Jammu, June 18
Finally, Sher-e-Kashmir Bridge, the third bridge constructed over the Tawi long ago to ease pressure on the already congested two bridges, may serve its purpose.

The government has started evicting people from Gujjar Nagar in a bid to widen the circular road with the sole purpose to utilise the third bridge to its optimum and decongest the already choked city roads, Mehboob Iqbal, commissioner secretary, Roads and Buildings Department, told The Tribune.

Those evicted from the narrow stretch of the Gujjar Nagar are being provided adequate compensation under the rules, he added.

The widening work is part of a plan to decongest city roads and the circular road right up to Sidhra Bridge, said Iqbal.

Ever since it was constructed, the bridge has not been serving its purpose because of the congested stretch at Gujjar Nagar. Due to this, the ever-increasing traffic on the city roads have been putting immense burden on two other bridges over the Tawi resulting in traffic snarls at Bikram Chowk and Jewel Chowk, said Iqbal.

“The widening work would definitely help reduce traffic jams in the city,” said Mohammed Afzal, a local from Gujjar Nagar. The government has initiated the process of providing compensation to those being evicted from the place, he added.

Roads and Buildings Minister GM Saroori said establishments and residents being displaced along the circular road would be properly rehabilitated. “The government will identify suitable land for the purpose,” he said.

Saroori has already asked officials concerned to identify the land and submit the proposal for government’s approval.

He said the displaced families were entitled to rehabilitation under the rules. “I have also ordered disbursement of compensation within a week’s time,” he said.

Jammu has witnessed a population boom in the past two decades, particularly in the backdrop of mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley in 1989.

While the road length by and large remained the same in the past 20 years in the unplanned city, more vehicles continue to add up to the existing vehicular population on the badly choked roads.

However, of late, the state government has initiated some projects to expand the road network in Jammu.

A fourth bridge over the Tawi is coming up at Bhagwati Nagar. Being constructed at a cost of Rs 68 crore, the 750-m-long bridge would definitely ease the traffic rush on the existing bridges.

Saroori has directed the Public Works Department and the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation to simultaneously expedite the work on the approach roads leading to the bridge.

Srinagar, June 18
Just 483 of the over 25,000 anganwari centres functioning in the state have their own accommodation, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo said speaking at a two-day conference on women and child development convened in New Delhi this week to discuss speedy implementation of various schemes and laws concerning women.

She reiterated the government’s firm determination to strengthen anganwari infrastructure in the state and ensure benefits to poor and needy children.

Seeking central assistance the minister said the state government had submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development for coverage of 4077 additional hamlets under ‘Anganwari-on-Demand’ programme for scaling up facilities in these centres.

To ensure 100 per cent coverage under the network, steps were already afoot, she said, adding that the state government had raised the monthly honorarium of anganwari workers and helpers by Rs 300 and Rs 200, respectively. As many as 20,000 Mahila Mandals had been set up the in state in one year.

“Under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) an annual plan of Rs. 40 crore has been prepared and an MoU is expected to be signed with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development before the scheme is launched in the state”, she elaborated.

The minister enumerated the measures state government had taken to ensure effective and transparent implementation of various centrally sponsored social welfare schemes. “The attention has been concentrated to provide necessary succour to the widows, orphans, old aged, ailing mothers and adolescent girls, besides working for empowerment of women in the state”, she informed the conference.

She said the ICDS programme, which also got hampered during the period of disturbance has been revived resulting in implementation of key elements and smooth financial inflow from the Centre for the programme. The inflow of funds has doubled during last year as compared to the previous year.

Ms Itoo said that health nutrition day had been fixed for ensuring regular health checkup of women and children for which necessary gadgets have been provided to the needy. “Attention is also been given to ensure vaccination and provide other medicare treatment to the needy through relevant schemes,” she said.

Jammu, June 18
All stadiums and offices of the J&K Sports Council have been closed for 10 days as employees of the council have been on indefinite strike from June 9, demanding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.

