May 2024 | Page 3 of 10

Divine Winds of Change: NC Gujjar’s Spiritual Leader Alarms PDP with Political Ascent

May 24, 2024 Editor

In Mian Altaf Ahmad, NC gets a leader in South Kashmir to take on Mehbooba, even as ST status to Paharis disturbs the status quo When Mian Altaf Ahmad expressed his indecision about contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat over health concerns last month, a perturbed Omar Abdullah rushed over to his home village Babanagri, a spiritual seat of the Gujjars. An hour-long meeting later, Altaf issued a video statement saying he is ready to contest. It was a moment of great relief for the National Conference (NC), which has…

Beyond the Bite: The Looming Crisis of Shrinking Loaves in Kashmir

May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 Editor

Shrinking Loaves, Growing Concerns: A Fight for Kashmir’s Soul Baked into Bread By: Javid Amin The aroma of freshly baked bread isn’t just a pleasant scent in Kashmir; it’s a memory, a tradition, a warm hug in the crisp mountain air. The sight of a plump, round loaf of Choort or Tchewur, staples in Kashmiri households for generations, used to be as common as the snow-capped peaks themselves. But lately, a troubling trend has emerged: these beloved breads are shrinking, both in size and significance. This isn’t a case of…

Online Scams on the Rise: How to Protect Yourself and Recover Lost Money

May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 Editor

Phishing, UPI Fraud, and Fake Investments: How to Avoid Online Scams in India By: Javid Amin In recent years, India has been witnessing rapid digital growth, with everything from banking to shopping now being conducted online. This shift has brought unparalleled convenience, but it has also led to a significant increase in online scams. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, employing new techniques to defraud individuals. The incidence of these scams is rising, with victims losing thousands to crores of rupees to faceless fraudsters. From work-from-home scams to fake reviews and…

Defending Honor: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Denounces Encroachment FIR as Defamation

May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 Editor

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is among seven people booked by the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly encroaching on evacuee land here, a charge denied by the separatist leader. “These are false claims and it is an attempt to malign and harass me,” Mirwaiz said in his statement. Officials said the ACB has filed an FIR and handed over the investigation to a DSP-rank officer. The FIR was filed after the ACB conducted a preliminary inquiry which revealed that a woman named Dil Rafiqa was unlawfully granted…

Historic Alliance, Historic Repeal: Abdullah Connects Dots to Article 370

May 23, 2024 Editor

Former CM Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the PDP-BJP alliance led to the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. Addressing a rally at Pahalgam, Omar said since the alliance between the PDP-BJP was stitched on March 1, 2015, Union Minister Rajnath Singh was talking about the “final solution” for Kashmir. He said, “I remember the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh would sit in a press conference with the PDP and talk about the final settlement of Kashmir. We would ask what this final solution was but he wouldn’t respond.”…

Political Pressure Play: Mufti Calls Out BJP for Voter Intimidation Tactics

May 23, 2024 Editor

Mehbooba Mufti also alleged that voters, particularly religious leaders and government employees, are being “harassed” The BJP is supporting a party which received Hawala money pumped in from Pakistan to fund militancy in Kashmir, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said on May 22, in a veiled attack on Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari. Bukhari, a former PDP leader, was expelled from the party in January 2019. His Apni Party has fielded Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas from the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency against Ms. Mehbooba and National Conference leader Mian Altaf. The seat…

Corruption Crackdown: J&K’s Former Fiscal Head’s Son Faces Charges

May 22, 2024 Editor

The agency was probing allegations of JDA illegally approving construction of an IT Park on a back dated site plan for three-storey building despite knowing that there was no provision to regulate an illegal construction The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday registered a case of corruption against former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather’s son, Bilal Rather, officials of enforcement wing, then chief town planner and then vice-chairperson of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA). ACB registered a case under sections of Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, and 120-B…

Machinery Meddling: Mufti Accuses Govt of Managing Votes Through Officer Pressure

May 22, 2024 Editor

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti today alleged that the government missionary is exerting pressure on officers to manage votes for a particular party which is their proxy despite knowing that they will perform badly in the elections. She also termed some negligence in security arrangements in context with twin target attacks in Kashmir areas recently. Mehbooba Mufti was addressing a press conference in Rajouri during the Lok Sabha election campaign. ” Everyone remembers 1987 election rigging that was done on the day of elections,” she said adding that the timing of Union…

Electricity Out, Temperatures Up: Jammu’s Heat Woes Intensify with Power Cuts

May 22, 2024 Editor

With the mercury soaring in Jammu, the scheduled and unscheduled power cuts by Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) are giving headache to the residents. The JPDCL has announced further power cuts in different parts of Jammu division. In an official statement, JPDCL Chief Engineer (Distribution), Jammu, said the power supply to Ramsoo, Neel, Ukhral, Khari and adjoining areas will remain affected on May 22, 23 and 24 from 9 am to 5 pm. Similarly, the power supply to Shakti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Kailash Nagar, Gurha Bakshi Nagar, Canal Road,…

Reclaiming Boundaries: PM Modi’s Commitment to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir

May 22, 2024 Editor

Senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on May 21 accused the Congress and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru of “breaking the country” and said that PM Narendra Modi “will bring the nation together”. At a poll meeting in South Delhi in support of BJP candidate Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister exuded confidence that if elected for a third time, Mr. Modi will take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Mr. Chouhan said, “Under his guidance, the country has prospered and is poised to become a world leader.” “The…