Srinagar, November 16
With the situation remaining peaceful in the Kashmir valley for the past five days, Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated here with religious fervour and gaiety tomorrow. The authorities are working out the modalities for smooth Eid prayers and festivities across the Valley tomorrow. A high-level meeting of police and security force personnel was held here this evening to review the arrangements and ensure a peaceful festival.

This is the first time during the past five months of turmoil that no strike is being observed in the Valley from November 12 to 19. Leaders of the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani, continue to be under house arrest as a preventive measure in view of the prevailing situation. Eid-ul-Fitr on September 11 witnessed trouble in Srinagar when a government building housing the offices of the PDD and the Crime Branch of the police were burnt down in violence, prompting the authorities to impose restrictions.

The Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference, which has been spearheading the agitation for the past several months, has called for peaceful protests after the prayers tomorrow. A spokesman of the party today reiterated its stand on the resolution of the Kashmir issue and asked people to pay tributes to 112 killed during the turmoil. He also criticised the government for continuing the process of arresting the youth even while claiming to release many of them ahead of Eid. Earlier, the chairman of the party, Syed Ali Geelani, had announced to lead a rally to the Hazratbal shrine to offer prayers tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the shoppers thronged markets for the fifth consecutive day today.

Jammu, November 16
While separatists in the Kashmir Valley are stunned over the exclusion of Jammu and Kashmir from the United Nations’ list of unresolved disputes, various parties have hailed the development as a major diplomatic victory for India.

“This development took place at a time when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as well as interlocutors appointed by the Union Government raised questions about Constitutional relations of the state with India”, observed Prof Hari Om, eminent scholar and former Head of the History Department of Jammu University. He termed the development as a befitting reply to the separatists.

He observed the “encouraging” development took place simultaneously with the statement of US President Barack Obama, who had termed the Kashmir problem as an internal matter of India. “These developments manifest that there is a major shift in the UN as well as US policies towards Kashmir”, he said, and exuded confidence that these steps indicated that India would get a permanent seat in the Security Council.

Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh expressed satisfaction that wisdom ultimately prevailed upon the United Nations. “J&K is an integral part of India by virtue of the Instrument of Accession signed by late Maharaja Hari Singh, who was the only competent authority to take a decision on the fate of the state under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act”, he said, adding, “ after the exclusion of Kashmir from the list of unresolved disputes, the one thing that has become clear is the UN has accepted the historical fact about the state”. He said it was a matter of satisfaction that after this development, this chapter should be closed once for all.

BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas was of the view that the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had committed a mistake by taking the Kashmir issue with the UN.”After the exclusion of Kashmir from the list of unsolved issues of the UN, the mistake has been rectified”, he said.

He said it was a victory of nationalist forces.”Inspite of a vicious campaign by separatists and their political supporters to internationalise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, they have failed and at last the UN has decided to remove it from the list of disputed category”, he said, and added it was an endorsement of the stand of the BJP and all nationalist forces.

Jammu, November 16
The Governor, N. N. Vohra, today called for strengthening the Public Accounts Committees and the Estimates Committees of state legislatures for securing much greater accountability in regard to the spending of public funds as it would go a long way in promoting financial discipline in the functioning of the administrative apparatus.

The Governor was addressing a function at University of Jammu here in connection with the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG). He said everyone functioning in any wing of the government system was duty-bound to be fully conscious of his responsibility of ensuring against any loss to public funds.

He stressed the need for ensuring greater financial discipline, if the objectives of good governance were to be achieved. In this context, he referred to the crucial role which the CAG at the Centre and the Principal Accountants-General in states could play in promoting good governance.

He extensively dwelt on the history and evolution of the CAG’s institution and observed that the whole philosophy of audit had changed from mere accounting and audit, as it was in the past years. In the recent years, the focus had shifted to effective audits of procurement procedures, costs, operations and actual outcomes. He added that in our framework, the CAG was a high constitutional authority enjoying a unique and important position.

The Governor mentioned that in the past 63 years since Independence, the scale of financial resources available to the Union and the states had gone up hundreds of times. Monitoring the spending of such large funds was a serious challenge.This challenge could be met effectively by ensuring improved accounting of all public spending.

