Udhampur, June 21
The authorities of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) have closed the Garabyon cave located at Ardhkuwari on the track due to unprecedented rush of the pilgrims during the past four days.

Meanwhile, keeping in view the heavy rush of pilgrims, the authorities have also decided to stop the waiting system at Katra, the base camp of the holy shrine, to avoid over crowd at Bhawan and Ard-Kumbari.

During the past week, the shrine has witnessing heavy rush of pilgrims. Every day more than 45,000 pilgrims reach Katra to further proceed for darshan.

According to the myth of this shrine, pilgrims have to crawl through the Garabyon cave before proceeding towards the cave at Bhawan.

As the Garabyon cave used consumed time, the authorities have decided to close this cave to avoid rush at Ardkuwari.

Meanwhile, thousands of devotees have been thronging Katra town to further start their pilgrimage. As the capacity at the Bhawan is not more than 30,000, the authorities has decided to stop the yatra after repeated intervals.

“To avoid over-crowding we are not allowing more than 30,000 pilgrims at one-time for the smooth conduct of the Yatra," officials of the shrine board said, adding that adequate steps have been taken to provide every possible facilities to devotees.

Srinagar, June 21
Surrendered militant Javed Hussain Shah fought terrorists for over a decade and now his family braces itself for a ‘war’ of a different kind - moving from one office to another to get a certificate from the government about him not being involved in any militant activities.

Shah was killed by terrorists of the Lashker-e-Taiba on August 28, 2003, when the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was addressing an Inter-State Council meeting barely 10 km away from the place of incident in Srinagar.

Ishrat Shah, his daughter, approached for a “non-involvement” certificate stating that her father was not involved in any militant-related activities so that she could seek a job with the state government.

“It took sometime before some better sense prevailed upon the state government to give us the certificate,” says his wife Nahida, who runs the household on a mere Rs 7,800 monthly pension as Shah was the Member of Legislative Council.

“My only source of livelihood is my husband’s pension of Rs 9,300 out of which Rs 1,500 is deducted towards house loan,” she said.

Now after getting the certificate, the fight continues as now the requirement was getting a clean chit on Shah.

“Hope this certificate is given soon as it is difficult to run the household on his pension alone,” says Nahida.

Shah, associated with the Al-Jihad militant outfit prior to his surrender in 1994, was among the founding fathers of counter-insurgent movement in Kashmir along with Kuka Parrey and was instrumental in shaking the very foundation of the Lashker-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed in the valley.

Shah’s brother Muddasir says he can’t find right words to explain the callousness of the successive state governments beginning from that of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

“Families of militants have got jobs, but we are still struggling. Now I wonder whether the decision of my brother to support the state police and the Army was right?” he lamented.

The similar story is reflected by the family of Mohammed Yusuf Parrey, alias Kuka Parrey, who is credited with breaking the backbone of militancy here.

They live in their ancestral home at Hajjan, 50 km from here, and have to virtually fight for survival everyday.

Another problem dogging the two families was about the threats from the militants. “We have to live under constant shadow of death. My heart misses a beat if any of my children is late,” says Nahida.

State government officials, however, say adequate security has been provided
to the families.

Parrey surrendered in 1994 and formed a counter-insurgency force when K V Krishna Rao was the Governor. He was killed in September 2003. — PTI

Srinagar, June 21
Violent clashes erupted in parts of the interior city today and the police used batons to disperse people who pelted stones at CRPF pickets alleging that paramilitary personnel desecrated a place of worship and ransacked their houses in an incident last night.

Official sources said the trouble started this morning when a group of people, including women and children, converged on roads at the Saraf Kadal chowk and shouted slogans in support of their demand for shifting of a CRPF unit.

They said residents were agitated over the alleged desecration of a place of worship and ransacking of their houses by the personnel while chasing away a stone-pelting mob late last night.

However, senior police officers persuaded the protesters to disperse assuring that they would take up the issue with the CRPF unit concerned.

After several hours of lull, groups of youth took to the streets and hurled stones at CRPF pickets in the area and nearby Gojwara and Hawal, the sources said. However, there was no report of any casualty. — PTI

Srinagar, June 21
A sudden spell of rains in the valley and snow in upper reaches has augmented difficulties for Amarnath pilgrims and caught relatively small number of tourists unawares. If the ongoing condition continues, the valley’s acclaimed fruit industry may also be hit.

Assistant director, Met Department, TK Jotshi told The Tribune that the average temperature in Srinagar has come down 7°C to 8°C below normal.

And the chill in wind has resulted in tourists queueing up outside woollen shops, which have sprung up along the boulevard, the road along the Dal that is the favourite haunt of tourists.

