Jammu, September 21
An example of religious harmony was seen in Jammu today when members of the Hindu community waited outside the mosque in Jammu to greet their Muslim brethren on the occasion of Id.

The festival of Id-ul-Fitr that marks the end of month-long fasting was today celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety throughout the region.

Muslims in large number gathered in various mosques across the city to offer prayers and exchange greetings to commemorate the day.

Reports of the celebration of Id were also received from other districts of the region.

Jammu, September 21
Firing at Indian posts at night and presenting sweets in the morning. This is what Pakistani troops have done in the last 24 hours.

In yet another ceasefire violation along the LoC, Pakistani troops fired indiscriminately at seven places in Mendhar and Poonch last night.

There were no injuries. Pakistan Rangers presented sweets to BSF officers at the RS pura octroi post this morning. Officers of the the security forces from both countries exchanged gifts and hugged each other and extended Id greetings.

Brigadier GS-16 corps Gurdeep Singh told reporters there was firing from across the border at seven places in Mendhar and Poonch, but no one was injured or there was no infiltration bid.

Lt-Col Zulfkar of 2nd Chenab Ranger headed the Pakistani team that presented gifts to Indian security personnel to a team led by the Commandant of the 135 Battalion of the BSF.

Both officers exchanged pleasantries. “We share each other’s festivals,” Lt-Col Zulfkar said. “Even when there is huge tension and a deadlock situation, such festivals have often helped us in break the ice.”

“We give you sweets for sweet relations” was the message of Com Vineet Kumar to the Pakistan Rangers. Both officers said they had brought a message of peaceful co-existence and relationship.

Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged fires at a number of places, including Samba, Akhnoor and Mendhar, in the last 15 days due to infiltration bids from across the border.

A Major lost his life repulsing the infiltration bid by militants a week ago. Three days ago, Pakistani troops had fired on an Indian post in Akhnoor injuring two BSF soldiers.

Srinagar, September 21
Clashes between supporters of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the police marred Id celebrations in the Kashmir valley today, leaving scores injured.

The trouble erupted soon after the Id prayers when supporters of Geelani, chairman of the hard line faction of the Hurriyat Conference, tried to stage demonstrations in the city protesting his continued house arrest.

The police fired smoke shells and used batons to disperse the stone-throwing protesters, who fought pitched battles with them in which scores of them were injured, officials said.

Chanting slogans, the protesters, displaying photographs of Geelani, tried to march towards his Hyderpora residence here when the police stopped them, leading to clashes.

Geelani, arrested under the Public Safety Act, was released after 95 days on September eight, but was put under house arrest the next day.

The supporters of the Hurriyat hawk also staged protests soon after the prayers in Sopore, Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts. However, they dispersed when the police intervened, the officials said.

Meanwhile, thousands of Muslims gathered at various prayer grounds and mosques across the Kashmir valley today to offer Id-ul-Fitr prayers. The holy month of Ramzan ended yesterday after the crescent was sighted at various places in the valley, heralding the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal.

The largest number of devotees in the summer capital gathered at the Hazratbal shrine, Eidgah grounds, Polo ground and the Jamia Mosque.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah offered Id prayers at the Hazratbal shrine and mingled with thousands of devotees who had gathered there to offer prayers.

As clerics prayed for peace in the world and unity among Muslims, youth and children wore new clothes and hugged each other in the traditional Id greeting.

Unlike earlier years, no alarm was raised among the security forces or the general public in Srinagar and other major towns over the loud noise created by the bursting of firecrackers.

At many places in the city, officers and troopers of the CRPF were seen greeting the locals and patting children as a goodwill gesture.

“I have been manning this picket for so many months now that I recognise most of the residents in this area. It is nice to see people enjoying life today,” said a CRPF trooper here. — PTI, IANS

Jammu, September 21
After 19 years in exile, the celebration of festivals by Kashmiri Pandits has undergone a sea change. They have adopted North Indian Hindu festivals that were earlier not celebrated by them.

“During Navratras, Kashmiri Pandits would cook non-vegetarian food upto the 4th day of the Navratras and would turn vegetarian from 5-8th day of the Navratras,” said Guna wait (75) of Pulwama, now living in Bohri, Talab Tillo.

Being essentially a non-vegetarian community, Kashmiri Pandits used to cook non-vegetarian delicacies during their festivals before migration, but now vegetarianism is strictly being observed by them during celebration of festivals and feasts as practiced by the Hindus in North India.

Though the older generation is not so serious about these changes, which were alien to them earlier, but the younger generation totally into it. They observe fasts in a similar way as Hindus of other parts of the country do.

“Being Shivaites , Kashmiri Pandits hardly celebrated Ram Naumi festival in Kashmir valley . One would rarely come across Ram temples in Kashmir except the only one built by Dogra rulers in Srinagar for the Dogra business community of Srinagar,” said Jai Krishan Bhat (60) of Logripora, Anantnag, presently living in Purkhoo migrant camp.

There was no tradition of burning Ravana’s effigy in Kashmir or organising Ram leelas during the Navratras.

