Jammu, April 30
The polling in the fifth phase of the panchayat elections was marred by violence and allegations of booth capturing as well large scale rigging in the Darhal and Budhal blocks of Rajouri district today. Fourteen persons, including two candidates for the posts of sarpanch and three policemen, were injured in poll-related violence. Overall 81.09 per cent of polling was registered in the nine blocks, including four in the Kashmir valley, that went to the polls today.

“There are reports of some incidents of violence during polling. As polling stations are located in remote areas, we are gathering the exact information,” DIG, Poonch-Rajouri range, Rajesh Kumar told The Tribune. He admitted that 12 persons were injured in the poll-related violence today.

Reports said two groups of people clashed at Dodaj village when one of them opposed, what it alleged, bogus voting by the rival group. The polling was affected due to violence but was restarted following the intervention of the police.

Though the Election Department authorities have yet not announced re-polling, reports said the local administration had recommended re-polling in the Sagrawat polling station where activists of a political party allegedly indulged in booth capturing. It was also alleged that some people took away ballot boxes to cast votes in favour of their candidates. Mohammad Sharief Manhas, a candidate contesting for the post of sarpanch, was injured in violence at the Sagrawat polling station of Darhal and the polling was suspended.

Sources said one of the contesting candidates took away three ballot boxes. Two boxes had been recovered and the third one was untraceable. Some eyewitnesses told The Tribune over phone from Darhal that some miscreants had thrown ballot papers in the open. The Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, and other senior officers rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

Reports said violence also took place at Upper Dodaj, Thanamang, Bata Thana, Hilltak Maba area of Darr Sagari and Ujjan but the polling was not affected. At the polling station at Primary School, Jaba, the police had to use mild force to disperse some persons, who were protesting against bogus voting.

Despite violence in some areas of Rajouri district, the Budhal block registered the maximum of 85.88 per cent polling, followed by the Rajwara block of Kupawar district where 85 per cent of the voters cast their votes.

Today’s elections were held for 340 posts of sarpanch and 2,450 posts of panch across the state. At Budhal, which registered the maximum polling, the elections were held for 58 posts of sarpanch and 436 post of panch. Of the total 3,85,036 voters, 3,12,233 exercised their right to franchise.

Meanwhile, PDP MLA from Darhal Choudhary Zulfikar has blamed the local administration for today’s violence. He said the ruling party was desperate to capture panchayats in this segment and hence the official machinery was used to rig and manipulate the elections. 

Khansahab (Budgam), April 30
A woman candidate for the post of sarpanch was killed in Budgam district before the panchayat elections began in the state, but the incident failed to deter the people who came in a large number to vote here today.

The fifth phase of the panchayat elections in the state today saw a voter turnout of 81.9 per cent and Budgam district witnessed a poll percentage of 84 per cent. “People in this area want development. We need road, water power and nobody can keep us away from electing our representatives who will address our problems,” said Sharif Ahmed, a voter at Bugroo village.

The voters in this district say that the killing of the woman candidate by ‘unidentified militants’ had strengthened their resolve to take part in the elections and that was one of the main reasons they had come out in a large number to vote.

“Our village is an example of backwardness as our local MLA has failed to do anything for us. We have no option but to drink and use the filthy water of a nullah. We don’t have bridges and electricity has become a luxury for us,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a voter at Keitch Rajgeer village.

Women voters showed more enthusiasm in the polling process, as they said they wanted to elect a representative who could understand their problems and do something to redress them. “Women are the worst sufferers of the lack of development in our area. We have to travel miles to get potable water. Our children have to walk miles to reach their schools and we also become victim of domestic violence. So we want to elect a representative who understands the problems of the women folk and do something to solve these,” said Afroza, a voter at Khansahab.

The candidates in the area said initially they were afraid and wanted to withdraw their nominations following the killing of a woman candidate, but the people came to them and forced them to contest the elections.

