Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Autonomy remains only constitutional remedy to Kashmir issue: Dr Farooq

    Reiterates that Kashmir acceded to a Secular India, not RSS’s ‘Hindu Rashtra’

    Srinagar: National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah Tuesday stated Jammu & Kashmir had acceded to secular India and not a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ while reiterating that Autonomy was the only workable solution to the Kashmir issue.
    According to KNS correspondent, while chairing the working committee meeting of district Ganderbal at party head quarters NC President said that GoI was bound to make provisions to grant Autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir and this was a guarantee that had time and again been clarified with the representatives from the government of India. He said that Autonomy remains the only constitutional remedy to Kashmir issue and there was nothing ‘unconstitutional’ about it.
    Denigrating the comments made by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in Jammu recently, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that Kashmir’s accession was to secular India not an India that calls itself a Hindu Rashtra. He lambasted the comments of Bhagwat and said, “The very basis of our relationship with India is based on secular nature of the country.”
    Dr Farooq Abdullah called his staunch belief in Autonomy as an achievable goal a ‘dream that will see light of the day’. “For the love I have for the people of this state, I will never show them a dream that cannot be fulfilled,” he said. He restated that Autonomy for the state of J&K was the political statement of his party and that the party would never barter it for anything else.
    “Dialogue is the only way forward and Autonomy is the only real solution,” he said.
    He expressed angst against violence on both sides and retorted that force of any kind was not going to help either India or Pakistan. “Whose writ is this force going to establish?” Dr Farooq asked. He pleaded that both nations need to pull people out of the misery that the violence had pushed them into.
    While dismissing the ‘false propaganda’ spread by parties that he said were ready to ‘sell their soul for power’, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that history was a witness to the fact that Kashmir’s accession to India was conditional. “Karan Singh has been bold enough to clarify for all those spreading misgivings about our accession to India. He has said time and again said that his father acceded to India on the basis of three conditions.”
    He called upon the ‘people of Kashmir’ to be wary of people whose aim is to use divisive strategies to divide people. “We need to look inside at our conscience and reject the ideas of the conspirators. We need to rise to the occasion and expose the falsehood that is being spread against the party,” he said. He expressed confidence that people will help NC as ‘they have always done’. “This is the only party that has taken its birth from the blood of the martyrs, our own martyrs who laid their life down to fight oppression in Kashmir,” he said.
    Among others who were present in the meeting include party General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Kangan Mian Altaf, Central Zone President and MLC Ali Mohammad Dar, MLA and District President Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, Sr Vice President Province Mohd Syed Akhoon, Provincial Secretary Showkat Mir and other provincial office bearers.
    Speaking on the occasion GS and MLA Khanyar Ali Mohammad Sagar reiterated party’s resolve of working for the people of the state against all the divisive forces. He asked the party cadre to maintain close contact with people on the ground.
    Castigating the present dispensation of PDP-BJP government of implementing the largest and ruthless crackdown ever in the history of Kashmir, MLA Kangan Mian Altaf said, “The amount of repression is such that PDP halqa president have taken over the role of DCs now and are forcing innocent Kashmiris to report to police stations on daily basis.”
    Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani while addressing the gathering said that such interactions will make the party stronger in respective areas and asked the party cadre to replicate such interactions at district level as well.
    Dr Farooq Abdullah patiently listened to suggestions put forward by the working committee members who highlighted many issues concerning the party. Dr Farooq Abdullah assured them all possible help in making the party more vibrant at grass root levels. (KNS)
     

     

  • 99% attendance recorded in class 10 exams

    Srinagar: Day after 95 per cent students appeared in class 12 exams, barely one per cent students failed to sit in class 10 exams that commenced on Tuesday in the Valley.

