Jammu, March 21
The celebrations of Holi turned into mourning for a family when their nine-year-old son, Akash Pandita, fell victim to a speeding matador in Muthi, on the outskirts of Jammu city today.

Akash was busy celebrating Holi at his home and insisted on bringing more colours from the market. His uncle Krishan Bhat boarded a matador to take him to the market. The ill-fated matador met with an accident in which Akash died, while Krishan was seriously injured.

“He was playing Holi when he insisted on bringing more colours from the market. His uncle went with him, but we never knew that he would never come back again,” said one of Akash’s wailing family members.

Eyewitnesses said the matador bearing registration number JK02AE 7202, with only two passengers was competing with other vehicles, when suddenly the driver applied brakes. “As the driver applied brakes, Akash who was sitting on the front seat was pushed out of the vehicle and his head got crushed. The driver could not control the vehicle and it overturned, injuring the other passenger,” said Ashok Bhat, an eyewitness.

Residents of the area assembled on the spot and held a protest demonstration. They also disrupted vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Akhnoor highway demanding action against the erring traffic police officials who failed to check the speeding vehicle.

“This area has become accident prone. Traffic cops take bribe from drivers who breach norms. We want immediate action against the erring traffic police officials who allowed these vehicles to ply on the roads,” R.K. Bhat said.

He added, “The vehicle was not having the permit to ply on this route and had come illegally here.”

The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the driver and compensation for Akash’s parents.

Srinagar, March 21
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a ruling ally in Jammu and Kashmir, today said the state’s march towards political stability and economic prosperity would regain momentum only if the party gets a clear mandate in the next Assembly elections.

“Our march towards political stability and economic prosperity, which started under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2002, would regain momentum only if PDP gets a clear mandate in the upcoming assembly elections,” party President Mehbooba Mufti told a public meeting at Natipora in Amirakadal constituency here.
Claiming that the party had transformed the state’s political and economic scenario by sticking to its pro-people agenda, she said despite pulls and pressures of a coalition, the PDP has stuck to its stand of upholding the honour and dignity of the people of the state.

She also said the party’s persistent struggle for bringing the interests of the people to the centre-stage of the sub-continent’s “political dynamics” in which party stalwart Mufti Mohammad Sayeed played a crucial role, had altered the way both Delhi and Islamabad looked upon Jammu and Kashmir.

Whether it was reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, construction of Mughal road, extension of mobile facility to the state or round-the-clock movement of traffic on Srinagar-Jammu highway, the PDP did it all against forces determined to thwart these moves, she said.

Dispelling the impression that Jammu and Kashmir is a state with a begging bowl looking towards Delhi for doles, finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra said the state is gifted with enormous natural and water resources to fully take care of its financial requirements.

However, the restrictions on the use water and natural resources have put the state at a disadvantageous position limiting its economic capabilities, Karra said at a public meeting at Natipora.

He said the state was facing a recurring annual loss of around Rs 6000 crore because of the discriminatory Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

“We suffered losses because of the Indus Treaty otherwise we would be well placed financially to take care of all our fiscal problems,” he said and added the money losses suffered because of the treaty was used not only for the State’s development but generation of enough employment opportunities as well.

“Whatever funds we are getting from Delhi is our entitlement like all other States, except for some special grants which are insufficient to make for our treaty losses,” he said.

Karra said several measures were in the offing for the Srinagar city’s glorious past and within next few years there would be a complete turn-around in the city’s developmental profile. — Agencies

Jammu, March 21
While businessmen in the Kashmir valley have welcomed the statement of the Union minister of state for commerce and industry, Jairam Ramesh, about the opening of trans-Loc trade between the two parts of divided Kashmir within the next three months, Jammu-based businessman on Wednesday alleged that no steps had been taken to mitigate the opening of trade routes in the Jammu region

Jairam during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the International Trade Centre at Pampore in South Kashmir had said that the trans-Loc trade in Kashmir would start within three months. Since the launch of the trans-LoC bus service on April 7, 2005, traders in the state were hopeful that a trans-Loc trade would be beneficial for both parts of the divided state.

The Indian government had handed over a list of 14 items, including fruits and handicrafts, to the Pakistani government from which Pakistan had given a go-ahead to only 9 items for the trade across LoC.

But Jammu-based businessmen rue that the opening of the trade link between both parts of divided Kashmir would only benefit businessmen in the valley and no measures had been taken to start trade across the LoC from Jammu region. “The trade between both parts of divided Kashmir is aimed at giving benefit to only Kashmir-based businessmen and fruit growers. Though we are not against their interests, but we do feel that the state and Central government is not showing seriousness in opening trade-links between the two parts from Jammu region,” said Madan Lal, a local businessman.

Speaking to The Tribune, president, chambers of commerce and industries Jammu Ram Sahai said, “Though we welcome the move of the opening of a trade route, but we also want that trade routes in Jammu should also be opened.”

Adding he said, “We not only raised the issue of opening of various trade routes of Jammu with Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, but we also discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Both of them assured us that they would take up the issue with the Pakistan authorities to start trade across LoC in Jammu region also.”

Traders in Jammu have been demanding the opening of Mirpur Nowshera, Chamb Jouria and Sailkot Suchetgarh road.

The Jammu chambers of commerce is also expecting a delegation from the Azad Kashmir chambers of commerce later in the month, to discuss the modalities in opening the trade link from the Jammu region.

Jammu, March 21
The death of Om Parkash (30) allegedly due to police torture has raised serious questions on the prevailing domestic violence laws in the state.

