Jammu, May 15
After it has been officially announced that this year’s annual Amarnath yatra would begin from June 7, the city of temples is gearing up to greet the pilgrims who would be arriving for an arduous journey to the holy cave in the Kashmir valley.

The renovation of the Jammu Yatri Niwas is nearing completion and a number new rooms and toilet facilities have been added to the building to accommodate the heavy rush of pilgrims from all parts of the country. Local residents are also gearing up to welcome the pilgrims.

At the same time, people in Jammu want to forget the episode of Amarnath land row, which had led to the fall of the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led government.

Both regions of the state saw widespread protests, while the people in Kashmir protested against the sanction of the land, the people in Jammu held a two-month protest against the revocation of the land to the shrine board.

The controversy later ended when the state administration agreed to provide “exclusive right” of the use of the land to the shrine board during the period of the yatra and all tasks for the arrangement of the yatra were handed over to the state tourism department.

“We are fully prepared to welcome the pilgrims. The restoration and renovation work of the Yatri Niwas is almost complete and we hope for a peaceful and safe conduct of the pilgrimage this year,” said a senior officer of the state tourism department.

The business community in the Jammu region, which had to suffer huge losses last year due to protests over the Amarnath land row, which continued for more than two months, are hopeful to make up their losses this season as a large number of pilgrims are expected to visit the state for undertaking pilgrimage to the holy cave.

“We expect to recover at least some of the losses incurred last year as we are expecting more pilgrims to arrive this season. At the same time, we hope that the yatra remains free of any controversy and incident,” said Krishan Kumar, a dry fruit dealer in the Hari market area here.

The traders in the region whose majority of the business depends on tourism are keeping their fingers crossed for a good business this year.

The residents are also happy and are looking forward to welcome the pilgrims. They are hopeful that the government would fulfill all its promises and provide better facilities to the yatris.

Meanwhile, the Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti, the organisation that spearheaded the two-month long land row agitation in Jammu last year, has also committed itself to help the government in the endeavour to ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage this year.

Jammu, May 15
The lack of space has led to a proxy war between the authorities of a higher secondary school and a degree college in Paloura. In the fight between the school and the college authorities, education has become the causality.

The school was upgraded to a higher secondary school three years ago and the college came up a year ago, but without any infrastructure.

The school, which was already facing space constrains, had to part with some of its space to accommodate the college on its premises.

The school, situated on 5 kanal, has only one building. The administrative tussle is reflected among the students as well.

Neither the students of the school dare to venture in the areas of the college nor the college students cross the borderline to enter in the school area.

School principal Shakuntla Rani said, “I have highlighted the problem with chief education officer Suresh Sharma and other authorities several times, but they have assured to discuss the same with the college authorities to manage a separate building for the college.”

She added that nodal officer of colleges Sham Lal Sharma had also visited the school recently and admitted that the school was affected with the problem.

She said they had only eight rooms in their possession out of which classes were being conducted in only six rooms.

Other rooms were used as storeroom, library and staff room. Besides the space constrains, the school was facing other infrastructure deficiencies as well.

The school principal said, “The required infrastructure is totally absent. We have no provision of library and do not even have a biology and physics lab for medical and non-medical students.”

College principal Anil Goel also expressed the problems the college was facing due to the shortage of space.

He said the strength of the college was increasing every year, but the college had only two rooms out of which one room was used for taking classes and the other was meant for its staff and principal.

With the promotion of BA-I students, the college would require another room for accommodating the students of BA-II and there was no space, he added.

However, director school education Zahida Parveen Khan admitted that both institutions were facing the space problem.

She said she had taken up the matter with the authorities for an immediate solution. Director colleges ND Wani said the matter was already taken into consideration and they had identified a piece of land on which a separate building for the college would be constructed soon.

Udhampur, May 15
Due to political pressure, the authorities have been hesitating to admit that the involvement of women in the militancy related activities has increased, but recent incidents have authenticated that a good number of women have been actively participating in subversive activities, especially in the erstwhile Doda district.

During the past one month, three incidents have taken place in the mountainous belt of Doda and Kishtwar in which women were killed during encounter.

The involvement of women in the militancy related activities has been established after these three encounters.

Although in last encounter, which took place in the Bunjwan area of Kishtwar, the local administration gave the “benefit of doubt” to the woman killed in the incident and sanctioned ex-gratia relief in her favour, it is widely known that a large number of women have been working as over-ground workers (OGWs) in this belt.

“The involvement of some women in militant activities has been established, but the situation is not alarming,” observed Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Doda-Ramban range, Hemant Kumar Lohia.

He said it was all due to the pro-active approach of the security forces that the involvement of women had been established in the anti-national activities.