    Notably, adequate security was made in and around the exam centres to ensure smooth conduct of examination today.
    Official data in possession of Kashmir News Service (KNS) revealed that nearly one per cent of students remained absent from the examinations today.
    “Out of total 56277 students, 55500 students appeared in the exams in 558 centres that were allotted by the authorities across the Valley,” data reveals.
    It said that at least 98.61 per cent class 10 students across the Valley appeared in the exams today.
    Official data said that 777 students didn’t appear in the examinations.
    “Out of total 8425 students in Anantnag district, 123 students remained absent. In Bandipora district out of total 3421 students, 60 remained absent while in Baramulla district out of total 9020 students, 121 remained absent from the examinations, data reveals.
    The data available with KNS further revealed that in Budgam district out of 6069 students, 90 remained absent today while in Ganderbal district 30 students out of 2380 remained absent.
    “In Kulgam out of 3286 students, 57 remained absent while in Kupwara, Pulwama, Shopian and Srinagar, out of total 7742, 4656, 2693 and 8585 students, 94, 43, 62 and 97 respectively remained absent from the examination today,”
    Pertinently, the start of exams marked the first major educational activity in the Valley, where schools remained closed due to the uprising that triggered following the killing of Hizb commander, Burhan Wani in Bumdoora village of Kokernag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on July 8 this year.
    Notably, class 12th examinations in the Valley started from Monday in which around 95 per cent students appeared in the exams.
    Director General Police (Law & Order) Dr S.P Vaid told KNS that the examination conducted today went incident free. “There was no untoward incident in any part of the Valley today,” he said.
    However, reports informed that Police arrested many youth after there were reports of stone pelting yesterday.
    They said huge contingent of forces were deployed in and around the exam centres to ensure smooth conduct of class 10 exams. “At many places in South Kashmir, the security was more strengthened after yesterday’s stone pelting incident near the exam centres,” witnesses said.
    Meanwhile, the students complained of inadequate transport facilities.
    “We faced tremendous hardships to reach out to our exam centres due to the shortage of transport facilities. Some among the students reached late to their exam centres,” students said.
    The students also praised Board of School Education for announcing reduction in their syllabuses and said that it provide them a lot of assistance in writing their papers today. “We hadn’t completed out syllabus and keeping in view of this, BOSE announced relaxation in syllabus thereby helped us a lot in writing the papers,” they said.
    Pertinently, the students were taking to streets against the government decision of holding examination in this year and were demanding deferment of exams.
    Besides, students the mainstream opposition parties were also demanding deferment of exams till the students won’t complete their syllabus. (KNS)

  • Parrikar is mentally bankrupt, his claims on stone pelters bizarre: Er Rashid

    Narendra Modi is becoming another Mohammad Tagaluq of India 

    Srinagar: AIP Supremo and MLA Langate Er Rashid while commenting on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s remarks that demonetisation has stopped stone pelting in Kashmir, today said that such bizarre remarks speak of his intellectual bankruptcy.

    While interacting with people at various places in Lolab, Er Rashid said Parikar by passing such pity remarks has tried to mislead the masses in India who have been facing a lot of inconvenience by Modi’s style of functioning by Mohammad Tagaluq’s way.

    “Whatsoever is happening at the streets of Kashmir is Indigenous and an outcome of history of long broken promises, Govt. of India has made with people of J&K from time to time. Parikar should know that no one would risk his life for a five hundred rupee note and raise slogans everyday at the streets of Kashmir. In fact the current turmoil has become extension of already existing industry for police and other security agencies to grab money from innocents by booking them in fake FIR’s and forcing poor people to sell properties to pay huge bribes to police to get their innocents released,” he said.

    He said if Kashmiris were pelting stones against getting five hundred rupee notes, may Parikar answer why All Party Delegation begged at the door steps of resistance leaders and Ram Madhav promised moons and stars to Kashmiris if they come forward for talks.

    Er. Rashid added that cancellation of currency notes in itself speaks about the fact that to what extent Indian economy stands destabilized by its own white elephants.

    “By connecting Mass apprising in Kashmir with cancellation of currency notes, Parikar or someone else cannot divert attention from the real issues India is facing, nor can defame the resistance movement in Jammu & Kashmir,” he added. (PTK)

  • Kashmir University to hold exams in Feb-Mar 2017

    Srinagar: Unlike JK Board of School Education which went ahead with conducting of exams on planned dates, Kashmir University (KU) has decided to postpone its undergraduate and post-graduate level exams till February next year in a bid to give ‘enough’ preparation time to the students. (PTK)

  • With shutdown losing intensity, Hurriyat goes hard on Govt employees

    People occupying chairs have their minds and souls sold out: Hurriyat (G)

    Srinagar: Condemning the killing of 21-year old Rizwan of Noorbagh firing and shelling on the funeral procession, injuring scores of mourners, Hurriyat Conference (G) said that blood thirst of Indian forces is not quenched by killing by bullets & pellets and they run over youth in road traffic accidents as well.

