Month: January 2018

Kashmir’s unwanted babies, Three abandoned neonates cradle for life at LD Hospital

Editor

Three abandoned neonates, two among them females have been taken into custody by Lal Ded hospital in the past 10 days – enraging a debate in the institute as well on social media. A one-day-old baby boy was found abandoned in the premises of the hospital during the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday. “The male baby was found wrapped in a polythene bag in the backyards of the hospital and it came to light after a laboratory assistant heard the newborn’s cries. It attracted his attention,” an employee at LD who…

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Joint Resistance Leadership strike call evokes total response across Kashmir

Editor

Complete shutdown was observed across Kashmir on Friday even as all official R-day functions including the main function held in Srinagar passed off peacefully. The government resorted to communication blockade since Thursday evening by first snapping the mobile internet services at 8 pm and then barring mobile phone services late in the night. Normal life came to a grinding halt as the strike call given by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik evoked total response. The JRL had also called for…

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No relief from freezing cold in Kashmir, Prolonged dry spell triggers worries

Editor

There was no relief from cold wave conditions in Kashmir as mercury stayed several degrees below freezing point in most parts of the valley. Kargil town in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir saw the mercury rise by three degrees last night but settled at a bone chilling minus 17.8 degrees Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department here said. He said Kargil continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state. The nearby Leh town was the second coldest as the mercury there settled at a low of…

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Class 11 girl from Pune suspected to be ISIS suicide bomber detained in Kashmir

Editor

Official sources said she is the same woman who was questioned by the Pune Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2015. Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday night detained a Pune-based girl, alleged to be an ISIS suicide bomber, from south Kashmir, officials said. “We had an input about a suspect. Fortunately, after working on all the leads, we were able to apprehend the suspect late last night,” Additional Director General of Police Munir Khan said. Refusing to give any further details, Khan, who is also holding the post of Inspector General of…

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Irfan Pathan set to be JK player and mentor; Kapil Dev offered coaching role

Editor

Irfan Pathan was dropped after two Ranji Trophy games despite being named captain and mentor for the season for Baroda. Irfan Pathan is likely to shift his cricketing base to Jammu and Kashmir for the next three years as a player cum mentor. The all-rounder who played for his home team Baroda for 17 seasons has been approached by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) while former India all-rounder and World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev too has received an offer to be the team coach. JKCA chief executive officer…

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Modi focusing on international matters, ignoring local concerns: G N Azad

Editor

The Congress today launched a blistering attack on PM Narendra Modi for focusing on international issues at the cost of local problems confronting the nation. “The killing of border dwellers is going on unabated in the Jammu region due to heavy shelling from across the border but the stature of our PM has become so big that he has no time to address such trivial issues concerning lives and security of the people of the country,” Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said while targeting Modi for maintaining silence…

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Two militants, Teen laid to rest after five back to back funeral prayers in Shopian

Editor

Thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of two Hizbul Mujahideen militants and a civilian in three different villages of Shopian district on Thursday. To accommodate the massive rush of people five back to back funeral prayers were held for the trio before they were laid to rest. The three were killed Wednesday. By early afternoon people participated in the funeral prayers of slain civilian Shakir Ahmad Mir at his native Kalampora hamlet of Shopian. 17 year old Shakir was killed when government forces on Wednesday evening allegedly opened…

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NGT refuses to review order on maintaining silence inside Amarnath Cave

Editor

The National Green Tribunal has refused to review its order directing devotees to maintain silence while standing in front of the Amarnath ‘shivling’ in the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. The green panel said there was no patent error in its last year order and the direction was passed in the interest of the environment as well as the Amarnath cave shrine, which is a place of faith for many devotees. A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi said the tribunal has heard all the parties…

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Security tightened across J&K, Mobile Network, Internet services snapped in Kashmir ahead of Republic Day Function

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir has been put on a high alert and extra security has been deployed in sensitive towns and cities following intelligence inputs that terrorists may strike in a big way on Republic Day on Friday. The security has been tightened, particularly in Srinagar and Jammu, where the main functions will be held. Guard has also been upped near Army camps, vital installations and highways. Separatists have given a call for a shutdown and protests for Friday. Reviewing the security, Director General of Police SP Vaid said all necessary…

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Padmaavat protests expose the political vulnerability of the BJP

Editor

To see a strong government, which is ideologically committed to the idea of a strong State, unable to control the worst impulses of society reveals the sheer hollowness of its beliefs and incompetence The protests over Padmaavat and the open vandalism on the streets across north and west Indian states exposes a peculiarly Indian political paradox. A hallmark of the ideological platform of conservative — or Right of centre — parties is their deep belief in the need to strengthen State authority and an uncompromising stance on its monopoly over…

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