Anantnag, September 23
A complete shutdown was observed today on the second day of relaxation after a 15-day curfew in Shopian town of the south Kashmir region.

According to reports, all shops, commercial establishments, colleges, schools and offices remained shut while public transport vehicles remained off the roads. Lawyers at the district court suspended their work throughout the day.

Police and CRPF personnel in full riot gear carrying automated weapons were deployed throughout the town to thwart any protest. No incident of stone-throwing was reported from any part of the town.

The people of the town were demanding complete removal of the forces’ camp in the Gagren area of Shopian. A decision to replace the CRPF personnel with the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police was taken by the state Cabinet on September 12.

The decision was taken after CRPF personnel shot dead 4 people, comprising three civilians and a suspected Lashkar operative, on September 7.

Curfew was imposed that afternoon and continued to remain in force till September 21. Another civilian was shot dead, allegedly by personnel of the same CRPF camp, also in the Gagren area, on September 11.

Calling the replacement of the CRPF by the police a mere eyewash, local residents said they would not settle for anything less than a complete removal of the camp.

They were also demanding that an FIR should be registered against the erring CRPF personnel. The Traders Federation of the town decided to suspend all work till the government met their demands.

Sources said a meeting between the Traders Federation, the district administration and police officials at Circuit House today concluded without breaking the deadlock.

The sources said officials outrightly turned down the demands of the general public. The people pledged to continue the shutdown until their demands were met. 

Srinagar, September 23
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Saifuddin Soz today claimed that the BJP had become a slave of the parochial and hackneyed ideas of the RSS. Soz said this after inaugurating the social media website at the Nigeen Club here.

He urged social media managers of the Congress present on the occasion to do their utmost to reach the youth in every nook and corner of the country. He cautioned them that the outmoded ideas of the RSS were detrimental to the future of the country.

Welcoming the idea of inaugurating the social media website, he expressed satisfaction that the media communication department of the party under All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ajay Maken was working very efficiently and doing his utmost to reach every nook and corner of the country with direct information on issues.

Minister for Housing Rigzin Jora, MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga, AICC National coordinator Garav Pandy and Congress leaders Revinder Sharma, Shoaib Nabi Lone, Hilal Shah, Zaffar Sheikh, Nimit Kaporia and Heemang Rawal were present on the occasion.

Baramulla, September 23
Traders in Baramulla town observed a general strike today to protest against arrest of six shopkeepers by the police on the charge of stone-throwing. The Baramulla Beopar Mandal, a traders’ body, yesterday called for a strike against the arrest of shopkeepers.

Shops and commercial establishments remained closed and a few public transport vehicles were being plied on the roads. The police arrested six shopkeepers on Sunday on the charge of stone-throwing ad creating law and order problems in the town.

The traders maintained that the shopkeepers arrested were not involved in any kind of subversive activities. The traders’ body led by Ishfaq Ahmed Qazi today held a meeting with SP Baramulla Zubair Ahmad to seek the release of the shopkeepers.

“We are hopeful that they will be released. We will call off the strike if they are released,” he said.

Srinagar, September 23
The Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Mushtaq Ahmad, called on Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhawan here today.

During the meeting, the Governor discussed with Ahmad issues related to the bank's activities to enhance employment generation opportunities by advancing financial support to entrepreneurs, unemployed youth, artisans, craftsmen and others who had bankable proposals to set up their own ventures.

He stressed the vital role that the bank must continue to play on a much larger scale for speeding up the growth and development in the state.

Ahmad briefed the Governor about the bank's existing programmes and activities to be undertaken in the future, particularly relating to schemes for advancing loans to the unemployed youth for establishing their own ventures under various self-employment schemes, as well as to other segments of society.

The Governor also wished Ahmad a very successful second tenure, which had been recently approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

Srinagar, September 23
Healthcare in Shopian district of south Kashmir has been severely affected by the 15-day curfew imposed by the district administration, followed by the strike call given by a local body, the Majils-e-Mushawarat.

The District Hospital in Shopian has been partially functioning as per local residents and the hospital is reeling under acute shortage of both medicinal supply and manpower.

