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Srinagar-Jammu highway closes after heavy snow
Delay in Solving Refugees’ Problems
Pot containing 107 rare coins found in prison |
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2 more CRPF bunkers removed from Srinagar
Geelani criticises Pak for maintaining silence on Kashmir
Border firing hasn’t cast shadow on trade, travel
Kashmir tourism dept woos newly-weds
Lolab blast victim battles for life
Sopore operation called off
Losar begins with fanfare
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Srinagar-Jammu highway closes after heavy snow
Srinagar, December 14 The critical Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed for the vehicular traffic as moderate to heavy snowfall along stretches of the 294-km road made it dangerous for any movement. The highway -- which snakes along treacherous mountain paths, criss-crosses through avalanche-prone areas and is closed at the slightest deterioration of weather — is a lifeline for the Kashmir valley as all essential commodities are transported to the region via this road. Two other roads which link Kashmir with the outside world — the partly completed Mughal Road which connects Kashmir with Jammu division’s Chenab region and the Srinagar-Leh highway — have also been shut due to heavy snowfall. The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway remains blocked for more than six months during winter every year. An official of the Kashmir division’s Disaster Management Cell said the area around Jawahar Tunnel, a mountainous hole which is a critical exit point for the Kashmir valley along the Srinagar-Jammu highway, was covered with 10 inches of snow overnight.
The air traffic in and out of the Kashmir region was also disrupted due to poor visibility. Flights could not operate till noon, and after that a total of 14 flights operated and the last flight again got cancelled, an official said. Coordinator of the Disaster Management Cell Aamir Ali said efforts were being made by the authorities concerned to clear the snow along the highway, which can be reopened only if “weather improves”. Ali said the personnel associated with the Mechanical Engineering department had started snow clearance operations along Gulmarg-Tangmarg, Shopian-Sedow and Ganderbal-Babanagri roads and at Verinag, Kulgam and Kupwara. The official said the stretch of road to Gulmarg skiing resort from Tangmarg onwards had been reopened for vehicular traffic but only those vehicles having “anti-skid chains” fitted to the tyres were being allowed to go ahead. The region has had substatial snowfall since last night. Srinagar city received the season’s first snowfall, which was cheered by netizens who shared the first pictures of the white falling flakes. Srinagar city overnight received a light snowfall measuring between half-inch and an inch at different areas. The day temperature today fell to the lowest of the season so far with mercury only rising to 3° Celsius. Gulmarg resort, which has over the recent winters attracted skiing enthusiasts from several countries, received 18 inches of snow overnight, the heaviest recorded snowfall in the region. The day temperature remained below freezing point at -2°C. The weather condition in the region, which has been affected by the arrival of western disturbances this week, is like to remain the same till December 17. Fresh snow affects connectivity in Leh Fresh snowfall early Friday morning badly affected the connectivity in the Leh region. Sources at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh, said all scheduled flights between Delhi-Leh and Jammu-Leh had been cancelled today due to heavy snowfall. The world famous Khardung Pass and Chang Pass had also been closed for traffic. Meanwhile, people are happy with the snowfall on the occasion of Losar, the Ladakhi New Year, as it is considered a good omen. |
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Delay in Solving Refugees’ Problems
Jammu, December 14 The NC is heading a coalition in the state in which the Congress is also a partner, but it is all due to the “lack of coordination” at the lower level that workers of both the parties
are finding it difficult to work jointly. Despite being a partner in the government, Congress leaders “always shift blames” on the NC for delay in solution of some vital issues, especially long-pending issue of refugees. While addressing a meeting of refugees at Vijaypur yesterday, Congress leader Manjit Singh said the Congress-led UPA government was ready to give property rights to the refugees of 1965 and 1971, but it was the state government which had been creating hurdles. “The Government of India is ready to give rights to the 1965 and 1971 refugees, but the Jammu and Kashmir has not shown interest on the issue because the state government has not been giving details of the refugees to the Central Government,” Manjit Singh, who himself is a refugee, said and regretted that the state government was adopting a delay tactics in solving
the issue. He warned the state government against creating hurdles and said refugees would not hesitate to protest to oppose such policies of the present regime. “It is up to the state government to take a decision, but they have been delaying the process initiated by the Union Government for the one-time settlement of The refugees of 1947 (including those of West Pakistan), 1965 and 1971 have intensified their agitation for solving their problems. These refugees have been targeting the Congress for not taking their problems seriously. |
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Pot containing 107 rare coins found in prison
