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Ceasefire violations by Pak shoot up by 100%
Three state colleges selected for ‘Aakash in Education’ project
Poll to 4 Legislative Council seats |
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PDP to contest all seats
Geelani’s son, daughter-in-law get Indian passports
Conservation of endangered Kashmir stag moves at snail’s pace
Army orders probe into Baramulla shootout
Panthers Party vows to fight for regional equality
Ministers, bureaucrats flouting Chief Minister’s ruling
PDP senior leaders to float new group, claims NC
MC Kash releases rap album
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Ceasefire violations by Pak shoot up by 100%
As compared to 48 violations along the LoC and international border last year, the Pakistan army and Rangers this year have so far violated the mutually brokered ceasefire 101 times. “This year so far there have been 46 truce violations along the LoC in the Kashmir valley as compared to 12 in the corresponding period last year. Similarly, the LoC in the Jammu region has so far recorded 37 violations against 32 during the corresponding period last year,” said a senior Army officer. The LoC in the Kashmir valley is being manned by 15 Corps while the same in the Jammu region is being guarded by 16 Corps. The international border, too, has seen more ceasefire violations this year. The BSF has so far recorded 18 violations by the Rangers this year as compared to four last year. On October 30, the Rangers had opened unprovoked small arms fire on the Pindi border outpost of the BSF in the Arnia sub-sector to stop routine maintenance work being carried out by the border guards. On November 5, the Rangers had violated the truce by opening fire on the Narayanpur border outpost near Chamliyal in the Ramgarh sector. “With militancy on the decline and the remaining militants on the run, Pakistan desperately wants to push ultras into J&K. Much to the chagrin of Pakistan, the state for the past two years is witnessing near-normalcy and therefore this year there has been a spurt in truce violations along the frontiers,” he said. “Most of the times they open fire to give vent to their frustration and sometimes it’s also a gesture to express solidarity with remaining ultras in the state. But at times they do try to push armed militants to replenish the depleting number of militants in the state,” said the officer. The officer admitted that any skirmish on the borders gave a tough time to border residents. “They are the ones who bear the brunt of border firing by a hostile neighbour but we are always there to allay their fears,” he added. A BSF official said ever since Pakistani Rangers targeted and critically injured a couple in Chachwal village of Samba district on October 1 this year, the BSF deputed its guards to ensure hassle-free harvesting of paddy crop in Kathua and Samba districts. He, however, said that despite trust deficit and Pakistan’s policy towards India, diplomatic channels like exchanging sweets on the borders help reduce bitterness and, therefore, should be continued. |
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Three state colleges selected for ‘Aakash in Education’ project
Srinagar, November 11 The Mata Vaishnoa Devi University in Jammu, the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora and the National institute of Engineering and Information Technology in Rangreth have been selected from 250 engineering colleges of the country as remote centres for “Aakash in Education” programme. The project is being coordinated by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, under the National Mission on Education through Information Communication Technology (NME-ICT). The Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) will provide the financial as well as technological aid to the selected centres across India. In the first phase, free tablets are being distributed to engineering colleges. A two-day virtual “Aakash for Education” workshop, which began today, was conducted by the IIT Bombay to introduce the tablet’s applications to educational institutes for effective use of the device and for enhancing the technological skills of teaching faculty. President Mukherjee also interacted with the participants through video conferencing. According to the project coordinator at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Awantipora, Muhammad Asif Naqashbandi, the Aakash for Education is a two-year project in which students from across India will help develop features of the tablet, which will be used as an effective tool in the education system. “The aim of introducing the Aakash tab lies solely in its use as an educational application. Students will have an easy access to educational programmes held across India. Besides, they will help develop the features of the tab and their work will be accessed and evaluated by experts,” he said. The assistant coordinator of the project, Majid Nisar, said an Aakash tab would be connected to a local Linux server and students can have access to real-time lectures as well as quizzes. “The tab will facilitate an immediate response and feedback from a student about a given topic that was taught in the classroom. It will provide a continuous assessment system,” Majid said. |
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Poll to 4 Legislative Council seats
