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  • An Open Letter To Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi By Sarah Hayat Shah

    Mr Modi, take responsibility for demonetisation and deaths in Kashmir
    If Iran and America, Pakistan and Russia, East Germany and West Germany, America and Cuba, could be friends, why can’t India and Pakistan?

    With all due respect and regard to you, sir, I somehow find your expression of views rather equivocal. Jamhuriyat, Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat – pretty rhyming!

    Sir, candy-coated terminology means nothing at all when you don’t seem to have taken a bite of the reality sandwich. Over 90 killings have taken place this cold callous summer, thousands injured, arrested or blinded.

    Insaniyat and jamuriyat were enforced on Kashmiriyat when Yawar Mushtaq from Botengoo, Anantnag, who was killed during forces’ action, and people including relatives weren’t allowed to attend the funeral by the government; eventually six people (two women, four men) had to support the weight of Yawar’s body to the graveyard.

    Sir, you expressed your wish to see children holding books, laptops and cricket bats but what would Insha and hundreds like her do with books and laptops when their eyesight has been snatched? How would you know, sir? You were busy playing drums with the Tanzanian president when Kashmir was burning – and yes – that’s not how one shows concern.

    Exams are Exams, Election an Election!

    Sir, before I express my diverging views on your recent mann ki baat speech, I would like to tell you that mann ki baat is new-fashioned and innovatory.

    Sir, it certainly is not heart-to-heart talk, though. If truth be told, it’s more like a declaration of imposition of charter by an emperor.

    Sir, you pronounced that over 90 per cent students in the Valley appeared for exams – which is true. Based on this fact you argued that this was enough to demonstrate Kashmir is unreservedly normal. Sir, I beg to differ, students only appeared in exams to step up to the next level, they did not sign the petition for the referendum.

    Similarly, every time there is an election the turnout is unnecessarily exaggerated. Sir, the smoke and mirrors strategy could hide the wounds, but wouldn’t heal them.

    Sir, how would the entire country go cashless when 70 per cent of the population lives in villages and 40 per cent people have never seen a bank?
    Sir, how would the entire country go cashless when 70 per cent of the population lives in villages and 40 per cent people have never seen a bank?    

    Demonetisation

    Sir, as we all know the “surgical strike” on black money turned out to be a huge economic and political defeat for the present dispensation, the bigger point is – who will take the responsibility for over 65 deaths due to demonetisation? Will you?

    Sir, how would the entire country go cashless when 70 per cent of the total population lives in villages and 40 per cent people have never seen a bank, and don’t have bank accounts. How would plastic money and Digital India serve the purpose of a Kashmiri like me when in this day and age we were deprived of the internet for over 133 days, except for sprinkling broadband connections that were working? Prepaid mobile internet remains suspended.

    Let’s let water the flow!

    These days we hear about the Indus Water Treaty and your wish to ban it. Sir, before you plan to interdict the water flowing towards Pakistan, I would like to make a few points

    God did not create boundaries and frontiers sir, we humans did. To let the water stream naturally would be sagacious. Though Indus flows from China, China has been kept out of the Treaty. If China stops flow of Indus, it will exert influence on both India and Pakistan.

    Let’s not forget Pakistan and China are good friends.

    Stopping the water will have various environmental effects, it will change the aquatic ecosystems and disturb the ecological balance.

    It will also trigger seismic activity because of the physical change incurred.

    Our (Kashmir) population in Pakistan Administered Kashmir will suffer, they are our people, our brothers and sisters living on the other side of the fence.

    Sir, Kashmirs have invariably, on all occasions wanted both countries to merrily accept each other’s existence as good neighbours owing to the fact that we have been the worst sufferers of the hostility between India and Pakistan and would be the instantaneous beneficiaries of the state of mutual trust and support between the two countries.

    People advocating for war don’t realise that we wouldn’t be showered with flowers in return. It’s imbecile to say – cool, let two million people die! Nuclear weapons can destroy cities, blow everything to pieces, cause a number of potentially fatal diseases including cancer, they deform people with excessive heat. Yes, I object to being destroyed and killed – want to call me egocentric for that? I don’t mind.

