Jammu, November 1
As the bi-annual practice of Durbar Move has started, security arrangements for this purpose have turned the Jammu region into a virtual fortress.

The State Government has also given special directions to intelligence agencies to keep a close watch on every suspicious element.

The first convoy of trucks carrying official records of the Civil Secretariat reached the winter capital late last evening. Officials have also started conducting a series of meetings to review security arrangements across the region.

The seat of power - Civil Secretariat - is scheduled to resume its functioning here from November 8.

To provide foolproof security to the officials and the records coming from Srinagar, a large number of security personnel comprising the police, the CRPF and the BSF have been deployed in every nook and corner, so that no untoward incident happens anywhere.

The forces have been put on high alert throughout the day, as the government does not want to take any risk.

A senior police officer said security personnel had been deployed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, as some anti-national elements could try to hamper this bi-annual practice.

“We are well prepared to tackle any untoward incident, but so far, there has been no threat from any militant group,” the officer said.

Security has been beefed up near the Civil Secretariat complex also.

As soon as the Durbar starts functioning from here, the road leading to the Civil Secretariat will be closed for commuters and will be reserved for the VVIPs only.

Three-tier security arrangements have been made for the Civil Secretariat also, as the state police, the CRPF and commandos will keep vigil on the movement of every person there.

Special instructions have been given to the traffic police also, as the traffic will increase soon after the Durbar starts functioning here.

The police has also appealed to the public to immediately inform it of any suspicious element by dialling “100”.

Srinagar, November 1
In a goodwill gesture ahead of Divali, hardline Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani today amended its protest calendar by deciding not to give a call for a strike on Friday when the festival of lights falls.

"There will be no strike on November 5 in view of Divali," Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said.

He said the decision to amend the protest calendar and exempt coming Friday from the purview of the strike was taken by Geelani following an appeal by members of the Sikh community.

On Saturday, All-Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina urged the Hurriyat Conference faction not to call for a strike on November 5 to enable people to celebrate Divali.

"Islam teaches us to honour the religious feelings of other communities. It was in this context that the Hurriyat decided not to call for a strike to allow Hindus and Sikhs to observe the festival with religious fervour," the Hurriyat spokesman said.

As per the earlier protest calendar, the hardline faction led by Geelani, which is spearheading the ongoing agitation in the Valley, had called for a five-day strike beginning November 5 during the visit of US President Barack Obama to India.

Welcoming the decision, the APSCC chairman said they had decided to celebrate the festival in a sombre manner as the Valley had lost more than 100 young innocent lives during the five months of the turmoil.

Meanwhile, life remained disrupted in the Kashmir valley due to a bandh called by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference today.

All shops and business establishments in main markets remained closed and passenger transport was plying in many areas.

Private vehicles, autorickshaws and Tata Sumo passenger vehicles were also plying in different parts of the city and elsewhere on the inter-district routes.

Educational institutions and banks functioned normally. Unit tests were conducted in various private schools that had been closed over the past few months.

Annual examinations are being conducted by the State Board of School Education for Classes X and XII. The University of Kashmir, too, has started conducting various exercises ahead of the annual examinations for the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Just two days ago, some posters from a hitherto unknown religious organisation had appealed to the hardline Hurriyat Conference to consider the decision over the continuation of general strikes. In its appeal, it had given an ultimatum of two days before taking any fresh decision as the common man had to suffer a lot during the continued strikes over the past several months.

Meanwhile,the police said curfew restrictions were imposed on the Delina, Palhalan and Sopore areas of Baramulla district in north Kashmir.

While Delina and Palhalan have been reeling under the curfew and other restrictions since the eruption of clashes four months ago, Sopore town was brought under fresh curfew restrictions today following an encounter in the town last evening in which a militant was killed while a civilian was injured.

Curfew restrictions also remained in force in Bandipore town for the fourth consecutive day today following recent clashes between stone-throwing youth and the police.

