Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 20: Massive protests erupted at different places in South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts against the Government for trying to create new administrative units at its “favourite” places instead of deserving villages.
Thousands of men, women and children gathered at different villages, staged protests against the Government demanding Tehsil status to their respective villages.
Reports said that life was paralysed at Litter, Kakapora, Awantipora, Wasoora and Keegam where shops, business establishments were shut and people were whole day on streets to press for their demands.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) Member Parliament (MP) Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Ratanipori lambasted the Government for creating chaos in the public and termed the reorganization of administrative units as a mischief.
He said that reorganization of new administrative units should have been left to the committee that was created earlier and set to reorganize the administrative units.
He said that the Ministers should shed the divisive politics and work for the welfare of the people so that the wild work mitigates in this already divided society.
Protests rock South Kashmir over administrative units
JTC holds protest in front of Relief Organization
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: A protest demonstration was held by Jagti Tenement Committee (JTC) in front of Relief Organization here, today in which various problems of the inmates of the Jagti township were highlighted.
The protest was led by Shadi Lal Pandita, president of the Committee.
The protestors also submitted a memorandum to Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Migrants later highlighting their demands.
It demanded repairs to exiting residential blocks, distempering and painting of the quarters before Shivratri festival.
The other demands highlighted by it included enhancement of cash assistance to Rs 15,000, per family per month, construction of additional 150 shops at Jagti, implementation of PM’s employment package by filling up the remaining posts, conducting of on spot police recruitment drive in Jagti migrant camp, completion of construction of 40 bedded Hospital at Jagti, construction of three additional community halls in migrant camp Jagti, allotment of TRTs to bifurcated families putting up in one TRT, posting of para medical staff and doctors in Jagti dispensary and supply of medicines and construction of boundary wall around in and around Jagti camp for safety of Jagti inmates.
Gharu Ram asks Cong men to gear up activities
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Former Minister and senior Congress leader Ch Gharu Ram has asked the party activists to gear up their activities in view of coming elections.
Addressing public meeting in Suchetgarh area of R S Pura today, the Congress leader asked Panchs, Sarpanchs and the party activists to expedite their activities and reach out to the people. He said that election was drawing nearer and the party workers must gear up their activities.
While extending gratitude to AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi (MP) for his initiative to strengthen Congress party at grass root level and taking many historical steps like Food Security and Lokpal Bill, the Congress leader said that Congress has provided a great relief to the people of the country and it is doing much more for them. He asked the people to strengthen Congress party for seeking better development.
Congress leader further asked the party workers to go door to door and carry forward the programme and policies of the Party up to the masses. He claimed that mis-information campaign launched by the Opposition party is well thought conspiracy to mislead the masses. He asked the people to remain cautious against this propaganda.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Sarwan Choudhary, Arjun Choudhary, Ravail Singh working president BCC, Sarpanch Prem Chand, Parsem Lal chairman, Jang Bahadur chairman, Capt Karanjeet Singh and Joginder Singh president Kissan Cell.
Mendhar neglected in every aspect: PDP
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Government neglected Mendhar in every aspect including developmental works.
This was stated by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Rafiq Hussain Khan while addressing public meetings at various places of twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
MLA was accompanied by Advocate Maroof Khan, Mohammad Azam Sagar, Advocate Nadeem Khan, State general secretary PDP youth, Gulam Ahmed, Subash Shahni held series of meeting with people belonging to different villages of Mendhar constituency.
The villagers apprised MLA that the graph of unemployment is rising day today and the Government is not taking any serious steps for the welfare of the unemployed youth of the districts. They added that the main reason of rising unemployment is due to ban on inter district recruitment.
MLA gave patience hearing to the demands and said that all important projects of Mendhar were already proposed in board meetings and recommended to the committees of Government but unfortunately nothing’s was happened in this regard.
He added that the projects included upgradation of Higher Secondary School, construction of new Primary Health Centers (PHC), black topping of roads and the completion of Harni BG Road was already taken in hand but are presently facing Government’s apathy.
