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After LoC tension, police issues advisory on nuclear war
BSF DG reviews security along border in Jammu
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23 yrs on, grim memories fail to fade away
FIRING ON LoC
Jammu-Poonch highway thrown open to traffic
Govt holds pre-budget parleys with farmers
Panhayat members pay tribute to slain sarpanch
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus cancelled
Army launches helpline
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After LoC tension, police issues advisory on nuclear war
Srinagar, January 21 The advisory, which lists the steps to be followed for prevention and protection against a nuclear war, were advertised in a widely circulated local daily here. The advisory has been signed by the Inspector General of Police for the State Disaster Response Force. The advisory comes at a time when Indian and Pakistani soldiers have traded heavy fire along the LoC, which divides Kashmir. A ceasefire agreement along the LoC, which is in place since 2003, got a major jolt earlier this month when five soldiers of the two neighbours were killed in each others fire. The latest advisory has an 11 point list of dos to be followed before the nuclear war which includes construction of basements in houses where whole family can stay for a fortnight and separate lists to be followed during and after the nuclear attack. The police has asked residents not to “panic” and “stay calm” in case of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. The advisory also includes separate dos and don’ts in case of a biological and chemical warfare. “Following types of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons are doubted to be in existence in the international field,” the advisory says. It lists Bacillus Anthracis, Salmonella Typhose, Pastreurella and Pestis among other biological weapons. It also lists nerve gas (tabun, sarin), blister gas (mustard, lewisite) and chocking gas (phosgene, chlorine chloropicrin) among the chemical weapons. A Kashmir-based political analyst, however, dismissed the advisory as “insignificant” and wrongly-timed. “It is just being done to create sensation at a wrong time,” said Prof Gul Mohammad Wani, who teaches political science at the University of Kashmir. Wani expressed surprise at the police for issuing the advisory. “It is not good to create a sensation and that too when we are looking towards de-escalation of tension at the LoC,” he said. |
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BSF DG reviews security along border in Jammu
Jammu, January 21 Joshi visited the Sidharwan post in the Chicken Neck area and interacted with border guards and appreciated their efforts in guarding the international border in harsh and testing conditions. He also listened to their grievances and assured them of their resolution at the earliest. At the BSF’s headquarters in Paloura here, the DG inaugurated a new administrative block where Jammu Frontier IG Rajeev Krishna briefed him about the latest operational scenario on the international border and the Line of Control in the Jammu region. The DG was also informed about the presence of militants in various launch pads on the other side of the international border vis-à-vis BSF’s strategy to foil their possible attempts aimed at intruding into the Indian territory. He also addressed a sainik sammelan where he appreciated the efforts of the BSF, Jammu Frontier, in effectively guarding the border. His wife, Sudha Joshi, also addressed the members of the BSF Wives’ Welfare Association. This was Joshi’s first visit to Jammu after assuming charge as the BSF chief. Meanwhile, Jammu Frontier IG Rajeev Krishna called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today and briefed him about the overall security situation in the area of his responsibility, particularly along the international border in the Jammu region. The Governor discussed with Krishna issues relating to the external security management in the Jammu region. |
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Omar a trailblazer for Rahul?
Jammu, January 21 If the real panchayat elections in 2011 with nearly 80 per cent participation of voters after a gap of 30 years were his moments of political triumph, his lowest ebb was the year of 2010, when his political and administrative skills were lost in street protests and the fierce retaliatory action which left 120 people, mostly youth, dead. None other than Omar Abdullah knows it best that he was appointed the Chief Minister of this hyper-sensitive state to demonstrate that young leaders could perform better than the older ones. It is an open secret that it was because of Rahul’s efforts that Congress got into an alliance with the National Conference within 48 hours of the 2008 Assembly poll in the state. The National Conference had 28 seats and it cobbled together the majority by adding the 17 of the Congress in a House of 87. The timing of the appointment of Rahul in January 2013 coincides with Omar’s completion of four years in office. The first two years, 2009 and 2010, were disastrous and the next two, 2011 and 2012, the most peaceful the state had ever seen since 1990, the calendar year of the start of militancy in Kashmir. Political commentators read the script quite early, rather much before the Jaipur declaration of January 19, 2013, that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was an experiment for Rahul Gandhi, who was anointed the de facto No. 2 in the party on January 19. Omar is the very picture of a trailblazer in Jammu and Kashmir, what Rahul is expected to be at the national level if the 2014 parliamentary poll goes the UPA way. The glass has been half empty or half full for the Omar Abdullah government in the past four years, depending upon which part of his performance one was looking at. The years 2009 and 2010 were a lesson for him in political disaster management because of what happened in 2010 in particular, when each