Category: Union Territory

Jammu: The ‘controversial’ statement of Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu Prof RD Sharma in which he reportedly opposed the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani has evoked strong reaction from various sections of society.While student organisations have demanded that the VC be sacked for, what they alleged, insulting security forces, other groups have brought the matter to the notice of Governor NN Vohra.The state unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today said that such irresponsible utterances amounted to humiliating the security forces fighting the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war in the Kashmir valley.

ABVP state secretary Varsha Jandial said such statements demoralised the spirit of the forces. She said the Vice Chancellor should not ignore the fact that Burhan’s fight against the state had motivated a large number of youths, including teenagers, to take up arms.Varsha said the separatist-sponsored shutdown had affected education as the schools, colleges and other educational institutions continued to remain shut in the Valley.“Vice Chancellorship is an official position and he has no right to raise question marks on the security forces. We urge the Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellor of the university to take action against the VC. He must be removed from his official position,” the ABVP maintained.Vikas Sharma, president, National Secular Forum, called the VC’s statement objectionable and against the popular nationalist sentiment of the countrymen.Sharma, in a statement issued, said the comment by the VC was politically motivated and asserted that his position did not allow him to make such an irresponsible comment.The Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Jammu, in a communication addressed to the Governor, a copy of which was also sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, has expressed concern over the Vice Chancellor’s statement.“It is a matter of highest concern for the CCI-J that Prof RD Sharma has said that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani should have been captured alive to avoid the unrest in the Kashmir Valley.“He also went to the extent of advising the government to resolve the ‘Kashmir problem’. We feel by using the words ‘Kashmir problem’, he has divided the state of J&K,” CCI president Rakesh Gupta said in the communiqué.“We lodge our strongest protest against such a statement by a public servant who should limit his action to the overall improvement of academics rather than deliberating upon what he termed as Kashmir problem,” he said.Condemning the recent utterance of the Vice Chancellor, the state BJP has said he brought disrepute to his profession and the position that he is holding.BJP state spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan said the Vice Chancellor has created doubts about his credentials as such a statement was not expected from an academician of his stature and it looks that he was playing in the hands of separatists and anti-national forces.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded immediate sacking of the Vice Chancellor for pursing an anti-national agenda.A VHP leader, Leela Karan Sharma, in a press conference, demanded action against the Vice Chancellor for supporting the forces which had launched a war against the country. (TNS)

EJAC president released on bail

Srinagar: President of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), who was lodged in sub-jail Kupwara, was released on a bail granted by a magistrate here on Thursday.
“A magistrate has granted bail in favour of EJAC president. The leaders produced the bail order before jail authorities. Wani has been released,” an EJAC leader told KNS.
Wani told KNS that he would continue to press the government for the genuine demands of employees. “I won’t stop raising voices over the genuine demands of government employees,” he said soon after he was released from jail.
Pertinently, on October 22, this year, six Government employees, including president of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), were detained by police after foiling their scheduled meeting, to discuss future course of action on the Government’s move to sack employees for participating in protests.
On October 23, the detained EJAC leaders were shifted to Kupwara and Baramulla sub-jails after their arrest.
Wajahat Durani, Fayaz Shabnum and Latief Ahmad and Latief Ahmad Malik were lodged in Baramulla sub-jail while, Aijaz Ahmad Khan and Sajad Ahmad Parray were lodged in Kupwara sub-jail. EJAC president Wani is still lodged in Kupwara jail.
Aijaz Ahmad Khan, senior EJAC leaders, who was among detainees, told Greater Kashmir that the Joint Consultative Committee would call an emergency meeting to chalk out future strategy.
Meanwhile, on November 3, this year, all leaders of EJAC were released on a bail granted by a magistrate.
However, EJAC president Abdul Qayoom Wani was re-arrested soon after his release. (KNS)

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday dismissed the Public Interest Litigation seeking the vacation of security forces from educational institutions in Kashmir stating that the petition styled as Public Interest Litigation has been filed without any empirical research and in a totally casual manner.  “As a result averments have been made, which have no authenticity; without any supportive documentary evidence. In fact averments are based on false and incorrect assumption. Obviously, the only legal inference that could be raised by the Court is that the PIL has been filed not for public interest, but to gain cheap publicity which constitutes an oblique motive. The statements made in these petitions are based on newspaper cutting. Before coming to the Court through the PIL, the petitioner has not even bothered to verify the newspaper reports from any reliable source. No doubt a mere letter/news item can be treated as a PIL but it does not arm the petitioner with a right to approach the court without placing authentic information before the Court(s).” 

A division bench of Justice RamalingamSudhakar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey while reacting on the PIL filed by Advocate Shah Faisal said that the Public Interest Litigation jurisdiction does not give right to come to the Court with bald statements unsupported by material particulars and documents.

