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State wants to know Modi’s views on Art 370
Even Parliament cannot scrap Article 370, says PDP patron
CM calls BJP’s mission a hoax
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Omar ‘poorest’
candidate from Beerwah
AMM opposes military action to resolve K-issue
NC, BJP hope to cash in on religious divide
Polls round the corner, but campaigning not visible
Parties flout code, engage minors in poll activity
Varsity, college teachers jump on poll bandwagon
BJP expels Pawan Gupta
‘NC, BJP playing polarisation game in Doda’
2 candidates get notice for code violation
Ex-MP garners support for Cong
Vaishno Devi varsity must take steps to meet emerging challenges: Guv
Enrolment takes a dip at secondary level in schools across state
Translate poet Iqbal’s ideas into action, says Kashmir varsity VC
Army’s efforts prevented major disaster at Uri power plant
Tral encounter: Slain militant a Lashkar commander, police
Flood fallout: SMC pegs losses at Rs 240 crore
Students distribute woollens to old age home inmates
Charak holds door-to-door campaign in Bishnah
National school badminton championship begins
ABVP to campaign for women rights, security
Congress appoints Shahnawaz campaign committee convener
Yamuna House wins skit competition
Humanity Public School wins dance contest Snapshots Army holds medical camp
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State wants to know Modi’s views on Art 370
Jammu, November 21 The rally in the Chenab region, comprising six Assembly seats, will be his first in the Assembly polls. Never before has he campaigned in the Assembly polls in this state even though he was a familiar face since January 1992, when he co-led the “Ekta Yatra” with then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi. Modi’s visit is also significant because this is the region where the BJP could not secure more votes than the Congress in any of the six segments during the parliamentary polls. In common parlance, this region is known as Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s citadel. A host of questions are awaiting Modi before he lands in Kishtwar. Hundreds of party workers are already camping there and several hundred are moving up from the plains and others are descending from the mountains to the town to hear their “charismatic leader”. The chants of Modi-Modi have already filled the air. The setting for the rally is perfect, suiting his stature. The rally venue, Chogan Maidan, can absorb tens of thousands and has been a historic place from where leaders such as Indira Gandhi have addressed rallies. All are expecting a “big Modi moment” in Kishtwar tomorrow. If one goes by the hoardings, the message that goes with the pictures of Modi is that of development — no power cuts, better roads and education and dignity in life. Surprisingly, there is no mention of the abrogation of Article 370 or the discrimination with the Jammu region. Instead, the party talks of “development of all three regions”. BJP workers are enthusiastic because the BJP candidates across the state, particularly the Jammu region, are depending on his wide appeal. Modi’s speech would be relayed by the party in all constituencies to suggest that people would be voting for Modi if they vote for BJP. But the biggest question is that where does the BJP stand on Article 370 that grants special status to this only Muslim-majority state in the country. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi should clarify this,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said. And, he has rightly pointed out that the BJP is speaking in different voices in three regions of the state — Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir valley. In Bhaderwah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Article 370 was not an election issue as the party “wanted a discussion and then we will go by what people of Jammu and Kashmir want.” In Leh, however, he said: “Article 370 is a hurdle in granting Union Territory status to Ladakh”. Senior BJP leader Avinash Rai Khanna, who is looking after the J&K affairs, said the “BJP will go by the wishes of the people” knowing that the widespread sentiment in the exclusively Muslim-majority Valley is against the abrogation of the special status of the state. Only Prime Minister Modi can provide an answer to this critical question. Different strokes
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Even Parliament cannot scrap Article 370, says PDP patron
Doda, November 21 Advocating resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, Mufti said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi should resume dialogue with Pakistan if he really
wants to make India a great nation.” “Our government needs to talk to Pakistan for smooth bilateral relations,” he said. He praised the bold initiatives taken by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his tenure for smooth and friendly relations with the neighbouring country. He also recalled Vajpayee’s famous quote, “We
can change friends, but we cannot change neighbours.” Accusing the BJP of
polarisation, the PDP patron: “I don’t know why the BJP is polarising Jammu and Kashmir on communal lines.” Mufti said assuming power had never been his motive. He said: “In 2002, our party had only 16 seats, despite that we formed the government. We advocated peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and were able to create an atmosphere conducive for dialogue.” He said his government got liberal assistance from the Centre and the state was ushering towards an era of peace, prosperity and development. “We opened many historic routes — Mughal road,
