Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 19: A Joint Forum of KP Organisations today held a protest here to mark the 25th anniversary of the gory event of January 19, 1990 (Holocaust Day).
The activists of various KP organizations including Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, president, Panun Kashmir, HLChatta, president, ASKPC, HN Jattu, president, AIKPC, DN Kissu, chairman, ADKPUF, Prem Singh, president, KSDF, Virender Raina, official spokesperson, Joint Forum, BL Sadhu, chairman, KMCET, Chandigarh assembled outside Press Club and raised slogans against the successive Governments for not redressing the plights of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
The KP organizations’ leaders in their speeches alleged that successive Governments have failed to address the problems being faced by Kashmiri Pandits.
They said that members of the displaced community were living as refugees in their own country even after 25 years of their forcible exodus from the Valley.
“It was the most horrible night in the calendar of the Kashmiri Pandit community, when they faced open threats to leave Kashmir or get annihilated”, they added. The displaced community of Kashmir has been observing this day ever since their mass exodus from the Kashmir Valley, speakers informed.
“The human tragedy suffered by Kashmiri Pandits need no semantics. However, it requires to be mentioned that seven lakh Kashmiri Pandits stand displaced while hundreds of their shrines and temples have been demolished and razed to the ground in 1989-1990”, speakers added.
“Thousands of their houses in Kashmir have been looted, burnt and vandalised and usurped while their lands and properties have been encroached upon,” they said.
The Governments remained mute spectators all along, thus making the community a victim of the State too, they claimed.
They further stated that Sikh community of Kashmir has been targeted on a regular basis while their representatives continue to complain about forced conversion of their female folk in the Valley. The recent reports appearing in newspapers threatening the Sikh community of the Valley to leave or get converted to Islam are a grave concern for the civilized global brotherhood.
They appealed the Human Rights Commission to take cognizance of the human rights violations of the non-Muslim minorities of the J&K.
“Kashmiri Pandit community is eagerly awaiting the passage of the Temples and Shrines Bill in the coming Assembly session as promised by the Chief Minister”, they added.
The temples and the shrines of Kashmir are a common heritage of the entire Hindu society and are one unit. Any attempt aimed at dividing the Hindu heritage of Kashmir would not be acceptable to the society at large, they maintained.
The recent statement of the Prime Minister regarding the settlement of the so-called Kashmir issue needs to be made clear to the nation. The Kashmiri Pandits as the primary stakeholders of the Kashmir territory seek full knowledge of the “secret parleys”, they said.
Under no circumstances the nationalist people of J&K would accept any compromise in this regard, they added.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: In connection with celebrations of Eid-Millad- ul-Nabi, birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Shia Federation of Jammu province in collaboration with All Ladakh Muslim Student Association organised a day long Seerat Conference at Karbala Complex today.
Minister of State for Science Technology and Information Technology, Feroz Ahmed Khan presided over the first session of the Conference.
Apart from Jammu & Kashmir State, prominent Islamic Scholars both Shia and Suni Muslim communities from various parts of the country participated in the conference.
The main thrust of the speeches of Islamic Scholars was the matchless message and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) laying stress on human love, brotherhood and kindness. The Scholars emphasized on the universal acceptance and relevance of the teachings and message of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).They elaborated how Prophet (SAW) has laid stress on kindness towards all the creations of God and love for fellow beings.
On the occasion number of clerics, through their sermons impressed upon the people to be united and follow the teaching of Prophet (SAW) jointly as His each and every word shows us right path and gives us the lesson of kindness, love and brother hood.
Speaking on the occasion, Moulana Allama Sibteen Abbass Rizvi from Allahabad, Moulana Syed Zakir Hassan Jaffri from Poonch and Moulana Kousar Jaffri threw light on various aspects’ of Islam.
Retd Judge Jammu and Kashmir High Court Hakeem Imtiyaz Hussain in his thought provoking address said that true Muslim is not only who will hold prayers five times a day but the true Muslim is who adopt the real teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in one’s day to day life.
Minister of State for Science Technology and Information Technology, Feroz Ahmed Khan, while addressing the gathering, said that a plan for Rs 35 lakh for creating infrastructure in Karbala Complex and Pir Mitha is under consideration in the Planning Department. He said that various developmental works will be taken up in the Complex during next financial year.
Chairman Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil Asgar Karbalai also addressed the gathering.
President, Shia Federation, Jammu, Aushiq Hussain Khan expressed his thanks and gratitude to all the religious leaders and scholars who had gathered on this auspicious occasion to enlighten the people about the message and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Prominent among others present in the conference were General Secretary, Shia Federation, Jammu Dr. Iftikhar Hussain Jaffri, Vice Presidents Showkat Hussain Qazmi and Sheikh Hussain, Secretary Syed Bilal Hussain Kazmi, Advocate Zeeshan Ali Khan, Dr. Anieice Hussain and others.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 19: J&K Offset Printers’ Association felicitated  A M S G Ashokan, president, All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP), and his office bearers, here last evening.
Ajay K  Sadhotra,  Minister for Labour, Planning and Development,  was the chief guest on the occasion while  Y V  Sharma, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu was the guest of honour.
Pankaj Sethi, president JKOPA welcomed all the dignitaries while general secretary  Rahul Mahajan highlighted the activities of the Association besides listing the problems being faced by printers of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Association apprised the Minister about the lack of skilled labour in the printing industry and requested him that vocational courses should be started in educational institutions to overcome the shortage. The Minister was also apprised about the matter regarding Factories Act where in Association  members were having certain issues.
