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Ropeway project makes no headway
Mushroom cultivation picks up in Udhampur
Eve teasing on rise in Jammu
Skiing a big attraction in Gulmarg
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Shivratri The demand for walnuts has increased in view of the forthcoming Shivratri festival. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Veteran scribe foresees bright future for Kashmiris
Students suffer due to lack of infrastructure
Self-supporting courses benefit students
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Ropeway project makes no headway
Jammu, February 17 Despite being the second richest autonomous body in the country after the Tirupati Dev Sthanam (TDS) of the famous Tirupati Temple, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board (SMVDSB) so far has failed to initiate work on the ambitious Rs 18 crore project. Undoubtedly, ever since the then Governor Jagmohan created the SMVDSB, it has not only streamlined the entire pilgrimage but also improved existing facilities at the holy town of Katra and the 13km long route till the Bhawan. However, the ambitious project costing Rs 18 crore has not seen the light of the day as yet, said a SMVDSB official on the condition of anonymity. He said, "In a bid to attract more pilgrims, the board has decided to come up with the project at a cost of Rs 17.88 crores. The proposed ropeway will be 450 metres in length.” “Since without paying obeisance at the Bhairon Ghati temple, pilgrimage remains incomplete, so we decided to have a ropeway,” he added. Board has been into consultations with the rail India transport and economic service (RITES) and a preliminary report, too, has been prepared but a final word was yet to be taken in the board meeting, he said. No work, whatsoever, has been started as of now, he added while expressing regrets over inordinate delay in executing the project. Every year lakhs of pilgrims from around the world visit the famous cave shrine but a miniscule number among them go to the Bhairon Ghati because of the fatigue. However, SMVDSB's assistant chief executive officer Bodh Raj claimed that the board has been actively deliberating upon the issue. “We are actively considering the project, but as of now no final decision has been taken,” he said. |
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Mushroom cultivation picks up in Udhampur
Udhampur, February 17 In such a scenario, the production of mushroom is becoming the biggest source of supplementing income for the farming community of this district. Although just 120 families have adopted this as part time business at present, the number of farmers, who have been showing keen interest in mushroom farming, has been increasing with every passing season. Last year,only 50 farmers came forward when the agriculture department organised a camp to train them in mushroom farming. "Not only the farmers even the Army formations of this district have shown keen interest in mushroom cultivation", the chief agriculture officer (CAO), Udhampur, Pratap Singh Choudhary told The Tribune. He said six Army units in this district had set up mushroom cultivation centres in their respective units. The agriculture department was providing technical assistance and other help to the Army men to cultivate mushroom for the families of the soldiers. "In the coming season, we are expecting more Army units to come forward to get technical assistance from our department to cultivate mushroom", Choudhary said. Mushroom has good market potential in the district and production is very less as compared to the demand. "We have to purchase mushroom from Jammu on higher prices", Rajinder Anthal, a local vegetable seller said.The mushroom growers are getting handsome profit by selling their product in the local market. It is all due to the growing interest of the farmers that the district has produced record 420 quintal of mushroom during this season. "Apart from giving technical assistance to the farmers, we are also providing them seeds on subsidised rates", Choudhary said.A team of experts has been constituted to visit farms to give the farmers on-the spot instructions to increase its production. Farmers in this district are cultivating two types of mushrooms, European mushroom known as button mushroom and dhingri mushroom. The department has formulated a comprehensive plan to involve maximum number of farmers in this farming. "We will organise awareness camps in different villages to convince the farmers to cultivate mushroom as this crop is highly remunerative to increase their income", he said. One hundred and twenty farmers were imparted preliminary training about the latest techniques and trends in mushroom cultivation in the demonstration-cum-training centre in the district some time ago. |
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Eve teasing on rise in Jammu
Jammu, February 17 “Street ‘romeos’ stalk us and pass obscene remarks, but we have to quietly tolerate their nonsense,” says a second-year student of Government College for Women, Parade. Though girls should not keep quiet and “some of us do muster courage and lodge complaint with the police, most of the times we keep mum”, she adds. “Even if we try to teach a lesson to such elements, people in our so-called civilised society don’t come to our rescue leaving us alone to fend for ourselves”, says a student of the women’s college in Gandhi Nagar, who quoted a recent incident when two ruffians misbehaved with her friend while returning home after attending their tuition classes. The police alone cannot end the menace and society at large has to put up a brave face against such elements, she says. She, however, attributes the rise in eve teasing to the fast changing lifestyle in Jammu where people have been blindly following western lifestyles. Sources in the police department admit that though the anti-eve teasing squad has been constituted, the practice continues in the city. SSP Manohar Singh constituted anti-eve teasing and anti-goonda squads in September last year, they say, adding that the then inspector, who has been promoted as deputy superintendent of police, Rajni Sharma, and inspector Vishal Sharma headed the teams, respectively. Though initially these squads launched a crusade against eve teasing, for the past few months such crimes are being handled by the police stations concerned. However, a senior police officer says the anti- eve teasing squad has been doing its job efficiently, but isolated cases do happen. “One cannot expect that there would be 100 per cent check on eve teasing in a big and constantly expanding city like Jammu, which has witnessed a mushroom growth of schools, colleges and private coaching centres in the recent times,” he says. |
