Srinagar, September 12
After the violence in Kashmir yesterday after the Eid prayers, the authorities today clamped an indefinite curfew on the entire Kashmir valley.

As per sources, the decision to clamp curfew on Srinagar and other parts of the Valley was taken after a high-level meeting that followed yesterday’s violence in which government property was torched and a police party was attacked.

“Curfew was clamped on Srinagar, Anantnag, Bijbehara, Pulwama, old town Sopore and Baramulla” a police spokesman said. At various places across the Valley, protesters defied curfew and resorted to heavy stone pelting and attacked the police and security forces camps.

At Wangam village in Kralgund, Handwara, protesters set ablaze Government Middle School.

Stone pelting on security forces was reported at Drangbal in Pampore. Some protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting on the police and other security forces, which was still going on at Sabzi Mundi, Soura, and Gowkadal, Srinagar.

Protesters also threw stones on Police Post, Pothkhak, Sopore, who were chased away. The situation in the area were under control. At Boatman Colony, Bemina, in Srinagar protesters threw stones on security forces which were retaliated and the protesters were chased away.

In Baramulla, eight policemen were injured when protesters threw stones at Azad Gunj, Baramulla. One CRPF mobile bunker was also attacked with a petrol bomb. Mobile bunker suffered minor damage.

In a similar incident at Lethpora, protesters also tried to attack Police Lines, Awantipora. The police used teargas shells to disperse the mob. One miscreant was injured. His condition was stated to be stable.

A large number of the police and CRPF personnel have been deployed in the curfew-bound areas to maintain law and order.

“Separatists were allowed to hold a peaceful protest in Lal Chowk yesterday, but they set the public property on fire. This thing cannot be allowed to repeat. So the decision to impose curfew was taken,” said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the violence that took place yesterday would prove to be an impediment in the steps to be taken by the Centre towards confidence-building measure in Kashmir.

Meanwhile a person, identified as Mohammad Ashraf, who was injured in the police firing in Palhalan Patan on September 6, today succumbed to his injuries at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura.

Srinagar, September 12
The police today lodged three FIRs against chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at three different police stations in Srinagar on charges of instigating violence and arson in which government offices and public property were burnt in Srinagar yesterday.

Three FIRs have been registered against the Mirwaiz at Safakadal, Kothibagh and Shergari police stations.

At Safakadal, the Mirwaiz has been booked along with Yaqoob Vakil, Nissar Rather and others for instigating people to proceed towards Lal Chowk. “His Eid speech was highly inflammatory and anti-national. In this context, an FIR under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 148 and149 of the RPC have been registered at Safakadal police station,” a police spokesman said.

At the Kothibagh police station, the Mirwaiz, along with Yaqoob Vakil, Nisar Rather and Mushtaq-ul Islam, has been booked under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Sections 436, 109,153-A and 156 of the RPC and Section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act.

“At the Lal Chowk area, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yaqoob Vakil, Nisar Rather and Mushtq-ul-Islam instigated the public by their speeches to resort to arson and damage the public property,” the spokesman said.

“The office of the Chief Engineer of the Power Development Department (PDD) and the Crime Branch (headquarters) were set on fire. In this connection, an FIR against Mirwaiz and others under Sections 147, 148, 436, 427, 153-A of the RPC and the Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act has been registered at the Shergari police station,” he added.

The spokesman further said the cases of social and public importance like rape and murder, human rights violations, land scams, corruption scandals, which had been under investigation, and all other records at the Crime Branch had been gutted.

Another FIR against Masarat Alam, Mehraj-ud-Din Kalwal and others has also been lodged at the Nageen police station under Sections 336, 148, 353, 427,153 A and 436 of the RPC and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 3 of the Prevention of the Defacement of Public Property Act.

Meanwhile, reacting sharply to the FIRs lodged against him, the Mirwaiz asked for an immediate probe into the incident of arson. He said there was some “conspiracy behind the gutting of the Power Development Department office.”

