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4,471 Amarnath yatris take Pahalgam route
Governor pays obeisance at cave shrine
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Pilgrims moved by warm welcome in Valley
Traders assure them of Kashmiri hospitality
JJSF protests deletion of names from merit list
Police beats up oil tanker driver
Mine defused
Pandit community in danger, says Panun Kashmir
Protest march by women foiled
Narayanpur Maoist Attack CRPF officers and jawans carry the body of constable Tilak Raj, who was killed in the Maoist attack at Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh, at the Jammu Airport on Thursday. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Election Commission visits LoC areas
39 Mountain Div celebrates
raising day
Jammuites term blocking of SMS services as unwarranted
BJP protest against govt for ‘demoralising’ troops
Health Minister inspects Udhampur hospital
Dropout in HIV treatment rises in state
Gurukul starts functioning
Army holds inter-faith seminar
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4,471 Amarnath yatris take Pahalgam route
Pahalgam, July 1 The first batch of 4,471 pilgrims left for the yatra on the traditional Pahalgam route from the Nanuwan Base Camp here this morning. Though the weather conditions remained adverse since the beginning of the day, the pilgrims were more excited to start the yatra to pay obeisance at the ice lingam of Lord Shiva at the Amarnath cave shrine at a height of 13,500 feet. Amid tension and minor clashes and after passing through areas under curfew, the convoy of the pilgrims reached Pahalgam and Baltal late last night. A total of 4,471 pilgrims, who left for the cave shrine via Pahalgam, included 3,156 men, 618 women, 275 children and 422 sadhus, as per the RPF figures. The first batch of pilgrims was flagged off from the Nunwan Base Camp in nearly 225 vehicles by Mithilesh Kumar, Commandant of 164 Battalion of the CRPF, and senior officers of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. Within an hour, nearly 3,000 pilgrims crossed Chandanwari, the starting point of the pilgrimage, Mithilesh Kumar said. Meanwhile, Governor NN Vohra also visited the Pahalgam Base Camp to review the yatra arrangements. Till the evening, the pilgrims had reached Sheshnag, where a base camp has been set up to provide shelter to them. There were some reports of pilgrims reaching Panjtarni in the evening too, but their number could not be confirmed from any senior official. It is to mention here that proper stay arrangements have been provided at the Nunwan base camp here to facilitate the pilgrims. Nearly 5,000 pilgrims could stay at the base camp, a senior CRPF officer said. Around 4,000 pilgrims left for the shrine on the Baltal route in the morning and other 6,000 pilgrims were waiting for the weather clearance. Meanwhile, some miscreants pelted a vehicle carrying pilgrims with stones late last night, as it was moving in a convoy towards Baltal from Anantnag. A woman received a head injury in the attack. Till the evening, no casualty was reported either on the Baltal or Pahalgam route.
Governor pays obeisance at cave shrine
Srinagar: The Governor also visited Nunwan and Baltal base camps and reviewed the arrangements for the yatris. On this occasion, Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad flagged-off the helicopter services from Baltal to Panjtarni, while Minister for Tourism Nawang Rigzin Jora launched the helicopter services from Pahalgam to Panjtarni in the presence of the Governor. The helicopter services for the yatris, who wish to avail of such facilities, had been made available on each of the two routes viz. Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal and Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam. |
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Pilgrims moved by warm welcome in Valley
Srinagar, July 1 Despite the ongoing turmoil and the curfew in various parts of the Kashmir region, including south Kashmir where three youths were killed allegedly by the the CRPF on Tuesday, people welcomed the pilgrims. “Some organisations with ‘vested interests’ are trying to exploit the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir by connecting it with the Amarnath yatra and trying to create a wedge between the two regions,” said Abdul Hameed, a businessman, here. He pointed out that the pilgrims who reached Kashmir late last night were moved by the hospitality of Kashmir people. “In Jammu we were told that we should not proceed on the yatra as we would be attacked in Kashmir. But when we reached here we were warmly welcomed by the locals despite the fact that there had been a few killings in the valley in the past few days,” Hari Prasad, a pilgrim from Chandigarh, told The Tribune. He held that though initially after entering Kashmir “we were a bit scared but there had been no incident when our convoy was attacked. Instead we were garlanded by the locals”. The local residents, who welcomed the pilgrims to Kashmir, said they had never been against the yatra, as it had been going on for centuries and Kashmir people always provided a helping hand to the pilgrims. Besides the livelihood of a large number of people here was associated with the annual pilgrimage. “They (pilgrims) are our guests and are always welcome. Even in 2008, when we faced the economic blockade, we never attacked the pilgrims. Some people with vested interests are spreading a false propaganda against Kashmir people,” said Tariq Ahmed, a resident of Pahalgam. Even during the two-month long Amarnath land agitation in 2008 various separatist leaders went to meet the pilgrims and distributed items of essential commodities among them. APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, kept under house arrest at present, has said, “We want it to pass off peacefully and successfully. Our protests are against the human rights violations and unabated killings in Kashmir and have nothing to do with the yatra”. Even the hardline Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference that had been demanding the curtailment in the duration of the yatra because of environmental concerns had never objected to the yatra.
