Jammu, October 29
The private schools, which had decided to conduct terminal-1 exams of Class VIII and XI during pooja holidays, have postponed these.

However, only those papers have been postponed that were scheduled to be held during the holidays.

This decision returned the smile on the faces of students who were worried about how to celebrate festivals, particularly Diwali.

The State Board of School Education, too, today postponed the examinations of Class XI, which were earlier scheduled during the holidays.

The board authorities issued a notification directing the heads of government higher secondary schools and private schools of the province to conduct the exams on fresh dates mentioned in the notification.

“The authorities concerned have taken a reasonable decision by postponing the examination/terminal tests,” said Mohinder Singh, a parent.

Roopa Misra, another parent, said, “The announcement about the postponement of examinations by the education authorities has made my children happy. Earlier, they have decided not to celebrate Diwali this year because of the scheduled examinations, but now they have a couple of days to celebrate the festival with full zeal.”

While talking to The Tribune, the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Natha Ram Dingra, said, “It is not possible for the private schools to conduct the examinations during gazetted holidays. The schools have been directed to submit the results of Class VIII on October 30.”

Jammu, October 29
A two-day North Zone meet of the Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology (ISMPP) and a national symposium on “Microbial Diversity and Bio-Prospecting” started at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium, Jammu University, today.

According to a statement issued here, about 200 delegates, including eminent teachers, scientists and researchers, from different institutions of India and abroad participated in the function. The function was organised by the Department of Botany, Jammu University. SM Paul Khurana, Director, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Gurgaon, and former Vice-Chancellor, RDVV, Jabalpur, was the chief guest on this occasion.

HN Gour, Chief Editor, ISMPP Newsletter, Udaipur was the guest of honour.

The function was presided over by Varun Sahni, Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University, who appreciated the Botany Department for organising the function. “McoMehfil”, a cultural programme mesmerised the audience. Two books namely “The Fungi” and “Principles of Microbiology” authored by Geeta Sumbali, convener of ISMPP-NZ, were also released.

Jammu, October 29
A local court in Rajouri today sent to a six-day police custody the two accused arrested yesterday for allegedly tearing a poster of a religious sect .

According to the police, the accused were produced before the court this morning. The court sent them to police custody for six days.

Two brothers, Umesh Kumar and Naresh Kumar, running a cosmetics shop in Rajouri, were arrested last evening after they beat up a teenager for pasting the poster of a religious sect outside their shop and also tore the poster.

Jaan Mohammad, SHO, Rajouri police station said, “The situation has been brought under control and there is nothing to worry about the issue.” Last evening, tension flared up in the town and the followers of the religious sect held a protest.

Jammu, October 29
With the confusion over the Central University of Jammu still persisting, hundreds of students from Ladakh today took to the streets demanding a central university in Ladakh. They protested against the state as well as Union governments for their bias against the region.

Nearly 200 students, holding placards and wearing white clothes on their foreheads, assembled at the Ladakh House near the railway station here under the banner of the All Ladakh Students’ Joint Action Committee. They marched towards Bikram Chowk and from there they dispersed later.

The protesting students also demanded a separate division status for Ladakh, opening of Chadder Road, a railway link to Ladakh and increase in the budget of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).

“The main agenda of our protest was the neglect of the Ladakh region, especially in the educational sector, by the Central and state governments. That’s why we have assembled here to express the grievances of Ladakh students,” said Skalzang Dorjey, convener of the ALSJAC.

He added, “We are compelled to live in places distant from our homes as educational refugees because these facilities are far less in our region. The Ladakh region has its own problems, because of different culture, religion, race and environment. It remains cut-off from the rest of the world for more than six months in a year, which is the reason for its underdevelopment.”

The students also expressed concern over the recent visit of the interlocutors. They said, “The interlocutors should have visited the Ladakh region to know the problems of the people in the region.”

They alleged that the all-party Parliamentary delegation, which visited the state earlier, too, ignored the Ladakh region. “The Central government’s focus has always been remained on Kashmir and Jammu and Ladakh has been ignored in every matter.”

Jammu, October 29
IG, CRPF, AS Sidhu today advised the force personnel to work with dedication and loyalty in the best tradition of the paramilitary force so as to maintain the sovereignty of the country.

After putting in 39 years of distinguished service, Sidhu will retire on October 31.

In his farewell speech to officers and personnel at the Sainik Sammelan at the CRPF’s Group Centre, Sidhu also wished the paramilitary jawans and their families the best in life. On the occasion, he also took a salute at the Quarter Guard.

