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Nod to surrender policy for youth
Feeling ignored in important decisions
In labour, Dalit woman has harrowing time at Sunder Bani hospital
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Gujjar leaders ask youth not to depend on reservation
Girl injured in blast dies
Back from tour, students share experiences with Governor
Seven Reasi teachers suspended
Reunion function of JAK Rifles ends
Students hold demonstration on varsity campus
Advocate Rohit is ICA member
2 KAS officers transferred
Army jawan shoots himself
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Nod to surrender policy for youth
Jammu, November 22 A Congress minister, who attended the meeting, said though the Cabinet had given its consent to the policy, there were certain issues, which needed to be sorted out. Under the policy, the misguided youth who had crossed over to Pakistan and occupied Kashmir will be allowed to come back and start their lives here as law-abiding citizens. Once they return, they will be rehabilitated as per plans of the
government, said a senior officer on condition of anonymity. With proper checks and balances, they would be allowed to join the mainstream again, he added. Under the policy, the parents of the youth can approach the police certifying that the youth want to return and lead a normal life. Sources said at today’s meeting, Congress ministers also gave their consent to the clearance of the policy. It may be stated here that after hectic parleys with the Army and other security agencies in the state, the Union Home Ministry had given its consent to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to go ahead with the policy. However, experts feel that Pakistan may create obstacles in the return of such youth because allowing them to do so will amount to acknowledging the fact that the country has been providing arms training to Kashmiri youth at various terror camps on its soil. Omar, in the recent past, had also said that by putting in place such a policy, the illegal entry of the youth, who were entering the state via Nepal, Bangladesh and other places on fake documents would be checked. |
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Feeling ignored in important decisions
Jammu, November 22 Soz’s reported statement was tantamount to contradicting the remarks of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Feeling ignored by the National Conference (NC) in important decisions, local Congress leaders, who had already brought the matter to the notice of the party high command, had been pressuring the coalition partner to convene the meetings of the Coordination Committee of the NC and the Congress regularly so as to resolve the differences. The last meeting of the committee was held in July this year when the Kashmir valley was witnessing an unprecedented unrest and violence. No important decision was taken in that meeting, which remained inconclusive because differences had emerged between the coalition partners on some issues. The Coordination Committee headed by Soz was constituted in year 2009 when both parties entered into an alliance after the last Assembly elections. The committee was assigned the task of discussing all major issues for the smooth running of the coalition in the state. Sources in the Congress said party leaders had asked the PCC chief to convene a meeting of the Coordination Committee every month because the NC leadership had been taking unilateral decisions on vital issues. “The Coordination Committee headed by the PCC chief has virtually become defunct as the Congress leadership is being ignored by the NC while taking important decisions,” said a senior Congress leader. He pointed out that the NC had been raising some controversial issues without consulting the Congress. Interestingly, former Deputy Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma, who is also a member of the Coordination Committee, had raised the demand of rotating Chief Ministership. Congress workers believed that Sharma would raise the issue if the meeting of the committee were to be held in the near future. Though the Congress has supported the efforts of the Chief Minister to conduct the panchayat elections in future, a majority of the party leaders were of the view that without extending 73rd and 74th amendments of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir, democracy could not reach the grass-roots level in real sense. The Congress leaders have been repeatedly demanding the extension of such amendments to the state before announcing the schedule of the panchayat elections. |
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In labour, Dalit woman has harrowing time at Sunder Bani hospital
