Category: Union Territory

A case FIR No. 45/2020 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Shergarhi

Police in Srinagar, has booked a man for violating COVID-19 guidelines by assembling a large number of guests in a marriage ceremony.

“On 09/09/2020 at about 2230hrs, sounds of some huge bangs were heard from the Solina Payeen area which created panic in the vicinity. People of the area called PS Shergarhi for curbing the nuisance in the area,” said a police spokesman.

Preliminary enquiry, he said, revealed that the blast like sound in the area that created panic was due to the bursting of firecrackers in a marriage ceremony in the house of a resident of Solina Payeen.

“The owner of the house has violated the orders of District Magistrate Srinagar and also gathered a large number of invitees at his house which is a clear violation of COVID-19 SOP and thereby endangering the lives of others,” read a statement.

Accordingly, a case FIR No. 45/2020 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Shergarhi and investigation into the matter has been initiated, it added further.

PTI

Jammu: The Crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday booked a government employee from the valley for withdrawing relief meant for Kashmiri migrants by fraudulent means, an officer said on Thursday.

Mukhtiyar Ahmed Sheikh of Achabal in Anantnag district, who is employed with the health department in Mattan, prepared documents to entitle him to draw relief in both cash and kind as a Kashmiri migrant, a Crime Branch, Jammu officer said.

The crime branch registered a criminal case against the accused for his involvement in withdrawal of relief and ration worth lakhs of rupees by resorting to impersonation and forgery after hatching a criminal conspiracy with officials and officers of Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Jammu, they said.

A written complaint was lodged by Gani Maqbool, chairman of Antarrashtriya Upbhokta Kalyan Samiti, Kashmir Province with the crime branch on behalf of the complainant, Ali Mohd Paddar of Achabal, they said.

Paddar stated that he is a carpenter and Sheikh, who is his neighbour, prepared a ration card in his name and got cash assistance under migrant quota, they said.

Sheikh fixed his photograph on the ration card form to impersonate Paddar and also opened a bank account at Canara Bank in Jammu. He has drawn lakhs of rupees from the bank besides ration from the government ration store meant for migrants, they said.

A formal case is registered by Crime Branch, Jammu against Sheikh and others, they said.

Official records have tried their utmost to suppress the details of a Muslim massacre.

In Kathua district too there was the large-scale killing of Muslims and reports of women being raped and abducted.

Saeed Naqvi

What was the death toll in the killing fields of Jammu? There are no official figures, so one has to go by reports in the British press of that period. Horace Alexander’s article on 16 January 1948 in The Spectator is much quoted; he put the number killed at 200,000.

To quote a 10 August 1948 report published in The Times, London: “2,37,000 Muslims were systematically exterminated – unless they escaped to Pakistan along the border – by the forces of the Dogra State headed by the Maharaja in person and aided by Hindus and Sikhs. This happened in October 1947, five days before the Pathan invasion and nine days before the Maharaja’s accession to india.” Reportedly, as a result of the massacre/migration, Muslims who were a majority (61 per cent) in the Jammu region became a minority.

Mountbatten was in control in Delhi and had news of the genocide of Muslims in Jammu filtered out of the media. Sadly, there has been precious little discussion in India about this horrible phase of history.

Maharaja Hari Singh’s involvement, with the support of the RSS, is evident from a letter Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to Vallabhbhai Patel on 17 April 1949 (quoted in Frontline magazine):

In this (intelligence) report, among other things, a reference was made to a growing Hindu agitation in Jammu province for what is called a zonal plebiscite. This idea is based on the belief that a plebiscite for the whole of Kashmir is bound to be lost and, therefore, let us save Jammu at least. You will perhaps remember that some proposal of this kind was put forward by the Maharaja some months back. it seems to me that this kind of propaganda is very harmful, indeed, for us. Whatever may happen in the future, I do not think Jammu province is running away from us. If we want Jammu province by itself and are prepared to make a present of the rest of the State to Pakistan, I have no doubt we could clinch the issue in a few days. The prize we are fighting for is the valley of Kashmir. [This is what Nehru had dug in his heels for. The consequences are for all to see to this day.]

