Category: Union Territory

Get order of 20k earthen lamps ahead of Diwali, appeals youngsters to learn art

Srinagar, Oct 17: In the modern world when people are hooked to technology and modernization, a family in Ishber area of Nishat here is struggling hard to keep the traditional and ‘dying’ pottery alive.

Once a famed art, the demand for pottery is declining with each passing day as the modern technology and the items have replaced the pottery utensils in the Valley.

Abdul Salam Kumar, who is in his 70’s, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that there was a time when the people used to host the guests on the marriage ceremonies only after getting the dates fixed from the potters.

“However, the time has changed as the people are giving preference to the utensils made of copper, aluminium, plastic and others, which has given birth to new diseases as well. If a person starts using the utensils made of earthenware, there will be no threat of diseases at all,” Kumar said.

He further said that the new generation was reluctant to continue with this job as the demand decreased to a large extent, thus the people working as potters switched to the other professions.

Kumar is associated with pottery for over 35 years now as after completing his studies till Class 5th, he has joined his father and started learning the art.

“A the art is dying with low demand in the market, I opted to keep the traditional art alive and asked my sons not to switch to other professions and take the mission forward. My three sons are also working as potters now,” Kumar said.

Besides the low demand, the people switching to other jobs are because of the hard work in this field. “Nobody is ready to do hard work. Only machines could help in easing the work,” he said.

Nonetheless, the forthcoming festival, Diwali has brought some relief to Kumar and his family as they have received an order of 20,000 “diyas” (earthen lamps). “I have received the order of 20,000 earthen lamps ahead of Diwali as the demand of earthen war seems to have increased yet again,” he added.

Kumar is selling his earthenware at his 60-year-old shop in Hazratbal area of Dargah.

He also appealed to the younger generation to learn the art. “The youth should come here to learn and open their own units later to keep the traditional art alive,” he said.

Kumar’s son, Mohammad Umar Kumar is also keen to keep the traditional art alive, saying that he would never leave this profession to ensure the presence of this art here—(KNO)

Teacher to be imprisoned for 20 years, fined with 10 lakh

Srinagar, October 17: A court in south Kashmir on Monday convicted a teacher for rape of a 8th-class student in 2015.

A public prosecutor told News wire Kashmir News Apex-(KNA) the accused identified Mohammad Maqbool Ganie son of Mohammad Anwar Ganie a resident of D. k Pora Shopian was the victim’s teacher and had committed the crime in 2015.

He was then posted at Government High School DK Pora Shopian and was convicted in Case FIR No. 179/2015 U/S 376/F, 342,506 RPC of PS Shopian, He said.

He added that in year 2015 , the said had asked the student to come for tution to his home, where he raped her.

Following the rape incident, the girl student had complained before police and after it was throughly investigated and his crime was proved in court, he said.

He added that 10 lac fine imposed on the teacher will be given to victim. (KNA)

Srinagar, Oct 12: Strongly reacting against the administration’s approval to the proposal for sale of alcohol,  Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU)  the representative amalgam of religious social and educational organisations of Kashmir, rejected and condemned it , saying that Kashmir being a Muslim majority place ,  such directives show utter disregard for the tenants of Islam which deeply hurts the sentiments of Muslims in J&K .

Open Sale of alcohol in departmental stores , will further promote addiction which is a major issue in Kashmir especially among our youth , something that the authorities also claim to be concerned about. It will also encourage immoral behaviour the MMU said in the statement.
While consumption of alcohol is banned in many states of India , why is it being encouraged here? MMU asked of the authorities .Government should immediately withdraw this proposal and policy on alcohol and drugs use in Kashmir MMU said.
Meanwhile, Majlis Ulema expressed strong resentment against the NIA raid on the house of its Deputy Ameer Moulana Rehmatullah Mir Qasmi,the Naazim-e-Aala (Chief Administrator) of Darul Uloom Raheemiya Bandipora. Moulana Rehmatullah Sahib is not only a religious scholar of high repute and a dignified and highly respected personality of Jammu and Kashmir, but also the spiritual leader of a large section of people who revere him and harassment of such a person is shameful and unacceptable, MMU said.
Such behaviour  and harassment by investigative agencies , first towards the founder and patron of the Majlis , Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq, and since then continuing with  other Ulemas and Muslim religious personalities , is aimed at scaring them so that they are stopped from safeguarding the interests of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir and its Muslim character is undermined , the statement added
These acts of intimidation of scholars, imams and preachers should be stopped, MMU said, adding that all arrested scholars and preachers including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq should be released.

