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Azad promises peaceful 2008
Sinha hopes for violence-free year
College Row Kashmir, Leh experience cold nights but warm days
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Hurriyat pays tributes to BenazirTribune News Service
Violence-marred state yearns for peace
Intruder shot
Lance Naik kills self
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Azad promises peaceful 2008
Jammu, December 31 The Chief Minister said, he was confident that the New Year would be a year of development, peace and progress for the state and its people. He said the government would vigorously pursue its agenda of development during the upcoming year and ensure that fruits of progress were equally distributed among different areas and regions of the state, even as he reiterated his commitment that his government would do justice with all people and regions in matters of development. The Chief Minister described 2007 as the year of "massive infrastructure development in the state with focus of the government on reaching out to the thus far neglected and deprived areas". He said basic amenities like road connectivity, drinking water, schools, hospitals and power remained the thrust areas, benefiting large sections of people, especially in remote pockets. He said on the security front also, violence remained the lowest ever in comparison to the past two decades. The human rights situation saw also a marked improvement over the previous years. He said but for the internal situation in Pakistan, the peace process with the neighbouring country would have been taken further during the past year. He, however, hoped that the situation in that country would improve and the threads of dialogue picked up soon. He said his government had made a blueprint of the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir with emphasis on core sectors of the development so that in the next four years amenities like roads, education, healthcare and power were provided to people where these were lacking or deficient.
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Sinha hopes for violence-free year
Jammu, December 31 “Kashmir has bled profusely at the hands of foreign sponsored terrorists, who tried but failed to trample its rich ethos,” the Governor said in his New Year message, adding that ironically the demon of terror is now rebounding back and shaking the foundations of the soil from where it operated. “It is not the time to trace the genesis of terrorism; it is also not the time to put blame on anyone but it is an occasion when we must fight back elements inimical to peace and set the agenda with renewed understanding to infuse a sense of security to our peoples,” he added. The Governor said like the past nearly two decades, 2007 continued to be a year of suffering on account of senseless violence, albeit on a much reduced scale. The situation has improved considerably, he said and added he was earnestly praying that in the New Year the state emerges out of the darkness of violence into the bright shine of peace and prosperity. The state government has made tremendous efforts and taken great strides towards development of the state, he maintained. The Governor reaffirmed his belief that the composite culture of Jammu and Kashmir is the strongest weapon to defeat the cult of violence and said: "Let us all vow together to revive our unique heritage of amity and brotherhood enshrined in Kashmiriyat. A great future awaits the state as the crown of India and as the paradise on earth,” he said. While greeting and extending good wishes to the people, the Governor also expressed sympathies with the families who lost their near and dear ones in the senseless killing during the year. He passionately desired that the New Year brings cheer to the people and herald in a new era of peace, progress and stability in the state.
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College Row
Udhampur, December 31 Hundreds of people of Paddar area of this district took to streets and observed total bandh against decision of the state government to open colleges in only those areas, which are represented by the members of the ruling coalition. The issue has provided enough ammunition to the opposition National Conference to corner the ruling coalition. While as party legislators from Mahore and Surankote, Abdul Gani Malik and Mushtaq Bukhari, respectively, have already launched agitation on this issue, another party MLA Sajjad Kitchloo has also joined this issue to further consolidate his position. The state Cabinet has given its nod to open a new degree college at Chatroo block, which is represented by Congress MLA Ghulam Mohammed Saroori while as areas represented by the opposition National Conference was ignored. Keeping aside their political affiliations, activists of all groups joined the massive protest demonstration, which was held at Ghulabgarh in Paddar and vowed to further intensify their stir against government's decision. National Conference leader and MLA Kishtwar Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo addressed the protestors and assured full support to the on-going stir. He lambasted ruling coalition for, what he alleged, and "politicising education sector" to get political benefits in the next elections. Later talking to The Tribune, Kitchloo vowed to take the agitation at Jammu to expose misdeeds of the state government. “Decision to open a degree college at Chatroo is glaring example how this dispensation has been discriminating with the areas represented by the opposition,” he alleged and recalled that even during last assembly session government had admitted on the floor of the house that Paddar was the most deserving area for opening new degree college. Bordering Himachal Pradesh, Paddar block of Kishtwar district is one of the backward areas of Jammu and Kashmir. This block is located about 75 kilometres away from Kishtwar town. Furthermore some of the higher secondary schools of this block were established 20 years back. “Approximately 6,000 students are on rolls in different higher secondary schools of Kishtwar district but there is only one college with a capacity of 350 students in this area,” argued Kitchloo.