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, Poonch-Rawalakote road and we had envisaged Kashmir to be a free economic zone. Member Parliament Tariq Hameed Karra also spoke at the rally and said the PDP would become a bridge between both countries. Lambasting the Congress for corruption during its tenure, Karra said: “The party which once had 400 Parliament members has reached to 42 members. It once ruled 25 states but is ruling only five states now. Why they reached to such a level needs to be given a thought.” Karra urged the people to vote in favour of PDP’s Doda candidate Shab-ul-Haq and expressed confidence that the party would win the elections
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CM calls BJP’s mission a hoax
Jammu, November 21 Addressing election rallies in the remote areas of Banihal and Ramban constituencies of the Jammu division, Omar said people were aware of the “misgovernance, nepotism and corruption” which the state witnessed during the tenure of the PDP government. The NC working president said the PDP made all its efforts to malign the NC by circulating untrue, concocted and false propaganda against it. “The PDP without bothering for the suffering of lakhs of flood-affected people in Kashmir and parts of Jammu left no stone unturned to ensure that the elections are held as early as possible in the state,” he said, adding that this attitude of the PDP unveiled its “mentality and thrust for power”. He said people would teach them a befitting lesson for this opportunism and greed. Omar also took on the BJP for its “divisive politics” and claimed that the Mission 44+ of the BJP was nothing but a hoax and its balloon would burst into pieces by witnessing the faith of the people in the NC and its policy programmes for equitable development of all the three regions of the state and safeguarding the interests of the people. He asked people to be united and foil all attempts aimed at creating hatred and wedging them apart on various considerations. “Certain forces are out to ignite tension on various counts and flare-up sentiments of people for vote bank politics. I urge people to reject this kind of political trait vehemently,” Omar said, claiming that the NC was the only party with a categoric political and economic agenda for the state.
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Omar ‘poorest’
candidate from Beerwah
Srinagar, November 21 As per the affidavits filed by the three contestants, fighting from the central Kashmir’s Beerwah constituency, Omar (44) is the poorest candidate with total assets of Rs 65.69 lakh. As per the affidavit Omar filed yesterday, all his assets are movable and he owns no immovable assets and no agricultural or non-agricultural land. He also has no residential and commercial buildings in the state or elsewhere. The Chief Minister’s movable assets include Rs 1.10 lakh cash in hand and bank deposits of Rs 46.59 lakh. He also owns a Maruti Gypsy and a motorcycle which have been purchased for Rs 3 lakh and has 500 gm of gold and diamonds valued at Rs 15 lakh. Omar has filed the last income tax return in 2013-14 for a total income of Rs 13.93 lakh. The Chief Minister’s highest educational qualification is B.Com from Sydenham College, Mumbai, passed in 1992. Omar’s key rival for Beerwah, Peoples Democratic Party candidate Shafi Ahmad Wani is a rich man compared to the Chief Minister and has immovable assets of Rs 6.80 crore which includes agricultural and non-agricultural land. Wani, who is the incumbent legislator from the Beerwah constituency and is seeking re-election, has inherited most of the assets. As per his affidavit, Wani has self-acquired assets valued at Rs 2.30 crore and has inherited assets valued at Rs 4.50 crore. Wani is a doctor and completed his MBBS in 1980. The third contestant to file nominations is Dawood Khan Lodhi, 31, son of former militant commander and ex-MLC Bilal Ahmad Khan Lodhi. Lodhi, who is the People’s Conference candidate for Beerwah, has listed his total assets at Rs 3.63 crore. Total assets Omar Abdullah (NC) Rs 65.69 lakh Shafi Ahmad Wani (PDP) Rs 6.80 crore Dawood Khan Lodhi (PC) Rs 3.63 crore
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AMM opposes military action to resolve K-issue
Srinagar, November 21 The AMM was formed last year and is an amalgam of several political parties, including the state unit of the CPM, Hakim Mohammad Yasin’s PDF and Abdul Rashid Kabuli’s JKNDF. CPM state secretary MY Tarigami is the amalgam’s convener. The manifesto emphasises the need for both India and Pakistan to show mature statesmanship and resolve the Kashmir issue by sincere, sustained and meaningful dialogue. The AMM said its manifesto “stands for the restoration of all powers enjoyed by the state till 1952”. Prior to 1953, J&K had its own Prime Minister, which was later turned into Chief Minister. The state had control over all matters barring defence, communications and external affairs. It had its own head of the state called ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’. “The manifesto stresses the unity of the state and the delegation of more political and financial powers to all regions and sub-regions, leaving no possibility for the domination of any region,” it said. It further said the AMM would launch “un-relented struggle” for the transfer of all the NHPC-owned hydro-electric power projects to the state. “The Public Safety Act, AFSPA and other such Acts should be scrapped at the earliest while Chattergam-like incidents should not be allowed to occur in future. The security officials responsible for it should be given exemplary punishment in order to restore confidence of the people,” it said.
