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  • Soldier’s body found more than 8 months after snow avalanche in Gulmarg

    Baramulla: Body of a soldier was recovered in Gulmarg on Saturday, more than eight months after he was swept away by a snow avalanche along the Line of Control in the area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

    Official sources told GNS that the body of the soldier Rajinder Singh of Army 11 Gadwal was recovered at Roshni 1st post Gumarg along the LoC today. The soldier, they said, was missing since January 8 this year after coming under snow avalanche.

    “The body is being brought to police station Gulmarg for further necessary action,” the officials added. (GNS)

  • Happy Independence Day to all: Sajad Lone

    Happy Independence Day to all. Hope we stop customising independence. There cannot be a ‘one size fits all’ concept of independence. Independence is defined by it vastness. By differentness not sameness. @sajadlone

  • PM Modi: Jammu and Kashmir to soon go for polls, delimitation process underway

    ANI

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the ‘delimitation process’ is underway in Jammu and Kashmir and added that polls will be conducted soon in the Union Territory.

    “Delimitation process is underway in Jammu and Kashmir. Once it is completed, an election will be held in the Union Territory. Jammu and Kashmir will have its own chief minister and ministers. We are committed to this,” he said while delivering his seventh consecutive Independence Day speech from the iconic Red Fort.

    “This one year is a year of the new journey of development for Jammu and Kashmir. This one year is the year of the rights received by the women and the Dalits in Jammu and Kashmir. This one year is also the year of a life of dignity for the refugees in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Prime Minister said.

    Referring to the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers, Prime Minister Modi has said that “our troops gave a befitting reply to the enemies”.

    “India is united in protecting its sovereignty,” he added.

  • Nishan-e-Pakistan Award conferred upon Syed Ali Shah Geelani

    GEO TV

    President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi conferred Nishan-e-Pakistan Award upon former chairman of Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani on its Independence Day.

    The prestigious award was received by Hurriyat leaders at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on behalf of Geelani. In his message, President Alvi stated that the country was observing it as the “Kashmir Solidarity Day”. Public and private buildings as well as streets bazaars and markets have been profusely illuminated. National flags, buntings, portraits of founding fathers, posters and banners are also seen everywhere as part of the celebration of Independence Day.

  • India believes in peace but also capable of giving befitting response to any attempt of aggression, says Prez in veiled message to China

    File Photo

    PTI

    New Delhi: In a veiled message to China amid the border standoff, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday asserted that while India believes in peace it is also capable of giving a befitting response to any attempt of aggression as he said “some in our neighbourhood” tried to carry out “misadventure of expansion”.

    In his address to the nation on the eve of the 74th Independence Day, Kovind also spoke about the ‘Aatmanirbhar’ initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allayed fears of foreign investors saying India’s self-reliance means being self-sufficient without alienating or creating distance from the world, with which it would continue to engage.

    Touching upon the COVID-19 pandemic, Kovind said the nation is indebted to doctors, nurses and other health workers who have been continuously on the forefront of the fight against the disease which has disrupted all activities world over and taken a huge toll.

    He also complimented the Modi government, noting it is very reassuring to note that the Centre while anticipating the tremendous challenge responded effectively and well in time. “For a country so vast and diverse with high population density, meeting this challenge requires super-human efforts.”

    Without taking China’s name, the President said “while the world community needs to fight together against the greatest challenge(COVID-19) before humanity, some in our neighbourhood tried to carry out their misadventure of expansion.”

    He saluted the brave soldiers who laid down their lives defending the country’s borders.

    “Those worthy sons of ‘Bharat Mata’ lived and died for national pride. The entire nation salutes the martyrs of Galwan Valley. Every Indian feels grateful to their family members,” he said. Twenty personnel of the Indian army were killed during clashes with the Chinese PLA in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15.

    “Their bravery in combat has demonstrated that while we believe in peace, we are also capable of giving a befitting response to any attempt of aggression. We are proud of the members of our Armed Forces, paramilitary forces and police personnel who protect the borders, and ensure our internal security.

    The President also said construction of the temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya “was indeed a moment of pride for all”. Prime Minister Modi performed the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ for the Ram temple on August 5.

