Jammu, June 12
Even as a Pakistani court, much to New Delhi’s discomfiture, gave a clean chit to JuD chief Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed, the mastermind of Mumbai terror attack, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah today favoured the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, describing it as indispensable to ensure peace and stability in the subcontinent.

He also hoped that in a bid to calm the frayed nerves in the militancy-plagued state, not only would the local police take over the reins from central forces but also a situation would come when the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would no longer be required.

Responding to media queries here this afternoon on his maiden visit after becoming a union minister, Farooq Abdullah said: “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pak President Asif Ali Zardari will be in Yekaterinburg, near Moscow, from June 15 to 16 for the BRIC summit and I hope that a dialogue of some kind is initiated between the two leaders.”

On troops cut and revocation of the AFSPA, the NC president said people of the state no doubt wanted the local police at the forefront and the central police forces at the back. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has already said that the exercise will be conducted gradually and once the process starts a time would come when the AFSPA would no longer be required.

About plans for the electricity-starved state, he said: “We would certainly provide power to remote areas of the state where transmission lines could not laid because of difficult terrain”. Farooq refused comment on the recent killing of two women in Shopian but urged the people to maintain calm.

Srinagar, June 12
Normal life was partially affected here today as the authorities imposed restrictions to prevent “march to Pulwama” called by hard line APHC leader Syed Ali Geelani to protest the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian.

Protests were also held here and in other major towns of the valley, including Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam in the south and Sopore and Baramulla towns in north Kashmir, leading to injuries to at least 45 persons.

At least 20 persons were injured in downtown here in protest against the continued house arrest of moderate APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other leaders. Geelani continues to be under preventive custody. Several other separatist leaders have been detained and shifted to jails outside the valley, while many others are under house arrests here to prevent any flare up in the situation following the Shopian incident.

At least 10 persons were injured in Shopian town while protesting against the restrictions, while restrictions were also imposed in Pulwama and Kulgam district headquarters. In the major towns of Baramulla and Sopore at least 15 persons were injured in the clashes between the protesters and the police. The police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to cane charge to quell the demonstrators.

Today’s restrictions and protests coincided with the visit of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Umar Farooq, according to a statement, has condemned the restrictions, preventing him from offering Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid for the second consecutive week, and also preventing the march to Pulwama here today.

Commenting on the two-day visit of Chidambaram, the Mirwaiz hoped that the Union Home Minister would have observed the “ground realities”. He urged the Centre to adopt a “realistic approach” and end oppressive policies for a permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Srinagar, June 12
The annual Amarnath yatra in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in south Kashmir begins with Pratham Darshan on June 16, for which the first batch of yatris will be flagged off from Jammu on June 15.

This will be only for those pilgrims who have registered for the Baltal route, while it is not possible to start the yatra along the traditional Pahalgam route due to continuing rain and snowfall at several points, a spokesman for Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said here today.

According to the spokesman, Governor NN Vohra said the SASB was left with no option but to allow the yatra only from the Baltal route. He observed that the safety and security of the pilgrims was the first and foremost concern of the board, particularly in the context of adverse weather conditions and its impact on the status of the Pahalgam-Chandanwari route and facilities on it.

These decisions were taken after the Governor made a final assessment of the routes leading to the cave shrine yesterday in the wake of the recent unprecedented snowfall. He also conducted a detailed review of the arrangements at the cave shrine and both base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam.

The board spokesman clarified that due to the continuing rain and snowfall at several points on the traditional Pahalgam-Chandanwari route, it was not possible to start the yatra along this route till weather improved and the track from Sheshnag to Sangam was cleared.

To enable an early decision regarding the opening of the traditional route, the Jawahar Mountaineering Institute, Pahalgam, had been requested to depute a group of trained persons to recce this route by June 21 and send a report to the board. Depending upon the weather and the track condition, the date of commencement of the yatra along this route would be decided accordingly on June 22.

He said the pilgrims who had registered themselves for travelling via the Pahalgam route on any date from June 15-22, may register afresh through the branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank to travel on the Baltal route after June 17.

