Jammu, March 8
The station house officer of the Bahu Fort Police Station, Shakti Sharma, was today placed under suspension following the mysterious death of a youth under her jurisdiction.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who met the family members of the deceased, has ordered a judicial probe into the incident and announced an ex gratia relief of Rs one lakh for the family.

The deceased has been identified as Murad Baksh (23) of village Raipur near Sambha. He engaged as a cleaner with a truck. Last night when he was traveling in the truck, he died under mysterious circumstances. The police and family members of the deceased have different takes over the incident. The family members alleged that the Bahu Fort police had set up a temporary check post to intercept trucks plying on the national highway.

They alleged that the police personnel were demanding money from the truck drivers. But, the truck driver with whom Murad was working, allegedly resisted giving money to the police.

This provoked the police personnel, who allegedly beat up Murad mercilessly. According to the parents, head injuries, as a result of police beating led to his demise.

But the police maintained that Murad died as he tried to jump from the moving truck. The police held that they were checking for trucks believed to be carrying bovine animals for slaughter from different parts of the country to Kashmir valley and some other parts of Jammu region.

Quite a few vehicles had already been stopped. However, the truck Murad was traveling in tried to flee. When the police tried to chase it, Murad reportedly jumped out of it and suffered head injuries, which led to his death.

The police denied that the trucks were being stopped for extorting money from them.

When the post mortem of the youth was being conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital here, the Chief Minister also happened to be there to inspect the ongoing development projects.

As the relatives of the deceased saw the Chief Minister they started shouting slogans against the police alleged that their son had been killed. The Chief Minister ordered an inquiry to be completed within 14 days, besides the instant suspension of the concerned SHO.

He also announced an ex gratia relief of Rs one lakh for the family of the deceased.

The police officials maintained that the illegal bovine trade was being carried out clandestinely and the truckers usually try to transport the animals during the night hours to evade police. However, the police have been trying to be firm with this illegal trade as the animals land up in slaughterhouses in Kashmir and other parts of the state.

Srinagar, March 8
The chairperson of Pakistan Human Rights Commission (PHRC), Asma Jahangir, currently on her visit to Jammu and Kashmir had a series of meetings with leaders of different separatist organisations including the top leaders of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference here today.

She had already meetings with Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and chief secretary B.R. Kundal apart from prominent writers and social workers on her arrival in Jammu on Thursday. While among others, she met minister for social welfare Abdul Ghani Vakil here today.

The visiting human rights activist accompanied by another UN representative, Michael Wiener, arrived here yesterday as a special rapporteur of the UN for Freedom of Religions and Beliefs.

Asma Jahangir also offered special prayers at the Hazratbal shrine and had meetings with the Hurriyat Conference leaders, including JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and representatives of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits.

The leaders apprised the UN representatives about the freedom of different religions and beliefs and also mentioned about the current human rights situation in the state, particularly in Kashmir valley.

The representatives of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits, led by Sanjay Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandits Sangaram Samiti had 20-minutes long meeting with the visiting UN representatives.

She was informed about the changing atmosphere with regard to the treatment meted out to the Pandits before and after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir.

The small and scattered population of about 4,000 Pandits across Kashmir valley was getting a good response from the majority community over the years, she was informed.

Shabir Shah said Kashmir had been known for traditional communal harmony. He, however, regretted that the government had imposed ban on the major occasions of Muslim majority people like Ashoora and Eid-e-Milad.

The religious occasions of the minority communities were being conducted without any such restrictions, he said.

The visiting UN representatives had about two hours long meeting with the leaders of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference at its headquarters at Rajbagh.

Asma Jahangir was told that a wrong impression about communal harmony had been created by vested interests in Delhi and Jammu, saying that Kashmir was known for traditional communal harmony.

Srinagar, March 8
About 24 Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees and their families were injured when the police fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse them on the Moulana Azad road this afternoon.

About 60 striking employees, besides 70 members of the State Government Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) were also arrested by the police.

The SRTC employees were on an indefinite strike for the past few weeks in support of their 13-point demands.

The employees, who had struck work despite threat by the government declaring their strike unlawful, assembled in the SRTC headquarters along with their family members, including women and children today.

Raising slogans against transport minister Hakeem Yaseen, the SRTC management and government, the employees alleged that the authorities had failed to implement their promises from time to time.

As the employees tried to march towards the busy Moulana Azad road, the police resorted to baton-charge. Later, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the employees and their family members.

