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Srinagar, Sep 24: Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir – the representative amalgam of religious social and educational organisations today held a meeting at Jama Masjid Srinagar in the wake of unfortunate  attempts being made  to undermine  the Muslim identity of  Kashmir  by asking Muslim students in schools  and educational institutions to sing Hindu religious songs and do Surya Namaskar. These diktats hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and create anguish in them.

MMU wants to make clear certain points in this regard in a resolution adopted unanimously which reads as follows:

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir expresses deep and serious concern over attempts being made to weaken the Muslim identity of this ‘Valley of Saints’ and strongly regrets activities being implemented through schools and educational institutions aimed at furthering the Hindutva agenda in Kashmir.

This  meeting expresses serious resentment against imposing  acts in the name of yoga and morning prayers in educational institutions wherein Muslim students are made to chant Bhajans and at times asked to perform Surya Namaskar. This is against the fundamentals of our religious practices.

The meeting notifies the Government, Education Department and concerned agencies that such activities will not be tolerated by the Muslims in Kashmir as it is a direct challenge to their religious and Islamic beliefs.

 As such MMU appeals to the Government and concerned authorities to immediately withdraw its orders and stop these practices in schools and educational institutions, which deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and cause them grief .

This meeting urges the parents that if their children are forced to participate in un Islamic activities  in government schools, they should withdraw their children from these schools and enroll them in private schools. This meeting urges Muslim teachers to avoid promoting such un-Islamic activities and give preference to their faith and Imaan.

MMU expresses satisfaction that Friday prayers and Five daily prayers are now being allowed by the authorities at central Jama Masjid Srinagar and people are not being stopped from assembling at the mosque as such it appeals to authorities to  now release its Patron and Mirwaiz Kashmir Molvi Umar Farooq and end his illegal house arrest since Auf 2019 , in wake of the coming holy month of Rabiul Awwal so that the  Mirwaiz can pursue his religious obligations and duties.

This meeting also raises its voice in strong protest against tarnishing the reputation of Islamic centres and Muslim institutions in Jammu and Kashmir by arbitrary  arrests of Islamic scholars, preachers and imams and booking them under PSA and sending them to outside Jails. It condemns this act and calls for their immediate release.

Sopore, Sept 23: Amid rising wild animal attacks in Kashmir especially in North Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir’s Wildlife Protection department on Friday issued an advisory to avoid man-wild animal conflict.

In an advisory, issued by Wildlife Warden North Division Sopore, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) officials advised people not to move alone in the forest area.

The advisory reads that children and woman are more vulnerable to leopard and bear attacks, which can be contained if they move in groups or children are accompanied by an elderly person and always move on regular forest paths and avoid short cuts.

“Avoid going to forests for collection of wood etc. in early morning or evening hours, which is the peak activity time for Leopards. Do not chase or try to go near to a wild animal if sighted from a distance in the forest areas.”

It reads that livestock taken to pastures inside forests and near crop fields must be attended by three to four persons and any type of bell or sound producing device be put around the neck of few cattle.

It added that people living in vicinity of forests should also complete their outside activities such as social visits, fetching water from streams, grazing cattle, collection of house hold items etc. during day time only.

“Provide sufficient light around your utilities outside your home so that animals do not feel safe in the vicinity. Do not create kitchen dumping around your houses as this invites stray dogs to the spot which in turn invite leopard movement. As dogs is delicacy for these carnivores,” it added.

The advisory further reads that the villagers must regularly remove all bushes or shrubs from the vicinity of houses in cooperative manner. “Such wegetation clearance wall increase visibility and help to keep the Leopard away from their houses.”

It added that it has been observed that whenever leopard is sighted, people make a lot of noise which can prove dangerous and as such the wild animal feels insecure and can cause damage. “It is advisable not to make noise, while leopard is sighted.”—(KNO)

Anantnag, Sept 22: A soldier allegedly shot himself dead in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday evening.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the soldier posted with Army’s 1 RR shot himself dead with his service rifle at High Ground in Annatnag.