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Constituency watch: Kishtwar Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service
Kishtwar, November 21 Though neither party is openly talking about polarisation, they are entirely banking on the votes of their own communities. The Kishtwar Assembly seat is the biggest constituency of the Jammu region in terms of area. There are 71 panchayats and one municipal committee in this constituency and around 90 per cent people live in far-off rural areas. In the history of the Kishtwar Assembly seat, the BJP has never won this seat, but thrice in 1987, 1996 and 2008, BJP candidates were runners-up. This constituency is one of the most important seats in the state which is on the radar of both New Delhi and Srinagar and star campaigners of all major political parties are reaching Kishtwar to lure voters. Kishtwar town, which is part of the Kishtwar Assembly seat, has been labelled by some as communally sensitive, as it often witnesses communal clashes. The Muslim-Hindu population ratio of this town is 51-49. During the time of arms insurgency in the state, Bashir Ahmed Kichloo, a National Conference (NC) stalwart, stood for communal harmony. He participated in the election process in 1996 and got the support of the people of both the communities. After his death, his son Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo contested the election in 2002 and won, but he couldn’t hold together both communities and outside elements sneaked in which led to polarisation. In 2008, Kichloo got the maximum votes from the Muslim community whereas BJP candidate Sunil Sharma managed to get a majority of Hindu votes.
Legislatorspeak
— Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, NC Oppositionspeak
Kichloo is only concerned about his family and relatives. Kishtwar is still suffering because of his anti-people approach. Polarisation is a myth created by the NC and Kichloo, which I am going to destroy in these
elections. — Sunil Sharma, bjp Voterspeak
This time it has become more complex. No party can claim that they have an upper hand. The pendulum shifts on a regular basis and till the polling is complete, this will continue like that,” said Mudassar Ahmed, a research scholar of Kishtwar.~ —
Waqar Ahmad, a local |
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Polls round the corner, but campaigning not visible
Srinagar, November 21 Jawahar Nagar, Raj Bagh, Kursu and Mehjoor Nagar localities of Srinagar, which were the worst hit as more than 200 houses were damaged, are wearing a gloomy look. The locals said they were not thinking about elections at this time as they were trying to reconstruct their houses and business. “We are not interested in the election preparations. At the time of need,
the government was nowhere. How can they come now with their election campaign and ask us for votes,” asked Mohammad Rashid of Jawahar Nagar, who runs a departmental store. In the past, the election fervour would be more visible in Srinagar than other places as it is the commercial hub of the Valley, where political parties would organise regular rallies and campaigns.
