Category: Union Territory

JKLF continues with its boycott campaign, visit Budgam, Ganderbal areas

Srinagar: Chairman Jammu Kashmir liberation front (JKLF) Mohammad Yasin Malik who was arrested by police on 17th April still remains in police custody while as zonal chief organization JKLF Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri was also arrested by police in a nocturnal raid last night.

“Police is also in search of many JKLF leaders and activists and nocturnal raids, restrictions and other oppressive measures are being taken by the police. Despite these undemocratic measures JKLF Public awareness program asking people to keep away from Indian elections continued today and various JKLF leaders and activists visited many villages, towns and other important places in central Kashmir Budgam and Ganderbal districts.”

According to a statement issued to KNS, leaders apprised people of the bad effects and consequences of participating in Indian elections and said that boycotting Indian elections is our moral and political right as well as duty because these elections are meant to weaken our freedom struggle and voice.

“Leaders and activists addressed people in many mosques and other places and also distributed pamphlets and other matter regarding the election boycott etc at many places. The places visited by JKLF leaders and activists today included  Jamia Masjid Narkurra, Budgam, Jamia Masjid Tul Molla Ganderbal, Jamia Masjid Kangan, Jamia Masjid Raheemiyah Chadoora Budgam, Jamia Masjid Nasarullah Pora Budgam, Jamia Masjid Rethsona Beerwah Budgam, Jamia Masjid Cheerwan Ganderbal, Jamia Masjid Mamar Ganderbal, Jamia Masjid Manigam Ganderbal and Jamai Herdweer Budgam etc”

While speaking to the people at various places JKLF speakers said that the main aim and objective of elections organized by India and held under Indian constitution is to prolong the slavery of Kashmiris, to legislate new tyrannical and oppressive laws against people of Jammu Kashmir and to subject Kashmiris to torture and repression.

“Therefore participation in these election In any name is showing enmity with Kashmir and Kashmiris. Leaders said that participating in Indian elections is like legitimizing Indian oppression in Jammu Kashmir and iris will have to keep their eyes and hearts open and keep away from this sugar coated poison that is used to weaken and finish our resistance and struggle for freedom. The leaders aid that every nation safeguards its own interests and it is the duty of every Kashmiri to recognize and safeguard the interest of Kashmir.”

While condemning the arrest of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, JKLF leader Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri and other resistance leaders and activists, police raids, restrictions and other oppressive measures by police and forces, JKLF leaders said that these arrests and other oppressive measures have once again proved the fact that Indian elections in Jammu Kashmir are a mere eye wash and a stage managed drama aimed at hoodwinking the international opinion and befooling their own people in India.

The speakers said that these arrests and restrictions on peaceful political activities have proved that these elections are an institutionalized manipulation and India through these Gimmicky measures is only trying to befool international community. Now that India and its Kashmiri puppets have resorted to such repressive measures, it is the duty of worthy columnists, writers, journalists, intellectuals and ulema to rise to the occasion and pen down these atrocities and human rights violations and  aware  the international community about the real happenings in Kashmir, asserted the  speakers. (KNS)

Omar Abdullah Addresses workers meeting in Tral

Tral-Pulwama: Addressing a workers meeting at Tral in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who is also the Working President of National Conference Fridaysaid that PDP thrives on falsehood and has a habit of fishing in troubled waters to fool the people with their hollow slogans and speeches.

According to a statement issued to KNS, Omar said that PDP was acting as a proxy ally of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and is following the diktats of Narendra Modi to fragment and fracture the voice of our people. He said that it was BJP that founded PDP in Jammu and Kashmir to carry forward its agenda of ‘divide and rule’ and to flare up communal tensions and regional animosity in the State. Omar said that the Mufti father-daughter duo is a part of this conspiracy and by providing tactical support to BJP in the current Parliamentary Elections they were finally repaying the debt they owe to BJP for their political existence.

The Working President of National Conference said that despite the communal agenda, totalitarian approach and overt animosity harbored against Jammu and Kashmir by Narendra Modi, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti are openly supporting BJP and Narendra Modi for their personal ambitions of power.

Speaking on the occasion, Omar said that Rahul Gandhi symbolized the secular, democratic traditions and ethos of the country and is a leader who carries all sections of the society with him without any prejudice or bias. Omar Abdullah said that Rahul Gandhi was a time-tested and consistent friend of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and has empathized with them at every given opportunity. “We want him and UPA-III to be in power at the Centre to safeguard the pluralistic and secular democratic traditions of India besides protecting the interests of Jammu and Kashmir and its people”, he said adding that people have to make a choice between a Modi who represents authoritarian and communal politics and a young, dynamic Rahul Gandhi who has emerged as the champion of inclusiveness and  secularism in the country. Rahul Gandhi represents the modern India of today where all sections of society have equal opportunities and avenues for growth, justice and development.

