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Ex-Speaker hurt, guards killed in attack
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Jammu, April 17 Jammu and Kashmir Governor S.K. Sinha today called for realistic, practical and systematic approach to tackle disasters and hoped that the newly established disaster management authority would evolve long and short-term strategies in this regard. Divorce rate high among displaced Hindu couples from Kashmir
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Ex-Speaker hurt, guards killed in attack Srinagar, April 17 The police said here that some militants fired at Mr Naik near bus stand, Tral, when he, along with some police personnel, were travelling towards Kadi Mohalla. Constable Nazir Ahmad died on the spot while Mr Naik and two police personnel were injured in the incident. They were admitted to a hospital here. One of the seriously injured constable Abdul Ahad succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Mr Naik is undergoing treatment at the SMHS Hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. The National Conference has expressed concern over the attack on Mr Naik and blamed the government for laxity regarding security to its leaders. Two of its councillors had been killed in the attacks by suspected militants recently. The 77-year-old Naik has been a close associate of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and was elected to the state Assembly from Tral in 1967, 1972 and 1983 and later left the party. Later, he joined the NC in 1996. Mr Naik was a Speaker during the NC government led by Dr Farooq Abdullah and later inducted as a minister in the cabinet. He was later elected to Parliament from Anantnag in 1999. A top militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad was killed in an encounter with security forces at Adigam in Kokernag of Anantnag district yesterday, the police here said. He was identified as Aftab Ansari alias Akash, a divisional commander of the outfit, who is reported to be a resident of Pakistan. One pistol, one magazine, five rounds and two hand grenades were seized from the house where he was hiding. Meanwhile, the police and security forces claimed to have achieved a major success with the arrest of 10 hardcore militants of Hizbul Mujahideen in Sopore and Pattan of Baramulla district in north Kashmir. A defence spokesman said here that two of the arrested militants, Hilal and Nissar had confessed to having been involved in killing of three STF personnel and one civilian Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai of Dangarpura village on May 29 last year. Mehrajuddin and Imtaz were involved in killing of two civilians at bus stand, Sopore, in October last year. In addition to their involvement in killings, Tariq Ahmad Rather and Nissar were also managing finance and equipment for the Hizbul Mujahideen. They had confessed to their involvement in killing of civilians, two STF personnel in Chankhan, Sopore, and a few SPOs, the spokesman said. Those arrested revealed that they were planning to eliminate candidates from Rafiabad and Srinagar before the coming byelections in three Assembly constituencies of Baramulla district, the defence spokesman said.
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Azad gives clean chit to CRPF on rights violation
Humhama (Budgam), April 17 Mr Azad was talking to reporters on the occasion of the passing-out parade of the CRPF at a camp here. He decried violence and abrupt rise in these incidents saying that it was “unfortunate” at a time when the second roundtable was announced. He hoped the “sympathisers” of people of Jammu and Kashmir would join as he referred to the participation of the separatist Hurriyat Conference in the meeting. He, however, held it was going to be a qualitative and not quantitative exercise as only representatives of parties with varied shades of opinion were invited. When asked about involving militant organisations in the dialogue the Chief Minister made it clear the talks could be held only with those who shun the gun and abjure violence. He discredited an earlier move in which masked militant leaders entered into negotiations with the central government here five years ago, which could not move forward. Earlier in his missive to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to adhere to the “difficult task of not harassing innocents” while combating armed militants, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad gave a clean chit to it regarding the violation of human rights. Director General of the CRPF, Jyoti Kumar Sinha was also present on the occasion where 542 recruits participated in the passing-out parade after the completion of 44-week-long training. Constable Kamal Singh was adjudged the best all-rounder of the batch.
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Governor for realistic approach to deal with disasters Jammu, April 17 Speaking at the 6th Brigadier Rajinder Singh Memorial Lecture on “increasing Trends of Disaster” at the Jammu University today, the Governor said natural calamities posed immense threat to mankind and this challenge had to be met in a coordinated manner. He made special mention of the last year’s disasters like snow tsunami and earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir and lauded the Army for rescue and relief operations. Having a well knit network, the Army worked with zeal to meet the situation. He said during these catastrophes many grey areas like lack of necessary wherewithal especially tents came into fore and called for adequate reserve of material and other support system. The Governor appreciated the appointment of former Chief of the Army, Gen N.C. Vij, as the vice-chairman of the National Disaster Authority and said with his varied experience, measures would be taken to have necessary logistics in place to meet such situations. Gen Vij, in his keynote address discussed challenges of natural disasters and traced its roots in global warming, urbanization and deforestation. He said on an average 4,334 lives are lost and 30 million people get affected due to disasters in India. He called for the setting up of a national disaster response force for training at least one battalion of the state police in disaster management. Home Guards and Civil Defence volunteers could also be trained for such situations. Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Vice-Chancellor of the university, was one of the speakers.
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Divorce rate high among displaced Hindu couples from Kashmir Jammu, April 17 According to a survey conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Centre for Minorities Studies headed by a retired senior IAS officer, Mr M L Kaul, "during the recent years divorce petitions filed by Kashmiri Pandits, living in exile, have increased by 35 to 40 per cent." Citing records, the centre in its voluminous report has revealed that in 1995 out of the 250 divorce petitions filed in the state 30 petitions were from Kashmiri Pandits." In 2001, out of 976 divorce petitions filed in the court as many as 300 were from Pandits. In 2002, out of 600 petitions 200 had been filed by the displaced people in the 25-40 age group. The survey has revealed that during the last three years "there has been unprecedented increase in the divorce cases filed by people belonging to the migrant community." The survey, while quoting Justice S.K.Jamwal, heading the matrimonial court, disclosed that prior to migration there were a few cases of divorce petitions filed by Pandits in the court. But since the education graph in the Pandit community was very high, they were more aware of their legal and social rights. Basing its report on interviews with a large number of divorce petition applicants and opinion of doctors, the centre has found that the main reason for separation was "incompatibility." It said that not only males but females too had filed divorce petitions in the court on the plea that their husbands were unemployed and drug addicts. Princy Bharti, who was interviewed by the experts of the centre, had revealed that she had filed a divorce petition in the court because her husband was unemployed and a drug addict. Shivani Dhar had initiated legal proceedings against her husband last year. She had told the surveyors that she had tolerated him for three years but he did not stop consuming liquor. "Ultimately, I approached the court. I have a government job and can take care of my three-year old daughter,"she said. Other factors responsible for increase in divorce cases include poverty, lack of congenial atmosphere in the shanties and one-room tenements leaving hardly any space for privacy. One respondent had told the surveyors that "due to lack of privacy, I could not develop a bond with my husband." The report has revealed that marital status among the migrants had undergone significant changes during the post migration period because of breakdown in the traditional family structure and influence of other cultures.The percentage of Kashmiri boys and women marrying outside the community has increased to an unimaginable proportion. It said that prior to the migration Kashmiri boys and women going in for inter-caste marriage was a rare phenomenon. Before the exodus in 1990 late marriages in the community were not in vogue. It was less than three per cent but during the last 16 years it has gone up to 7.38 per cent in which people have been seen marrying at the age of 30 years.
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