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Protests rock Srinagar over Afzal clemency; Malik held
Unsung Hero: No official turns up for Havildar’s funeral
Omar apologises for disclosing names
of rape victims
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Miffed by Plan panel, youth sends
Rs 26
to PM, FM
Uproar in Assembly over suspended BJP MLAs
‘Deserving Kashmiri Pandits not allotted flats’
Govt wants probe into ‘custodial death’
Air Force celebrates Hindi Fortnight
Valley
women press for role in peace talks, policy-making
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Protests rock Srinagar over Afzal clemency; Malik held
Srinagar, September 30 The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, who led a protest demonstration from Maisuma to Budshah Chowk in the central Lal Chowk area, was held along with 15 others. Supporters of the JKLF held the protests as part of their agitation seeking clemency for Afzal Guru. Addressing a gathering before he was held, Malik warned the government of dire consequences if Afzal Guru was hanged. He alleged that MLAs, ministers and leaders of mainstream political parties were on the payroll of the Central government. Carrying posters and banners, Malik and JKLF activists took out a rally from Maisuma towards Budshah Chowk demanding that Afzal Guru should not be hanged, official sources said. As soon as the protesters reached Budshah Chowk, a posse of policemen detained Malik and 15 activists and took them to a nearby police station, they said. Irate protesters started throwing stones at police and paramilitary personnel at Masiuma, prompting the law-enforcing agencies to resort to lathicharge and tear-gas shelling, they said. The police claimed that maximum restraint was maintained to disperse the demonstrators and bring the situation under control. Malik was taken to a local police station and was likely to be set free soon. Protest demonstrations were also held in the Gojwara area of Srinagar city, where groups of youths took to the streets after the Friday prayers, demanding clemency for Afzal Guru, who is in Tihar Jail. There were also reports of clashes between protesters and the police in Gojwara. All shops and business establishments were closed and traffic towards the SKIMS hospital in Soura and Ganderbal district was suspended for some time. Meanwhile, separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, who is chief of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), a constituent of the moderate faction of the APHC led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has also demanded clemency for Afzal Guru. The hardline APHC chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, had called for protest demonstrations after the Friday prayers today to press for clemency. In his statement here yesterday, Geelani expressed concern over the role played by political parties in the state Assembly, where the resolution by an Independent MLA had lapsed due to pandemonium in the House on Wednesday. |
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Unsung Hero: No official turns up for Havildar’s funeral
Jammu, September 30 However, showing insensitivity towards the martyr, no official from the district administration or any politician, including the local MLA, turned up at the soldier’s cremation. Talking to The Tribune, Ravi’s first cousin Keemat Singh said though officers and soldiers of 18 Grenadiers bade adieu to their colleague with full military honours, no Jammu district administration official or any politician attended the cremation. Keemat recalled that Ravi had fought the enemy during Kargil War also and had sustained a bullet injury in one of his arms. “He is survived by his wife Renu Devi, a two-year-old son, father Tom Chand, mother Bachno Devi, four brothers and a married sister,” he said. Is a Havildar’s supreme sacrifice any different? Yesterday, the entire state machinery, including Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Mubarak Singh, Congress MP Lal Singh and other officials from the Samba district administration, attended Lt Sushil Khajuria’s cremation, but today all these dignitaries were conspicuous by their absence during Ravi’s cremation, he said. The cremation of the brave soldier was attended by nearly 3,000 persons, including sarpanch of Dabbar village Ajeet Charak. It may be stated here that five security personnel, including Lt Khajuria and Havildar Ravi Kumar, had died in the Kupwara encounter. |
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Omar apologises for disclosing names
of rape victims
Srinagar, September 30 “I tender an unconditional apology. There is a deep sense of shame over revealing the names of the victims,” Omar told the Assembly. The issue was raised by opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti, who accused the government of stigmatising the victims by revealing their identities in the Assembly. She said it was in contravention of Section 228 (A) of the IPC and Supreme Court ruling on the matter. The issue came up in the state Assembly soon after proceedings of the House began this morning amid noisy scenes over the issue of suspension of seven BJP members. President of the PDP Mehbooba Mufti and CPI (M) state secretary M Y Tarigami raised the issue after the House assembled. Omar, in his apology to the victims and their families, said “this should not have happened”. He assured the House that such a disclosure would never be repeated in future. “Under what circumstances these details have been revealed, I will look into it and will come back to the House,” he added. The state government had on Wednesday made public the names of hundreds of rape victims in the state. The list of names and residential details of the victims were made available by the Home Ministry, headed by the Chief Minister, in the Legislative Council. The details were given in reply to a question by MLC Subash Chander Gupta. In a statement here yesterday, Tarigami had strongly reacted to the disclosure of details about rape victims furnished by the government, describing it as “secondary victimisation” of rape victims. Tarigami had asked the government to apologise to all rape victims in the House. |
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Miffed by Plan panel, youth sends
Rs 26
to PM, FM
Jammu, September 30 The youth, Darvinder Singh, in a letter accompanying the drafts, has written that like millions of Indians he too was peeved at the government’s claim that anyone who could spend Rs 32 in an urban area and Rs 26 in a rural area per day was not poor. “On the one hand, the inflation rate is so high and essential commodities are going out of reach of the ordinary man, and on the other hand, the government is making such claims. I belong to a remote part of Jammu and Kashmir. Every day my family and I face ground realities." Darvinder asserted that he was sending them money so that they should show how one could survive, let alone have a healthy diet and education, with that amount. “I also invite you to come to my village, Bhagote, and see the sufferings of the people,” he says in the letter. The Planning Commission kicked up quite a storm in the country a few days ago when it stated in the Supreme Court the
definition of “poor” depending upon their spending capacity in urban and rural areas.
