Saturday, July 17, 2010
Strike to be observed in Kashmir tomorrow
Srinagar, July 17 : In Indian disputed Kashmir, the
forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani
has announced a 9-day protest programme in connection with its Quit
Kashmir Campaign.
The programme includes complete shutdown on Sunday, protests by
employees on Monday and sit-ins to be observed by the people across the
occupied territory on Wednesday and Thursday, reports Kashmir Media Service.
The spokesman of the forum in a statement issued in Srinagar said,
there will be a complete shutdown on Sunday against the atrocities being
committed on Kashmiris by the occupation troops and after each prayer
people should raise pro-liberation slogans.
Monday, he said, employees should peacefully protest against the
human rights violations being committed by the troops in occupied
Kashmir. He urged the employees and their union leaders to massively
participate in the programme.
The spokesman called upon the people to observe Tuesday, July 20, as
“Day of Solidarity” with the illegally detained Kashmiri youth and
Hurriyet leaders including Syed Ali Gilani. “We will continue peaceful
protests till our goal is achieved,” he vowed.
He appealed the people to come out on roads on Wednesday and Thursday
and hold peaceful sit-ins. “People should raise their voice to apprise
the international community that Kashmiris are being suppressed,” he
said.
The spokesman asked the Kashmiri people to hold peaceful protests
outside the mosques on Friday after Juma prayers and in Srinagar they
should march towards Khanqah-e-Mualla. “Doctors and lawyers should hold
protests against the random arrests on Saturday,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Aasiya Andrabi in a
statement in Srinagar, while endorsing the programme announced by the
forum patronised by Syed Ali Gilani, has called upon the masses to make
it a success. She also condemned the restrictions imposed by the
authorities on Friday.
KASHMIR-DEAFENING CRIES AND PIERCING SHRIEKS
Srinagar , July 16: Kinza Fatima, a sixteen years old Kashmiri girl wrote to me three weeks back, “Death and blood, cries and shrieks, injured, smashed and emaciated bodies of our dear and near ones; what else we are left with? You writers! Keep on writing but be sure that no one among the Indian Army deputed here in the valley of Kashmir, is going to read what you write. The world around us is deaf and dumb; there will be a time when you would realize that you have been wasting the energy of your words. Your words could never bring back my brother because he is now somewhere in the realms beyond your imaginations, high above the sky.” She further said, “My seventeen years old brother Ahmed Ali was kidnapped by a team of the Indian Army one evening while he was on his way back to home six months ago. We tried our best to locate where they had detained him but we could find nothing. Five days later we found scattered parts of his body floating in a clear water stream.” The most painful sentence of her mail which really watered my eyes; “Dear writer, do you know why the people of valley get frightened when they see a shrieking crowd of wild crows circling around a mountain top: because their circling and shrieking indicates the presence of some dead body brutally thrown there by the Indian security forces.”
This mail of innocent Kinza Fatima must be very much agonizing for all those who have a humane heart. I personally feel that it is something very easy to pen down the brutality and portray the hardships the people of Indian occupied Kashmir have been facing for more than seventy years but almost next to impossible is to bear these atrocities even for a single moment. It is simply the courage and determination of the people of Kashmir which has still kept them energetic and alive. If it were the Americans or the British or the Israelis, they would have lost all their hopes very long ago, in the very beginning. Ask the innocent children of Kashmir; ‘who is going to be our saviour?’
The people of Kashmir are of the opinion that it is nothing but the presence of the Indian army in the valley which has deprived them of their basic human rights. But the Indian Army Chief General V.K. Singh has a different point of view in this context. In his recent statement he said, “The basic reason behind the flare up in the Kashmir Valley is the failure to build on the gains that had been made by the security forces in the ‘troubled state’. The army had brought the situation under control to a certain level from where other steps should have been taken to carry forward the process and bring peace in the Valley. There are people who are passing instructions on phone. They have to be identified. The situation in the valley of Kashmir is nothing but the result of the loss of confidence.” This statement of the army chief has many important points which require a very keen type of analysis. First of all he has admitted that there is a situation of ‘flare up’ in the valley. Secondly he has admitted the failure of the security forces and thirdly he has accepted that Kashmir is a troubled state. And above all is his admittance of the fact that the people of Kashmir have lost their confidence in the government of India and the Indian forces. The situation can be very easily improved if all these factors pointed out by the Army Chief are taken care of sympathetically.
