SRINAGAR 28 July: Reacting to PDP President Mehbooba Mufti and MP Muzaffar Beig’s statement on Mob Lynching Congress Leader, Salman Nizami in a series of tweets said “Mehbooba & her party leader’s are now faking concern over mob lynching- let me ask them. Why their mouth & eyes were shut when a Kashmiri driver was burnt alive in a truck at Udhampur. Rank Opportunists have no character, be reminded”. While targeting BJP, he said the BJP’s jumla exhibition has shifted to Jammu. Amit Shah now says we couldn’t work for Jammu because Mehbooba didn’t allow us. Really? Then why didn’t they once point this out while they (BJP) shared power with her. Nizami said BJP hasn’t really deserted PDP. It’s just a ploy. To escape blame for failed policies on Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. After the general election you would soon see these two power craving creatures embrace each other. He said people of Jammu and Kashmir feel sigh of relief after toppling of the PDP BJP Govt, as that both the Parties victimized and discriminated with them after securing votes from them. They played with emotion of the people for the sake of coming into power.
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No plan to block WhatsApp in militancy-hit areas of Jammu and Kashmir: Government
NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday denied any move to block popular social media application Whatsapp in militancy-hit areas of Jammu & Kashmir, while also conceding that the encryption technology employed by the service provider made it impossible to monitor the communication being provided by it. There were reports that Whatsapp was being used by terrorist outfits active in J&K to pass on instructions for terror-related activities, leading the home ministry to hold a meeting recently with representatives of the Central security agencies and J&K police on how to deal with the misuse of social media applications. However, minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Wednesday clarified in Rajya Sabha that there was no plan to restrict or block the use of Whatsapp in militancy-hit parts of J&K. “Because of encryption and propriety coding-decoding technique being used by Voice over Internet Protocol provider, it is not possible to monitor the communication being provided by such service providers,” he said in written reply to a question.
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If MLA’s face threats from NIA what about common Kashmiris: Er. Rasheed.
Says Mainstream politics loosing its worth in J&K.
Karnah: Lashing out at Mehbooba Mufti for her claims that NIA is being used to pressurize her MLA’s AIP President Er. Rasheed has said that whatsoever the truth may be her claim has exposed the fear psychosis among kashmiri politicians which they have been suffering and hiding since1947. While addressing the party workers at Khowerpara, Taad and Upper Amrohie today Er.Rasheed said that those talking of resolving kashmir issue within the ambits of Indian constitution have exposed their worth by crying that their MLA’s are being harassed by the NIA for political purposes. Er. Rasheed said, “If Mehbooba Mufti feels so scared and is apprehensive about the safety of her own MLA’s ,it is not difficult to imagine that what would be the fate of a common Kashmiris crying for resolution to Kashmir dispute on the streets. If those who have full faith in Indian constitution , believe J&K to be India’s integral part, have bulldozed the rights of Kashmiris face the loyalty and credibility crisis before Indian agencies, what would be the feelings of a common kashmiri who needs to prove his identity everyday and is always under scanner”. Er.Rasheed added that none accept NC,PDP and other mainstream parties are too be blamed for taking things to a position where a former CM has to cry about the immoral and unethical threats allegedly being faced by her MLA’s. He said, “the lack of consistency , sincerity and commitment besides having one point agenda to grab power has rendered mainstream Kashmiri politicians like beggars and made them to live like parasites on New Delhi. The history is witness that both NC and PDP have never talked from a position of strength and have preferred to play with the words thus allowing New Delhi not to take these power hungry politicians seriously. Mehbooba Mufti’s revelation has eroded the credibility of main stream and those claiming main stream parties to be New Delhi’s puppets have been proved vindicated. Lets us not forget that Omar Abdullah in his regime cleared way for central agencies to extend their domain to J&K and Mehbooba Mufti implemented it by dragging Hurriyat leaders and all those seeking resolution to Kashmir dispute in accordance with sacrifices and sentiments of people to NIA. She must answer why didn’t she reacted to same claims when Huriyat leaders and me were crying same claims”. Er. Rasheed added that central Govt. must respond to what Mehbooba has said and said that whatsoever her intentions may be in making the claim all mainstream parties need to realize that how New Delhi has been using Kashmiris like tissue papers.
