Jammu, April 17
The anti-encroachment drive carried out by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) a few days ago at the bus stand proved to be a mere farce.

The encroachments that were removed in the afternoon were back by the evening. The very act seemed to be an eyewash as nobody from the JDA ever bothered to check it again.

The assurance of Pandu Ram K. Paul, vice-chairman of the JDA, to bring some “revolutionary changes” at the bus stand does not seem to carry any weight.

The insincerity behind such drives is clear from the fact that the rehriwallas themselves are quite conversant with the hollow nature of such an inane exercise so much so that they did not lose much time in occupying their space again.

The fearlessness and audacity on their part also shows their rapport with JDA officials. According to sources, these vendors allegedly give a monthly payment to the officials in lieu of occupying the space at the bus stand.

It is alleged that whenever the JDA acts under pressure to remove them, they inform the vendors in advance to not to come on that particular day, while action is taken against some others to create a drama to show results of their drive. And after a few hours, things are back to square one.

In the past also, such drives have been carried out, but all of them failed to serve their purpose. The employees working at the bus stand and the passengers have got used to it.

These encroachments have become a headache, but no one appears to have the courage to remove them as these rehri owners who have created a union raise a hue and cry every time an action is initiated against them.

They are also said to enjoy the patronage of local leaders, besides higher-ups in the administration.

It must be mentioned here that 10 years ago, 21 vendors were allotted 4X4 shops near the matador stand, but if one sees today, 80 per cent of the owners have rented out their shops and they are back to business.

It has become a good business for them, but the encroachments become an eyesore and spoil the beauty of the city.

At the bus stand, the vendors have crammed every inch of the premises by extending their shops.

Srinagar, April 17
The Kashmir valley has witnessed a long spell of rain over the past few weeks, while the higher reaches and mountains have witnessed snowfall, leading to the rise in the water level in the nullahs and streams that are tributaries to the major rivers in and around the valley.

These incessant rains also played havoc with city roads, as these got inundated with rainwater flowing from the connecting lanes and bylanes.

What came to the fore during the recent rains was the heavy accumulation of water on the main roads, particularly in Lal Chowk and its surrounding areas.

It was difficult for the pedestrians to walk through the main roads, market places and residential colonies.

It was equally difficult for the drivers to negotiate on the curves with the road surface completely under water.

Most of these roads, other than leading to the Civil Secretariat or the vital government installations, were under deep waters for several days.

With a result, potholes have been created on the road surfaces that are now covered with heavy layers of mud and filth.

“This is the plight of the roads every year during this season”, said a resident. “It was because of the snowfall and freezing conditions during the winter months. But, the government has to rise and make necessary repairs in time, before it becomes difficult for the commuters”, said Abdul Rashid, another resident.

He added that the flooding had been a usual phenomenon when it rained in the city. A long-term and permanent remedy had to be found to avoid the problem.

“The roads cannot be repaired and the water supply problem cannot be rectified, as the model code of conduct is in force in view of the Lok Sabha polls”, lamented National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.

Earlier, the model code was in force for more than two months due to the November-December Assembly elections.

There is a hope for the common man in Kashmir only after the Lok Sabha elections are over. Usually, there are no flood threats in Kashmir at this time of the season.

But the authorities have alerted the agencies concerned for any eventuality in view of the flood threat.

Earlier, during the first two weeks of this month, the level of water in the rivers and streams was already flowing close to the danger mark.

However, the people in general and the civil administration in particular have got a respite from the incessant rains during the past couple of days.

The authorities and agencies concerned heaved a sigh of relief as the weather conditions improved.

It has relieved the people in Srinagar from treading through the waterlogged
lanes and roads.

Udhampur, April 17
Among the 14 candidates contesting on this seat, BSP nominee Rakesh Wazir is the youngest. Prof Bhim Singh of the Panthers Party and Dr Nirmal Singh of the BJP are among the highly qualified candidates.

Dr Nirmal Singh (BJP)

He is the head of the department of the Postgraduate Department of History of Jammu University. He started his political career as a students’ leader when he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidharthi Parishad (AVBP), the student wing of the RSS, in early 80s. In 2000, Dr Nirmal Singh joined the BJP and appointed as the general secretary of the party.

He has unsuccessfully contested two Lok Sabha elections from the Jammu-Poonch segment. In the recent Assembly elections, he was the BJP candidate from the Gandhi Nagar segment of Jammu district, but lost the election by a narrow margin.

This time, he has been shifted from Jammu to Udhampur-Doda seat. He is a native of the Basholi area of Kathua district, which falls under this Lok Sabha segment. He has done his PhD from Jammu University.

Choudhary Lal Singh (Congress)

The sitting Lok Sabha member is known for his aggressive attitude. A graduate from Degree College, Kathua, Lal Singh has started his career as a students’ leader. He came into the limelight when he started struggle for displaced families of Thein Dam. He sprang a surprise by winning Assembly election in 1996 from the Basholi segment as a candidate of the Congress (Tiwari) and later he joined the Congress.

