Jammu, November 2
The security forces, including the Army and the CRPF, have been closely monitoring the situation in Kashmir to ensure that another Massarat Alam does not raise his voice in the troubled Valley to take over “sponsored” street protests and stone-throwing incidents.

Hurriyat leader Massarat Alam’s name cropped up at the Unified Command Headquarters meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here yesterday.

The Chief Minister asked the security forces to closely monitor the situation and try to restore normalcy in the Valley.

Massarat Alam, a former deputy commander of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen and chief of the Muslim League, had been spearheading street protests and stone throwing in the Valley for the past four months.

The Muslim League is now a constituent of the pro-Pak Hurriyat Conference, being headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

“After his (Massarat’s) arrest, the situation has improved drastically in the Valley, because street protests have declined sharply and so have the incidents of stone throwing.

Otherwise, nearly 80 to 100 of our troopers used to get injured daily in stone-throwing,” said a source, who also attended the meeting.

It may be stated here that till October 31 this year, at least 1,761 CRPF jawans sustained injuries in stone-throwing incidents.

“At times, even 300 to 400 of our jawans had sustained injuries on a single day,” the source said.

“Though Massarat’s arrest dealt a severe blow to the street protests, we have been asked to monitor the situation very carefully so as to ensure that another Massarat doesn’t take over the command,” he said.

Though the Chief Minister also appreciated the hard work of the security forces which led to the arrest of Massarat, the right- hand man of Geelani, he made it clear that the situation had to be brought under control at the earliest, the source added.

The former militant was more ruthless than Geelani in implementing the calendar of protests, which had led to differences between the two.

In fact, Massarat had also been instigating the Kashmiri youth by uploading inflammatory messages and videos on social networking sites like Facebook and You Tube, he said, adding that he was also responsible for channelising hawala money to pay Rs 300 to Rs 500 per head to youths to throw stones at the security forces. Alam, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was nabbed on October 18.

Jammu, November 2
Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah staunchly defended his controversial speech on the state’s accession to India, which he had delivered in the state Legislative Assembly on October 6, the state unit of BJP has given a call for a Jammu bandh on November 8 - the first day of the opening of the Durbar here.

Addressing a press conference, state president of BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas said the bandh call had been given to lodge a protest against the controversial speech of the Chief Minister, and the “discriminatory” policies that the coalition regime practised with traders and businessmen of this region.

Manhas said, “On the first day of the opening of Durbar, we would welcome the Chief Minister with protests, besides observing a complete yet peaceful Jammu bandh”.

He claimed that the call was being supported by all social, political and religious organisations, besides transporters of the Jammu province.

“It is shocking that in spite of being a responsible head of the state, the Chief Minister speaks the language of separatists,” the BJP president alleged, adding that the Chief Minister should either apologise or resign.

The BJP leader said the people of Jammu should not only protest Omar’s remarks, but also gherao Congress Ministers, as they were present in the Assembly but did not react to the statement.

Manhas said the Union and state governments continued to discriminate against Jammu and its people. He mentioned that in the 2008 agitation on Amarnath land, businessmen and transporters of Jammu had to suffer huge losses but no compensation had been given to them so far.

On the other hand, in Kashmir, the government had come up with one package after another.

The UPA government had granted a Rs 100-crore package to the Valley recently.

It also announced Rs 5 lakh each for those who indulged in anti-national activities, but the nationalist people of Jammu were always ignored, he added.

Jammu, November 2
Two youths, said to be under the influence of liquor, allegedly stabbed a shopkeeper for refusing to give them cigarettes at Bari Brahamana in Samba district late last night.

Sources said the accused, Ghar Chand and Bhutto, both residents of Bishkal village in Samba district, visited the shop of Brij Lal around 10.30 pm and asked for some cigarettes.

Brij refused since he was closing the shop and the duo attacked him with a pair of scissors lying at the counter.

The scissors hurt him on the arms, the sources added.

They said after being injured, Brij called for help and the people caught Ghar Chand and took him to the police station. However, Bhutto managed to escape from the spot.

The victim was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital here.

A case under Sections 307 and 452 of the RPC has been registered at Bari Brahamana police station in this regard and the police is investigating the matter.

Bhutto, the other accused, is still at large.

