Srinagar, September 8
A day after the conduct of “Ehsaas-e-Kashmir” (The Feel of Kashmir), the Shalimar Garden was thrown open to tourists today, while it had remained closed for three days in view of the preparations for the mega event that invited world attention during the recent days.

While the Shalimar Garden was thrown open after three days, the nearby Nishat Garden was also opened after a day for the tourists as the entire area along the Boulevard from Dalgate was brought under a thick blanket of security cover in the wake of the mega event. The mega event in which music maestro Zubin Mehta had his maiden performance in Kashmir was organised by the German Embassy. “It has been business as usual and the movement of visitors though lesser than the normal today,” said an official on duty. He hoped that the number of tourists would maintain its level in the coming days.

“Weather gods were favourbale to the show,” said an onlooker as torrential rain was witnessed in the area this evening, exactly 24 hours after the show had started at 5pm yesterday on the hot sunny day. The scene was quite a contrast to what was witnessed with the conduct of the mega event in front of a selected audience of VIPs, politicians, senior government functionaries, bureaucrats and diplomats. “The movement of vehicles of the people living in and around the Mughal gardens was also restricted yesterday,” said a police official.

As the visitors, both locals and domestic, got their entry into the garden today, workers were busy in winding up the innumerable pieces of wood and steel, the chairs and all sundry of items that were woven together in a fine manner for the mega set-up. “All these items were brought in from outside, as none of the items were available in sufficient quantity in Srinagar,” said a senior worker supervising the winding up work at the site.

The mega event had been conducted in the backdrop of a controversy with separatists and a section of civil society opposing the event in the Valley. There were also reports about “vandalisation” of the heritage garden as the venue was being prepared for the event. “There is no damage to the beauty of the Shalimar Garden,” said a tour operator, who had been engaged in facilitating the accommodation of foreign dignitaries, mostly diplomats and officials invited to attend the event.

Srinagar, September 8
The Jammu and Kashmir Mountaineering and Hiking Club has decided to undertake a sanitation drive at Baltal and Sonamarg in the Sindh Valley from September 25.

A 25-member team led by Muhammad Yusuf and Shaukat Ahmad would collect the garbage that had been left by Amarnath pilgrims along the route to the holy shrine.

“Some labourers and mules would also be engaged to assist the team,” said Muhammad Yusuf.

“The club would also organise a special adventure oriented programme for physically challenged children of the Valley. The special children will be given an opportunity to undertake pleasure rides in Zorb balls, inflatable boats, aero ballooning, and bungee-trampoline etc. Special trips to Shankracharya hillock and other mountainous areas in the city would also be organised for them. Films and slide shows on adventure would be organised by the club as well. Hundreds of special children are expected to participate in the programme. This is the first time that special children are being introduced to adventure,” said Yusuf.

Club secretary Mahmood Ahmad Shah said both these programmes were sponsored by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi.

The club spokesman said, “There are many disabled people in the world who have climbed high mountains and undertaken many other extreme adventures.”

Srinagar, September 8
Kashmir University (KU) today lifted the Civil Defence T-20 Cricket Cup.

The final match of the T-20 cricket tournament was played at Hazratbal, between Civil Defence (CD), Srinagar, and KU, which was won by the university by 7 wickets, a statement said here today.

The event was organised by the Civil Defence, Srinagar, to boost sports activities in the Valley.

A total of 28 cricket teams from Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama and Budgam districts participated in the T-20 cricket tournament.

Chief guest Inspector General of Police (IGP) Yoginder Kaul distributed the prizes and trophies amongst the participants and the winners, the statement added.

Present on the occasion were Mehraj Ahmed Shah, Commandant, SDRF 1st Bn, RS Manhas, SO to ADGP, Shoukat Iqbal ,Superintendent of Police (SP), Abdul Qayoom, SP, Hazratbal, Deputy Chief Warden, CD, Aamir Ali and Mauzam Bakshi, senior faculty members of University of Kashmir and prominent local citizens.

Shabir Ahmed Khan, captain of the CD team, was given special award for organising the tournament.

Srinagar, September 8
The ruling National Conference (NC) today observed the 31st death anniversary of the party’s founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah offered floral tributes at the lake-side mausoleum of the NC founder.

Omar is the grandson and Farooq is the son of Sheikh Abdullah, who died on this day in 1982.

Shiekh died in 1982 while he was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also the state’s Prime Minister from 1948 to 1953 before the post was abolished.

