Month: June 2017

Heavy School Bags: Pvt schools to retain notebooks, additional books in classes

Editor

Following directions from government to reduce burden on students due to heavy school bags, private schools have decided to modify academic schedule for the lower primary and junior class students. The school administration in Biscoe and Mallinson Higher Secondary school has worked out a plan wherein the students of lower primary classes will keep their notebooks in the school. “We have worked out a plan and the lower primary students will keep their copies in school. There is no need to carry them daily. When the need arises we will…

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National Conference, Congress say no to GST in State

Editor

The opposition political parties today derailed the ruling PDP-BJP government’s race towards the extension of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to J&K, which is shielded from Central laws by its special constitutional status within the Indian Union. Both principal opposition parties National Conference (NC) and Congress opposed the extension of the GST to J&K, saying it would be a compromise on the financial and political autonomy of the state. “We will not allow anything that jeopardises our constitutional position. We told the government that we won’t allow extension of…

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Over a dozen hurt in five terror attacks across South Kashmir

Editor

Over a dozen security men were injured in five separate terror attacks across Kashmir Valley on Tuesday evening. The terrorists also snatched four service rifles from cops on guard at the ancestral house of a former high court judge in Anantnag in south Kashmir. At least nine CRPF men were injured when Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists hurled a grenade at their camp at Lariyar village of Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, the police said. “They lobbed a grenade on 180 Battalion CRPF camp at Lariyar on Tuesday . Nine…

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BJP MLA spits venom against Kashmiri Muslims, video goes viral

Editor

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Raja Singh has asked Hindu pilgrims intending to visit Kashmir for the Amarnath Yatra this year not to buy anything from “traitor Kashmiri Muslims” to avenge the attacks on Indian soldiers in Kashmir. The video, which was first uploaded on his ‘Sri Ram Channel’ on YouTube, last month, has since been removed. However, the video has gone viral on Whatsapp and other file sharing websites. “To those who visit Amarnath and other holy sites in May, June and July, my request is that don’t…

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Forces ‘Ransack’ shops after locals celebrate Pakistan Champions Trophy win

Editor

Local sources said that youth burst firecrackers to celebrate the Pakistan cricket team at around 10:30 pm last night. Government forces on Monday night allegedly vandalized dozens of shops and vehicles in Vehil village of Shopian after locals burst firecrackers to celebrate Pakistan’s win over Sri Lanka in the ongoing Champions Trophy in England. Local sources said that youth burst firecrackers to celebrate the Pakistan cricket team at around 10:30 pm last night. However, forces personnel rushed to the village and fired several rounds in air soon after the celebrations.…

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Lack of fear among young Kashmiris exacerbates situation in the Valley

Editor

The confrontation between civilians and Indian Army in Kashmir is reaching a tipping point. Almost every other day, men, women and even children, especially in south Kashmir, scuttle the cordon and search operations of security forces. It is a dangerous proposition fraught with life risk, but at the centre of these theatrics is the absence of fear among people. It is also the right time to ponder why we are where we are today. During the 2008 and 2010 unrest in the Kashmir Valley, and many short-lived agitations before that,…

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Storm struck, 6 Power towers in Vijaypur lie uprooted

Editor

At least six high-tension (HT) towers, installed by Sterlite Power, a power transmission company, for the Jalandhar-Samba-Amargarh distribution line have been lying uprooted in the Vijaypur area since Thursday night, hinting at use of “substandard” material. The towers got uprooted during a windstorm. Although no loss of human life was reported, it has raised a question on the quality of material being used for the execution of the Centrally sponsored power projects in the state. The 400 kV D/c Jalandhar-Samba-Amargarh transmission line being executed by Sterlite Power (Sterlite Grid Limited)…

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State won’t surrender special powers, assures Haseeb Drabu: GST Row

Editor

A day before the crucial all-party meeting on the goods and services tax (GST), businessmen and hoteliers of the Kashmir valley met Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu and were yet again given the assurance that the new law would not have an effect on J&K’s special status. The marathon meeting with the Finance Minister that lasted around three hours comes a day after the business community met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, where they unanimously opposed the extension of the GST to the state, fearing it would affect Article 370. “Our stand…

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What is BJP and Rajnath’s ‘Permanent Resolution’ for the Kashmir issue?

Editor

Over the past two weeks, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has made several curious statements about the government’s plans for a “permanent resolution” of the Kashmir issue. In one of the earlier statements, he cryptically remarked that the government has indeed “come up with a permanent solution to solve Kashmir”. He continued that “the initiative has begun” and the government is “moving forward”. Subsequently, he repeated the statement again and added that the government will “take people into confidence” about the solution. Vague Words Although Singh has given no details about…

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Agenda of Anxiety: third year, little progress

Editor

The PDP-BJP rule in Jammu and Kashmir might have entered its third year, but the Agenda of Alliance (AoA)—the governance document of the coalition partners—has seen little progress on ground, especially with regard to the key political component of holding talks with the Valley’s resistance leadership. While some PDP leaders blame the “hostile situation” for delay in implementation of the AoA, many clearly appear anxious in the wake of fears that the party might “lose the ground” if steps are not taken urgently to “address the gaps.” On May 31…

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