APPOINTED: Kashmir University appointed Nilofer Khan as its Dean Students Welfare, the first woman to hold this post. A doctorate in Home Sciences, Khan has over 50 research articles to her credit besides being guide to six 6 PhDs and two M Phil’s. She joined University in 1986 as a lecture and rose through ranks to become Associate Professor in 1992 and Professor in 2001. She headed the Institute of Home Science from 1992 to 2008 and was presently Director of Women’s Studies Centre.

REELECTED: Sheikh Mohammad Hassan was re-elected as Amir (chief) of Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2006, Sheikh was summoned post retirement at the age of 70 to head Jamat. Three years later, he retained the coveted position of 62-year-old party. He is believed to be a moderate but keen to revive Jamat as a social, political and religious group.

REMEMBERED: Kashmir observed a strike on the first death anniversary of slain Hurriyat leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz (1952–2008). He was killed in police firing while leading a massive procession towards LoC in wake of economic blockade that BJP and its allies imposed on rest of the state.
CONCERNED: Noted theatre personality and Bollywood actor, Naseeruddin Shah, expressed his concern over the neglect that Kashmir faces as a shooting destination for Bollywood. Shah is in Kashmir to train a group of 30 theatre artists organized by ANHAD, an NGO. Shah said the Bollywood biggies ignore Kashmir and react in such a way as if they are going to shoot at a foreign location.

AWARDED: Paratrooper, Shabir A Malik, who died fighting militants on March 21 was awarded Kirti Chakra. A resident of village Dab in Ganderbal and an alumnus of the prestigious Sainik School Manasbal, Malik joined army’s JAKLI on March 15, 2008 in J&K Light Infantry as a paratrooper.

CLOSED: SKIMS director, Abdul Hamid Zargar, created history by closing the outdoor in wake of strike by 450 resident doctors. Zargar skipped asking seniors to manage the influx. The young medicos at the hospital demand removal of pay anomalies. Only in serious and critical cases did the tertiary care hospital take a few patients. In fact, some of the already admitted have been discharged. The closure of the hospital by Zargar, a darling of many bureaucrats and policy makers, came at a time when swine flu had already landed in Kashmir.
SURVIVED: PDP’s young face, businessman Yasir Reshi, survived a late night assassination bid in outskirts of the Sumbal police station, barely a chain away from his residence. A police man who is part of the DySPs personal guard fired at his Safari SUV bursting its tyre. One of the bullets actually pierced the driver seat, missing Reshi by a millimetre. Reshi contested unsuccessfully against Mohammad Akber Lone, now the speaker of J&K’s Assembly. The policeman has been detained along with four of his associates. 

DETAINED: Police finally arrested an old city Imam in Baramulla who had been accused of inciting violence over an episode involving a woman. The violence and the police reaction led to the death of four young men. He has been detained under Public safety Act. Obviously, there was another round of violence but this time it was controlled and required measured response.

VISITED: Payal Abdullah, the wife of Chief Minister came out of the closet last week when she visited the Craft Development Institute. In Kashmir, it was her first appearance outside her Gupkar residence after Omar won the assembly election from Ganderbal. Instead of Kashmir, Payal ensured that she is seen accompanying her husband in public meetings in Jammu.

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