Jammu, October 15
Monkeys seem to be taking over Bag-e-Bahu garden keeping many visitors away from the place. Encroachment of their natural habitat by humans and construction of the national highway close to the area has made many simians in the residential areas.

Situated on the banks of the Tawi, the garden has a beautiful landscape. The terraced garden developed around the ancient Bahu Fort attracts a large number of tourists every day, particularly in the winters and evening hours in the summer.

Amit Abrol, a businessman from the city says, “Earlier, I used to bring my children here at weekends as they loved spending time in the lush green environs of the garden. However, its poor maintenance and increasing monkey menace has forced me to explore other options,” a resident.

The monkeys have become a threat pounce upon the visitors carrying eatables with them. The monkeys have virtually taken over the play area for children and can be seen enjoying on the slides themselves.

“My 10-year-old daughter had a close save when a big monkey jumped towards her while she was having some snacks with her friends,” said Archana Gupta, a housewife.

Some blame the visitors too. In the absence of any ward staff, some people leave leftovers behind after having snacks or food at the garden instead of discarding them in refuse collectors. Though dustbins have been placed in the garden, more needs to be done on this front.

“Visitors feed these monkeys which attracts them to the park. We are trying our best to educate the visitors to stop feeding them,” said an official.

Probably the only saving grace at the garden is a beautiful underground aquarium that has been drawing a large number of visitors since it was thrown open to the public. It has 400 varieties of freshwater and marine fish. 

Jammu, October 15
The ruling National Conference-Congress coalition today asked all the government functionaries, including ministers, divisional and district administration to ensure the use of the term ‘public grievances camp” instead of ‘public darbar’ in all relevant communications.

Interestingly, the decision in this regard was taken by the government hours after a Jammu-based RTI activist, Raman Sharma issued a statement wherein he took on the state government for its failure to avoid the use of word ‘darbar’ for public meetings being addressed or held by the ministers and bureaucrats.

Almost five months ago, Sharma had made a complaint in the Chief Minister Grievance Cell where he had objected to the use of word ‘darbar’ in official statements issued by the government, the state government has so far failed to take a decision in this regard.

Sharma had urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to direct the General Administration Department (GAD) to issue a circular to all ministers and departments to use the term public meetings instead of ‘darbar’.

“Under circular number 32-GAD of 2012, dated October 15, it has been impressed upon government functionaries, divisional and district administration to ensure that the term ‘public grievances camp’ are used in all relevant communications,” the Complaint Monitoring Portal of the state government reads.

Earlier in the day, the RTI activist had issued a statement flaying the silence of the General Administration Department headed by Chief Minister on his complaint. He said though 13 reminders were sent in this regard, the government had failed to direct the government functionaries and bureaucrats to avoid the use of the term ‘darbar’.

The complainant, in his appeal to the Chief Minister, had argued, “We are a democratic country and state. The people of this country and particularly of Jammu and Kashmir have negated the idea of monarchy 60 years ago and chose a democratic set up but unfortunately even after more than six decades the shadow of monarch system appears to exist in the mindset of our ministers and bureaucrats.”

Raman had also said being a citizen of this democratic republic country and democratic state, I feel and find this word very objectionable and it sounds as if the citizens are the subject and these officers and ministers are our masters. It is against the values and principles of democratic establishment of equality.”

Jammu, October 15
Besides their intellectual pursuits, scholars at Jammu University hostels are abuzz with quite an unusual topic these days. Unemployed and on the higher side of the 30’s, they are worried as to how to tie the knot in times of back-breaking inflation.

Having grown intellectually with the knowledge gained from years of research, these scholars discuss the finances involved in a wedding with utmost seriousness for hours.

Not ready to be defeated, these young minds are busy chalking out a strategy to create awareness in the society towards curtailing expenses on lavish weddings as well as to keep these auspicious occasions a low-key and simple affair.

The simmering worry and uncertainty rules their minds and hostellers spend a lot of time out of their schedule to plan and chalk out a strategy to arrange the “huge amount that runs into lakhs” that is “much needed” to tie the knot. So much so that these discussions adversely affect their research work as they are unable to concentrate on research and studies.

“Currently, weddings have become a costly and extravagant affair. The average cost of a regular wedding with ordinary décor is anything between Rs 12 and 15 lakh. My father is a retired grade-III government servant and he is unable to arrange such a huge amount for my wedding. Should I drop my plans to get married because of a continuous rise in the cost of weddings over the years,” asked Munish Kumar (name changed), an MPhil scholar.

Kumar, who is eldest among three siblings, said he was unable to sleep properly for the past two months because of “high stress and sheer frustration”.

“I give part-time tuition to students because my younger brother and sister too are studying in colleges and my father is not able to give me any pocket money. The family insists I should get married but the prevailing circumstances don’t allow me to even think about it,” he said.

Another set of scholars sitting in a congested room of Nehru hostel said, “If one goes by the custom and tradition, Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh is required for a wedding and the figure is even higher for a bride’s family. The expensive show-off, including decorations, special lights and the kind of food served has made the plight of the ordinary man even worse,” a Ph.D scholar said who insisted anonymity.