    If Iran and America, Pakistan and Russia, East Germany and West Germany, America and Cuba, could be friends, why can’t India and Pakistan? Segregating the cause of the problem doesn’t serve the purpose, a relevant dialogue process is the only way forward.

    I have a favour to ask. Sir, the next time you plan demonetisation, please stand in the queue for Mataji.

    Yours sincerely,

    Sara Hayat Shah

  • Over 200 ambulances damaged, drivers injured

    Srinagar: In the line of duty, ambulance drivers have dealt with a double-edged sword in the retreating Kashmir unrest while ferrying patients as over 200 ambulances have been damaged by stone throwers and security forces so far.It has been a nightmarish experience for 45-year-old Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, an ambulance driver, at Newa village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Sheikh had to spend 20 days in the hospital after the security forces thrashed him on July 10, two days after Burhan Wani’s killing for ferrying injured patients, including a critically wounded boy of Newa village. “I had fractured my shoulder and cheek bone. Also, my head wound was stitched at three places after the CRPF men thrashed me for ferrying the injured patients,” Sheikh told The Tribune.Five months later, Sheikh is again under attack, but this time by stone-pelters. He has been hit twice by stone-pelters in August and November on his way back home from Srinagar’s Lal Ded Hospital, where he dropped two pregnant ladies.At least 13 ambulances in Pulwama were damaged by stone-throwers and security forces in the nearly five-month long unrest.Like Sheikh, over 20 ambulance drivers working with the Health Services, Kashmir, were injured during the unrest.With pellets in his right arm and blood oozing out, 32-year-old ambulance driver Ghulam Muhammad Sofi drove for nearly 1 km so that he and his patients reached the hospital safely.Sofi was ferrying two patients from the Public Health Centre, Wusan in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, to a Srinagar hospital on August 18 when a paramilitary CRPF personnel shot at him with pellets at Safa-Kadal locality of Srinagar.Sofi received over 300 pellets in humerus – long bone in upper arm – after the CRPF officer went near the driver’s window and fired the pellet cartridge at him.“Fortunately, I covered my eyes with my left arm and a few pellets hit my arm instead of eyes,” he added. After being hit, Sofi rushed from the spot to reach to the hospital safely. Now after five months, Sofi is facing the wrath of stone-pelters at various places from Ganderbal to Srinagar via old city.Both Sheikh and Sofi are working on paltry wages of Rs 2,000 per month with the department on a contractual basis. (TNS)

  • A day after Hizb’s threat, militant outfit’s studio busted

    Srinagar: A day after a Hizbul Mujahideen video threatened the Jammu and Kashmir Police officers, the security forces busted a makeshift studio of the outfit’s commander Zakir Bhat, alias Moosa, in south Kashmir’s subdistrict of Awantipora on Friday.Many videos of Zakir, who is believed to have replaced Burhan Wani, have appeared in the past three months and thelatest video surfaced yesterday on the social media, asking the police to stay away from the families of militants.The Superintendent of Police (SP), Awantipora, Mohammad Zaid, said the makeshift studio of Zakir was in a house at Batipora in Tral.“After an input, a joint search was held at the house of Mudasir Ahmed Gunoo in Tral. Security personnel found material and articles used by Zakir to record the videos. A combat jacket and other material used by him in different videos and photographs were also recovered,” he said, adding that the owner of the house had been absconding.The Superintendent of Police said they were investigating whether yesterday’s video had been shot at the studio or not.The threat to the police was issued by Zakir yesterday through an 85-second video message that was circulated on social networking sites. “You have made a huge mistake by messing with our families. A huge mistake by involving them,” Zakir had said in the video message.Zakir Bhat of Noorpura in Tral was a civil engineering student at a Chandigarh college before he left home and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen in 2013.

