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Setback to BJP
College students block road, force admn to accept demands
Dalai Lama’s visit puts spotlight on threat to excavation at Buddhist site |
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PDP takes on govt over graft, poor governance
Tanker operators, truckers, go
on indefinite strike
Home Guards’ stir for higher wages enters sixth year
SPO killed in encounter
Ladakhi students eagerly await Buddhist spiritual leader’s arrival
Army recruitment rally from Dec 4
Recruitment policy: ABVP activists meet Bhalla
Two arrested for shopkeeper’s murder
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Setback to BJP
Jammu, November 15 Announcing their decision to quit the party, they alleged that local BJP leaders had been compromising with the interests of the people of Jammu in lieu of money. “With a high hope the people of Jammu had voted in favour of the BJP, but the present leadership has cheated and betrayed the masses by its misdeeds,” they said. Veteran BJP leader Satpal Grover, who has been in the party since 1950, said he decided to quit the BJP with a heavy heart. “We have no option but to leave the party as the state unit has become a den of corruption. Local leaders, who are at the helm of affairs, are touts of the NC,” he said and levelled serious allegations against a senior BJP leader. Grover had been a councillor of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (MC) for three consecutive terms and remained the district president of the Jammu unit of the party for many years. He alleged that the present party leadership was not only defunct but also a coterie of corrupt people. To substantiate his allegations, another veteran leader Darshan Devi, who was also a councillor, alleged that Rs 250 were charged from each member, including Rs 150 for a magazine, during the membership drive. “We have come to know that the amount charged from the workers for the magazine was not deposited with the high command and was pocketed by some local leaders,” she said and vowed to expose these leaders. Another BJP leader Ashok Gandhi, who was senior vice-president of the Scheduled Castes Morcha, regretted that instead of taking action against the real culprits behind the cross-voting episode, three MLAs belonging to the SC category were made the scapegoats to shield a “black sheep”, who had the patronage of some national party leaders. State vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Raghunandan Singh, alias Babloo, who is at present the sarpanch of Janglote, Gurbachan Gupta, Mohan Lal Gupta, Rakesh Sharma, Arun Kumar and others also resigned from the party. Meanwhile, preparations were in full swing for Advani’s visit. Keeping in view the activities of the dissidents, the party had been trying to make the event successful.
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College students block road, force admn to accept demands
Doda, November 15 According to local residents, a large number of students, including girls, sat on the main road in front of the Doda Deputy Commissioner’s office and blocked traffic for about one and a half hour. The entrance to the Deputy Commissioner’s office was closed and the police was deployed to handle the situation. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Doda, GM Balwan tried to pacify the students but the latter were so agitated that they refused to relent till Balwan agreed to accompany them to the college to see the things for himself. President of the district unit of the All India Students Federation (AISF) Mukesh Parihar said the agitated students blocked the road because the administration and the higher education authorities had not taken any action to address their grievances though the former had submitted several memorandums to them. The students were demanding the construction of the boundary wall and the main gate of the college and the levelling of its ground. “In the absence of the boundary wall, the college has become a thoroughfare, which is affecting the academic atmosphere of the college. Due to the delay in the construction of the main gate, dirty water from the nearby residential area flows into the college, making it difficult for the students to study. It created an embarrassing situation for the students, especially girls,” added Parihar. Balwan visited the college and found that the demands of the students were genuine. He had a word with the principal of the college and other staff members in the presence of the students. The matter was taken up with the officials of the Roads and Buildings and Public Health and Engineering departments. “We have given a deadline to the officials concerned to complete the works as demanded by the students. Otherwise, action will be initiated against them under the rules. An order was also issued for the removal of a contractor due to delay in the works being executed by him,” said Balwan.
