Stigma on democracy: Former DM

Srinagar Feb 23: After 23 years, a former district magistrate, who was the first person from the government to visit Kunan-Poshpora after the mass rape committed on  February 23 1991, Sunday termed the incident as a ‘stigma on Indian democracy’.

Yasin while speaking at a seminar ‘Kashmiris Women’s Resistance Day’, organized by J&K Coalition of Civil Society (J&KCCS), said, “The tragic Kunan-Poshpora is the most shocking incident that has happened in the history of Kashmir. The army men behaved like wild beasts.” Narrating the experience of his visit to the village after a mass rape took place. “The moment I reached the village along with some police official I saw whole village was mourning. At first I was not able to make-out what has happened. The men folk of the village were not in a position to walk because of the interrogation and women were so brutally raped that there were stains of blood on their clothes.”

Yasin said that after he filled a report on Kunan- Poshpora tragedy he was threatened by various agencies. “I had a friend in Army those days he informed me that you should avoid going to that village as Army has hit order against you,” Yasin said.

“The pressure on me was so high that I was transferred within one month after I filled a report to Auqaf in Jammu and later to Agrarian commissioner,” he said.

“I was never interested in the materialistic world. I believe government officials are for people. If we can’t address the grievances of common man what are we for then,” Yasin said.

He added that he was approached by several agencies through different people who tried to motivate him to change his statement. “But I remained firm on my stand.”

Terming  Verghese Committee Report which was headed by B. G. Verghese, Jamna Das Akhtar, and K Vikram Rao, as ‘false and fabricated’ Yasin said,  “The truth has been manipulated. The Verghese report was false as they were the representatives of Government of India and the report they filed was on the directions of central government.”

Militant killed, claims Army

Protests rock central, south Kashmir; cop among 6 injured  

Srinagar/ Pulwama: Police on Wednesday claimed that a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

A police official told Precious Kashmir that soldiers of 53 Rashtriya Rifles noticed 2 motorcycle-borne youth, moving in ‘suspicious’ circumstances, near their camp at Dalwan and signaled them to stop. “The duo did not pay any heed to the signal and tried to flee. The troops opened fire at the youth wounding one of them. A weapon fell off from the hand of the injured militant in the process,” he said. “The militant tried to pick up the weapon but was shot dead by forces.”

“An SLR rifle was recovered from the scene. An arms pouch was also found strapped to the body of the slain militant,” the official claimed.

The slain militant was identified Touseef Ahmad of Pulwama.

Army’s Srinagar based spokesman said, “Army men shot dead an unidentified gunman. From his possession, one SLR, 4 magazines, 13 rounds, one grenade, one pouch, and a Pan card were recovered.”

Soon after the incident locals took to the streets and staged massive protest. Police resorted to baton charge and teargas shelling to disperse the demonstrators. However, protesters offered stiff resistance and retaliated with stones triggering clashes in which at least six persons, including a policeman, were wounded.   Massive protests, clashes rock Pulwama  Tension gripped south Kashmir’s Pulwama township  on Wednesday evening after the news about the killing of a local militant in an encounter with forces in central Kashmir.

Forces burst teargas canisters to disperse the protesters. Fearing violence in the town authorities are likely to impose curfew in the town on Thursday to keep the situation under control.

Reports said that at around 5 pm as the word about the local militant  Towseef Ahmad’s death spread in the town shopkeepers downed their shutters and traffic went off the roads.

Reports said that the people in Prichoo and other localities took to streets, staged protests and resorted to stone pelting at government forces.

“The youth also attacked police station with stones and bricks. The policemen in retaliation resorted to heavy teargas shelling to disperse the protesters,” reports said.

They said that the protests and clashes spread to almost all the localities of the town which were going on till this report was filed.

Authorities fearing more violent protests in the town have decided to impose curfew in the area on Thursday.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), south Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said that since the militant hails from the town there is the possibility of violent protests in the town.

“To keep the situation under control we may impose restrictions in the town Thursday as a precautionary measure,” the DIG said.

AAP reaches Kashmir

To open Office in Srinagar next month

Srinagar, Feb 17: Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party is all set to open its office in uptown here in March this year, sources told Precious Kashmir on Monday.

They said the party high command has agreed to start its office in Srinagar and a young political and RTI activist who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party last year in a jiffy is tipped off to be the party convener for J&K.

Sources said party’s senior leader Prashant Bhushan recently conducted interview of various contestants in AAP’s office in New Delhi. “The party has shortlisted a few candidates from Kashmir and their names would be announced soon,” they said.

