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Unrest casts shadow on Kashmir central varsity
Leh survivors hunt for bodies of their kin
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Families seek compensation for loss due to rain
Jammu to have artificial lake by 2012
World Tourism Day a non-event in Kashmir
Weddings turn a quiet affair in Valley
Turmoil affects art, cultural activities in Valley
Securitymen to allow movement of school buses
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Unrest casts shadow on Kashmir central varsity
New Delhi, September 28 The university was opened on August 25 and classes have been hit since then because of unrest in the Valley. “There were applicants from outside Kashmir, but due to turmoil, the net result was that not many applicants from outside Kashmir took admission,” he said. Qureshi said he expected 30 per cent admission of non-Kashmiri students in each course, but due to violence the number of eligible students stayed just four out of total 90 in three courses. “I was expecting 25-30 students from outside Kashmir out of 90. But still I am happy that we have four non-Kashmiri students. One belongs to Bihar, one from Andhra Pradesh and other two pupil are from Jammu”. When asked about curfew restrictions, he said things were manageable during strike but the curfew imposed by the government had created serious problems for the varsity. Since two days before Eid, the entire university came to a standstill, he said. He said the varsity could hold 6-7 lectures per course and it had just nine teachers, out of which four were retired professors and five were freshers. Terming the ongoing violence in Kashmir as a "temporary setback", Qureshi expressed hope that the visit of 36-member all-party delegation to the state last week would yield some results shortly. “It is too early to expect things to happen. We should not expect a spontaneous response. Definitely, something would come out,” Qureshi said. “It (violence) will not last long. I also had an opportunity to express my views freely before the all-party delegation. I strongly feel some members of the delegation are sincere vis-a-vis the problem”. “But because of preoccupations of the Central government with matters like the upcoming
Commonwealth Games, Ayodhya-Babri Masjid verdict and floods, New Delhi has lot of pressure. Once the things calm down. The delegation should be able to give recommendations to the government”.
— PTI |
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Leh survivors hunt for bodies of their kin
Phyang, September 28 Nawang Thiles, a havildar in the Army, and his three children - Padma Gyatso (13); Deldan Namgyal (11); and daughter Nilza Angmo (7) - are leaving no stone unturned to find Tsering, as they have traced her everywhere. They have also used JCB machines a number of times to scan debris. “We were sleeping in the same room in our house on the night of cloudburst and suddenly huge water took our mother somewhere and she has not returned yet,” said Padma Gyatso, elder son of Thiles. He said: “We are so unlucky that we have not yet recovered the body of our mother. Even people have now started saying that our mother will never come back”. After saying these words, Padma started weeping and took his siblings inside the monastery and refused to talk further. However, Thiles said the administration has told him that they had searched his wife everywhere, but failed in their attempts. He said: “The administration has been providing relief material to us, but it is of no use as I have lost my wife and this loss can never be covered. My children will have to suffer for their whole life”. He said he was on his duty at
Partappur village in the Nubra Valley during that night which took everything away. Not only Thiles and his children, but also several others like them are
waiting for the recovery of the bodies of their loved ones, as 74 persons are still missing, including two
foreigners. A senior official of the state government said nearly 20 persons were washed away during the flash floods from Phyang village alone and 16 of them have been recovered dead. In another incident in which the flash floods took away all five persons of a family, the head of the ill-fated family is still missing. “My father Himmat Ali has not been traced yet, but the bodies of my brother, sister-in-law and their three children have been traced,” said Zainabi, daughter of Himmat, who was married in the same village. Zainabi further said she, along with her husband, had been regularly visiting senior officials and leaders of the government so that one day her father’s body could be recovered. “It is all about the nature’s fury, which had taken everything from me,” said Zainabi, adding that she had met her brother only a day before the catastrophe when he was going to the fields. However, T. Angchok, deputy commissioner, Leh, said: “We are putting maximum efforts to trace the missing persons and every possible help is being provided to the victims”. |
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Families seek compensation for loss due to rain
Jammu, September 28 One month ago, Raman Bhalla, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, had conducted on a survey of the affected areas. During the survey, the minister had found that a large numbers of houses belonging to poor people had collapsed due to heavy rains and flash floods in some seasonal nullahs. The minister had directed the revenue authorities to prepare detailed reports of the losses so that the process of sanctioning compensation could be started. “One month has passed, but no action has been taken so far,” remarked Ravinder Bhagat, a resident of Samba, who pointed out that the authorities were adopting a casual approach towards preparing the reports. Besides houses, crops over a large area were damaged due to floods in these two districts. Ironically, the authorities have so far refused to give compensation to the affected people. “It is clearly mentioned in the guidelines that compensation would be given to owners of only those houses which were
