Modi Replaced Stones With Computers, Jobs: Shah In J-K

Highlighting the Modi government’s development push in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that the Centre had given computers and employment to youth who earlier held stones in their hands.

The Union home minister, who launched development projects of around Rs 1,960 crore in Jammu, was referring to past incidents of stone-pelting which would be frequently reported from the valley.
“After the abrogation of Article 370, people in J-K got benefits from various government schemes. Democracy is strengthened when people welcome the change. It is important to identify the three families of J-K which nurtured separatism instead of development,” Shah said.

He said the central government gave computers and employment to the youth who earlier held stones in their hands.

“Earlier there were stone-pelting incidents. But, no such incidents are there now. We have to understand the change that has come now. We identified those in the administration who were supporting terrorism and rooted them out. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken out ‘Jamhooriyat’ (democracy) from three families in Jammu and Kashmir and has taken it to the people through 30,000 Panchayati raj members,” said Shah.

In the 70 years since independence, the Home Minister said only Rs 15,000 crore were invested in Jammu and Kashmir, but since 2019, an investment of about Rs 56,000 crore has been brought in the erstwhile state.

Shah further said that the youth of J-K will benefit greatly from tourism. He said 50 lakh tourists have visited Jammu and 22 lakh tourists have visited Kashmir in recent months.

“Earlier the delimitation was done only for the benefit of three families. For the first time post Independence, there has been a real delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir now, due to which the people of the hilly region have got their rights,” Shah added.

Shah, who is on a 3-day visit to J-K, reached Jammu Monday evening after which he met people from various communities including Gujjar-Bakarwal, Rajput, Pahari, and Sikhs.

He began his day on Tuesday with a visit to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra where he offered prayers. Notably, this was Shah’s first visit to the holy shrine after being appointed the Home Minister of the Modi government 2.0.

His visit, during which he was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh, coincided with the ninth day of the ongoing Navratri festival.

Shah is slated to hold a number of crucial meetings including the ones regarding the security situation in the region on Wednesday. He will review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting that is slated to be held at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

LG Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Army, paramilitary forces, state police, and civil administration will take part in this high-level meeting expected to begin at 10 am tomorrow.

Before concluding his visit to the Union Territory, Shah will also launch and lay foundation stones for various development projects in Srinagar tomorrow afternoon. (ANI)

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Chief Commander Showkat

H-U-M’s Chief Commander Showkat Declared Terrorist Under UAPA

The Centre on Tuesday declared Chief Launching Commander of terror outfit Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen Showkat Ahmed Sheikh a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on charges of spreading terror violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Born in 1970 in the Ganie Hamam area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla, Showkat alias Showkat Mochi, the son of Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, is presently based in Pakistan.
Showkat is also accused of his involvement in “coordinating infiltration and recruitment of terrorists and execution of terror attacks owing to his deep network of associates in North Kashmir”.

In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification issued on Tuesday said, the Central government declared Showkat Ahmed Sheik as a terrorist.

“The Central Government believes that Showkat Ahmad Sheikh alias Showkat Mochi is involved in terrorism and he is to be notified as a terrorist under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.”

The order mentioned that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) has been enacted to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities.

Besides, it noted, Clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 empowers the Central Government to notify the name of an individual in the Fourth Schedule to the Act, if it believes that he is involved in terrorism.

The notification also mentioned that Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen is listed as a terrorist organization under the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. (ANI)

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Shah At Vaishno Devi Temple

Shah Offers Prayers At Vaishno Devi Temple

Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered prayers at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra on Tuesday morning.

The Home Minister reached the Katra shrine via the Sanjhichatt Helipad. He was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Internet services have been temporarily suspended in Jammu and in specific areas of Rajouri.

This is Shah’s first visit to the holy cave shrine after being appointed as the Union Home Minister.
His visit coincides with the ninth day of the ongoing Navratri festival.

Shah is scheduled to later address a public meeting at Rajouri, which is around one-and-half hours away from the Vaishno Devi temple.

The Minister will further launch development projects and also lay foundation stones for various projects at Convention Centre in Jammu.

Shah will then hold a public meeting in Rajouri and offer prayers at the Raghunath Temple in Jammu.

He will also inspect various developmental projects here before heading to the Kashmir valley.

Later in the evening, the Home Minister will hold a number of crucial meetings including the ones regarding the security situation in the region.

On Wednesday (October 5), Shah will review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting that is slated to be held at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

LG Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Army, paramilitary forces, state police and civil administration will take part in this high-level meeting expected to begin at 10 am tomorrow.