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Kashmir, Leh experience cold nights but warm days
Srinagar, December 31 The minimum temperature in the valley was -7.2 degree Celsius, coldest night of the winter so far. Yesterday, it was -7.1 degree during the night, a weather office spokesman said. The major parts of the world famous Dal Lake freezed and water tapes in several localities were damaged. However, frozen water and water tapes started melting as the day progressed. It was the coldest night after the minimum temperature was recorded at -7.2 degrees Celsius, 5.2 degrees below normal. The lowest temperature of minus 12.8 degrees Celsius was recorded on December 13, 1964 when water in the Dal Lake was totally frozen. However, the day was a bit warmer after the maximum temperature was recorded at 12 degree Celsius, five degree above normal. He said there is a gap of 10 degree between minimum and maximum temperature in the valley. Interestingly, night temperature at tourist spot Pahalgam was minus 6.8 degree, about a degree warmer than Srinagar. Nights in Kupwara, Baramulla, Banihal, Katra, Doda, Kishtwar and Jammu were few degree warmer than Srinagar. However, people in Leh, Kargil and Dras, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, continued to shiver after the temperature dipped to -15 degrees C to minus 20 degrees. It was the coldest night so far during the '' Chalai Kalan'' 40-day-long coldest period of the winter, which started from December 21. The spokesman said the entire region is not receiving any western disturbances (WD) from Arabian sea which were entering the state through Afghanistan and Pakistan. The sky remained clear, further intensifying cold during the night, he said adding the WD entered the region when the higher reaches in the valley experienced snowfall and plains had light rains early this month. Official sources said biting cold, coupled with frequent and unscheduled power failure and rise in the prices of woolen and other warm cloths and coal, has affected normal life in the valley. People at several places in the Kashmir valley took to streets in protest against unscheduled power cuts as power generation in the local hydel projects has dropped after considerable fall in the water level in rivers because of almost dry weather for the past three months. The state government is importing power from different states, including Jharkhand to meet the power requirement. The people at several places complained of water shortage. They said prices of woolen and other warm cloths and coal has also increased many fold. Similarly, fire-wood which was being sold at Rs 120 to Rs 150 per quintal in November is being sold at Rs 300 per quintal. — UNI
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Party time for jail inmates
Jammu, December 31 Pyare Lal (name changed) is spending a life term in district jail Jammu after he killed one of his neighbors following a scuffle over a piece of land few years ago. Lal, a father of three children and a convict in a murder case, along with his jail inmates welcomed the New Year in a different way as the officials of the district jail had invited local artist to perform inside the jail premises. “Those prisoners, who have been convicted in different crimes and are serving their term here were depressed that they are away from their family members. So we organised this programme here to relieve their tension,” said a jail official. The inmates, both male and female prisoners, say these types of programmes provide them relief from their mental agony. “These types of programmes inside the jail complex prove to be a breather for us, and it shows that we too are also a part of the society,” said a female inmate, who was convicted for transporting weapons for militants in Jammu. Adding she said, “I was doing my studies in Law when I was caught by the police, though I have been spending my term here, I still see a ray of hope to see the outside world. And today’s programme made us feel that we were outside the jail premises and living our life like normal people.” The jail inmates also joined the local artists and danced to the beats of various numbers that were played on the occasion to celebrate New Year. “They committed crime, but still they are human beings and deserve recreation regularly so that they should not fall victim to depression and other stress related diseases,” said a jail officer.
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Hurriyat pays tributes to BenazirTribune News Service
Srinagar, December 31 A joint meeting of the executive council, the general council and the working committee of the APHC also reviewed the overall latest situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir and discussed other party affairs. This followed a condolence meeting of all the constituent groups of the Hurriyat Conference held here on Saturday last two days after the assassination of Benazir Bhuttoo. The Mirwaiz (chief priest) has earlier also condoled the death of Benazir Bhuttoo and dwelt in detail on the role of the former Pakistan Prime Minister vis-à-vis Kashmir issue. The meeting held here today expressed the hope that Benazir’s life would lead to flourishing of the democratic system in the neighbouring country and help its people and political leadership in sincere efforts towards integrity and stability of Pakistan. A stable Pakistan was inevitable not only for the people of Pakistan or Kashmir, but for the entire Muslim world, the meeting observed. For the first time, the
Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference had cancelled the "Eid Milan" party that was scheduled for Sunday in the wake of Benazir’s killing.
