Srinagar, May 28
Stigma for women suffering from HIV is manifold. Being the worst sufferers, medicos and families discriminate against them the most.

“Stigma is more for women, who have been affected by their husbands, especially after their husbands die,” says Amit Sharma, who heads the Jammu and Kashmir Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (J&KNPLHA).

The network, says Sharma, provides a platform for HIV positive people. “If they cannot share problem with family or friend, we counsel and assist them”.

He shared that no medical facilities were offered to such widows. “They are being discriminated like anything. Both doctors and in-laws have indifferent attitude towards them and their problems”.

Sharma said: “In certain villages in Jammu, posters have been posted on doors of houses of such women by villagers and nothing is offered them to eat, when they need maximum nutrition. In-laws never blame their sons and instead always blame their daughters-in-law. Even property rights are denied to them”.

He stated that there were many cases where an HIV-negative wife lives with an HIV-positive husband, but not vice-versa.

“Women are reluctant to come forward due to huge stigma attached to it,” he said, adding that two anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres functioning in Jammu and Srinagar required services of female employees, but no one volunteered.

Sharma said official statistics put 2,222 HIV-positive cases in the state and 525 persons taking ART treatment.

“Unofficial figures suggest 8,000 to 10,000 persons are affected with HIV in the state,” he said.

He said stigma and discrimination towards the HIV-affected people would not end till people come forward for voluntary testing. “And it is possible only when they are sure that their confidentiality will be maintained. People here lack self-effort”.

“HIV-affected people do not need reservation, but a collective effort, particularly from the media that would help them in the long run,” said Sharma, adding that the creation of support system for such people within the state would offer them better care and treatment.

Sharing problems, Sharma said: “Patients from far-off places have to come every month for medicine or treatment to these centres. Most of them reach the centres late and have to wait for hours together. In the process, they miss out treatment and have to get it from the market, which most of them cannot afford. Consequently, they quit medicines and the first line treatment fails”.

With reference to nutritional problem, Sharma suggested that below poverty line (BPL) ration cards should be issued to them so that they were able to get basic diet. Besides, he demanded that CD4 testing should be done round the week.

“There has to be a well-developed community care system for all and not just for critical patients. A provision for night stay and proper referral system should be there.”

Information about which organisation to be contacted in case of transportation, nutrition and likewise required by the HIV-affected people should be readily available,” Sharma added.

An AK-47 bullet is still stuck in the back of his neck as a trophy of his bravery. IG Ashok Gupta, President’s Medal winner, has had a humble beginning and toiled day and night to reach this high position. Son of a postman, Ashok Gupta and his five other brothers and two sisters have set an example of how to utilise whatever resources you have to excel in life.

“Law and order is everyone’s responsibility. We cannot turn our back to eve teasing happening before us, arguing it is only the job of cops,” he said while interacting with The Tribune team. He believes that about 180 militants are active in Jammu division, but the new recruits are just one or two.

Special invitees, Sonali Abrol and Priya Sharma from Tiny Tots Higher Secondary School also joined the interaction.

Here are the excerpts:

Jupinderjit Singh (JJS): You have an illustrious career. You worked with honour in the valley when militancy and anti-India sentiments were at their peak. What are your most proud moments and your sad moments as well?

Ashok Gupta (AG): My saddest moment was when while serving as SSP Doda, I and my bodyguard, constable Ashok, were hit in an encounter with militants. We could be evacuated after many hours. When the helicopter landed, I wanted him to be rushed to the hospital first as he was bleeding badly. Unfortunately, he died on the way. That left permanent sadness in me.

The bullet I suffered is still stuck in my neck. It could not be taken out, but now I may have to get it operated. With the growing age, one has to undergo many tests like MRI, which are not possible with this piece of iron causing magnetic troubles. Moreover, it constantly reminds me of the tragic death of my bodyguard,

My proud moments have been many. When I started my career and was posted as SP Samba, I got arrested a most wanted proclaimed offender, who had managed to hoodwink the police for 33 years. Also, while serving as SSP Doda, a century-old idol of a goddess was stolen. We recovered it in no time and avoided a communal problem.

I was also happy when I got President’s Medal as well as Sher-e-Kashmir Medal for meritorious service.

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria (RKK): Women militants have always been a problem, particularly in the erstwhile Doda district. How is the police wooing them back?

