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IAF copters lift 121 to safety
Avalanche in Kupwara
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Slight respite from cold in Valley
Ashok Chakra for Chinar Corps warrior
For Khajuria family, it’s a raw deal
Tight security in place
Republic Day messages
Public Safety Act to be softened: CM
Cong ministers feel heat from within party
State to have new pharma colleges: Minister
Minority Status
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IAF copters lift 121 to safety
Jammu, January 25 Braving the cold wave and extremely chilly conditions, the 130 Helicopter Unit of the IAF today resumed its rescue operation and airlifted 121 people, who were trapped in snow-hit Kishtwar district, said Defence PRO SN Acharya. A fresh air rescue operation was launched by the 130 Helicopter Unit in Kishtwar district early this morning in extreme cold conditions, added Acharya. He said MI-17 helicopters made 10 sorties in the Sondar and Navapachi areas, airlifting 121 persons, ration and some Army personnel. Around 300 people were trapped in the snow-hit areas of Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan. The remaining people are likely to be airlifted tomorrow, provided the weather holds, he said. After the rescue of 108 civilians and 13 children, the operation had to be suspended due to extreme weather conditions at Navapachi in the Inchan area of Kishtwar. The pilots were waiting for weather clearance. The air operation was launched under Wing Commander Anurag Kumar after a requisition by the state government to ferry 300 stranded people in snow-hit areas of Sondar, Dachhan, Marwah and Navapachi in the district. Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Mohammed Hussain Malik told The Tribune that a majority of the stranded people in Sondar were airlifted to safety today, while Navapachi still had a considerable strength of people who needed to be evacuated. “While 27 more people are yet to be airlifted from Sondar, Navapachi has a considerable number left to be airlifted tomorrow, subject to fair weather conditions,” he said. It takes two to three days of walk to reach some of the villages. The operation was supervised by Air Officer Commanding, Jammu IAF Station, Air Commodore Nitin Sathe and Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pawan Kotwal. Since January 9, the IAF has ferried over 2,188 people, including 1,613 civilians, between the twin capital cities of the state till January 21. At least 1,613 civilians were ferried between the twin capital cities in six sorties of IL-76 and five sorties of AN-32 planes. Similarly, 575 Army personnel were transported in two sorties of IL-76 and one sortie of AN-32. |
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Avalanche in Kupwara
Srinagar, January 25 Seven security personnel, including five Army men and two BSF personnel, were reported missing after an avalanche struck between Tiger Post and Kolang Post on the LoC at Pharkian Gali in Kupwara district of north Kashmir yesterday morning. Rescue operations were launched soon after the incident and the bodies of two missing persons, including a BSF sub-inspector and an Army jawan, were recovered. The search had to be suspended for the night due to bad weather and was resumed this morning. Till the last reports came in, there was no trace of the five missing persons. They included a BSF jawan and four Army personnel. Meanwhile, tributes were paid by Dashrath S Rathore, Inspector-General, BSF, Kashmir, along with officers on the BSF Campus, Humahama, near here, today to sub-inspector Narender Kumar of 126 Battalion, BSF, who lost his life in the avalanche. Narender Kumar’s body was recovered yesterday. The body was later flown to the victim’s home town of Bhojpur in Bihar. |
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Slight respite from cold in Valley
Srinagar, January 25 Similarly, the minimum temperature in the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir rose by seven degrees. Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of -7.4 °C, as compared to -14.4 °C yesterday. The gateway town to Kashmir, Qazigund, recorded a minimum temperature of -7.4 °C, four degrees higher than yesterday. The ski resort of Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the Valley, recording a minimum temperature of -11.2 °C. The day temperatures also rose by a few degrees, as most parts of the Valley witnessed a sunny day. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 8.0 °C, an increase of three degrees from yesterday. Other parts of the Valley also witnessed above-zero day temperatures. Pahalgam and Qazigund recorded maximum temperatures of 2.8 and 6.7 °C, respectively. |
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R-Day tableau to showcase women empowerment