This propaganda for a zonal plebiscite is going on in Jammu, in Delhi and elsewhere. It is carried on by what is known as the Jammu Praja Parishad. Our intelligence officer reported that this Praja Parishad is financed by the Maharaja. Further, that the large sums collected for the Dharmarth Fund, which are controlled by the Maharaja, are being spent in propaganda for him.

The lid on these massacres was lifted by Ved Bhasin and a few journalists of that time. But like the collective silence over the pogrom in Hyderabad, the holocaust in Jammu has been a story hidden from public view by the machinations of the very people who covertly allowed the massacres to take place. These included many in the national leadership of the Congress party at the time. The events of Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir reveal the emergence in New Delhi of an establishment which was indifferent to Indian Muslims.

Consider the testimony of journalist Ved Bhasin. Here I am again quoting from his paper presented at the Jammu University in 2003.

Communal tension was building up in Jammu soon after the announcement of the Mountbatten plan with the Hindu Sabha, RSS and the Muslim Conference trying to incite communal passions. Tension increased with a large number of Hindus and Sikhs migrating to the State from Punjab and NWFP and even from areas now under Pakistan’s control. Trouble was brewing in Poonch, where a popular non-communal agitation was launched after the Maharaja’s administration took over the erstwhile jagir under its direct control and imposed some taxes. The mishandling of this agitation and use of brutal force by the Maharaja’s administration inflamed the passions, turning this non-communal struggle into a communal strife.

The Maharaja’s administration had not only asked all Muslims to surrender their arms but also demobilised a large number of Muslim soldiers in the Dogra army and the Muslim police officers, whose loyalty it suspected. The Maharaja’s visit to Bhimber was followed by large-scale killings.

According to Bhasin, the communal flare-up was the worst in Jammu. “Rumours were spread about Muslims arming themselves and planning to attack hindus to justify the communal carnage that took place later.” According to the 1941 census, the Muslim population of Jammu province was over 12 lakh; the total population was 20 lakh. Jammu district had a population of about 4.5 lakh with the Muslims accounting for 1.7 lakh. The population of the capital city of Jammu was just 50,000, Muslims constituting nearly 16,000. By September end, a large number of Muslims from the border areas of Bishnah, RS Pura, Akhnoor, etc. had fled to Sialkot in Pakistan. With communal riots taking place in neighbouring Punjab there was total panic in the border areas.

Bhasin reports the large-scale killing of Muslims in Udhampur district, particularly in Udhampur proper, Chenani, Ramnagar and Reasi areas. Even in Bhaderwah (about 150 kilometres from Udhampur), a number of Muslims were victims of communal marauders. According to Bhasin, the RSS played a key role in these killings, aided by armed Sikh refugees “who even paraded the Jammu streets with their naked swords”. Some of those who led the riots in Udhampur and Bhaderwah later joined the National Conference and some even served as ministers. There were reports of Muslims massacred in Chhamb, Deva Batala, Manawsar and other parts of Akhnoor, with several of them fleeing to the other side or moving to Jammu. In Kathua district too there was the large-scale killing of Muslims and reports of women being raped and abducted.

As for the attitude of the state, Bhasin alleges that instead of preventing these communal killings and fostering an atmosphere of peace, “the Maharaja’s administration helped and even armed the communal marauders”. He goes on to say that many Muslims living outside Muslim-dominated areas were brutally killed by the rioters who moved freely in vehicles with arms and ammunition even when the city was officially under curfew. “The curfew it appeared was meant only to check the movement of Muslims,” he says.

Terrible carnage took place later when the Muslims in Talab Khatikan area were asked to surrender.

They were shifted to the police lines at Jogi gate, where now Delhi Public School is situated. Instead of providing them security, the administration encouraged them to go to Pakistan for safety. The first batch of several thousands of these Muslims were loaded in about sixty lorries to take them to Sialkot. Unaware of what is going to happen to them these families boarded the buses. The vehicles were escorted by troops. But when they reached near Chattha on Jammu-Sialkot road, in the outskirts of the city, a large number of armed RSS men and Sikh refugees were positioned there.

