Senior leaders
exposed in Mumbai meeting
Kotwal submits reasons of
BJP’s debacle in J&K to high command
By Dinesh Manhotra
JAMMU,
Oct 20: Annoyed over soft-attitude of the
highcommand towards vested interests in the BJP,
responsible for worst ever debacle of the party ,
State president of the Bharatiya Janta Party
(BJP) Daya Krishan Kotwal might resign from the
post of pradesh chief as a mark of protest.
Mr Kotwal, who has
been attending important party meeting at Mumbai
BJP, took a swipe at a section of the party and
disclosed that he will present some authentic
proof before the highcommand to expose some
stalwarts of the party who had worked over-time
to ensure his and other party candidates’
defeat.
Kotwal has drafted
a hard-hitting letter which he will hand over to
party president Mr M Venkaih Naidu during
on-going Mumbai conclave, listing various reasons
for the worst ever debacle of the party in the
State.
In his letter,
Kotwal strongly expressed his reservations over
attitude of the party highcommand in dealing with
the dissidents. He singled out some senior
leaders who, he alleged, had worked hard to
ensure his defeat.
Before leaving for
Mumbai, enraged Kotwal had disclosed that he will
expose some senior leaders in the session to save
the party. "I have authentic proof how
senior some leaders of the party worked overtime
for my defeat. I will present these proofs in the
session as it is necessary to expose real face of
these leaders", he said. "I am of the
firm opinion that some rebels were patronised by
senior leaders and these leaders overtly and
covertly supported these rebels", he said,
adding, ‘I find it difficult to digest the
excuse give by some leaders why choppers could
not land in some particular areas of Doda
district".
"The
unchecked infighting among the rank and file of
the party and the biased role of some senior
leaders against certain candidates and
vice-versa, has damaged the party’s image
before the electorate to an enormous level. The
filing of nomination papers by party rebels in
nearly half a dozen assembly seats apparently
patronized by these leaders eventually destroyed
the prospects of the official candidates in these
constituencies", stated Kotwal in his
letter.
It is worthwhile
to mention here that Kotwal had blamed some
senior leaders for virtually wiping out party
during recently held elections in review meeting.
Kotwal was also
critical of the non-cooperative attitude of the
party highcommand and also shifted blame on the
Central leadership for virtually route of the
party in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There is no
denying the fact that both National Conference
and Congress surpassed the BJP so far as election
campaign was concerned. They used all sorts of
resources at their disposals. These senior
leaders visited every nook and corner by road and
by air to address the election rallies. Both
comparatively incurred handsome amount on the
electioneering whereas our resources were
limited. Our senior leaders were not available as
per demand. Several times, the leader even after
fixing the meetings postponed or cancelled their
programmes at the eleventh hour which send wrong
signals and in fact did more harm.
For instance, he
cited, Union Minister for Information and
Broadcasting Mrs Sushma Swaraj was scheduled to
address public rallies at several constituencies
including Gandoh and Bhaderwah on October 4, but
her visit was all of a sudden
cancelled’’.
Besides other
reasons, the state BJP chief stated that decision
of the BJP highcommand to abandon basic issues
also contributed for the debacle of the party.
"The formation of NDA Government at the
Centre and functioning of the Government on a
Common Minimum Programme damaged prospects of the
party. People of Jammu and Kashmir felt
back-stabbed by abandoning our own agenda like
construction of Ram Temple, Enforcement of
Uniform Civil Code, abrogation of Article 370
etc." he stated.
Three days
important BJP meeting is going at Mumbai in which
all organisational matters will be discussed.
Besides national president M Venkaih Naidu,
general secretaries Arun Jaitely and Rajnath
Singh are attending the meeting. State BJP
president Mr D K Kotwal will present progress
report of the elections in the meeting.
|
PM cuts short visit amidst
reports of discontent in UP BJP
LUCKNOW, Oct 20: Abruptly cancelling his
press conference citing "bad throat",
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today cut
short his visit here and left for Delhi in the
midst of reports of discontent in the state BJP
over the recent cabinet expansion in Uttar
Pradesh.
On a two-day visit
to his Parliamentary constituency, Vajpayee came
to the venue of a scheduled press conference in
the morning and excused himself to reporters
saying doctors have advised him to give rest to
his sore threat. He sought their cooperation for
this.
Cancelling the
news conference, he promised reporters that he
would take a few questions at the airport before
his departure for Delhi in the evening if his
throat improved or he would visit Lucknow soon.
Shortly later
Vajpayee also cancelled all the engagements
listed for the day in Lucknow except one function
where he inaugurated a road overbridge, science
centre and a power sub-station. There again, he
said, he wanted to speak a lot but could not
because of his throat. He promised to visit
Lucknow soon.
