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  • Kashmir Records Coldest Night of the Season

    Srinagar: The minimum temperatures have dipped below the freezing point in most places of the Valley, with the summer capital Srinagar registering the coldest night of the season so far.

    Srinagar recorded the lowest night temperature of the season so far as the minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir division dropped below freezing point, MET office said here on Sunday.

    The minimum temperature recorded in the city was minus 2.3 degrees Celsius – four degrees below the normal at this part of the season, making it the coldest night so far, a spokesman of the Meteorological Department said.

    The drop in the night temperature is attributed to the continued dry spell in the Valley.

    There was very scant rainfall over the past two months as a result of which the days remain warmer while the night temperature continued to be on a decline.

    The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest place in the Valley, he said.

    He said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered the low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund in south registered minus 2.0.

    Kokernag, in south Kashmir, was the only recorded place in the Valley where the minimum temperature remained above the freezing point at 0.2 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.

  • Baramulla novelist highlights hardships faced by women

    Srinagar: Looking at the two-decade-long Kashmir conflict, a girl (25) from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has come up with a novel which highlights the day-to-day injustice and discrimination that the Valley women face.

    For Azra Mufti, writing was not accidental, but it was a conscious choice after she saw women around her subjected to hardships.

    “It was not something sudden but I felt an intense urge to write about women because I saw them suffering at every level in society. The book reflects what’s happening around us,” says Azra who is currently an Assistant Professor at Chandigarh Group of Colleges in Punjab.

    ‘Tearful Pages’, a 100-page novel, has reference to the laws which can help women protect themselves legally and raise their voice against oppression, says Azra.

    In the last many years, the violence against women has gone up in the Valley.

    “These are painful struggles that women go through every day of their life silently. We talk about everything but fail to talk about the issues that have rotten the soul of our society. Women are suffering and they need a voice,” says Azra for whom the biggest challenge was to balance between her job and her passion for writing. It was in 2015 that Azra completed the novel at her home in Baramulla. The book will be released by Punjab-based RIGI Publications on December .“There are issues that women face like female foeticide, war crimes and cyber bullying. We need to talk about all this,” she adds. After finishing her schooling in Baramulla, Azra moved to Punjab to pursue her graduation and postgraduation from Punjab Technical University, where she is settled for the last six years. Like Azra, many young women in the Valley are coming forward to tell the story of Kashmir in their own way. (TNS)

  • WEAPON-SNATCHING: 2 policemen sacked for not fighting militants

    Srinagar: Taking a tough line on rifle-snatching incidents, the J&K Government has issued dismissal orders to at least 12 policemen for showing “cowardice and not resisting” militants and losing their weapons during the past two months in south Kashmir.Many more heads are likely to roll in the coming days as departmental inquiries are still underway in other incidents of rifle-snatching, sources said.At least 25 weapons, including Insas, AK and self-loading rifles, have been snatched by militants at seven places since September. These places fall in south Kashmir comprising Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama districts. Militants have been snatching weapons from policemen posted in isolated villages to guard the minority community and houses of low-profile politicians to replenish their dwindling arsenal and arm the new recruits in the Valley.J&K Special Director General (Coordination and Law and Order) Shesh Paul Vaid said policemen had been dismissed for showing cowardice. “Yes, many policemen have been dismissed for showing cowardice and meekly handing over their service weapons,” Vaid said. He, however, did not disclose the exact number of policemen who had been dismissed from service.Most of the dismissals, sources said, had taken place in Kulgam district which had witnessed a series of rifle-snatching incidents, followed by the neighbouring Anantnag. In each rifle-snatching case, the police had registered cases, held an inquiry and even detained policemen for showing “negligence”.“During investigations, it was found that the dismissed policemen offered no resistance to militants,” a police officer in south Kashmir said.In cases where policemen fired even a single shot, the rifle-snatching incidents were averted, the officer added while citing an example in Pulwama where militants were forced to retreat by policemen. A policeman, trying to defend his weapon, was also killed in one such incident in Pulwama. (TNS)