Khursheed Begum (28), a Gujjar woman from the remote village of Bharakh in the Pouni block of Reasi district, kept wrenching in labour pain for hours together, but could not catch the attention of anyone in the hospital. She was referred from Pauni, as the doctors there termed her case as complicated. She reached Sunder Bani around 4 pm yesterday and delivered a baby girl around 7:40 pm on the bed itself, without being attended to by the paramedical or medical staff of the hospital. Even after the delivery, no one from the hospital came forward for long. Finally, a relative of the poor woman cut the embryonic cord to separate the baby from the mother’s body. Hospital sources said the supervisory doctors had gone to see off the Director Health Services, Jammu, AK Sharma, who was on a visit to the hospital at the time of the incident, and after seeing off Sharma they left the hospital. Having delivered the baby, an employee of the paramedical staff reportedly made the “mother” to parade to the Emergency Ward, holding the embryonic cord in her hands in the full public view. In a cover-up exercise, the hospital staff, instead of helping her recuperate, allegedly asked the woman and her husband to go home -- a charge that the gynaecologist on duty denied today. “Usually a mother needs 24 hours under medical supervision to recover, but the family was insisting on going home and they left in the morning on their own,” the gynaecologist on duty, Dr Sunil Kumar Raina, said. “My pleas fell on the deaf ears of the pharmacist on duty. He said such pains are normal. He also told me that it was a cesarean case and asked me to wait till the doctor comes,” said the husband of Khursheed, Kash Mohammad, at their residence in Bharakh. When The Tribune team visited their home, Khursheed was shivering with fever and on being asked about her wellbeing she complained of headache. “For us nothing has changed. They do not treat us better than animals,” said an anguished mother. “They did not give us any money that is given to mothers for delivering a girl child under the NRHM. I have been asked to come after a fortnight to collect the cheque,” Kash Mohammad said. Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer Govind Sharma refuted claims of the family and said that the woman was well attended by staff of the hospital, including Dr Sunil Kumar Raina, at the time of delivery. “She delivered the baby in the labour room and was later shifted to the emergency,” he claimed and added. The mother and the baby were normal and were discharged in the morning.” |
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Shootout in Jammu
Jammu, November 22 The gangster, namely, Rakesh Kumar alias Giri of RS Pura, was shot dead, while Yudhveer alias Babloo, also of RS Pura, was injured and Sunny managed to escape. Sources said the criminals were on their way to eliminate the former MLC, Deepinder Kaur, mother of Amandeep, who was allegedly killed by business tycoon Nagar Singh alias Nago’s son, Jatinder Singh alias Raja last year. They further said the police had been tracking the criminals for the past some days and was also tapping their phone calls and had established that a businessman had given “contract” money to Giri for eliminating Deepinder Kaur. It is pertinent to mention here that Nago along with his brothers and some cops,including former Jammu SSP Manohar Singh, have been facing a trial in the Amandeep murder case, in a local court here. Babloo, who sustained a bullet injury on his thigh and was admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital here , alleged: “It was a police game as Sunny yesterday called Giri to meet him near the resorts and did not come there. Instead a police party, which was already present there, opened fire on us without any provocation.” He further said though they, Giri and Babloo, had been involved in a number of criminal cases, now they planned to get married and start a business after opening a “dhabha”. Babloo added, “Sunny was not even known to me and he was a friend of Giri, who had called each other and planned to meet near the resort last evening. Giri had told me that he had a motorcycle of Sunny and was on his way to meet him.I simply accompanied Giri.” He also said Amandeep was on good terms with him. He accused the police of killing Giri and injuring him in a “fake shootout”. Babloo added: “We were on our way to the resort and had not fired even a single bullet on the police. In fact, it was the police that opened fire, in which Giri was killed and I sustained a bullet injury.” The family members of Giri,who arrived at the GMCH in the morning to get