Srinagar, September 5
With the authorities lifting the curfew from all parts of Kashmir today, life returned to normal in the Valley today.

Restrictions on movement were also lifted following which a large number of people visited markets. “There was no curfew in any part of the Kashmir valley today”,said a senior police officer.This was the first time in the past threee months that the the restrictions were not imposed.

Shops, business establishments, banks and other offices reopened today.Public and private vehicles also plied normally and there were traffic jams in the city.

“It is always good to see life returning to normal in the Valley.We have suffered huge economic losses due to the ongoing strikes and hope that we would be able to do some business during Id,” said Asif Ahmed, a local businessman. It was the common man who was bearing the brunt of the turmoil,he added.

Meanwhile,due to the heavy vehicular movement in the city today, residents faced a lot of inconvenience in reaching their destinations.Many were caught in traffic jams.

“I was to reach Kashmir University and boarded a matador from Lal Chowk.Normally, it is a 45-minute journey, but due to traffic jams today, it took me more than two hours to reach the university and I ended up missing two lectures”,said Iftiqar Ahmed a student.

Srinagar, September 5
Schools, colleges and other educational institutions reopened in the Kashmir valley today.

Various government schools also reopened and students in large numbers attended classes.

For the past almost three months, the academic calendar of the schools, colleges and universities across the Valley has been disturbed owing to protests.

“The education of our students has been badly affected and they have lost almost three months of studies due to the current unrest.So, whenever there is some relaxation, we ask the students to come and attend classes”, said the Principal of a private school in Srinagar.

In Kashmir University, students of various departments who would have finished the third semester by now are still trying to complete the syllabus.

“While students in other parts of the country are getting the best education, we are struggling hard to even get the basic education”, said Abdul Hameed, a postgraduate student of Kashmir University.

“Had the situation been normal,we would have finished the third semester by now, but due to the unrest, we have not been able to complete the syllabus and our career is in jeopardy”, said Tariq Maqbool, another student.

The Public Relations Officer of Kashmir University, Showkat Shafi said:“Though the academic calendar of the university has been badly affected due to the unrest, we don’t want the students to suffer.So, we hold classes on Sunday and whenever there is no curfew or strike”.

However, there seems to be no respite for the student community as the new protest calendar which has already been issued by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference has little relaxation in the ongoing protests.Sources say the hardliners are planning to intensify the agitation after Id.

Jammu, September 5
Even 14 years after its foundation, the Council for Rehabilitation of Victims of Militancy (CRVM) has not been able to reach out to all militancy-affected children to provide them relief under various schemes funded by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organisation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ravinder Kumar, a resident of Ranka village in Doda, first lost his father to bullets of militants in 1991 and now he is a victim of official apathy. Ravinder, a student of Class X, said he did not get his monthly scholarship.

Just like him, Rakesh and his brother, Arjun, studying in Classes IV and VII, respectively, also do not get any monthly scholarship. Their parents were shot dead by militants at Humbal village of Doda in 2008. However, none from the department has visited them to provide the scholarship.

The sorry state of affairs is not prevailing in some remote or inaccessible areas but in towns. All these destitute children are presently living in an orphanage for the militancy- hit children in Doda. Such children are not even aware of the schemes and their rights.

Rajesh Kumar (name changed) could not continue with his education after Class XII in the absence of financial sources. He still lives at the welfare home and works as a cook. Sources said there were many who took to menial jobs as the government did not give them financial aid after the completion of their schooling.

The CRVM implements schemes through the Department of the Social Welfare in the militancy- affected districts of the state. However, the department provides succour to only those who approach it.

“When I joined the services in March last year, only 32 children were given the benefit. Now, 506 affected children are getting the benefit whereas the cases of 105 are under process,” said District Social Welfare Officer Rakesh Bhagat, adding the department never got any application from a child seeking assistance for tuition or professional study.

He said a fresh survey had been conducted in the district and more militancy- hit children would be covered under the scheme in the days to come. Official sources disclosed that in Kishtwar district just 47 children were getting scholarships whereas in Kathua only 19 children were getting the same.

Ironically, in Udhampur district not even a single child was getting a scholarship. In Ramban, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri, as many as 95, 38, 137 and 257 children were getting monthly scholarships through the CRVM.

The three-tier body constitutes a 21-member governing council headed by the Chief Minister, a seven-member executive council headed by the Chief Secretary and a district-level committee comprising Deputy Commissioner as chairman, District Social Welfare Officer as member- secretary, Chief Medical Officer and District Education Officer as members.

