|
|
|
|
|
Evolve consensus on Kashmir, says Mufti
Demand for citizenship
BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas flags off a bus carrying West Pakistan refugees from Jammu to New Delhi on Sunday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma |
|
|
Memogate Scandal
Community comes to rescue of Ladakh’s heritage
Soon, monthly festivals to attract tourists
Four killed in road accidents
Janipur in Jammu mourns loss of its two children
The grief-stricken Shashi Kumari, mother of Sahil Mehra who drowned in the Tawi on Saturday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
Kashmiri Pandits demand passage of shrine Bill
Annual drama festival Natrang stages Manto’s ‘Neeli Ragein’
Massive afforestation drive planned in Valley
Adult Education conference at KU
National integration camp concludes at Nagrota
Army builds boundary wall of school
Tajikistan envoy wants better trade ties with India
Folk art against AIDS prevalence
Two families put up a dogged fight over 3-month-old Boozo
70-yr-old man shot at by militants
|
|
Evolve consensus on Kashmir, says Mufti
Thelore Mandi (Samba), March 18 “In the new scenario, vital national issues like that of Jammu and Kashmir should not lose their relevance,” he said, adding that the issue had to be taken up for economic growth and lasting peace in the subcontinent. “The Kashmir issue cannot be left unsolved. Besides dampening economic growth in South Asia for decades, it has affected people of Jammu and Kashmir.” While calling upon all political parties to evolve a consensus on Kashmir, Mufti, who was Chief Minister from 2002 to November 2005, mentioned the historic announcement former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made during his visit to Kashmir in 2003. “Vajpayee's offer of friendship to Pakistan gave a boost to the peace process. The process must transcend party politics and be driven by long-term goals of conflict resolution and cooperation,” he said. Reaffirming his party's commitment to development, he said the PDP would not allow the peace process to be derailed. “As the peace process was pioneered by the PDP, the party would take it to the logical conclusion by establishing lasting peace in this region,” he said. As the meeting was held at Samba, Mufti reminded the gathering that it was only during his regime that district status was granted to Samba. It was after a struggle of two decades that Samba was granted district status and the PDP was part of the government that had taken the step. |
||
|
Demand for citizenship
Jammu, March 18 West Pakistan refugees, living in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 without citizenship rights, have announced to gherao Parliament on March 20 and 21. “This time we have launched a decisive battle because we are fed up with the repeated promises of the successive state and Central governments,” Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee, told The Tribune over the phone after crossing Lakhanpur. He said the aim of the march was to aware rulers of the country about the misery of these “stateless” people, struggling to get citizenship rights since 1947. Labha Ram said they would halt at Jalandhar for a night and on Monday morning they would start towards Delhi. While addressing a gathering after starting the march from the Swankhamorh area, Labha Ram said except promises the successive regimes had done nothing to give citizenship to West Pakistan refugees. Majority of these refugees are Dalits and have been facing numerous problems due to denial of citizenship rights to them. “Since 1947, we have been agitating to get citizenship rights, but those at the helm of affairs are not interested to give it to us,” he said. He added that they had taken the decision to gherao Parliament to inform countrymen about their plight and the inhuman treatment meted out to them by the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir. While as the regional parties like the National Conference and PDP have made their stand clear on refugees, the national parties like the Congress and BJP have also repeatedly betrayed these helpless people. Last year, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, while addressing a public meeting at Vijaypur, had promised to get the problems of these refugees solved once for all, but no action has been taken so far. MLC Jugal Kishore, who is also accompanying the marching West Pakistan refugees, told the Tribune that his party members in Parliament would vociferously take up the issue when the refugees reach Delhi. “Our leadership has decided to take up the issue and solve the problem of refugees once for all.” |
||
|
Memogate Scandal
