The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

S. Kashmir shuts down over youth’s death in andhra
Youth, security personnel clash in several areas; all roads leading to Parigam, native village of Mudassir Ahmad, sealed
Suhail A Shah

A deserted street following a protest by Mutahida Majlis-e-Mashawrat at the old city in Srinagar on Tuesday. Tribune photos: Amin war

Anantnag, March 5
All roads leading to Parigam village in Pulwama district were barricaded by the authorities to thwart ‘Pulwama Chalo’ call given by Majlis-e-Mushawrat. Clashes between youth and security forces were reported from several places across south Kashmir and a complete shutdown was observed to mourn the mysterious death of 29-year-old Kashmiri research scholar in Hyderabad.

Reports said the police, CRPF and paramilitary personnel, wearing riot gear and armed with sophisticated weapons, were deployed in large numbers throughout the Pulwama district.

“Concertina wire and barricades were erected on all routes leading to Parigam village, the native village of the deceased scholar, Mudassir Kamran Malla,” sources said.

However, despite the restrictions, a large number of people, including some separatist leaders, managed to sneak into Parigam village and held protests.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) vice-chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat visited the bereaved family and expressed solidarity with them.

Calling Mudassir’s death a gruesome murder, Bhat said he (Mudassir) was a religious man and could not commit suicide.

“The government is fabricating stories to shield the culprits,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources said the CRPF personnel from a local camp in Tahab village of Pulwama district went berserk and thrashed whosoever came in their way.

“Two media personnel were also beaten up by the CRPF personnel,” the sources said. “They also smashed window panes of mosques and houses in the locality,” the sources added.

Following high-handedness of the forces, people assembled in large numbers and raised slogans to lodge their protest.

Clashes amid a complete shutdown were reported from many parts of all four districts comprising the south Kashmir region.

In Kulgam district, stray incidents of stone pelting were reported amid heavy deployment of security forces.

A peaceful procession was taken out in Shopian town. However, later in the day, reports of clashes came in from the Gagran and Sindhu Shirmal areas of the district.

Wireless Internet services blocked till Wednesday

Srinagar: Wireless Internet services have been blocked in the Kashmir valley for two days till Wednesday evening, private service providers said here today.

The services have been stopped on all wireless Internet service connections in the region.

While the district administration of Srinagar said it was not aware about any such order, a senior police officer neither denied nor confirmed that the order had been issued.

An official of a private service provider said they had received an order from the police authorities to shut down wireless Internet services till Wednesday evening.

Users of several Internet service providers said their connections had stopped working since early morning today.

Kashmir has remained on the edge since the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Internet services had remained halted for several days after February 9 when Afzal Guru was hanged and the state government imposed curfew for nearly a week across the Kashmir valley.

Tension has been mounting in the region ever since a PhD student from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district died under mysterious circumstances at his hostel in Hyderabad.

Separatists visit Malla’s family

Even as situation in Pulwama district was tense throughout the day in the aftermath of mysterious death of a Kashmiri scholar in Hyderabad a few days ago, many separatists leaders today visited native village of Mudassir Ahmad Malla, alais Mudassir Kamran, to condole his death.

To show solidarity with the bereaved family, a delegation of separatist leaders from moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference today visited Parigam, the native village of Mudassir, a Hurriyat spokesman said.

The delegation, he said, included Mussadiq Adil, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Ghulam Mohammad Nagoo, Mushtaq Sofi among others.

“To express solidarity with the bereaved family, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also talked to the parents of Mudassir over the phone”, the Hurriyat spokesman said.

“Mirwaiz told his parents that the whole Kashmir was with them in this hour of grief,” he said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led by its acting chairman Bashir Ahmad Butt also visited Parigam village in Pulwama today and expressed condolences with the bereaved family, a JKLF spokesman said here.

Butt, he said, was accompanied by other JKLF activists, including Mohammad Yasin Butt, Mohammad Sideeq Shah, Bashir Kashmiri, Mohammad Haneef, Ghulam Rasool Hazari and Tariq Ahmad.

Dist hospital without child specialist
Even children with minor ailments being referred to GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar
Amin Masoodi

Handwara, March 5
The absence of a paediatrician at the District Hospital, Handwara, is affecting treatment of ailing children as most of them are referred to GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar.

Residents of Kupwara district, especially Handwara town, have demanded that at least two specialist doctors should be posted at the hospital to ensure effective treatment to ailing children and minimise unnecessary referrals to Srinagar hospitals.

“Children having minor ailments like abdominal pain are unnecessarily referred to Srinagar hospitals. In such a situation, poor parents have to ferry ailing children to Srinagar which incurs extra expenditure and precious time is wasted. Doctors posted at the hospital refer the children either to skip their duties or they are inexperienced to handle such cases,” said Ghulam Hassan, a local resident.