Jammu, January 25 “The tableau has been divided into two parts in which the life of a girl will be depicted, starting from her early education life to the day she achieves heights. Lastly, she completes her higher education and climbs a mountain and reaches its top holding a Tricolour in her hands,” said M Akram Khan, fabricator and designer of the tableau. Khan said a 15-ft-long pencil had also been crafted on the structure to underline the Sarva Sikhsa Abhiyan of the government. “Moreover we have also displayed the pictures of women achievers from the state and the country,” he added. Shagofta Parveen, one among the main performers with the tableau, said, “I feel proud to represent a proud daughter in the tableau, who follows her dreams and finally achieves it by availing the government schemes meant for underprivileged girls”. Dr Nirupa Rai, personnel officer, DSEJ, said the golden girl depicted in the tableau with a book in her hands would help in generating awareness among the masses about the significance of educating girls. She said their department had worked on the theme with utmost zeal and spirit. On exhibiting scheme through tableau, she said art and culture was the best medium to reach the masses. GA Qureshi, director, DSEJ, said their aim was to project the government schemes meant for providing support to SC/ST/BPL and other underprivileged girls for their education. |
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Ashok Chakra for Chinar Corps warrior
Srinagar, January 25 “Lt Navdeep Singh’s father Honorary Capt (retd) Joginder Singh will receive the Ashok Chakra from President Pratibha Patil, Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, on the occasion of the 63rd Republic Day,” an Army spokesperson
said here. Lt Navdeep, who served the Srinagar-based strategic Chinar Corps of the Indian Army, had sacrificed his life on August 20 last year while posted with the “Veer Marathas” in the remote Gurez sector near the LoC. The spokesperson said Lt Navdeep Singh and his commando platoon were deployed in the
Kanzalwan sub-sector, near the LoC, in response to intelligence inputs about a group of highly-trained militants trying
to sneak into the Kashmir valley. “Navdeep single-handedly engaged and eliminated three hardcore terrorists from close range. Despite being hit and severely injured in the return fire, Navdeep continued to control the encounter, marshalling his resources with cool presence of mind. Living up to the highest military ideals, despite being grievously injured, he saved his buddy’s life while gunning down a fourth terrorist, before eventually succumbing
to injuries.” “His gallant action resulted in the elimination of 12 hardcore terrorists by his team in one of the fiercest encounters on the
Line of Control, dealing a crippling body blow to the terrorist groups,”
he added. Lt Navdeep was a third-generation soldier and an alumnus of the
Officers Training Academy, Chennai. He had chosen to join the Army despite his MBA and hotel management degrees. |
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Kirti Chakra for Samba hero
Jammu, January 25 Lt Khajuria, who hailed from Samba in the Jammu region, a warrior of the famous Army Service Corps, sacrificed his life in the service of the nation, while posted with the 18 Grenadiers near the LoC in Kupwara on September 28 last year. Remembered by his friends and colleagues as a cheerful, determined and enterprising professional, Lt Khajuria took pride in his choice of career, pushing behind his hard-earned degrees. Lt Khajuria’s battalion entrusted him with leading its crack Commando Platoon. He was deployed with his team to foil infiltration attempts by hardcore terrorists from across the LoC. Lt Khajuria, while leading his team in a search operation in Kupwara district, came face-to-face with two terrorists. Displaying exceptional presence of mind, he opened fire on them, allowing his team to take cover. In a prolonged firefight, the officer, displaying resoluteness and courage, closed in on the terrorist and eliminated him from close range. The officer engaged the other terrorist, who brought down intense fire on the team, and forced him to retreat. He pursued the terrorist before eliminating him. Upholding the highest traditions of the Indian Army, the officer put his life on the line to evacuate one of his injured colleagues during the firing. |
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For Khajuria family, it’s a raw deal