Farzana Versey is a Mumbai-based author and columnist. Here is an extract from her recent piece of writing published in the Countercurrents. ‘It does not need to be reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a complex one, but when the armed forces fight civilians, it is not only a matter of separatist aspirations. It is also about a badly-administered state that is not providing basic infrastructure and opportunities to the citizens. The freedom of individuals to express their own anger is being manipulated by various power centers, it is a precious irony’.
Sumit Ganguly holds the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University at Bloomington. In one of his recent articles he states, ‘The problem that the government confronts has no military solution. The anger that has spilled out into the warren-like streets of Kashmir's villages is not the work of Pakistan-supported jihadi terrorists or organized indigenous separatists. Instead it is the spontaneous outburst of a generation of young Kashmiris who have witnessed much hardship over the last two decades of the insurgency. This anger has its roots in economic stagnation. The coalition state government has done little to attract investment into the troubled state. Kashmiris, especially young men, have limited employment opportunities’.
Let us put together the statement of General V.K.Singh, the opinion of Farzana Versey and the analysis of Sumit Ganguly to form the real picture of Kashmir. The only reason behind is nothing but injustice and human rights violation. The Indian political and military hi-ups are never ready to pay any heed to the actual root cause. They always try to deny the facts and mitigate the situation by commenting the Kashmir issue as an internal affair of India. Kashmir has never been an internal affair of India; it is the actual bone of contention between the two neighbouring countries India and Pakistan. It is because of the Kashmir conflict that India is always eagerly ready to drag Pakistan into every incident of terrorism which takes place on the Indian soil. The Mumbai attacks of 2008 are the worst example in this regard. The Indian hi-ups are mistakenly of the opinion that Pakistan is supporting the people of Occupied Kashmir through different jihaddi groups. They are also of the opinion that all these groups are trained and financed by the ISI. The Indian Minister for External Affairs S.M.Krishna also expressed the same thoughts during his visit to Pakistan in the second week of July. He said that the peace process could never be successful unless Pakistan puts behind the bars the perpetrators of the Mumbai Blasts. He also criticized the statements made by Hafiz saeed. Same type of comments was made by the Indian Home Secretary G.K. Pillai in Indian Express. He said, ‘The ISI did not have "just a peripheral role" in Mumbai assault. They (ISI) were literally controlling and coordinating it from the beginning till the end’. As far as Hafiz Saeed is concerned, he has always been the most favourite target of the Indian politicians and Indian media. This religious scholar is being continuously blamed for his connections with the Kashmiri militant groups which are fighting against the Indian atrocities in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. These groups have nothing to do with Pakistan same in the manner as those of the Naxalites and the Maoists. All these groups are nothing but the ‘Indigenous Protestants’.
The South Asian Region can become a peaceful paradise if an amicable solution of the Kashmir issue is sought on urgent and compassionate grounds. This is the only way to compensate and pacify the innocent Kinza Fatima who is helplessly mourning over the brutal murder of her brother Ahmed Ali.(Kashmir Watch)
Kashmir Watch columnist can be reached at: alisukhanver@hotmail.com
Curfew, restrictions to thwart demos in Kashmir
Srinagar, July 16 : In Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian authorities continued to clamp curfew and impose stringent restrictions in Srinagar and other towns to prevent people from holding anti-India and pro-liberation demonstrations, today.
Despite restrictions people took to the streets in Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Khrewa, Handwara, Kralgund, Wattergam, Budgam, Sopore, Kupwara, Islamabad and other areas. They raised slogans like ‘We want freedom’ and ‘Go India go’.
The forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Hilal Ahmad War had called for a march towards Batamaloo in Srinagar to pay homage to the youth recently martyred by the troops.
The authorities continued to confine the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to his residence while Hurriyet leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi and Yasmeen Raja were placed under house arrest. The APHC Chairman was not allowed to offer Juma prayers for the third consecutive week.
