TOSAMAIDAN

CM-22After 58 years of noisy existence, this fascinating meadow is finally free. It is no more a firing range and to make it public the army arranged a massive function last week. It flew editors to the venue and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presided over the function. Army detailed its 83 days long cleaning operation that involved robots and human beings covering a 69 sq kms. They have also launched various civic action and livelihood programmes as well. The resurrection of this meadow as a tourist spot is the first victory of Kashmir’s civil society movement. Now the issue is how it will be designed.

SRINAGAR

Not engaged in polygamy, the state police registered a formal case against 38 year old Parvez Kamrade for deceiving women into marriage. So for, he has married four. It started with his visit to Gujarat in 2002 when he married Shahida Banoo of Ghodra. A resident of Dabtal Aalikadal, he settled with Shahida in Rajasthan and set up a handicraft shop. After floods hit Srinagar, Kamrade left for Kashmir but did not return home. Shahida came searching for him only to be told that her husband had married thrice – the latest from Peerbagh. Shahida went to police and investigations have begun.

DELHI

late Photojournalist Shafat Sidiq
late Photojournalist Shafat Sidiq

For the aged parents and widow of photographer Shafat Sidiq, some help came from the media fraternity that did not know him. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Safety Fund has sanctioned an assistance of Euro 2000 (Rs 1.56 lakh) for Sidiq’s family. The case was followed by S N Sinha, the president of Indian Journalists Union’s (IJU). The amount is being transferred to the accounts of the family members. Tragically, however, the management of the Jagran newspaper for whom Shafat worked is yet to pay him any compensation.

SRINAGAR

After the black Islamic State (IS) flags were waved by some youth in old city on various consecutive Friday’s, it triggered some concern in the army. Strategic writers started linking it with the larger picture forcing police to act. They arrest a couple of youth and after sustained interrogation and background checks, concluded that it was fake – a provocation, at the worst. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah finally ruled the detained youth have no militant links. They, however, will face a case.

About 62000 casual workers were regularized, 30000 of them will immediately be regularized and the rest by 2018.

JAMMU

Finally they ruled what everybody knew: the division bench of the High Court upheld the life-imprisonment awarded to the erstwhile SP Operation Poonch Sewak Singh and his PSO Sat Pal Singh for killing PSI Ajay Gupta in a fake encounter on October 13, 1998. The bench comprised Justice Virender Singh and Justice Bansi Lal Bhat ruled that it was the result of a meticulously designed and well planned conspiracy.

RAJOURI

It has been an interesting battle for the five families of Sangpur village. After floods came, it was Narian Brigade that rescued them. They came out and army was again their cushion. They provided them tents and these families resumed some life. After 40 days, these families comprising 41 members including 10 women and six children started facing new problem: the army sought tents back. It was again a new battle involving army top brass that they could still stay in the tents.

HYDERABAD

A street theatre artist from Hyderabad, Akram Feroze with Poornima Sukumar from Bengaluru are on way to Srinagar in a truck. While trekking a distance of 4000 kms, they will stop at a number of places and ask students to paint their message to the victims. They are scheduled to stop in various towns of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Once in Srinagar, they will distribute the relief material being carried in a truck, mostly woollens, to the victims through J&K RTI Movement. It will take 25 days for them to reach Srinagar.

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) gave away cheques of Rs 28.65 lakh to horsemen for the loss of their horses in accidental deaths.

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