Dy CM grieves over demise of Rohmetra

 JAMMU, JULY 5 –Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Tara Chand expressed deep sorrow and grief over the sad demise of eminent journalist and Editor-in- Chief of Daily Excelsior Mr. S.D. Rohmetra.

In a message of grief, Mr. Tara Chand expressed solidarity with the bereaved family and prayed for peace to the departed soul. He said with the demise of Mr. Rohmetra the State has lost one of the finest journalists and the void created is difficult to be filled.

The Deputy Chief Minister specially flew from Srinagar and attended the funeral of Mr. Rohmetra. He personally conveyed condolences to the family members.

'Dividing Hurriyat Conference further' tantamount to treachery: Shabir Shah

Hurriyat needs to be institutionalized, diversified

Separatist leadership should unite, rise against confiscating of properties

Hurriyat’s participation in elections impossible

Srinagar, July 5 (KNS): Senior Hurriyat Conference leader and Chairman Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Ahmad Shah, while ruling out further divisions in Hurriyat Conference said formation of a third faction will amount to treachery with the people of Kashmir.

“There is no question of dividing the Hurriyat further which I believe would amount to treason. Unity, not division among separatist leadership is the need of the hour”, Shah said in an interaction with KNS.

Shah stressed the need for Institutionalizing the Hurriyat Conference. “Except for the basic essence and preamble of the Hurriyat Conference, we need to bring large-scale about systemic changes in Hurriyat Conference to make the forum strong”, Shah said adding creation and activation of different units of Hurriyat Conferences is needed which can ensure division of work. Shah stressed that the Chairmanship of the Hurriyat Conference is not an issue under contention. “We need to set up a Majlise Mashawarat or Advisory Committee or Shoora, whatever we may call it”, said Shah. He said the Hurriyat Conference Chairman is hugely overburdened with work and responsibilities, which need to be shared by others.

Shah said the preamble of the Hurriyat Constitution can not be altered or amended. “Amendments can be made in the constitution to make Hurriyat a strong and divergent platform, however I am against touching the preamble of the constitution”, Shah said. “Those who are talking about an alternative to the solution of Kashmir issue under UN resolutions are free to voice their opinion, however we don’t agree with them”, he added.

Shah said Hurriyat Conference needs to be reorganized and reshaped. “Hurriyat needs to set up offices and units at different levels across the state to make it a more vibrant and inclusive platform”, he said.

The DFP Chairman called for revocation of show-cause notices issued by the Hurriyat Conference to Nayeem Ahmad Khan and Azam Inquilabi after they had openly opposed the statement made by former Hurriyat Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat with regard to UN resolutions. “They wanted action against the statement but were served show cause notices. These notices should be withdrawn”, he said.

Shah said since Bhat had openly made the statement, it needed public opposition. “A lot is said within organizations, but the statement was made publicly and needed a public response”, he said.

The senior Hurriyat leader called upon separatist leadership to unite against sealing and confiscating of properties of pro-freedom leaders by the authorities. ”Leadership should unite and rise against such designs of the government aimed at weakening the movement”, he said adding government can take such actions against every pro-freedom leader in order to intimidate them and weaken their resolve. 

Shabir Shah said the United Jehad Council has an important role to play in the freedom struggle. “UJC’s role very important, their sacrifices are highly valuable and cannot be forgotten”, he said adding the Hurriyat Conference believes in political means for achieving its goals.

Shah ruled out any possibility of the Hurriyat Conference fighting the 2014 Assembly elections in the state. “Even if the solution to Kashmir issue takes 200 more years, Hurriyat conference will not take part in elections in any way”, he said adding there will be no place for those people in the Hurriyat Conference who fight elections.

He held government agencies responsible for the attack carried out on him at Khanyar during his visit to the gutted shrine of Dastgeer Saheb (RA). “Certain agencies have succeeded in hiring people like they did when they hired the renegade militants to commit atrocities against people”, he said.

However, Shah said the Hurriyat Conference had made certain commitments and given assurances at the time of his joining the conglomerate, which have not been fulfilled till date. “Hurriyat has failed so far to reach out to people. We need to connect with people and understand their problems in their totality”, he said.

Shah hailed the contributions of the Mirwaiz family towards Kashmiri society. “Family of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq especially Moulvi Yousuf Shah and Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq have immensely contributed to states’ social, political and educational development”, he said adding such contributions cannot be forgotten, (KNS)

PDP’s healing touch proved to be killing touch: Omar

“PDP sells dreams, creates over-romantic scenes to mislead public”

‘Hatching conspiracies, carrying false propaganda is PDP’s history’

Bijbehara, July 5 (KNS): Drawing comparison between his government and the PDP led dispensation, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Thursday said that the leadership of PDP sold dreams to people but his government firmly addressed the cherished desire of people on both political and development fronts.

