SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the youth to adopt other ways to express their resentment against the Government rather than joining militancy which has brought nothing but “destruction and devastation” to the state.

“There is no good in this — neither their own or their family nor this State. We have seen the destruction of the gun for the last 25 years. If it had done something good for us, I would have accepted. But it has not achieved a single thing for our benefit.

“So, in such a situation, it would be better that they (youth) use any other way to either express their resentment or to get their rights,” Omar told reporters here.

The chief minister said the number of people joining militant ranks was gradually coming down and the State Government has endeavoured to counsel those people and save them from destruction.

“It is true that few of our people joined the militant groups when they started. But the truth is that every year there is a gradual decrease in those numbers.

“This year as well, some people either got compelled or were compelled to tread the wrong path, but it is our continuous endeavour to counsel them, show them the right way and save them from the destruction, because there is nothing else in this (militancy) than destruction and devastation,” he said.

The chief minister denied reports of educated youth joining militancy, saying “we have not received any such information”.

Omar, who is also the working president of National Conference, said there was no hurry in issuing another list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.

“We have issued two lists so far. I do not know what is the hurry, because there are parties which have not issued even a single list. When they move forward on that, we will also,” he said.

While the principal opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its candidates on most of the seats, Congress and BJP have not issued any names so far. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the row over UPSC’s CSAT examination needs to be resolved and noted that it would be “unfair” to “foist” a particular language on a diverse population.
“It is an issue. It is an issue that needs resolution. It is an issue that has raised passions particularly among those people who are not comfortable with English as a first language. In a country as diverse as ours, we cannot force one language on the entire population,” he told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said it would be “extremely unfair” to “foist” a language on a region like Jammu and Kashmir.
“Take Jammu and Kashmir for an example. We are a state with three diverse regions. Our official languages are Urdu and English. To foist a language on us, would be extremely unfair,” he said.
Omar welcomed the Centre’s announcement of convening an all-party meet over the issue.
“Obviously, we have a point of view. The fact that an all-party meeting has been called, which means that the National Conference will be represented… We will put our point of view across,” he said. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  The commerce ministries of India and Pakistan have not yet decided to resume talks on bilateral trade issues, Parliament was informed today.
“No formal decision has been taken by Commerce ministries of India and Pakistan to resume talks on bilateral trade,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Bilateral trade talks have been suspended since last year following escalation in violence at the Line of Control.
In 2012, Pakistan had committed itself to giving the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India but missed its own deadline because of domestic opposition.
Pakistan has to abolish the negative list of 1,209 tradeable items. Abolishing the list of items that cannot be imported from India means the grant of NDMA status to the country.
Major sectors included in the negative list of Pakistan are auto, steel, paper & boards, plastics, textiles, electrical machinery and pharma.
NDMA (Non-Discriminatory Market Access) is a nomenclature chosen by the Pakistani government to avoid political ramifications at home in giving India the MFN status.
Replying to another question, Sitharaman said the Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistan met in January here and reaffirmed the commitment to expeditiously establish normal trading relations and to provide NDMA on a reciprocal basis.
“At various fora, senior functionaries of Pakistan and representatives of a few trade and industry bodies in Pakistan have voiced concerns about the so-called Non-Tariff Barriers in India and have also raised apprehension that opening up of trade with India will harm certain segments of Pakistan’s economy,” she said.
Replying to another question on tea, she said as on July 31, eight tea gardens remain closed in the country.
“The tea gardens are reported to have been closed due to loss of production and incomes, poor management and financial liabilities. In some cases, ownership disputes, protracted litigation and financial mismanagement have caused the closure of gardens,” she said.
Replying to another question on foreign trade policy (FTP), the minister said it is the endeavour of the government to make India a major player in the world trade by 2020 with focus on enhancing exports and playing an important role in the international trade bodies.
The broad principles of FTP include support for increasing India’s export growth by adopting market diversification and product diversification plans and maintaining a stable policy environment.
“One of the guiding principles of FTP is that the taxes should not be exported. Therefore, exporters are granted access to duty free raw material or are provided refund of duties paid in manufacture of exported products,” she said. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :  Under fire from the Opposition on the UPSC row, Government today decided to convene an all-party meeting on the issue while indicating its unwillingness to postpone the civil services preliminary examination scheduled for August 24.
The matter, which has disrupted parliamentary proceedings during the past week, rocked the Rajya Sabha again today with members from CPI-M, CPI, SP and BSP staging a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar’s statement on the issue.
Maintaining that it was a sensitive issue, which has many aspects, the minister said a discussion is needed to determine on whether a major reform of the examination pattern of the UPSC is required.
Referring to the demands of some Opposition members and a suggestion given to him by Ramgopal Yadav (SP) in this regard, Javadekar said, “An all-party meeting will definitely take place. If there is need, more such meetings can take place.”
Noting that nine lakh students are appearing for the August 24 preliminary test of the UPSC, the minister urged the members, “Let us give our best wishes to all those, who are taking the August 24 exam.”
Reacting sharply to the suggestion by the minister, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said the views of all the parties have already come in the House and asked why does the government not take a decision on that basis rather than calling an all-party meeting.
Members from the CPI-M including P Rajeeve wanted to know the “status quo” asking whether the statement given by the Minister of DoPT Jitender Singh earlier on the issue now remains valid after Javadekar’s remarks.
“What is the status quo? Is it incorporative of the UPSC notification,” Rajeeve asked.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien tried to pacify the members saying, “The minister has not said that the statement is invalid.”
“Do not apply delaying tactics. Government should say what is the status quo…This is not satisfactory. That is why we are staging a walk out,” Yechury said before joining members of SP, BSP and CPI in the walkout. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  Fresh batches of pilgrims, including sadhus and women today left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the holy Amarnth cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, where 3. 69 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance before the self made Ice-Shivlingam since the commencement of the 45-day-long yatra from June 28.
The yatra was going on smoothly from both tracks, though the weather was humid and hot.
A fresh batch of pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Baltal early this morning for the holy cave shrine. The pilgrims are likely to reach the cave shrine this afternoon, they said adding pilgrims, who had night halt near the cave shrine after darshan, also started their return journey this morning.    They said a new batch of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for the cave shrine this morning. However, some yatris stayed at base camp Pahalgam to join the Chhari-Mubarak reaching there this afternoon.
Similarly, the yatris who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting stations also started their journey towards the shrine this morning.
They said 1,717 pilgrims paid obeisance before the Ice-Lingam yesterday. Today a group of pilgrims also reached the cave shrine from Panjtarni to have the darshan.
With this, about 3.69 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave since the commencement of the 45-day-long pilgrimage from June 28.
Last year, 3.55 lakh pilgrims had paid obesiance against 6.50 lakh during the year 2012.
(AGENCIES)