On the Baltal route, the pilgrims, who had registered for June 15, would now be allowed to proceed either on June 16 or 17 along with the pilgrims who had registered for travel on the two dates on this route. These arrangements were being made in the interest of the overall safety and security of the pilgrims, he added.

He reiterated that no unregistered yatri, who did not secure revalidation of his earlier registration, would be permitted to proceed on yatra.

Jammu, June 12
The All Parties Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) has constituted a 15- member Trust for Harmukt Ganga (Gangbal) yatra.

Vinod Pandit, chairman of the APMCC and founder member of the Harmukt Ganga (Gangbal) Trust, who pioneered this pilgrimage, said the trust would look after the affairs of this yatra, which will be held annually.

The committee had organised the historic Gangbal Yatra after over hundred years at Harmukt Ganga, northeast of Kashmir, at the height of 12,000 feet on June 1 for three days. The ancestors of Kashmiri Pandits used to observe this pilgrimage annually.

The yatra was conducted under heavy security arrangements made by security forces and the police. The Trust would also look after the upkeep and development of Naraan Nag temple, Krishan Sar, Sukh Naag, besides other social and religious activities in the Kashmir valley.

Dr Rajiv Bhatt, former Additional DC, Srinagar, and grandson of veteran Kashmiri Pandit reformist Pt Kashyap Bhandu, will be the chairman of the trust.

Jammu, June 12
Polythene bags have finally started to disappear from the markets of Jammu as the Jammu Municipal Corporation (MC) has enforced the ban on polythene bags within its jurisdiction.

The MC seized one quintal of polythene bags from Amphalla, Panjtirthi, Pucca Danga, Jain Bazaar, Purani Mandi and City Chowk, whereas the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) seized around a tonne of polythene bags from several outlets of Gandhi Nagar today.

The drive was initiated from the vegetable market, Narwal, and after seizing polythene bags from the market, the team of SPCB officers headed by the regional director seized a large quantity of bags from Westside Mall, Canal Road, besides a small quantity from Swastik Plastic Industries, Gumat road.

The MC team led by Health Officer Anwar Choudhary and the Chief Enforcement Officer confiscated the polythene bags from shopkeepers and rehariwalas.

Though initially people faced problems due to the discontinuation of use of polythene bags, a majority of residents have welcomed the steps taken by the MC.

At various places, the shopkeepers have already stopped selling items in polythene bags. They also advise people to carry jute or other kind of bags whenever they come out for shopping. The shopkeepers are even selling cheese wrapped in papers.

“A shopkeeper told me to bring my own utensils today onward, as he won’t sell cheese and other milk products in polythene bags,” said Avtar Krishan, a resident of Gandhi Nagar.

The ban under the Non-Biodegradable Material (Management, Handling and Disposal) Act-2007 has come into force in Jammu from June 6. The guilty would be punished with one month’s imprisonment or a penalty of Rs 5,000 or two months’ imprisonment or Rs 10,000 as fine if the offence is repeated.

Municipal Commissioner Mubarak Singh said, “We are spreading awareness through print and electronic media, besides using the services of the traders association to enforce the ban.”

Srinagar, June 12
Branding child labour as a major issue, people in Kashmir valley on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour today stated that a ban was not feasible here and it must be seen from an economic point of view. They said before going ahead on this front some alternative source of livelihood should be provided to these children.

Many cases exist in the valley where children, either willingly or unwillingly, opt for child labour mostly because of compulsion, back home. Most of the working children, here, could be seen in carpet and automobile sector.

Surveys carried out over years have shown that economic constraints, lack of interest in studies, parental compulsion, inappropriate education and inaccessibility to schools as reasons responsible for increasing dropout cases, which ultimately leads to child labour.

“For some children it is a family compulsion, and for others hidden but evident reasons are responsible. The problem needs a serious thought,” Imtiyaz Ahmad, a social activist, said.

