Jammu, April 14
The striking government employees who have suspended/called off their 12-day-old strike have decided to resume duties tomorrow.

Keeping in view the order passed by the J&K High Court that no government employee has any right to go on strike and the government should take legal action against the strikers, and an assurance by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that their “demands will be seriously considered, different employees’ unions have either suspended or called off the strike.

As two unions, namely, the Civil Secretariat Employees Union and the J&K Employees Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) have agreed to call off and suspend,respectively, their strike for five days,another faction, the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) also suspended its strike today.

Gafoor Dar, a leader of the EJAC said: “Following an assurance of the Chief Minister to prepare a roadmap within two to three months to settle the issue of arrears, we have suspended our strike. It has not been called off.We can again go on strike for our genuine demands”.

Khurshid Alam, a leader of the JCC said: “We have suspended the strike for five days only and after that we will decide whether to continue it or not”.

With the suspension or calling off of the strike, there will be no affect on the Darbar move , which takes place in the last week of the month.Earlier, there were reports that the paramilitary forces and the police might be used to shift files and documents to the secretariat in Srinagar. But now,there will be no problem, a senior official in the Civil Secretariat said.

The Civil Secretariat Employees Union has already called off its strike. Nazir Ahmad Mir, a leader of the union said: “We have full faith in the government, especially the Chief Minister, and hope it will resolve our issues soon. We are calling off our strike. All the 3,000 employees of the Civil Secretariat will return to work tomorrow”.

Jammu, April 14
With 100 per cent literacy in the state still a distant dream, the coalition government will start upgrading village education registers in more than 6,000 villages across the state soon.

The objective being clear: No child in the age group of six to 14 years should be left out of the purview of elementary education under the Jammu and Kashmir State Education Act 2002 that guarantees textbooks free of cost, no tuition fee and mid-day meals.

A provision in the Act also imposes a fine on parents and guardians (via local education committees), who don’t send their children to schools. However, not even a single parent or guardian has been penalised till date ever since the state enacted the Act in 2002.

The local education committee is either headed by the sarpanch or a literate person (in case the village is without a panchayat), also has parents of two schoolchildren, preferably literate, two women from the village and an academician.

“Though as of today panchayats do not exist in the state, but we do have education committees in more than 6,000 villages across the state,” Secretary, Education, GA Peer told The Tribune.

“The Act also has a provision that empowers the education committees to make a complaint before a judicial magistrate against parents/guardians who do not send their children to school,” he said.

However, not even a single parent/guardian had been penalised till date because coercion was considered as the last resort, Peer said. He added that the government believed in convincing such parents/guardians. It may be stated that the state, as of today, has more than 39,000 children not attending school.

Just a couple of days ago, we decided to upgrade village education registers so as to record children, who were above six years of age and were still out of school, said Peer. To make the process transparent and accurate, the government was roping in teachers at the village level, he added.

“Besides, we also persuade people to send their children to schools. We tell them via awareness campaigns that education is indispensable for their children,” Peer said.

Asked whether the state had any provision for penury-ridden parents whose out-of-school children were the only source of livelihood for them, Peer said the government was already providing books free of cost, mid-day meals and charging no tuition fee.

“We also have scholarships for such children and at the same time the government has kept a local fund from where they can be helped,” he said.

Furthermore, in the case of out-of-school children the government has designed bridge courses so as to bring them on a par with other schoolchildren of their age. Bridge courses are condensed courses to make up the loss of studies by such children.

Srinagar, April 14
A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district today while two CRPF jawans were injured in a grenade explosion in Sopore town late last night.

Defence spokesman Lt-Col JS Brar said the 6 RR killed the militant in an encounter in the Rainawari forest near Pahaldagi village in the Handwara area of Kupwara early this morning. An AK rifle, four magazines and 67 rounds were recovered from the scene of the encounter.

Jammu, April 14
A war of words among different factions of Gujjars and Bakerwals has intensified on the controversial Inter-district Recruitment Bill that had earlier created a storm in the state Assembly.

Throughout yesterday, leaders of the Scheduled Tribes (STs)-- Gujjars and Bakerwals-- organised different meetings and press conferences to express their viewpoints on the contentious issue. The Gujjar leaders utilised every opportunity to criticised their rivals.

Since the passing of the controversial bill, differences have cropped up between Gujjar and Bakerwal leaders.

