Jourian (Akhnoor), September 8
Even as the BJP has said that the Centre is going to grant autonomy to the state under the guise of a political package, the Congress today made it clear that no package would be announced for Jammu and Kashmir without evolving a consensus at the national as well as the regional levels.

In an informal chat with mediapersons, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, who is also a member of the Kashmir Group of the Congress, said there was no reason to panic as aspirations of all regions and sub-regions would be accommodated while arriving at a solution of this vexed problem.

In an obvious reference to attempts of the BJP to rake up the issue of autonomy, Soz, who is also a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), said the Congress leadership as well as the Central government were aware of the regional aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh. “The government will not impose any solution on people”, he assured.

Soz disclosed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would convene an all-party meeting in New Delhi soon to discuss the prevailing situation in the Valley.

“After meeting representatives of parties of the state, the Prime Minister is going to meet leaders of all national parties to evolve a consensus on this issue”, he said.

When his attention was drawn to the statement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had stated that the Centre would consider proposals given by hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for restoring peace in the state, Soz replied in a diplomatic manner:

“In a democracy, there is a scope for discussion on each and every proposal. Every citizen has a right to give a proposal,” he said. When asked about the proposed reshuffle in the state Cabinet, he said: “Reshuffle in the Cabinet is an important part of the system and changes would be made at an appropriate time.”

The PCC chief said the Congress high command would take a decision on the demand raised by some senior party leaders for implementing the formula of having the Chief Minister on a rotational basis in the state. “One of our veteran party leaders has raised the demand of having the Chief Minister on a rotational basis. But it is for the party high command to decide on the issue,” he said.

Although Soz refused to single out the reason for the deteriorating situation in the Valley, he said a number of factors were responsible. “Instead of indulging in a blame game, we should rather contribute towards bringing normalcy in the Valley,” he replied. He admitted that there was a lack of coordination among Congress and National Conference workers at the grass-root level.

Srinagar, September 8
A week after he set five preconditions for talks on the Kashmir issue,the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was taken into preventive custody by the police from his Hyderpora residence here today.

A police spokesman said here today that Geelani had been been taken into preventive custody.He had planned certain programmes which could have disturbed public order, he added.”Keeping in view developments which could have taken place by his moves, he was arrested and lodged in Humhama police post in Budgam district”, said the spokesman.

The faction led by him has been issuing weekly calendars of protest for the past two months against the killings in the Valley. After a lull of about a week, four persons were killed in police firing in the Pattan area of Baramulla district on Monday, taking the toll to 69 since June 11.

Speaking to mediapersons at his residence before being taken away by the police, Geelani said he had already sent a five-point programme to the Government of India in response to its talks offer,but there had been no response so far.The party would go ahead with its protests against the series of “ killings at the hands of security forces”.

“If there is a positive response from the Centre, we will also respond in a positive manner”, he said, and added in case there was a negative and “ rigid” response, his faction would continue its programme of protests.

Geelani also gave a call for “Eidgah Chalo” for offering Id prayers, which had earlier been proposed by the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference,led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. A two-member delegation of the rival faction had met Geelani on Monday, conveying a message of unity from Mirwaiz,who, in his address at Jamia Masjid on Friday had appealed to separatist organisations to join hands and urged Geelani and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik to offer prayers at Eidgah. While setting the five preconditions for “peace and resolution”, Geelani had threatened to intensify the agitation in case these were not fulfilled by the government. These included accepting Jammu and Kashmir as an international dispute, end to killings, demilitarisation, revocation of special powers to the security forces and the release of all political detainees.

Since the beginning of the current phase of violence in June, Geelani was arrested on June 20 and later booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) till his release on August 4.

Srinagar, September 8
People in various parts of the Kashmir valley faced difficulties today as they were unable to do shopping for the forthcoming Id festival due to the curfew.