They were pulled out of the vehicles and killed mercilessly with the soldiers either joining [in] or looking [on] as idle spectators. The news about the massacre was kept a closely guarded secret. next day another batch of these Muslim families were similarly boarded in the vehicles and met the same fate. [T]hose who somehow managed to escape the wrath of killers reached Sialkot to narrate their tale of woe…

The state administration denied it had any role in the massacres. It even feigned ignorance of any plans to change the demography of the Jammu region. But Bhasin differs:

Though polite, he warned me of dire consequences…he first warned me by saying that “I could have put you behind bars for your nefarious activities. But since you also happen to be a Khatri like me and are also related to me, i am simply giving you advice. It is not the time to form peace committees and work for peace but to defend Hindus and Sikhs from the Muslim communalists who are planning to kill them and destabilise the situation. We have already formed a Hindu Sikh Defence Committee. You and your colleagues better support it.” Then he added, “We are imparting armed training to Hindu and Sikh boys in Rehari area. You and your colleagues should better join such training.” When i sent a colleague to the training camp the next day he found that some RSS youths and others were being given training in the use of .303 rifles by soldiers.

Another incident that I recall is about Mr Mehr Chand Mahajan (the then prime minister) who told a delegation of Hindus who met him in the palace when he arrived in Jammu that now when the power is being transferred to the people they should demand parity. [One] of them associated with National Conference asked how can they demand parity when there is so much difference in population ratio. Pointing to the Ramnagarrakh below, where some bodies of Muslims were still lying he said “the population ratio too can change”.

Mahatma Gandhi did comment on the situation in Jammu on 25 December 1947 and his remarks have found mention in volume 90 of his Collected Works: “The Hindus and Sikhs of Jammu and those who had gone there from outside killed Muslims. The Maharaja of Kashmir is responsible for what is happening there…Muslim women have been dishonoured.”

Excerpted with permission from Being the Other: the Muslim in India, Saeed Naqvi, Aleph Book Company.

With inputs from Scroll.in

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar: With world observed suicide prevention day on Thursday, it has been found that anxiety and depression lead people to take the extreme step.

Suicide Prevention Day is observed on 10th September each year. It is an opportunity to raise awareness all across the world that suicide can be prevented.

The ongoing pandemic has affected mental health majorly. Staying at home, low physical activity, less socialising and unexpected changes in the way everything works has made it important to highlight suicide prevention.

It has been found that Kashmir has witnessed an increase in suicides.

In the recent past several people including some girls attempted suicide. The increased incidence of suicide attempts, particularly among the Kashmiri youth, has become a serious concern for the people.

A police official told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that it is the responsibility of every one to prevent suicide attempts. “Anxiety has increased for the last few months. We should not allow depression to take over. Some NGOs are also making an effort by counselling people how to overcome anxiety,” the official added.

An elderly man from Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara committed suicide by hanging self on June 21. On June 23, a 26-year-old youth ended his life by hanging himself in Mandipora area of south Kashmir’s Ananthnag district.

Two cousins committed suicide by consuming poison in Handwara on June 23.
June 24, a 22-year-old youth hanged himself to death in Tangmerg area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

On June 25, a 21-year-old youth ends life by committed suicide in Sopore town.

Experts believe that first aid for mental health should also become a part of the curriculum in schools and colleges.

“We need to therefore empower educators, parents and other primary caregivers, who are regularly engaged with young people to be able to provide guidance in times of need,” a doctor at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital told KINS.

“Parental pressure, tough competition in studies and career, lack of moral and religious education are the main reasons for these suicidal attempts among youth,” the doctor added.

Dr. Manish Jain who is a Psychiatrist has been quoted by NDTV that suicide is now recognised as a public health issue in almost every country. “Suicide rates have been increasing gradually to the extent that it has become one of a major cause of death worldwide. It is important to identify the early warning signs and factor that can lead to suicide,” Dr Jain said.

“Suicidal reactions may vary from anger, distress, ridicule, anxiety, tension, fear, sadness or any intentional determination to end one’s life,” Dr Jain said.

Dr. Jain explains, “The causes for a suicidal intention can be complex, ranging from social, economic, health, cultural, political, religious and other areas of individual’s life. Suicide is multifactorial in nature, cumulative due to number of causes which are progressive and operate over a period of time. Even sometimes an impulsive suicide can be extremely difficult to understand.”