Official sources told mediamen that Indian police had arrested around 700 youth during the past four weeks for participating in anti-India demonstrations in the Kashmir Valley.
Addressing a meeting of religious scholars in Srinagar, the grand mufti of occupied Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin, stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute, without any further delay.
An Indian army Major and two other troopers were injured at Beri Rakh in Mendhar area of Poonch district in the clash with Mujahideen, which entered the fourth day, today. Earlier, an Army Major was killed and seven other personnel including a Colonel were injured in the clash on Tuesday. So far, two Mujahideen have also been martyred in the gun battle, which continued till last reports came in.
Kashmiri students in the United Kingdom held a peaceful protest demonstration outside BBC's office in Manchester to express solidarity with the people in occupied Kashmir and call for the international attention to the happenings there. (Writer-South Asia)
Despite restrictions people took to the streets in Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Khrewa, Handwara, Kralgund, Wattergam, Budgam, Sopore, Kupwara, Islamabad and other areas. They raised slogans like ‘We want freedom’ and ‘Go India go’.
The forum patronised by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Hilal Ahmad War had called for a march towards Batamaloo in Srinagar to pay homage to the youth recently martyred by the troops.
The authorities continued to confine the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to his residence while Hurriyet leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi and Yasmeen Raja were placed under house arrest. The APHC Chairman was not allowed to offer Juma prayers for the third consecutive week.
Official sources told mediamen that Indian police had arrested around 700 youth during the past four weeks for participating in anti-India demonstrations in the Kashmir Valley.
Addressing a meeting of religious scholars in Srinagar, the grand mufti of occupied Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin, stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute, without any further delay.
An Indian army Major and two other troopers were injured at Beri Rakh in Mendhar area of Poonch district in the clash with Mujahideen, which entered the fourth day, today. Earlier, an Army Major was killed and seven other personnel including a Colonel were injured in the clash on Tuesday. So far, two Mujahideen have also been martyred in the gun battle, which continued till last reports came in.
Kashmiri students in the United Kingdom held a peaceful protest demonstration outside BBC's office in Manchester to express solidarity with the people in occupied Kashmir and call for the international attention to the happenings there. (Writer-South Asia)
Friday, July 16, 2010
700 Kashmiri youth arrested, many detained under PSA
Srinagar, July 16 In disputed state of Kashmir, Indian police have arrested around 700 youth during the past four weeks for participating in anti-India demonstrations in the Kashmir Valley. The police officials told newsmen that the youth had been arrested in nocturnal raids, Kashmir Media news Service reports.
The police have filed false cases against the arrested youth besides slapping draconian law, Public Safety Act against many of them.
Srinagar city has been on the boil after the killing of 17-year-old, Tufail Matoo in police action on June 07. The anger further simmered after the killing of Rafiq Ahmad Bangroo, 23, and Javaid Ahmad Malla by paramilitary CRPF.
The occupied valley witnessed a series of massive protests after the killing of 15 people including a woman in police and CRPF firing since June 07.
Dozens of youth were arrested for participating in protests demonstrations in Baramulla, Palhalan Pattan, Sopore, Islamabad, Pulwama, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Shopian areas. “Around 300 youth have been arrested from Srinagar alone,” said a police officer.
The officials said that of the 700 people, 500 have been booked while 200 are currently under detention. “We have also slapped PSA against many of them,” the police official said adding that the PSA would be slapped against more detainees in the coming days as their dossiers were being prepared.
'Lamhaa' banned in Middle East and Kashmir
Srinagar, July 15: Veteran Kashmirian actor Anupam Kher is shocked and upset with the treatment meted out to his forthcoming movie "Lamhaa".
First, the film's premiere was cancelled in Kashmir and now it is banned in the Middle East.
"I am shocked to learn that 'Lamhaa' is banned in Middle East. Why? Without even seeing the film. And we talk about progress and culture. Sad," Anupam posted on his Twitter account.
The film, based on violence and terrorism in the Kashmir Valley, was due for release in Middle East Thursday. But the censors there felt it is a highly objectionable and controversial subject.