collapsed due to floods and there is no provision for those who lost shelter due to heavy rains,” said a senior revenue officer on the condition of anonymity. He said the authorities were helpless in this regard. Only kuccha houses were collapsed in the rains and all victims belonged to the BPL category. Even as the minister had assured the affected families that they would be given compensation, bureaucrats were adamant to follow the guidelines. Officers have been preparing a list of only those families whose houses were collapsed due to floods and families whose houses collapsed due to rains have not been included in the list of beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the affected farmers have decided to launch an agitation. “The government has announced huge compensation for those who were involved in anti-national activities in the Kashmir Valley, but for the flood and rain-affected farmers of the region, the government is adopting delay tactics,” regretted Subash Singh, a social activist of Hiranagar, who warned that farmers would come on streets if their demands were not fulfilled within 15 days. |
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This park is ‘no man’s land’
Jammu, September 28 While every thing has changed after the end of monarchy in the state, Hari Singh Zanana Park still remains a “no man’s land”. The lush green park sprawling over 30-32 kanals near the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, was made under the direction of the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, during his regime. The “women’s paradise” is a symbol of Maharaja’s concern for their welfare. Historians say that Hari Singh’s regime saw many social transformations amongst which women emancipation and empowerment remained impetus. It was during his regime that child marriage was banned and widow remarriage was endorsed. Besides, focus was laid on education of girl child. A board at the entrance of the park that is being maintained by the Department of Floriculture tells that the park was again inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad after a facelift in 2005. “There is no such restriction that disallows men or women in any of the parks in the city, except this one. Though the social set up has undergone a sea
change, the park remains for the use of women only,” says a local, Ravinder Gupta, adding, “Any such provision that treats women and men differently throw light on the remains of primitive parochialism and fossil feudalism in our society.” “Though there are many parks in the city, women feel more secure at Hari Singh Park. It is properly maintained as the entry is restricted,” says Simran Kaur, a morning walker at the park. She adds that earlier the park was maintained by the Ladies Club, but now the Department of Floriculture is responsible for its upkeep. “During his regime, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had asked the department for maintaining at least one zanana park in every district headquarters. However, it is the only one in Jammu province which is exclusively for women,” says director, floriculture “We have upgraded many parks in Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch, but these parks are open to all,” he says. |
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Jammu to have artificial lake by 2012
Jammu, September 28 “The government has allotted the project to a Hyderabad-based company, GVR Projects Limited. Their machinery has started reaching the capital city and the work on the project is likely to start next month. The company has already started setting up its office here,” Taj Mohi-ud-Din, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, said. The company would first raise a barrage at a cost of Rs 70 crore and then state agencies would execute allied works worth Rs 40 crore to come up with the state-of-the-art lake, he said. Once completed, the 2-km-long lake would also have a boat club and three parks in its vicinity spanning over 400 kanals, the minister said. “The government has issued a letter of intent to the company and the clock has started ticking for them. They have to come up with the project in two years from now,” added Taj. It may be recalled here that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had laid the foundation of the lake in December last. The lake would definitely give an impetus to the tourism sector. It had been a long-pending demand of the people, particularly those associated with the tourism, said Taj. No doubt, the government has initiated work on the ambitious project, but at the same time it should also do spade work in protecting and preserving the river, said Ashwani Gupta, a local resident. The river has been polluted badly and at some places, heaps of garbage, polythene and stinking stagnant water give it a look of slushy drain than a river, he regretted. The river could be seen littered with polythene bags, waste discharge of the city, debris and all sorts of garbage, he added. The government has initiated another project to plug 23 direct and indirect channels, which dump the city waste into the river where the lake has to come up, claimed a JMC official. The government had already embarked upon a sewerage project in the capital city and 23 direct and indirect channels, which continue to contaminate the river, were being directed to sewerage treatment plants in the Bhagwati Nagar area, he added. It may be stated here that apart from the lake, the government has a plan to connect two heritage sites of Mubarak Mandi with Bahu Fort across the Tawi with cable car. |