As a health minister of the state from 2002 to 2004, Choudhary Lal Singh had taken many revolutionary steps to streamline this department. In 2004, he contested election from the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat and wrested the same from veteran BJP leader Prof Chaman lal Gupta.

Prof Bhim Singh (Panthers Party)

He is one of the most experienced politicians among all those who have contested from this seat. Bhim Singh did LLB from London and PhD from Cairo University. A native of Bhagterian village of Udhampur district, he has a vast political experience.

He had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabh elections from this seat a number of times. According to an affidavit filed by him before the electoral office, he does not have cash while he has about Rs 70,000 in bank. Prof Singh had contested the last Assembly election from Jammu East Assembly segment and got only 500 votes.

Thakur Balbir Singh (Peoples Democratic Party)

He is also an experienced politician. Belonging to a political family, he had won Assembly election from the Billawar segment in the 1996 as a Congress candidate. A native of Billawar teshil of Kathua district, his educational qualification is Matriculation. Known as a vocal leader, Balbir Singh has Rs 3 lakh cash and Rs 3,44,551 in banks.

Rakesh Wazir (BSP)

Youngest among all contestants, Wazir is a novice in politics. He belongs to a political family, but before joining the BSP, Wazir concentrated only on social activities and on his business. He is general secretary of the BSP. Wazir is also a successfully businessman of Katra. He has done a diploma in business management.

Adress Ahmed Tabbasum (CPI)

He is a native of the Mendhar area of Poonch. A law graduate, Adress neither has cash nor deposit in bank. He has 13 kanal of land at native village Behra Mendhar.

Bodh Raj (Backward Classes Democratic Party)

He belongs to Padyari village of Kathua. He has a total amount of Rs 50,000 in cash and Rs 4,500 in bank.

Rajesh Manchanda (Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party)

He is a native of the Channi Himmat area of Jammu. Manchanada, whose educational qualification is 10+2, has Rs 1.50 lakh cash and immovable property of Rs 20 lakh.

Kanchan Sharma (Bharatiya Bahujan Party)

She is the only female candidate contesting from this segment. A resident of Janipur Jammu, Kanchan’s educational qualification is matriculation. She has Rs 5,000 cash and Rs 2 lakh in bank.

Master William Gill (All India Forward Block)

The 64-year-old candidate is a native of Christian Colony, Jammu. His educational qualification is matric and he has Rs 1 lakh cash and no bank balance.

Atul Sharma (Independent)

He is a graduate. He has Rs 2 lakh cash and no bank balance. Sharma belongs to the Sallian Talab area of Udhampur town.

Dev Raj (Independent)

The 58-year-old candidate does not have any cash or bank balance. A native of Lakhnote village of Kathua district, Dev Raj, has 28 kanals of agriculture land.

Mohammad Yosuf (Independent)

He is a native of Maithra village of Ramban district. His educational qualification is matriculation. He has only Rs 16,000 cash.

Naresh Dogra (Independent)

He is contesting from both Jammu-Poonch and the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha segment. Dogra is grandson of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, a Jan Sangh stalwart who was in the forefront of agitation for total integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.

Jammu, April 17
Since morning, people who came to attend the third World Kashmiri Pandit Conference at Jammu University from all over the country and abroad were waiting for the celebrity guest and famous actor Anupam Kher to arrive.

The moment he entered the hall, Dr Ashok Bhan, Panun Kashmir leader, had to halt his address midway, as Kher gained all the attention and applause from audience.

True to his image of being a simple and kind soul, he stole the hearts of his community members by addressing them in Kashmiri language and telling them that all the way from Germany, where he is shooting, he has been dreaming of savoring the Kashmiri cuisine.

The pain of terrorism-torn Jammu and Kashmir reflected deep in his eyes when he said, “I went to Karan Nagar, hometown in Kashmir Valley, where I spent wonderful years of my childhood. I felt sad to see CRPF personnel deputed at my house”.

The hurt was obvious which he felt on seeing the doors, which were still broken, and posters of slogans put up by terrorists in the valley even now. He asked the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) migrants to remain hopeful and never to give up.

“We must remember that the first Prime Minister of our country, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a Kashmiri Pandit. And I, too, have realised my dream of becoming a good and successful director despite hailing from a lower middle-class family. My father, a government servant, used to feed a family of 14 persons in late 90s.”

“When I was struggling in Mumbai film industry, out of desperation, I wrote a letter to my grandfather, telling him that I wanted to return as I was fed up of getting humiliated for being a struggling actor. At this, my grandfather sent me a reply, which changed course of my life. It said, ‘Bitu (my pet name), your mother sold her gold bangles and your father went through agonies to see you becoming successful. You have seen the worst, what are you afraid of now. A drenched man does not fear from rain’”.

