Anantnag, September 14
Restrictions imposed in most parts of the south Kashmir region have put the general public in a state of bother with essential supplies drying up.

Reports said the worst hit remained the healthcare with patients stuck indoors and the local medicine supply facing an acute shortage.

Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts have been under a strict curfew for the past eight days.

The curfew was imposed after Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel allegedly gunned down four people, including three civilians and a Lashkar operative, in the Gagren area of Shopian.

Residents of the area, including some politicians, maintained that the fourth person, whom the police dubbed as a Lashkar operative, was a migrant labourer.

The residents said they had been confined to their houses and there was an acute shortage of essential supplies, particularly baby food and medicines.

“We were not even allowed to take our patients to hospitals,” said a resident of Kulgam. The CRPF personnel were not allowing everybody to venture out, he added.

Medical shop owners said they were fast running out of life-saving drugs.

“I have exhausted whatever stock of the life-saving drugs I had,” said a druggist from Shopian town.

Some people who somehow made it to the hospitals have not been allowed to move back to their houses, leaving them at the mercy of the hospital authorities.

“We have been stuck here in the hospital for the past four days with no money. Even the ATM on the hospital premises has been closed down by the bank,” said an attendant from Shopian.

Moreover, the residents said they were running short of milk and baby food. “The administration is taking no care to ensure essential supplies to us,” said a resident.

Srinagar, September 14
The Board of School Education (BoSE) will stick to its current schedule of annual examinations for Classes X and XII even if the situation in most parts of the Valley continues to be grim due to the Shopian killing incident.

Board spokesperson Shaukat Usman said the annual examinations for Class X would be conducted from October 1 (regular) whereas for Class XII (regular), the examinations would be held from October 12.

Meanwhile, the tense situation has taken a toll on the ongoing Class XII (private examinations), especially in south Kashmir and some areas of north Kashmir where the district administrations have imposed curfew.

Students taking the examinations said they were unable to make it to the examination centres due to restrictions imposed and their admit cards or roll number slips were not treated as curfew passes.

Due to unavailability of transport services, the students faced inconveniences, with many of them missing examinations.

However, the board said several students had missed their examinations due to the curfew or strikes but they could re-appear in those examinations.

“Students need to approach the board if they missed their examinations and we are planning a re-examination for them. They will not be made to suffer,” Shaukat said.

More than 50,000 students are due to appear in the board examinations (regular) from October in all the districts of the Valley.

As of now, the board has made it clear that the examination dates will not be changed.

The students and parents, however, are skeptical of any immediate normalcy in the situation and urged the board to reconsider its decision if the situation sees no improvement

“The students cannot afford to risk their lives for examinations. Last year, the University of Kashmir had to cancel its examinations in the wake of the tense situation in the Valley. The board should do the same if situation does not improve,” said Munazah Manzoor, an educationist said.

Handwara, September 14
Intermittent rainfall since last evening halted harvesting of paddy and maize crops in most parts of north Kashmir. At some places in Lolab and Handwara, chopped paddy was seen submerged in rainwater.

Amid pleasant weather conditions, the harvesting was started a few days ago. “Our yearly yield would be destroyed if the weather did not improve in next few days,” said Mohd Guffran, a farmer from Gulgam, Kupwara.

Reports said heavy rain lashed Rajwar and many other villages in Handwara tehsil. “Paddy crop is floating on the rainwater. When harvesting of crop was going in full swing, heavy rain last evening lashed Rajwar and many areas. It is our misfortune that unseasonal rain has wreaked havoc on the crop this year,” said Gh Nabi, a farmer from Rajwar.

Rice is staple food for the farmers and the entire harvesting operation from reaping, thrashing and milling of the crop depends upon dry weather conditions. In most parts of the Valley, farmers are able to grow just paddy crop during the entire year.

Zahoor Ahmad Malik from Bakiakar said, "At least 400 quintals of paddy kept in the open for procurement have been damaged by the heavy rain that lashed our village last night."

The rain also damaged standing and harvested maize crop in various parts of north Kashmir. “Apart from maize crop, thrashing of wall nuts has been delayed due to the rainfall. We will suffer huge losses if the weather did not improve over next few days,” said Abdul Hamid Badhana of Kalaroose.

Srinagar, September 14
The ongoing strife due to killings in Shopian has cast its effect on the wedding season in the Kashmir valley with a majority of the wedding celebrations either being cut short or postponed.

As the curfew in south Kashmir’s Shopian district and its adjoining areas entered seventh day today and the rest of the Valley observed a strike for the second day, the wedding season in Kashmir, which began in August, has been severely affected.

