Category: Union Territory

Full mandate given to united resistance leadership regarding the continuance of resistance movement.

Srinagar: A meeting of different organization and associations convened by the joint resistance leadership, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, was held today at Hyderpora Srinagar in which stake holders from all walks of life participated with enthusiasm and fervor. Representatives of religio-political & social organizations, trade and transport fraternity, educationists, intellectuals, lawyers and others participated in the said meeting, from whom opinions and suggestion where sought regarding the current phase of the movement. All the participants unanimously appreciated united face of resistance leadership and authorized them with their full mandate and support to continue the freedom struggle with zeal and passion. It was emphasized upon both, leadership and nation, to remain steadfast and committed to take the freedom struggle to its logical end. Participants stressed upon the people in general and stakeholders in particular to be aware of the nefarious designs of the oppressor who exploit them through many tools. They said that economic losses, educational hiccups and social constrains are a part of the freedom movement and we all should overcome them collectively with firmness, wisdom, and patience. It was unanimously decided that the programs from the Joint Resistance Leadership should be followed in letter and spirit and whosoever violated it should be convinced and conveyed that discipline and resilience has to be adopted for achieving our goal as our freedom struggle is nourished by the sacred blood of our martyrs. In this representative meeting the unwavering support and unparalleled hardships faced by the people during these 122 days of the besieged valley was hailed by one and all and everybody opined that the present uprising of long walk of our freedom is one of the glorious and praiseworthy phases. At the end prayers were held for the martyrs who sacrificed their today for our tomorrow and we all owe them our commitment to fight for what they have giver their life. Those who participated and gave their valuable suggestions and opinion among which worthy to mention are Ameer-e-Jamaat Islami Gh. Mohammad Bhat, President Jamait-e-Ahli Hadith Gh. Ahmad Bhat, Gh. Rasool Hami (Karwani Islami), Moulana Khursheed Ahmad Kanoongo (Himayat-ul-Islam), Mirwaiz Qazi Yasir Ahmad (Umat-e-Islami), Jagmohan Raina, Narinder Khalisa Ji, Mohammad Abdullah Tari (Democratic Freedom Party), Farooq Ahmad Dar (Bita Karatay), Mian Abdul Qayooum (Bar Association), Mohammad Hussain Khan (Prof. kashmir University), Abdul Majeed Zargar (Civil Society), Choudray Showkat (Kashmir Economic Aliance), Mushtaq Ahmad Wani (Kashmir Chamber of Commerce), Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya (Hotel Association), Mohammad Yousuf Chapri (House Boat Association), Moulana Syed Waris Shah Bukhari, Doctors Association, Masroor Abas Ansari (Ithad-ul-Muslimeen), Dr. Yousuf-ul-Umar (Study Circle), Gh. Nabi War (Pvt. School Association), Mohammad Yasin Khan (Economic Allience), Hafizullah Bakshi (Traders Association Kupwara), Syed Himad (Student), Mohammad Yousuf Mir (Muslim League), Nayeem Ahmad Khan (National Front), Bashir Ahmad Rather (KTFM), Mushtaq Sagar (Traders Representative), Fayaz Shabnam ((EJAC), Haji Sajad Hakeem (Trader Islamabad), S. Badha Singh Ji, Haji Mohammad Ashraf (Trader Sopore), Ajaz Ahmad Sofi (Trader Handwara), Khurshhed Ahmad (Buopaar Mandal), Bashir Ahmad Bashir (Fruit Mandi), Mushtaq Ahmad Dareel (Trader), Abdul Qayoum Wani (KMD), Gh. Rasol Zari (Western Bus Stand), Gh. Mohammad Nagoo (Anjuman Shar-e-Shiyaan), Zamrooda Habib (Kashmir Tehreek-Khawateen), Yasmeen Raja (Muslim Khawateen Markaz), Enginner Mukhtar Yousuf, Fayaaz Bakshi (Chairman Sumo Drivers)  Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf (Transporter) Tahir Ahmad Lone. 

‘Noted an overwhelming sentiment amongst the Kashmiris’

Start talks with separatists, others in JK: Panel to govt

New Delhi: Yashwant Sinha led delegation that visited Kashmir Valley last month and met different stakeholders including separatist leaders in their basic finding have stated that the Kashmiris they met spoke to virtually the same script about the history of the Kashmir issue. They may have varied in the exposition of a particular issue but basically all of them argued for a political solution to what they perceived as a political issue. They made the point that this is the fifth generation of Kashmiris which was protesting but to no avail.

