RNI Title Code: JKENG 01109/09/1/2014-TC

Volume: 02 | Issue: 13 | 3rd April - 9th April 2015 | Friday | English Weekly | Pages: 08 | Rs. 3/- | Baramulla

Weeklysnippets 03 - 09 April 2015 P/2

Molvi Imran Raza Ansari visited f lood affected Villages of Baram-ulla

In order to take stock of the dam-ages and losses due to recent f lood in District Baramulla ,Minister for Technical Education and Youth Sports Molvi Imran Raza Ansari visited many f lood affected vil-lages of district Baramulla par-ticularly Manigam,Chanibal ,Sul-tapora Khuja Gund Qasim and Hamray.

The Minister visited Chanibal and took stock a comprehensive ac-count of the damages and losses

caused by the recent f lood. He interacted with the people of the village and noticed their problems.

The Minister also took stock of the water lodging and many vil-lages. He also noticed the damages to Agriculture and horticulture land, damaged Residential and non Residential structure and Roads. He directed the revenue agencies to assess the damage and provide every support the general public.

The Minister during his visit to Hamray assessed the situation has been arisen there due to damage of river bund. He stressed upon the concerned off icers to restore the damaged bund on immediate basis and provide every support to the affected families .

Basharat Bukhari visits Pattan, Sopore and Sangrama, Inspects losses and damages due to recent f lood

Minister for Law, Jus-tice and Parliamentary Affairs and Relief & Re-habilitation Basharat Bukhari visited various f lood affected areas of Pat-tan, Sopore and Sangrama. The minister was on two day visit of Baramulla in view of reviewing situation arisen due to a recent f lood.

The minister was acom-panied by Deputy Com-missioner, Baramulla Peerzada Mushtaq Ahmad Shah off icers of Flood control and Irrigation , CAPD,PHE,R&B and other depart-ments. The Minister took a comprehensive review of the water log-ging and damages to roads residential and non-residential structures and Agriculture and Horticulture land at Frasthar waripora ,Dard-pora ,Haritar ,Wanigam Tilgam, and other villages.

The Minister met with the various deputations of people during the visit and took a comprehensive note of their problems and issues .The minister noticed the damage caused by fresh f loods at Wari-pora.

The minister directed the concerned off icers to be prove active and help people to come out of the situation. He directed the off icers of f lood control and Irrigation department to restore damaged bunds. He also stressed up on the revenue agencies to assess the damages and provides necessary relief to the affected families.

Trooper, cop killed in Tangmarg. Militants manage to escape: Police

A Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel and an army man were killed in a fierce gun battle that erupted between forces and militants in Tangmarg area. The encounter started after army and SOG Pattan acted on a tip off about the presence of militants in Kunzer village on Thursday morning and launched a cordon and search operation in the area.

Reports informed that incharge DIG North Kashmir Ghulam Has-san Bhat and Brigadier Alok Naresh of 10 Sector RR were leading the operation. In the ensuing encounter, a SOG personnel and an Army man were killed, while three other were injured, reports in-formed.

Meanwhile, sources said, the militants managed to escape unhurt from the scene.

A defence spokesperson in a statement to KNS said, “Based on the specific information about presence of terrorists at Hardespora, Baram-

ulla Dist, a joint operation was launched by Army’s Rashtriya rif le unit and SOG Pattan at approximately 7.30 AM today. The Contact was established between Army and the terrorists at 7.50 AM. As the noose was being tightened, terrorists opened heavy volume of f ire causing injuries to two soldiers and a JKP person. One Army soldier Gunner Jageshwar of 29 Rashtriya Rif les and one JKP person Con-stable Mohd Shaf i who were critically injured, succumbed to their injuries and attained martyrdom in the line of duty. Gunner Jagesh-war was enrolled in Army on 20 June 2005 and had volunteered to serve Rishtriya Rif le unit. The other Army Soldier is stable and undergoing a treatment in Base Hospital Srinagar.”

“Once the f iring subsided, the houses were searched. However, by then the terrorists had moved out of the house. Tracking dogs were pressed into action and the pursuit was launched. Operation is still in progress as per last reports,” he said.

A police spokesperson in a statement to KNS said, “On specif ic information Baramulla police, 29 RR, and 176 Bn CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in village Hardshoora, Sultanpora in the jurisdiction of police station Kunzar Baramulla this morning. The militants present in the village f ired upon the search party that was retaliated cautiously to avoid any collateral damages. Four persons including a policeman, two Army men and a civilian were injured in the initial shoot out. The injured were shifted to the hospitals.”

“An Army man Naagar of 29 RR and Special Police Off icer Mo-hammad Shaf i succumbed to their injuries and gave supreme sacrif ice of their lives. A civilian Manzoor Ahmed Rather has been hospitalized and is stable. The militants managed to escape and the search opera-tion has been called off,” he added.

Meanwhile, militant out-f it Hizb-ul-Mujahideen hailed the ac-tivities of the militants who managed to escape from the encounter scene at North Kashmir’s Tangmarg area.

In a tele- statement to KNS, the Hizb spokesperson Baleeg-ud-din said, “Hizb-ul-Mujahideen appreciates the brave efforts of militants who managed to escape unhurt from the encounter scene.” (KNS)

Call Drops, Erratic Network Irks Cellular Subscribers.