The mercury had plummeted in the past few days and the downpour sent it further downwards. “It is like December of Ahmedabad. Too much for us,” said Vithal Bhai Patel, a tourist.

The pilgrims of the Amarnath yatra, which has already been delayed due to continued snowfall on the tracking route passing through the higher reaches, would have to bear with cold for some more time.

Though Kashmir does not receive precipitation in June normally, Jotshi said, it was not really unusual.

The valley received rains in 2001, 2002 and 2003 in this month and there was rather heavy downpour in 1996 when Srinagar had 142.1 mm rains compared to about 20 mm this year so far, he added.

However, what is of more concern is that lack of sunny days may affect Kashmir’s acclaimed apple orchards as it could abet pest infection.

These weeks are regarded as growing period for apples, but the inclement weather might hamper the growth, horticulture sources said.

Low temperature and rains are conducive for growth of scab on fruits, however, things would really turn for the worse if this weather continues for a few more days.

Srinagar, June 21
One more suspected militant injured in a blast at Lal Bazar locality, where Vice-President Hamid Ansari was to address a university function, died at a hospital here today, raising the death toll in the June 18 incident to two.

GM Ganai of Soura was among the two persons left injured while Firdous Dar, Pak-trained militant, was killed on the spot.

The police suspected that the accused were planning to target the Vice-President’s visit on June 20 but a bomb went off accidentally.

Dar was also a university employee, which strengthened the police’s suspicion as the Vice-President was to be the chief guest at the Kashmir University convocation.

Another person is still in hospital and the police believes his questioning could unravel the complete conspiracy.

The police has already said all three were militants. Dar was the kingpin and released from the jail after serving his terms.

Jammu, June 21
The Panun Kashmir has denounced the Kashmiri Hindu Shrine Protection Bill in its present form. It has said the organisation was not ready to accept this draconian law and asked for some changes in it.

Ashwini Kumar Chrungoo, president of the Panun Kashmir, said: “We oppose the state government’s move to take over the management of Hindu shrines in the valley through this Bill, besides the condition of ‘no election in the first year’ among many other issues that were unacceptable.”

He stressed upon incorporating amendments to remove these bottlenecks in consultation with various Kashmiri Pandit organisations.

Churngoo also asked for a CBI inquiry into encroachments by anti-social elements at the Veth Votru (Vitstha Verinag) site at Verinag in the valley.

“The blatant encroachments at Verinag upon some 18 kanals of agriculture land and a three-storey building of Gita Bhawan and felling of thousand of precious trees belonging to Kashmir Pandits needed to be probed by the CBI,” he said.

This is the first media conference that the organisation is holding after the merger of its both factions. The organisation said that henceforth it would have a five-tier organisational structure.

A 108-member executive council had been constituted comprising 75 members from the state. An overall 24-department organisational structure shall be supervised by convener Agnishekhar and the president. With this declaration, the six-member committee stands dissolved.

Jammu, June 21
A Kashmiri Pandit group, Panun Kashmir, has warned India against resuming talks with Pakistan under US pressure.

“Linking improvement in situation in Pakistan or for that matter in Kashmir as a basis of Kashmir resolution is a suicidal move,” chairman of the Panun Kashmir Ajay Charungoo said this at a seminar here today.

Many speakers at the seminar - Handling of J&K and its contours and implications - organised by the Panun Kashmir urged India not to restore the peace process with Pakistan, which was stalled following November 26 terror attack in Mumbai last year.

New Delhi has maintained that peace talks with Islamabad would resume only after Pakistan takes “credible” action to stop “anti-India terror activities” from its soil.

Jammu, June 21
How long will the PDP leadership befool the masses for political gains, questioned BJP state spokesperson Ramesh Arora while reacting on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s address at a workers rally yesterday at Jammu.

He said Mehbooba was least bothered about the aspirations and the burning problems of the people.

Her address was confined to the PDP’s old slogans of demilitarisation, joint currency and the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

Arora asked Mehbooba as to why she did not utter a single word over the poverty, unemployment, inadequate supply of ration, regularisation of daily wagers, supply of regular drinking water and electricity, release of wages to the agitating employees of various departments, uplift of industry in the Jammu region, condition of roads, lanes and drains, provision of modern and sophisticated weapons to Village Defence Committees, improvement in the health care facilities etc.

The PDP is silent over VAT imposed on CSD items and extra hike of electricity tariff charged from the Army Defence Fund.

Arora warned the PDP not to interfere in religious matter. “Who has given her right to interfere in the religious matters of the Hindus ? Hindus respect the sentiments of other communities and never interfere in the matters of the WAQF and the Haj Committee. Mehbooba has no authority to decide over the yatra period of Amarnath yatra," he added.