He also said, “My PT teachers used to say that even if I run alone, still I would come second. But like an eternal optimistic, I never lost hope. You, too, need not lose heart as nothing is impossible.”

He urged the people who spearheaded the struggle of the settlement of Kashmiri Pandits and now feel disappointed, saying, ”Even at the age of 50, I feel that I have 50 years more to contribute to my society. At the age of 83, my father still walks 15 km a day, and is an inspiration to me. Don’t feel old just because you have caught up with age.”

Kher’s words moved audience so much that two old men, one 83 year old and another 86 years, came on stage, and implored people in their trembling voice to join them to take this struggle to its logical end.

Kher, too, reciprocated by embracing the old revolutionaries. Such was the impact of Kher’s words that moved the Kashmiri Pandits.

Jammu, April 17
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Srinagar Circle, Jammu, will celebrate the World Heritage Day at centrally protected monument Pari Mahal, Srinagar, tomorrow.

Superintending archaeologist, ASI, Srinagar, R. Krishnaiah, said the main objective to involve the youth of the area in the drive was to protect, preserve and propagate the great heritage of the country.

A photo-exhibition and other cultural awareness programmes would also be organised to highlight the recent archaeological activities in the state that included the conservation of monuments, exploration and the excavation. Photographs of the monuments inscribed in the world heritage list shall be on display.

Head (retd), Department of History, Kashmir University, Srinagar, Ishaq Khan will deliver a lecture on history and heritage of the state.

On this occasion, vice-chancellor, Kashmir University, Srinagar, Riyaz Punjabi will be the chief guest.

The function will be presided over by director (Retd), Department of Archives and Museums, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Fida Hussain.

“We have taken up the matter a number of times with the local administration
here’’, he said.

Rajouri, April 17
For seventh consecutive week in a row this week , not a single person could get a permit to visit occupied Kashmir (PoK) as Pakistan’s ministry of home affairs allegedly didn’t give the mandatory clearance for travel documents of anyone.

Three Indian visitors who got documents more than three months ago and couldn’t travel to PoK earlier due to some reasons, had gone to PoK from Poonch last week by the weekly Poonch-Rawalkote cross- LoC bus.

However,36 persons from PoK travelled to Poonch by the cross LoC bus on Monday. On March 30, 56 persons came to India from PoK to meet their family members. On April 6, there were 45 visitors from PoK to Poonch.

During five consecutive weeks in March, only nine persons from India, who had been issued travel documents a few months ago and somehow couldn’t travel to PoK due to one reason or the other, travelled to PoK from Poonch on the cross LoC bus. No one from India was issued permit in March and the trend continues even this month.

Even as the mandatory permission is not being given to the Indian visitors, members of the divided families here who have applied for travel permits fear that the bus service may be stopped.

“This is no just ordinary bus service as it unites members of the divided families. The Pakistani authorities should take this issue seriously and issue the mandatory clearance at the earliest so that we can travel across”, said Muhammad Razzak of Mendhar, who applied for a travel permit two years ago.

A senior officer in the Poonch district administration , who facilitates the crossing over at the cross- LOC point of Chakkan Da Bagh on the Poonch- Rawalkote road, said: “We took up the matter with the Pakistani authorities. They told us that internal problems in Pakistan have severely affected the functioning of various government departments. This has resulted in the Pakistani authorities’ failure to give clearance to aspiring Indian visitors to the PoK”.

Srinagar, April 17
Despite living in harmony, incidents of human-animal conflict have poured in recently from the northern region of the Kashmir valley.

Deaths have been reported from the Nagni-Handwara and Budan-Rafiabad areas over the past few months.

“Two human lives were lost over the last two months in the human-animal conflict,” says Abdul Rauf Zargar, wildlife warden, north Kashmir.

Sharing details, Zargar says in February-March, a woman resident of Nagni while collecting a produce from a food plant was attacked and killed by a leopard.

In another incident, he says, a child while venturing out of her house in dark was attacked and killed by a leopard in Bandi. Zargar says in both cases, the animals had not turned man-eaters.

“People living close to the forest areas venture to collect a plant that fetches them good returns in the market. In the process, they come in contact with wild animals and sometimes it leads to conflict between the two,” says the wildlife warden.

He added, “Sometimes a leopard comes down to human habitations to eat stray dogs and in this process also there is a confrontation between the two.” There have been reports about the killing of livestock by wild animals in Uri in the recent past.

“Eight sheep or lamb were killed by a leopard after he entered a tin shed in Uri. Mostly, poultry and livestock are attacked in various areas like Kreeri, Kupwara, Bandi and Handwara. Many cases go unreported,” he said.

A well-known writer and poet, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, currently the director information and public relations, wrote the book. It tells the story of Kashmir through the flow of the Jhelum.