Category: Union Territory

Says if policemen don’t feel secure in their police stations, how can teachers dare to stay in schools.

Srinagar: AIP Supremo and MLA Langate Er. Rashid has expressed his deep anger and anguish over the orders issued by Govt. that teachers along with Chowkidars will have to stay during night in the schools to protect them from burning. In a statement issued to Kashmir Today Er. Rashid said “there can be nothing condemnable and insulting not for the teachers but for the entire nation that teachers have been reduced to the level of Chowkidars. May Govt. answer what is fault of teachers if Govt. has failed to protect schools and other establishments. Not only that on moral grounds these orders are unacceptable but how can teachers protect schools in dark nights empty handed in an atmosphere where police men are not able to protect even their weapons and police stations. If Govt. is providing security to life and property of hundreds of white elephants including Chief Minister, Ministers, MLA’s, MLC’s, MP’s, Political renegades, bureaucrats, and other so called protected persons besides providing security to security establishments and many other institutions, why can’t it safeguard schools. The move also seems a desperate  attempt by the Govt. to threaten and blackmail Govt. employees, as they have geared up against termination of their twelve colleagues. The Govt’s intentions, will, behavior and measures force even a lay men to conclude that Govt. is itself involved in the conspiracy against schools, not only to teach Kashmiri’s a lesson but to defame the society by posturing as if Kashmiris are keen bent to burn schools” Er. Rashid appealed all saner voices to raise their protest against not only putting life of thousands of teachers to risk and vulnerability but insulting and disgracing the torch bearers of our nation.

Srinagar: Police on Wednesday foiled a meeting among three resistance leaders spearheading ongoing protests in Kashmir.

Sources said that that the three leaders – Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik – had planned a meeting at the former’s residence in Hyderpora to discuss the future strategy.

However, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not allowed to move out from his Nigeen residence where he remains under house arrest.

JKLF Chief Yasin Malik had reached outside the residence of Geelani at around 3 pm, but he was not allowed to move inside where the latter is placed under house arrest.

Srinagar: A top police officer is among around three-dozen people injured during ongoing clashes in Anchar locality of Soura in Srinagar on Wednesday.

Sources said that SP Naveed Peerzada was among several police and paramilitary personnel who were injured in the clashes.

Several civilians injured during clashes and due to alleged thrashing by forces have been shifted to SKIMS for treatment.

Clashes erupted in the locality after forces launched a crackdown after Fajr (morning) prayers and allegedly beat up the residents.

“Nobody including Hurriyat against examinations”

“Create conducive atmosphere first and let then us discuss which date is feasible for examinations”

Srinagar: Kashmir Private Schools Association (KPSA) today appealed to all sections of the society to keep their politics aside and find a middle ground for the benefit of lakhs of children.

In a statement Issued To Kashmir Today the Association said that nobody including Hurriyat leaders are against education but unfortunately confrontation is still taking place on the same issue. The Association appealed people from all school of thoughts to work for a middle path that will benefit the students in a best possible way.

The Association condemned the burning up of schools over the last few weeks. “No sane person particularly a Muslim can burn the school as it is against the teachings of Islam. Our bellowed Prophet (PBUH) has said that instruments of knowledge that include pen, paper and schools are as sacred as the blood of a martyr, so how could a Muslim dare to burn the schools,” said G N Var president KPSA. “Schools are next to mosques.”

The Association appealed the entire society to come forward and ensure safeguarding of schools. “We have also asked our private staff to help in whatever way they can in these hard time. Even students and their parents have a role to play. This is the question of our future,” said Var.

The Association said that everybody including government should forego their hard stance particularly about conduct of exams in November. The Association said that the student community is already under heavy stress and the pressure of examinations can even lead to suicidal tendencies among them. “Examinations are not important they are just a formality, studies and classrooms are important as it is here a student learns something. Examinations are there to check what a student has learnt in classes, when a student didn’t learn anything what is the fun of having examinations,” said Var. “This year we had less number of working days, syllabus is far from complete and there were no practicals. So on what basis government is going to conduct examinations?”

The Association said that in the present circumstance the students would suffer a lot in the examinations and it will mar their careers. “Students didn’t learn anything so they will exhibit poor performance. That will also result in students being unable to qualify competitive exams like NEET, JEE, CET etc,” said Var. “In current situation where we saw dozens of school children getting killed, students are in no way ready for exams. The extreme stress will give birth to suicidal tendencies among them and in the longer run it will create behavioral problems among children.” 

The Association said that the examinations at this stage are against the principles of child development. The Association advocated conducting of examinations in February as it would enough time for every student to get prepared. “In 2014 floods too we lost seven months and still managed to save the session. So time is not the problem as we can cope with it. Govt needs to think on the larger benefit of students,” said Var.