and every corner of the Kashmir valley erupted and there were voices calling for his removal. Those calls were halted by none else but Rahul Gandhi. At that moment, Rahul, the all-powerful man in the Congress, saved the day for his friend Omar. “He (Omar) is working in a difficult situation, he needs more support and time…,” Rahul had said. These words proved prophetic because 2011 and 2012 depicted an altogether different Kashmir, where tourists roamed without fear and where youth felt the need to move out of the shackles of the past. Omar, for obvious reasons, is not reflecting on his role of a trailblazer for his friend Rahul. It is an admitted fact that “being the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir is the most difficult job to perform,” he had told this reporter in June 2010 when street protests were becoming both a political and administrative nightmare for him. His predecessor Ghulam Nabi Azad, now Union Health Minister, had also conceded that “it is much more difficult to run Jammu and Kashmir than to work in the Government of India (where he was Minister for Housing before being shifted to Jammu and Kashmir as its Chief Minister in November 2005). |
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What’s okay for CM is not apt for govt employees
Srinagar, January 21 Interestingly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and some Cabinet ministers sometimes wear pheran in public gatherings and official meetings, which gives rise to the question of why it was not being allowed for employees. Historians and cultural activists have resented the criteria, terming it irrational and a threat to Kashmiri culture. “Kashmiris should thank their ancestors for devising the cloak which is the only saviour from the cold, under which you can carry a kangri (a pot filled with hot embers). But it is unfortunate that we are not allowed to wear it in offices. This is not the case in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chennai where people wear their traditional outfits such as dhoti and salwar kameez to offices,” said Immad Hussain, a subject expert on cultural history of Kashmir at the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora. An influence of the Roman, Persian and Greek civilisations on the cultural ethos of Kashmir along with the necessity to sustain extremely harsh winters gave rise to the outfit, which is not deemed “fit” to be worn to offices, schools and colleges. “Pheran is a part of Kashmir’s identity. The government rule of not allowing its employees to wear pheran and the Western outfits such as overcoats, cardigans and tuxedos, making inroads into the apparel sector of the Valley have made pheran a secondary option for us. I was shocked when the librarian at the Allam Iqbal library, University of Kashmir, did not let me in as I was wearing a pheran. Security guards outside courts, schools and colleges do not let you in if you are wearing a pheran,” Sajad Ahmad, a PhD scholar at the university, said. A hotel in Srinagar suburbs, which didn’t allow entry to a visitor wearing a pheran, had shocked many. A couple of designers had organised a first of its kind fashion show in the city to impress upon people to wear pheran. They had blended it with accessories and made it custom-fit, but the veterans resented such changes. “We should dress to the occasion, but not at the cost of losing our cultural ethos,” said Isra Yaseen, an educationist. Cold comfort
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23 yrs on, grim memories fail to fade away
Srinagar, January 21 Twentythree years since the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits on January 19, 1990, from the Valley and a massacre of 53 persons said to be Kashmiri Muslims on January 21, 1990, horrendous tales of separation, sacrifice and loss have resurfaced on online forums. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on twitter that he really felt for the cause of Kashmiri Pandits and that his promises in getting them back to the Valley is not mere lip service. “Their exodus was forced, their return can't be. All I can do is redouble my efforts to facilitate conditions for Pandits to return to Kashmir,” Omar tweeted. However, people who have borne the brunt of these incidents seem to be unimpressed by the government’s claims. “The saga of KP exodus is proof that our governments do believe in the vote bank and are not sincere at all towards people of our country. Unfair,” tweeted Bollywood’s leading actor Anupam Kher who lived in downtown Haba Kadal locality of Srinagar, Kashmir, before the turmoil hit the Valley. “I turned exactly the same age as that of my exile from Kashmir, Jan 19, 1990 KP exodus,” said Shivesh Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit and an engineer by profession. Kashmiri Muslims too reiterated their support for the homecoming of Kashmiri Pandits, stating that the two-decade rift between the two peace-loving communities of the Valley should be bridged so that the Valley doesn't see bloodshed anymore. “It was on January 19 that thousands of Kashmiri Pandits migrated, a black day in the history of Kashmir, KP exodus,” tweeted Obaid Ahmad, a Kashmiri Muslim and a blogger. They said that barely two days after their Hindu neighbours left the Valley, a bloody massacre took place in the heart of Srinagar city in the Gaw Kadal bridge where 55 Muslims, residents of that area, were killed by security forces. “This snow and rain failed to wash away the blood-stained memories across the Valley throughout decades. We failed to forget. Gaw Kadal Massacre,” tweeted Majid Pandit, a Srinagar-based public relations professional. “Rouf, who was killed, first held the barrel of a machine gun pointed at protesters on his chest. 32 bullets got lodged in his chest. 32 lives saved. Gaw Kadal Massacre,” recounted Jehangir Ali, a journalist. Netizens also posted accounts of Gaw Kadal massacre survivors who lost their relatives back then. Despite all the mourning, fresh hope has started to emerge in both the communities, which could re-unite them. “I wish I could tell my Kashmir Pandits how most Kashmiri Muslims would welcome them back with open arms into their homes,” said Sair Mir, a doctor by profession. Dr Arif Maghribi referred to a remark by Rahul Pandita, a journalist, saying that although the Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus is painful and ugly, one should not undermine the beautiful, golden centuries of peaceful coexistence in Kashmir. Bhawana Kak, an educationist, opined that the truth about both the incidents (KP exodus and Gaw Kadal massacre) should be told. “Pain is pain, Kashmiri Pandits have suffered immensely; Kashmiri Muslims have suffered too,” blogger Obaid Ahmad said. |