    The delegation has made various recommendations and has hoped that both State and Central Government would implement them.

   The visiting group consisted of Yashwant Sinha (Former External Affairs Minister) Wajahat Habibullah (Former Chief Information Commissioner and former Chairman of National Minorities Commission), Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Kapil Kak, Bharat Bhushan (Editor, Catchnews) and Sushobha Barve(Executive Program Director of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation – CDR)

    The delegation has cited many reasons for immediate anger including the excessive use of force by security forces, use of pellet guns, night-time raids by security forces, misuse of Public Safety Act (PSA), destruction of electric transformers and crops in rural areas, attacks on Kashmiris outside J&K, refusal to recognize Kashmir as a politically contentious issue, refusal to recognize the emotional and sentimental aspects of the Kashmir issue, designating all Kashmiris as Pakistani puppets, no dialogue with Pakistan, Vajpayee line on Kashmir jettisoned, Indian public is indifferent to the plight of Kashmiris, Kashmir being pushed towards anarchy, Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley, Regression from autonomy to uniformity; togetherness to communalism

     In their recommendations the group has said that the sense of despair and desperation in Kashmir is increasing by the day. There was unanimity among the civil society and mainstream political leaders that dialogue must begin with the inclusion of the separatist political leaders. The question then is how to ease the existence of ordinary Kashmiris while leaving aside the complexities of resolving the Kashmir issue permanently.

Steps that the J&K state government can take including start the process of reopening schools and as a precursor to this, release forthwith all first time offender school children and minors arrested under PSA, consider postponing school examinations to a later date instead of insisting on holding them from November 15. Children who have been in jail have not probably had access to textbooks and other teaching material. They should be given sufficient time to prepare for exams. Repeat offenders amongst minors must be shifted out of adult jails and put up in temporarily designated juvenile detention centres and given psychological counseling. Compensation must be announced for the next of kin of the civilians killed and for those wounded in police or action by the other security forces. This money may be transferred as DBT to designated accounts to prevent extortion and rent-seeking from the suffering families by the state bureaucracy.

Rehabilitation packages must be announced to ensure the life-time income needs of those permanently blinded by pellet guns. Compensation and free treatment (both in India and abroad, if necessary) at state government expense for those who have been partially blinded by pallet guns. Set up a blind school in Srinagar for children blinded by pellet guns. The state does not have a blind school and this may be a means of rehabilitation by the state to provide education for children with blindness or partially blindness. Order a judicial commission into excesses by the police, especially the wanton use of pellet guns. While it is widely accepted that such commissions rarely lead to any conclusions, they serve a therapeutic purpose of allowing people to emotionally express themselves and it also helps project the state government as an accountable institution.

        As per the delegation, steps that the Union government can take including ban the pellet gun with immediate effect as a crowd control weapon. This will have a salutary impact on the Kashmiris. This is not something that should be left to committees or to the security forces. Work with the media not to escalate the situation in Kashmir. Educate media owners about the sensitive nature of the Kashmir issue and not add fuel to the fire in search of viewers and revenue. Dispel the perception that Kashmir and Kashmiris are mere tools to be used for electoral purposes. In its interactions with Kashmiris the centre might reiterate the approach enunciated by the Hon’ble PM  that Kashmiris are Indians. GOI move quickly to give facilities of migrants to Pandits continuing to reside in Kashmir Division of J&K.

     “Although separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq talked of being prepared for a dialogue (Geelani talked of “unconditional” talks), it was not within the competence of this group of concerned citizens to suggest when or if such a dialogue process should be started.”

   However, what we would like to emphasise is that we noted an overwhelming sentiment amongst the Kashmiris we interacted with for setting up a permanent process of dialogue with New Delhi. One of the reasons why so many doors were opened for us by the separatists and ordinary Kashmiris alike was because they saw our visit as a beginning of engagement with ordinary Indians.

 “The agenda of alliance of the BJP-PDP Coalition Government also commits to a dialogue with all the stakeholders. We recommend that such a dialogue is initiated at the earliest.”  (CNS)

Say don’t want to carry a tag like ‘1991 passes’

Srinagar: While the State Board of School Education (BOSE) is readying to conduct the examinations scheduled for this month with relaxation in the syllabus for the candidates, the students have all together a different story to tell.