Sources say there are just four doctors available in the hospital who are catering to hundreds of patients who visit the hospital. Two medical shops on the hospital premises have been shut for a majority of the curfew days.

The curfew and strikes have further made it inconvenient for the people to access healthcare facilities and made it difficult for the hospital staff to attend their duties.

"There are stray stone-throwing incidents in the Bongam, Shirmal and Gagren areas of Shopian town regularly, which have made the movement of people and transport difficult. Under such circumstances, even essential services suffer. Although the curfew has been lifted, conditions are far from normal," said Muhammad Yaqub Shah, a resident of Gagren in Shopian.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, admitted that the District Hospital was understaffed and vacancies in the medical and paramedical staff would be filled soon.

He said the problems of lack in healthcare facilities persisted in Shopian and the two medical shops on the hospital premises were functional again.

"As of now, there is no shortage of medicines. People can visit the hospital safely, but problems of inadequate staff there remain," the DC said. 

Srinagar, September 23
The Awami Ittihaad Party (AIP) today reiterated its appeal to the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to come out of their narrow-mindedness and form some common ground to address political aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The appeal was issued by AIP president and MLA Langate Engineer Rasheed while addressing party workers at Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.

Referring to Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s recent statement that the Congress would decide how and with whom the government was to be formed, Rasheed said the same should be an eye-opener for Kashmiris in general and the NC and the PDP in particular.

“There can be nothing more humiliating than the fact that the Congress is giving such a treatment to the NC and the PDP as if they are Congress mistresses,” he claimed.

“The Congress is making them to disgrace and humiliate each other to ensure that both parties lose whatsoever stamina and morality they have just to stop these two regional parties from taking a pro-Kashmiri stand and forcing the Centre move ahead over the resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he added.

Stating that the NC and the PDP should shun their differences, Rasheed said, “If these parties fail to do so, both the NC and the PDP must merge with the Congress or the BJP and seek a mandate from Kashmiri people the same way as other national parties seek it.”

Kupwara, September 23
Kupwara residents have demanded stern action against contractors and others involved in illegal mining of stones, boulders and sand from streams in this border district.

Local residents said despite a ban on illegal mining of stones, boulders and sand from various streams in the district, most contractors were involved in vandalising flora and fauna in streams.

They said mining was going on unabated in various streams in Kupwara, Lolab, Kehmil and Mawar. These cold water streams were the habitat of trout and mining had taken a heavy toll on it, they said.

“Tippers, tractors and JCB machines are being used for mining of sand and boulders in streams and transport it to other areas. The Kupwara stream is near the Kupwara police post, In Handwara town, illegal mining is going on in various streams in Kehmil, Vijh and Mawar,” said Saifullah Mir, a local resident.

Parts of the Lolab stream which are the worst hit by indiscriminate stone mining are Brunut, Sharanth, Malik Mohalla, Shatmuqam, Gir-Hatti, Zangli, Goose, Khumriyal, Warnow, Khurhama, Batnard and Gratnard.

Residents said illegal mining of sand and boulders had caused extensive damage to agricultural land and unabated mining in these streams had led to a decline in water level.

“For the last many years, many areas in the district are facing acute shortage of water due to the illegal action of these unscrupulous people. Women are forced to fetch the water after covering long distances,” said Javid Ahmad, a local resident.

Local residents said the indiscriminate mining of boulders and stones had led to the disintegration of stone in various streams here, making the low-lying areas flood-prone. They appealed to the district administration to take measures and stop the illegal mining from streams. 

Srinagar, September 23
The last batch of pilgrims for this year's annual Haj pilgrimage left for Saudi Arabia from the Srinagar International Airport today.

An official at the Haj House, Bemina, said the last Haj flight was seen off at the airport in the morning. He said a total of 8,683 pilgrims of the state left for Mecca this year.

The first Haj flight left from here on September 7 and the pilgrims were then seen off by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Haj and Auqaf Peerzada Mohammad Sayed.

To avoid unnecessary rush at the airport, attendants of Haj pilgrims were allowed to accompany them to the Haj House, Bemina, from where the pilgrims were ferried to the airport by buses.

An official at the Haj House said flights from Saudi Arabia carrying Hajis would operate from October 20 to November 5.

