Jammu, February 11
To effectively check militancy in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, the Army has started strengthening its intelligence network seeking more inputs from locals, who, the Army says, have more information about militants.

“We have been carrying out anti-terrorism operations based on intelligence inputs in these border districts. From this year, contacts with the local populace are being increased,” say sources in the Army.

The locals have sufficient information about the presence of militants and their movement, but it should flow to the Army and hence contacts and interactions are being increased with them, they add.

“We have already started seeking more inputs from residents in the two districts. At the same time, there would be reduction in counter-insurgency operations from this year as a part of the confidence building measures,” say the sources, adding that the Army doesn’t want itself to be projected as a repressive kind of force by separatists.

“In the populated areas, we exercise utmost restraint to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage, but when it comes to jungles, seek and destroy operations are very much in place and we go full throttle against them in forest and other deserted areas, they add.

“Militants can’t survive in isolation. They need food and shelter, which they take from their sympathisers among the local populace. We should get that information and with this aim, we have increased interaction with the locals, says a senior Army officer.

A senior Army officer of the Rajouri-based 25 Division has reportedly put the number of militants active in Rajouri and Poonch districts at 100.

“We have been successful in checking intrusion bids along the LoC in these districts. Our goodwill operations have also yielded positive results. People of the two districts are also fed up with the protracted militancy and now they themselves come forward to share information with us, the sources say.

Regarding disinformation campaign by Pakistan via its radio and TV channels, the sources say the Union Government has started setting up transmitters to counter the enemy.

“Pakistan’s propaganda is not of much concern to the Army for the simple reason that falsehood never lasts long. You cannot befool the people all time. Nevertheless, the government has started setting up transmitters in Rajouri and Poonch,” they add.

Jammu, February 11
Unlike other parts of the country, democracy surely does not exist on the roads of Jammu. It is usual to see a “free-for-all” situation on the roads in Punjab, but in Jammu, it is pure monopoly and autocracy of mini-buses.

Bus drivers can halt their vehicle anywhere. They can turn left or right without giving any indication. More often, they halt buses in the middle of the road and at times, they even stop the vehicle diagonally, blocking the traffic on both sides.

Most common is the violation of the rule of stopping the buses at designated stops. Such stopping points are not in the dictionary of the mini-bus drivers.

The buses stop at rotaries midway again blocking the vehicles. This scene is common at the Vikram Chowk. The buses would stop one after the other forming a row. Again, both sides of the four-lane road are blocked. The jam causes another row of vehicles and commuters just hope for mercy from the drivers.

True, the city traffic police is duly deployed at such places. But what do they do? They have simply put up a rope to stop vehicles when buses form such illegal row blocking the entire road. Where is the stick that is supposed to ensure that the buses stop at the designated place just a few metres away?

But cops don’t seem to bother. This makes one wonder if there are reasons other than sheer negligence to turn a blind eye to such blatant violation of traffic rules.

But, before you could ask a gentleman in blue, he would rudely shoo you away as VIP cavalcade is passing through. At that time, he would ensure that no bus is seen parked wrongly. Once the VIP cavalcade passes through smoothly, the job of the traffic cops is safe. They coolly move to a corner of the road and let people battle it out themselves.

This is the everyday story of traffic in Jammu. Jams occur like complicated knots, which after much jostling and pushing, untangle on their own. It is your sheer luck if it takes minutes or hours.

Jammu, February 11
To keep the police force physically fit and in a balanced state of mind, the state police has started organising yoga camps for them. This is for the first time that such an initiative is being taken for the well-being of cops.

One such camp was recently organised at Ramban in which a large number of policemen participated.

A senior police officer said due to overwhelming response from the force, more such camps would be organised across the state.

He added, “Though the schedule of yoga camps has not been decided, the authorities have approved the idea”. He further said due to hectic schedule, policemen got stressed which affected their performance.

An inspector said, “This is a nice initiative. It will surely benefit us. We will be able to keep ourselves fit, which will help us meet the challenges”.

He further said so far they had not received any official information about the camps, but it was a welcome step.

It has been learnt that most of the police stations have been facing the problem of staff shortage and the duty hours of every cop have been increased. Increased workload has been leading to health problems among them.

Leh, February 11
Beautification work of the congested and small town, Leh, which is presently facing the problems of traffic congestion and poor drainage system, has begun. It has turned a popular tourist destination ever since Ladakh was thrown open to tourists.

After streamlining the traffic in the main markets of the town, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, has decided to bring down hoardings and advertisement boards displayed either with the permission of the Municipal Committee, Leh, or without its permission at different places of the town.

