The people of Baramulla and the nearby villages also thank the Army for holding regular medical camps 
for them.

“We are thankful to General Hasnain as it is all because of his soft approach towards the common people of the Valley that we have now started living a peaceful and happy life,” said Ghulam Qadir, another resident of the town whose house and family members were saved by the Army when his house had caught fire.

Jammu, July 22
The Attendant Sarai at Maheshpura Chowk, opposite Government Medical College, was set up for providing accommodation to attendants of patients coming from the far-off and rural areas for treatment at city hospitals. However, it has failed to serve the purpose because of lack of publicity and unavailability of facilities.

On an average, the occupancy rate at the sarai, having the capacity of accommodating 160 persons, is around 20 per cent. However, at present, the sarai has the capacity of only 56 persons (seven dormitories) as repair work is going on in other dormitories while the three upper floors have been closed to visitors.

Moreover, it has never witnessed the stay of more than 24 persons at a time.

Almost 10 months have passed since the inauguration of this five-storeyed building by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but due to lack of publicity and unavailability of facilities, not many people have utilised the services of the sarai. This despite the fact that a nominal charge of Rs 60 per person per bed has been fixed by the Indian Red Cross Society.

When patients and their attendants at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) were asked whether they knew about the sarai, they replied in negative.

“Nobody told us about such a facility. If the government has constructed any such building, they should have also publicised it so that attendants can avail the facility. There is no information available at the hospital regarding the sarai, so how we come to know about it?” asked an attendant.

A visit to the sarai revealed that though the building was neat and clean, it was not equipped with basic facilities like telephone and a genset. Lift was also out of order.

An insider told The Tribune that the service provider had disconnected the telephone because its rent was not paid for a long period.

A person who recently stayed at the sarai said during rains, the sarai looks like a haunted house”.

“A large number of glasses have been used to make it beautiful from outside but when high velocity winds blow, they start shaking. Rainwater also enters into the building, so it’s of no use. One can’t sleep peacefully here,” said an attendant.

It has also been learnt that the staff deployed there is overburdened. The building has just one sweeper. There are two guards, each putting in 12 hours of duty. Besides, there are two clerks.

This building, constructed at a cost of Rs 3.29 crore, was a dream project of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who laid its foundation stone on March 18, 2008. After completion, the building was handed over to the Indian Red Cross Society for its maintenance and management.

Anil Padha, honorary secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, Jammu, said: “Publicity is an issue although the public has started staying here and it will take some more time for it to get full occupancy. We are going to put banners outside GMCH and SMGS Hospital to make the public aware of the sarai”.

He also assured that the repair work would be completed soon as the divisional commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, had assured them of providing funds for this purpose.

Jammu, July 22
A resident of Islamabad village in Haveli tehsil of district Poonch, Sarfraz Khan has sought re-investigation into the death of his father, who had died while working for the Army.

Sarfraz says, “The death of my father affected the family irrevocably.” He rues that in spite of recommendations by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), his family has not got ex-gratia relief or any other help from the government.

His father, Mohammad Sarwar Khan Rathore, died on August 19, 1999. “The police safeguarded the accused Armymen during investigation portraying the death as accidental. But those present on the spot, who are still alive, say that he was killed. I appeal to the authorities to order a fresh probe in the case.”

“My father was on way to Poonch from Pelara village. When the bus he was travelling in reached Arai Nallah, some officers of RR forcibly evicted him from the bus along with some other passengers and ordered to carry ammunition boxes to Gun Point (an Army post),” claimed Sarfraz adding, “When my father refused, the infuriated Armymen compelled him to lift two boxes of ammunition instead of one. After walking some distance, my father dropped the boxes as he was not able to walk with the load.”

“Following this, an Armyman bludgeoned his head with the butt of rifle, killing him on the spot,” he alleged.

“My father was a dignified man. He had never done any physical work at home,” he said and added, “My father even asked the Armymen to take money from him to engage some labourer for the same work and let him go. But they were adamant.”

