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Pak targets 31 Indian posts in 24 hrs
Army pays tribute to martyred soldier
BJP expresses concern over Pak strategy to revive militancy in state
Eid celebrated with gaiety, fervour
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‘Azad’s writ runs large in J&K Cong’
Locals fume over no-construction zone around Poonch Fort
Elementary education in state needs specific treatment: Report
New drug policy against common man, claims pharmacy association
Cop killed in mishap due to stone pelting
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Pak targets 31 Indian posts in 24 hrs
Jammu/Poonch/Srinagar, October 16 The latest ceasefire violations — the tenth and eleventh in less than a week — came barely 16 hours after Lance Naik Mohammed Firoz Khan was killed and six other soldiers injured when Pakistani troops opened fire in the BG sector in Poonch district. Due to escalating border tension, no sweets were exchanged between the two sides on the LoC and IB this year, a tradition on Eid every year. Pakistani troops continued to violate ceasefire from Bhimber Gali to Krishna Ghati sub-sectors along the LoC in Poonch district on Wednesday. “Around 10.40 am on Wednesday morning, Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire on Indian forward posts from BG sub-sector KG sub-sector using small arms, automatics weapons and mortars,” defence spokesperson Col RK Palta said. He said Indian troops guarding the two sub-sectors retaliated using same calibre weapons. “Intermittent firing between the two sides is on. No casualty or injuries have been reported from the Indian side in the latest skirmishes,” he said. An intelligence source said Pakistani troops opened heavy fire, including 82 mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, on at least 28 Indian forward posts in Balnoi, Mankote, Balakote and Mendhar areas from KG sub-sector to BG sub-sector. “At least 14 posts in Mendhar, six in Balakote and eight in Mankote/Balnoi were targeted by Pakistani troops,”he said. “The firing started around 9.30 am today and was continuing till reports last came in.” The heavy fire disrupted Eid celebrations in forward villages and forced residents of Basuni, Gohlad, Patri, Deri and Nar Chajjla in Poonch to flee to safer areas, he said. Pakistani mortars and RPGs exploded in pastures near the villages triggering panic, but there were no reports of casualties or injuries so far, he Col Palta said. The volume of fire was such that explosions of mortars and RPGs could be heard in Mendhar town, he said. Due to continuous firing by Pakistani troops, no sweets were exchanged between the two armies on Eid at Chakan-da-Bagh meeting point, he added. The Pakistani Army also resorted to “unprovoked “shelling along the LoC in Uri sector in Kashmir region last night. “Around 7 pm, they started firing mortars and RPGs in Kamalkote area of Uri sector and the exchange of fire lasted for over an hour,” defence sources said. In the Samba sector along the 191.5-km international border, Pakistani Rangers opened fire on two BSF posts at Mangu Chak and Khawada drawing equal response from the troops. “They opened unprovoked fire on two posts for over seven minutes drawing equal response from us,” BSF spokesperson Vinod Yadav said. Samba is the same sector where BSF Constable M Baswaraj was hit by sniper fire of Rangers near Katao post on October 14. The spokesperson said no sweets were exchanged between the BSF and the Rangers at the octroi post in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sector due to escalating tension. firing in Uri, Samba, Poonch
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Army pays tribute to martyred soldier
Rajouri, October 16 The soldier lost his life during the nearly 10 hour-long gun battle along the Loc, which witnessed Pakistani troops firing automatic weapons, besides mortars and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) on the Indian posts. The 31-year-old soldier, who hails from Hyderabad, is survived by his wife and two children. The fellow jawans while paying glowing tributes to the martyred soldier described him as a
“fearless and dedicated soldier”, who did not falter even in the face of heavy firing. General Officer commanding of the Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo) and the Ace of Spades Division, along with other Army officers, laid wreaths and paid tribute to the deceased soldier in a ceremony held at Gun Chowk here. Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the Northern Army Commander and General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps. The body of the martyred soldier was then taken to Jammu and from there it was flown to native place in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Superintendent of the District Hospital, Rajouri, Dr Arun
Sharma said the body of the soldier was brought to the hospital late last night and a team of doctors was constituted to conduct the post-mortem this morning. |
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BJP expresses concern over Pak strategy to revive militancy in state
Jammu, October 16 Denouncing the National Conference-Congress coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir for its “flawed Rehabilitation Policy”, BJP state chief spokesperson Jitendra Singh said: “Even as this policy has disastrously led to around 400 persons illegally entering into the state without any screening or verification via Nepal, there were in addition, disturbing reports about thousands of released former militants walking on the streets of Kashmir after having completed their prison term or out on bail.” Singh said these militants have not compromised ideologically and added that they can foment trouble for the state. “They (militants) have not yet ideologically compromised and may, therefore, pose threat as potential trouble-makers to usurp peace in the Valley and elsewhere,” he said. “Unless ideologically reformed, these former militants were not only capable of fomenting trouble but could also radicalise the next generation of Kashmiri youth,” he said The BJP leader added that a major problem with most of these released militants is that they possess little education and low employability credential coupled with huge incompatibility of attitude,” he said. He further said this could also be linked to the ISI design to push Afghan militants into Jammu and Kashmir after the US withdrawal next year. “According to Intelligence evidence, the Pakistan ISI is