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Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew in parts of Srinagar to prevent a protest march called by the separatists, officials said.

Meanwhile, life remained affected on the consecutive 126th day on Friday due to a separatist-sponsored strike.

“Curfew had been imposed in seven areas to maintain law and order,” said a police official. Separatists had called for the march to the Jamia Mosque in the city’s Nowhatta area. Congregational Friday prayers have not been allowed inside the mosque during past 17 weeks.

    Reports said that all roads leading to Srinagar’s main Masjid were sealed since Thursday evening with massive deployment of paramilitary forces and imposition of strict curfew and restriction in old Srinagar city.

Separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has been kept under house arrest while Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested and shifted to the Srinagar central jail on Thursday. Syed Ali Geelani continues to remain under house arrest.

    Syed Ali Geelani, witnesses told news agency CNS was locked inside his Hyderpora residence when he tried to march towards historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar. Geelani, along with his party activists came out of his room around 12:15 PM to march towards Jamia Masjid but was the police locked the gate of his house.

    Reports said that strict restrictions were imposed in old Srinagar city where authorities arrested Mirwaiz Umar Farooq when he tried to proceed towards historic Jamia Masjid.

    A protest march was also carried out in Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar city in which large number of people participated. The agitated protesters were stopped by police who in turn pelted stones on them. Police used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters. Clashes between pro-freedom protesters and government forces continued for hours.

   Pro-freedom marches were taken out in different parts of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Large number of people participated in a pro-freedom rally that was held at Ganistan Sumbal. The march was led by senior separatist leader Abdul Samad Inqalabi. Clashes broke out in Palhalan area when youth resorted to stone-pelting shortly after Friday congregational prayers. Earlier, a pro-freedom  rally was taken out in the area that was led by Tehreek-e-Hurriyat District President Baramulla Abdul Gani Bhat. Bhat also addressed a large gathering and stressed upon the people to follow the resistance leadership program in letter and spirit. Pertinently, police have been continuously raiding the residential house of Bhat while he has so for managed to evade the arrest.

    Government forces had to fire tear smoke shells to disperse protesters who were raising anti-India and pro-freedom slogans soon after Friday prayers in Bandipora.

   People after offering congregational prayers tried to assemble in Main Chowk and started raising slogans. However, the protesters pelted stones on forces as they reached the spot. The forces fired tear smoke shells to disperse protesters that led to clashes. Forces fired dozens of tear shells and resort to pellet firing to disperse the angry youth.

   Police in Aloosa area of Bandipora while foiling a proposed pro-freedom rally arrested three youth during clashes.

   Earlier in the morning scores of youth engaged police in clashes that lasted until prayers were concluded. Locals in Aloosa accused forces of ransacking the houses and other private property. Clashes were also reported from Papchan area of Bandipora.

   Clashes broke out in Tahab and Naira areas of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district when a large number of people hit to roads and pelted stones on the government forces. People were agitating against the arrest of youth during nocturnal raids. Eyewitnesses told CNS that government forces arrested at least 10 youth from Tahab and Naira during raids on Thursday night. Pertinently, Naira is the native village of PDP youth leader Waheed-yr-Rehman Parra.

    Witnesses and reports said that people from these villages first staged a protest outside police station Pulwama while shortly after Friday prayers youth took to roads and clashed with deployed government forces. Youth played Kashmiri patriotic numbers on the loud speakers of the mosques. Reports said that many people were injured during these clashes.

    Pro-freedom marches were carried out in different parts of South Kashmir shortly after Friday congregational prayers. Reports said that large number of people participated in such marches in Shopian, Kulgam, Tral, Anantnag and Pulwama. 

   Pro-freedom marches were taken out in Rohmu, Mitrigam and Gosu Pulwama as well.

      Tehreek-e-Hurriyat district president for Anantnag Mir Hafizullah led a pro-freedom procession at Bado Mehand area of Bijbehara town. Witnesses said that large number of people participated in the rally.

