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Omar terms nuke advisory ‘daft idea’
News Analysis
All post offices to be computerised this year
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Valley gears up to celebrate Eid-e-Milad
127 doctors to be fired for being absent for years
Infertility among Kashmiri women high, says survey
Hospital treats infant with cigarette burns
Slathia avoids direct attack
on NC leadership at rally
Kashmir not a bilateral issue: Hurriyat leaders
Minister gets taste of highway traffic snarls
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Omar terms nuke advisory ‘daft idea’
Srinagar, January 23 “What a daft idea!” the Chief Minister said in his first response to the advisory which was issued earlier this week. The advisory, issued by Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Disaster Response Force, listed the steps to be followed for “prevention and protection” against nuclear “war” and was advertised in a widely circulated local daily. When asked by a fellow Twitter user why this advisory had been issued, the Chief Minister reacted by saying “damned if I know”. “I'm not building a bunker and stockpiling food, that's for sure,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter. The latest advisory had an 11-point list of “do’s” to be followed before the nuclear war which includes construction of basements and bunkers in houses where the whole family can stay in for a fortnight and stockpiling of food and water. The advisory was issued at a tense time when Indian and Pakistani soldiers had fired at each other along the dangerous and heavily militarised LoC, which divides Kashmir into two halves. “…it was still a bad idea especially in terms of the timing and recent events on the LOC,” Omar said. A delicate ceasefire along the LoC, which is in place since 2003, got a major jolt this month when two Indian soldiers were brutally killed in the Poonch sector by the Pakistan army on January 8. Though the police asked residents not to “panic” and “stay calm” in case of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, the advisory, however, created a panic among residents as was evident from the frenzied debates it triggered on social networking sites. “It’s scary,” a Facebook user said while many Kashmiris on Twitter used the hash-tag #MyWishBeforeNuclearWar to express their wishlist before the catastrophe. Political gurus, however, said the advisory was wrongly timed. “I would say it is poverty of ideas and poverty of understanding. Had their understanding level been good enough, they would have done something else,” said Professor Noor Ahmad Baba, who heads the department of political science at University of Kashmir. He said the department was being “unrealistic” by issuing the nuke advisory. “They should have targeted the more plausible areas like fire, flood, earthquake, snowstorm, which are unpredictable,” Baba said while terming nuclear weapons as a “weapon of deterrence”. “They are not for actual use”. Another professor of political science Gul Mohammad Wani called the advisory as “wrongly timed”. “It is very absurd. Since India and Pakistan went nuclear, even during the Kargil war we have had nuclear threats, but we should remember that nuclear weapons are fundamentally political weapons,” Wani said. Naeem Akhtar, spokesman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the advisory was “ill-timed”. “They chose a particularly bad time to do this,” he said. Akhtar said the people of Jammu and Kashmir “always live on the edge”. “The last thing you need to know is that nuclear war is coming, especially, in the present background when actually people have mentioned the nuclear word on television debates. This has added an element of reality to it, otherwise it looked distant,” he said. “They have just added to the scare, not that we did not have our insecurities,” the PDP spokesman said. Police calls it routine affair The Inspector General of Police for State Disaster Response Force, Yogender Koul, who issued the advisory, however, defended the publication saying it was a routine affair. “People are making it out to be something else, which it isn’t,” the officer said. “It may be suiting some people to make up stories, but our job is to make people aware about preparations ahead of disasters,” he said. Koul said the advisory was published on the commemoration of the State Disaster Response Force’s “first Raising Day”. |
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News Analysis
Jammu, January 23 It has become a converging point for anti-India people, who, prompted by separatists, march towards its building which is guarded round the clock by Indian security forces. Added to that is the fact that the group’s relevance was lost on the day the ceasefire line of 1949 was demarcated as the Line of Control by India and Pakistan following the Simla Agreement in 1972. That was done by Indian and Pakistani officials, the UNMOGIP had no role in that. This was what India’s permanent representative at the United Nations Hardeep Puri said in New York on Tuesday — that “it has outlived its utility” and therefore it should be “wound up”. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lent his support to this plea by pointing out the failures of this group — the Kargil episode when Pakistan’s regular troops intruded into the Indian side and occupied Indian bunkers in 1999. Neither did the UN observer group point out the recent ceasefire violations in Uri, where three civilians were killed in Charunda village by Pakistani firing, nor did it report the brutal action of Pakistani soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch. This was observed by Omar, who has vast knowledge of foreign affairs as he has served the country in the capacity of minister of state for foreign affairs until 2002. The group is an unwelcome baggage of the 1940s that Kashmir is carrying into the 21st century. Instead of ensuring peace on the LoC, the group has been a star provocation for the people of Kashmir. It ceremoniously opens its gates to receive memorandums from perennial protesters, just to remind itself that it has a