“The AAP is very concerned and choosy about the selection of the candidates in the state given its image about it being a brand against corruption. More than hundreds aspirants from varied backgrounds contacted us for their role in AAP in the J&K but we have clandestinely conducted a background check off their past activities.”

Sources also revealed that newly formed Awami Itihad Party (AIP) led by Engineer Rashid in Jammu and Kashmir may enter into a pre-poll alliance with the Aam Admi Party.

Sources in AIP said that the party would take a call over the issue after the ongoing Assembly session would be over.

Meanwhile, when Precious Kashmir contacted the RTI activist and former PDP leader to seek his comments about the development he said, “I don’t know anything about the proposed launch of their office in Srinagar. It is premature to take a call on joining AAP. It is true that AAP approached me.”

Pertinently, senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan had struck the hornet’s nest earlier this year by saying that a referendum should be carried out in Kashmir on whether or not the Indian Army should be deployed in the Valley to deal with the security situation there.

After being cornered by the opposition parties in India and Hindutiva groups, AAP founder and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was then compelled to react on Bhushan’s Statement. “We don’t agree with Prashant Bhushan. It’s his personal view. Deployment of the Army within the country should be decided on the basis of internal security threat. There is no question of a referendum. But sentiments of locals should be respected,” Kejriwal had said.

Khan appears before police, pleads innocence

Khan appears before police, pleads innocence

Srinagar, Feb 13: Former Health Minister, Shabir Ahmed Khan accused of molesting a lady doctor presented himself before Police on Thursday in accordance with the directions from High Court.

The J&K High Court on Wednesday directed former Health Minister to make himself available before Police by Thursday evening for “investigation, interrogation” in case of alleged sexual assault on a lady doctor here.

While taking to reporters before joining police for investigations, Khan termed the molestation accusation by the lady doctor as baseless.

“These allegations are false and frivolous aimed at spoiling my political image and career. I am innocent and will follow the orders of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. I will cooperate with the investigation.”

He added that he is hopeful that court will do justice. “On the directions of court I will record my statement before the investigating team.”

High Court on Wednesday passed an interim order on the anticipatory bail application, asking Khan, not to leave territorial jurisdiction of the state till February 18 when it posted the main application for announcing the orders.

“I am here to give my statement to the investigating team on the directions of the court. I will fully cooperate with them. I am hopeful of getting justice from the court,” Khan added.

The delay in Khan’s arrest had evoked sharp criticism across Kashmir.

However Khan rebutted the reports of him being on run. “Who told you I was hiding. I was in touch with media and my statements appeared in a section of newspapers. I talked to some media men on telephone and was not at large,” he said.

Pertinently, a lady doctor in a complaint had alleged that Khan attempted to sexually assault her when she met him at his office on Jan 28, 2013. They also revealed that victim in her complaint had alleged that she received repeated calls from Minister’s office asking her to visit his office immediately as minister wanted to know about the announcements made by Union  Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad during his visit to the Pampore hospital where she works. Despite her requests that Minister should obtain the information from senior officials, the doctor alleged, she was compelled to report at his office on January 28, 2014.

Based on the complaint, Police registered a First Information Report no. 9 U/S 354, 509 RPC dated Feb 6, 2014 against the minister at the Shaheed Gunj police station.

“Secretariat is a public place and I repeat that charges against me are baseless and do not carry any weight,” Khan said.

He said he resigned from the council of ministers on the party’s advice” and to enable a “free and fair probe” into the matter.

Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir High Court had asked Khan to present himself before police. The court had also issued directions to investigating officer to release him on personal bond in case the politician was arrested.

Government figures of power consumption bogus: Civil Society

Government figures of power consumption bogus: Civil Society

Kashmir pays more, Jammu receives more

Srinagar, Feb 12: The recent disclosure of government that it has received highest revenue from Jammu as compared to Kashmir from power consumption has evoked a sharp criticism from  civil society and business community who term it as ‘fraud and bogus’.

In a written reply sought by Panthers Party member, the  Minister in charge Power department informed the state assembly that Kashmir region consumed  6854.94 Mega units (MUs) of power while Jammu region consumed 5252.72 (MUs) in 2012-13. The Minister also informed the lower house that in 2011-12 Kashmir region consumed 6136 (MUs) of power while Jammu region consumed only 4266 (MUs).

