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Geelani rules the roost in Kashmir: BJP
Geelani assures minorities
of safety
Youth Cong office-bearers given rousing welcome
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Omar takes stock of rehabilitation steps
Human follies also led to devastation
Hoteliers collect funds for Leh victims
Leh dam project hit by floods
Students pay tributes
Bandh, curfew in parts
of Srinagar
Romeo Force reviews security
11-kg RDX seized in Poonch
Anti-adulteration drive stepped up
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Geelani rules the roost in Kashmir: BJP
Jammu, August 9 Senior BJP leaders, headed by state president Shamsher Singh Manhas, today staged a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan. “Due to weakness both state and Central governments, the Indian state has lost its authority in Kashmir Valley as separatists, especially fundamentalist leaders like Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani, have been dictating their terms to the state administration,” Manhas said, while addressing the gathering. He especially mentioned that administration had been functioning on the calendar issued by Geelani. He regretted that the Congress-National Conference coalition regime had meekly succumbed before the Geelani and allowed him to dictate his terms on the entire administration. “It is high time for the government to establish its writ in the Valley otherwise situation would take any ugly turn in the days to come”, he warned and asked the government to awake from deep slumber. Manhas said the BJP had been repeatedly urging upon the Union Government to understand the gravity of the situation in Kashmir and take all effective steps to restore faith of the people as there seems no government and anti-national elements were dictating the things. “Incidents like stone pelting, torching of government establishments, damaging private property, preventing the public servants from discharging their duties - are crimes and those behind such activities should be treated as criminals. But unfortunately those targeting the security forces are treated as innocents,” he regretted, and added that government lacked the will to face the situation. Chaman Lal Gupta, BJP legislature party leader, in his address said the current turmoil in the Valley was not a political issue but a law and order problem. “The coalition is failing to meet the constitutional obligation to enforce the law of the land. The ruling leaders are beating about the bush to cover up their failures. They must act or quit. This message has been given in strong words to the ruling leadership of both that of the state as also at New Delhi by the state BJP,” Gupta said. Although BJP leaders did not spare the National Conference, focus of their attack was on Congress leaders for maintaining criminal silence on prevailing situation in the
Valley. “Congress leaders are answerable to the countrymen as they are part of the government that has succumbed before Geelani,” Manhas said and regretted that for the lust of power, Congress leadership has maintained a silence over the dangerous developments in the Valley. |
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Geelani assures minorities
of safety
Srinagar, August 9 A delegation of the All-Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) under the chairmanship of its Coordinator, Jagmohan Singh Raina, met Geelani at his residence here yesterday and apprised him of problems being faced by the Sikh community in Kashmir. Geelani stressed the need for communal harmony and asked them to be cautious of anti-social elements, vested interests and politicians who wanted to cash in on the situation for their benefit. He also urged to maintain the centuries’ old tradition of brotherhood in the Kashmir valley, a spokesman of the APSCC said. Others in the delegation included Akali leader Ajeet Singh Mastana, Bikram Singh (Pappa), Gurjeet Singh (Kingi) district GPC, Budgam, senior leaders Jagdish Singh Azad, Dr J.S Bali, D.S.Bali, Bupinder Singh (Pappu) and All-India Sikh Students Federation chief Manjeet Singh, Deedar Singh (Dardi) and others. The APSCC spokesman said in the prevailing situation, the minority community was facing psychological pressure and alleged that the state and central governments had turned a blind eye to their basic right to live. A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits also met the separatist leader and apprised him of the concerns of the community in view of the prevailing situation in Kashmir.