Srinagar: Hurriyat (M) on Friday said that authorities imposed severe curfew and restrictions from Thursday evening, sealing all roads leading to the historic Jamia Masjid and stopping Kashmiri Muslims once again from offering congregational Friday prayers for 19th week in a row.
Resistance leadership had asked people to head towards the mosque and break the siege and observe Friday as Youm-e-Istiklaal offering congregational prayers at the Masjid.
Authorities sabotaged the programme from Thursday evening by placing the Mirwaiz under house arrest, arresting Malik and detaining him at Central Jail Srinagar while continuing to keep Geelani under house arrest.
When Hurriyat (M) Chairman broke the cordon to come out of his residence and move towards the Jamia Masjid, the police contingent present there immediately arrested him and whisked him away.
Earlier, talking to media persons outside his residence, Mirwaiz said, “The anti-Muslim ruling regime has once again barred us from offering Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid and other main Masjid’s across the valley.”
He said “as Muslims it greatly pains and hurts us that we are forcefully stopped from offering prayers at the Jamia Masjid and from listening to and delivering Friday “vaz” a centuries old tradition of religious propagation and education in Kashmir.”
Mirwaiz said “our religious rights are under assault and as a subjugated people we know it is being done to inflict collective punishment upon us and show utter disregard and despise for our religion and religious sentiment. What is shameful though, is that some who have Muslim names are collaborators of such perversity and oppression.”
He added that condemning such people is futile.
Mirwaiz said despite such assaults our commitment and support for our freedom struggle will not waiver.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat (M) spokesman condemned the ruling class for sabotaging the programmes of the unified resistance leadership with brute force and termed the house arrest the Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, shifting of JKLF chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik to Central Jail Srinagar, continued house arrest of veteran resistance leader, Syed Ali Geelani and house arrest of Hurriyat leaders Moulana Abbas Ansari, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, and Engineer Hilal Ahmad War as ‘an ideological defeat of the ruling class’ and said the action of teargas shelling of peaceful unarmed protestors at Narbal, Bandipora and other areas by government forces that resulted in injuries to dozens of people was deplorable and shameful.

 

Jammu: Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar Friday said the cherished dream of ‘Make in India’, ‘Start up India’ and ‘Digital India’ can be accomplished if the students imbibe in theelves the attitude to emerge as the job providers rather than job seekers.
He said this in his inaugural address at the 2-Day “National Conference and Exhibition on “Emerging and Innovative Trends in Engineering Technology” (NCEEITET-16) organized by GCET in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur at GCET Campus, Chak Bhalwal, Jammu on Friday.
Akhtar stressed upon the engineering institutions to correlate their academic programmes for harnessing the practical skills of the engineering students to emerge as “job providers rather than job seekers” to accomplish the most cherished drea of ‘Make in India, Start Up India and Digital India’.
Laying stress on the role of engineers as the “creators and innovators” for the overall well being of the society in the prevailing era of globalization, the Minister said the need of the hour is to make technological developments accessible to the needy and down-trodden regions of the country.
The Education Minister also spoke upon the science-society dynamics in the communication of science and technology and stressed upon the need for the participatory approach between the industry and the student community for spreading the scientific temper in the development of the global economy.
He emphasized upon the young students to come forward with creative thinking to strengthen the pace of technological development.
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat and Minister of State for Information, Education, Technical Education, Culture, Tourism, Horticulture, Floriculture and Parks, Priya Sethi also graced the occasion as the Guests of Honour.
Commissioner/Secretary Higher Education Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon was also present as Patron of the event while Dr Renu Goswami, Director Colleges attended the function as a Special Guest.
The Health Minister, Bali Bhagat in his address congratulated the Principal GCET for organizing such informative programmes for providing a platform to the amalgam of academicians, technocrats, researchers and students to exchange their knowledge and innovative ideas.
The Minister stressed upon the engineering fraternity to make innovative inventions for the betterment of the society. He said focused attention is being paid to upgrade the infrastructure in the collage. He hoped that the students would strive hard and bring laurels in the field of science and technology. He said the repair work of college road has been taken up and would be completed shortly.
Minister of State for Education, Priya Sethi, urged the young engineers to contribute in the process of employment generation by emerging as entrepreneurs in the nation-building process.
She said technology has a critical role to play in addressing each of the major challenges the world faces, yet it also poses significant economic and social risk. She said as we enter the fourth industrial revolution, it is vital that we develop shared nor and protocols to ensure that technology serves humanity and contributes to a prosperous and sustainable future.
Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon urged upon the Engineering institutions to forge collaborative alliances with the R&D institutions of the industry to harness the growth, creativity and the skills of young aspiring engineers.
Manish Tewari, AGM, Power Grid delivered the keynote address on renewable energy resources. He emphasized the need for innovative, efficient, pollution free and robust energy resources with minimum losses in view of the depleting conventional energy resources viz, fuel, coal etc.
In the second keynote address Kaustuv Roy stressed upon the engineers to work in the direction of driving the change and creating the new opportunities for low cost environment friendly, sustainable innovations in ter of technology to make the human lives easy and comfortable.
Earlier in her welcome address, Principal GCET, Dr Sameru Sharma highlighted that the purpose of organizing such events is to forge collaborative alliances amongst the amalgam of Academicians, Technocrats, Researchers, Students and Industry Professionals in addition to the exchange of knowledge about the latest developments in the field of Science & Technology.
She expressed her gratitude to IIT, Kharagpur, especially to Dr S S Pathak and his team for their collaboration and cooperation in organizing this event. She thanked all the dignitaries, participants from CPUs/PSUs, various organizations and Educational Institutions for accepting the invitation to this event.
The conference aimed to provide a common platform to create a connect between the academicians, students, researchers and industry experts to share their innovative ideas with a focus upon the areas of Advanced Software Processing, Renewable Energy and Construction Technology in view of the growing technological advancements in present competitive global world.
The two day conference comprises of the Invited talks, plenary talks by eminent speakers and resource persons followed by two technical parallel sessions for the contributed paper presentations.
In addition to this, the Conference also show cased an exhibition by reputed industries and companies such as PGCIL, NHPC, CVPP, KONKON, J&K Bank, BSNL, JKPCC, JKSPDC, SIEMENS, JKEDA, CADD Centre, Vioyant, Sterlite, Aptech,Toshiba.
The exhibition also marks the display of Innovative Projects/Working Models on theme topics by the participants. An added feature of the event was a Tech-Fest and Cultural Programme organized by the students of GCET.
On this occasion, the proceedings of the Conference were also released by the dignitaries.
Later the Ministers inaugurated the newly constructed Library Block of the College. The construction work of Library Block was completed at a cost of Rs 1.98 crore. 