People on Thursday expressed anguish over the erratic mobile services due to which they had to face hardships in contacting their dear ones.

The continuous call drops and erratic services of cellular companies particularly BSNL, Airtel and Vodafone have aggrieved the people, who say they again have been taken for a ride by the cellular opera-tors who shut their services when they were needed most.

“There is no internet and no mobile services available due to which we are facing hardships. We fail to understand how rains affect the functioning of these cellular companies. Government has to take a serious measure to end our woes as they take our money but provide no services when needed most,” one of the subscribers said.

Others also echoed the same views, saying no respite is being pro-vided in this hour of great need by the cellular operators. The residents added that the continuous call drops irked them giving tough time to people to know the whereabouts of their dear ones when the f lood threats loomed large over Kashmir valley.

Soz Discusses Lanndslide Issue In Baramulla Areas With Div Com.

Former Union Minister Prof Saifuddin Soz Friday brought to the notice of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Gazanfar Hussain that certain areas in Kandi Baramulla, such as Frashar, Lateefabad, Pach-har, Laridora and other adjacent areas have become vulnerable due to landslides caused by incessant rains.

“I also told him that these areas have a long history of land sliding and extra care needs to be taken about the people there. Gazanfar Hussain assured me that the administration was fully alert on the matter and very soon the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla would visit there for whatever relief is needed to be offered,” he said in a statement to KNS.

Dislocated footpath vendors took demonstration in the streets of Sopore demanding rehabilitation. Pic: Mohammad Younis Shah

P/3News 03 - 09 April 2015

Baramulla: Intense hailstorm which struck various areas of North Kashmir on Saturday and continued for more than half hour, destroyed orchards in large scale in the region .

In Rafiabad hailstorm has struck the region and continued for around 15 minutes in Watergham, Dangiwacha, Waripora, Rohama, Panzula, Cha-tosa, Chatipora, Kan-groosa, Chanam Hatch-pora, Ladoora and has destroyed orchards.

District Kupwara’s Kralpora, Batpora, Rawatpora, Thandipora, Qalamabad, Nowgham and various areas also were struck with hail-storm which occurred on Saturday afternoon

and destroyed the or-chards and injuring sev-eral people.

Reports informed that as people in the region were busy in spraying and adding fertilizers to the fields, the sudden hailstorm created havoc with people moving to safer places.

Pertinently, the recent incessant rains have al-ready triggered f lood like situation and creat-ing panic among people. Though the weather de-partment has predicted no rains for coming four days, people are scared that the September like situation could emerge at any time in valley which virtually reached at the brink of destruc-tion.

Bandipora: The death of a pregnant fe-male due to excessive loss of blood stirred a massive protest at Sub-District Hospital Hajin in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district while the protesters who accused doctors of negligence demanded stringent punishment for the ‘erring’ doctors.

“I admitted my wife Rubeena (26) in the hospital after she developed labour pain on Wednesday. After surgery, she developed some complications and in a bid to save their skin, the doctors referred her to SKIMS Trust Hospital Srinagar but she died on way,” said the husband of the deceased woman, Sajad Ahmed who is a resident of Bangar Mohalla Hajin.

“My wife despite breathing her last in the ambulance was taken to Srinagar hospital where doctors declared her brought dead,” Sajad said alleging that it was the sheer neg-ligence on part of the doctors who didn’t refer her to Srinagar hospital in time.

As the news about the death of Rubeena spread in the area, scores of people assem-bled outside Sub-District Hospital Hajin and

staged a massive protest against the ‘erring’ doctors. The protesters alleged that young Rubeena died to blood loss and the doctors failed to control her bleeding.

The protesters disrupted traffic and amid anti-hospital authorities slogans threatened to attack the hospital. Sensing trouble Ad-ditional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Tehsildar Sumbal and Block Medical Officer Hajin rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters. The officials assured justice to the them and ordered a time bound thorough probe into the matter within 21 days.

Block Medical Officer Dr Tariq told CNS that the patient was fully dilated and the baby was in outlet when her family brought her in hospital. “The operation was con-ducted by Dr Ifshana in a smooth manner and the patient delivered a baby girl. She was anaemic and needed blood and that is why we referred her to Trust Hospital SKIMS where she died during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. (CNS)

Two persons Killed In Uri.

Uri: Two persons were killed by landslide in North Kashmir’s Uri town of Baramulla district.

Reports said that a mi-nor landslide uprooted a tree in Limber area of Uri town. Four persons came under it out of two persons died on spot while the remaining two suffered injuries.

Police identified the deceased as Muhammad Jabbar Var and Muham-mad Dilawar Mir. “Two injured persons Javid Ahmed Dar and Abdul Rehman Dar have been shifted to near by hospi-tal and their condition is stable,” a police offiical said.

Meanwhile, seven mem-bers of a family were traped after their house collapsed due to inceas-sant rains in Doda district. Police confirmed the in-cident and said that search for retrievting the fam-ily members of Jodh Ram of Diwalkund in Doda is going on.