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Youth Cong office-bearers given rousing welcome
Jammu, August 9 Interacting with mediapersons in the presence of Amarinder Singh Brar, general secretary and in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, and Shoaib Lone, president of the PYC, newly-appointed office-bearers of the Youth Congress Vakar Rasool and RS Pathania said strengthening the organisation in the state was their aim. Pathania said the Youth Congress would work as a strong team. He added that their aim was to spread the message of the party at the village level and strengthen the Youth Congress at the grass-roots level. Brar announced that Shoaib Lone had been given the responsibility of the Kashmir province while Pathania would look after the organisation in the Jammu province. Earlier, a rousing reception was accorded to the newly-appointed Youth Congress leaders on their arrival in Jammu. They were taken in a cavalcade from the airport to the Congress headquarters at Sheedi Chowk. En route they were accorded a reception by their supporters. At Satwari Chowk, the Youth Congress leaders paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and garlanded his statue. The procession after reaching the PCC headquarters turned into a rally, which was addressed by Brar, Rasool and Pathania. Brar exhorted the Youth Congress workers to spread the message of the party in every nook and corner of the state. Pathania thanked the party workers for according a rousing reception to the party leaders. |
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Ravaged Leh welcomes eight newborns
Leh, August 9 Three babies were born on the intervening night of August 5 and 6, when nature was the most furious. Five expectant mothers managed to reach the hospital over the next three days. Two of the babies have been placed in incubators in the lobby even though in ideal conditions the incubators should be placed in a contamination-free zone in a hospital. In such trying times, say hospital sources, when massive damage has been caused to the hospital, even getting a small corner is a “safe enough place”. A senior gynaecologist, Dr Kunzey, said each of these eight woman has her own tale of survival to narrate. “Some of them came on foot, others were carried by their husbands or relatives. God was kind, as not a single delivery failed.” She said many members of the hospital staff had been injured by the cloudburst “but all who could reach here that night came to help”. Maya, who lived in Skara village, delivered a baby girl just hours after the massive destruction took place. She recounts: “There was a complete blackout at that time. There was mud and slush all around. I could hear cries all around me when I was being shifted to the make-shift operation room.” Sakina Bano, who is from Assam and married to a local farmer, also gave birth to a girl on August 6. Her husband is busy retrieving whatever he could from their house near a government housing colony in the town as she recuperates after the childbirth. Dr Kunzey said the eight babies included six girls and two boys. |
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Foreigners engaged in rescue operations
Leh, August 9
But foreigners, many of who had landed here a day or two ago only before the disaster, were seen removing debris, carrying mud and sand. Tsewang Gailtsen, who is a lecturer in political science and was helping in rescue work, said all school and colleges were closed as the main work was to carry out repair and rescue work. He said a sea of humanity has swarmed the damaged places lending any helping hand they could, "But the most touching is the foreigners, who stepped in on their own. Ladakh would be thankful to them." Kasprzak, a french toursit came here on August three and has lost two members of a group of French tourists. But putting it behind, she was seen carrying stretchers in a hospital. "We lost friends and our belongings. There is misery all around. I cound not wait for relief as I was fit to help." she said. Another volunteer was Rikla from Italy, "I had come here for meditation. We had a narrow escape from the flash floods. We lost some of our baggage. I feel for Ladakh and its people and could not keep eyes away from the places where I could help." |
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Omar takes stock of rehabilitation steps
Srinagar, August 9 Omar said the administration had been geared up at all levels to launch restoration and rehabilitation works on war footing. “The natural calamity has created devastation and huge loss of precious human lives has occurred. While we are deeply painful for the loss of human lives and anxious for missing persons, we have to devote attention for restoration of all essential services besides providing necessary help to the affected people for their rehabilitation” he added. An official spokesman said Omar also interacted with the people at various places and assured them all possible help from the government for the speedy rehabilitation of calamity survivors and best medical treatment to the injured. “The people of the entire state are with you in this hour of grief and everything possible will be done for the restoration and rehabilitation of the affected families,” he told them. He also visited the hospitals and enquired welfare of the injured. He prayed for early recovery of the injured