  • Despite unrest, 94% students appear for Class XII exam

    Srinagar: Amid fear of violence, more than 94 per cent students appeared for the board exam across 10 districts of the Valley today.The anxiety and disturbance was visible on the faces of students who had stepped out of their homes after more than four- month-long of unrest.“It seems like we were caught between the devil and the deep sea. There was a lot of confusion over the exam. We are mentally disturbed, but there was no other option but to appear in the exam,” said Bisma Amin, a Class XII medical student who appeared in the exam at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Rajbagh.Despite giving students a chance to appear for the exams in March, most of the Class XII students preferred to sit in the exam today for which they have been given 50 per cent relaxation in the syllabus.“It was difficult for us to prepare. I live at Batamaloo and there is always stone-throwing, teargas and pepper shelling. It is difficult to study in such a situation. We appeared for the exams with whatever little preparation we had done,” said Saima, another Class XII student.The students were satisfied with the relaxation in syllabus provided by the J&K Board of School Education.“Today was my chemistry paper. The paper was set in the old pattern but the choice was announced inside the exam hall. We were able to attempt the whole paper after studying only 50 per cent of the syllabus,” said Ifat, a student from Sangarwani in Pulwama. She wrote her exam at a centre at Government College for Women, MA Road, Srinagar.The exams were held amid a tight security cover. CRPF and J&K Police personnel were deployed at exam centres and adjoining routes.Joint Secretary, Examinations, Syed Rouf said the exams were held smoothly. “Everything happened normally. There was no trouble anywhere. In all, 94.53 per cent students appeared in the exams,” Rouf said. He said that of the 31,964 students enrolled in Class XII, 30,213 appeared in the exams.The Class X exam will start tomorrow and will be held at 545 centres across the Kashmir valley. (TNS)

  • Kashmir has more peace makers, less trouble shooters: Mehbooba Mufti

    ‘Stones, guns won’t take Kashmir anywhere, dialogue only way forward’
    Mufti’s vision of making JK a model State to be pursued with resolve: Mehbooba
    Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here on Monday said Kashmir has more peace makers and less trouble shoots but national news channels in Kashmir panel discussions paint Kashmir black and reiterated her party’s commitment for dialogue over Kashmir issue she said stones and guns won’t take Kashmir anywhere.

    Addressing an Asian Development function here on Monday Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, according to KNS correspondent covering the event, said Kashmiris are predominantly peace makers but very few people tend to be trouble shooters.
    Regretting that national news channels during panel discussion on Kashmir paint Kashmir black but forget reporting when Kashmiris tend to set examples of humanity and morality, Chief Minister said her party is committed to keep its words on resolution of some political and economic issues pending resolution for the last seventy years.
    Saying that stones and gun won’t take Kashmir any where Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said “violence in any form has been rejected by the civilized world. We are part of a democratic system and resolution of issues is to be sought within the democratic system. We are committed dialogue and dialogue only would end the era of suffering and miseries to people in Kashmir”.
    Something which would give a massive push to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post 2014 floods in the State, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti formally launched the World Bank funded mega development project, US $ 250 million Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery project here today.

