June 2023 | Page 6 of 17

Kashmir witnessed Hottest Day of the Season

June 19, 2023 Editor

The heat wave has started to grip Kashmir as Sunday recorded the hottest day of the season so far with Srinagar recording 31.8 degrees Celsius while the Meteorological Department predicted hot and humid conditions for a week. “Today was the hottest day of the season in Kashmir so far,” the MeT officials said. They said that mainly dry weather was expected during the next week even though the possibility of brief spell of showers and thunderstorms mainly towards late afternoon or evening could not be ruled out. “Hot and dry…

Earthquakes rock J&K and Ladakh, 11 in a week

June 19, 2023 Editor

Eleven earthquakes in J&K and Ladakh in the past one week have caused panic among residents even as a study by the Geology Department of University of Jammu suggests that the region is vulnerable and activities beneath the Earth’s crust have been going on for a long time. Six earthquakes hit parts of J&K and Ladakh on June 17 and 18. The series of earthquake of magnitude of mostly above 4 on the Richter scale started on June 13 when Doda district of Jammu division was hit by an earthquake…

Kashmir In The Dark: Electricity Crisis a threat to economy and tourism

June 19, 2023 Editor

Unscheduled power outages in Kashmir do not seem to be going away anytime soon as a result of the government’s move to purchase less power from outside J&K discoms, which has increased the gap between supply and demand for electricity. Official sources said, “There is a directive to procure less electricity from outside discoms, resulting in annoying and unannounced power outages.” A senior official of Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL), who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Right now, our peak demand is around 1450 MWs and we are only…

Alarming increase in Child Sex Abuse cases unveils Kashmir’s hidden crisis

June 19, 2023 Editor

By: Farzana Nisar It was a balmy afternoon, the sun shone through the veil of clouds, casting a diffused glow across the fields of Shopian. But for eleven-year-old Farah*(name changed), it was just another day, as she made her way to tuition classes. With her school bag slung over her shoulder, the little girl, brimming with jolliness, looked forward to learning from a teacher whom both she and her family deeply respected. However, unbeknownst to them, hidden beneath his respected facade, lurked the true nature of a beast. In a…

Prominent Kashmir Leaders Boycott Delhi Conference

June 19, 2023 Editor

In a significant development, prominent Kashmir political leaders, including two former Chief Ministers, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, did not attend on Saturday Round Table Conference on Jammu and Kashmir organised by political analyst and Track II diplomat OP Shah in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyyar, OP Shah, NC leader Tanvir Sadiq, former Minister Harshdev Singh, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (People’s Conference), Muzaffar Shah (Awami National Conference), Kapil Kak and other New Delhi political figures. Other political leaders who were invited but did not…

New Kashmir Political Front Emerges, Triggers Anticipated Wave of Party Defections

June 19, 2023 Editor

In a significant development, a new political front is emerging in Kashmir, aiming to bring about a fresh wave of change and representation. Prominent political figures, including former ministers, legislators, and grassroots leaders, have come together to form this front, signalling a significant realignment of political forces in Kashmir. “The group from Jammu and Kashmir held multiple meetings with officials in Delhi and have got the go ahead,” sources Sources said the group comprises of Basharat Bukhari, Junaid Mattoo, Ishfaq Jabbar, Yasir Reshi, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Safeena Beigh, Mir Mohammad…

Farooq Abdullah urges GoI to ensure full supply of Ration Quota to J&K

June 19, 2023 Editor

Amid resentment against reduction in supply of ration in Kashmir valley, member of Parliament from Srinagar and member of Parliamentary Committee on Food, Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said that the government of India has reduced the ration quota supplied to Jammu and Kashmir and has asked for its restoration. Abdullah, who is president of the National Conference, said that he was hopeful of a restoration of full ration supply as rice was the staple diet of people in the Valley. “As far as ration is concerned, the government of India…

Heat Alarm: Delayed monsoon in UP causes nearly 100 Deaths across three states

June 19, 2023 Editor

Dozens of people have died in at least three states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha — in the last three days due to exposure to intense heat, doctors in these regions have said, with weather officials separately warning that severe heatwaves will continue in many parts of the country. Most of these deaths have been reported from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, including in UP’s Ballia where a district hospital reported at least 83 fatalities since June 11, of which 44-54 are believed to be of people whose existing illnesses…

Jamiat Chief Arshad Madani says no to Street Protests against Uniform Civil Code

June 18, 2023 Editor

As the Law Commission has started a fresh consultation process on Uniform Civil Code triggering speculation that it would become a reality before the 2024 Lok Sabha election Jamiat chief Arshad Madani on Sunday issued an appeal stating that they would oppose the UCC but won’t take to the streets against the Uniform Civil Code. “We have our personal laws for the last 1,300 years. We will stick to that. But we won’t like to hit the streets to protest UCC. No government after the Independence did this and we…

Separatism in Kashmir Is a thing of the Past: A S Dulat

June 18, 2023 Editor

Former spymaster AS Dulat has said the separatism in Kashmir was “dead” but felt there was a need to start a dialogue with mainstream political parties in the Valley. Mr Dulat, who was advisor on Jammu and Kashmir to the central government during the tenure of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, also advocated the need for starting a dialogue with Pakistan. “Separatism I believe is dead now. It has become redundant. Like Article 370, separatism also is gone,” Mr Dulat told PTI in an interview here on Saturday. He…