  • Gulmarg resort wins award

    Srinagar: The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg, was awarded for the fourth consecutive year by Condé Nast Traveller India at the sixth edition of its Readers’ Travel Awards.A statement issued by the Khyber group said The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg, was voted by readers as the Favourite Boutique Hotel for 2016 in a ceremony held yesterday evening in New Delhi. It said these awards, which were received for the past four years, were “globally renowned and considered the most prestigious in the industry”. “It is a great honour to be consistently regarded so highly by readers of Condé Nast Traveller India who have once again voted for the resort,” said Umar Tramboo, MD, Pinnacle Resorts Pvt Ltd, promoter of The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg.

  • We’re preparing for long-term protest plan, says Mirwaiz

    Srinagar: Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday vowed to continue the protest programme while hinting that it would be comprehensive and for the long term.Mirwaiz, one of the three separatist leaders who are steering the ongoing unrest by issuing week-long protest calendars, said the future protest programme would also include the functioning of trade and schools.“We (separatist leadership) are not allowed to meet but despite this we are preparing a long-term programme to ensure that resistance will continue and your homes and trade will function and schools will also work,” Mirwaiz said during his first Friday sermon at the city’s Jamia Masjid.Separatist leaders Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Geelani and Yasin Malik had recently attempted to meet but were barred from doing so by the police. The three separatists are jointly issuing weeklong protest calendars scheduling shutdown and work hours to steer the unrest, sparked by killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.Mirwaiz said the separatist leadership was not tired of the long unrest. “We are not tired out…these five months have given us such strength that we can continue it for five years,” he said.The separatist leader said the “past record of tyranny and oppression” has been beaten during the unrest. “I am meeting you after five months and past records of tyranny and oppression have been beaten during these five months. The right to live of Kashmiris has been snatched during these months,” said Mirwaiz, who heads the moderate faction of separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference.

  • Unrest forces many traders to go for change in business

    Srinagar: Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday vowed to continue the protest programme while hinting that it would be comprehensive and for the long term.Mirwaiz, one of the three separatist leaders who are steering the ongoing unrest by issuing week-long protest calendars, said the future protest programme would also include the functioning of trade and schools.“We (separatist leadership) are not allowed to meet but despite this we are preparing a long-term programme to ensure that resistance will continue and your homes and trade will function and schools will also work,” Mirwaiz said during his first Friday sermon at the city’s Jamia Masjid.Separatist leaders Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Geelani and Yasin Malik had recently attempted to meet but were barred from doing so by the police. The three separatists are jointly issuing weeklong protest calendars scheduling shutdown and work hours to steer the unrest, sparked by killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.Mirwaiz said the separatist leadership was not tired of the long unrest. “We are not tired out…these five months have given us such strength that we can continue it for five years,” he said.The separatist leader said the “past record of tyranny and oppression” has been beaten during the unrest. “I am meeting you after five months and past records of tyranny and oppression have been beaten during these five months. The right to live of Kashmiris has been snatched during these months,” said Mirwaiz, who heads the moderate faction of separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference (TNS)

  • Police arrest 33, slap PSA on six for burning schools

    Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 33 persons, including five juveniles, for allegedly burning 34 schools in Kashmir in the past few months.“In total for 34 incidents, the police have arrested 33 persons, including 28 adults and five juveniles,” read an official report submitted by the police in the High Court on Friday.The police have submitted before District Magistrates dossiers on 14 arrested persons for slapping the Public Safety Act on them. “The police have executed the PSA against six persons to date,” it said.The police have categorised 65 places which house school buildings as highly sensitive and deployed 115 police personnel on guard duty to thwart miscreants from burning schools.Depending upon the sensitivity of the location of schools, the police have gone in for permanent deployment at highly sensitive locations, permanent nakas near sensitive areas and patrolling in less sensitive areas to prevent arson.The police said it had constituted Special Investigation Teams to carry out arrests and dispose of cases. From November 7, there has been no report of any fire incident or damage to school buildings. At least 14 attempts to set schools on fire by miscreants were foiled, the police said.The High Court had directed the state government on November 7 to provide adequate fire safety measures to all schools. The court had also directed the IGP, Kashmir, to file a status report on the steps taken to prevent the burning of schools. The next hearing in the matter is on December 15.For providing safety measures, the government has directed the Chief Education Officers of all districts to install fire extinguishers in all schools. (TNS)

  • Valley unrest sends Kashmir newspapers into financial crisis

    Srinagar: Newspapers published in the Kashmir valley are struggling to survive and remain in business as they are facing an acute financial crisis with their advertisement revenues dried up due to unrest and a shutdown since early July,.