The employees of the State Sports Council, under the banner of J&K Sports Council Employees Association, have also been demanding the regularisation of daily wagers and contractual employees who have completed more than seven years of service.

Iqbal Singh, general secretary of the association, said, “The government had already released funds for the purpose and even people who are on deputation were getting benefits out of the released funds, but the State Sports Council was not keen on extending pay commission benefits to its employees”.

He also alleged that instead of regularising daily wagers and contractual employees, the authorities have appointed an editor in the council on payrolls.

He urged the government to consider the genuine demands of the employees and called for conducting a general council meeting to form a standing committee as well as separate elected secretary instead of officiating secretary to look into the affairs of the council.

The striking employees have expressed concern over the alleged non-seriousness saying that the authorities are not interested to talk with the employees to resolve their important issues.

Earlier also, the employees had gone on a long strike and they were assured that their demands would be fulfilled within a short time, but till now nothing has happened.

The employees once again requested the Chief Minister and Sports Minister to consider their long-pending demands.

Meanwhile, sportspersons in the region are a harried lot, as their daily practice is suffering due to the strike.

Srinagar, June 18
The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has decided to revive the dying Kashmiri Bandh Paether (folk theatre) traditions through interactive workshops and conferences. The tradition folk theatre, a combination of cultural and economic activity, had been a prominent feature, particularly in the rural areas during summer and autumn seasons.

In this direction, the academy has decided to hold two annual folk theatre festivals instead of one. Besides, it would also hold training workshops, work for enhancing artiste fee, blacklist fake theatre groups availing subsidy and compile new Paethers (folktales) through subsidy.

This was disclosed by Zafar Iqbal Manhas, secretary, Cultural Academy, while interacting with representatives of Kashmiri folk theatre groups here recently. “The Cultural Academy will hold annual conferences and workshops so as to revive the dying Bandh Paether tradition of Kashmir,” he said.

“The organisation will also impart technical training to budding theatre artistes so as to keep the Paether traditions of Kashmir alive”.

In all, 40 folk theatre-group representatives met the secretary with their demands, which included skill enhancement of budding artistes, enhancement in artiste fee and holding Paether conferences. The secretary, assuring them that their demands would be fulfilled with all possible help, said the academy would soon appoint a cultural officer for the purpose.

“Since Bandh Paether is a traditional folk form of Kashmir and is facing problems, the academy will soon appoint an officer for looking after this field,” Zafar said while interacting with the folk theatre delegation. He impressed upon the representatives that they should constitute an umbrella organisation and work in tandem so as to project their demands in a right manner.

“Given the situation as far as folk traditions of Kashmir are concerned, it is imperative that individual folk theatre groups constitute an umbrella organisation for the projection of their genuine demands,” he said.

The prominent theatre groups whose representatives met the secretary included Valley Folk Theatre, Hanjigund, Wathura, National Bandh Theatre, Wathura, Alamdar Luk Paether, Budgam, Folk Rumi Reshi Theatre, Pulwama, Kashmir Bhagat Theatre, Anantnag, Arnimal Theatre, Pattan, among many others.

Swankha (Samba), June 18
Preparations are in full swing for this year’s annual festival at the shrine of Baba Sidh Gouria at Swanka, a border village in Samba district 38 km from Jammu. The annual festival on June 20 would be followed by a wrestling contest in which wrestlers from all over the country would participate.

The shrine is famous not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in the whole north India. Before Partition devotees from Sailkote and Lahore used to visit this shrine during the annual festival.

This shrine is a nag temple comprising a sarovar where devotes irrespective of caste, creed and religious usually take a holy dip . “ Not only Hindus but also a large number of Muslims used to pay obeisance at this shrine before 1947”, recalled Shabu Nath, a resident of Swanka. He added even after Partition Muslim devotees from Sailkot used to stay here for days together. A majority of the Muslims who had migrated to Pakistan from this belt after Partition used to visit this shrine till 1970.