Vajpayee’s
cancelled engagements in the afternoon included a
meeting of BJP workers and release of a magazine
at Vishwa Samvaad Kendra, an RSS outfit.
The
cancellation of the press conference by Vajpayee
and curtailing of his visit came in the midst of
rising disgruntlement among BJP MLAs, who were
left out in the recent expansion of the ministry
undertaken by Chief Minister Mayawati.
Significantly, she was also not present at the
press conference.
Party insiders
felt the Prime Minister may have wanted to avoid
some questions on the inner rumblings in BJP
which may have some impact on the BSP-BJP
coalition in the state.
The Prime Minister
also refused to meet the disgruntled MLAs, who
were now said to be planning a meeting later
during the week to decide on their strategy for
drawing the party high command’s attention
to their grievances.
Minister of State
in the PMO Vijay Goel told reporters not to
"read between the lines" on the
cancellation of the press conference or the
curtailing of the visit saying Vajpayee’s
throat had gone bad after he undertook a tour of
his constituency last night.
On Mayawati’s
absence, he said it was not mandatory for a Chief
Minister to be present at the Prime
Minister’s press conference.
The Prime Minister
did not have any interaction with reporters at
the airport before he left for capital. (PTI)
|
Truck rams over 4 vehicles
at Asia Crossing; 2 hurt
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: In a bid to save a scooterist
and marriage revellers in an auto-rickshaw, a
trucker run over three parked vehicles outside
Asia Hotel late last night. The drivers of the
truck and auto-rickshaw were injured in the
incident.
Police said that a
truck bearing registration number PB08-6999 which
was coming from Satwari side ran over three
parked vehicles and an auto-rickshaw carrying
marriage revellers outside Hotel Asia when he
tried to save a scooterist who was entering the
main road from Gandhi Nagar side.
Noticing a
speeding scooter entering the main road, the
driver in pell mell turned the speeding vehicle
towards left side resulting into truck running
over three parked vehicles and an auto-rickshaw,
which was moving at a very slow pace, outside
Asia Hotel.
The security
personnel of Hotel Asia soon after hearing the
big bang came out on the main road and
immediately caught hold of the driver, who
despite being injured, was trying to flee from
the spot.
Getting the report
of incident, a police party from Gandhi Nagar
Police Station led by SHO S S Sambyal reached the
spot and arrested the driver for driving rashly.
Though all the
marriage revellers escaped unhurt yet driver of
the auto-rickshaw Balbir Bali, son of Kundal Lal
of Rehari sustained injuries and has been
hospitalised.
The truck driver
Shyam Sunder, son of Roshan Singh of Ludhiana,
who too received minor injuries was shifted to
hospital for treatment. The condition of both the
drivers was stated to be out of danger.
The damaged
vehicles were Santro Cars bearing registration
numbers JK02R-2522, PB-35-7777, Maruti car
JK02Q-2342 and Auto Rickshaw number JK02E-3789.
|
Habits die hard
Shepherds barter pashmina
output in Ladakh
By B L Kak
JAMMU,
Oct 20: Official agencies seem to have
been left in the lurch, with the continuance of
highly secret operations in some areas close to
the Ladakh frontier with Chinese-controlled
Tibet.
Chinese personnel
may be interested in knowing more and more about
what the Indians are actually doing on this side
of the frontier. But in the operations, mainly
the responsibility of shepherds, there is
obviously commercial activity involved, which,
from the defence point of view, is neither
unusual nor unexpected.
Shepherds—their
exact number is not forthcoming—in the
Himalyan region have bartered their annual output
pashmina wool with Chinese traders. This, if any,
has left official agencies in the lurch.
Nor is all. It has
also marked a return to an ancient trading habit,
thereby upholding the well-known saying
‘habits die hard’. The wool, reports
from Ladakh point out, has been bartered with
Chinese traders for tea, bricks, silk,velvet and
electronic goods via the ancient mountainous
trade routes of Dara and Changpass.
Border trade
returned more than a year and a half ago, after a
visible, encouraging thaw in relations between
India and China, separated by a huge mountain
range.
According to one
account, some 33,000 kg of pashmina wool, famous
for its softness, were bartered by sheep rearers
of Changthong, or north upland valley, in the
remote Ladakh region.
Changthong, 11,500
feet above sea level, is, officials admit, the
centre of Kashmir’s pashmina production.
Pashmina producers are demanding a rate, which,
it has been established, is not acceptable to any
buyer in the country.