While some Gujjar organisations have charged ministers of their community with a “sellout” as the latter strongly defended the decision of the government not to exclude STs from the Bill,those supporting the move of the government not to include STs with Scheduled Castes (SCs) were of the view that there was no reason to allow Gujjars and Bakerwals to apply in different districts.

“We hailed the decision of the government to bring a Bill for equitable opportunities of employment, particularly in district cadre posts in various hilly and backward districts of the state,” said state general secretary of ST cell of ruling NC Choudhary Salam Din. He further said the leaders, who have been making contradictory statements to misguide the Gujjar community, were trying to further their political interests by unnecessary raking up this issue.

About half a dozen organisations of STs under the banner of the Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar United Front also praised the coalition government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for banning inter-district recruitment.

On other hand, some Gujjar leaders under the banner of the Jammu and Kashmir Tribals United Front have flayed some elements, who according to them, have been jeopardising interests of the ST community on behalf of some influential ministers and vested interests.

Tribals Front leader Roshan Din had sought help from the Gujjars residing outside the state in their fight against injustice. “We have been in touch with some organisations of Gujjars outside the state to seek their support in our struggle,” he said and added that the time has now come when the community members would be able to stand for their fundamental rights and no one would be swayed by the vested interests of so-called community representatives.

Jammu, April 14
Irrigation canals, into which water was released recently by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department after the de-silting process was completed, are blocked with garbage and silt.

These canals pass through residential colonies and work as the life line of agricultural fields situated adjacent to these colonies.

The residents of Gole Pulli, Suriya Vihar and Manoharama Vihar colonies alleged that without clearing the silt properly from the canals, the Irrigation Department released water into them with an intention to convey to the authorities that the job had been finished.

“Every year the department concerned carries out de-silting for the namesake only and gets crores of rupees from the exchequer. But despite knowing the fact, the government is not taking action against the department,” alleged Sat Pal Sharma, a resident of Gole Pulli.

Prem Nath Bhat, a resident of Suriya Vihar, said, “This chocked canal tells the story itself. It also exposes the false claims of the department concerned that it has done its job with honesty.” The residents further alleged that the de-silting process, which took months together, was done by the department in a unplanned way.

“Labours engaged by the Irrigation Department though removed the silt from the canals but placed it on the banks of the canals for weeks together. After getting dry the silt again fell into the canals,” said Rita Sharma, a resident of Manoharama Vihar.

However, it was learnt that due to lack of civic sense some residents threw domestic garbage into these canals during the night time, which also hindered the free flow of canal water.

Srinagar, April 14
Thousands of people today visited the Mughal Garden along the banks of the Dal Lake here after it was opened to the public on Baisakhi.

Marking the first outing after the winter, visitors thronged the Garden, including Nishat, Shalimarg, Cheshmashahi and Harwan, since morning, official sources said.

On Baisakhi, the garden is opened to visitors every year.

There was also a heavy rush of people in other gardens, particularly Tulip Garden,the Botanical Garden, Pari Mahal on the foothills of Zabarwan range overlooking the Dal Lake and Badamwari in downtown Srinagar, they said. — PTI

Jammu, April 14
The BJP today triggered a debate in political circles when state president of the party Shamsher Singh Manhas stated that Dr BR Ambedkar was against incorporation of Article 370 in the Indian Constitution, which has given special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

While paying tributes to Dr Ambedkar on his 119th birth anniversary, the BJP president said Dr Ambedkar had advocated implementation of the Indian Constitution in full form in the state and strongly opposed the grant of special status to the state Article 370 as he had aired apprehension at that time that it would sow the seeds of separatism.

The BJP president quoted some historical events to substantiate his statement that Dr Ambedkar was against Article 370.

BJP Anusuchit Jati Morcha president Chaman Lal Kanathia, in his address, strongly criticised the NC-Congress coalition in the state, saying that it has failed to provide benefits of the centrally sponsored welfare schemes to the deserving people, including the SCs.

Party MLA Prof Gharu Ram Bhagat, while referring to the recently adopted “Inter-district Recruitment Bill”, recalled that if the BJP and other nationalists would not have put a strong resistance, the NC and other likes were bent upon to deprive the SCs of 8 per cent reservation in all districts of the state.