Srinagar, March 18 In view of a statement made by US business magnate Ijaz Mansoor that he had arranged a meeting between the JKLF chief and a senior RAW official, Malik’s counsel Zaffar Shah wrote to Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary that his client should be allowed to depose before the commission. While Shah stated that Malik was not party to the memogate scandal, the JKLF chief has already denied meeting the RAW official. He has also stated that he would “retire from public life” if the charges levelled against him were proved. However, Shah has claimed that Malik “knew many important facts about the case” that would be disclosed if given an opportunity to depose before the commission. “My client cannot state all the facts in this communication as it is neither advisable nor in public interest to do so. However, he would like to make a free, fair and truthful statement before the commission,” Shah added. He also claimed that Pakistan-born Mansoor’s statement “was a bundle of lies” and by appearing before the commission, Malik would get a chance to “clear his position”. Pakistan's Supreme Court had ordered the setting up of a judicial commission to probe the memogate scandal on December 30 last year. The scandal came to light after Mansoor delivered a memo to the Pentagon seeking US intervention to avert a feared military coup after the raid that had killed Osama bin Laden last year. |
||
|
Community comes to rescue of Ladakh’s heritage
Leh, March 18 A civil engineer by profession, he has been devoting his spare time to promote the conservation of cultural heritage since 1992. Angchuk is also convener of INTACH (Ladakh chapter). To conserve the 16th-century palace of Ladakhi King Jamyang Namgyal and 10th-century Maiterya Buddha temple at Basgo village, Angchuk had mobilised the villagers for voluntary work for the protection of the village heritage. This also helped revive the traditional practice of community participation, which was fast declining in Ladakh. In 2007, Basgo village was given the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award of Excellence for successful conservation of the Maiterya Buddha temple with people’s initiative at grass-roots level. Fortysix-year-old Tsering Angchuk, who is the first engineering graduate from his village, said: “The award and the appreciation are a morale booster for
me, encouraging me to continue the work which I have started.” “Ladakh has a wonderful cultural landscape, which is being destroyed knowingly or unknowingly in the name of development and modernity. Awareness at grass-roots level through INTACH has now started,” he added. In the field of conservation of cultural heritage through community participation, Basgo is a model village in the entire Ladakh. Under Angchuk’s leadership, villagers have restored every cultural and natural heritage in Basgo. Recognising Angchuk’s experience and knowledge in the field of local heritage conservation, an NGO consulted him during the conservation work of the 11th-century Buddhist Temple at Sumdha Chhung.
|
||
|
Soon, monthly festivals to attract tourists
Srinagar, March 18 This was revealed at a meeting presided over by Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre here yesterday to discuss issues related to the upcoming tourist season in the state, particularly in the Kashmir valley. After three successive summers of unrest, the Kashmir valley received a record number of tourists last summer. The meeting was attended by IG, Kashmir, SM Sahai; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Ahmed Khan; DIG, Traffic, Kashmir; Vice-Chairman, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Irfan Yasin; Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Farooq Shah; Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Committee, GN Qasba; other senior officials and tour and travel operators, an official spokesman said. The Minister also welcomed the decision of Valley-based tour and travel operators to come under one roof for the promotion of tourism in the state. Welcoming the decision of tourism players to form a joint coordination committee, the Minister said the government would wholeheartedly support the initiative for the promotion of tourism in the state. “We had a successful tourist season last year and will pool in efforts and put in place a joint mechanism to ensure better results this year,” the Minister said. Nasir Aslam said there was a need to showcase ourselves as a destination looking to attract both high-end foreign travellers and domestic visitors while consistently projecting the first-class image of the state. He said a quick response mechanism would be put in place this year so that tourists are facilitated once they land in the state. “Hassle-free arrivals of tourists will be ensured at the Jammu and Srinagar airports and entry points at Lakhanpur and Lower Munda so that tourists
do not have to wait for long hours. We want to create an atmosphere where tourists feel they are wanted in the state,” the Minister said. He added that for facilitating tourists at the airport, free porters would be engaged for shifting of luggage and two more buses would be operationalised for luggage transit from the first drop airport gate to the terminal. The Minister said the Tourism Department would coordinate with airline carriers to shorten the stay of foreign visitors after arriving at the airport. “The Tourism Department will provide forms through airlines so that foreign travellers spend lesser time at the airport,” Nasir said. |
||
|
Four killed in road accidents