But the floods have affected the election campaigning in the summer capital this time. Jawahar Nagar and Lal Mandi, which have lately turned into a commercial area with dozens of shopping malls and furniture shops, is still lost in the dust of rubbles. As many as 90 per cent of shops and business establishments are still shut. Some schools are also closed in the area till now, while others have shifted to other areas. “The politicians fear the wrath of people,” said a local of Natipora Abdul Majid Mir, who said he
was stuck in his house for three days during the floods. The localities of Natipora and Nowgam are also missing the election buzz. The first phase of elections would begin in Kashmir on November 24. In the fourth phase, which will be the last, 16 Assembly segments spread over three districts of Srinagar, Anantnag and Shopian will go to polls. The eight constituencies in Srinagar include- Hazratbal, Zadibal, Idgah, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Amirakadal, Sonawar
and Batamaloo. With Srinagar yet to heal from the scars of the deluge, the political parties say they were deliberately not campaigning with fervour as people were depressed after the floods. “We are slowly picking up our campaign in Srinagar. Floods have definitely had an effect on our campaign in the city but we are completely in touch with the masses. We have started our door-to-door campaign in some parts,” a spokesperson for
Congress said. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while admitting that they have not started their full campaigning in Srinagar yet, said they were currently concentrating on campaigning for the first three phases. “People of Srinagar are stressed due to floods, we are deliberately not concentrating on Srinagar yet as our priority at this time are the first three phases,” said PDP’s spokesperson Naeem Akhter. There was no fear among the party members to campaign in flood-hit localities of Srinagar, he added. |
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Parties flout code, engage minors in poll activity
Chanderkot (Ramban), Nov 21 Interestingly, a local Congress leader of Ramban was directing Latif and his friends to paste posters on specific spots and this was happening in the presence of election staff deputed by the Election Commission to ensure adherence of the model code of conduct. “Since morning, we have been pasting posters in different localities of Chanderkot,” said Latif. Not only the Congress, BJP leaders were also seen utilising the services of minors in electioneering. Children carrying BJP pamphlets were seen roaming in different localities to campaign for the party. Minors were also pressed into service to raise slogans in favour of party candidate from Ramban. “They are doing it on their own,” a local BJP leader replied when his attention was drawn towards a group of minors moving in a procession carrying party flags and raising slogans in favour of the BJP. During the Assembly polls in Maharashtra recently, the Bombay High Court had asked the EC to state what action it would take against political parties which use children in election campaign or poll-related work. EC ban ignored
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Varsity, college teachers jump on poll bandwagon
Srinagar, November 21 From being able to continue their social service as a politician to donating their MLA funds to the needy, these teachers have diverse views on what made them contest elections. Two professors from the History Departments of Jammu University and Kashmir University, Nirmal Singh and Mohammad Yusuf
Ganai, respectively, are contesting the polls. Though Nirmal Singh has been active in politics for two decades and is currently head of the state BJP campaign committee as well as candidate from the Bilawar constituency in Jammu, MY Ganai plunged into politics this year and will contest the elections as an Independent from the Shangus constituency of Anantnag district. Ganai has also created history by being the first Kashmir varsity professor to contest the elections. Both Nirmal Singh and Ganai are currently on leave from the universities due to the guidelines of the State University Council and University Grants Commission on contesting the
elections. Ganai said intellectuals should also contest the elections, which would also improve the image of politics. Voicing Ganai’s opinion is Ismail
Bhat, Peoples Conference’s candidate from the Bandipora constituency, said: “I would be the first MLA (if elected) to donate all my MLA funds to the orphans and destitute in
Bandipora, because I feel this remote area has been ignored by all big
parties.” Bhat took premature retirement from teaching services at Sopore Degree College 10 years ago. |
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BJP expels Pawan Gupta
Jammu, November 21 The decision has been taken as Pawan Gupta is contesting election against official candidate of the party from the Udhampur constituency. It has been clarified by the party that the decision is irrevocable and will not be reconsidered in future. It has also been clarified that any party worker or leader associating himself with Pawan Gupta will also be dealt with sternly. Annoyed with the party’s decision of giving ticket to Pawan Khajuria from the Udhampur constituency, Pawan Gupta had started working against the party in the same constituency and is also contesting from Udhampur as an Independent candidate. Gupta had been associated with the party for years together and came second in 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections as BJP candidate from the Udhampur constituency. After the announcement of the ticket to Pawan Khajuria this time, Gupta started wooing BJP workers towards him and preparing for elections as an Independent candidate. |