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Skiing a big attraction in Gulmarg
Gulmarg, February 17 As your vehicle snakes its way to Gulmarg from Tangmarg, a whole new world opens up as the ski resort comes into view. Groups of foreigners, who are arriving in droves here for its adventurous slopes offering some of the most exciting skiing routes in the world, could be seen in their skiing gears while many more Indian tourists are also dabbling in the sport with the aid of local guides. “I have never done skiing before and I don’t think many in India have done it. But it’s exciting. We have thoroughly enjoyed our trip with the help of these guides,” Prabhat Sharma, who hails from Jalandhar and is here with four friends, said. With skis strapped to his and his friends’ shoes, their enjoyment was apparent. The whole landscape, which would hardly excite a pro but offers a harmless and enjoyable ride to amateurs and the first-timers, reverberated with the laughter of scores of people as they tumbled and panted their way to their first lessons in skiing. “It’s like nowhere else. I have been to many places in India but it’s amazing here. Snow is every where and even walking on it is fun. I feel lucky to be here,” P. Sundaram, a middle-aged man hailing from Hyderabad, said. Many locals, who possess elementary knowledge of skiing and have invested in purchasing skis, are making decent money these days. “I charge Rs 400 for skis and Rs 200 more if they need my help. Almost everybody requires my help,” Abdul Ahad, a guide, said. Despite a good number of tourists descending in Gulmarg, though, the number of guides is on the higher side. Many tourists complained of relentless pestering by them and said they were followed almost everywhere if they had not hired one. However, foreigners keep themselves away from the hustle and bustle of domestic tourists learning the skills of skiing. A French on condition of anonymity said they were already well versed with skiing and ski on steeper slopes at higher altitude. |
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Shivratri
Jammu, February 17 On one hand, walnuts have been made available to the Kashmiri Pandits at their doorsteps and simultaneously this Shivratri has thus provided an occasion to them to have an interaction with their Kashmiri Muslim counterparts in Jammu. “By seeing Kashmiri hawkers selling walnuts in my colony I feel as if I am in Kashmir, celebrating Shivratri where Kashmiri Muslims also used to celebrate this festival with us in many ways. I have purchased quality walnuts from a Kashmiri youth of Kokarnag and have had a chat with him as well,” said Triloki Nath of Udhaywala. Walnuts constitute a very important ingredient of this festival, which are put into various vessels and worshipped for three days. After conclusion of these prayers, they are distributed among near and dear ones as ‘prasad’. Kashmiri youth from the valley, who are on winter vacations, have come in large numbers for selling walnuts on the occasion. One can find them doing their business in residential areas of Kashmiri Pandits and migrant camps here. Kashmiri Muslims have also hired shops in different residential areas for storing walnuts. “I am on winter vacations so I thought why not to visit Jammu for seeing Kashmir Pandits whom I had never met so far. Sale of walnuts on Shivratri has provided me this opportunity,” said Nazir Ahmed, a class XII student. While selling walnuts in these localities, these hawkers are seen inquiring about their Kashmiri Pandit neighbours and feel happy if they locate any. Kashmiri Pandits are enthusiastically purchasing walnuts from these hawkers as they get quality walnuts at reasonable prices at their doorsteps. Besides, they feel at home by having a chat with them for a while. “We used to order walnuts from Kashmir on every Shivratri or purchase from the market but this year we have got them at our home without any effort,” said Ashok Raina of migrant camp, Nagrota. |
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Veteran scribe foresees bright future for Kashmiris
Jammu, February 17 “I foresee a bright future for Kashmiris who have undergone through a tough patch of history, particularly during the past two decades,” said the 87-year-old man in an informal chat with The Tribune at his ancestral “Saraf House” that has so far produced four generations of journalists. Saraf’s father, Late Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, is considered to be the father of journalism in Jammu and Kashmir for having introduced the first newspaper “Ranbir” in the erstwhile princely state, way back in 1924. Saraf, a graduate of 1942, had remained actively associated with this newspaper, besides having represented most of the national dailies during his chequered career as an established journalist. Visibly perturbed over the happenings in Kashmir, more so after 1989, Saraf, however, feels that future holds good for the people of the valley. “India needs Kashmiris for their fertile