Party’s additional general secretary Mustafa Kamal also offered tributes and addressed a gathering. Farooq also addressed the gathering. Senior party leaders Abdul Rahim Rather, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Chawdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Mir Saifullah, Mehboob Beg, Nasir Aslam Wani and Javaid Ahmad Dar were also present on the occasion. Dozens of workers and supporters of the party were also present on the occasion and offered tributes to Sheikh.

Even for first aid, we are forced to visit Wadipora health centre, which is 4-km from the village. We made several representations to the Handwara MLA to provide us with the facility but to no avail
— Mohd Shafi Dar, sarpanch, Chak Deedipora

Srinagar,September 8
For the first time, Government Degree College (GDC), Baramulla, will host a documentary film festival on Tuesday.

As many as 13 documentary films made by media and film production students of various educational institutions will be screened during the festival.

The festival will be held in two sessions, competitive and non-competitive, and the films will be judged by a jury comprising renowned Kashmiri filmmaker and playwright Arshad Mushtaq, Director, Media and Education Research Centre, Kashmir University, Faruq Masudi and a television serial director associated with the Doordarshan.

Ronaq Moon, senior faculty member at the Mass Communication Department, GDC, Baramulla, said the best three films would be given the cash prize of Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively.

She said eight films produced and directed by students of the Government Degree College, Baramulla, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, would be shown in the competitive session.

The films to be screened in the competitive session include Trauceurs, The Lost, Withdrawal, Sailing Through Generations, An Art on Edge, My Journey, Colours of Dal and Pranraan (waiting).

In the non-competitive session, films such as Social Networking, A Shoe Ting Film, Oh! She, Global Warming and Child Labour would be screened.

Ronaq said the students interested in filmmaking and production would get an opportunity to interact with Valley’s veteran filmmakers during the interactive and question-answer sessions following the screening of the films.

Eight films produced and directed by students of Government Degree College, Baramulla, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, will be shown in the competitive session 
— Ronaq Moon, Department of Mass Communication, Gdc, Baramulla 

Kupwara, September 8
The residents of Doolipora village in Kupwara district are forced to live a “primitive life” in the absence of proper roads and transport facility.

The villagers claimed that they have been deprived of the important facility and demanded that the restoration of the vital surface link connecting the village with the rest of the district.

The road was constructed in the area in 1992, but it was never taken up for repairs thereafter.

“In the absence of a motrobale road, we are forced to ferry the patients to the Trehgam hospital on foot. It causes delay in the treatment and puts the life of patients at risk. For past several years we have been making repeated representations to the officials of the Roads and Buildings Department to repair the road, but to no avail,” said Mohd Ashraf, a local resident.

Students and employees are the worst sufferers.

“In the absence of proper transport facility we often get late to our offices. We leave early, but since we are forced to walk huge distances we get late,” said Nazir Ahmad Numani, a teacher in a private school.

The student community in the village has also to walk down to their respective schools in Trehgam, about 3 km from Doolipora.

“Reaching our schools in Trehgam town on foot is a cumbersome affair. After the arduous journey we are left with no energy to learn,” said Abrar Ahmad, a class XII student.

“For initial few years some private commercial vehicles ferried passengers, but drivers suspended the service following the deteriorating condition of the road,” said Sajad Ahmad, a driver.

“Our vehicles suffered extensive damage, as the road was full of pits and ditches. The services can be restored only after the reconstruction of the road,” he added.

A senior official of the Roads and Buildings Department said due to the paucity of funds they could not start the macadamization work.

“We have written to the chief engineer for release of funds and the road will be taken up for repairs as soon as the funds are released,” the official said.

Reaching our schools in Trehgam town on foot is a cumbersome affair. After the arduous journey, we are left with no energy to learn
— Abrar Ahmad, a class XII student

Srinagar, September 8
The Employees Joint Action Coordination Committee (EJAC) and the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) have expressed grief over the killing of four youths in alleged CRPF firing at Shopian.

Expressing anguish over the killings, EJAC leader Qayum Wani said, “If the government did not desist from such killings, employees will launch a state wide agitation.”

He also raised questions over the enquiries launched into such incidents.

“Every time in the aftermath of such killings, enquiry commissions are set by the government but without any fruitful result. Nobody has been booked or sentenced,” Wani said.

“If such incidents are not checked, employees will be forced to take agitation path and all responsibility will squarely lie on the state,” he reiterated. 

Srinagar, September 8
A police-public meeting was today held at Langate in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Handwara, Mohammad Aslam held the meeting with the prominent citizens of Langate area, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said 60 citizens participated in the meeting wherein they were requested to extend cooperation to the local police in the discharge of its duties.