He said there were allegations by the opposition that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had received kickbacks of Rs 500 crore in a deal and all records of the same were inside the building. “It needs to be probed why specifically the PDD building was gutted whereas there were many other offices and CRPF bunkers but not a single one was attacked,” the Mirwaiz said.

Condemning the registration of FIRs against the Mirwaiz, chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani said, “There is every possibility that some government-backed elements might have burnt down the building to divert attention from the demands of the people. It is a plot of the government to sabotage the ongoing movement by hook or by crook.”

Srinagar, September 12
Rubbishing the claims of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda for having betrayed the government’s trust by resorting to violence, the chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today said that no permission was ever sought from the state government before making the Lal chowk chalo announcement at the Eid Gah after offering Eid prayers yesterday.

After the large scale arson yesterday by the supporters of Mirwaiz the Chief Minister had said that Mirwaiz had betrayed the trust as he had approached the state government to seek permission for a peaceful protest at Lal chowk after Eid prayers. The Chief Minister said the permission was granted by him ignoring the advice of his police officers.

“The programme was spontaneous and was not announced beforehand keeping in view past experiences of announcing protest programs, which were thwarted by the government by imposing strict curfew and placing the leadership under house arrest,” Mirwaiz said.

“Would the government that works overtime to ensure all channels of expression are gagged, have allowed me to march towards Lal chowk? Had they known it in advance they would not have allowed me to come out of my house. This government is working overtime to ensure that people of India and the world do not know the truth about Kashmir,” he said.

He said the government was bent on diluting the political significance of the aspirations of the people of Kashmir who gathered at Lal Chowk on Eid demanding their right of self-determination.

Mirwaiz questioned the claims of the government that his supporters after the protest at Lal chowk yesterday burnt the headquarters of the Power Development Department and the crime branch building he said.

“There was a sit-in and this historic protest culminated peacefully. Just when protesters were dispersing and the leaders leaving, government building at least one km from Lal Chowk, was seen burning.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started from the top of the building mysteriously and no protester was seen around it. How a building fenced by a 20-feet high brick wall and razor wire started burning from the top, raises serious doubts that need to be impartially investigated ,” he said.

Udhampur, September 12
Panthers Party will oppose any move to dilute Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as this would amount to undermining the security environment in the Valley as well as encourage separatists to go ahead with their secessionist plan.
Stating this here today in an interaction with the media, the district youth wing president of Panthers Party, Balwan Singh maintained his party’s stand against any move by the UPA government to tinker with the AFSPA.

The Union government should not lose sight of the fact that the special powers given to the security forces under the Act has so far facilitated major deterrence against the militant activities in the state. Singh also deplored the role being played by the National Conference (NC) as well as People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for championing the issues of self-rule and autonomy for the Kashmiris. “We oppose both issues as these are aimed at pushing the agenda of the separatist forces which undermines the spirit of democracy.

But we the people of Jammu province believe in the Constitution of the country,” he said while ruing the official security cover provided to Hurriyat leaders who incite people to indulge in violence as shown by the events that took place in Srinagar on Eid.

Srinagar, September 12
Two personnel of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force were found dead under mysterious circumstances inside their camps.As per the sources, constable Sunil Kumar was found hanging in a bathroom of his camp at the Kral Sangri area of Nishat.

Another constable of 44 battalion was also found dead inside a barrack at Zainakote on the outskirts of Srinagar this morning.The police has registered a case in both the cases and started inquest proceedings. — TNS

Jammu, September 12
To review and redress the public grievances at their doorsteps, the Deputy Chief Minister today distributed 80 cheques worth Rs 14 lakh under Indira Awaas Youjna (IAY) to Below Poverty Line beneficiaries of block Khour for construction of houses and conducted a series of public meeting at Badan, Manchak, Ghair, Bakore, Indri, Dhounchak and Dandora in Khour area of Akhnoor.