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World Tourism Day a non-event in Kashmir
Srinagar, September 28 Tourism has taken a back seat in view of the ongoing trouble in the valley since June 11. Shikaras (ferry boats) and houseboats in Dal lake have been longing for tourists for the past three months with owners finding it difficult to sustain their living. While higher tourist arrivals during spring and early summer months had shown encouraging signals, the trouble that arose at the end of June, turned the tide. “Since then the tourist flow has been almost negligible,” said one of the hotel owners. At least 8,000 arrivals were being recorded every day in June which recorded a total of 4,32,238 tourists by June 27 as compared to 2,44,340 in the same period last year. The foreign tourist arrival had also doubled to 17,146 during the period this year as compared to 8,585 in 2009. Meanwhile, Fayaz Ahmad, a houseboat owner, has pinned hopes on the coming fortnight since he got a couple of bookings recently. Water in the lake is serene with least movement of shikaras. “There is some hope in the coming days,” said Fayaz Ahamd, before he prepares for the coming winter when lesser tourists visit Kashmir. Besides houseboat owners and hoteliers, others affiliated with the tourism trade, including taxi operators, handicrafts and other traders, have also been adversely affected by the ongoing turmoil. The Directorate of Tourism had to cancel several programmes for the promotion of tourism in Kashmir and Ladakh regions due to the turmoil and natural calamity, respectively. The only activity that continued without any disturbance was the two-month-long Amarnath yatra, which began on July 1 and concluded on August 24. Over 4.50 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave during the two months, providing benefit to over 22,000 local labourers and other small businessmen. Also, plans to divert at least 10 per cent of pilgrims to Vaishnodevi shrine to Kashmir could not be accomplished. Besides, flashflood in Ladakh on August 6 also hampered the movement of tourists to the frontier cold desert region of Ladakh via Kashmir. In the backdrop of these developments, the observance of the World Tourism Day remained a modest affair. Speaking on the occasion, Nasir Aslam Wani said planting of a sapling served as a gesture to correlate the significance of environment to tourism. He reiterated the importance of tourism for the economy of the state, adding that massive infrastructure development was on to cater to tourists. The minister hoped that the tourism sector would revive and achieve the glory of past days. He said as soon as the law and order situation improved in the valley, the government would take necessary measures for winning back the confidence of tourists at the national and international level. |
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Weddings turn a quiet affair in Valley
Srinagar, September 28 Marriage functions these days need facilitation of law enforcement agencies as the local police station provides a limited number of curfew passes to families of the bride and the groom to allow their free movement on the wedding days. “We had to take two police constables along with baraat (groom's party) as curfew was being strictly imposed,” Bashir Ahmad, whose son Showkat got married early this month, said. Ahmad said since there was no scope of a large number of guests being able to attend the wedding, he only invited his close relatives and neighbours. “We were planning for the wedding feast since last year and expected to incur an expenditure of Rs 3.50 lakh to Rs 4 lakh on it. However, due to the ongoing unrest, that has come down to just Rs 1 lakh,” he added. Kashmiris, who are voracious mutton consumers, normally use 400 kg to one tonne of meat for preparing the ‘wazwan’ (traditional multi-course meal), but that has been reduced to 70 to 80 kg due to the prevailing circumstances in the Valley. Tariq Ahmad, who got married early this week, said other allied expenditures were automatically reduced. “The cost of disposable items for serving the food, renting extra beddings for guests, decorations, cold drinks and other seemingly small expenses have been saved. At the end of the day, the spending on these things sometimes cross Rs 2 lakh,” he said. The average spending on a marriage ceremony has been reduced from Rs 10 lakh to around Rs 3.50 lakh as the extensive wazwan has been reduced to a few dishes. “We did not cook too many dishes as it was not feasible in the given circumstances. We had a basic wazwan cuisine,” Quratul Ain, who also got married recently, said. Although Qurat’s marriage was a simple affair, his family wanted to sing the traditional wanwun songs on the mehandiraat. “However, some local youth came and warned us not to sing.... it was a hush-hush affair,” he said. Qurat’s elder brother Basharat had also got married under similar circumstances in the aftermath of the Amarnath land row agitation in the Valley. Besides nearly putting the traditional chefs, known as 'wazas', out of business, the “austere” weddings have badly affected the business of goldsmiths and jewellers. “The bulk of our earnings would come during the wedding season, but that is almost gone now. People of Kashmir are fond of giving gold ornaments as gifts, but when you are not attending a marriage, why would you give a gift?" Jamsheed Ahmad, a jeweller, said. He said even families of brides and grooms have cut down on buying jewellery.
