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  • Day after voting ends in JK, NC Sarpaches shot dead in Anantnag

    Srinagar: Unknown gunmen shot dead a Sarpanch of ruling National Conference at Wanpoo area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district Thursday evening, official sources told GNS.

    They said that at least two suspected militants barged inside the shop of Gul Mohammad Bhat (70) son of Abdul Ganie Bhat at main Bazar Wanpoo at around 06:15 pm. “The gunmen shot him from point blank range inside his shop,” they said.

    Gul, a resident of Wanpoo Village was shifted to district Hospital; however, the doctors attended on him referred him to Srinagar for specialized treatment.

    “He had received two bullets in his chest and due to the gravity of the injury we referred him to Srinagar”, a doctor attended Gul told GNS.

    As Gul was being rushed to Srinagar, he breathed his lost near Awantipora, a police official said.

    The killing comes a day after five phased Parliamentary election came to an end in Kashmir Valley.

    Prior to election, at-least three sarpanches and a numerdar (village head) were killed in south Kashmir last month.

    Meanwhile, Army, Special Operation Group of Police and CRPF cordoned off the area and launched the hunt to nab the suspected militants. (GNS)

  • One more facebook page admin arrested

    Srinagar: Police continuing with its investigations, regarding the mushroom growth of pages on social networking sites spreading false and concocted stories to vitiate law and order, Thursday arrested one more facebook page admin, a police statement said.

    “The admin hails from Srinagar and is simultaneously running multiple pages to spread fake news to create a charged atmosphere to foment trouble,” the statement added.

    Pertinently, police had arrested a facebook page admin two days ago claiming he was posting false and concocted news on social networking site.

    Police has identified a number of facebook pages and investigation is on about their admins.

  • Governor reviews security related arrangements

    Srinagar:  A high level meeting was held at Raj Bhavan here today under the chairmanship of  N. N. Vohra, Governor J&K, who is also Chairman, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, to review all Security related arrangements for the Shri Amarnathji Yatra which is scheduled to commence on28th June 2014, simultaneously from both the Baltal and Chandanwari routes. The discussions involved the seniormost officers of the Civil, Police, Central armed Police, Military and Intelligence organizations.

    The meeting held detailed discussions in regard to issues relating to the general security environment in the State, preparedness for meeting any unforeseen situation arising in the Yatra area; functioning of the Joint Control Rooms at every Yatra Camp; linking up Joint Control Rooms with the MET Department and the District Disaster Management Units;  deployment of Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) of the State Police at identified locations on both the Yatra routes; deployment of well equipped Fire Fighting Force teams at pre determined points; installation of X-Ray Baggage Scanning units at appropriate locations on both the Yatra routes; Access Control Arrangements at Neelgrat, Panjtarni and Pahalgam helipads; etc.

    The meeting also discussed the enforcement of an effective Access Control System at the Baltal and Nunwan Base Camps and at the Domel and Chandanwari Access Control Gates; effective traffic regulation from Lakhanpur Check Post onwards; ATC arrangements for the heli-services from the Pahalgam and Baltal to Panjtarni.

    The Governor directed DGP and Divisional Administration to effectively enforce regulatory mechanisms and ensure that only those Yatris who possessed valid Yatra Permits were allowed to undertake the Yatra on the date and by the route for which they had procured prior registration. The meeting also discussed the specific measures which would be enforced for ensuring rapid and unhindered movement of validly registered Yatris from the point of their entry into the State, to the Holy Cave, to ensure against their facing any avoidable inconvenience.

    The Governor emphasized on all the involved agencies and departments to maintain close co-ordination to ensure an incident free Yatra. He asked the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to undertake regular reviews of the arrangements being made for the Yatra.

    Maj. General S.T. Upasani, GOC Victor Force, made a detailed presentation on the present status of snow accumulation in the Yatra Camps and along both the Yatra routes, measures being taken for Disaster Preparedness and Action Plan to secure the entire Yatra area.