Udhampur, November 1
Kishtwar, once a hotbed of militancy, made a new beginning last night. The occasion was Divali Milan hosted for the first time in the state on the lines of traditional Iftaar parties at the Tourist Reception Centre, Kishtwar.

The message sought to be conveyed got the desired response. The presence of prominent members of the Muslim community bore ample testimony to this. They dined, danced and listened to the music till 10.30 pm and parted with the hope that its memories remain fresh till the next Divali.

“Such innovative ideas are the need of the hour. Since I was out of station, I returned to Kishtwar especially to attend the party realising its importance,” commented Noor Hussain Malik, a well-known trade unionist and social worker of the area.

Such parties are normally organised on the eve of Eid as well as Ramzan. “It was on the Eid Milan this year that the idea of holding such a party on the eve of Divali struck me. I believed this could help foster the much- needed sense of brotherhood and communal harmony,” said BR Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar. The Hindu community is estimated to be about 40 per cent of the total population here. Besides a campfire and dinner, light classical music reverberated the serene atmosphere of the picturesque small Valley. Local singers Mohammad Aslam and Nissar Ahmed presented ghazals and Kashmiri songs to make the event memorable. The audience of about 300 included personalities from all walks of life, officers of the civil administration, the Army and the paramilitary forces.

Though the skeptics felt that lack of broader participation failed to serve the purpose, yet prominent local advocate Sheikh Nasir Hussain asserted that the unprecedented step should be hailed.

“I think that credit should be given to the administration for taking the initiative. Who knows this small beginning may become a tradition. At least I pray so,” he added.

Jammu, November 1
With India and Pakistan not able to hammer out a solution to the vexed Kashmir imbroglio since 1947, the Awami National Conference (ANC), a party floated by Farooq Abdullah’s brother-in-law late GM Shah, today claimed it had a road map for finding an amicable resolution to the issue.

The party also claimed that it enjoyed the consent of India while Pakistan was aware about the party’s road map.

The ANC went a step further saying the United Jehad Council (UJC) chief and supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen has also agreed to support its road map to sustain peace.

Addressing mediapersons here today, senior vice-president of the ANC Muzaffar Shah, cousin of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, said:“We have talked to the governments of India and Pakistan for holding a summit of the five regions of the state, which existed before 1947, to pave the way for an intra J&K civil society dialogue. The Union Government has given its approval and Pakistan knows about our road map,” he said.

Besides the twin capital cities of the present state, the summits will be held at Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzzaffarabad within 15 months from January 2011 to March 2012, said Shah.

He further said, UJC chief Syed Salahuddin had also agreed to support our road map as it involves the people of the state, country and Pakistan.

“We will be travelling to the PoK to extend an invitation to the leaders of the Muslim Conference there while the leaders from Gilgit-Baltistan were also being approached for the summit,” he added.

As per his scheme of things, the first phase of the summit will be held here at Jammu early next year.

“We urge the right thinking people to contribute their bit in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the vexed issue, which has been haunting the state since 1947,” he said.

On the recent visit of Kashmir interlocutors vis-à-vis ground situation, Shah said he did not think that they (interlocutors) would be able to make much of a difference to the situation.

On the present unrest in the valley, he said his cousin Omar Abdullah mishandled some incidents and felt that inept handling further flared up the violence. He added that 39 political activists comprising 17 from the NC, 12 from PDP and 10 from the Congress joined the ANC.

Jammu, November 1
Acting on a complaint filed by an RTI activist with the grievances cell of the state government, the Rajouri district administration has issued a circular to all departments within its jurisdiction to make the necessary arrangements within a month to comply with RTI regulations and provisions such as the appointment of Public Information Officers and the Appellate Authority , which is mandatory under the provisions of the J&K RTI Act, 2009.

This development followed the RTI activist, Raman Sharma, filing a complaint with the grievances cell on September 9. In the complaint,Sharma said the government offices of Rajouri district and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) had not designated any Public Information Officer (PIO) and had also failed to post the RTI Act on their official websites.

