SRINAGAR
As the tricolour was hoisted at renovated Bakhshi Stadium, after a gap of five years, huge crowds were seen attending the Independence Day function. There were men, women, and children and a lot of public servants. Many were attending for the first time due to decreased security concerns. There was a prevailing feeling that the peaceful environment was irresistible. Events were held at all district and tehsil headquarters with District Development Council chairpersons presiding over the functions. On the eve of the Day, there were tiranga rallies.
All departments and political parties had their own functions. For most of the day, renovated Lal Chowk remained humming with activity as crowds danced to the Bollywood tunes. The administration named 30 schools and a road after the soldiers who fell in their line of duty.
Of over 6000 individuals in 1257 families Kashmir and Jammu surveyed for mobile-addiction communication disorders, the crisis was prevalent to the tune of 57.6 percent females and 42.4 percent males (Kashmir) and 66.4 per cent males and 33.6 females in Jammu region.
DELHI
The Ministry of Defence posthumously awarded Saifullah Qadri the Shaurya Chakra. Qadri, a Selection Grade Constable in the Jammu and Kashmir Police, carried out the Bhishember Nagar operation on April 10, 2022. He lost his life on May 24, 2022, protecting his daughter from an attack. Three other soldiers also received Shaurya Chakras for counter-terrorism operations in Kashmir included Major’s Ravinder Singh Rawat, Vijay Verma, and Sachin Negi.
In the last financial year, 351633 new cars were added in Kashmir.
SRINAGAR
Jammu and Kashmir’s LG administration had dropped Sher, from the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) and is being referred to as Kashmir International Convention Centre. Sher-e-Kashmir is the popular name of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the top Kashmir leader who was instrumental in Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with Indi and history’s most popular leader. The centre was established on the banks of Dal Lake in 1977, and was part of the series of infra projects that came into being after the Indira-Abdullah accord of 1975. Earlier, the administration dropped a public holiday on his birth anniversary. “Truth can’t be hidden for too long despite multiple attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party, its sister parties, the Union government or the administration to humiliate ‘Sher-i-Kashmir’ and remove his name,” Omar Abdullah, Sheikh’s grandson, told a public gathering. “The Chief Justice of India used the words that Sher-i-Kashmir’s decisions regarding J&K reveal how farsighted he was.” Dr Farooq Abdullah, Sheikh’s son said: “They are removing Nehru’s and Indira Gandhi’s name. They are removing the names of every leader who is not a part of them, but history does not change.”
LG Manoj Sinha today revealed Kashmir witnessing the revival of film tourism as over 300 movies and TV serials were shot after the launch of the new film policy two years ago.
BANDIPORA
As the main Amarnath Yatra draws to a close, two other Amarnath Yatra’s are in progress. The Budda Aramnath in Poonch and relatively new, the Chota Amarnath in Bandipore. While the 10-day Buddha Amarnath is in progress, the Bandipora Amarnath is beginning on August 31. The Maha Daneshwar temple, known as Chota Amarnath, contains a naturally formed ice lingam in Arin Valley. The one-day, 15-kilometre pilgrimage to the cave is limited due to space constraints. It goes through the Arin-Dardpora area to reach the cave.
As of August 17, 2023, 83 dengue cases have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir – 75 in the Jammu division and 8 in Kashmir.
LAL CHOWK
Jammu and Kashmir police apprehended Lokesh Kumar from West Bengal at Regal Chowk last week. He was found in possession of a pistol during a joint checkpoint operation. The pistol was stolen the previous night from a licensed holder’s home where Kumar was residing in Ellahi Bagh Soura. Police lodged an FIR 31/2023 at PS Kothibagh. Why he stole the pistol is yet not known.
Kashmir has become the world’s second-largest saffron producer after Iran, which dominates 70 per cent of global output. Post-GI tagging its per kg value has gone up from Rs 60000 to Rs 250000.
NOIDA
Four Kashmiri students enrolled with Amity University’s Law Department were detained by police after facing harassment from residents near their hostel. The students had reported a prior troubling encounter with the residents. As the news broke, the students’ families sought the association’s help in securing their immediate release. It was JK Student Association that engaged with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Noida MP Dr Mahesh Sharma, and finally the students were set free.