    Commenting over the “calendars from resistance camp not affecting government functioning’’, the Hurriyat said that when people occupying the chairs have their minds and souls sold out, when the bloodbath of innocents doesn’t even slightly shake them, when students and their career is used for their petty and mean political gains, when every ethical and moral value is rejected by their arrogance, when highly educated and “intellectuals” wishfully and proudly act as turncoats, when the uprising against the brutality is humiliatingly termed as a “joke”, when people from 14 to 80 years are caged and tortured in police stations and interrogation centers, when even those whose hands are drenched in the blood of innocents claim to be the loudest voices of human rights— then even a loud thunder, a sorrowful cry and peaceful protests can no longer shake the conscience of these “beasts in human skin”.

    The Hurriyat said that it is bizarre that forces use every method and occasion for the bloodshed of innocents and using force against the mourners by the rude forces and barbaric police has become the routine and in the arrogance and might of their power they molest their own legal and ethical norms and are recognized as the beasts and rogues in uniform.

    “This may be the only place where people are carrying the coffins of their loved ones and those parroting the peace rhetoric, despite the bloodshed everywhere, act willingly as blinds to the real and basic issue,” the amalgam said.

    It added that Kashmiris are peace loving people and their peace has been disturbed and tarnished none other than these stooges and their forces.

    The Hurriyat said that forcing students to appear in exams in army garrisons and these celebrating their victory is nothing but a shameful defeat of these faceless henchmen. (PTK)

  • Kashmir Records Coldest Night of the Season

    Srinagar: The minimum temperatures have dipped below the freezing point in most places of the Valley, with the summer capital Srinagar registering the coldest night of the season so far.

    Srinagar recorded the lowest night temperature of the season so far as the minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir division dropped below freezing point, MET office said here on Sunday.

    The minimum temperature recorded in the city was minus 2.3 degrees Celsius – four degrees below the normal at this part of the season, making it the coldest night so far, a spokesman of the Meteorological Department said.

    The drop in the night temperature is attributed to the continued dry spell in the Valley.

    There was very scant rainfall over the past two months as a result of which the days remain warmer while the night temperature continued to be on a decline.

    The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest place in the Valley, he said.

    He said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered the low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund in south registered minus 2.0.

    Kokernag, in south Kashmir, was the only recorded place in the Valley where the minimum temperature remained above the freezing point at 0.2 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

  • Baramulla novelist highlights hardships faced by women

    Srinagar: Looking at the two-decade-long Kashmir conflict, a girl (25) from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has come up with a novel which highlights the day-to-day injustice and discrimination that the Valley women face.

    For Azra Mufti, writing was not accidental, but it was a conscious choice after she saw women around her subjected to hardships.

    “It was not something sudden but I felt an intense urge to write about women because I saw them suffering at every level in society. The book reflects what’s happening around us,” says Azra who is currently an Assistant Professor at Chandigarh Group of Colleges in Punjab.

    ‘Tearful Pages’, a 100-page novel, has reference to the laws which can help women protect themselves legally and raise their voice against oppression, says Azra.

    In the last many years, the violence against women has gone up in the Valley.

    “These are painful struggles that women go through every day of their life silently. We talk about everything but fail to talk about the issues that have rotten the soul of our society. Women are suffering and they need a voice,” says Azra for whom the biggest challenge was to balance between her job and her passion for writing. It was in 2015 that Azra completed the novel at her home in Baramulla. The book will be released by Punjab-based RIGI Publications on December .“There are issues that women face like female foeticide, war crimes and cyber bullying. We need to talk about all this,” she adds. After finishing her schooling in Baramulla, Azra moved to Punjab to pursue her graduation and postgraduation from Punjab Technical University, where she is settled for the last six years. Like Azra, many young women in the Valley are coming forward to tell the story of Kashmir in their own way. (TNS)

  • WEAPON-SNATCHING: 2 policemen sacked for not fighting militants

    Srinagar: Taking a tough line on rifle-snatching incidents, the J&K Government has issued dismissal orders to at least 12 policemen for showing “cowardice and not resisting” militants and losing their weapons during the past two months in south Kashmir.Many more heads are likely to roll in the coming days as departmental inquiries are still underway in other incidents of rifle-snatching, sources said.At least 25 weapons, including Insas, AK and self-loading rifles, have been snatched by militants at seven places since September. These places fall in south Kashmir comprising Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama districts. Militants have been snatching weapons from policemen posted in isolated villages to guard the minority community and houses of low-profile politicians to replenish their dwindling arsenal and arm the new recruits in the Valley.J&K Special Director General (Coordination and Law and Order) Shesh Paul Vaid said policemen had been dismissed for showing cowardice. “Yes, many policemen have been dismissed for showing cowardice and meekly handing over their service weapons,” Vaid said. He, however, did not disclose the exact number of policemen who had been dismissed from service.Most of the dismissals, sources said, had taken place in Kulgam district which had witnessed a series of rifle-snatching incidents, followed by the neighbouring Anantnag. In each rifle-snatching case, the police had registered cases, held an inquiry and even detained policemen for showing “negligence”.“During investigations, it was found that the dismissed policemen offered no resistance to militants,” a police officer in south Kashmir said.In cases where policemen fired even a single shot, the rifle-snatching incidents were averted, the officer added while citing an example in Pulwama where militants were forced to retreat by policemen. A policeman, trying to defend his weapon, was also killed in one such incident in Pulwama. (TNS)