Death of pregnant lady sparks protest‘Constituted committee to probe the death’: BMOHailstorm destroy

orchards in North Kashmir

ZEO, two clerks suspended for swindling government fundsKupwara: Zonal Education Officer Drug-mulla and two clerks were suspended for allegedly swindling large chunk of money meant for the education purposes on Friday.

Reports said that district administra-tion Kupwara had received various com-plaints against ZEO Dragmulla for his alleged corrupt practices and misappro-priation of government funds.

A team led by Assistant Commissioner Revenue Firdous Ahmed Raina visited ZEO off ice and after checking the records or-dered his suspension and two other clerks. “The records showed gross misappropria-tion of funds. The ZEO was supposed to distribute money among school heads to provide uniforms to students but he has allotted money to selected head teachers. Besides the records show that ZEO has procured sub-standard material for the construction purposes,” ACR Kupwara told CNS.

He said that said ZEO had already been demoted once for his alleged involvement in a cheating case. (CNS)

Baramulla: Deputy Commis-sioner Baramulla, Peerzada Mush-taq Ahmad Shah visited various landslide hit areas of Rafiabad and inspected situation of land-slides at Khahmove, Brandub, Woolutra, Shitloo and other vil-lages of Rohama Tehsil. The DC was accompanied by Ex-ecutive engineer R&B, Abdul Majeed Khan, Executive Engineer PHE, and Sub-district Magistrate Sopore Dr.Nasir Ahmad Lone and concerned Tehsildars.

During the visit, the Dep-uty Commisioner took com-prehensive stock of the land-slide situation at the above mentioned villages. Mean-while the DC ordered for evacuation of 62 affected families of the area to safer places. The Tehsildar con-cerned was directed to es-tablish relief camps for the

affected families.At Brandub Village, the DC

inspected Medical sub-Centre and checked the attendance of the of-f icials. He directed the Officials of the Medical sub-Centre to be available al the time for the gen-

eral public, so that the general public doesn’t face any inconve-nience. He also visited the Middle School at the village and checked the attendance of the Teachers.

He also directed the concerned officers arrange water pumps for

dewatering from affected areas. The Deputy Com-msioner impressed upon them to ensure dewatering on immediate basis, so that the people of the villages can move back to their nor-mal routine daily work.

The Deputy Commis-ioner on the occasion also informed that the adminis-tration has already been activated to combat any untoward incident and have been directed to remain proactive. The DDC assured the affected people of the area that every type of sup-port will be provide to them.

DC Baramulla visits landslide hit areas of Rafiabad62 affected families shifted to safer places

In view of adverse weather forecast made by Metrological Department, District Administra-tion Baramulla has set-up a con-trol room at Deputy Commission-ers office headed by Joint Direc-tor, A.G Malik.

As the water level of Jhelum is increasing day by day with no respite in the torrential rains, there is a certain fear looming around of a September 2014 like situation, in which f loods de-stroyed maximum of Srinagar city, parts of South and North Kashmir.

While talking on the situation. A.G Malik said that we have made special arrangements in view of the f lood threats, but still there is no need to worry as everything is in control.

“All the institutions viz, Fire and Emergency Service, J&K Po-lice, Flood and Control department

and other concerned departments of the district administration are well prepared to tackle any even-tuality. We have acquired four dewatering pumps, boats and other essential gadgets to tackle any untoward incident,” he said.

As the water level is increasing in Jhelum. People living on the banks are in a state of continuous fear. People of Jahama, Ladoora, Chakloo, Hathi Shah, Chankhan, TulliBal, Maharajpora and other areas have been asked to stay alert as there is an evident threat of f loods, if the situation remains same.

Significantly, Incharge control room, A.G Malik said that there is no threat of f loods as of yet but people living on the river banks should stay alert, move to safer places and contact us in case of any eventuality. The water level at Sangam is decreasing but being

at the receiving end, Baramulla sees an increase in the water level, which is a common phe-nomenon.

“There is no threat of any flood as of yet, but staying alert is stay-ing safe. We have put all our ma-chinery on board, let us see what comes next. We have given orders to respective SDM’s to provide all the essential items to the af-fected families as we have released funds, made available three thou-sand tents, five thousand blankets, buffer stock of ration, medicines and other essential commodities for the affected families,” he added.

In a significant move, the dis-trict administration has set up a 24 hour control room besides identifying thirty safe places to shift the affected families, in case any evacuation process is carried out.

“People living near river banks should remain alert”: District Administration

P/4cOveRstory 03 - 09 April 2015

By NOOR UL HAQ

(Frastahar) Baramulla

Fifteen kilometers away from the main town Baramulla, Frastahar is an uphill village lo-cated on a small hillock. It was chaos around. You could see evacuation in process. Sad faces unable to talk, directed us to the damaged houses with a wave of hand. It seems as some drastic earthquake has shook this village. De-struction is everywhere. Elderly frail men and women, frightened kids, brave yet sad youth, it was a horrif ic picture of this unfortunate village where according to current data forty-two houses got damaged. Mohammad Ashraf Sheikh, a resident of this village was in his house, en-joying ‘nun chai ’ with his family, having no such idea of land sliding or cracks in his three month old house. But the nature had other plans for this unfortunate family in shape of torrential rains. Their house got cracks resulting in loss-es worth lacs, with no option available but to dismantle it and move to some safer zone. A father of three small kids bearing a family of six, Ashraf has no other plans but to save his family from this wrath, from the torrential rains, cold and land sliding. It is a battle between survival and death, where survival is no more possible.

