NEW DELHI: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief and lawmaker Vaiko on Wednesday filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to allow former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah to travel to Chennai.

Abdullah has been under preventive detention in Srinagar from the past one month.

Vaiko, in his petition, asserted that Abdullah was to attend the 111th birth anniversary celebration of former Tamil Nadu chief minister C N Annadurai in Chennai on September 15, but could not be contacted as he is under the house arrest following the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Habeas corpus petition seeks a person under arrest to be brought before a court, especially to secure their release, unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.

Besides Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and various local leaders were taken into custody following the Centre’s decision to abrogate the provisions of Article 370.

Suhail Khan

A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in a brief gunfight with security forces here in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Wednesday, police said.

A police official while giving the details of the encounter said that a joint team of Army’s 22 RR, team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)   and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police jointly launched a search operation at Bypass area of Sopore this morning.

“After searching for hours a militant hiding in the area fired upon the joint party of the forces.

The fire was retaliated triggering a gun battle in which the militant was killed,” he added.

Officer identified slain militant as Asif and said he was responsible for recent shootout in which three family members were injured. He was also responsible for shooting at a migrant labour Shafi Alam in Sopore police official further added.

Pertinently, normal life continued to remain paralyzed in Kashmir with shops and business establishments closed and traffic off the roads after BJp led government removed Article 370 and announced bifurcation of the state into union territories on August 05.

‘No one has harmed us even in strikes, we though to return, earn our livelihood again’

Shopian, Sept 10 : The main town of Shopian in south Kashmir is again abuzz in early hours after remaining deserted for over a month in the wake of revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir State on August 5. Courtesy: return of non-local labourer’s.

According to wire service—hundreds of labors mostly from mainland Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh- popularly known as ‘non local labourer’s here, have returned again in restive Shopian town in search of manual jobs.

“Despite prevailing situation since the day Union Home Minister announced revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir State, we would have not left Kashmir, but government order compelled us to leave,” Ram Krishan, popularly known as Babu, told wire service.

Fully confident about his safety in prevailing situation in Kashmir, he said no one has harmed them even in strikes. “In the past few years, several times we have to cross the militant funerals to reach our rented accommodations’ after day’s work and nobody in the crowd harmed us,” Babu told , amid a gentle smile.

Flanked by others, he said they decided to return Kashmir after knowing the ground realities about people here. “We have been working here for decades; our families are depended on our earnings from here and they (our families) know it well that we won’t be harmed,” he said.

On an average an unskilled non local laborer earns from Rs 500 to Rs 800 depending about the nature of the job. While those running shops like Tea shops, saloons or any other earns Rs 1000 plus every day on an average in the area.

As per news agency, unofficial figures suggest more than 20, 000 non-state workers both skilled and unskilled earn their living in the 260 plus villages of Shopian district. The work force has entered almost in every sector, making a major chunk of population dependent on them.

In Shopian, these people have an important role in new constructions from plinth to rooftop and from outer works to interior designing. They also work as laborers in horticulture sector from Incising of apple trees to carrying fruit boxes
(KNO).

BSNL officials say no plans to waive off monthly mobile bills, Subscribers aghast

Srinagar Sep 10 : In a major irritating move by the major telecommunication company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), there is no plan to waive off the monthly mobile bills for the subscribers using the services of the company. Senior officials revealed to wire service— that BSNL has approximately 40 per cent subscriber base in the Valley and barring top police officials and officials from the administration, common people have “dead phones in their hands.”

Kashmir valley continued to observe shutdown for the 36th straight day amidst the ongoing cellular and internet gag in the region. The authorities at BSNL telecom services ruled out any kind of waiver to its users in their billing plans.

As the clampdown of the cellular services continued to remain in place for more than a month of now, while as the restoration of landline services could not ease the gag due to the limited number of users in the valley. The BSNL authorities suspended their services throughout the Jammu and Kashmir region in the wake of abrogation of the Article 370 and bifurcation of the J&K state into two union territories by the Parliament on Aug 05, 2019. The suspension of the services was considered on the directions of the Government citing the law and order situation in the region.

Muhammad Ashraf, a BSNL landline user told wire services— that, “ I came here to pay the bill of my landline which is barred to make outgoing calls due to the non-payment of the previous bill. The billing agent rejected any sort of waiver on my billing plan during the period of the suspension of the services in the region.”

He told the wire services that he was left out with no option other than to clear his outstanding bill so that he could avail the services to get in touch with few of his relatives and friends having the same landline services.

Ashraf further told the wire services, “The state administration should intervene in this matter as it’s completely unjustified to get charged for the services which were on suspension.”

Anand Kumar (name changed) a senior employee at BSNL center at Exchange Road, Srinagar told the wire services,” The billing of the customers is based on the automated system which cannot be manipulated by any of the official here. The grant of waiver is always taken up by the higher authorities of BSNL and once they approve it automatically reflect on our billing systems accordingly.”

He told the wire services that the suspension of the services was not because of the technical fault of BSNL services but in-fact it was ordered by the Government under whose guidelines BSNL and other telecom services operate.

