Kupwara/Srinagar, March 7
Three border districts of north Kashmir - Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore-- remained tense for the third consecutive day today as clashes were reported from different areas.

At least 13 people were injured, one of them critically, when the police resorted to canecharge and also burst tear gas shells to disperse protesters at Charkote in Lolab valley, Kandi, Trehgam and Langate in Kupwara district.

Akhthar Ahmad Malik (25) suffered multiple fractures in his right leg when a police vehicle almost over ran him at Charkote in Lolab valley. Sources said a group of youths held a protest at Charkote. The police resorted to lathicharge and also burst tear gas shells to disperse them but they again came back and clashed with the police.

Amid clashes, a speedy police vehicle rushed towards the protesters and almost ran over Akthar. The victim was rushed to Kupwara hospital, from where he was referred to Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla, Srinagar. Protests and clashes intensified after the incident as more youths took to the streets and fought pitched battles with the police.

While curfew remained in force in major towns, hundreds of people in the old town locality of Baramulla took out a protest rally shouting slogans against “killers” of the youth, Tahir Ahmad Sofi. The protests started from the locality in which the youth was killed on Tuesday and the demonstrators passed through various areas of the old town and culminated at Eidgah. The protesters were demanding stringent action against those involved in the killing of the youth.

Clashes also broke out between the police and the protesters in various parts of the town. The police said clashes took place at Khanpora on Srinagar-Uri highway and Cement Bridge in Baramulla.

After the killing of Sofi in the old town, authorities had imposed curfew in various parts of the Valley to prevent violent protests. Sofi was allegedly killed by Army troops when they fired at a group of protesters in Baramulla.

In the neighbouring Sopore, curfew was strictly imposed in the entire town. The police said a CRPF man was injured in Mohallah Sheikh Sahib, Sopore, when he was hit by a stone late on Wednesday evening.

Clashes were also reported from Palhalan village on the Baramulla-Srinagar highway and a stone-pelting incident from Papchan village of Bandipore district. 

Srinagar, March 7
Curfew remained imposed in most parts of the old city here for the second day today as clashes broke out between protesters and the police at several places in central Kashmir’s Srinagar and Budgam districts.

A police spokesman said nine policemen and two civilians received minor injuries during the clashes in the region.

In Srinagar’s old city, curfew was imposed in dozens of localities located under the jurisdiction of Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj, Rainawari, Safakadal, Zadibal, and Kralkhud police stations.

Curfew was also imposed in the localities located under Maisuma police station, located adjacent to the commercial nerve centre of the city.

In other parts of the city, where there was no curfew, business establishments remained closed and residents remained indoors as the region observed a spontaneous shutdown for the third consecutive day.

This week, Kashmir valley has remained closed for four days so far beginning Monday when Mutahidda Majilis-e-Mushawrat, a council of separatist groups formed to spearhead protests for demand of return of bodies of 2001 Parliament attack convict Muhammad Afzal Guru and 1960s militant commander Muhammad Maqbool Butt, had called for a shutdown to protest against the death of a PhD student in Hyderabad.

On Tuesday, a postgraduate student was killed when he was allegedly shot dead by Army soldiers in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Main markets of the city at Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Jehangir Chowk and Karan Nagar were all remained closed for the fourth day as most of the shops and other businesses remained closed across the city.

At Batamaloo, buses remained parked inside the yard throughout the day as clashes broke out in the interior localities there. The police and paramilitary personnel fired dozens of tear gas shells to disperse the demonstraters who continued throwing stones.

Clashes also broke between protesters and the police at Zakoora on the outskirts of the city and in several interior areas of the old city.

The situation turned tense in the afternoon in the uptown Hyderpora locality when several hundred people, who had assembled outside hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani’s residence, clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel.

Geelani’s detention upon his arrival from New Delhi infuriated the youths who pelted stones at the heavy deployment of the security forces. Eyewitnesses said the police fired dozens of tear gas shells at the protesters and detained several of them, including two aged men.

The protesters also clashed with the police at Narbal crossing in Budgam district. 

Anantnag, March 7
Amid heavy deployment of the police and CRPF personnel in south Kashmir, stray incidents of violence were reported from several areas while the situation was reported to be rather peaceful as compared to the past couple of days.

“Curfew was lifted from parts of Pulwama and Kulgam districts on the second day today,” an official said. However, heavy presence of policemen was witnessed across south Kashmir, said residents.