He said, “If the guest list consists of 700 people, the cost of reception is likely to touch Rs 10 lakh. Caterers will charge no less than Rs 400 per person per plate. And if you enhance the décor at the banquet halls, the overall wedding cost comes to be around Rs 20 lakh. For instance, the people like us will not be able to tie a nuptial knot in their life as we will not be able to arrange such a huge amount. How can we concrete on our studies if such uncertainties rule your mind?”

Jammu, October 15
Temperature dipped following light showers in some parts of the region today. The meteorological department has predicted more rain for the region.

Following light showers in Jammu city, the temperature was recorded at six degrees below normal. The temperature in Jammu was recorded at 24.6 degrees today whereas the night temperature was recorded at 16.2 degrees.

MK Khushu, chief scientist and Head of the Department of Agronomy at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences (SKUAST) said, “These clouds are condensed clouds that can bring heavy rainfall in some parts of the region whereas there was light rainfall on other areas. But we cannot call it the onset of winters as this temperature will prevail over the next one day.”

“A dip in the temperature will bring relief for the people. It will not affect sowing of crops,” he added.

The prediction of rains has alerted the police on the national highway towards any incidents of land sliding or stone shooting in some parts on the highway.

Varinder Kumar Sharma, SSP National Highway said, “The road is clear and we have been instructed by the headquarters to take all steps to cope up with any kind of situation as rains can hamper traffic on the national highway which is the main route connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.”

Jammu, October 15
The Ramleela Committee will organise Ramleela from tomorrow at the historic Dewan Mandir complex. For the past 150 years, the religious event is being organised in the temple.

Addressing a press conference, Sanatan Dharam Natak Samaj member Yudhvir Sethi said the eight days’ long Ramleela will conclude on October 24, during which number of prominent artistes will act on the stage to depict various chapters and characters of Ramayana.

Sethi said the religious event has produced number of Bollywood artistes, like Om Parkash and KL Sehgal, who became prominent actors and singers.

Sethi said one of the distinguished features of Ramleela is that the characters are played not only by Hindus but Muslims too have been part of the natak samaj for decades.

He said during the event, various characters showing unity, power, devotion and fight against evil will be depicted on the stage.

Sethi appealed to the people, particularly the youth, to visit the event and take pride in the ancient religious event, which is a part of life for the people living in the Indian subcontinent.

Natak samaj president Sat Samotra, vice-president Anil Masoom and general secretary Sat Sharma also spoke on the occasion.

Jammu, October 15
Jammu is gearing up for the nine-day navratra festival as special arrangements are being made at the Shri Mata Maha Kali Temple, Bahu Fort.

The festival will start from tomorrow offering a series of programmes for the visitors till its culmination on October 23.

Preparations are on in full swing on the Kali temple premises with additional security being deployed. The authorities are preparing themselves to deal with the huge rush that the temple witnesses during the nine-day festival.

The Bahu Fort Development Committee also reviewed the final arrangements of navratra festival at the temple along with various departments such as the Police Department, PHE, PDD, PWD, Traffic Police and members of shopkeeper’s union.

BFDC president Rajeev Charak along with his team, including member secretary Ishant Gupt, general secretary Raghav Gupta and secretary Hardesh Khokkar, observed the development works. He told the authorities concerned to complete preparations till evening so that the pilgrims do not face any difficulty while seeking the blessings of goddess Mata Maha Kali.

Charak appealed to the public to cooperate and not to bring any prohibited items in the shrine for smooth darshans during the navratras.

Charak and his team members also warned the volunteers to be cautious and keep a watch on the visitors and yatris to avoid any mishap.

Jammu, October 15
Three activists of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Front (JKDF), who created ruckus in the Assembly on October 8 on the issue of unemployment, were accorded rousing reception on reaching Jammu on Sunday. The activists -- Munish Khajuria, Ambedkar Gupta and Sunny Mahajan -- were released on bail on Saturday.

The party workers received the youths by showering flowers and beating drums. Large number of people, including women, children and senior citizens, were gathered near the Ranbireshwar Temple here.

JKDF leader Prashant Puri said, “It was a day of celebrations for our party and people of Jammu. The trio has given a clear message to the government in the Assembly that educated youth cannot be exploited anymore and unfair polices of the government would be resisted vociferously.”

Speaking on the occasion, Khajuria said successive state governments have been exploiting unemployed youth of the state, but no government has taken any step to solve their problems. “Youths are frustrated due to non-availability of employment,” he said.

“The state has broken all records of corruption, nepotism and discrimination. We organised various protests, dharnas and other peaceful programmes to apprise the government about the alarming situation of the state,” Khajuria said. The casual approach of the government compelled us to highlight our problems in the Assembly, he added.

“The JKDF will continue to strive for genuine demands of people and fight against the regional discrimination and growing corruption in the state,” said Khajuria.

Gupta said they would continue their campaign to highlight plights of the educated unemployed youth of the state. He said patience of the unemployed youth was running out and the state government should take some steps to solve the problem of unemployment.

Jammu, October 15
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which is under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Jammu, organised a musical evening ‘Mehfil-e-Ghazal’ at Government Polytechnic College under its fortnightly programme ‘Horizon Series’.