The police in its rejoinder to the SHRC said Sarwar died of head injury while serving the Army. “Army officers of RR stopped the bus and requested the passengers that if anybody was willing to serve the nation by helping the Army in carrying ammunition/luggage to Gun Point. On this, some male passengers, including Mohammad Sarwar, picked up ammunition box willingly and followed other persons,” the police told the commission. “Unfortunately, after walking a few feet, he lost his balance due to which the box he was carrying, injured posterior of his head causing death on the spot,” the police said.

The commission in its judgment in June 2008 upheld the police version and maintained that he died while serving the Army. Bur it recommended that the next of the kin of the deceased be given a relief of Rs 1 lakh, besides a government job on compassionate grounds. “We have not got any kind of relief so far,” Sarfraz said and added, “I had to leave the school soon after my father’s death. One of my sisters, Shahyaza Banoo is suffering from paralysis of both legs whereas another sister, Saydha Banoo has lost her mental balance.”

Srinagar, July 22
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah released a Kashmiri novel titled “Gul Gulshan Gulfam” at an impressive function held here recently at the Women’s College auditorium. The novel has been authored by a noted script writer, actor and playwright Pran Kishore.

Omar also released a Hindi book of short stories “Kali Raat Ka Suraj”, composed by Shanta Koul. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister praised Pran Kishore for his versatile personality. He said Pran Kishore was a multi-talented literary figure who had excelled in several fields, including drama and theatre. “His scholastic works have brought him national and international fame,” Omar said, adding that Kishore had made great contribution in fine arts as well as literature.

The Chief Minister called upon the author to come up with a fresh script on Kashmir depicting its rich cultural ethos, art and traditions and magnificent landscape. He assured full support to him in such pursuits.

Omar said his government was keen to establish a Tehzib Ghar to promote and safeguard the state’s rich cultural heritage. He said the modern Tehzib Ghar would have unique aesthetic look with provision for a reading room, an auditorium and a full-fledged archives, among other things.

Earlier, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a painting exhibition by Kishore. The paintings drawn in varied ambience depict Kashmir in retrospection.

The function was attended by adviser to the Chief Minister Mubarak Gul, MY Taing, secretary, Academy of Art Culture and Languages, Zafar Iqbal Manhas, general secretary, Funkar Cultural Organisation, GR Hasrat Gadda.

Meanwhile, Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather urged for the promotion of Kashmiri language, which, he said was imperative for the conservation of our art, culture and civilisation.

Speaking at a book-release function organised by a newly formed cultural organisation, Rather said: “We are not averse to learning other languages but mother tongue should not be altered on this account”.

The function was attended by a galaxy of poets, writers, intellectual and prominent citizens, including Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Mohammad Rafi, noted novelist Ghulam Nabi Gowhar, president, Central Kashmir Federation of Cultural Organisation, Srinagar, Abdul Rashid Hanjura.

Rather said voice of literary figures was most powerful as the time had proved that poets and writers had brought biggest socio-political revolution in the world.

“Writings of literacy personalities like poets have a great impact on the people and this power should be used in curbing social evils and for socio-economic transformation of society,” Rather added.

He said poets and writers had a pivotal role in fostering bonds of amity, brotherhood and national spirit.

On this occasion, Rather released 10 books written by various poets and writers which include Kashmiri Translation of Quran by Syed Ghulam Rasool Shah, Rights of Children written by Abdul Rashid Hanjura, short story collection of Abdul Ahad Gulshan, etc.

After a long wait of about 27 years through the two-decade-long turmoil, the central Lal Chowk has started to do away with the looks of a war-ravaged zone.

While a new project for the beautification of this commercial hub around the Clock Tower was given a shape last year, the historic Budshah Hotel remained in ruins.

It was only late last year when work on its reconstruction, above the row of shops facing the main road, was started. The project of J&K Tourism Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore is expected to be completed by September this year (See photo). The hotel was gutted in a fire in 1984 and awaited reconstruction like several other structures, particularly through the years of militancy.

Even as these two projects and also the reconstructed building, which housed various government offices over a row of shops on the nearby Residency Road, came up last year, much still needs to be done.

Some other spots in this heart of the city continue to give it the looks of a war-ravaged zone, particularly for the visitors.

The structure of the erstwhile Palladium Cinema, which is found only in the form of rubble, continues to be a black spot after it was ravaged in a firefight in 1993.