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Pained at loss of civilian lives: DGP
‘We are taking all measures to avoid such killings’
In the backdrop of surge in civilian killings during the encounters between security forces and militants, Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid Friday said that it is painful to see loss of any civilian life and reiterated his appeal to the youth to stay away from encounter cites.
“It is painful to all of us to see loss of any civilian life. A bullet does not know whom it will hit. My appeal to all the young boys is that they should remain at home and not come to encounter sites. They should not pelt stone on security forces,” the DGP told KNS after paying tributes to martyrs of 1931at Naqashband Sahib here in down town.
The DGP maintained that there are strict directors to the security forces to avoid civilian killings. “We have talked to Army, CRPF to ensure that no harm is done to the civilians during the encounters with militants,” he maintained.
He said that in an encounter, even security forces and police take cover of a bulletproof vehicle or a house. “Youth storming the encounter sites are committing suicide,” the DGP said.
The DGP urged the youth to think about the families of those who lost their lives in the firing near the encounter site. “Think of the mother, father, sister or brother of those youth. People soon forget those who died. Their families suffer the most. We all would be doing our jobs,” he said.
He added that they are taking measures to avoid such things, including preventing people from holding demonstration near encounter cites.
He said that people must understand that the security forces are their own brothers and are fighting militancy to restore peace in the valley. -
‘Idea of India is incomplete without idea of Kashmir’
PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s interview with Rajat Sharma in recent episode of ‘Aap Ki Aadalat’ on India TV.
Excerpts:
Q: The first allegation against you is that you compromised with the security of the country. The BJP leaders with whom you were running a collation government say the Ramadhan ceasefire was announced on your insistence and it was a big mistake. It gave militants a chance to regroup and demoralised the police and security forces.
I believe in the last three years if any good step was taken it was Ramadhan ceasefire. It gave people a lot of relief and common people started living a normal life. When Union Home Minister visited Kashmir during ceasefire, there was no strike call for the first time. The Home Minister himself observed the change.
We had not called the ceasefire for militants but for common people. During Vajpayee government in 2000, a similar unilateral ceasefire was announced. But that time the state government had opposed it. This time, I tried my best for a ceasefire so that there is some respite to people.
Q: I have some statistics. During the ceasefire, there were 62 militant attacks and 32 grenade attacks and at 23 places firing was reported.
As I said the ceasefire was not called for militants but for common people. Militants don’t want normalcy. They don’t want schools and colleges to reopen. They wanted to sabotage it and I am sorry to say what militants wanted, they achieved and what we wanted we couldn’t.
Q: But this (ceasefire) boosted militants and demoralised the police and army and you wanted to continue the ceasefire?
Our police and army is not so weak that a ceasefire can demoralise them. They are fighting for the last 30-years. The solution to the problems of J&K is not to kill militants. If killing militants would have been a solution, why would have a leader like Vajpayee ji called for a ceasefire and went to Lahore with bus. From 2002 to 2005 when Mufti (Mohamamd Sayeed) sahib was Chief Minister and Vajpayee ji was Prime Minister, the situation was changing and people in Kashmir remember it as a golden period. If the solution to J&K’s problem is killing militants, then what is the need for having democratic government? Army is there and they can do it.
Q: PM Narendra Modi said from Red Fort that “not bullets, but hugs” can solve the problem.
There was a forward movement during Vajpayee ji’s tenure. Vajpayee ji visited Kashmir in 2003 and thousands of people welcomed him in Srinagar. What Vajpayee ji spoke that day had an impact on overall situation. When Mufti sahib decided to enter into an alliance with the BJP (in 2015), he tried to recreate that moment. He shake hands with Modiji with the same intention and when Modiji visited Srinagar in (November) 2015, we had expectations that he will recreate what Vajpayee ji did.
