HYDERPORA
To many it was shocking. The ailing separatist patriarch incarcerated at home for more than five months wanted an in-door meeting of his workers. Authorities, initially, had no objection and later they wanted a formal official permission. Organisers said the decision was conveyed barely 12 hours before the in-house event was supposed to take place. People came and police used its might: it was a mix of coloured water and tear-smoke. There were injuries. Insiders in the party said the meeting was crucial. They were supposed to introspect and that was not permitted. But the larger question is if the government with healing touch as its motive can force people to even fight for breathing, where goes its claim of ‘battle of ideas’. Government should avoid pressure-cooking process as it costs Kashmir and costs heavily.
DELHI
His leaders here may not remember his advice for a long time but will never forget his recent three day trip to Kashmir. Speeches apart, Rahul Gandhi’s travel schedule was off the script. While IB prevented him from visiting his Sopore leader Rashid Dar, he could not be stopped from visiting Khir Bawani and Mukhdoom Sahab. While visiting party’s flood-impacted M A Road office, neither Congress nor his SPG men could stop him from strolling in Lal Chowk and actually sipping tea on a Reda and paying the shivering tea-maker Rs 200. He visited Pampore, Sopore and interacted with many delegations and blew hot and cold on Modi and Mufti.
MUMBAI
Rajouri may not have a big face in civil secretariat but it has one in Bollywood. Arjumman Mughal of the Ya Rab debut, currently awaiting the release of her suspense thriller Tera Kya Hoga Lambodar says J&K government may require to do a bit more to lure Bollywood to the state. She played a role in Love Jehad that was shot in Bhaderwah. She wants to play Kashmir ambassador in Mumbai!
LOWER MANDA
Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu had to review the functioning of commercial taxes check-post and he opted to go by train with almost two dozen officials. The idea needs to be copied by others, at least, for travelling to Banihal, Qazigund, Islamabad, Bejbehara, Pattan, Sopore and Baramulla. It cannot only help in saving money but also prevent a lot of inconvenience to people for security reasons. But are there any takers in the government?
BEMINA
In yet another case of real people being looted in the virtual world, a Bemina couple with their kid waiting for resources for his treatment, was looted ‘virtually’. Irshad Bhat (Gulshan Abad) got a call from 121 and was informed of the windfall by “wining” Rs 25 lakh. He thinks he even spoke to Amitabh Bachchan who congratulated him. In the follow up, he paid a cash of Rs 85000 to a man outside a telecom operator’s Sonawar office and was guided to deposit another Rs 50000 in a bank account. Police have taken cognizance but when will his son get the treatment!
RAFIABAD
In the second success after Naveed’s arrest from the highway, army has captured a Baloch Lashkar man Sajjad alias Abu Abaidullah after an encounter in Hamam-Markote. Three militants had died in the encounter.
NIGEEN
Kashmir’s moderate cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s security status has reportedly been upgraded from Z to Z+, the highest one, whisker short of the Chief Minister. Apparently it is based on the threat perception. Interestingly the news came when the cleric had started moving around for all the good reasons.
1000 September 2014 flood cases against insurance agencies are pending before Consumer Commission after the sector coughed up Rs 1800 crore claims
Of the 4500 AIDS cases 630 are in Kashmir and 3128 in Jammu but 745 patients have left the treatment midway.