already desperate to revive dwindling local support for militancy by engaging former militants and educated youth, who are well versed in latest hi-tech methods of communication like ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’ and modern weaponry. In a scenario like this, former militants and the indoctrinated youth comprise potential target groups for the revised Pak strategy,” Singh said. The BJP leader while pointing out the “callous approach” adopted by the government in implementing the rehabilitation policy, said: “The government envisaged following three broad prerequisites for the ex-militants to qualify for rehabilitation --- giving up of insurgent activities, change of heart and willingness to return to the state. But unfortunately, by default or more possibly by deliberate design, none of these prerequisites have been followed either in case of former militants returning from the PoK or in case of militants left at large in the society after completion of their prison term.” “Significantly, many of these former militants have also been recruited into state police force without adequate verification,” he alleged. |
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Eid celebrated with gaiety, fervour
Jammu/Srinagar, October 16 People in large numbers assembled at the Eidgah grounds in both Srinagar and Jammu, at the Polo Ground in Srinagar and Hazratbal shrine and towns across the state. Children in festive dresses accompanied their parents for special prayers and to the market. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among the nearly 35,000 persons who offered prayers at Srinagar’s Hazratbal Shrine where tight security arrangements were in place. Omar exchanged greetings with the people and mingled with them. He also prayed for the peace, development and prosperity of the state and the country and hoped that people will not forget the poor while celebrating. The biggest congregation in Srinagar was held at Jamia Masjid in the old city where nearly 40,000 people offered prayers. Similar large congregations were seen in all districts of Kashmir. Thousands of sheep and goats were sacrificed across the Valley after Eid prayers. The meat was then distributed among relatives, neighbours and the destitute. Children were a happy lot as they received Eidi from their elders. Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, patron of the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), offered prayers at Syed Yaqoob Sahib Shrine in the high- security Sonawar area of Srinagar. However, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest by the authorities in Srinagar city as a preventive measure. Another senior separatist leader, Shabir Shah, was detained along with some of his supporters while he was going to the Hazratbal shrine. The police said Shah and his supporters were released later. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, offered Eid prayers at the Jamia Mosque in Nowhatta area of the old city in Srinagar. Muslims also greeted their Hindu brethren in the Jammu region. The main venue – the Eidgarh Ground in the Residency Road area of the temple city — wore a festive look. Reports of celebrations also poured in from Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban and other districts of Jammu region.
(With agency inputs) |
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‘Azad’s writ runs large in J&K Cong’
Jammu, October 16 Sources in the Congress said majority of the leaders, who joined the party had approached Azad, as they realised only he had the capability to properly adjust them. Although Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz has been claiming that more leaders would join the Congress in the coming days, it is believed that Azad has scored over his political competitor by successfully roping in 15 prominent persons into the party. “The Peoples Democratic Party general secretary Thakur Balbir Singh was in constant touch with Azad for the last five months. Similarly another PDP stalwart Master Tasadiq Hussain was seen on number of times in the functions of Azad,” a source said. He added that the PDP stalwarts have joined the Congress only after getting assurance from Azad. Sources said senior National Conference leader Mohmmad Aslam Goni has also joined the Congress in consultations with Azad. Goni, who was the political adviser to former Chief Minister and NC chief Farooq Abdullah, belongs to Bhaderwah, which is the native place of Azad. Similarly PDP leader from Bhaderwah Sheikh Mujib Ali also approached Azad for his entry into the party. A former minister and staunch loyalist of Azad said the Union Health Minister had played the role in roping in these leaders to the party. He said former bureaucrats, who joined the Congress had also approached Azad for their entry into the party. “Despite a minister in the Union Government, it is a reality that Azad’s writ runs large in the Jammu and Kashmir Congress and without his consent no decision can be taken in the state,” he said. |
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Locals fume over no-construction zone around Poonch Fort
The Authority has issued notices to shopkeepers
and residents putting up within 100 metres of the fort to stop construction, as the land has been identified as no construction zone under the National Monument Act. Poonch Chamber of Commerce president Sunil Gupta said, “Residents and shopkeepers have been in possession of the land for over 65 years. The authority’s decision will hit livelihoods and is ridiculous. The government should immediately revoke the order.” “Poonch is a backward district and most people residing around the fort have either their own property or have purchased it. Now that they have spent lakhs on building their houses and business establishments, such an order has created insecurity about their future” he said. Ashok Kumar, a resident of the area, said, “We will not allow anybody to snatch our houses in the name of protecting the Poonch Fort. If the government has not evacuated land or stopped construction around Golden Temple in Amritsar or Mubarak Mandi in Jammu, then what is the hurry in clearing land around Poonch Fort?” Ashok Bhagat, Chief Executive Officer of the Poonch Development Authority, said, “We have identified and demarcated 21 kanal land of Poonch Fort. Now we will build a compound wall or fence around it so it cannot be encroached upon in future. About the 100 metre no construction zone, the land is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.” “Under this Act, the 100 metre area has been declared a protected area and named ‘No construction Zone’. New construction is not allowed in this zone, but repair or renovation can be done with permission from the PDA,” Bhagat said. Members of various political parties and social and business organisations have also threatened to launch an agitation against the state government if it fails to revoke the order. HERITAGE PANGS