Remembering old days, Dina Nath Koul (80) of Anantnag district, presently living in Bohri, said: “During this festival, Kashmiri Pandits use to worship Goddess Durga, called Maha Ragnya Devi, in Kheer Bhawani temple at Tulamulla on aashtami, which coincidentally falls during this festival.” Besides Tulamulla temple, people used to offer prayers at various temples.

Now after migration, on the first day of Navratra Kashmiri Pandits sow barley in a pot and keep it at a sacred place where they offer prayers and water it daily. On the 9th day, barley plants are kept for display as a symbolic darshan of Goddess Durga.

Later, they are immersed in rivers. A good growth of plants symbolises the acceptance of prayers by Goddess Durga and indicates that Goddess Durga would bring happiness and prosperity in the house.

During the Navratras, Kashmiri Pandit families observe fast for nine days. These fast are not observed by all family members. Some observe it from 5-8 day and some observe only the 8th day.

Havans are performed on Ram Naumi or the ninth day of Navratra. On the last day of Navratra, maha aarti is performed at Kheer Bhawani temple.

Jammu, September 21
Chaos, dogs prowling, litter everywhere, foul smell and a huge rush of people -- welcome to the Jammu railway station, one of the busiest railway stations in the country.

As the rush of passengers at the railway station increases due to the ongoing Navratras, chaos rules the roost as the passengers are left fend for information at the counters.

It seems that the railway authorities have failed to handle the huge rush, as there are no special arrangements made by the department to accommodate pilgrims.

Stray dogs prowl on the railway platform, which is littered with garbage and leftover food items.

“The entire railway station is full of garbage and emits foul smell. The authorities concerned should take action and keep the railway station clean,” said Brijesh Kumar, a resident of New Delhi.

The woman passengers are also facing problems as there is no separate reservation counter for them for the second class and they have to wait in long queues along with men to get a ticket.

“There should be a separate counter for women passengers, as we have to face harassment while standing in the queue along with male passengers,” said Bimla Devi, a resident of Gaya in Bihar.

Another counter at the booking station that is meant for physically challenged passengers is also being used by normal people and the physically challenged passengers have to compete with normal passengers to get a ticket.

The authorities concerned say that it becomes the moral duty of able-bodied passengers to give priority to women and physically challenged passengers. “Only 0.5 to 0.10 per cent passengers are physically challenged, so it becomes the moral duty of normal passengers to help them. I will also see that their counter is not being used by other passengers,” Divisional Traffic Manager Ashok Sharma said.

Sharma said the cleanliness drive at the station was carried out from 3:30 am to 6 am and from 9 pm to 11 pm. However, he appealed to people not to litter on the platform.

“I have taken help from around 2,000 schoolchildren to spread awareness among the passengers to help us keep the platform neat and clean. But as most of the passengers are from outside, they are least bothered to keep the station clean. And animals come when they find food items littered on the platform,” Sharma said.

Jammu, September 21
Concerned over the shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in the state’s medical colleges and hospitals, state Minister for Medical Education Rajinder Singh Chib has said the assisting staff would soon be hired on a contract basis.

“To be honest, I am totally unsatisfied with the existing system in medical colleges and their associated hospitals both in Jammu and Srinagar,” Chib, a former Indian Air Force officer, said in an interview to IANS by phone from Srinagar.

The minister said he was personally looking into fast track contractual appointments of paramedics and other staff.

“It is being done. All shortages in this field will be filled soon.”

The minister said lack of proper work culture in the medical colleges and the shortage of doctors, staff and paramedics were compounding the problems faced by these institutes.

On the government medical colleges and hospitals, Chib said: “Though all wings and departments need a big change and a more humane approach, I am planning to start by streamlining emergency and casualty sections.”

“Every problem starts at the emergency and casualty sections which is not being dealt in the manner as it should be,” admitted the minister.

Chib noted with concern that there were just 90 nurses in the GMCH, Jammu. “Which is undoubtedly very less. If we have a proper number of nurses taking care of patients, we can have a lesser number of attendants obstructing the working of hospitals.

The minister said the manpower crunch was even more acute in hospitals at the district level. But he did not have the figures as they came under the Health Department.

The GMCH in Srinagar and Jammu have been approved for upgrading to the level of All India Institute of Medical Science at a cost of Rs 120 crore under the Prime Minister’s reconstruction plan.

Moreover, nine super-speciality hospitals, an Institute of Traumatology and a nursing college have been sanctioned for Srinagar. While Jammu will have 15 super speciality hospitals with 220 beds being created or upgraded.

“But before we talk of those super speciality hospitals, we have to provide the basics in the real sense,” the minister said.

Chib said though the state-run hospitals had all the sophisticated machines like MRI, CT scan, ultrasould and heart echo, people still preferred private hospitals and clinics.

“I am looking into the reasons why patients go to private clinics for these tests.” 
— IANS

Srinagar, September 21
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the state Wildlife Protection Department is all set to organise an international conference-cum-workshop on hangul (Kashmiri stag) conservation and endangered deer species in the second week of October.

