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Pest mangement workshop

Sir,

Few days back our agricultural Minister Ch. Mohammad Ramzan inaugurated a two days workshop on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Jammu. As per report which appeared in Daily Excelsior dated 22.6.2001 this workshop was of its own kind in Jammu.

It was perhaps first workshop on Integrated pest Management (IPM), an effective and strategic management technique for managing the pests of crop plants, vegetables, fruit plants etc. in Jammu. It is rightly said that we the people of Jammu are laggards. I used the term "laggard" because the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is not a new one.

This technique of pest management in plants has been in operation for the last two decades and the farmers of many states particularly Punjab, Haryana, UP have properly adopted and are fully exploiting this system at their farms.

But, ironically, none of the farmers of our state know about IPM. So, their is an immense need to disseminate the know-how pertaining to IPM among the farmers of our state. It would prove to be an effective and innovative technique for them.

At this stage, I think only a workshop and some lectures among well educated persons regarding IMP are not sufficient to ensure adoption of this technique by the farming community. To ensure the widespread diffusion and adoption of Integrated Pest Management strategy among its ultimate users i.e. farmers a strong extension network with personnel having experience in transfer of technology (TOT) is required which perhaps is lacking now. Because in the days to come we will need more food to meet the demands of ever increasing population which is possible only if we save our crops, from pests and diseases and get bumper yield.

Yours etc.....
Narinder Paul "Jyotu"
Ward No. 4,
Hiranagar.

Trifurcation of J&K

Sir,

Blast at Railway Station on 25.6.2001 injuring 50 and at Chandanwari injuring six persons, a few days back has set the people of particular community in Jammu to think seriously. A few days back the yatra was held-up on the National highway for six hours and the fighting with militants continued for full day long. There is no doubt that these acts were the handiwork of Pak sponsored militants. The Government in Jammu and Kashmir always put the onus of militancy on foreign elements who are trained by Pakistan for the purpose while defending the Kashmiri militants as mis-guided youths. The motive of all of them is to achieve power in J&K using the modus operandi as was at the time of partition in 1947. The militants have already achieved the exodus of other communities from Kashmir i.e. across Banihal tunnel and are in the process of doing the same in Doda, Rajouri and Poonch Districts. But the continuous blasts for disturbing the religious activities is a further step for achieving one religious state. This is not a new phenomena, of course, but the tolerance has come to the brim now. Had this happened with t he pilgrims of Haj whole of the Government would have been disturbed and even signals from across the borders would have come condemning such accidents. The Government would have announced ex-gratia relief immediately. But this particulars community on this side of the tunnel would not do or allow to do it despite suffering at each step. Because we have a instinct in nature by birth not to harm any body unnecessarily.

With the advert of militancy the Govenment has to deploy thousands of soliders to make a festival or yatra of a particulars section of people accident free. These are all forced arrangements will such a situation prevail. All such incidents of day to day force people of Jammu to fight trifurcation of the state where there will not be any discriminations. We shall have to be more careful this time because not even autonomy is going to solve these problems but sympathy if any exists for the minority community will go away. Such circumstances and other evidence have set the people of Jammu think that 90 percent of the majority community is not in favour of secularism and if forced as it is now, the other community people will have to satisfy with 2nd class citizenship in many aspects. In such a atmosphere, Jammuites will not get due share of seats in the Assembly since that may result in tilting of power from Kashmir to Jammu sometimes. The plight is that not even leaders of Jammu are sincerely working on this aspect.

Yours etc.....
Er. B.M. Kohli,
Jammu.

Security to Power Workers

Sir,

This is in reference to News item "Power Workers for Security to staff and installations" published in Daily Excelsior July 8, 2001. In this connection it is submitted that watch and ward of installations is the duty of the Departmental hands appointed for the purpose and if they all PDD workers are sincere and true to their duties, there is no need of any security to them but, unfortunately, this does not exist anywhere. The root cause of that is wide spread corruption from top to bottom which gives birth to other evils and is eating into the vitals of the society. The corruption was always there but not so limitless as is at present and the corrupt used to feel ashmed when his bribe money was exposed against which now the position is quite opposite as the corrupt public servants politicians and other traders feel honour in displaying the under-hand money earned by them instead of feeling a bit shy. This disease is incurable as there is much decline in the general standards of our politicians and the people are also following their foot prints, therefore, solution lies only in miracles.

Yours etc.....
B.L. Balwal
Udhampur.
 
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