“They (PDP) hyped the emotions of people by raising sentimental slogans but miserably failed when the occasion of delivery arose. They talked too much on burning issues but mumbled, fumbled and jumbled when they got the occasion to rise and strike”, he said remembering the people of the tall promises made by PDP leadership to the people about healing touch and political stability but doing nothing on ground when in power.

Addressing a mammoth public gathering at Veeri in Bijbehara Constituency of Anantnag district, the Chief Minister castigated PDP for its propagandist approach and said, “they forgot all their words made to people and indulged in conspiracies to stick to power by hook or crook. Their leader (Mufti Mohammad Sayed) once in a speech at Ganderbal told the gun wielding youth to drop guns as he had come as their representative to talk for them but every inch of Jammu and Kashmir and its every resident is witness how PDP and its leadership opposed the rehabilitation and repatriation policy for the youth who had crossed the LoC when this party was in government and a resolution supported by National Conference was tabled in Legislative Assembly”. He also cited the example of denying passports to the relatives of militants during the tenure of PDP adding that these people were placed in a blacklist by the then government and denied them passports for Haj purposes.

Omar Abdullah also referred to the killings of innocents during the PDP regime and said that the slogan of ‘healing touch’ actually proved to be mere a hoax to befool the people and grab power. “Your healing touch proved to be killing touch for the people”, he said and added that the leadership of PDP also hatched conspiracies against Indira-Sheikh Accord, Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s Government, against Kashmiri Pandits to dislodge Ghulam Mohammad Shah’s Government as also against its coalition partner (Congress) in 2008. “You always tried to derail democratic process. You brought Jagmohan as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to dislodge Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s Government”, he said and reminded the PDP of the killings of large number of innocents during the tenure of Jagmohan when Mufti Mohammad Sayed was Home Minister in the V.P. Singh’s Government.

 “My government not only approved and implemented rehabilitation and repatriation policy for the youth who had crossed over LoC but did not took to guns. We also discarded the blacklist maintained by the Police Department for stopping passports to the relatives of militants. PDP raised slogan about reduction of forces but we acted on ground and removed 40 bunkers from Srinagar city alone”, he said adding that his government put Jammu and Kashmir Police Force on front and other security forces on second line. “You talked of resolving Kashmir issue but slept over your tall promises in this regard”, he told PDP adding that it was his government who worked and facilitated process of political addressing of political issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ridiculing the behaviour of PDP leadership to indulge in false propaganda and emotional blackmailing, the Chief Minister said that by pointing finger on opponents this party wants to divert public attention from this party’s misdeeds, failures, commissions and omissions. He said political gimmickry and falsehood to create over-romantic drama scenes is the trait of PDP and its leadership but they are now exposed before general public.

 “PDP lost no occasion to put the State on fire, hatch conspiracy to dislodge government and mislead people to create law and order situation. The leadership of this party is always in search of chances to take advantage of, disturb peace, hamper development and shift blame to National Conference and the government”, he said and lauded the people for showing maturity and not falling prey to these tactics.

The Chief Minister said PDP is always on its heels to accuse and defame National Conference and its government and hatch conspiracies and propaganda against it. He said that grabbing power is only aim of this party. “You are now fully exposed before general public”, he told PDP leadership and predicted their miserable defeat and rejection in the hands of general masses in future.

Omar asked the National Conference workers and leaders to reach out to people in every area, make them aware of the people-friendly policies and historic initiatives initiated by the coalition government and blunt the false propaganda carried by PDP against the government.

Giving details of the development registered in Bijbehara Constituency presently represented by PDP Member in the Legislative Assembly, Omar Abdullah said that the facts and figures of development registered in this constituency should be eye-opener for this party leadership who carry boogie of false propaganda and misinformation against the coalition government.

Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Social welfare, Sakina Itoo, Parliament Members, Mehboob Beg, Sharief-ud-Din Ghariq, G. N. Rattanpuri, Legislator, Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Veeri, and Provincial President, National Conference, Ali Mohammad Dar also spoke on the occasion.

Peace process threatened, Mufti calls for statesmanship, political direction

NC exploiting people with its duplicity: Baig

Srinagar, July 5 (KNS): Calling for a display of statesmanship in Indo Pak relationship Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should intervene to prevent a diplomatic slide that could reverse the peace process built with tremendous effort. Addressing a public meeting at Beerwa in Budgam district here today he cautioned that the decade long peace effort could derail in absence of a political direction to the discourse that was dangerously poised once again to fall into narrow security narrative. Senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, senior leader, Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura, District President Saifudin Bhat , MLA Dr Mohd Shafi Wani, Youth general secretary Nazir Ahmed Yatoo, Tanveer Ahmed , Gulzar Ahmed Baig, Habibullah Sheikh, Hussamudin Masoodi, Mater Gh Mohd and Ab Gani were also present and spoke on this occasion.