He said that the reason behind soldier taking this extreme step was not immediately, however, investigation has been started in this regard—(KNO)

Uri, Sep 22: A minor boy was taken away by a leopard at Dhanisyedan village of Uri tehsil in North kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday late evening.

A local resident told KNS that a minor boy identified as Syed Ali Hussain son of Syed Abbas Kazmi, was playing outside his home when the leopard pounced over him and took him away in the nearby forests

Police confirmed the incident and said search operation along with locals was launched to trace him.

Earlier this week a minor girl was taken away by leopard and was later found dead.

The incident has caused panic among people, and  urged administration to catch the animal.
Meanwhile a month before 3 persons were killed by the leopard in the area.
(KNS)

Jammu: Hearing the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case, a special court in Jammu on Wednesday asked the CBI to produce separatist leader and JKLF chief Yasin Malik before it on October 20 to cross-examine the witnesses. Rubaiya, daughter of former Union Home Minister and J&K ex-CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was kidnapped in 1989 and released five days later on December 13 after the then government freed five terrorists to secure her release.

Monika Kohli, standing counsel for the CBI, said the court issued production warrants despite objection by the central agency on the ground that there were specific directions of the High Court that all accused be presented through videoconference.

Rubaiya Sayeed, who was present during the hearing, said she never looked back at the horrific incident as she tried to live a normal life. Currently lodged in Tihar jail, Malik appeared before the court through videoconferencing. He once again insisted for his physical appearance to cross-examine the witness.

On reports that Rubaiya told the court that she did not recall any of the accused present in the court or having identified any of them before the investigating agency, the CBI counsel said, “She had identified Malik again through the photographs during the cross-examination.”

Kohli said Rubaiya had on July 15 identified five accused, including Malik, and the question of identifying the accused again today was never there. Rubaiya will be present in the court on October 20 because Malik has to cross-examine her, Kohli said.

Malik has been insisting on his physical appearance to cross-examine the witness and had turned down the court’s offer of legal aid or amicus in the past.

Rubaiya was abducted near Lal Ded Hospital on December 8, 1989 and freed five days later on December 13 after the then VP Singh government, supported by the BJP at the Centre, released five terrorists in exchange.

The 56-year-old Malik is at present lodged in the high-security Tihar Jail after he was sentenced by a special NIA court in Delhi in May.

Witness to be cross-examined

The court issued the production warrant for cross-examining the witness on October 20. Malik had been seeking his physical presence for months and had even observed a hunger strike. In July this year, Rubaiya Sayeed had identified Yasin Malik and four others in the court who took her captive in 1989.
(With inputs from PTI)

365 attempts recorded since Feb 2021; 127 persons died after ending lives; Sukoon helpline providing online counselling to people; Will submit detailed report on suicides to CS, hopeful Govt will take steps to plug trend: SSP SDRF Haseeb-ur Rehman

Srinagar, Sep 21: Post Covid-19 pandemic, Kashmir has witnessed a huge spurt in the suicide attempts and suicides as figures reveal that since February 2021, the Valley witnessed 365 suicide attempts while 127 persons died after taking extreme step.

The data prepared by the SDRF, which is available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), suggest that from February 2021 onwards, 365 attempts of suicides were recorded while as 127 persons died after committing the suicide. “238 survived after taking extreme steps,” the figures reveal.

The data states that district Budgam reported highest number of attempt to suicides at 72 followed by district Baramulla at 61. “Similarly, Ananatnag district recorded 55 suicide attempts and Kupwara 51. Bandipora saw 34 suicide attempts, followed by 19 in Shopian and 15 in Pulwama. District Kulgam recorded 25 suicide bids and Srinagar 17,” the figures revealed, adding that that in total, 365 suicide attempts were recorded from February 2021 to date.

The figures disclosed that 127 people died after taking extreme steps that includes 17 in Srinagar, 11 in Ganderbal, 08 in Bandipora, 09 in Shopian, 08 in Pulwama, 11 in Budgam, 31 in Anantnag 10 in Kulgam, 15 in Baramulla and 07 in Kupwara.