The Association demanded that the State Government  must acquire some land for setting up a Printing Hub so that all the printers may  come under one area and expand their businesses which will generate a large number of employments for both men and women.
Ajay Sadhotra  assured to look into all the various issues raised by the Association and said that if required, he would take their issues before the Chief Minister for getting them solved.
On the occasion, JKOPA calendar for the year 2014 and newsletter were also released.
The function concluded with vote of thanks by Arun K Gupta.

Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, 19 Jan: Minister for PWD (R&B) Abdul Majid Wani and senior Congress leader and MLA Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori today met the Union Minister for Rural Development Jai Ram Ramesh to discuss various issues on development front and problem is being faced under PMGSY in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leaders informed Mr. Ramesh that J&K Government had already submitted detail project reports of those unconnected villages/habitation with a low population of 250 souls enabling the Centre to sanction for the better road communication.
The leaders requested Minister for early release of Rs. 710 crore as announced by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s in Srinagar last year, the Union Cabinet had also given nod to a grant of Rs 710 crore for land acquisition for expansion and upgradation of rural roads network in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leaders demanded for early release of an annual grant of Rs. 10 lakh to be given for each Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir as announced by vice president AICC Rahul Gandhi in the month of November last year. Saroori demanded sanction of additional Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) 3,145 & 1,423 for district Kishtwar and Doda in which every Panchayat had already submitted the proposal.
They stressed for sanctioning of Stage-II, 119 road projects with new 2012 rates as on these projects department has invited tender for more than 10 times but no one comes to do work on these projects because of very low rates. They demanded revision of rates on these projects.
The Congress leaders said the situation in the State would change only once the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were incorporated into the J&K Panchayati Raj Act.
The Minister gave patient hearing and assured that he will sanction additional IAY’s, special grant for Panchayats, revision of stage II projects and projects of 10th phase on priority in strengthening core networks in J&K.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 19: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti today said that change in the political and governance system is a must to see the people of J&K out of prevailing distress and the PDP has evolved as a best alternate before them to rewrite a new history for the State.
Taking a dig at the Coalition Government, she said it is now talking of commitments and instead of giving an account of its performance for six years, it is making fresh promises. “The Government is making fresh promises to the people besides knowing that it has not been able to deliver on a single promise made to the people in 2008, she said.
She said after failing to secure a deal on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) over the years, the Government is  saying it is now its ‘life’s mission’ to revoke the controversial Act from the State. The Government is promising uninterrupted power supply in the future but it has dismantled the entire system, she added.
“It has been now almost three years when the Panchayat elections happened in the State, and after making mockery of the system it now, the Government is pledging to empower them at the end of its tenure,” she said, adding establishment of new administration units is a well thought out political gimmick at a time when NC has badly failed to get anything positive, from Autonomy to free power to cheap gas for the people.
On the occasion, the senior party leader, Tariq Hameed Karra, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjoora, Aga Syed Mehmood, district president, Saif-ud-Din Bhat; Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Ghulam Mohammad Kumar, Shahnawaz Mir and others were also present.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 19: Minister for Planning, Labour and Employment, Ajay Sadhotra today inaugurated a training workshop WOW ( Waste to Wealth) by Ammucare Charitable Trust at New Modern College of Education.
The aim of this workshop  is to empower the young underprivileged.   Ammucare will train them to utilize the material that we consider as junk into something beautiful and saleable for sustaining themselves.
Kiran Wattal, Commissioner JMC;   M S Bhatti, Director Social Welfare;. Amjad Mirza SSP Security and  Tarun Bahl, Chairman of New Modern College of Education, were also present at the inaugural function.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sadhotra stressed the need of organizing more such training programmes  to empower the underprivileged.
Sumit Partap Gupta gave a brief introduction on Ammucare Charitable Trust, its activities and efforts.
Sakshi Gupta, president of Ammucare Charitable Trust, said that the trust  stands for empowerment. Ammucare is supporting various imminent causes of the society since the last 10 years and its  primary focus  has been on doing service in field of food, clothing, medicine, education and skills training, she added.
In this Workshop,  Anjali Kamat will be teaching paper weaving and creating utility items from old newspapers. 36 underprivileged children have been selected from various parts of the State for providing them  training in this workshop.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 19: Natrang staged ‘Uthal Puthal’, a play in Hindi based on a short story written by Anton Chekhov and directed by Neeraj Kant, here today under Natrang’s  weekly Sunday Theatre Series.
The play revolves around a young girl ‘Malvika’, who lives as a paying-guest in the house of one  Maya. She comes home from college one day to find the house in turmoil. When she walks into her room, she sees her mistress rummaging through her things.  Maya leaves in hurry and another maid tells Malvika that a very expensive brooch was lost and the ever suspicious and arrogant lady  Maya is searching and screening each and every one to find that. She has no regards for anyone’s honesty and all are thieves in her eyes. ‘Malvika’ is very disturbed that the land lady would look through her things, obviously assuming her a thief. She decides to leave the place. While she is packing, ‘Nikhil’, the master of the house and Maya’s husband, comes into her room and reveals that actually he stole the brooch as he was short of money and his dominating wife has captured all the possessions with her and turned him to be a beggar in his own house. This disturbs Malvika even more who stays with her decision to leave the home as there is no dignity in living at a place where there is no respect for your honesty and nothing else is more important than self respect and dignity for an honest person.
The artists included Mohd  Yaseen, Sakshi Prakash, Juhi Singh, Kritika Bhau and Masood Qadir. Lights were designed and operated by Neeraj Kant. Ashwani Bali rendered the Music. Sajra Qadir did the presentations and the show was coordinated by Sumeet Sharma.