Earlier, militant groups were using women only as couriers to ensure the smooth flow of money and other materials in their hideouts, but now the situation has been changed. Militants have been taking women to their hideouts and utilising their services as over-ground workers to provide logistic support to different outfits.

Sources said some criminal-minded women with dubious character are usually selected by the militant groups to impart them training for providing logistic support to their cadre in the mountainous belt.

A woman militant can easily get safe passage to operate due to the non-availability of sufficient women security officials to make sure of her identity in the violence- plagued areas.

“Instead of utilising the services of men as OGWs, the militant groups prefer women as OGWs as females can easily move from one place to another by dodging the security forces,” a senior intelligence agency officer said.

He admitted that they had inputs that militant groups had given training to some women for providing them support.

In the remote areas of Doda and Kishtwar districts, there is not sufficient number of women police personnel so militant groups have been exploiting this shortage by involving some females in their rank and file.

To counter this new strategy, the security agencies have decided to involve some local women in their anti-militancy operation.

Recently, some females OGWs, who were providing logistic support to the militants, were nabbed. Two months ago, the police had arrested a housewife who used to supply SIM cards and cash to the militants of LeT in Doda district.

The accused woman was working as courier for the past two years and was involved in carrying money from the Kashmir valley for the self-styled commanders of LeT, namely Khubeb and Abdullah, active in the Thathri belt of Doda district.

Nata begs for alms in Jammu. Photo: Inderjeet Singh

Jammu, May 15
In the age of cutthroat competition, one could
hardly afford to continue with the traditional
approach. The concept, survival of the innovative,
seems to have replaced Darwin’s existential theory,
“survival of the fittest”.

Take for instance, the case of this child beggar,
named Nata (tiny). Earlier, he used to earn just
Rs 30-40 on a daily basis.

He says, “Every passerby had to bend for putting
a penny into my bowl. People might be feeling
embarrassed bowing before a beggar in tattered
clothes. So I decided to do something creative”.

It was only after that he stumbled upon an idea.
Nata decided to add extra feet to add to his
actual height of 3 ft.

With the help of his uncle, he tied two bamboo canes, each measuring 8 ft to his each leg, and this way he attained the height of 10 ft. He also learned how to walk on bamboo sticks.

There is no looking back since then. He has been earning well but life has become a tight ropewalk for this lad.

“It needs a lot of practice, my uncle helped me a lot to win over this art. One has to be cautious on his left and right while moving on jostling gypsy roads, flooded with gnawing, screeching and honking vehicles. Besides, there is always a threat from loosely hung electric wires,” he says.

But there is one thing he is happy about. “A little smart work has enabled me to earn well. People get stunned looking at me, catch their breathe in awe… whip out their wallets… flick out note or coins and put into my bowl with a whiff of happiness. I don’t have to make entreaties”.

“They keep their heads high while donating,” he grins while denying coming down as, “It is easy to climb down but it takes a long time to scale height”.

Nata strongly believes that others of his cult would also catch up with the idea and enhance their income through such innovations. As of now, Nata with his newly attained bizarre height has become a talk of the town.

Jammu, May 15
Cultural workshops and talent-hunt camps being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages seem to be meant only for those living in the urban areas.

This summer, when most of the schools in the region will close for vacations, the academy intends to hold a month-long workshop-cum-summer camp for children, in the age group of eight to 18 years, at Abhinav Theatre here, beginning from June 7.

Besides fun and amusement, children will be imparted training in acting, painting and dancing. But children belonging to the rural and far-off places will miss an opportunity to be a part of the camp.

In the absence of boarding and lodging facilities, only children from the city and its outskirts will be benefited from this workshop for which the principals of local private and government schools have been approached to nominate their students.

Admitting that the academy neither has hostel facilities nor any provision to arrange the boarding and lodging for the participants, Savita Bakshi, additional secretary in charge, Jammu region, said she would take up the matter with the authorities to ensure maximum participation from every district.

“I wish children from Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua districts could also take part in the workshop, but such decisions are taken only at the Chief Minister’s level, who is heading the academy.”

She, however, maintained that outstation children, who could manage boarding and lodging on their own, were most welcome to join the camp here.

“However, the parents have to drop their wards at the camp venue and take them back in the evening daily,” she said.

Savita denied that with the shifting of the office to the winter capital of Srinagar, cultural activities had come to a halt here.

“We have chalked out a detailed programme for the next six months so that poets and artists from Jammu region can actively participate,” she claimed.

She said the annual Jammu festival could not be held in April due to the enforcement of election code of conduct. “However, during this period, we undertook usual cultural activities,” she added.