A post of B-grade paediatrician and a doctor under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is lying vacant. Handwara hospital is the only hospital in the district with a separate paediatric ward and a large number of ailing children visit it. According to hospital management, between 2,200 and 2,500 patients are registered in the Out Patient Department (OPD) of the ward in a month. At present, paediatrician assistant surgeon is assisted by four medical officers posted under the NRHM in treating the patients. “Frequent referrals by doctors to a Srinagar hospital risk the lives of ailing children as it takes at least two hours to ferry them to Srinagar. A specialist doctor is a must for providing treatment to ailing children,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Bakiakar, near Handwara.

The Medical Superintendent of Handwara hospital, Dr Sajad Ahmad, said, “A post of paediatrician under the NRHM was advertised two months ago but it is still vacant as no candidate applied for the same. Four doctors assisted by five nurses are treating ailing children at the paediatric ward.”

“Dr Ashraf, a B-grade paediatrician, was transferred to the medical college at least two months ago and the post of two specialist doctors is lying vacant,” he said.

In January this year, a three-member inquiry committee headed by the Deputy CMO of Kupwara, Dr Muneer Ahmad Khan, had indicted medical staff of negligence of their duties, which led to the death of three-year-old Farid Ahmad Khan at Handwara hospital.

SMHS Hospital mulls over setting up ‘leech bank’
M Aamir Khan
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
While alternative treatment methods, especially ‘kshar sutra’ and leech therapy, are getting popular with every passing day, authorities are mulling to set up a ‘leech bank’ here that would enable them to offer leech therapy throughout the year in the Valley.

“Right now, we are able to do leech therapy only in the summer months. As more and more people are coming here for leech therapy, we have moved a proposal for setting up a leech bank. We are hopeful that the bank would be set up in Srinagar after April and we will be able to give leech therapy throughout the year,” said Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, in charge, Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) unit, SMHS Hospital, here.

He said the bank would have around 10,000 leeches and if the proposal gets through and the bank is set up, leech therapy can be offered at AYUSH units across the Kashmir valley. Dr Mushtaq said the therapy was getting popular among patients wishing to treat skin diseases and osteoarthritis.

He said the traditional cupping therapy, which is known as ‘Al-Hijamah’ in Arabic, and was also recommended by Prophet Muhammad and ‘kshar sutra’ as alternative to allopathic surgeries was getting popular. “Cupping therapy is practised in many countries, including China, and this treatment is given to patients with joint pain. Kshar sutra is an alternative to allopathic surgeries, especially the anorectal ones. It does not result in bleeding and patients suffering from piles have benefitted a lot from the same,” Dr Mushtaq said.

Arif Ahmad, a patient, said: “After getting kshar sutra treatment, my piles problem was cured. This therapy is very beneficial and I would recommend others also to go for this method of treatment.”

Dr Mushtaq said more than 100 patients were visiting the AYUSH unit at the SMHS Hospital daily. “We opened this unit in 2008 and now over 100 patients come here daily. Due to increasing number of patients, we have also set up another AYUSH unit at Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital besides a hospital at Shalteng, which is not yet fully functional. Besides, we have also set up AYUSH units at the district level in Kashmir,” he said.

College academic calendar likely to be delayed
Results of undergraduate courses to be declared in a month
Bismah Malik
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
College academic calendar is likely to witness a delay by one month due to the current shutdowns which have led to postponement of undergraduate examinations. Kashmir University Controller of Examinations Prof Abdul Salam Bhat said the examinations of BA, BSc, BCom (Ist and IInd year) concluded on Saturday and the results would take at least a month to be declared.

Although, KU had contemplated to declare the undergraduate results by first week of March, but the postponement of examinations till March has seemingly dashed its hopes.

“In the wake of these turbulent times, the academic calendar in colleges has been pushed one month late. The results processing will be started soon but this is going to take some time. We hoped that the classes would begin by April but it seems unlikely now,” Prof Bhat said. He said the conduct of examinations on strike days becomes a difficult exercise which led to consistent delay in the examinations.

“We had to think about security and convenience of students. We usually refrain from conducting examinations on strike days which cause trouble to students, who hail from far-flung areas, and have their examination centres in Srinagar,” he reiterated. With another month-long delay in the academic sessions in colleges, the students are fearing that their academics will be hit badly .

Various school pass-outs have instead opted for studying in colleges outside the state due to regular interruptions in the academic work.

Educationists say many students from the Valley are now appearing in national-level competitive examinations to get through the colleges and save their precious academic years.