The constituent organisations of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema include: Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar, Darul Uloom Raheemiya Bandipora, Grand Mufti’s Muslim Personal Law Board, Anjuman Shari’an Shiaan, Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth, Jama’at-e-Islami, Karwaan-e-Islami, Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, Anjuman Himayat-ul-Islam, Anjuman Tabligh-e-Islam, Jamiat Hamadaniyah, Anjuman Ulema-e-Ahnaf, Darul Uloom Qasmiya, Darul Uloom Bilaliya, Anjuman Nusrat-ul-Islam, Anjuman Mazhar-ul-Haq, Jamiat-ul-Aima Wa Ulema, Anjuman Aima Wa Mashaaikh Kashmir, Darul Uloom Naqshbandiya, Darul Uloom Rasheediya, Ahl-e-Bayt Foundation, Madrasa Kanz-ul-Uloom, Peerwan-e-Wilaayat, Auqaf Islamia Khirram Sirhama, Bazm-e-Tawheed Ahl-e-Hadeeth Trust, Anjuman Tanzeem-al-Makatib, Muhammadi Trust, Anjuman Anwar-ul-Islam, Karwaan-e-Khatam-e-Nabuwat, Darul Uloom Syed Al Mursaleen, Anjuman Ulema Wa Aima Masaajid, Falah Dareen Trust Welfare Society Islamabad,Idara Wahdatul Makatib, Darul Uloom Natipora Srinagar and other contemporary religious, social and educational associations.

Srinagar, Sep 11: A court on Tuesday sent Nadeem Nadu, the main accused in the sexual exploitation of a university student, to judicial remand after his police remand came to an end.

Sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Nadu, a self-proclaimed journalist from Anantnag, was produced before a court, which sent him to judicial custody.

On September 30, Nadeem Ahmad Ganie, alias Nadeem Nadu was arrested by the Jammu & Kashmir police on charges of rape, extortion and criminal intimidation on the basis of a complaint of a girl, who was sexually exploited by him.

In her complaint, the victim said that the accused took her objectionable pictures after sedating her and used these to blackmail her into forced sexual intercourse many times.

Apart from Nadu, two more persons- a self-styled journalist and an employee of Public Health Engineering- have also been arrested by the police in the case so far—(KNO)

Srinagar: Kashmiri separatist leader Altaf Ahmad Shah, the son-in-law of the late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, died of cancer at the AIIMS here early Tuesday, days after he was taken to the hospital from the Tihar Jail on the orders of Delhi High Court. He was 66.

“We were informed about Abu’s passing away late last night,” his daughter Ruwa Shah told PTI.

In a tweet, she said Shah breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, “As a prisoner.” Shah, a resident of the Soura locality of Srinagar, was arrested on July 25, 2017, with six others, facing trial in an alleged terror funding case probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

On October 5, the Delhi High court has ordered his shifting to the AIIMS Delhi for appropriate treatment after he was stated to have been diagnosed with cancer.

Shah told the court he was receiving treatment for certain serious ailments at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) but it was recently revealed he was suffering from the last stage renal cancer.

While claiming the RML does not have the adequate facility to treat renal cancer, he prayed he be allowed to be shifted to the AIIMS or Apollo Hospital for urgent treatment.

Gandarbal, Oct 10: A teenage boy was injured after being allegedly beaten by a Mullah (teacher) of a local Madrassa for not wearing Khan-dress in Kangan area of Central Kashmir’s district on Monday.

Mother of the boy told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that her son, aged about 14, had gone to a local Madrassa to learn the Quran, where Mullah, who teaches them there, beat him up.

She alleged that the teacher beat him up for not wearing Khan-dress, which according to him is the dress code of the Madrassa.