Talking to KNO exclusively, SSP SDRF Hasseeb-ur-Rehman said that post Covid-19 pandemic, Kashmir has seen a spurt in suicide related incidents. “There are many reasons and the most common ones are financial issues and domestic issues. We are receiving a lot of distress calls on the Sukoon help line where we provide immediate counselling. There is a need to plug the growing trend,” he said. The SSP SDRF said that they are going to submit the report to Chief Secretary J&K A K Mehta for action. “We are hopeful that government will act on the report and accordingly steps will be taken to address the issue,” he said—(KNO)

Srinagar Sep 20: It was an emotional moment for Kashmiris in general and those families who owned cinemas before 1990’s in Kashmir in particular when Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday inaugurated Kashmir’s first multiplex cinema in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Union Territory.

After over three decades, a cinema hall in Kashmir will allow locals to see movies on a large screen for the first time in Srinagar’s Shivpora area. This reminds the people here about 1990 times when there were many cinemas operational in the valley.

Kashmiri businessman Vijay Dhar, and film distributors and theatre chain INOX, have collaborated to open the Valley’s first multiplex in September. This multiplex has three movie theatres with a total seating capacity of 520 people.

On Tuesday, Amir Khan’s Lal Singh Chaddha was screened but it was for a selected audience.

The regular shows will start from September 30 when Vikram Vedha – Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan starrer movie will be screened. The people in Kashmir are excited to watch movies in cinemas and are waiting for September 30 when regular shows will start in theatres.

“There was a need for cinemas in Kashmir. When we have theatres in Jammu why can’t they have them in Kashmir? Why can’t Kashmiri youth have this entertainment facility? I hope people will support me in this endeavor,” Dhar said, who also owned one of the prominent schools in Kashmir.

The family of Vijay Dhar, a resident of Srinagar, who currently runs the city’s Delhi Public School earlier, owned the Broadway Cinema in Srinagar. Like with other movie theatres in the city, the family had to close.

“I still remember how Kashmiris would line up in large queues to get tickets to watch the movies. I hope Kashmiris will come in large numbers to watch the movies,” Dhar said.

The theatre would be adorned with traditional Kashmiri art especially with the ceilings being designed in the Khatamband patterns.

Madhu Ghori, a Kashmiri Pandit woman whose father owned Palladium Cinema in Srinagar (which is shut since 1990) calls it a great moment for all Kashmiris.

“My grandfather built the first cinema of Kashmir that is Palladium Cinema. He was a pioneer of cinemas in Kashmir. It is an emotional moment to see cinemas have started opening. We hope other cinemas will also open soon,” she told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Recalling the events before the 1990s, she said, “Kashmiris would love to watch movies in cinemas. Parents along with their children would watch movies. I am today emotional to see cinemas open in Kashmir. I hope we will again see like before 1990 times,” she added.

Bashir Ahmad Bhat, a 70-year-old resident of Srinagar recalls when he would watch movies daily in cinemas in youthful days before the 1990s.

“After returning from school, I along with two friends would go to Palladium or Shiraz cinema and watch movies there. But unfortunately, there is no entertainment for youth in today’s times. Seeing cinemas now opening, it is an emotional moment for us. We hope more cinemas are opened in coming weeks,” Bhat said, who is father of three children.

In the 1980s, nine of the Valley’s 15 operating movie theatres were located in Srinagar. Broadway, Regal, Neelam, Palladium, Firdaus, Shiraz, Khayam, Naaz, and Shah were the most well-known movie theatres in Srinagar. While some of them were transformed into hotels and even hospitals, the majority became camps for security forces deployed in the Valley.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said cinema lovers are everywhere in Kashmir and cinemas have a great history in the Valley. “There used to be a time when people in large numbers would come to watch movies along with friends and families. Cinemas would provide them opportunities to think big and dream big besides entertaining them,” the LG said.

He said in 1965, a Bollywood blockbuster of yesteryears, ‘Janwar’, starring famous Bollywood actor Shami Kapoor was screened at Broadway cinema. “Such was the love of Kappor for Kashmir that he had asked his family members to perform his last rites in Dal Lake, Srinagar,” the LG said. (KINS)