Category: Kashmir

Kashmir

NIT Srinagar campus clashes could have long term repercussions in Kashmir

Editor

The state government must play a major role in brokering peace The clashes at the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar between local and non-local students and the alleged lathicharge on the latter group by Jammu and Kashmir police poses the first challenge to the newly sworn-in Mehbooba Mufti government. The current spate of unrest was triggered by clashes between student groups who were on opposing sides while watching the India-West Indies T-20 cricket match. The non-local students were incensed by the Kashmiri students’ support for the West Indies side…

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Centre assures safety of students as NIT crisis deepens; first litmus test for Mehbooba

Editor

The Centre on Wednesday assured full safety of all outstation students studying at Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology days after a bitter clash between two groups of students, which posed the first major challenge for the newly-installed BJP-PDP coalition government in the state headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. A three-member team of central government officials also visited the volatile campus of a Kashmir college to take stock of the situation there. The three-member team, headed by Sanjeev Sharma, a director in the union Human Resources Development ministry, met officials…

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Incessant rain exposes Srinagar’s drainage system

Editor

Incessant rain since Tuesday has resulted in water logging on all major roads and lanes of the city creating difficulties for the people. In the summer capital, residents said they were forced to stay indoors as rain had resulted in flooding of all routes, restricting the pedestrian as well as vehicular movement. The locals were aghast at the authorities for failing to restore the defunct drainage system. “Due to water logged roads neither our children are able to go to school nor are we able to go to work. Despite…

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Hurray! India Lost! : Cricket As A Mode Of Kashmiri Resistance

Editor

A few days back when India lost to West Indies in the T20 semi-finals, Kashmiris displayed their anti-India stance in full glory on social media. They heralded the West Indians as worthy allies who had inflicted the defeat. In the Valley, even the heavily surveilled historic downtown in Srinagar celebrated with late night fireworks–AFSPA or no AFSPA. Even though just a game, for Kashmiris cricket as an event is heavily infused with politics of resistance against India. The defeat of the Indian cricket team is a chronic Kashmiri desire. Cricket,…

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South Kashmir shuts to mourn death of Hizb militant

Editor

Several areas in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday to mourn the death of a Hizb militant, who was killed in an encounter with security forces at Gudoora village in Pulwama district on Tuesday evening. Bilal Ahmad Bhat a resident of Karimabad Pulwama was killed in a gun-battle that had raged between militants and government forces at Gudoora village in Pulwama on Tuesday afternoon. According to witnesses, Karimabad, Gudoora, main town of Pulwama is completely shut. The shops and business establishments are closed while traffic is…

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Clashes in NIT Srinagar after non-local students ‘assault’ police officer, HRD team to arrive in Srinagar

Editor

HRD team to arrive in Srinagar, Singh calls Mehbooba Tension gripped the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar after a group of students clashed with police on Tuesday. “A group of NIT students, all of them non-locals, marched to the gates of the institute shouting slogans,” a police officer said. “A senior police officer advised them not to go out of the campus as that could result in a law and order problem. The students refused to listen and some of them manhandled the officer,” he said. He said police…

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Sulking Sajjad puts in papers?

Editor

A day after the swearing-in, the PDP-BJP government received a jolt when one of its ministers Sajjad Gani Lone reportedly resigned from the Council of Ministers. Sources close to Sajjad claimed that he had sent his resignation papers to the Chief Minister but there was no official confirmation so far. Sajjad’s People’s Conference had a pre-poll alliance with the BJP in the state and he was adjusted in the Council of Ministers from the BJP quota. A close aide of Sajjad told us that he had forwarded his resignation to…

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‘Machines worth crores lie idle in Kashmir’

Editor

The authorities of Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department have reportedly denied the utilization of latest technology in dredging of and sand extraction from water bodies in Kashmir, citing ‘technical issues.’ Several educated unemployed youth had fetched machines that float on water and pump sand through a temporary pipeline to offsite location, obviously to earn their livelihood. However, they were not granted permission to operate in river Jhelum by officials of I&FC department for ‘technical reasons.’ The aggrieved owners argue that the machines are being used across the world, adding,…

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Govt mulls separate bus corridor in Srinagar

Editor

In its endeavor to streamline the traffic system in Srinagar, the Government is mulling to construct separate bus corridors—the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective services at metro-level capacities. It does this through the provision of dedicated lanes, with busways and iconic stations typically aligned to the center of the road, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations The plan has been envisaged by the Town Planning Organization (TPO) Kashmir in revised Master Plan…

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SMC sits on encroachment of footpaths

Editor

Failure of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to remove encroachments from footpaths in Srinagar is taking a heavy toll on pedestrians. In absence of regulation, footpaths across the summer capital have been occupied by street vendors. The problem is severe is city centre areas including Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Amira Kadal and Batamaloo. At Ghanta Ghar, the street vendors have even occupied roadsides hampering smooth flow of vehicular movement. “It is ironical that vendors have occupied both sides of footpath at Lal Chowk. There is hardly any space…

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