AG: Branding them as militants would not be appropriate. We call them over ground workers (OGWs). They are usually forced to help militants. Their number is dwindling constantly because of our efforts in the form of strict surveillance and legal action, besides involving their parents and village elders in bringing them back in the mainstream. There might be five to six OGWs operating in the Doda region, out of which two are the wives of ultras.

RKK: Recently, security forces claimed that they succeeded in completely wiping out HuJI and JeM from Kishtwar. How many militants of other organisations are active in the region?

AG: Latest inputs say there are about 180 ultras active in Jammu region but their number keeps on changing depending upon intrusions.

Recently, we eliminated top commanders of various outfits. The killing of Abu Ans and Abu Maaz of Lashkar on May 17 was again a big success for us. Another great achievement of ours is that there is no fresh recruitment of locals in the militant cadre across Jammu in the past five months.

Archit Watts (AW): Special police officers (SPOs) are upset that they have not been absorbed in the police department. Have you planned some relaxations for them?

AKG: Anyone who joined the police force as an SPO was aware of the future position. Still the state government is trying its best to provide them jobs in the police. Their salary has been doubled from Rs 1,500 to 3,000 per month. An age relaxation of seven years has also been given to them as they can apply till the age of 37.

There is another scheme by which they get points every year, maximum up to 7, for their working efficiency and it is considered during the constable recruitment test. Those who have performed extremely well in curbing militancy can be directly recruited as constable (without giving any test), but in rare cases.

The government has also announced to give Rs 2 lakh compensation to the family if an SPO loses his life while doing his duty.

Ashutosh Sharma (AS): Like SPOs, many VDC members are also suffering. Are VDC members entitled to any compensation if they get injured or die while assisting security forces in counter insurgency operations?

AKG: VDC committees were created with an aim of self-defence, so if a VDC volunteer dies fighting militancy he would be treated just like any other civilian.

AW: You had started an SMS alert system through which people can complain to you directly. What is the response of your message complaint service?

AKG: It has worked well and I am satisfied with it. We receive a number of complaints on 9469300300 and most of the complaints are related to eve teasing. Women have benefited immensely from the service. Around 90 per cent of the complaints are actionable and we have constituted special teams to deal with complaints received through SMS. Most of the times, we receive thanks messages after the disposal of complaints.

Sonali Abrol (student): You say the police is for the people, yet people are scared of approaching you.

AKG: It is not just about the police. In today’s world, people, especially the younger generation, hate anyone questioning them or stopping them. Even parents who do so are hated. Like in any household, a mother is approachable and loved as she does not stop children much, but the father has to enforce discipline. As a result, he is always loved less.

Priya Sharma (student): Then why Army officers are loved and respected?

AKG: The Army doesn’t work with civilians. They are traditional heroes. They have a perceived enemy, which is nation’s enemy. But this is not the case with the police. We live in society. If 10 people take up the case of an alleged victim, 10 others support the accused. Whosoever is held guilty projects police in bad light.

Tell me one thing, how many of you object to eve teasing or any other offence happening before your eyes. People now say it is the job of the police, but we cannot work without public cooperation. We all talk about our rights but none about our duties as a citizen.

Priya: What steps are you taking to improve the police image?

AKG: We have taken a decision that the police will have no role in land dispute cases. It is for the courts to decide. Similarly, any sphere where police intrusion is not required, we stay away. Also, to have better understanding with the masses, we organise police-public meetings and visit schools and colleges. We are planning to invite schoolchildren to police stations to see our working.

Sonali: Are there any plans to install traffic lights since traffic situation is in a mess.

AKG: I am not sure if putting up traffic lights would solve the problem. We had tried that earlier. We even had no-vehicle zones in old city, but then public objected to it. We put traffic cops on roads who work under scorching sun and if he catches a person, the offender immediately calls up an influential person to complain against the cop. I must say that if we all have good civic sense and follow the rules, than any system can work. Otherwise, nothing can improve.

AW: There was some controversy over the recent transfers. Are you satisfied with the working of the SSP Jammu, Basant Rath?

AKG: See, everyone has his own style of functioning. He is different from others, but he has brought down the crime rate. As a senior officer, it is my duty to point out what I feel was right and what wrong. And this is not for one official only. It is for all. My seniors do it with me and it helps all of us in improving the working.