Jammu, September 5
It is unusually quiet on the nearly 200-km-long international border between Indian and Pakistan in the Jammu region these days.

Fortyfive days have passed since a single shot was fired on the border by either country. More importantly, there have been no infiltration attempts since July 21.

Curiously, there was no “traditional” exchange of heavy fire on August 14 and 15, the Independence Day,respectively,of Pakistan and India.

“There were as many as 36 ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts till July 21 this year. There were 32 incidents reported last year, “ sources disclosed.

Before one thinks it is a result of the neighbouring country’s “change of policy” towards India, it may be added here that the reason is not any diplomatic shift, but the heavy rains that blocked some natural passes through seasonal rivulets.

The rains also caused floods and water-logging on the other side of the border which kept the Pakistan Rangers occupied and rendered fields and vacant land out of use by militants.

“Rains and floods have helped immensely as the water flows into Pakistan naturally. Though we have also stepped up vigil and changed our strategies to check infiltration, nature in the form of heavy rains has helped a lot,” revealed a BSF officer.

In the state, the international border is from Kathua to Akhnoor while from Akhnoor, it is the Line of Control(LoC between the two countries.

The 45-day lull is especially unusual as there has earlier been a rise in incidents of infiltration and ceasefire violation on the international border. Though the infiltration attempts have been made on the LoC in the state from Akhnoor to Poonch, there has been no undesirable activity on the international border.

“There was no gunfire from across the border on August 14 as well as August 15, the days when it had become almost customary for the Pakistan Rangers to fire at our posts,” said the BSF officer.

The ceasefire agreement was reached between India and Pakistan in 2003. 

Srinagar, September 5
Former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said the country should respond to Kashmir’s problems with understanding and boldness.

In a statement issued here today, he said the fact that there was an avowed disapproval of violence in all expressions emanating from the state should be respected and a genuine and meaningful initiative launched to resolve the issue amicably.

To achieve this, a national consensus should be evolved so that various issues could be addressed in a dignified and democratic manner and sentiments of the people here were respected.

Reacting to observations of senior BJP leader L.K Advani,who opposed any move by the government on Kashmir, the former Chief Minister said a statesman-like attitude was expected of the former Deputy Prime Minister who had dealt with the state at a crucial stage.

Referring to Advani's accusations that the PDP was providing the manpower for street protests, Mufti said it was unfortunate that the senior BJP leader was trying to reduce a political, moral and humanitarian challenge to a ” discourse on stone throwing”.

Jammu: The PDP on Sunday charged the BJP with betraying the people of the Jammu region by supporting the “failed" National Conference-led government in the state and took the BJP’s local leaders to task for playing the role of a "friendly Opposition" to keep the National Conference leaders, especially Chief Minister Omar Abduallh, in good humour for their petty personal gains.

In a statement here, PDP leader and MLA from Darhal Choudhary Zulfikar, while addressing a series of public meetings at Rajouri pointed out that since the formation of the regime, the BJP had been playing the role of a “cooperative Opposition” and MLAs of the party had failed to come up to the expectations of the people. 

Srinagar, September 5
With the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government working on various options to address concerns of the people of Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah feels that a firm action on issues like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the resumption of 
talks is needed.

"The status quo is the only option not available to us," was the prompt reply of the Chief Minister when asked what measures were being considered to address various issues.

"When we talk about the status quo, it means the resumption of talks 
with all shades of opinion, a review of laws and measures to deal with unemployment whose figures have snowballed into six lakhs over the years," he told PTI.

Omar's comments come at a time when the Centre is expected to hold a high-level meeting in the next few days.

At the meeting, the Union Government, in consultation with the state government, is likely to come out with specific measures to address some issues which may bring relief to the people of the state, official sources said.

These include relocation of the security forces, an employment package for former militants, who have served their sentences and are unemployed, and a fresh surrender policy, 
the sources said.

While the Centre is building a consensus on the AFSPA, Omar said: "This is unnecessarily being made a highly emotive issue which has led to extreme positions.

"I would like to request that a pragmatic view about the continuation of the AFSPA be taken with a view to removing its applicability from those districts where militant or insurgent activities are minimal or insignificant," he said, without naming the Defence Ministry and the BJP, who favour the continuation of the law in Kashmir. — PTI

Jammu, September 5
Gujjars of the state have decided to offer full support to the members of the Jat community in their ongoing struggle for getting the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) status in the state, provided the Jats residing in other states of the country supported the ongoing Gujjar movements in different states, including Rajasthan, where they have been struggling hard for getting the ST status.