— PTI |
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Turmoil affects art, cultural activities in Valley
Jammu, September 28 Encouraged by the last year’s huge response from the art lovers, particularly from the Kashmir Valley, the academy had this year drawn a long calendar of literary, cultural and art activities. “All our hopes to promote and revive the art were dashed,” said Zafar Iqbal Manhas, secretary, Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. With situation in Kashmir showing no improvement, most of the scheduled cultural activities have now been postponed. In some cases, the venue has either been shifted to the Jammu region or to such areas within the Valley which have not been affected by the turmoil. “We are shifting our activities to border areas like Uri and Karnah within Kashmir which have remained violence free all these years. Also, some events will now be held in Jammu on the shifting of Darbar to the winter capital,” Zafar said. He said the academy had intended to organise about 50 shows of “Baand Pather” across Kashmir to revive this traditional satirical and folk theatre, which is otherwise a dying art. “Our efforts could have given a fresh lease of life to both art and artistes,” Zafar said. The secretary of the academy said events like All-India Painting Workshop, Writers’ Conference, Sufi Music Festival and Urdu Conference could not be held at all. “We cannot also publish scores of books and literary journals which were in the final stage of printing,” he said. This year, the academy had also planned to organise the Sarwanand Premi Day in memory of a great Kashmiri scholar from South Kashmir who was gunned down by militants in the initial days of militancy. “Unfortunately, the event could not be held. Similarly, we could not organise conferences to pay tributes to poets like Rasul Mir, Asad Mir and Moti Lal Saqi,” Zafar said. He said the cultural events that were scheduled to be held in the Ladakh division were also postponed due to cloudburst. “Similarly, unrest in Poonch district also affected cultural activities forcing us to reschedule our calendar of events,” Zafar added. |
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Jammu diary
Although Congress leaders from the Jammu region have strongly opposed repealing of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and granting of greater autonomy to the state, they were, however, hesitating to admit it in public to keep Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saif ud Din Soz in good humour. Instead of making the party’s stand clear on these issues, the PCC chief has been adopting a middle path making his loyalists too not openly oppose repealing of the AFSPA. While coming out after meeting the all-party delegation, Lok Sabha member from the Udhampur-Doda segment Choudhary Lal Singh disclosed the stand taken by party leaders. When Lal Singh was opposing revocation of the AFSPA before the media, senior leaders were trying to slip away from the spot. As no one was ready to stand with Lal Singh, the MP caught hold of a Cabinet Minister and asked him to stand with him as a witness. “You have to stand with me as all of us have opposed revocation of the AFSPA in the meeting”, he said. The minister tried to escape but to no avail. Use dippers at light?
The celebrated book “Eats, shoots and leaves” makes fun of people, who try to write in English on banners, signposts, quotes outside their houses, shops to spread a message or advertise a product. Often, one sees a warning or traffic guides. The author has quoted many examples and if he happens to visit Jammu, he would find many more hilarious ones. One on a road to the university says “ Please use dipper at light” instead of “ at night”. It leaves one wondering if there are some special orders in the city to use dipper in light only? (see photo) Omar sports grey hair
It is natural for one to try to look young. But Chief Minister Omar Abdullah surprised everyone by trying to look old by suddenly sporting grey hair one fine day. People thought he was trying to look mature and wise as he was often called “naive” and “immature” in his dealings. He is especially criticised for always trying to advise others on what to do and what should be done for good governance or how the state can progress. As the CM, he is supposed to take action, script a change instead of going around merely advising others. One hoped the grey hair would check the critics as Omar tries to look wise and mature but the bad Press he got before and after the all-party delegation wherein various members of the delegation and many Congress leaders in the state government questioned his lack of mass appeal and public contact, means he would have to work more to earn respect. Auto drivers fleece
passengers
Fleecing of passengers by auto-drivers is rampant at the local Railway Station. They charges hefty fares from passengers, especially tourists, who are ignorant about the prevailing fares in the city. Besides the Railway Station, passengers are cheated by auto-drivers in other areas of the city as well. “Citing high petrol rates fixed by the government, the auto-drivers manage to extract more even for shorter distances”, said Sanjeev Gupta, a passenger. (Contributed by Dinesh Manhotra, Jupinderjit Singh and Sunaina Kaul) |
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Securitymen to allow movement of school buses
Srinagar, September 28 The meeting on the instructions of Asgar Samoon, divisional commissioner, Kashmir, was convened to sensitise executive magistrates of Srinagar so that they are able to avoid the difficulties being faced by the general public, especially during restrictions and curfew. An official spokesman said the deputy commissioner, Srinagar, briefed the magistrates about their role, powers and responsibilities. Bukhari also urged the magistrates to ensure proper coordination with concerned SHOs so that they can play a pro-active role as well as redress the grievances of general public. Samoon gave explicit instructions to ensure that employees of essential services and school staff, including teachers and non-teaching staff and students in uniforms, travelling in school buses or their own transport are facilitated throughout the Valley, even if there is restriction or curfew. The Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir, has also issued instructions to all district SPs for facilitating the smooth movement of students and the school staff. The police and security forces have been directed to allow movement of school buses carrying teaching and non-teaching staff. Identity cards of teaching and non-teaching staff would be treated as curfew passes. Any person facing any problem can contact the Police Control Room on phone number 100 or the concerned SHO/executive magistrate, the official spokesman added. The meeting was attended by 45 executive magistrates, including Sarmad Hafeez, ADDC, Mohammed Akbar Ganai, ADC, and Mukhtar-ul-Aziz, ADC, Srinagar. |
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