Meanwhile, rich tributes were paid to Dr Ambedkar on his 119th birth anniversary today, in a function at the Congress headquarters. PCC chief and former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz presided over the function.

Soz paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar and recalled his contribution as chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution of India. He said: “Our constitution was a Social Bible which has capacity to unite and integrate society. It is one of the best document in the world, which guarantees equality before law and equal protection of law, irrespective of caste, creed or colour to every citizen and also liberty of ideas and views and to possess his own religion and faith.”

Jammu, April 14
“Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar will not only be remembered as a person who has documented the Constitution of our country, which is one of the best constitutions of the world, but also he is remembered as a revolutionary, a scholar, an intellectual and as a person who strongly fought against communalism and casteism,” Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand said here today. He said this while addressing a function organised by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Educational Society in collaboration with Gandhi Global Family at Bari-Brahamna, near here, today to mark Ambedkar’s 119th birth anniversary.

Tara Chand, while laying the foundation stone of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Community Bhavan, to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore, for which the Deputy Chief Minister made on the spot announcement of the release of Rs 20 lakh to start the construction, said the government had opened new chapters of progress. He said like Mahatama Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other sons of the soil, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar also belonged to all.

The Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar awards - 2009 were bestowed upon various personalities for their outstanding contribution in different fields. The awardees included Member of the Public Service Commission RL Bharti, Director Information Khawaja Farooq Renzu, Director Local Bodies, Jammu, Khurshid Ahmad Bhat, Commissioner of the JMC Mubarak Singh, Joint Director Hospitality Soba Ram, SSP, Airport, ML Mehra, SP ML Bhagat, DFO Gopal Sharma and Sumit Khullar.

Jammu, April 14
A delegation of the All India Kashmiri Samaj has met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil in New Delhi to discuss the issues of concern to the community. According to a statement issued here today, the delegation members apprised the President about the deplorable condition of temples and shrines in the Valley. They urged the President to get the process expedited for the passage of the Temples and Shrines Bill in the state Legislative Assembly.

Moti Kaul, president of the samaj, said, “Temples and shrines constitute the living symbols of our existence in Kashmir. They symbolise our socio-cultural survival in the valley. The land and other assets belonging to most of the temples have been grabbed by vested interests and the process was going on for quite some time.”

Kaul argued for evolving a blueprint for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and highlighted the meagre hike in the relief for Kashmiri migrants. He also urged the President for age relaxation for unemployed youths belonging to the displaced community. Kaul pleaded for the regularisation of the services of contractual Kashmiri migrant teachers working in Delhi administration-run schools.

Jammu, April 14
The Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) is headless in the state for the last eight months because two warring factions in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) have so far failed to arrive at a consensus candidate.

The body of the PYC was dissolved in September last year and the then president of the PYC, Mohammad Amin Bhat, was removed from the post. When Bhat was removed it was announced that the new body would be constituted within a month.

Bhat is a loyalist of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and after his removal as the PYC chief the pro-Azad faction decided to get its man as the new PYC chief. On the other hand, the loyalists of PCC chief Saifuddin Soz have also been working over time for the last eight months to install a candidate of their choice as PYC chief. Due to a tug of war between the two factions, the appointment of the PYC chief has been delayed for one or the other reason.

Interestingly, with much publicity, a talent hunt contest was held in the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu in October 2009 in which more than 700 candidates were interviewed by a team of AICC leaders comprising Jagdish Tytler, Ashok Tanwar and Nadeem Javed to select a potential candidate for the PYC president’s post.

“Eight months have passed but there is no progress in constituting the PYC body,” a senior Congress leader told The Tribune. He said both pro-Azad and pro-Soz factions had been ‘fighting’ with each other to get their man appointed as PYC president.

Sources said out of the 700 candidates, who had applied for the post of the PYC president, 27 were shortlisted and were called for an interview at 12 Tuglak Road in New Delhi on March 15.

They said these interviews were only a formality and ultimately the choice of senior leaders would prevail.

The pro-Soz faction has zeroed in on a former MLA from the Kashmir valley, while the rival group has been projecting a sitting MLA from the Jammu region for the post of the PYC chief.

The functioning of the party and the Youth Congress had been badly affected due to infighting, said a senior PYC leader. He pointed out that local bodies and panchayat elections were round the corner but senior leaders were only interested in furthering their personal agenda.