Pashmina
producers, according to official information, are
willing to sell their wool at Rs 900 a kg—Rs
350 more than the Government rate.
|
F&S
employees list demands
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: Food and Supplies Employees
Association in a meeting here today held under
the chairmanship of Mr Tarlochan Singh discussed
a large number of problems being faced by the
employees of the Department.
As per a release,
the meeting demanded clearance of DPC of all
categories, cancellation of seniority list of
junior assistants issued in last year as number
of irregularities have been reported in this
list.
It also demanded
cancellation of all back door appointments which
have affected the seniority of the Departmental
employees, reorganization of Food and Supplies
Department by creating the post of inspector ,
TSO and storekeeper as number of Class IVth
employees are working against these posts.
The Association
warned to sit on one day mass dharna in front of
Directorate of Food and Supplies in case the DPC
of all categories was not cleared.
|
Plea
to open full medical unit at Rly Station
Lions Club Royal donates
emergency items to Rlys
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: Lions Club Jammu Royal donated
emergency requirements to the Railways
authorities at Jammu Station at a function held
here today.
In a simple
function organised at the Jammu Railway Station,
the members of the Lions Club Jammu Royal, Rajesh
Gupta, Sanjeev Soni G D Gupta, R D Gupta and
others handed over the these items including
wheel chairs, stretchers and two cold water
machines to the Station Manager, Mr A K Mittoo
and Divisional Traffic Manager, Mr A K Bhardwaj.
Additional SP Crime and Railways, Mr Gulzar
Choudhary and Station House Officer, Mr H S Gill
were also present on the occasion besides other
senior staff members.
While speaking on
the occasion, Mr Bhardwaj extended thanks to the
Lions Club members and appreciated their gesture.
He said the items provided to the Railways will
be of great help to the needy patients at the
station and free mobile machines of cold water,
manned by the scouts (boys) will provide a relief
to the passengers and especially a large number
of Vaidhnodevi pilgrims arriving at the station.
The Station
Manager, Mr Mittoo while expressing his gratitude
said that such noble efforts are also expected
from the other NGOs for the welfare of the lakhs
of Vaishnodevi pilgrims arriving here. He said
the rush at the station is increasing day by day
with the increase in the number of trains. At
present 16 trains are operating from Jammu
station.
He said the daily
train between Jammu and Haridwar has been started
with the enormous efforts of the people of Jammu.
An average of over 12,000 passengers are arriving
at this station every day and due attention is
needed to be given for their requirements here.
"We are also trying to regularise the
special holiday train between Jammu and Delhi and
increase the number of plate-forms at
Jammu."
Mr Mittoo lauded
the efforts of boys scouts for their
contributions in the past and said that these
boys have offered to provide free service in
rotation for passengers in providing cold water
of machines donated by Lions Club.
Mr Sanjeev Soni,
president of the organisation also spoke on the
occasion and extended all possible help. It was
also announced to organise two medical camps
including one for Polio-affected children at
Jalandhar in December.
The speakers at
the function stressed the need to open a full
fledged medical unit at the Railway Station to
meet the emergency requirements at the station
with trained staff to attend to the patients. The
Station manager claimed that they have the
first-aid kit kept at Combined Assistance Booth.
|
Lecturers
Forum blames Govt for stagnation
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20:
Plus-2 Lecturers’ Forum has expressed deep
concern over the limitless stagnation which has
gripped the cadre and blamed the Government for
" deliberate delay" in redressal of the
long pending demands of the lecturers.
Chief of the
Forum, H D Qureshi while presiding over a
meeting, expressed anguish that the cadre is
victim of apathetic attitude of the Government,
which he said, has deliberately prolonged the
process of promotion of lecturers as senior
lecturers inspite of the existing orders of
one-third quota of promotion, implementation of
reservation rules, creation of Vice Principal
posts, regularisation of incharge lecturers and
Principals and removal of grade anomalies by
extending the benefit of time bound promotion to
the community.
The meeting
demanded that all lecturers working in far-flung
areas be brought back to their home localities
immediately.
The meeting was
informed that the work on seniority lists of the
cadre simultaneously taken in hands in specially
constituted cell of Directorate and in the
Central Office of the Forum is at the verge of
completion and the members are invited to verify
their particulars.
Mrs Shukantala
Rani, vice president (female) in her address
highlighted the problems of the female lecturers
and disclosed that a delegation is going to met
the Director School Education to apprise him
about the "step-motherly" treatment
towards the female lecturers.
