Srinagar, June 6
Former Chief Secretary, B R Kundal was sworn in as a Cabinet minister at the Raj Bhawan here this evening. 

Governor Lt-Gen S K Sinha(retd) administered the oath of office and secrecy to the former top bureaucrat in the presence of Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Water Resources and State PCC president, Saifuddin Soz, and Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh. Others present included Tara Chand, Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Ghulam Nabi Lone , Chairman, Legislative Council and some of the Congress ministers, including Mangat Ram Sharma and Ramesh Chander Sharma, senior civil and police officers.

Except for the senior PDP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, no leaders from the main coalition partner were present. Other coalition parties, including the CPM led by M Y Tarigami, MLA, and People’s Democratic Front, led by Transport Minister, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen also did not attend the oath ceremony.

However, the PDP leadership had been engaged in the re-election of Mehbooba Mufti as its president with all its leaders, including the patron and former chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, other ministers and legislators less than one kilometre away from the Raj Bhawan. Observers here held the opinion that the timing of oath ceremony and the PDP presidential election had been worked out in such a manner that the PDP leadership found an excuse to stay away. Over the past one week, speculations were rife over the differences between the coalition partners, the PDP and the Congress, over Kundal’s induction.

There was no announcement of the portfolio to be assigned to the new minister inducted into the Azad-led coalition government. However, he is believed to get the important power portfolio relieving Babu Singh of the charge, which may result in a minor reshuffle. Kundal’s induction is believed to be the last in the present government, as the state is poised for Assembly elections a few months later. Since Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad took over, there have already been two expansions of the council of ministers while senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh was re-inducted last winter. 

Jammu, June 6
Languishing in Kot Lakhpat prison at Lahore, at least 24 Indian prisoners, half of them convicted on the charges of espionage under the 59 Pakistan Army Act (PAA), eagerly await consular access with a hope to meet their loved ones before they die.

However, it seems there was no end to the miseries of these men, nine among whom continue to remain in the confines of the prison despite completing their sentence.

As per warrants of commitment issued under the Pak Army Act section 136, three prisoners Kuldeep Singh of Makwal in Billawar (Kathua), Tilak Raj of Jammu and Kuldeep Kumar of Ahmedabad (Gujarat) were also convicted under the 59 PAA.

In warrants of commitment, copies of which were available with The Tribune, Commanding Officer 38 Baloch Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Jawad Ahmed asked the jail superintendent to take custody of Tilak Raj of Jammu.

Though Tilak Raj was also convicted under the 59 PAA section 59 with section 3 of the Official Secrets Act 1923, he was awarded a rigorous imprisonment of 12 years on December 9, 2006.

His sentence that would end on December 9, 2018 was duly confirmed by the Commander 106 Brigade Brigadier Asghar Nawaz.

Similarly, Kuldeep Singh of Makwal was convicted under the act and was sentenced to undergo life imprisonment.

He was arrested on December 19, 1992 and after tried by the Field General Court Martial was awarded the sentence of 25 years of imprisonment on May 9, 1996.

After Kuldeep Singh failed to file an appeal against the conviction by court martial within 40 days from the date of promulgation envisaged in the PAA section 133 B, Colonel Abdul Hameed Gill in Judge Advocate General's Department at Rawalpindi vide his letter number 5428/J-1/JAG dated May 14, 2004 felt that the convict (Kuldeep Singh) may submit a mercy petition to the Chief of Army Staff under the PAA section 131.

In another warrant of commitment, Commanding Officer 37 FF Lieutenant Colonel Raja Asif Mehdi sentenced Kuldeep Kumar of Ahmedabad to life imprisonment.

After holding a Field General Court Martial at Lahore cantonment on October 27, 1996 Kuldeep Kumar was awarded life sentence and was handed over to the jail superintendent on December 22, 1996. His sentence would end on October 27, 2021.

It has been reliably learnt that the prison has 24 Indian prisoners, out of whom 12 including Kuldeep Singh of Jammu, Tilak Raj of Kathua and Kuldeep Kumar of Ahmedabad have been convicted under the 59 PAA while nine have already completed their sentence on various charges and three are under-trials.

To mention a few, the prison has Boota Ram alias Darshan of Jammu, Ram Prakash of Bishnah, Ghulam Farid of Malerkotla and 70- year old Surjeet Singh of Ferozepur.

