Year: 2016

Pro-freedom rallies foiled by Admin, scores injured; Shutdown extended till Oct 20

Editor

Day 96: Forces foil freedom rallies, dozens injured Separatists extend shutdown till Oct 20 37 ‘stone-pelters’ arrested in 24 hours: Police Fresh protests, clashes in several areas Amid complete shutdown across Kashmir, forces foiled several pro-freedom rallies on Wednesday while clashes erupted in Pampore township in southern Pulwama district and its adjoining areas after a three-day-long gunfight ended with the killing of two militants, reports and witnesses said. Dozens of youth sustained injuries in the forces’ action, they said, even as life continued to remain paralyzed for the 96th consecutive…

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IRCTC to introduce glass ceiling coaches in Kashmir and Araku valley

Editor

India has always been an incredible place to tour and its picturesque landscapes are breathtaking for any traveller. In line with the Modi government’s bid to promote tourism in the country, Indian Railways’ IRCTC is taking a leaf out of Switzerland’s books. You can soon travel by train through the Kashmir and Araku valleys, enjoying nature’s beauty through glass ceilings and panoramic windows! Yes, in the coming months, Suresh Prabhu-led Indian Railways is all set to take luxury travel to a new height, by introducing glass-ceiling luxury coaches in trains.…

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Amid Closure, Schools demand Tuition Fee, Transportation charges from students

Editor

Amidst the controversial decision taken by government to hold exams in November, private schools have racked up a new controversy by asking students to pay tuition fee for the three months of shutdown. The private schools particularly missionary schools are forcing parents to pay the tuition fee as well as the transportation charges for the past three months. The move has agitated the parents who accused the school administration of harassing them and causing mental distress to the students. “ It is a weird situation. Kashmir is on boil for…

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India’s first mega cable-stayed railway bridge to link Katra and Banihal

Editor

After almost a decade of flip-flops, Railways has finally decided to build what will be India’s first mega cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad on the Kashmir link project between Katra and Banihal. The Railways will thus abandon the existing contentious plan of building a mega arch bridge at Anji Khad, which had been stuck for years, Indian Express reported. The cable-stayed bridge on Anji gorge, also known as Anji Khad, will be the Railways’ second attempt to link the two crucial tunnels on either side — Katra and Reasi…

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Indian companies suffer losses in Billions due to Kashmir Unrest

Editor

National and multi-national companies operating across India have been incurring losses in billions due to prevailing Kashmir unrest. Despite being a consuming state, there is meager influx of commodities from different Indian states to Kashmir Valley. Senior Vice Chairman Kashmir Economic Forum and renowned industrialist Jan Muhammad Koul told news agency CNS that if current situation will prevail for many more days in Kashmir the State Government too will incur a loss of Rs ten thousand crores that it earns from traders in the form of Value Added Tax (VAT).…

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Among 92 civilian killings, Govt inquiring only 7

Editor

The government is inquiring the killing of only seven of the 92 civilians killed by Police, Army and paramilitary forces during the past three months. According to sources in the Home department, the government is only inquiring the killing of Junaid Ahmad, 12, of Saidpora, Eidgah; Shabir Ahmad Mir of Tengpora, Batamaloo; lecturer Shabir Ahmad Mangoo of Khrew, Pulwama; ATM guard Riyaz Ahmad Shah; Showkat Ahmad Itoo, 25, Nabiza, and Saida Banoo, 42, of Churat, Qazigund. For the past 27 years, the State has been ordering three types of probes into…

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Over School’s closure; Akhter hits out at Geelani in open letter

Editor

Lashing out at separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for calling continuous shutdowns enforcing closure of schools in the Valley, State Education Minister Naeem Akhter has written an open letter to him explaining why education in the Valley should be pursued amid the current political uncertainty. The Education Minister has written in his letter that he has been advising the teachers to read Geelani’s autobiography to understand the importance of education by learning about Geelani’s struggles from Sopore to Lahore in want of education. “I plead guilty to having the…

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Curfew in Srinagar on Junaid’s Chaharum

Editor

36 injured in fresh clashes Police ‘teargas’ Muharram processions 66 more arrested in 24 hours: Police At least 36 people were injured in clashes that erupted at some places in Kashmir on Tuesday, even as normal life continued to remain paralyzed for the 95th straight day due to shutdown and restrictions. In Srinagar, curfew-like curbs remained imposed in areas falling under jurisdiction of police stations Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal and Maharaj Gunj. Official sources said restrictions were imposed in view of Chaharum (fourth day) of killing of 12-year-old Junaid Akhoon…

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95 Days of Uprising; Kashmir, New Delhi locked in Who-Blinks-First

Editor

Though the dark humor somehow reflects the current situation but the reality has been quite different. The 2016 uprising has had been unprecedented in many ways. As a government employee from Tral was compelled to visit his Lal Chowk office after two and a half months of strike, he chuckled over what he termed as ‘abnormally normal’ situation in the city: “2010 manz vonukh shahrik din kalle ti gaamik din alle, magar az chi kalle ti aes divaan ti alle ti aes (In 2010 it was decided that people from…

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JK Bank mulls `Islamic Banking’ due to high demand

Editor

Newly-appointed Jammu and Kashmir bank chairman Parvez Ahmad on Monday said that the state government-controlled lender was ready to offer Islamic banking, if the Reserve Bank of India approved the move. Ahmad told a press conference that there was a strong demand for such banking service in Kashmir but RBI would need to examine the proposal. “We have not given a serious thought to it, but there is a lot of demand for Islamic banking in the state. We will examine the proposal and we have to also take RBI…

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