role to play, which the UN also has refused to accept. It was made clear by former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan that UN resolutions on Kashmir had lost their relevance. The group now is just the darling of Pakistan, keen on internationalising the Kashmir issue, overruling its own commitments and agreements, including the Simla Agreement. The UN group is playing into the hands of Pakistan. It is like a memorial to those who want to keep the Kashmir issue alive, without realising that the UNMOGIP is a nine-word dead group. Any resident living in the village close to the dividing line can simply tell that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire time and again to facilitate the infiltration. The UNMOGIP members in Srinagar have never pointed out these violations. The group was nowhere to be seen when Pakistani troops intruded into the Kargil heights in 1999, it never informed India that Pakistan was embarking on the unacceptable misadventure, nor did it ask Pakistan not to traverse the path of military confrontation with India. It could not, because it was not there on the spot. It was enjoying the summer of Kashmir that time. The whole tourist season was destroyed by the Kargil conflict, which was overlooked by this group. And the Kashmiris were left high and dry. Puri’s observation that it is high time the United Nations wound up the UNMOGIP, for it has outlived its utility, has found an echo in the elected representatives in Kashmir. “The UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan,” Puri said while pointedly adding that “in times of austerity, we need to address the question whether the resources being spent on the UNMOGIP would not be utilised elsewhere.” Whatever Pakistan may say, the fact of the matter is that Kofi Annan, during his tenure as Secretary General of the United Nations, had declared that the UN resolutions on Kashmir had become “obsolete”. That was more than a decade ago. The UN should see writing on the wall that the UNMOGIP should wind up as early as possible. |
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All post offices to be computerised this year
Srinagar, January 23 “Post offices will go high-tech with the IT modernisation project in Jammu and Kashmir during the current year. All 1,693 post offices are being computerised and networked during this year. This will bring a major change in the way post office operates in future,” said Chief Post Master General, Jammu and Kashmir circle, John Samuel. He made the comments after inaugurating a training-cum-workshop session of the System Administrators at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) here today. The session was attended by all post office system administrators of the Kashmir region, a DoP official said. Speaking on the occasion, Samuel said: “The department is changing for the better and connecting itself with customers in a big way. The IT modernisation project will transform the post office into a success story.” Stating that a digital post office would be established at Kashmir University post office this year, he said the step would be a “major initiative to showcase postal services” in Kashmir. He also announced that all system administrators of the DoP would be provided with laptops and all staff members of the department would be made IT literate. |
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Valley gears up to celebrate Eid-e-Milad
Srinagar, January 23 As the Milad celebrations began on the 1st Rabiul-Awwal of the Islamic calendar (January 14), devotees have been thronging the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of the Dal Lake. Shops and many other business establishments here have also been covered with buntings and colourful lights ahead of Eid-e-Milad, which would be observed on Friday (12th Rabiul-Awwal). Even as Milad is not observed in countries like Saudi Arabia and orthodox Muslim groups have opposed to observing the day, devotees from across the Valley have been thronging the Hazratbal shrine for centuries during Milad. The veneration of shrines like Hazratbal, which houses the holy relic (hair strand) of Prophet Muhammad, has also been opposed by groups like Jamaat-i-Islami but that has failed to deter devotees from celebrating Milad. Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad said the Hazratbal shrine houses the holy relic and, therefore, it was imperative for all Muslims to pay obeisance there. “The holy relic has to be respected just like we respect our beloved Prophet,” he said. The most distinctive feature of Milad here is the public display of the holy relic each time after five prayers during the day. “Hazratbal is like Mecca for us as we get to catch a glimpse of the holy relic. I have been coming to Hazratbal since my childhood during Milad,” said Omar Ahmad, a local devotee. The Milad celebrations in the Valley began in the 18th century after the holy relic arrived here. Bagh-i-Sadiqabad, where the holy relic was placed, came to be known as Hazratbal, the abode of the Prophet. Around 2 lakh people are expected to visit Hazratbal on Eid-e-Milad on January 25. Devotees then would also observe the Friday following Milad that sees a huge rush of devotees at the Hazratbal shrine. |
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127 doctors to be fired for being absent for years