All shops across the Valley were closed due to the curfew today after four youths were allegedly killed by the police in the Palhalan area of Baramulla district on Monday. “We had to face a lot of problems in purchasing fresh vegetables, mutton and other bakery items for celebrating Id, ” said Ghulam Mohammed, a resident of Lal Chowk. He said despite having a valid curfew pass he was stopped by police and CRPF personnel at various places and was made to stand for hours together before being allowed to move further.

“They (police and CRPF men) unnecessarily harassed me even though I had a valid curfew pass.When they allowed me to go, I went to a far-off place where a small vegetable shop was open. I purchased some vegetables from the shop,” Ghulam said.

The majority community in the Kashmir valley, which has been observing the holy month of Ramzan, will celebrate Id on Friday (subject to the visibility of the crescent). To celebrate the festival, they have to make purchases, but due to the curfew and the strikes the festive mood is missing here.

“The turmoil has spoiled the festive mood as on the day of Id, many people will be mourning their dead. So, how can we celebrate the festival?,” said Abdul Aziz Lone, a local resident.

However, despite the restrictions and the curfew, many people came out of their houses in the evening and purchased sweets and other items from shops that were open in the main market.

Srinagar, September 8
The curfew which was imposed on Srinagar and parts of Anantnag district yesterday following the death of four persons in the Pattan area of Baramulla district on Monday continued for the second consecutive day today. Incidents of stone throwing were reported from different areas of the Valley today, though senior police officers described the situation as “by and large peaceful”.

Some protesters threw stones at the police and installations at Soura, Habbak, Hyderpora and Bemina in Srinagar, the police said. Residents of Soura, Eidgah and Habbak alleged that CRPF men barged into their houses and beat up inmates. The police lobbed tear gas shells and used batons to disperse the protesters when they torched a vehicle in front of the office of the Srinagar Development Authority at Bemina.

One person, Showkat Ahmad Khan,received pallet injuries when the police opened fire to disperse protesters in Behama Chowk in the nearby Ganderbal district.Clashes also took place in Sopore town in Baramulla district where some people indulged in stone throwing for the second consecutive day today. In its drive against stone throwers, the police arrested 14 youths from the Shaheed Gunj police station area. They were booked and cases registered against them, a police spokesman said. The curfew in Anantnag town also continued while it was also imposed in the highway town of Beijbehara in the district today.

One person was injured when the police opened fire and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a mob in the Karan Nagar area here last evening. The police said the protesters threw stones at the security forces, prompting them to open fire.

Jammu, September 8
As a part of its campaign against the proposal of autonomy, the BJP today organised protests in 41 constituencies of the state, which were led by senior party leaders and local MLAs.

State president Shamsher Singh Manhas, along with party MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma, led a protest at Nagrota. It was attended by a large number of party activists from different parts of the constituency.

Manhas said except for a handful of leaders of the National Conference (NC), including its president Farooq Abdullah, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, none in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh has uttered even a single word in favour of autonomy during all these years.

“The NC-Congress combine has failed to come up to the expectations of people and, hence, the Chief Minister is trying to divert the attention of the people from the real problems confronting the state”, he said.

“Autonomy is a dead issue and the only issue which needs to be concentrated upon is the implementation of the 1994 unanimous

resolution of Parliament, which stands for taking back the illegally occupied Kashmir (PoK) from Pakistan,” he added.

Chaman Lal Gupta led the protest at the Rehari Chungi Chowk of the Jammu West constituency. He warned that any kind of autonomy or other concessions would lead to more problems.

He alleged attempts were being made to demoralise the security forces fighting the proxy war.

Member, national executive, and former state president Nirmal Singh, while addressing the gathering at Samba, said the NC should leave day-dreaming over the issue of autonomy and rather it should stress on abrogation of Article 370, which has induced a sense of separatism and resulted into economic deprivation of the people of the state.

Jammu, September 8
Of course not an El Dorado anymore. As the successive governments have failed to exploit fully the potential of sapphire mines in Paddar, the unprotected area has become a fiefdom of smugglers.