As of June 2023, Jammu and Kashmir has 6158 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases with 1400 deaths. Currently, 3478 patients undergo Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) while 547 have abandoned follow-up care. GMC Jammu reported 5060 cases, 1228 deaths, and 503 follow-up discontinuations. SKIMS Srinagar tended to 746 patients with 148 deaths and 32 discontinuations. ART Kathua registered 352 cases, 24 deaths, and 12 discontinuations.
PULWAMA
A minor girl is reportedly recovering in the hospital after allegedly being coerced into smoking a cigarette by a self-proclaimed faith-healer. The girl was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. The distressing event unfolded at Newa Market, where the girl’s mother claims she was manipulated into smoking by the accused individual, identified as Abdul Rasheed Telie, also known as Peer Baba. The shocking incident sheds light on the potential exploitation of vulnerable individuals by those in positions of trust. The local police have acted to ensure the legal process proceeds, aiming to bring justice to the victim and hold the alleged perpetrator accountable.
SRINAGAR
Jawad Ahmad, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar convicted two young men – Irshad Ahmad Wani and Mohammad Umar Noor – in the 2014 acid attack case under Section 326-A IPC. Noor was in an affair with a law student and when she refused to marry her, he, along with his business partner, threw acid on her face. She lost an eye and survived with serious disfigurement after countless surgical interventions in Chennai. She was appointed a standing counsel by the government in 2022.
DELHI
Ever since the Supreme Court decided to have a daily hearing of the series of petitions challenging the reading down of Article 370, there have been seven hearings so far. The top lawyers who made their arguments included Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Zafar Shah, Dushyant Dave, and Dr Gopal Subramanium. Since they represent their petitions – mostly the top politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders attend the proceedings. So Far the Kashmir leaders who were in the Supreme Court and who spoke about their hopes include Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Lone.
KARGIL
Lethal residues have been killing people in Kashmir for a very long time. Now it seems Kargil is not far away. Last week, three people were killed and 10 survived with injuries in an explosion inside a scrap dealer’s shop in Drass, not far away from the main Kargil war battlefield of 1999. The scrap dealer had brought some suspicious items to his Kabadi Nallah shop and it exploded. Scrap is a huge business in Ladakh because of the defence. Off late, the scrap availability has gone up as more troops were inducted into the sector.
DODA
Former Chief Minister and DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad landed in perhaps unwanted controversy after his apparently innocuous statement was reacted to by almost everybody. “Some BJP leader said some (Muslims) have come from outside and some have not. Nobody has come from outside or inside. Islam came to existence just 1500 years ago. Hindu religion is very old. Around 10-20 of them (Muslims) must have come from outside, some were there in the Mughal army,” Azad told a Doda gathering. “All other Muslims converted from Hinduism in India. An example of this can be found in Kashmir. Who were the Muslims in Kashmir 600 years ago? All were Kashmiri Pandits. They converted to Islam. All are born into this religion.” Quickly, it triggered a flurry of reactions, with the PDP chief asking him to “go way back and maybe he will find some apes there in the ancestors.” “I don’t know why he had to raise this. He knows the history of the state…It is for him to answer what was the necessity of bringing another thing to the front,” Farooq Abdullah said
However, the statement was welcomed by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta agreed with Azad’s remarks and said the people used to practise Hinduism before “invaders” brought in other religions. “The timeline given by Azad about the inception of Islam in India is true,” he said
KARGIL
The BJP has sacked the vice-president of its Ladakh unit, Nazir Ahmad, 74, following his son’s marriage with a Buddhist woman. In his defence, Ahmad said he was in Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrimage when his son executed his court marriage even though the family opposed the marriage. He said he even attempted to locate his son Manzoor and his wife but failed. BJP, however, did not accept his defence.
NIGHEEN
Restricted to his mansion since August 4, 2019, Kashmir cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is in news again, almost for the same reason. LG Manoj Sinha recently insisted that he is free and would be permitted to move around in security, including Jamia Masjid, if he wishes so. Yet again, this was seen as an indication that he is free. Anjuman e Auqaf Jmaia Masjid contacted the police but were told that no orders had come from the top. Now, reports appearing in the media suggest, Mirwaiz may send a legal notice to Jammu and Kashmir administration for his release from house detention. Interestingly, Mirwaiz has not offered any detail in response to Sinha’s insistence that Mirwaiz has shared with security agencies his fears about his individual security.