Apart from some stray incidents of violence, Pulwama district, including Tahab village remained peaceful till last reports came in.

Srinagar, March 7
The police today stormed the Mirza Bagh residential quarters of the University of Kashmir near Hazratbal after a stone-pelting incident in the area.

Policemen ransacked residential quarters of employees, allegedly beat up research scholar Basharat Ahmad and another student, both sons of university employees.

The two boys were taken to the Nigeen Police Station for some time which sparked off protests. Students along with the Proctor, Kashmir University, visited the police station to seek their release.

University Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad said the matter was taken up with the police and it was resolved.

Nigeen Police Station in charge Javed Ahmad Shah said two boys were immediately released. He refused to comment on the ransacking of the residential premises without seeking permission from the university authorities.

Eyewitnesses said a boy allegedly involved in the stone-pelting incident escaped into the Mirza Bagh campus when police personnel were running after him.

“Unable to catch the stone thrower, the policemen barged into the residential quarters and even broke windowpanes,” said an eyewitness. 

Srinagar, March 7
Over 100 labourers were rescued in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district when an under construction tunnel of a powerhouse collapsed on Wednesday.

Sources said the tunnel of Uri-II Hydel Power Project collapsed at Jandiya, Uri, and labourers were evicted in a three-hour long operation. The 240 MW Uri-II Hydel Power Project is being constructed by the NHPC on the Jehlum river near Uri in Baramulla district.

“Many vehicles are still trapped inside the tunnel, but we have been able to rescue every labour,” said an official, adding that they would look into the reason behind the collapsing.

However, local residents staged a protest outside the office of the SDM alleging that the company constructing the powerhouse has put their lives at risk. “When the tunnel collapsed, we felt as if an earthquake had taken place. Our houses have developed cracks,” said Ghulam Shah, a resident of Darkote.

“Uri is prone to high intensity earthquakes and this powerhouse has put lives of thousands of people at risk,” he added.

The protest was staged by residents of Darkote, Chakra and Udoosa villages which are close to the Line of Control (LoC).

“The Sub Divisional Magistrate assured us that he would look into the incident,” said another protester. 

Kupwara, March 7
Sub-district hospital (SDH), Kupwara is not getting 24-hour power supply and the only source of alternative power to the hospital, a solar plant, is also not working for the past three months.

The Department of Science and Technology had commissioned the solar plant having a capacity of 10 kilowatt in 2003 and the plant was installed by a private firm, Tata BP, the same year.

Sources in the hospital said functioning of the hospital was severely affected due to frequent power outages.

They said the operation theater in the hospital and vital machines, including X-ray and ultrasonography (USG), were not receiving power supply from the solar plant, which often causes delay in surgeries and other medical tests.

The solar plant used to provide power to the entire hospital, including the operation theatre, 
they said.

An employee of the hospital, who was looking after the solar plant, said the batteries of the plant were not working for the past three months and in spite of repeated pleas, experts from the Department of Science and Technology did not visit the plant to carry out necessary repair.

“By just replacing batteries, the plant may start functioning again. The batteries have expired and they do not get charged,” he said.

Patients and attendants said there were inordinate delays in getting X-ray and USG tests done at the hospital due to power shortage. “We have to wait for hours to get the tests done as machines go off due to power outages. The hospital management should make the solar plant functional at the earliest,” said Anees Ahmad. Unlike other major hospitals, the Kupwara hospital, which witnesses a huge rush of patients, is receiving power supply according to the curtailment schedule of the Power Development Department.

A senior employee of the hospital said they were using inverter (back up), which provided power to the operation theatre and other sections for about two hours after a recharge of about 8 to 10 hours.

Kupwara Chief Medical Officer Muneer Ahmad Khawaja said, “The department concerned has been asked to send a team of engineers to look after the plant. I hope the plant will be made functional in a few days.” 

Srinagar, March 7
The state budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, has evoked mixed response from people in the Kashmir valley. Even as the government claimed that it had presented a “welfare budget” by focusing on infrastructure development, welfare initiatives and continuation of tax concessions, some locals said there was nothing new in the budget. However, few announcements were welcome.

Kamaal Hassan Khan, a Banker: “It is a routine budget. There is nothing exciting in it. The government said it would generate 70,000 to 80,000 jobs in the next few years and those who qualify will get only Rs 5,000 during the first five years after appointment, it is peanuts. Although announcements were made like provision of Rs 100 crore for employment related initiatives, entrepreneurship is not going to develop as long as the situation is not completely peaceful.”

