Justice Delivered?
Finally the justice was delivered in the case of Wamiq Farooq. After three years, a local court has issued non-bailable warrants against the two police personnel in the killing of a teenager during the start of mass agitation in 2010.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar Rajeev Gupta issued the arrest warrants against Sub-Inspector Abdul Khaliq and Special Operation Group’s Mohammad Akram in the killing case of Wamiq Farooq, 13, who was hit by a teargas shell outside his home in 2010 in Srinagar and died.
“Enough evidence is present against the accused based on judicial injury and report of Special Investigative Team,” the court observed while asking the police to execute the warrants. Thus the court exonerated Wamiq of stone pelting charges and blamed police for his death.
Various separatist leaders have termed the judgment as a ‘victory of righteousness and justice’ and they also appreciated the advocate Aijaz Ahmad and other members fighting case.
After the verdict of court Mirwaiz of Kashmir said that the verdict has thus strengthened the Hurriyat’s stand that the police and troops were involved in fabricating stone pelting charges against the innocent youth to arrest them adding, it were they (police) responsible for the targeted killings of Kashmiri youth.
Soon after Wamiq’s killing, his father, Farooq Ahmad Wani, had filed a complaint before the CJM seeking registration of an FIR under section 302 RPC.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate on February 5, 2011 had directed IGP to constitute SIT which was finally put in place on July 3, 2012. After that the case was heard in State Human Rights Commission as well. After all these procedures the verdict came in favor of slain victim.
More than 124 persons, mostly youngsters, were killed in clashes between protestors and government forces in the summer of 2010 in Kashmir valley.
Curfew Lifted
Kishtwar was set free after 12 days of curfew on Wednesday. It was first day after Eid when the movement was allowed by authorities. On Eid day some miscreants raised slogans first and then burnt the properties of Muslims. Three people were killed and more than 50 injured in the communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims.
The curfew was lifted from the Chenab valley’s town when all-party delegation held a joint meeting with both communities of the Town during which the parties decided to help in maintaining communal harmony in area.
The incident was raised in the parliament as well after which the issue was taken to Supreme Court of India by the Bhim Singh, chief of Panther’s party who filed a PIL. Jammu and Kashmir government gave in writing on an affidavit to Supreme Court that swift action was being taken to control communal violence in Kishtwar.
The affidavit further informed that Rs 5 lakh will be paid to the families of those killed in the violence, Rs 2 lakh shall be paid to those injured and Rs 2 lakh to those whose property was damaged during riots.
During this incident the Village Defense Committees (VDC) came in lime light as they were allegedly the main culprits behind this act. As per reports of the victims, police and other sources, VDC’s along with VHP and BJP were involved in instigating the communal clashes in Kishtwar.
Following the Kishtwar clashes, the minister of state for state (MoS) Sajad Ahmad Kichloo gave his resignation. He was also attacked by the miscreants. He was blamed for his mismanagement of his area by all opposition members.
Techie CARNIVAL
Techvaganza 2013, an annual national level Technical Festival of National Institute of Technology, is being celebrated in Srinagar. The five day festival was kick started by NIT, Srinagar Director, Prof Rajat Gupta.
As per the authorities the five day fest is an attempt to make students acquainted with the current and futuristic technologies. This festival consists of Workshops, guest lectures, LAN gaming, technical quiz, release of inaugural issue of IIM (Indian Institute of metal) –NIT chapter journal, competitive events based on various branches of engineering, and social awareness programs.
The main technical events are Robotrix, Botorace, Structrite, mad for cad, metalomania, circuit bizz, traffic planning etc. Workshops on Aeromodelling, building design, scilab, linux and android are also being conducted during festival.
Social events like career counseling for secondary and higher secondary schools, panel discussion on women empowerment will be also a part of this festival.
At Aerotrix workshop students were taught basic principles of aero-modelling and designing and fabrication of wings of biplanes.
In ANDROID workshop Data handling and button handling will be taught. Basic hello world application was created on the first day.
In Robotic workshop Basic robotics theory, Assembly of parts of robots and Writing basic programmes and flashing it on ROBOT was taught. Tutorial on Phython, Scilab and LINUX were conducted.
Musing MP!
Stating that the National Conference is responsible for the prevailing uncertainty in Kashmir, Rajya Sabha Member Parliament, G N Ratanpuri Wednesday said that at least one leader within NC ranks are ‘hand in-glove’ with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal.