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Uproar in Assembly over suspended BJP MLAs
Srinagar, September 30 The Congress MLAs continued the protest, saying that the members had “no right to be in the House”. Senior Congress leader and PHE Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din said one of the members had accepted that money (bribe) had been accepted. “Let us know who has given the money and who has taken it,” he said, adding that the seven BJP members had no right to be in the Assembly. The CPI (M) legislator M Y Tarigami demanded a “credible inquiry” into the cross-voting incident during the Legislative Council poll to ascertain who all were involved and who all benefited from the deal. Raising the issue in the Assembly, he said: “The matter is of serious consequence, and has to be probed thoroughly”. A BJP member, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, maintained that the “suspended members cannot be prevented from entering the House”. He asked the Speaker to get expert advice in the matter. |
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‘Deserving Kashmiri Pandits not allotted flats’
Srinagar, September 30 NC legislator Mir Saifullah, while disclosing the names of some persons, alleged that well-off people settled outside the state had been allotted flats at the newly-constructed migrants’ colony at Jagti. He added a racket in connivance with officers of the Relief Department was operating. “Deserving displaced Kashmiri Pandits have been ignored, while undeserving people have been allotted flats,” he said. To substantiate his charge, Saifullah disclosed the names of some undeserving people, who had been alloted flats. He added some non-state subjects had also been allotted flats. When Bhalla refuted Saifullah’s charge, the latter told him that he had been kept in the dark by the officers of the Relief Department. Bhalla, however, said no non-state subject had been allotted flat at the Jagti township. He added the flats were allotted after proper verification and no person had been allotted two flats and the lists of allotment were published in newspapers, seeking objections, if any.
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Gandhi Jayanti celebrated
Jammu, September 30 Prof Ved Ghai, Chairperson of the Gandhi Seva Sadan, and a renowned social worker was the chief guest on the occasion, who delivered the key note address. In her address, Prof Ghai advocated to adopt the Gandhian philosophy of life along with Gandhiji’s keywords, truth and non-violence. Nalini Kohli, Principal of the College, was the guest of honour while Dr DR Kotwal, state president of the Bharat Vikas Parishad, presided over the function. |
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Govt wants probe into ‘custodial death’
Srinagar, September 30 Shah was among three persons called for questioning by the police here last evening, reports said. The other two persons were Abdul Salam, a police wireless operator, and Mohammad Yousuf, a NC worker from Ganderbal district. They had been called by the police in connection with a case of corruption. Syed Mohammad Yousuf Shah, a resident of Bijbehara in Anantnag district, had complained of some complication and was shifted to a hospital here, where he died. The relatives of Shah held a protest here today, demanding action against those responsible for his death. They alleged that he had been killed in the police custody. — TNS
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Air Force celebrates Hindi Fortnight
Jammu, September 30 Besides, banners in Hindi were put up at vantage points and literature in form of handouts, charts and pamphlets were distributed to propagate the use of Hindi. The participants were grouped in two categories -- Hindi speaking and non-Hindi speaking. They participated in the competitions with enthusiasm. —
TNS
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Valley
women press for role in peace talks, policy-making Srinagar, September 30 The conference deliberated on women’s role in peace building and policy making and the socio-economic and legal issues involved in women empowerment. “We, the women of Kashmir, from both sides of the LoC, want peace, security and economic stability to prevail throughout the region and an immediate end to the protracted conflict,” it observed and demanded the inclusion of women in all peace negotiations and dialogues on Kashmir. A spokesman for the conference said it was also observed that any solution to the Kashmir issue “must reflect the aspirations of all the regions and communities of the undivided Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan”. It also sought the simplification of the procedures for trade, communication and travel across the Line of Control (LoC) and the opening of other trade and travel routes like Kargil-Skardu, Chamb-Bhimbar and Leh-Khaplu. The conference was organised by the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR), New Delhi, and the Women for Peace, Srinagar.
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Demonstrations demanding clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at several places here led to clashes between protesters and police forces after the Friday prayers here today.
Srinagar, September 30