mind. Even though they have witnessed the trauma of terrorism and migration, yet their contributions in different spheres of life will go a long way in nation building,” feels the scribe. Saraf, however, opines that migrations had been a continuous process in Kashmir and Kashmiris have moved to far-off places to exhibit their talent. “History is witness to the fact that the landlocked Kashmir, that produces just one crop a year, was too small to accommodate large number of people. That is why both Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims, over the years, have moved out of the valley to settle down in places like Lahore, Nepal and Lucknow. We still have Kashmiri mohallas and colonies in these cities,” said this widely travelled man, who at this advanced age still holds a sharp memory of Kashmir affairs. Saraf regrets he could not travel to Kashmir after 1989. “But whenever I shut my eyes, I find myself in the beautiful vale where I have spent the precious years of my life. Every inch of Kashmir is still vivid before me,” he said. On journalistic front, he recalls those days when transmission of news from Central Telegraph Office (CTO) was a laborious process. “My son, Pushp, also a journalist, would help me to visit CTO and later demand one anna. Now, news sending is just at the click of a button,” he said. Influenced by the philosophies of Sri Arbindu, Mahatma Gandhi and RN Roy, Saraf has a word of advice for the new generation opting journalism as a career: “Also read what others have written”. |
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Students suffer due to lack of infrastructure
Jammu, February 17 It is shocking that for nearly 900 students of philosophy there is not even a single lecturer since the start of this session while the academic year is going to be over next month.
Over the years, the strength of students has increased up to 6,000 while the infrastructure has remained the same, which has resulted into congestion in classrooms. At the moment, nearly 100 students have to attend their class in a lecture room having a sitting capacity of 60. The scenario of drinking water is also very dismal and students rue that they are compelled to drink unhygienic water. "There is no water purifier on the campus and students drink water from a cemented reservoir which has open manhole," say students. The students also rue space constraint in the college library and complain that there is acute shortage of books due to which they have to rely on outside sources.
Hostellers allege that the administration charges more money as compared to Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, yet substandard food is served to them.
Meanwhile, principal of the college, Dr Savitri Sharma, says, "The construction of a new block is underway on the campus and once it gets completed, the problem of space will get addressed." |
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Self-supporting courses benefit students
Jammu, February 17 Coming at an affordable package, the courses include spoken English and personality development, basic course in French, advance course in French, basic course in computers, basic course in Urdu, advanced course in Urdu as well as arts and craft. As per department officials, the courses have three months' duration during which students could attend 50 sessions. The coaching fee for the spoken English and personality development has been fixed at Rs 2,000 while the qualification required is graduation. For basic course in French, advance course in French, basic Course in computers and basic as well as advanced course in Urdu the coaching fee would be Rs 1,000 only. For courses like basic French, computers and Urdu, the qualification required is higher secondary. While the qualification required for advanced courses in French and Urdu require basic courses in French and Urdu, respectively. Likewise, the qualification for the course in arts and crafts is matriculation while the fee structure is Rs 500 only. "These are tremendous courses as we have got a chance to know and learn art and craft," said Muneer,a student from Kashmir, who is an avid amateur painter. "Since there are no such courses in the Kashmir varsity, it is a nice opportunity to know more techniques as I was already into it but did not have guidance of any expert. Now, I can make the most of my talent," Muneer added. "The admission process got delayed this year. We have just started holding classes in some courses.Yet some of the seats are vacant and students can avail themselves of this opportunity," revealed co-coordinator Bharti Prabhakar. Dr Bharti said the faculty included professors from different departments of the varsity, besides some experts in French from outside the varsity as well. "We are getting great response from students as well as professionals like advocates etc as they find evening an opportune time out of their daily schedules for the classes," she added. |
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Letter
The recent robbery at a jweller's shop in the evening has brought to light the rising incidence of crime in the winter capital. Earlier, there have been a few incidents of chain snatching, but this incident has raised a serious question mark over the law and order situation in the city. What has baffled the people is the fact that the police is groping in the dark about the identity of the robbers.Even as the police should nab the culprits at the earliest, it is high time that a close eye is kept on such elements to nip the crime in the bud. The people also need to be alert and aware of goings-on in their surroundings to check such crimes. The police should also initiate all measures to check the crime graph, which has gone up in the last few months, and restore the confidence of the public.
Ravinder Singh,
Jammu
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Jammu, February 17