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Partial shutdown in Srinagar to remember Gaw Kadal killings
Srinagar, January 21 The strike call was later backed by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front leader Mohammad Yasin Malik. Shops and other business establishments in the Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Regal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Abi Guzar, Residency Road, Jehangir Chowk, Shaheed Gung and Polo View areas of Srinagar city were closed today. The Gaw Kadal incident is dubbed by Kashmir-based human rights activists and separatists as a “massacre” as 50 civilians were killed allegedly by security forces on January 21, 1990, in the congested Gaw Kadal locality of Srinagar. The public and private transport in these areas plied normally. Later in the day activists of the J&K People’s Political Party, led by Hilal Ahmad War, took out a protest in the Maisuma area. The protesters dispersed peacefully after raising pro-freedom slogans. To thwart any untoward incident and prevent protests from spreading to other areas, the authorities had deployed more security personnel in these areas. The Kashmir Bar Association also held a meeting in Srinagar today, wherein it expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and paid tributes to those killed in the incident. On January 21, 1990, a peaceful demonstration of civilians, protesting against an alleged molestation by security forces, was fired upon near the Gaw Kadal locality in Srinagar allegedly by security forces, resulting in the death of 50 persons and injuries to several others. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on December 26, 2012, ordered a fresh inquiry into the 23-year-old incident. The probe would be conducted by an investigation wing of the SHRC, headed by an SP-rank police officer, who has been directed to furnish his report within two months. The Commission is hearing a petition by a human rights group, which claims the government has
not allowed any credible investigation into the incident so for. |
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PDP holds protests against govt’s anti-people policies in Jammu
Jammu, January 21 Protesters were led by senior party leader Rangail Singh. They gathered at the press club and highlighted the failure of the government in solving the day-to-day problems of the people and the deceit tactics being adopted by the regime to erode the democratic character of institutions like the urban local bodies and panchayats. The protesters broke the police barricade at the press club and tried to move towards Raj Bhawan where the party had announced to submit a memorandum to Governor NN Vohra to remind him of the promise made in the last budget session of conducting the urban local bodies elections. Samba:
Residents of Samba, led by PDP state secretary Choudhary Hussain Ali Wafa, held a protest at the tehsil headquarters and burnt Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s effigy. Wafa termed the coalition government’s rule as the worst. He blamed the government for the miseries of the people. He said, “The people of the state were the worst sufferers of inflation.” PDP district president Pawan Dev Singh and youth leader Sunny Sangral addressed the protesters. Udhampur: PDP leaders said there was rampant corruption in the state. “The corruption has sneaked into the government and the State Accountability
Commission has virtually been made non-functional by the government through its deceit tactics,” said
a PDP leader. Pointing towards the prevailing chaos in the state, PDP leaders said during the last four years Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had done nothing to alleviate the miseries of the people. |
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FIRING ON LoC
Churanda (LoC), January 21 Mohammad Shafi (30), a farmer, was among the three villagers who died in the shelling by Pakistani soldiers at Churanda village in Uri sector on October 16 last year. Besides Mohammad Shafi, those killed in the first major ceasefire violation included 17-year-old Liayaqat, son of Nazir Ahmad, and Shanhwaz, daughter of Mohammad Ismail Lohar. “Shafi was taking care of his family of 10 members, including his 85-year-old father, a brother, who had lost his leg two years ago in an antipersonnel mine, his three children, wife and the family of his brother,” said Shafi’s brother Muneer Ahmed. “The family continues to remain in shock three months after the death of Shafi,” he added. This serene and tiny hamlet comprising nearly 1,300 people is blessed with nature’s beauty, but in the event of border skirmishes, its population face threat to their lives. There is no other alternative with them than to face the wrath of roaring guns from either sides of the Line of Control (LoC), which at times hits them leading to a death or a life-long disability. While the state government had already disbursed ex gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh to each of the next of kin to those killed in the October shelling, the local residents said it was not enough. “When three villagers were killed in shelling in October, there was no anger and no one sympathised with us the way people have stood up in recent days after the killing of troopers. We too are humans and the governments in New Delhi and Islamabad should ensure that we, the residents of border villages, live in peace,” said a schoolteacher. “The ex gratia relief to the families of the victims is good, but we want that the rulers need to do more and ensure that we live a peaceful life,” he added. |