“A passing suicidal thought happens to most of the individuals in a sudden life crisis or a traumatic situation. An Individual passing through any of these phases may think, attempt or complete the act. Some individuals due to their inability to cope with the stress or lack of adequate support mechanisms, finally find suicide as an option. However, the word option itself indicates that there are choices,” he adds.

“The major steps towards preventing suicide are identifying the problem in various dimensions, understanding risk factors, and identifying what works in individual societies. An early recognition of the warning signs and professional assistance can help to save a life.”(KINS)

Government should help people associated with tourism to survive distress period: Mushtaq Chaya

Srinagar: The tourism sector which was once considered as backbone of Kashmir economy has witnessed less than 500 tourists post abrogation of special status on August 5, 2019.

Kashmir News Service (KNS) has learnt through its sources that less than 500 domestic tourists have visited Valley since Government of J&K UT lifted ban on tourism activities across J&K.

Earlier the restrictions were imposed on August 3, 2019 days before New Delhi was set to abrogate Article 370 and 35(A) and downgraded the erstwhile State into two UTs – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

J&K administration then headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik asked all local and international tourists to curtail their Kashmir visit which had increased apprehensions of locals regarding the future plans of Union Government.

However sources told KNS that tourism players which were earning good for themselves besides providing employment to to lakhs of youth are struggling to maintain their ventures.

Tourism players informed KNS that after the scrapping of Article 370, the sector has suffered huge brunt which led to lakhs of job losses.

“Tourism sector in J&K has been collapsed since August 5, 2019 when the then Government asked tourists to cut short their visit. This situation remains prevalent for a year due to uncertainty. However the Covid-19 pandemic hit the sector worst which proved the last nail in the coffin”, they added.

As per sources, people associated with tourism were badly affected by these back to back episodes. “Around 3 lac people have lost their employment since August 5. Tourist outlets and institutions are wailing from last 13 months”, they said.

They added despite huge losses, Government both in Centre and UT have failed to rehabilitate the affected people who have no other alternate source of income.

According to sources, due to the abrogation of Article 370 and outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a revenue loss to the tune of over Rs 1168 Cr while in 2019 there has been a decline in 34 percent in tourist footfall.

The officials in the tourism department have calculated this loss on account of non-functional tourism industry in Kashmir region on the basis of hypothesis of the tourist arrival and their expenditure.

As per official data, the loss of tourism industry in Kashmir division is Rs 1166.81 Cr (approximately) on account of non-functional tourism industry from January 2019 to June 2020.

However it has been learnt that after several key officials of J&K Tourism Department tested Covid-19 positive, the preperations of the department to prepare tourism arrival plans has been affected badly.

Meanwhile Kashmir Hoteliers Club Chairman and prominent hotelier Mushtaq Ahmed Chaya has demanded the Government for assistance to tourism sector players for surviving the distress

Speaking to KNS, he said, ” People associated with the tourism are trying hard to get tourists here. Domestic tourist is reluctant to leave home due to covid. Govt. should help tourism sector players . Government should help in survival of people associated with the tourism sector. Govt should also think about his revival . Tourism is in a very bad shape. By the time there is good arrival of tourists, people associated with tourism should be able to survive by then and they can survive with Govt help only.” “I have already requested lieutenant Governor and the members of committee formed on his directions for compensation. We have various liabilities like expenses on maintenance of hotels, salary of staff.

Government should look into it by virtue of finance, tax and cash flow so that we at least survive. We have submitted representation to Lieutenant Governor, Advisor, Chief Secretary. Government should help the people involved with the sector.”(KNS)

Srinagar: A section of Bhartya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Thursday was caught up in a fire incident which left several areas of Srinagar city without internet facility.

According to an official, a section of BSNL headquarters established in Srinagar city was burnt in a fire mishap which led several area of city without internet facility for a day.

He said major lines in the Headquarter were damaged during the incident however he maintained that the technical staff has been pressed into service to ensure the early restoration of facility.