He said in the past years, the CAG had undertaken fruitful audits of several national flagship programmes like the SSA and MGNREGA and this would hopefully contribute to promoting greater accountability and transparency. He also appreciated various measures initiated by the Finance Minister, J&K Government, for encouraging enhanced transparency and accountability in the fiscal sector.

He congratulated the Principal Accountant- General, his colleagues and the staff on this occasion. Earlier, the Governor lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the commencement of the celebrations. The Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, also spoke on the occasion.

In his keynote address, the Principal Accountant- General, Jammu and Kashmir, Venkatesh Mohan, dwelt on the historical background, nomenclatures, powers and functioning of the institution of the CAG. 

Udhampur, November 16
No telephone connectivity, no television set ,no motorable road till date and a perfect breeding ground for armed militants, Shadole, the remotest hilly village in Mahore tehsil of Reasi district had not till yesterday seen any minister visiting it in its history.

However,on Monday, Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Employment Abdul Gani Malik chose to go to the village to know what could be done to end its isolation. Apparently, the excitement of about 2000 residents was palpable, if the gathering at a public meeting organised on the occasion was any indication. People from scattered hamlets endured a treacherous terrain to see the minister and hear him unfold a package so far unknown to them.

And they were not disappointed. The minister assured to upgrade the village middle school, besides instructing officials to expedite the work on the much-delayed Bagga-Gulabgarh road, the first to link it with the rest of the district.”The turnaround in infrastructural facilities will sure help people, especially the youth, get involved in constructive activities”, said SDM, Mahore, Sher Singh. The area around it had been a hub of militants once. Hardcore militant Abu Harera, a divisional commander of the LeT, belonged to the village.

As it is situated more than 100 km from the district headquarters of Reasi, the villagers travel on foot for 15 km to Angrala village and further 25 km in infrequently available private transport vehicles to reach the tehsil for getting even the smallest work done. Besides, the only government school having about 150 students on its rolls, the village has a medical sub-centre being manned by a pharmacist from rented premises for about the past about 15 years.

Official apathy, therefore, is not hard to imagine. Malik gave on-the-spot instructions to withhold this month’s salary of five officers, including a Block Development Officer, a Child Development Project Officer and a Tehsil Social Welfare Officer, for their wilful absence.

The minister seemed convinced that the promotion of horticulture could certainly help alleviate their economic plight. Agriculture is the main occupation of the villagers having small land holdings.

Their abject poverty is imaginable since the sole source of livelihood is totally dependent on the vagaries of nature. He assured cultivation of walnut in particular with the help of the Horticulture Department. 

Srinagar, November 16
Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has expressed concern about the government’s handling of the situation in the Kashmir valley over the past five months and criticised it for allegedly waging a virtual war against the youth, who were being terrorised. In a statement here yesterday, the former Chief Minister and other senior leaders of the party also greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid.

“While Eid marks joy and festivity all over the world, Kashmir unfortunately will celebrate the occasion once again against the backdrop of blood and despondency,” the Mufti said. He added that the occasion of celebration reminded the people of the great loss, which a number of families suffered over the years and hundreds others recently. “But it seems the government is determined to only increase the scale of its draconian methods and atrocities,” he said.

Referring to the recent turmoil in Kashmir, the PDP patron pointed out that the government continued to create terror among the parents, families and the kith and kin of those who fell to the atrocities of government forces. Hundreds of youth were lying injured and incapacitated, who needed support as the government had virtually washed its hands off their problems, he said.

The Mufti pointed out that the most worrisome part of the scenario was the way the government had gone after the youth of Kashmir. Thousands of youth had been picked up and several others put on the police hit-list with the sole aim of creating an atmosphere of terror, he alleged.

After defaming the new generation and, in fact, all Valley people as stone throwers, the government was seeking sadistic pleasure through physical and psychological torture, he said. He added that a reign of terror had been unleashed in the rural areas and referred to the areas like Pattan in north Kashmir.

Jammu, November 16
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today approved a Rs 40 crore action plan for strengthening infrastructure in degree colleges in the state under the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) of Rs 100 crore approved by the Central government for the purpose.

According to an official statement issued here, the plan envisages the upgrade of the existing infrastructure with the addition of critical requirements in the degree colleges. The plan has been formulated keeping in view the recommendations of the National Accredited Assessment Committee (NAAC).