Among others who
spoke on the occasion included Didar Singh,
Nirmal Choudhay, Yash Paul Sharma, Gurcharan
Singh, Lekh Raj, Dr A K Razdan, Ajeet Singh and
Dr Satvir Gupta.
|
Salman
may be chargesheeted today
MUMBAI, Oct 20: Bollywood star Salman
Khan, accused in a hit-and-run case and currently
lodged in Thane jail, may be chargesheeted
tomorrow when he will be produced before the
Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court on expiry of
his judicial custody, police said.
Sessions court
judge P V Bavkar had on October 16 rejected the
bail plea of the actor on the grounds that he
might tamper with the evidence.
The judge upheld
the contention of Special Public Prosecutor R V
Keni that Salman, if released on bail, might
tamper with the evidence as he was
"economically influential".
The Bandra
Metropolitan Magistrate had on October 14
remanded Salman to judicial custody till October
21 on the premise that the charges levelled
against him under section 304 of the IPC could
only be "exclusively tried" by the
sessions court.
Salman was
arrested on October seven under section 304 of
the IPC for culpable homicide not amounting to
murder, on charges that his Toyota Landcruiser
ran over five people asleep on a pavement in
Bandra on September 28, killing a bakery worker
and injuring the others. The police had arrested
Salman on September 28 itself, but let him off on
a bail of rs 950 the same day. He was again
arrested on October seven after the State
Government submitted an affidavit before the
Bombay High Court conveying its decision to slap
charges of culpable homicide against the actor.
Special public
prosecutor Keni said at the sessions court on
October 16 that even though the custodial
interrogation of the actor was complete, the
investigations were still on and the chargesheet
is yet to be filed. The investigating agencies
feel that if he is let off on bail, he may tamper
with the evidence, Keni submitted.
Keni also
submitted before the court that Salman was
driving without a license and under the influence
of alcohol. He also chose not to heed the advice
of his bodyguard Ravindra Patil, who registered
the fir about the accident, not to drive at high
speed, he said.
"All this
evidence shows that the actor had knowledge, of
the result of his actions and hence the sections
of non-bailable offence, slapped against him, are
justified", Keni said.
Immediately after
the accident, Salman could have gone to the
police station which was close by, he said. He
also did not provide aid to the victims
immediately. The actor was arrested only at
around 1100 hrs from a different place, Keni told
the court.
The judge upheld
the arguments of the prosecution and said the
actor indeed might try to tamper with the
evidence in "filmi style".
Keni also said
grant of bail is the prerogative of the court and
if bail is given, it should be on the condition
that the accused presents himself before the
Bandra Police Station for 15 days.
Defence advocate
Abad Ponda prayed to the court that the police
did not want his client’s police custody as
their investigations are over. He urged the court
to grant bail to his client who would abide by
all the conditions. (UNI)
|
Advance
parties of moving offices to move Jammu by 22 Oct
Excelsior
Correspondent
SRINAGAR,
Oct 20: In connection with annual Darbar
Move the Government has ordered that all the move
offices will send their advance parties to Jammu
on 22nd October 2002. Each party will consist of
one gazetted officer and four non-gazetted
employees for receiving the records at Jammu.
The Government has
also ordered that the special move T.A shall be
paid at the uniform rate of Rs. 2500 to each move
employee. Special move T.A shall not, however, be
payable to such of the employees who do not move
within the prescribed dates.
In has also been
ordered that advance pay is also authorised in
terms of rule 14.26 of Jammu and Kashmir
Financial Code (Vol. I) in favour of such of the
non-gazetted move employees who may apply for the
same, which shall be recoverable in installments
as per rules.
As per order 27
departments which include all the departments of
Civil Secretariat will move in full while as 30
departments shall move in camp.
It has also been
ordered that offices of Managing Directors of
various corporations and Public Sector
Undertakings will not move and will remain
permanently located at their registered offices
in Jammu and Srinagar.
It has been
further ordered that SRTC will make available
sufficient number of good conditioned buses for
taking Jammu/Srinagar based employees on the
dates to be specified separately. The booking of
buses shall be according to the destinations of
the employees wherever feasible. Tickets shall be
issued by SRTC in advance both from civil
secretariat as well as from the main booking
counter of SRTC.
SRTC will also
make available trucks for shifting the records
from Srinagar to Jammu. The trucks shall be
requisitioned by the Departments from SRTC and
the Departments shall draw advance for meeting
carriage and package charges. The trucks shall be
allowed to enter the Secretariat premises after 5
PM on the last working days. Loading of trucks
shall also continue on the next day. Loading of
records in the offices located outside the
Secretariat shall also take place after working
hours of their last working day. The loaded
trucks shall leave for Jammu in a convoy.
