Aggarwal Sabha celebrates Jyanti of Maharaj
Agarsaen with devotion

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 13: Jyanti of Maharaj Agarsaen was celebrated with gracefully and with devotion at Aggarwal Dharmashalla in the presence of large number of the members.

Mr Mange Ram Garg, Trustee Maharaja Agarsaen Hospital, Punjabi Bagh and former president of the Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) was chief guest in the function.

A huge gathering attended the function in which Mr V M Goel welcomed the chief guest and other members of the Sabha.

The function started with the hoisting of flag by the chief guest. During the flag hoisting ceremony, flag song and Aarti of Maharaja Agarsaen was sung by all the participants.

Mr Krishan Gopal Aggarwal, general secretary of the Aggarwal Sabha Jammu and Kashmir read out the secretary report and explained all the activities of the Sabha. During the function various speakers highlighted the principles and ideology of Maharaj Agarsaen.

A number of colourful cultural programmes were organised and displayed by the young children of the Sabha members, which were very much appreciated and lauded by the audience.

Small children presented impressive cultural items during the function. Most of the cultural items were aimed at spreading teaching and ideology of Maharaj Agarsaen.

The chief guest awarded a number of trophies, mementos and certificates etc to the meritorious children and artists who performed in various activities.

Jyanti celebrations function started with Havan at which was followed by Purna Ahuti.

The function concluded with the vote of thanks to the chief guest, the members of the Sabha and all other participants by Mr Joginder Pal Aggarwal, vice-president of the Sabha.

Preeti Bhoj was also organised in the function.

I have ended Sheikh family’s rule in Kashmir: Qazi Afzal

SRINAGAR, Oct 13: "It did not sink in for two hours," said a modest Qazi Mohammad Afzal on his victory over National Conference (NC) president and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah from the prestigious Ganderbal constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

"I could not understand what I had done. I did not know what had happened. It was only after two hours when my supporters told me of my achievement that I became normal," Mr Afzal told UNI here.

"Frankly speaking I still do not remember what I told newspersons who had gathered at my house in Laar (Ganderbal) for my reaction over the victory," he said.

"But now I am a happy man. I am responsible for bringing an end to the 27-year-old dynastic rule," a jubilant-looking Mr Afzal said.

The 60-year-old politician had lost all the previous elections he contested and the win from his home constituency this time was what he calls "a major victory for me since 1947 when Maharaja rule ended in Kashmir".

A close associate of Omar Abdullah’s grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Maulana Masoodi, Mr Afzal joined the erstwhile Janata Party just before the 1977 elections when the NC participated in the polls after more than 22 years following the 1975 Sheikh-Indira accord.

In the 1977 elections, Mr Afzal was defeated by Mian Bashir Ahmed of the NC from the Kangan constituency. In 1979, he joined the Congress under the leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Mr Afzal failed to make it to the State Assembly yet again in 1983 and 1996 elections. NC’s Sheikh Abdul Jabbar humbled him in the 1983 elections and Mr Farooq Abdullah defeated him in the 1996 polls from the Ganderbal segment.

Mr Afzal joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 when it was formed by Mr Sayeed after leaving the Congress. His association with Mr Sayeed has been for over 23 years.

"I have avenged my defeat. I would have enjoyed my victory more had it been Dr Abdullah instead of his son. But father or son revenge is a revenge," he said. On his plans for Ganderbal now, Mr Afzal said the focus will be on the development of the constituency.

"The people in Ganderbal have unlimited problems. Though I do not carry an Aladdin s lamp in my hands I will continuously strive for finding solutions to their problems and redress their grievances," he said.

"I want to serve my people and will do my best to heal their wounds. I will make all efforts to fulfill my promises and keep my words."

He attributed his victory in Ganderbal to the policies and programmes of the PDP. "The people were disgruntled with the NC’s policies and supported our programmes. The NC had ruined the lives of the people of the State," Mr Afzal said.

On disbanding Special Task Force and Special Operation Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and repealing POTA, he said the PDP was committed to fulfill all its promises. "We stand by our words...There is no going back on that. We will work for good governance and stability."

On the Kashmir problem, Mr Afzal said the PDP will make all efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the issue. "We favour talks between India, Pakistan and the representatives of the people of the State for finding an amicable and permanent solution to the Kashmir issue," he added.

He also favoured talks with separatists.

"Several people have accused us of toeing the Hurriyat line. We want an end to more than 13 years of bloodshed and if involving separatists in the talks will help in resolving the Kashmir problem, there is no harm in that."

When questioned about the reason for the inordinate delay in Government formation, Mr Afzal said the PDP will never compromise with its policies.

"We are ready to shake hands with those who accept our policies and programmes. We will never divert from our policies and are willing to sit in the opposition rather than part with our principles."