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‘NC, BJP playing polarisation game in Doda’
Jammu, November 21 “This thing is harmful and will badly damage the secular atmosphere,” he said. He said people from both communities had been living in harmony since centuries in the region. “How unfortunate is it that when the time comes to cast vote, we are enticed by few opportunist political parties to vote on the basis of caste and religion. Is this the India for which Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives?” Wani asked. “These great leaders of the Congress laid down their lives only to save our country from fundamentalist forces. The BJP and the NC leaders need to give it a serious thought whether polarising the Hindu and Muslim voters will strengthen or weaken the foundations of Doda.” — TNS
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2 candidates get notice for code violation
Reasi, November 21 In another notice, Tilk Raj Shastri, Returning Officer, Reasi, stated that the Reasi flying squad found election material of Independent candidate Baldev Raj Sharma being transported without permission. “Transportation of election material without requisite permission is violation of Model Code of Conduct,” Tilk Raj said. The Election Commission was serious about the violations of the poll code and action would be taken against the defaulters, he added. |
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Ex-MP garners support for Cong
Jammu, November 21 He appealed to the people to support Sham Lal and make him the MLA of Akhnoor by voting for him on December 20 to defeat the nefarious designs of the anti-Jammu forces which he said always create hurdles in settlement of the issues of the people of the Jammu region. Madan said that he and Sham Lal had always taken up the interests of the Jammu region. |
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Vaishno Devi varsity must take steps to meet emerging challenges: Guv
Katra, November 21 Also, side by side, high attention should be paid to focus on nurturing moral and ethical values among the students for their growing into honest and principled professionals, he said. The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the SMVDU, was chairing the 22nd meeting of the Executive Council of the university at Kakryal near here today. The Governor observed that there was an urgent need for the university to comprehensively undertake a critical review of the available infrastructure and evolve a well-considered 15-20 years perspective plan for adding new schools of teaching and research. “Once such identification has been done, time-bound action should be taken to enlarge the infrastructure, including augmentation of water supply and other essential support systems,” he said. The Governor urged Prof Sudhir K Jain, Vice Chancellor of SMVDU, for strictly adhering to the schedule of examinations and declaration of results and ensuring completion of projects within specified timelines. He stressed on setting up an alumni cell in the university to evaluate career achievements of its students so that they could in turn share their success stories with the students of the university. Referring to the establishment of an academic staff college at SMVDU, the Governor advised the Vice Chancellor to pursue this matter with the UGC so that this institution comes up at the earliest. The meeting approved setting up of technology business incubation centre at the SMVDU, establishment of nanotechnology cell and admission for NRI/foreign students in various programmes offered by the university. The meeting also approved setting up of School of Economics under Faculty of Management for introducing five year MSc (Economics) Integrated Programme and inclusion of mother’s name in the academic qualification and related certificates issued by the SMVDU such as provisional certificate, migration certificate, degree, etc. While reviewing the status of ongoing works in the university, the Governor urged the Vice Chancellor to ensure the completion of the remaining work of the Basohli Boys Hostel and residential quarters within the envisaged timelines. The meeting discussed in detail various agenda items and took decisions thereon after detailed deliberations, besides confirming the minutes of the last meeting of the Executive Council of the university. Prof Sudhir K Jain, Vice Chancellor of the university, in his presentation, gave details of the achievements of the university in varied arenas after the last meeting of the council. He also dwelt on the efforts being made to improve the existing infrastructure and the initiatives taken in the fields of teaching and research and the draft action plan for the future growth. The members of the executive council put forth several suggestions for the development of the university. The executive council meeting was attended by Prof Khurshid I Andrabi, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir; Prof RD Sharma, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu; RP Agrawal, former Secretary, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development; Prof Vinayshil Gautam, chairman, DK International Foundation, Gurgaon, Haryana; Prof D Mukhopadhyay, Dean, Faculty of Management, SMVDU; Prof V Verma, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, SMVDU; Prof VK Bhat, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, SMVDU; Dr Yugal Khajuria, Dean of Students, SMVDU; RK Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, and Ajay Khajuria, Registrar of the university.
