Category: General News

General News

Have clearer idea of Kashmir Unrest now – Sinha

Editor

BJP leader to convey his perspective to Home Minister Former Foreign Minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday said his recently concluded meeting with separatist leaders in Srinagar helped him get a clearer idea of the untoward happenings in the Kashmir valley and he would be conveying his perspective to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. “I met a large number of people not just separatists. In our individual capacity, we decided to go to Srinagar and meet as many people who are ready to meet us. We listened…

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Durbar Move: In Kashmir, governance a ‘Casualty’ for over 3 months now

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The Civil Secretariat in J&K’s summer capital Srinagar is set to close and shift to Jammu for next six months. This time however, the highest seat of governance functioned in the Valley only for a “brief time” and continued to remain ‘paralyzed’ in the wake of massive protests and clashes triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. On Thursday, there were no long queues of people outside the highly-fortified Secretariat here, nor were its corridors bustling with any activity. This may be a usual…

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As Kashmir uprising continues, CM to interact with SSPs, DCs on Nov 5

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With uprising in Kashmir continuing for the past more than 100 days, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is going to address Senior Superintendents of Police and District Development Commissioners during a conference here on November 5. This will be second such conference to be addressed by Mehbooba after she assumed the office of Chief Minister in March this year. On Thursday, a circular was issued by the Police department to SSPs asking them to attend the conference at SKICC here on November 5. Official sources said before addressing the SSPs…

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At last J&K’s Document of Accession in Public Domain

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For decades, crucial documents relating to accession of princely states to join India had been locked away in government files. But no longer. For months, RTI campaigner and programme coordinator with the Commonwealth human rights initiative, Venkatesh Nayak, had been trying to obtain the documents of accession of 540 princely states. He had even filed an RTI with the home Ministry, which finally transferred his petition to the National archives. Recently, the national archives gave him permission to take copies of these documents. “The accession of J&K is a fact…

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BJP again rakes up Article 370 on Accession Day

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But Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh maintains silence on issue In the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, the BJP today again raked up the contentious issue of Article 370 and asserted that its revocation was on the party’s top agenda. As October 26 is observed as Accession Day throughout the state, the BJP seized the opportunity to give a message to its coalition partner — PDP — that despite sharing power in the state, the party was committed to its ideological issues like revocation of Article 370, abrogation…

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Sinha’s delegation on second day reach out to more stakeholders

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Former Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, who arrived in the Valley yesterday with a delegation and met separatist leaders, today said the Kashmir issue would have been resolved had Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance not lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. “Had the NDA not lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Kashmir issue would have been resolved to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders,” Sinha said during a meeting with a delegation of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The five-member group dubbed as “Track-II” by various quarters…

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Kashmir: A problem awaiting solution

Editor

Human-rights violations anywhere in the world get ample coverage in the local print and electronic media. However, the region that gets little or scant coverage despite serious human-rights violations is the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Some newspapers in the Philippines avoid covering events in Kashmir as a matter of policy, as they do not want to indulge in disputed issues. I respect their policy, however, I believe that such an attitude would rather encourage the perpetrators of such heinous crimes against humanity and would further exacerbate the situation in regions…

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Kashmir talks can begin once arrested Kashmiris freed: Geelani

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Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Tuesday said he told BJP leader Yashwant Sinha that the government should release all separatist leaders and others arrested during an ongoing unrest as a precursor to beginning negotiations on how to solve the Kashmir issue. Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday led a five-member team to Kashmir to meet separatists, including Geelani and Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. A statement issued by the Hurriyat faction led by Geelani said the “high level delegation” called on the octogenarian leader at his residence soon after Sinha…

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Yashwant Sinha’s met Geelani & Mirwaiz, Hurriyat (G) released Statement, Hurriyat (M) ready to break Jamia Masjid Siege

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All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani issued a statement on Tuesday evening detailing the meeting of Yashwant Sinha led group with Geelani at his Hyderpora residence early this morning. The statement is being reproduced here verbatim for larger public interest All Parties Hurriyat Conference said that a high level delegation headed by former External Affairs Minister Mr Yashwant Sinha dropped at the residence-cum-office of its chairperson Syed Ali Geelani today at about 11:30 am. Delegation included Rtd Air Vice Marchal Mr Kapil Kak, Mr Wajahat Habibullah, Senior…

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As war looms over Valley, NC-PDP agree to not use protests for political gains

Editor

A lot has changed in Kashmir over the last five weeks, and even more over the past week. Somebody in power — probably the National Security Advisor — seems to be finally trying to pull its act together. As our TV screens relentlessly show, it is too late to avoid a war-like situation, but at least several defensive moves are taking shape. Changes have occurred at various levels — most visibly in the deployment of armed forces in the Kashmir Valley. But there’s one more significant change taking place that…

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