    The meeting was attended by     M. I. Khanday, Chief Secretary;   Ashok Prasad, Director General of Police, J&K;  Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh, GOC, Hqrs. 15 Corps;  K. Rajendra, Special Director General of Police, J&K;   Rakesh K. Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; Maj. Gen. S.T. Upasani, GOC, Victor Force;  Shailendra Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir;   K.S Bhandari, IGP, CRPF, J&K;  P. S. Sandhu, IG, BSF, Kashmir; Group Captain J.S. Mann, Station Commander, Air Force Station, Srinagar; Dr. B. Srinivas, IGP, CID, J&K;  A. G. Mir, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Srinagar; officers representing the Central Intelligence Agencies and  Preet Pal Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. (GNS)

  • Polling aftermath: Voters thrashed, stripped

    Srinagar: A day after polls concluded in north Kashmir with 39.06 percent polling in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, several people who casted their vote, were thrashed and stripped by youth in twin towns of Baramulla district.

    Eyewitnesses and reports said that the youth at volatile Old Town Baramulla and Sopore Bus Stand were seen stopping vehicles from remote areas like Uri, Kupwara and other places were asked to show index fingers.

    “Those who had blue ink mark on their index finger were thrashed and many others were thrashed,” an eyewitness, insisting not to be named from Azad Gunj Old Town Baramulla, told GNS. Another eyewitness from Sopore said: “The glasses of around 10 vehicles of Kupwara were smashed by youth and people who had casted vote were thrashed in Bus Stand and Iqbal Market.”

    The vehicles of Uri – which recorded 65.42 percent polling – pass from Baramulla town while the vehicles from of Kupwara district – which recorded 69.29 percent polling – pass through Sopore. Lowest turnout was recorded from Sopore segment with 1.02 polling percentage.

    “Groups of youth thrashed scores of people at Cement Bridge Baramulla, Azad Gunj, Tawheed Gunj who were coming from Rafiabad, Khadniyar and Handwara,” another eyewitness said, adding index fingers of many women were also checked.

    The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) North Kashmir, G.H. Bhat told GNS: “A vehicle from Kupwara was stopped in Sopore and that was checked by youth. After checking the vehicle, there was thrashing incident. Police reached the spot and they were chased away.”

    He said that another incident was reported from Azad Gunj area of Baramulla but no one was thrashed. “But we controlled the situation and everything is alright now,” he added.

    Sopore and Old Town are the bastions of pro-freedom movement and Syed Ali Shah Geelani has huge following at both the places. Both the towns are out of reach for pro-India politicians as both the towns are prone to anti-India protests and clashes. The polling stations for Lok Sabha polls were shifted from Old Town due to security concerns. Both towns adhered to boycott call of pro-freedom leadership and held anti-election protests.  (GNS)

  • Tourist killed, 3 others rescued as boat capsizes in Phalgam

    Srinagar: A tourist was killed and three others were rescued after their rafting boat capsized during rafting in Palhalgam resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday.

    A police officer told GNS that four members of a family from Gujarat were rafting in Pahalgam and suddenly the boat overturned. “All the four members fell into the rushing water. The recue team immediately swung into the action and rescued three of them while Harsha, 57, wife of Mahendra Singh, was hit by a stone and fell unconscious inside the river,” he said.

    She was immediately evacuated to nearby hospital where she succumbed due to grave head injuries, the official said.

    Meanwhile, police have registered a case and an FIR has been lodged in this regard. (GNS)

  • Shutdown, clashes in Sopore town

    Srinagar: A spontaneous shutdown was observed in north Kashmir’s Sopore town amid violent clashes between youth and government forces on Thursday against violent incidents on poll day.

    Scores of youth were injured in volatile Sopore town on Wednesday evening soon after the polling concluded for Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency. A youth had sustained critical injuries after forces opened fire to disperse the stone-throwing youth in the town.

    Since early morning, youth at several places in the town took to streets and held anti-India protests. Eyewitnesses told GNS that youth resorted to intense stone-pelting on police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personals.

    The forces, in return, chased away youth and resorted to intense tear smoke shelling which created tense situation in the town.

    The shops, schools, commercial establishments remained shut in the town with very less movement of transport. In the afternoon, there was curfew like situation in the town.

    However, no one was reported injured in the clashes. (GNS)

  • Growing Up Amid Guns and Grenades in Kashmir

    By Snober Binti Zahoor

    Couple of bomb blasts in Srinagar — the summer capital of Indian Kashmir – in late 1980s had heralded the beginning of a deadly and a protracted anti-India rebellion in the Valley of tall mountains, lush green meadows and crystal clear waters.