The sapphire mines in the form of a barren rocky mountain are situated ahead of Sumcham village in the Paddar area of Kishtwar district. The mines, which can improve the fiscal health of the cash-strapped state, have no police to protect them during winter. “It’s a huge mountain and even a battalion will be insufficient to protect it,” said a senior police officer.

“During winter the area is covered under 20 feet of snow and life there becomes difficult. So in the absence of a concrete police post, our eight men headed by a havildar return before October,” he said.

In the absence of a police post, the policemen protected the mines from a makeshift police post set up amid two rocks in the foothills of the mountain, where mining was done for some time during the rule of erstwhile princely rulers, he added.

However, from April to September our policemen guard the mountain under extreme weather conditions and sending rations for them is still a problem, the police officer said. He added that from Gulabgarh to Paddar to Sumcham village it takes four days on foot to reach the mines.

“Being a rocky and barren area, they (cops) don’t even get firewood to cook food for themselves,” the officer said. But a proposal had been prepared to build a police post, he added.

However, the officer candidly admitted that though not rampant, the illegal mining of sapphire had been going on unchecked. “Locals, including shepherds, connive with smugglers and indulge in illegal mining,” he said.

It may be recalled here that the Kishtwar police smashed a gang of sapphire smugglers and arrested 11 persons on September 3. Sapphire like stones of various sizes were seized.

“Shepherds and others do lift stones and pebbles from the area and sell them to gullible people, but only .5 per cent of the rock ore actually has sapphire in it,” the officer said.

The sapphire from Paddar was in big demand in the international market because of its purity, sheen and shine, said sources in the state Mining Department. “If the state government seriously exploits the potential, it will certainly improve the fiscal health of the state in a big way,” they added.

Srinagar, September 8
Police personnel have been at the receiving end of the ongoing unrest in Kashmir for the past three months but that has not deterred nearly 59,000 youth of the Valley to apply for about 2,800 posts in the Police Department.

“The process of filling of 2,786 posts of constable in the department is nearing completion while recruitment of 524 sub-inspectors in various wings of the police has been completed in a time-bound manner,” Assistant Inspector General (Personnel), JK Police Headquarters, Nooruddin Wani said.

He said the Police Department had advertised for 2,786 posts of constables in the Valley, for which a staggering 58,975 people applied.

“This response shows the enthusiasm of the youth of the Valley who want to join the police force,” Wani said.

The response of the youth to the recruitment drive is in sharp contrast to the treatment meted out to the in-service personnel, who have been harassed, maligned and blamed for the 69 killings in the Valley since June 11.

Wani said 52 compassionate appointments were also made under a rule which provides for employment to the next of kin of those who die in harness or are killed in the militancy-related violence.

The department has also promoted 1,616 police personnel to various ranks during the current fiscal so far.

Besides 250 posts of ASIs, 700 head constables and 1,800 selection grade constables are also being promoted shortly, Wani said.

He said 227 Special Police Officers had also been absorbed as constables and followers in the department for their outstanding performance while 137 followers had been promoted as constables. — PTI

Jammu, September 8
To improve the standard of higher education, city colleges are planning to provide study material on their websites for the benefit of weak students.

For the first time, the city colleges will upload study material on their websites and conduct free classes for the convenience of the students. “I have issued a circular to all colleges to provide the study material of various subjects on their websites for the convenience of weak students,” said Dr Sham Lal Gupta, Director Colleges, while talking to The Tribune.

“Later, we will provide a linkage to the college websites in our website -- www.jkhighereducation.in,” Gupta said. He added all colleges would soon receive the circular.

Gupta said, “We have also mentioned in the circular that besides keeping one handout of the study material with them, the colleges should provide a handout of the study material to the students on demand.”

The Director Colleges said following the direction of Higher Education Minister Abdul Gani Malik all colleges would also start free classes during odd hours to facilitate the students.

“Though starting free classes for the benefit of weak students is still a plan, we are thinking to give it a practical shape as soon as possible,” he said.