Approving the action plan, the Chief Minister directed the completion of the works during the current financial year and as per the allocations made for each work. He directed for the monitoring of the implementation of the works by the minister in charge and the Administrative Secretary so that they were completed in time frame.

Under the action plan, infrastructure development would be carried out in as many as 74 government degree colleges in Jammu and Kashmir regions, focusing on various requirements in each educational institution.

The Chief Minister has also released Rs 45 crore to be utilised by the School Education Department under the SPA through a similar action plan. The amount shall be utilised for filling the infrastructural gaps like classrooms, libraries and laboratories, lavatory blocks etc., and strengthening of the existing infrastructure. The School Education Department has been asked to expedite the formulation and implementation of the action plan in this regard.

“We have embarked upon a comprehensive programme of consolidation in the education sector along with expansion, wherever required,” he said and emphasised on making the educational institutions centres of modern studies.

Jammu, November 16
Expressing strong resentment at being “ignored”in new curriculum books of Indian history, the Gujjar community has pleaded with the University Grant Commission (UGC), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and school boards of all states to include the rudiments of Gujjar pritihara in the books.

The new books have been published by various states as part of university and school curriculum. The community also appealed to the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development through the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation for a strong direction to all textbook publishers, including all Boards, University commissions and Councils, to portray an accurate and factual picture of the “Gujjar era” in India in all of their history books.

Secretary of the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation Javaid Rahi said some important events of the history of Gujjar era were missing in the curriculum books prepared by the UGC, NCERT, CBSE and other boards. “We have written a detailed letter to the Union HRD Ministry for immediate intervention ,” he said.

“We solicited a direction from the Government of India to all agencies that publish books that are used in government and private schools across India as curriculum for immediate inclusion of some significant facts,” he said and added, “We have also urged them to stop concealing facts related to our tribal identity.”

In the letter, he said, “We have also identified some concealed and distorted portions that appeared in some books published by the UGC, NCERT and other school boards”.

Jammu, November 16
The All-J&K Plus 2 Lecturers Forum yesterday advocated for the filling of vacant posts of lecturers in higher secondary schools across the state.

While addressing a district-level educational conference, which was organised by Verinder Dutta, district president; HD Qureshi, state

president of the forum, expressed concern over the fate of students in the absence of lecturers in different disciplines.

Qureshi said more than 120 posts of lecturers were lying vacant in 18 higher secondary schools in Reasi district.

He said in the rural and far-flung areas, students were exclusively dependent upon their teachers for their studies as they  could not afford the absence of subject experts for a long duration.— TNS

Jammu, November 16
“I went to New Delhi to get education in an elite school to come back home as a well-educated and successful person to give a befitting reply to those who expelled me from the school because of my financial conditions”.

This was the reason cited by a fatherless boy, Ashok Ganotra, 15, who ran away from his home in Resham Ghar Colony on the evening of November 8. He was reunited with his mother here yesterday at the office of Childline, Jammu, today.

He had never been to Delhi earlier. However, he said, he knew that there would be better schools in the Capital city of the country. “Had I told my mother about my plans, she would not have let me go,” he said adding that his mother worked as a peon in another private school.

Ashok was studying in Class VIII in a private school in Palora. He said, “I was expelled from the school as my mother could not pay the monthly fee for the past one and half years.”

“The administrator of the school would scold me in the class as a matter of routine. My father is no more. She used to tease me by saying that he was a drunkard and a thief, and that my fate would not be different from that of my father,” he said.

Claiming that he secured 90 per cent marks in Class VII without tuition, he said: “I was slapped and dragged out of the class last month. They accused me of stealing question papers from the school and misbehaving in the class. I never stole anything. I kept pleading my innocence but no one listened to me.”

“The same day, a teacher accompanied me to my home and told my mother not to send me to the school next day,” he said.

His aunt, who had come to take the custody of the child, said, “I called on the administrator of the school and pleaded that even if he had committed some mistake, the punishment should not spoil his future. However, instead of listening to me, the administrator told me to leave the room or security guards would throw me out.”

“I wanted to prove myself.So, I ran away from home along with my friend, Sahil Choudhary, who studies in Class VII and lives in the vicinity,” he said.