Jammu, November 11 The decision to exert pressure on the coalition partner was taken at a meeting of party legislators and senior functionaries today. The meeting was held under the leadership of J-K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz. Sources said although party leaders unanimous in their decision that the Congress should contest at least one seat from the Kashmir Valley, a few senior leaders, including two ministers, suggested that the party should rather stake claim on three of the four seats. Sources said Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma, while demanding that the party should stake claims on three seats, claimed that a large number of Congress supporters had won panchayat elections in the state so the party had every reason to stake claim on the maximum number of seats. His stand was endorsed by Minister of State for Haj and Auquf Aijaz Ahmed Khan and others senior functionaries. The sources said some Congress leaders in the meeting asserted that instead of succumbing to the pressure of the National Conference, the party should rather prepare for a “friendly match” to show strength to the partner. The leaders said the Congress should prepare itself for a friendly contest. “Without support of the Congress, it is not possible for the National Conference to win even a single seat. So, it is high time the party demanded lion’s share,” a source said, quoting a senior Congress leader. The Congress leaders made it clear that the party should contest two seats from the Jammu province and one from the Kashmir Valley. When a Congress minister said the party was not in a position to win a seat from the Kashmir valley without the support of the National Conference, he was vociferously countered by some leaders from the Valley, the sources said. After listening to all senior leaders, Soz said he would apprise the NC-INC Coordination Committee that was scheduled to meet on November 12 of the decisions taken at the meeting. |
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PDP to contest all seats
Srinagar, November 11 The party held a discussion today evening to decide the party’s strategy for the upcoming poll to the Upper House of the state legislature. The meeting was attended by almost all top party leaders. “It was unanimously decided that the party will contest all four seats and many names were suggested for the four seats. However, the party patron and president were authorised to shortlist four candidates for these seats,” said a top PDP leader after the meeting. He said during the meeting the party leaders suggested that suitable people should be picked up for the poll. The elections to the four seats of the Legislative Council which are reserved for panchayat members are scheduled for next month. Another PDP leader said that the party should continue to earn the goodwill of the panchayat members as the party had always pleaded for their empowerment. “We have always pleaded for the empowerment of panchayats and for that reason we will contest this poll,” he added.
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Geelani’s son, daughter-in-law get Indian passports
Srinagar, November 11 Ironically, when Naim-ul-Zaffar Geelani (52) and his wife Rehana Nazir (39) returned from the neighbouring country in November 2010, the couple didn’t have Indian passports and were in fact carrying exit certificates issued by the Pakistani authorities. Incidentally, Geelani himself has no regular passport and claims that he is being denied travel documents (passport) by the Indian government. His passport was seized in 1981 for his “anti-India” activities but he was allowed to visit Hajj in 2006 on a temporary passport. “Both Dr Naim and his wife Rehana, who is also a doctor, have been issued fresh passports by the Indian authorities,” said advocate Nzair Ahmad Baba, who pleaded the passport petition of the couple before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He said soon after their return from Pakistan, the couple had applied for fresh passports with the Passport Office, Srinagar, in July 2011 but “they were not issued the necessary documents as they are related to Syed Ali Geelani”. This, Baba said, forced the couple to approach the high court with a writ petition against the passport authorities and the state government in December 2011. The court has now ruled in favour of the couple. Naim-ul-Zaffar, an MBBS graduate from Kashmir, obtained a post-graduation degree in surgery during his stay in Pakistan. In 1999, Naim went to Pakistan along with his wife with Indian passports, which expired in 2007. Subsequently, he applied with the Indian High Commission in Pakistan for temporary passports, which were granted to him for a period of one year. The passport term was later extended upto November 2010. However, after the expiry of their temporary passports, the couple returned to India in November 2010 on exit certificates issued by the Pakistani authorities. In his petition before the high court, Naim had submitted that he was a law abiding person and had never indulged in any anti-national activity or an activity which was prejudicial to the security of the state. Arguing that the petitioners (Naim and his wife) were doctors by profession and wanted to go to the Gulf for seeking employment, counsel Nazir Baba had submitted before the court that the state Inspector General of Police (IGP), CID, had refused to recommend passports to the couple on the ground that Naim’s father was an opposition. After admitting the writ petition, the high court had in July this year directed the state Home Department and the IGP, CID, to submit detailed reports to the passport officer within four weeks and had asked the passport office authorities to examine the case for issuance of passports after receiving the reports. However, the J-K Police or the CID did not submit any report to the passport officer. This has been admitted by the the passport officer in his preliminary objections submitted to the high court. “The state CID/police, which is the nodal agency for clearing passport cases of the applicants residing in J&K, has not so far sent its report vis-à-vis the character and antecedents of the petitioners,” he submitted in his objections to the petition of Geelani’s son. |
