Yasin Malik and Amanullah Khan belonged to two different generations and divided by a line called LoC. It was ideology that was the binding factor but even that prevented them to be in unison when it would have mattered, during 1990s.
Last month, Malik visited Pakistan and met a seriously ailing Khan. They decided to reunite. The decision was made public in the first week simultaneously from Srinagar and Rawalpandi. Now on, Khan will be the lifetime supreme head of the party as Malik would be chairman of a 19-member committee chosen from either side of the divide.
JAMMU
Bhaderwah is not Chota Kashmir alone. It is home to particular beans that are called Bhaderwahi Rajmash. Grown extensively across the Jammu region, the state government has launched a Rajmash Project under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana for the year 2011-12. The project envisages identification of land races, their characterization leading to quality seed production and area expansion over a period of five years.
Of the Rs 10.36 crores, the project would get Rs 14.42 lakh this year. Project is for all the districts that make Jammu a region. Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said the beans are grown in the areas with little fertilizer, insecticide, and pesticides use which offers a chance of making them totally organic produce that will maximise the yields to certain poorest belts in the region.
SRINAGAR
J&K’s lone listed company, the J&K Bank has paid a whopping Rs 67.02 crore dividend to the chief minister Omar Abdullah at a glittering function. The state government owns 53% of the bank. With this cheque, the government has earned a total dividend income of Rs 370.89 crore on its investments since 1938.
As the current market price, J&K government’s pre-partition investment amount of Rs 53 crore is valued at Rs 1938 crores. Bank’s diamond jubilee falls in 2012 and by then the company has grand plans to take the overall business to Rs 100 thousand crores and the profit to Rs 1000 crores. Currently it is busy finalizing the expansion plans.
KISHTWAR
In a shocking but interesting case, a squabbling couple made their baby-sitter a victim. Daughter of a mason was engaged by a police inspector Vijay Kumar Bhaghat as baby-sitter when insisted by his wife, herself daughter of a police officer. The couple would frequently fight.
It reached a stage that his wife “forced” the baby sitter to approach police and claim she was raped and threatened by the police officer. She did the same and inspector was arrested.
A day later, she informed the police that there was nothing like that as she did what she was directed. She told many unprintable things about the lady including that she had a visitor. The case is being heard by the local court.
DELHI
A Kashmiri theatre play Wattepaed (footprints) was selected for performance in National School of Drama’s annual International Theatre Festival, Bharangam-2012. Play director Arshad Mushtaq says the play reflects contemporary political realities and is a blend of modern theatre techniques and traditional folk theatre form, Bhaand-e-Pather.
The play revolves around a small village, where a message from the king shatters the beliefs of the villagers, but the fear of punishment stops them from raising their voice. An old man, however, decides to disobey despite the prospects of being killed. Mushtaq had earlier directed plays like Su Yee (He will come) and Akh Daleel Loolech (A story of Love).
BUDGAM
In a shocking instance of domestic violence, a husband beaten his wife of eight months and used a sharp edged weapon that eventually led to the requirement of around 250 stitches on her body. Waheeda of Kanigund Budgam has now approached the State Commission for Women against Shabir Ahmad Parray.
She claimed she was attacked by Parray when she was sleeping accusing her swindling his income to support her parents. Soon after the attack, she was rescued by her neighbours who sent her to Beerwa hospital wherefrom she was referred to SKIMS. She was admitted for 10 days.