Apart from Sarabjit Singh of Bhikiwind, the Kot Lakhpat prison has another prisoner Kirpal Singh of Mustafabad (Saydan Village) in Gurdaspur district, who also faces death sentence.

Channi Diwani, June 6
Life would never be the same for 33-year-old Mangal Singh who was recently released from a Pakistani jail after spending 11 years of his life as he lost five members of his family, including his mother and brother in that period.

Mangal who had inadvertently entered into the Pakistani side was allegedly accused of smuggling drugs into the country and was given a sentence of 25 years by the sessions court of Sialkot.

“I was young and had crossed the line of control in a drunken state, nobody stopped me, I went and knocked at a door totally unaware that I was in Pakistan,” Mangal told The Tribune.

“The inmates of the house identified me as an Indian; they locked me in a room and later handed me over to the local police.”

The court held him guilty of trafficking drugs into the county and sentenced him for 25 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Mangal appealed in the high court of Sialkot as he was provided with a government lawyer, but the high court also upheld the verdict.

After the relations of both India and Pakistan improved, Mangal Singh moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the judgment came in his favor and he was granted clemency by the apex court.

Mangal Singh says that what he underwent during detention sends a chill through his spine.

“Kot Lakhpat jail is the worst jail to live in, the quality of food is worst, the condition of the jail inmates is pathetic, there were no health facilities and worst the men are treated like animals,” Mangal said.

The family of Mangal, who had taken him for dead, came to know about him being in a Pakistani jail when it got a letter last year.

“My mother and brother died without knowing that I was still alive after I went missing, they searched for me everywhere and when I was not traced everyone had taken me for dead,” Mangal said.

When Mangal returned last month, the shock about the death of his mother, brother, uncle and two cousins awaited him. “Life would never be the same for me,” Mangal Said.

Srinagar, June 6
Deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig has said the peace process has reached to an irreversible phase adding that it required a vigorous push forward.

Addressing a public meeting in Pulwama district yesterday Baig appealed the separatist groups and Hurriyat leadership to play their role in this stupendous task and be a part in seeking permanent peace and large-scale development in the state.

He said both central and state leadership worked for restoration of peace and tranquility in Jammu and Kashmir. He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have been instrumental in initiating and carrying forward the dialogue process at Indo-Pak level and between the state and Centre.

The deputy chief minister and senior PDP leader held that restoration of normalcy in the state had restored sense of security among the people who were yarning for it. The people, he added, had now become equal stakeholders in the development process.

Baig also blamed previous governments for being responsible for political uncertainty and turmoil in the state.

Referring to the achievements of the coalition government during last five and a half years, Baig said the coalition government opened 40 colleges and established three universities and eight university campuses in the state breaking all records so far.

He said a massive infrastructure development programme had been started in the state and major social sector projects were started on fast track to benefit the people at the earliest. 

Jammu, June 6
Symbol of Kashmiri culture and famous world over for its quality, saffron is losing ground in the state, as the area under saffron cultivation has declined from over 5,000 hectares to 3,750 hectares over the past few years.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Farooq Ahmad Aga from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Srinagar, said a major part of land at Kashmir’s saffron belt, Pampore, has witnessed construction activities, which has led to shrinking in the area under saffron cultivation.

“Saffron is a sterile crop that totally depends on the quality of corms (bulbs). Bigger the corm, more the flowers. However, we lack quality corms in our state. Also saffron is in growing stage in the month of October and needs rainfall, which is rare in that period,” he added.

Dr Aga opined that the lack of post-harvesting facilities has also taken a toll on saffron farming, as middlemen purchase saffron from the farmers at the rate of Rs 100 per gm and sell it in the market at much higher price after blending it with saffron from Iran. Though Iran accounts for 70 per cent of the world production, the quality of Kashmiri saffron is considered the best, he said.

He also blamed the WTO regime for the trend, as according to him, saffron from other places is being sold in the market at much cheaper rates after labelling it as Kashmiri saffron.

He also held the farmers responsible for decline in saffron yield, as they are following a 10-year planting cycle. “They dig out corms after 10 years for replanting, but it would be better for quality as well as yield if they follow a four-year planting cycle,” he said.

The extension functionaries too are not reaching out to the grassroots level to acquaint farmers with the latest technology, he added.