Eyewitnesses said about two dozen employees and their family members were wounded in the police action.

The police also detained more than 60 employees and their family members.

The STRC union leaders claimed that hundreds of their workers had so far been arrested by the police from different parts of the valley. The employees, joined by their family members, including children had been demonstrating against the government almost everyday for the past few weeks.

Children of various employees set on fire their uniforms and books early this week saying they were not being allowed to sit in the classes as they had no fees to deposit in the school. — UNI

Jammu, March 8
The ongoing strike of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh All-departments Clerical Staff has hampered the functioning of various government departments, thus creating lot of problems for the common masses.

Thousands of government employees celebrated the festival of Mahashivratri without money as they could not get their salaries due to the ongoing strike. “We had to celebrate our main festival of Mahashivratri without money; as we could not get our monthly salary due to the ongoing strike of the clerical staff,” said Madan Lal, a government employee. Adding he said, “The government did not take any step to address the problems of government employees as till date no alternate arrangement has been made by the government to pay our salaries.”

Though the ongoing strike entered into 13th day, the association of the clerical staff has decided to extend its “pen-down”and “no work” strike by one week. Not only government employees but the common people are also facing various hardships as thousands of files are pending in various departments of the state government.

“I have been coming to this office for the past seven days but I am not able to get my file signed as the clerical staff here is on strike. I have to make a ration card for my family, but due the ongoing strike I am not able to get it signed,” said Pardeep Singh, another Jammu resident.

There seems to be no end to the ongoing confrontation between the clerical staff and the government as both the parties seem to be unmoved with the plight of the common man who has become a victim of the ongoing strike. The people who come from far-off areas to get their work done have to return back disappointed as the clerical staff is on strike.

Jammu, March 8
Mahila morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today sought total empowerment of women. Addressing Women's Day function here today, BJP mahila morcha state president Usha Choudhary said women needed to be given more opportunities.

She said women had excelled in every field, including space research to the simplest manual labour, and were contributing to the family, society and the nation in great measure along with men folk. The only hurdle women faced was the denial of proper environment to them by the male-dominated society, prejudices, biases, out-dated and negative value systems, she added. She said given the opportunity, proper environment and encouragement, women proved to be far better than men.

Citing the example of elected representatives to local bodies, where 33 per cent reservation was provided to women, she said women had given better performances as compared to males in these institutions. She demanded that reservation must be immediately granted to women in state assemblies and the Parliament so that they themselves could suggest ways to solve their problems. This would ensure their empowerment at all levels, she added.

BJP mahila morcha leaders, including Sweety Koul, Suresh Jamwal, Sakina Bano, Mamta Singh, Sheela Koul and others were also present on the occasion.

Srinagar, March 8
International Women’ Day has little meaning for Hajira Begum, an old woman living in Wonagam village of Bandipore district.

Hajira lost her four sons in violence during the past 15 years. Three of her sons were killed during encounters between militants and the security forces, while her fourth son was picked up in 1995 and all her efforts to trace him proved futile. Two months ago, her husband, Ghulam Mohammad Sofi, passed away. He suffered a lot for want of proper medical care in the absence of any earning hand.

The Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) here has been organizing monthly demonstrations in support of their demands to know the whereabouts of the missing persons. The APDP claims that about 10,000 persons were missing or under enforced disappearances during the past 18 years of violence. It holds dharnas in the first week of every month, urging the authorities to come out with its stand and probe into cases of disappeared persons belonging to all age groups. However, this time, the APDP, which has mostly women including mothers, sisters and daughters as its members seeking the return of their relatives, did not organise any such programme.

“Women’s day or not, we will continue our struggle for knowing the whereabouts of our loved ones”, said Parveena Ahangar, a senior member of the organisation, who has been craving to see her son for the past 18 years. Her son, Javed Ahmad Ahangar, was picked up by security forces on August 18, 1990, and his whereabouts are still unknown. “We do not have any other demand nor do we want any money”, Ahangar told the Tribune today. She said those responsible for the missing in custody would be equally dealt with under law. She reiterated the demanded for setting up a commission into the cases of all such disappeared persons.

During her visit to Kashmir on September 10, 2007, the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, lauded the role of women in Kashmir to have stood by their families through years of violence. Sonia, while praising the women, had said that women empowerment was necessary through education and by providing them with ample opportunities. She also urged the women to prevent their families and social strata from breaking down.