    The project was conceptualized and pursued by former Chief Minister, late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 and today after completion of all formalities the project was formally launched.
    Launching the project, the Chief Minister said alongside the political agenda, development of Jammu & Kashmir as a model state is the cornerstone of her Government. She said late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had a political and developmental vision for J&K to make it a model state in the country which he pursued vigorously. She said the vision of the late leader would be fulfilled by the State Government with all seriousness.
    Mehbooba Mufti reminded the jam packed audience of stakeholders that when the late leader took over in 2002 as the Chief Minister he rolled out his political and developmental agenda and started working for its implementation and during the same tenure he persuaded and got Asian Development Bank assistance for funding the urban development projects in the State and after taking over in 2015 convinced the World Bank to fund reconstruction of critical developmental infrastructure in the State.
    The Chief Minister said the late leader wanted to develop Jammu & Kashmir as a world class place befitting to the peace loving and hospitable nature of its people so that it becomes a show window not only within the country but in the world as well. She said she intends to undertake developmental revolution in Jammu & Kashmir not only as her wish but as a mission to fulfill the dream of the late leader which he had visualized for the State. She said she would personally be monitoring the works under the project and also the commitments and assurances made by the late leader.
    The Chief Minister said to fulfill the dream of making a prosperous Jammu & Kashmir she would not only seek more and more funding from the Centre but also see how investment and expertise from countries around the globe can come to the State. She said while many countries specialize in one or the other sector she would like investment and expertise flow to the State in critical developmental sectors for achieving this unparalleled feat and added that today’s launch of the World Bank project is a step in this direction.
    Advising the engineers and planners to incorporate all the safety precautions in the works that they would be taking up under the project, Mehbooba Mufti said Jammu & Kashmir is a high seismic zone and prone to natural disasters like floods and cloudbursts and advised the experts to factor in this while going for the constructions. She also flagged sectors like Education and healthcare where she desired to have a world class infrastructure. She said she intends Jammu & Kashmir to have a quality infrastructure in education so that it becomes a world class hub of education.
    On the clean environment in the State, the Chief Minister said the State qualifies to be developed as a place for medical tourism. She hoped under the projects quality medical infrastructure would be raised which would not only provide better facilities to patients of the State but also persuade patients from outside to come for treatment here, thereby contributing to the State’s economy substantially. She said with the setting up of five new medical colleges, some nursing colleges and paramedic institutes health infrastructure in the State would be upgraded substantially.
    Referring to recent unfortunate incidents in the State during the past four months, Mehbooba Mufti said she is deeply hurt with the killing of young boys, injuries to people and also due to the loss of precious academic time of the young generation which, she said, is among the irreparable losses. She said the youth of Jammu & Kashmir have shown their talent time and again but the only thing is of opportunity and exposure. “Be it the youngest woman pilot from Baramulla, topper of BSF officers’ exam from Udhampur or many of the young boys and girls who cracked the prestigious all India civil services examinations, they all have made us proud”, she said.
    Observing that the State is very fertile in producing genius, the Chief Minister, however, advised the youth to channelize their energies positively so that they are able to provide relief to the citizens of the State who have suffered due to neglect and insincerity during the past 70 years. She asked who in the country and outside did not have a word of praise for the youth of the Valley during 2014 floods when they rescued not only the locals but even outsiders, tourists and even members of security forces.
    Mehbooba Mufti said people of the State are very simple, hospitable and peace loving but unfortunately a monster has been created out of them, partly by some vested political elements and partly by some news channels to boost their TRP ratings.
    On the issues confronting the State, the Chief Minister said the Agenda of Alliance reached out between the two ruling parties has made the progress on these issues mandatory and assured that whatever she or her party promised would be delivered but for that she said the Government needs to be given an ambience of peace so that it can focus on bigger issues rather than getting tangled in petty things like maintaining law and order. She said world over the era of violence is over and no issue can be resolved either by violence or taking law into one’s hands.
    The Chief Minister complimented Ministers for Relief & Rehabilitation and Finance and the team of experts and officers from the State Government for working together to close the deal with World Bank. She impressed upon the officers to ensure that the project deadlines are met with and works are completed within the stipulated time frame.
    Earlier, in his address, Minister for Public Works & Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that the launch and execution of the project would be a tribute to the efforts which late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed made for it. He said the late leader had a roadmap for the development of the State and said the present Government is duty bound to follow the same. He also impressed upon the engineers and experts to work round the clock so that the deadlines are met.
    Minister for Revenue, Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari in his address thanked the World Bank officials for working in tandem with State Government for finalisation of the project. He underscored the need for having a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Policy for the State. He hoped that the present Government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would be giving its people comprehensive Rehabilitation and Disaster Management policies who are vulnerable to natural disasters.
    Minister of State for Planning, Ajay Nanda also addressed the gathering and hoped that the project would ensure a developmental revolution in the State.
    Earlier in his introductory remarks, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Development, B. B. Vyas highlighted the main contours of this project adding that all the sectoral and geographical equities have been ensured in the project. He said the buildings and roads to be reconstructed under the project would be made disaster resistant.
    Ministers, legislators, Chief Secretary, officers and heads of all the Departments were present on the occasion. (KNS)
     

  • RSS trying every weapon to occupy J&K: Joint Resistance

    Deeds of RSS testify words of Mohan Baghwat: Resistance leadership

    Srinagar: Commenting on the RSS chief Mohan Bagwat’s statement, that their country is a “Hindu Rashtra”, Joint resistance leadership Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said that this is not only the words but all their deeds and actions testify this statement. 