In Delhi, they were spotted by the police and handed over to the Child Welfare Committee through Salam Balak, an NGO running Childline India project. Both children were reunited with their parents here at the office of Childline Jammu by project co-ordinator OP Gupta and his team members. Gupta said: “The boy is stressed out due to the treatment he was meted out by his teachers. Our counsellors Adarsh Gupta and Pinki Jain have been trying to boost his morale.”

Jammu, November 16
The Department of Higher Education organised the preliminary round of the Silver Rolling Trophy North Zone Declamation Contest at Government College for Women (GCW) at Gandhi Nagar here today.

The programme commenced with the recital of a vandana and lighting of the traditional lamp. Minister for Higher Education and Employment Abdul Gani Malik was the chief guest on the occasion while the Director Colleges, Dr Sham Lal Gupta, presided over the function.

Anshul Gupta from Government Maulana Azad Memorial College, Priyati Sharma from Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, and Rakshit Sharma from Government Gandhi Memorial Science College were adjudged first, second and third, respectively.

Appreciation prizes were given to Sheetal Lalotra, Government Degree College, Kathua; Trannum Naaz, Postgraduate College, Rajouri; and Shikha Bharti, Government Degree College, Hiranagar, respectively.

While addressing the gathering, college principal Nalini Kohli said the aim of the contest was to select six students each from various colleges of Jammu and Srinagar. The final event would tentatively be held in the third week of December, he added.

The jury members comprised MM Khajuria, former DGP, Prof Chanchal Dogra, former principal, and Prof Rohini Gupta from Distance Education Department, Jammu University.

The Director Colleges encouraged the students and stressed the need for the dissemination of knowledge. The minister appreciated the efforts of the students and the organisers of the contest. The jury members also shared their views on the occasion.

The function concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof Mohammad Zaman Chaudhary.

Jammu, November 16
In its continuing pursuit to spread goodwill among local populace under the operation Sadbhavana, a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under the aegis of the Sector Rashtriya Rifles and the Romeo Force distributed winter wear (sweaters, inners and shoes) to 50 girl students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Thannamandi.

These girls belong to families living below the poverty line. Due to the non-availability of woollens, they have been missing the school during harsh winter. By providing them with winter wear the Army has ensured uninterrupted attendance of girl students at the school throughout the year, including during peak winter.

“In this way we have eventually ensured women empowerment, a dream project of the Government of India,” said an Army officer. The winter wear were distributed to girl students by the Deputy Commander, Sector Rashtriya Rifles, amid a gathering 
of over 300 people comprising students, teachers and parents.

Jammu, November 16
A day after the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen’s divisional commander, Mohammad Abdullah Inqlabi, from Delhi, the Rajouri police today arrested his wife and father-in-law from their native village,Taleri, to get more information regarding Abdullah’s subversive activities.

Inqlabi, also known as “Mr Surrender”, active in the Rajouri, Pulwama and Kulgam areas, who had been evading arrest for the last 10 years, was arrested after a brief encounter on the Ring Road in New Delhi yesterday.

A police party led by DSP (Operations), Rajouri, Farooq Kesar had been tracking him for a long period and after getting inputs about his whereabouts, it passed off the information to the Delhi police, which arrested the militant, said a senior police officer.

The Jammu and Kashmir police arrested his wife, Shahnaz, and father-in-law Bashir and brought them to the Joint Interrogation Centre, Rajouri.

The officer said the two were being questioned. “During interrogation, the wife and the father-in-law of Inqlabi told us that they had not met the militant for almost a year and were unaware about his presence in Delhi,” he said.

Talking to The Tribune over phone, Romesh Jalla, SSP, Rajouri, said: “The two have been arrested for their involvement in militant activities. But we haven’t got any details from them as yet.” He added that the police was sure to get some major revelations from them.

The SSP said the one-year-old son of Inqlabi was with his mother, while the militant’s daughter was at her home with relatives.

Sources said the police had called Shahnaz and her father Bashir earlier also for interrogation, but had not arrested them.

Jammu, November 16
The Kathua police claimed to have arrested two drug peddlers and seized 1,500 intoxicant capsules from their possession here yesterday.

It added that the accused had been identified as Iqbal Singh and Mangu Ram, both residents of Kathua.

A case under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act had been registered against them at Kathua police station.