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Dingy surroundings greet passengers at railway station
Nano Launch
Police commandos get training to tackle disasters
Commandos of the Jammu and Kashmir police exhibit their skills during the disaster management programme organised by UNDP at Manigam in Ganderbal. A Tribune photograph |
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Locating human rights commission office a tough task
The rented accomodation in Jammu which is shared by a private educational institute with the SHRC, overshadowing the commission’s office. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Khadi exhibition of mini-India
Bakerwali dogs on verge of extinction
Doda migrants rue poor amenities
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City Issues
Jammu, March 24 They are virtually forced to lie or sit on the platforms like animals in one of the most unclean and dingy surroundings. Rows can be seen squatting or lying on the floor at the platform. There is hardly any space for people to walk, not to talk of carrying the luggage.
The railway authorities, which should otherwise extend all possible amenities to these guests who bring a lot of revenue to the department as well as the state government, seem least bothered about it. The passengers, who come with their families, including small children and aged, are not treated properly. Surrounded by litter and stray dogs, the entire area looks shabby. The shortage of toilets makes women stand in long queues. Men ease themselves on tracks that adds to the stench and insanitation at the station. They rue about the despicable condition of the toilets. Bins spill over with heaps of garbage inviting mosquitoes, bees, rats and dogs. The authorities seem to be in a deep slumber about these problems. They also appear to be ignorant about the absence of fans at various spots, including the rest rooms. People had a tough time in winter with windowpanes broken at various spots. The weighing machine installed there is a mere showpiece. Viren Patel, a devotee from Gujarat, complained: “Unlike other parts of the country, the railways station here has fewer number of benches. My relatives who had been here earlier already told me about this. So, I came here with an old bedsheet so that my family can rest on it.” The Railways is constructing a station in Katra, close to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Residents of Jammu, especially the trader community, are protesting the move on the pretext that it would deprive them of trade and cause a huge loss to Jammu railway station as had happened with the Pathankot railway station many years ago. But none of the protesting group has ever thought of taking the issue of poor facilities at the railway station. What the authorities say? Ashok Kumar Sharma, divisional traffic manager, Railways, has an interesting explanation: “The addition of new benches will create further congestion and block the flow of traffic. Devotees come to the station in a hurry to move quickly to Katra, and on their return, they are so tired that they prefer to sit or lie on the floor,” Sharma said. A few lucky ones, in the bracket of VIPs, could rest in the special superintendent’s room, but the commoners could not avail this relief, he added. Apart from inadequate infrastructure and sanitation, the station has some security glitches as well. This ultra-sensitive place, which had once been the target of militants, is least bothered about its security system. The metal detector, CCTV cameras and the screening machines are lying defunct. When enquired, the authorities promised action. Sharma said, “I will replace all obsolete CCTVs and the screening machine within a fortnight.” He also informed about the plan to modernise the station as part of which all eating outlets and administrative offices would be shifted to the first floor on the lines of the Delhi railway station.
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Nano Launch
Jammu, March 24 The ambitious project of Tata Motors, Nano would be on display in Jammu in the next few days and the company’s dealers here are elated at the response the people of Jammu have been showing for the car. Nano was launched in Mumbai today. The city residents are yet to have a glimpse of the car, but hundreds of them have already started enquiring from the dealers. “I have been eagerly waiting for the launch of the car, as I want to be the first to own a Nano in our state,” said Pardeep Singh, a resident of Nanak Nagar. He said, “Right now, I am using a motorcycle and I am very keen on buying a Nano so that I can take all members of my family to places. It would be a dream come true for me.” “Ever since the car was unveiled last year, we have been receiving hundreds of phone calls and enquiries from probable customers as to when the company would start the sale of the car,” said an employee at the company showroom in Jammu. He said, “Though Nano was first introduced as the car of the commoners, but people with affluent background seem to be equally enthusiastic.” “People from affluent families want to gift this car to their younger ones who otherwise ride a two-wheeler. Driving a car is much safer than a two-wheeler so they would give preference to the car over bike or a scooter,” he said. Meanwhile, dealers of other car companies seem to be least bothered on the probable impact that the introduction of Nano would have on their sales. “We do not feel that there would be an impact on our sales. The new car would cater to different strata of society. A number of new companies came but still Maruti Suzuki is the leading car manufacturer and seller in the country,” manager of a Maruti Suzuki showroom said. He said, “Every car has its own specifications and every brand caters to the needs of a particular section of society, the person who wants a big car as his status symbol will not go for Nano.” “Nevertheless, Nano would add to the already congested roads of the city as Jammu is said to have the highest density of traffic after Tokyo,” he added. But the introduction of the low-cost Nano would have an impact on the sale of scooters and motorcycles in the region. “We apprehend that the car might have a negative impact on our sale as the person who spends Rs 50,000-60,000 for a bike would go for a car by stretching their budget a little more,” a dealer of a two-wheeler company said.
