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Afzal issue not to impact final report: Padgaonkar
Assembly to debate resolution on Afzal Guru
Water level in Jhelum recedes
162 BSF constables pass out
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Army to hold seminar on Pakistan
Snowfall on upper reaches of Ladakh
2 Dogri books released
Mega cracker show at Dal Lake
Militant hideout unearthed
Eight refugee colonies regularised in Samba
Army holds debate in Bhadarwah school
Youth’s body recovered
Keep Valley pollution free, says Dy CM
NCC cadets win medals
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Afzal issue not to impact final report: Padgaonkar
Jammu, September 17 Flanked by the two other interlocutors, Prof Radha Kumar and MM Ansari, Padgaonkar said, “It (Afzal Guru issue) shall have no bearing on the recommendations we are going to make in our final report.” He was replying to questions about the Afzal issue and its impact on their final report as well as their opinion on Afzal’s mercy plea. “If you want to ask me my personal opinion, I have said so before and I reiterate here (that) I am against capital punishment,” Padgaonkar said. “However, capital punishment is on the statutory book and so long it is on that book, there is little we can do,” he said. He added, “But I have said the final decision has to be taken at the highest level”. Padgaonkar also made it clear that the non-participation of the separatists in the dialogue process would make no difference to the final report to be submitted to the government before October 12. He, however, said options were still open for anybody, including the separatists, to come forward and give their suggestions for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. “Will the fact that they (separatists) did not engage with us, make a big difference to the report? The answer is no. It won’t. Because we have a fair idea what the factions of the Hurriyat Conference and the separatists stand for,” Padgaonkar said. “In our report, we have taken into consideration five points of the Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and five points of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,” he said. “We wanted to get a greater elaborations on these points, which would have been possible by talking to them,” he added. Prof Radha Kumar said, “We are aware about the proposals the separatists have made during the past 10 years. We are aware of the proposals of Yasin Malik of the JKLF, the proposals of the Muslim Conference, Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference and various other groups of the separatist constituency.” Padgaonkar denied the charge that they were working on a fixed agenda and were going to support the demand for the grant of the pre-1953 status to Jammu and Kashmir. “We are still in the stage of drafting our recommendations and it is totally wrong to say at this juncture that our agenda is to support the demand for the pre-1953 position in the state,” he said. He added that the panel would try to accommodate the aspirations and wishes of all the regions and sections of the state in the final report. Pointing out that they have made recommendations to the Centre on the issue of unmarked mass graves in Kashmir, Padgaonkar said today that the issue would be addressed by the government with “absolute sincerity and sensitivity”. “We had made recommendations (with regard to the disappearance issue) in our earliest reports to the government. We had spent considerable time with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which were handling this issue (in Kashmir),” Padgaonkar said. “We are satisfied that it has come out in the open. It is a good movement for Indian democracy. It is a good movement for transparency,” he said, adding, “We hope that steps will be taken to address the grievances of the families”. Meanwhile, the three-member team of interlocutors, currently on a visit to the state, held a meeting with Governor NN Vohra
at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar today. The team comprising Dileep Padgaonkar, Prof Radha Kumar and MM Ansari held an extensive interaction, lasting for nearly three hours, with the
Governor. An official spokesman said the interlocutors discussed some issues relating to the growth and development of the state.
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Assembly to debate resolution on Afzal
Guru
Srinagar, September 17 “The draw of lots was held today and the resolution regarding Afzal Guru was picked up at serial number two,” Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mohammad Akbar Lone said. He said the resolution would now be discussed and debated in the Assembly on September 28. Independent MLA from the Langate constituency in Kupwara Sheikh Abdul Rashid had submitted a resolution to the Assembly Secretariat seeking clemency for Afzal, who is on death row following his conviction in the 2001 Parliament attack case. The Assembly is meeting for the summer session on September 26.
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Water level in Jhelum recedes
Srinagar, September 17 With an improvement in the weather conditions in the Kashmir valley, the water level in the Jhelum, which had touched the danger mark yesterday, came down to the normal level today, Aamir Ali, Coordinator, Disaster Management Cell, Kashmir, said. Meanwhile, a team of officers and engineers, led by Principle Secretary, Roads and Buildings, KB Agarwal, today visited the flood-hit areas of Tral to assess the damage caused to public and private property and crops. The team was accompanied by MLA, Tral, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah. It also interacted with the affected people and took stock of the losses caused to the fruits, paddy and maize crops.