SRTC will ensure
that one crane, one empty bus and one or two
empty trucks accompany the convoy on their
respective days so that the employees do not face
inconvenience due to any break down of
buses/trucks on the way. Mobile workshop shall
also accompany the convoy.
The SSP security,
Srinagar will supervise packing/loading of
records of the offices located outside the
Secretariat from Security point of view and issue
clearance certificates to the Drivers who in turn
will show it to SSP security, Civil Secretariat
to allow them to be included in the convoy. The
SSP security, Civil Secretariat will ensure
entrance of trucks/records in the Civil
Secretariat, Jammu/Srinagar after proper checkup.
The Police will
escort the employees and the records convoy all
along the route upto their respective
destinations. They will also make it convenient
that the move convoy receives preference in
crossing the Jawahar Tunnel, Director General of
Police will issue necessary guidelines to its
field agencies accordingly.
No moving employee
shall occupy any Government/E.P/Municipal
residential accommodation except under proper
allotment order.
The Moving
employees having ration tickets at Srinagar shall
surrender the same to the Director, Food and
Supplies, Srinagar and obtain a certificate from
their Heads of Departments that they have no
ration tickets. The Director, Food and Supplies,
Jammu shall issue ration tickets to such
employees at Jammu on the opening of offices.
The employees who
desire to move without families may retain the
Srinagar ration tickets for the winter season.
The employees can
retain the Government accommodation allotted to
them at Srinagar for use of their families or for
any other bonafide purpose under intimation to
the Estates Department.
No leave shall be
admissible in combination of move days except in
very exceptional circumstances as admissible
under rules. The cases for grant of such leave
should reach the General Administration
Department duly recommended by their respective
departments one week earlier. Cases incomplete or
not received in time shall not be entertained.
The office timings
on the re-opening of the offices at Jammu of
Civil Secretariat and Head of Departments located
within the Civil Secretariat premises will be 10
AM to 5 PM and moving heads of departments
located outside the Civil Secretariat and
observing six days week will be 10 AM to 4 PM.
|
Confederation
assails Sena chief for his remarks
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: All India Confederation of SC/ST
Organisations has criticised the Shiv Sena chief
Bal Thackrey for his comments on suicidal squads
and termed it as highly irresponsible.
According to a
release, a general body meeting of the members of
the confederation was held here today in which
several issues were discussed. The incident of
killing of five Dalit members in Harayana also
figured in the meeting and the members expressed
serious concern over it, holding the State
Government responsible for it which failed to
protect the lives of the innocent people. They
also alleged that it was conspiracy hatched by
VHP to lynch these people who were associated
with the job of skinning the dead cows.
The Confederation
in this meeting also passed a resolution with
regard to various issues concerning welfare of
the Dalits.They condemned in one voice the role
of law and order agencies of Harayana which
failed to protect the lives of the Dalit. The
recent ordinance against conversions issued in
Tamil Nadu at the behest of Jaya Lalitha also
came under severe criticism. It said profession
or adoption of a religion or faith is a matter of
ones personal choice, conscience and conviction
and there should be no barrier.
Referring to
Thackrey’s remarks, the Confederation
alleged that the statement of Sena leader is
highly irresponsible and provocating. Such
statements never help in maintaining peace and
harmony.
It was also
disclosed that a massive rally is being organised
in Delhi on Nov 24 at Ram Leela Ground where a
large number of people of the community SC/ST/OBC
organisations will participate. Mr Udit Raj IRS
will preside over the rally. The issues related
to reservation in political and other fields also
came for discussion.
|
210th
birthday of Maharaja Gulab Singh today
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: The birth anniversary of Maharaja
Gulab Singh is being organised by various
organisations in the fond memory of the founder
of the Jammu and Kashmir state on October 21.
Various functions
would mark the 210th birth anniversary
celebrations throughout the state tomorrow.
The main function
will be organised at Amar Mahal lawns in the
afternoon by the Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial
Trust headed by Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi.
Former Sadr-e-Riasat and member Parliament , Dr
Karan Singh will be the chief guest on the
occasion.
Rajput Sabha
members and Dogra Liberation Front activists will
also organise similar functions in this
connection on Monday.
The Maharaja Trust
members will perform a special Pooja and Yagna /
Havan at the Samadh of Maharaja Gulab Singh at
Shri Raghunathji Temple where, the family members
of the Maharajas of Jammu are participating in
the morning.
|
Will
J&K get pre-Diwali gift?
Sonia’s trouble-shooter
in troubled Valley
By B L Kak
Politicians and
schemers, presently based in Srinagar, capital
city of Kashmir, are a lot with the widespread
public attention focused on them. Even
controversial ones among them are being watched,
simply because they, too, have a role to play.
