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Season’s first rain brings cheer to Jammu farmers
Pheran in great demand in Jammu
Border alive with festivities
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‘Industrial sector never a government’s priority’
srinagar DIARY
Perfect recipe for marital disaster!
Natrang Director to attend Cultural Olympiad in Singapore
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Season’s first rain brings cheer to Jammu farmers
Jammu, January 13 Agronomy experts had feared a huge drop in the wheat production in the backdrop of the deficient rains this winter. However, 5.2 mm of rainfall this month is expected to help in increasing crops. Though the rainfall was not sufficient to cope up with the loss to the wheat crop due to delay, it could help in reducing it to a certain extent, said, Dr MK Khushu, chief scientist, and Head of the Department of Agronomy at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences (SKUAST). He, however, termed the rain as a good sign, particular in context of the wheat production. The rainfall would provide favourable conditions for late-sown varieties and it was definitely good for standing crop, too, he said. The rainfall was moderate and very less as compared to the last year when the region had received 24 mm rainfall. Dr Khushu said a majority of the rain-fed areas had not been cultivated this season due to the long dry spell and the delay in rains would surely affect the wheat production. “Still over one lakh hectares of the rain-fed areas were not sown but with this sudden spell of rain, a majority of the portion is expected to be covered. It is good news for farmers, particularly for those who had done dry sowing and were waiting rains. They can sow some varieties of wheat and mustard,” he said. Ajay Khajuria, director, Agriculture, Jammu, said: “This rainfall will at least help in reducing the loss to the minimum as there is still time and farmers are now sowing late varieties”. Moreover, health experts also claimed that the rain was good for reducing the threat of seasonal disorders. Dr Arun Sharma, medical superintendent of Government Hospital, Sarwal, said: “The year’s first rainfall will surely give relief to the people. We have been receiving many cases of dry cough, colds and chest-related disorders for the past one-and-a-half month. A number of patients suffering from such ailments had shot up and most of them included children”.
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Pheran in great demand in Jammu
Jammu, January 13 Pheran is generally worn in a pair. The under layer called ‘potsh’ is light white cotton, while the upper robe is generally made of tweed, flecked with mixed colours. Ideally, both men and women wear it, but the dress for ladies looks stunning with heavy embroidery. “It is because of those nostalgic days of Kashmir that I purchase pheran every winter even here also,” says AK Chetan, a retired teacher, putting up at Bantalab locality. “Also, no other dress gives me the level of comfort that I enjoy in my pheran,” says Chetan. Mohd Sultan, a Durbar Move employee, says: “Pheran gives me a cozy feel. Even I attend my office wearing this traditional dress,” Sultan said. Some valley-based tailors are seen working here round-the-clock on sewing machines to meet the high demand of pheran-wearing people. “Even in migration and living in alien land, most of the middle and old-aged Kashmiri Pandits have not stopped using their traditional dress,” Ghulam Nabi, a tailor from Nowhatta, Kashmir, said. Depending upon the texture of the cloth, a pheran is sold between Rs 900 and Rs 1,200. Its cost can be more if the cloth is of high quality.
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Border alive with festivities
Jammu, January 13 This is how BSF jawans at the Octroi Border outpost (BoP) in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sub-division, celebrate festivals with the villagers. “Since the post is barely 30 km away from Jammu and is situated close to Suchetgarh village, we rarely miss any opportunity to celebrate such occasions with the villagers, who over the years have become part and parcel of our lives,” said a BSF jawan. Taking some time off from our arduous duties but without lowering the guard, the BSF personnel seize such the opportunity to feel at home with villagers, he added. The Octroi BoP near the International Border (IB) in the Suchetgarh sector is barely 11 km away from Sialkot in Pakistan hence the post is sensitive, which last year had witnessed uneasy calm because of Pak misadventure. “It has become a custom here in our village to celebrate festivals with the BSF jawans. They have become part of our lives. On Raksha Bandhan village girls tie Rakhis to BSF jawans, on Holi the border outpost witnesses a riot of colour, Lohri sees BSF jawans and villagers dancing to the tunes of drums,” said Amrinder Singh, a villager. We exchange sweets and pleasantries to celebrate all the festivals in a befitting manner, he added. National Conference’s youth leader Taranjit Singh Tony said the Octroi BoP had become a perfect example of bonhomie and camaraderie between villagers of Suchetgarh
and BSF. “Last year we could not celebrate Diwali with them because of the death of a BSF officer. But, it has become a tradition to celebrate all the festivals with them and they do reciprocate love and affection of the villagers in an equally befitting manner,” said Tony. The youth leader, however, expressed his desire to see flag hoisting and retreating ceremony at the International Border between BSF and Pak Rangers. “If it materialises then the state will also be able to attract tourists on the lines of Wagah Border,” he said. A senior BSF officer said that jawans from different parts of the country have different culture so there is no harm in celebrating the festivals with villagers. “At the same time we do not lower our guard at the border,” he added.
