Kashmir Business facing tough times : Javid Amin (CEO – Kashmir eServices)

Javid Amin is a personality of multi-talents and has been among the pioneers of bringing the IT world especially website related paradigms to Kashmir. He is also associated with travel business and running his own media initiatives (Press as well Online) . In an exclusive interview he talks to Rameez Makhdoomi. You started developing websites as early as 2000, How was the experience like? Well it is a quite pertinent question and to be frank enough back then some more than 16 years ago not just websites the whole Information technology…

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Braid Chopping claims in Kashmir spark mass panic and mob violence

Briton and Australians among several people briefly detained by vigilantes in unrest over alleged attacks on women’s hair A British woman and three Australians have been briefly detained by vigilantes amid mass panic in Indian-administered Kashmir over a spate of alleged “braid choppings”. Police in the Himalayan region say they have received reports of at least 40 instances of women’s hair being forcibly cut by unidentified assailants. Though the veracity of the claims has been questioned, they have sparked mob violence and mass protests, and some young women say they…

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Denied ‘Character Certificate’ for govt job, Kashmiri man becomes most wanted militant

In a Valley where an extremist leader’s grandson and a terror chief’s sons were given employment by state, father of two little daughters wasn’t as lucky. It was spring of 2016 in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. After five months in Udhampur jail, Bilal Ahmed Mohanad was a “free man”. The state High Court had just quashed his imprisonment under the Public Safety Act, despite him being sentenced to at least two years in jail. Police had charged him with being an “overground worker” for militants, but…

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A timeline of recent terror attacks across Jammu & Kashmir

BSF constable Rameez Parray was dragged out of his house and shot dead by suspected militants on September 28, 2017. Search operations have intensified in different regions of Jammu and Kashmir ever since the killing took place. Two Air Force Garud personnel were killed in an encounter with militants in Hajin, Bandipora, on Wednesday. According to officials, two militants associated with the Lashkar were also killed in the gunfight. While the operation is still in progress, officials confirmed injury of two other security personnel. Here’s a timeline of recent attacks…

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Mehbooba Mufti launches Mirchi FM Radio in Jammu

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has stressed on honing the talent of youth of the state and addressing their issues through more interactions and engagements. Addressing a function after launching the Jammu station of Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM here today, the chief minister, according to an official spokesperson, said the youth of the state possess ample talent but the only problem is of its display and marketing. She hoped the new FM station would become a platform for showcasing this talent. Mehbooba Mufti also highlighted the importance of addressing the urgent…

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Two Commandos, Three LeT militants killed in Hajin shootout

Three militants and two Air Force commandos were killed in a shootout in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Wednesday, police said. They said that militants opened fire on a joint party of 13 RR of army and SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police laying siege to Rakh (Paribal) area of Hajin today morning following inputs about the presence of eight militants in the area. “As the forces were closing in, the hiding militants fired upon them around 5 am, resulting in injuries to three personnel of Garud…

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Hold panchayat poll by January: Centre to State

Decision after HM’s visit to state The Union Home Ministry has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to hold the panchayat elections by January as it will help restore normalcy in the state. This message has been conveyed to the state government and the revision of electoral rolls has already begun. Sources said this conclusion was drawn following the last visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the state in early September. It was observed that the panchayat elections were of paramount importance and this would involve people at…

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Braid chopping incidents aimed to malign Kashmir’s image: Tourism Body

As authorities have failed to stop braid chopping incidents or caught the people involved in the act, tourism players here too have become apprehensive about the happenings terming it an attempt to ‘malign Kashmir’s image across world’. People involved in the tourism trade believe that the continuous incidents of braid chopping would further dent Kashmir’s tourism sector, which is already in doldrums post 2016 unrest. “It is a serious issue which has confronted not only our society but our economy as well,” said chairman, JK Hotelier Club, Mushtaq Chaya. “Government…

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Traffic jams pester Srinagarities

Commuters faced tough time on Tuesday due to massive traffic jams in various areas of the summer capital. Traffic came to a grinding halt in city centre areas including Jehangir Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Residency Road, Maulana Azad Road, Regal Chowk, TRC, Polo View, and Ram Bagh— causing inconvenience to commuters. The problem was compounded by absence of traffic cops at vital intersections and wrong parking. Some of the VIPs were also stuck in traffic jam near Jehangir Chowk. However, the traffic cops ensured their passage amid traffic jams. “It took…

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Job Cuts, Cash Crunch, All because of GST: Kashmir’s Carpet Traders

Traders say Kashmir’s centuries-old handicraft and carpet industry is facing the biggest survival challenge these days after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) came Nazir Ahmad Dar’s livelihood is literally hanging by a thread. The carpet-weaver who lives on the outskirts of Srinagar is under distress after the national sales tax GST was implemented in Kashmir valley. He had to shut over 20 looms. Out of 100 weavers working with him, 85 have already lost their job. Reason: the 50-year-old loom owner has not got a single order for the…

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