In a letter addressed to different Jat organisations and community leaders and sent through the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, Gujjars of the state have asked the Jat community to come forward in response to their offer for a United Gujjar-Jat struggle over the issues pertaining to both communities residing together in 12 states of the country.

Giving details, the secretary of the Tribal Foundation, Dr Javaid Rahi, said Gujjars were ready to join the OBC struggle of the Jats, if they mobilised their community in their struggle for tribal status, which is going on in various states, including Rajasthan. He said they had written to Gujjars and Jat leaders and organisations working for the social welfare to unitedly take up the ongoing struggle to its logical end.

Dr Rahi also asked both the communities of the state to revive pre-1947 relations and renew the Gujjar-Jat Conference, which was the leading organisation and united platform of Gujjars and Jats in the state before the Partition.

The letter reads: “In Jammu and Kashmir, the Muslim Gujjars (ST) constitute more than 20 per cent of the total population of the state, who can play a key role in the Jats’ struggle for grant of the OBC status.

Gujjars and Jats are one and there are hundreds of examples of the Muslim Gujjar-Muslim Jat marriages in the state which are very popular among both communities of twin border district of Rajouri Poonch.

There is a good chunk of Muslim Jats population living together with Gujjars in hilly areas of the state. Similarly, lakhs of Hindu and Sikh Jats are also residing alongside the Gujjars inhabitants and both communities share many commonalities,” he said.

Srinagar, September 5
A motorcycle expedition of the Army was flagged off from the Karu area of Ladakh today.

The expedition of the One Ladakh Scouts,which was flagged off by Major- General KM Balsara, General Officer Commanding of the Trishul Division, will traverse some of the most difficult roads of the country.The team will cover the entire Ladakh region and come to Srinagar via the Zozilla Pass.

Speaking on the occasion, Major-General Balsara complimented Col Gurpal Singh, Commanding Officer of One Ladakh Souts, and the unit for having taken the initiative to organise the expedition.

He expressed the confidence it would go a long way in showcasing the good work being done by the Army in some of most difficult areas and terrains.

From Srinagar, the expedition will go to Udhampur, Amritsar and Chandigarh. On its way back, it will traverse the eastern Manali- Leh Highway and move to Leh where it will be flagged in by the Fire and Fury Corps Commander on September 18.

The aim includes encouraging the youth to join the Army, spreading the message of peace and national integration and delivering social messages on issues like child marriage, global warming and hazards of polythene.

It will also conduct medical camps in the remote localities of Ladakh and interact with ex-servicemen.

“What makes this expedition unique is the fact that it is being conducted for the first time by Ladakhi troops who are generally associated with mountaineering feats and expeditions”, said Srinagar-based PRO of the Army, Lt-Col J.S Brar. 

Jammu, September 5
Unlike some schools, which celebrated Teacher’s Day in advance on account of Sunday, students of most government schools celebrated the day today.

Following the official orders, various government schools organised impressive functions on the school premises to mark the day.

In Government Higher Secondary School, Ranbir, around 400 students participated in the function in which the contribution of Dr S Radhakrishnan towards society was highlighted. Students as well as staff members of the school gave speeches on Dr S Radhakrishnan’s life.

MLA Askhok Khajuria was the chief guest on the occasion while Director School Education Zahida Khan was the guest of honour.

Zahida Khan spoke on the role of teachers in this competitive world and the student-teacher relationship.

Expressing concern over the degrading moral values among students, the Director stressed upon the teachers to make students sensitive towards society, besides imparting general education to them.

Principal of the school JK Sooden said, “In the entire country, Teacher’s Day is being celebrated on September 5 and we too celebrated the day today despite Sunday being a holiday.”

Similar enthusiasm was shown by students and staff of the Government Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Canal Road. Around 700 students participated in the function in which a colourful cultural programme was showcased.

MLC Ajay Sadhotra was the chief guest while provincial president of the National Conference Rattan Lal Gupta was the guest of honour on the ocassion.

In the function, teachers stressed on the role of students in building the nation and the role of teachers in uplifting the society.

Students of Project PAHL celebrated Teacher’s Day by performing the role of teachers and conducting regular classes.

Students enrolled under the project of the Damodhar Satri Udyog Sanstha attended their regular classes even on Sunday and performed in front of their teachers.