And the role has become bigger because of the
bigger areas of difference between the two
principal contenders for political power, the
Congress (I) and the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP).
In other words,
the post-poll scenario is nothing less than a
crisis. This crisis, precisely, is the outcome of
the unresolved differences between the two major
players. The crisis, at the same time, added a
new leaf to the history of the State.
Few had imagined
that in spite of the passage of ten days since
the declaration of poll results, local political
chieftains would fail to break the stalemate,
which, to all intents and purposes, was not the
creation of the voters, who had braved bullets in
many areas to exercise their franchise,
specifically for paving way for new Government in
the State.
The two
dates—Oct. 17 and Oct. 21—have already
become part of the J&K history. If Oct.17
marked the end of the 9th Legislative Assembly
along with the departure from the scene of Dr
Farooq Abdullah as the National Conference Chief
Minister, October 21 was the deadline fixed by
the Governor, prior to Governor’s rule in
the State, for a party or group of parties for
Government formation.
The crisis showed
no signs of abatement even after the anger
displayed by some newly-elected legislators and a
section of the electorate against the
"unnecessary political wrestling".
Obviously, as the AICC supremo, Ms Sonia Gandhi,
had, days before the State was brought under
Governor’s rule, undertaken the task of
bringing the two "wrestlers", Mr Ghulam
Nabi Azad and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, together
under a give-and-take scheme, the ball got again
kicked into her court when the two sides hardened
their attitude towards each other.
The Congress High
Command could not be expected to remain passive,
after leaders of smaller parties and some
independents sought to hold the stick from a
different end, suggesting, in more than one way,
their growing apathy to the "unnecessary
political wrestling" on the State level.
Ms Sonia Gandhi
was forced to work overtime for two consecutive
days, holding meetings, one after another, with
her think-tank on Jammu and Kashmir. These
meetings were followed by the announcement in
Delhi on Saturday of Ms Sonia’s decision to
commission Dr Manmohan Singh to conduct
fire-fighting operations.
Ms Sonia’s
trouble-shooter (Dr Manmohan Singh) set many a
people in the troubled Valley in motion soon
after he landed in Srinagar on Sunday. Some said
that Dr Singh was on a crisis-resolution mission,
while some others insisted that he was on
‘Mission PDP’.
Two more
dates— October 25 and November 4— came
to be discussed by some political circles and
analysts by the time Dr Manmohan Singh descended
on the none-too-placid soil of Srinagar.
Government offices will close down in Srinagar,
the State’s summer capital, on October 25,
to be reopened in the winter capital, Jammu, in
the first week of November. And Diwali
celebrations are slated for November 4.
Hence, the
logical, relevant question: Will the people of
J&K receive ‘Diwali gift’ in the
form of new Government?
|
 |
Govt,
private teachers being imparted training
Excelsior
Correspondent
UDHAMPUR,
Oct 20: Mr Yog Raj Bhagat, Principal Urdu
Teaching and Research Centre Solan Himachal
Pradesh has announced that the programme for
training the teachers of Government as well as
private schools will be launched in District
Udhampur for the first time.
Talking to media
persons here today he said the Ministry of Human
Resource and Development (HRD) Government of
India will provide the training of regional
language to those teachers who have minimum two
years experience.
He said there are
number of courses of different durations i e 15
days, 20 days, one year etc which are offered to
the teachers.
He said the
organization will provide TA and DA to the
teachers who will get training at Solan and an
all India tour for trainees will be arranged by
the Institute.
Mr Bhagat said
that the training is the part of a programme
launched by HRD Ministry to preserve the regional
languages.
Earlier a function
was also organized by Mr Manender Singh, general
secretary, Private Schools Association on behalf
of his organization which was presided over by Mr
Bhagat.
In his address Mr
Singh said the accommodation will be provided to
the trainees by Private Schools Association of
Udhampur.
Others who
attended the function include Principal NITL High
School, Principal JK Public School and Principal
Indira Academy.
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BJP
leader evaluates outcome of polls
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: The state general secretary and
spokesman of Bhartiya Janata Party Dr Nirmal
Singh visited Gajansoo in Marh block and
addressed workers meeting there.
As per a release
evaluating the outcome of the polling, Dr Singh
disclosed that the party secured 12 percent votes
alone in Jammu division, but unfortunately failed
to convert these in seats.
He said it was for
the first time that as many as 28 candidates were
fielded in Kashmir valley which became possible
due to BJP workers who struggled hard and made
supreme sacrifices in strengthening and expanding
party base in all the three regions viz Jammu,
Kashmir and Ladakh.
