dies Baramula, May 23 |
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Sikhs protest against ban on
turban Jammu, May 23 A procession led by Mahant Manjit Singh of the Nangali Sahib gurdwara was taken out from Digina Gurdwara Ashram. The demonstrators raised slogans against the French Government for violating human rights. They said that turban was identity of the Sikh
community. They urged Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh to take up the matter with the French government. |
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