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Police commandos get training to tackle disasters
Srinagar, March 24 Keeping this important aspect in consideration, a disaster preparedness programme was organised by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) in collaboration with divisional commissioner, Kashmir, for police commandos at the Police Training Centre, Manigam in Ganderbal district. As many as 150 commandos took part. The commandos were shown the tricks as how to cope with the situation arising out of a disaster leading to havoc in an area. Experts in disaster management provided tips to commandos so as to handle things in a better manner in times of emergency. GM Dar, head of department, disaster management, IMPA, Srinagar, explained about disaster scenario of the state. He also spelt out various precautionary measures that needed to be taken in order to prevent damages due to disasters. Aamir Ali, project coordinator, UNDP, Kashmir, gave safety tips to the commandos. MS Punnu, SSP, Principal-Police Training School, Manigam, while welcoming the experts urged commandos to actively participate in training programme, as according to him the police was usually the first responder at site of any disaster. Later, a mock drill was also organised where the commandos displayed their acquired skills and were shown how to handle a situation arising out of a disaster. Nazir Ahmad, a participant, said in the event of any disaster, priority was to save maximum lives and ensure minimum damage. “If all policemen are well-versed with commando training and operations, much time can be saved. The commandos have been handpicked from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and are given special training to tackle any situation. It requires lot of energy, exercise and special diet to become a commando,” says Nazir. The training was organised under the Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project with the intention of establishing a well-trained, equipped and specialised force to combat disasters.
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Locating human rights commission office a tough task
Jammu, March 24 Despite the fact that the SHRC deals with human rights, a common man cannot easily locate its office housed in a messy two-room rented accommodation in Gandhi Nagar with a small board put up at an inconspicuous place. “I toiled hard and finally located the SHRC office by spotting a white-coloured official car of the chairperson parked in the porch with a logo of SHRC on its number plate,” said Bashir Ahmed, who had come all the way from Mendhar in Poonch district to seek redressal of a grievance. Though the SHRC office was locked, a list of cases to be heard was pasted on Now, I don’t have any option but to stay here in Jammu and come again to the office with a hope to find it open, he said, adding that the SHRC board put up at an inconspicuous place even has no telephone numbers on it. Had there been telephone numbers on the board, hardships to people like me could be mitigated to some extent, he said. Going by the appearance of the place, it looked a private educational institution rather than SHRC office, he added. This correspondent found a list of 48 cases pasted on a wall. They had to be taken up for required proceedings, orders and hearings by the SHRC chairperson Justice Syed Bashir-ul-Din on March 25 and March 26. No SHRC employee was available in the office. When the photojournalist of The Tribune started taking photographs of the office, a man, probably owner of the private educational institute, asked him to avoid taking pictures of his institute. The educational institute has put up big boards and hoardings at the gate and atop the premises and a common man could not make out easily that it also housed SHRC office. Sources in the SHRC admitted that the commission faced dearth of staff, furniture and fixtures. Despite repeated reminders we have not been provided an independent office and hence, we continue to work from a rented accommodation, they added. However, despite constraints we continue to give our best, they said, adding that from 1997 to 2007, the SHRC had been inundated with nearly 4,000 complaints, including those of custodial killings and disappearances. 51 complaints were registered in 1997-98, 227 in 1998-99, 309 in 1999-2000, 395 in 2000-01, 474 in 2001-02, 482 in 2002-03, 575 in 2003-04, 406 in 2004-05, 312 in 2005-06 and 366 in 2006-07, he said.