On 17th of March this year, due to torrential rains, four houses got cracks, due to land slid-ing. As the valley witnessed continuous rains with no respite from the skies, this unfortunate village bore the maximum brunt. In the inter-vening night of 2nd April, thirty six more houses received cracks due to skidding of land, which created horror in the entire area.

With tears in eyes, a frail Ghulam Moham-mad Dar while narrating the horrif ic scene said, “I have spent my sixty years here in this village. In my entire life I haven’t witnessed such a situation. Our houses are destroyed, property worth crores vanished. Where will we go now. These kids are terrif ied. Women can’t even cook. It isn’t less than a doomsday”.

Barely six months after devastating Septem-ber 2014 f loods that killed as many as two hun-dred and f ifty people and displaced tens of thousands, the people of Kashmir faced a new crisis in the shape of landslide horror.

Torrential rainfall over the past week caused vicious landslides across the Kandi belt, forcing

hundreds of families to evacuate, with losses worth crores of rupees. Many a camps have been set up and people have been asked to shift to safer zones.

Residents could be seen f leeing, while Pres-ident Masjid Committee Abdul Majeed Khan keeps a record of them. He could be seen keep-ing a watch on the locality, rehabilitating them in the nearby villages, schools and helping ev-ery other government team or people from press.

“The earth is not steady. It is loose and still moving. It is not safe for the villagers to live here till rains subside. They all need to be evacuated to a safer zone urgently. Even though weather has improved a bit, we could not sleep because earlier in the evening we had seen cracks developing on a slope located above these hous-es,” Majeed said, adding, whole village is in a state of shock.

A few households could be seen saving fur-niture, utensils, tin sheets and other items. Mo-

hammad Yaseen, who house was marked unsafe recently by a team of geologists, after it received cracks due to land skidding, was saving the furniture, windows, doors and other valuable items. Tears could not stop from his eyes while he took out a beautifully decorated wooden ‘almirah’ from the wall.

“All my life achievement has vanished in a moments of time. Neither we can buy land at other places due to the soaring prices, as we have limited resources nor can we construct here on this piece of land, as it is skidding,

making it vulnerable for our lives. We are in the worst ever situation. Only Allah can help us now,” Yaseen said.

Javeed Hassan Beigh, the sitting MLA of Baramulla while talking to Varmul Post said that in the whole state, land sliding displaced many a people but Frastahar is the worst hit area.

“We have provided few tents to the residents but tents can’t help these ill fated families. We accommodated them in nearby schools and pan-chayat house. It is my duty to help them in bad times. I am not doing any favor to them, it is what they elected me for. I will utilize all Indra Yojana Schemes only for the residents of Fra-stahar in coming years. We need to rehabilitate them,” he said.

While lauding the services of MLA Javed Hassan Beigh, Manzoor Ahmed another resident said that after Allah, we have Beigh Sahab. He visited the affected families and gave orders for the immediate rehabilitation of the ill fated families.

“He promised f ifty thousand rupees for each household. Beigh sahab has helped us in worse conditions. He is not less than a messiah for us,” he added.

Signif icantly, the self help activism is so much embedded in the society that Mohalla committees offered ‘Tehri ’ both to the affected families as well as to the guests.

While as Tehsildar Baramulla N A Shah, who also visited Frastahar and other landslide hit areas of district Baramulla said that, we have shifted the landslide hit families to the safer places.

“ There are about forty seven families which got affected in Frastahar landslide horror, with forty two structures partially or fully damaged. We relocated the affected families in nearby schools and panchayat houses despite the inces-sant rains creating a hurdle in the rehabilitation process. We also provided tents and blankets to the affected families and as the weather is showing some improvement, we will provide all legal help to them in coming days,” he add-ed.

According to an off icial statement, two hun-dred and f ifty families were affected due to the recent incessant rains in Kandi belt of Baram-ulla only, in which seventy to eighty houses are totally unsafe for residential use. Recently, at least as many as ten structures collapsed due to land sliding at Laridoora, Baramulla, there-by creating a horror in the entire Kandi belt.

“All my life achievement has vanished in a moment of time. Neither we can buy land at oth-er places due to the soaring prices, as we have limited re-sources nor can we construct again here on this piece of land, as it is skidding, making it vul-nerable for our lives. We are in the worst ever situation.”

P/503 - 09 April 2015

DESTRUCTIONAT

FRASTAHAR

P/6YOURVIEW

Note: All views expressed in this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the organisation

03 - 09 April 2015

By SHAHID LONE

The blood f lowed down the arteries of the martyrs whose sacrif ices are commemorated ev-ery year in Kashmir. These martyrs showed the path to the people as to how the stigma of op-pression and occupation could be removed. We freshen the memory of the martyrs and their sacrif ices every year when we assemble at their graveyards. Our martyrs exposed their breasts to the bullets and testimony to the fact is that none of them received a bullet in their back. The wish of the martyrs echoes in my ears even today but alas certain crooks propped up with the passage of time who barter away the honor and dignity of entire people.

