KASHMIR
Kashmir Valley is experiencing a significant surge in vegetable prices, causing distress among consumers. This situation has arisen due to the deregulation of essential commodity prices, resulting in a lack of market oversight and allowing vendors to set rates at their discretion. The other factor is that the intense heat wave has triggered an unmanageable disease in all leafy vegetables across Kashmir thus pushing the market to rely on expensive imports from Punjab and Haryana. A comprehensive market survey conducted across various Srinagar has revealed alarming price hikes. Staple vegetables, which are a crucial part of daily diets, have seen unprecedented increases. For instance, saag is now being sold for Rs 80 to 100 per kg, while gourds and peas are priced at Rs 100 and Rs 100 to 120 per kg, respectively. Potatoes are being sold at Rs 50 per kg, tomatoes at Rs 80 per kg, and onions at Rs 50 per kg.
NHPC-controlled Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) for the purchase of power from 800MW Parbati and 1856 MW Sawalkot and 624MW Kiru HE Projects for 40 years.
SRINAGAR
There was some excitement about a film on Jawahar Lal Kaul, a visually impaired man who turned his limitations into strength through social work, earning him the Padma Shri. His relentless efforts inspired Bilal A Jan, a Kashmiri documentary filmmaker, to create a film about Kaul, who lost his sight due to smallpox at age five. Moved by Kaul’s determination, Jan directed JL Kaul: A Man of Action, highlighting Kaul’s work and resilience despite his blindness. The film was shot in Srinagar, Amritsar, and Delhi, where Kaul founded the Training and Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind in 1967. The All India Conference of the Blind, which he established, now operates a school for visually impaired children, an audio library, and more. The 30-minute documentary took a year to complete due to financial challenges and the complexities of working with visually impaired individuals. Produced by the National Film Development Corporation, it was selected for the 16th International Documentary Film Festival of Kerala. In 2018, the same festival showcased Jan’s Daughters of Paradise.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the transfer of approximately 104.5 acres of land to the Industries and Commerce Department for developing industrial estates in the Kashmir division.
LONDON
A short film by Kashmiri filmmakers has been selected for screening at the Lift-Off Global Film Festival in the UK. Titled Brick, the film is a collaborative effort by Mudabbir Ahmad Tak, Shabir Ahmad Dar, Maroof Hussain, Tawhid Dar, and Adil Mohiuddin Khanday. It will compete in the First-Time Filmmaker Lift-Off Sessions 2024 at Pinewood Studios, England. The film is said to be an avant-garde exploration of life’s meaning, using a brick as a metaphor for human existence. The film follows a brick’s journey from clay to a building block, contemplating the life cycle. The filmmakers, graduates of the Media Education Research Centre at the University of Kashmir, hope this opportunity will inspire more Kashmiri storytellers.
Of 123026 students who wrote their eleventh standard examination, 88396 were declared successful.75 per cent of girls and 69 per cent of boys have passed.
JAMMU
Finally, the State Cancer Institute at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu commenced PET scan services after it installed a state-of-the-art PET scan machine from Wipro GE Company, costing Rs 13 crore, which offers superior sensitivity and accuracy. Efforts are underway to ensure the services remain affordable, benefiting poor patients. Previously, the absence of this facility in the Jammu division forced cancer patients to seek expensive treatments elsewhere. The new service is expected to ease the financial burden on patients. From 2018 to 2022, GMC Jammu registered 9,630 cancer patients, with lung cancer being the most common among males and breast cancer among females. The National Cancer Registry Programme report (2014-2016) suggests that 5,175 cancer patients were registered at GMC Jammu including 2,846 males and 2,329 females.
Kashmir received 31.55 lakh tourists in 2023, up from 26.73 lakh in 2022 and 6.65 lakh in 2021.
DELHI
Apple cultivation in Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the primary apple-growing regions in India, faces significant challenges due to rising imports and declining prices. In Kashmir, orchard owners are struggling as the abolition of a 20 per cent duty on imported apples from the US, Iran, and South Africa has caused apple prices to plummet from Rs 1,200 to Rs 600 per (20 kg) box. This drop has been compounded by skyrocketing input costs, forcing farmers to sell at unsustainable prices. Kashmir’s political class is insisting on an urgent need for a 100 per cent import duty on foreign apples and the implementation of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to protect growers. Waheed Parra highlights the disparity between US farmers receiving a 32 per cent subsidy and Indian farmers getting only 2.5 per cent, exacerbating the inequity. In Himachal Pradesh, growers face a declining trend. The average price of a 20 kg carton in the Delhi mandi has dropped from Rs 1762 in 2018 to Rs 1087 in 2023, significantly impacting the profitability of apple farming. Royal Delicious, the best-selling variety, has seen its price fall from Rs 1830 in 2019 to Rs 1373 in 2023. Lokinder Bisht, president of the Progressive Growers Association, has also called for a 100 per cent import duty and a higher minimum import price to protect the local apple economy. Bisht also stresses the need to curb the influx of illegal apples through the duty-free Afghanistan route.