Sources said Ghar Chand owned a flour mill at Bishkal village and had been involved in such kind of incidents earlier also.

Jammu, November 2
As many as four persons of two families were injured during an altercation over a piece of land in RS Pura this afternoon.

The police said Sewa Ram along with his son, Devinder, attacked neighbour Gurdial Singh and his son, Sandeep, with a sharp-edged weapon at their fields in RS Pura.

All four were injured in the scuffle and were taken to Government Medical College and Hospital here.

The RS Pura police has registered a case in this regard and has started investigations.

Sub-Inspector Mohammad Din said:“Both families have already filed a legal suit in the court regarding the dispute.”

Jammu, November 2
Nineteen devotees, including six children and five women, travelling from the Shahdara Sharif shrine were injured as the Matador vehicle, bearing the registration number JK-11-2362, plunged into a gorge at Thanna Mandi here today.

The police said the devotees, natives of Kot Dhara village of Rajouri district, were returning to their village after paying obeisance at the holy shrine when the vehicle fell into a 40-feet deep gorge. A rescue party was sent to the spot, which took the injured to the Rajouri Government Hospital where they were admitted for treatment.The condition of the injured is stable.

The Thanna Mandi police has registered a case against the driver, who fled from the spot.

Jammu, November 2
Even after over a week following the submission of the inquiry report about a ragging case in the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here, the college authorities have not initiated any disciplinary action against the accused. Instead, the authorities have ordered another inquiry into allegations that “some faculty members were patronising the troublemaker”.

Sources said a fresh MBBS student, Shaarang Gupta, was ragged by a pre-final student, Amit Thakur, on October 13. On the same day, Amit was thrashed by a PG doctor, Neeraj Sharma, for troubling Shaarang.

Subsequently, at the very outset of inquiry, Shaarang on the insistence of his father, withdrew the complaint, saying that he was not being ragged whereas Amit filed a complaint against Dr Neeraj.

The inquiry panel recorded statements of 13 doctors and students in writing before submitting its report on October 25.

In the inquiry report, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Dr Ankush Bhargava, a PG student of Blood Transfusion Department: “Amit Thakur and some other students are being patronised by the college administration and they misbehave with everyone, be it senior or junior. On that day (when Amit was allegedly thrashed by Dr Neeraj), Amit deserved it and deserved more than that, for he is a blot on humanity and our profession. He should be corrected now or never.”

The same inquiry panel was asked to probe the allegations by the Principal and the Dean of the college on October 27 and submit its report within a week.

However, the panel expressed disappointment over delay in the implementation of its previous recommendations. “We are not going to start the probe as long as the previous recommendations were implemented,” said one of the inquiry committee members.

“What is the point in conducting inquiries, if the findings are not followed by disciplinary action? It only encourages the indiscipline,” he noted.

In its recommendations, the three-member committee headed by Professor and Head, department of ENT, Dr Aniece Chowdhary endorsed that Dr Neeraj must be suspended for doing post-graduation thesis work in the Department of Medicine for three months and thus, not be allowed to sit in MD examination exam in regular session.

The committee also recommended that Dr Neeraj be directed to vacate the hostel for the same period.

It further recommended that Amit Thakur be debarred from attending the theory and practical classes for a period of one month and consequently be directed to vacate the hostel accommodation for the same period.

The recommendations further asked for punishing Shaarang Gupta for backtracking after filing the ragging complaint by depositing Rs 500 in the student fund of the college.

Jammu, November 2
The updated electoral rolls for the panchayats elections are full of discrepancies as the names of several voters are missing.

Congress leaders have started pointing fingers at the National Conference for the “foul play”.

Despite being partners in the coalition government headed by Omar Abdullah, the Congress leaders allege the National Conference leaders are responsible for deleting names to capture more panchayats in the forthcoming elections.

Former Minister Manjit Singh,who recently joined the Congress, smelt a deep-rooted conspiracy in the missing names.

“Interestingly, the names of only those voters have been deleted who are known to be our supporters,” he said. Quoting examples, Singh said the name of Balwant Singh Nagara, sarpanch of the dissolved Panchayat Halqa of Chak Salaria of the Vijaypur assembly segment, had been deleted.