“There is a trend catching up in the Valley of students going outside to study for competitive examinations and get admissions in colleges there. Last few years have particularly seen a surge in the number of such students. I think this is fair enough too, because the prospects of a good academic pursuit in Valley are less,” said GN War, president, Private Coaching Centres Association, Kashmir.

Gastro outbreak under control: CMO
Patients discharged from hospital, advised to consume boiled water
Amin Masoodi

Kupwara, March 5
Water-borne infection “gastroenteritis”, which had hit Kachahama village, 30 km from Kupwara, was under control. Most of the patients suffering from infection were discharged from the hospital today and a team of doctors called back from the affected village.

CMO, Kupwara, Dr Muneer Ahmad Khawaja said, “There is no need to panic as the infection has been completely contained. Most of patients suffering from infection were discharged from hospital today. We have called back doctors from the village.”

Victims undergoing treatment were given Intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics for speedy recovery. “The victims received timely treatment and have recovered fully. There is no chance for the infection to spread further. Necessary medicines, including IV fluids are available in the hospital,” added the CMO.

Inhabitants of the village have been asked to consume boiled water to avoid recurrence of infection. “Gastroenteritis is a water-borne infection. We have advised the villagers to consume boiled water. Children are more prone to infections,” a senior doctor said.

Locals have demanded safe drinking water facility for the village. “Threat of water-borne diseases like cholera, jaundice and gastroenteritis always looms large as we are forced to consume contaminated water from open nullahs,” said Shafat Ahmad, a local resident.

“By depriving us of drinking water facility, authorities are simply playing with our health,” he added.

Gastroenteritis hit the village on Saturday, when as many as 90 persons fell ill to infection. The victims started vomiting and suffered from frequent diarrhoea. At least 60 more fell ill to the water-borne infection the other day and were hospitalised.

Reports of water samples sent for testing was still awaited. “We are waiting for the report but we are convinced that water is contaminated and is causing infection among the villagers,” said a doctor.

Mountain expedition to see revival
Mountaineering club to launch expedition to Mount Mahadev from March 28
Bismah Malik
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
Nearly after 15 years, the Jammu and Kashmir Mountaineering and Hiking Club is all set to revive the ‘Spring Expedition’ to Mount Mahadev along the Zabarwan hils in Srinagar from March 28.

The team comprises three groups, who shall undertake skiing, snowboarding and trekking expedition simultaneously. Secretary of the club Mahmood Ahmad Shah will lead this prestigious expedition, while Muhammad Yusuf, ex-adventure sports coach, Kashmir University, will be the co-coordinator of the expedition.

The team shall go uphill over the snow through the traditional Chakdara-Lidwas route. The expedition may also contemplate to cross into Lidder valley over the Marsar, Sekiwas, Lidderwat and then to Pahalgam. The upper reaches of the mountain remain snowbound till late May and thus offer prospects for adventure sports like ski-touring and snowboarding.

“The main focus of the expedition, however, would be to explore possibility of putting Zabarvan range on the adventure tourism map of the state,” said Muhammad Yusuf, coordinator, Expedition.

He said any member or non-member of the club could join the expedition on first come first serve basis. “Participants must be well trained in skiing and snowboarding or should have intensively trekked earlier,” Yusuf said.

Mount Mahadev, at 13,013 ft, is the highest mount of Srinagar.

Srinagar is walled by Zabavan range on its eastern side. The mountain range offers prospects of different mountain sports like ski-touring and snowboarding in early spring. During other months of the year one can undertake trekking, mountain running, orienteering, paragliding and rock-climbing. The peak was first skied down by a team of District Winter Games Association, Srinagar, in 1998.

Power employees hold protest, seek release of pending salaries
Our Correspondent

Handwara, March 5
Around 600 employees of the power division, Handwara, held a protest demonstration demanding release of their three months pending salaries. The protesting employees raised slogans against the chief engineer, Power Development Department (PDD), alleging that the officer paid no heed to their problems in spite of repeated representations.

They said their families were suffering immensely due to non-payment of their salaries. “Our children are facing starvation like conditions due to acute financial crisis. For the past three months, we have been deprived of our salaries for unknown reasons,” said Farid Ahmad, a linesman.

Carrying banners “Release our salaries and We want justice”, the employees marched through the Handwara market and converged in front of executive engineer office, power division, Handwara. “Salary of clerical staff has also been released on time but we are the only sufferers. We will intensify stir and suspend work if the pending salaries are not released in the next two days,” said Mohd Maqbool Lone, president, J&K non-gazetted, electrical unit, Handwara.

The protesting employees blocked Kupwara-Handwara road for one hour. They were pacified following repeated assurances by the executive engineer Abdul Qayoom Handwara that he would take up the matter with higher authorities and their salaries would be released.