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Jammu-Poonch highway thrown open to traffic
Rajouri, January 21 A senior BRO officer at Rajouri said the rains and heavy snowfall since January 16, including hailstorms, at many places had disrupted the road connectivity to the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. He said from the past few days hundreds of small and heavy vehicles were stranded on the Jammu-Poonch highway at Bhimber Gali which is the
highest location on the highway. He said braving continuous snowfall for two days, men of 31 BRTF (GREF) under Project Sampark have cleared the highway in record 24 hours. The opening of the
highway has enabled the district administration to recoup their essential services to most affected areas of the two districts. He said, “We are taking all necessary measures to provide safer roads to passengers to avert any untoward incidents.” “KG top, Bhimber Gali, Dera Ki Gali and the Thanamandi area are the most affected areas where we have deployed a number of road clearance teams along with JCB machines and dozers,” he said. Sources said even after five days the administration had failed to restore the power supply to the Thanamandi area. |
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Govt holds pre-budget parleys with farmers
Jammu, January 21 Speaking at a pre-budget discussion with the representatives of progressive farmers on the third consecutive day here on Monday, Rather said owing to the primary role of the agriculture sector in bringing economic prosperity and employment generation, the state government had made almost the entire agriculture sector tax-free to make farming an attractive, viable and gainful activity. He said the process of pre-budget discussions with farmers had been initiated by him to feel their pulse and get their suggestions in presence of the authorities associated with the budget-formulation exercise. He said almost all genuine suggestions of the farming community, presented during the last four pre-budget discussions, had been considered favourably. The government was open to lending every possible support to give a boost to agriculture activities, he added. Rather said inputs provided by the representatives of farming community in previous budget meetings were fruitful. At present, hardly any activity under agriculture and allied sectors was left without the benefit of various incentives, including tax concession. He said the government focus was now on availability of hybrid seeds and adequate irrigation facilities for fruit growers and agriculturists. “A look at the past 40 years demonstrates that such agriculture promotion measures --- as in the last three budgets --- have never been taken,” Rather asserted while adding that formulation of the Kissan Welfare Board, the first of its kind, had been representing the farming fraternity satisfactorily in various forums of the government and civil administration. He said the pre-budget discussion with the farming community had become an essential part of budget formulation and no finance minister in the future too could afford to ignore this community. |
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Panhayat members pay tribute to slain sarpanch
Jammu, January 21 While paying tributes to Mir, panchayat leaders held the state government responsible for his killing saying that they had been demanding security for sarpanches and panches in the state but it was not given to them despite an open threat by terrorists. United Jehad Council chief Syed Salahuddin had given an open threat to kill elected panchayat members in November last year but the government had not taken the threat seriously. The AJKPC had urged panchayat members not to get cowed by terror threats, said AJKPC chairman Shafiq Mir. He said they had given a written representation to the DGP, seeking security cover for elected panchayat members. “We will not surrender before any terror diktat and will fight for strengthening democracy in the state for which one of our colleagues, Habibullah Mir, has sacrificed his life,” said Mir. He said the AJKPC would continue its fight to strengthen democratic institutions in the state. AJKPC general secretary Anil Sharma described the killing of Habibullah Mir as a direct attack on the AJKPC. Sharma said Mir was targeted because he was the most active and senior leader of the AJKPC in the Kashmir valley. |
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Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus cancelled
Srinagar, January 21 The Regional Passport
Officer, Srinagar, Firdous Iqbal, whose office is entrusted with
issuing the travel permits for the Karvan-e-Aman passengers, said the
bus service scheduled for January 21 was cancelled due to the bad
weather conditions and closure of the road. — TNS |
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Army launches helpline
Jammu, January 21 The facility of providing information on various schemes for ex-servicemen by bulk SMS to all post-paid connections will also be made available. |
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Guv briefed on research projects in JU
Jammu, January 21 The Governor and the vice-chancellor reviewed the progress of various measures being taken by SKUAST for the advancement of modern practices in agriculture and its allied sectors in the Jammu region. Professor Arora also briefed the Governor, who is the chancellor of the university, about the status of various ongoing research projects and the new varieties of seeds of various crops developed and released by the university in the recent past. |
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