The traders and civil society members have termed the figures as baseless and said that government is trying to create the divisions between Jammu and Kashmir by issuing such ‘baseless’ statements.

“The official figures about the consumption and realization of revenue are manipulated. Such false statements are being made just to create a division between Kashmir and Jammu,” said Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) member, Shakeel Qalandar.

He said that the revenue which was presented by the concerned minister was presented in a ‘non logical manner’.

He should have distributed it in divisions as state comprises of various departments like Railway, Army, Lift irrigation and others.

He added that despite the fact that the valley witnesses the harshest curtailment schedule both in the metered as well as unmetered areas; the domestic consumers in Kashmir on an average have been paying more tariff than domestic consumers of Jammu region over the years.

Subsequently during the financial years 2008-09, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 (up to ending October, 2013), the revenue realization in the domestic category of consumers in Kashmir region has been 74.67 crore, 99.39 crore, 122.02 crore, 179.79 crores, 238.89 crores and 146.12 crores respectively in comparison to 52.67 crore, 63.06 crore, 83.21 crores, 112.86 crores, 154.87 crores and 106.14 realized in Jammu region.

Terming the government figures as ‘imaginary and misleading’ President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, Shiekh Ashiq Ahmed said that these figures are concocted and misleading.

“We are expressing our concern repeatedly about the discrimination that we are subjected to from past couple of decades. This is nothing new but the irony is that despite Kashmir having more consumers as compared to Jammu, the government has come up with imaginary and misleading figures.”

Questioning the claims of government, Ashiq said that it is unfortunate that the government within few days gave nod to the recommendations of Cabinet Sub Committee about the creation of new administrative units in the state but is showing no interest to take back power projects from National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

“The notion of equitable development cannot be fulfilled without equitable justice. Jammu and Kashmir’s economic planning needs a rational strategic approach and not a highly subjective statecraft,” he said.

Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance, Muhammad Yasin Khan said that the government has manipulated the latest data while the reality is that Kashmiri people consume less power and pay more.

Khan added that KEA will not act as a mute spectator and will raise voice against such manipulations.

‘Sinister’ Minister On Run

‘Sinister’ Minister On Run

Medicos threaten to shut hospitals

Srinagar, Feb 11: The adage that law catches up with common man faster can’t be truer as the tainted former minister and senior Congress leader Shabir Ahmed Khan in Jammu and Kashmir continued to evade the arrest for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Just a few months ago Tehelka magazine editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, who faces the same charges as Khan was arrested hours after a FIR was registered against him.

Tarun Tejpal, 50, the former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, an investigative newsmagazine was arrested by Goa police under the Sections 376 and 354 of IPC after his subordinate lodged a complaint against him. He continues to be in the jail and has not been granted bail till date.

A lady doctor in Kashmir had filed a written complainant in Police station Shaheed Gung against Shabir Ahmad Khan then Minister of State for Health on the alleged molestation charges. Following the victim’s complaint a local court here issued arrest warrants against Khan but till date he is missing as police have failed to nab him.

While condemning the delay in arrest, an amalgam of doctors and health employees Tuesday announced a Kashmir-wide agitation. They threatened to shut down the hospitals if the disgraced minister is not arrested. “The delaying tactics are just acting as a catalyst in widening the trust deficit between the system of delivering justice and the turmoil-torn valley,”  a spokesman of the doctor’s association said.

He said that all the doctors and employees will wear black bands to protests against delay in justice in the molestation case. It will follow with strike in offices associated with the Health Department. And work in all hospitals including casualties would be suspended if government fails to arrest the accused Congressman.

Talking to precious Kashmir the Doctors Association of Kashmir president Dr Nissar Ul Haq said that when the government can arrest Tarun Tejpal who is facing  a case of molesting a girl, why police are yet to trace former Health minister.  According to him this seems a well planned conspiracy of Government to save the tainted minister.

Kashmir University Teachers Association President Prof Muhammad Yousuf Ganai said that it is shameful and highly regrettable that a person who has been enjoying a seat of power has indulged in such a crime. If proved true, the accused deserves exemplary punishment so that nobody can dare to attack the chastity of women in future. Such culprits should be brought to book at the earliest and punished severely.

‘I have security cover and am untraceable’

Srinagar, Feb 10: Three days on Jammu and Kashmir Police have failed to arrest the former Health Minister and senior Congress leader Shabir Ahmed Khan, facing molestation charges.

A local court here on Saturday had issued arrest warrants against Khan but till date he continues to evade arrest.