Q: But Modiji said he will follow Vajpayeeji’s ‘Kashmiryat, Jamhoriat and Insaniyat.’
No he mostly spoke about roads and 80 thousand crore package. Our people were let down with Modiji’s speech.
Q: Do you want to say India should speak to Pakistan? Do you say that Pakistan is responsible for the bloodshed in Kashmir?
I am saying that the animosity between India and Pakistan is responsible for the prevailing situation in Kashmir. We have to bear the brunt of Indo-Pak animosity. Pakistan has a role. Vajpayee ji went to Lahore with a bus. He continued to talk with Pakistan despite Kargil war and attack on Parliament. Can there be any bigger nationalist than Vajpayeeji
Q: But Modiji too made an attempt when he invited Nawaz Sharief to his swearing in ceremony. Then he went to Lahore to attend a marriage function in Nawaz Sharief’s family?
I am not saying he didn’t make any attempt, but there was no consistency.
Q: As they say ‘Latoon ke bhoot baton se nahi mante’ (Stubborn people don’t listen to you till they have a very good thrashing.)
You have fought several wars with Pakistan and won those. Did the situation in Kashmir improve because of that? If ever situation in Kashmir improved, it was when Vajpayeeji went to Lahore and Musharaf assured him that Pakistan will not allow its land to be used for any anti-India activity. You carried surgical strikes, did it improve anything?
Q: Now there is no Vajpayeeji and there is Modiji who is his own way of working. He says he has 56 inch chest.
From that 56 inch chest he has to spare one inch for the people of J&K. Idea of India is incomplete without idea of Kashmir, do you agree with it.
Q: Modiji went one step ahead when he said Kashmir won’t be complete till we retrieve Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
You can say anything. Did surgical strikes have any impact? Did it stop the attacks or killings? No. In today’s world, war is not an option.
Q: Modiji said the way you were working as (Chief Minister) it would have compromised with national security if you would have been given further time?
(Laughs). There is no way out but to talk like Vajpayeeji did. He used to say you can change the friends but not neighbours. You can use force, carry NIA raids, bring more army. But will it change the situation.
Q: There are allegations against you that your government was soft against militants. Whenever army and police gained upper hand against militants, you tied their hands.
An elected government has to think about the safety and security of common people. My instructions to the security forces were to make an attempt to arrest the local militants instead of killing them. When you kill one militant, four others are born. Similarly I had directed them not to harass the families of militants. What is their mistake if their sons or relatives have become militants?
Q: Your government withdrew cases against stone pelters?
We did it to those boys who were involved in stone pelting for the first time.
Q: You withdrew cases against stone pelters, but registered FIRs against policemen?
We live in democratic system where fundamental rights of the people have to be safeguarded. In such a case if any incident happened, we took the action.
Q: Jamiat-e-Islami supported you in elections. And when the Center government gave names of 80 Jamiat people who were involved in anti-state activities you didn’t take any action against them.
Jamiat-e-Islami is an organisation like other organisation in the country. If you have proof you can arrest someone. But if you want to arrest someone because of the Jamiat-e-Islami name, I didn’t allow it. We arrested those people only against whom there were evidence. If Jamiat-e-Islami people supported or voted for PDP, there is no harm in it. Casting vote is a democratic right.
Q: But in return you supported militants. How is it justified?
No it is not true. If any Jamiat-e-Islami boy became a militant security forces took action against him. But as I said, I didn’t allow to harass the families of militants.
Q: Separatists were receiving money from Pakistan and you didn’t allow any action against them?
You can’t arrest someone just because he is the relative of a separatist or a militant. You arrested son of Syed Salah-ud-Din just because his father is a militant commander. Salah-ud-Din is in Pakistan for last 30-years. What is the mistake of his children? NIA recently arrested Asiya Andrabi and took her to Delhi. You can’t arrest Kashmiri women and detain them in Delhi.