the body of the deceased, also levelled similar allegations. Kulwinder, a cousin of Giri said: “He had just come out of Kot Bhalwal jail, about 15 days ago on bail, and the police after hatching a plan killed him.” Kulwinder further said their grandfather, Gopal Dass, after hearing about the sudden killing of Giri, also died due to cardiac arrest last evening. “Now, we want to perform the funeral of both the deceased members of our family together, but the police is not supporting us,” said Kulwinder. “We are waiting to get the body,but the police party has not arrived as yet and as a result the doctors have not started a post-mortem examination,” added Kulwinder. He also alleged: “The two minor brothers of deceased Giri had also been arrested by the police about six days ago and the RS Pura police was not releasing them even after the death of Giri as they had been arrested to know the whereabouts of Giri.” However, later in the evening, the doctors conducted the post-mortem. The SSP, Jammu, Basant Rath said:“ The police killed the gangster in an encounter only after the criminals fired at the chasing police party last evening. Let the investigations be completed,.Only, then will the truth come out.” |
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Protesting PDD daily wagers lock Commissioner
Jammu, November 22 The agitating workers also served an ultimatum on the government to take a final decision immediately, failing which they would intensify their struggle. It may be stated here that the PDD was virtually being run by 9,950 daily wage workers, who performed various duties, including of supplying electricity to the entire state, besides collecting revenue for the department. Infuriated over a lukewarm response of the state government towards their long pending demand, the daily wage workers today locked Power Development Commissioner Asgar Ali in his office around 10.30 am. Asgar remained locked till 1 pm when eventually Chief Engineer, PDD Maintenance and Repair Wings, Mohammed Qasim rescued him. “Enough is enough. We can’t tolerate injustice anymore,” said a visibly angry daily wage worker. However, Qasim pacified the protesting workers and used his good offices in rescuing the Commissioner. Thereafter, Qasim took a six-member delegation of the agitating workers to the Civil Secretariat to meet the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, BB Vyas. Vyas assured the protesting workers of a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at 4 pm tomorrow. It may be recalled here that last year the daily wage workers had snapped power supply to the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for quite some time sending the government into a tizzy. “In this age of back-breaking inflation we are getting Rs 110 a day and more than half the number of daily wage workers are now more than 50 years’ old,” president of the PDD Daily Wagers’ Association Tarun Gupta told The Tribune. On a meagre salary of Rs 3,300 and Rs 3,410 a month, how could you feed your families, he asked. “On November 19 Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had asked us to suspend our agitation. But we won’t do so unless we get a written assurance from the Chief Minister,” said Gupta. The daily wage workers had launched the agitation afresh on November 15. |
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Rail services in Valley likely to resume in a week
Srinagar, November 22 The authorities will begin the repair work on the tracks and railway stations, damaged during the recent unrest from tomorrow. “The Northern Railway will start the repair of the damaged tracks and the railway stations from tomorrow and it is expected that the service will resume within a week,” official sources said. They said a dry run was conducted between Srinagar and Budgam railway stations today, which went off smoothly. The Northern Railway had made several attempts earlier to carry out the repair work, but was thwarted by miscreants, who resorted to stone throwing, the sources said. They said a large number of CRPF, Railway Protection Force and police personnel were deployed at trouble spots along the 120-km route from Qazigund in south Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had inaugurated the Valley’s first rail service between Anantnag and Budgam districts on October 11, 2008, much to the delight of the locals, who were waiting for such a mode of transport for decades. The second phase of the train services between Budgam and Baramulla was flagged off by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on February 14, 2009, followed by the third phase between Anantnag and Qazigund by the Prime Minister on October 28.