The Deputy Chief minister was apprised of various demands and grievances of the people which included construction of compound wall of primary school at Badan, up-gradation of lanes and drains, uninterrupted electricity, installation of poles in uncovered areas besides upgrading transformers, schools at Badan, Manchak, construction of link road from Badhan to Dhounchak, installation of one more transformer for Badhan, overhead tank at Manchak under water supply scheme Badhan and financial assistance to flood victims under IAY and NCRF.

Responding to their demands and grievances, the Deputy Chief Minister assured the people of various villages that the coalition government was keen to provide all basic amenities to the people of the state at their doorsteps adding that their genuine demands would be considered and redressed in a time-bound manner.

He said that massive development had been registered in Khour block in the last 20 months as the people had been provided with all basic amenities like safe drinking water, road connectivity besides, benefits under various Centre and state government sponsored schemes.

Srinagar, September 12
Security agencies are probing the role of a senior Hurriyat leader in helping Nasir Safi Mir, alleged to be the “financial brain” behind the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist leaders, to flee the country after paying for a forged passport from a southern state.

According to sources in central security agencies, Mir, against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued last year, managed to flee the country using Nepal route from where he had used the forged passport procured with the help of a senior separatist leader in Kashmir.

The Hurriyat leader is alleged to have used the help of some overground Hizb workers and got the passport made from a southern state, sources said, adding that Mir, who was released on parole, reached Dubai after making a detour from Europe and Libya. Mir was earlier arrested by the Delhi Police in February 2006 while carrying Rs 55 lakh from a Delhi jeweller along with some explosives, but had jumped parole which he had got after several requests made by his family to a court citing medical problems.

Now investigators claim that some clues have emerged indicating that a senior Hurriyat leader had helped Mir with monetary help and some assistance from Hizbul Mujahideen to procure a passport from a southern state to ensure his quiet departure from the country.

The 39-year-old Dubai-based businessman, who owns carpet showroom and money exchange firms in Gulf, had been regularly reporting to the nearest police station till earlier October 2008, but after that he never turned up at the police station as well as at the court on the hearing date. Mir, who was considered as a prize catch by the Delhi Police following a well-executed operation by the central security agencies, was suddenly missing which prompted the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against him. The Delhi Police had shown its inability to trace Mir, whom they had claimed was very much hiding within the country.

There have been technical intercepts where Mir allegedly spoke to the separatist leadership after reaching Dubai.

A former Union Cabinet Minister had also taken up the case of the release of Mir with the government after Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had put this as one of the pre-conditions for entering into a dialogue.

According to police files, Mir was last spotted publicly with the Mirwaiz at a five-star hotel in south Delhi in September 2008. During the interrogation, Mir had allegedly told the police that the money was meant for the Mirwaiz and also claimed to have spilled beans about huge investments made by the Hurriyat chairman in Dubai, they said. — PTI

Jammu, September 12
The nerve-wrenching wait of a couple from Delhi which wanted to adopt an abandoned baby in Sunder Bani in Rajouri district is finally over after more than two and a half months.

The State Juvenile Board handed over the custody of the baby girl to Khem Raj, who is working as cop with the Delhi Police, and his wife Santosh.

The couple had been struggling hard for the adoption of the abandoned girl since she was located and brought to a local hospital in June. At that time, the couple had come to meet their relatives at Sunder Bani. As a matter of coincidence, a family member of the couple’s relatives, who was employed at the local hospital, was allotted the temporary custody of the baby by the administration.

It was during this time span when the couple developed an emotional bond with the baby.

However, the adoption process was not smooth as the couple had to put in a lot of efforts for getting the legal custody of the baby as the state does not have any specific legislation for allowing the adoption of abandoned children.

It was an emotional reunion as the couple had to face lot of difficulties when the abandoned baby was sent to a welfare home, SOS International, at Gole Hujral here.

Besides calling upon officials in the local administration, the couple had requested Health Minister Sham Lal, who is also chairman of the State Juvenile Board for his intervention.

Thereupon, the Director, Social Welfare, who happens to the secretary of the board, verified the credentials of the couple and approved the adoption.