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Dalai Lama’s visit puts spotlight on threat to excavation at Buddhist site
Ambaran (Akhnoor)
November 15 Interestingly, Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma and his family, on whose invite and initiative the Dalai Lama is visiting the site, have themselves constructed a farmhouse close to the ancient site. The site is categorised as a national monument and any construction within 200 metres of its boundary is restricted. The site believed to date to 3 BC is spread over 500 metres. It is surrounded by private land on two sides while the Chenab marks its boundary on the other sides. Though excavation at the site has been on since archaeologists led by BR Maini discovered it in 1999, any further activity has been blocked due to the non-availability of land and the construction of a bridge on the Jammu-Akhnoor road over the Chenab, close to the site Excavation is threatening the office and the museum of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site. Informed sources reveal that the ASI office is set to be razed soon to allow excavation. But excavation can’t go beyond that due to the pillars of the bridge and the private land. Digging near the pillar of the bridge will be dangerous. “Where can we dig further? The site offers much more to unravel life from 3 BC to 7 AD. We have installed boards banning constructions, but to no avail,” say ASI sources. The Health Minister defends the constructions going on at the site saying, “We have taken an initiative to popularise the site. It is just a beginning. Our efforts will bring life to the site and if the ASI needs our land for further excavation, it can be worked out. No one has stopped us from carrying out construction and none has objected to it before.” Significance of Ambaran Some believe Lord Buddha’s tooth was found here. Ambaran is the only Buddhist site discovered in the Jammu region. It throws light on architecture, pottery and aspects of life during the pre-Kushan, Kushan and post-Kushan periods. It connects many missing links of that period, as similarities to life in Sanghol and some parts of South India have been found. The most significant discovery was the unique “Buddhist brick structure spoked wheel Stupa” called Votive Stupa. A silver coin, gold leaves and a tooth (some believe it to be of Lord Buddha) were found enshrined in a casket. The site yielded beautiful terra cotta parts of human figures. The moulding technique used in the terra cotta fingers, palms and other body parts shows that the master craftsmen had a thorough understanding of human anatomy. The excavations showed the Indo-Greek influence on the Buddhist culture. |
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PDP takes on govt over graft, poor governance
Jammu, November 15 Addressing agitating party workers who had taken out a protest demonstration against the government for “institutionalising” corruption in the state, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti regretted that both the BJP and the Congress had maintained a “criminal silence” about the prevailing corruption in this part of the country. “I fail to understand why national parties adopt different yardsticks as far as war against corruption is concerned,” she said. “Corruption has crossed all limits in the state but no national party is interested in taking up the issue.” She alleged that the present government headed by Omar Abdullah had established “mafia raj” and the government’s arrogance had led to a disconnect with the people. Corruption had been institutionalised and the Chief Minister’s office had become its fountainhead. Ridiculing Omar Abdullah’s demand for revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), she termed the demand a gimmick to divert people’s attention from the prevailing misgovernance and corruption in the state. She said had the Chief Minister been serious about the issue, he would have done the spadework by involving its coalition partner Congress, the Cabinet and the Unified Command before making the announcement. The PDP chief alleged that the Chief Minister had used the AFSPA to divert the attention of the nation from corruption in the government, which had been exposed with the custodial death of NC worker Syed Yousuf. She remarked that on the one hand the Chief Minister had been demanding revocation of the AFSPA while on the other hand, he was misusing this harsh law in the Yousuf case. The PDP president said due to mishandling of the situation and failure to provide governance to people, the Chief Minister had been using all his energy to stabilise his position as Chief Minister. Earlier, Mehbooba along with a large number of party workers took out a demonstration from the party headquarters. The demonstration was stopped in front of Women College in Gandhi Nagar and not allowed to proceed further. For more than an hour, PDP workers disrupted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. |
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Tanker operators, truckers, go on indefinite strike
Jammu, November 15 The truckers and the tanker operators decided to go on strike following a clash between a truck driver and a tanker driver last evening. The truckers and the tanker operators blocked the road leading to the railway station by parking their vehicles and did not allow supply vehicles to reach the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns and the oil depots. Meanwhile, officials of the local administration visited the spot and agreed to the demand of the protesters. Earlier, following a protest by locals, who were against the opening of the road for heavy vehicles, the approval was not given. “The road leading to the oil depots of Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil and the FCI godowns near the railway station is chaotic in the evening. Therefore, we are demanding that if the road leading to Channi Rama is permanently opened to heavy vehicles, we can operate without hindrance,” said president of the All J&K Oil Tanker Owners Association Anan Sharma. “The Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, will hold a meeting of truckers, tanker operators and local people tomorrow,” he said and claimed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had agreed to their demand last year. |
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Home Guards’ stir for higher wages enters sixth year
Jammu, November 15 With no end to their woes in sight, the dharna of the All J&K Home Guards Welfare Association today entered the sixth year. The association had launched its dharna on November 15, 2006. For the past five years, Home Guards have been holding a dharna at the Mubarak Mandi complex here. They have been taking turns to sit at the dharna site. Their count has also declined in the past five years. “Initially, when we launched our agitation there were 2,661 Home Guards but now their number has gone down to 1,300 in the entire state,” association president Kamla Sharma told The Tribune. We virtually approached everyone who mattered but to no avail. No one bothered to help us, she said. The association has been demanding better wages and abolition of the Home Guards department so that Home Guards could be absorbed in the regular police force. “In the past we have met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, BJP leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and many Congress ministers, MPs and MLAs but only hollow assurances came our way,” she said. Now, the state government is accusing us of politicising the issue. May we ask the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that is demanding justice a crime, she added. How can the head of a family bring up his children, meet kitchen and medical expenses besides looking after ailing elders with a meagre wage of Rs 545, she asked. In this age of high inflation over Rs 545 can go for just meeting the bus fare expenses to reach the place of duty, she said. We are totally dejected over the way our problems are being ignored by the government, she said. The association president requested the Chief Minister to take effective steps to meet the demands of the Home Guards.