    Hit hard by decreasing advertising revenue, an English language daily, ‘Kashmir Observer’, has decided to go digital with a multimedia edition and widen its reach in the virtual world.

    Its editor, Sajad Hyder, told IANS: “As Kashmir battles another bout of unrest, now in its fifth month, media houses in the valley are facing a financial crisis as advertisement flow from the market has virtually been zero.

    “We’re now diverting a major chunk of our resources for digitisation to reduce the print costs.”

    As businesses remained mostly shut for the last five months, both big and small business houses have drastically cut down on their costs, including advertisements.

    “We find it difficult even to pay our staff. Investing in advertisements is a luxury we cannot afford unless our businesses recover,” said the owner of a hotel that has remained closed almost for the entire summer, the peak tourist season in the valley.

    The government has also reduced its daily flow of advertisements for newspapers because everything was at a standstill after the July 8 killing of a militant commander that led to a public stir and violent protests and shutdowns spearheaded by separatist leaders.

    Bashir Manzar, editor of the Kashmir Images daily, said there has been a little or no developmental work in the valley for the past five months and as such “the government had very little to publicise”.

    “Most of the advertisements are about developmental works and naturally when everything was halted, we had no reason to demand more,” Manzar told IANS.

    He, however, added that the government was holding back their previous dues, which “further complicated the crisis”.

    Manzar has not yet thought of alternate revenue generation but admitted that “continuing with what is being done (relying only on print for revenue) cannot even let us survive”.

    Hyder agreed and said remaining in circulation through just the print edition is a challenge local newspapers may not be able to meet for long.

    “The main objective of going digital is to diversify channels to generate badly needed revenue.”

    Devang Shah, executive director of Kashmir Observer Digital, said the edition would feature videos, people’s views, conversations, debates and analyses “that will go beyond the obvious and the apparent”.

    The editor said this was being done to exploit the untapped market, both nationally and internationally, that craves for visual media from Kashmir.

    What is true of Kashmir Observer holds good as well for other big and small vernacular and English language dailies and weekly newspapers.

    English dailies with large circulations like Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Monitor, Kashmir Images and Urdu dailies like Kashmir Uzma, Aftab, Srinagar Times and Chattan have so far not purged staff, but have cut down heavily on their print runs.

    Tahir Mohiuddin, editor of Chattan, told IANS: “All newspapers in the valley are facing one of their worst crises at present. The state government advertisements to newspapers have also been cut to mere 10 per cent of what these used to be before the unrest.

    “It is a crisis situation a publisher or the editor simply does not know how to get out of.”

  • Alert today, alive tomorrow

    We hope we don”t lose more Basits to the terror on roads

    Javid Parsa

    Basit, that young, loving soul with a smile that lit up the room. Always brave, always strong, always standing by his friends, in happiness and in pain. Most happy on his bike, lost his life on the same bike. Beloved Basit, gone too soon.

    Leaving behind his family and friends shattered and heartbroken, Basit left for heavenly abode. We lost him to a horrific road accident but will make sure his memories don’t die and he is never forgotten!

    It is true when they say, you know pain only when it is inflicted upon you. Much has been said about road safety but we humans, learn the hard way. Losing a brother in a road accident has just made us realise the graveness of the situation, not that other lives aren’t precious! With this incident, we have come to realise how so many families lose their loved ones and go through pain just because of utter careless on the road. The pain of losing someone is unimaginable and it is time we come forward and do our bit to save lives!

