Trungal, (Ramban), February 20
Even as the entire Kishtwar and Doda districts remained cut off from the rest of the country after sinking of a stretch on the Batote-Kishtwar national highway on February 6, inhabitants of Sheeraj belt of Doda district are bearing the maximum brunt as this area has been facing the shortage of essential commodities like ration and medicines.

While for the town and tehsil headquarters, the authorities have been utilising the service of choppers of the Air Force to ensure the supply of essential commodities, this backward belt is facing neglect.

Even before the sinking of the national highway, the residents of this belt comprising more than 60 villages were facing hardships as this entire Sheeraj area was cut off from the rest of the state after the two foot bridges, which were the only means of connectivity with the outer world, got submerged in the Chenab. The snapping of the road connectivity of Doda and Kishtwar has further compounded their woes.

Since June 2006, these areas were cut off and for earning a living, the residents have to risk their lives every day as they have to cross the Chenab regularly by boat rowed by untrained local youths. The miseries of the inhabitants can be gauged from the fact that three students were drowned in this area while crossing the Chenab to reach their school in September 2007. But even after that tragic incident, people continue to cross the river on boat as there is no other option.

Only last month, three youths were drowned while crossing the river while going for their jobs. The body of only one of them has been traced so far. Former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had laid the foundation stone for constructing a bridge at Trungal to connect this area with the rest of the world. The foundation stone was laid on March 12, 2008, and it was promised to complete the bridge within one year. But 11 months have been elapsed and the work on this bridge has yet not started.

Jammu, February 20
While the state police has launched a “sustained” drive against drug-peddlers, drug abuse has started taking away precious lives of youths, including adolescents, in the city of temples.

A fortnight back two young boys barely in their 20s, who had fallen prey to drug abuse, died in the heart of winter capital here leaving behind their families in a state of shock.

It has been reliably learnt that one of the boys had taken overdose of sleeping pills and died in a market while the other had been addicted to painkiller injections.

To prevent the latter from taking injections, his family of late had incarcerated him but by then it was too little, too late and he died an agonising death.

Last year, a youth in the New Plots area had also fallen prey to the menace and died before getting to his prime.

Despite the "sustained" drive of the police against drug-peddlers, drug abuse in varied forms, including psychotropic drugs like anti-depressants, sedatives, cough syrups and painkillers, continue to inflict heavy damage on the younger generation.

Jammu SSP Manohar Singh said the problem had gained dangerous proportion. “Though we have been initiating strict action against drug-peddlers, the drug controller should also come to grips as far as psychotropic drugs like injections, cough syrups and other sedatives are concerned," he said.

The SSP said, “The J&K drug and food control department has a full-fledged staff and it, too, should own the responsibility. Having said that, the police never shirked away from its responsibility”

After we tightened noose around disgruntled chemists, drug-peddlers and addicts have started bringing drugs from neighbouring Punjab, he added.

Drug abuse among youth has become a serious problem and hence, the police couldn't resolve it single-handedly. Society, including parents and educational institutions, has to be awakened, he said.

“In the past couple of months, we recovered two quintals of poppy straw and thousands of intoxicant capsules, but ultimately society has to wake up to the menace,” said the SSP.

Renowned psychiatrist JR Thappa, who also examines drug addicts, said, “After two years of addiction to such drugs, an addict becomes chronic and chances of his death increases by over 50 per cent because of continued consumption of habit-forming drugs”.

Not only his immune system becomes weak but he also develops suicidal tendencies and become prone to diseases like tuberculosis and other chest diseases, said the psychiatrist.

He added such addicts were usually found involved in road accidents because of their behavioral disorder and to judge things rightly.

Nowshera (Rajouri), February 20
Government Degree College, Nowshera, has been functioning from a building of a government middle school here, thanks to the indifferent attitude of the government.

This college, which was announced by the previous Congress-led coalition government along with about 40 such colleges in the state, was one among the long list of achievements that the Congress focused on during the recently held Assembly elections.

As the government degree college is functioning from one of the three buildings of the government middle school, not only are the students of the middle school suffering due to inadequate number of classrooms but the students of the college are also finding themselves out of place.

"Three are eight rooms in our school, but since the college authorities have occupied four rooms for running the college, we are facing the shortage of space. We have eight classes in our school, but there are just three classrooms left as one of the rooms is being used as staff room. Thus, the students of classes I to V have to sit in veranda during rainy season and in the open during sunny days,” said Shoket Ahmed, a student of fifth standard.

Amit Kaur, a student of BA-I of the college, said, “Though we are happy that the government has set up this college, we feel that it should have provided adequate infrastructure”. “Sometimes we feel that there is not much difference between us and the students of the middle school and find ourselves out of place.”

A teacher of the school said though there was a shortage of classrooms, they would have to bear with the problem as the college was set up by the government and they could not go against it.

Asked why the college is running from a middle school building and why didn't the government provide adequate infrastructure, ND Wani, director, colleges, said, "This is a new college".

Jammu, February 20
Like every year, the exam fever has gripped the students here ahead of the board examinations.

Students as well as their parents are under constant stress these days. The level of stress is high this time also because of the delay in the completion of syllabus due to two-month long Amarnath land agitation.

The students are resorting to different ways to keep themselves de-stressed and focused during these crucial days. “I meditate in the morning due to which my memory has increased tremendously and I think it is the best way to get rid of the stress," says Shafali Wangnoo, a student of class VIII.