  • Despite unrest, 94% students appear for Class XII exam

    Srinagar: Amid fear of violence, more than 94 per cent students appeared for the board exam across 10 districts of the Valley today.The anxiety and disturbance was visible on the faces of students who had stepped out of their homes after more than four- month-long of unrest.“It seems like we were caught between the devil and the deep sea. There was a lot of confusion over the exam. We are mentally disturbed, but there was no other option but to appear in the exam,” said Bisma Amin, a Class XII medical student who appeared in the exam at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Rajbagh.Despite giving students a chance to appear for the exams in March, most of the Class XII students preferred to sit in the exam today for which they have been given 50 per cent relaxation in the syllabus.“It was difficult for us to prepare. I live at Batamaloo and there is always stone-throwing, teargas and pepper shelling. It is difficult to study in such a situation. We appeared for the exams with whatever little preparation we had done,” said Saima, another Class XII student.The students were satisfied with the relaxation in syllabus provided by the J&K Board of School Education.“Today was my chemistry paper. The paper was set in the old pattern but the choice was announced inside the exam hall. We were able to attempt the whole paper after studying only 50 per cent of the syllabus,” said Ifat, a student from Sangarwani in Pulwama. She wrote her exam at a centre at Government College for Women, MA Road, Srinagar.The exams were held amid a tight security cover. CRPF and J&K Police personnel were deployed at exam centres and adjoining routes.Joint Secretary, Examinations, Syed Rouf said the exams were held smoothly. “Everything happened normally. There was no trouble anywhere. In all, 94.53 per cent students appeared in the exams,” Rouf said. He said that of the 31,964 students enrolled in Class XII, 30,213 appeared in the exams.The Class X exam will start tomorrow and will be held at 545 centres across the Kashmir valley. (TNS)

  • Kashmir has more peace makers, less trouble shooters: Mehbooba Mufti

    ‘Stones, guns won’t take Kashmir anywhere, dialogue only way forward’
    Mufti’s vision of making JK a model State to be pursued with resolve: Mehbooba
    Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here on Monday said Kashmir has more peace makers and less trouble shoots but national news channels in Kashmir panel discussions paint Kashmir black and reiterated her party’s commitment for dialogue over Kashmir issue she said stones and guns won’t take Kashmir anywhere.

    Addressing an Asian Development function here on Monday Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, according to KNS correspondent covering the event, said Kashmiris are predominantly peace makers but very few people tend to be trouble shooters.
    Regretting that national news channels during panel discussion on Kashmir paint Kashmir black but forget reporting when Kashmiris tend to set examples of humanity and morality, Chief Minister said her party is committed to keep its words on resolution of some political and economic issues pending resolution for the last seventy years.
    Saying that stones and gun won’t take Kashmir any where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said “violence in any form has been rejected by the civilized world. We are part of a democratic system and resolution of issues is to be sought within the democratic system. We are committed dialogue and dialogue only would end the era of suffering and miseries to people in Kashmir”.
    Something which would give a massive push to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post 2014 floods in the State, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti formally launched the World Bank funded mega development project, US $ 250 million Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery project here today.