Jammu, January 25 While Kirti Chakra has been bestowed posthumously on the warrior, the Khajuria family feels a raw deal has been given for the young officer’s supreme sacrifice. “There have been instances where people who are still alive have been given Ashok Chakra. Though we will accept the award, as we do not want to disrespect our son’s supreme sacrifice, there are certainly hard feelings within the family,” says Sushil’s father Som Dutt Khajuria. “We don’t understand the criteria being followed while giving awards in this country. Our son went beyond the call of duty, giving scant regard for his life, and now a Kirti Chakra has been awarded for his supreme sacrifice,” regretted Khajuria. “Whatever he (Sushil) did, he did it for the country and not for the award, but we feel it is a raw deal for Lt Khajuria’s supreme sacrifice,” he said. He was more acerbic when it came to “insensitive” response of the Jammu and Kashmir government towards the young officer’s martyrdom. “Except condolences from Governor NN Vohra, no one from the state government bothered to share the grief with the family, which had lost its loved one. Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah didn’t bother to visit our house to say a few words of sympathy. To date, we have not received even a single call or letter of condolence from the Chief Minister,” he rued. “We don’t want any ex gratia but the fact cannot be denied that almost four months after Lt Khajuria attained martyrdom, neither the state government nor the Centre had paid any compensation to the family,” he said. Under the rules, the state government gives Rs 5 lakh and the Centre pays Rs 20 lakh to the next of kin of deceased soldiers and officers in such cases. Sushil hailed from Sangwali village in the Ghagwal area of Samba district. A bachelor and one among three brothers and a sister, he was born on August 28, 1985 and was commissioned on March 20, 2010. He was attached with the 18 Grenadiers. |
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Sacrificing all to live her dream
Jammu, January 25 Begum Jaan, an eminent singer from a tribal community, Gujjars, has sacrificed a lot to break the barrier to empower Gujjar women. She even lost her son and brother at the hands of militants, who wanted her to stop singing. She fought years of discrimination against her and the language to achieve recognition for her rich cultural heritage through Gojri folk songs and music. In an exclusive chat with The Tribune, Begum Jaan, flanked by her daughter, recounts her struggle. "Singing is in my blood. I may survive without food, water or air, but I will die if I can’t sing.” “Taking our cattle herd for grazing in meadows is something that separates us from the rest of the people. I loved my voice for the first time when it echoed from the mountains of my native village, Arigam in Bandipora district of Kashmir, when I, as an adolescent girl, murmured a few lines of a folk song, which my mother used to sing,” she said. “A voice inside me made me believe that I was special and then I vowed to live my dream, without thinking about the consequences,” she added. “Not much aware of the proceedings, I started doing rounds of the centres of music and art in Srinagar. Radio Station Kashmir was the only destination for strugglers like me in those days. It took me nine years to get a break. Eminent Santoor player, who was in charge of Radio Kashmir, after realising the passion and dedication of a tribal woman for art, arranged special auditions for me, which I cleared in one go.” “Unfortunately, the journey was not so trouble-free for me, a woman, that too, from a tribal community. It was like giving an open invitation to endless troubles. The first hurdle that I faced was my family's disagreement, as it shattered my marriage. It was not my husband’s fault alone, as the highly orthodox community could not digest a woman challenging the tradition,” she opined. “Inception of militancy added to my woe. I received threats from countless militant outfits as singing was considered anti-religious, according to them. They killed my brother and an 18-year-old son to punish me for my blasphemous act i.e. singing. But against all odds, I lived my dream. I always felt choked while living in the village but never gave up. As I started gaining fame, the rest of the community also changed its approach toward me. Those who opposed me, asked for the ways to put their daughters into folk singing. I ran from pillar to post for my community girls. I had always contemplated smoothening the way for my successors. I feel victorious when Gujjar girls sing on the stage and receive applause from the audience.” |
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Tight security in place
Srinagar, January 25 A close vigil is being maintained around vital installations here and elsewhere in the Valley. The police continued to check and frisk the passersby in the main marketplaces here today. Surprise checks had been intensified in these areas. Pedestrians, mainly the youth, were subjected to surprise checking and checking of IDs here today. With tight security in place, there was thin presence of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the roads today. Most people preferred to stay away from marketplaces, which wore a deserted look in many areas. Shopkeepers in the commercial hubs were seen waiting in vain for customers.