Although devotees from across the border have not been visiting the shrine for a long time now, pilgrims from all over the country usually visit the shrine during the annual festival. “The festival at the shrine of Baba Sidh Gouri is one of biggest events in this belt”, said Uma Devi, who recalling her childhood narrated how they enjoyed during the week-long festival.

Keeping in view the popularity of this shrine, the local administration has been making every possible effort to popularise this shrine among Vaishno Devi pilgrims so as to divert pilgrim tourist towards this area.

Swankha has already been declared as a model village comprising 12 adjoining villages. This is the first such scheme where a cluster of villages has been declared as a model village. Swankha is located in the centre of all other villages. Earlier, as a part of the centrally sponsored scheme, a single village was declared as a model village.

Srinagar, June 18
Asking pass outs of the Kashmiri Department at the University of Kashmir to stop harping on jobs in schools and colleges, Prof Reyaz Punjabi, vice-chancellor of the university, recently said there is a tremendous scope for Kashmiri pass outs if they apply their minds in exploring options beyond employment in the government sector.

“We may be able to adjust pass outs in schools and colleges, but a time will come when there will be saturation. Have we thought over this and what is the solution then? As such, there is a need to explore option wherein we can translate subjects in social science and other fields of education into the Kashmiri language,” said Prof Punjabi at a function of pass outs from the varsity’s Department of Kashmiri organised by Adbee Markaz Kamraz, local literary and cultural club.

He added that modern technological tools could be used to preserve a language like Kashmir. “We have to look for diversions. We’ve to see how we can use Kashmiri in fields like management courses, information technology and computer applications”.

The vice-chancellor said: “World-class literature is available in Kashmiri. Analysis of Kashmiri poetry and culture shall be done with modern tools”. Prof Saif-ud-din Soz, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, said: “Mother tongue is the most powerful tool of communication. Local language is the language of comprehension, whereas English is a window language”.

Prof Soz added that at the international level, India is ahead due to command over the English language, which is considered as lingua franca. “Kashmiri has a potential to be considered as a classical language. Mere classical language, however, isn’t enough”. He stated that demand and supply drives everything and the same applies with the Kashmiri language.

Dr Shad Ramzan, Head, Department of Kashmiri, University of Kashmir, informed that so far, there are 4,000 pass outs from the varsity holding Kashmiri degree and diploma. He, however, stated that the government isn’t much serious towards the promotion of this language.

“History and stages are related to the development of a language, so we need not to be disappointed,” observed Dr Hari Krishan Kher, former academician. “Expression is the best while using our mother tongue. Parents need to encourage children to speak Kashmiri”.

Dr Kher is working on the first-ever English-Kashmiri talking dictionary together with a CD.

Jammu, June 18
The annual Khir Bhawani festival will begin from today. Thousands of displaced Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) have started proceeding towards the valley to celebrate the festival at Tullamula, Srinagar.

Enthusiasm among the displaced KPs to revisit their homeland was quite visible on their faces as they waved their loved ones who had come to see them off while leaving for the valley.

The shrine has been instrumental in linking the migrants to their homeland despite all these agonising years of migration. The occasion also marks the meeting of two communities who separated due to migration.

“Through this festival we also get an opportunity to meet our Kashmiri Muslim friends who are residing in the valley. Every year they anxiously wait for us and also make special arrangements for us. Their love for us displays the deep-rooted communal brotherhood in the valley,” said Jai Krishan Bhat, one of the pilgrims who were leaving from Jammu.

The state government facilitated the revisit of pilgrims to the shrine in 1996, which was stopped earlier due to militancy. Since migration, the displaced KPs are paying obeisance to goddess Ragnya Devi in temples constructed in Jammu and other major cities in the country.

Buses were made available at all migrant camps and for non-camp displaced people at the relief commissioner’s office at the Canal Road besides some other locations near Muthi village.

Relief commissioner Vinod Koul said: “There has been a significant increase in the number of devotees visiting the shrine this year. Last year, we arranged around 15 buses as compared to 38 buses this year for the camp and non-camp migrants who are willing to visit the shrine.”