    “People of the country maintained restraint and patience for a long time and reposed unflinching trust in the judicial system. The issue of Ram Janmabhoomi was resolved through judicial process. “

    All concerned parties and the people respectfully accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court and displayed before the world, Indian ethos of peace, non-violence, love and harmony, he said.

  • Air India sends termination letters to 48 pilots

    Pilots have been given an equivalent of one month’s salary, according to sources.

    Air India has served termination letters to 48 pilots, weeks after the airline asserted on social media that no employees would be laid off.

    It is reliably learnt that Air India tendered termination letters to several pilots on Thursday evening.

    The termination comes into immediate effect and “you will stand released from the services of the company w.e.f close of office of August 13,” the carrier has said. A copy of one such letter was reviewed by The Hindu.

    Pilots have been given an equivalent of one month’s salary, according to sources.

    “You would appreciate that the Company is already severely strained financially. Further, the global pandemic COVID-19 has resulted in extraordinary and exceptional circumstances by gravely reducing the commercial functioning of the company leading to redundancies. The company is incurring huge net losses and doesn’t have the financial ability to pay,” the letter informed the pilots.

    In some cases these letters informed employees that an earlier resignation offered by them in 2019, but later withdrawn, was being accepted by the company even though the revocation of the resignation letter was okayed by the airline.

    In other cases, the pilots had submitted their resignation letters six months back, but their resignations had not been accepted by the Chairman and Managing Director.

    On July 23, following a high-level meeting, Air India had announced on Twitter, “unlike other carriers which have laid off large number of their employees, no employee of Air India will be laid off”.

    The move comes at a time the government’s second attempt to privatise the carrier is underway, and the deadline for submission of Expression of Interest by bidders has been extended to August 31.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • LAC standoff | Completing disengagement will require reciprocal actions, says India

    India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri meets PLA Major General Ci Guowei in Beijing and brief him on “India’s stance vis-à-vis the situation on the borders in eastern Ladakh”.

    India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri held talks with China’s top military body, the Central Military Commission (CMC), in Beijing on Friday, amid an acknowledgement from Delhi that completing the stalled disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would require “reciprocal actions” from both sides.

    While it is unclear what “actions” the PLA has demanded from India, the Chinese side has so far rebuffed India’s demand for a return to the status quo ante prior to this summer’s tensions that saw multiple transgressions and the Chinese military establishing positions on India’s side of the LAC.

    The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remains present on India’s side of the LAC on the north bank of Pangong Lake, has continued to obstruct India’s patrols in the Depsang plains, and has not diluted its build-up in several other areas, according to officials.

    Five rounds of Corps Commander-level talks have been held so far, while the situation in Depsang was discussed at Major General-level talks on August 8.

    On Friday, Mr. Misri met with PLA Major General Ci Guowei, who is director of the CMC’s Office of International Military Cooperation, and “briefed him on India’s stance vis-à-vis the situation on the borders in eastern Ladakh”, according to the Indian Embassy in Beijing. The CMC is responsible for the overall administration of the armed forces, and the Office of International Military Cooperation, one of 15 departments, is responsible for external engagement. The CMC is headed by President Xi Jinping.

    This followed Mr. Misri’s meeting on Wednesday with a Communist Party official, Liu Jianchao, who is Deputy Director of the Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission. The Embassy similarly said the ambassador had “briefed him on India’s stance vis-à-vis the situation on the borders in eastern Ladakh”.

    The outreach to the CMC and the Party’s foreign affairs commission — the Foreign Ministry in Beijing is the usual interlocutor for foreign diplomats — came against the backdrop of the five rounds of Corps Commander-level talks failing to break the stalemate, with the MEA saying on Friday further meetings were likely in the near future to take forward a “complex” process.

    MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said both sides “have agreement on broad principles of disengagement and based on it, some progress had been earlier made.”

    “I must add that translating these principles on ground is a complex process that requires re-deployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the LAC,” he said. “It is natural that this can be done only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions. While we would like the ongoing disengagement process to be completed at the earliest, it is important to bear in mind that achieving this requires agreed actions by both sides. We therefore expect that the Chinese side to sincerely work with us towards the objective of complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas as agreed by the Special Representatives.”

    “This is also necessary and essential,” Mr. Srivastava said, “in the context of overall development of our bilateral relationship.”