Mufti said relations between India and Pakistan had shown a steady improvement ever since the visit of Atal Behari Vajpayee to Kashmir from where he had responded to the yearning for peace he observed among the people here and set a new agenda of friendship. The UPA too strengthened this effort through path breaking initiatives like the opening of cross LOC routes for trade and travel during its first stint. But unfortunately the process seems once again to be following the familiar pre 2003 downward direction with incidents holding the process hostage, he said. “Unless this trend is arrested by a bold political intervention South Asia could once again be heading for a crisis with Jammu and Kashmir having to face its most disastrous consequences”, he added stressing “we have a direct stake in peace”. He however expressed hope that the foreign secretary’s conference in New Delhi would achieve more positive results than the recent home secretary’s conference in implementing J&K specific CBMs decided by the foreign ministers last year to expand the trade and travel facilities across the LOC.

Stressing the urgent need for building up on the gains of peace process Mufti said the situation could be retrieved only by seizing the opportunity to revive the resolution effort that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been pushing for through peaceful and democratic means. “An amicable and peaceful resolution of the J&K issue is unavoidable for peace in this part of the world” he said. The surface calm prevailing in the state is fragile and it is tentative at best that is sustained mainly with unacceptable methods of silencing dissent, Mufti added.

Mufti said the situation in J&K demands that the national leadership rises above narrow considerations and carries forward the process that has been endorsed by a large peace constituency both in India and Pakistan has the peace loving people of the state on board. He said no one could deny complexities of Kashmir problem but the solution lies in recognizing them and moving forward on areas of possibilities that have by and large been identified. Unless that is done the state will continue to suffer and also pose a challenge to larger politico economic scenario in the region, Mufti said and pointed out that even a moment of grief in Kashmir is to be managed by imposing unending curfew and other harsh methods. He was referring to the imposition of curfew in Srinagar for five days and rounding up of youth in the wake of the unfortunate fire incident that destroyed the shrine of Dastgeer Sahib (RA) last week. He said the very atmosphere changes in Kashmir with any such incident which is the result of the larger political problem that is only compounded by inefficient governance.

Referring to the issues of governance the PDP patron said life of ordinary people had been rendered miserable by the government’s inability to carry forward the initiatives taken by the previous coalition. He said on the one hand corruption in high places is becoming a norm and on the other prices are skyrocketing with government acting as a mute spectator. The accountability and vigilance institutions have been made dysfunctional to facilitate the loot of resources. To make things worse power crisis has gripped entire state and in spite of a manifold increase in tariff during the last three years supply position has hit the worst levels since the last NC dispensation had made it a rare commodity he said.

Mufti said the PDP was a hard and healthy reality of Jammu and Kashmir and nobody could wish it away. He said the party would stand by the people and its principles in all circumstances to make democratic accountability a norm that has been missing in the state ever since independence. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now the alternatives to choose from and they cease to be hostages to any single individual or a party and that is the way to restore our self respect, dignity and political empowerment” he said. The PDP is striving for democratic institutions of governance to take firm roots so that the people get a responsible and responsive government no matter which party comes to power, he said.

Explaining various aspects of the political vision of PDP senior leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussein Baig told the meeting it aimed at modernization of the state along with dignified resolution of its political problems. He said given the rich resources of the state he said there was no reason why it should not develop into a model for other states. “With just sixteen MLAs and three years in office the Mufti Sayeed government had made an impact no government since 1947 had been able to do. That period stands out both on resolution and development fronts” he added.

Baig said it was a pleasant development that the people particularly youth of the state had started getting impressed with the PDP agenda and aligning with it. “Self rule is a document of hope and it is natural that the youth who have been the worst victims of conflict strike an easy bond with our agenda” he said. He said it was unfortunate that the National Conference after having created a wedge between the state and rest of the country had itself struck bonds of friendship with whosoever ruled Delhi but used brutal methods to crush opposition to it at home. Youth were the worst victims of this duplicity and many generations of Kashmiris had suffered as a result, with NC itself enjoying power and luxuries he said.

He said that development works under the state and central sectors are victims of government lethargy, corruption and favoritism. Whatever works are taken up are driven by contractors close to government and some ministers. There is no development strategy for the government as was pointed out even by the Planning Commission of India. Annual Plan is still to be finalized. Plan funds are utilized by the CM almost as his secret fund to please his favorites. Malpractices in schemes like NAREGA have reached a level where the disbursements were stopped sometime back by GOI. ERA schemes have become a source of trouble rather than relief. Half of Jammu and Srinagar roads are dug up for three years for these schemes which seem to be never ending.