Q: But those who are conspiring against India can’t be left alone?
We are there. Either you say you don’t trust us. We took a step and aligned with the BJP for the interests of the country and the J&K. We sacrificed everything including our party.
Q: Then why have you so much of love for Mirwaiz Umar and Geelani sahib and other Hurriyat leaders, who are enemies of the country?
Those whom you call enemies of country held two rounds of talks with LK Advani when he was deputy Prime Minister. The roads and trade routes with Pakistan were opened to showcase Kashmir as window of opportunity.
Q: But from the same routes, money and drugs are coming?
50 quintiles of drugs are coming from Wagah route. Did you close that? I was pursuing that get two full body scanners for Uri and Rawalkote routes for trucks. You didn’t do it.
Q: The routes where from drugs, money and militants are coming, more such routes should be opened?
You will be surprised to know neither a militant has crossed from Uri nor Rawalakot route. They cross the border from other places. NIA wanted to close the trade routes but I didn’t allow to do that. I am of the opinion that Kashmir should be become part of CPEC.
Q: You have problem with hanging of Afzal Guru and killing Burhan Wani and then you say I love this country?
I have so much of love for this country. I am not among those leaders who used to say go and bombard Pakistan, send Hurriyat leaders to jails and it will solve the problem. Today they are saying go and talk with Pakistan.
Q: Are you pointing towards Farooq Abdullah?
Whosoever he is. I am saying by bombarding Pakistan or killing militants won’t solve the problem.
Q : Do you regret your alliance with the BJP?
It was a historical decision by Mufti sahib. He wanted to get Kashmir out of the quagmire. When we entered into an alliance with the BJP someone told Mufti sahib you made a mistake. He replied at the most we may lose next election, but if this alliance can bring Kashmir out of its problems, it won’t be a bad bargain.
Q: But do you now feel BJP betrayed you?
(Laughs). What BJP did is not new to anybody in Kashmir. In 1953 the government of Sheikh (Mohammad Abdullah) sahib was dismissed by his friend Jawhar Lal Nehru. So this is not something new. They may have complaints with me that I was soft on terrorism, didn’t arrest Jamiatees, why I was asking for a dialogue with Pakistan. These are agendas of my party and these were in agenda of alliance. There was nothing hidden.
Q: There are allegations that you promoted favouritism and nepotism when you were CM?
I came to politics in 1996 when nobody was willing to contest elections in Bijbehara constiuency. In 1999 when PDP was formed, one or two people from our family joined us. One of my uncles was among them.
Q: What about your brother whom you made a minister?
I accept it. When Mufti sahib died, I was emotional. Tasaduq was a renowned cinematographer. I felt alone and in a selfish move I asked him to join the party. Mufti sahib’s death was an emotional trauma for me. I feel I did injustice with Tasaduq by making him a minister. He was earning Rs three to four lakh per day. You can hold me responsible me for making him minister. But rest of the relatives were the ones who are founding members of the PDP.
Q: What is the reason that there is a rebellion within the PDP?
Somebody is angry because he didn’t get a ministry or attention. These things are common in any party. But if Delhi is behind this (rebellion), then it is a serious issue. If BJP wants to make a government in J&K by breaking PDP, it will be a huge dent to democratic process in the state.
Q: There are reports you met you friend Sonia Gandhi and are in a process to make a government with the help of Congress party.
It is absolutely wrong. If we had to make a government for the sake of government we would have done it in 2015 when Congress and NC offered unconditional support to the PDP. We had entered into an alliance with the BJP for a bigger cause.
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Govt announces summer vacations from July 19
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Kashmir region and Jammu’s winter zone on account of summer vacations from July 19 to 28.
“It is hereby ordered that all Government Educational Institutions as also recognized private schools up to the Higher Secondary Level functioning in the Kashmir Division and winter zone of Jammu Division shall observe summer vacations with effect from July 19 to July 28,” an official of the education department in civil secretariat here told GNS.