— PTI |
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Gujjar leaders ask youth not to depend on reservation
Jammu, November 22 Addressing a group of Gujjar youths, who have been preparing to compete for different All-India and state-level exams, Javaid Rahi, secretary,Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, said the concept of reservation was based on the proportion of total population of a community falling under a particular category, whereby a percentage of posts were reserved for employment, promotion in Assemblies and Parliament, to remove backwardness of the socially and educationally backward communities. These communities did not have adequate representation in these services and institutions. But this was neither a charity nor an aid. Rahi impressed upon the youth to work vigorously for the strengthening of the tribal status and identity, but at the same time, they were asked not to bank upon reservation only. He said although tribals, including Gujjars were historically oppressed and denied equal opportunity in society and were thus, under-represented in nation-building activities, “now, it’s time to prove ourselves as a forceful and vibrant identity of India.” He impressed upon tribal youths to struggle hard and not to depend upon 10 per cent quota in state and 7.5 per cent in Central jobs under the Scheduled Tribe category, but to think above all this. He asked the youth to try their luck in the private sector or outside the country too. Choudhary Zabeer Bajad, general secretary, J&K Tribal United Forum, who is also a senior scientist, while addressing the youth said the younger generation should focus on new system of attaining knowledge through various resources, including the Internet. |
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Girl injured in blast dies
Srinagar, November 22 The police here said the girl, Urfa, a resident of Kulgam district, was among eight persons injured in the explosion yesterday. She had suffered multiple splinter injuries due to the explosion. Four of the seriously injured were shifted to the SMHS Hospital here, while two of them, including the girl, were later shifted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here. Meanwhile, for the second day today, the situation remained peaceful across the Kashmir valley today with no reports of any violence since last night. All shops and business establishments were open and government offices, educational institutions and banks functioned normally. There was a heavy traffic as it was the first normal working day in government offices after the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations last week. A police spokesman said here the day passed off peacefully. “There were no reports of any untoward incident from any place. The situation remained under control throughout the Valley today”, he said. Normalcy returned to the Valley yesterday after the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani scaled down the protest programme on Saturday in view of the “feedback” from different sections of society, particularly the business community and transporters. According to the new programme, there are two days of general strike on Wednesday and Saturday. Meanwhile, a woman, Shahnaza, died after she was hit by a rolling wooden log when she was collecting firewood in the forest area of Gonchi in Ganderbal district, the police here said. Two persons have been injured in road accidents across the Kashmir valley since yesterday. A cart-puller was injured when he was hit by a Maruti car near the Fruit Mandi at Bemina here. The injured was shifted to the nearby JVC Hospital. A Tata Mobile collided with a Maruti van near Waripora at Budgam, resulting in injuries to the van driver, Showkat Ahmad Rather of Kunzer Tangmarg.
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National course on counter-terrorism
Udhampur, November 22 Additional Directors-General of Police (ADGPs) K. Rajindra Kumar, Ram Lubhaya, Gopal Reddy, Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur, Dilbag Singh, Inspectors- General of Police (IGPs), Naveen Aggarwal, D.R. Dolly Vorman, Ashok Gupta, Raja Aijaz Ali and Farooq Ahmed and other senior police officers were present. Terming the course of great relevance in the present scenario, Khoda said the programme would go a long way in sensitising the participants about the growing menace of terrorism at the national level and strategies required to be adopted in tackling it effectively. The course is being attended by officers from the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) to Director- General of Police (DGP) from various states and Union Territories. In his keynote address, Khoda said terrorism and insurgency threatened the foundations of democracy and there was an urgent need to be extremely vigilant in meeting the challenge. “New counter-terrorism operations require more information, intelligence and technology rather than the use of force and weaponry alone”, he suggested, adding that an integrated approach involving social and economic development measures was required to keep the social fabric of society intact. Welcoming the participants, Director, SKPA, apprised that the week-long interaction on various issues concerning several dimensions of terrorism, its ever-changing ramifications, our current and futuristic preparedness to counter the terror threats and to make the police forces of the country more effective in dealing with the menace of terror would be discussed. A new appropriate tactical action plan would be evolved after the culmination of the course, he added. During the course, presentations and deliberations on the subject would be carried out by serving and retired officers of the police, the paramilitary forces, the Army, civilians and
mediapersons. |
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Back from tour, students share experiences with Governor
Jammu, November 22 The students were accompanied by a teacher and Army officers who had gone with them. During the 18-day tour, organised by the Army’s 3rd Battalion of the Madras Regiment under Sadbhavana Programme, the students visited Udhampur, Jammu, Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari. The tour was flagged off from Bandipore on November 7 and will conclude on November 24. Interacting with them, the Governor enquired from them about the places they visited and their experiences during the tour. The students said it was a lifetime opportunity for them to have received exposure to various places of educational, scientific, historical and cultural interests in the country. For most of the students, it was their first visit to any place outside Jammu and Kashmir. The students were all praise for the Army for organising the national integration-cum-educational tour under the programme. The students said in Thiruvananthapuram, they called on Kerala Governor R. S. Gawai at Raj Bhavan and had tea with him. They also visited Napier Museum, Veli Tourist Village, Zoological History Museum, Zoo, Botanical Garden, Vovalam Beach, East Fort Palaces, ISRO Station and other places of interest. Similarly, at Kanyakumari, they visited Thakula Palace, Vivekananda Rock and other places of historical interest. Vohra presented gifts to the students and wished them a bright future. He asked Major Pranab Nair and other Army personnel to provide photo albums to the students as a memorabilia of their tour and organise an essay writing competition on their experiences. |
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Seven Reasi teachers suspended
Udhampur, November 22 The absence of the teachers came to the notice of the minister when he was on a surprise checking of development works in Reasi. While he was inspecting the progress of the works in Sirla Bhaga village, he was told that seven teachers of local Government High School were absent from duty. He immediately instructed the CEO, Reasi, to place them under suspension.
