ZABARWAN
Surprising, it was not, at least for many people who knew the happenings behind the curtains. Sajjad Lone, who leads his slice of political inheritance in the Peoples Conference called on Governor N N Vohra. Though Raj Bhawan has remained overactive in managing most of the newsprint by issuing longer press notes, this one was small. During their meeting, the official spokesman said, Lone discussed various matters pertaining to rapid economic development of the state. An accompanying photograph showed an attentively obedient Lone listening Vohra carefully. Lone, who triggered many controversies after his dad’s assassination, has already contested Lok Sabha polls unsuccessfully. Now, with “a heavy heart”, he is preparing for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections in 2014.
LANGATE
The engineer seems to know his job well. In fact the Langat lawmaker is getting innovative. After making an abortive bid to unleash dogs on the civil secretariat, Engineer Rashid forced New Asian Construction Company to come up with public commitment that an ERA project – a bridge at Sonwani to join Langate with Sopore – will now be ready by a particular date. The commitment that was published in newspapers came in response to his threat of taking drumbeaters to honour the company in protest! The Rs 5 crore project bagged by the company in 2007 was supposed to be ready by April 2009. The new deadline that the company set for itself would make it ready by late 2012.
SRINAGAR
One of the foremost Christian missionary schools, the Mallinson School is 100 year old now. Set up with 12 girls in 1912 by Miss Muriel P Mallinson, the school changed its locations from Fatehkadal and finally expanded in the heart of the city. Enrolment of this protestant Christian school has reached around 4000 now and it, apart from Biscoe, is operating two schools; one each at Tangmarg and Humhama. Its growth in the last one century has remained impressive but the only anti-climax is that it has gradually converted its missionary spirit into sheer commercialism.
BATHANDI
In yet another RTI ‘exclusive’, Jammu’s DC has revealed that the palatial bungalow that former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s late father Rehmatullah built in Sunjwan (Bathindi) on 10.2 kanals of forestland (khasra No. 2269/12 Min) is illegal and Kabz-aie-Najayiz (illegal occupation). The case can not even be processed under the scandalous Roshni scheme under which Azad opened flood gates for land grabbers. It has triggered jokes in the political elite. A senior politician was heard saying: “Yehan Jayiz Kabza Kahan Hai, Jo Isko Najayiz Boltay Hou.”
CHENAINI
People in Kashmir might have forgotten K Doraiswamy, a senior executive of Indian Oil Corporation who, during his visit to Srinagar in 1991, was kidnapped by then JK Students Liberation Front. The crisis ended after 54 days. More than two decades later, a book Kashmir Kidnapping chronicles the entire drama. Authored by B K Bakhshi, the then chairman who lead the efforts for securing Doraiswamy’s release, the book, a first person account, has attempted to portray the power of teamwork, highlighting the combined efforts of the oil company in a crisis management situation to obtain the release of their colleague.
BARAMULLA
A 10th standard student Panveer Singh who jumped on a concrete floor from the veranda of state run school’s first floor on August 26 lost his battle with life and died. His parents accused the school’s mathematics teacher Altaf for the death and police registered a case and arrested him. The tragedy has rival versions. Family claims the teacher rebuked him that led young Singh to take his life. School says he was an under-performer who was permitted to sit in the class on humanitarian grounds. Now police (FIR No 177 of 2012 under section 325 of RPC) are investigating the issue. Under National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005, no student can be detained or debarred from taking Class X board examination, regardless of his capacity.
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