JK pins hope on Modi visit, awaits major economic package

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to Jammu and Kashmir has rekindled hopes for a much awaited economic package being announced this time. Modi is arriving on a day-long visit to the state on November 7 and will have a busy schedule. He will address the first-ever Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Srinagar. This is also Modi’s first visit to the Kashmir Valley since the present PDP-BJP alliance took office here on March 1. He will inaugurate the 450-MW second phase of the Baglihar power project…

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‘Innocents suffer with the guilty’: How Delhi Police Special Cell ruined young Kashmiri lives

A report prepared by Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association looks at cases of youth arrested on terror charges, tortured, jailed and eventually acquitted by courts. Sumegha Gulati On September 12, 2006, Parvez Ahmed Radoo left home in Sopore, a hotbed of militancy for decades, to return to his university in Pune. A postgraduate in zoology, Radoo had received a scholarship to pursue a PhD in South Korea. He was to catch a connecting flight to Pune to appear for his TOEFL exam when he was arrested at the international airport by…

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South Kashmir shuts to mourn death of Lashkar commander Abu Qasim

Life has been paralysed in south Kashmir due to a spontaneous shutdown to mourn the death of Lashkar commander Abu Qasim on Friday. All shops and other business establishments are closed while attendance is thin in government offices in Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir. Roads are wearing a deserted look as public transport is off the roads. No separatist organization has called for a shutdown today. Thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of Qasim at Bugam village in Kulgam district yesterday. Qasim, according to police, was…

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KCCI submits memo to govt

The Kashmir Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has submitted a memorandum to the government for the promotion of businesses in various sectors. In a statement issued here today, the KCCI secretary general Faiz Ahmad Bakshi said the memorandum was presented to Industries Minister Chander Prakash Ganga and his deputy Mohammad Ashraf Mir during a meeting held here yesterday. KCCI president Mushtaq Ahmad Wani said the memorandum pointed out that the Valley was yet to benefit from the Centre’s Cluster Development Programme. The industry body demanded setting up of clusters…

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Vaishno Devi shrine bags ‘Best Managed Religious Destination’ award

Recognising various initiatives taken by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in continually improving the pilgrimage, the CNBC-AWAAZ, a Hindi business news channel, has awarded the Shrine Board with ‘Best Managed Religious Destination Award’ for 2015. “This is for the third time that Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has bagged the CNBC-AWAAZ Travel Award. Earlier, the Board had received this award in 2011 and 2013. This year CNBC-AWAAZ Travel Awards were presented by the Chhattisgarh Government,” said an official spokesperson of the board. The Shrine Board has been…

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FIFA U-17 World Cup: Ex-Olympian sees hope in Kashmir valley youth

With the football lovers upbeat over India hosting its maiden FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, former Olympian and football great SS Hakeem today said he was hopeful that Valley youth would get selected to for the marquee event. Hakeem, who was part of the Indian team that participated in 1960 Rome Olympics, also said “much more football” was being played in Kashmir than in other parts of the country. “There is much more football in Kashmir than anywhere else in the country. I have high hopes that selectors will…

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Quietly, a piece of Kashmir culture withers away

Kani Shawls dying a slow & sure death As is so imminent in every sense, Kashmir is known for its art and crafts. Be it papier mâché, wood work, stone carving, metal work or the traditional shawl weaving and embroidery work, the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the local populace has been globally lauded. Kanihama, a small village on Srinagar-Gulmarg highway is the serene abode of Kani Shawls, a craft which demands patience, practice and great amount of skill in order to write mastery over a piece of special cloth. The…

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Three south Kashmir districts lay claim over Abu Qasim’s body

People from three districts of south Kashmir are laying claim over the body of Abu Qasim who died in a gunfight with government forces last night. Thousands of people who participated in the funeral prayers of Qasim at Bugam village in Kulgam district have so far failed to evolve at a consensus over the custody of Lashkar militant’s body, said a witness. He said delegations of people from Kakapora in Pulwama, Khudwani in Kulgam and other areas want the body to be buried in their villages. The basis of the…

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Mufti’s statement a beautiful joke: Hurriyat (G)

Hurriyat (G) Thursday termed the statement of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that he wants to change destiny of the people of Kashmir and  didn’t like putting people behind bars, as a beautiful joke, Hurriyat Conference (G) said it was just a lip service of Mufti sahib. Hurriyat (G) said the actual situation is contrary to what is being said and the destiny of the people is day by day diminishing under the attacks of Sangh Parivar. “The real leadership of Kashmiri people is being silenced either by house arrest…

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Hydropower can raise state’s economic status: Lone

Minister for Science and Technology and Animal Husbandry Sajad Gani Lone today said the hydropower sector had the potential to raise the state’s economic status. “The hydropower sector has a huge potential. If we can apply ourselves professionally we can easily supersede the tourism sector,” the minister after inaugurating the Energy Bhawan at Bemina here. Lone said the agro-climatic conditions in J&K were so good that a lot could be gained from the sector. “Our state has the potential to fulfill the energy demand and supply gap,” he added. Terming…

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