Udhampur, September 12
Jammu based theatre group Natrang staged its one of the most popular comedy plays ‘Sainyan Bhaye Kotwal’ at Dhruv auditorium, here yesterday. Lt General Jasbir Singh, Chief of Staff, Northern Command was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Written by Vasant Sabnis and directed by Balwant Thakur, this comedy of Natrang has been staged successfully at various important National theatre festivals held in Kolkatta, Behrampur, Lucknow and Chandigarh. This show was presented by Natrang’s new cast and their praiseworthy performance was witnessed by a packed audience.

In the play Sainyan Bhaye Kotwal, a kingdom ‘Surya Nagar’ is shown afflicted with corruption, nepotism, and anarchy. The king is busy in hunting and foreign tours and the functionaries of his government are busy in making the best use of his absence. Kotwal (chief of police) of the kingdom dies and the king authorises the prime minister to appoint a suitable person in his place. Hawaldar, the only contender of the post who was waiting for the last ten years for Kotwal to die, gets a big setback when the prime minister appoints his own brother-in-law to the post. Now, Hawaldar has no other option but to get the new Kotwal trapped in some criminal conspiracy to oust him. Kotwal, who is fond of music, is taken to a court-singer where he falls in love with her and visits her regularly. The court-singer is already in-tune with Hawaldar, who encourages her to continue befooling Kotwal and demand royal things to get her love. In this process most of the royal things are stolen to gift the court singer but the king comes to know only when his royal-bed is found missing. The play is a symbolic picture of the contemporary political happenings. A caricature of the bad governance has been beautifully depicted in the play.

The new trio of Mohit Sharma, Rohit Verma and Pankush Verma gave a promising performance and demonstrated their professional hold over the characters they played. Tajasvi Sharma as the lead female actor won the appreciation of the audience. Two senior actors of Natrang--Suresh Kumar as ‘Pradhan’ and Neeraj Kant as ‘King’ gave matured and engrossing performances. Rahul Singh beautifully played as ‘Sakhaya’. Among the chorus who gave commendable performances included Mayank Bakshi, Mohd, Yaseen, Ishfaq Anwar, Ricky Bhatt and Sachin Saini.

Eminent musician Suraj Singh beautifully composed the music of the play and was also the lead singer.

Jammu, September 12
The Sidhra police today seized 26 kg poppy straw (Bukki) and arrested two persons, who were travelling by a taxi.

Reports said Bupinder Singh, resident of Dilbag Nagar, Jalandhar, and Brajesh Tiwari of Pakharpur in Uttar Pradesh were arrested after poppy straw was recovered from their possession.

Srinagar, September 12
DGP Kuldeep Khoda today held a high-level meeting of police officers at Doda. The meeting discussed security situation in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban.

The meeting, which was also attended by Principal Secretary, Home, BR Sharma, reviewed the overall law and order situation in three districts of the Doda range.

An official spokesman said in Srinagar that addressing the meeting, the DGP lauded the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces for their role in combating the militancy and ensure rule of law in the state.

He stressed the officers to improve professional policing, coordinated counter-insurgency operations and professional crowd management techniques.

Khoda said the police and other security forces had sacrificed their lives while fighting militants. Remembering the martyrs, Khoda said it was due to their supreme sacrifices’ that the honour and safety of common man had been restored in the state.

On the occasion, the DGP rewarded police personnel for their exemplary role in the anti-militancy front and saving life and property of common citizens in the area. Seven constables were given out-of-turn promotions, 15 SPOs were absorbed as constables in the department, besides cash rewards to various police components of three districts of the range.

Jammu, September 12
Expressing its concern over the incidents of arson and violence on the auspicious occasion of Eid in the Kashmir valley, the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) today criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for allowing the separatists to hold a rally during the religious celebrations.

JSM leaders also criticised the restraint orders given to the security forces and local police in handling these elements, thus giving them a free hand to create mayhem on the pious day.

“Yesterday’s arson and violence prove the utter failure of the state government in ruling the state. The naïve manner in which the Chief Minister has granted permission to holding of this rally is most surprising”, the JSM leaders stated in a handout.