We sow in blood and tears, so that those after us can reap joy. If there is one cast iron law of history; it’s probably that all occupa-tions and other forms of colonial rule are eventually resisted. Although Azaadi (free-dom) is still in the heart and soul of every Kashmiri, unfortunately with the passage of time the grip seems loosing and ineffective. We are no longer moved by what the Indian institutions are doing and how they are de-stroying the occupied Kashmir, nor do we care anymore about the thousands of Kash-miri prisoners who are languishing in dif-ferent jails within and outside the state. We don’t even bat an eye when we hear about the hunger strikes or about them dying in Indian jails. It seems we are no longer concerned about the blood that was spilled for this cause. It is a fact that our voices are not allowed to reach in the ears of international community by Indian institutions but does that mean we should sit relaxed within the four walls and witness the humiliation and torture of our beloved ones and we frown upon it, but we do not get angry; we do not revolt! Where has the passion for freedom gone; where is the unease and distress?

Is it possible for us to lose sight of all this in favor of our meaningless internal conf licts? Even though it appears we have forgotten the main cause of Azaadi, is it really possible to overlook it? This question reassures me and gives me a glimmer of hope. The valley of saints must wake up, pull themselves together and rise again to defend the honor, pride and dignity. We have to liberate our motherland from every corner. I am not one of those people who have been chasing after mirage of empty negotiations ever since the Abdullah accord of 1975. This was a way of dis-tracting the people of Kashmir with delusions until they had f inished carrying out their evil plans including the article 370 and Hindutva agenda with a view to completely take over the entire. However, we are too busy with our de-nominational and materialistic disputes. I should remind you that Azaadi for every citizen of state remains both a struggle for land as well as about the rights of people to determine their future. Regrettably, those who have spent long years

f ighting for the independence of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir feel the disappointment given the present conditions.

Freedom struggle is born of hope and its phi-losophy is formally optimistic. People neglected, oppressed, wronged must ally their discontent to that of political enthusiasts. Those who pretend to take part in uprisings are unable to admit that they are spontaneous as all true freedom struggles are. Some of them fight for the right to differ; they struggle against a complex of betrayals and lies for something called the truth, only to f ind that there is no such thing as a truth with which a rational society knows how to act. Freedom struggle is more or less convulsion, which over-turns the existing order either violently or non-violently. There is always the drama of the block or the bullet. Freedom gives birth to revolution. Our struggle is directed against the tyrannical Indian occupation for the rule of the many. Our freedom struggle was waged and decided in the

minds of the individuals; there cutting edge was words not swords. We create our own momentum which dictates our strategy.

The day of glory will arrive. Passion, more passion, forever passion

We have been brutally repressed to the extent that even the mildest form of public protest results in wholesale criminalization by India. But clev-erly managed by India, the unending brutal oc-cupation and war of words appear as a small entry in the electronic information packs .Holding elec-tions under occupation and keeping different institutions of the state running is just an old way of deceiving the international communities and keeping masses away from the main cause but we must remember it’s not the heads of gov-ernment but the hearts of the people and the blood of the martyrs that matter. Don’t proclaim! For their blood is precious and divine like the pre-cincts of the holy shrine. Our freedom struggle is not like eat, drink and make merry rather re-member, prepare and confront.

Last word:I believe the paradox of liberation is that in

order to preserve freedom and struggle for it, one must in a sense be already free, have freedom within oneself. The ancient taboos surround man on all sides and fetter his moral life. Therefore in order to free ourselves, we must f irst be con-scious of ourselves as inwardly free; only then can we struggle for freedom outwardly. Hence when the creative energy of inner liberation awak-ens, it should be accompanied by a sense of free-dom. Creativeness is the way of liberation. Lib-eration cannot result in inner emptiness-it is not

merely liberation from something but also lib-eration for the sake of something. The travails that thwarted the attainment of Kashmir freedom till now are almost brutally many. Kashmir free-dom is not the freedom only for want and abuse but in the words of martyr Maqbool Bhat “for us freedom means not just getting rid of the foreign occupation of our beloved motherland but also remove hunger, poverty, ignorance and disease and to overcome economic and social deprivation and one day we shall achieve that freedom”. We have to scrutinize ourselves because within each of us lies a series of concentric circles and the smallest may be f illed with mechanical activity, a larger one with a mundane reason and then the freedom struggle will f lourish as a whole.

There are both negative and positive freedoms which complement each other, where negative freedom concentrates on removal of barriers, so that individuals may realize their plans and the positive freedom concentrates on those plans,

and the attainment of freedom requires em-phasis on both of them. The people will rise and the streams will f low but we have to mobilize the masses to achieve its goal in a non-violent way which is probably the only modus operandi that seems to be feasible. We do not have the luxury nor do we want to start new pointless negotiations such as those being planned and prepared for at the moment. Our so called mainstream political leaders seem to have learned no lessons from oppressors, whose hands are blood stained. When will we realize this and wake up? We have no more time to waste; enough is enough. We have to rise before we lose it in the mean-ingless negotiations. In this modern era the stakes are high, so are the risks. The iron-fist policy can no more be accepted. Curbing the movement and confining our freedom leaders within four walls won’t stop our movement. When I look back at the turbulent legacy of the past, it’s palpable in the bit-

terness. Freedom from India is the sentiment that runs in my blood. Instead of bullets I am fighting with the words. As soon as the cry for freedom emerges my face glows and my lips dance to the tune of our chorus “we want freedom”.