and directed the authorities to provide best medicare facility to the injured. He reviewed the mobilisation of the resources and financial aspects to meet the immediate needs on restoration and rehabilitation count. He said rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, restoration of essential services and rehabilitation process should go simultaneously. “A two-pronged programme with emergency and permanent phenomenon should be initiated to help speedy recovery and rehabilitation before the onset of winter”. The Chief Minister who airdashed to Leh this morning was accompanied by a team of administrative secretaries, heads of the departments and Chief Engineers. He visited various places in Leh town and its periphery to assess the requirements for restoration of utility services. He also took stock of supply of essentials to the people and health care service to the injured. |
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Human follies also led to devastation
Srinagar, August 9 As the region had never experienced a flash flood of such a magnitude and being a hill area,it always had scarcity of water, people had constructed houses on and near riverbeds and blocked water channels. When the cloudburst triggered the flash flood, the gushing water had no route to escape and took along everything that came in its way. “ A cloudburst is not a new phenomenon in our state, but unplanned urbanisation and the blockage of water channels played a major role in the damage to the property and the loss of human lives”, Dr Shakeel Ahmed Ramshoo, renowned environmentalist and
Professor, Geology, Geophysics and Remote Sensing Department, Kashmir University, told The Tribune. In the past also, the region had witnessed some “minor” cloudbursts, but most of these took place in the uninhabited areas which never caused any loss of life.”The event of Leh is called an extreme event, though in India we don’t keep record of
it. But when this event takes place in a populated area, it causes a lot of damage”,Dr Ramshoo said. The geography of the region also played a role and added to the fury of the cloudburst.”The mountains of Ladakh don’t have any plantation and constitute only mud and
pebbles. The unconsolidated material on the mountains that was washed away along with the gushing water caused more damage and the mud and pebbles made a huge pile of slush” he said. In Kashmir also, such type of cloudbursts take place, but they don’t cause much damage due to the plantation on the mountains which stop the water current. “Cloudbursts take place when a cloud carrying a huge amount of water pours the entire water in a small geographical area and this time unfortunately, that happened in the main town”, Ramshoo said. Ramshoo who had visited the region in 2006 after a cloudburst had affected the Nubra valley said that such was the impact of the flash flood that many rivers in the area had changed their course by several
kilometres. |
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Hoteliers collect funds for Leh victims
Jammu, August 9 In a noble gesture, the two organisations have also announced to provide 50 per cent discount in hotel tariffs to the tourists, who reach Jammu from Ladakh. Furthermore, those tourists from Ladakh, who have no money to avail the discount, they will be provided free accommodation in hotels and lodges owned by the members of the two organisations. At a joint condolence meeting of the two associations here today, their members expressed grief and sorrow over the deaths in the flash floods. A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of those killed in the flash floods. The members also prayed for peace to the departed souls. Speaking on the occasion, president of the Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association Inderjeet Khajuria appealed to all members of the two organisations to contribute funds for sending relief to the flood victims in Leh. The meeting, however expressed relief that barring the death of two foreign tourists, 3,000 tourists, both Indian and foreign, at present in Leh were reported to be safe. Khajuria asked the authorities to trace missing tourists. Both organisations also appreciated the airlifting of stranded tourists to Delhi for return journey to their respective destinations. The organisations also urged the authorities to facilitate free travel for all stranded tourists from Leh. Khajuria also announced to provide a 50 per cent discount to the tourists, who come to Jammu after travelling by surface from Ladakh to Srinagar and then to Jammu on their way back home. “In the case of tourists, who have no money to avail the discount, they will be provided free accommodation in the hotels and lodges owned by the members of the association,” said Khajuria. It was also resolved in the meeting to visit the Jammu University hostel, Ladakhi Sarai, near the railway station and other lodging places of students from Ladakh in Jammu to show solidarity and sympathy with them in the hour of grief. The joint meeting was attended by Ravi Mahajan, chairman of the mandal, Kuldeep Wahi, Davinder Choudhary, Ashwini Sharma, Madhusudan, HS Manhas, Pawan Gupta and Baldev. |
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Leh dam project hit by floods
The country’s first effort to have a small dam on the Indus to generate power supply for the town of Leh has been derailed due to floods.
