Ailing Geelani throws surprise, says ‘I quit from Hurriyat forum’
The 90-year-old was a part of the Conference since 1993 and was elected its lifetime chairman in 2003
Leader quits Hurriyat Conference; cites “rebellion against leadership” by cadres as one of the reasons
Srinagar: In a surprising development, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani today announced to quit from the “Hurriyat forum” citing present circumstances as the reason.
In a voice message, veteran leader cites present circumstances in Hurriyat as reason, says all constituents informed about his decision’
Audio message received by news agency – Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Geelani says, “Keeping in view the present situation in Hurriyat Conference, I announce to part ways from the Hurriyat forum. The decision has been conveyed to all the constituents of Hurriyat through official letters”. (KNO)
Poonch: Security Forces in border district of Poonch detained three persons working with the army as porters after they were found using social media platform WhatsApp in a manner which has been treated as ‘sensitive’.
The three men belonging to Poonch district were working as porters in an army unit near Bhimber Gali area of Poonch district.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that during routine monitoring, the trio were found using WhatsApp in a suspicious manner.
“Their use of WhatsApp was treated as ‘sensitive’ and their numbers were also added in some WhatsApp groups which raised suspicion,” they said.
Officials added that questioning of the trio is going on.
“Nothing much adverse has come to the fore so far except that they were using WhatsApp in a sensitive manner,” the officials said—(KNO)
Srinagar: An encounter broke out between the security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, police said.
The security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Khul Chohar in the south Kashmir district following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
The operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon a search party of the forces, who retaliated. The gunfight is going on and further details are awaited, the police said.
Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairperson Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has expressed grief and sorrow over the demise of Hakim Nisar Zawaar the Eldest brother of Hakeem Masood and Uncle of the Prominent Social Activist Hakeem Afaq.
The incarcerated Patron of All Jammu & Kashmir Awami Action Committee and APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has Expressed Grief and sorrow with (AAC) Party Member and Activist Hakeem Masood of Baghwanpora Lalbazar over the Demise of his Brother Late Hakeem Nisar Zawaar.
Several Senior leaders of (AAC) Including Syed Shamsu Rehman Abdul Rashid Beigh visited the Residence to pay the Condolence.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who has been under House detention since August 5, Last Year Expressed his Heartfelt condolence, Solidarity and Sympathy With the Hakim Family and prayed for the Highest Standards in Jannah to the Deseased.
A week after the Corps Commander level talks in the wake of the June 15 Galwan incident when 20 Indian Army personnel were killed, both Indian and Chinese troops continue in “eyeball-to-eyeball” positions at all the friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
The China Study Group (CSG) headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met on Saturday to discuss the prevailing situation along the LAC. The CSG is an informal group constituted in 1997, comprising the Cabinet Secretary, secretaries of Defence and Home ministries, the Army chief, Director of Intelligence Bureau among others. The details of the meeting were not known.
An IAF aircraft is seen against the backdrop of mountains in Ladakh. Indian and Chinese troops continue in “eyeball-to-eyeball” positions at all the friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. | Photo Credit: AFP
Injury and drowning
A senior government official told The Hindu that an analysis of the medical reports of the 20 men killed showed that the cause of death in most cases was a “mix of head injury and drowning.” The bodies were retrieved from the Galwan river.
“As many as 15 deceased personnel had head injuries, one or two had injuries on the chest and remaining had shoulder and knee injuries. Their bodies were badly bruised as they had toppled into the river,” said the official.
At least 75 personnel, who were injured in the incident, had “blunt injuries” on head, chest and back, inflicted by rods.
Hostile terrain
The Ministry of External Affairs had issued a statement that the “Chinese side took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties.”
As reported earlier, the violent clashes took place on June 15 after Colonel Santosh Babu, who was commanding the unit, dismantled a tent erected by the Chinese and set it on fire. Col. Babu was among the Army personnel killed.
Officials said the understanding to remove the tent in Galwan valley was taken at a meeting on June 6 between the two armies. The official said after the tent was removed on June 15 evening, Col. Babu went to patrol the area with a small team.