“Coalition Government has deliberately ignored Mendhar in the development manner”, he alleged.
Meanwhile, villagers held a protest on Suran Mendhar road in support of their demand regarding completion of Harni BG Bridge. The protesters served ultimatum of one month to Government to release funds for completion of the bridge or otherwise they would launch crusade.
Among others present were Yakoob Khan, Zaheer, Dr Aslam, Mustaq, Sarpanch Waseem Khan, Basheer Bazard, Rajak, etc.
No relief to people from water crisis
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Jan 20: The inhabitants of Ward 15 and 16 Kathua are facing acute scarcity of water for last 21 days after the water supply pipes in the entire area were dug by the agency which has under taken the drainage work in the area.
A delegation of the residents of the area also met Divisional Engineer and AEE PHE and expressed their grave concern about scarcity of the water in the area and problems faced by them.
The delegation demanded that the people be provided water through tankers till the water supply is restored in the two Wards.
Terming the snapping of drinking water an inhuman act, the people warned to launch agitation in case the water supply was not restored within days.
The PHE authorities informed the delegation that water supply pipes amounting to Rs 7 lakh were damaged by the agency which has undertaken the construction of drainage work as no prior information was given to the PHE Department regarding the construction and shifting of the pipes. They informed the delegation that the issue was taken by them with the higher ups in administration.
Omar underlines importance of autobiographies
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20 : Underlining the importance of autobiographies to get direct narration of life, history, events and other aspects of the writer he has witnessed in his life, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today suggested that all political stalwarts should write their biographies to provide full account of their view points and the struggle they have rendered to achieve the goals in a candid and transparent manner.
“This will provide the younger generation an opportunity to know about the life and political works of politicians as also help the writers to clear the misgivings and contradictions if any about their style of political working. They can set the records straight by penning down their autobiographies”, he said and added that autobiographies not only tell the readers about the historic happenings, social order, educational environment, economic status, political awareness but to know the track record of the life and work of the writer.
Addressing a function after releasing the Autobiography of Mir Ghulam Mohammad Poonchi titled ‘Yadoon Ki Sughat’ here this afternoon, Omar Abdullah referred to the ‘Aatish-e-Chinar’ the Autobiography of late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and said that it has cleared so many aspects and answered so many questions about the political life of Sher-e-Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah appreciated Mir Poonchi for penning down his political track record in the form of autobiography and expressed the hope that Mir Poonchi would write second volume of the book in due course of time covering more aspects of his life.
The function organized by the Jammu Civil Society for Art and Literature was attended by Chairman Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra, Ministers Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mian Altaf Ahmad and Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Deputy Chairman Legislative Council, Javid Rana, Legislators Devender Singh Rana, Dr. Shahnaz Ganai, senior citizens and others.
In his speech, Mir Poonchi referred to his close relations with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Madr-e-Meherban, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Tariq Abdullah and other members of Abdullah family. He also mentioned his relations with late Indira Gandhi and Nehru family and said that both these families have rendered highest sacrifices for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir State and the Country.
The President, Jammu Civil Society for Art and Literature, Aslam Qureshi provided overview of the book and its author.
JU decides college exam dates
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 20: Forthcoming annual examinations of BA/B Sc/B Com/BBA and BCA, Part III will commence from first week of March while Part I and Part II exams will begin from second and third week, respectively of the same month.
This was decided during a meeting of the Principals of Jammu province Degree Colleges, convened by the Jammu University here today for fixing the annual exam dates.
The meeting was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor Prof M P S Ishar and attended by the Principals of various Government as well as the private degree colleges.
After deliberating the matter in detail, the meet authorized Controller of Examinations, Prof Keshav Sharma to fix the dates for holding of examinations of Part III in first week of March, Part I in second week of March and Party II in third week of March on the analogy of last year and keeping in view the dates of forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Prof Keshav Sharma informed the participants about the initiatives taken for streamlining the examination system and timely declaration of results of various courses.