Half a million lavender saplings were planted over 100 kanals of land in Ichha (Ramnagar).
JAMMU
The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh criticised a preventive detention order under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, and fined the District Magistrate Jammu Rs 10,000 personally. The court deemed the grounds for detention “unjustifiable” and based on the “twisted reasoning” of the Magistrate. In response to a habeas corpus petition, filed by the petitioner’s wife, challenging the detention based on four FIRs ranging from trespass to attempted murder, the court found these FIRs, some over a decade old, did not justify the claim that the petitioner posed a significant threat to public safety. Justice Atul Sreedharan stated the reasoning behind the detention was unsupported by evidence. The FIRs were described as “stale” and “interpersonal,” not posing direct threats to public safety or state security. The court ordered the petitioner’s immediate release and directed the District Magistrate to pay the Rs 10,000 fine within two weeks.
SRINAGAR
A Muharram mourning procession in Srinagar, attended by thousands, turned into a pro-Palestinian demonstration, defying the administration’s ban on such activities. Participants waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans, Marg Bar Israel. Despite the administration allowing the procession for the second consecutive year, to mark the eighth day of mourning for Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, they had strictly prohibited political expressions. The police registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the mourners for raising Hezbollah flags and slogans, citing concerns over public order and communal harmony. This led to several youths being summoned for questioning. The police asserted the need to adhere to guidelines to prevent unrest. MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi condemned the police action as an assault on freedom of expression and demanded the release of those detained. He argued that the demonstrations were in support of oppressed Palestinians. The procession, banned for over three decades, was permitted last year and this year under strict conditions to avoid political activities, yet the demonstrators’ actions resulted in legal consequences.
ANANTNAG
The Uma Bhagwati Temple in Brari Angan belt of Utrusoo (Anantnag) reopened after over three decades, following extensive restoration. The ceremony, attended by Union Minister Nityanand Rai, featured the installation of an idol of Mata Uma from Rajasthan. The temple, nestled in the Himalayas, holds significant religious importance and has a storied history involving Swami Swaymanand Ji’s reconstruction efforts. Legend has it that Shiv Ram Jalali, later revered as Swami Shivananda, underwent a profound spiritual transformation upon arriving at Brari Angan in Uttarasoo in 1772. He was a Revenue Collector (Kardar) under the Afghan Governor of Kashmir, Haji Karam Dad Khan. As a gesture of reverence, Khan granted 1600 Kanals of revenue-free land and a forest strip (now known as Beat No 68) for shrine maintenance and pilgrim accommodation, establishing Brari Angan (the cat’s compound).
DELHI
The Supreme Court has sought a response from Payal Abdullah, Omar Abdullah’s estranged wife, regarding his plea for divorce on cruelty grounds. Omar, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, contends that their marriage is “dead,” as they have lived separately for 15 years. Despite this, the Delhi High Court dismissed his divorce plea in December 2023, upholding a 2016 family court order. The court found no merit in Omar’s allegations of cruelty or desertion, noting their continuous contact until the divorce filing. Omar is currently required to pay Rs 1.5 lakh monthly interim maintenance to Payal and Rs 60,000 each for their sons’ education.
GUREZ
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has banned the installation of temporary tents by tourists for night stays in Gurez, a major emerging tourist destination near the Line of Control (LoC). This ban, effective from July 15, 2024, follows a surge in littering around pristine water bodies and green landscapes despite a recent 45-day allowance for tents with conditions to maintain cleanliness. The order, issued by Sub Divisional Magistrate Mukhtar Ahmad Ahanger, cites environmental concerns and potential disease outbreaks due to accumulated trash. Gurez, located 123 kilometres from Srinagar at an elevation of 2,400 meters, opened for tourism in 2020. It has seen a 300 per cent increase in tourist arrivals over the past two years, with nearly 46,000 visitors in 2023, up from 12,472 in 2022. The first half of 2024 alone saw a record 15.65 lakh tourists.
JAMMU
Nearly a month after Harash Nagotra, a youth from Jourian, Akhnoor, went missing, authorities in Pakistan have confirmed his death, leaving his family in shock. Nagotra disappeared near the Chenab River in Bakor on June 11, 2024. His family reported him missing to the local police, and the case was later transferred to Police Station Khour. The investigation indicates Nagotra may have committed suicide by jumping into the river, influenced by frustration from a transaction of Rs 80,000-88,000 to a gaming app just before his disappearance. His bike was found near the river. A Pakistani official confirmed Nagotra’s death via WhatsApp, using his old number, which had been reissued to his father. The official also sent Nagotra’s ID card, recovered from his body, to his father. The family is now seeking the repatriation of Nagotra’s body.
SRINAGAR
July 13, a milestone date in Kashmir history, continues to be banned on its anniversary. Historically, this day was marked by an official holiday and a visit to the martyrs’ graveyard in Naqshband Sahab, where political leaders paid tribute. However, since 2019, these practices have been discontinued under the BJP government, and the holiday was dropped. This year, the administration prevented the political class from visiting the site, locking some in their homes and preventing others from marching ahead.