Om died in police custody. Yesterday, his family members staged a protest demonstration and disrupted traffic on the Jammu- Akhnoor road. Sources said Om Parkash had some marital dispute with his wife who lodged a complaint against him and his family members at the women police cell in Jammu. Om was summoned to appear before the police at the women cell. He was later found unconscious at Satwari and was shifted to the Government Medical College, where he died. His family states that Om was subjected to third degree torture by the police and his wife’s relatives who were also present at the police station. The women police cell has denied that Om was tortured, claiming that Om might have consumed poison. His relatives, however, said there were visible injury marks on his body. Sanjay Kotwal, SP city, said the police was investigating the case.

Udhampur, March 21
Tension gripped Udhampur town as activists of the Panthers Party shouted slogans against the police for arresting some youths, who were allegedly creating nuisance while celebrating Holi.

The situation was pacified only when local MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia intervened and got the arrested youth released.

According to police on the complaints of citizens, cops picked up some youths, who were creating nuisance in the town while rashly driving their bikes in the town. They were allegedly throwing colours on passers-by. Police also seized their bikes and took all of them to the police station.

In the meantime, youth leader of Panthers Party Balwan Singh reached the police station and demanded unconditional release of all arrested youth. As the cases were already registered against the Holi revelers for creating nuisance in the town, the police refused to release them without completing legal formalities.

The Panthers Party activists resorted to shouted slogans against the police for, what they alleged, unnecessary harassing the youth. As tension flared up in the town, Panthers Party MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia also rushed to the spot.

Jammu, March 21
Though the authorities might be claiming to have abolished the menace of child labour from the winter capital of the state, the practise is going on unabated in the region. According to the law, no child below the age of 14 can be employed for any type of work and for this, an Act came into force in 1986. However, the laws are openly being violated just under the nose of the law enforcing agencies in Jammu.

In Jammu, children below the age of 14 can be seen working in hotels, restaurants, and mechanic shops and even as conductors with trucks and passenger vehicles. Many children below the age of 14 have been employed as domestic help.

Though these children say that it’s out of family compulsion that they have to work, but the law enforcing agencies have turned mock spectators as their employers are violating the law by employing them.

“I don’t have any other means of income in my family, that’s why I have no other option but to work at this mechanic shop,” 11-year-old Papu, a child labour at the Transport Nagar in Jammu, said. In the absence of any check by the law enforcing agencies, it becomes easy for the people to employ minors on hazardous and risky jobs. Small children can be seen selling cloth wipers in the middle of busy roads in Jammu, risking their lives to speeding vehicles.

“Everyday our employer wants us to sell maximum number of wipers, so we try to sell them to the drivers of the passing vehicles and many a times we do get hurt by fast moving vehicles,” said Abdul (13), who sells cloth wiper on the busy flyover just behind the civil secretariat in Jammu.

The people who work against the child labour say that as these children are underage and in need of money due to various circumstances, they can easily be motivated to do any type of labour.

“As these children don’t argue and don’t know the ill-effects of the job that they have been assigned too, they easily accept to do the work,” said a social activist Anita Mahajan.

Jammu, March 21
World renowned santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is setting up a “Santoor Academy” in Jammu in memory of his father, late Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma.

Talking to reporters during the “Meet the Press” programme hosted by the Press Club of Jammu on Wednesday, Sharma said he always felt nostalgic about his homeland, Jammu. The maestro who got classical and international recognition from santoor said, “This would be a humble tribute to the land my father belonged to and the person from whom he learnt this classical art. Pandit Uma Dutt was a pioneer in santoor who contributed his life to enriching this music.”

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma enjoys the credit for getting santoor the recognition it deserves today. Having learnt from his illustrious father Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma, he also made a brief foray into films. He got his first break in V. Shantaram's “Janak Janak Payal Baajay” at a young age. However, he devoted most of his time to classical music.

He pointed out Jammu had a great classical tradition. He said, Ustad Allah Rakha Khan, his son Zakir Hussain and many others belonged to Jammu. He said whenever he met Zakir, they talked in their mother tongue, Dogri, while forgetting everything else. “Probably the mother tongue sounds more musical than the best of classical music,” he added.

The santoor maestro did not agree that classical music had not much appeal left and did not have much admirers. He said classical singers like himself and Zakir performed about 300 times a year. “Pop music might be popular, but classical music has its own space which can never be occupied by anything else,” he remarked, while disclosing that he had performed almost everywhere in the country and abroad.

He, however, said the state government had never patronised classical traditions. “Despite having such strong classical traditions, there is no government support. He added that he had come with a resolve to revive those classical traditions, beginning with a santoor institute in Jammu.

Doda, March 21
For getting political mileage ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir has upgraded a number of government schools during the past five years, but majority of these educational institutions lack basic infrastructure. Students in these schools face numerous problems.

Except upgrading these institutions, the Education Department has neither appointed adequate teaching staff nor developed infrastructure in these schools. Although conditions of government schools are deplorable all over the state, it is worst in Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda.

Majority of the students have to sit in open during examination as there is not even a single desk available for candidates who appeared in board examinations.

Chief education officer (CEO), Doda, A K Sen expressed his helplessness in providing infrastructure in government schools. “We don't have funds to develop infrastructure in schools,” the CEO told The Tribune and admitted that 90 per cent of the total 20,000 students appearing in class 10th examination in Doda district, have to sit on mats during examination. "What to say of arranging desks for the students appearing in board examination I am helpless to provide jute mats to them" the CEO said.