Month: June 2018

High alert ahead of Yatra, Defence minister visits Valley to take stock of security arrangments

Editor

The Nunwan Base Camp here has been converted into a fortress ahead of the commencement of the annual Amarnath Yatra, which will begin on Thursday, as security for this year’s pilgrimage was heightened to thwart any rerun of last year’s militant attack that left eight pilgrims dead and several injured. Police and CRPF and other forces have been deployed in large numbers around the Nunwan Base Camp located at the entry of this buzzing tourist town. The first security checkpoint was established and activated near the Langanbal bridge where police…

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Governor’s rule in J&K presents chance to formalise ‘All-Party Long-Term Strategy’ for state

Editor

The recent collapse of the PDP-BJP political coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, has once again led to the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the state. This is undoubtedly a combination of political gamesmanship and the deteriorating security situation in the Valley. The killing of the journalist, police personnel and the army soldier on his way home for Eid, were the proverbial ‘last nail in the coffin’. The timing of the abrogation of the alliance was to a great extent, influenced by the increased threats to the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra. A…

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Sardar Patel was ready to give Kashmir to Pakistan in lieu of Hyderabad: Saifuddin Soz

Editor

Calling Jawaharlal Nehru and Patel “great sons of India”, Soz said Sardar Patel was a pragmatist and in “good faith, offered Kashmir to Liaquat Ali Khan”, the first prime minister of Pakistan. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was willing to give Kashmir to Pakistan in exchange of Hyderabad, but Jawaharlal Nehru was keen that the region remained with India, senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said on Monday at the release of his book on Kashmir. The Congress had asked all its leaders to stay away from the event, but former Union minister…

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Cops seek to ensure low-key funeral of militants in Kashmir Valley

Editor

While there is no change in policy under governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir on handing over bodies of local terrorists killed in anti-terror operations to their families, J&K police are ensuring that their funerals remain uneventful with only close relatives and limited number of people from the village in attendance. “The bodies of all four Islamic State-influenced terrorists killed in Anantnag on Friday were handed over to their respective families. Mobile internet services in the home village/town of the slain terrorists as well as adjoining areas were suspended to…

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Governor’s rule in J&K is not muscular policy: NN Vohra

Editor

In an exclusive interview with HT, NN Vohra said governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir would mean better governance and more focus on development. Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir does not mean a hard line, muscular security approach, as many commentators believe, the state’s governor indicated in his first interview after this was enforced on June 20, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and pulled out of the Mehbooba Mufti government. On the contrary, it means better governance…

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We Find A Voice: Kashmir Once again shot into international headlines

Editor

Historically, Kashmiris since 1819 have always greeted the voices raised from outside the state against their oppression and in support of their cause. In 1934, when Mahatma Gandhi in response to a missive by a Kashmiri Pandit leader, Prem Nath Bazaz wrote to him in a letter dated May 15, 1934, “Seeing that Kashmir is predominantly Mussalman it is bound to become one day a Mussalman state. A Hindu prince can therefore only rule by not ruling, i.e., by allowing the Mussalmans to do as they like by abdicating when…

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Geelani, Mirwaiz congratulate Tayyip Erdogan on election success

Editor

Hurriyat conference (g) chairman Syed Ali Geelani extended his congratulations to Tayyip Erdogan for “his success” in the June 24 presidential elections and “appreciated Turkey’s development, success in economy and a stronger position in the international arena,” statement said. “Our long and painful walk to freedom demands and deserved more practical and concrete steps from every freedom-loving nation especially the collective forum of Muslim countries—so that there is an end to our sufferings and we are allowed to live an honorable and peaceful life,” Geelani in a statement said. Geelani…

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Ahead of Eid-Uz-Zuha (Bakra Eid), Govt backs campaign against animal sacrifice

Editor

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is launching a campaign to crack down on the slaughter of animals for sacrifice, ahead of the Muslim festival of Bakrid, or Eid al-Adha (festival of sacrifice), which will be celebrated on August 21-22. Volunteers of the agency will watch out for and report any instances of cruelty to animals. “If anyone does animal sacrifice, that is punishable, no animal is exempted.” said SP Gupta, chairman of the board, a statutory advisory body under the union environment ministry. “People are not aware, they…

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A referendum in the Indian part of J&K should ask the people a simple question: Do you wish to stay in India or not?

Editor

Nothing is ever new in Kashmir and nothing ever changes. Every party, whether local to J&K or from the Rest of India (ROI), has failed to either win the support of the people or to contain the dissidents of one colour or another. J&K remains the only state where ROI needs to send delegations of MPs (obviously they never visit the state on their own) or interlocutors ( whose reports are invariably ignored). In no other state in ROI, mobile phones are jammed if the PM is visiting. J&K (or…

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BJP ‘Disowned its own initiative’: Former CM Mehbooba Mufti hits back in anger

Editor

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “disowned its own initiative” in Jammu and Kashmir by withdrawing from the coalition government, said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday, reacting in detail after resigning as the state’s chief minister. Mehbooba, who led the coalition government, wrote on Twitter to express her opinion after the state came under governor’s rule on June 20 and BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said the “PDP-led government” had discriminated against Jammu and Ladakh regions. “Allegations of discrimination against Jammu & Ladakh have no basis…

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