But he added that the Congress had not put any condition on Government formation.

"These are my personal views...There are no conditions from the Congress on Government formation," he said.

On the PDP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Mr Afzal said the party has many senior and capable leaders.

"I am not in the contention. I am a humble and a disciplined worker of the party and will follow the directions of the high command...I am ready to serve at any position," he said. (UNI)

Chat Chandi Paath organized at Mata Vaishno Devi

Excelsior Correspondent

KATRA, Oct 13: The holy township of Katra is brimming with religious festivities since the beginning of Navratra festival on October 7. To add to these festivities, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has organized a Chat Chandi Paath at Vaishno Devi Darbar.

The havan which started on October 7 is being performed by renowned Pandits from state and outside. Fifty one Pandits are performing this yagna under the supervision of Dr Vishwa Murti Shastri.

The yagna starts at 6 a m daily to please the nine manifestations of Goddess Maa Durga.

Besides the SDM of Bhavan, Mr Shiv Raj Singh and his wife the pujaris, pilgrims and employees of Shrine Board join the religious ceremony daily after which the parasad is distributed among the yatris and the employees.

During the evening religious discourses are being delivered by Pt. Vishwa Murti Shastri. The Puran ahuti of this eight day long Yagna will be performed tomorrow. The function will be attended among others by District Development Commissioner Udhampur, Mr Atal Dullo and Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Mr Manoj Dwivedi.

The Chat Chandi Path is organized by the Shrine Board during the Navratras for the peace and prosperity of the country and the mankind.

Meanwhile the Doordarshan Kendra Jammu presented a colorful evening in connection with the celebrations of Navratra festival here today. On this occasion the renowned artists of Radio and T V presented Dogri Bhajans.

During the Navratras 20,000 people are thronging the Holy Shrine daily and in the last week of festival two lakh pilgrims have visited the Holy Shrine.

Newcomers a majority in 9th J&K Assembly

SRINAGAR, Oct 13: While stalwarts of National Conference, which ruled Jammu and Kashmir for the last 27 years, could not make it to the ninth Assembly, it was political greenhorns, comprising 70 per cent of the 87-member new Assembly who dominated the election scene this time.

While veteran leaders of NC like Abdul Ahad Vakil, Mustafa Kamaal and Abdul Ghani Vederi were not able to survive the elections, first-timers such as Raman Matoo, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who defeated high-profile NC Chief Ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah in Ganderbal, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, Chief Ministerial candidate of People’s Democratic Party, which faced their first election after its inception in 1998, made it to the Lower House.

Two new faces, Sonam Wangchuk Nurbu (Nobra) and Nawan Rigzin (Leh) won from Ladakh region unopposed, even as 25 novices made it to the Assembly from Kashmir Valley.

Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi, who defeated Agriculture Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan in Handwara in Kupwara district, is the only proxy candidate of People’s Conference of slain Abdul Gani Lone to make it to the Assembly. Sofi is also a newcomer to the Assembly.

Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, who was fielded by NC from Lolab constituency after the assassination of Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Lone by militants, is also entering the Assembly for the first time.

Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Abdul Rashid (both Congress), Nazir Ahmad Khan (NC), Osman Abdul Majid (J and K Awami League), Ghulam Nabilon and Muzaffar Hussain Beigh (PDP) from Baramulla district will also be new faces in the Assembly.

From Srinagar, Qazi Mohammad Afzal (PDP), Shahjahan Dar (Independent), Raman Matoo (Independent) and Mohammad Yaseen Shah (NC) are making their maiden entry.

Javid Amad Mir, son of first MLA killed by militants in Kashmir in 1990, Mir Mustaffa, Sarafraz Khan (both PDP) and Aga Syed Roohullah Mehdi (NC) are first timers from Budgam.

From Pulwama, Abdul Aziz Mir, Mohammad Khalil Band, Syed Bashir Ahmad and Ghulam Hassan Khan (all PDP), Ghulam Nabi Bhat (NC), Mohammad Khalil Naik (CPI-M) made to the assembly for the first time.

Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Mohammad Sartaj Madani and Pir Mohammad Hussain (all PDP), Ghulam Ahmad Mir (Congress) are new faces from Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

Haji Nissar Ali (Independent) is news entrant to the Assembly from Kargil constituency of Ladakh.

The six constituencies of Doda district did not favour the sitting MLA and sent all new faces to the new Assembly.

The seats were shared by Congress, NC and independents equally. Sajjad Hussain and Chaman Lal won for NC, Ghulam Mohammad and Mohammad Sharief for Congress and Moulvi Abdul Rashid and Abdul Majid (Independents).

Udhampur district which has six seats, elected four rank outsiders Jagul Kishore (Congress), Ajaz Ahmad Khan (Independent), Balwant Singh and Faquir Nath (J & K National Panthers Party) this time.