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Dept of Sociology holds Alumni Meet
Jammu, November 22 Prof Varun Sahni, Vice-Chancellor, was the chief guest. Over 100 alumni of the department, who are now working in various fields, were present. The first Alumni Meet of the department was held in 2008 and today the department organised the second Meet. A documentary was presented on the occasion which refreshed the memories of the department.The students presented various cultural items, solo songs,a group dance and a skit on the occasion. The song and dance sequence mesmerised the audience. |
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Reunion function of JAK Rifles ends
Udhampur, November 22 During the reunion the guests (retired officers) shared their regimental life experiences with the young ones to strengthen bond, renew association and build a spirit of camaraderie. In the morning, a get-together was organised on the PT Ground of the centre where all ranks interacted with each other and also with the Colonel of the regiment. Prominent among those who attended the reunion were Lt-Gen BS Jaswal, Colonel of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts and the Army Commander Northern Army, former Colonels of the regiment Lt-Gen GS Rawat (retd), Major Gen RK Sood (retd), Lt-Gen GL Bakshi (retd), Lt-Gen SS Grewal (retd) and Lt-Gen Susheel Gupta (retd). Besides the Commanding Officers and the Subedar Majors of all Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Battalions, 30 Veer Naris, 170 former officers and 65 retired PBOR along with their spouses and children were the guests on the occasion. |
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Students hold demonstration on varsity campus
Jammu, November 22 The protest was held in University of Jammu under the leadership of Thakur Varinder Singh, president of the university unit of the JJSF. The protesters raised slogans to express their resentment against the Central Government. They alleged that the silence of the government on the most recent protest calendar issued by the separatists was not tolerable. The protesters further alleged that the government was not serious about Central University in Jammu as it had neither acquired the land for the building nor had it appointed any Vice-Chancellor so far. Meanwhile, students of Distance Education held a demonstration in front of the office of the Controller, Examinations, University of Jammu, under the banner of the JJSF. The protest was held for the postponement of examination of M.A (Hindi) -Ist semester, scheduled on November 29. |
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Advocate Rohit is ICA member
Jammu, November 22 The Membership Screening Committee of the ICA headed by its president NG Khaitan of Khaitan and Company admitted Rohit Kapoor as an individual member of the council in its meeting held on October 23 in New Delhi. Taking advantage of India being a signatory to the New York convention, the ICA has signed cooperation agreements with 40 major arbitration centres around the world, including the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. It has cooperation agreements with the national arbitration bodies in Egypt, Bahrain, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China and Bangladesh. |
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2 KAS officers transferred
Jammu, November 22 The charge of Joint Financial Commissioner has been given to Additional Commissioner, Jammu,
R.K. Bhagat. |
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Army jawan shoots himself
Jammu, November 22 It said the deceased identified as
23-year-old jawan Nikal Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, was on duty at
the Noushera Army unit last night when he pumped two bullets into his chest and died on the spot. The police added that after hearing the gunshots Nikal’s colleagues rushed to the spot and took him to hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police has started inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC and has informed the bereaved family about the demise of Nikal.
— TNS |
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Reasi, November 22