BARAMULLA, 01 APRIL: General Observers accompanied by the Returning Officer for Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency Dr G N Itoo today visited Govt Degree College for Boys Baramulla where counting centres and election strong room have been established, to review the security and other necessary arrangements being put in place for smooth and transparent conduct for upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019.

On the occasion, the observers were briefed by the Returning Officer about the necessary arrangements made for smooth and hassle free counting wherein they stressed to ensure foolproof arrangements at the venue. The observers stressed to made all the requisite arrangements well in advance.

Meanwhile the observers also inspects EVM/VVPAT strong rooms to get the first hand appraisal of the same wherein they were briefed by the RO about the availability/required machines.

Earlier, 2nd phase of EVM/VVPAT randomization under the supervision of Returning Officer was held. The process was held in presence of election observers and the representatives of contesting candidates.

Jammu, April 01 : Educational Institutions today started ‘Punctuality Week’ across the state to inculcate a sense of punctuality and discipline among the students.

During the week-long celebration, the students along with active participation of the parents shall be involved into various curricular and extra-curricular activities for ensuring their punctuality and making them attentive towards academics and related activities.

Largest tulip garden in Asia was throw open on Sunday for the tourists, the garden witnessed an impressive and overwhelming  rush of the locals and tourists on the first day of the opening this year marking a beginning of new tourism season in Kashmir.

The visitors were seen thronging to the garden with friends and families and the large queues were witnessed at the ticket counter to get the entry tickets to enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of the tulip blooms, this year the Floriculture department has installed the lighting and illumination facilities in garden to ensure the tourist flow till late hours  

“It is like a heaven, the ground is filled with the colorful flowers and whole garden is sight to behold, below the garden there is an artificial lake that adds to the beauty of the garden and is one of the best of outing with family, friends and dear ones,” a visitor said.

Number of the visitors complained that the department should have opened more ticket counters to avoid the chaos and wastage of time of the visitors at counters

Talking to Kashmir News Bureau Dy. Director Floriculture Nazir Ahmad Reshi said, “The tourist and local crowd was absolutely good and about 4 to 5 thousand visitors visited the garden on the first day of opening among them 30% were tourists and 70% were locals, these are initial days of the opening and tulip are not fully bloomed after a week time it will come to peak of blooming and the graph will increase gradually, we are expecting 2 lac visitors this year.”

When asked about the inconvenience faced by the visitors on ticket counter he said, “It was first day and we are going to open more ticket counters so visitors not have to inconvenience and feel relaxed.”

Srinagar, April 1 : Elections are integral part of any democratic process, but there is not even the trace of any democratic values and more than one million armed forces contain this “helpless nation” to conduct this “sham” military exercise, said the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani on Monday while appealing for a complete and unanimous boycott of upcoming elections.

In a statement issued Geelani said more than 100 battalion of forces have been added, making this globally designated highly militarized zone more dense.

“Such a vast and forceful military operation even if covered under the carpet of elections, can in no way hide its venomous character,” he said.

Hurriyat (G) chairman said: “No sane citizen of this state, belonging to any region or religion, is satisfied with the ground situation of this land. Death and destruction and political instability have led to such a chaotic scenario.”

“A nation which has sacrificed more than a 100 thousand people is in such a pathetic and suffocating situation struggling for its existence has no moral justification to take part in any electoral process,” he said.

Geelani said some argue that despite boycott people get elected. He said it is agreed beyond doubt that people have celebrated 2 percent voter turnout, but there is a hell of difference between the “crown of humiliation and crown of grace”.

How can we afford to be part of the house where laws and resolutions are passed only to throttle and subjugate us, he said.

Commenting on the luring of voters by the pro-India politicians, Hurriyat (G) chairman said: “Our nation has the habit of forgetting and following blindly to the deceitful voices, but the recent memories are afresh in the minds of people who still remember the fate of autonomy, by none other than its own creators, despite having 2/3rd majority in assembly.”

Geelani said the ban on religious and pro-freedom organizations has irked and pained those who themselves not only banned these groups and locked their schools, offices and residences. “Even their long beard workers burnt the Holy Qur’an in every nook and corner of the state in 1979,” he said.

The pro-freedom leader said that humiliating remarks of “milk & toffee” are still echoing in the minds of people and every curb and war on the people was assigned to the “dreams” of her father.

“Arrogance of power was so intoxicating that in presence of mighty crutches of power, even the queries from media were not responded, but as the support withered away, they shamelessly started knocking the doors of people with a begging bowl,” he said.

It hardly matters who wins and who loses, but no conscious, sane and mindful person should be part of “anybody’s win or loss”, Geelani said. 

Srinagar, April 1 : A 22-year-old youth died on Monday afternoon after a bike stunt he was attempting went horribly wrong near Degree College Bohipora area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Reports reaching GNS said the incident took place when Nazim Malik, 22, son of Late Abdul Rashid Malik, a resident of Malik Mohalla, Kupwara was practicing stunts on his motorcycle.

The preliminary investigations have revealed that the biker hit a girl during the stunt and went topsy-turvy, they said.

The girl namely Sumiya Jan was injured in the incident while as the biker suffered head injuries. Both were immediately taken to sub-district hospital Kupwara where from the boy was referred to SKIMS Soura and the girl to Bone and Joint hospital Barzulla for treatment.

However, the boy died on way to Srinagar hospital, they said.

A police officer said a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigations taken up.

In recent past, bike stunts have seen surge and people have requested police to keep a check on it.

People said the parents need to counsel their wards and inculcate a sense of traffic rules in them to prevent such tragic accidents. (GNS)

Srinagar, April 1 : Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Monday said that J&K’s special status is sacred and a matter of special provisions offered to the people of the state in order to be part of India and mere thoughts of abrogating it will be tantamount to committing suicide

Reacting sharply to Amit Shah’s statement on J&K’s special status, Sajad said that New Delhi refuses to learn from its past mistakes and is hell-bent on further distancing future generations of J&K from the rest of the country.

“The growing alienation and mistrust in Kashmir is a result of systematic erosion of Article 370 from its original form. Mere thought of abrogating Articles 370 & 35-A is further going to damage the relationship between the people of J&K and the rest of India. If New Delhi indeed intends to tinker with Article 370 & 35-A, it will be tantamount to committing suicide”, he added.

Sajad said that any misstep in regard to Article 370 has the potential to further secessionist sentiment in the valley. The secessionist sentiment will get its ultimate mass justification. 

“Forget abrogation, mere statements of intent to undermine or dilute Article 370 & Article 35A will fatally shake the foundations of accession.

Any attempt to actually do away with it would be as good as saying goodbye to the state of J&K. It would prove to be the last straw in the New Delhi’s relationship with the state of J&K”, he added.

Reiterating his demand to further strengthen Article 370, Sajad said restoring Article 370 to its original pristine is the only solution to resolve the problem in Kashmir.

“Restoring Article 370 to its original contours is the only non-military measure left with the Indian state to restore peace in the state of J and K. This is an article of trust an article of faith and essentially a contract. The contract is subject to abiding to the set of obligations as agreed by both parties. Any move to abandon its obligations by either party actually nullifies the contract and puts accession in a state of ambiguity. The statement of Shah is legally untenable and ethically undesirable’, he added.