Unidentified individuals attacked an Imam at a mosque in Maharashtra’s Jalna district for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. An Imam who led the prayer at a mosque in Maharashtra’s Anwa village was attacked by unidentified individuals who entered the place of worship and beat him up for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Speaking to India Today, the Imam, Zakir Sayyed Khaja, said the incident took place on Sunday at around 7.30 pm when he was sitting inside the mosque reading the Quran. Unidentified individuals entered the mosque with…
Read MoreMonth: March 2023
A silent mental health crisis is brewing among women in Jammu and Kashmir
Due to a prolonged conflict, women in Kashmir have silently suffered, and their mental health crisis has only worsened over the years. Seventy per cent of distress calls seeking mental health care in Jammu and Kashmir are women, according to TeleManas center, a digital platform for mental health. Patients evaluated by the centre, which was launched by the central government, reveals that women are more vulnerable to stress than men, and are facing a mental health crisis. Due to a prolonged conflict, women in Kashmir have silently suffered, and their…
Read MoreConsumer aghast as authorities in Srinagar are accused of not taking action against the exorbitant prices of essential items
Failure of authorities to ensure sale of essential items as per official rate list is taking toll on people of the summer capital. Consumers across Srinagar said that the failure of authorities to keep a check on the market is burning a hole in their pockets. Consumers said that selling poultry at higher rates than government-designated rates has taken a toll on them. Officials told KIF that there had been a fresh revision in poultry rates across Kashmir. The rate of chicken is 130 Rs per kg while the rates…
Read MoreAs the holy month of Ramadan begins, Muslims in China are facing a ban on fasting and increased monitoring
As Muslims around the world prepare to begin the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims in China are facing a fasting ban while their cultural and religious traditions are increasingly coming under attack, according to a media report. Uyghurs in the northwestern region of Xinjiang are being ordered not to allow their children to fast, with the latter being quizzed by the authorities as to whether their parents are fasting, local officials and rights groups said, RFA reported. “During Ramadan, the authorities are requiring 1,811 villages [in Xinjiang] to implement a…
Read MoreThe cost of food items has sharply increased across Srinagar
With authorities in slumber, the prices of food items, specifically poultry, fruits and vegetables, have skyrocketed in the summer capital. Consumers have voiced their concerns over the exorbitant prices of fruits and vegetables. Even meat and poultry are being sold beyond the price fixed by the government. One of the consumers told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the rampant profiteering had already set the stage for enormous profits as prices had increased manifold in the ongoing holy month of Ramadhan. As a result, people are finding it increasingly…
Read MoreGroup of separatist loyalists caused disruption during a panel discussion on Kashmir in the United States
The panel discussion titled ‘Kashmir: From Turmoil to Transformation’ was held on Thursday. It was moderated by columnist Se Hoon Kim and addressed by president of the Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party Mir Junaid, and Touseef Raina, president of the Baramulla municipal council Six separatist loyalists were forcibly removed from the National Press Club here in the US capital after they repeatedly disrupted a panel discussion on Kashmir. The panel discussion titled ‘Kashmir: From Turmoil to Transformation’ was held on Thursday. It was moderated by columnist Se Hoon Kim and…
Read MoreThe discovery of lithium in Kashmir is viewed as a double-edged sword
The discovery of major lithium deposits is being seen as a mixed blessing in India’s troubled Kashmir region, where hopes for a major economic boost are tempered by fears of human displacement and damage to the territory’s fragile ecology. The finding of the lithium, key to the manufacture of batteries used in electric cars and other electronic devices, is likely very good news for India as a whole, promising to save the country billions of dollars as it seeks to move its economy away from fossil fuels. It also offers…
Read MoreKashmir Valley will be connected to the rest of the country through train services by next year: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that Udhampur-Banihal track connecting Jammu with Srinagar will be completed by December this year, or early next year. The Kashmir Valley will finally be connected to the rest of the country through train services by next year, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, adding that specially designed ‘Vande Bharat’ train is also being developed for the Udhampur-Banihal track. Addressing a press conference at the Srinagar railway station in Nowgam area, Vaishnaw stated that Udhampur-Banihal track connecting Jammu with Srinagar will be completed by December this year, or early…
Read MoreUnited Nations rights expert has urged India to cease its crackdown on activists in Kashmir
India must immediately halt its crackdown on Kashmiri activists, the independent UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, said on Friday, calling for greater accountability. Her appeal follows the latest arrest of prominent rights defender Khurram Parvez, who has been in detention for more than a year on charges related to conspiracy and terrorism. “Indian authorities appear to be intensifying the long-standing repression of Kashmiri civil society,” Ms. Lawlor said. “The State must respect its human rights obligations and be held accountable where it violates…
Read MoreAccording to a senior Pakistani diplomat, the Kashmir conflict’s ‘Core Issue’ must be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions
Pakistan wants peaceful ties with all neighbours, including India, and the “core issue” of Jammu and Kashmir must be settled in line with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, Pakistani chargé d’affaires Salman Sharif said on Thursday. Sharif made the remarks while addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi to mark Pakistan Day, which commemorates the adoption of the country’s first constitution in 1956. He raised Pakistan’s flag at the ceremony held at the chancery’s lawns. He stressed Pakistan “desires peaceful relations with…
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