Year: 2020

The making of a Hindu India

Editor

If India is today a Hindu nation, it is also a tinderbox in which the self is defined by the perpetual hatred of others. Uday Chandra On August 5, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a Hindu temple in the northern city of Ayodhya. This fulfilled the orders of India’s Supreme Court, which last November awarded a victory to those who have long been campaigning to build a temple there, in place of a Mughal-era mosque that was demolished by a right-wing Hindu mob in 1992.…

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Traffic suspended on national highway as fresh landslide claims three lives on Jammu-Srinagar highway

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The death toll after a landslide on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway following heavy rains in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir rose to three after rescuers retrived two more bodies, official said on Tuesday. The bodies of the three members of a nomad family were recovered from under the debris at Jammu’s Mahore area, officials added. A 30-year-old man, his 25-year-old wife and their son got buried along with livestock under the debris late on Monday-25 following heavy rainfall, they said. JS Johar, senior superindent of police (national highway), said…

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“Statehood, Article 370, 35-A must be restored”, Yashwant Sinha backs Gupkar Declaration

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Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Yashwant Sinha on Monday said that Jammu and Kashmir must get the statehood again and Article 370 and 35-A that were scrapped on August 5 last year, should be brought back. In his twitter post, the former union minister, who is also the member of the Concerned Group of Citizens (CGC), welcomed the resolve of the local political parties here in Jammu and Kashmir to insist on the restoration of the status quo ante. He stated that he stands with the people of Jammu…

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Rainfall to end J&K’s dry spell: IMD

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Jammu & Kashmir is expected to receive widespread rainfall by Wednesday and over the next few days after an extended dry spell since May that led to a surge in day temperatures in the Valley, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Moderate rain and thunderstorms were reported from Jammu and the Himalayan Pir Panjal Range region from Bhaderwah to Poonch. “The rainfall will move forward towards east later in the day [Tuesday],” an IMD official said. He said the Kashmir Valley will receive rainfall by Wednesday morning. Meteorologist Sonam Lotus…

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Aug 5 internationalised Kashmir as never before: Farooq Abdullah

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Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday said that by scrapping J&K’s special Constitutional status on August 5 last year, the Government of India had “dug its own grave” as this move has “internationalised Kashmir problem as never before.” “The great thing that has happened after doing this (scrapping of special status), Kashmir has become an international problem. The Government of India is unable to get rid of it. After years, the UN Security Council met and debated Kashmir three times and…

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Kashmir incurred Rs 45000 Cr loss due to successive lockdowns: Kashmir Trade Alliance

Editor

Successive lockdowns in the past one year have dented Kashmir’s economy by over Rs 45,000 crore as per the report released by a Valley-based traders’ body. Business establishments remained shut for months after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year and just when economic activities started picking up early this year, the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic wrecked the businesses. “Since August 5, 2019, the business community has suffered a total loss of Rs 45,000 crore. A loss of Rs 21,320.64 crore was incurred as a result…

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During a strategic meet with Pakistan, China Says it ‘Opposes Unilateral Actions’ that complicates Kashmir Issue

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The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan held their 2nd annual strategic dialogue on Friday during which they discussed ways to enhance their all-weather bilateral ties, the Kashmir issue, progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Afghan peace process. Billed as “highly relevant” and “very important” by both the countries ahead of the meeting held in the southern Chinese island resort of Hainan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed a host of bilateral, regional and international issues. A joint statement issued at…

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How the world’s longest internet shutdown has failed to counter extremism in Kashmir

Editor

The repeal of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and its conversion into two union territories in August 2019 was accompanied by an unprecedented security lockdown that disempowered the population. Even as the goal of legally and politically integrating the region with the rest of India was achieved, the hard security measures have alienated the population of the erstwhile state. Among the harsh measures imposed by the government since 5 August 2019 is a near complete internet shutdown, which has affected all in Jammu & Kashmir. Initially, a complete…

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Six regional parties vow to fight for restoration of Article 370; Restoration next to impossible says BJP

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A year after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, six regional parties, including the NC, PDP and Congress, today announced a joint fight for the restoration of Article 370. Party leaders, accused of evading a comment on the abrogation so far, said they had been unable to keep in touch owing to the curbs imposed by the Centre. In a statement, Farooq Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), GA Mir (J&K Pradesh Congress Committee), MY Tarigami (CPM), Sajad Lone (J&K People’s Conference) and Muzaffar Shah (Awami National Conference), termed…

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LG Manoj Sinha inaugurated phase-I of Jammu Ring Road

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Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha today inaugurated the phase-I of much-awaited Jammu Ring Road. The 8-km stretch between Akhnoor Road, Kangrail and Bhalwal was inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister in PMO Jitendra Singh, MP Shamsher Singh Manhas, MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam. In his address, Sinha expressed satisfaction over the inauguration and termed roads as vital for any society to progress. He urged the executing agencies for early completion of the entire project and assured incentives to the executing agencies and officers for…

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