Zeba Manhas, a student of class X, says, "We certainly have less time for preparation this time. To de-stress myself in such a situation I watch TV or listen to good music”.

Neha Thakur, another student of class X, says after studying continuously for hours for the approaching exams she plays games to relax her mind.

Meenu Arora, a class XII student, says, "I do regular physical exercise and take enough sleep and nutritious food to keep myself in good shape during exam days”.

Parents, too, are under pressure these days. Madhu Mahajan pays special attention to the nutrition level of his son, who is going to appear in class X examination. “I give him high protein, low-fat diet as it will help him a lot to remain calm during examination time," she avers.

"My son is in class XII. In view of the approaching exams, I have restricted the time he spends with electronic gadgets like TV, computer and video games,” says Sushma Choudhary.

JK Sooden, principal, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, says, "I would suggest that the parents should not compare their wards with their classmates. It would take a lot of stress from the children”.

Jammu, February 20
Commercial cultivation of flowers, particularly gladiolus, is gradually picking up in the winter capital of the state. It is also turning out to be a big way for generating employment in the rural areas. Around 100 farmers in the far-flung areas have come forward to set up their farms following a drive by the state floriculture department.

In Jammu, gladiolus is cultivated in the far-flung areas like Katal Wabattal in Nagrota, Gajansoo-Mud, Deva Nampur, Gole Pattan, Sangrampra and in other border villages.

J&K flower growers association president Tejinder Singh said, "At present, about 300 hectare of land is under the cultivation of different varieties of flowers, particularly gladiolus, marigold, jasmine, aster, rose, chrysanthemum and tuberose in the state." Singh said, "In a single day, we produce 1,500 spikes of gladiolus, while the number rises to 4,500 spikes per day during the peak season." Although, they earn around Rs 1 crore from its cultivation per year, but it has a scope around Rs 5 crore, averred Singh.

"Now, the trend has shifted from seasonal to round the year production of flowers and the soil of the city has a potential to make spikes of gladiolus available when they are most wanted on occasions like Valentine’s Day, besides marriages, birthdays and other occasions," he added.

"Consumers are becoming fond of flowers, particularly gladiolus. Its magnificent spikes in stunning colours remain fresh for 10 to 22 days," said Puneet Kumar, an owner of a flower shop in Gandhi Nagar.

Every corner of the city is having a flower shop with upright spikes of gladiolus and this trend would continue to increase because of its demand in the market and increasing purchasing power of the customers.

While regretting that the government has been ignoring the flower growers, Singh demanded that a model flower centre should be established in the state. He regretted that the Centre provided around Rs 5 crore as cut flower development fund but the funds that they are receiving are "inadequate".

Director of the floriculture department KK Sharma said their role is only restricted to providing flower seeds and technical knowledge to the farmers. He said to encourage women growers in floriculture, the department would soon organise a programme in which around 4,000 plants and seeds would be provided to them free of cost.

Jammu, February 20
105-year-old Ishar Singh, whose family got divided during the partition of the country, has a wish to see his daughters before he closes his eyes forever.

Prior to the partition, Ishar Singh, who now lives in Jammu, had a happy family living in Pakistan, but the line of separation that divided the nation into two parts, divided his family.

On the fateful day, Ishar Singh, a transporter, was on the Indian side and his wife along with seven children, including four sons and three daughters, were on the Pakistani side of the border.

"I tried to locate them and get them back but all my efforts turned futile, as now they had become the citizens of Pakistan," said Ishar Singh.

His family in Pakistan converted to Islam and his sons immigrated to the United States where he got a chance to meet them many years later.

His three daughters still live in Faislabad in Pakistan.

In 1975, after 28 years of struggle, he got a chance to visit Lahore where he met his daughters. 34 years have passed since then, but because of visa restrictions he could not visit them again.

"We lost so many people and so many families were separated by the partition. For the past six decades, I have not been able to sleep comfortably as I miss my family," said Ishar Singh.

Not only Singh himself but also his daughters in Pakistan have been struggling hard to meet their father. Every time they apply for a visa, their request have been turned down.

"They too want to meet their father. They tried hard to get visas but whenever they applied, they were refused," said Satwant Kaur, daughter-in-law of Ishar Singh.

Though the relations between the two nations were strained, but this father still has a hope that before he closes his eyes, he would get a chance to meet his daughters.

People like Ishar Singh who live by hope have been praying to God for the improvement of relations between the two nations.

Chauki Chaura (Jammu), February 20
At a time when a number of government projects are awaiting completion for several years, the 12-km- long stretch along the Jammu-Poonch National Highway, on which repair work was being carried about for about a decade, was got completed by the previous Azad-led-coalition government within a year.

The repair and double-laning of this leftover stretch from Godar in Kalidhar to Chauki Chaura in Akhnoor on the Jammu-Poonch highway (managed by the Border Roads Organisation) was going on for the past about a decade at snail’s pace.

"Trust me it used to be a hellish experience to travel through this area. It required us to close the windowpanes of the vehicle while travelling through this stretch since dust used to spew into the vehicles. The road posed high risks during the rainy season as well due to slippery conditions," said Perveen Raina, who runs a computer retail shop in old Rajouri, and shuttles between Jammu and Rajouri frequently for business-related work.