The complainant also requested Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to direct the district administration to properly implement the RTI Act.

Following the directions of the Rajouri district administration, the BGSBU authorities designated Registrar Mohammed Rashid Choudhary as the PIO, and the Assistant Registrar as the Assistant Public Information Officer with immediate effect.

On September 18, RTI activist, Ayaz Mughal of Poonch, too, had filed a complaint with the grievances cell, complaining about the non-implementation of the RTI Act in Poonch and defunct websites of the district administration. Taking cognisance of the complaint, the DC, Poonch, immediately issued the necessary directions and asked the officials concerned to upgrade the website and post the RTI Act as well.

Srinagar, November 1
At least four militants, two of them belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were killed in separate encounters in Kupwara district of north Kashmir and Kulgam district of south Kashmir since last evening.

The two Let militants, one of them a foreigner, were killed in an encounter in the Kaw Drung area of Kulgam district today. Acting on a specific information, the police and the 1 Rashtriya Rifles cordoned off Kaw Drung village in the Qoimoh area of Kulgam district, after which there was an exchange of fire.

The two militants, who were killed in an open field, were identified as Mohammad Salim Ganai, alias Faisal of Haff Shirmal in the nearby Shopian district, and Hassan Bhai, a foreigner, the police said.

Another militant, identified as Azad Ahmad Bhat from Awat Shirmaal in Shopian district was arrested, the police said. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the scene of the encounter.

In another encounter,two militants were killed in the Bhawaan forests area of Zachaldara-Handwara in Kupwara district late last night.

Meanwhile, the militant who was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Ahad Baba Mohalla of Sopore town in Baramulla district of north Kashmir was identified as Irshad Ahmad Mir of Gundbrath, near Sopore.A civilian, Mohammad Afzal War, was also injured in the encounter. He was shifted to the Bone and Joints Hospital here for treatment, the police added.

Jammu, November 1
The Youth All-India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) has expressed concern over the notice issued by Wali Mohammad Batt, Director-General, Accounts and Treasuries, Finance Department.

According to a statement issued here, Pt RK Bhat, president, YAIKS, alleged that the state government’s assurance to issue final appointment orders of Kashmiri migrant candidates pursuant to the selection made by the Service Selection Board, against various categories of post under the Prime Minister’s special employment package, did not seem sincere as was evident from the notice issued by the Finance Department in a local daily on October 30.

“Since the Service Selection Board’s recommendations are final for appointments and not for further selections, we are at a loss to understand why confusing and misleading notice is issued by the appointing authorities in an unlawful and inhuman manner, alleged Pt Bhat.

YAIKS extended gratitude to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his commitments made to YAIKS recently and assurances for rehabilitation of terror victims, including Kashmiri migrants.

Meanwhile, YAIKS has decided to collect all details of over-aged youths of the community between the age of 38-47 in connection with one-time compensation demand of Rs 25 lakh for them, who had been ignored for government services for the past two decades.

This demand had been principally agreed by the Chief Minister, he said.

Udhampur, November 1
A district-level science exhibition, being organised by the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Kud, Udhampur, got under way at Government Boys Higher Secondary School here today.

District Development Commissioner (DDC) Baseer Ahmed Khan formally inaugurated it.

As many as 74 science exhibits on themes like ecological balance, bio-diversity, rainwater harvesting, conventional energy, waste management, environment pollution and safety devices are on display.

In his address, the DDC said such events in educational institutions provided an opportunity to the youth to interact on a common platform, besides sharing their innovative scientific ideas.

He hoped that the exhibition would go a long way in inculcating the scientific aptitude into the youth, besides broadening their horizon in the field of science and technology.

Chief Education Officer, Udhampur, SK Gandotra spoke in detail about the activities to be conducted during the exhibition. Chief Planning Officer, Udhampur, HH Dutt; Principal, DIET, Krishna Devi; zonal education officers, teachers and students were present on the occasion.