The Minister will later address a public meeting here at Baramulla around 11.30 am and will address the gathering.

Before concluding his visit to the Union Territory, Shah will also launch and lay foundation stones for various development projects in Srinagar around 3.30 pm.

Various programmes have been scheduled to take place during his visit to the valley including the ones which will be held by communities like Bakarwal and Gujjars to honour Shah on behalf of the Modi government for working for the welfare of these communities.

In a surprising move, the Modi government recently nominated Ghulam Ali to the Rajya Sabha. Ali joined BJP in 2008 and hails from the Gujjar tribe.

Several organisational meetings are on the cards too including the state core group meeting and meeting with party MPs and MLAs.

This is the second visit by Amit Shah to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government in August 2019.

Meanwhile, Shah on Monday met people from different communities, including Gujjar-Bakarwal, Rajput, Pahari, and the Jammu Sikh Community. (ANI)

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Tharoor Manifesto

Tharoor Shows a Distorted Map Of India, In Manifesto

Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor landed in a controversy on Friday as the manifesto shared by him for the election shows a “distorted map of India” in which he has omitted parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

He shared the distorted map of India, where he talked about ‘the decentralization of the organization.
The goof-up by Tharoor, who is running for the president’s post of the country’s oldest party does not show good precedent.

Later Tharoor rectified the blunder by replacing it with the correct map of India in his election manifesto.

This is not the first time the Lok Sabha MP has shared a distorted map of India. Earlier in 2019, Tharoor shared a ‘distorted’ map of India on Twitter. The northernmost territory of the country was missing from the map shared by the Congress leader.

In December 2019, he shared the cover of a booklet about the Kerala Congress’s protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He later deleted the tweet and rectified his mistake.

Tharoor has issued a manifesto explaining how he intends to rejuvenate the party through decentralization and internal reorganization if he wins the election.

“Every party needs leadership, but at all levels and not just at the top. The Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the PCC Presidents, decentralizing authority, and truly empowering the grassroots office-bearers of the party. We must provide a credible alternative to the BJP ‘s centralization of authority in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance. “Re-imagining the organization, delegating powers to the state, district, and block leaders, and empowering grassroots workers will not only free the new leader from the onerous burdens of over-administration but help create the strong state leadership that in past eras strengthened the Congress’ national appeal,” the Congress leader’s manifesto reads.

He also promised to increase focus on youth and to give a bigger role to women in the party

“The Congress will support leadership by women, for women, in keeping with the “Ladki boon, lad Sakti hoon” principle. Women will be encouraged to take up issues that actually matter to women in our society. More positions for women should be reserved in PCCs and in the electoral fray. The party will work to pass the women’s reservation bill. “In these efforts, the role and capacity of the All India Mahila Congress will be strengthened,” the manifesto reads.

Tharoor filed his nomination at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in the national capital. Before that, he visited the Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

“There is a need for decentralization in this party. We are not an election machine for winning elections every five years. “We must serve the people of India,” Tharoor said.

He said the manifesto explains “how we hope to rejuvenate the party, to decentralize the organization of the party.”

“In my own efforts, I am guided by the crores of party workers who have taken the party through good times and bad and who are once again hoping for a renewed, dynamism and energy in the Congress party,” he said addressing a press conference.

“This is what I hope to bring to and through my campaign. I have a vision for Congress, for the internal reorganization of the congress, which I will send to every delegate. We are pleased that we have the signatures of party colleagues from Kashmir to Kerala and Punjab to Nagaland. I am here to be the voice of all the party workers,” Tharoor added.

The senior Congress leader also hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, saying things are “not really functioning properly” in the country.

“We have seen that things are not really functioning properly in our country: demonetization, historical unemployment, inflation. Congress should be the party to bring change,” he said.

Tharoor will primarily take on another veteran leader of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, for the party president post. Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi, too, has filed his nomination.

Earlier, Digvijaya Singh and Ashok Gehlot said that they have dropped out of the race.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister visited Kharge at his residence this morning. “I told him that I stand by him and can’t even think of contesting against him, I will be his proposer,” Singh told reporters.

Nominations for the post of Congress president closed at 3 pm today, and results will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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Sikkim Saffron Cultivation

After Success Of Trials With J-K’s Help, Sikkim To Launch Saffron Cultivation

After the success of trials undertaken with the assistance of the Jammu and Kashmir administration, Sikkim is all set to start saffron cultivation this year and farmers are gearing up for it.
Sikkim University, Sikkim Government Horticulture Department, and the Agriculture Department of Jammu and Kashmir have joined hands to monitor saffron cultivation in the state.

