LONDON
Hurriyat has been insisting throughout that they are working on the diplomatic front for Kashmir but there were no evidences ever barring allegations of closed door meetings and possible gift acceptances. Now a video gone viral on the web shows India’s External Affairs Minister, Salman Khursheed getting an earful from Kashmiri students during a lecture on Indian democracy at University of London’s School Of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Salman was delivering a speech on India’s democracy on March 12 when two Kashmiri students interrupted ridiculing his statement.
ISLAMABAD
A 13 year old boy Zuhaib Mushtaq Kuchay went into ecstasy when Pakistan won the Asia Cup. While he was celebrating, he fell unconscious and went into coma. SMHS doctors diagnosed him of having suffered brain haemorrhage, very rare in that age. After struggling for life for 12 days, Zuhaib passed away. A student of eighth standard, Zuhaib studied at Islamabad’s Montessori High School.
LONDON
Mullock’s Auctions has auctioned a 19th century Anglo-European style military trumpet used by state bandmaster of J&K CF Burrow and a rare picture of Dogra ruler Ranbir Singh. The trumpet had a provenance note from Burrow along with a carte de visite (CDV) photograph. The picture with guide price of £120- £ 140 shows Ranbir Singh sitting on a couch wearing royal robe and jewelry. The trumpet had guide price of £400- £600.
JAMMU
A section of Kashmiri Pandits marched on the streets to protest the reported renaming of Shankaracharya temple as Takht-e-Suliman. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah repeatedly denied the allegation, it triggered a chain reaction for the well documented name changing spree in recent and distant past. Islamabad became Anantnag well before Pakistan’s Ayub Khan started building his capital city. Kohi-Maran became Hari Parbat. Engineer Rashid was angry. He asked who converted Zarla in Karnah into Pathankot and calling Nastachhin Gali as Sadana Pass. He accused Omar of accommodating communal elements in re-naming a prestigious cable car project from Shahabad to Bhaupurkhu.
LEH
Come summer and they have returned. Yes, the Red Army has started making fresh attempt to get into this side of the divide in Chumar area. The latest is that ITBP and Army jawans formed a human wall to block their incursion bid! Chumar is around 300 km east of Leh and has emerged an epicentre of heightened activities of PLA. The first batch of PLA arrived on March 16 and were stopped. As they were about to return, another posse came. Red Army says the area belongs to China.
SRINAGAR
Parties are using the misuse of official machinery against each other taking the model code of conduct route. It all started with Mehbooba taking a serious note of Omar Abdullah’s NC using a police vehicle to transport chefs and the feasts that was served on the day when Kashmir was protesting the killing of a Naidkhai teenager. The complaint has gone to the election commission. In retaliation, reports suggest, the NC is desperately seeking details of an incident in which some municipal officials were seen creating a stage for her speech. At the end of the day, these allegations do not matter.
MEERUT
Politicians in Kashmir seem to have assured everybody that everything is hanky dory in UPs racist Swami Vivekanand Subharti University that kicked out 67 Kashmiri students for cheering Pakistani team. The latest is they have rusticated six more. Twist in the story is that neither of the six were part of the gathering that allegedly celebrated the Pakistan win. But who cares as world’s most populous country is dancing at democracy’s tunes.
Banks in J&K have Rs 1352 crore assets as impaired.
In addition to the entire police strength, J&K needs 330 companies of central armed police forces for elections.