The educational institutes that the petitioner had pleaded are under occupation of forces include:  Government Higher Secondary School Rajbagh, Government Higher Secondary school Sonwar, DAV School Jawahar Nagar, M.P Higher Secondary School Bagh-e-Dilawar Khan Srinagar and  girls institutes like NawaKadal Higher Secondary School and Government Higher Secondary School KothiBagh.

While the petitioner had sought directions to the state government through its chief secretary as well as Commissioner Secretary Home Department for vacating forces personnel from these educational institutions the court maintained that Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director, School Education, Kashmir has stated that no such school as made mention of in the PIL or for that matter any other school in the Kashmir Valley, is under occupation of the security forces. “In such circumstances, the statement made by petitioner in the PIL is false and incorrect, the element of professed public interest is lost and it is only for publicity interest.” (CNS)  

‘Blanket ban not a viable thing’: Doctors

Srinagar: With the Jammu and Kashmir government having issued strict instructions to the doctors not to indulge in the private practice, it seems that the senior consultants are reluctant to accept it and are busy in private practice even during the official hours.
Reliable sources told KNS that the government directions have no impact on the ground and the doctors especially senior consultants at the prestigious institutes including the SKIMS, SMHS, Bone and Joint hospital, JVC are regularly indulging in private practice even during office hours.
Sources within the health department said that it has been observed that at least two to three consultants from each department of the hospitals practice in private clinics even during the office hours.
On Thursday when this reporter went to a private diagnostic lab at Lalchock, he found that a senior consultant was seen practicing up to 11 am before he headed for the hospital.
At another clinic the doctor was to see the patients from 3pm. “This is the normal routine of the consultants who are found in the hospital only between 12 pm and 03 pm. None in administration is ready to take action against them,” said one of the officials of the health department.
He said that there are many consultants who are available in the hospitals only between 12am to 3pm. “The rampant private practice has caused inconvenience to the patients”.
Meanwhile junior resident doctors alleged that there are “two different rules” for consultants and registers indulging in private practice in the state. “When the authorities learn about the junior doctor doing the private practice, they are punished; however, when senior doctors indulge in private practice even during office hours, no action is taken against them,” one of the junior doctor posted in SMHS hospital said.
Sources also allege that the senior doctors especially cardiologists are never available on-call during the night as they practice in private nursing homes late nights.
In January 2013, private practice was banned in tertiary care hospitals under the ambit of Government Medical College (GMC). The ban was confined to HoDs under GMC. In August 2014 the High Court noted that government may extend restrictions to other posts as well in view of patient interest.
Evening OPDs were also initiated by then NC-Congress government at Gupkar Nursing Home to cater to the load and also offer ‘government run’ private clinics. But the initiative had no takers.
Similarly the PDP-BJP government recently announced a blanket ban on private practice by heads of the departments of state medical and dental colleges, while threatening ‘strict disciplinary action’ against the violators.
The Circular 02 of 2016 dated 13-06-2016 reads, ‘HoDs in Government Medical Colleges, and Government Dental Colleges and Associated Hospitals of the state not to indulge in private practice.’
Advocating the blanket ban on private practice, one of the senior doctors at SMHS hospital terms the trend as the mother of all evils. “It’s taking a toll on patient care system here. These doctors should either quit the government job or private practice,” he said.
The patients said that the senior doctors have to be available all time. “Life and death is a matter of seconds. By the time senior doctor reaches hospital from his clinic, the patient might have expired.” They said.
However the doctors advocate that a blanket ban cannot be imposed on private practice. “A patient always wants consultation of a senior doctor. He doesn’t want to be seen by a junior doctor who is himself learning medicine,” one of the doctors said. (KNS)

Srinagar: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes, some persons in Srinagar have started charging people for giving change of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.
Common people across Kashmir are facing tough time to gather change and buy daily needed commodities and other essentials with shopkeepers and traders refusing to entertain the high denomination notes.
“I had to buy some essential commodities from the market. Nobody is ready to accept the Rs 500. Luckily, there was a person at shop who said he could help me by proving change,” Owais Ahmad of Dalgate told KNS.
He added that he was surprised as he was asked he had to pay charges for change.
Similarly, some person in Shaher-e-Khaas is also providing denomination of Rs 100s to public, charging Rs 10 to Rs 20 from them.
“On banks, there is lot of rush of people. Even, some bank branches are denying having change. Most of the bank branches are also closed due to shutdown call. It is messy affair all over,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, who had denominations of Rs 500 but no change to buy vegetables for home.
He told KNS that people prefer to pay charges for change to some individual who offers it. “No one would like to put himself in more trouble now. You need to purchase. But you have notes which are street vendors and shopkeepers refuse to accept. You must have other denominations,” he added.
However, people said that at certain places fruit and vegetable sellers and some road side vendors were accepting the scrapped currency.
Majority of the people in Kashmir were virtually left with no money even to go about their daily routine. Many were even caught unaware of the finer details of the new rules as they approached anyone and everyone to seek instructions on what to do next.
Pertinently, in a major step to check black money, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced demonetization of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes with effect from Nov 09 midnight, making these notes invalid.
In his televised address to the nation, Modi said people holding notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 can deposit the same in their bank and post office accounts from November 10 till December 30. (KNS)
 