    In a statement issued to Kashmir Today, leaders said that we should be thankful to them as they, from time to time, veil off their deceitful face of so-called democracy and secularism and justify our movement. Pro-freedom leaders said that in Hindu Rashtra only Hindus can live and that is the reason all minorities particularly Muslims are forced to leave this country.
    They said that we cannot live in a country which claims to be the Hindu Rashtra. To safeguard our culture, race, ethnicity and especially our religion, we demand and fight for the freedom from India, which has been promised by India itself and accepted by the international community.
    Leaders said that fascist forces like RSS and others try every weapon in their armory to forcibly and military occupy this land—but people of Jammu and Kashmir have never accepted this unjust rule and its sovereignty, and are fighting the brute oppression for the last 70 years. Leaders said that although disputed nature of this land is accepted and acknowledged by international community—but haughtiness and lardiness of India has always backtracked from their own promises and forcibly muzzled every pro-freedom voice for the last 7 decades.
    Strongly criticizing the RSS demand to crush the freedom loving people with iron fist; leaders said that the local stooges have already done this even without anybody’s suggestions and they are building their castles over our dead bodies. Pro-freedom leaders said that local faces of this oppression, despite holding big degrees and claiming to be the legal experts, are more than happily playing as the mean and cunning stooges.
    They said that these belly slaves have such a lust of power, which they proudly act, shamelessly and outrageously to retain their illusionary and deceitful fame, at the cost of blood and flesh of their own people. They even do not hesitate to slaughter the whole nation to fulfill the ill and dirty designs of their allied partners in crime.
    Leaders said that calling the public uprising and protest, against the brutality of rulers, a joke, these beasts in human skin have placed themselves in line with the horehounds tyrants. Being legal luminaries and, so-called constitutional experts and in know of the realities about the Kashmir issue, these knowledgeable blinds side with the false and deceptive narrative of the armed occupier. They feel amused to willfully shield the bloodshed of innocents for the last so many decades.
    Resistance Leaders said that fascist forces need not to directly implement their communal and anti-Muslims agenda here in a Muslim populated land, so they always find these sellable faces, to speak and act on their behalf, encouraging the long list of Abdullas, Muftis, Beighs and Akhters who using their “scholarly” image to parrot their rhetoric. Leaders
    once gain cautioned these ironclads that no matter how long and dark the shadows of slavery and brutality are, they have to vanish in any case and the tyrants and fraudulents can’t stand the glory and glaze of truth and reality.
     

  • ‘Shift my husband from Kot-Balwal to Srinagar’

    I am poor, can’t afford to visit him to Jammu jail: Barkati’s wife

    Srinagar: Wife of pro-freedom leader, Moulana Sarjan Barkati, popularly known as “freedom chacha and Pied Piper of Kashmir”, for his peculiar way of sloganeering, today appealed the authorities especially Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that her husband be shifted to Srinagar jail from Kot-Balwal jail Jammu.

    Barkati’s wife told over phone that her financial condition is very weak and she is not in a position to visit her husband to Jammu’s Kot-Balwal jail.

    Barkati was arrested on October 1 from Wanpoh area of south Kashmir when he was on the way to Arwani. He was immediately booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

    She told that the recent rumors about “Barkati’s death under custody” forced her to hire a vehicle and visit Jammu in the dead of Saturday night, to see her husband. “He was alive, but has been beaten ruthlessly. He is ailing in the jail,” she said.

     “I along with my two sons want to visit him (Barkati) but our financial conditions don’t allow us,” she said.

    She appealed the authorities that on humanitarian grounds her husband be shifted to Srinagar jail, so that she could visit him frequently.

    Barkati a religious cleric from Shopian district and a senior leader of Ummat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, headed by Mirwaiz Qazi Yasir, rose to the prominence 

    Barkati was instrumental in organizing public rallies across South Kashmir in the on-going civilian uprising. He popularised “new forms of anti-India sloganeering” that went viral across Kashmir. Police had been conducting raids on Barkati’s house in Shopian until he was arrested.

    When contacted MLA Wachi Aijaz Ahmed Mir said he would take up the matter with the concerned authorities and the Chief Minister to do the needful about the shifting of Barkati from Jammu jail. (PTK)

  • Dark days ahead: ‘Wide gap between demand and supply of electricity: PDD Chief Engineer

    Srinagar: With the onslaught of winter, Kashmir Valley is bound to face a serious electricity crisis as according to Power Development Department against the 1400 mega watts (MW) of power required for Valley, PDD is only purchasing 1100 MW’s of electricity.

        “There is a wide gap between the demand and supply of electricity. The misuse of electricity has further added to our woes. Besides, due to prevailing situation, the department is unable to stop power pilferage,” Chief Engineer Power Development Department Bashir Ahmed Khan told news agency CNS.

        Khan alleged that people have been misusing electricity. “As we are unable to make inspections, some people are taking advantage and indulging in power theft. Most of the areas are reeling under darkness due to rampant use of electronic gadgets like heaters and boilers,” he said.

        According to reports most parts of the Valley reel under severe electricity shortage with no indication of improvement in the near future. Chief Engineer said the power distribution system in Kashmir is under tremendous stress due to overload. “We have decided to come up with latest power curtailment schedule. That is under process,” he said. However, he didn’t reveal for how many days in a week, there will be curtailment.

       Pertinently, students of class 10 and 12 classes in Kashmir are appearing in annual examinations nowadays. Besides common consumers, they (students) have been bearing the brunt of pesky power cuts. Reports said that the crisis has hit every section of society while even in metered areas the unscheduled power cuts are adding to the miseries of the common people. “On Sunday we didn’t see electricity the whole day. At 7pm, bulbs lit for only three minutes and then whole area reeled under darkness,” locals from Mehjoor Nagar Natipora said.