Srinagar, March 18 A passenger vehicle driven by a local identified as Showkat Ahmad Baba hit and injured a pedestrian, Nazir Ahmad Malik (35), at Qamarwari here in the city. The injured was shifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. A case has been registered. In another incident, a vehicle on way to Leh slipped from the road and fell into the Wakha river at Kargil, resulting in the death of three persons. In yet another incident, a passenger bus turned turtle at Asham on the outskirts of the city resulting in injuries to 15 passengers. In Ganderbal district, a tipper collided with a passenger vehicle at Zakura, resulting in injuries to three passengers. All the injured have been hospitalised. — OC
|
||
|
Janipur in Jammu mourns loss of its two children
Jammu, March 18 Shops and other business establishments were closed in the area and people visited the aggrieved families to extend condolences. The deceased were identified as Sahil Sharma and Sahil Mehra, both residents of Janipur Colony. They along with their friend Ritesh Kumar had gone for an excursion at the river when the incident took place at 4.30 pm yesterday. The police said the trio had allegedly consumed liquor before taking a bath in the river. All the three didn’t know swimming and were swept with the strong currents of water. Ritesh was, however, rescued by some people, who were collecting sand and stones from the river bed. After recovering the body of Sahil Sharma, civil defence personnel had suspended the search operation around 9.30 pm last night. The civil defence personnel again launched the search operation today morning and fished out the body of Sahil Mehra from the river near the Harki Pouri filtration plant, about 500 metres from the spot where Sahil had drowned. “Sahil’s body was fished out from the Tawi around 9.45 am and it was
handed over to the members of his family after conducting an autopsy,” a senior police officer said. Sources close to Sahil’s family said his parents and other relatives had stayed at the river bed till midnight, hoping that they would trace his body. “Sahil was a Class XII student. He had to appear in his last paper tomorrow, but destiny had something else in store for him. We couldn’t believe that he had consumed liquor before the incident. We fail to understand why they had gone to the river bed,” a relative of Sahil said. |
||
|
Kashmiri Pandits demand passage of shrine Bill
Jammu, March 18 Vinod Pandit, chairman, APMCC, said, “The mahant claimed that the Kashmiri Pandits did not light even a single lamp in the temples during the last 20 years. He should brush up his knowledge and realise that the Kashmiri Pandits were hounded out of Kashmir, besides there are numerous temples, where Kashmiri Pandits have kept the flame alive even in remote villages.” The organisation claimed that the passage of the Temples and Shrines Bill was important to save the temples from land grabbers and unscrupulous elements. It added that the temples and shrines were not the property of any group or individual, but of the entire Pandit community. He reminded the SDSS that it was the APMCC that initiated the repair, reconstruction and reopening of temples and shrines even during militancy, which led to the mass opening of temples and shrines in the Kashmir valley, besides distributing relief among the local Kashmiri Pandits during the summer unrest of 2010, which included a large number of Kashmir Rajputs. Vinod Pandit said the APMCC held a 10-day long fast unto death,
where all Jammu organisations supported the cause of the Temples and Shrines Board for Jammu and Kashmir, giving birth to the All Party Hindu Coordination Committee.
|
||
|
Annual drama festival
Jammu, March 18 The main character of Oma was shown as the counterpart of Othello and his wife Raano represented Shakespeare’s much celebrated character ‘Desdemona beauty’, who infuriated and disappointed her father, as she tied the nuptial knot with Oma against her father’s wishes. Likewise, ‘Fanna’ replaced ‘Iago’, one of Shakespeare’s most sinister villains. Directed by Mushtaq Kak and adapted by Rajneesh Gupta, the cast of Oma included Sunil Sharma, Aparna Kapoor, Sandeep Verma, Rahul Kumar, Indu Kerni and Mohit Mehra etc. — TNS |
||
|
Natrang stages Manto’s ‘Neeli Ragein’
Jammu, March 18 The play opens at the room of a poet, who is entangled in the web of creativity. He lives in a world of fantasies and imagination. Being a poet, his thoughts are metaphysical. A girl appears in his dream, who is as beautiful as his creativity. He talks to the girl every night and narrates the whole event to his friend. When he is in a subconscious state of mind, in his dream, he praises the beauty of that girl, which makes him feel better about her. He mentions her smile, a mole on her lips and also the blue veins of her white hands, which he relates to a blue sapphire on the white snow. Though the poet praises her beauty, but it makes the girl cold-blooded. The girl is always in quest of the warmth of the implied expressions. A slight cold freezes her and the recitation of poetry, showering praises and glorification fails to meet her expectations. One day she breaks the wordy web of the poet and comes out in the world of realities for the poetic fantasies. Highly poetic in nature, the language of the play was impressive, which was ameliorated by imagery and metaphors. The cast included Balwinder Singh, Sajra Qadir, Rahul Singh, Mohammad Yaseen and Neeraj Kant. Sumeet Sharma did the presentations and coordinated the show.