Speaking on the issue, Principal, Government Degree College, Paloura, Dr Hemla Aggarwal said though the plan to provide study material on the websites was in the initial stage, the college would try to provide the material as and when demanded by the students.

Dr Anita Sudan, principal of Sri Pratap Memorial Rajput (SPMR) College of Commerce, said, “Though we are considering the plan to start free casual classes for weak students and for students belonging to weaker sections, the lack of proper infrastructure can prove to be a big hurdle for us. Free classes will definitely help the students who could not afford tuition.”

Udhampur, September 8
After the failure of talks with the Konkan Railway authorities mainly on the proposed employment of new staff for the prestigious Katra-Quazikund rail project, the All- J&K Konkan Railways Consulting Engineers Association today organised a rally here today even as their strike entered its 11th day today.

The J&K Konkan Railways Consulting Engineers Association has also been demanding an extension for the engineers on contract whose five-year term is ending this year. The situation aggravated since Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) issued an advertisement for recruiting more engineers for the project recently.

The chairman of the All-J&K Konkan Railways Consulting Engineers Association, Rajpaul Singh, while talking to mediapersons at Reasi today alleged that the project authorities based here were not serious in resolving the issue. “They are befooling us saying that the matter was under consideration of the higher authorities of KRCL at Mumbai for the last 12 days,” he said.

The rally was organised to highlight the issue at the state government’s level. The engineers are agitated especially because most of them have crossed the upper age limit due to which they would not be eligible for employment elsewhere. Singh reiterated the association’s demand for immediate withdrawal of the advertisement as well extension of their contract.

Reacting to the demand, L Parkesh, Chief Engineer (C 1) Headquarters, KRCL, said that they had constituted a committee to deal with the issue and expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved at the earliest. He added that they would continue dialogue with the protesting engineers.

Jammu, September 8
Headmistress of Government Girls High School, Reshamgarh, Shreshta Sharma, was today felicitated by students and staff of the school at a function organised here today.

Sharma was recently honoured with the prestigious National Best Teacher Award-2009 by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi.

Sharma announced that she would provide sweaters to poor students of the school for the forthcoming winter season.

“I will purchase sweaters for students of my school by utilising cash prize of Rs 25,000, which I received in New Delhi”, said Sharma.

In the function, residents of Reshamgarh Colony appreciated the headmistress for achieving such a prestigious award.

The principal and teachers of Shiksha Niketan Schools also attended the function and congratulated Sharma for this achievement.

At the end of the function, sweets were distributed among the students of the school.

Jammu, September 8
Students of various government schools today took out a rally to celebrate International Literacy Day.

The rally was taken out from the office of Chief Education Officer NR Dingra, which culminated at Ranbir Higher Secondary School. The students participated in the rally in large numbers.

Jammu, September 8
Due to a prolonged rainy season, many areas of the Jammu region have been in the grip of acute conjunctivitis or eye flu for the past several days.

Doctors maintain that a majority of patients reporting at government and private hospitals as well as clinics have been coming with the symptoms like redness, swelling, watering and itching of eyes because of humidity.

A senior ophthalmologist at District Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, Dr Shekhar Sharma said on an average more than 80 patients of viral conjunctivitis had been reporting at the hospital per day.

“The total number of eye flu cases on an average at hospital is 25,” said Head of the Ophthalmology Department, GMCH, Jammu, Dr RK Mengi and added the enormity of the disease would decrease if the weather remained clearer.

“The eye disease is highly contagious and rapidly spreads from one infected person to the other by coming in contact with an infected person and using his belongings,” said Dr Shekhar and advised not to shake hands with the infected person.

“To check this infection, the infected person should use black glasses and avoid touching eyes. He or she should frequently wash them with clean water to wash away the discharge,” the ophthalmologist said and added infected children should stay away from the schools and practice precautions at home also.

“The eye flu does not spread by merely looking into the infected person’s eyes which is a common perception,” he said and added that sun glasses should be used as the infected eyes cannot tolerate sunlight.

He further said besides taking precautionary measures the infected person must consult an ophthalmologist.