The dark no more golden now is coated with a crimson tinge and a sanguine stink prevails. The shriveled stalks remain, the petals have with-ered away. Pointing in an accusing demeanor towards the sky. The hearts are cloistered in gloom and tongues wrapped in silence and fear, yet eyes in their lachrymose outbursts write in saline crusts, memoirs of untold grief. Oh sleep-ing ones blessed are you, here living ones little better than dead, die a thousand living deaths from dawn to dusk. Should I pray for life or crave for death? Concluding this article by borrowing a quatrain from Alama Iqbal:

Badi saba agar ba geneva guzar kuniHarfi zama bi mujlisi akwam bazgoDehqan wa khisht wa jo wa bayaban farokhtandQuomay farokhtand wa chi arzan farokhtand

(O morning breeze, if thou passeth by Geneva, convey an appeal from us to the league of nations; they sold the farmer, the f ield, the rivulet and the vale; they sold a people and how cheaply).

(The author is a research scholar at jamia millia isla-mia, new delhi. Views expressed are personal)

Have we forgotten Azaadi?

P/703 - 09 April 2015News

Jammu: Promising to turn a new leaf in promoting advanced research in our in-stitutes of higher learning, the Chief M i n i s t e r M u f t i M o h a m m a d S a y e e d Wednesday said that J&K State has all the required ingredients to become an elite Knowledge Society.According to a state-ment issued to KNS, Mufti Sayeed, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, said this today while speaking during a Special Convocation held here to felicitate Prof. C. N. R. Rao, Bharat Ratna and internationally-acclaimed scientific researcher.Governor, N. N. Vohra, Minister for Educa-tion, Naeem Akhtar, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Ch. Lal Singh, Minister of State for H&ME, Asiya Naqash, Vice-Chancellor of University of Kashmir, Khur-shid Iqbal Andrabi, besides senior Govern-m e n t O f f i c e r s a n d V C s o f v a r i o u s universities were present on the occasion. The Chief Minister, in his address, con-gratulated Prof. Rao and thanked him for accepting the Degree of Doctor of Science (HonorisCausa) from the University of Kashmir, in recognition of his contribution to the realm of science and research. He dwelt at length on the remarkable contri-bution made by Prof. Rao as a researcher and planner in the field of chemistry and higher education within the country and abroad. “I hope that many of the faculty members and students would feel in-

spired by his unstinted commitment to science and quality of work that he carried out over the years,” he stated. Highlighting the role of Universities and other institutes of Higher Studies in de-veloping ‘knowledge temper’ amongst aspiring students, Mufti Sayeed said he cherishes the dream of making J&K the knowledge capital of the country. “J&K should be a place where people from the rest of the country, and even outside, will feel privileged to come for acquiring knowledge,” he said and insisted on tar-geting primary education first for devel-oping scientif ic temper amongst the growing young minds of children.The Chief Minister said that creating a responsible community is a task which cannot be only accomplished by the Gov-ernment. It needs to begin at the primary school level. He said no matter how big the seat of higher learning will be, it is ultimately the craving within the students that counts in making them exhibit their talent. He said his Government will take a cue from IT-enabled Bangalore to lay a strong foundation for knowledge move-ment in the State. Describing human resource as the most invaluable asset available with him, Mufti Sayeed said the Education sector will be totally revamped to make it vibrant and research-oriented. “We have to make our schools attractive and irresistible for our

children and their parents. We can solve our problems only through education and we are committed to bring reforms in the system,” he asserted.Requesting Prof. Rao to associate himself with researchers and teachers of J&K as an inspirational guide, the Chief Minister urged the teachers in the institutes of advanced learning to be par t of the knowledge movement that his Govern-ment is about to launch.Urging the parents and teachers to play their role in meeting the challenges of global benchmarks in education sector, Mufti Sayeed said the new Government will initiate several concrete measures to improve J&K’s ranking in the education sector.Asking the country to emulate the role of Wakaf property in promotion of higher education, the Chief Minister said the revenue generated by using the property has helped in creation of two excellent universities in the State. He said these universities have laid the foundation for community participation in the promotion of education. “It could be a model for the country where huge Wakaf properties lie unutilized or otherwise exploited,” he added.Recalling the glorious history of Kashmir, when it was known as Sharda Peeth, Mufti Sayeed said Kashmir had a unique distinction of having established a univer-

sity right at the beginning of the Christian era. He also referred to the Global Bud-dhist conclave which was held in Kashmir in the 4th Century AD as well as having established a school for women known as “Chatkorian” more than seven centuries back by the great Sufi Saint Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani. He also mentioned in his speech the boost the education sector got during the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin. “He established a great school known as Urwat-ul-Wusqa,” he stated. The Chief Minister also highlighted the contribution of great poet Lalla Ded, whose works have been translated and published in several languages. He also listed the contribution of luminaries like Anand Vardan, Abhinav Gupta, Sheikh Yaqoob Sarfi, Mullah Mohsin Fani, Ghani Kashmiri, Kalhan and Hassan in the field of art, craft, music, drama and aesthetics.Praising the role of universities of Kashmir and Jammu in promoting advanced re-search in science, Mufti Sayeed high-lighted the urgent need to improve the standards and quality of higher education in the State. “J&K has the potential to grow. As many as 51 young boys and girls qualified IAS, IFS and IPS and other central service exams over the last few years, which is an encouraging sign,” he added. (KNS)

