Kupwara, June 16
Gusty winds followed by heavy rains and hailstorm last night badly damaged paddy crop, vegetable fields and fruit orchards in different parts of north Kashmir, leaving farmers high and dry.

In Lolab valley of Kupwara district, farmers said heavy rains and hailstorm badly damaged paddy and maize crops. They said the hailstorm also hit fruit orchards and vegetable fields.

“Hammering relentlessly for about 20 to 25 minutes in many areas, the hailstorm left about three-inch layer of white icy stones on the ground. Paddy, maize, fruit and vegetables suffered extensive damage due to the storm,” said Mohd Shaban, a farmer.

“The paddy and vegetable fields are submerged in rainwater. We have lost everything to the natural disaster. Unseasonal rains have already affected the crops and fruit,” he added. The worst hit villages in Lolab include Maidanpora, Devar, Lalpora, Dardpora, Muqam, Sogam, Warnow, Doban, Shalgund, Krusan and Khurhama.

The hailstorm also affected crops, vegetables and fruits in parts of Handwara and Baramulla.

Reports said around 3 am today, hailstorm hit many areas, wreaking havoc on crops including fruits. The worst hit areas include Rajwar, Bakiakar, Kasloo, Rafiabad, Kahipora, Magam, Kanispora, Sangrama, Watergam, Dangiwacha, Ladoora, Mazbugh, Hadipora, Tangmarg, Wagoora, Kreeri, Sheeri, Sopore, Rohama and Rafiabad.

“We were expecting a bumper crop this year, but last night, more than 70 per cent of fruit and paddy got damaged due to the high-intensity hailstorm and torrential rains,” said Mohd Ashraf from Rajwar.

The fruit industry is the economy’s mainstay in north Kashmir. Orchardists said the storm knocked down the apple, pear and cherry on to the ground.

“The gusty winds also broke down twigs of apples and other trees and knocked down walnut on to the ground. Crops suffered massive damage due to hailstorm and incessant rains. This year, our children may face starvation-like conditions,” said Mumtaz Ahmad, a fruit-grower in Sopore.

The farmers appealed to the authorities to compensate for the loss caused due to the natural disaster. “The natural calamity wreaked havoc on crops on areas across north Kashmir. We make a fervent appeal to the authorities to assess the loss and release compensation on compassionate grounds,” said fruit-grower Haji Gh Ahmad Lone.

Teams from horticulture and agriculture departments, reports said, visited some affected areas in Handwara and Lolab to assess the loss caused.

Srinagar, June 16
Showers early in the morning on Sunday brought respite from searing heat in the region as mercury fell eight degrees below the average normal during the day.

The rainfall continued for about an hour in the city, where sky remained overcast throughout the day.

An official of the state Meteorological department said rainfall lashed all the stations across the region.

The showers brought respite from heat over the past few days as the maximum temperature during the day remained eight notches below the average normal.

The maximum day temperature on Sunday in Srinagar city was recorded at 20.3 degrees Celsius, which is eight degrees below normal, the official said. Srinagar city received 6.5 millimetres rainfall during the day.

The minimum temperature in the city overnight had fallen to 11.9 degrees Celsius, three degrees short of the average normal, the officials said.

The weather department said light rains and thundershowers would occur at a few places in the state during the next 24 hours ending Tuesday evening. The department said there will be decrease in precipitation during the subsequent four days.

Srinagar, June 16
Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS), University of Kashmir, Srinagar, in collaboration with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata, is organising an international seminar on musical traditions of Kashmir valley and their connectivity with Indian Raga and central Asian Maqam tradition, entitled "Synthesis of Raga and Maqam in Kashmiri Musical Culture”, at the Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, on June 20-21.

Muhammad Akbar Lone, Minister of Higher Education, would inaugurate the conference. Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, will preside over the inaugural session, as per the official handout.

Aijaz A Bandey, Director, CCAS, said the seminar aims to investigate the unique character of Kashmiri Sufiyana Kalam in context of inter-relations between Indian and central Asian music in Maqam-Raga phenomenon and role of musical instruments which are connected with rendering of professional (art) music, thorough analysis of contemporary musical traditions of Indian Ragas, central Asian Shashmaqom and Uyghur’s Muqam.