‘Choose honest leader who’s a deep thinker, don’t jump and drown in river’

‘We have to change Lal-Chowk into Istaq Lal-Chowk’

Kashmir issue: We have drawn lines and sketch, only Indo-Pak need to add colour

‘Break walls, join hands, draft resolution to impress Indo-Pak for talks’

Srinagar: “I won’t speak in a traditional way today. This is not a plain talk, but a message to Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris—which also includes people of Jammu and Ladakh. Don’t read my speech in words or sentences, understand its pain and message,” this is how the former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Muslim Conference Chairman Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, opened up with his speech.

“Darkness is your candle”, Bhat quoted famous saying of Rumi, adding, here Rumi doesn’t talk about the light of moon or stars, he talks about understanding, and the light of mind.

“You won’t get anything if you don’t have deeper understanding of the situation,” he said relating it with the present Kashmir unrest and its future.

“It is the light of mind and faith. If you don’t have a deeper understanding where do you go? If you jump into a river, you will surely drown if you don’t know swimming. Everybody in Kashmir has now become a leader. There are all leaders around and no people. This has to end,” he said.

Bhat said people will have to choose the most honest, sincere person who has deeper understanding of things as their leader. “I will want capable people to come forward. I never shall contest elections. Even if Kashmir achieves freedom, I won’t choose power,” he said. 

Bhat said while addressing a jam-packed audience at his official residence here, before releasing his book “Beyond Me”. The audience mostly comprised educated class, thinkers, journalists, writers, academicians and lawyers.

Terming Kashmir as a foundation stone of darkness that has engulfed whole of the south-Asia, he said the line that was drawn by Cyril Radcliffe along with a representative of Congress and Muslim League, only to be redrawn later gave rise to the darkness in Kashmir, India and Pakistan, otherwise what was the need to redraw a line that was already drawn.

He said India entered into Kashmir with a roar of gun amidst the noises of democracy. “The collective soul of Kashmir was deeply wounded that time. Soul doesn’t shout slogans, but soul never forgets the lessons it is taught. So we vividly remember the lesson like sharp minded students we have been taught by none other than India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, that Kashmiris will be give a chance to decide their fate,” Bhat said, adding, even after 70 years Kashmiris have not forgotten the lesson and will never even forget.

“Kashmiris are very sharp minded people. I will say sharper than people of many regions around us. It is our (Kashmiris) sharp mindedness that we have been able to lock horns against the world’s second largest populous country,” he said.

He said, “We have to change Lal-Chowk into Istaq Lal Chowk. It is already lal (red), but we have to convert it into Istaq Lal Chowk where we will decide our fate,” said the senior Hurriyat leader.

Bhat said Kashmir is inexplicitly linked to the future of the whole south Asian region.

Senior Hurriyat Conference leader and Muslim Conference Chairman Professor Abdul Gani Bhat today said they have drawn the lines and the sketch and it is now India and Pakistan who have to add colour to this sketch, and start a meaningful and sustained dialogue process. “Start dialogue and we know how to guide you,” he said.

Asking people to raise one slogan… “We want dialogue, Hum Baat Cheet chahtey hain, masail ka hal chahtey hain aur Shaandar kal chahtey hai,” it will lead to togetherness and its message will flow from Kashmir,” he said.

He said he would want the leaders of all the recognised parties to break the walls of egos and join hands conjointly and draft a resolution to impress upon India and Pakistan to start a sustained dialogue process involving a third friendly country.

“This friendly county will play a vital role between India and Pakistan to sustain with the dialogue during the time of crisis between the two countries,” he said.

He said the worlds two big powers are in south Asia which have changed the dynamic of politics here. “America is in Afghanistan and China is in Pakistan,” he said, underscoring the need to understand the importance of these two countries in south Asia.