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162 BSF constables pass out
Srinagar, September 17 Anil Kamboj, IG, BSF, Kashmir Frontier, took the salute at the parade. “We have trained these recruits in all kinds of weapons and equipment they will need to use while protecting the borders of the country,” Kamboj said. He lauded the role of the officers and the training staff of the STC in shaping the young men to shoulder the responsibility of serving the nation. The parade was commanded by constable Anuj Kumar Sinha. The IG gave away the Best Cadet Medal to constable Dinesh Chandra Upreti, the Best Shot Medal to constable Upendra Prasad Mehta and the Best Physical Endurance medal to constable Prameshwer Prajapati. The recruits, hailing from various parts of the country, underwent training in physical fitness, mental robustness, effective use of arms, map reading and maintaining utmost discipline. Thy have also been trained in field engineering, field craft, minor tactics, anti-terrorism, counter-insurgency, commando operations and respect for human rights. Kamboj congratulated the pass outs for the excellent parade and wished them good luck for the future. The STC, BSF, Kashmir, was established on June 10, 1990, to impart basic training to recruits and cater to the training needs of the BSF in the Valley. This centre had so far trained 10,335 recruits since its inception, including 1,749 Kashmir youths. |
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Army to hold seminar on Pakistan
Jammu, September 17 The seminar, which will be attended by eminent strategists and luminaries, intends to generate discourses on contemporary Pakistan. It will primarily focus on mapping the complexities, contradictions and dynamics of Pakistan’s politics, economy, foreign policy and its army. A debate will be generated on evolving a regional and international strategic environment in the backdrop of the events in Abbotabad and the reports of Pakistan’s emergence as a hub of international terrorism. Besides, a close look will be given to the nuances and impact of the endgame in Afghanistan and its effect on the power matrix in the region.
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Snowfall on upper reaches of Ladakh
Jammu, September 17 Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Sonam Lotus, in-charge of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Jammu and Kashmir, said, “We have received the reports of the first snowfall of the season on the higher reaches of Kargil and Drass. About 10 cm of snow has been measured at these places.” He added, “This year the snowfall has taken place well in advance. We had not expected the snowfall at this time. It is all due to the favourable conditions created by the monsoon that the snowfall occurred on the high altitudes.” Asked whether the winter would approach early, Sonam said, “With just one snowfall we cannot forecast anything about the winter. But one thing was sure that the monsoon, which we were expecting to last till September 15, would extend this year.” Substantiating his claims and comparing the monsoon with that last year, Sonam said the monsoon had arrived late last year. “This year, the monsoon reached the state before the scheduled time, but it may last till September 22-23, as the sky was cloudy at most of the places across the state,” he said, adding, “The western disturbances is the reason behind this development.” Sonam said, “The higher reaches, including Kargil and Drass, are likely to get more snowfall, while rain may occur in other parts of the state in the next 24 hours.”
