Year: 2019

Article 35A the last vestige of real autonomy for Kashmiri people

Editor

Kashmir valley has lately been aswirl with rumours of an impending move by the central government to scrap Article 35A of the Constitution. The article, which prevents anyone who is not a state subject of Jammu & Kashmir from purchasing property and settling in the state, is seen as a vital safeguard for the autonomy of J&K. Its removal, Kashmiris fear, would pave the way for a demographic transformation of the Valley. While the article has been on peoples’ mind owing to petitions in the Supreme Court challenging its validity,…

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NC, PDP of creating hysteria in the valley, any decision on Art 35A will be for JK’s betterment: Ram Madhav

Editor

Any decision taken by the Central government or court on Article 35A would be for the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir and “the issue was currently raked up with selfish motives,” BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said in Srinagar on Wednesday. The National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) “were creating hysteria in Kashmir at a time when the stage is set for Assembly polls,” he said. “She [PDP president Mehbooba Mufti] is using such language like ‘barood seay kehlan [playing with explosives] was to keep herself…

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Heavy rains hit normal life across Jammu, Srinagar

Editor

Heavy rains on Wednesday brought normal life to a grinding halt across the Jammu region where an eight-year-old boy was killed and a teenaged girl injured in separate incidents of house collapse. The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link with the Kashmir valley, remained disrupted for the day due to multiple landslides in Udhampur and Ramban districts, while the authorities closed all government schools in Udhampur and Reasi districts on Wednesday in view of bad weather. Incent rains were experienced across Srinagar city resulting in water logging…

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Hoisting tricolor in all panchayats on Independence Day reason behind troop surge in Kashmir

Editor

The Centre is “infusing” troops in Jammu and Kashmir to provide security cover for a move to hoist the Tricolour in every panchayat in the state this Independence Day, government sources said. “The government is infusing troops as many panchayat heads want to hoist the national flag this Independence Day. This deployment is being done to ensure no disruption to the process and avoid any untoward incident,” said sources. Over the weekend, reports of deployment of additional troops in the state had led to intense speculation over the Centre’s plans.…

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Should U.S. Take ‘NO’ of India as an Answer?

Editor

“I would like to categorically state that no such request (mediation on Kashmir) has been made by the Prime Minister (Modi) to the US President,” Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs told the Indian Parliament on July 23, 2019. He added that “Shimla and Lahore accords provide the basis for resolution of all issues bilaterally.”  Why India stresses Lahore Declaration and Simla Agreement and not the United Nations resolutions, which were adopted only after the consent of both India and Pakistan was sought at the Security Council.? There is a…

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Lawyers from Jammu advocating for the strengthening of Article 370, 35A

Editor

Lawyers in Jammu on Tuesday pitched for strengthening Articles 370 and 35-A at a time when campaign against J&K’s special status by rightwing organisations has gained momentum. A meeting was organised here by prominent lawyers affiliated with the Jammu Bar Association. The speakers appealed for protection of special status terming it a link between India and Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was organised under the chairmanship of former Senior Additional Advocate General Subash Chander Gupta where prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir was discussed. Gupta appealed the masses to remain…

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Everything normal, ‘No Order Valid’, Guv Satya Pal Malik rejects rumours over special status

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik today said people should not pay heed to rumours of any major decision on the special status of the state as “everything is normal”. “A lot of rumours are spread here. Do not pay any heed to them. Everything is fine, everything is normal,” Governor Malik said when asked about the several orders appearing on social media about the possibility of a prolonged law and order situation in Kashmir valley. The Governor said the orders that appeared the social media in recent days…

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A dangerous experiment is in the works in Kashmir

Editor

A dangerous experiment seems to be in the works in Jammu and Kashmir. It started innocuously enough and in the best traditions of a vibrant democracy. In the November 2014 state elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which a few months prior to that had decisively won the general elections, cruised to a comfortable majority of 25 seats in the Jammu region, which has a near equal mix of Muslims and Hindus. While the PDP did not…

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J&K administration reshuffled

Editor

The governor Adminstration has ordered a major reshuffle in civil Adminstration. According to the decission, 1. Ms. Sushma Chauhan, IAS(JK:2009), Deputy Commissioner, Samba, is transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Jammu. 2. Mr. Ramesh Kumar, IAS(JK:2011), Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, is transferred and posted as Additional Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department. 3. Ms. Avny Lavasa, IAS (JK:2013), Deputy Commissioner, Leh, is transferred and posted as Chief Executive Officer, J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency, relieving Mr. Vikas Kundal, IAS(JK:2013), Additional Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Regulatory Authority, Srinagar of the additional…

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India neither ready to hold talks nor accepting mediation on Kashmir Issue: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

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Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that India is neither ready to hold talks bilaterally with Pakistan on Kashmir dispute nor does it accept third party mediation. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Qureshi said, “Kashmir is a disputed territory and any demographic changes in occupied Kashmir will not be acceptable to Pakistan as well as Kashmiri people.” Responding to a question regarding the Afghan peace process, the foreign minister said, Pakistan is not a guarantor but only a facilitator in the Afghan peace process. “The entire onus…

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