— TNS |
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Republic Day messages
Greeting the people on the 63rd Republic Day, in a broadcast, the Governor observed that agitations and confrontations had already caused enormous human and economic losses and the recurring disruption of the education system at all levels had done an irreparable damage to the career prospects of the youth. He emphasised that development and growth could take place only in an environment of sustained peace and normalcy. He said the prolonged period of militancy had adversely affected the development process and the generation of job opportunities, which were required to absorb the growing number of qualified youth. Referring to the turmoil faced in the preceding three summers, he said the spurt in economic activity during 2011 clearly demonstrated that progress could be achieved only when normalcy prevailed. He observed that the stable environment during the past year attracted nearly 1.20 crore pilgrims and tourists to the state, including over 32,000 foreigners. The Governor observed that the disturbance in Jammu and Kashmir in the past had adversely affected its growth and development. Nonetheless, the average annual growth rate and the year-to-year growth in tax collections had shown positive trends in the past four years. He said the level of capital expenditure had also been progressively increasing and stood at Rs 8,000 crore during the current financial year. Referring to other important developments that took place in the state during the preceding year, he said after nearly three decades, elections to panchayats were conducted in 2011. The large turnout in these elections, ranging from 70 per cent to 80 per cent in most parts of the state, clearly demonstrated, once again, that the people of the state yearned peace and development, he added. He said the government had commenced the process of imparting training to over 33,000 panches and sarpanches, and devolving powers, funds and the required staff to the panchayats. “The panchayats should soon become fully functional and start monitoring the effective implementation of the schemes and programmes entrusted to them,” he said. He added that the government was committed to establishing Panchayati Raj institutions and it was currently engaged in finalising the time frame for the establishment of the middle and apex-level structures of the three-tier Panchayati Raj framework. After listing several other positive developments in the state during the past one year, the Governor wished the people of the state a good health, happiness and prosperity in 2012. |
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Public Safety Act to be softened: CM
In his Republic Day address, the Chief Minister said a considerable headway was achieved on the fronts of - restoration of peace and curbing corruption - identified by him as focal points of target for 2011. “I had asked you to give me a year of peace I will empower you and accelerate the pace of development,” he said and referred to the conduct of free and fair panchayat elections and enactment and implementation of the Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA). “My government conducted free and fair panchayat elections and transferred financial as well as administrative powers to these democratically elected grass-root institutions involving these in the process of planning and development,” he said. On political issues the Chief Minister said his government set in motion the dialogue process through interlocutors who had submitted their report to the Centre and hoped that the Centre would consider it positively. Omar said he had always advocated revocation of the laws, which have been imposed in the state with the start of militancy. “Since there has been gradual improvement in the situation with the passage of time and the process of improvement is going on as such my endeavour would continue to work for revocation of these laws,” he said. He said his government was working on softening the provisions of the Public Safety Act and a Bill to this regard would be tabled in the legislature. |
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Cong ministers feel heat from within party
Jammu, January 25 A day after Congress Seva Dal, a frontal organisation of the Congress, had lambasted the ministers for ignoring the wishes and aspirations of the cadre, a senior party leader and former Minister, Abdul Gani Vakil, today alleged large-scale corruption in the Public Health Engineering Department and demanded a probe into its functioning. Taking serious note of the “irresponsible” statement of his party colleague, senior Congress leader Taj Mohiuddin, who holds the portfolio of the PHE Department, has asked Vakil to probe the allegations or face defamation suit in the court of law. “I have documentary evidences regarding rampant corruption in the PHE department. I have been demanding probe into the functioning of this department only to save image of the party because a Congress leader is holding the PHE portfolio,” Vakil told The Tribune and asserted that his allegations were based on facts. Earlier, the Congress Seva Dal had lambasted party ministers for ignoring the wishes and aspirations of its cadre. During a function held to observe the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Monday, dal workers minced no words in attacking party ministers for not giving due considerations to the aspirations and wishes of the workers. |
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State to have new pharma colleges: Minister
Jammu, January 25 The minister was speaking at a high-level meeting convened here this morning on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to device future strategies for the promotion of pharmaceutical industries in the state. While assuring full support for the promotion of both pharma as well as Aroma Industries in the state, Slathia said a Rs 100-crore project had been launched to upgrade and improve the basic industrial infrastructure in the Industrial Estates (I/Es) of Bari Brahmana, Gangyal and Samba under the Task Force Scheme. He asked the industrialists to further expand their industrial activities. He said the government was exploring all the possibilities to meet their pressing demands regarding allotment of housing flats in the I/Es on lease basis. He asked the Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical education to set up a special section in the Drug Control Organisation to deal with various cases related to the pharmaceutical industry, adding that the step would be a landmark administrative reform towards promotion of the industry. Slathia underscored the need for an aggressive policy to promote the pharma industry in the state. |
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Minority Status
Srinagar, January 25 In a statement here today, the APSCC chairman, Jagmohan Singh Raina, said they had been demanding minority status for the Sikhs for a long time but it had been ignored by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). The APSCC continues to struggle for this demand, he said, adding that in order to appease the Pandits, the NCM was ready to change Indian laws, indicating favouritism. As per the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, only four minorities are present in India - Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs. |
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Jammu, January 25
Jammu, January 25