“When the team arrived there late in the evening, the violent reaction from the Chinese should have been anticipated and factored in. The troops fought on the edge of a cliff where normally no more than two people can stand together; it had also become dark,” the official said, adding that had it been a flat terrain, the deaths wouldn’t have occurred.
After analysing the chain of events, officials believe that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was also annoyed as India had constructed a helipad till the edge of Y-nallah at Galwan, not very far from the June 15 clash site.
“A similar clash took place on May 5 in the Finger area near Pangong Tso (lake). The intensity of the Galwan clash was more or less similar but the terrain and the spiked batons the Chinese were carrying cost so many lives. It was the first occasion when a clash like this occurred after sun-down,” said the official.
The entire stretch along LAC in Ladakh has witnessed “worrisome hardening of Chinese positions” since April-May, with China occupying a considerable area from Finger 4 to 8 near Pangong Tso (lake).
After the June 22 Corps Commander level talks, China has neither vacated nor removed the prefabricated or semi permanent structures built since May in some of the disputed sites. However there has been a “noticeable thinning of presence of Chinese troops”, officials said.
Jammu: A 23-year-old man, who was wanted in an attempt to murder case, was arrested after 11 months of search in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, police said on Sunday.
Romesh Singh, a resident of Thillu village of Mahore, was arrested from Seela village, a police spokesperson said.
The case of attempt to murder was registered against Singh at Ramsoo police station last year, he said.
Leh: Three more people tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh on Sunday, taking the number of infections in the Union territory to 963, officials said.
All the fresh cases were reported from Leh district.
Thirty-two patients also recovered from the disease on Sunday, bringing down the number of active cases in the Union territory to 376, health department officials said.
Of the 376 active cases, 107 are in Leh district and 269 in Kargil.
The disease has claimed one life in the Union territory, while 586 patients have recovered so far, the officials said.
Betterment of schools will only be fruitful for students
J&K Private School Coordination Committee (JKPSCC) has appealed to the parents to deposit their pending fee immediately so that the school can meet their expenses and also pay the staff their due salary.
The JKPSCC, which has over 850 private schools affiliated with it, held a meeting and discussed in detail the problems private schools are facing in view of the shortfall of the pending fee.
The managing committee meeting of the Coordination Committee was chaired by its president Showkat M Chowdhary.
The managing committee said parents should comply with the order of the principal secretary School Education Department, J&K Government and Supreme Court guidelines asking parents to deposit tuition fees so that schools can run smoothly and also pay the staff on time.
JKPSCC said the schools in view of the tuition fee shortfall since August 2019 were compelled to take the loans from the banks to release salaries to the staff.
During the meeting, the committee also decided to consider the concession in the tuition fee of the deserving parents.
“The parents who really deserve the concession would be duly considered. However, parents should not misunderstand deserving individuals as the entire population has been affected due to lockdown. However, there are some genuine and deserving cases whose merit needs to be considered. For them schools would not back out.”
The managing committee however said there are many low budget schools which have already kept low fees and can’t afford any concession or their school functioning would be badly hampered and can also threaten their closure.
“In that case, the Government can come up with a tuition fee scheme for parents of low-budget schools.”
The Managing Committee also appealed to the parents to take up any issue regarding the tuition fee or any concession directly with the school management only.
“No association, nor any parent organization, Mohalla committee or any other agency is authorized to finalise the percentage of the concession in tuition fee. The school management can only finalise the concession amount to any deserving case. The parents should also follow SC guidelines and J&K Government guidelines.”
The JKPSCC said in India, all state and UT governments asked parents to pay tuition fees on monthly basis.
“Delaying or non-payment of the tuition fee will only affect students’ studies as teachers are making every effort to provide all the study materials online and preparing the students in every subject diligently.”
New Delhi: IAF have deployed their advanced “quick-reaction surface-to-air missile defence systems” in the Eastern Ladakh sector after PLA air force increased its air activity near LAC in Ladakh and Chinese aircraft were seen last week landing in a Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PaK) airbase.
The air defence systems of both Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been deployed in Ladakh to take on any aerial threat.