The Association asked the government to create a conducive atmosphere for schools to function. “All jailed students should be released, cases against them should be revoked and schools should be demilitarized. Then we can discuss and see which date is feasible for examinations,” said Var. “Everybody has to be taken on board in a meaningful and democratic way.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has submitted proposal to government for curtailing the syllabus of the annual class X and class XII board exams in view of the prevailing unrest.
“We have sent the proposal to government and asked it to consider either reducing the syllabus or to increase the choice in the question paper,” said a senior official of JKBOSE on the condition of anonymity.
Only 14 days are left and government has not yet decided the matter.
The official said that it is now up to government to take the final call on the issue.
Kashmir has remained closed for over three months due to curfews, restrictions and shutdowns. Students have not been able to attend the schools during this period.
Last week Chief Minister Mehboob Mufti said they were planning to make question papers easy for the students.
But officially JKBOSE has not issued any such direction.
Students said they are in confusion and distress due to JKBOSE’s silence over the matter.
Physiologist at SMHS hospital said that students are under stress and conducting exam would have a direct impact on their psychology.
Government has put the students in limbo as they are not clearly stating whether to reduce the syllabus or not. (RK)

Srinagar: Various college female students Tuesday staged protest on MA Road here, demanding benefits of the Scooty Finance scheme.

The students alleged that authorities have closed the scheme after benefiting “influential students.”

“College authorities are refusing to entertain our applications. We were asked to visit Deputy Commissioner’s office to avail the benefits of scheme,” they said.

The protestors blocked the road for 15 minutes but later dispersed off peacefully.

On September 9, this year, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti formally launched the Scooty Finance scheme for college going girls. The   was announced by the State Government in Budget 2016-17.

The scheme envisages that the State Government will facilitate purchase of scooties by the college going girls by bearing 50 percent cost of the two-wheeler.

With the govt and Hurriyat not showing any signs of moving from their set position, senior journalist Bashir Manzar says the Valley is in for a bad time.

It seems the government and the Hurriyat are in a race to deny our children education,’’ rued Bashir Manzar, editor of the Srinagar daily Kashmir Images. At a talk arranged by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai on Saturday, the senior journalist spoke despairingly about the closure of educational institutions and the burning of 25 schools in the Kashmir Valley, since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by security forces on July 8.

The entire Valley followed the weekly bandh calendar set by the Hurriyat, whose leader S A S Geelani had declared that it was unsafe for Kashmiri children to attend school. However, some parents’ associations had met Geelani recently, said Manzar, as they didn’t want their children to lose a year.

Manzar blamed the government for “lack of compassion” towards the people of Kashmir. Nearly 100 youngsters have died, mostly by pellet guns, and 3,000 injured in the protests that followed Wani’s killing. “Yet, the government showed no remorse, not even an acknowledgement that it had used excessive force,” said Manzar. “Yes, stones were thrown on the security forces, but can pellets, which blind and even kill, be the answer to stones and rocks?”

Kashmiris were asking why no pellet guns were used against Jats in Haryana and Patels in Gujarat, whose protests had also been violent, added Manzar.

According to Manzar, Wani’s killing was the last straw for Kashmiris who had been seething ever since the PDPBJP alliance came to power in January 2015. As it is, for the last 20 years, there was anger that neither the State’s Chief Secretary, nor the chief of police, had been a Kashmiri. But the December 2014 Assembly elections had been fought on only one slogan: “Keep Narendra Modi out.” That was why the PDP had received a massive mandate.

When it allied with the BJP, said Manzar, Kashmiris felt betrayed and apprehensive that the RSS was now ruling them. A series of incidents: the refusal of BJP ministers to fly the Kashmiri flag on their official cars; their proposal to set up Sainik colonies knowing that no non-Kashmiri is allowed to buy land there; the challenge to Art 370 in the Delhi High Court; and finally the killing of a truck driver in Udhampur on the suspicion that he was transporting beef, had set the Valley on edge.

Manzar recounted meeting an old man in Srinagar who was out on the streets with the young stone-pelters. “We have to fight, else the RSS will come and put tikas on our foreheads,” the man explained to Manzar.

But Manzar was also critical of the Hurriyat. With everything closed for three months, fatigue had started setting in, and people had started moving out for work a few weeks back. However, two auto rickshaws and two taxis were burnt for defying the bandh. “There was no condemnation of this by Geelani,” pointed out Manzar. “His silence validated this violence against people who simply wanted to go back to earning their livelihood.”

With winter round the corner, and the shifting of the capital to Jammu, MAnzar felt the Valley was in for a bad time. Every section was struggling to make ends meet: be it fruit traders, shopkeepers or shikara owners. But neither the government nor the Hurriyat showed any signs of moving from their set positions. It was obvious that the government wanted to tire the protesters out, said Manzar; but the Hurriyat seemed to have no new strategy to keep the movement going.

Manzar traced the alienation of Kashmiris to 1953, when Kashmir’s Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah was put into prison for 11 years. Since then, the only Prime Minister to have reached out to Kashmiris was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said. “In his first public meeting in Srinagar he acknowledged that Kashmiris had been wronged; that democracy had never reached us. And he declared his willingness to talk to Pakistan.” (Mumbai Mirror)

New Delhi: The Centre has told the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure security at schools and make efforts to resume studies hit for over four months due to the ongoing unrest.