Omar said that this Parliament Election was for electing the Parliament Members and eventually the next Prime Minister of India and not MLAs and the Chief Minister of the State. “It has nothing to do with the Election of MLAs or the Chief Minister. That occasion will be before you in November this year and we will fight those elections on the basis of our historic achievements in governance and development during the last five and a half years”, he said maintaining that all votes caste against the NC-Congress Coalition Candidates would automatically be votes cast in favor of Narendra Modi. “It is hence necessary to vote for the NC-Congress Colaition Candidates to ensure that communal forces represented by BJP and helped by PDP do not come to power. That would be a dangerous consequence for the country in general and for Jammu and Kashmir in particular”.

“NC and Congress have a  clear agenda to strengthen communal harmony and secular traditions in the country besides ensuring equitable development of all sections of the society and also safeguarding Article 370 so that we could keep working for the holistic development of Jammu and Kashmir”.

Making a comparison between Mehbooba Mufti and Dr. Mehboob Baig, Omar said that Mehbooba Mufti had miserably failed to represent Jammu and Kashmir in the Parliament and her disappointing and dismal track record is clear proof of her incapability to be a deserving voice for our people. Omar said that in stark comparison to this Dr. Mehboob Beg’s performance as an MP is exemplary and the Lok Sabha record is a validation of his active role in the Parliament to highlight the issues and sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar asked the workers to work hard to return Dr. Mehboob Beg to Parliament with a greater margin so that the issues of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be raised in the Lok Sabha and it is ensured that the people of J&K are represented with clarity, courage and commitment. The workers meeting was also addressed by NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Senior NC Leader and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar, NC-Congress Coalition Candidate, Dr. Mehboob Beg besides various senior leaders of National Conference and Congress. (KNS)

BJP emissaries met me, rejected their offer

Srinagar: Reiterating his call poll boycott call against the forthcoming elections in valley, Huriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani Friday called for a complete shutdown on April 21 against the police crackdown on the pro-freedom camp here at large.

According to the KNS correspondent, Geelani after returning from New Delhi on April 16 addressed the press conference at his Hyderpora residence wherein he made some important revelations including the reasons behind some separatist groups praising BJP’s Prime Ministerial Narendra Modi.

“Those who have said that Modi’s policy after he becomes PM regarding Kashmir would be Kashmir friendly and those who are issuing statements in Modi favor have actually met Modi’s men in Kashmir,” Geelani said, adding  Modi had sent his people to various pro freedom leaders including him who tried him to get ‘commitment from Modi vis-à-vis  Kashmir resolution.

Geelani stated that two pundits came to meet him on March 22 to get his commitment on Kashmir. The senior separatist stated that he rejected the proposal –rebuking them that neither Modi nor his party has any policy on Kashmir settlement.

Castigating Kashmir’s mainstream, Geelani stated the parties are justifying India’s ‘illegal’ occupation in Kashmir and that there representation can in no way be termed as legitimate.

Reiterating his poll boycott call, Geelani stated that it is the right of Kashmir’s separatist leadership to hold boycott rallies. He accused that polls in Kashmir are being held under the shadows of guns and that those who said that gun is no solution to Kashmir issue must know that India has occupied this land at the gun point.

“Wrong notion is being given about the polls in Kashmir by India and that need of the hour is to aware people about the issue so that boycott call could become successful in Kashmir.

While slamming the state authorities over cracking whip on Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp, Geelani stated that the massive crackdown has been lunched against the activists and leaders of the separatist groups and that is being suppressed everyday through various forceful tactics.”

Appealing people to observe complete shutdown on April 21 against the detention of separatist leaders in Kashmir stated that the tall claims of democracy are getting nullified by the acts in which the leaders are been either kept under house detention or lodged in various police stations across valley.