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AAI felicitates Kashmiri cartoonist
Srinagar, January 13 Suhail’s sketches were chosen to grace the AAI calendar and New Year greeting cards after he won a national competition. The competition was organised by the AAI and 4,000 young artists from all over the country had sent their entries. The AAI recently felicitated Suhail at a function here by presenting him a certificate and a cash award. Elated over the honour, the young cartoonist told The Tribune: “Winning a national competition and being selected over 4,000 other artists is definitely an honour. Through the AAI calendar and greeting cards, people all over the country will get to see my work now”. Suhail (22) has also received many other awards at the state and national levels earlier also, which included first prize for cartooning in the National Youth Festival - Jhankar 2009, organised by the Punjab University Student Council. He has been working as a cartoonist for the local newspapers here for over three years. Suhail is currently doing Bachelor of Fine Art at Music and Fine Art College here and also working as a cartoonist for a local English newspaper.
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‘Industrial sector never a government’s priority’
Jammu, January 13 However, the report card of the state government, containing the achievements of the ruling National Conference-led coalition government during its first three years, itself vindicated the assertions of the industrialists as no major initiative was taken to promote and set up new industries in the state. The report card was released on January 5, the day when the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government completed its three years term. The industrialists, however, have high expectations from the ruling dispensation vis-à-vis growth and promotion of industrial sector, particularly at a time when the state government has set in motion the process for the Budget session 2012-2013. “The industrial sector was never a priority of the ruling coalition government. No new area for industries had been identified and we don’t have a single piece of land for industrial units. Also, the 10-year-old Central package, under which industrialists are getting some incentives, is expiring in March this year,” Annil Suri, president, Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA), told The Tribune. Suri said the government had given the slogan of “better employability” and “employment generation”, but it did nothing for creating job opportunities in the state. “The government sector has limited job opportunities. Similarly, the agriculture sector is also not much profitable in the state because of small land holdings. The government should initiate concrete and positive measures to promote industries in the state,” he added. He said the government should liberalise cross-LoC trade by introducing some industrial goods. “If the government works out a plan for introducing industrial products in trans-LoC trade, it will definitely act as an ‘additional mirror’ for the industrialists,” he said. The BBIA chief also demanded that the state government should take up the matter relating to the further extension of the Central package with the Union Government to encourage industrial sector in the state. YV Sharma, president, Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), said, “Though the Minister for Industries is taking care of various issues raised by the industrialists, the government should make more efforts for the expansion of the industrial sector in the state”. He urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to lead a delegation of prominent and leading industrialists of the state to New Delhi for holding pre-Budget discussions with the Union Finance Minister and the Planning Commission so that the real issues of industrialists and traders were redressed. “From time to time, we had emphasised that the government should work out a comprehensive plan for the promotion and expansion of the industrial sector here. It should also take an initiative to construct new warehouses and business houses so that more people are accommodated in the trading sector,” Sharma said. The JCCI president said land was the biggest limiting factor which had created hurdles in the expansion of the industrial sector. TS Reen, chairman, Federation of Industries, Jammu, said the industrialists of the state had been suffering due to the wrong policies of the Union Government. “Everything is in doldrums. The Central packages are expiring in March and June, while there is no land for micro industrial units in the state. Around 600 industrial units in Gangyal are the worst-affected due to non-availability of sufficient electricity supply,” he added. “Though industrialists are satisfied with the government’s performance during its first three years, they hope that the government will take some immediate steps to deal with the issues, including power crisis and provision of suitable land for new industries,” he said.