Jammu, November 1
The Samooh Theatre staged a Hindi play, “Safaid Baal”, at SRP High School, Kot-Bhalwal, yesterday.

The play, based on a short story of “Hari Shanker Parsai,” is about the irritation and helplessness of a person who finds a grey hair on his head and gets embarrassed on discovering it everyday in the mirror.

The author of the story adds his own point of view about this white hair in a hilarious way.

He recommends that the appearance of white hair should be celebrated as a mega festival as it means shifting of responsibilities onto generation next, as Raja Dashrath hands over to Lord Rama.

He also quotes other examples from Purana and Vedas about the old ages.

The role of the Vayakti was enacted by Ravinder Sharma and the play was directed by Dr Sudhir Mahajan, while Inderjeet Singh Sambyal was the assistant.

Besides, Daya Ram Daya was the production manager. Earlier, Dr Sudhir Mahajan in his welcome address said the aim of staging the play was to make students aware of the theatre and the Indian literature, especially in Hindi, and promote theatre in the state.

Jammu, November 1
“Taare Diya Shaanwa Shaanwa,” a book of Dogri songs by prolific writer and poet Shyam Dutt Parag, was released by Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Raman Bhalla here today.

The function was organised by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at the KL Sehgal Hall. It was attended by a galaxy of writers and cultural activists, including Urdu poet Arsh Sehbai, Dogri poet Mohan Singh, editor of the Hindi section of the academy Neeru Sharma. She also read the introductory paper on the book.

Vinod Sharma, chairman, Jammu Development Authority, and Savita Bakshi, additional secretary of the academy, were also present.

A musical programme based on the songs of Sham Dutt Parag was also presented by Mayank Raina and Beenty Kumar. The songs were composed by Brij Mohan.

Jammu, November 1
A meeting of the Unified Headquarters was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here today.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed law and order situation in the state.

Various inputs received from different quarters with regard to law and order and security of the state were discussed in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister commended the role of various law-enforcing agencies and hoped that they would carry forward their efficient services with the same zeal and enthusiasm for peace, prosperity and progress of the state.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Chief Secretary SS Kapur, Director-General of Police Kuldeep Khoda, Principal Secretary, Home, BR Sharma; Principal Secretary to Chief Minister BB Vyas, GOC 16 Corps Rameshway Roy, GOC 9 Corps, Additional DG, Armed/Law and Order, K Rajendra; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal; IG, Jammu, Ashok Gupta; IG, CID; Special DG, CRPF; IG, BSF; and senior functionaries of intelligence agencies.

Jammu, November 1
A massive fire broke out at the State Bank of India branch in the main market of Akhnoor late last night.

Many important documents, furniture, a computer and other goods were burnt in the fire.

Luckily, the strong room of the bank was saved and the cash lying in it was found intact. The police said the bank’s security guard called the Fire Control Department around 11.45 pm to inform about the fire.

Immediately after receiving the information, fire tenders were rushed to the spot and some extra fire tenders were also called from Jammu.

It took nearly three hours to control the fire and the nearby buildings were also emptied. Luckily, no other building suffered any damage.

The police said it had started investigation into this incident and was recording the statements of bank officials. Meanwhile, a bank official said the bank was yet to estimate the loss caused due to the fire.

Sub-Inspector, Ashok Sharma, Investigating Officer of this incident said, “So far, short circuit is appearing as the reason behind fire, but we are investigating all aspects.”

Jammu, November 1
At least 10 persons, who were travelling in a matador, were injured, as a speedy truck hit the vehicle on the Pathankot-Jammu National Highway at Bari Brahamana in Samba district this morning.

The police said both vehicles were coming to Jammu, when suddenly the truck loaded with wheat bags hit the matador at Bari Brahamana and both vehicles overturned causing multiple injuries to the passengers of the matador.

It further said the injured were rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, where the condition of the eight of the injured persons was said to be stable. However, the other two sustained severe head injuries.

A case had been registered against the truck driver and the truck was also seized, the police added.