  • Delhi | 13-year-old girl raped by neighbour

    PTI

    New Delhi: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour when she went outside to relieve herself in southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar area, police said on Friday.

    The police have arrested the 18-year-old man.

    The incident took place on Thursday, they said.

    The girl, a class IX student at a government school, was taken to a hospital for medical examination, a senior police officer said.

    The father of the minor told the police that the incident took place when his daughter had gone outside the jhuggi to relieve herself.

    Her neighbour and one of his friends took her behind the bushes, where the 18-year-old raped her. Later, the accused fled the spot, the officer said.

    A case of rape and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has been registered at Sarita Vihar police station. Police have also apprehended the friend of the neighbour and is verifying his role in the incident, they said.

    The victim said she can identify her neighbour’s friend by face, police added.

  • COVID-19: 125 doctors, 89 paramedics from GMC Srinagar test positive for deadly virus so far

    Srinagar: The frontline Covid-19 warriors have also transmitted the deadly virus as figures reveal at least 125 doctors and 89 paramedics from Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and its associated hospitals have tested positive for novel disease so far since March this year.

    A senior official at GMC Srinagar told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that till date, 129 doctors and 89 paramedics have been tested positive for Covid-19. “People should understand that not even frontline Covid warriors and doctors are safe from the virus. We request people to take precautions by wearing masks and maintaining hygiene etc,” he said, wishing not to be named.

    He said that if more doctors and paramedics test positive, there will be no one to treat patients which ultimately would lead to a disaster. Pertinently, health workers have been continuously blaming the government for exposing them to the coronavirus by not providing them with the adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) kits.

    A doctor at SMHS told KNO that the government must take each and every step in order to keep medical staff safe. “If health workers collapse, the health system can’t function and patients will suffer,” he said. As already reported by the KNO, a total of 600 health workers have tested positive for the virus so far across Kashmir.

    Two doctors, one each from Gurez, Bandipora and Pampore, Pulwama lost their lives due to Covid-19. Notably, there are over 27000 positive cases of Covid-19 in J&K and over 520 persons have died who were tested positive for the deadly virus—(KNO)

  • Advisory council? BJP says ‘Not against any move which connects people & Govt’

    Srinagar: A week after the appointment of Manoj Sinha as the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Jammu and Kashmir and with the reports that advisory council may be formed in the Union territory to start the political process, the BJP Friday said that they are not against any decision which connects people and the government.

    “BJP is not against any decision which connects people and the government. I cannot say that the advisory council will be formed. Discussions do happen, but yes our part wants that there must be some initiative to connect with the people,” Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh told news agency KINS over phone.

    Singh said that public reach out is important to start the political process in Jammu and Kashmir. “We believe that the political activity must carry forward in Jammu and Kashmir. We are hopeful that LG Manoj Sinha will soon take a decision to create such a link where common people can be reached,” he said.

    It is not possible to restore the political process if we could not reach the public. “People’s trust in the government should be restored, people’s trust is necessary. For that, LG Sinha should create such a link where people can list their problems and the government addresses them,” the BJP leader said.

    At present, there are four advisors to the L-G , Kewal Kumar Sharma, Farooq Khan, Rajeev Bhatnagar and Baseer Ahmed Khan. All of them are civil servants and were appointed during G.C. Murmu’s tenure.

    These advisers to the L-G are powerful postings and they act as the in-charge of many departments to execute development works.

    BJP sources said that one of the grievances against Murmu was that he was more or less bureaucratic in his functioning, and he rarely met people to know about their issues.

    Sources in J&K BJP said senior leaders have apprised the LG Sinah of all these issues.

    Nirmal Singh further told KINS that the first step to restore normalcy in J&K is initiating dialogue with political parties, which can facilitate desired results.

    He said that the delimitation process should be sped up and before thinking of holding elections in the UT, everyone should be approached to listen to their concerns, he added.

    He said that the BJP leadership has assured party workers in Kashmir Valley that they would be provided security by the administration following recent attacks on village-level leaders by militants.

    Five BJP leaders were killed and two others critically injured in separate attacks in the valley over the past one month.

    Pertinent to mention here that It is now two years that J&K is without a political government.

    The PDP-BJP coalition government was the last political government of the state of Jammu and Kashmir – now split into two Union Territories. The government fell after the BJP withdrew its support to the PDP on June 18, 2018.(KINS)