Jammu, January 23 Sources claim that most of the doctors on the list are presently working in private health institutions in the country and abroad, particularly in Gulf countries, notable among them being Saudi Arabia. The termination order is likely to be notified in the first week of February, after an assessment report of the Health Department which has sent final notices to the doctors. The government has also decided to refer the posts to the Public Service Commission for filling up of the posts which will be vacant after the order is implemented. In the last three years, the Health Department has served repeated notices to 150 specialist doctors, who are absent from their duties. Though some of them have rejoined their services, others have faced job termination. “The brain drain is a matter of worry as the government has invested a lot of money in training them and it has affected the health care system in the state. Termination is necessary as hundreds of doctors are unemployed and can be adjusted,” said an official. Secretary, Health, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said a new list has been prepared for the termination of the services of absent doctors. “We will issue the orders after we get the final report from the Health Department. It’s time to take strict action against doctors who are taking the government rules for granted.” A doctor on the condition of anonymity said the government’s policies are also responsible for the brain drain. “A doctor who joins the Health Services department in the state gets around Rs 22,000 per month but he gets more than Rs 50,000 in a private hospital in other states. What will a person choose,” he asked. Blaming the state government for its faulty policies, many doctors claim that the transfer of doctors from their native areas was also responsible for this practice. Further, it is not only the high salary and perks but also the professional and research atmosphere
outside the state and growth prospects which encourage doctors to leave their home state. The government is also under the scanner for allowing doctors to work in foreign countries. While the state is facing an acute shortage of doctors to run its health institutions, the government through its J&K State Overseas Employment Corporation Limited has helped in the emigration of 16 highly qualified medical professionals to Saudi Arabia. |
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Infertility among Kashmiri women high, says survey
Srinagar, January 23 The survey says about 20 per cent women in Kashmir are suffering from polycystic ovarian disorder (PCOS) which leads to 90 per cent of infertility cases among women. This is twice the occurrence of PCOS among 10-12 per cent women in the country and four times the worldwide average (4-6 per cent). The number of such cases is on the rise in the Valley, the study reveals. Dr Muhammad Ashraf Ganai, South East Asia Convener, International PCOS Society and Androgen Excess, a leading consultant endocrinologist at the All India Institute of Medical sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, who was previously associated with SKIMS, Srinagar, is conducting the study along with Dr Shahnaz Taing, Head of Department (HoD), Gynecology & Obstetrics, and a group of doctors and experts from SKIMS, Srinagar, Lal Ded Hospital and Government Medical Colleges (GMC), Srinagar, and Jammu. The doctors conducted the survey in various schools, colleges and offices in the Valley and examined increasing cases of infertility among women who approached the leading healthcare institutes in Kashmir. “I have reports of 1,800 PCOS females from Kashmir alone. Whereas I have seen 300-350 such patients in Delhi which has a bigger populace,” Dr Ashraf Ganai said. The number of infertile women is more in the urban areas of Kashmir than rural areas. The disturbing trend could be attributed to late marriages, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, consumption of excess fatty foods and even turmoil-related stress which has particularly increased over past two decades, the doctors said. Experts, however, do not rule out the possibility of non-awareness of the disease, misdiagnosis as causes which only worsen the PCOS symptoms and eventually lead to infertility. “It is a very complicated psychological and psychosexual disorder among females which has varied symptoms ranging from irregular/absent menstrual periods, acne on face and other body parts, abnormal/ undesirable body growth, mood fluctuations and finally an-ovulation (failure of ovaries to release of eggs necessary for fertilisation),” Dr Abida Ahmad, Additional Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said. Infertility, the doctors say, is only a tip of the iceberg. “Excessive hair growth, pimples on face (acne) and even infertility are not serious consequences of PCOS. If not treated during early stages, PCOS women can suffer from grave metabolic disorders like diabetes, fatty liver syndrome, ovarian cancer and even cardiovascular diseases,” Dr Ashraf Ganai said. Worse still, women get to know about this condition only after marriage when they try to conceive. “Kashmiri women approach the doctors pretty late. If only PCOS is treated at a right stage, it will ward off the chances of infertility. Women should go for physical/hormonal examinations at least once a year,” Dr Naheed Malik, a gynaecologist at LD Hospital said. |
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Hospital treats infant with cigarette burns
Srinagar, January 23 The two-year-old boy from Margund village of Ganderbal district was admitted to the hospital yesterday. The boy, who is suffering from Down syndrome, is admitted to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia and oral cavity infection, a doctor treating the boy said. “When I removed his shirt, I found 11 cigarette burns on his stomach,” the doctor said. He said the burns, as per the family, were caused by a “faith-healer” on the pretext of treating the child,” a doctor said. “They are blindly following faith-healers and this is not a lone case. We have been receiving such cases in the past also,” the doctor said. Faith-healers are popular in many rural areas of Kashmir for treating patients through weird means and are considered to possess supernatural healing powers. |
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Slathia avoids direct attack
on NC leadership at rally
Vijaypur (Samba),
January 23 Although Slathia avoided a direct attack on the party leadership for dropping him from the recent Cabinet reshuffle and “meting out humiliating treatment” to him, his supporters seized the opportunity to take the NC leadership to task for ignoring their leader, who according to them, had proved his mettle in the 2008 Assembly elections. “After the Amarnath land row in 2008, no one was daring to hold up the National Conference (NC) flag in the region. It was Surjeet Singh Slathia who won the election as the NC candidate from the Vijaypur segment which was the epicentre of the agitation and proved himself as the leader of the masses,” said Yogeshwar Singh, sarpanch of the Suchani