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2 Dogri books released
Jammu, September 17 The books released were “Dogri Lok Geeten Da Sanskritik Adhyayan” and “Thamma Te Kalawa”, a collection of short stories written by late Dr Ganesh Bhargav and Krishna Prem, respectively. Subhash Sharma and Prof Veena Gupta presented papers on the critical appreciation of the contents of the books. The Deputy Commissioner appreciated the authors for having put in so much effort in bringing out the books of a high literary merit. He said the people should be grateful to the writers, who were enriching the literature in their mother tongue, which in turn enriched the cultural life of the people. The Deputy Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the Dogri Sanstha, which had been working for the promotion and development of Dogri language, literature and culture for the past seven decades. He said the project for the construction of the Dogri Bhawan Complex undertaken by the Dogri Sanstha would be a significant contribution to the cultural and social life of the people of the region. Earlier in his welcome address, Prof Lalit Magotra, president of the Dogri Sanstha, spoke about the importance of the two books released at the function. He said there was a dearth of scholarly books on Dogri culture and literature and Dr Bhargav’s book was an important contribution to fill the void. Magotra said Krishna Prem was a Dogri short story writer of immense talent and her stories revolved around delicate human relationships. “There is a need for translating our literature into Hindi and English so that the Dogri literature reaches to a wider readership,” he said. Magotra urged all the Dogri-speaking people to accord due respect to their mother tongue by giving place to Dogri literary books and magazines in their homes. |
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Mega cracker show at Dal Lake
Srinagar, September 17 The show was inaugurated by Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and crackers were burst from 7.25 pm till midnight. Pedestrians lined up on the banks of the lake to witness the show organised by the Space Communication in collaboration with the Department of Information. Around 10,000 persons, including visitors, witnessed the show. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was travelling at that time, also turned up at the show amid hustle and bustle. Tourists appreciated the event and called for regular such shows on weekends. The people watched the crackers go off from the Boulevard road, Naseem Bagh and Dalgate areas. |
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Militant hideout unearthed
Srinagar, September 17 Acting on a tip-off, the police and troops of the CRPF launched a search operation in the Rangwar forests and unearthed the hideout, a police spokesman said. The seizures included a pistol, seven 9 mm rounds, 490 AK rounds, eight magazines, 19 grenades, a radio set, nine grenade fuses, a remote-control IED and one 51 mm mortar. —
PTI
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Eight refugee colonies regularised in Samba
Jammu, September 17 “We have given proprietary rights to 277 residents of eight colonies of refugees of 1965 and 1971 in Samba district under the Common Land Act, 1956,” Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla said
at a function in Samba district today. “The colonies, which have been regularised under the Common Land Act, 1956, are Chak Nazir, Birpur, Channi Fatwal, Vijaypur, Rakh Kangwal, Paloora, Madoon and Sordi,” Bhalla said. The government had already regularised 16 camp and non-camp colonies in Samba district, he said, adding that the rest would be regularised soon after the completion of revenue documents. Bhalla said the state government had submitted a proposal of a Rs 1,775-crore package to the Central government so that the problems of the refugee families of 1947, 1965 and 1971 could be resolved in one go. — PTI |
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Army holds debate in Bhadarwah school
Jammu, September 17 Headmistress of the school Nina Devi said, “Besides the regular curriculum, which is taught in the school, such competitive activities organised by the Army go a long way in building confidence and enhancing self-belief among the youth in this far-flung area”. The debate was held in two categories, Class V to VI and Class VII to VIII, on the topics, “Conservation of Wildlife” and “Prevention of Air Pollution”, respectively, and a total of 20 students participated in it. Azad Hussain, sarpanch of Banjoi village, said, “Such initiatives by the Army are always welcome as they help the people in the far-flung areas to relate themselves with the mainstream activities.” Later, the headmistress gave away prizes to the winners of the debate. |
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Youth’s body recovered
Srinagar, September 17 Investigations into the incident had started, he added. —
PTI
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Keep Valley pollution free, says Dy CM
Srinagar, September 17 “It is our prime responsibility to safeguard our land, forest and water resources,” he said. He added, “The younger generation needs to be sensitised about the importance of preserving the beauty of the Valley.” Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani highlighted the need for developing good sanitary habits among the children while calling for a sustained cleanliness awareness programme round Nasir said to attract tourists continuously to the state, tourist spots needed to be made more attractive for which sanitation required a focused attention. “God has blessed us with a lot of natural bounties,” he said and urged the people contribute to their maintenance and upkeep. Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Sheikh Mushtaq urged the people to discourage the use of polythene bags, as it was harmful to health. He said th SMC would continue its crackdown on shopkeepers indulging in the sale and storage of polythene bags. He added that Rs 60,000 as fine was collected from shopkeepers for the illegal sale of polythene bags on a single day recently. Mushtaq appealed to the people to extend full cooperation in checking the use of polythene bags completely. |
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NCC cadets win medals
Jammu, September 17 Dr Kiran Bakshi, principal of the College, congratulated the cadets for their outstanding achievement.
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Heavy rain and flash floods caused heavy damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure, crops and private property in 20 villages of the Tral area in Pulwama district yesterday.
After successfully completing 38-week training, a batch of 162 constables participated in an attestation-cum-passing out parade.
“On the question of Afzal Guru, the final decision obviously rests with the President. We do not wish to comment any further,” Dileep Padgaonkar, head of the three-member team of interlocutors, told reporters here today.