Prem Sagar and Girdhari Lal (Congress) Jatinder Singh and Manohar Lal Sharma ( both Independents) are the new faces from Kathua district.

Jammu, winter capital of the State, sent ten new faces to the Assembly out of thirteen constituencies this time.

The State Youth Congress president Yogesh Kumar Sawhney, Raman Bhalla, Suman Lata Bhagat, Gharu Ram, Moola Ram and Madan Lal Sharma (all Congress), Yash Paul (J & K National Panthers Party), Manjit Singh (BSP), Jugal Kishore (BJP) Ashwani Kumar (Independent) made it to the Assembly for the first time.

Rajouri district also sent new faces to the Assembly this time. They are Romesh Chander Sharma (Congress), Puran Singh (Independent), Mohammad Aslam and Rachpal Singh (NC).

Although NC bagged all the three seats in Poonch district, it had a new face in the form of Javed Ahmad Rana who won from Mendhar segment. (PTI)

Action Please!
Shortage of water in Bank Colony

Politicians promise moon but end up in giving straw. Same is the case with the administrative machinery so far the public services like drinking water, power and transport is concerned. Bank Colony and Munshi Chack in Gole Gujral is one such area which has been relegated to the background in so far as the portable drinking water is concerned. The residents of the area had approached the PHE authorities umpteen times in the past about the acute and severe problem of drinking water but no remedial action was taken. People are fed up with the acute shortage of drinking water due to callous attitude of the concerned authorities and with the misuse of precious water by the consuming public. Both Government and the public is responsible for this problem/great magnitude. People misuse and misutilise water through lifting whatever meagre water is available with water pumps (motors) and do not allow fellow citizens a drop of it. The PHE authorities do not augument the water supply by laying new pipes in the area, but go on sanctioning new connections every now and then. This way people of the area have been made to suffer for want of portable drinking water. Representation, delegations had no effect upon the authorities who occupy chairs of power. The height of the matter is that the suffering people allege that even authorities at the helm justify lifting of water with motors while as the commoner suffers for no fault of his own. The consumers of the area have now become restive and they will now demonstrate for this acute hardship which has been heaped upon then by the indifferent attitude of the PHE authorities.

Therefore, it is once again requested to the Chief Engineer PHE to pay kind attention towards solving this problem by laying new pipes to Bank colony and Munshi Chack and to delink it from Gole Gujral water reservoir. The patience of the consumers of the area is weaning out and thus the concerned department should come to the rescue of the public. But will the authorities heed is a moot question.

Omkar Dattatray
Munshi Chack
Jammu.

Make lower Shiv Nagar water supply regular

We would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards acute shortage of drinking water in lower Shiv Nagar, Behin A G Office, Jammu. Other adjoining areas of the of locality are getting drinking water regularly but in our area, the supply is not regular. The residents of these areas have to fetch drinking water from Canal.

The authorities are supplying water twice a week for only 15 to 20 minute and at a very low pressure.

It is, therefore, requested to the authorities to look personally into the matter and supply water daily for an hour to the area of Lower Shiv Nagar, Near A G Office, Jammu.

Romesh Khullar
Lower Shiv Nagar,
Behind A G Office, Jammu.

Plea to Chairman, PSC

I appeared for Combined Services Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2002 vide Roll No. 100784 and my application No. 001427 dated 8-9-2002 at Govt College for Women Parade Jammu Sub Centre E (New Block G-Floor R No. 1-6).

That for the General Studies I was allotted 'B Series' and later on in the 2nd shift for optional study paper (Agriculture) I was given question paper of 'D Series'. None in the supervisory staff members instructed us and even I did not know about this as I appeared for the first time. Later on, I was told that my series was not correct and my paper would be rejected.

Therefore, you are requested to do the needful for this adjustment as I have fairly done in the examination and am confident to qualify.

Poonam Sharma
D/o Sh Mangat Ram
House No. 254/G
Sainik Colony, Jammu.

Contaminated drinking water

Due to the contaminated water coming through the old rusty broken pipes the residents of Lale-Da-Bagh in general and Anant Vihar colony in particular are facing a great threat to their health. So many jaundice cases have been reported during last three months in the area. The leakage in the low capacity broken pipes has also caused the scarcity of drinking water in the whole area. The colony with a large population is connected with the main pipe by a mere two inches pipe and this is among the most affected colonies of this area.

During last four years the residents of this area repeatedly drew the attention of PHE officials at Bakshi Nagar and Muthi towards the drinking water problems in the area and demanded the replacement of rusty and broken main pipe and the two inches pipe connecting the colony.