“Initially, I wanted to withdraw my nomination but the people here wanted me to contest the elections so that I could help them resolve their problems,” said Abdul Hamid Sheikh, a candidate for the post of sarpanch.

The people at Keitch Rajgeer village said, “They don’t have a bridge over the gushing stream in the village for which they have been requesting the authorities for years together but to no avail”.

“We have placed a few logs to make a bridge, but the government does not seem to be concerned about our problem. That’s why we have come out in a large number to vote so as to elect a person who could help construct a bridge over this steam on priority,” said Gyas ud Din, a voter at Keitch Rajgeer village.

Leh, April 30
Playing ice hockey and skating in an irrigation reservoir that has been converted into an ice rink, the players from Ladakh have become national and international players. Players from Ladakh are representing India in ice hockey at the Asian level, while at the national level ice skaters from Ladakh had became the overall champions by winning 11 medals in the National Skating Championship held in Delhi in 2003.

Despite that level of achievements, these players are finding it difficult to get sponsorships for coaching and taking part in international events. Ice hockey is one of the popular sports of the region, but due to backwardness of the area the players are facing difficulties in getting sponsorships at the local level. At the national level, the players don’t get funds and sponsorships, as ice hockey is not a popular sport in the country and is played in four states only.

Gyal Wangyal, a former ice hockey player, said, “Parents, whose children get selected for taking part in international events or for advanced coaching in foreign countries, have to run from pillar to post to get donations from NGOs and other well wishers. Sometimes, the players get sponsorships covering only half of their expenses. Many selected children, who are poor, could not afford to go abroad for advanced coaching”.

He said the LAHDC should make a provision in its annual district plan for meeting at least 50 per cent of the expenses of those sportspersons who had been selected for coaching and participation in events in foreign countries so that the talented players, who are poor, did not suffer due to the lack of funds.

It is pertinent to mention here that a team of ice hockey players, which had been selected by the Ice Hockey Association of India to represent the country in the Asian Challenge Cup in 2010 in Taipai, could not take part in the tournament due to the lack of funds.

Mohammad Bashir, general secretary of the Ladakh Winter Sports Club through which the players are being sent for coaching and sports events, said, “At present we have three invitations from foreign countries, including for India’s representation in the Asian Junior Figure Skating in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 12 to 16. But we may not be able to send the players due to lack of funds. It is very difficult for the players to bear the expenses of playing in the tournament in Thailand”.

Jammu, April 30
Stepping up its campaign against the decision of the state government to revoke the order regarding the issuance of Dogra certificate, the BJP said today that fundamentalist leader and chairman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani had been working as the de-facto Chief Minister of the state.

Addressing a function held to welcome a large number of Muslim leaders who joined the BJP today, chief spokesman of the party Dr Jatinder Singh said unlike so-called secular parties like the Congress and the National Conference (NC), the BJP never indulged in politics of subtle communalism. He referred to the revocation of the Dogra certificate order saying the NC had succumbed to the diktats of Geelani and the Congress was equally responsible for being party to this communal design to continue its power-sharing arrangement with the NC.

Jatinder alleged that Geelani seemed to have become the de-facto Chief Minister of the state as in the case of the Amarnath Yatra too the NC-Congress coalition felt obliged to stop the the yatra on Geelani’s diktats. He warned the Congress’ coterie in Delhi that the BJP would not tolerate any weakening of the state’s relationship with the Indian union on the basis of the interlocutors’ report.

A number of prominent Gujjar leaders, including Choudhary Lal Hussain Lodha and Manzoor Hussain Badana, joined the BJP here today. They were welcomed into the party fold by Jitender, who was introduced individually to each of these leaders and activists by Engineer Ghulam Ali Khatana, executive member of the BJP’s Tribal Morcha and in charge of the State Muslim Morcha.

While welcoming the new entrants, Jatinder said the BJP was the only political party at the national level which was truly secular in character and had the capacity to safeguard the interests of both majority community as well as the minorities.