The former Health Minister, who enjoys a security of five PSOs seems to have vanished in thin air. “Police raided his official residence in Jammu and questioned his PSOs but they were unaware about his whereabouts,” said a top police official.

A special police team which was sent to arrest Khan from Srinagar too seems “clueless” about the Congress big man.

Police failing to arrest Khan has evoked sharp criticism from different sections of the society. “How can police be clueless about Shabir Khan’s whereabouts when he is round the clock with police security?” asked President Doctors Association of Kashmir Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan.

He questioned the delay in arresting the accused. “In Sara Grooves (a British resident who was killed in Srinagar by a Dutch tourist in April last year , the Kashmir police arrested the accused Richard Dewit( a Dutch tourist) within 24 hours; but in Shabir Khan’s case, police is delaying his arrest despite huge public outcry,” he added.

Kashmir remembers Afzal Guru

 

Undeclared curfew, shutdown cripple life

Mobile Internet services snapped, restored; crackdown on separatists

Srinagar, Feb 9: Authorities Sunday imposed curfew like restrictions across Kashmir to foil the possible protests on the occasion of first death anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9 last year.

Curfew like restrictions were imposed on the first day of shutdown call given by all the three factions of Hurriyat Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and other separatist organizations to observe death anniversaries of Muhammad  Afzal Guru and JKLF founder Muhammad Maqbool Bhat who were hanged and buried in Tihar jail in 2013 and 1984 respectively.

Most separatist leaders were taken into ‘preventive’ custody except Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani who was placed under house arrest immediately after he arrived here from Delhi on Saturday.

Strict restrictions were imposed in areas falling under the jurisdiction of police stations Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Maharaj Gunj, Zadibal, Soura and Maisuma. The roads in these areas were sealed by stationing armored vehicles and laying spools of concertina wires while contingents of police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in strength in these areas and restricted people to their homes. In uptown areas, a complete shutdown was observed with all the shops, businesses and offices remaining closed. However, scarce movement of private vehicles was witnessed in uptown areas.

Reports of stone pelting were received from several areas of the Valley.  A police official said a policeman was injured in a stone pelting incident in Kangan area in Ganderbal district. A group of youth appeared in Kangan chowk and started pelting stone on the forces deployed in the market, he said and added Sadam Hussain, a policeman was hit by a stone. He was taken to the sub district hospital Kangan.

A minor stone pelting incident was also reported from town hall Ganderbal. Reports reaching Precious Kashmir said that Sopore, Baramulla , Bandipora, Pulwama and other areas witnessed a few stone pelting incidents. “There was huge deployment of forces on the roads since morning. We were not even allowed to buy daily commodities,” a resident of Anantnag told Precious Kashmir over phone.

Police Version

A police spokesman in a statement here said that the situation remained normal throughout the valley. “However, some minor stone pelting incidents have been reported from Naidkhai Sumbal, Papchan, main Chowk Bandipora, Margund Kangan and Hadipora Sopore.  There are no reports of any injury to anybody so far (till evening),” he said.

AIP stages protest

Police on Sunday arrested Awami  Ittihaad Party (AIP) President Engineer Rashid near Municipal Park Jawahar Nagar while leading a protest march towards Lal Chowk.

The AIP activists raising slogans appeared at Jawahar Nagar this morning and tried to march towards the city centre. However, police intercepted them and arrested Er Rasheed and his supporters. Protesters were demanding return of mortal remains of Afzal.

“AIP promises to raise voice against all atrocities committed on Kashmiris. Cowardly acts of the state will not force us to succumb,” Rashid said.

Condemning the force used to foil the march a Party an AIP spokesperson said that four workers were hospitalized after they received injuries due to use of ‘disproportionate’ force by CRPF personnel. “If Afzal was a terrorist and justice had been done with him then let New Delhi explain why whole of the Kashmir today is under complete siege,” he asked.

Internet snapped

Meanwhile, internet services on mobile and other plug-in devices remained suspended from the midnight which were later released on Sunday evening.

Strike in Pulwama

Life in south Kashmir’s Pulwama town remained paralyzed on Sunday  amid restrictions imposed by the government and shutdown called by the separatists.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary men were deployed in the town to thwart any protest. However, day passed off peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the town.

Jora glimmer of hope for scam ridden Congress

 

Srinagar, Feb 9: While in past five years at least seven Congress ministers have faced charges of corruption, irregularities and sexual misconduct in Jammu and Kashmir, Nawang Rigzin Jora is one among a few non-controversial ministers from the party.