“Any default on part of private institutions in observance of the calendar of summer vacations so authorized shall attract action under rules,” he added. (GNS)
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First time: CRPF inducts 500 women personnel to counter protestors in Kashmir
Breaking yet another glass ceiling, a special contingent of about 500 women CRPF personnel has been brought to Kashmir valley for regular security duties and tackle the unruly crowds and stone-pelters, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.
The women personnel, largely in constable ranks, are based at Central Reserve Police Force recruit training centre in Humhama in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and are being trained in counter-riot and anti-militancy operations.
“This is the newest theatre of operations where women personnel have been brought in. This is the maiden team of women personnel in the Kashmir valley. A few years back, the CRPF women troops were inducted into the anti-naxal operations grid in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” the officer said.
He said the women, after their 45-day induction training and combat-stress inoculation, will be deployed in the valley to tackle stone-pelters and protestors, including women.
It was believed that the special anti-riot wing of the paramilitary force – the RAF – could be brought into the valley to tackle violent protests by civilians and stone-pelting incidents but that was not found feasible, he said.
“It was then decided why not induct women to tackle these situations faced by CRPF units in the valley on a regular basis. These 500 women personnel will be deployed in downtown Srinagar and other parts of the valley very soon,” he said.
The women, according to their training officer Manju K, were now familiarising with the topography of the valley, Srinagar town and are being trained to handle “less-lethal” ammunition and weapons such as rubber bullets, pellet guns, pump-action guns and tear gas shells and PAVA shells, a chilli-based non-lethal munition.
They will also be armed with regular assualt and lethal weapons such as the AK-series rifles and the INSAS so that in case of a terrorist attack they can retaliate, take the opponent down and defend themselves, the training officer said.
A fresh lot of body protectors and bullet-proof armour is also being procured for the special women squad inducted for operations in the valley for the first time, the officer said.
It was thought, the official said, by CRPF commanders that with instances of women and girls undertaking pitched battles with security forces and targeting them with stones, it will be wise to deploy women personnel to counter them.
“There are women personnel in regular CRPF and Rapid Action Force units in all parts of the country so why not in Kashmir? The women were inducted into these combat forces with the belief that they are as good as their male counterparts,” the officer said.
Constable Nita K, who is a part of this squad, told PTI she and her colleagues are taking special training sessions to understand the security situation and the response mechanism.
“The focus of the training is to ensure that there is no collateral damage during action from our side and that force is used rationally as those whom we face are our countrymen and youngsters who are misled. Tacking stone-pelters and protestors, both men and women, will be a special task for us,” the trooper from Jharkhand said.
The training officer said the force has started building accommodation and other infrastructure for the women personnel at its camps in the valley and they will be deployed in combination with regular CRPF units working there for decades.
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All Schools to remain shut tomorrow in district Srinagar
Srinagar, Jul 01: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has ordered the closure of all Government and private schools in district Srinagar tomowwow.
An order issued from the office of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir said all schools both government and private shall remain closed in view of the flood alert in different parts of Kashmir valley. (KNS) -
‘No lessons learnt from 2014 floods: 24-hour rain brings Kashmir to its knees’
Who will save Kashmir from floods?
Srinagar, Jun 30: The 24-hour rainfall was enough to bring low-lying areas in Kashmir to their knees. People complained that authorities have failed to learn the lessons from the 2014 floods.
Residents of many areas in valley especially in south Kashmir told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that they have been regularly complaining to the authorities to take measures that could safeguard the valley from the destruction that is brought by floods, but they never pay any heed. “In Just two days of rain, see our condition. What if it rains harder in the days to come”? Abid a resident of Anantnag questioned.
After the devastation of the 2014 floods, the government belatedly woke to the need to dredge the river and the flood channel. These had filled with silt over many years.
Dredging contracts were negotiated through the summer of 2015, and finally awarded to a private company in autumn that year. For some reason, only some stretches were designated for dredging. Even on those, work has been painfully slow.