Srinagar, March 8
When the country is savouring the political and economical empowerment of their women folk on the International Women’s Day, women in the strife-torn valley cannot seem to hold their tears back. For Parveena Ahanghar, whose name featured in the long list of women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, thinks her struggle still has a long way to go.

Head of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), which has long been a thorn in the flesh of the establishment here, as it tried to hold them accountable in their fight against armed insurgence, calls herself the mother of all missing youths in the valley.

Police sources said they had no available figures for youths who had disappeared after being picked by them or troops but claim it could not be more than a few hundred. The APDP has put the figure close to 10,000. There are few honest ways of verifying these figures, but there is little doubt over the work of the APDP and its matriarch. Ahangar formed the APDP in 1994, three years after her son, Javed Ahmad Ahangar was “picked” up by security forces and never seen again. “I knocked at the doors of everyone who mattered but nothing happened. When I moved court, I was surprised to see many people who had faced a similar condition,” she said. Since then, Ahangar has carried out work for militancy-hit families. She said its repercussions could shame many separatist politicans of Kashmir. Barely literate, Parveena, whose education does not go beyond Class V, managed her way ahead by learning from her own struggles.

She sought help from international bodies like Philippines-based Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD). “I sought help from everybody but kept my movement away from politics. So many people from India have been helpful to us,” she said, while remembering how she was joined by different activists in APDP's demonstrations in Delhi.

Government sources concede that if the police and troops are more accountable in their ways today than they were in the 1990s, then a part of the credit goes to the APDP which steadfastly highlighted their omissions and commissions. Fighting her emotions back, Ahangar said she lost her son 18 years ago and chances of his being found were dim. But a little consolation is that many parents in the remotest parts of the valley owe their sons to her. “And it's not a mean thing,” she added.

Jammu, March 8
Here is a good news for golfers in Jammu. The winter capital will soon have its first civil 18-hole golf course. The Rs 25 crore fast-track project is being pursued by the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, himself an ace golfer, and is targeted to be completed by September next.

At present, there is only one golf course in Jammu city at Paloura owned and maintained by the Border Security Force. Outside the city premises, there are two golf courses at Miransahib and Nagrota, both belonging to the Army.

The upcoming golf course at Sidhra here is flanked by the green hills and river Tawi with a grand view of Bahu Fort, Mubarak Mandi Palace complex and Amar Mahal. The Chief Minister told accompanying officials to start lighting of these historical and landmark sites to coincide with the completion of the mega project. The lighted up backdrop with a river on one side and a lush hill on the other will be a treat to the eyes of the onlookers.

The Chief Minister said the Sidhra Golf Course would be the second most beautiful in the state after the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar, rated among the best in the world. Shamim Azad and senior officers led by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey were with the Chief Minister.

The golf course is a two-phase project spread over an area of 1384 kanals of land. The course will have nine fairways, including two par 5, four par 4 and three par 3. 

Jammu, March 8
Dissidents in the PDP, led by Ghulam Hassan Mir, have toughened their stand against the party leadership.

Mir, who was a founder member of the PDP, has rejected any offer of reconciliation. Mir said, “What sort of reconciliation?” He said, “I feel suffocated in the party as its leadership has adopted dictatorial attitude.”

Since Mir is engaged in the formation of a third front, he seems to have shut the doors for reconciliation forcing the loyalists to hit back at him.

PDP general secretary Nizam-ud-Din Bhat accused Mir of political opportunism. Mir refused to comment on Bhat’s charge saying, “I do not want to comment on the statement of a political novice.”

Mir, who is touch with several former ministers and legislators besides prominent political activists, is trying to give a shape to the Third Front in collaboration with the chief of Peoples’ Democratic Forum, Hakim Mohd Yasin, transport minister and a CPI (M) leader M.Y. Tarigami.

He said, “The scope for the Third Front is quite bright and is likely to be formed shortly.” However, the Deputy Chief Minister, a close confident of PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed, does not find any scope for the third front.

He has said the political space in the state has been taken by the Congress, the PDP and the National Conference and hence there was no space for the Third Front.

Asked would Mir be expelled on charge of anti-party activities, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat said, “It is for the PDP leadership to take the decision.” He said Mir was “harming his political career and if he quit the parent organisation the PDP is unlikely to suffer any major setback.” He too agreed with Baig that the there was no future for the Third Front.

Jammu, March 8
Describing Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s ongoing stint as the blackest period in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, BJP state unit president Ashok Khajuria has alleged that corruption had crossed all limits in the state.