Jammu, April 30
After the Darbar Move offices officially closed in the winter capital here yesterday, the transportation of official records to Srinagar began today.With the shifting of the seat of power to Srinagar for the next six months, the volume of traffic on the city roads here, including the movement of VIPs, will decline drastically. The Darbar Move offices will now reopen in Srinagar on May 9.

To facilitate a hassle-free transportation of official records to Srinagar, the authorities have declared a one-way traffic on the 312 km highway from Jammu to Srinagar on May 1, 7 and 8. The official records will be handed over to the advance parties at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, as they have already left for Srinagar on April 25.

Every six months the state government mobilises departments concerned, including the SRTC, Health and Police and Estates Departments, to ensure that employees and official records reach the summer capital safely.

Health facilities have also been set up en route the Kashmir highway at Jhajjar Kotli, Udhampur, Kud, Patnitop, Ramban, Ramsu, Banihal, Qazigund and Bijbehara.

The Estates Department had been asked to arrange accommodation for the Darbar Move employees. Keeping alive a 140-year-old tradition, the Darbar Move costs over Rs 40 crore every year to the state government, which till 2009 had a pool of five lakh unemployed youth.

The practice was started by the erstwhile princely rulers of the state to maintain the regional balance in a state where voices of bias between the Kashmir and Jammu provinces keep on creating trouble for the government.

Jammu, April 30
Historians and political observers feel the government has done much wrong to the Dogra community by cancelling the Dogra certificate order.Keeping in view the pressing demand of the unemployed youth of Jammu, especially from hilly areas, who aspire for recruitment to the Army, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla had issued a government order No. Rev. (LB) 69 of 2011 dated March 25, 2011.

According to the order, all permanent residents of the Jammu region, irrespective of their ethnicity, cultural background and mother tongue were to be classified as Dogras and they were entitled to get Dogra certificates, provided their forefathers ha been residents of the Jammu division prior to 1944 (cut off date of 1944 shall not apply to the displaced persons of occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The unemployed youth of the Jammu region had been demanding the issuance of Dogra certificate as some concessions were being given to this martial community in recruitment to the defence forces.

Though the authorities had been issuing Dogra certificates to residents of the Jammu region since the time of Maharaja Partap Singh in 1887 for getting relaxation in recruitment to the British Army, youth of some hilly areas of the region were facing hardships in getting this certificate. Panthers Party MLAs had raised the issue in the Assembly a number of times.

When the Revenue Minister issued the order, hardcore Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed the government decision as a conspiracy to erase the identity of the Muslims living in the Jammu region. Geelani had stated that a majority of the population living in hilly areas of the Jammu division were Muslims and Dogra certificates would erase their identity and assimilate them into the Dogra society so that when the time for the resolution of the Kashmir issue comes the demand for independence could be seen as confined to the Valley.

Within no time, other Kashmir-centric parties joined the issue. Even the former Finance Minister and ideologue of the PDP Muzaffar Hussain Beigh joined the issue and demanded the revocation of the controversial order regarding Dogra certificate.

Interestingly, the Kashmir-centric parties were opposing Dogra certificate on the behalf of Muslims of the Jammu region but a majority of the Muslims living in the region were supporting the government order. Muslims living in the hilly areas of the Jammu region, especially in Udhampur, Reasi and Kathua, had supported the government move. The objection to the order on Dogra certificate came from the Valley.

“There is no reason to oppose Dogra certificate as the process to issue the certificate was started way back in 1887 at the time of Maharaja Partap Singh,” argued Prof Hari Om, an eminent historian and former Dean of Social Sciences of Jammu University. “Being a martial community, Dogras along with Gorkhas, Marathas and Garhwalis were given special concessions in the recruitment to the Army during the British rule. The Dogras being short in height, were given concession in height in the Army recruitment,” Prof Hari Om said. He observed that those who had opposed the certificate wanted to create a division among people of the Jammu region in the name of religion.