The BJP spokesperson said Mehbooba has no concern for the common people. Her one-point agenda is to defame the Army and security forces and remain in news.

"The state government and law-enforcing agencies should discharge duties without fear and favour. If Varun Gandhi can be booked under the National Security Act, Mehbooba should not be exempted from imposition of the PSA. We cannot afford such type of irresponsible and provocative statements by anyone because our state is strategically important and facing militancy for the past 20 years," Arora added.

Jammu, June 21
Shiv Sena (Hindustan) today asked Kashmiri leaders, particularly PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, to stop meddling into religious affairs of Hindus.

The party also had a word of advice for the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti to utilise funds donated by various organisations during the Jammu agitation last year for providing facilities to visiting Amarnath pilgrims.

Addressing mediapersons here today, party president Pawan Gupta strongly condemned “unwarranted” statements being issued by the Kashmiri leaders, particularly by the PDP president on curtailing the annual Amarnath Yatra.

“None should be allowed to interfere in religious affairs of Hindus. The Yatra brings Rs 500 crore of revenue to the Kashmir valley every year but such anti-social leaders want to deprive the poor people of economic gains,” he said.

If Mehbooba had problems with community kitchens also (set up enroute the cave shrine) then the government should provide free food to the pilgrims, he added.

He also asked the government to do away with the system of toll tax on Amarnath bound vehicles entering the state, via Lakhanpur.

“They enter the state to set up community kitchens besides they also generate revenue for us and hence government should stop levying toll tax on such vehicles, Gupta added.

He also derided Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which charged money from those, who set up community kitchens for the devotees.

On the one hand, they provide free food to the devotees and on the other they had to shell out money for the services they provide, he added.

Meanwhile, party general secretary Dimpy Kohli urged the SASB to start the yatra from the traditional Chandanwari route and also adjust pilgrims (who had opted for the traditional route) in the Baltal route to undertake the pilgrimage.

At present, the authorities were allowing only the Baltal route for the annual pilgrimage as the Pahalgam route has not been fully cleared of snow.

Jammu, June 21
A team of 40 special athletes and 12 special coaches will participate in a national coaching camp organised by the BOCCE - an event of the Special Olympics Bharat Sports - from June 21-28 at Amritsar.

IGP (Jammu Zone) K Rejendra blessed the special athletes and flagged off the contingent for Amritsar.

Chairman of the Special Olympics Bharat Ram Sahi and state president of the Special Olympics Bharat, J&K Chapter, Ashvini Jojra also blessed the special athletes. 

Srinagar, June 21
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman Bhim Singh claimed today that the police stopped a party delegation from proceeding towards Shopian, where two women were raped and murdered last month.

He said senior party leaders were stopped near Pampore on their way to Shopian to express condolence with the bereaved family this morning and demanded dismissal of the state government “as there is no governance which is evident from the situation in Shopian.”

He said people of the state had lost faith in the government and alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior leaders of the ruling coalition had not dared to visit Shopian to restore the “shaken confidence”. — PTI

Jammu, June 21
Even after more than one year, the Rs 7-crore emergency block in Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Jammu, remains closed while the institute is struggling for space.

The project was completed in May, 2008. Official sources said 500 patients visited the emergency ward of the hospital regularly. It had a capacity of only 80 beds.

“Ninety patients are admitted on a daily basis. So you can guess bed occupancy,”
they said.

“Space is the bone of contention between doctors and the attendants of patients. Most of the scuffles between hospital employees and visitors were due to paucity of space,” rued the sources.

“The new block has better provisions and once it’s made operational, the functioning of the entire hospital will improve tremendously,” the sources said.

While the state government has not recruited medical and paramedical staff since long, experts in the field consider the acute shortage of resources, including manpower, as the major pitfall in making the new infrastructure functional.

The sources said the GMC hospital administration had already sent a proposal for sanctioning 4,100 posts, exclusively for the upgraded GMC and 200-bedded super-speciality paediatrics block at SMGS Hospital, to the Planning Department.

GMC Principal Rajinder Singh said: “The bed occupancy in the emergency ward is more than 150 per cent. Most of the times we have to adjust two patients on the same bed.” Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma could not be contacted for comments.

Jammu, June 21
The J&K Polythene Manufacturers and Traders Association has expressed anguish over the way the authorities concerned have been implementing the ban on polythene bags.

The association has lamented that the administration was unmindful of the adverse impact of the ban on a vast section of the people.

Addressing a media conference here today, spokesperson of the association Rakesh Gupta rued that the Act banning manufacture, sale and use of polythene bags was passed by the government in a hurry without inviting any objections.

He lamented that no debate was held in the legislature in this regard. Gupta said, adding that there were 50 units manufacturing polythene carry bags in Jammu alone which provided livelihood to 20,000.