“Some people blame me of being a man of Delhi but let me say that there are some people in National Conference who have close contact with Bajrang Dal and RSS. My party colleagues have already started distancing themselves from me as I always speak truth,” Rattanpuri said. He said the National Conference currently has no agenda ‘as the party’s agenda is being sacrificed for one person, “But I believe that more than persons the party important. Though working President of the party and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sought my resignation from the party which I have not given yet but let me tell him that he should come out with the reasons and tell me what wrongs I have committed. Does he wants resignation just because I speak the truth?”
Launching a scathing attack on NC Additional General Secretary, Mustafa Kamal, Ratanpuri said: “He does not even know what he is doing and saying. No discipline is left in the party as there are people like Mustafa Kamal who create mess through their glib utterances.
When asked whether he will quit National Conference he said, “I will never do that as I always want to serve the people of Kashmir. I will fight for those Kashmiris who have lost their men during the last 22 years in Kashmir turmoil.”
Rattanpuri alleged that except for Dr Farooq Abdullah National Conference leaders have developed vested interest and are using the Kashmir issue to settle personal scores .He demanded that such leaders should be disassociated from the party.
“How is it possible that National Conference, which believes in religious harmony would encourage communal forces and join ranks of BJP and RSS. Ratanpuri has some personal animosity with Davinder Singh Rana and it this animosity, which makes him issue ‘irresponsible’ statements against the party,” Sharief-u-Din Shariq, Member Parliament and National Conference senior leader, said.
Cautioned KP
Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samite (KPSS) cautioned the separatist camp not to send any such person or leader to the Pandit camps whose image is “tinted” and are “responsible for the exodus and killing of minorities” in Kashmir.
In a very hard hitting statement issued by the KPSS president, Sanjay Tikoo, said, “KPSS is not in a mood to take any lip sympathies from the separatists, main stream and religious leaders. These press releases and sermons are not executed efficiently by these leaders at ground level.”
The statement came after a high level delegation including Javiad Ahmad Mir and Hakim Abdul Rashid were on their way to Pulwama to express solidarity with the Pandit community on the instructions of Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The delegation was intercepted by police at Arihal and stopped them from travelling further. Hitting directly on the separatist camp, KPSS statement further said, “Separatist camp is cautioned not to send any such person or leader to the Pandit camps whose image in tinted and are responsible for the exodus and killing of minorities in Kashmir Valley.”
Reacting to the Hawl incident the statement said that it does not see this incidence in isolation. Since, Gool, Kishtwar Communal violence, number of such incidences took place in Kashmir, which can’t be taken for granted.
“On the very night when Gool, Kishtwar Communal Violence happened, few youths in old city try to burn a temple along with two dozen Kashmir Pandits who have taken shelter in that Temple. Later the inmates showed some courage and the miscreants had to run from the scene. None of the persons from the majority community who live within vicinity came forward to save them or condemn this incident,” KPSS statement revealed.
Earlier, terming Pandits as an inalienable part of the Kashmiri society, Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said: the onus of providing protection to their life and property falls on majority community.
In a statement a spokesman of Hurriyat (M) strongly condemned the incident involving bullying of Pandits at Pulwama. He said that such acts were the doings of miscreants with communal bent of mind. Like in the case of Kishtwar, the spokesman said the same elements were trying hard to torn apart the communal bonhomie of Kashmiris and push the society into chaos and violence.
Landed IAF
Flexing its muscles in eastern Ladakh, where the Indian and Chinese armies have had face-offs in recent months, IAF on Tuesday morning landed a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The commanding officer Group Captain Tejbir Singh and the crew of the “Veiled Vipers” squadron, along with senior officers of Air Headquarters, touched down on the DBO airstrip, located at 16614 feet (5065 meters), in the Aksai Chin area after taking off from their home base at Hindon,” sources said.
DBO is an important Army forward area post which links the ancient silk route to China. This base was built during the India-China conflict in 1962 and came into prominence when Packet aircraft of the IAF operated from DBO between 1962 and 1965.
“Once again this strategic base in the Northern Himalayas gained importance when it was resurrected and reactivated by the IAF along with the Indian Army and made operational when a twin engine AN-32 aircraft from Chandigarh landed there after a gap of 43 years,” they said.
Considering the very limited load carrying capability of AN-32 and helicopters, a decision was taken by the IAF to land the C-130J, which is capable of lifting up to 20 tonnes of load. “With this enhanced airlift capability, the IAF will now be in a better position to meet the requirements of our land forces who are heavily dependent on the air bridge for sustenance in these higher and inhospitable areas,” they officer.
IAF said Tuesday’s achievement will enable the forces to exploit the inherent advanced capabilities of the aircraft by increased capability to induct troops, improve communication network and also serve as a great morale booster for maintenance of troops positioned there. “It is also a projection of the fact that the IAF is capable of operating in such inhospitable terrain in support of the Indian Army,” sources said.