Several students of class 12th said even if they haven’t completed the whole syllabus, but they don’t need any relaxation as it would later only give them a tag like the students of 1991, who are now known as “91 paas”.

“We need ample time and will prepare for the whole syllabus. We don’t need any relaxation in syllabus.  We don’t need any favour from government,” said a group of students of class 12th.

They said, “If government wants our view about the examination, then we will prepare for 100 per cent of syllabus.”

Another student, Aqsa Javaid said, “We don’t want to hear from people that we passed the exams because it was easy for us as we had to prepare for half syllabus,” she said.

The students said they are ready for exams either in November or March, but they don’t want to be called “like 91 pass”.

Rehana Farooq, a student from Ganderbal said that it is better to hold the exams in March. “It will let us focus on the entrance exams. Otherwise, our focus would shift between studying the entrance examination and Class exams,” she said.

However, 1991 pass candidates is not even remotely related to this 2016 issue because in 1991 there was mass copying in examination centers, while in this case there is no such thing.

“We have been demanding deferment of exams to complete our syllabus and if the government will not start class work then the decision will be no more favorable for us. We are ready to sit in the exam but not with relaxation,” they said. (PTK)

Challenges Govt. to constitute School Defence Committees on pattern of Village Defence Committees.  

Srinagar: AIP Supremo and MLA Langate Er. Rasheed has said that surprising silence by Jammu based trade union leaders and various employees’ unions over terminating of services of twelve Kashmiri employees and forcing teachers to act as Chowkidars has exposed their true face. In a statement issued today Er Rashid said “those who used to raise slogans that from Jammu to Kashmir all employees are one and were taking administration and people on and often hostage in the name of rights of employees, seem to have got disappeared from earth. It is obvious that these Jammu based trade union leaders have been taken not only into confidence by the Nagpur controlled regime but they because of their Anti Muslim and Anti Kashmir agenda have preferred to keep total criminal silence over the issue.” He said “the way Govt. has issued more than twenty thousand weapons in the hands of RSS and other right wing organizations in Jammu province, in the name of so called Village Defence Committees, will the Govt. constitute School Defence Committees in Kashmir on the same pattern and distribute weapons to Kashmiri Volunteers. However it needs not even to be discussed that for New Delhi and its extension wings in Kashmir every Kashmiri especially a Muslim is a suspect and it would never dare to handover even toy guns in the hands of Kashmiri Volunteers”. Er. Rashid appealed teacher community, trade union leaders and others who truly feel the pain to come forward and launch a decisive movement to force Govt. to withdraw the notorious orders of reducing teachers to the level of Chowkidars and terminating services of twelve employees. 

Srinagar: In one of the shocking decisions triggering fresh unease in Kashmir, majority of the private schools are demanding the dues from parents for the last four months when schools across Kashmir Valley remained shut.

Scores of parents rang up Kashmir Life to express their concern.

“It is totally an insane move,” said Mohammad Ramzan, a parent from Srinagar. “Since July, our kids are sitting home without availing any facility from schools. And yet, these private-run schools are demanding all the dues from us including bus fares.”

Ramzan said on Monday he received a call from DPS Budgam inviting him to the school to collect worksheet. “While queued up for over an hour, I was told that I must first get the fees clearance slip from a department concerned.” Upon enquiring he learned that the school demands all the dues from the parents since July, including bus fares before issuing the worksheets.

“For last four months,” Ramzan said, “everyone including our children are sitting home. There is hardly any business going on in valley and here are these shameless schools demanding dues from us.”

Notably, the DPS — the school that raked huge controversy over hijab issue before the civil uprising this summer — was seen at forefront demanding dues for ‘No Education’ since July. It is said that private schools have an apparent official backing regarding the decision. What makes these claims credulous though is government’s inability to act against these schools.

Mushtaq Shangloo, a private-school teacher, termed the move “insensible” and totally anti-people. Shangloo like many other private-run schools has been teaching in a voluntary school since ending July.

“Actually these school administration demand fees for filling their own coffers,” Shangloo said, “without paying any salary to teachers.”

The disclosure—that most of the private teachers are without salaries since July—has apparently dented the claims of some private school that are justifying the move saying “they are charging the fees to pay salaries to their teachers”.