Dr Imran Nabi, a Counsellor: “After going through the budget highlights, I found nothing substantial for the development of health and education sectors. These sectors are very important and the government should take major steps to boost the same. Among other announcements, the decision to lower Value Added Tax (VAT) from 13.5 to 5 per cent on cooked food items sold by the hotels is welcome.”

Ahmad Sameer, a Real Estate Agent: “The decision to increase VAT on cigarettes from 30 to 40 per cent is a good move. It will encourage smokers to quit as the price of cigarettes is bound to rise.”

Abdul Rauf, a shopkeeper: “The announcements related to entrepreneurship development in the state usually remain confined to papers and on ground people do not benefit much. ”

It is a routine budget that we have been coming across over the past few years. There is nothing exciting in it. The government said it would generate 70,000 to 80,000 jobs in the next few years and those who qualify will get only Rs 5,000 during the first five years after appointment, it is peanuts. Although announcements were made like provision of Rs 100 crore for employment related initiatives, entrepreneurship is not going to develop as long as the situation is not completely peaceful

— Kamaal Hassan Khan, a Banker

After going through the budget highlights, I found nothing substantial for the development of health and education sectors. These sectors are very important and the government should take major steps to boost the same. Among other announcements, the decision to lower Value Added Tax (VAT) from 13.5 to 5 per cent on cooked food items sold by the hotels is welcome

— Dr Imran Nabi, a Counsellor

The decision to increase VAT on cigarettes from 30 to 40 per cent is a good move. It will encourage smokers to quit as the price of cigarettes is bound to rise. However, in general I feel there is nothing new or exciting in the budget, it is routine

— Ahmad Sameer, a Real Estate Agent

The announcements related to entrepreneurship development in the state usually remain confined to papers and on ground people do not benefit much. The government should develop some mechanism and ensure that the youth get the maximum benefit of entrepreneurship schemes amid the growing unemployment~

— Abdul Rauf, a shopkeeper

Srinagar, March 7
The four-day training camp-cum-workshop on Traditional Ladakhi Music Surna (Shehnai), which started on March 4, concluded at Academy Hall, Leh, today with a scintillating musical show.

The workshop was organised by the J&K Cultural Academy, Leh. A large number of traditional musicians from different sectors of Ladakh attended the workshop.

Tsering Morup, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Leh, was the chief guest at the valedictory function while Tsering Sonam, Councillor, Ladakh Autonomy Hill Development Council, Leh, was the guest of honour.

In his address, Tsering Morup said such workshops were the need of the hour for promoting and developing traditional Ladakhi music. He further assured to extend utmost support in this regard from the District Administration in the future.

Tsering Sonam said Ladakh had got a rich cultural heritage and it was the responsibility of each Ladakhi to play their role in preserving and promoting the ancestral cultural legacy and pass it on to the future generations.

Earlier, Tsewang Paljor, Special Officer for culture, said the main purpose of the workshop was to promote and preserve traditional music Surna (Shehnai), which was an intangible heritage of Ladakh.

He hoped that the participants would get benefit from the workshop as it was a job-oriented workshop held under expert guidance.

He further said the J&K Cultural Academy, Leh, would organise more such workshops in order to develop the overall personality of the traditional musicians of Ladakh region.

During the workshop, the experts and resource persons from Leh District imparted training to the participants and sensitised them to preserve the age-old music.

Those who were present and spoke on the occasion were Padma Shree Morup Namgail, Workshop Director/Expert, Mipham Otsal, Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee, Tsering Namgail, President, Ladakh Cultural Forum and Ali Muhammad, State Awardee. 

Srinagar, March 7
International Women's Day celebrations have been cancelled in the University of Kashmir (KU). The celebrations were scheduled to be held from today, March 7 till March 9. But in the wake of the ongoing curfew in the Valley, KU called off the celebrations.

"All the events stand cancelled. We are sad to announce this but there is no way of holding various events where participation of students is not anticipated under current situation," Shahid Ali Khan, Youth Welfare and Culture officer at KU said.

Department of Students’ Welfare, KU, had arranged for two major events, including a debate competition and poster making, on KU campus in which students from various universities and KU affiliated colleges were expected to participate.

Although the International Women's Day is observed on March 8 every year, the KU had extended the celebrations to three days.