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Khadi exhibition of mini-India
Jammu, March 24 The ongoing state-level Khadi Gramodyog Exhibition (Khadi Bazaar) will continue till March 27. About 75 Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) institutions from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir and Uttranchal are participating. The Government of India is providing a special 20 per cent rebate whereas the KVI also provided 5 per cent rebate on cotton, woollen and silk khadi for four days. Items like towels, readymade kurta pyjamas, jackets, carpets, gowns are on display. Products from village industries like artistic wooden furniture, ladies’ purses, herbal products like shampoos, ayurvedic chawanprash, tooth powder, mehendi and organic foods have also been showcased. Visitors are evincing keen interest in the products and have been flocking to stalls where papads, pickles ,aloe vera, dried fruits, saffron and spices from different states are displayed. Herbal products claimed to be a cure for cold, dandruff, acidity and diabetes are the main attractions. “Carpets, mats, bedsheets, quilts, shawls and foot-mats are good items for home. All these are available at reasonable prices”, said Kavita Sharma, a customer. Talking to The Tribune, Ashok Kumar Dixit, senior manager, Sri Gandhi Sewa Sadhan, Jammu, said” For the betterment of traders and artisans and to promote their talent, we always organise such exhibitions. These provide a platform for manufacturers, traders and buyers to sell and buy the KVI products”. “Nearly 4,000 persons have been visiting the exhibition daily and we are hopeful that the number will increase in the coming days”, he said. |
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Bakerwali dogs on verge of extinction
Jammu, March 24 Since then, Noor is desperately in search of a new canine to take care of his herds of sheep and goats but does not find any replacement, as the species of the Bakerwali dogs is presently battling for the survival. Noor is not in fact the only nomad having lost his rugged, courageous and indigenous shepherd dog. According to the survey conducted by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, an organisation working on tribal affairs of India, the Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir have gradually been losing the shepherd dogs, more so after the outbreak of militancy in the state. Foundation’s national secretary Javed Rahi said, “Since 1990, there has been a steep decline in the number of Bakerwali shepherd dogs, as hundreds of them were killed by the militants in the higher reaches of the Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, Doda, Banihal, Kangan and Kupwara sectors, where the nomads migrate during the summer months. This ferocious breed of dogs was not allowing militants to trek in the forest areas and subsequently fell prey to their bullets all these years.” He said the Bakerwali tribes, during the past 30 years, have also contributed to this problem, as such families began to disband the traditional practice of keeping the dogs after settling in the plains while relinquishing the nomadic life forever. Quoting the survey report, Rahi said the Bakerwali shepherd dog is an ancient working breed found in the Hindukush and the Himalayan belt of the Indian subcontinent, where it has been bred for many centuries by the Gujjar nomadic tribes as a livestock guardian and settlement protector. “Now, only a few hundred dogs of this particular species have been left and are surviving in the most difficult and inhospitable conditions’’, said Rahi, while regretting that in the absence of proper vaccination, a number of dogs die every year because of throat, rabies and other infections. To add to the woes of the nomads, the female Bakerwali dog gives birth to hardly two pups once a year unlike other variety of dogs, who have the potential to give birth to four to twelve young ones.
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Doda migrants rue poor amenities
Jammu, March 24 Prem Lal, a shopkeeper said, “The entire locality is submerged in the darkness, as the only transformer of the area got busted many months ago and nobody came to repair it despite several complaints." The migrants living in the Bellicharana belt of Jammu complained against the ban on further construction of the houses by the state government. "My children have got married and have kids. It has become difficult for us to manage in the same little house. The government is not allowing the further extension of our houses." The efforts made by the community in the past many years have borne some fruit. President of the Zila Doda Migrant Welfare Committee Kaushal Sharma said, "The scuffle between our leaders and the successive governments in according permanent shelter to us, is the reason behind the non-materialisation of our demands. We have diluted it further by requesting to provide us postal ballot, so that we can exercise our franchise. We harbour hopes from the political parties this time as well”. |
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Letter
Unemployment is so rampant in this trouble torn state that the newly elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself had to accept that more than one lakh educated people are unemployed in the state. ITI electrician diploma holders and engineering degree and diploma holders have been protesting outside the office of the divisional commissioner for the past more than 700 days and there seems to be no end to their miseries. Many of them have even crossed the age limit for getting a government job. Now, the onus lies on the new government and it needs to come up with a clear-cut policy to deal with the problem. Both ruling alliance partners had promised that if voted to power they would be giving employment to at least one person from every household. Now, the time has come for the government to show its sincerity in fulfilling the promise. Unemployment is one of the biggest reasons for the youth to turn towards drug abuse and other anti-social activities.
Asish Kumar,
Jammu
Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at jk@tribunemail.com or write in at: Letters, J&K Plus, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030. |
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