Over 150 underprivileged and street children are enrolled under the Project PAHL and are imparted elementary education with the help of modern-teaching aids.

Senior students took the complete charge in their hands and conducted the classes with a slight help from their teachers.

The students also presented a variety of programmes and even mimicked their teachers. Group and patriotic songs and solo performances by students entertained the teachers.

Teachers highlighted the importance of Teacher’s Day and informed students about the life and work of Dr S RadhaKrishnan.

Teacher’s Day was also celebrated in Government Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, Government Hari Singh Higher Secondary School and Government High School, Kundra, Reasi.

Most private schools celebrated Teacher’s Day differently yesterday. Some schools organised parties in restaurants whereas others organised function on the school premises and honoured the best teachers.

Meanwhile, Big 92.7 FM celebrated Teacher’s Day with teachers, including Swaranjeet Kaur from Music and Fine Arts College, Mehak from GGM Science College, Barbara Koul from SPMR College of Commerce, and Geetanjali from GWC, Gandhi Nagar.

The selected teachers were taken for a special screening of film, “We are Family”, at a local cinema hall. Later, they were also taken for special lunch.

Jammu, September 5
The All-Jammu and Kashmir United Teachers’ Federation today celebrated Teacher’s Day to honour retired and in service deceased teachers.

The function was presided over by Director, School Education, Zahida Khan while MK Divedi, District Development Commissioner, was the chief guest.

Almost all the retired teachers of the region and those who died before their retirement were honoured by the Director and by the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Zahida Khan appreciated the retired teachers for their work. While paying tributes to Dr S Radhakrishnan, Zahida Khan stressed upon the teachers to do their work with full dedication.

She said the teachers should provide quality education to children, which included an all-round development of children as well.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest appreciated the federation members for organising the programme to honour the retired teacher and inservice deceased teachers.

Chief Education Officer NR Dingra, MD Ashok Group of Colleges Kamal Gupta and president of the Samaj Kalyan Inderjeet Khajuria were the guest of honours.

Jammu, September 5
In a major setback to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the security forces, in a day-long operation, gunned down the outfit’s divisional commander of the Jammu region and arrested a man and his two sons, one of whom was the slain militant’s close aide, in the Bhati Dhar area of Mendhar in Poonch district today.

However, a soldier also sustained gunshots in the encounter and had to be airlifted to a garrison hospital.

“In the day-long operation, the security forces killed Omar Khetab, JeM’s divisional commander in the Jammu region and an ‘A’ category militant, besides arresting his close aide, Mohammed Zubair, Zubair’s brother Saddam Hussain and their father, Abdul Khaliq,” Poonch SSP Manmohan Singh told The Tribune.

Abdul Khaliq had been dismissed from the CRPF in connection with a murder case, said the SSP, and added that since then, Khaliq along with his two sons,Saddam Hussain and Mohammed Zubair, had been working as overground workers.

Subsequently, Mohammed Zubair had joined the JeM and in a short span of time had become a close aide of Omar Khetab.

The SSP further informed that the security forces also recovered two AK-47 assault rifles, three AK magazines, 20 rounds of AK, one Chinese pistol, its five rounds, one Chinese grenade, Rs 62,000 in cash, two Nokia mobile phones, one SIM card of Airtel and one ammunition pouch from the house of Khaliq in Thera Jattain Da near Bhati Dar.

After the operation ended, the police searched the house, which led it to a hideout constructed beneath to store arms and ammunition.

Singh said that Khetab, who had been active in the Poonch area for the past five years, had taken over the command of the JeM in the region following the killing of Abu Dawood on January 17 this year in an encounter with the security forces.

Official sources said a case under Section 7/25, 2/3 of the Arms Act and 120-B, 212, 216 of the Ranbir Penal Code had been registered against the trio. They were now being subjected to sustained interrogation.

“The security forces gunned down Khetab around 6.30 a.m today and it being a residential area, troops exercised utmost restraint to avoid any collateral damage,” said sources.

The indiscriminate firing between the militants hiding in the house of Khaliq and troops continued till 12.30 p.m when the latter launched the final assault storming the house, they said.

In the morning, a soldier identified as Lance Naik Sajjan Singh of the 37 Rashtriya Rifles had also sustained gunshots and had to be airlifted to Command Hospital in Udhampur, said the sources.