|
||
|
Massive afforestation drive planned in Valley
Srinagar, March 18 He said this on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate a plants sale depot at Qamarwari here today, an official spokesman said. He planted one deodar tree to kickstart the plantation drive. About 23 lakh plants of deodar, kail and cupressus will be planted during the plantation drive in the Valley. The Minister was informed that one lakh conifer seedlings have been kept for public sale in the Kashmir valley, at a rate of Rs 13.50 per seedling, of which 10,000 seedlings have been kept for sale at the plant sale depot at Qamarwari and 15,000 at the Divisional Forest Offices at Bandipora and Ganderbal. Such sale depots have also been formed at all the Forest Divisions in the Valley. Later, the Minister convened a meeting of all Forest Department officials at Banquet Hall, Srinagar, and took stock of the plantation drive. He directed the authorities concerned to sensitise field staff to make the plantation drive a success. He said every unit like the Territorial Forests, Social Forestry, Research Wing, Wildlife and others were individually responsible for it and would be accountable for achieving the targets. Mian Altaf said March always remained vital for the Forest Department, as all the plantations were being done during this month. He directed the officials concerned to launch a vigorous afforestation campaign and involve various government departments, educational institutions, NGOs and the public in the month-long plantation drive.
|
||
|
Adult Education conference at KU
Srinagar, March 18 A spokesman of the University of Kashmir said a meeting in this regard was held under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad and attended by members of the IAEA, including KC Choudhary, General Secretary, IAEA, and Mohan Kumar, Director, IAEA, New Delhi. Nearly 300 delegates from all across the |
||
|
National integration camp concludes at Nagrota
Jammu, March 18 Governor NN Vohra’s wife Usha Vohra was the chief guest at the valedictory function. She appreciated the paintings made by artists during the camp, particularly the fascinating use of colours. She Usha Vohra lauded the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan for organising the camp, in which artists from across the country took part. She added that such events helped in strengthening national integration and promoting harmony and brotherhood. She went around the painting exhibition and interacted with artists about their creations. She gave away prizes and certificates to participants of the camp. Director, Youth Services and Sports, Jaipal Singh gave details of the measures being taken for the promotion of sports and youth welfare activities in the state. In his welcome address, Zonal Director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, J&K, Chaudhary M Atif gave the details of the camp. Deputy Director, NYKS, Moti Lal Goja presented a vote of thanks. Director, J&K Centre for Creative Arts, OP Sharma also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the participants presented a welcome song. Director of the National Adventure Foundation, J&K Chapter, K Chandra was among those present on the occasion. — TNS
|
||
|
Army builds boundary wall of school
Udhampur, March 18 An Army spokesperson said the Headmaster of the school had approached the 47 Air Defence Regiment under the aegis of 611 (Independent) Air Defence Brigade for the purpose, as the old boundary wall of the school had been damaged and could not be repaired because of lack of funds. The Army took up the project after consultations with the Chief Education Officer, Udhampur. In a function organised recently at the school on completion of the project, Major PG Sharma dedicated it to the school in the presence of a large number of villagers and students. The construction of the wall had started on February 27. Sharma expressed satisfaction at having met the aspirations and expectations of residents of the area through this gesture.