Featuring Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Kunal Kapoor along with Anupam Kher, "Lamhaa" questions whether wisdom would prevail in the Valley so that the Kashmiris are not crucified in the name of politics.(Writer-South Asia)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Growing Saffron
Saffron
is a perennnial , low growing herb with a globular corm ranging
from 0.5 to 5cm in diameter. The corms (Monje/Seed) produce 6-15
narrow, needle like leaves about 10 cm long; surrounded in the lower
region by four to five scales. The flowers are borne singly or in two to
three. The three stigmas of the flowers along with the style when dried
constitute the saffron of commerce. The plant is a native of Iran and
Asia Minor. In the former princely state of Kashmir Vale is a legendry
crop of well drained plateau of Pampore (South Kashmir) where it is
being grown since ancient times. The recorded time of saffron
cultivation in Kashmir dates back 550 AD nearly four centuries earlier
than that recorded in Spain. It is rightly called the golden condiment
of Kashmir. Saffron also cultavated in Iran, Spain, Baluchistan, Gilgat
and now in Afghanistan
COMPOSITION
The average composition of commercial saffron is water ( 15.6 per cent) starch and sugur (13.15 per cent), essential oils ( 0.6 per cent) fixed oil (5.63 per cent ), total N-Ffree extract (43. 64 per cent), Crude fiber (4.43 per cent), ash (4.27 per cent). The chief pigment of saffron is its yellowish red glycoside crocin, picrocrin is the bitter tasting pigment and it too is glycoside.
USES
Saffron is as precious as gold not because of its high demand and low production but because it is used in various religious rituals. Hindus use saffron for marking their foreheads, Muslims divine extract in water and write charms with ink thus formed. In Indian market mostly 50-60 per cent of saffron is used in chewing tobacco and for preparing wine. Saffron is used to prepare saffron rice, saffron cakes, wazwaan, tea, cakes, in the preparation of scent and perfumes. It is used for colouring butter, cheese, puddings and confectionary. Like most oriental aromatic herbs saffron is also used in medicinal and culinary reputations. It stops vomiting, expels worms, heels headache and wounds. It is good for hemorrhoids, for removing the discoloration of face and pimples. It is good for epilepsy. Some times it is used in exenthematous diseases to promote eruption. It is popularly supposed to be a stimulant warm and dry in action helping in the alleviation of urinary, digestive and uterine troubles. Paste of saffron is used in dressing bruises, superficial sores, rheumatic and neurological pains and congestion of chest. Passaries of saffron are used in painful complaints of uterus. Dry boiled corms are administered in Ayurvedic and Unani ststem for treatment of gousciatica and rheumatic pains.
Soil & Climate
Saffron grows well in drained loamy soil. Medium grade, light soil with neutral to slightly alkaline reaction is suited for its cultivation. It prefers very well drained, clay loam soils of karewas of Kashmir. The soils should be deep and free from stones. Saffron thrives well in sub-temperate regions ranging from 1500 meter to 2400 meter.
It requires cool and sunny situation for promising growth. An optimum of 12 hours light duration is essential for growth and flowering. The day temperature should be 20-22 0C with a difference of 10-12 0C between day and night temperatures. A good shower during August-September facilities flowering and increased yield. Dry weather condition during flowering period is essential for realizing higher yields. In general locations which receive 30-40 cms rainfall and are covered with snow during winter are good for its cultivation. Spring rains are favourable for promoting corm multiplication wherease, a second spell of rains at the beginning of autumn encourages profuse flowering.
Prpoagation
Propgation of the plant is through corms. The plant remains dormant from May-August. The mother corm reproduces annually and gives rise to four to six daughter cormlets. The corms formed during a year produce flowers in the following year. The mother corms provide food to the new developing corms and in doing so wither, shrink and finally die. Now corms develope each year to replace the older once.
Corms multiply from one year to the next, from one corm one can get 8 corms after 3-5 years
Land Preparation and planting
Land preparation starts in March -April. The field is ploughed four to five times to a depth of 30-35 cms.Another polghing is done in May and fields leveled. Well developed seed corms @1600 to 2000 kg per per hectare should be used after dipping in five percent solution of copper sulphate. The corms should be of 1.5 cms and above in diameter with outermost loose covering cleaned before planting. The corms should be planted in second fortnight of August at a depth of 15-20 cms with a row to row spacing of 15 cms and corm to corm spacing of five to eight cms. After planting divide the field into 2 meters x 4 meters strips by opening 15 deep and 30 cms wide furrows for proper drainage. Saffron can also be planted as an inter crop in newly planted orchards. The superior and less expensive method recommended by Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre is strip system.Saffron corms can either be planted directly into the ground (borders, gardens, fields etc…) or in pots or window boxes (inside or out).