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Traders assure them of Kashmiri hospitality
Srinagar, July 1 “We are standing to welcome with open arms our brothers and sisters who would come to undertake the holy Amarnath
yatra. Our cultural ethos and tolerant Sufi traditions have inculcated in our soul what world generally regards as Kashmiri hospitality,” the statement said. It added that in line with the tolerant Sufi culture of Kashmir, they would continue to provide the yatris with the best of possible facilities. The statement stated that there was no truth in any rumour being spread outside regarding the conduct of the yatra. The organisations had asked the yatris to come for themselves to experience the Kashmiri hospitality and on return be the brand ambassadors of Kashmir and its people. |
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JJSF protests deletion of names from merit list
Jammu, July 1 Under the leadership of Jammu University unit president Bhanu Partap Singh and vice-president, JJSF, Partap Singh Jamwal, the college students gathered near the Principal’s office and raised slogans against the college. The JJSF leaders said some candidates found that despite having merit, their names were missing from the merit list, whereas some candidates with lower merit were being listed.
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Police beats up oil tanker driver
Jammu, July 1 “Over 70 oil tankers, which had been stranded overnight at Chanderkote on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, left for Kashmir this morning but as soon as the convoy reached Verinag in Kulgam SHO Qazigund assaulted one of our drivers Javed Iqbal,” Association president Anan Sharma told The Tribune. The driver sustained a fracture in his arm. “If things go this way, we might be forced to re-consider our decision (of resuming supplies to Kashmir),” he said. “Initially, unruly crowds assaulted our drivers and damaged our tankers and now the police is indulging in the same act,” he said. The SHO had asked the driver, leading the convoy, to ply his oil-laden tanker (JK02AB/7295) on a kuchha road to which he objected, said Sharma, adding that the driver was then beaten up by the officer. “Though Jammu Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kotwal and Chief Secretary SS Kapur had assured us to suspend the officer, we would be convening another meeting tomorrow to decide further course of action,” said Sharma. However, Jammu Divisional Commissioner said 150 tankers today left for Kashmir valley under adequate security. “As far as this particular incident is concerned, I personally spoke to DIG Anantnag, DC Anantnag and SSP Kulgam,” he said. “Since security to tankers could be provided only when they move in the form of a convoy, this driver had refused to follow certain instructions. “However, the driver claimed that the officer had asked him to park his tanker on an uneven surface, which led to arguments. ”But now the matter has been sorted out and we are taking proper care of valley-bound tankers and their drivers,” he added. On an average, the association daily dispatches 24 lakh litres of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and even ATF to the Kashmir Valley through a fleet of 200 tankers.
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Pandit community in danger, says Panun Kashmir
Jammu, July 1 Expressing concern over the prevailing conditions in the Kashmir valley, attack on temples, security forces and attempts to disrupt the Amaranth yatra, he said the Panun Kashmir was on a mobilising spree throughout Jammu. “The security situation in the Valley is going from bad to worse with the connivance of the polity of Kashmir and an inapt handling of the situation by the government,” alleged Agnishekhar. He said the admission of the Lashkar’s involvement in the present turmoil by Home Minister P Chidambaram pointed towards the support the LeT enjoyed both on ideological and operational fronts. “The attempts to disrupt the Amarnath yatra, issuance of a fatwa to decrease the time duration of the yatra and voicing baseless environmental concerns is an attempt by separatists and the PDP to further their Muslim communal secessionist agenda,” alleged Agnishekhar. |
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Protest march by women foiled
Srinagar, July 1
While the curfew remained in force in areas under seven police stations in Srinagar city, protests were held in the Chattabal area where a large number of women attempted to take out a march to Pathar Masjid. The call for a march by women to Pathar Masjid in the interior Srinagar locality was given by the hardline APHC led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The police lobbed tear-gas shells and fired into the air to disperse the women demonstrators. Adequate arrangements were made to prevent the march for which hundreds of policewomen were deployed in several parts of the city. There were reports of stone throwing by youths, who were chased away by the police. However, there were no reports of any injuries so far. Restrictions were further tightened in view of the march around the old city where the Pathar Masjid is situated. The roads leading to the interior city were locked by setting up of barricades and razor wires to prevent any movement. Tension also prevailed in the adjacent locality of Kaka Sarai where a heavy deployment of the police and the CRPF was made to prevent any possible attempt of taking out a protest march. Protests followed by stone throwing by angry demonstrators were also reported from the Natipora area. Life remained adversely affected for the seventh consecutive day today across the Valley.