Another historian, Prof Nirmal Singh, while countering Geelani’s argument that Muslims living in Jammu were not Dogras, reminded that Malika Pukhraj was a known Muslim Dogri singer, who had migrated to Pakistan during Partition. He also pointed towards eminent Dogri singer Ghulam Mohammad.

Jammu, April 30
Considering continued victimisation of women and girl child, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla said the government had implemented various measures to uplift the living standards of women on a par with men. He added that a network of schools and colleges had been created for promoting and accelerating the education of women across the state.

The minister was addressing the students of the Taawish College of Education (TCE) at Channi Rama today. Bhalla said the education of a girl child on a holistic approach was important to expedite the woman literacy rate substantially. He added that several incentive schemes had been adopted like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mahila Samabhya and the Midday Meal Scheme for the purpose. He asked the parents to send their children to schools and colleges so that they could become good citizens of the country.

Bhalla said teachers were the main architects, who shaped the personality of the students through their excellent experiences. On the occasion, the students of Taawish College presented a cultural programme, which was appreciated by the audience. 

Udhampur, April 30
A senior Congress leader and MLA, Doda, Abdul Majid Wani, has expressed concern over the worsening condition of roads during the last one year allegedly due to inferior quality of construction works, especially in rural areas leading to wastage of public money and time.

In a statement issued here today, Wani alleged that it was due to substandard works under the R&B, CRF, NABARD, PMGSY and ERA sectors in Doda that all main roads linking the Doda district headquarters with the remote areas had either washed away or were in a dilapidated condition. Those responsible for the execution of road construction works in Doda district seem to have ignored the fact that on the indicator of road length per 100 sq km, the Public Works Department records show that the district has one of the lowest road densities averaging 7.77 km against the state density of 18.12 km. Of the total 19,000 km of road length in the 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Doda district has an approximately 400 km of all types of roads.

As per Wani, the people living in far-flung areas are made to suffer due to the fault of a few executing agencies and the contractors in the Roads and Bridges Department. He added that people faced hardships while shifting serious patients, especially aged, infirm and pregnant women, to the district hospital through these roads, resulting in deaths of patients on the way.

Wani added that resentment and anger prevailed among the people. He, However, urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take a serious note of the situation on ground and issue orders for an in-depth inquiry into the quality of works done in Doda.

Jammu, April 30
Justice JP Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, while disposing of a writ petition filed by Nisha Sharma, directed the state (respondents) to consider her claim for appointment and service benefits with retrospective effect for passing appropriate orders as warranted under rules governing the services within a period of two months.

“The petitioner, situated with those appointed in the year 1997, was thus entitled to the consideration of her claim to benefits with retrospective effect,” held the court.

Responding to the J&K Services Selection Board’s Advertisement Notification dated October 12, 2005, inviting applications from eligible candidates for selection against 84 posts of teacher in Kathua district, the petitioner, Nisha Sharma, having B.Sc, B.Ed with additional qualification of M.Ed, sought her case to be considered for selection against one of the posts. She, however, was not selected, and aggrieved, thereby, she approached the court.

The High Court, thus finding her more eligible than the last selected candidate and having been denied selection wrongly, directed the Services Selection Board to consider her for selection while allowing additional weightage for M.Ed and forward its recommendations to the appointing authority within a period of two months.

In view of the observations made by the writ court, the state-respondents finally issued orders for the petitioner’s appointment as teacher in the year 2003. The petitioner again filed a petition seeking her retrospective appointment as teacher with all consequential benefits of seniority, pay fixation and arrears of salary.

The High Court while allowing the writ petition observed that “from the admitted facts of the case, it appears that though entitled to it on the basis of her merit and for no fault of her, the petitioner was denied selection and appointment, when persons lower in merit were selected and engaged as teachers”.