The trial phase was undertaken under the supervision of Sikkim University, which has given enthusiastic results. Sikkim government has done a trial of saffron cultivation in various pockets of Sikkim like Yaksum and nearby areas in West Sikkim and Pangthang, Simik, Khamdong, Padamchen and surrounding areas in East Sikkim have been identified for further cultivation.

A high-level delegation from Sikkim also visited Jammu and Kashmir for an agreement and tie-up last July and then onwards all department officials are in touch to ensure production.

The Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department and the Horticulture Department of Sikkim have ensured a basic training program for farmers to know about yield and farming.

Officials said Kashmir’s Pampore and Sikkim’s Yangyang have the same weather and geographical conditions, which ensured good success rate during trials.

The Sikkim government cultivated saffron on around one and a half acres of farming land in different locations to see results, which have fantastic results, Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad told ANI.

“Mission started in 2020 with a small piece of land under the monitoring of Sikkim University. After successful results, cultivation attempt made in a different part of State, which was also very successful,” said the Governor.

Governor Prasad also said that the success rate of saffron cultivation is around 80 percent, which is good.

“Sikkim has very supportive weather for saffron cultivation and it has all required,” he said.

He further said that they held several meetings with Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and other officials in Raj Bhawan for discussion and expansion of saffron cultivation.

The Sikkim government is looking at it as a major move to boost growth and benefit farmers. Both Jammu and Kashmir have a specialty in saffron cultivation. (ANI)

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LoC Residents

LoC Residents Seek Mobile, Road Connectivity

Earlier residents of areas near the Line of Control on the international border wanted bunkers to save themselves from shelling, but now with peace prevailing, they seek good roads and mobile connectivity to welcome tourists.

In February 2020, India and Pakistan agreed to abide by the ceasefire agreement signed between the two countries in 2004, following the killing of civilians on both sides in ceasefire violations.
The fresh understanding to abide by the ceasefire arrived after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was successful in their secret diplomacy in bringing Pakistan to negotiating table secretly to implement the ceasefire.

This successful diplomacy has its dividends for LoC residents in places like Keran, Teetwal, Uri and Gurez. Two years before the residents of these LoC areas demanded underground concrete bunkers to save themselves from daily shelling and firing between India and Pakistan armies.

For 50-year-old Mufeez Khan of Keran at the Line of Control, his only demand for years to the Jammu and Kashmir government was a concrete bunker near his house to save his family from shelling and firing during ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army.

“I am constructing a new house to make it a hotel as tourists have been flocking our area for last one year. Tourism will boost our economy and we can earn a livelihood,” said Khan who lives in Keran where all houses are perched on a hill station overlooking the gushing water of the Kishenganga river.

Khan and his relatives in this picturesque area of Keran have now converted their houses into homestays for tourists.

Abound with picturesque beauty these hilly stations area at LoC like Keran, Teetwal, Uri and Gurez offer visitors with camping, trekking, adventure, and rafting far from the maddening crowd of Pahalgam and Gulmarg.

“Tourists across the country are visiting here to see the beauty of Keran and other areas. We are reaping the dividends of the ceasefire. Even women in our homes now earn at home by cooking food for tourists,” said Khan.

On tourists thronging Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha said” this is the golden period for Jammu and Kashmir in which all the records of the last 15-20 years have been broken. More than 80 lakh tourists arrived here in the last months. This has brought prosperity and is helping people establish peace.”

The residents are now demanding good roads and mobile networks in their regions to welcome tourists.

“Civil administration has neglected these areas and not building roads or setting up a mobile network here. The administration must gear up for development now,” Tariq Abrar, a young man in the Madian village of Keran said.

From camping to holding marriage functions, these LoC villages can have an economic turnaround where livelihood opportunities are scant.

Officials in Jammu and Kashmir tourism department said the peaceful LoC has borne the idea of border tourism which is turning into a boon for the local residents.

“Tourists are thronging the LoC and border destinations which gives visitors a different life experience than in Pahalgam or Gulmarg,” an official of the tourism department said. At Zero Line in the Keran sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, locals have erected tents on the banks of Kishenganga river for visitors.

“I was sitting idle at home for years and sliding into depression in absence of livelihood. For the last one year, I have opened a campsite by erecting tents for visitors. My livelihood concern is over now, thanks to a ceasefire” Fakhruddin Wani, who has opened a campsite in Keran on the banks of Kishenganga river.