    On a lazy summer afternoon, my mother told me several years after my birth, the Indian security forces had locked up Kashmir, as the insurgency had caught them unawares. Imposing curfews that would continue for days together had become a routine. On that afternoon, she told me that all the populace had been locked up in their homes, the hustle bustle of the otherwise busy downtown Srinagar had given way to ghostly silence.

    Moments later, government forces barged into our house at Habba Kadal; the men were taken out for an identification parade while women were frisked in their homes. They checked every nook and corner of our ancestral house. My mother was carrying me inside her womb, and lady police constables even touched her belly to confirm that she was not hiding any ammunition. That was the picture of Kashmir exhibited to me before I came into this world.

    In the West, parents tell bedtime stories and sing lullabies to their children so that they get pleasant dreams and think beautifully about the life they are living, but I grew up hearing the stories of repression and oppression, brutality, injustice and torture, all my life…And just like every second Kashmiri, I witnessed it first hand too…

    My elders would narrate stories regarding strikes and curfews and how government forces barged into houses and frisked people and many a times hit them at will … all I heard all along was the stories of pain and tyranny which had touched all and sundry in this vale of Kashmir, which poets and emperors had called ‘a paradise on earth’.

    We moved to press colony in the heart of the city when I joined school. Initially, it seemed fun as you could get everything downstairs. As kids you couldn’t have asked for more than a market where you could buy your favourite chocolates, ice creams and candies. I used to have ice creams all day with my siblings at the café shops that used to be full of people enjoying with their friends and family.

    I was just following my daily routine after school when I went out to buy softy for my younger brother and myself. The market was abuzz with shoppers and traffic was plying normally. After buying an ice cream I started walking towards my home while my brother was walking just a few steps behind me. Suddenly I heard the sound of a massive blast. People starting running helter-skelter, the shopkeepers started downing their shutters and buses sped off.

    I turned to look for my brother and all I could see was clouds of smoke coming out from the café I had bought my ice cream from. I was not able to find my brother as smoke had engulfed the whole area. Tears started coming out of my eyes. First I thought that it was because I was worried for my brother who was too small to fend for himself, but then I realized I was breathing in the tear gas.

    I had not even heard about that gas till that time but now I was feeling the punch. I don’t know who fired that tear gas canister and why they fired it at all. I didn’t even try to inquire about that because in this part of the world, where human lives are not even worth a dime, things change fast just like autumn weather.

    A moment later I saw my brother and we ran back home and our worried parents told us to close all the doors and windows lest the tear gas smoke gets in the house. On that day I got to know what this tear gas was, as my dad explained to me how government forces use it to their advantage in various situations.

    On that very day, I came face-to-face with tragedies Kashmir has been offering to its residents for decades now, and at that very moment my journey with unusual tragedies in Kashmir began.

    Snober Bint Shora studied philosophy at the University of Kashmir

     

     

  • Kashmir fears sharp decline in almond production

    Inclement April weather, intermittent rains played spoilsport

    Srinagar: Inclement weather and intermittent rains Kashmir Valley received last month have badly affected the almond crop in Kashmir raising concerns about reduction in its production. Farmers from various areas of the Kashmir Valley complained that they feared sharp decline in the almond production given the massive scale of loss the almond crop had suffered due to intermittent rains. Pertinently, officials last month had confirm massive loss to the almond crop due to continued rains. Officials said that during 2013-14, Valley recorded almond production of 9558 MT, “but this year as per the estimates the production won’t go beyond 4500 MT.” Muhammad Ismail, an orchard owner from Pulwama said: “Rains have wreaked havoc with my almond orchards. I fear sharp decline in the production.” “I had high expectations that by selling this year’s produce I will repay loans and other debts, but now I feel nature’s wrath has spoiled my plans,” he said. Shabir Ahmad, a grower from Central Kashmir also feared huge losses suggesting that the state government needed to provide relief to the affected orchard owners. Director Horticulture, Sonam Narboo confirmed that the almond crop has suffered heavy damage due to inclement weather this year and production could be less by 50 per cent. “We had high expectation that this year the almond production will be good, but untimely rains damaged the almond flower blossoms,” he said.Narboo said that rains washed away the blossoms from the trees affecting the development of the fruit. He said team of Horticulture department will assess the losses and submit the report to higher authorities for further necessary action. President, Parimpora Fruit Mandi Bashir Ahmad said that almonds are mostly consumed in the Valley as the demand of this dry fruit is good in the summer capital. “But apart from local consumption we also export almonds to states like Delhi, Mumbai and is even traded via LoC route,” he said. Pertinently, Kashmir almonds are known for their quality superiority and taste and are very popular with the consumers across the globe. Almond trees with flower blossoms give present an enchanting sight during spring in Kashmir.