The meeting was attended by JU Registrar Prof Manoj K Dhar, Prof Dipankar Sengupta, OSD to the Controller Examination; Prof Nutan Rasotra, Nodal Principal; Prof Kiran Bakshi, Principal GCW, Gandhi Nagar; Prof Anita Soodan, Principal MAM College; Prof Desh Bandhu, Director Colleges Development Council; J K Sharma, Special Secretary to VC; Sanjeev Mahajan, Joint Registrar DDE; Jatinder Khajuria, Joint Registrar Finance; A K Padha, Deputy registrar to CE; K P Singh Sambyal, A R Accounts and all the officers of the Examinations Wing.
Jains granted minority status
NEW DELHI, Jan 20:
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Jain community was today accorded minority status by the Central Government which will enable them to avail of benefits in Government schemes and programmes.
The decision to grant minority status to the community of about 50 lakh was taken at a meeting of Union Cabinet here, a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took up this issue with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
A group of Jains had met Rahul yesterday to press for their long-standing demand for minority status and Rahul then spoke to Singh in their support.
The Jains became the sixth community to have minority status after Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis.
Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan told that his ministry would soon issue a notification on the issue.
Once recognised as a minority, Jains would get a share in central funds earmarked for welfare programmes and scholarships for the minorities. They can also manage and administer their own educational institutions.
The community is already enjoying minority status in some States like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan but the new decision extends that status across the country.
Numerically, the Jain community is small, with a population of about 50 lakh but they are prosperous, mostly engaged in business.
Khan said there had been a lot of representations from the community that they be treated as a minority. The ministry moved a Cabinet note to this effect after Attorney General G E Vahanvati gave his go-ahead to their inclusion among notified minorities. (PTI)
PPAP demands AHDC for Pir Panjal region
Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Jan 20: Pir Panjal Awamy Party (PPAP) has demanded Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) for Pir Panjal region of the State on the pattern of Ladakh region of the State.
In a statement issued here, president of the party, Mohd Younis Chauhan, demanded the Government to create a separate Parliament seat for the Pir Panjal region. He alleged that present and former MPs representing the region, who belonged to different political parties did nothing for the region and were limited to selected pockets of Jammu district only.
Chauhan further said that derailment of Railway project for Rajouri-Poonch by UPA Government is another step motherly treatment to the region and appealed the people of the region particularly youth to come forward for the cause of the region.
The PPAP leader alleged mis-utilization of local area development funds by the MP of the region and sought inquiry into it.
JNU, MIEF to jointly work for revival of Sharda script
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 20: Millennium India Education Foundation (MIEF) & Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies JNU jointly announced dates for second two-day workshop on Sharda script learning. The workshop second in the series of educational workshops to create resource persons in Sharda script will be held in conference hall Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies JNU, New Delhi on February 18 and19 this year. The workshop will be conducted by renowned Kashmiri linguistic and Sharda scholar Prof T N Ganjoo.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Uday Kakroo Director Millennium India Education New Delhi said that this workshop will be refresher course workshop for those scholars who had taken part in the first such workshop held earlier from November 8 to 10 last year. Concurrently another workshop for new scholars willing to learn Sharda script will be held. This workshop will be conducted by Dr Kirti Kant Sharma expert in Sharda.
He said MIEF has entered into a long Agreement of Cooperation (AoC) with Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies JNU to undertake activities that would help revival of Sharda script which has become almost extinct through such capacity building workshops.
Under this AoC, capacity building workshops will be held on regular basis in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur so that good number of resource persons and developed who would in turn be needed to study manuscripts written in Sharda script to translate them so that all manuscripts available in different libraries or with individuals are e-digitized in due course of time. Besides certificate based learning centers would be opened initially in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur and courses would be open to all people of any age group who are willing to learn this script and help preserve cultural traditions of Kashmiris and take it to outside world.
Ramesh Manwati a student of the earlier workshop said this step will go a long way in revival of Sharda script which got setback due to past upheavals in Kashmir valley as well as 24 year long turmoil.