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Conservation of endangered Kashmir stag moves at snail’s pace
Jammu, November 11 The Union government had approved Rs 22 crore in 2008 under the Species Recovery Project to give impetus to the breeding programme of Kashmir stag in Dachigam National Park of Kashmir. In entire Asia, the sub-species of red deer, also called “hangul” in local parlance, is found only in Kashmir’s Dachigam Park. It is also found in some parts of Europe and the US. Since 2008, the Centre has released only Rs 1.40 crore out of Rs 22 crore. However, the Centre has not given up the ambitious project. “A team of non-officials from the National Board for Wildlife that returned to New Delhi last evening after visiting Srinagar and Dachigam has decided to re-submit the Hangul Action Plan to the Union government,” said Regional Wildlife Warden of Kashmir MA Tak. It was decided that the Hangul Action Plan would be re-modulated and not remain confined to Dachigam only. “We identified good potential areas of Wangad, Gurez, Bandipora and Warwan to conserve population of this rare species. A detailed plan then will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests,” he added. The team also evolved a consensus to further strengthen conservation work in Khrew, Khanmoh, Shikargah, Overa and Aru, said Tak. Tak admitted that the slow pace of releasing funds had been hampering the implementation of the Hangul Action Plan. “In 2008, the breeding programme started but due to erratic funding it is not moving at the desired pace,” added Tak. The official said on October 31 a team of state wildlife officials had met higher officials of the National Board for Wildlife in Delhi, wherein it was decided that a panel of non-officials would visit Srinagar to take stock of the Hangul Action Plan. “The conservation programme of this unique species is basically a long-term process because all aspects such as their protection, habitat, food and undisturbed breeding have to be looked into,” said Tak. The team will again visit Srinagar on November 21, he added. “The Dachigam Park has been closed for public now as it is the breeding time of Kashmir stag. We had opened the park for two months in July,” said Tak. Over two decades of insurgency, unabated poaching and reduction of forest besides other human factors have shrunk the population of
hangul. ‘Hangul’ count
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Army orders probe into Baramulla shootout
Srinagar, November 11 Army sources said they were investigating as to how the officer left his unit without any escort. “We are probing the issue as the Army officer has been shot with the pistol he was carrying,” said an Army officer. “We will also look into why the major left his unit in civvies and without any escort.” On Saturday, Major P Singh of 29 Rashtriya Rifles was injured when he was shot at allegedly by a local resident in Pattan town of Baramulla district. “There was a scuffle between the Major and two of his sources, Firdous Ahmad and Javed Ahmad. One of them snatched the pistol of the Major and fired two shots, injuring him and a pedestrian, Ghulam Ahmad Mir,” said a police source. “The Major was rushed to the Army hospital in Srinagar, where he underwent surgery for a bullet wound in the abdomen. The injured civilian was rushed to the Pattan hospital,” he said. Sources said while one of the accused was arrested by the police, the other accused was absconding. “The Army is yet to inform us about the incident but we are continuing with our investigations,” said a police officer. Army spokesman in Srinagar Lt Col JS Brar said he didn’t have details about the incident. “As I have no details, I cannot comment on the issue,” Brar said. |
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Panthers Party vows to fight for regional equality
Jammu, November 11 While pointing towards specific instances of “prejudicial treatment” to the Jammu region, party chairman Harsh Dev Singh, who visited his home constituency after assuming the charge, sought equitable share in the allocation of funds, employment opportunities, developmental schemes, power, health and education sectors. “The party would vigorously take up the said issues in the Legislative Assembly and outside. The party would fight against the misrule of the coalition government to its logical end,” Singh said. He said the NPP had to shoulder a bigger responsibility and had a greater role in the days to come in view of the “utter failure” of the government and its total collapse in handling the affairs of the state. He urged the party workers to be prepared for a decisive battle against the ruling alliance for the “prevailing chaos, non-performance, red-tapism, fractured work culture, lack of accountability and transparency, corruption, deliverance and regional bias”. Singh also condemned the “despicable apathy and culpable negligence” displayed by the government in addressing the issue of unemployment in the state. He alleged that despite liberal Central funding and a plethora of Centrally-sponsored schemes to support the infrastructural development of the state, the delivery on the ground had been negligible. “With the politico-constitutional apparatus collapsing and the administrative machinery having been completely paralysed, the faith of the common man has been completely shaken,” he said. Earlier, he was given a rousing reception at Ramnagar on his first visit to the town after becoming the chairman of the party. |