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Elementary education in state needs specific treatment: Report
Jammu, October 16 Insisting that the teacher education in Jammu and Kashmir, like many other parts of the country, has not understood the important implications of treating elementary education as a specialised professional area, the Mission in its report said the authorities have added the label of ‘elementary’ without any structural changes to the academic and administrative enterprise that oversees this important branch of education. “This is obvious from a cursory perusal of the Diploma in Elementary Education course, which is a truncated and trivialised version of the B.Ed course,” the Mission stated in its report. “It has a sprinkling of topics related to the elementary education in the form of statistics and history of elementary education, without any serious engagement
with an understanding of childhood, its attendant complexities or of its pedagogical and theoretical implications,” it claimed. The report further said, though, the professional preparation of teachers
has been recognised as “crucially important” since the 1960s, the “ground reality remains a matter of great concern”. “Today’s teacher programmes train teachers to adjust to a system, in which education is seen as
transmission of information,” it added. “Attempts at curricular reform have not been adequately supported by the teacher education programme that neither accommodate the emerging ideas in context and pedagogy nor address the issue of linkages between school and society,” the report claimed. The report also mentioned that an awareness of research in child development and cognition that has advanced phenomenally in the last few decades was not evident in the courses or the research. Further, the debates around newer pedagogies and contexts of assessment were also missing. “The prescribed references are out dated and unimaginative and very little current research material is reflected in the courses. Original readings of classics and important emerging texts and new research writings are not reflected even in the post graduate courses,” the report said. |
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Function organised to promote peace in state
Jammu, October 16 “The aim of our peace-promoting function is to educate people that humanity was above all,” Karanjeet Singh, one of the organisers of the Samagam, told The Tribune. He added that there was a deliberate attempt to organise such a function on the auspicious day of Eid-ul-Azha. Keeping in view the prevailing tension among different communities after the unfortunate incidents at Kishtwar and Rajouri districts earlier this year, our volunteers deliberately chose the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha to organise the Gurmat Sant Samagam, he said. “In the present era, some people have been using religion as tool to spread hatred, but we have taken the initiative to use religion as a mean to unite the humanity and spread the message of peace,” Singh added. Religious scholars, besides leaders from different political affiliations were present on the occasion. Although, the Mission volunteers regularly organise such a function at Batote, situated on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, this was the first time such an event was held in the winter capital. “There was an encouraging response. Religious scholars from different faiths participated in today’s Samagam and spread the message of harmony among different communities,” Singh said. Heartwarming scenes were witnessed, as religious scholars highlighted the qualities of other religions to arrive at a conclusion that peace and humanity were the lesson of every religion. The object of every religion was not to divide the mankind, but to strengthen the humanity and serve the human beings, the scholars opined. |
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New drug policy against common man, claims pharmacy association
Jammu, October 16 The Association said despite being aimed at bringing down the prices of 348 drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) through the new Drug Pricing Control Order (DPCO), the policy has actually pushed up the ceiling prices of some drugs. Addressing a press conference, Vijay Bhalla, Treasurer of the IPGA and Director of Lloyds Institute of Pharmacy, criticised the new drug policy. As per the new DPCO, the government has fixed the prices of 348 drugs in the NLEM, based on the simple average market price of the product, which has led to an increase in the price of some drugs and a marginal decrease in that of others, he added. Bhalla said the shortage of essential medicines on retail shelves, after the implementation of the new pharma policy, was a great cause of concern. The channel partners were duty bound to ensure abundant availability of all essential drugs across the country. “Supplies of widely used medicines such as Vitamin-C (ascorbic acid),
Atorvastatin, Pyrazinamide, Cetzine and Ceftum of GSK have been affected,” Bhalla alleged. |
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Eight injured in clash over land dispute
Katra, October 16 “The two groups attacked each other with sticks and stones that left eight injured,” a source said. The four persons injured in the incident have been identified as Pardeep Singh, Kulwant Singh, Satya Devi and Naseem Aktar. The identity of other injured remains to be ascertained. Meanwhile, Pardeep and Kulwant have been referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu. A case has been registered at the Reasi police station and police has started the inquest proceedings, the source said. |
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Cop killed in mishap due to stone pelting
Jammu, October 16 The police said Singh consequently lost control over the vehicle resulting in the accident. The police have registered a case and started investigations into the incident.
— TNS |
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Rajouri, October 16
Poonch, October 16