“Various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) make hue and cry about child labour, but nobody has taken initiative of knowing the exact figures of children who have become victims of this menace,” Asif Khan, a student, said.

“Instead of holding seminars and workshops, the government should make arrangements for children who have been forced to take up child labour. Only then the government should think of imposing a ban on child labour in Kashmir,” says Zubair Ahmad.

Jammu, June 12
Dr. Agnishekhar and Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, co-chairpersons of The Panun Kashmir, organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, expressed concern over the statement issued by US under secretary of state William Burns regarding the Kashmir imbroglio. His statement that the Indian government should take into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people in the resolution of Kashmir issue is tantamount to undue interference in the affairs of a sovereign State like India. It is negation of the UN secretary general’s view that the resolution of UNO regarding Kashmir is now irrelevant.

Instead of making Pakistan accountable to the world community in context of terrorist crimes, grave human rights violations, involvement in drugs and weapons trade, nourishing fundamentalist ideology and mushrooming of terror camps on its soil, the US has taken a “dramatic shift” from its stated position on all these issues. This shift in its position will give rise to escalation of violence in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and further delay establishment of peace in the region, particularly when the Secretary of State of US is supposed to visit this region.

Dr Agnishekhar said: “Any undue interference by a third party in the issues of bilateral concern between India and Pakistan is in violation of the Shimla Agreement and the agreements reached thereafter between both countries. India is committed to the unanimous resolution passed by Parliament in 1994 that the J & K State as it existed in August 1947 is a part India and the issue regarding the areas of J & K occupied by Pakistan is the only issue of discussion with Pakistan.”

Jammu, June 12
The ongoing summer season used to be the peak season of tourists visiting the Kashmir valley as a large number of tourists used to throng the valley to escape the scorching heat in the plains of the country.

But the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir valley after the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian has now started taking a toll on the valley’s tourism sector. The undeclared curfew-like conditions in the valley have forced tourists stuck up here to look for alternative locations for spending their holidays.

“We wanted to spend a week in the Kashmir valley as we had heard a lot about the lushgreen meadows of Gulmarg and Pehalgam. But for the past three days we have been stuck up in Jammu, where the temperature is more or less the same as in our city,” says Amritpal Singh of New Delhi, who along with his family of four members is now planning to head towards Shimla in Himachal to spend their holidays.

Though the separatists in Kashmir have asked the tourists to visit the valley as they won’t be harmed, tourists who had come to visit the valley are afraid to go ahead with their plans. “We had decided to spend some time in the valley for which we had already booked a houseboat, but due to the turmoil in Kashmir we would be heading towards Patnitop in the Jammu region,” says Jyoti Randhawa of Amritsar in Punjab.

Hotel and restaurant operators in Jammu are having a boom time as a majority of the valley-bound tourists are stuck in Jammu. “We are trying to offer them the best in Jammu itself. There are several places in the Jammu region worth visiting like Patnitop and Bhaderwah, which is also known as mini Kashmir,” an official of the Tourist Department said.

Leh, June 12
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated a three-day long Ladakh Singhey Khabas Sindhu Darshan festival organised by the Tourism Department in Leh today.

The Chief Minister hoisted the national flag and participated the in the prayer meet of all religious heads of Ladakh for world peace. He was accompanied by Tourism and Culture Minister Nawang Rigzin.

Omar in his inaugural speech said the state government had taken up issues, like relaxation in inner-line permit and opening of the Ladakh-Tibet route for Kailash yatra via Ladakh, with Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Srinagar, June 12
The Centre has assured the state government of all possible help and support for creating stability and tranquil environment in the state, which is prerequisite for progress and economic growth.

This assurance was given by P Chidambaram at a meeting to review developmental activities in the state held with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, other ministers and senior officers of the state government here this morning.

He said the state had undergone a difficult period and the peculiar problems here demand specific attention. “We will look at it along with security aspects,” he added and assured full support to the state from the Central government.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan and other Centrally-sponsored schemes, Chidambaram said he would discuss the speedy implementation of these schemes with the authorities concerned in New Delhi and asked the state administration to formulate projects for utilising coal blocks for power generation.

