Hurriyat leaders oppose sending Kashmiri kids to schools, But want the best for their own children

A few days ago, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had urged Kashmiri parents not to send their children to “goodwill” schools being run by the Army. The Hurriyat hawk had said: “For petty material gains, we are losing our next generation. The institutions run by Army are making our children indifferent towards their religion and specific culture.” Other separatists have been singing the same tune. However, the family members and children of many of such leaders have got the best education, are settled abroad and eventually leading a…

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Social Media ban? Politicians across Kashmir still lead a busy social media life

In spite of the state government imposing a ban on social media platforms, the who’s who of Kashmir continue to be able to post on Facebook and Twitter, including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. Tweets sent out three days ago by the youth wing president of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) about chief minister Mehbooba Mufti meeting young entrepreneurs would have been innocuous, had the situation been normal in Jammu and Kashmir. But the state has been under a social media ban since April 26, and Waheed-ru-Rehman Para’s 140-character…

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Resistance Group call for collective resistance to BJP ‘Onslaught’

Moderates, Hardliners share dais at Hurriyat seminar in Srinagar Sharing the dais after a long time, moderate and hardline separatist leaders of Kashmir today said “collective resistance” was the “only option left” for the people of Kashmir to “stop the onslaught” of the BJP and the RSS. This was the “bottom line” of almost every speech made today at a daylong seminar on “Resolution of Kashmir Issue — Prelude to Peace, Guarantee to Stability” organised by the Hurriyat faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Hardliner Syed Ali Geelani had also…

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Army Goodwill schools gaining popularity across Valley

Educational Institutions set up by the Army are gaining popularity among the people here as nearly 15,000 students are studying in these schools which continue to function smoothly despite uncertain atmosphere in the Valley. Established in 1983, the most prestigious school is Army Public School (APS), Srinagar. It is a part of a chain of 134 schools across the country that are run by the Army Welfare Education Society. The school has about 1,000 students, mostly locals, on its rolls. “The APS is primarily meant to provide education to the…

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Govt’s Social Media ban goes for a toss as netizens turn to VPN

The month-long ban imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir government on social media applications and internet sites to curb the unrest in the Valley has come a cropper with almost everyone accessing these platforms using Virtual Private Networks. The state’s Home department, through an order issued on April 26, had banned 22 social media applications and sites, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in a vain bid to curb the street protests in Kashmir. “In the interest of maintenance of public order, the government hereby directs all internet service providers that…

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South Kashmir residents accused security forces of ransacking property

The residents blamed the Army and the police for using force to disperse protesting villagers Residents of south Kashmir’s Heff and Shirmal villages on Wednesday accused the Army and police of ransacking their houses during a cordon-and-search operation on Wednesday. Even as the search was in progress, they protested and blamed the security forces for manhandling relatives of youths, who have joined militancy. The operation continued for several hours before it was called off. The residents blamed the Army and the police for using force to disperse protesting villagers. The…

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Srinagar-Qazigund stretch of highway to be completed by Sep 2017

Minister for Public Works Naeem Akhtar today said that the prestigious Srinagar-Qazigund four-lane highway will be thrown open for traffic by the September of this year and it will usher in a new era of prosperity and development. The Minister was speaking to people while inspecting the work on the project. The Minister was accompanied by Chief Engineer R&B, Regional Director NHA1, representatives of Ramky and other officials. The Minister was informed that the project earlier expected to be completed in 2016 was delayed due to the deteriorating law and…

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Stop wrong portrayal of Kashmir; Mehbooba to Media

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday again launched a scathing attack on New Delhi-based news channels for “presenting a scary picture” of the happenings in Kashmir and asked them to stop “wrong portrayal” of the situation. “What is shown on TV channels about Kashmir is not true. They show a scary picture but that’s not a reality. When tourists watch TV here, they are in a disbelief that is it the same Kashmir they are visiting,” Mehbooba said, addressing a gathering at a national-level symposium “Livestock Resources…

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Students stopped from taking march triggers fresh clashes in Srinagar

Stone-pelting students of a college in old Srinagar on Wednesday clashed with the security forces after they were stopped from taking out a march to press for release of those arrested during earlier such protests. Stone-pelting students of a college in old Srinagar on Wednesday clashed with the security forces after they were stopped from taking out a march to press for release of those arrested during earlier such protests. The students of Gandhi College boycotted their classes and came out on the main road at Babademb in downtown city…

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