It has also decided to continue the display of hoardings and advertisement boards of government developmental schemes in the town and not to provide further permission to new advertisers.

Deepika Sharma, administrator, Municipal Committee, Leh, said: “The removal of hoardings and advertisement boards displayed at different places of the town is a part of the beautification drive being undertaken by the LAHDC. Since Leh is the gateway to the Ladakh region, the drive is being undertaken to leave a good impression on tourists”.

She said: “Installation of benches for the convenience of visitors is also a part of the drive, which will be completed soon. To maintain cleanliness in the markets, shopkeepers of the town have been asked to install dustbins individually or collectively near their areas”.

Under the drive, parking lots have been streamlined and new parking sites have been opened to decongest the traffic in the markets. The main markets have been declared no traffic zone.

The administrator added that: “The Municipal Committee has also asked the LAHDC to create new pavements and tile the old pavements in the main markets. The Council also agreed to provide more funds under the district plan for the beautification drive”.

Jammu, February 11
From the times of Kalidasa’s blissful verses to the present day when Kashmir is generally portrayed as a “conflict zone”, the Valley in Kashmiri literature was discussed threadbare during a three-day Sahitya Academy-sponsored seminar, which concluded here recently.

The seminar was titled as “Kashris Adbas Manz Kasheer”. Speakers, comprising historians, poets, litterateurs, short-story writers and dramatists, while dealing with the subject, opined that it was not only in Kashmiri literature but also in other languages that poets and scholars in their books, travelogues and documents had made a detailed reference about the vale of Kashmir and its typical socio-political culture.

They had a special mention of noted historians and poets like Greason, Youngman Hafiz, Iqbal, Harvansh Rai Bachhan and BS Punjabi.

Prof Ayyaz Rasool Nazki, a noted scholar and Kashmir expert, in his paper made a mention of Sanskrit poet Kalidasa’s love for Kashmir. He spoke about how Persian poets had equated Kashmir with heaven on earth by a popular couplet: “Agar Firdos Barroye Zameen Ast, Hamein Ast, Hamein Ast, aur Hamein Ast” (If there is a heaven on Earth, it is here in Kashmir).

Nazki dwelt at length spiritual poetess Lal Ded’s frequent reference of Harmukh mountain and the Sindh (Indus) river in her “vaakhs”. He also touched upon Nund Rishi’s “shrukhs” and a frequent mention of Kashmir in them.

Nazki, referred to the revolutionary poems of the 20th century when poets like Mehjoor, Dina Nath Nadim and Fazil infused the spirit of Kashmiryat among the masses. He also referred to Kashmiri poets and litterateurs of post-Independence era when people like Som Nath Zutshi, Bansi Nirdosh, Sofi Ghulam Mohammad, Autar Krishan Rehbar, Umesh Bharati, Ali Mohd Lone, Moti Lal Kemu, Hriday Kaul Bharati and Pushkar Bhan did a yeomen’s job in promoting and projecting Kashmiri literature through local radio and print media.

The seminar also dwelt upon the dark phase through which Kashmir was presently passing during the past over two decades. Speakers referred to how themes like fear, death and destruction became the focus of attention for every writer or poet while projecting Kashmir.

Mohan Lal Aash, a Kashmiri Pandit poet, presently living in exile, spoke about how he and his fellow migrant poets and writers have been missing Kashmir and craving to go back to their roots. “This is reflected through hundreds of books, short stories and poems written in exile,” he said.

Dr Aziz Hajni, convener, Kashmiri Advisory Board, made a fervent appeal to the government to promote Kashmiri as a mother tongue, particularly among Kashmiri migrant youth and children living here in alien atmosphere and culture.

Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Minister for School Education, said acquaintance of young generations with their respective regional languages was a must as without the basic knowledge of mother tongue the overall development of children got hampered. He said a language was a repository of cultural ethos, social values and traditions of a specific area, which ensured a dignified identity to an individual.

Referring to various measures introduced to encourage regional languages, the minister said Kashmiri, Dogri and other local dialects had been introduced as one of the compulsory subjects from classes I to VIII.

“The government intended to make these regional dialects as compulsory subjects in classes IX and X as well,” he added.

Srinagar, February 11
Raman Bhalla, Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation,has said that the coalition government is committed to providing equal opportunities to the people living in the three regions of the state.

Addressing a public meeting at Yaripora he said the government had accorded priority to the welfare plans of those belonging to the economically weaker sections of society.

Bhalla said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had always evinced a keen interest in making Jammu and Kashmir a model state for which liberal funds had been allocated for various projects.

Several projects under the PMGSY and ADB-funded schemes were going apace in the state, adding that various schemes for tackling unemployment had been launched. Besides, thousands of rural people had benefited with the implementation of the MGNREGA scheme.