Jora, who currently holds portfolios of Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, is a Congress MLA from Leh constituency in cold desert Ladakh region. Before the present assignment, he was the Minister for Tourism and Culture for almost four years.

Jora, who is considered as among a few honest ministers in Omar Abdullah led government, also held important portfolios in previous PDP-Congress collation (2002-2008). While “gross wrongful conduct” by its ministers in J&K has embarrassed the party leadership both in New Delhi and the State, Jora has been the only hope for the party in Kashmir.

The Congress ministers have remained in controversies for their alleged role in various scams. One by one the party seems to be losing its ‘blue eyed’ candidates as most of the senior leaders have been getting embroiled in controversies or facing serious charges of misconduct.

When the Congress was about to celebrate creation of new administrative units which were created as per its wishes ‘political storm’ engulfed the party due to the allegation of molestation of a lady doctor by one of its senior ministers Shabir Ahmad Khan.

Prior to Khan’s misconduct, Congress image was also dented when senior ministers including Taj Mohi-ud Din, Perzada Muhammad Sayeed , GM Saroori, Tara Chand, Sham Lal Sharma, Raman Bhalla, RS Chib and Shabir Ahmad Khan came under the scanner for various  charges of corruption, irregularities and sexual misconduct.

Though most of them managed to survive the ‘political storm’ and got a clean chit, the stigma of committing malpractices has not left them untouched and may prove detrimental to the Congress party’s future in the state.

In 2010, Public Works Department Minister G M Saroori came into the news for alleged case of hiring an impersonator for his daughter to appear on her behalf at a medical entrance examination. A case was then registered under sections 419 and 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and 2/5 Prevention of Unfair Means Act was registered against the impersonators. However the minister was given a clean chit after CBI investigations.

In 2012 the then Education Minister and Congress leader Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed was divulged of his portfolio by the Chief Minister after the J&K Police Crime Branch indicted him on charges of helping his foster son to qualify 10th class exam in 2009 through unfair means and impersonation.

PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma in 2013 faced a massive public anger after Doctor’s Association of Kashmir unearthed spurious drug scam by revealing the names of 11 sub-standard medicines including injections supplied to various government hospitals in Kashmir.

Senior Congress leader and Medical Education Minister Taj Mohiuddin faced serious allegations of encroaching forest land in south Kashmir. The State Accountability Commission then slapped a contempt notice on Taj for making false statement that the Commission had closed his case and given him a clean chit.

Exploitation of women runs deep across government offices: Experts

Srinagar, Feb 8: A day after disgraced Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmed Khan tendered his resignation over molestation charges, women activists and academicians on Saturday said that Minister trying to molest a lady doctor is just a tip of the iceberg; the reality is that sexual exploitation runs deep across government offices across the state.

On an estimate approximately only 15 cases of molestation were registered in South city in the 2013. Women activists claim that most of the molestation cases are not reported due to women not coming forward.

“In 2013 15 to 20 cases were registered in a women police station Rambagh,” an official told Precious Kashmir.

According to Professor Bashir Ahmad Dabla, a scholar-researcher and insightful sociologist most are not been reported. Talking to Precious Kashmir Dabla said: “In past such things never used to happen in the past. Times have changed women these days are rubbing shoulders with males. Violence against women is the outcome of male dominant society.”

In a research done by Dabla survey entitled 200 women respondents across Kashmir say that after studying 66 old cases, only five victims had reported to the police. Most cases, therefore, go unreported, and the victim suffers alone.

The report further states that the victim remains the lone sufferer and in some instances it has led to suicide attempts.

Academician Hameeda Nayeem, said that women are often been subjected to the violence. “The working women are those who have achieved status in the society and when they are not safe how non-working women can be safe. When they can be subjected to molestation what about the other women,” she adds.

She added that the working women are often been threatened over the issues of transfer and other things.

However Kashmiri based Social Activist Kalpana Tikku, who has been extensively working for the women and children in Kashmir says that the things are now changing as the females now are mustering courage and are reporting atrocities against them.

“Women in Kashmir are as safe and unsafe as any other women in the sub- continent. Most rapes and molestation cases used to go unreported as it was very unsafe for women to report such cases. It is just now things are started changing and such incidents are coming in light,” says Tikku.

“If the action is taken timely and would be dealt strictly the person would think ten times before committing a crime against women,” she said.