1324 is the number of people who died of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir
RAJOURI
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha created a new milestone in his public outreach initiative when he trekked a long distance on foot to reach the families of three Rajouri youth in remote Tarkassi village to express his condolences. He assured them justice, jobs and compensation. The trio: Imtiyaz Ahmed, 26, Ibrar Ahmed 20, and Ibrar Ahmed, 16, were killed in a fake encounter in Amshipora Shopian on July 18, 2020. The LG conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message that justice will be done in three cold-blooded murders. It was Sinha’s intervention that led to the speedy investigation in the fake encounter case and exhumation of the bodies from an anonymous Baramulla cemetery. Police have arrested two persons as the army investigations are still on.
KHAN SAHIB
Former Khansahib lawmaker Abdul Gani Naseem died at the age of around 80. He was admitted in SMHS hospital for Covid-19 from which he had almost recovered. He is survived by two sons, two daughters and wife. A resident of Falchil village in Khansahab Budgam, Naseem was a school teacher and retired as headmaster. He was well-read and had good writing skills. Around 1990, he was lured by the separatist movement. Initially, he was affiliated with the al-Baraq militant outfit and later switched over to JKLF in 1994. He usually would manage the publicity of these outfits. Naseem joined the National Conference in 1996 and was fielded from the militant-infested Khansahib segment of Budgam. He secured 40 per cent votes to enter the Assembly. He did contest 2002 elections but failed to make a dent to the formidable Hakim Yasin who had decided against contesting in 1996. Interestingly, Hakim was Naseem’s student till ninth class. After NC, Naseem joined Congress. In early 2019, he migrated to PDP and was with this party till his demise.
DELHI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the tenure of RK Chibber as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Jammu and Kashmir Bank for another six months. The order came into effect from October 10, 2020. Chibber will hold office for six months or the moment the government will appoint his successor. Chibber was appointed as the interim Chairman and Managing Director for a term of three months in June 2019. His services were extended in October 2019, April 2020 and July 2020 and now again in October 2020. He could be the lone CMD who has so many extension in his service in the bank’s history.
RAFIABAD
A two-year-old infant, Bisma, daughter of Muhammad Shafi of Rafiabad opened her eyes to the colourful world for the first time after she was operated in Hoshiarpur. The operation took place at the Tricity Eye hospital, Kharar where Dr Rohit and his team carried out the operation that enabled the infant to see the world for the first time. Continuing with its help to bring light into people’s world, Hoshiarpur Club led by JB Behl which already has the distinction of helping more than 15 blind residents of Jammu and Kashmir in cornea transplants, brought colours into the life of a two-year-old infant.
DELHI
The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested four Kashmiri youth for allegedly planning attacks in the capital and claimed recovery of arms and ammunition. The accused have been identified as Altaf Ahmad Dar, 25, a resident of Pulwama, Mushtaq Ahmad Gani, 27, Ishfaq Majeed Koka, 28, and Aqib Safi, 22, all residents of Shopian. “Ishfaq is the elder brother of slain terrorist Burhan Koka, ex-chief of Ansar Ghajwat Ul Hind, an off-shoot of Al Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir,” police received. Burhan Koka was killed in an encounter in Shopian’s Melhora area on April 29, 2020 along with two other associates.
SRINAGAR
Former India cricketer and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Suresh Raina is travelling in Jammu and Kashmir after pulling out of the Indian Premier League 2020 for personal reasons. He had announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on August 5, 2020. Suresh Raina who is working these days with the local administration in Jammu and Kashmir to set up facilities for the development of sports for youth. Earlier, he met Manoj Sinha and hoped to create more opportunities for youth in the sports. Raina had earlier also taken part in the inauguration of Jammu and Kashmir Police Women’s 2020 Cricket Tournament at Anantnag in September. LG Manoj Sinha after meeting Raina said the cricketer has agreed to set up five schools in Kashmir division and an equal number in Jammu division to train the aspiring cricketers, particularly the youngsters. On October 7, Raina visited Cricket Ground Dooru on the occasion of the final match of Dooru U-19 T-20 knockout cricket tournament. On the occasion many young cricket enthusiasts, civil society members and organizers of the said cricket tournament were present.
MUZAFFARABAD
Punjab government in Pakistan was embarrassed after the police registered a case of sedition against many others including the incumbent Prime Minister of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider. He belongs to the party that Nawaz Sharief presides and had attended a virtual party meeting. Though the Pakistan government said it will erase his name from the case, the issue has already embarrassed the government. Haider tweeted: “Indian PM Narendra Modi must b feeling elated coz almost entire Pakistan has become his “agent”- thanks to the small-minded bigots who’ve least realisation of the repercussions of their parish-pump & hate-filled politics. As an anti-India Kashmiri, I’m worried about my future now.”
JAMMU
In an interesting development, BJPs state president has taken a different view on militancy in comparison to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. Sinha recent appealed to local militants to shun violence. He even talked about rehabilitation, entrepreneurial opportunities and jobs. However, Ravinder Raina said that the only policy for militants in is the bullet. “There can never be any rehabilitation policy” for the militants and that “they will be paid back in the same coin.” Raina said: “A militant is a militant. This Pakistan-sponsored militancy has bled Jammu and Kashmir for the past 30 years. They (militants) go to Pakistan for arms training, come back with arms and ammunition and then kill innocent people and security forces personnel. They can never be given any jobs. The only policy for them is a bullet,” he said. “Whosoever picks up arms against the nation will be eliminated.”
HUNZA
In anticipation of the assembly elections slated for November 15, Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan is on roads seeking the release of their leader, Baba Jan, arrested since 2011. Held at Gahkuch, Jan was arrested along with many others after rioting broke out in the region following the police killing a father and son. The slain duo were part of the score odd families who were seeking rehabilitation after their homes were swept away in massive landslides that blocked the Hunza river and created a 21-km long lake, now called Attaabad lake in Gojal valley. Jan had helped 457 odd families to organise and seek rehabilitation. Now the residents are seeking his release hoping, if he is out, he can contest polls and become their formal representative.