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SPO killed in encounter
Doda, November 15 The encounter started this morning after the security forces, comprising personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Rashtriya Rifles, started a joint search operation for a militants’ hideout in Darang forests in the upper reaches of this mountainous district. “Since the terrorists had the advantage of being at a higher plane, the first volley of shots claimed the life of one of our SPOs, who was killed on the spot. We will do whatever we can for the family of the SPO who has sacrificed his life. As of now, we have decided to appoint his wife as SPO,” said DIG, Doda-Kishtwar Police Range, MK Sinha while talking to The Tribune on phone. The security forces suspected the hideout belonged to divisional commander of HM Mohammad Amin Bhat, alias Jehangir Saroori. The 22-year-old terrorist belongs to Saroori in this district. He is the longest A category surviving HM militant in the state. The security personnel succeeded in busting the hideout but militants are still suspected to be hiding in the forest area that has been cordoned off, the DIG said. There are two companies of the J&K Police and Rashtriya Rifles which have still cordoned off the forest area in which the militants are suspected to be hiding. |
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Ladakhi students eagerly await Buddhist spiritual leader’s arrival
Jammu, November 15 For this purpose, the representatives of four major associations - All Ladakh Students’ Association, Old Kargil Students’ Association, Leh Muslim Students’ Association and Kargil Muslim Students’ Association - have hired around 60 buses to ferry nearly 3,000 Ladakhi students to the recently discovered Buddhist site in Ambaran, near Akhnoor. The Buddhist spiritual leader will inaugurate a photo exhibition in Ambaran and will then address the public. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, president of the All Ladakh Students’ Association, said, “Nearly 3,000 students belonging to Ladakh will be ferried in 60 buses to Akhnoor from the Ladakh House, where we will queue up on both sides of the road to welcome the Dalai Lama. The buses will move around 6 am.” “This is the first visit of His Holiness to Jammu and Akhnoor, so we are doing all that we can to make the visit a memorable one. Besides the Ladakhi students living here, 1,500 youngsters from Ladakh are also expected to reach here by midnight.” Namgyal said, “As of now, the administration has not accepted our request to allow our few representatives to meet His Holiness. Let us see, whether they will allow us by tomorrow.” |
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Army recruitment rally from Dec 4
Jammu, November 15 The screening of the eligible candidates volunteering to join the Army will start at the rally from 6 am onwards. The screening of the soldier (general duty) category will be held for the candidates hailing from Samba district on December 4, from Jammu district on December 5, from Kathua district on December 6 and for the candidates from Poonch and Rajouri districts on December 7. The screening of the candidates in the soldier (technical), soldier (clerk/storekeeper) and soldier (nursing assistant) categories will be held for all districts of Jammu and Kashmir on December 8. The candidates can contact the Army Recruiting Office, Jammu, on the BC Road, Rehari, here further details.
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Recruitment policy: ABVP activists meet Bhalla
Jammu, November 15 The ABVP delegation led by Aman Bali, president of its University of Jammu unit, and Raghav Sharma, president of the GGM Science College unit, met Bhalla and discussed the pros and cons of the policy. The ABVP leaders said the new recruitment policy was framed in a hurry. Bali said the minister assured them that, “the government is serious about the
welfare of the students and no injustice will be done to them.” |
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Two arrested for shopkeeper’s murder
Jammu, November 15 The arrested persons have been identified as Sanjay Kumar, alias Sonu, and Subash Chander, both residents of Rajouri district. Sanjay was working at Surinder’s shop for last one year. The police said during interrogation Sanjay admitted that he along with his relative Subash Chander murdered Surinder in Subash’s house at Treru in Rajouri district. They later buried his body in a forest on September 18. “Surinder Kumar went to the house of Subash Chander along with Sanjay and they consumed liquor there. When Surinder fell asleep, the two others
took away his purse and killed him,” the police said. The body was dug out and handed over to Surinder’s family after a post-mortem today. |
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Training camp held
Jammu, November 15 Dr BL Koul was the chief guest on the occasion. Koul spoke about the health and nutrition of adolescent girls and the rights of women. |
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3 teenagers held for stealing cellphones
Jammu, November 15 The accused have been identified as Sunil Kumar of Migrant Colony, Sunil Singh, alias Sahil, of Jagti Nagrota and Santosh Giri of
Nagrota. The police said the three boys stole mobile phones from local shops and sold them at throwaway prices.
— TNS
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BSF jawan commits suicide
Jammu, November 15 |
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17 injured in road mishap
Jammu, November 15 |
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Ambaran (Akhnoor)
November 15