Dinesh Manhotra (DM): Don’t you think that personal security officers (PSOs) have been allotted to some undeserving people? Getting PSOs has becoming a status symbol for politicians.

AKG: When militancy was at its peak, security was provided to politicians so that they can interact with common people. The experiment proved fruitful especially in reviving political activities in the militancy-plagued areas. Since the situation has improved, we are taking feedback from different government agencies, especially the CID, to reassess threat perception to the person to whom security cover has been provided. The security of some people has been withdrawn. During my tenure as IGP Jammu, not even a single person has been given PSO in the past 11 months.

AS: Various states have started police reforms. How J&K has performed so far?

AKG: We uphold the directive of the Supreme Court. If the recommendations of reforming the police get implemented, all problems faced by the overburdened police department will get solved in no time.

AS: Three is a culture of police highhandedness. Reports of torture, custodial deaths and extra-judicial killings keep hogging headlines in the media. Your comments?

AKG: The department takes strict disciplinary action against the erring officials. Such incidents do occur but very rarely. Honestly, the police has softened its image over the years and in my opinion, it should not happen (laughs). I must say that fear of cops is a must. If there is no fear, who will manage law and order.

AW: Do you have any plan to join politics after retirement?

AKG: Do you think I am a politician (laughingly)? I will simply take my retirement and take rest. I will never get into politics.

Jammu, May 28
Even as Parliament attack mastermind Mohammed Afzal Guru had reportedly moved the apex court seeking early disposal of his mercy petition pending before the President, locals echoed divergent views on the fate of the 40-year-old plotter from Sopore.

In February, Guru had sought early disposal of mercy petition on the grounds that solitary confinement was worse than death.

If a few felt that an eye-for-an-eye attitude will make the whole world blind and pardon was supreme than the major chunk said those guilty of killing innocent people, irrespective of their caste, religion and nationality, should not go scot-free and hence, be sent to the gallows without further delay.

“Though his mercy petition is pending before the President, citing reason of a backlash in Kashmir is simply not acceptable in a democratic country where justice must prevail,” MM Khajooria a former DGP, told The Tribune.

It may be stated here that various political parties in the state feel that Afzal’s hanging would set Kashmir on fire, which has started returning to normalcy.

Balraj Puri, noted human rights activist and an expert on Kashmir affairs, felt that law should be allowed to take its own course.

“Hanging Afzal Guru would definitely invite a strong reaction in Kashmir and I feel that life imprisonment to a guilty is more agonising than capital punishment,” he said.

“In principle I am opposed to capital punishment and several countries have abolished it, but in the instant case the government should see the pros and cons before taking a final decision,” said Puri.

Giving her views on the issue, Rekha Choudhary, a renowned political analyst from Jammu University, said capital punishment followed by mercy petition were all provisions under the law of land available to every citizen of a democratic country.

“It is for the President to decide about his fate, but had there been no democratic set up in the country, he would have been sent to the gallows by now,” she added.

Darakshan Andrabi, Socialist Democratic Party chief and Muslim woman leader, who had always stood for the integrity and sovereignty of the country, expressed regrets over weak-kneed approach of the New Delhi towards every issue confronting India.

Now, mercy petition is before the President and her decision would be final and binding, but in this state every issue is blown out of proportion by our worthy politicians, she said.

“I personally feel that whosoever has done anything wrong should be punished as per the law of the land,” she added. However, she felt that weak-kneed approach of the union government would not help the country and pose a threat to its integrity.

Afzal Guru, a medicine and surgical instrument dealer in Jammu and Kashmir, was sent to the death row in 2002 after his cell phone number was reportedly found from slain terrorists, who had attacked the Parliament on December 13, 2001.

The Supreme Court had upheld the sentence a year later in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on October 20, 2006 but his execution was stayed after his wife sought clemency from the President.

Wanihama, May 28
For the past two years, he has been winning the national level prize of being a progressive farmer. This year, he got the state award for introducing strawberry as an industry in the Kashmir valley, although incessant rainfall this season shattered the hopes of Haji Abdul Ahad Mir of harvesting a bumper crop.

The success story of this progressive farmer started five years ago when he experimented with strawberry crop on one kanal. He never knew that temperate climate of the area would suit the crop and he would hit the jackpot.

