SADDAL
As the landslide shook Sandal village of the Panchari Tehsil in Udhampur district on September 6, 2014, the aftershocks are still on. The wounds start to bleed again when bodies of buried people were retrieved. What happened that night was forty persons were buried alive. In the horror, Girdhari Lal lost seven members of family. He recovered five; latest was his daughter’s mutilated body. The total number of bodies retrieved so far is 35. But Girdhari is still waiting for his son’s body. May be the solace for him now is to bury the dead honourably.
Kishtwar
Whose baby is 110-km-long Batote-Kishtwar highway-244 (earlier NH-1B), was bone of contention. Finally Border Roads Organisation (BRO) handed over the stretch to Public Works Department (PWD). BRO was managing the road since 1992. Locals sense the fate of road and are not happy. For local contractors of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar, the decision had brought joy. NC leader Khalid Najeeb Sohrawardy “it would be easier to make the Public Works Department accountable than the Border Roads organisation.” Contractors have interest, locals are apprehensive. What will happen to road is matter of time.
POONCH
Though the ‘mysterious disappearance’ is no new phenomena, but to have it in prison is an added feature. What happened in Surankote is when Mohd Asgar reached jail to take his brother Mohd Azam arrested by police on October 17, 2014 on bail. But before he could have his brother, SHO Surankote came in jail and took Azam to police station. Though in police station two brothers met, but later on Azam was seen nowhere. Police even denied presence of accused in police station. Only respite is that CJM has asked SSP to file FIR against Jail superintendent and SHO, the order maintained by State High Court.
JAMMU
Dogs deserve love and care. This is what comes from show organized in Jammu at the behest of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu and his wife Arunima Sinha during the Red Cross Mela. The show was for the dog lovers by the Dogs. Both pedigree and street dogs participated. Among Pedigree, Tuffy won the first prize. In street dog category, it was Saima who won the gold. Canine lovers gave an overwhelming response. The world seems to turn comfortable for Dogs. Humans, let them go to dogs.
DELHI
To show Kashmir’s wounds and grief did not suit the Censor Board. Texture of Loss, a documentary by filmmaker Pankaj Butalia was not cleared. The board wanted to have editing which maker refused. The documentary features interviews of people who lost their kin because of the conflict and violence in Kashmir. The matter was taken to apex court, where again the response was ‘rejection’. The court asked filmmaker “why is it one-sided? Where is the alternate picture?”. The bench further asked whether it had become “fashionable” to depict only one side of the story in movies. Movies apart, the pain in Kashmir is by and large only one sided.
SRINAGAR
Simple living within meagre means is rewarding. This is the message of a book, “Sufi Saints of Kashmir” by Sayid Ashraf Shah. Published by the Partridge India, the book describes the unique history of the introduction of Islam in Kashmir, its 14 Sufi orders and the miracles of the Sufi Saints of Kashmir. Composed of three volumes and is backed by research that spans over three decades. “It is the collection of centuries old handwritten manuscripts mostly in Arabic and Persian languages and getting these translated into Urdu, and now in English.” Hope this to be a good read, at least for people who believe in Sufism.
None of the 6 MPs—2 from Jammu, three from Kashmir and 1 from Ladakh—have utilized a single penny out of the first installment of Rs 2.5 crore released in favour of each of them.
The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India increased Kerosene oil allocation for the 4th quarter (January-March, 2015) for the State of Jammu and Kashmir by 4512 KL.