People who have their weddings lined up are incurring huge losses due to the cancellation of wedding programmes.

The business fraternity of the Valley is also a worried lot, especially the ones dealing with the wedding merchandise due to regular clampdowns.

“There are no celebrations at home due to the curfew. The situation was so tensed that we feared whether we will be able to manage our daughter’s wedding without any problems. It was a tough time. We had to go to Srinagar, 50 km from here, to escort the bridegroom till our home in Shopian. Since arrangements had been already made, the cancellation of the programme was not possible,” said Mohammad Yusuf Shah, a resident of Shopian.

In south Kashmir, people are commuting during night hours for wedding preparations as restrictions are imposed during day.

Sources in the district administration said the wedding invitation cards might be considered as curfew passes.

“As of now, people are experiencing tremendous difficulties due to the shutdowns and with no transport plying, anybody wishing to shop cannot do the same. People are not able to make it to weddings, hence the preparations and the expenditures which have gone into these weddings are a waste,” said Ishfaq Shafi, a resident of Bijbehara town.

Businessmen engaged in wedding planning and merchandise sales also expressed their anger over the ongoing situation which has led to heavy losses.

“The August-November period is the appropriate season for weddings in the Valley. The business associated with catering, furnishing, restaurants and fabrics has really hit rock bottom due to the prevailing tension. The week-long shutdown is simply a big loss for the businessmen of the Valley,” said Fehroz Ahmad, a Srinagar-based wedding planner.

Srinagar, September 14
Despite the constitution of a Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC), the government employees have decided to go ahead with their proposed five-day protest programme from September 17.

The state government yesterday constituted a CSC headed by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to hold fresh discussions with the employees over their demands.

The other members of the CSC are Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Medical Education, Sports and Youth Services Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for Urban Development Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Public Health Engineering Sham Lal Sharma and Minister for Planning and Development Ajay Sadhotra.

“We have been invited by the CSC for talks on September 17,” said Abdul Qayoom Wani, a senior member of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), an amalgam of various employees associations across the state. “We will meet the CSC as we don’t shy away from talks, but our proposed five -day protest programme that is to begin from the September 17 will remain the same,” he added.

Wani said the only discussion with the CSC would be held on the implementation of the agreement reached between the JCC and the government in 2012.

"We want that the 2012 agreement be implemented as the employees and the government have finalised all modalities in it," said Wani.

The government employees had recently observed the two-day lockout strike and planned a five-day-long protest from September 17. As per the proposed programme, the JCC would hold protests on the first three days at various places and two-day lockout strike would be observed on September 20 and 21.

The employees have been demanding release of arrears recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies and regularisation of daily wagers and casual workers working in various government departments.

Kupwara, September 14
At least six persons were injured in a clash between two groups at Hayhama village under the jurisdiction of Kupwara tehsil. Residents of Mir and Chopan Mohallas clashed over local graveyard.

The residents of Mir Mohalla said the graveyard belonged to them and the dead from the Chopan Mohalla should not be buried there. The clash erupted following burial of a person from Chopan Mohalla in the graveyard a few days ago. After a heated exchange of words, residents of the two localities clashed with each other. Six persons were injured in clash.

The injured, Abdul Rashid, Salam u-din, Fakir Mohd, Rayees Ahmad and Raja Begum, were shifted to the sub-district hospital, Kupwara, for treatment.

“For the past some years, residents of Chopan Mohalla have been claiming that the local graveyard belongs to them. Despite having their own graveyard, they are unduly claiming their rights over the graveyard. We have been trying hard to settle the dispute amicably but they are not willing to listen to us,” said a Mir Mohalla resident.

Residents of Chopan Mohalla said they were deprived of their rights over the graveyard. “We have equal rights over the graveyard as every household has offered land for the graveyard. Nobody can stop us from burying our dead in the graveyard and whosoever will oppose it, will be given a befitting reply,” said Abdul Hamid Chopan.

A police official said a case had been registered. Anybody found involved in creating law and order problem would be dealt sternly under the law, he said.

Srinagar, September 14
The Jammu and Kashmir State Council for Science and Technology and the Department of Botany, University of Kashmir (KU), jointly organised a seminar on the National Science Day-2013 at the Gandhi Bhawan auditorium of KU today. The theme for the day was “genetically modified crops and food security”.

Minister of State for Science Technology and Information Technology Feroz Ahmad Khan inaugurated the daylong seminar.

Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir, Sudhir Kumar Sopori, Vice-Chancellor, Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial University, New Delhi, Irshad Ahmad Nawchoo, Head of Department of Botany, KU, Zafar Ahmad Reshi, Registrar, KU, Mushtaq Ahmad, Joint Director, the Jammu and Kashmir State Council for Science and Technology, Rifat John, organising secretary, Showkat Shafi, Public Relations Officer, KU, scientists, researchers, delegates, experts, professors and distinguished faculty members of the University and SKUAST-K were present on the occasion.

While paying rich tributes to the Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution in the field of science, Feroz said the great scientist had made a landmark discovery which was being applied in the field of science today.

He said the observance of National Science Day brought an opportunity to focus on issues related to science and technology. The celebration would attract many young children to take up science as a career, he said.

“It is a day when our scientists may like to rededicate themselves to quality scientific research output and make the nation as well as the state proud,” he added.

Prof Talat Ahmad said the National Science Day envisaged to promote the development of scientific temper among the people of the country by way of inculcating such temper and to increase public understanding of science through the celebration of days and weeks having scientific significance and importance.

Highlighting the importance of the day, Mushtaq Ahmad said the National Science Day was observed to spread the message of importance of science and its application among the people. Science had contributed a lot towards the welfare of the humanity and the day was celebrated to accelerate the pace of development, he added.

Srinagar, September 14
The Jammu and Kashmir Red Cross today distributed relief material among the victims of a fire incident at Bemina, on the outskirts of the city.

The relief material was distributed among the victims who were displaced in a fire incident at Boatman Colony during last night, a statement from the group said.

“On the directions of Roma Wani, general secretary of Indian Red Cross Society, Jammu and Kashmir, the affectedfamilies were provided blankets along with kitchen sets, women’s and men’s garments, torches, towels, mats, warm cloths and other basic items for day-to-day use,” the statement said.

The Red Cross also donated adult diapers to the needy patients at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital of the city, the statement said.

Srinagar, September 14
A two-day consultation workshop on the Right to Education Act concluded at Gandhi Bhawan, on the University of Kashmir campus, yesterday.

Abdul Wahid, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir, chaired the morning session on the final day of the two-day workshop.

Experts and resource persons from across the country participated in the brain storming sessions in which emphasis was laid on various aspects of bringing education to every child and its intricacies.

The first speaker of the session, Geeta Menon, consultant, UNICEF, talked about the challenges faced by state of Jammu and Kashmir in the field of primary education.

According to the speaker, the battlegrounds were not the only war zones as the effect of conflicts reached 90 per cent of the population. The displacement due to war was hampering the education system of the conflict-prone areas. In her presentation, she discussed about the curriculum and whether the children should be exposed to the political environment or not.

In the second session, draft amendments to the J&K Education Act 2002, were put to discussion by Mohammad Rafi, advisor to School Education Department, J&K.

Nisar Ali, advisor, higher education, Government of J&K, chaired the financial session in the afternoon in which the financial implications and various other aspects of the Right to Education Act were discussed.

Other speakers who presented their points of view were Ashok Aima, Central University of Jammu, A G Madhosh, an educationist, Ravi Mangotra, chief financial consultant, Government of J&K and GM Sangmi, head, Department of Business and Financial Studies, University of Kashmir.

Ruheed Gul from District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) summed up the recommendations which the experts gave during the workshop.

Nighat Basu, Dean, Education Department, University of Kashmir, concluded the workshop with vote of thanks.

Srinagar, September 14
Chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has written letters to different embassies at New Delhi over the killing of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the letters written to the ambassadors of several European countries, including France and Britain, the United States of America, China and the member countries of the OIC, Mirwaiz has mentioned the recent happenings in Kishtawar and Shopian district in south Kashmir.

Urging the counties to take note of the happenings in Jammu and Kashmir on humanitarian grounds, Mirwaiz further asked them to use their "good offices" with the Government of India to put an end to human rights violations in the state.

Claiming that the leaders in Kashmir had been “gagged and forcefully confined” to their homes, Mirwaiz said “the repeated acts of invasion on the lives of innocent youth by the forces” had compelled him to write to letters to the Embassies and diplomats of foreign countries.

Incidents like Gool or the Shopian had become the order of the day for the hapless people of the state, he has added.

He has said “having no large-scale economic attraction, the pain and agony of the people of Kashmiri does not attract the attention of the international fraternity the way it should”.

“I hope you will use your diplomatic influence to impress upon the Indian authorities to respect the internationally acknowledged basic human rights of the population here,” Mirwaiz has said in his letter.