The programme featured one of the promising singing talents of the state, Dhamesh Nargotra, who mesmerised the audience through his unique style of singing.

Earlier, welcoming the guests ICCR Regional Director Balwant Thakur said six programmes had been successfully organised which started on July 31 with the presentation of vibrant ‘Geetru’ by Romallo Ram.

Under the Horizon Series, the ICCR showcases local talent in the field of music, dance and drama with the motive to give artistes a platform to exhibit their talent. The prime objective of the ICCR is to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.

The mandate of the ICCR is to bring nations together through cultural initiatives. Thus, the ICCR sponsors Indian cultural troupes and scholars abroad and brings the best of the international performances to India. 

Jammu, October 15
The Parla Dudu Panchayat outclassed the Pachound II Panchayat in a thrilling final by 2-1 sets to claim the volleyball trophy organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports at Government High School, Dudu, Kirchi.

In kabaddi, the Dudu Panchayat toppled the Pachound II Panchayat by two points (28-26). In wrestling, Rakesh Kumar of the Panchayat II Pachound defeated Rakesh Kumar of the Dudu Panchayat in 52-57 kg weight category. Suresh Kumar of the Pachound II Panchayat beat Surinder Kumar of the Parla Dudu Panchayat in 57-65 kg category.

On the concluding day today, Dudu Zonal Education Officer Suram Chand was the chief guest who gave away prizes to the winners and runner-up teams. Suram Chand stressed upon the students to participate in sports activities for overall development.

The matches were officiated by Pawan Kumar, Jaswinder Singh, Raj Kumar and Sudesh Kumar. The tournament was organised under the supervision of Dudu Zonal Physical Education Officer Mohinder Singh.

Jammu, October 15
The Panchayat Gundna had the last laugh against the Panchayat Mohalla in the summit clash to clinch the block-level volleyball tournament organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports under the Centre-sponsored Panchayat Yuva Khen Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) at GHSS Mohalla here.

GHSS principal and in charge Vijay Kumar presided over the valedictory function and distributed prizes among the winners. The matches were officiated by Mohan Singh, Surjeet Singh, Jugal Kishore, Rajna Devi, Radha Devi, Rani Sharma, Ravi Kumar, Shashi Kant and Mohammad Arif.

Other Results:

Kabaddi: Panchayat Khankoot beat Panchayat Barshalla

Kho-Kho: Panchayat Mohalla defeat Panchayat Pershulla

100 m race: Sajid Hissain (Panchayat Gundna, gold)

200 m race: Abrar Hussain (Panchayat Gundna, gold)

Wrestling (42kg): Ashraf Ahmed (gold) and Shabir Ahmed (silver)

Wrestling (54kg): Irfan Ahmed (gold) and Yasir Arfath (silver)

Jammu, October 15
The Inter-Collegiate competitions in hockey and handball disciplines began at the University of Jammu here today. In hockey, Government MAM College defeated Mahant Bachitar Singh College of Engineering and Technology by 5 goals to 3. The match was decided in the tie-breaker as it was a draw at one goal each within the stipulated time.

In the second match, SPMR College of Commerce beat Government GL Memorial Degree College, Hirnagar, by 4 goals to 3. Gangdeep Singh, Vishal Saini and Harpreet Singh were the goal scorers for the winner team while Jagdeep Singh and Abhishek Khajuria scored for Degree College, Hiranagar.

In another match, GGM Science College defeated GDC, Rajouri. In handball, GDC Paloura won against MAM College by 21-11 in the opening match while Commerce College defeated Government College of Engineering and Technology by 18-3. In other matches, Bhargava College got a walkover over GDC Samba and Science College got walkover GDC Rajouri.

Jammu, October 15
The chess championship organised by the All J&K Chess Association is proving to be an unforgettable experience for the participants at the picturesque Patnitop.

After the end of each round, players and their families can be seen visiting the area around the venue Hotel Mount Shivalik.

“It is a brilliant initiative of the All J&K Chess Association to conduct the event at such a beautiful venue,” said a chess player Hari Om Aggarwal from Madhya Pradesh. “Had the championship been held at Jammu, we would have been deprived of seeing this natural scenery,” he added.

“Tt may be the job of the state tourism department to promote tourism but the way the association has arranged the event, they have also contributed in promoting not only the game but the tourist spot as well,” said another participant Surender Kumar from Delhi.

“There is need to conduct more such tournaments not only in chess but also in other disciplines to popularise these spots among players from outside the state,” Surender Kumar said.

However, parents accompanying their wards are also excited to witness the natural beauty of the state. “This is our first visit to the state and I am enjoying every moment here at Patnitop,” said Brijesh Singh from Punjab.

“We have heard a lot about the natural beauty of the hill state. If the authorities take some more serious initiatives, this beautiful hill resort can become very popular among tourists,” he added.

“The sports associations of state have done a commendable job by organising championships in multi-disciplines at such venues,” another parent Anubhav Vaid said.

“It is high time that the authorities concerned should get their act together to promote tourism in this part of the region,” he added.