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Narayanpur Maoist Attack
Jammu, July 1 Constable Tilak Raj, who hailed from Billawar in Kathua district, was a member of the CRPF road opening party that was ambushed by the Maoists on the fateful day at Narayanpur. Draped in the Tricolour, the body of Tilak Raj (belt number 041709432) reached the Jammu Airport this afternoon where DIG, CRPF, Kulbir Singh, media PRO, CRPF, Vinay Anand Prakash, CRPF Commandant Narendra Pal and police officers received his mortal remains. Tilak, elder of two brothers, had married a year back and his wife is expecting a baby. The CRPF jawan had joined the paramilitary force in 2004 and was posted with 39 Battalion at Ayodhya. The 39 Battalion was shifted to Narayanpur in March last year. With moist eyes, the CRPF officers escorted the mortal remains of their martyred colleague to his native village Billawar where he would be cremated with full military honours. A cousin of Tilak Raj and a village elder had also come to the airport to receive the body. |
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Election Commission visits LoC areas
Srinagar, July 1 The three-member commission interacted with the officers and the troops in the Uri sector to acquire a first-hand report of the problems faced by them in taking an active part in the electoral process, an official spokesman said here. The commission members were accompanied by state Chief Electoral Officer BR Sharma; DG (IEC), Election Commission of India, Akshey Raut and senior Army officers. The commission members discussed with them the issues relating to postal ballot, proxy voting and the issuance of photo identity cards etc. They assured the Army personnel that they would consider and implement various measures to simplify the voting process for voters in the armed forces so as to ensure their due participation in the electoral process. |
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39 Mountain Div celebrates
raising day
Udhampur, July 1 As per an official note, the division was initially raised as the First Burma Division in Burma (Mayanmar) on this day in 1941 under Major Gen James Bruce Scott. It was later re-designated as 39 Mountain Division in June 1942 in Manipur. A band display was also organised in which all bands of the division participated and displayed their regalia with pomp and show. The events culminated with a Barakhana for the troops and a mess function in the division’s Officers’ Mess. Many veterans were invited to various functions organised to commemorate the occasion. |
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Jammuites term blocking of SMS services as unwarranted
Jammu, July 1 “Had the government wanted to check rumour mongers and troublemakers from flaring up emotions in the already surcharged atmosphere, it could have easily flashed messages to the general people on their cell phones to avoid lending credence to rumours,” said Ashwani Gupta, a banker. Gupta said the government could have asked the service providers to flash messages to their respective subscribers to avoid indulging in disinformation campaign. Besides, the people should have been advised to check rumours from police helpline numbers, he added. “Being a student, I cannot afford to make phone calls frequently and I rely upon SMS services to keep in touch with my classmates during the ongoing summer vacations,” said Meenakshi Sharma, a school student. Voicing similar concerns, a scholar from Jammu University, Vishal Malhotra said the ban reminded him of repressive measures, a ploy of erstwhile autocrat rulers in the country. For the mischievous elements, the whole lot of law-abiding populace should not be held hostage, he opined. Meanwhile, BSNL general manager Sandeep Singh told The Tribune that there had been no fresh instructions from the government and hence SMS services across the state would remain blocked. Besides BSNL, six other private cellular companies i.e., Airtel, Aircel, Idea, Vodafone, Tata Indicom and Reliance have also blocked their SMS services across Jammu. However, sources in the home department said the sensitive state of Jammu and Kashmir had always demanded “harsh” measures in the larger interest of peace and normalcy. “During Amarnath land row agitation in 2008, the government was forced to block SMS services because of inflammatory messages. Such messages defeat our efforts of restoring peace and normalcy,” they said. As soon as normalcy starts returning to the state, the services would be resumed, they added.