... was divided families’ hopes
Rajouri, December 31 Sharing the pain of Bhutto's untimely demise, they say if she could have played a big role in uniting the divided families if she would have returned to power. “She would have eased out the travel restriction between the two countries and more number of divided families would have reunited,” they rue. This “Daughter of East”, as Benazir was fondly called, could have been instrumental for Indo-Pak relations and would have definitely helped in easing out the travel restriction for them to travel to PoK and Pakistan. They say Benazir's soft corner for India and her optimism for having good relations with this country would have definitely helped in strengthening the ongoing peace process and making confidence-building measures (CBMs) more meaningful. “We feel that we have lost a family member. She was definitely the leader who, if would have been elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, would have definitely pressed for easing out the travel restrictions for traveling to
PoK. But since she is no more, the traveling to that country on travel permits would continue to be a very difficult task,” said Ghulam Nabi
Rathore, of Islamabad village in Poonch, who had applied for travel permit to travel to Baag tehsil in PoK one and half year back to meet his paternal cousin Raja
Fareed, but has failed to get the requisite permission. |
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Violence-marred state yearns for peace
Jammu, December 31 And thankfully during the year 2007 the overall violence did come down by about 35 per cent in the state. This has been after a long period that the incidents of violence have come down by such a substantial proportion. As the New Year is about to dawn, the people here hope to breath a more peaceful air without the sound and smoke of gunfire soaked in blood and drenched in tears of thousands and thousands of people, on either side of the ideological divide in the trouble torn valley. The decline in the violence has been coupled with the greater involvement of people with mainstream politics. This, however, does not mean that the secessionist sentiment has been thoroughly overcome. It has certainly not been. It only remains dormant and subdued, probably because people are fed up with the continuous violence and they want a breather and resolution of their immediate problems. Moreover, they seem to have realised that the "azadi" is certainly a greater goal, far too distant, for which the immediate needs cannot be sacrificed. People have now been coming out to demand amenities and other things from the government. In the year 2007 about two thousand political meetings were held across the valley with good public participation. While the security forces have been doing a commendable job that is obvious from the figures about the decline in the incidents of violence, but there have been some "avoidable and undesired" incidents of civilian killings as well. Although these were only the aberrations, but such incidents have always spoiled the public mood towards reconciliation. Certain amount of restraint could save great situations. At the same time the difficult situation and circumstances under which the forces operate also needs to be understood. Because it is mainly the security forces who have been the main target of militants. This is obvious from the fact that the number of security forces personnel getting killed keeps on increasing despite decline in the overall incidents of violence. There have been some positive developments also which hold a promise of long-term peace for the state. Particularly, with quite a number of secessionist groups like the moderate faction of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq prepared for a reconciliation, without insisting on the implementation of the United Nations Resolutions like right to self-determination, the state is certainly looking forward for the peace further getting strengthened. At the same time the situation in Pakistan, with increasing sectarian violence, growing political instability, the uncertainty about the power and position of President Pervez Musharaf, has certainly not been a welcome development for the state. As if that were not enough, the brutal assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in the neighbourhood came as a severe shock. The situation in Pakistan is always viewed with keen interest here. Because it always has had some bearing on the developments in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly when the state is looking forward towards some permanent resolution of the long pending problem. Whether the Government of India accepts it or not, it has already acknowledged Pakistan to be a party to the resolution. So the situation there would certainly have its impact on the peace process here. And the year gone by has certainly not been a good year in Pakistan and at the end it has turned to be the worse. Any hope that had been raised about the January 8 elections has already been shattered with the assassination of Benazir.
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Intruder shot
Jammu, December 31 An unidentified Pakistani national was trying to cross via Allah Mian Di Kothi border outpost in the R.S. Pura belt of Jammu district about 4 a.m today, they said. The BSF personnel asked the intruder to surrender, failing which they opened fire at him, sources said.
— PTI
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Lance Naik kills self
Jammu, December 31 Lance Naik Hiralal (32), a resident of Nagriparola village of Kathua district, shot himself with his service rifle.
— TNS
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