It is requested once again to the concerned PHE officials through this column that till the replacement of old main pipe, and the two inches pipe by high capacity pipes, the broken pipes may please be repaired and plugged and the water pressure be increased which can prove as an immediate relief to the inhabitants of this area.

Rattan Razdan
Lale-Da-Bagh
Jammu.

Provide electric poles

We would like to draw the kind attention of the Govt towards the deplorable condition of Inhabitants of Janipur Colony Ext near Teen Murti Mandir leading to Gujjar Mohalla.

The erection of Electric poles and Extension of LT line to the entire Mohalla besides construction of road/drainage were the core issue of the Mohalla consisting of 55 houses. Some time back a deputation of the committee of this area had gone to meet the Former Chief Engineer Electric and Maintenance alongwith MLA' Jammu West. Some verbal discussions were held and it was agreed by the MLA Jammu West that 250 KV Transformer shall be provided to the Mohalla from his constituency development fund and rest LT line poles etc. shall be provided by the Electric Department.

The members had left no stone unturned to move from door to door in various offices of Electric Deptt. tried their utmost in completion of all such necessary official formalities within eight months i.e December 2001 to July-2002 when the case was on its top level, it was unfortunate, that code of conduct was issued by the Election Commission where the MLA funds were seized. The residents of this Mohalla are very much annoyed, demoralized and disgusted over the attitude and step motherly treatment of the authorities.

All the residents of this Mohalla urge upon the concerned authorities to concede our demand of poles, Lt Line etc. besides construction of road drainage by the Municipality, PWD authorities.

Welfare Committee
Janipur Colony Ext.
Near Teen Murti Mandir (Jammu)
through M K Koul,
Sheikh Gh. Nabi.

Construct Roopnagar lane

I want to draw the attention of the PWD authorities that all the lanes except lane No. 4 in block B Roopnagar extension stand constructed. This lane is hardly 500 mts in length and does not involve huge money.

Moreover, there is no drainage system functional in the colony. As a result, water accumulates at various places and is a cause of inconvenience to people.

It is therefore, requested to the Chief Engineer PWD to look into the matter personally so that a long pending and genuine demand is addressed.

Kishore Kumar
Roopnagar, Jammu.

Shia leader Aga Mehmood joins PDP

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 13: The National Conference rebel and prominent Shia leader, Aga Syed Mehmood, today joined Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP Vice President, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, PDP’s successful candidates, Javed Mustafa Mir, Qazi Mohammad Afzal, Pir Mohammad Hussain and others were present when Aga Mehmood joined Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s party at the PDP headquarters here today.

While welcoming Aga Mehmood, alongwith a number of the NC dissident Halqa Presidents and Block Presidents, Ms Mufti said that it was part of the PDP’s efforts of making the party broadbased in Jammu & Kashmir. She said that PDP was keen to give suitable representation to all regions and communities. Aga Mehmood is the first Shia leader in the Valley to join Mufti Sayeed’s party which has bagged 16 seats in the Assembly elections.

Aga Mehmood described the PDP as the most viable alternative to the National Conference which had been completely captured by the people who, according to him, had developed "dangerous vested interests" in clinging to the power. He asserted that he may not be weighed in the balance of NC dissidents and those who had failed to get that party’s ticket for contesting the elections.

Aga Mehmood clarified that he had submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah a day before the mandates were announced. He asserted that he had, in fact, resigned on moral grounds as, for him, there was no justification to stay as Minister of State Education after a "brazen fraud" in a department under him. He disclosed that, on the instance of the two Cabinet Ministers, the State Board of School Education had fraudulently changed the DOB of one of his own relatives to make him qualified for contesting the elections. Aga alleged that the incumbent’s age was raised by six years in a matter of 14 days.

He said that, after the "brazen fraud" by the Government, his conscience did not allow him to continue either in the NC or in the NC Government. He said that his resignation was all the more necessary due to the fact that the beneficiary of the SBSE fraud was his own relative whose actual age was just 20 years. He said that, through the English daily, KASHMIR IMAGES, he had announced his resignation well before the NC mandates were announced. Son of the influential spiritual leader, Ayatullah Aga Syed Yusuf Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi, Aga Mehmood joined NC in 1987, contested elections from Pattan and became Minister of State. He handled different portfolios in the NC-Congress coalition Government till 1990. While as almost all the NC leaders and Ministers migrated to Jammu with the eruption of militancy and resignation of the NC Government in January 1990, Aga Mehmood stayed put at his Budgam residence and maintained continuous rapport with the people and the Governor’s administration.

In 1996, he successfully contested Assembly elections on NC ticket from Beerwah and was again inducted as a Minister of State. He handled several portfolios and ultimately resigned as MoS Education. He contested the recent elections as an Independent candidate from Budgam but lost to NC’s Aga Ruhullah whose DOB has become a controversy in the state’s political circles.