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BJP protest against govt for ‘demoralising’ troops
Jammu, July 1 The BJP took a serious note of the statements from the corridors of power to demoralise the security forces and regretted that instead of taking concerted steps to take on anti-peace forces, the government had been succumbing to the pressure of pro-militant groups. Raising slogans in favour of the Army and the security forces, a large number of BJP workers took out a procession in Jammu city. They also carried placards hailing the security forces. Braving scorching heat, some locals also joined the procession and hailed the security forces for doing a commendable job in the Valley. The procession started from Kachi Chowni and culminated at City Chowk, where it turned into a rally. Addressing the rally, BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas flayed both state and Central governments for demoralising the security forces and warned that such an attitude would prove disastrous for the nation. “The situation is reverting to the early 90s and the government has been watching as a mute spectator,” he alleged. “The ongoing turmoil in the Valley is not just an outburst of anger of the people, rather it is a part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to sabotage the annual Amarnath yatra,” he said, adding “it is unfortunate that the government is trying to demoralise those security personnel who have been working round-the-clock to ensure a smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.” Manhas said the people of the Valley were already facing economic hardships on account of militancy and almost daily bandh calls given by the Hurriyat conference and other divisive forces. Coming down heavily on the National Conference-Congress government for adopting a soft approach towards anti-national forces, he alleged that the regime had a nexus with the Hurriyat Conference as the government had given a free hand to the separatists to instigate people against the security forces. Similar types of demonstrations were held at Samba, Kathua, Akhnoor, Bishnah, RS Pura, Udhampur, Basholi and others areas. A large number of BJP workers came on the streets to pledge their support to the security forces deployed in Kashmir valley. They threatened to launch a mass movement if any attempt was made to curtail powers of the security forces fighting militancy in the state.
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Health Minister inspects Udhampur hospital
Udhampur, July 1 The minister asked the District Development Commissioner (DDC), Udhampur, to ensure a sewerage in the new hospital complex so that it could be made operational for the patients. He also issued instructions to the Medical Superintendent to prepare a detailed project report for the repair and renovation of the existing old hospital complex. The minister assured that that an X-ray machine and a critical care ambulance would be provided to the hospital shortly. He called for making the hospital rest house fully functional. The Medical Superintendent informed the minister that during the first quarter of the current fiscal, 1,167 major and minor surgeries, 18,518 lab tests, 2,920 ultrasound tests, 350 institutional deliveries were done, besides 43,299 OPD patients had been treated. |
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Dropout in HIV treatment rises in state
Srinagar, July 1 “The care of HIV-infected people is the most challenging aspect in the prevention of the disease,” Sharma says, adding there is a dire need for establishing drop-in centres for the HIV infected people. Sharma says the centres help build capacity and skills of such people and create an enabling environment for them”. He added that such centres would help establish linkages of the affected people with the existing health services, non-government organisations and protect and promote their rights. Official statistics put the number of persons carrying HIV at 2,300, AIDS cases at 700 and 151 deaths due to it so far in the state. “Unofficial figures suggest 8,000 to 10,000 HIV patients in the state,” Sharma says, adding that only 70 persons undergoing ART treatments are registered in Kashmir and the most of them are registered from Jammu. |
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Gurukul starts functioning
Jammu, July 1 According to a statement issued here, the Gurukul was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Gurukul, Dr SS Bloeria. The institute was established with a view to promoting education in Sanskrit, Vedas, Jyotish, Sanskrit literature and other streams of traditional knowledge. This ambitious project has been launched to provide to society professionally trained persons who are educated in the traditional culture and skilled in Vedic knowledge and rituals. |
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Army holds inter-faith seminar
Jammu, July 1 The seminar highlighted the importance of religious tolerance and communal harmony in fostering national integration. Noted speakers representing Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism deliberated on a variety of topics in the context of Jammu and Kashmir. “Apart from fighting militancy and ensuring security to people, the Army has been conducting several welfare measures under operation Sadbhavana,” said Brig AK Bhatt, Commander, Tithwal Brigade in his welcome address. He added, “In its multi-faceted role, the Army has provided computers to schools, constructed classrooms, provided infrastructural assistance. We have been planting saplings. Today’s seminar, Faiths and culture of J&K, is aimed at peace, harmony and brotherhood through amicable coexistence.” Dr Abdul Haque, a professor at Government Degree College, Nowshera, gave an insight into the origin of Islam and its various sects. Important topics were expounded upon by learned scholars like Maulana Dil Mohammad (Islam and Jihad), Pandit Pritam Chand Shastri (Hindu Dharm aur Ahimsa) among others.
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Jammu, July 1
Jammu, July 1