    While grieving Basit’s death, the need of the hour is to create road safety awareness to avoid such mishaps. We cannot afford losing young lives on roads while we already have a lot of miseries and bloodshed around.

    We have to make changes within us, as drivers, as onlookers, as parents, as part of the society. We have to mend our ways and spread awareness as much as possible! Parents have to play the most vital role by not giving sports bikes to young kids especially hot blooded teenagers. These bikes are not suited to our roads with their path requirements and enhanced features, thus posing great danger to lives.

    Even if they are allowed to ride bikes, a helmet is mandatory and provisions must be made to make sure it is being done. On the part of our officials, licences must only be issued after thorough test of the person’s riding skills and bikes must not be sold to those holding learning licences.

    The most important aspect that we have to work upon is rash driving and over-speeding. We often flout traffic rules whenever we get the opportunity, not realising how we are putting lives in danger. In order to be safe we have to mend our ways first, be able and responsible drivers.

    Also not just bikers, a major group to work upon is our truck drivers. As soon as their entry time strikes, they speed into the city, driving rather carelessly. They need to drive carefully and at slow speed especially on narrow roads and in residential areas. Also many of these truck do not carry number plates, making it hard to trace them down if any mishap occurs and they are on the run. All in all, every driver whether with a big or a small car must be made aware and encouraged to drive at moderate speed keeping in mind the areas they are driving in.

    As part of the society, our imams also need to take up the cause at Friday prayers and spread as much awareness as possible. And with our resistance leadership speaking up on the issue, we will be able to spread the word to as many people as possible. Talking of pedestrians and onlookers, what is most important is the job of being a good samaritan. We often hesitate in providing a helping hand to those injured on roads fearing the police and the law, this is where the biggest blunder is committed. If help is provided in time and the victim is taken to a hospital half the battle is won!

    Being a part of this society it is the responsibility of each one of us to come forward.

    We have lost many lives to this road terror and it’s time we come together and end this.  They are our kids and we are accountable for every single death that occurs with these road accidents.

    Deeply pained but with hope, we will launch a state wide road safety campaign under the name of Basit Memorial Road Safety Campaign in the loving memory of our beloved Basit! We expect people from all walks of life to support this campaign. 

    Creating awareness and saving lives will be the best way to remember our beloved brother. He passed away teaching us a big lesson and with his death he paved the way for an initiative that will save hundreds and thousands of lives. May his soul rest! Be safe Basit, wherever you are!

    (Mail at [email protected])

  • Western Disturbances Brings Rain, Snow To Valley

    Srinagar: The western disturbances have given sigh of relief to Kashmir valley as it has brought snow and rain showers to see an end to the elongated dry and cold weather that had increased cough, cold and chest diseases all across.

    Rain showers lashed planes including Srinagar city this afternoon and higher altitudes like Sonamarg, Gulmarg, zojila pass and parts of Pir Panchal range witnessed fresh snowfall. 

    Traffic from both Sonamarg and Kargil sides at Zojila pass has been cleared adding that any further decision to allow traffic on the road tomorrow will depend on weather conditions,” said a traffic official.

    With winter all set to make onset, Kashmir valley has witnessed much needed spell of rains and snowfall of the season with an approaching Western Disturbance that is likely to precipitate for the next 48 hours.

    “Snowfall will be confined to the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir while as the middle and lower levels will record scattered rains and thundershowers. Places such as Srinagar, Banihal and Kokernag may witness rains and thundershowers,” according to Skymet Weather.

    Reportedly, the Western Disturbance is presently seen over Afghanistan and is moving gradually in the northeast direction. However, in the wake of this approaching system, the minimum temperatures will increase in states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The maximum temperatures will drop significantly by the weekend, making the weather cold and chilly.

    “These disturbances after approaching the region usually remain for 1-2 days and give spells of rain and snow of varying intensity. We call this system, Western Disturbance due to its movement from west to east,” said officials of the weather department.