Reyaz Ahmed, a BSNL subscriber told wire service – that what is the fun of having a connection that has no network. “Isn’t it an injustice to pay the bill when we didn’t use the services at all for almost over a month,” he said as many of his friends echoed similar views. (KNO)

JK BOSE to announce tentative date-sheet for annual exams soon; Exams likely to commence from 3^rd week of Oct for class 10^th, 12^th, Class 11^th to appear in exams in second week of Nov

Srinagar, Sept 10 : Amid the prevailing uncertainty, the school education department has prepared the tentative date sheet for holding annual JK Board of School Education (BOSE) exams for the students of class 10th, 11th and 12th. An official in JKBOSE told wire service – that the exams are likely to commence from 3rd week of October while as the exams for class 11th will commence from 2nd week of November.

“The officials at JKBOSE have started the preparation for setting of question papers and process for compilation of answer scripts,” an official told wire service. He said the preparations have been started on the directions of the school education department to hold all the exams on scheduled time. The official said the class 10th and 12th will be held prior to class 11th exams given the shifting of students from secondary to higher secondary level and from higher secondary to college level.

“The exam from class 11th students can be held a month later than class 10th and 12th as the students don’t have to complete any registration process after exams,” the official told wire service. He said the actual dates for commencement of exams will be notified properly through official date sheet announced by JKBOSE later.

Already, the school education department has directed the students to fill the examination forms of 10th to 12th class examination to be conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Examination (JKBOSE).

The department has fixed September 10 as the last date for filling of examination forms by the students. An official said that last week Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) held a meeting with chief education officers (CEOs) to get the feedback about completion of syllabus of class 10th, 11th and 12th class students.

“The CEOs informed in the meeting that around 40 to 46 percent of syllabus has been completed in the schools. But there was nothing discussed about providing relaxation to students,” the official told wire service. The official informed that the JKBOSE has to make a huge preparation to hold the exams of 10th, 11th and 12th class students. He said the number of students appearing in exams would be ascertained only after students submit their forms.

“Given the gag on internet and cellular services most of the officials in JKBOSE have shifted to Jammu to complete the preparation for holding exams,” the official told wire service. An official also said the department has decided not to grant mass promotion to students from primary to class 9th. “Granting mass promotion in one class, the student performance in next classes remains very poor. So, we don’t want to keep any learning gaps,” the official told wire service.

Last week the advisor to Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan also hinted about holding exams for all classes citing that the department can defer the exam by a month for the convenience of students. “The exam preparations are going on, we are hopeful that students will prepare for it and complete all the formalities on time,” Farooq Khan told reporters after chairing a review meeting on Saturday.

Amid government pressure to hold exams for all classes, the private schools have also started distributing video lessons and other assignments to students from primary to secondary classes. The schools are informing the students through newspaper advertisements about the date and time for collection of the assignments and lessons. (KNO)

No major procession in Sgr, Processions held in Magam, elsewhere; no force used anywhere, says police, Media men disallowed to cover Muharram procession by security forces

Gowhar Nazir

Srinagar, Sep 10 : The authorities once again strictly imposed the strict curbs across the Srinagar city and elsewhere in valley as no major Ashura procession was witnessed anywhere in the capital city while as processions were peacefully held in parts of Budgam district. The police told wire service – that no force was used anywhere against mourners while as the day passed off peacefully.

Witnesses told wire service— that mourners assembled at Zadibal, Algamari Bazar, Gundhasi Bhat, Hassanabad amid strict curbs however, no major procession was held anywhere in the district. “But in Budgam and Magam, massive procession was taken out to mark Ashura (the 10^th day of Muharram),” eye-witnesses told wire service.

As the Curfew-like restrictions were re-imposed by the authorities on Tuesday in several parts of Kashmir, including the Srinagar city, to foil any plans of taking out the Muharram processions in the Valley as authorities apprehended that large congregations might lead to law and order situation.

Locals told wire service— that the Commercial hub of Lal Chowk and adjoining areas were completely sealed off by placing concertina wires as thick deployment of the forces were seen at all major entry and exit points of the area. However, restrictions have been in several parts of Kashmir as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order in the Valley.

The processions stand banned in Kashmir since 1990 when armed insurgency began. The authorities have been imposing restrictions in vulnerable areas of the Valley every Friday, apprehending that vested interests might exploit the large gatherings at big mosques and shrines to fuel protests. Meanwhile, normal life remained severely affected in Kashmir due to shutdown in the Valley which entered 37th day on Tuesday.

Muharram is considered as one of the sacred months of the Islamic lunar calendar. The battle of Karbala, in which Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) – the grandson of the Prophet (PBUH) had attained martyrdom is said to have been taken place in the 7th century. Many family members and close companions of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) were also martyred in the battle of Karbala.

Kashmir has been under the tight grip of curbs in the wake of scrapping of article 370 on August 05 as life continues to remain badly affected. There is a very thin attendance in schools while as public transport continues to remain off the roads even as train and mobile services continue to remain suspended for the 37^th straight day. Meanwhile, media men told wire service— that they were not allowed to cover the Muharram procession by security forces personnel deployed at length in Srinagar, especially in old city.

(KNO)