She also alleged that her son received injuries in his left eye, as the teacher had beaten her son ruthlessly.

Meanwhile, an official told KNO that police have taken cognisance of the matter and a formal complaint has been registered in this regard—(KNO)

Srinagar, Oct 10: Two local militants affiliated with LeT have been killed in an encounter in Tangpawa area of South Kashmir Anantang district.

In a statement issued to Kashmir News Apex- (KNA) the police said that yesterday evening, acting on specific information generated by police regarding the presence of militants in village Tangpawa area of Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, Army (19RR) and CRPF (164Bn) in the said area.

During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, 02 local militants linked with proscribed militants outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Aasif Ahmad Reshi son of Mohd Yaseen Reshi resident of Sheikhpora Marhama Bijbehara and Wakeel Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Ahad Bhat resident of Naibasti Marhama, the statement said.

As per police records, both the killed militants were categorized and involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police and security forces & civilian atrocities.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.

In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation is in progress. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any. (KNA)

Srinagar Oct 08: Sajjid Ahmad, a college student had Wazwaan last month at a restaurant in Srinagar. After an hour, he suffered severe digestive tract infection. He felt an irritation in his throat and burning sensation, followed by fever.

According to news agency KINS, Sajjid, who lives in Srinagar’s Habak area, was rushed to the hospital. After the screening, doctors told him that he had food poisoning because of consumption of colouring agents with Wazwaan.

“The colouring agents are being used in food items but why does the government allow their sale in markets,” he asked, who was discharged after three days from hospital.

This is not an isolated case, but scores of such cases are getting reported everyday in Kashmir where people face food poisoning after consumption of Wazwaan or other food items like traditional snack Nadre Mounji, Biryani and pickle.

Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Batamaloo, said that use of chemicals was being widely used in dishes like Wazwan and grilled chicken and meat, which gives it a reddish colour. “Government is not taking any measures to stop this practice.”

Earlier the government had issued an advisory asking people not to allow chefs to use any artificial colorants while preparing the Wazwan.

“Consumers are advised to encourage use of safe and natural colour extracts like cocks comb, sun-dried red chillies and pure spices both at home and during functions and festivals,” the advisory said.

Ali Mohammad, a chef from old city Srinagar said that the government should completely ban the colourful food agents.

In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court also banned the use of artificial colours Carmoisine, Tartazine and sunset yellow, after a report submitted by Shar-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.

The report had shown the presence of harmful colouring agents in samples collected from three food processing companies, and termed it “shocking and hazardous” for health.

Subsequently, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) also warned the sellers of strict punishment under the FSS Act of 2006 if they used the banned colours in their products.

However, seven years later, the unhealthy practice is going on with food items.

The UK Food Standards Agency commissioned a study at Southampton University of the effect of six food dyes (Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow WS, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine) on children. The study found “a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity”.

Dr Bashir Ahmad, a physician, said that colouring agents were being widely used in Wazwaan and other food items. “They mostly cause liver cancer,” he said, who advises people to stop using colouring agents in food items.

A senior official of the Food Safety Department said that several hotels, eateries and roadside vendors randomly add the colouring agents to foods including in Wazwaan without “knowing its consequences.

“We have taken action in a number of cases against those who used these harmful coloring agents in food items,” the official added. (KINS)

Kupwara, Oct 8: A Special Police Officer (SPO) succumbed to his injuries after hit by a vehicle at Drugmulla village in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday evening, official sources said.

They told GNS that two persons were injured after hit by an unknown vehicle along Kupwara-Srinagar highway last evening.

The injured duo, they said, was taken to a nearby hospital, from where one Mohammad Sarfaraz Kataria (28) son of Mohammad Misri Kataria, resident of Kanipora Kalaroos, with critical injuries was referred to SKIMS Srinagar.

“After remaining there overnight, Kataria succumbed to his injuries early this morning”, they said adding he had been serving as SPO and was currently deployed at JIC Kupwara.

Another person Irshad Ahmad Khari, son of Mohammad Abdullah Khari, resident of Chayalpatti Drugmulla is under treatment, they said.

A police official confirming the incident told GNS that a case has been registered into the incident for investigations. (GNS)

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