Will strive to make J&K Knowledge Capital of India: MuftiProf. Rao conferred with Degree of Doctor of Science by KU

Cop who fled with arms from Minis-ter’s house, joined Hizb: Sallahudin

Srinagar: UJC chief and Hizb supremo Syed Sallah-ud-din on Wednesday said the cop who f led with arms from minister’s residence in Srinagar has joined the militant ranks of Hizb.

In an emailed statement issued to KNS, Hizb spokesman Saleem Hashmi quoting said Syed Sallah-ud-din addressed Hizb’s command council on Wednesday and said the cop namely Nisar Ahamd Mir,

who f led with arms from minister’s residence has joined Hizb-ul-Mu-jahideen and the organisation would honour for his ‘bravery’.

Statement mentioned that Syed Sallah-ud-din also condemned the forces’ action on Nissar’s house and family, saying such acts will have serious ‘ramifications’.

The meeting also prayed for the departed souls who got killed at Laden Budgam area during the recent past due to land sliding.

The statement quoting the UJC supremo said the people of Kash-mir cannot be befooled further and that time is near when Kash-mir will witness the dawn of free-dom. (KNS)

Srinagar: Doctor Abdul Ahad Guru was a legend who will always be remembered for his, struggle for freedom, humanity, and excellence in the field of medical profession, social work, philanthropy and sacrifice. He because of his struggle and sacrifices stands above all and has a unique place in the his-tory of Kashmir. This was stated by the chair-man JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik while remembering Shaheed I Hikmat on his mar-tyrdom day today. Yasin Malik said that, from freedom struggle to social work doctor Guru’s personality was unique. Yasin Malik said that people like doctor Guru represent the glory of nations and personalities like these are actually the symbol of glory of living nations. These personalities add to the pride of nations and are actually gift of almighty for the nations. He said that doctor Guru from his birth on 24 November 1939 ‘showed the characteristics’ of a Godly person and today almost two decades after his martyr-dom, Kashmir is yet to produce any one like him. Doctor Guru was first Kashmiri Muslim who started open heart surgery in Kashmir and wrote a new chapter in the medical his-tory of this poor nation. His efforts for mak-ing Soura medical institute well established heath center are unforgettable. His relentless work for educating new doctors and elevating them to new heights was unparallel. He was a selfless noble soul who always thought about the poor and destitute. He opened many heath care centers in the entire Kashmir where poor patients were treated free of cost. A ‘Sarai’ for the poor patients and their atten-dants’ outside Burzalla hospital still remind us about his philanthropy. The mosques and Darasgah opened by him remind us about his Islamic belief and wisdom. JVC Medical College and hospital and other institutes remind us about his vision and all these works are a clear evidence of his towering person-ality, added Yasin Malik .he said that in every respect Shaheed Hikmat was like Hakim Ajmal Khan, Sir Syed Ahmad khan, Mou-lana Qasim Nanatwai, and Allama Iqbal for kashmiri’s. Yasin Malik said that the best

part of doctor sahib’s life is that he without looking into the status and position he pos-sessed joined the freedom struggle and started the journey on the path of thorns along with other JKLF members. He not only actively worked on the internal front of the movement but was very active on external diplomatic front also. In this way of deter-mination nobody and no means could deter his resolve and he embraced martyrdom on 1st of April 1993.even after his martyrdom his own brother in law Mian Ashiq Hussain also got martyred at the hands of Indian security forces, added Yasin Malik. A high level JKLF delegation led by vice chairman advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt and comprising of vice chairman Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, secretary general Ghulam Rasool Dar Eidhi, zonal president Noor Mohammad Kalwal, zonal general secretary sheikh Abdul Rashid and zonal Press secretary Ashraf Bin Salam etc visited the residence of doctor guru at Burzalla and expressed solidarity with his family. Leaders while paying homage to mar-tyr doctor sahib reiterated their pledge to take ongoing freedom struggle to its desired goal. It is worth to mention that blood dona-tion camp to be organized on the martyrdom day of doctor guru was postponed due to bad weather .this blood donation camp will be organized on some other day now .InshaAL-LAHMeanwhile chairman JKLF Muhammad Yasin Malik while showing concern over the bad weather situation and growing f lood threat has said that these calamities are be-cause of our own misdeeds and only ALLAH can save us from the hardships and calami-ties. Yasin said that we all shall bow before the almighty and seek his forgiveness. To seek Allah blessings and unify common people in this hour of need, JKLF volunteers with the help of local people organized tra-ditiobnal ritual meals and distributed it among people at various places of Srinagar today. Ritual meals were prepared and distributed at Maisuma, Gawkadal, Mandirbagh, Abi Guzar, Kokerbazar,Court road, Batamaloo, Bemina, Barbarshah. (KNS)

Will remove illegal constructions next month, Formalities completed: CE I&FC

Srinagar: After the f lood threat which sent shock waves across Kashmir valley, the government has approved a demolition drive against the illegal encroachments which continues to block the f lood channel spill since years.

Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Javed Jaffer said that government would kick start the demolition drive against the illegal constructions- raised on f lood channels to pave ways for the f low of waters easily from South Kashmir to the north in Wullar.

“I can tell you that the process has already been started and we

are on it. There has been minor issue as the people who had en-croached the river banks claim it as their own property. We have raised this issue with the DCs of various districts so the claims of people could be verified,” Jaffer told KNS.

“By next month, the demolition drive would be started as other formalities have been completed,” he added.

Pertinently, the government has been pitching for the remov-al of the illegal structures that have been constructed along the river banks and f lood channels at various areas of south, central and north Kashmir.

On Thursday, the senior cabi-net minister in the PDP-BJP coali-tion Naeem Akhtar said the gov-ernment is committed to remove the illegal constructions that have become the major reason for the f lood threats across Kashmir val-ley.

Dr Guru was a legend who will always be remembered : MalikJKLF delegation visits Burzalla, expresses solidarity with Guru Sahib’s family

Govt to start demolition drive on flood channels

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03 - 09 April 2015Sports

As I sat down to write a tribute to Boom Boom Afridi, I wanted my typing to match the speed at which Shahid Afridi played all his life, but unlike his cameos, my emo-tions and love for Afridi grew bigger and it took me a lot of time to pour out my heart and feelings as the charismatic allrounder bid farewell to ODIs.

I am one of those from the generation of late ‘90s, when cricket had gathered real pace and velocity. ODI cricket began scaling new heights in the 1996 World Cup with the Sri Lankan opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana exploiting the field restrictions with ag-gression.

This style of play really excited me and, as an Indian, I was looking for someone of a similar kind in my own team.

And then a few months down the line something hap-pened, something that changed the cricketing world, some-thing that changed my life: an innings played by a 16-year-old unknown player from Pakistan. I personally did not see the match as I did not follow Pakistan cricket much in those days. However, the breathtaking knock in Toronto captivated me.

It was a Eureka moment for me, I found my hero, I found someone in cricket that I could cheer for, and I started to keenly follow Pakistan cricket. Coming from a cricket-crazy Indian family, it was very difficult for me to single out one player from Pakistan and cheer for him even when he played against India. I was elated, so much so that I forgot that he actually scored a century against my country.

Watching such a blitz in those days was enough for me to get drawn to Afridi.

For me he was all hitting and power but for my elder sister he was more than that, I remember how she would often ask me to get his posters from sports shop and stick them in her room. Without a doubt, I could say that she had found her hero too. I also found another friend who would always accompany me to watch Pakistan play.

I got more attached to Afridi and started to follow every move of his. I became a fan of his bowling too.

Then came Sharjah - Afridi was on the rise - he was mesmerising. I would say it wasn’t just joy and thrill that drew me to an Afridi innings. It was the notion that this crude form of batting could succeed in international crick-et, albeit sporadically, and that this player was being allowed to bat with unrestrained freedom. For purity I had Rahul Dravid’s drives, but for adrenaline it was always Afridi.

Patience was never a virtue for Afridi. He liked speed and he thrived on entertaining fans with power. At the crease he was always in a hurry, whether he was batting or bowling.

After many years the Pakistan team toured India in 2005. And Afridi was at it again. He simply blew India away in Kanpur. Mr Boom Boom came to open the innings and slammed 102 off 46 balls as Pakistan chased down 250 in less than 43 overs. I forgot that he was playing against my team, I forgot how storied the India-Pakistan rivalry was, because my love and passion for Afridi’s style

of batting knew no boundaries.In 2008 I watched Afridi’s 37-ball ton on YouTube and

the pain of not witnessing this innings subsided. The pic-ture quality was grainy, but watching Afridi smoke six after six was exhilarating.

And how could I forget the Asia Cup in 2014, with India at the receiving end again. I realised that there were sev-eral moments that gave me both pleasure and heartbreak whenever India and Pakistan played. Sometimes I was left frustrated and cursed the partition, dreaming that Afridi and Sehwag could have opened in the same team.

He may be overrated, he may be impatient, he may not have the statistics on his side. But he is an explosive pack-age.

He remained a hero to millions, a reason for smiles and a crowd favourite. Perhaps he is the most-loved Pakistan player in India. I have seen the spark in our eyes when-ever the he came to bat.

I know he’s not done yet, he will ply his trade in T20s, so there’s something for me to look forward to, but I have always associated him with ODIs, and yes being stuck on 395 ODI wickets is unfortunate.

For me he still is that 16-year-old lad, ready to take the opposition on. He entertained us with his unique brand of cricket and has surely left a lasting impression on the game. He was cricket’s greatest entertainer.

Boom Boom is irreplaceable. Thank you for the memo-ries, Lala.

Boom Boom Afridi: one of a kind

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