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Enrolment takes a dip at secondary level in schools across state
Jammu, November 21 This was revealed in the recently held 40th Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) to consider annual work plan and budget for J&K in respect of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) and Vocational Education (VE). Caralyn K Deshmukh, Director, RMSA, gave a detailed view of the status of the implementation, planning and monitoring of the RMSA in the state. In the presentation, various aspects of implementation of the RMSA scheme in J&K, including area of concern, major issues, progress of recurring and non-recurring approved to the state under the RMSA, were highlighted. It was informed in the crucial meeting that the districts of Kargil (62.29 per cent), Kishtwar (34.00 per cent), Leh and Ladakh (14.48 per cent), Poonch (55.26 per cent), Ramban (53.65 per cent) and Samba (55.83 per cent) are having lower GER than the state GER average. Further, the dropout rate at the state level is 25.33 per cent. Out of 22 districts in J&K, the dropout rate in 12 districts is higher than the state dropout rate average. The districts which display a very high dropout rate include Kulgam (41.62 per cent), Anantnag (41.33 per cent), Bugdam (40.90 per cent), Ganderbal (38.51 per cent) and Baramulla (37.9 per cent). Sources said the Project Approval Board was also informed of the slow progress in civil works in the state. As per the data available, out of approved 526 new secondary schools, civil work is complete in 92 schools only (17.5 per cent) and work is in progress in 246 schools. The construction work in remaining 188 schools is yet to be started. As many as 585 schools have been sanctioned under the strengthening head since 2009-2010, in which 51 schools have been partially covered and 534 schools fully. Out of 2,302 works approved in 585 schools, only 152 have been completed. 208 works are in progress and 1,942 (84.36 per cent of the total approved works) are yet to be started. Keeping count
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Iqbal Day celebrations Tribune News Service
Srinagar, November 21 “People across the world, who are translating thoughts of Iqbal in actions, have become highly successful in their lives and have led by example,” Mehraj-ud-Din said. He was addressing the students and faculty during a symposium titled, “Duniya Nahin Hai Mardane Jafakash Key liye Tang,” organised jointly by the Department of Students Welfare and Department of Urdu at Magarmal Academic block of the university. He added that Iqbal had played a pivotal role in the unification of Muslim Ummah across the world. “However, Muslims at present are divided not only at global, but at regional levels also.” Dean, School of Languages, Muhammad Aslam; Director, Iqbal Institute, and Director, South Campus, University of Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Nehvi; renowned poet Ayyub Sabir; Registrar M Afzal Zargar; Controller of Examinations Nazir A Gilkar; Coordinator, Department of Urdu, Nusrat Jabeen; Librarian Reyaz Rufaie; Students Welfare Officer Fayaz A Nikka and Department of Convergent Journalism Coordinator Asif Khan were among others present. Bashir Ahmad Nehvi dwelt at length on the life and poetic works of Iqbal. “Iqbal’s ancestors were from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. He had a special liking and love for the Valley and its people. This can be gauged from his works wherein he has depicted, described and praised the natural beauty of Kashmir,” he said. He further said Iqbal had written 25,000 couplets out of which 15,000 were written in Persian and 8,000 in Urdu. Poet Ayyub Sabir shared several couplets of Iqbal and his lifetime experience with the audience. He said the thoughts perpetuated by the poet were exemplary. Registrar M Afzal Zargar described Iqbal as philosopher, thinker, visionary and poet par excellence. “Dr Iqbal’s work has touched every aspect of human life,” he said. Controller of Examinations N A Gilkar, said the youth had to be optimistic in their approach as pessimism created inertia. “Dr Iqbal’s work have left an indelible mark and will remain relevant for generations to come,” he added. As many as 16 students from various departments made presentations on the occasion. Shoaib Ahmad Wani from the Department of Urdu bagged the first position while Showkat Ahmad and Tufail Ahmad Dar of Economics shared the second slot. Nasiba Mehraj from the Department of Tourism and Sameer Ahmad Bhat from the Department of Education shared the third slot.
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Army’s efforts prevented major disaster at Uri power plant
Srinagar, November 21 “The effort was more of technical nature and required specilised skills for which suitable Army officers were brought in from different locations of the Valley,” an Army spokesman said. He said there were massive challenges during the fire-fighting operations. “The 900-m-long tunnel of the powerhouse was totally engulfed by smoke. There was a limited access to the spot of the fire. Except through the tunnel, no alternative passage was available for fire tenders and fire-fighting teams to reach. Also, the dense smoke emanating from the smoldering cables and other material acted as a hurdle to launch the operation to bring the fire under control. The presence of highly inflammable materials in the tanks had to be segregated in order to avert the major tragedy. This involved risk to the lives,” the spokesman said. “The Army pressed officer intensive teams comprising experts in fire fighting and disaster management along with specialised equipment. Alongside, the civil administration pressed 11 fire tenders. The entire effort was directed from two ends, that is from the Pot Head Yard (portion from where the cables for transmission of electricity generated by the turbines, emanate) and the main access tunnel,” he said. “Since there was no ‘suitable’ passage from the Pot Head Yard side, the officers who were launched into the operation had to crawl through highly dangerous zones amid extreme winter conditions to reach the fire site. From the main access tunnel, the water hoses were taken by the officers and soldiers to use as water jets. This passage had also become critical due to dense smoke and falling debris from the roof of the tunnel. No movement was possible without the use of respirators,” he said. The spokesman said all these efforts made under extremely risky conditions helped prevent the major disaster and saved critical lives.