The outgoing IG, who took over the charge of the Jammu region on December 23 last year, had faced numerous challenges like taking over the road opening duty from the Army from Nagrota to the Ramban part of the strategic Kashmir highway.

The paramilitary force also carried out extensive anti-terrorism operations in consonance with the Army that resulted in the killing of several militants, besides the recovery of huge quantity of arms and ammunition.

Sidhu also took keen interest in the acquisition of land for the expansion of the CRPF in the Jammu region. He was also instrumental in the raising of the new office of the CRPF’s Special DG of J&K zone.

Jammu, October 29
The BJP has condemned the decision of the Union government not to file a case against Hurriyat leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani and writer Arundhati Roy for their “inflammatory and provocative” remarks.

In a statement issued here today, BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas said the decision exposed the Union government for adopting a soft approach towards anti-national leaders.

He said during a seminar “Azaadi-The only way”, held on October 21, Geelani and Arundhati made “inflammatory and provocative” speeches, which were condemned by every nationalist Indian. It was expected that a case against them under Section 124 (A) of the IPC would be filed against them.

He observed that the Union government’s decision to ignore what they had uttered in the National Capital sent very wrong signals across the country. “Such an approach towards those instigating secessionism should leave no one in doubt that the UPA government was not resolute and determined to protect integrity and unity of the country,” he said.

Manhas said the real problem of secessionism and separatism in Jammu and Kashmir had its roots in New Delhi itself.

He came down heavily on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also. In this regard, he pointed out that while the nationalists of the state were protesting against the most controversial speech delivered by the Chief Minister in the State Assembly on October 6, it was astonishing that the Union Home Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister did not find anything “objectionable” in the speech.

Jammu, October 29
Chairman of the Panthers Party Bhim Singh has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to recall the interlocutors who have been appointed to solve the Kashmir issue.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Bhim Singh wrote that the interlocutors had no role to play in the issue and they would be better employed in some other ministry in appropriate place.

In the letter, which was circulated to the media, Bhim Singh objected to the statements of the interlocutors on three points.

First, they called the Kashmir situation as ‘Kashmir dispute’, which he said was totally absurd, anti-national and against the established policy of India as had been demonstrated by Krishna Menon during his historic reply to Pakistan on the floor of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Second, the interlocutors had strongly pleaded for the inclusion of Pakistan in their agenda, which the Panthers Party chairman said was “highly objectionable” of the code of conduct that an interlocutor should have observed.

Third, the interlocutors’ new proposal, which could be more dangerous than Dixon Plan, that the word ‘azadi’ should be allowed in the Constitution of India as far as Jammu and Kashmir was concerned.

He urged the Prime Minister that the recommendations of the four Working Groups on the state may be considered by experts and the Working Group-V should be reconstituted.

“This would help revive democracy in the state and restore peace, which is the need of the hour,” he said. He hoped that angry Kashmiri leaders shall wind up their anti-national “shops” and join the national mainstream for the betterment of the people of entire state.

Jammu, October 29
With the alleged abduction and illegal conversion of 28 minor Ladakh children by the NGO, Youth Movement for Peace, snowballing into a major controversy, the Dharam Jagriti Manch has demanded that the accused must be booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The manch also demanded that NGO’s “outside” connection should also be exposed.

Addressing mediapersons here today, manch convener Dharnidhar Sharma said the accused should be thoroughly questioned to establish whether they had any connection outside the state to carry out the practice of illegal conversion of gullible people to a particular religion. “We want a thorough probe to expose the accused as well as their nefarious designs,” said Sharma.

He asked people to be alert and immediately inform the police about such elements. He also raised a finger at the functioning of the Leh Deputy Commissioner. He said how the NGO got the custody of the children, victims of the cloudburst, and brought them here (Jammu) without the permission of the Deputy Commissioner, besides fulfilling the requisite legal formalities.

He appreciated IG, Jammu zone, Ashok Gupta; DIG, Jammu-Kathua Range, Farooq Khan; SSP, Jammu, Basant Rath; and other police officers, who realised the gravity of the situation and responded immediately.

It may be stated here that the 28 children, including four girls, were kept in a rented accommodation in the Dogra Hall area by the NGO.

The NGO, however, on its part, has claimed that it had no mala fide intentions and, in fact, wanted to provide the best education to the children.