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srinagar DIARY After the recent snowfall, the government swung 93 snow-clearance machines into action across the Kashmir valley. However, these machines only cleared snow off the main roads. Most of the roads in the interiors were left untouched.
Now, the people in the residential colonies have been subjected to a lot of inconvenience. Slippery roads due to the accumulation of snow turned into thin layers of ice have made the movement of pedestrians and vehicles, especially two-wheelers, very difficult. Sights of two-wheelers skidding and pedestrians slipping are not rare. In case of a fresh snowfall, the government should ensure that snow is not left to accumulate in the interiors of the city. Hangul population on the rise (Contributed by
M Aamir Khan)
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Perfect recipe for marital disaster!
While talking to The Tribune, she said, “Most of the cases of marital discord that we receive have their roots in the long calls on mobile phones. Long conversation on the mobile phone after marriage either by the boy or girl leads to a misunderstanding. When it worsens, it leads to fights and domestic violence”. State Women Commission receives hundreds of cases of domestic violence from across Jammu and Kashmir. In 2011, the Women Cell of Jammu received 1,070 complaints in which 981 ended in compromise, 32 cases were registered with the State Women Commission, four referred to the court and 53 were still pending. SHO, Women Cell, Jammu, Shakti Devi said, “Never-ending conversation on mobile phone by a newly-wed girl is one of major causes for domestic strife. Just because the woman is talking on a mobile phone, it should not be construed in a negative manner”. “A significant number of cases of domestic violence that we receive in the Women Cell are related to over-indulgence of the mobile phone. Once a doubt sets in the mind of one of the partners, it becomes a big issue. Most of the time we try to resolve such misunderstandings”, she added.
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Natrang Director to attend Cultural Olympiad in Singapore
Jammu, January 13 During the Cultural Olympiad, he will also present a presentation on the cultural diversity of the state. Organised by the Global Council for Art and Culture, the event is aimed at spreading the global harmony through culture and is being held in April, 2012, in which cultural groups from all over the world are participating. Thakur told The Tribune that, “I feel it is a great opportunity for Jammu and Kashmir. If we talk of art and culture, ours is the only state with a huge variety. I am going to present the cultural strength of the state. We have Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Balti, Ladhakhi and many more cultures and they all have many takers across the world”. On Indian theatre form, he said it was matchless and had stuck to its roots even in the era of technology when scientific inventions had influenced the theatre in rest of the countries. “Our theatre is still more original and realistic. I feel privileged in introducing Indian theatre and culture to the rest of the world,” he added. Conferred with the highest Indian honour in performing arts i.e. the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for direction in theatre in 2000, Balwant Thakur has presented his presentations in London, Oxford, Denmark, Bangkok, Dubai, Sharjah, Berlin, Frankfurt, Moscow, Rome, Copenhagen, Yugoslav, Belgrade, Singapore, Malaysia, Stratford and Dhaka.
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After a long dry spell, season’s first rain which lashed the Jammu region in the recent past has brought cheer to Jammu farmers.
Agronomy experts had feared a huge drop in the wheat production in the backdrop of the deficient rains this winter.
Jammu, January 13
The traditional Kashmiri pheran is presently in high demand in the Jammu markets and even locals here are giving a suitable try to it, while some are treating it as a collector’s item. Sort of an uncut cloak, pheran is used by commoners in Kashmir since ages to fight against the harsh winter. But with the mercury level dropping during the past two weeks, pheran appears to be equally in high demand here among KPs and Durbar Move employees putting up here.
Last year’s census of Kashmir’s endangered species, hangul, had brought a good news for the wildlife lovers. In March 2011, the population of the hangul or Kashmiri stag (see photo) at the Dachigam park on the outskirts of Srinagar had grown to 218. The previous census was conducted in 2009, where the population of hangul at the park stood at 175 only. Now that the next census is scheduled in March later this year, the officials at the Dachigam park are hopeful that their population must have increased further. Range officer Shams-ud-din said the hangul population was expected to be around 250 by March. This is yet another good news for the nature lovers. 
Jammu, January 13