Month: January 2016

Poor connectivity, expensive air travel hit Ladakh tourism

Editor

Poor road connectivity and expensive air travel continue to keep tourists away from the land ofhigh passes — Ladakh, as the number of both domestic and foreign visitors to the region recorded a decline in 2015 compared to the year 2014. Apart from this, the logistical challenges being faced by the tourism industry in Ladakh (Leh and Kargil districts) are quite contrary to the state government’s much-touted claims. The dwindling number of tourists would directly hit the economy of the region. “A total of 2,14,413 tourists, including 32,562 foreigners, visited…

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Digvijay moves CVC against Gadkari post Zojila tunnel contract

Editor

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today petitioned the Chief Vigilance Commission (CVC) against Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, accusing him of wrongdoing in the award of contract for the Zojila tunnel. Parallel to the submission, the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Gadkari if he was serious about zero tolerance to corruption. Digvijay’s complaint to Chief Vigilance Commissioner KV Choudhry accuses Gadkari of nepotism in favouring Mumbai-based IRB Developers for award of the Zojila contract and says the Union Minister has close ties with Dattatreya…

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All eyes on Mehbooba as PDP pushes against truck with BJP

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Suspense stays: Sources say 80% of leaders want to snap ties with right-wing party Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti is facing pressure from within the party to snap ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party and form the government with the support of the Congress and a few Independent MLAs. Most of the PDP leaders expressed this desire during the last night meeting, which was chaired by Mehbooba. Sources in the PDP said around 80 per cent of the leaders wanted to snap ties with the right-wing BJP and come…

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BJP puts counter conditions for PDP amid talks of alliance’s future in J&K

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing fast-paced political developments after reports that the PDP-BJP alliance is under strain following the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed earlier this week. Sources have told Times Now that Mehbooba has set tough conditions for the BJP if they want to continue the alliance. According to sources, the PDP has made it clear that it can’t give the deputy chief minister’s post to the BJP, it has also asked for more central assistance and and asked its alliance partner to avoid speaking on sensitive…

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Possibility of Grand Alliance on Bihar pattern

Editor

Congress keen to share power with the PDP after demise of Mufti Sayeed While the Congress is trying to share power with the PDP and in this connection Ghulam Nabi Azad,leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha,is said to be playing a vital role in forging an alliance between the Congress and the PDP. Reports said that Congress Chief,Sonia Gandhi,is visiting Kashmir to pay her homage to Mufti Sayeed and in between she will have a detailed discussion with Mehbooba Mufti who is expected to take over as Chief Minister…

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Modern Kashmiri Poetry and Mysticism

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Rediscovering  Rashid Nazki Sufi Showkat The tradition of Kashmiri poetry lies deep into the realms of Mysticism. If one accounts the beginning of Kashmiri poetry then we come across the unique way of expression of Shuti Kanth, Lal Ded, and Sheikh Noor-u-Din (RA), followed by a galaxy of poets and saint poets and consequently a unique tradition of poetry mingled  with Mysticism. One cannot think Kashmiri poetry without the amalgamation of Mysticism. Even the most (may be the only) Romantic poet of Kashmir Rasool Mir could not resist giving his…

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Ex-CM failed to solve disappearance cases:APDP

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Victims console each others at protest, say new CM to face more challenges    The members of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) Sunday staged a monthly sit-in protest at Press colony here. The relatives of disappeared persons today displayed the newly designed calendars wherein each leaf of the calendar displays the caricature of 12 disappeared persons. Twelve women displayed 12 leafs of the calendar displaying the sketches. Every leaf also carried brief description about the case of the respective person and name of the alleged perpetrator. “The thinking…

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Can Mehbooba be the Indira Gandhi of Kashmir?

Editor

Daanish Bin Nabi The life and times of Nehru-Indira and Mufti-Mehbooba appear to bear likeness in many ways. Indira was shadow of her father from mid-1930s till Nehru breathed his last. Indira learnt every trick and trade of politics from her father. When Nehru was ill there were talks on who was going to replace Nehru after he is gone. Speculations were rife that Indira would take over Nehru once he escapes the political landscape. However, Indira did not and waited for appropriate time to do so. She went on…

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Shutdown continues in Pulwama on 11th day

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A complete shutdown was observed on the 11th consecutive day today in Pulwama while as minor clashes erupted in the town during last night after police arrested at least fifteen persons. All the business establishments, shops and offices remained closed while as traffic was completely off the roads. Reports said that police last night raided many residential houses in Chatapora, Dalipora, Prichoo, Washbug and Dangerpora areas of the town and arrested at least 15 persons for their alleged involvement in stone pelting and demand of erecting a memorial for martyrs,…

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Boys break top rank jinx but girls dominate merit list in Class 10 results

Editor

• Tabish Manzoor of Anantnag secures first position  • Nearly 400 students share first 20 positions • Private schools fare better than govt institutes  The class 10 annual results were declared here Sunday with nearly 400 candidates sharing the first 20 positions. Unlike the trend of past many years, the first position has been secured by a boy, Tabish Manzoor Khan of Radiant Public School, Anantnag. Tabish has topped the merit list, scoring 498 marks out of 500 (99.6 percent). However, girls continued to dominate the position tally in the…

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