Jammu, December 14 The “hidden treasure” was found on November 17 when a prisoner Ashok Kumar was engaged in gardening but the matter was disclosed by the prison authorities yesterday. “On November 17, a prisoner who was gardening on the premises of the prison found a small earthen pot containing 107 metal coins equal to the size of shirt buttons,” said prison superintendent Rajni Sehgal. We can’t say for sure whether they are made up of gold or silver, she added. She said the prison authorities had now sought the expertise of the Archives Department to establish the properties and age of the coins. “They will be visiting the prison in a day or two to examine them scientifically, she said. “Locals here say that before 1947 there was a graveyard where the prison exists today and the pot might have been kept with a body as part of some ritual,” she added. Director General, Prisons, Naveen Aggarwal, who also confirmed the development, said the metallic pieces had not been examined by the experts as yet. Experts from the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums had been asked to establish their authenticity, he added. Besides freeing three dreaded militants in lieu of passengers on board the hijacked Kandahar plane in 2000, the prison also witnessed a tunnel dug by foreign militants in 1996 and a bloody clash between militants and police in 2006. |
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2 more CRPF bunkers removed from Srinagar
Srinagar, December 14 Despite inclement weather conditions, CRPF men were seen removing two bunkers at Amira Kadal and Bagiyat Chattabal areas of the city in the morning. “The bunkers were present in these areas since the eruption of militancy,” said Public Relations Officer, CRPF, Kashmir, Sudhir Kumar. While militancy had erupted in the state in 1990, the decision to remove the bunkers was taken in the wake of the 2010 unrest that had witnessed a series of killings in the Valley for about five months. The Central government had then proposed an eight-point programme for the restoration of normalcy in the Valley. The removal of bunkers was part of the efforts to reduce the visible presence of security forces in the civilian areas. With the lifting of bunkers at Amira Kadal and Chattabal, 45 CRPF bunkers have been removed from the Valley after the 2010 summer unrest so far. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had earlier this year stated that the government would “progressively” decrease the footprints of the security forces, Kumar said the vacating of buildings by the CRPF and removal of bunkers was an ongoing process. Besides the government and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the separatists too have been for long demanding a reduction in the presence of troopers from civilian areas. After the clamour for removal of CRPF bunkers, Kumar had earlier stated that they were willing to vacate more premises occupied by them if provided alternative accommodation. “We are here just to assist the local place and will leave whenever directions are received?... future removal of bunkers will be done after analysing the situation,” he had said. |
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Geelani criticises Pak for maintaining silence on Kashmir
Srinagar, December 14 He told its envoy that the next generation would fight on but would never “bow their head before India”. Geelani’s refusal to accept an invite to visit Pakistan and his thrashing of Pakistan’s envoy, who met the 83-year-old separatist in New Delhi today, comes amidst a heightened clamour from moderate separatists, who have hinted their Pakistan visit is meant to find a “way out” of the “status quo” on Kashmir. Geelani, who met Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir and his deputy Babar Amin at Malviya Nagar in New Delhi, told them to convey to Pakistan that, “We will not surrender”, hardline Hurriyat spokesperson Ayaz Akbar said. Geelani lambasted Pakistan for maintaining a “criminal silence” on the issues pertaining to the separatist movement, including recent life sentences to former militants here. “Pakistan should have raised its voice against the oppression and should have lodged protests and raised these issues on international forums,” Geelani told the envoy. — TNS
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Border firing hasn’t cast shadow on trade, travel
Jammu, December 14 Similar skirmishes between the two armies in June this year, when India had to eventually move an artillery battalion from Mendhar to the KG sector, had stalled the cross-LoC trade and travel. The stand-off had ended only after a Brigade commander-level meeting on June 23, which eventually paved the way for the resumption of trans-border trade and travel. “Despite a spurt in skirmishes on the LoC in the KG sector, thankfully trade and travel has so far remained unaffected,” said an official of the Chakan-da-Bagh Trade Facilitation Centre. But going by the increase in firing by Pakistan
that compels our Army to retaliate, trade can come to an abrupt halt any time, he added. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured that he would urge the Central government to take up the issue of recurring ceasefire violations with Pakistan to ensure peace and tranquillity on the LoC and in border areas. “So far the tension between the two sides has not cast its shadow on trade and travel but at the same time the trade, in particular, is dying on its own because of nonchalant attitude of the Centre and the state government,” said Pawan Anand, president of the Poonch Cross-LoC Traders Association. On December 11, Indian traders exported one truckload of merchandise and imported four truckloads from their Pakistani The trans-border trade takes place four days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. In June this year Pakistan, which had heavily shelled Indian posts, had suspended the trade and travel. The trans-LoC travel and trade via Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch and Salamabad in Uri were started between the two countries in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