The work on the upcoming Rs 611-crore 45 MW Nimoo-Bagzo project at Alchi, 60 km from here on the Indus, has been affected because of the floods.
The supply of cement and iron needed to complete the last stretch of the 57-metre dam has been stopped. Had work gone on as per schedule, the first of the turbines would have started to provide power in February 2011. Though there has been no damage to the dam, power generation would now commence only in October 2011. The electricity available here at present is grossly inadequate. A large amount of power is generated in Leh through diesel-powered generators, while at night time the residents have to do without power. The dam under construction is expected to generate 239 million units of power. |
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Students pay tributes
Jammu, August 9 Principal Sureshta Dogra said it was a big tragedy for the people of Leh and appealed the students and the staff members to donate generously for them. She told students hailing from Leh to remain calm and have faith in the government that is providing every possible help to the victims. |
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Bandh, curfew in parts
of Srinagar
Srinagar, August 9 The curfew was imposed under eight police stations here today following the death of another youth, Fida Nabi, who succumbed to his injuries in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) late last night. Fida Nabi, 17, was injured in police firing in the Shalteng area on the city outskirts on Tuesday last. Officials said the restrictions had been imposed to prevent any untoward incident in protest against the death of the youth. Protests were held in the Usmanabad locality of Shalteng here after the body of Fida Nabi was brought to his house. He was later laid to rest after funeral prayers. The APHC led by Syed Ali Geelani had called for a shutdown and dharnas today in protest against the series of killings in Kashmir, the toll in which has risen to 51 since June 11. Restrictions were also imposed in other major towns of the Valley, including Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam in the south and Baramulla and Sopore towns in the north. There were no reports of any untoward incidents. All shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads today. All educational institutions and some banks also remained closed due to the restrictions across the Valley.
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Romeo Force reviews security
Jammu, August 9 To take stock of the prevailing security situation in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and to chalk out a methodology for improving the situation, a meeting was held today at the headquarters of the Romeo Force. While addressing the meeting, the GOC stressed on the need of cohesiveness in intelligence sharing by fastest means and conduct of counter terrorist operations based on hard specific intelligence. Members expressed their views on improving the prevailing security situation and the measures to be adopted in ensuring foolproof security during the ensuing I-Day celebrations and Buddha Amarnath Yatra. The meeting was attended by DIG Police Rajouri-Poonch range, SDS Jamwal, DCs and Senior Superintendents of Police of Rajouri and Poonch districts among others. |
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11-kg RDX seized in Poonch
Jammu, August 9 “In a joint search operation, the security forces today smashed a hideout in the Madana Gali area, south of Poonch, and seized some arms and ammunition,” said Brigadier General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Satish Dua. Official sources said with the seizure of 11 kg of RDX, the security forces averted a tragedy. A guide killed yesterday near the Mankote forward area in the Mendhar sector in Poonch district remains unidentified. “The identity of the guide has not been ascertained so far but he appears to be a Pakistan national,” SSP, Poonch district, Manmohan Singh said. Yesterday, the troops had gunned down the guide while an intrusion bid by a group of ultras was foiled. |
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Anti-adulteration drive stepped up
Jammu, August 9 The wing has strengthened vigil against the sale of unwholesome food items. Health Officer Anwar Choudhary along with a team is paying surprise visits to the market to check the quality of food items being sold in various areas. According to official records, the corporation booked 17 defaulters under the provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and the J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, in the first week of the month. It has also collected a fine of Rs 4500 from defaulters and destroyed about 30 kg of unwholesome food items during inspection. Meanwhile, the corporation seized some rehris, which were found stationary, thus causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic and pedestrians as well. The corporation also appealed to shopkeepers to keep their goods in the premises to avoid seizure of their goods. The rehri owners were also directed to keep them mobile. |
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