An army official posted in Keran said that locals and non-local tourists have been visiting the area as it offers a refreshing tour for anyone.

In the Uri sector, it has now become possible for LoC residents to hold marriage functions that one could not even think of before the ceasefire.

In Silikote village of Uri sector which is just inside the LoC fence, a 32-year-old Mudasir Ahmad Khawaja become the first groom to be offered welcome by locals and the Indian Army.

“My marriage is possible because of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. We are living peacefully and hope our children also reap its dividends,” Khawaja said.

Naveed Bukhtiyar, a young social activist and lawyer from Uri, said many residents who had fled to Uri town in fear of shelling and firing are now returning homes after year. “It is a peaceful life for all of us. Marriages, festivals and celebrations are now a reality on LoC thanks to the ceasefire,” he said.

The promotion of tourism on the LoC and convert it into a peace zone has been bolstered by the efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor administrations. From holding musical, and cultural festivals to sports activities in these LoC areas, the tourism department is making full efforts to attract visitors to these destinations. For these events, Teetwal, Suchetgarh, Turtuk in Ladakh, Keran, Uri and Gurez are registering increased footfall of tourists.

Secretary Tourism Sarmad Hafeez with the opening of LoC and border tourism, Jammu & Kashmir is now an all-season destination, resulting in record footfall of tourists this year. (ANI)

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Democratic Azad Party

Nabi Azad Announces His New Outfit Democratic Azad Party

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday announced that his new political outfit will be named as ‘Democratic Azad Party’.

The development comes exactly a month after Azad resigned from the Congress party.
Announcing the name of the new party at a press conference here, Azad said that the outfit will be secular, democratic and independent from any influence.

Azad also unveiled the flag of the Democratic Azad Party. The flag has three colours – mustard, white and blue.

Yesterday, Azad held meetings with his workers and leaders.

Earlier, Azad, in his first public meeting in Jammu after quitting Congress, had announced to launch of his own political outfit that will focus on the restoration of full statehood.

He had said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would decide the party’s name and flag.

“I’ve not decided upon a name for my party yet. The people of J-K will decide the party’s name and flag. I’ll give a Hindustani name to my party that everyone can understand,” he said at the rally after breaking away from his five-decade-long association with the grand old party.

“My party will focus on the restoration of full statehood, right to land, and employment to native domicile,” he added then.

Azad said that the first unit of his political outfit would be formed in Jammu and Kashmir in view of impending assembly polls.

“My party will focus on the restoration of full statehood, right to land, and employment to native domicile,” he added.

He lashed out at Congress and said that people are trying to defame us (me and my supporters who left the party) but their reach is limited to computer tweets.

Azad said, “Congress was made by us by our blood, not by computers, not by Twitter. People are trying to defame us but their reach is limited to computers and tweets.

That is why Congress is nowhere to be seen on the ground.” The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in his first public meeting at Sainik Colony in Jammu.

Azad has been Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005 to 2008.

In his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, he had targeted party leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, over the way the party has been run in the past nearly nine years.

In the hard-hitting five-page letter, Azad had claimed that a coterie runs the party while Sonia Gandhi was just “a nominal head” and all the major decisions were taken by “Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs”.

He was earlier Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Recounting his long association with the Congress, Azad had said the situation in the party has reached a point of “no return.”

While Azad took potshots at Sonia Gandhi in the letter, his sharpest attack was on Rahul Gandhi and he described the Wayand MP as a “non-serious individual” and “immature”. (ANI)

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Listing Of Article 370 Hearing After Dussehra Break: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would list the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories after the Dussehra break.

“We will certainly list it after Dussehra break,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice of India UU Lalit.
The break for Dussehra is between October 3 and 9.

The counsel mentioning the matter on the urgent list told the bench that the matter has been pending for a year. Earlier, former CJI NV Ramana had said he will try to list in July a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the move scrapping Article 370.

Various petitions are pending before the top court challenging the validity of the law scrapping Article 370 of the constitution and special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

Later, some petitions were filed against the government’s action for delimitation in accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.

These petitions said sweeping changes are being brought about by the Centre that impacts the rights of a large number of people.

Despite the petition being pending before the Supreme Court since 2019, the central government has taken some irreversible actions, the petitions added. The petitions have stated that the Centre has constituted a delimitation commission to mark boundaries in the territory for all the constituencies before an assembly election can be held.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union territories.

A five-judge Bench in March 2020 had declined to refer to a larger 7-judge bench a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 on August 5, saying there were no reasons to refer the matter to a larger bench.

