Briefing

Briefing

9:00 am December 14, 2015

DELHI

Foreseeing the implications of the Planning Commission disbanding, J&K Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu made changes in the fiscal classification and done away with plan and non-plan categories. Now central government and many others states are following the suite. But he has to get ready for a major battle that involves state’s special character– the GST. Though he has stated the state is not implementing it but the procedure of staying away from a single market taxation system are challenging. Let’s wait to see if his party’s allies give room to his innovation.

JAMMU

It has returned to haunt the big and the mighty. Punjab police detained a Jammu minor in Pathankote and the girl detailed her exploitation by big businessmen and powerful from Jammu. A resident of Akhnoor, she lives in Pucca Dunga area. After the girl was handed over to J&K Police, she recorded her statement in which she detailed how she was pushed into flesh trade and listed 20 top persons. Police has swung into action and arrest five. People have their fingers crossed if hunt goes ahead because similar cases were buried well before it would start hurting the mighty.

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SRINAGAR

Langate lawmaker may never be the king but he is a different kind. One may differ with his theatrics, but Engineer Rashid is highly innovative and creative. On 2015 International Human Rights Day he came with a herd – Sangh Parivaar’s cow, Rashtrapati Bhawan’s horse, Mahatama Gandhi’s goat and Manika Gandhi’s dog, just to exhibit the four animals apparently have more rights than the people living in Kashmir. It was darkest humour one can see on the road that, many think, explains the state of Kashmir. Kashmir has witnessed many art forms converging to protest but this was real different, perhaps for the first time.

BUDGAM

Gul Bhat alias Gul Peer who had converted a ‘seminary’ into his herm was arrested in 2013 and acquitted by the district court in February 2015. Then he was re-arrested and is behind bars. Twist in the story is that he wanted his case to be shifted out of the state. Supreme Court declined but gave permission to shift the case to Jammu wing of the high court. This must be comfortable for Gul Peer because he is getting another fake Pir’s company – Shahbaz Qazi of Rajouri. Qazi was arrested last week for outraging the modesty of a woman in Thanamandi. With Qazi in detention, his mother has interesting interpretation: my innocent son was overpowered by a bad soul.

KUPWARA

With the longest ever siege of a belt over, Kupwara has rediscovered the old story, yet again. Manzoor Khawja, a local soldier, detained already, has lured three locals – Ghulam Jeelani, Mir Hussain and Ali Mohammad, to Keran sector on November 17 promising them job in army. They are still missing. Families have given detailed information to cops about Khawaja’s relations with their wards and his promise to adjust them in the army. No clues are around. Four militants killed during the siege have no resemblance with the missing trio. Case is getting seriously sensitive. Almost the same story involving three Nadihal youth led to the 2010 unrest after the lured boys returned dead. Meticulous investigation by cop Harmit Singh Mehta, the investigator has led army to send six of its soldiers including the CO to life sentence for the fake encounter.

SRINAGAR

Systemic insensitivity has created a mess of the juvenile justice system. Years after enacting the law, the rules and the safeguards it has suggested are not in place and now the court has taken note of it. In the midst of this debate and a scandal involving illegal detention of juveniles in the cargo complex (SOG Hq) came a shocking photo showing three minors handcuffed waiting for the trial in a city court. Ruling PDP that owes more to human rights than to self rule for getting into power must make laws operate. After all Kashmir has slapped more than 700 police cases against minors in last three decades and most of them attained adulthood behind the bars.