        Both in uptown and downtown areas of Srinagar city, people have been facing acute problems due to electricity crisis. “The crisis have not only hit the capital city but it is same everywhere. Hundreds of villages reel under darkness in North, Central and South Kashmir. We used to witness such a situation in Chillai Kalan but this time the crisis have hit the Valley much earlier,” said a group of persons from Shivpora Srinagar adding that power cuts are more frequent and extended during the evening hours.

        Reports of sever power crisis were received from Pulwama, Tral, Pampore, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, Kangan, Budgam, Ticker, Sogam, Darpora, Kalaroos, Kralpora, Trehgam Andurgbugh in Lolab Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipora and Rafiabad, Ladoora, Delina, Sangrama, Baramulla,. (CNS)   

  • No heating arrangement in Kashmir hospitals, Patients are shivering with cold: DAK

    Srinagar: With the temperatures dipping below freezing point, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that patients in Kashmir hospitals face huge inconvenience due to lack of heating arrangement.

    In a statement issued to Kashmir Today, President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan said patients are shivering with cold as heating systems of hospitals are not yet operational.
    The heating systems at SMHS, Chest-Disease, Lal Ded, GB Pant and other associated hospitals have not been started yet and patients suffer the consequences.
    The bone-chilling cold in hospitals is making life difficult for ailing patients.
    Cold conditions increase mortalities and morbidities in patients.
    Hospitals expose vulnerable patients to the risk of frigid conditions.
    Cardiac and Stroke patients in hospitals are at increased risk of death as cold thickens blood and constricts the arteries.
    The condition of Asthmatics and patients with Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases worsens in hospitals because of cold.
    The icy conditions in hospitals increase the risk of expectant mothers having premature delivery.
    Children and elderly are especially prone to hypothermia that can lead to respiratory and cardiac dysfunction and even death.
    Not only patients, but for hospital staff it becomes extremely difficult to work in icy conditions.
    The majority of the peripheral hospitals are without inbuilt central heating systems and they rely on traditional heaters which do harm than good to patients.
    The administrators of the hospitals are insensitive to the sufferings of patients and they enjoy in their cozy heated offices and they are least bothered with the miseries of people.

  • Private Schools’ Association urges Govt to decide fate of lower classes

    “Govt indecision on promotion or examination pushing students, schools, parents into uncertainty”

    Srinagar: Private Schools’ Association of Kashmir has urged the government to clear its stand on the fate of classes 1 to 9 and class 11, as there is no communication from government whether they will hold examination for these classes or approve ‘Provisional Promotion’ declared by the Private Schools.
    The Association said that the private schools decided to provide provisional promotion to the classes 1st to 9th and class 11 as a humane gesture, but government is maintaining a silence on the final decision. “We had taken a decision to provide provisional promotion to students as a measure to relieve them of uncertainty of academic session and the related stress,” said G N Var president PSAK in a statement.“But the government is maintaining a dangerous silence over the matter. Wherever we go to officials they say we don’t know.”
    The Association said that if government decides to go with the promotion then it will be a win-win situation for all and if it decides to go ahead with the examinations then we will also prepare accordingly.
    The Association said that it is not the matter of only six lakh private school students but equal number of students are in government schools too who too are facing the stressful situation. “The government is not taking a final call on the lower class examinations. It is irony that students are being made to suffer for the indecisiveness of the government,” said Var. “We took the decision of provisional promotion as private schools usually register 100 % pass percentage and examinations constitute just an evaluation/assessment to determine the merit. According to national policy and Right To Education Act no student can be detained upto class 8th, so providing promotion was natural.”
    The Association said that the government to remaining indifferent to the woes of students. “We are trying hard to bring some semblance to disturbed academic calendar, but we are not finding equal partners in government. They are more concerned with Class 10 and 12 examinations but other classes are equally important and we need to take a final call,” said Var. “We are at the end of the year and if a final decision is not taken soon, then it will become a huge problem for all of us.”
    The Association also appealed the Chief Minister to scrap the decision of order by which Class 8th examinations are being conducted by SIE (state institute of education). “Class 8th examinations are just regular examinations and there is no logic in entrusting its conduct to DIET. It is unnecessary burden on government, student and parents. Moreover our selection of books and scheme of evaluation is different. We appeal the government to revert back to old system wherein the examination was conducted by the respective schools,” said Var.
    The Association assured the students and parents that despite all odds, it won’t allow the lost of an academic year. “Situation is not conducive, government too is indecisive and not willing to cooperate and there are other problems, but we will do whatever is in our hands to minimize the damage to the student community,” said Var.