Haj is among the five fundamentals of Islam and every believing Muslim aspires to perform the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.

The departure of intending Hajis in the Valley is a joyous occasion as the kith and kin can be seen thronging the residences of the respective pilgrims.

Relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours can be seen pouring in for at least a week once a Haji returns home from the pilgrimage.

Srinagar, September 23
University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad today inaugurated a four-day workshop on astronomy techniques with viral observations, organised by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, in collaboration with the University of Kashmir on the university campus.

He said the workshop was mainly targeted at final semester students who intended to pursue a career in astrophysics. The VC hoped to ensure greater participation in the future so as to develop a bridge between students here and those elsewhere.

Ranjeev Mishra, coordinator of the IUCAA, said the IUCAA was fast emerging as the leader in astronomy research in India. “Established in 1988 as an autonomous institution by the University Grants Commission, its mandate is to promote the nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics at Indian universities,” he said.

Mishra further said in a short period of time, the IUCAA had made its mark as a centre of excellence within the university sector in teaching, research and development in astronomy and astrophysics. The VC looked forward to greater participation of students and scholars from other Indian universities so as to develop a bridge between students here and institutions of repute.

Earlier, welcoming the participants, the programme coordinator and senior faculty of the Department of Physics Manzoor A Malik said this was the fourth IUCAA-sponsored workshop that the department was organising jointly with the IUCAA.

Malik said the aim was to expose students to frontline areas of research in astronomy and astrophysics. “By inviting some leading Indian astrophysicists, we were able to give a flavour of almost all frontline areas of astronomy research to this workshop,” he said.

“There will be introductory lectures in current research in astrophysics as well as hands-on sessions on computers. Selected participants will get a chance to get acquainted with data analysis and mathematical tools,” Malik added.

Srinagar, September 23
The Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK) welcomed Tour De Kashmir, cycling event which is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Development Association (JKSDA) in which cyclists from within and outside the state participated.

The cyclists halted at Srinagar today and were given rousing welcome by ATOAK members.

The General Secretary of ATOAK, Muhammad Yusuf, along with some executive members warmly greeted the young cyclists .The association appreciated the J&K Sports Development Association for conceiving the idea of paddling down the entire length of the Valley on bicycles, starting from the origin of mighty river Jhelum at Verinag.

“The rally will certainly help revive the sick adventure tourism in the state. It will go a long way in promoting and developing the recreation and sports tourism in the Valley.” Yusuf said.

“The plains of the Valley have always been ignored, though we have tremendous potential for tourism-related sporting events like long-distance cycling and roller skating in the vast plains of the Valley. Kashmir is in fact the largest valley in the Himalayas and we need to exploit all tourism related segments those could be undertaken in the plains,” he said.

“We must explore possibility of introducing more such events where we could have the upper edge before neighbouring Himalayan states. We have tough competition in adventure with Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand so we all should work together for the furtherance of tourism in the state ,” Yusuf said.

Srinagar, September 23
Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir today said the state would soon get first-of-its-kind saffron park, equipped with modern and scientific approaches.

He said the park would provide all necessary facilities, including collection and sorting of saffron flowers, quality control, marketing and e-trading facility through which farmers, growers and traders could get associated with the park online.

The minister was addressing a saffron buyer-seller meet organised by the Agriculture Department at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute complex today.

Mir urged saffron growers and others associated with the saffron industry to take maximum benefit from the National Saffron Mission in the state and play their role to give a new impetus for increasing production and productivity of saffron across the state.

He said the saffron park would be established at a cost of Rs 22.06 crore at Pampore in south Kashmir for the promotion of the saffron industry, which would directly benefit the people related with the industry in the state.

The minister said the state government, in coordination with the Centre, was keen for the uplift and upscaling of the saffron industry in J&K.

He added that by adopting modern scientific methods and developing infrastructure, the saffron industry of the state would get a new edge and a boost so that people related with the industry benefited socio-economically.

He hoped that the saffron park would open new economic and development windows for the people. He urged farmers to think positive and play their role for the promotion and uplift of the saffron industry.