     

  • Evening clashes rock Baramulla, Sopore, 25 injured

    ‘2 persons sustained bullet wounds’

    Srinagar: At least 25 persons including polling staff, policemen and paramilitary CRPF personnel were injured during late evening clashes at several parts of north Kashmir.

    Sources told GNS said that dozens of buses carrying poll staff and paramilitaries were attacked by protesters with stones at Arampura, Amargadh, Zaingeer, Seelu, Noorbagh, Dangerpora, Sangrahama, Main Chowk areas of Sopore and Azad Gung, Delina, Dangiwatchi areas of Baramulla and Papchan Kaloosa, Wangam, Shahgund, Sumbal, and Qazipora areas of Bandipora. “Over 30 vehicles suffered damage in the attack”.

    Forces deployed in these areas and the security men guarding the polling staff opened fire and fired tear gas shells to disperse the agitated mob, they said.

    In the firing incident at Arampura and Main Chowk in Sopore, two persons sustained bullet wounds in their legs, they said.

    Both the injured men were shifted to SDH Sopore where their condition is said to be stable, they said.

    “A Sub-Inspector of Police, Incharge SHO Sopore Afaq Ahmad, his PSO Mukhtar Ahmad, a civilian Hilal Ahmad and five CRPF men were injured in the stone hurling attacks”, official sources told GNS.

    Similar clashes were also reported from Baramulla areas which include Delina, Azad Gung, Palhallan and several other volatile parts connecting Baramulla- Srinagar National High way.

    “More than 15 polling officials and CRPF men received injuries during the stone throwing attacks in these areas”, sources said.

    Fearing any major trouble, authorities immediately called reinforcement of CRPF and SOG to the volatile areas of Sopore, Baramulla and Bandipora for smooth ferrying of polling staff to their destinations.

  • Where Traffic Jam is a Metaphor of peace

    By: Shadab Bashir    Editorial Kashmir Thoughts

    With the arrival of spring Kashmir is looking tremendously beautiful, visitors are coming in hordes from different part of the world. Hoteliers, Shikara-walas, Shawl-walas, and many more can be seen haggling with holiday-makers. Serpentine queues of vehicles are giving tough time to drivers and passengers, but probably this is the only place in the entire world where traffic jam is a metaphor and analogy of peace for politicians and for those who are at the helm of affairs.

    Our politicians have entirely different parameters of defining peace. Performing elections on gun point, imposing curfew after killing a youth, arranging concerts for a musician like Zubin Mehta, and caging the sentiments of those who remind them of history; all these things are a “peace process” for them.

    Perhaps, surprisingly external and internal mechanism of a so-called peace process complicates the prevalent situation of Kashmir. They release white pigeons in air as a symbol of peace, but at the same time they train their guns and trigger-out bullets on common Kashmiris. Both the things cannot be tolerated, and it is really a hypocritical approach.

    One can analyze that they do not what permanent peace with dignity rather they long for a silence that too for a limited time. And as far as local politicians are concerned, they do not probably have any misconception about Kashmir problem yet they want to create illusions. They try their all potential of politics to please their bosses at New Delhi.

    It is an unguided debate swirling around Kashmir that why Omer Abdullah as a Chief Minister is not colliding head-on with New Delhi to revoke draconian laws like AFSPA and work of the betterment and dignity of Kashmiri people. Perhaps, in reality, destabilization of Kashmir valley continues and Muftis or Abdullahs are quite powerless to stop it.