Governor NN Vohra had realized the urgency of the matter when the state was under Governor’s Rule two year ago. After inspecting the dredging operations, he ordered officials to keep regular tabs on the progress of the work. However, Governor’s Rule soon ended, the previous coalition government lost thought and did nothing in this regard.
Sources said that merely few inches of dredging has been done after 2014, when the floods had brought huge additional silt.
Officials said that the least the present government can do now is make arrangements for efficient evacuation and rescue, just in case a flood does recur.
The Jhelum River on September 5, in full wrath burst through embankments submerging everything that came in its way roads, streets, buildings. The Tawi River in Jammu region showed no mercy either. The floods spared no one and resulted in massive casualties in the state besides a colossal loss to property.
People said that more than four year has passed since the floods that claimed lost of huge lives but no lessons seem to have been learnt. “What emerges is a familiar story of agencies failing to communicate, a lack of planning and awareness and the incompetence to tackle such disasters,” said Mohammad Aslam a resident of Padshabagh.
He said now it is high time for the government, both state and central, to work on proper counter mechanisms for such disasters. “One work the government needs to undertake and that would greatly reduce the flood threat, especially to the capital, is massive systematic dredging of the Jhelum downstream from Srinagar,” he suggested.
Scientific dredging of the Jhelum downstream from Srinagar as well as the Wular and river basin wetlands will significantly reduce Kashmir’s vulnerability to moderate floods discharging up to 60,000 cusecs.
Experts believe that the much-talked about “alternate option” of a flood channel from Dogripora in South Kashmir to the Wular in the north needs to be evaluated as well, keeping in view the flat topography of the terrain, holding capacity of the Wular and feasibility of draining some 50,000 cusecs into an alternate channel.
The floodwater in 2014 submerged over 600 square km of land, rising up to 25 feet at some places. In Srinagar, vast areas remained, on an average, under eight feet of water for over a week. The Jhelum overflowed by 3-5 feet, breaching its embankments. As a result, great loss was caused to life and property.
People said that ideally, in the aftermath of the disaster, introspection should have been done at every level government, public, individual about what went wrong in 2014 so as to develop a mitigation plan for future, but nothing of the sort happened. “Such a process has not even been initiated at the level of the state in the past three and a half years. And save for a few measures aimed at increasing the drainage capacity of the Jhelum, no concerted effort has been made to devise a strategy for minimizing flood risk to people and infrastructure, especially in the Jhelum basin,” Shabir Ahmad a resident of Bemina told KNS.
Soon after the 2014 flood, a distinguished group of 40 experts and professionals drawn from various state and central agencies, academia and civil society met and deliberated the “flood problem” in Kashmir over two days. The fruit of the group’s labour was a comprehensive strategy for flood risk reduction.
One of the key recommendations was dredging of the Jhelum and its flood spill channel. Indeed, various major flood alerts have been sounded since 2014. Fortunately, none turned into a deluge.
However one of the senior leaders of the PDP told KNS that since 2014, the government had taken some engineering measures including patch dredging of the Jhelum and its flood channel, restoration of the breached embankments, repair of damaged irrigation infrastructure in the basin. (KNS) -
Gunfight breaks out in Pulwama village, clashes ensue
Srinagar, June 29: A gunfight broke out between militants and government forces at Chatpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday.
SSP Pulwama Mohammad Aslam Choudhary told GNS a joint team of army’s 55 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation following specific information about the presence of some militants at Thamuna village adjacent to Chatpora near main town Pulwama.
As the forces approached the suspected spot and fired some warning shots towards it, the militants fired upon them triggering off a firefight, SSP said.
He said that the gunfight between the two sides is going on.
Soon after the news about the encounter spread, a large number of youth took to streets and tried to march towards the encounter site. However, the forces used tear smoke shells to disperse them.
The youth pelted stones on the forces resulting into the clashes, reports said. (GNS)