    The project was conceptualized and pursued by former Chief Minister, late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 and today after completion of all formalities the project was formally launched.
    Launching the project, the Chief Minister said alongside the political agenda, development of Jammu & Kashmir as a model state is the cornerstone of her Government. She said late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had a political and developmental vision for J&K to make it a model state in the country which he pursued vigorously. She said the vision of the late leader would be fulfilled by the State Government with all seriousness.
    Mehbooba Mufti reminded the jam packed audience of stakeholders that when the late leader took over in 2002 as the Chief Minister he rolled out his political and developmental agenda and started working for its implementation and during the same tenure he persuaded and got Asian Development Bank assistance for funding the urban development projects in the State and after taking over in 2015 convinced the World Bank to fund reconstruction of critical developmental infrastructure in the State.
    The Chief Minister said the late leader wanted to develop Jammu & Kashmir as a world class place befitting to the peace loving and hospitable nature of its people so that it becomes a show window not only within the country but in the world as well. She said she intends to undertake developmental revolution in Jammu & Kashmir not only as her wish but as a mission to fulfill the dream of the late leader which he had visualized for the State. She said she would personally be monitoring the works under the project and also the commitments and assurances made by the late leader.
    The Chief Minister said to fulfill the dream of making a prosperous Jammu & Kashmir she would not only seek more and more funding from the Centre but also see how investment and expertise from countries around the globe can come to the State. She said while many countries specialize in one or the other sector she would like investment and expertise flow to the State in critical developmental sectors for achieving this unparalleled feat and added that today’s launch of the World Bank project is a step in this direction.
    Advising the engineers and planners to incorporate all the safety precautions in the works that they would be taking up under the project, Mehbooba Mufti said Jammu & Kashmir is a high seismic zone and prone to natural disasters like floods and cloudbursts and advised the experts to factor in this while going for the constructions. She also flagged sectors like Education and healthcare where she desired to have a world class infrastructure. She said she intends Jammu & Kashmir to have a quality infrastructure in education so that it becomes a world class hub of education.
    On the clean environment in the State, the Chief Minister said the State qualifies to be developed as a place for medical tourism. She hoped under the projects quality medical infrastructure would be raised which would not only provide better facilities to patients of the State but also persuade patients from outside to come for treatment here, thereby contributing to the State’s economy substantially. She said with the setting up of five new medical colleges, some nursing colleges and paramedic institutes health infrastructure in the State would be upgraded substantially.
    Referring to recent unfortunate incidents in the State during the past four months, Mehbooba Mufti said she is deeply hurt with the killing of young boys, injuries to people and also due to the loss of precious academic time of the young generation which, she said, is among the irreparable losses. She said the youth of Jammu & Kashmir have shown their talent time and again but the only thing is of opportunity and exposure. “Be it the youngest woman pilot from Baramulla, topper of BSF officers’ exam from Udhampur or many of the young boys and girls who cracked the prestigious all India civil services examinations, they all have made us proud”, she said.
    Observing that the State is very fertile in producing genius, the Chief Minister, however, advised the youth to channelize their energies positively so that they are able to provide relief to the citizens of the State who have suffered due to neglect and insincerity during the past 70 years. She asked who in the country and outside did not have a word of praise for the youth of the Valley during 2014 floods when they rescued not only the locals but even outsiders, tourists and even members of security forces.
    Mehbooba Mufti said people of the State are very simple, hospitable and peace loving but unfortunately a monster has been created out of them, partly by some vested political elements and partly by some news channels to boost their TRP ratings.
    On the issues confronting the State, the Chief Minister said the Agenda of Alliance reached out between the two ruling parties has made the progress on these issues mandatory and assured that whatever she or her party promised would be delivered but for that she said the Government needs to be given an ambience of peace so that it can focus on bigger issues rather than getting tangled in petty things like maintaining law and order. She said world over the era of violence is over and no issue can be resolved either by violence or taking law into one’s hands.
    The Chief Minister complimented Ministers for Relief & Rehabilitation and Finance and the team of experts and officers from the State Government for working together to close the deal with World Bank. She impressed upon the officers to ensure that the project deadlines are met with and works are completed within the stipulated time frame.
    Earlier, in his address, Minister for Public Works & Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that the launch and execution of the project would be a tribute to the efforts which late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed made for it. He said the late leader had a roadmap for the development of the State and said the present Government is duty bound to follow the same. He also impressed upon the engineers and experts to work round the clock so that the deadlines are met.
    Minister for Revenue, Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari in his address thanked the World Bank officials for working in tandem with State Government for finalisation of the project. He underscored the need for having a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Policy for the State. He hoped that the present Government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would be giving its people comprehensive Rehabilitation and Disaster Management policies who are vulnerable to natural disasters.
    Minister of State for Planning, Ajay Nanda also addressed the gathering and hoped that the project would ensure a developmental revolution in the State.
    Earlier in his introductory remarks, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Development, B. B. Vyas highlighted the main contours of this project adding that all the sectoral and geographical equities have been ensured in the project. He said the buildings and roads to be reconstructed under the project would be made disaster resistant.
    Ministers, legislators, Chief Secretary, officers and heads of all the Departments were present on the occasion. (KNS)