From one kanal in 2005 to eight kanal in 2010, Mir has become a role model for others in his Wanihama village as after taking his help around 40 families in the village have started growing the cash crop. Now, even the name of the village has been changed to strawberry village.

“Prior to growing strawberry, I used to grow wheat which would only fetch me Rs 5,000 a year, but now with the same piece of land I am earning Rs 4 lakh per year,” says Mir.

He says the success story has spread to around 200 kanals in the village as the majority of the villagers are growing strawberry.

Mir is being frequently visited by various ministers, top bureaucrats, politicians and local residents who want to grow strawberry come to hive to get valuable tips.

However, Mir, who was expecting a bumper crop this season, was disturbed to see that due to continuous rainfall for two months more than 60 per cent of his crop has been damaged.

“The demand this year was good, but continuous rainfall for almost two months spoiled everything, the fruit which was almost ripe got damaged due to the moisture and we incurred losses of more than 60 percent,” rues Mir.

But still Mir has not lost hope and feels that he would be able to produce around 10,000 kg of fruit this year. He has a message for farmers and wants them to take up growing strawberry as despite all odds its gives a good income.

Udhampur, May 28
The Army, under the Operation Sadbhavna since its inception in 1998, is doing a missionary job to help alleviate common people in the state, besides working for the development of remote areas, which have been deprived of facilities so far.

Lt-Gen BS Jaswal, GOC-IN-C, Northern Command, stated that the Army under this programme had laid down priorities, which focuses on quality education, health, empowerment of women, infrastructural development and uplift of Gujjars and Bakarwals.

He said over 400 community development centres and about 250 vocational training centres had been constructed in remote villages, besides undertaking activities related to generating interaction and development of the community in terms of providing DTH facilities, games, reading rooms, libraries, adult education centres and organising sports tournaments.

Jaswal said emphasis under the education initiatives was across the spectrum, ranging from primary and secondary education to sponsoring deserving students for higher education.

He said the Army had so far constructed 60 schools and had undertaken 1,800 renovation projects related to government schools, adding that two residential state-of-the-art Army Goodwill Public Schools had also been constructed, which have over 450 students.

Army Goodwill Schools are also being run across Leh, Kargil and Jammu region, having over 10,700 students most of them belonging to the Gujjar and Bakarwal community. Beisdes, there are eight hostels and four orphanages, looking after the boarding, lodging and educational requirements of 415 children, he said.

Under their initiative of education tours across the country, over 900 children, teachers and village elders had an opportunity to acquaint themselves with tradition, cultural, industrial and economic growth of the country, he said, adding that about 2,680 students and 200 village elders were likely to be taken around for the purpose this year.

The Army under its medical initiatives held 221 medical camps and 70 veterinary camps last year, where a total of 1,22,200 patients were treated. This year over 92 medical camps and 66 veterinary camps were being planned, he said.

Jaswal further stated that 42 women empowerment centres had been established in the state for generating employment facilities to them.

He said the Army had constructed four stadiums at Ganderbal, Shupiyan, Kulgam and Badgam for the promotion of sports, adding that three more such stadiums were in the pipeline at Rajouri, Naoshera and Udhampur.

Jammu, May 28
Despite knowing the fact that a large number of people are dying in the region in road mishaps, the state police department seems to be in a deep slumber as the barricades put on roads are in poor condition and can become a reason of any major road mishap.

At a number of places, the barricades are posing risk to commuters as it has either damaged or supported with bricks, stones and canes.

The police has put up barricades to avoid accidents and keep a check on anti-social activities but the existing condition of these barricades speaks volume about the functioning of the police department.

After visiting all major roads in the region, The Tribune team observed that almost all barricades were on crutches. The condition was worst at the Gujjar Nagar Bridge and the Jammu-RS Pura road, where all barricades were waiting to be replaced.

The condition was almost similar outside the headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Police at the Gulshan Grounds here, where one such barricade was fallen on the road from the past many days and no one seemed to be bothered about it.

Mukesh Gupta, a resident of Miran Sahib, who is a daily commuter on the Jammu-RS Pura road said: “Whenever high-velocity winds come, these barricades fell on the road and cause a major trouble to commuters. The police should either replace the poor barricades or it should be removed from the roads to avoid any untoward incident.”