The Chief Minister gave a resume of the developmental scenario in the state and sought Central assistance in addressing issues like unemployment, extending railway to Poonch, Rajouri and Kupwara districts, restoration of work on Qazigund-Udhampur railway track, compensation for the losses the state is bearing for the Indus Water Treaty, Central intervention in the construction of the Shahpur-Kandi barrage by the Punjab government and providing electricity share from the Ranjit Sagar Dam to the state.

Jammu, June 12
Justice Sunil Hali of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has allowed the appeal of Man Dai, whose son was killed in the Central Jail, Udhampur, holding that once it was established that the fundamental right of a prisoner guaranteed to him under Article 21 of the Constitution had been violated by the functionaries of the state, it could not exclude them from the grant of monetary relief to the prisoner. The state having failed to protect the life of the undertrial, could not be permitted to deny compensation to his family by taking the plea of limitation. Even though the deceased was facing trial, the authorities were not absolved from ensuring safety of his life in the jail. The fundamental rights would have overriding effect on the statutory right, which impedes the entitlement of an appellant.

Facing a trial before the District and Sessions Judge, Udhampur, the son of Man Dai was killed on the premises of the Central Jail, Udhampur, by other inmates on December 10, 1991. The failure on the part of the jail authorities to protect the life of her son prompted Man Dai to seek a compensation of Rs 5 lakh from the authorities.

Her initial efforts to seek protection under a writ jurisdiction failed However, while disposing of the writ petition the appellant was advised to approach the civil court for the same.

A suit was filed before the Principal District Judge, Jammu, who found the appellant entitled to a compensation of Rs 2 lakh, but dismissed the suit on account of latches.

Feeling aggrieved over the decree passed by the Principal District Judge, Man Dai filed the civil first appeal before the high court of Judicature at Jammu.

Justice Hali, while allowing the appeal, observed that: “The trial court did not examine the plea of the petitioner that before filing the suit, a writ petition was filed and the delay if any in filing the present suit within the period of limitation was on account of pursuing the remedy in good faith. The time spent in prosecuting with due diligence in another civil proceedings has to be excluded while computing the period of limitation. This has not been done by the trial court. For what has been stated above, the judgement and decree of the trial court is reversed, and I hold the suit was within time. The appellant would be entitled to compensation awarded by the trial court along with an interest @ 9 per cent from the date of decree.”

Srinagar, June 12
The sympathy of Kashmiri media for the separatist cause is obvious as every utterance and action, however unreasonable or outrageous, of separatist leaders is reported without a hint of questioning gaze. But, it seems, a section of the media has woken up to self-inflicting wounds caused by the seemingly unending strikes separatists call at the slightest excuse.

There has been a flurry of commentaries of late in the valley’s influential English newspapers against strikes, last of which ended only two days back after crippling life and economy for eight consecutive days.

Rising Kashmir wrote an editorial recently questioning the frequent strikes, saying that it ends up offering no positive result and damaging life and economy.

Greater Kashmir, the valley’s most read English paper, has also carried commentaries where writers have questioned the futility of strike calls. Both papers called upon the separatists to shun long strikes as a means of protests.

Showkat Ahmad Motta, presently editing an English magazine, Conveyor, however, adds that Kashmiri media’s protest against strikes is nothing new. They have been writing against strikes since 1990 when militancy erupted, he says, when there was no local English media. “Newspapers like Aftab (a well-read Urdu daily) did not write editorials for days those times in protest,” he says.

“Hartals shatter our economy and we lose anywhere between Rs 20 to Rs 30 crore daily,” he says but hastens to add that the separatists are often left with no other means of protests. “It’s a means of conveying people’s point of view,” he says.

Sources say the devastating impact of hartals in the past two years had increased pressure on the separatists to desist from calling strikes. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a moderate Hurriyat leader, admitted recently that strikes had been damaging to the economy of Kashmir, which depends a lot on tourism.