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Tral encounter: Slain militant a Lashkar commander, police
Srinagar, November 21 “The recovered carbine rifle was snatched from CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Udit Narayan, who was martyred in an attack on December 12, 2013,” a spokesman said. He said the slain militants were identified as Shiraz Ganai, son of Mohammad Sultan Ganai of Panzren, Pulwama, Shabir Bargat alias Haider, son of Mohammad Shafi Bargat of Hina Bagla, Kalakot Rajouri and Aasif Bhat, residents of Chinigam, Kulgam. “Shiraz was involved in transportation of militants involved in the killing of Assistant Sub-Inspector Farooq, killing of two Special Police Officers outside Pulwama Court and four police personnel in Shopian District,” he said. Ganai had transported militants in his car to carry out those attacks, he added. The spokesman said Shabir was active since 2010. “He was an LeT commander. Initially he was associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad. Then he joined Hizbul Mujahideen and had recently joined Lashkar’s Maaz group. “Shabir Bargat was involved in the killing of Nasir Mir of Pinjura, weapon snatching at Parguchi guard in Shopian and a dacoity in Rajpora JK Bank,” the spokesman said.
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Flood fallout: SMC pegs losses at Rs 240 crore
Srinagar, November 21 Earlier, secretary to the state Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department had said even a conservative estimate of the damage to public infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, hospitals and other government buildings put the figure between
Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 crore. “We have suffered huge damages in city, which is around
Rs 240 crore,” said GN Qasba, SMC Commissioner. This includes water works, drainage, public parks, streetlights and de-watering stations among other machinery. The damage is widespread as most government facilities and public services have been damaged in the city. The sanitation system in five major hospitals of the city- SMHS Hospital, Kaka Sarai, Lal Ded Hospital, Wazirbagh, SKIMS Hospital, Bemina, Bone and Joint Hospital, Barzulla and GB Pant Hospital, Sonwar, was also hit by the floods.
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Zafar Meraj files papers from Habbakadal
Srinagar, November 21 Meraj (62) hails from
the old city and is the nephew of late Shameem Ahmad Shameem, a journalist and former Parliamentarian. Meraj had survived an assassination bid in 1990s by a group of counter insurgents on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The contest in Habbakadal constituency in
Srinagar has gained importance as BJP is eying the seat and is banking on the high count of migrant Kashmiri Pandits in the segment. BJP has named a Kashmir Pandit, Moti Koul, as party candidate from the constituency. Habbakadal is represented by National Conference’s Shameema Firdous, who is seeking re-election. The Congress has fielded former Minister Raman Matoo from the constituency. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), headed by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, has also named a Pandit leader, Sanjay Saraf, as their candidate. Meanwhile, senior PDP leaders Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjoora, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Molvi Aabid Hussain Ansari and Mushtaq Ahmad Shah filed their nomination papers for the elections.