Srinagar, September 23
A delegation of the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) led by Bar president Abdul Qayoom today met the Ambassadors of European Union (EU) member countries.

The HCBA delegation included Bar vice-president Aijaz Bedar, general secretary Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, joint secretary Anwar-ul-Islam Shaheen, treasurer Bilal Ahmad Wani and senior advocates. An official of the HCBA said the Bar delegation apprised the EU Ambassadors of the situation prevalent in the state.

They met Greek Ambassador Ioannis E Raptakis, Irish Ambassador Feilim McLaughlin, Austrian Ambassador Bernhard Warabetz, Polish Ambassador Piotr Klodkowski, Hungarian Ambassador Janos Terenyi and EU delegation head Joao Cravinho.

“The Ambassadors were interested to know about the prevailing situation in the state, its causes and the application of laws to the cases of political prisoners. They were told that during the last 23 years, thousands of Kashmiris had been arrested and booked under the Enemy Agents Ordinance, the J&K Disturbed Areas Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Arms Act, the Egress and Internal Movement Controller Ordinance, the J&K Prevention and Suppression of Sabotages Act, POTA and TADA and detained under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act without trial,” the HCBA said in a press note.

“The EU delegation was told that human rights violations are taking 
place in the state with impunity and four innocent persons were killed in Shopian when Zubin Mehta was busy with his musical concert at Shalimar Garden,” the press note said.

Srinagar, September 23
Inspector General of Police (IGP),Kashmir region, Abdul Ghani Mir, today complimented the participants of the 16th District Badminton Championship held here.

The closing ceremony of the 16th District Badminton Championship, organised by the J&K Badminton Association in collaboration with the JK Police, was held at the indoor stadium here.

The championship, which started on September 11, saw participants competing for different categories.

Speaking on the valedictory function, the IGP complimented the participants for their contribution in making the event a successful one.

The winners and the runners up of each category were awarded prizes by the IGP, DIG S A Mujtaba, SSP Srinagar S A H Bukhari and Manager Bakshi Stadium Mushtaq Ahmad.

In under-10 category, Aman Mir from DPS School and Madeela from Mallinson School won 
the singles titles in 
boys and girls events respectively.

In under-13 category, Aamil Isaaq of RP School and Noor Mughal of Kendriya Vidyalaya bagged the singles title while the pair of Aamil and Sohaib won the boys doubles, and Farzana and Nirman from Scholars School won the girls doubles.

In under-15 category, Aadam from RP School, Mansepai from Kandria Vidiyalaya won the singles title while the pairs of Adam and Aamil from RP School, and Gulnaz and Aalia Khatoon from Scholars School, won the doubles title.

In under-17 category, Aadam of RP School and Sehar of DPS School clinched the singles title while the pairs of Aadam and Aamil of RP School and Sehav and Uzma of DPS School won the doubles title.

In under-19 category, Owais Afzal and Sehar of DPS School won the singles title in boys and girls events respectively while the pairs of Owais and Khalid, and Sehar and Ulfat, bagged the doubles title.

In above-19 category, Aasia defeated Ulfat in the finals and clinched the women single while Aadam Isaaq won the men’s singles.

The doubles title for the category was won by pair of Sehar and Aasia in women event, and Sahil Nazir and Owais Shah won the men’s title.

Mixed doubles title in this category was bagged by Nisar and Sehar.

In veteran category Sanjiv Arora bagged the title while the doubles title was won by Hakim Nasir and Sanjiv Arora.

Jammu, September 23
As many as 20 teams will be vying for the top honours in the four-day Tiger Cup volleyball tournament.

The tournament is being organised by the Rashtriya Rifles in collaboration with the District Youth Services and Sports, Ramban, and the Youth Association of Nachlana.

The event aims to encourage sports and inculcate sportsmanship among the youth, besides identifying the budding volleyball players in the district.

The tournament was declared open by the Commanding Officer of RR yesterday.

Srinagar, September 23
A 22-year-old woman has been found dead under suspicious circumstances at her house, the police today said.

Zamroooda of Halsidar village near Dooru in Anantnag was found dead at her house in a suspicious condition.

The police started inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC to ascertain the cause of her death.