“They were intimated that police will remain in touch with them and try to address their problems pertaining to policing,” the spokesman said. He said the participants expressed satisfaction over the role of police in the area and reported that the condition of electric poles and conductors was very bad in their area.

The participants further demanded that the cases registered against various stone-pelters from Langate area may be withdrawn, the spokesman said.

“They also complained about eve teasing,” the spokesman said. — TNS

Srinagar, September 8
National Front Chairman Nayeem Khan has asked the elected representatives of the people to resign from their posts in the wake of the alleged civilian killings in Shopian.

Khan in a statement expressed shock over the killing of four youths in Shopian allegedly by the security forces yesterday.

“Expressing shock over the killings at the hands of security forces in Shopian, Nayeem Ahmad Khan has asked the pro-India politicians in the Assembly or outside it to resign in the aftermath of the incident if they have any humanity left in their hearts,” the front spokesman said in a statement here.

He added that Khan continues to remain under the house arrest for the second consecutive day.

“Khan said that the killings in Shopian should serve as an eye opener. He also condemned the firing by the police on a private vehicle in Srinagar on Saturday evening,” the statement said.

Srinagar, September 8
Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah today released five books at a function held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre today.

The function was jointly organised by the Sheikh Mohammad Usmaan & Sons and Gulshan Books, Kashmir.

The released books include ‘The Blazing Chinar’, an autobiography of Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, ‘Historical Sikh Shrines of Jammu and Kashmir’, written by Commodore Dalbir Sodhu, ‘Paradise on the Earth, ‘Kashmir Dells and Dales’ and Kashmir, the Dreamland’, written by different authors.

Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar, Chairperson, J&K Women Development Corporation, Shamima Firdous, besides legislators Nasir Aslam Wani, Jehangir Mir and Mustafa Kamal, prominent citizens, a galaxy of intellectuals and senior officers of civil and police administration were also present on the occasion. — TNS

Srinagar, September 8
The 9th annual meeting of the Indian Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ISMBR), hosted by the department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, concluded here today.

The two-day long conference focused on osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

It also deliberated on the deficiency of Vitamin D. Former director, SKIMS, Dr. Mehrajuddin, who was the chief guest on the occasion, released the ISMBR souvenir.

He complimented the SKIMS for hosting the event and lauded the department of Endocrinology for their excellent work and focused research.

Nikhil Tandon, Prof Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi and president ISMBR, was the guest of honour on the inaugural day.

Tandon thanked the organising team and the SKIMS administration for the coordination and support. He expressed hope that the ISMBR will schedule its meeting again at the institute in the coming years.

Director SKIMS Dr. Showkat A Zargar complimented the organising team for managing the event and stressed for more awareness programmes on osteoporosis, which is a prevalent all over the world and affecting millions of people.

Dr. Bashir Ahmad Laway, organising secretary, in his welcome address highlighted the importance of the conference. He said the conference offers great opportunity to deliberate on medical advances and new concepts in the field and both students and faculty at the SKIMS will benefit from the experience of eminent medical experts in the field.

Renowned medical experts participated in the two-day event and shared their perspectives on new advances in the field.

Various research papers on bone health and systematic diseases were also presented on the occasion.

Prof and dean medical faculty SKIMS, Dr. Khursheed Iqbal, also addressed the audience. Dr. Riaz A Misgar presented the vote of thanks.

Handwara September 8
Nayeem Qadir Bhat from north Kashmir’s Handwara town has been selected for the Under-19 national cricket coaching camp.

Bhat’s selection into the camp came after his successful run with the bat in a recently concluded tournament in south Kashmir, where he scored 202 runs at an impressive average of over 67.

The 18-year-old is the only cricketer from the north Kashmir to have been selected for a national camp.

“I am happy at my selection to the camp. I will spare no efforts to give my best performance and impress the coaches at the national level,” Bhat told The Tribune.

“My aim to play for the country and I am hopeful in the coming years my dream will be realised,” he said.

The youngster, who is currently busy playing in a local league at Kathua, attributed his selection to months of hard work and commitment towards the game.

“Hard work and commitment yielded the desired results,” Bhat said.

He, however, said that he wanted to improve as a bowler and as a fielder as well.

“Batting is my strength, but I also want to improve my fielding and bowling. I like to open the innings and am constantly trying to improve my batting, especially against spin bowling,” he said.

“I am looking forward to his selection in the international team one day. I hope he will make the state proud by carving a niche for himself in the coming years,” said Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Nayeem’s father.

Batting is my strength, but I also want to improve my fielding and bowling. I like to open the innings and am constantly trying to improve my batting, especially against spin bowling
— Nayeem Qadir Bhat