Acting upon a specific input about the presence of militants in the house, the security forces including troops of the 37 RR, the 152 battalion of the CRPF and the Poonch police had laid a cordon last evening , they said.

Jammu, September 5
In two separate incidents last evening, security forces nabbed an overground worker in Rajouri district and smashed a hideout in Reasi.

An official handout issued here sated that a joint team of the Rashtriya Rifles and the police apprehended an overground worker from the Talla Mohra area of Pangai in Rajouri district last evening.

Identified as Mohammed Farooq (35) of Talla Mohra, he was later handed over to the police for interrogation.

In a separate incident, troops of the Rashtriya Rifles smashed a hideout in the Gulabgarh area of Mahore in Reasi district last evening.

The well camouflaged underground terrorist hideout (approximately 15 feet long, 8 feet wide and 6 feet deep) was located in the higher reaches of Pir Panjal.

The hideout was well stocked with ammunition, cooking utensils, rations, blankets, etc. It was large enough to accommodate six persons. Photographs of some LeT terrorists were also found in the hideout. 

Jammu, September 5
Patients admitted to the labour room of Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital had a tough time last night when doctors observed a strike.

Trouble erupted around 10.30 p.m when an attendant of a patient had a scuffle with a doctor and ran away after thrashing him. Thereafter, the doctors on duty went on a strike. They were joined by resident doctors of the hospital and others from the GMCH Hospital.

The protesting doctors reportedly made the expecting mother, Shalu, to walk out of the labour room. The demonstration of the doctors continued till 2 a.m. — TNS

Jammu, September 5
A photo exhibition, “Sakshaatkar - an encounter with truth”, giving insight into the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, made many displaced Kashmiri Pandits emotional here today.

The photographs of the victims of the Nadimarg and the Wandhama massacres and of the wailing relatives of the Chattisingh Pura massacre in which 36 Sikhs were brutally killed by terrorists, made many displaced Kashmir Pandits emotionally surcharged.

The photographs clicked by the victims of terrorism were displayed in the exhibition, which depicted the story of the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley when the militancy was on its peak and an immense damage was caused to their houses and temples there.

While wiping tears, Prem Nath, a displaced Kashmiri Pandit, said, “These photographs are self-explanatory. It tells a story about the pain and level of torture which we had to face in the Valley. We had lost many friends and relatives, who were brutally killed by the terrorists. We had lost everything, our houses and the property.”

Demanding reservation for the Kashmiri Pandits in the government jobs, Omkar Nath Koul, another displaced Kashmiri Pandit, said, “You can well imagine the pain and suffering of the Kashmiri Pandits which they had to undergo. The situation is same today as it was in 1990.”

“Under such conditions, is it possible for us to send our wards, particularly girls, to the Valley for doing jobs?” he asked.

Photographs displayed in the exhibition were collected by Dr Ajay Chrungoo, chairman of the Panun Kashmir, along with members of the organisation in an extensive tour of the Valley from 2001to 2004.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Meenakshi Trakroo in the presence of Prof Hari Om, an eminent writer and historian, Dr Chrungoo and PN Raina, chariman of the organising committee.

Meenakshi Trakroo is widow of Late Dileep Trakroo who was JCO in the Dogra Regiment and was involved in counterinsurgency operations in the state. He sacrificed his life at Saichen.

These photographs were first displayed in Delhi, Bombay and Pune in 2004.

This photo exhibition will also be conducted at the Bohri area on September 9 and 10 and at the Purkhoo Migrant Camp on September 12 and 13.

Jammu, September 5
A Hindi adaptation of a famous Punjabi comedy, ‘Doctor Palta’, was staged here today at Natrang Studio Theatre, Jammu. The play has been written by Balwant Gargi and directed by Neeraj Kant.

Set in a small town of Punjab in the late 60s, the play ‘Doctor Palta’ is also a contemporary satire depicting the early struggle of professionals striving to settle down in their professions.

Dr Palta confronts a lot of problems in the absence of resources. He experiments with many ideas to attract clients. To begin with, he prepares his beautiful wife to become a stylish attractive nurse so at least her beauty may lure some clients. This experiment becomes counterproductive as his friends start making advances to his wife.

Rahul Singh played the role of Dr Palta. The role of his wife was played by Tajasvi Sharma. Mohit Sharma and Rohit Verma in their short appearances kept the audience spellbound. Pankush Verma and Ishfaq Anwar also performed in the play. The lights were designed and executed by Mohd Yaseen. Sumeet Sharma gave the presentations.