JAMMU :  A small batch of 114 pilgrims today left for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from here.
A convoy of three vehicles carrying the 41st batch of pilgrims, including 50 men and 25 women left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 4:20 AM, police said.
The convoy has already crossed Patnitop on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and would reach their destinations at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps by this evening, they said.
With today’s batch, a total of 54,146 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath so far.
Meanwhile, another batch of 691 pilgrims left for Budha Amarnath shrine in Poonch district in a cavalcade of 15 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu city. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  ‘Bam Bam Bolay and Har Har Mahadev’  rented the air when ‘Chhari-Mubarak’, Silver Mace of Lord Shiva, left for holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir on the final leg of the annual yatra from Rameshwar Temple at Dashnami Akhara near here this morning.
A large number of devotees, including sadhus, joined the final yatra led by Mahant Deependra Giri, custodian of the Chhari Mubarak.
“We will pray for world peace, particularly in Jammu  and Kashmir, at the cave shrine,” Mahant Giri said shortely before leaving from the shrine, where large number of devotees, including central government officials, Kashmiri pandits and security force personnel were present to have a glimpse of the Mace, which will reach the cave shrine on August 10 on the occasion of Rakshabandhan.
He thanked everybody, particularly the people of Kashmir  and said without their cooperation, yatra would not have been successful.
As per age old tradition, on July 31. ‘ Chhari-Sthapana and Dhwajardon’ was conducted on the occasion of ‘ Tritiya’ at Dashnami Akhara.
Mahant said pujan was being held in the morning at 0500  hrs and at 2000 hrs in the night every day.    The Silver Mace commenced its final journey of yatra-2014  to holy cave today at 0800 hrs.
For security reasons. the Chhari is taken in a vehicle under unprecedented security arrangements and reaches Pahalgam same evening after organising pujan on way at Durga Nag, Sureshwar temple, Shiv temple Pampore, Shiv temple Bijbehara, Martand-Tirth Mattan, Ganesh temple across river Lidder at Ganeshbal.    He said Charri will leave on August 7 for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional route after night halt at Pahalgam on the occasio of ‘ Ekadashi-Dwadashi’.    On August 8 on the occasion of ‘ Dwadashi-Tryodashi.’  Chhari will leave from Chandanwari, for Sheshanag for a night halt there.
He said on August 9 on the occasion of ‘ Tryodashi-Chaturdashi’ Chhari will leave Sheshnag for a night halt at Panchtarni.
Finally the Chhari will be taken to holy Cave shrine in  the morning of August 10 from Panchtarni for a final Pujan, marking the end of annual 45-day-long pilgrimage this year on the occasion of Sharavan Purnima.
Mahant Giri said the Chhari will return to its abode at Dashnami Akhara on August 12 after traditional pujan and other rituals on way back from holy Cave.
(AGENCIES)