“Some corporate houses or private companies have sponsored a large number of barricades to the police department but after these have been put on roads, it becomes the duty of the police to maintain it properly,” said Atul Sharma, an advocate.

However, the police repeatedly says that they have been doing their best to serve the people.

“It is the duty of the maintenance department to maintain the property and if somewhere the condition of barricades is poor it will surely be replaced within a short time,” said a traffic police officer.

However, the repeated attempts to contact Jammu SSP Basant Rath proved futile.

Jammu, May 28
Even a fraction of a second can make a difference between life and death of an accident victim. But it is an irony that the ambulances rushing critically injured to the main referral hospital at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu have to wade through haphazard parking, right in front of the emergency unit.

Such mismanagement on the hospital premises is a telltale of official apathy towards emergency patients struggling hard for life and even harder for making their way to emergency ward for timely treatment.

As the hospital is struggling for space, the hospital authorities blame successive state governments for their inaction in expanding the hospital with time.

On May 21, almost five accidents took place in different areas of Jammu division and the ambulances kept ferrying injured to the hospital. However, both sirens of ambulances and cries of injured fell on deaf ears of the hospital administration as vehicles of hospital staff were not removed from the front of the emergency doorway.

Contrary to the clear way for plying of ambulances, almost all parking slots happen to be across the way, from main gate to the emergency ward. The first parking slot is in front of the main exit gate that has been locked. Therefore, all vehicles, attendants and hospital staff use the entrance gate.

Nevertheless, the major nuisance is vehicles of police personnel at the police post facing the emergency ward and doctors and other staff there, who park their vehicles on the premises of the ward.

Even the Out Patient Department is no exception to the messy state of affairs on the premises as vehicles can be seen parked right in front of its gate also.

“Hospital staff does not pay any heed when we forbid them from parking vehicles there. We are contractual employees of a private agency. Such steps should be taken by the hospital authorities,” said one of the security personnel at the gateway to the ward.

“We are aware of the problem, but are helpless as the government did nothing to tackle the burgeoning patient load over the years. Since its inception, the hospital has not been expanded and it has no further scope for the same,” said a higher official of the hospital.

Leh, May 28
For youths in Leh district of the Ladakh region, folk songs, dances and traditional music instruments, are the new areas of interest to learn.

Folk songs and dances, which are an integral part of the Ladakhi social and cultural life, have been in a dying stage.

Their charm has started to lose after the traditional musicians given up their professions in the village a decade ago due to the caste discrimination against them, as they were treated as low caste in society.

Earlier, every village used to have an average of two families performing the role of musicians, who had significant roles to play in the social, religious and cultural life of villagers.

Now, realising that playing musical instruments is a part of the Ladakhi culture and it has nothing to do with the caste, the demand for learning among the youth is growing in each passing year.

Renowned artist Murup Namgial, who is awarded with Padma Shree for his contribution towards the promotion of Ladakhi Culture, said: “Youths are showing interest in traditional songs and dances whenever social functions are held. They comes to me asking about the types of folk dances and number of folk songs. Namgail added that at present, two dances are popular out of 13 folk dances and 10 of the 32 folk songs.

With no institution to meet the growing interest in the field, the knowledge are passing from old generation, especially performers, to the young generation through oral and practical training.

With the help of experts and performers, social organisations have started to organised workshops and training for the youth.

General Secretary of Ladakh Young Buddhist Association, Tashi Wangchuk, said: “Around 65 youths from Ladakh had participated in the week- long residential workshop on folk songs, dances and musical instruments held in April on the SECMOL campus.”

Cultural officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Language, Leh Tsewang Paljor, said residents of two villages of the Sham region have approached the academy to get training in playing of traditional musical instruments.

He added that the academy had also organised two separate residential workshops in Leh and Takmachik village in the Sham region.

Though frequent rains over the past one month have played spoilsport in the otherwise pleasant spring season in Kashmir, there is no end to the series of events taking place in the summer capital. The darbar shifted to summer capital early in May after spending six months of winter in Jammu, the winter capital of the state. The annual move between the two capital cities always gives a fascinating look to the city, to which the seat of the government moves. Not only this, the six months of summer term in Kashmir between May and October every year is always attracting various kinds of people.