“The three-day international conference-cum-workshop would start on October 10 at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar,” says Parvez Ahmad Bhat, PRO, SKUAST-K.

The proposed international conference is aimed at bringing together deer experts and conservationists from all over the world. “The experts would present and discuss at length the latest research findings on the effective management and conservation aspects of endangered deer species in general and hangul in particular,” says the PRO.

He adds that the conference would provide an opportunity to share experiences, opinions, and scientific knowledge with national and international conservationists.

Jammu, September 21
A class IV employee of the Department of Health Services is manning the surveillance-cum-information centre for the H1N1 (swine flu) influenza at Jammu railway station.

As per official figures, more than 40,000 passengers arrive at Jammu railway station daily and an equal number leave the station. The number of passengers has increased following the festival season.

But the seriousness of the Health Department to “check” the spread of the influenza could well be gauged from the fact that when The Tribune team visited the centre today, a class IV employee was manning the centre.

“Daily around 15-20 patients with the symptoms of viral infection come to us. We treat them and give them medicines as per their requirement,” said Gurinder Kumar, the employee manning the centre.

When asked if there was any doctor in the health centre, he said the doctor had gone out and would be returning in a short while.

While the Health Department has been asking the people to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease, staff at the health centre has not been provided with the compulsory N95 masks.

“We don’t have the masks with us as the patients who come to us are not infected with the disease. They suffer from common cold-like symptoms so we give them medicine,” said Kumar.

When the doctor returned, she said: “The mask has to be replaced everyday and we don’t wear them so as not to spread panic amongst the passengers.”

She added that the aim of the centre was to spread awareness about swine flu and quarantine any patient who shows its symptoms.

“The patients who come to us don’t have time. They are either outgoing passengers or those who arrive in Jammu. They have very less time so we give them medicines for common cold,” the doctor said, adding: “If they suspect anyone of having swine flu symptoms, we send that person to surveillance and isolation centre at Bhagwati Nagar.”

The state has so far recorded 31 confirmed N1H1 cases. Director (health service) Jasbeer Singh said: “We don’t get patients at railway station. We have concentrated more on airport and Bhagwati Nagar area.”

Jammu, September 21
As many as 64 one-room flats, which the JDA (Jammu Development Authority) had built in Muthi for Darbar employees, are proving to be white elephant for the authority.

Neither the Estate Department, which was suppose to hand over the building in Nehru Market to the JDA for reconstruction, has shown interest in selling it and the employees, too, are keen on moving from there.

Anil Gupta, employee of the secretariat, says: “New flats at Muthi are quite far from the secretariat whereas now we live quite close to it. Secondly, in Nehru market building we have two-room set, whilst in Muthi it is just one-room set. So, we do not want to shift to new flats at Muthi.”

Attempts to auction off the building, too, have proved futile. The only ray of hope is its new prospective buyer, Ladakhi Automous Hill Council, who too has got stuck on cost factor. The JDA, which had spent Rs 2.5 crore as construction cost, is quoting Rs 4.5 crore as selling amount.

Former vice-chairman of the secretariat Pandu Rang K Pole, who had dealt with the matter said: “When we failed with the Estate Department, we tried to auction it off. But one-room flats did not attract buyers. If it had been two or three-room set, it would have got sold earlier.”

Ajit Sahi, chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Council, said they would readily buy the building as it suits Ladakhi students, who live in Jammu. “We have Ladakhi sarai, Leh house and a girls hostel for Ladakhi students studying in Jammu, but we still fall short of accommodation. So we wanted these one room flats, but the amount quoted is too much for us as we are an autonomous body who depend on the government for funds. The matter can be resolved only if the JDA reduces the cost. Only then we would ask the state government to provide us with funds.”

Srinagar, September 21
Little did a 16-year-old girl know that her life will be snuffed out on the Id festival today for no fault of hers.

As the first rays of the sun shone in the valley, it was the last day of Dilshada who was killed by a LeT militant in her home for spurning his advances. The shocking incident took place in the Batpora-Akhaal area in Kanganarea, 40 km from here.

The police claimed that as per the initial probe, the militant, identified as Babar, had been stalking the girl and was pressurising her to marry him.

However, as soon as the news of her proposed engagement with a surrendered militant of Hizbul Mujahideen Dilwar Gaghi spread, the Lashker terrorist decided to take revenge and barged into the home of early morning killing on the spot.

The victim's sister - 14-year-old Rohee - who was hit in her right hand was injured in the attack.

The locality, which should have been buzzing with Id festivities, could only hear cries and wails as mourners poured into the residence of Abdul Ahad Khan to offer their condolences.

Earlier this year, Hizbul Mujahideen militants murdered a woman's husband Ejaz, mother Taja Begum and father-in-law in May in Mahore area, 120 km from Jammu. The fault of the groom was that he had married a girl whom a Hizb commander had wished to marry.

The murders appear to be a re-run of an incident in Swat valley in Pakistan, where Taliban militants brutally lashed a young girl in public after she refused to marry one of their members. — PTI