“It does seem that the present government is hand in glove with such anti-national elements only to further its own interests. On the one hand, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been demoralising the security forces and local police and on the other he wants a sympathetic treatment for the stone throwers,” the handout stated.

The JSM demanded that the present coalition government headed by Omar

Abdullah should be dismissed and the Governor’s rule be imposed immediately; as this government has failed on all fronts and it was only the writ of the separatists and anti-national elements that was running in the Kashmir Valley.

Those who attended the meeting included HB Khajuria, Anil Gour, Dig Vijay Singh, Chandra Uday Sharma and Virender Magotra.

Jammu, September 12
While the incidents of violence and arson marred the Eid festivites in the Kashmir Valley, a small village in Jammu set an examle of communal harmony for others to follow.

Although it was a small gathering to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in Raipur village, located in the outskirts of Jammu city, yet this sober function gave a larger message as the celebrations helped in bridging the divide and to remove the mistrust between Hindus and Muslims of this Kandi belt.

During the Amarnath land agitation in 2008, some sort of mistrust was created between Muslims and Hindus living in this belt and the politicians, for their petty political gains, have been brazenly trying to exploit the divide.

“There was a dire need to remove the trust deficit and we initiated an effort which was equally reciprocated by our Muslim brethren,” said Shakti Dutt Sharma, organiser of the Eid Milan function that was held on Saturday evening.

The function was held under the banner of the Master Sohan Lal Social Reforms Charitable Trust in which a good number of Muslims turned up.

Late Master Sohan Lal was a prominent leader of the BJP and the trust and had taken the initiative to remove mistrust with the Muslim brethren. “Hindus and Muslims have to live together so it is the duty of every citizen to work for strengthening relationship between two communities,” Shakti Dutt said and disclosed that similar types of functions would be held in future also to jointly celebrate religious functions.

Buoyed over by the success of the function, Shakti Dutt, who is chairman of the trust, said the Jammu region had always set an example of brotherhood and communal harmony and people of this belt would never allow the secessionists and fundamentalist forces to accomplish their nefarious designs.

Local Muslims, who attended the function, could not control their emotion as first time such function was organised by Hindus in this area.

“This small function would give a large message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” observed Nazir Ahmed Kotia, one of the participants in the function.

He added the state had been passing through a crucial juncture and divisive forces were hell bent to create division among the society.

“We have to jointly frustrate designs of those forces who want to create a Kashmir-like situation in Jammu also,” he cautioned.

Choudhary Mohammad Hussain, a prominent Gujjar leader of this Kandi belt, observed that the function was small but it was a big beginning as the need of the hour was to strengthen brotherhood and communal harmony to give a clear message to the secessionists and fundamentalist forces.

Jammu, September 12
Under the direction of Balwant Thakur, Surendera Verma’s Hindi play, “Marnoprant” was presented at Natrang’s Sunday weekly theatre.

A scene from a play, “Marnoprant”, staged at Natrang Studio Theatre in Jammu on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

A strong comment on the man-woman relations, the play revolves around a triangular love story. The playwright unfolds the whole episode after the death of a young lady whose husband and the lover meet for the first time.

Their encounter reveals the intricacies of man-woman relations and frustrations of extra-marital affairs. Both embarrass each other by revealing the intimate moments they shared with the young lady. The play becomes even more interesting when it is shown that the husband comes to know about his wife’s extra-marital affair after her death.

He was not aware of the fact that she had almost abandoned him.

Ironically, there is no occasion for the frustrated husband to even enquire the reasons from his unfaithful wife. The playwright has exposed inner-conflicts through a highly experimental and intellectual thematic design. Surendra Verma’s hold over handling of such complex themes and the construction of the unique dramatic structure is highly praiseworthy.

The role of the lover was played by Arvind Anand. Neeraj Kant played the role of husband equally well. Both the actors gave engrossing performances.

Rohit Verma gave the music of the play whereas Mohit Sharma designed and executed the lights. Rahul Sungh coordinated the show and Pankush Verma did the presentations.