Dr Aga opined that the state government too had adopted apathetic approach towards the saffron growers. “It has no plan to revive saffron farming. Also the farmers are not being provided with better irrigation facilities,” he said.

Srinagar, June 6
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has admitted that his government has failed in preserving the Dal Lake. But we have been restoring the lake to its earlier beauty, he added.

He was speaking yesterday at a weeklong environmental programmes going on in the University of Kashmir.

In a candid conversation, he said a clique of politician, officials and local lobby was behind the decay of the Dal Lake as they were interested in perpetuating the inflow of funds coming from the government which meant to save the Dal.

The Dal Lake, which has been the most famous address in Kashmir for tourists over the year, has been shrinking in size over the decades. Its water has turned toxic as sewage and garbage of nearby areas were dumped into it. The government has taken some tentative steps as the high court took up the matter, but experts said it has been too little.

On the first day of the event, inaugurated by Azad, a Kashmir University professor dropped a bombshell yesterday when he claimed that that there is no proven link between carbon emission and global warming.

He took the audience through presentation of datas and select scientists' quotes to drive home his point.

M.I. Bhat, a professor in the Geology and Geophysics Department of the university, attributed the heightened global concern for reducing carbon emission to a vested lobby working to protect the interest of the rich nations.

Meanwhile, the scholars and students today debated “Kashmir, the altered heaven” on the second day.

Srinagar, June 6
The Election Commission will launch a massive exercise from mid-June to issue computerised voter identity card to over 64.5 lakh electorates in the state where manual identity cards have been the norm so far.

The Jammu and Kashmir is among the few laggard states which do not have had computerised I-cards for largely due to turmoil in the state at a time when the Election Commission was pursuing its reform agenda across the country. State's Chief Electoral Officer BR Sharma told The Tribune they would start their campaign this month, and they would first try to reach close to 10 lakhs of those voters, who have voter cards but whose details are no longer available with the commission here.

As these details were manual, many were destroyed in arson caused by militants in government offices, many turned into scraps with time and many were never issued by lower-rung government officials in the first place. Though more than half of the voters in the state do not have the cards, but commission's first priority is to update records of those electorates who have the cards. "We will try to ensure that at least one member in every household has a card before elections this year," Sharma said.

Officials said booth-level officials would start a publicity campaign in a week or two asking eligible voters to keep two latest photographs, required for the cards, at their homes and, then they will go to them with form (001B) and get requisite details. This exercise will take considerable time. Voter cards, rated as an important official proof of one's identity, have been found to be used by Pakistani militants over the years. These militants would easily replace photographs of original cards with theirs, and it would give them a local identity. Local militants, who would have these cards due to their native status, or the sympathisers of foreign militants would provide these cards, officials said.

Jammu, June 6
Buoyed over the success of its cop, the Jammu and Kashmir Police would try to scale world’s highest peak, the Mount Everest, on its own by 2009. Addressing mediapersons here today after felicitating cop Ram Singh, who scaled the summit on May 22, IGP Jammu zone K. Rajendra said we would try to scale the summit on our own by 2009. To make it possible requisite facilities would be created shortly in the state, he added.

Ram Singh and Sajad Haider were the part of 14-member contingent from the country that embarked upon the daunting task.

Though Singh scaled the summit, Haider was taken ill at an advanced base camp in the icy Himalayas and hence could not fulfill his dream. The IGP described Ram Singh’s feat as a proud moment for the state.

Ram Singh, who hoisted the JKP flag atop the peak, was the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to conquer the Mt Everest.

Ram Singh said being attracted to the call of mountains since childhood, it was his burning desire to scale the world’s highest peak.

It would not have been possible to fulfill my dream without the support of the Jammu and Kashmir Police that provided me the platform, said Singh.

Before embarking upon the mission, Ram Singh had scaled peaks lie ‘Stok Kangri’ in 2005 and ‘Nun’ in 2007.

He had also undergone a selection trial at Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute in Gangtok and as a pre-expedition trial scaled Pauhnuri Peak in north Sikkim.

Singh said, after reaching the base camp at a height of 17,500 feet for acclimatisation it took us nearly two months to scale the summit.

Though elated over success of his colleague, Haider was little disappointed by the fact that he could not scale the peak.

“Before undertaking the expedition we had trained very hard and next time I would try to be there,” he asserted.