The names of the whole family of Congress leader Rajinder Sharma, who had lost the last election , while standing up for sarpanch of the Garbal panchayat were also missing.

“It is a matter of concern that the names of only our supporters have been deleted from the electoral rolls,” Singh said.

The Congress leaders warned that they would not allow the authorities to make a mockery of the democratic process.

“We have decided to hold a demonstration in front of the office of the Block Development Officer (BDO), Vijaypur, against this foul play”, he announced and warned that Congress workers would not remain mute spectators to misdeeds of the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Congress has asked the government to extend the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution to the state to make the local bodies vibrant.

Senior Congress leader and state chairman of the All-India Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan Yashpal Khajuria said without extending such amendments to the state, the Pacnahyati Raj system would not yield expected results.

Jammu, November 2
The Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu, today organised a special lecture by Lovi Padha, professor of orthopaedics, and physiotherapist Rohit Bhatia, on the topic of “preventable orthopaedic problems”.

The lecture was held at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu.

While addressing the gathering, Padha talked about many myths and facts of orthopaedic problems. He deliberated on the increased risk of fractures, injuries, osteoporosis and arthritis.

He said daily exercise could help prevent these complications and provide relief in some chronic conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

“Regular workout can also help prevent bone loss and allow you to maintain muscle strength, coordination and balance, which in turn help to prevent falls and related fractures,” he said.

Through a powerpoint presentation, Padha explained to the audience various correct postures that could help prevent orthopaedic problems.

Bhatia spoke in detail about wrong posturing and the role of physiotherapy in the field of prevention treatment, intervention and rehabilitation. The lecture was followed by a query session.

Srinagar, November 2
Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah today came down heavily on separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, saying their politics of strikes had dealt a severe blow to the economy of the Valley.

"We need complete peace here for harnessing the full potential of the tourism industry which is the backbone of the state's economy," Dr Abdullah, who is also the President of the ruling National Conference, said while addressing a party convention at Qazigund, 80 km from here.

Most of the people in the state were directly or indirectly linked with tourism to earn their livelihood and the frequent strikes had severely affected their earning opportunities, he said. Tourism, which was hit by the five-month-long separatist- sponsored agitation in the Valley, had the capability to generate more employment opportunities.

In an oblique reference to the PDP, Dr Abdullah said there were elements who had made it their habit to mislead the people through false propaganda.

"They are tarnishing the image of the National Conference and its leaders with the sole aim of achieving their goal," he said.

He asked the party leaders to work hard to reach out to the people and get united to frustrate political conspiracies. "The people are aware that the state cannot be economically and politically strong by forming factions," he said.

"It was the National Conference which fought for the political freedom and democratic rights of the people... Our political opponents cannot even imagine such a feat," the Union Minister said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was busy mitigating the problems of the people and ensuring balanced and equitable development of all three regions of the state - Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"The state is facing tremendous problems and it is the duty of the youth to come forward and strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister to address all the issues."

Referring to the upcoming panchayat elections, he said these ensured strengthening of democratic institutions at the village level, which, in turn, would lead to the resolution of basic issues at the ground level. — PTI

Srinagar, November 2
Religious leaders and Islamic scholars today asked the Jammu and Kashmir government not to impose the curfew and other restrictions on Fridays and appealed to separatists to refrain from giving strike calls on such days.

A resolution adopted at a conference here of the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an umbrella organisation of Imams and Islamic scholars, asked the state government not to impose the curfew and other restriction on Fridays.

Such restrictions prevented the holding of congregational prayers at mosques which amounted to interference in the religious affairs of the community, the resolution said. Apprehending a law and order problem, the Omar Abdullah governemnt recently imposed the curfew in old Srinagar city, which included the Jamia Masjid area, on eight consecutive Fridays. This prevented the holding of mass prayers at the historic mosque.

The religious leaders and scholars also called on the separatists not to call shutdowns and protests on Fridays. The MMA is headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, who, however, did not attend the meeting as he was under house arrest.

Those who attended the session included Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah of Jamiat-e-Ahle-Hadith, Aga Syed Hassan Almousvi Alsafvi of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Budgam, Mufti Nazir Ahmad Qasmi of Dar-ul-Uloom Raheemia, Bandipore and Qari Bilal Ahmad from Jammu.