Udhampur, June 18
Aimed at preservation and revival of local culture, the maiden two-day Folk Festival Reasi, 2010, concluded on Wednesday.

The festival, organised by the Sangam Theatre Group at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Reasi, was sponsored by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.

The concluding function, which started with a religious hymn by Purnima Sharma, had Shabir Ahmed Khan. Minister for Forest, Transport, CAPD and PDD, as the chief guest.

Twelve folk cultural troops with over 100 artists from different parts of the state like Manwal, Bakal, Mahore, Chenani, Jammu, Seela, Marhi, Gun Kolsar, Panjoor, Dansal, Sunderbani, Pouni, Rajouri and Poonch enthralled the audience.

The performance of marriage ceremony “Jagerna” turned out to be the star attraction. Other notable performances included Dogri folk geet, Kud Dogri folk dance, Geetru, Karkaan, Gojari folk song, Bhakaan, Haran, Dogri folk dance, Choki Dogri folk theater, chajja dogri folk dance, Poonchi saf-ul-Maluk, Swhaag, Korian, Masaday, Kashmiri dance and pahari songs.

The minister directed the District Development Commissioner to provide all possible help to the folk artistes who were engaged in preserving age-old Dogra culture. He also lauded the organisers for providing a rich feast of folk art at the festival.

Srinagar, June 18
Asserting to empower society with the knowledge of medicines, Prof Riyaz Punjabi, vice-chancellor, University of Kashmir (KU), recently called for a coordinated effort in conducting research on different herbs for which the state is known world over.

“Empowerment of society with regard to knowledge of medicines is must. It can go a long way in making people aware about different medicines they take, their value and effects,” said the vice-chancellor, while addressing the inaugural function of public campaign on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH), geriatric and skincare and continuing medical education for Unani medical practitioners.

Prof Punjabi, during the three-day (June 10-12) training programme organised by the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine at the varsity, said a coordinated effort is required to examine and analyse the benefits of different herbs found in the state.

“There is a sea change in perception that traditional medicines aren’t valid. Today, Unani and Ayurvedic medicines have scientific approval and perhaps they suit us more in terms of our geographical and climatic conditions,” said Prof Punjabi.

He said couple of decades ago, only Chinese indigenous medicines could be found in world markets. “Afterwards, Indian indigenous medicines made entry, especially in Vienna, Paris and Switzerland. This indicates advances in the field”.

The vice-chancellor observed that the state houses wealth of herbal medicines and it could be explored provided a coordinated research is conducted.

S. Jalaja, secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of AYUSH, while inaugurating the programme, said: “We’ve to concentrate more on preventive medicine. Ayurvedic or Unani health care systems are the actual ways of living. They will take us back to the nature and to concept of relationship between body and mind”.

She informed that a Unani college would be set up in Srinagar and an Ayurvedic college in Jammu in future. “By launching these campaigns, we intend to reintroduce Unani medicine in the region that is blessed with herbal wealth”.

“Preventive health care delivery system in the state wasn’t up to the mark,” said Dr M. Amin Wani, director, Health Services, Kashmir, adding, “Our curative model of health care is on a par with other countries, but we are yet to come up to mark in preventive health care delivery”.

Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar, director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, said: “Traditional and modern health care delivery systems should be complementary to each other. Traditional forms of health care were based on wisdom and experience. This wisdom needs to be filtered from myths and made available to human beings”.

“This will help Unani or Ayurvedic practitioners to create a niche and we’ll have a choice in health care systems. The moment we have choices, we get empowered,” said Dr Zargar.

More and more women are actively participating in all socio-cultural spheres of life in the Kashmir valley. Their domain is not only restricted to the field of education--as many women had for decades been actively involved in--- but also to other fields of engineering, science and technology. While trying to keep pace with these spheres of social life and also attending to domestic drudgeries, they have started being independent.

And the number of working women has now been on the rise in different government departments ranging from educational institutions and banks to the police and civil administration, and the fast increasing private sector. Many young women, both working as well as students, have started driving not only cars but also two-wheelers (see picture).