An inquiry by the police on the instructions of Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, MK Dwivedi revealed that the NGO had no resources to take care of the children.

According to the police, the NGO had visited Leh after the cloudburst to distribute aid and relief materials.

Udhampur, October 29
No vendor will be allowed to sell crackers without the permission of the district administration. Deputy Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan issued instructions in this regard at a meeting of the district officers of all government departments convened here today by him to finalise arrangements for Diwali.

SSP, Udhampur, Surinder Gupta, Additional District Development Commissioner Ram Rattan Shrama, Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Gurvinderjeet Singh, Assistant Director, Fire Services, M Qasim, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kuldeep Kesar and the Tehsildar (settlement) were present in the meeting.

It was decided that the sale of crackers should be closely monitored in the district to prevent any untoward incident. For the purpose a team of revenue officers headed by the Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, has also been constituted for the constant monitoring of the markets.

Instructions were issued to the officers to ensure that there should be no sale of crackers in the city except the identified location.As part of it, the sale of crackers would be allowed only at the Subhash Stadium, Udhampur, where the vendors permitted by the administration could put up their stalls. Any shopkeeper found selling crackers in other locations of the town would be liable for action under rules.

A team of officers headed by the Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, would allot the sites for stalls to the eligible applicants at the proposed site. The administration has also fixed the timings of the sale between 9 am and 9 pm on Diwali.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the Assistant Director, Emergency Fire Services, to prepare a comprehensive plan for putting up stalls at the identified site as per the fixed norms. He would also make necessary arrangements for firefighting arrangements to meet any eventuality.

The Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Udhampur, was directed to make the public aware about the area identified for the purpose of sale of crackers through a public address system. Meanwhile, the SSP has asked the vendors to remain extra vigilant and keep a close watch on the suspicious elements who may create disturbance, especially during the festive occasion.

Srinagar, October 29
As part of the annual Durbar Move, the Civil Secretariat and other government offices closed here this afternoon to reopen in Jammu on November 8. All offices, including the Civil Secretariat, observing a five-day week closed after office hours here today while those observing a six-day week would close after the office hours tomorrow.

The Governor’ Secretariat also closed down after the office hours here this afternoon and would reopen in Jammu on November 8.

Nearly 8,000 employees, including 3000 from the Civil Secretariat, would move to Jammu for the six months of winter. A total of 41 departments, including all departments of the Civil Secretariat housing the offices of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and heads of departments, would move in full. Another 45 departments would move in camps carrying 33 per cent of the staff strength from here to the winter capital.

Advance parties of all departments, as per the Durbar Move order issued on October 4, were deputed on October 25, which comprised one gazetted officer and four to five non-gazetted employees who would receive the records in Jammu. The Jammu-based employees would be transported to the winter capital in the next two days. The Kashmir-based employees would move in SRTC buses provided for the purpose on November 6 and 7.

While the trucks provided by the SRTC for shifting records started entering the Civil Secretariat after the office hours today, these would be loaded tomorrow. The loading of records in the offices located outside the Secretariat premises, that had been observing a six-day week, would take place after the working hours tomorrow. The loaded trucks would leave for Jammu on October 31 in a convoy.

Other police offices, which also closed down here today, included that of the DGP, Commissioner of Vigilance, Chief Electoral Officer, Director General Prisons; Director General, Fire and Emergency Services; Director Information; Director State Motor Garages and Director Hospitality and Protocol.

Srinagar, October 29
Stray incidents of violence were reported from Baramulla and Pulwama districts this afternoon though life remained near normal across the Kashmir valley for the second consecutive day today.

Curfew restrictions were imposed as preventive measures on interior parts of Srinagar city and parts of Bandipore and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir today.

Curfew restrictions in interior Srinagar city was imposed on the areas of five police stations of Safakadal, MR Gunj, Khanyar, Nowhatta and Rainawari. However, these restrictions were lifted after 5 pm.

In Bandipora, the restrictions were imposed on the main town only that had witnessed clashes during the past two days in which at least eight persons, including three policemen, were injured.

The restrictions were also enforced in Kupwara town and the Trehgam and Kralpora areas of Kupwara district early morning. These were relaxed from 9 am onwards, the police said.

According to the police, protesters assembled at Chowk Delina in Baramulla and resorted to stone-throwing on security forces. They also tried to block the Srinagar-Baramulla Highway.

Stone-throwing on security forces was also reported from Murran in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, prompting the police to use force.