With the poster behind glued on the wall-showing Geelani addressing boycott rallies, the octogenarian leader while issuing the poll boycott calendar said, “On 24 April, civil curfew in South Kashmir will be observed. Central Kashmir on 30th April will observe civil curfew and also in North Kashmir on 7th May. Besides, we appeal people to hold protests a day before they go for polls from Magrib to Isha.” Also people were asked to sit at home on poll days. (KNS)

Srinagar: The Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani has called for complete shutdown on April 21 (Monday) against detention of separatist leaders and youth. The veteran leader, who addressed media persons here this morning, also called for day-long civil curfew in Kashmir constituencies going for polls on their respective days: April 24 (Anantnag); April 30 (Srinagar) and May 7 (Baramulla). The civil curfew, Geelani insisted, shall remain in force constituency-wise, and not across Kashmir. He said a day before the polls, people in the respective constituencies should hold protests from ‘Magrib to Esha’.

SRINAGAR —  Over 69 percent votes were polled Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur Lok Sabha seat where elections passed off peacefully, said a top poll panel official.

“A total of 69.08 percent votes were polled today in Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency as against 45 percent polled during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections,” state chief electoral officer (CEO) Umang Narula said at a media conference here.

“The total electorate in the constituency is 1,468,856 out of which 787,680 are females and 681,205 are males.

“The election commission had set up 2,051 polling stations at 1,798 places. To supervise the conduct of the polls, we had set up 337 digital and 132 video cameras for webcasting in the constituency.”

“198 of these polling stations were declared as critical because of security reasons.”

The CEO said 269 micro observers had been deputed for these polls in which 2,772 EVMs were used.

“As many as 545 poll staff was air-lifted for election duties to inaccessible areas where polling stations were set up.

“Six faulty EVMs were replaced during the day. Three of these were replaced in the Kathua district and one each in Udhampur, Kishtwar and Reasi.”

The CEO said there was no incident of violence anywhere.

He thanked voters and poll staff for their participation in the election in which the main contest is between union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, Jitender Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Arshad Malik of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Srinagar: The management of Noora Super Specialty Hospital Thursday extends its gratitude to Dr Zeeshan Ahmad Wani, Hematologist and Pancreobiliary interventional Gastroenterologist in ILBS at New Delhi, for conducting a ‘difficult’ ERCP procedure.
Manzoor Wagay, the CEO of Noora hospital said, he is thankful to doctors at Noora hospital, for conducting these ‘critical procedures’ in a very skilled and efficient way, keeping in mind the health of patients.
“As CEO of the hospital, I had promised to get the best CT scan for the people of valley,” he said.
Wagay said, “Best feature of this CT scan with its outstanding performance is that it emits less radiation and high clarity results.”

Srinagar: The Tosa Maidan lease is expiring tomorrow, but various civil society groups fighting against the extension of one of the largest meadows in Kashmir to army, say despite government claiming that the army would have to move out nothing has been communicated to them.

The Right To Information (RTI) movement and Tosa Maidan Bachao Front (TBF) which are spearheading the agitation against the proposed extension of the lease of the meadow in central Kashmir’s Budgam district have said that so far no official contacted them regarding the cancellation of lease.

Talking to GNS, chairman of RTI movement, Shiekh Ghulam Rasool said: “Till this moment, no one from government has contacted us regarding the cancellation of lease.

Our source of information is media and we don’t want verbal announcement but we believe in documents as Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said few days ago.

They should come out with documents before media.”

On Tuesday, senior National Conference leader Rather said that government won’t extend the lease and the Chief Secretary-led official panel would identify some alternate site to relocate the army’s firing range.

The chief spokesperson of RTI movement Farooq Kuthoo threatened protests in case the lease is extended. “It will snowball into a major controversy,” he said.

Rasool said that they are in favour of complete vacation and handover of meadow to the civil authorities. “We don’t want relocation, but vacation,” he said.

The RTI chairman also announced that the group in cooperation with other civil society groups will hold protests in various parts of the Kashmir. “We have already appealed people to observe ‘Black Day’ on Friday. Apart from observing black day, our people will wear black bands and black flags will be hoisted at various places.”

“The Kashmir’s civil society has announced support for our cause which include Doctors’ Association, Kashmir Economic Alliance, hoteliers, tourism stake holders and employees,” he said.

He added that there will be protests in Srinagar’s press enclave and other parts of Kashmir.

Despite repeated attempts, no state or army official could be contacted for the comment. But, a defense analyst while talking to GNS, said: I don’t think NC can afford to do that. It is a Catch-22 situation for Congress. If they don’t extend, the BJP will get after them for being soft on security.”

Defense sources told GNS that the lease will be extended temporarily till the identification of alternate place.

“We have sent our recommendations to the higher-ups in this regard,” they said.

The matter could be resolved permanently once the new government takes over in New Delhi. (GNS)