Dr Singh exhorted
the workers to unite and dedicate themselves to
the cause of the people and carry forward the
party message down to the grass root level. He
had high appreciation for Prime Minister Mr
Vajpayee for ensuring free and fair election in
Jammu and Kashmir State, thereby fulfilling his
commitments made to the Nation from the ramparts
of Red Fort on Independence Day and added that
this will indeed pave way for the solution to the
Kashmir tangle.
The BJP general
secretary at the same time expressed his anguish
and concern that instead of respecting the
popular verdict of the electorate and forming a
stable Government in the State to address basic
problems of the people, these parties are
indulging in frittering away the mandate, owing
to their opportunistic and vested interests. He
added that by doing so they are playing betrayal
with the people who reposed their confidence in
them.
Dr Singh observed
that under the prevailing political scenario, the
BJP has to play an important role.
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Pahari
people hold meet
Excelsior
Correspondent
RAJOURI,
Oct 20: Pahari Peoples Joint Action
Committee, Jammu University Pahari Students
Forum, Pahari Speaking Retired Government
Employees held a meeting here to congratulate
electorate of Districts Rajouri, Poonch, Uri,
Baramullah and Kupwara who voted in favour of
Pahari Speaking candidates.
As per a release
the meeting was organized by Pahari People
Movement general secretary Mr Shahbaz Khan. While
speaking Mr Khan urged on the Pahari speaking
people to unite on the joint platform and join
the struggle to take the same to its logical
conclusion.
Mr Khan and Mr
Shafqat Wani said recent election have proved
that Pahari speaking people are in majority in
Poonch and Rajouri districts and even in Mendhar
more than 10,000 people voted in favour of Mr
Javed Rana and demanded therefore that all the
seats should be reserved for Pahari speaking
people in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Advocates Pervaiz
Ahmed , Vijay Kochhar, Haq Nawaz Mirza, Mohd
Murtaza, Babu Hussain Khan, Ram Parkash Sharma,
Shri Nagesh Sharma, Vimal Gupta, F A Muztar, Haji
Munshi Khan, Haji Riaz Malik, C P Sharma, Dr
Khursheed Manhas, Anil Chandan, Neeraj, Tanvir
Wani, Farooq Khan, Shafayat Khan, Qazi Javed
Iqbal, Basharat Khan, K A Jawam, M A Lone, Vijay
Sharma, Mohd Sabir Malik, Raja Shabir Ahmed, Mohd
Sadiq Chib, Tahir Shawl, Wasim Mirza, Majid
Mirza, Tanveer Ahmed Shawl, Javed Ahmed Shawl,
Shakeel Ahmed Mir, Tanvir Ahmed Mir, Iqbal Rana
and Thakur Netar Singh also addressed.
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Annual
Divas of Swami Sed Bab on Oct 23
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: The annual Divas of Swami Sed Bab
will be celebrated at Mast Bab Ashram Patoli on
October 23.
As per a release,
a Mahayagya will be organized in this connection
at Mast Bab Ashram. The Yagya will start on
October 22 and Puran Ahuti will be given on next
day. The devotees will be served with prasad
after the Puran Ahuti.
The Prabhandak
Committee, Swami Sed Bab, Mr A K Razdan has
appealed the PHE Department has demanded round
the clock water supply in the Ashram on the
occasion.
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JJSF favours CM from Jammu
region
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20: Jammu
Joint Students Federation (JJSF) has favoured a Chief
Minister from Jammu region, and appealed to all Jammu
based political organisations to stand up in unison in
electing a consensus candidate for this post.
Addressing a press
conference here today, the JJSF president, Mr Rajinder
Singh Jamwal said that Jammu region has equally suffered
during the decade long militancy in the State and the
people living in the region, too have aspirations from
the new Government. He said that the Federation will
support any political party, provided they project the
Chief Ministerial candidate from Jammu region.
The JJSF, Mr Jamwal said,
is not concerned about which party forms the next
Government in J&K or who heads the new Government,
but "we are really concerned about the interests of
Jammu region", he elaborated.
He said that by posting
any person from Jammu region as the Chief Minister, the
stand taken by JJSF for separate Jammu State would
further be strengthened.
JJSF Secretary General Mr
Hari Dutt Shishu, who was also present at the press
conference, took serious note of the alleged derogatory
remarks, included in State Government school curriculum
books, against erstwhile Maharaja of the State, and
warned Education authorities to withdraw such utterances
immediately.
Senior JJSF leader Mr
Kuldeep Singh Chib and S Prithpal Singh were also present
in the press conference.