Bhat said there is not only an issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, but there is another rising issue of water, and its solution is also through Kashmir. (PTK)

JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik Shifted to Central Jail Srinagar

Srinagar: Chairman Jammu Kashmir liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik who was arrested by police yesterday has been shifted to central jail Srinagar. Immediately after arrest, JKLF chairman was taken to police control room hospital for necessary medical checkup and after wards late last night was shifted to central jail Srinagar on remand up to 16^thNovember 2016. Yasin Malik who was arrested by police on 8^th July 2016 was released on 29^th October 2016 after a 115 days of incarceration. Terming re-arresting of Muhammad Yasin Malik and other resistance leaders as worst kind of dictatorship under the disguise of so-called democracy, JKLF vice chairman Mushtaq Ahmad Ajmal said that curbing peaceful voice of people by arrests, nocturnal raids, curfew and restrictions cannot be termed but as worst dictatorship and choking space on peaceful activities actually amounts to denying democracy and freedom of speech. While condemning the house arrest of veteran resistance leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Muhammad Umer Farooq and disallowing Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, JKLF vice chairman said that the tall claims of democracy and battle of ideas have been exposed now as from last four months even Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid have been banned by so-called democratic rulers. He said that blanket ban on all peaceful political activities, arresting thousands of youth, resistance activists and students, continuing wave of destruction by Indian forces and police throughout Kashmir valley, nocturnal raids, beatings and humiliating common people are glaring example of duplicitous politics of pro-India politicians and parties in Jammu Kashmir. JKLF vice chairman said that various JKLF leaders and activists including ailing JKLF vice chairman advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, vice chairman Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal (Kotbalwal jail), ailing zonal senior vice president Muhammad Yasin Butt, zonal organizer Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, District president Ganderbal Bashir Ahmad Rather (Boya) , JKLF activists Fayaz Ahmad Mir of Ganderbal , Shabir Ahmad Ganaie of Kakapora Pulwama, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir of Kupwara, Assadullah Sheikh of Kulgam, Molvi Reyaz of Sopore, Muhammad Ishaaq Malik Kokernagh, sahib khan Trehgam , Ghulam Mohi Ud Din Kunanposhpora and  thousands of other innocents , youth and students are languishing in jails and police stations. He said that the spree of arrests, nocturnal raids and terrorizing peaceful political activists, leaders and their families is most undemocratic and act of unilateral violence and putting thousands of people behind bars and widespread use of black laws to suppress people’s voices has exposed the hollowness of the tall claims of democracy and battle of ideas.

Jammu: The ‘controversial’ statement of Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu Prof RD Sharma in which he reportedly opposed the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani has evoked strong reaction from various sections of society.While student organisations have demanded that the VC be sacked for, what they alleged, insulting security forces, other groups have brought the matter to the notice of Governor NN Vohra.The state unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today said that such irresponsible utterances amounted to humiliating the security forces fighting the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war in the Kashmir valley.

ABVP state secretary Varsha Jandial said such statements demoralised the spirit of the forces. She said the Vice Chancellor should not ignore the fact that Burhan’s fight against the state had motivated a large number of youths, including teenagers, to take up arms.Varsha said the separatist-sponsored shutdown had affected education as the schools, colleges and other educational institutions continued to remain shut in the Valley.“Vice Chancellorship is an official position and he has no right to raise question marks on the security forces. We urge the Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellor of the university to take action against the VC. He must be removed from his official position,” the ABVP maintained.Vikas Sharma, president, National Secular Forum, called the VC’s statement objectionable and against the popular nationalist sentiment of the countrymen.Sharma, in a statement issued, said the comment by the VC was politically motivated and asserted that his position did not allow him to make such an irresponsible comment.The Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Jammu, in a communication addressed to the Governor, a copy of which was also sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, has expressed concern over the Vice Chancellor’s statement.“It is a matter of highest concern for the CCI-J that Prof RD Sharma has said that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani should have been captured alive to avoid the unrest in the Kashmir Valley.“He also went to the extent of advising the government to resolve the ‘Kashmir problem’. We feel by using the words ‘Kashmir problem’, he has divided the state of J&K,” CCI president Rakesh Gupta said in the communiqué.“We lodge our strongest protest against such a statement by a public servant who should limit his action to the overall improvement of academics rather than deliberating upon what he termed as Kashmir problem,” he said.Condemning the recent utterance of the Vice Chancellor, the state BJP has said he brought disrepute to his profession and the position that he is holding.BJP state spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan said the Vice Chancellor has created doubts about his credentials as such a statement was not expected from an academician of his stature and it looks that he was playing in the hands of separatists and anti-national forces.The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has demanded immediate sacking of the Vice Chancellor for pursing an anti-national agenda.A VHP leader, Leela Karan Sharma, in a press conference, demanded action against the Vice Chancellor for supporting the forces which had launched a war against the country. (TNS)