Meanwhile a delegation while talking to KNS expressed strong resentment over defunct role of BSNL from couple of years. The members of the delegation alleged that BSNL has lost its credibility in public domain as “no accountability” among the officials has caused lawlessness in the department.

They appealed authorities to take note of this “non-seriousness” by the officials of BSNL and make them accountable before public. (KNS)

PTI

Jammu: The Pakistan Army opened fire and shelled forward areas along the LoC in three sectors of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, officials said.

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, a defence spokesman said.

“At about 0530, 1145 and 1215 hours today, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Mankote, Degwar and Mendhar sectors”, the spokesman said.

On September 2, a JCO was killed in ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri.

PTI

Jammu: An unclaimed suitcase on the roadside in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir created a bomb scare on Wednesday, prompting the Army to rush in a special squad to examine the object, police said.

However, no explosive was detected in the suitcase, which, it was later found, belonged to a soldier and contained his clothes and daily use items, a police official said.

He said some locals noticed the “abandoned” suitcase on the roadside near Bhimber Gali main chowk and immediately informed the police and the Army.

Police immediately cordoned off the area and diverted the traffic, the official said, adding the Army’s bomb disposal squad found no explosive material in it on inspection.

Later, a soldier approached the army team on the spot and claimed the suitcase, the police said, but could not share other details such as how the army man missed his suitcase there and if he was on leave or on duty.

PTI

The sources said Indian troops did not use any firearm.

Chinese PLA troops armed with spears near Mukhpari area and North of Rezang La on the south bank of Pangong Tso on September 7. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Chinese troops carried rods, spears, clubs and sharp weapons in trying to close in on an Indian position in Mukhpari area of Rezang-La ridgeline in eastern Ladakh on Monday evening, government sources said on Tuesday.

As tension escalated at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the sources said around 50-60 soldiers of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) approached the Indian post in the southern bank of Pangon lake area at around 6 p.m. but the Indian Army personnel posted there strongly confronted them, forcing their retreat.

Chinese PLA troops armed with spears near Mukhpari area and North of Rezang La on the south bank of Pangong Tso on September 7. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

It may be recalled that the Chinese troops had mounted a savage attack on Indian soldiers with stones, nail-studded sticks, iron rods and clubs during the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

On Monday evening too, the Chinese troops were carrying rods, spears, clubs and sharp weapons, the sources said.

When the Indian Army forced the Chinese troops to return, they fired 10-15 rounds in the air to intimidate Indian soldiers, in the first use of firearms along the LAC after a gap of 45 years. The previous instance of shots being fired at the de-facto border was in 1975.

The sources said Indian troops did not use any firearm.

They said the attempt of the Chinese troops was to remove Indian Army from the strategic heights in Mukhpari peak and Rezang-La areas.

The PLA has been eyeing to capture the strategic heights in the last three-four days, the sources said, adding the Chinese troops damaged an iron fence on Monday evening which was put up by Indian troops in the area.

India continues to dominate strategic peaks around the southern bank of Pangong lake area overlooking key Chinese formations in the Moldo area.

The PLA late on Monday night alleged that Indian troops crossed the LAC and “outrageously fired” warning shots near the Pangong lake. The Indian Army on Tuesday rejected the charges.

PTI

Jammu: Police on Tuesday arrested two persons for allegedly issuing fake movement passes in lieu of money from people entering Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The movement passes are necessary for inter-state and inter-provincial movement in Jammu and Kashmir since the outbreak of coronavirus in March.

The duo was arrested at Lakhanpur corridor along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, police officials said.

“They were accepting money for making illegal dispatch passes for persons entering the Union Territory. A number of dispatch slips were recovered from their possession,” they said.

A case under relevant sections of law was registered against them and further investigation is on, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the 592-meter cable-stayed Atal Setu bridge over the Ravi river connecting Kathua district with Punjab was opened this morning after nearly six months of closure.

“The Atal Setu bridge is now open. It shall follow the same protocol of the Lakhanpur corridor. This is the second road entry to open for the UT of J&K after the lockdown,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shailendra Mishra said in a tweet.

Besides movement passes, all persons entering J&K from Punjab are subjected to COVID-19 testing and administrative quarantine till reports come negative.