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Students distribute woollens to old age home inmates
Jammu, November 21 The gifts were purchased from the funds raised through an exhibition-cum-sale organised on the occasion of Karvachauth and Diwali by students of the PG home science and BA-III home science. Present on the occasion were Principal Dr Hemla Aggrawal, Lt Col Rajesh Kumar (Commanding Officer, NCC), Dr Aruna Dubey, Prof Nidhi Kotwal, Geeta Shrivastav and Lt Suman Lata. Staff and the students of the college interacted with the inmates and spent time with them. Speaking on the occasion, Lt Col Rajesh Kumar appreciated the efforts of college students and exhorted them to organise such kind of programmes for the elderly. A similar kind of activity was undertaken by students at the orphanage of Ved Mandir. A nukkad natak on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene was organized, which was followed by the oath on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. A colourful cultural bonanza was presented by college students and 127 children of the orphanage were presented gifts by college students. |
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Charak holds door-to-door campaign in Bishnah
Jammu, November 21 Besides this, door-to-door meetings were also conducted in Bishnah so as to meet people personally to know their local problems and also apprise them of the programmes and policies chalked out by him to initiate revamping of the sick administrative system with regard to carryout developmental activities in different sectors of the Bishnah constituency. He appealed to people to vote and support him so that the programmes were implemented in true letter and spirit. He underlined that his focus would be on the welfare and development of the Bishnah constituency and public would be taken into confidence before implementation of these policies and programmes. Charak was accompanied by local senior leaders of the Congress, besides sarpanchs and panchs in large numbers. |
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National school badminton championship begins
Jammu, November 21 As many as 60 teams, 30 each of boys and girls, from different states and Union Territories of the country are vying for top honours in the tournament. These include Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Vidya Bharathi, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Manipur, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, JNVS, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Director General, Youth Services and Sports (YSS), Navin Aggarwal, who is also chairman of the organising committee of the coveted event, was also present on the occasion. The DGP, in his address, asked the participants to sharpen their skill which would enable them to participate in national and international levels. The Director General of Police appreciated the players who participated in the march past at the beginning of the tournament. He announced Rs 1,000 each for students of Manipur for showing excellence in the march past on the occasion. |
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ABVP to campaign for women rights, security
Jammu, November 21 It was informed that the conference was inaugurated by Brig (retd) KS Chandpuri, which was attended by 3,277 delegates from across the country. From Jammu and Kashmir, a total of 81 delegates — 50 boys, 21 girls and 10 teachers — attended the programme. The main theme of the conference was “Nasha mukt paryavaran yukt swachch Bharat”. Various issues of national interested were discussed during the three-day-long conference, besides passing of six resolutions. “In the conference, the ABVP resolved for starting nationwide movement for women security, women dignity and women rights,” Suhasini Vasisatha said. Pawan Sharma said ABVP would launch a statewide voter awareness campaign for 100 percent voting.
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Congress appoints Shahnawaz campaign committee convener
Jammu, November 21 Shahnawaz Choudhary is the first Youth Congress leader who has been given the responsibility of such a prestigious post. He was given the responsibility based on his performance and exposure as state president of the Youth Congress, national secretary of the Youth Congress and national general secretary of the
NSUI. Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Chief Minister and former Union Health Minister, was appointed the chairman of the committee. |
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Yamuna House wins skit competition
Jammu, November 21 The winners-up trophy was bagged by Yamuna House, whereas Ganga House had to be contended with runners-up trophy. Addressing the gathering, Headmistress up to middle school Meenu Gupta spoke about the need to sensitising the students towards the spirit of patriotism. Brig SS Sambyal encouraged the students to aim higher for a successful future. Additional Director/Principal Dr D Joseph congratulated the winners for their excellent performance. The vote of thanks was presented by Vivek Nidhi, housemaster, Ganga House. |
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Jammu, November 21
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for “misleading people to grab power” in the state.
Despite warnings by the Election Commission, political parties are brazenly violating the model code of conduct in Doda belt and engaging minors in the electioneering process.
Abdul Latif, a Class V student, and his half a dozen friends were busy pasting posters on boundary walls before the arrival of Congress president Sonia Gandhi at Chanderkot which falls under the Ramban Assembly constituency.
Srinagar, November 21
Governor NN Vohra today emphasised the need for developing Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University to trigger growth and excellence in identified key areas of teaching and research to match the emerging challenges in the educational arena.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has conducted its 60th National Conference in Amritsar recently.
Office-bearers of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the ABVP, namely Dr Virender
Koundal, state president, Rahul Dev, state secretary, Pawan Sharma, state organising secretary, and member Suhasini Vasisatha were present during a media briefing today.
State president of the Pradesh Youth Congress, J&K, Shahnawaz Choudhary has been appointed convener of the campaign committee of the Congress for the J&K Assembly elections-2014.
His appointment was approved by Sonia Gandhi on the recommendations of Rahul Gandhi, vice-president,
AICC, and in charge, Youth Congress, and Ambika Soni, general secretary, AICC, and in charge, J&K.
Being the biggest Assembly constituency of the state, a lot needs to be done to provide better roads, quality education and other essential facilities. The district in general and my constituency in particular has seen a huge transformation which is visible on the ground. I am seeking votes from people on the name of development done for the last 12 years. People are the best judge of my work and if they feel I can mitigate their problems in future, they will vote for
me.