Month: June 2016

Tulmulla sees Prayers, Protests & Communal Harmony

Editor

Scenes of communal harmony mixed with resentment among a section of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits were witnessed today at the shrine of Ragnya Devi at Tulmulla, 27 km from Srinagar city. Thousands of Pandits from all over the country prayed during the annual Mela Kheer Bhawani as the Hindu festival this time coincided with the fasting month of Ramadan after around three decades. A large number of local Muslims, ranging from street-side vendors and common residents to government officials, too were present at the shrine to welcome the devotees. Keeping…

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Kashmiri Pandits welcome but not separate colonies’ : Separatists’ meet

Editor

The seminar, held at Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s Hyderpora residence, was jointly organised by the two Hurriyat factions and the JKLF. SEPARATISTS Sunday welcomed the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley but unanimously opposed setting up of separate townships for them or Sainik colonies. At the first such seminar of separatists from different groups in eight years, moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq proposed setting up of a committee for “people-to-people contact” with Kashmiri Pandits for their return to the valley. The seminar, held at Hurriyat chairman…

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Dara emerging as new site for adventure tourism

Editor

Located on the outskirts of the city, the Dara locality is emerging as the new site for adventure tourism as the state government plans to promote it as the venue for paragliding. “In order to tap adventure tourism potential in Srinagar, the Department of Tourism is promoting paragliding at Dara which is close to Srinagar city,” a government spokesman said. The paragliding takes flight at Astan Marg in Dara and flies for about 10 to 15 minutes before making a landing at Harwan. Around five to six flights sail in…

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Mehbooba’s U-turn, Separatists Geelani, Farooq freed : Sainik Colony Row

Editor

Ignoring the opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday retracted her decision to put separatists leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest to prevent them from holding a protest rally against the proposal to set up a Sainik Colony in Kashmir. The separatist leaders Geelani and Farooq, who were arrested earlier today ahead of their meeting on the Sainik Colony issue, have been released. Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who was also…

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Govt Seals Beerwah to Thwart ‘Abhinav Gupta Yatra’

Editor

Fearing arrival of “Yatris”, Jammu and Kashmir Government has sealed central Kashmir’s Budgam district to thwart the proposed “Abhinav Gupta Yatra”. A New Delhi based group has planned “Yatra to a cave in Beerwah” area of Budgam. Reports and witness reports reaching here said that government has made strong deployment of forces personnel in and around Beerwah. The Delhi based group had planned movement towards the cave in second week of June. Police and CRPF men have sealed all the entry points with rolls of concertina wires. With separatist outfit,…

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Govt spent 560 Cr in 5 years on separatists: Ajat Shatru

Editor

“From hotel to food to air tickets everything is being paid by the government of India, while separatists holiday outside the state .  In a shocking revelation, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Ajat Shatru Singh Friday claimed that the governments of India and JK had spent a whopping Rs 560 crore on separatists in the past five years. Speaking in the Zero Hour Session, in the Legislative Council, the ruling party MLC said that the government had failed to provide security to the legislators. “Same government has provided…

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Setup food testing labs in Jammu, Srinagar: High Court

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the state government to initiate process for setting up two food testing labs at Jammu and Srinagar and for procuring mobile food testing vans. A division bench of Justices Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Ali Mohammad Magrey in its orders today observed that it hoped that before the next date, the two laboratories — one at Srinagar and one at Jammu — would be made functional. On May 24, while conceding that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, had not been implemented…

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How Muslims fast in countries where the sun never sets

Editor

In countries like Finland, the sun sets for as little as 55 minutes a day at this time of year The holy month of Ramadan is now underway, with Muslims fasting from dawn to dusk to observe the period. But what happens when you live in a country where the sun never, or scarcely, sets? Muslims living in the Arctic Circle are experiencing some of the most challenging conditions for Ramadan as they can experience 24 hours of sunlight. People observing it will not consume food or drink, smoke or…

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People throng ‘healing’ spring in Doda district

Editor

Hundreds of people these days are flocking to Gandho area of Doda district from different corners of the country to take a dip in a spring which is believed to possess healing powers. Situated about 70 km away from district headquarters, the natural spring in Gandho subdivision is considered to be best for skin disorders, joint pains, blood pressure and headache. Even patients of paralyses are also reaching there. Mansa Mohammed, who came from Kathua, said, “I had a paralysis attack a few years back, but when we came to…

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J&K at loss, as HP emerges ‘main base camp’ for Ladakh tourists

Editor

They said that HP tourism department provides camping experience to travelers at Shimla, Manali and other important towns and facilities of rental bikes for expedition to Leh, while “no such facility is available in Jammu or Srinagar.” Much to the loss of Jammu and Kashmir tourism industry, Himachal Pradesh government, through its vigorous campaign has successfully projected the hilly state as base camp for high-end tourists visiting Ladakh region. Sources said that J&K government seems least interested in attracting the tourist influx through its own highway circuit traversing two regions…

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