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Kashmir tourism dept woos newly-weds
Srinagar, December 14 In its efforts to tap the expected lot of the tourists during the season, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) has launched special packages to attract newly-wed couples ahead of Christmas and New Year. “Around 65,000 marriages were solemnised in Delhi alone during November and December and they are our target. We will try to woo these newly-weds to Kashmir,” said Shamim Ahmed Wani, general manger, Travel Division and Operation, JKTDC. Wani said a special “honeymoon package” on Christmas and New Year included three nights and four day stay at VIP tourist huts at Cheshma Shahi, on the foothills of Zabarwan, overlooking the Dal Lake. He said couples would also be taken to Gulmarg and Pahalgam. “There is another package for newly-weds, where they will stay at the Heemal hotel of the JKTDC located on the Boulevard,” he added. “We expect that the response will be very encouraging,” an official of the JKTDC said. |
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Lolab blast victim battles for life
Kupwara, December 14 A doctor attending on her said the victim did not show much signs of recovery and was referred for specialised treatment. Her sister Nuzhat, a Class VI student, had died on the spot when an explosive device, believed to be a hand grenade, went off after she accidentally touched it. Shiasta (10), another sibling who was also injured in the blast, is undergoing treatment at a sub-district hospital, Kupwara. The sisters had gone to the forests to fetch firewood. “The victim has suffered serious injuries in her neck and head and goes unconscious after almost every hour. She is battling for life,” said Ghulam Mohd Shah, victim’s father. “The condition of my other daughter is also not good,” he added. Nuzhat is not the only victim. At least eight people in Kupwara district had fallen prey to abandoned shell blasts at various places during the past two years. According to figures, 27 others have been injured in such incidents. In September last year, Mudasir Ahmad Khan and Ali Mohd died when abandoned shells went off at Maidanpora in Lolab of Kupwara district. As many as eight persons were injured in the incident. In another incident, two boys were killed in the bordering area of Machil in Kupwara district in 2010 when they accidentally came in contact with an explosive device. However, after the incidents, the government had asked various security agencies to adhere to the standard operation procedure (SOP) to avoid such mishaps. Tariq Ahmad Shah of Shirhama Kupwara was also killed in a stray explosion last year. However, residents of many villages, including Lolab, have demanded that the police and the Army should sanitise sites where encounters have taken place to avoid such incidents. The Deputy Commissioner and SSP, Kupwara, along with senior officials, yesterday visited the bereaved family in Lolab. The Minister of State for Home had last year asked the police, Army and other paramilitary forces to draft a SOP for avoiding the loss of human lives after IEDs remain undetected due to non-clearance of debris at encounter sites.
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Sopore operation called off
Srinagar, December 14 The police said a search operation in the Cherhare forests and Mundaji, Batengo, was called off today afternoon after the troops did not get any clue about Fahadullah. Troops and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the J&K police had maintained a tight cordon at Mundaji village, where two LeT militants were killed after they managed to escape the cordon at the Cherhare forests. A JeM militant, identified as Yehya Khan, who is a Pakistan national, was killed in the Cherhare encounter yesterday after the police got specific information about the presence of a group of militants in the forest. Police sources said the two militants of the LeT, Abu Zaid of Pakistan and a local militant Omar Ahsan of Kulgam, managed to escape from the forests. “The two militants were killed at Mundaji, Batengo, during a separate encounter,” the police said. It said the militants had infiltrated two months ago. “We had an input about Fahadullah that he was also part of the group, but managed to give a slip,” it added. |
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Losar begins with fanfare
Leh, December 14 On the eve, entire Leh town was illuminated with the lighting of traditional lamp at every religious places, residential houses and nearby hills. A large number of people were seen visiting monasteries. Chokhang Vihara in Leh town saw the largest gathering of people from different parts of Ladakh. The Ladakh Buddhist Association also organised a function at Chowkhang Vihara to celebrate the festival. The Ladakhi New Year begins from the 11th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. Its celebration lasts for a week in the Sham region and three days in Changthang, Nubra and central Ladakh. The festivity began with the celebration of the birth and death anniversary of Galwang Tsongskhapa on the 25th of the 10th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. Tsongskhapa founded the Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. — OC
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Srinagar, December 14
Jammu, December 14