|
||
|
Tajikistan envoy wants better trade ties with India
Srinagar, March 18 Saidov was delivering a lecture to a group of scholars and students engaged in research studies in Central Asian themes at the Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, Indian public and private sectors are investing in Tajikistan, especially in power and mining sectors and these relations are getting strengthened by the day, he said. The Ambassador also highlighted the Tajik-Kashmir relations, especially
the role of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani in the development of Kashmiri society and economy. He conveyed good
wishes and Nauroz greetings to the people of Kashmir, on behalf of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmonov. Saidbeg responded to questions from research scholars and faculty members. Two films on Tajikistan were shown at the end. Earlier, Prof GR Jan, Director, Centre of Central Asian Studies, welcomed Saidbeg for gracing the occasion and thanked him for delivering the lecture. Jan looked forward to signing of MOUs between the universities in Tajikistan and the University of Kashmir in the near future. |
||
|
Folk art against AIDS prevalence
Katra, March 18 The programmes were sponsored and supported by the J&K State AIDS Control and Prevention Society. The shows on AIDS awareness were performed in the far-off regions of Reasi district, including Ser Mega, Kirli, Bakkal, Ser Sundwan, Blada, Samat Khad
and Kansar. Director of the Reasi Theatre Organisation Sunit Kumar, who designed and conceptualised the shows said the folk form is a easy way of communication, adding that with the 10-day long programme rural audiences came to know about AIDS, its spread and prevention. The rural audiences were not only entertained, but also sensitised to a great extent through singing and enactment of Geetru. |
||
|
Two families put up a dogged fight over 3-month-old Boozo
Jammu, March 18 The stray dog, Boozo, over three months old, has become such a bone of contention between Darshan Raina of Brij Nagar colony and Ashi of Indira Nagar that both are making endless rounds of the police station as well as knocking the doors of senior officials for justice. Darshan claimed that his son and daughter wanted the dog at any cost, while Ashi asserted that her two daughters, a son were depressed and her 80-year-old father had to be hospitalised when Boozo was taken away from them. Boozo was born in early December along with five other pups to a stray bitch, which was kept as a pet by Darshan Raina, who is Sarpanch Krishan Kumar Raina’s brother. Boozo was cuter than its siblings and soon became the darling of the Raina family. However, he went missing in January and was found in Ashi’s house. She claimed a teenager had given it to her. The teenager later in a statement to the police confirmed this. Darshan took away the dog from Ashi’s house on March 3. The woman later went to Darshan’s house to get the dog back but Darshan refused to part with it. Darshan claims the dog was his as Boozo’s mother recognised him and accepted him back. There is a resemblance between Boozo and its mother and the other pups, confirms the police. However, Ashi, told The Tribune that she wanted the dog because she had looked after it for two months. In a written complaint to Meeran Sahib police station and later to senior police officers, including the Jammu SSP, Prabhat Singh, she demanded the dog back and registration of a case. Meeran Sahib police station SHO Sukhbir Singh said the matter had not yet been settled. A senior police official said both parties had made it an issue of prestige. “They are making a mountain out of a molehill. We have established the ownership of the dog and are now trying to solve the issue amicably.”
|
||
|
70-yr-old man shot at by militants
Srinagar, March 18 The injured was admitted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital from where he was shifted to the Bones and Joints Hospital here for further treatment. The firing incident had taken place late last evening. — OC
|
||
|
Snow clearance operation at Zojila Healthcare in
rural areas Power woes
continue — Contributed by Ehsan Fazili, M Aamir Khan |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Over 2,000 West Pakistan refugees started their Parliament chalo march today to gherao the Lok Sabha in support of their citizenship rights demand.
The entire Janipur locality of old Jammu city was in shock today after the bodies of two Class XII students, who drowned in the Tawi yesterday evening, were shifted to their residences.
Shops and other business establishments were closed in the area and people visited the aggrieved families to extend condolences.
Meeran Sahib police station is handling a tricky case of ownership of a stray dog for a fortnight now with two families fighting over the canine.
The stray dog, Boozo, over three months old, has become such a bone of contention between Darshan Raina of Brij Nagar colony and Ashi of Indira Nagar that both are making endless rounds of the police station as well as knocking the doors of senior officials for justice.
Addressing a public meeting in this Kandi belt, Mufti said putting the vital Kashmir issue on the back burner at this juncture would not be in the interests of the country. “I do agree that the emergence of regional parties in the national scenario is an encouraging development but the parties across the spectrum nationwide should help evolve a consensus on resolving national issues like that of Kashmir,” he maintained. 
The only surface link between Kashmir and the Ladakh region, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, remains closed to traffic for winter months due to heavy accumulation of snow along the Zojila, which divides the two regions. Only a week ago, work on snow clearance started on the road from Drass in Kargil district till Zojila. While this stretch of about 40 km would be cleared within the next few weeks, it will take more than a month to clear snow from Zojila near Sonmarg. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will soon be launching its rigorous annual exercise to clear the road link by April-May for the summer season ahead.