People who rang up said that when there was no activity that would help majority of the people earn something, wherefrom will they pay for the service they never got. “The only people who earned their salary were the government employees, mostly without putting in any service,” one caller said, “the employees are in a position to pay but what happens to other classes who are employed in private sector?”

Before the latest move, the state of education in Kashmir remains mired in issues and controversies. With chief minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti terming education as the “biggest casualty” of the uprising on the first day of Jammu durbar, the burning of schools remain a big challenge for the state to tackle. Already, valley-wide protests led by students erupted against the examination announcement, prompting the students to say: “education and ink can’t flow together”.

With state giving second thoughts to examination dates, the militarised school campuses have remained another blatant issue for state to tackle. Detention of students—some under draconian Public Safety Act—remains another serious challenge to normal state of educational affairs in Kashmir.

In backdrop of these issues, the decision of private schools to demand dues has further spiked up the issue. (Kashmir Life)

Says challenge lies in making up for lost time to achieve targets

JAMMU: Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti today asked the Administrative secretaries to push for the completion of all the ongoing developmental projects in the State and asked them to personally monitor the execution pace and remove bottlenecks expeditiously.

Chairing a meeting of the Administrative secretaries here, after opening of offices in the winter capital, the Chief Minister asked them to redouble their efforts in chasing the targets and meeting the deadlines in view of the fact that much of the summer season got wasted particularly in Kashmir Valley due to recent turmoil.

The Chief Minister expressed concern over the fact that many projects get stuck due to petty issues like land acquisition, compensation or any other issues and also due to litigation. She directed the Secretaries to remove these bottlenecks without wasting time so that the benefits of these projects and schemes percolate down to people for whom these are meant. She also asked the Secretaries to expedite the formulation of DPRs for the projects to be taken up under Prime Minister’s Development Programme and ensure their timely submission with the concerned agencies.

The Chief Minister complimented many of the Departments like Health, PDD, PHE, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs etc for rendering their services to people despite trying circumstances during past four months adding that the challenge lies ahead in covering up the lost time in completing the development works which unfortunately got stuck. She directed the secretaries to follow the developmental works in Kashmir Valley during winter months and also ensure smooth delivery of services by their respective Departments and hold regular reviews on spot. She also directed the concerned Departments to clear pending liabilities of various works already undertaken.

In view of the coming winter, the Chief Minister sought details of stocking of essential supplies at far flung areas of the State like Ladakh, Marwah and Wadwan. She was informed that stock and supply position in these areas is by and large satisfactory. She directed the Power Secretary to ensure as minimum curtailment of electricity in Kashmir Valley in view of the coming winter as possible. She also directed augmentation of heating systems in the hospitals as well.

On the implementation of Public Services Guarantee Act in the state, the Chief Minister advised adoption of a transparent file tracking mechanism to avoid inordinate delays and ensure speedy disposals. She also asked the officers to be responsive to public grievances and try to mitigate the same to maximum extent possible. She also reviewed the status of biometric attendance in offices and generation of Aadhar cards and directed the IT Secretary to fill in the gaps in the enrolment process. She asked the Secretaries to ensure that the employees and their families are enrolled under Aadhar. She specifically asked the Education Secretary to complete the Aadhar enrolment in schools as many of the welfare schemes for students have now been linked to Aadhar.

The Chief Minister was informed that so far 94 lakh people have been enrolled under Aadhar out of which 84 lakh cards have been issued so far. In case of the remaining, the enrolment process is on, the Chief Minister was informed.

Mehbooba Mufti asked the Chief Secretary to work out a plan for construction of individual bunkers and community bunkers for the people of the border areas who usually become targets of cross border shelling. She also directed expediting project report formulation for solid waste management at Jammu and Srinagar.

The Chief Minister also touched upon a host of issues like welfare of and facilities being extended to move employees, status of upcoming AIIMS, reports of alleged harassment of members of Gujjar community, traffic arrangements in Jammu city,  drug de addiction etc. and directed the administration to take prompt and appropriate steps where ever required.

Earlier, the Chief Secretary, Mr. B. R. Sharma apprised the Chief Minister about the activities of various Departments and the new initiatives being taken to make the administration much more responsive.  

Financial Commissioner, Agriculture Production, Mr Pramod Jain, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner-Secretaries and Secretaries were present in the meeting.