Srinagar, May 15
Caught up in a vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and helplessness, it is a story of a widow who doesn’t even have bare necessities of life and has a heart-rending tale.

Living in the Fateh Kadal area of old Srinagar city, Khurshi doesn’t have any source of steady income and there is also nobody to provide assistance to her.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Khurshi says, “Kaense cha itkan posan ratne siet khushi milan (who feels happy in accepting charity).” She says usually she lives on a cup of tea.

In her late 70’s, Khurshi says since her husband’s death 12 years ago, life has been cruel to her and she has been struggling hard to sustain.

She says years ago, she and her husband, Habibullah Mata Hanji lived in a small boat at Fateh Kadal Ghat (Narayan Dass Ghat) that capsized and they lost everything.

They lived in a rented accommodation till Habibullah passed away, leaving her to struggle hard to survive.

“When my husband died, the house owner forced me to vacate, as I could no longer pay the rent,” says Khurshi.

Although Khurshi was blessed with three sons and a daughter, all died at a young age. “I don’t have any source of livelihood. Now, I am too old to work,” she says.

Her husband had tried hard for a getting a piece of land, but failed. The case, she says, is still pending with the Land Records Department, Bemina.

“I had appealed to the government to provide me a room till I am alive, but the plea fell on deaf ears.”

Pleased by the fact that some body has come to see her suffering and agony, she says, “Ye chapena akhbaaras manz? Kiense lagey pata be kithkan chaes rouzan” (I hope it would get published so that somebody would take note of it).

She says she was living in a rented room and used to pay Rs 300 as rent that she managed from people’s contributions.

“But a few months ago, the house owner asked me to vacate as I couldn’t pay the amount in time.” She says she often thinks of committing suicide.

The Wakaf Board didn’t offer any assistance to her. “Once they gave me a few coins.” Even the in charge of a nearby mosque didn’t offer her any help, as she requested for a room on concession rates.

She adds if she dies, no one will come to know about her death. “The police station concerned has assured me that after my death, they will perform my last rites.”

Khurshi suffers from certain health problems and has been prescribed injections costing Rs 500 each.

She has approached the social welfare department for widow fund, but for that they demanded the death certificate of her husband.

Officials in the DC office say they can’t offer her any assistance, “as she is enrolled with the social welfare department”.

Sonali was fed up with her same old hairstyle. Though she did try many styles, she failed to get that “wow” look. Not until she streaked a layer golden yellow and heads did turn when she sashayed into the college campus the next morning,

“Cool yaar” to “how hot”, Sonali got all sorts of compliments. She just became a walking example of the latest fashion craze among the people of Jammu, hair coloring or simply streaking.

The fair sex takes hair streaking as a beauty enhancement. Boys, too, have taken on the craze. After all, the cricket crazy boys love that “Malinga look”.

"Not only girls but also boys are becoming very particular about their looks and obviously a good hairstyle compliments your personality. Teenagers love experimentation and they mostly go for funky shades along with spikes of vibrant colours,” says Bawa, owner of Delite Saloon at Kachi Chawni here.

“Black and brown coloring is passé. Trends have changed and brown and black are almost out. Now yellow, purple, red, golden, silver are in vogue. These colours when used as partial streaks that too with a dark background gives a fabulous look to the hair style," says Madan, owner of Seema Beauty Saloon at Pacca Danga.

The market offers hair streaking at rates affordable to all. “The rate though varies on the type of the style, the range starts from Rs 50. It depends upon the choice of the client as how many streaks he wants. We serve the clientele as per their needs. Mostly, boys go for yellow streaks, though purple streaks are much in vogue these days,” he adds.

Hair streaking has caught the fancy of aged women also. “We have customers from every age group, from teenagers to middle-age women. Minimum charges for a streak are Rs 150. Generally, we recommend 10 streaks as they cover the whole head and also look beautiful. But people can go for whatever they like. Three, four and up to five colours are being used for streaking these days. The streaks are just like an extra effect, which add to the vibrancy of the colour used in the background,” says Ashu Chopra, who manages Looks Unisex Salon in Jammu.

“Hair colouring is an exciting idea that adds a new dimension to your individuality, but many side-affects are also related to it. Hair colouring products include oxidation process that requires activation by a developer, usually hydrogen peroxide. The use of this chemical causes hair dryness and gives a rough look. Over-colouring results in the hair breakage when dry, so those who go for colouring should always use conditioner after hair wash,” suggests Dr Raman, a dermatologist based in Jammu.

“Before coloring hair, skin-sensitivity or patch test is mandatory to check allergy. Some skins are sensitive and the use of chemicals can cause reaction. In case, there are some rashes on the skin, coloring should be avoided,” he cautions.