COMPOSITION
The average composition of commercial saffron is water ( 15.6 per cent) starch and sugur (13.15 per cent), essential oils ( 0.6 per cent) fixed oil (5.63 per cent ), total N-Ffree extract (43. 64 per cent), Crude fiber (4.43 per cent), ash (4.27 per cent). The chief pigment of saffron is its yellowish red glycoside crocin, picrocrin is the bitter tasting pigment and it too is glycoside.
USES
Saffron is as precious as gold not because of its high demand and low production but because it is used in various religious rituals. Hindus use saffron for marking their foreheads, Muslims divine extract in water and write charms with ink thus formed. In Indian market mostly 50-60 per cent of saffron is used in chewing tobacco and for preparing wine. Saffron is used to prepare saffron rice, saffron cakes, wazwaan, tea, cakes, in the preparation of scent and perfumes. It is used for colouring butter, cheese, puddings and confectionary. Like most oriental aromatic herbs saffron is also used in medicinal and culinary reputations. It stops vomiting, expels worms, heels headache and wounds. It is good for hemorrhoids, for removing the discoloration of face and pimples. It is good for epilepsy. Some times it is used in exenthematous diseases to promote eruption. It is popularly supposed to be a stimulant warm and dry in action helping in the alleviation of urinary, digestive and uterine troubles. Paste of saffron is used in dressing bruises, superficial sores, rheumatic and neurological pains and congestion of chest. Passaries of saffron are used in painful complaints of uterus. Dry boiled corms are administered in Ayurvedic and Unani ststem for treatment of gousciatica and rheumatic pains.
Soil & Climate
Saffron grows well in drained loamy soil. Medium grade, light soil with neutral to slightly alkaline reaction is suited for its cultivation. It prefers very well drained, clay loam soils of karewas of Kashmir. The soils should be deep and free from stones. Saffron thrives well in sub-temperate regions ranging from 1500 meter to 2400 meter.
It requires cool and sunny situation for promising growth. An optimum of 12 hours light duration is essential for growth and flowering. The day temperature should be 20-22 0C with a difference of 10-12 0C between day and night temperatures. A good shower during August-September facilities flowering and increased yield. Dry weather condition during flowering period is essential for realizing higher yields. In general locations which receive 30-40 cms rainfall and are covered with snow during winter are good for its cultivation. Spring rains are favourable for promoting corm multiplication wherease, a second spell of rains at the beginning of autumn encourages profuse flowering.
Prpoagation
Propgation of the plant is through corms. The plant remains dormant from May-August. The mother corm reproduces annually and gives rise to four to six daughter cormlets. The corms formed during a year produce flowers in the following year. The mother corms provide food to the new developing corms and in doing so wither, shrink and finally die. Now corms develope each year to replace the older once.
Corms multiply from one year to the next, from one corm one can get 8 corms after 3-5 years
Land Preparation and planting
Land preparation starts in March -April. The field is ploughed four to five times to a depth of 30-35 cms.Another polghing is done in May and fields leveled. Well developed seed corms @1600 to 2000 kg per per hectare should be used after dipping in five percent solution of copper sulphate. The corms should be of 1.5 cms and above in diameter with outermost loose covering cleaned before planting. The corms should be planted in second fortnight of August at a depth of 15-20 cms with a row to row spacing of 15 cms and corm to corm spacing of five to eight cms. After planting divide the field into 2 meters x 4 meters strips by opening 15 deep and 30 cms wide furrows for proper drainage. Saffron can also be planted as an inter crop in newly planted orchards. The superior and less expensive method recommended by Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre is strip system.Saffron corms can either be planted directly into the ground (borders, gardens, fields etc…) or in pots or window boxes (inside or out).
