Month: August 2020

In Kashmir, different political ideologies have been set aside for a larger goal: Omar Abdullah

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Former chief minister Omar Abdullah has said six regional parties, which signed the Gupkar declaration last year pledging to fight unitedly against the constitutional changes to Jammu & Kashmir’s status, may have different political ideologies but plan to present a united front for the time being. “…different political ideologies… have been set aside for a larger goal. We wanted to send a wider message to New Delhi that, on this question of what happened on August 5 [when the process for the nullification of Article 370 that gave Jammu &…

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China opens new front along bank of Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, Experts say fresh face-off reflects grim reality of LAC situation

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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has opened a new front along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC), with its “provocative military movements” on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh in the intervening night of August 29 and 30 aimed at altering the status quo in the area, people familiar with the developments said on Monday. So far, Chinese aggression in this sector was confined to the lake’s northern bank, the Finger Area that has emerged as the toughest part of the disengagement process. “The PLA’s…

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Intervertebral Discs or simple Discs: Myths and Facts

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Dr.Akhtar Rasool Intervertebral discs or simply the ‘discs’ are cushion like structures present normally between adjacent vertebrae (bones of the back). These discs serve many functions like shock absorption and help in motion between the vertebrae. It is by the virtue of these discs that we are able to bend forwards and sideways, lean backwards and turn sideways. Without these, our spine would just be an immobile segment of bone. A Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc (PIVD) or in common terms a ‘disc disease’ is said to occur when a disc moves…

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China’s PLA troops carry out ‘Provocative military movements’ near Pangong Tso to change status quo: Army

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The Chinese army carried out provocative military movements in Ladakh to change status quo, the Indian Army has said. The incident took place near the Pangong Tso lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30, the army said. The two sides are already engaged in a standoff in the area which witnessed skirmishes between the two sides on June 15. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts…

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BJP wants a Hindu majority to emerge in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

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Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah has said his National Conference (NC) opted out of the Delimitation Commission in May as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was allegedly seeking to create Hindu dominance in the Muslim majority region and to divide the Union Territory on religious lines through the process. The Centre in March set up the commission to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the recent census in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland. NC opted out of it in May. “That is because we told…

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Lockdown dents Kashmir Economy by Rs 45000 Cr: KTA Report

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Successive lockdowns during the past year have dented the Kashmir region’s economy by over Rs 45,000 crore as per the report released by a Valley-based traders’ body. Businesses first remained shut for months after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year and just when economic activities had started picking up early this year, the Covid-19 lockdown started. “Since August 5, 2019, the business community has suffered a total loss of Rs 45,000 crore. The total loss of Rs 21,320.64 crore took place as a result of the…

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Kashmir Tourism suffered Rs 1166 Cr loss during last one year: Tourism Dept

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Kashmir tourism industry has suffered a massive Rs 1166.81 crore loss in the last one year due both to the situation post abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Tourism Department has quoted this figure in reply to a query made under RTI Act by rights activist MM Shuja. The reply states that there were only 17,874 tourist arrivals in Kashmir during 2020. It says that the data compiled by the department shows “drastic decline in tourist footfall due to COVID-19 pandemic and…

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BJP’s multi-pronged policy to deal with Kashmir Politicians

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Noor-ul-Qamrain The central leadership of the BJP is working at “different levels and with different plans” to deal with politicians in Kashmir and create an atmosphere for normal politics to restart in Kashmir. Even as the delimitation commission has started its work, the J&K Apni Party has demanded early elections and has been pressing only for statehood and not for the restoration of Article 370. Informed sources said that BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has come to get direct feedback not only from party cadres, but also from those politicians…

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New rules leave J&K Chief Minister powerless over Police, IPS Officers

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The President of India will have the final say in case of differences between the LG of the Union Territory and the Council of Ministers. In the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, when it had special status, the chief minister was the most powerful person in the decision-making process. Now, the rules brought by the Centre for the government in the Union Territory of J&K make it unambiguously clear that the chief minister and her council of ministers would not have any say in matters related to the Indian…

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Pakistan-Saudi Rift & Kashmir Issue

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Pakistan’s criticism of Saudi-led Muslim bloc OIC for its inaction on the Kashmir issue has threatened their ties. by Asad Hashim Pakistan has reaffirmed the strength of its relations with Saudi Arabia this week after a diplomatic spat sparked by perceived inaction by the Gulf kingdom on the issue of Kashmir threatened to derail what has been one of the South Asian country’s strongest alliances in the region. Earlier this month, Pakistan accused the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of 57 Muslim-majority countries that is led by Saudi…

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