"The experts participating in the seminar are from within the country and abroad, particularly Uzbekistan, Japan, France and UK," he added.

He said India and central Asia are coming closer in almost every field, but one must admit that Raga, Maqam and musical inter-relations between India and central Asia have received relatively little attention so far.

He said the seminar will be a step towards bringing forth memories of Kashmir’s centuries-old musical inter-relations with central Asia.

"One of the attractions of the seminar will be screening of a documentary by MK Raina about Sufiyana Kalam," he said.

Srinagar, June 16
As the Valley’s markets are crowded with wedding shoppers, escalating gold prices are casting a damper on shopping spree this wedding season.

Gold prices have settled in a price range of Rs 30,000-32,000 per 10 grams in the Valley. And people say jewellers are quoting wishful prices due to high demand right now.

Owing to the high prices, many would-be brides have switched to silver, diamond and platinum products, for their wedding days, although gold has traditionally been used in Kashmiri weddings.

Women are even requesting jewellers to use lesser quantity of gold metal in their designs to escape the fury of high prices.

“Gold jewellery is an important part of brides’ appearance. Switching to silver, diamond and platinum may sound wiser, but gold has its marked importance in Kashmiri weddings. It becomes almost impossible to imagine a Kashmiri bride without gold jewellery,” Sarhat Shah, a would-be bride, said.

Goldsmiths have yielded to the demands of customers and say they are using hollowing technique, in vogue in Europe, to make big pieces of gold jewellery at low price tags for customer satisfaction.

“For gold jewellery, these days, the bigger the better is the thumb rule. Lack of affordability for customers is turning out to be a big concern. Gold prices are increasing the world over. It is a misconception among the people that gold jewellers are quoting high prices. Gold imports to the Valley are drastically decreasing. We are facing losses too,” Ramesh Kumar a jeweller, said.

Srinagar, June 16
The tourist resort of Verinag in south Kashmir got a modernised post office today.

The modernised tourist post office was inaugurated by Mehboob Beg, Member of Parliament, Anantnag, in the presence of John Samuel, Chief Post Master General, Jammu and Kashmir.

Verinag is an important tourist destination frequented by local as well as foreign tourists.

"The post office will be a one stop destination for the tourists as well as local people fulfilling all their needs of postal, packaging and stationery. The post office will be selling high quality saffron and dry fruits also," Samuel said , adding that the post office at Verinag was opened in 1930.

“The modernisation of the Verinag post office is an initiative to develop it as a tourist friendly post office with all latest facilities,” he added . "This post office has been provided with post shop which will facilitate stationery and packaging needs of customers. We have already modernised post offices at Doru and Qazigund, respectively, and every departmental post office will be modernised in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner,” he said.

Mehboob Beg, while speaking on the occasion, highlighted the role being played by the Department of Posts under the leadership of John Samuel.

Srinagar, June 16
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the people getting court stays on ‘flimsy grounds’ have stalled many development projects and recruitment process in the state.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of J&K State Judicial Academy in Srinagar, which was thrown open by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Altamas Kabir.

“I regret not having studied the law even though I was advised by the former Chief Justice of India, Justice Anand about it,” the Chief Minister said.

Omar emphasised upon the need for further evaluation of the justice delivery system, while wishing to have the weapon of contempt.

“I wish, if I too had the weapon of contempt of courts available with me. But, what is important is to further evaluate the justice delivery system,” he said.

Omar said many developmental and recruitments processes in the state were stalled because of the court stays.

Srinagar, June 16
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Altamas Kabir on Monday would inaugurate a legal services clinic at the University of Kashmir’s Department of Law.

With this, he will become the first CJI to visit the varsity campus.

The department is hosting a mega felicitation function for its students at the Convocation Complex on Monday and the Chief Justice of India will later inaugurate a legal services clinic at the department, a statement issued by the university said.

Justice Altamas Kabir will be the chief guest at the felicitation function and will address on the theme “Legal Education: Opportunities and Challenges”.

University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad would make a presentation of the university’s achievements and would unravel a road map to be followed in the days ahead, the statement said.

