Category: Community

Post opposition, govt withdraws circular on Urdu version of ‘Bhagwat Geeta’ in schools, colleges

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir government has withdrawn a controversial circular that had asked the Education department to provide the Urdu version of “Bhagwat Geeta” and “Koshur Ramayana” in schools and other educational institutions in the state. “The circular regarding the introduction of some religious books stands withdrawn ab initio under the orders of the chief secretary,” an official said Tuesday. The state government had issued the circular Monday, directing the Director of School Education for the Jammu and Kashmir divisions to purchase these religious books. The circular had asked the…

Read More

New highway connecting Kargil to Gurez announced by Rajnath Singh

Editor

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday announced that a new highway would be constructed in Jammu and Kashmir along the border from Kargil to Gurez. He made this announcement at a high-level meeting convened here today to review the implementation of various developmental initiatives in the State. Governor Satya Pal Malik, Advisors to the Governor, B B Vyas, K Vijay Kumar and Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, J&K Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, state’s Administrative Secretaries and other senior officers of the Central and the State Government were…

Read More

Riyaz Naikoo slams Pakistan for not taking up Kashmir Issue on the diplomatic front

Editor

Hizbul Mujahideen’s top commander in the Kashmir Riyaz Naikoo has made a rare criticism of Pakistani leaders for failing to represent the Kashmirissue on the diplomatic front. “Only Pakistan can represent us on the diplomatic front, but unfortunately, the politicians there have limited the Kashmir issue to elections,” Naikoo said in a leaked audio message in which he addresses a gathering of militants based in Pakistan. Naikoo, a resident Awantipora, had emerged as the most outspoken supporter of Pakistan in the aftermath of last year’s Islamist rebellion within militant ranks.…

Read More

Stop celebration of sham elections, end bloodshed in Kashmir: Altaf Bukhari

Editor

Senior PDP leader and former finance minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has said the central government and governor administration in J&K must now come out from its election related celebratory mode and focus on an immediate end to bloodshed of innocent civilians in Kashmir. Bukhari who is outside the country, has said that unfortunately the political mainstream has now been restricted to issuing statements on these innocent and unwarranted civilian killings in Kashmir. “Mere condemnation and protest statements won’t do,” Bukhari emphasized. He observed that time has come for the…

Read More

Kashmir going through ‘Blackest Chapter’ of History: Resistance Leadership

Editor

Stating that “Kashmir was going through the blackest chapter of the history”, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Saturday strongly condemned the killing of a pregnant woman in exchange of firing in Pulwama district o south Kashmir. The JRL headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik expressed its serious anger and grief over the killing of of Firdousa wife of Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh of Shadimarg, Pulwama. “The gory incident in which Firdousa was killed who was six months pregnant reflects the nature of atrocities being…

Read More

Post IED Blast forces went wild in Trichil village, beat inhabitant, destroyed property

Editor

At least 15 persons including eight women were injured when government forces thrashed people at Trichil village in southern Pulwama district late last night, local residents alleged on Friday. The army’s Srinagar-based spokesman however said they were “ascertaining the details.” Residents of Trichil alleged that soldiers barged into their houses at around 9.50 pm on Thursday and started beating people mercilessly. The incident, they said, took place after militants triggered an improvised explosive device in the area at around 9 pm (Thursday), causing injuries to at least seven soldiers. “We…

Read More

Unopposed poll not new in local bodies elections, In 2005, 114 candidates were chosen uncontested

Editor

Even as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) leaders are claiming that due to their boycott many candidates have been chosen unopposed in the local bodies elections, the poll data makes it clear that the uncontested election at the local level is not a new thing in J&K. In the 2005 civic elections, nearly 114 candidates were elected unopposed when the security situation was predominantly normal. In the just-concluded civic elections, 244 candidates have been elected unopposed and there was not even a single candidate in 177 wards,…

Read More

Without public trust, holding elections in Kashmir was a bad idea

Editor

Since 1989, the first time I was old enough to understand the importance of elections in a democracy, elections in Jammu and Kashmir have intrigued me. I belong to the ‘J’ part of the state – Jammu – and it was fascinating to see the long queues outside polling stations in the Jammu region even as large-scale disenchantment with the political class became somewhat of a national phenomenon and kept growing roots. But, it was the Kashmir region and its hide-and-seek with elections, which was the subject of discussion in…

Read More

Kashmir’s Unarmed freedom fighters

Editor

Flowing black beard, a headband with “Allahu akbar” (God is greatest) and a fluttering green flag. This has been the trademark picture of the recent azadi (freedom) processions of Kashmir, where hundreds of thousands marched the streets of this disputed Himalayan region seeking a separation from India. From a distance, it seems as if the past has returned to Kashmir. But the present contains an irrefutable truth: in place of guns, the people carry slogans. The politics of protest this time is not about the argument of power, but about…

Read More

Ahead of darbar move Kashmir started facing drastic power cuts

Editor

The Kashmir Valley is facing drastic power cuts ahead of the shifting of the government offices to winter capital Jammu as part of the Dogra-era practice of Durbar Move. The Power Development Department (PDD) has resorted to unscheduled power outages even in autumn when cuts would usually start from harsh winter months. In most parts of the Valley, power woes are causing immense inconvenience to the general public. Consumers from many areas have complained that they face unscheduled power outages thrice a day. According to the residents of Srinagar and…

Read More