Month: February 2016

Declining snowfall triggers concern

Editor

Global warming coupled with overexploitation of resources is impacting Kashmir’s weather pattern and snowfall timings, an official report has said, blaming “unplanned urbanization, encroachment of wetlands and rapid deforestation” for these alterations. The official report titled ‘State Action Plan on Climate Change’ mentions that Kashmir Valley is recording “unusual shift in snowfall timings” as the summer capital (Srinagar) is witnessing less snowfall in December and January—ideally considered as peak winter months with temperature dipping below freezing point. However for the past couple of years, these months have witnessed less or…

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Defying curbs, thousands join Hizb militant’s funeral

Editor

Thousands of people on Sunday joined the funeral prayers of a militant who died in a gunfight with forces in Gundpora village of this south Kashmir district yesterday. Scores of people, including some cops, were injured in massive protests and clashes over the militant’s killing. Syed Mufeed Bashir, son of Basheer Ahmad, a resident of ZadooraPulwama, died in the brief gun-battle at Gundpora on Saturday evening, leading to massive protests which continued throughout the night and in the morning as well, reports and witnesses said. The slain militant of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen…

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Leh holds Dosmochey fair

Editor

The two-day Dosmochey mela concluded at Leh today. During the festival, the market was abuzz with activity and people took part in various games during the fair. Every year, the day is celebrated on the 28th and 29th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar. This year, the famous ‘chams’ (mask dance) was performed in the courtyard of Chowkhang Vihara or Gompa Soma. ‘Dhos’ was prepared by the monks of the Takthok monastery and ‘storma’ by the monks of the Diskit monastery. The mask dance was performed by…

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RSS raises economic issues to reach out to Muslims

Editor

In its campaign to engage Muslims and Christians in the dialogue process, the RSS is avoiding contentious issues like Article 370 and trying to rake up economic issues to sideline the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups. RSS leaders have realised that it will be impossible to make inroads among minorities by taking up controversial issues. The RSS, ideological mentor of the BJP, has initiated the dialogue with Muslims and Christians to remove “mistrust, misgivings and misunderstanding”. The first such meeting with Christian leaders was held in Jammu this evening.…

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No large ISIS footprint in J&K: Army Commander

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Terror outfit ISIS does not have “very large footprint” in Jammu and Kashmir but care needs to be taken to ensure it does not make inroads, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda said on Saturday and advocated an “Intelligence Operation” to prevent spreading of its ideology. Islamic State has been talking about South Asia and India region but “right now we don’t see a very large footprint of Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir. But I think we have to be careful,” the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) told…

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TASK highlights JK’s tourism potential in Indore

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Holds seminar ‘Kashmir Back To Paradise’  As part of its tourism promotion campaign, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK) Saturday organized a seminar titled “Kashmir Tourism, Back to Paradise” at Indore at Hotel Sayaji. Mayor of Indore Malini Goud was the chief guest on the occasion. Director Tourism – Kashmir, Mahmood A Shah in his keynote address to the gathering of elite tour operators of Indore showcased the Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh. Director Tourism Kashmir  urged the stakeholders associated with the sector to come forward in promoting tourism avenues in…

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Policeman decamp with service rifle

Editor

‘May have joined militant ranks: IGP A cop posted at Rainawari police station, Saturday; decamped with the service rifle of his colleague fleeing the spot in the broad daylight. Police have initiated a search operation to nab the absconding cop. Sources told KP that one Riyaz Ahmad (belt no 175F), a resident of Khan Sahab area of Budgam who was posted as Personal Security Officer (PSO) at police station Rainawari fled away taking along the service rifle of his colleague Showkat Ahmad. Sources said that Showkat, who is also a PSO,…

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Mehbooba should form govt or break PDP-BJP alliance: Omar

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Putting a question mark over the existence of an alliance between the PDP and BJP in the state, former Jammu and Kashmir chief Minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked that why there was no government in the Valley and said Mehbooba Mufti should break ties with the saffron party and go for fresh polls. “What has changed in last 10 months that despite the numbers in the assembly they (PDP-BJP) are not ready to form government,” ANI quoted Abdullah as saying. He further said that although an elected…

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Guv makes efforts for early govt formation, State completes one month governor rule

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As the state has completed a month under the Central rule after the death of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Governor NN Vohra has made serious efforts for early restoration of an elected government in J&K. The prolonged Central rule is the outcome of the ongoing political impasse between the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP — the two largest parties in the Legislative Assembly —- over the formation of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir following the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7. The state came…

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In snub to PDP, RSS says no to pre-conditions for new government

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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh today said any pre-conditions laid out by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir would not be acceptable even as it declared that it was a “compulsion” for the PDP to form the government. Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar on a visit to Jammu said: “The BJP is an expanding and a flourishing organisation which cannot be dictated to. No pre-conditions at the state or Central level would be admissible for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.” The RSS has been…

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