“This is a momentous occasion for the students of Department of Law for Justice Altamas Kabir is the first Chief Justice of India who is visiting the University of Kashmir to address students of Law,” the statement said.

The statement quoted that the Faculty of Law Dean Farooq Ahmad Mir would give students a rare opportunity to be in the midst of legal luminaries.

Other dignitaries who will be present at the inaugural event of the Legal Services Clinic include Supreme Court of India judge Justice TS Thakur, Chief Justice of the state High Court Justice MM Kumar and the state High Court judge Justice Virender Singh.

“It is expected that some of the applications already received by the Legal Services Clinic will be disposed of in the gracious presence of Hon’ble Chief Justice of India,” the statement said.

Srinagar, June 16
Thirteen persons, most of them passengers, were injured in different road accidents in Kashmir valley, the police said today.

A passenger bus skid off the road at Batpora in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, resulting in injuries to 10 passengers. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment while two passengers were referred to SKIMS Soura and JVC Bemina hospitals in the city here, said a police spokesman.

On the city’s outskirts, a car collided with a truck at Pandrathan near Pantha chowk, resulting in injuries to three persons who were in the car. — TNS

Srinagar, June 16
Condolences continue to pour in for the second day over the death of noted media practitioner and former joint director, State Information Department, Abdur Rashid Shahid, who passed away after a brief illness yesterday.

The chairman of hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed the death of Shahid as a personal loss to him.

“Shahid knew Urdu and English language like a native. He considered bowing to pressure and threats as an insult to the profession of journalism,” Geelani said, in a statement. “His death is a personal loss to me,” he added.

J&K Congress president Prof Saifudin Soz also visited the residence of Shahid in Bemina and expressed his deepest anguish over the demise of the noted journalist.

The leader of moderate Hurriyat Conference, Zaffar Akber Bhat and civil society members also condoled the Shahid’s death.

The media faculty of the Kashmir University also condoled his death. “He contributed a lot to the field of journalism as a perfectionist. He would not hesitate to correct the copy of reporters until he would be satisfied,” said a teacher at KU.

He would guide the aspiring journalists in the newsroom with professional touch.

Born at Khanpora area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Shahid had a humble beginning. He did his Diploma in Journalism from The Times School of Journalism, New Delhi, where he was awarded a gold medal. He served as a clerk in the state government and later joined the Department of Information as information assistant.

“This is a great loss. He was a great teacher,” said his junior colleges in the Information Department.

Besides remaining associated with some of the Kashmir-based media houses, he was also associated with a voluntary group, Help Foundation, for a long time.

Srinagar, June 16
In a bid to provide medical aid to the needy population of far-flung areas of Baramulla, a medical-cum-veterinary camp was organised by 46 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion on Sunday.

A defence spokesman said a medical team, including a lady doctor and a dental specialist, treated a large number of needy patients from Binner, Venkara, Gujjar Pati, Bhatt Mohalla, Khan Mohalla and Sheikh Mohalla.

“Special cases were also referred to the Military Hospital for treatment,” he said. “Besides providing medical assistance to the people, a registration counter for enrolling amputees for artificial foot to be provided by artificial limp centre, Jaipur, was also established. A total of 11 personnel enrolled for the Jaipur foot Programme,” he added.

Srinagar, June 16
The Kashmir valley on Sunday witnessed its first swimming event in which more than 100 swimmers of different age groups across the valley participated. The event was held at Delhi Public School, Athwajan.

The event was organised by SIVO-an event management company- under the name of “Dive Kashmir”. The event was inaugurated by Minister of Law Mir Saifullah.

Speaking on this occasion, he said, “I am happy to see the youth taking part in such events.”

Participants seemed to enjoy swimming as they had to perform 10 rounds of 25 m each to qualify for the next stage. However, more than 40 participants were able to qualify, including two national swimmers Aijaz Ahmad Dar and and Amir Bin Ashraf.

Aijaz Ahmad was the best swimmer of the day as he finished 250 m in just four minutes and one second. “I am happy to see myself back into swimming as I went inside the water after a gap of two years,” Aijaz said.

He said he would give his best in the finals and try to win the event.

The final will be held at the Dal Lake on June 23, where participants will have to swim around 1500 m from Makai Point to Char Chanari to win the event.