“Inmates are degraded, humiliated and debouched repeatedly”

Srinagar: While seriously concerned about the pathetic conditions of jails in and outside the state Joint resistance leadership Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik has said that the way, prisoners are treated rather ill treated in various jails, interrogation centers and police stations, has surpassed all the limits of the human and legal sphere. They termed it the revengeful and biased behavior of jails authorities.
In a statement issued to Kashmir Today, resistance leadership said that these inmates are subjected to the worst physical torture where their body hair are forcibly plucked out, they are abused and beaten to pulp by using every repressive technique to force them to subjugation.
They said that the inmates are degraded, humiliated and debouched repeatedly which puts them under severe psychological and mental stress, effecting their physical wellbeing as well and if somebody takes ill they are denied medical treatment as happened recently in District jail Baramulla where prisoners called for help as one of their inmates suffering from severe and excruciating abdominal pain. Jail authorities, instead of arranging some medical help for the ailing prisoner, called in more police personnel to silence them all with their military might and started beating them ruthlessly, injuring dozens and fracturing the arm of a 78 year old Gh. Mustufa.
These helpless prisoners fought this bestiality and vandalism by putting only themselves to more trouble by observing hunger strike for many days. Giving details of various jails Pro-freedom leadership said that Srinagar Central Jail 350, Sub-Jail Baramulla 150, District jail Kupwara 100, District Jail Islamabad 120, District Jail Kuthwa 320, District Jail Kotbalwal 350, Hira Nagar Jail 20, Amphala Jail 75, District Jail Poonch 20, District Jail Udhampur 225, District Jail Kishtwar 50, Children Jail Harwan 60, Tihar Jail Delhi 75, Jodhpur Jail 10, Bangloru Jail 5, Gujarat Jail 2, Varanasi Jail UP 7, Agra Jail 4 and other police stations and interrogation centers 1500 and under PSA 600 are arrested. According the reports from reliable sources worst repression and torture centers are Rajbagh, Pulwama, Kulgam, Nowhata, Baramulla, Shopian and Kupwara where the concerned authorities, especially SHOs of these police stations and jails are acting as brutish face of the puppet regime, disobeying and molesting their own laws and regulations, jeopardizing, endangering and threatening not only the future of the prisoners but their lives as well.
Leaders said that more the degree of ruthlessness, beastliness and meanness of these authorities more rewards and perks they are eligible to, by their political stooges. Leaders while strongly concerned about the plight of those languishing in the jails outside valley said that anti-Muslim and biased jail staff fuelled by the venomous propaganda of “Hindutiva Parcharkers” try every weapon in their armory of hate to harass and physically insult the prisoners. Younger ones are deliberately kept with hardcore criminals endangering their life.
They said that proper medical aid and other facilities they are eligible to, according to the jail manual, are completely denied. Filthy and foul-smelling food full of rock-grains and worms is supplied to the inmates slowly poising them to death under the willful and dirty veil of their super nationalism. Leaders anguished over the plight of those in jails for decades together, said that lazy and slow pace of judiciary, hatred and apathy by the police & bureaucracy and the criminal silence of the champions of the human rights, has traumatized and put, not only these inmates in a macabre situation but their families as well.
They said their families after spending hefty sums on travel to these far off places to meet their dear ones, are humiliated and terrified on the pretext of judiciary orders and other documents. Pro-freedom leadership said that, not to talk of international laws, Geneva or UN charters regarding the prisoners especially political, those every time and everywhere swearing and promising to uphold a law and constitution, themselves tarnish, molest and blemish them, only to slake and assuage the thirst of their unending hatred.
Joint resistance leadership said that local government and its bureaucratic yes-men have already sold out their conscience— but still if somebody in the shape and skin of a human being amongst these stooges have some relic of their worth left in them they, on mere humanitarian grounds, should treat these prisoners as humans—as uniforms, armory and the legal impunity can’t ensure their safety for too long and surely these cruel and crude men in uniform will succumb to the burden of their own conscience and will collapse.