Manures and fertilizers
Mix 15-20 tonnes per hectare of well decomposed FYM during last ploughing. Recent studies have revealed that application of vermicompost @350 kg/hectare has given a yield of 4.88 Kg/hectare.
Interculture
Keep the planted field undisturbed till the following June. Perform the first hoeing in June using a short handled tangru locally called (in Kashmiri) "ZOUN". This operation provides aeration to the soil which is very important for proper development of Saffron Corms.
Subsequently the second hoeing is done in the month of September along with cleaning and repairing of the drainage channels. Care should be taken not to disturb the growing buds of corms. This hoeing is accompanied by light dressing of FYM at the rate of two tonnes per hectare. Third and final hoeing is given after the flowering is over and mannure is mixed in the soil with the help of iron rakes. This schedule of operations is followed every year until the crop remains in the field.
Diseases and pests
Fungal diseases often infect the corms. Fungi like Rhizocotnia crocorum,, Sclerotina bulborum and Phoma Crocophila are reported to infect the corms changing the colour of flesh from white to yellow and finally to black resulting in death of the corms. poor aeration in the soil, injury to corms and hail storms provide ideal conditions for the development of diseases. Discarding can prevent this. Treat healthy corms with five percent copper sulphate solution during planting. Incidence of Gangrane disease (in this, the normal plant which prevents flower formation) is also reported from some fields. Rate and moles causing damage tones of corms every year often damage saffron cro. Zinc phoshide baiting and rat control campaign on watershed basis may be of great help.
Harvesting and processing
The flowering season is confined to three weeks from middle of October to first week of November. The flowers are picked daily in the morning and stigmas and styles are trimmed immediately. About 1,60,000 flowers are hand picked to produce one kg of good quality dried saffron.
Mix 15-20 tonnes per hectare of well decomposed FYM during last ploughing. Recent studies have revealed that application of vermicompost @350 kg/hectare has given a yield of 4.88 Kg/hectare.
Interculture
Keep the planted field undisturbed till the following June. Perform the first hoeing in June using a short handled tangru locally called (in Kashmiri) "ZOUN". This operation provides aeration to the soil which is very important for proper development of Saffron Corms.
Subsequently the second hoeing is done in the month of September along with cleaning and repairing of the drainage channels. Care should be taken not to disturb the growing buds of corms. This hoeing is accompanied by light dressing of FYM at the rate of two tonnes per hectare. Third and final hoeing is given after the flowering is over and mannure is mixed in the soil with the help of iron rakes. This schedule of operations is followed every year until the crop remains in the field.
Diseases and pests
Fungal diseases often infect the corms. Fungi like Rhizocotnia crocorum,, Sclerotina bulborum and Phoma Crocophila are reported to infect the corms changing the colour of flesh from white to yellow and finally to black resulting in death of the corms. poor aeration in the soil, injury to corms and hail storms provide ideal conditions for the development of diseases. Discarding can prevent this. Treat healthy corms with five percent copper sulphate solution during planting. Incidence of Gangrane disease (in this, the normal plant which prevents flower formation) is also reported from some fields. Rate and moles causing damage tones of corms every year often damage saffron cro. Zinc phoshide baiting and rat control campaign on watershed basis may be of great help.
Harvesting and processing
The flowering season is confined to three weeks from middle of October to first week of November. The flowers are picked daily in the morning and stigmas and styles are trimmed immediately. About 1,60,000 flowers are hand picked to produce one kg of good quality dried saffron.
Saffron Corms/Bulbs/Seeds- The most expensive Plant in the world
Planting and Seed Material avilable at: Chenab Industries
PO Box No: 667 GPO Srinagar SGR JK 190001
Regd. Office: Ist Street, Shaheed-e-Azemat Road, Nambalbal, Pampore PPR JK 192121
Ph: 09858986794, 01933-223705
e-mail: cikashmir@gmail.com, iirc@rediffmail.com , http://chenabindustries.blogspot.com
(Scientific Cultivation of Saffron report is also available in Urdu)
e-mail: iirc@rediffmail.com
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Latest updates from Kashmir
Srinagar, July 14 (Writer-South Asia): In Jammu and Kashmir, an Indian army Major was killed and seven others including a Colonel were injured in a clash in Poonch district.