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Ministers, bureaucrats flouting Chief Minister’s ruling
Jammu, November 11 The government functionaries are frequently using the term “public darbar” instead of “public grievances camp” in all relevant communications. The term is being used in violation of the General Administration Department (GAD) circular issued on October 15 wherein it was impressed upon the government functionaries to ensure that the words “public grievances camp” were to be used instead of “public darbar” in official communications. The Minister of State for Cooperative and Finance, Manohar Lal Sharma, according to an official handout issued by the State Information Department yesterday, had convened a “public darbar” in Hiranagar village to address the problems of local people. Similarly, the term is being used by cabinet ministers and The GAD had issued the circular on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who heads the department, following a complaint by a Jammu-based RTI activist, Raman Sharma, in this regard to the Chief Minister Grievance Cell. He had objected to the use of word “darbar” in official statements issued by the government. “It is quite unfortunate that ministers and bureaucrats are not complying with the Chief Minister’s directions. I had filed the petition before the Chief Minister who had acted positively. If this objectionable word is being continuously used in public press releases and communications, it is a clear reflection of the colonial mindset of public and government functionaries. I will approach the Chief Minister again for the compliance of the GAD circular number 32 issued on October 15, 2012,” says Sharma. He says he finds the term “public darbar” objectionable as it “sounds like citizens are the subjects and these officers and ministers are our masters, which is against the values and principles of a democratic establishment”. Earlier, Sharma, in his appeal to the Chief Minister, had argued: “The people of this country, particularly of Jammu and Kashmir, have negated the idea of monarchy some 60 years ago and chose a democratic set up but unfortunately even today after more than six decades, the shadow of the monarchial system appears to be existent in the mindset of our ministers and bureaucrats.” |
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PDP senior leaders to float new group, claims NC
Srinagar, November 11 “A majority of PDP MLAs have revolted internally against their party leadership and it is a matter of time that they will either form a separate group owing allegiance to another senior leader of the party or totally break away from the party,” NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said in a statement. Claiming that they had authentic information in this regard, Sadiq said: “The disgruntled group, which includes some senior leaders of the Opposition, is waiting for an opportune time to announce their decision.” Holding the PDP responsible for “bringing death and destruction to the state by pitting Kashmir against Jammu and vice-versa in the 2008 agitation”, Sadiq said: “People of the state will never forgive them for their communal mindset and petty politics.” “PDP’s own men have lost faith in Muftis and their leadership… what can people now expect from them…the beginning of the end for them has begun,” he said. |
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MC Kash releases rap album
Srinagar, November 11 The album includes ten songs written and composed by the 22-year-old rapper, who introduced the culture of hip-hop to the Kashmir region. Roushan’s moment of fame came during the 2010 street agitation when he released a song on the protests, using hip-hop to convey rebellion. Over the years, Kashmir has witnessed a retreat from music due to conflicts. Indigenous singers, who used to highlight social affairs in the Kashmiri language, disappeared from the scene. Roushan’s appearance on the musical horizon, using the Internet for propagating his highly political songs, infused a new life to the genre in the region. MC Kash is one of Kashmir’s most celebrated artistes who use the online forum to make statements on politics. It took him six months to complete the album, which comprises songs that are influenced by the region’s political scenario. “It is one of the greatest moments of my life,” Roushan said. “Rebel RepubliK is like a utopia. It is how I want Kashmir to be in future.” With the ten songs of Rebel RepubliK released on Friday on the Internet, the number of songs to Roushan’s name have risen to 33 since he began rapping in 2009. |
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Jammu, November 11