panchayat. Singh minced no words in attacking the NC leadership for dropping Slathia from the Council of Ministers. Slathia, while addressing his supporters, said he was a committed soldier of the NC and would sincerely shoulder the responsibility given to him by the party leadership. “I am not going to ditch my party,” he said. Virtually playing a regional card to gain the sympathy of the people, Slathia said he had become a victim of the conspiracy hatched by some people who were jealous of the all around development in the Vijaypur Assembly segment. “Those who were against the overall development of the Vijaypur Assembly segment in general and Samba district in particular have hatched a conspiracy against me,” he said and vowed to foil the designs of such forces. On the other hand, his supporters told the NC leadership that the decision to drop Slathia would prove disastrous for the party. A woman panchayat member, Baby Kumari, asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to rethink his decision of dropping Slathia from the Cabinet. Echoing similar views, Rampal Sharma, sarpanch of the Gho Manhasa
panchayat, said the “biased” party decision would erode support to the party in Samba district. Slathia and his supporters utilised all resources to make today’s rally a success to show their strength to the NC leadership. “The presence of such a large number of people is a clear indication that the people are annoyed with the NC high command’s decision,” Yogeshwar Singh said and added that the party leadership must rectify its mistake in the interest of the party. Slathia admitted there was strong resentment among the party cadre. |
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Kashmir not a bilateral issue: Hurriyat leaders
Srinagar, January 23 While chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s statement on Kashmir was against the UN resolutions, Geelani said it was India which first took Kashmir to the United Nations. Both separatist leaders were reacting to Khurshid’s statement wherein he has said Kashmir is a bilateral issue and there is no space or requirement for a third party (UN) intervention. Khurshid made these comments yesterday while responding to questions by mediapersons on Pakistan’s assertion seeking the UN intervention in Kashmir. Terming the “relevance and the presence” of the UN military observer group in Kashmir of “vital importance”, Geelani in his statement issued here said “Kashmirs as a party were not included in the Simla Agreement and thus the agreement has not overtaken the role of the UN observers.” Accusing the UN of “negligence” as far as Kashmir is concerned, Geelani, however, said the UN observers cannot be asked to leave Kashmir. “India has no right to ask for the legality of the UN observers as it was India which submitted the case to the United Nations. No power on the earth can deny the importance of the deployment of the UN observers in J&K,” Geelani was quoted in a statement by his spokesman. On the other hand, the Mirwaiz said Khurshid’s statement was against the international law and the UN resolutions on Kashmir. “Kashmir is not a bilateral issue. So far this issue has not been solved through bilateral talks, neither it would be solved this way,” the Mirwaiz said in his statement, adding that the statements show “negation of the role and status of the UN”. He termed the UN resolution as the bedrock of the Kashmir issue and urged the UN to take concrete steps for implementing its resolution. On Monday, India and Pakistan got into a verbal exchange at the Security Council on the relevance of the UN observer group at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, with India saying the UN observer group’s role has been “overtaken” by subsequent agreements signed by two nations under which they had resolved to settle differences “through bilateral negotiations”. |
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Minister gets taste of highway traffic snarls
Batote, January 23 His cavalcade was stuck in the traffic near Chenani for an hour and then at Kud and Patnitop. After getting to know about the problems faced by people due to frequent traffic jams on the highway almost daily, the minister couldn’t resist and spoke about his personal experience while addressing a public gathering at Tourist Bungalow in Batote. “Sorry, I made you all wait too long as I was stuck up in a traffic jam at several places. You all must be watching those passengers who get stranded for hours on the highway. Earlier, people used to get stranded on the highway for hours during the winter but now people get stranded even in the summer,” the minister said. “With the completion of the four-lane Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the railway line and hydel projects, the problem would be over after some years and would change the face of the Chenab valley,” he said. He went round the newly established Batote City Forest Park and gave instructions to the senior forest officials, besides assurance to them for financial assistance for its further development and beautification. He also attended a public meeting in the area. He promised the people of Batote that permission would be granted to the construction of a bus stand on the forest land having seven staff huts. |
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Srinagar, January 23
Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Kashmir is the cynosure for separatists and its presence there works as a motivation for anti-India forces to take out processions and submit their memorandums.
While Eid-e-Milad is not celebrated by Muslims in some parts of the world, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) continues to be observed for 12 days by devotees in the Kashmir valley.
As the Milad celebrations began on the 1st Rabiul-Awwal of the Islamic calendar (January 14), devotees have been thronging the
Hazrsatbal shrine on the banks of the Dal Lake.