Addressing party activists here today, Khajuria said, “The present dispensation under Ghulam Nabi Azad has given misleading and hollow slogans. Developmental activities have come to a standstill and educated youth have no jobs but this government has a soft corner for militants and their families,” he added.

Referring to the recently announced special package of Rs 8,300 crore, he said, “It is yet another cruel joke with people of the state. Being birds of the same flock, the UPA government, like the coalition, has been misleading the people. Prior to Rs 8,300 crore, the Centre had announced a package of Rs 24,000 crore and tall claims of initiating developmental projects were made,” he said. Khajuria also demanded that a CBI probe be initiated to ascertain where a huge amount of money had been spent by the coalition government.

Meanwhile, former Union minister and BJP veteran Prof Chaman Lal Gupta has underlined the need of having clear cut nationalistic policies to solve various problems plaguing the state. Addressing party activists at Tikri, Gupta said, “Jammu and Kashmir is an irrevocable constitutional part of India but due to the wrongs committed by the Congress leadership, people face a lot of problems.” Gupta said the Congress had not only cheated the nationalist forces by accepting the communal partition of the country but also granted the so-called special status to Jammu and Kashmir under a communal approach.

Srinagar, March 8
Former Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah-led Awami National Conference would hold intra-Kashmir conference to deliberate on the resolution of Kashmir dispute here in June this year.

The decision comes only weeks after his party, Awami National Conference decided to participate in the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in Jammu and Kashmir later this year.

Awami National Conference president G.M. Shah has issued directive to his party’s Intra-Kashmir Conference Organising Committee to make all preparation for holding a conference here in June, a spokesman of the party said here today.

The intra-Kashmir conference coined by Shah in 2000 was postponed earlier twice in 2002 and 2004 due to political and officialdom reasons, he added.

The ANC chief has said now the time was ripe for holding the proposed conference while keeping in view the changing political scenario in South Asia continent.

“The purpose of conference is to reach at amicable, politically workable and practically feasible solution for resolving the Kashmir dispute, acceptable to both India and Pakistan and people of both sides of Kashmir,” the party’s spokesman said.

Shah has invited people representing respective regions and political parties from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir and has kept this intra Kashmir meet open for international observers along with including former Prime Ministers, chief justices, human right activists and heads of political parties from both India and Pakistan.

This three-day conclave of people from both sides of Kashmir will be a catalyst for peace and prosperity, the Awami National Conference spokesman said.

Jammu, March 8
Governor S. K. Sinha has called for a major initiative for promoting rich art, culture and literature of the state.

Releasing a set of latest publications of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at Raj Bhavan on Friday, the Governor appreciated the endeavours being made in this regard.

Secretary of the academy Rafeeq Masoodi briefed the Governor about various activities during the past two years with special reference to publications of various research oriented documents and periodicals. He said that 100 prestigious publications in various languages had been brought out in the past two years, which include Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, Punjabi, Ladakhi, Balti etc.

The academy, he said, had shown a quantum jump in its activities as well and there were at an average three programmes organised in the three regions of the state daily. He added that the academy presented artists of national and international repute before the audience in the state, while several local artists had bagged prestigious awards in various events at the national level.

He said several painting and sculptures camps had also been organised within and outside the state.

The Governor hoped that the academy would continue its mission of identifying talent and giving them appropriate exposure at the state and national level. He lauded the momentum brought in holding various events in all three regions of the state.

General Sinha released Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh Number of Sheeraza in Urdu, the Kashmiri translation of Tareek Hassan, Volume 4 and the Kahani Number of Sheeraza in Hindi.

The publication released today has a special focus on the cultural legacy of Jammu and Kashmir. The special numbers of Sheeraza focus on certain unexplored areas of the state’s cultural heritage while its Kahani number in Hindi contains masterpieces penned during the past half century. A critical study by the noted critics of the state has also been included in this special issue.

Srinagar, March 8
Two children died and eight persons injured when a LPG cylinder blasted in fire in the Hajeetra Tad area. The police said the household caught fire due to leakage in the cylinder and it left five houses gutted. The fire first broke out in the house of Abid Hussain Malik in which two children, Masrat Bano, five, and Nasir Hussain, two, were charred. Six more persons were seriously injured and two of them were in critical condition, the police said.

In another fire incident, two houses were partially damaged but what ignited the fire remains to be known, the police said, adding that the incident happened in Rainawari. Loose wirings in several localities of the city, especially the old town, are often found behind the fire.