“Their salaries are not released due to non-allotment of funds. I will take up the matter on priority and get their salaries released,” said Abdul Qayoom, executive engineer, power division, Handwara.

KU to kick off Women's Day celebrations from tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
Kashmir University will kick off International Women’s Day celebrations from March 7 to March 9 with a debate and poster-making competition as its main highlights. The events will be organised by Department of Student’s Welfare.

The topic for the debate competition has been chosen to be ‘Women Acting for Change towards an Equitable Society’ which will be held on March 7.

The poster competition will be held on March 9 on the topic "Time for action to end violence against women”.

Students from all the teaching departments of University of Kashmir, affiliated colleges and students from other universities of the Valley are likely to participate in the event.

“Each institute will be represented by speakers and the best five speakers will be presented a cash reward of Rs 1,500,” said Shahid Ali Khan, event coordinator.

He said for poster-making event, each institute would be represented by 2-3 participants and the competition would be of two-hour duration. The participants would have to draw on a paper sheet size of 22 x 15 inches format.

Conference on tourism begins
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
A two-day-long national conference on ‘Tourism and Socio-Complexion of North-Western India’ began at Anantnag in south Kashmir today. An official said the conference, which is being sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Regional Centre, Chandigarh, was inaugurated at Government Degree College Boys, Anantnag.

The conference is being co-sponsored by the J&K Bank and Department of Tourism. “The conference is aimed at providing a platform for budding researchers in the field of social science particularly those interested in tourism geography. Besides, it aims at understanding the mutual issues of Tourism and Regional Development in north Western India,” the official added.

The conference is being attended by participants from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Two injured in road accidents
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
Two persons were injured in two separate road accidents in the Kashmir valley, the police said. An Ambulance, bearing registration number JK01/9981, hit and injured a constable Take Chand No. 4005032/L of 17 Dogra at Boniyar near Army Gate, in the jurisdiction of Boniyar police, Baramulla.

The injured constable was shifted to hospital for treatment. The police has registered a case in this regard.

In another accident, a truck bearing registration number JK02AP-9481, hit a motorcycle, bearing registration number JK03D/0328, near Charsoo, in the jurisdiction of Awantipora police, resulting in injuries to motorcyclist Showkat Ahmad Lone, a resident of Batpora, Parigam.

The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment. The police has registered a case in this regard.

50 patients to undergo invasive eye surgery
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
The Army today organised a cataract surgery camp in Srinagar where over 50 patients were selected to go for the minimal invasive eye surgery over the next few days. The camp was organised at 92 Base Hospital under the aegis of Chinar Corps in order to bring succour to the people of Kashmir, an Army spokesman said here.

“The camp was inaugurated by Lt Gen Om Prakash, General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, who has given an impetus to this endeavour by his involvement with this project from conception till execution,” he said.

“Over the next few days, 50 patients selected with the help of the Army units deployed in the interiors of Kashmir, will undergo minimally invasive suture-less cataract surgery,” the spokesman said.

“The surgery is expected to help the patients in leading an active and productive life,” he said.

Sujjan Ali brings laurels to state wrestling
Our Correspondent

Katra, March 5
Wrestler Sujjan Ali won a bronze medal in 96 kg in Mahan Bharat Kesari and All-India Invitational Indian Style Senior National Wrestling Championship held at Gorakhpur (UP) from March 1 to March 3.

He won the first round by defeating Majahuddin Qureshi, a wrestler from Madhya Pradesh, defeated Abhishek Solanki, a wrestler from Gujrat, in the second round and thrashed T Puran Singh, a wrestlera from Andhra Pradesh, in the third round. He was later defeated by Sukh Bir of NCR in the semifinals and won a bronze medal for J&K.

Other wrestlers, including Sachin Kumar of 51 Kg and Rakesh Kumar of 74 Kg won two rounds each and were defeated in the third round whereas Shammi Kumar and Aniyat Ali won the first round but were defeated in second round.

J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association president and J&K State Sports Council member Shiv Kumar Sharma congratulated wrestler Sujjan Ali for his achievement.

The seven members wrestling team was accompanied by president Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rakesh Khajuria, Bansi Lal Tidyal, Mulkh Raj Sharma and Prem Kumar.

Man attempts suicide
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 5
A 35-year-old Feroz Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Qamar Abad, Qamarwari, Srinagar, tried to end his life last night. The police said Bhat, in an attempt to end his life, received burn injuries when he sprinkled Kerosene on his body and set himself ablaze.

“He was shifted to SKIMS hospital for treatment where his condition is critical,” the police said. The police has registered a case under Section 309 of the RPC in this regard.