Referring to Yaripora, Bhalla said the government was committed to development of the remote, far-flung and neglected areas of the state. Supporting the demand for the tehsil status to Yaripora Naibat, the minister said the committee constituted for the purpose would submit its report within four months after after the demand would be sympathtically considered.

He said the Tehsildar would be asked to visit this area twice a week to redress public grievances on the spot.

Bhalla said work was apace on a Rs 7.28-crore mini secretariat to provide all facilities under one roof.

Jammu, February 11
Ever mounting pressure of regular assignment keeps photojournalists on their toes as they have to rush to cover protests, rallies, dharnas, press conferences and what not. Nonetheless, the creativity of an artist never gets bogged down amidst all this.

Taking some time out of their busy schedule, photojournalists and some freelance photographers associated with newspapers gave a visual treat to Jammuites at a photo exhibition at Kala Kendra.

The two-day exhibition in which over hundred offbeat photographs have been displayed for public view was inaugurated here by First Lady Usha Vohra, who was also the chief guest on the occasion.

The pictures having artistic impressions portrayed a number of themes ranging from nature, wildlife and contrasts in human life. All forms of self-speaking photographs, including long shots, wide shots, portraits, close-ups etc have been showcased.

“A very good display of photographs… some of them really exceptional. I congratulate the organisers for putting up the exhibition. It will help in encouraging our interest in photography,” wrote the chief guest in comments’ book.

“The objective of the exhibition is to make people aware of our work that usually is not reflected in newspapers,” said Afzal Shah, a senior photojournalist of Kashmir Times.

He added, “This kind of exhibitions also provide platform to the beginners, besides fostering a sense of fraternity among the photojournalists”.

The photojournalists whose work has been displayed in the exhibition included Mir Imran (Greater Kashmir), Raman Raina (Shadow), Nitin Kanotra (Hindustan Times), Vishal Sharma (Kashmir Times), Yogesh Manhas (Amar Ujala), Sanjay Gupta (Amar Ujala), Mohit Sharma (Punjab Kesri) and JP Bandral (European Press).

The pictures of freelance photographers like Guldev Raj and Nikhil Mehta have also been displayed.

Jammu, February 11
After the launch of much-awaited mobile uumber portability (MNP) on January 20 , the BSNL Jammu secondary switching area (SSA) consisting of Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts has so far attracted 89 customers while losing 71 to other networks.

“Though MNP was launched on January 20 this year, requests for port-in and port-out started pouring to us after January 26,” a senior BSNL official told The Tribune.

Till date we have received 89 port-in requests and 71 port-out requests from Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts.

Besides BSNL, Jammu and Kashmir has six other service providers, Airtel, Aircel, Tata Indicom, Reliance, Vodafone and Idea. Keeping in mind BSNL’s customer-base, which is in lakhs in the state, the figures from three districts are very low compared with other service providers, said the official.

“BSNL owns the best infrastructure in the state and had wide reach, even in remote and far-flung areas. Going by good services and better tariff plans being offered by BSNL, we anticipate further growth in the days to come,” he said.

BSNL has taken MNP as an opportunity to expand BSNL market. For the port-in customers BSNL has offered a bonanza as well.

Under a special offer for pre-paid customers BSNL is offering no extra charges to switch over to BSNL, free of cost 32K SIM, additional talk time in addition to normal free talk value associated with the respective first re-charge coupons (FRCs)-Rs 100 and free GPRS/data usage (5GB) for one month and thereafter usage as per the chosen FRC.

Similarly, for the post-paid customers BSNL had decided on no extra charges for the port-in, free of cost 32K SIM, half of the fixed monthly charges as per plan for the first month only and free GPRS/data usage for one month. In case the data usage permitted for chosen plan is more than 5GB per month, the higher data usage is applicable

However, following the new TRAI guidelines the freebies will soongo. Under the guidelines, every operator has been asked by TRAI to provide only the plans it was already providing to the customers and freebies will, therefore, go soon, said the official.

Many instructions at public places like bus stands, railway stations and hospitals are meant for the safety and maintenance of public property and public welfare. Undoubtedly, strict adherence to these rules and regulations adds to the safety and welfare measures. But, these inscriptions are found only in the name as no heed is paid to the spirit behind.

Take the case of the inscription “Keep Your Hospital Clean” at any hospitals. For instance, Government Dental College, Srinagar, hospital premises and the clinics inside may be clean but no attention is paid to the area around these buildings inside the vast complex. Non-bio degradable items like polythene carrybags and covers of disposal hospital equipment, medicines and machinery are found in heaps around the buildings (See Picture).