The clash took place at Beri Rakh in Mendhar area of the district. Major Amit Thingay was killed on the spot while seven troops including Colonel Ajay Katoch, Commanding Officer (CO) of 37 Rashtriya Rifles, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Signalman Satinder Kumar, Naik Jasbir Singh, Sepoy Sunil Kumar and Rifleman Basharat Hussain were critically injured in the clash.
All injured Army personnel have been hospitalised. Indian army official sources have claimed that the two Armed Kashmiri Mujahideen were believed to be killed in the clash. The gun battle was going on till last reports came in.
An Army man, Naik Sudhir Radha was injured in a mine blast when he was shifting from Sagar Post to Hans Post in Balakote area of Mendhar sector along with a Road Opening Party (ROP) of 5 Maratha Regiment of Indian Army.
Meanwhile,condemning the media curbs in disputed Kashmir, media personalities of India have said that attempts are being made to paint journalists from Jammu and Kashmir as anti-India.
Indian journalists at a meeting convened by Press Club of India (PCI) to discuss vindictive policy against media men in the valley, described it a dangerous move and an assault on the press.
The Srinagar correspondents of News X Channel, Suhail Bukhari and Idris Lone, against whom FIRs have been lodged in the Pulwama police station under Unlawful Activities Act, gave their version at the meeting. They said that they had been harassed without any reason by the authorities. They said that they were being victimised by vindictive approach of the occupation authorities though they tried to discharge their duties honestly.
In South Kashmir, Indian Forces con
Scores of Delhi-based Kashmiri journalists also attended the meeting. A resolution was also moved in which the puppet administration was asked to immediately withdraw cases against News X correspondents.
“It said the ban on freedom of expression shows intolerance of the authorities. Attempts are being made to divide the local and international press. This should be resisted and all efforts should be made to mobilise full support for Kashmiri media,” the resolution read.
Seema Mustafa, Sidharat Vardharajan, Nidhi Razdhan, Zafar Agha, Onkar Singh, David Davidas, Shabnam Hashmi and scores of others attended the meeting to express solidarity with Kashmiri media associations.
The clash took place at Beri Rakh in Mendhar area of the district. Major Amit Thingay was killed on the spot while seven troops including Colonel Ajay Katoch, Commanding Officer (CO) of 37 Rashtriya Rifles, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Signalman Satinder Kumar, Naik Jasbir Singh, Sepoy Sunil Kumar and Rifleman Basharat Hussain were critically injured in the clash.
All injured Army personnel have been hospitalised. Indian army official sources have claimed that the two Armed Kashmiri Mujahideen were believed to be killed in the clash. The gun battle was going on till last reports came in.
An Army man, Naik Sudhir Radha was injured in a mine blast when he was shifting from Sagar Post to Hans Post in Balakote area of Mendhar sector along with a Road Opening Party (ROP) of 5 Maratha Regiment of Indian Army.
Meanwhile,condemning the media curbs in disputed Kashmir, media personalities of India have said that attempts are being made to paint journalists from Jammu and Kashmir as anti-India.
Indian journalists at a meeting convened by Press Club of India (PCI) to discuss vindictive policy against media men in the valley, described it a dangerous move and an assault on the press.
The Srinagar correspondents of News X Channel, Suhail Bukhari and Idris Lone, against whom FIRs have been lodged in the Pulwama police station under Unlawful Activities Act, gave their version at the meeting. They said that they had been harassed without any reason by the authorities. They said that they were being victimised by vindictive approach of the occupation authorities though they tried to discharge their duties honestly.
In South Kashmir, Indian Forces con
Scores of Delhi-based Kashmiri journalists also attended the meeting. A resolution was also moved in which the puppet administration was asked to immediately withdraw cases against News X correspondents.
“It said the ban on freedom of expression shows intolerance of the authorities. Attempts are being made to divide the local and international press. This should be resisted and all efforts should be made to mobilise full support for Kashmiri media,” the resolution read.
Seema Mustafa, Sidharat Vardharajan, Nidhi Razdhan, Zafar Agha, Onkar Singh, David Davidas, Shabnam Hashmi and scores of others attended the meeting to express solidarity with Kashmiri media associations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)