Sena supports CM from Jammu
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR,
Oct 19: Shiv
Sena Bala Sahib Thackeray held a meeting here today under
the chairmanship of Mr Vipan Hindu its Deputy Chairman.
Addressing the meeting he
said that the people of the State have exercised their
franchise with the hope that the terrorism will be
eradicated from roots.
He said it is unfortunate
that PDP is creating the hurdles in Government formation
and criticized its stand.
Mr Vipan Hindu also said
that on one side the secular forces and innocent people
are attaining martyrdom daily for restoration of peace in
the state and on the other hand the PDP has announced
abolishing of POTA which is not justified.
He said that Kashmiris are
ruling the state for last 50 years and now it is time
that the Chief Minister should be from Jammu.
SRTC employees demand
salaries of 2 months
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU,
Oct 20:
J&K State Road Transport Corporation, Union, District
and Tourist Fleet in a meeting here today has sought the
intervention of Governor, Mr G C Saxena for releasing the
pay dues for the month of September and October in favour
of the Corporation employees and workers.
As per a release, the
meeting was presided over by Mr Dev Raj Bali, president
of the Union. It expressed the hope that the Corporation
management will immediately release the pay dues for the
two months in favour of the employees in view of the
coming Diwali festival.
Capital Letters
Mushtaq Excels with ABCD Syndrome
By Ravinder Kaul
Suddenly there is a glut
of films and books on the subject that is fast catching
the imagination of our creative people. America Born
Confused Desi (ABCD) syndrome is the flavour of the day.
Every Non Resident Indian or person of Indian origin
living abroad seems to have a story to tell and they are
all telling it all in their own peculiar style. Each one
of them has a different angle to the story. One such
interesting and captivating angle was provided by Dr.
Atamjit’s play Kamloops Ki Machhliyaan
presented by Shri Ram Centre Repertory here this week
under the direction of Mushtaq Kak.
Originally written in
Punjabi, Kamloops ki Machhliyaan is the
most recent play of well known Punjabi playwright
Dr.Atamjit. The play has so far only been performed in
Punjabi in Canada and the present performance was the
first performance of the play in India in any language.
The play, which has already received much literary and
critical acclaim in Punjabi, treats the lives of
immigrant Punjabi-Canadians in the metaphor of the Salmon
fish of the Kamloops river which, after spending a
lifetime in the ocean, returns home just before its death
to the river where it was born, to lay eggs and die. It
deals with the predicament of a large number of
Punjabi-Canadians who have been grappling with problems
of life in an alien land for the past three to four
generations. The play revolves around a middle class
family of Punjabi immigrants in Toronto. It analyses the
psycho-pathological process in a middle aged couple torn
between the realities of an alien culture and the strong
pull of their Indian roots.
The play opened to
enthusiastic response of theatre lovers in the capital
city. Incorporating satire, humour and music in its
presentation, the play has been translated into Hindi by
well known author Tarsem Gujral. A significant facet of
the play is its music which has been composed by Babli
Shrivastav. There is a heart rending song in the play:
Rishtey Yaaro Aise
Lagte Jaise Sard Hawayein ,
Na Woh Manzil, Na Woh
Raahi, Na Woh Reh Gayi Raahain
This song, with its
powerful visualization, highlights the predicament of the
protagonists in the play. The opening catchy song giving
a glimpse of the fast western culture set the tone for
the play. The loss of values and a phony existence is the
truth of the lives of these people that has been laid
bare in the play.
The artistes who excelled
in the performance were Subhash Chandra in the lead role
of Harry. Anup Trivedi in his fast paced role of Surjit
Singh was also competent. Anurag Arora as an alcoholic
Jack gave a good account of himself. Karuna Pandey in her
brief cameo as Mickey and Pushpa Srivastava as Bhinder
Kaur were also impressive. The fantasy scene in which the
fourth generation of Indians in Canada converses with the
first generation was quite effective. Shrikant as
Bhaaiyya and Madan Singh Mehra as Kaka made this poignant
scene memorable. The set design, costumes and lighting
were handled by professionals and were imaginative and
appropriate.
The director of the play
Mushtaq Kak, who has already created a niche for himself
on the theatre scene of the country, has enhanced his
reputation with this play. In his Directorial Note for
the play he writes " Kamloops Ki
Machhliyaan is a black comedy of frustrated
lives, unrealized dreams and longing for change for the
better from one’s present status in life. There is
completeness in the synthesis of theme and
character."
This play has already been
receiving rave reviews in the national press and ten
shows of the play have already been held here in two
spells. Besides, the play has also been performed in
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and in Gwalior. The
play will soon travel to Punjab and Chandigarh, the land
to which the characters of the play belong.
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