A number of petitions have been filed in the top court including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists and politicians, and political parties challenging the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. (ANI)

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Kashmir

Kashmir Rejects Terror, Separatism And Pakistan Agenda

Security Forces have almost drawn the last nail in the coffin of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir leaving the terror bosses sitting across the Line of Control (LoC) exasperated.

Recently, J-K Police arrested three hybrid terrorists, Waseem, Yawar, and Muzammil, for their involvement in the killing of Mohammad Amrez, a laborer hailing from Bihar. He was shot dead by the terrorists in August this year at Sadunara in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

The arrested trio, after questioning revealed that they had kept a watch on outside laborers and wanted to strike fear among them by such killings. They were in touch with a Pakistan handler code-named Babar, and Amreez’s killing was carried out at his direction.

After August 5, 2019–when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J-K’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories–terrorist bosses sitting in Pakistan have made desperate attempts to terrorize the people, especially the non-locals and the members of the minority communities.

Terrorists operating in Kashmir during the past three years have made desperate attempts to vitiate peace by targeting innocents. The arrested terrorists have revealed that their bosses sitting across the Line of Control have given them clear-cut instructions to kill people for conflict to remain alive.

The attacks on the members of minority communities and non-locals were carried out under a well-devised conspiracy to push them out of Kashmir so that 1990 like the situation is recreated but the minorities and non-locals have held their ground. They haven’t left Kashmir, nor have they got intimidated by the pressure exerted by the terrorists.

Swift action by security forces instills confidence

The swift action by the security forces against the terrorists has prevented the situation from taking an ugly turn. Terrorists who were involved in the killings of innocents have either been eliminated or arrested. The security forces acting tough against the killers instilled confidence among the people to stay firm in their fight against terrorism and the terrorists.

Terrorism in the Union Territory is on its last legs and the final assault has been launched to neutralize the terrorism forever.

Personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with the central armed forces have rendered invaluable sacrifices to defeat the elements sponsored by Pakistan. The security forces have achieved a lot on different fronts and jawans are working hard to ensure that normalcy in Kashmir becomes a permanent feature.

The work and sacrifices of the security forces have been acknowledged by the entire country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and others.

Hurriyat becomes history

It’s not only the terrorism that has been controlled, separatists, who used to act as advocates of Pakistan in Kashmir, have been cut to size. The Hurriyat Conference, funded by the terror bosses sitting across the LoC, has wound up its offices as there is no one left in Kashmir to carry forward the agenda of separatism and sedition.

To fill in the void a new chapter of the Hurriyat has been opened in Pakistan to provoke the people of J-K. However, its shutdown call on August 5 this year was totally ignored by the people of J-K. Instead, there were huge celebrations.

Terrorists based in Pakistan were using social media to instigate youth to foment trouble in the Himalayan region, but after the scrapping of Article 370, people in Jammu and Kashmir are not falling into their trap as they have understood that neither Pakistan nor the terrorists are their friends.

They have rejected the path of violence and their overwhelming participation in national events like Har Ghar Tiranga campaign and Independence Day celebrations is ample proof of the fact that no one in Kashmir is interested in what Pakistan is trying to preach.

All out efforts

The security forces are putting in all-out efforts to consolidate peace in J-K and no chance is being provided to anti-national elements to regroup and put Kashmir on the path of destruction again.

During the past three years, security agencies have dismantled the terror ecosystem which sustained the terror for 30 years. Terrorist supporters and sympathizers are being identified and nailed. The network of the overground workers that helped the terrorists to carry on with their nefarious acts has been trampled.

Politicians, who posed as nationalists and supported the separatists and Pakistan, have been cut to size and made to understand that the days to sail in two boats have ended. The government employees with separatist leanings have been told in clear terms that it’s the government whom they serve and they cannot indulge in any such activity which is against the national interest.

Spirit of nationalism

After 2019, the spirit of nationalism has been inculcated among the people. The alienation that prevailed during the rule of politicians has been addressed. The abrogation of Article 370 has made every Kashmiri realize that he is an Indian and the country cares for him.

The inculcation of nationalism has helped people of J-K to differentiate between friends and foes. The Himalayan region witnessing massive development in 3-years has made it clear that New Delhi always wanted J-K to prosper and come at par with other states across the country but the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Article 370 acted as biggest stumbling blocks.

Pak suffers severe blows

Pakistan has lost the proxy war that it fought in the Himalayan region. Till 2019, it kept J-K on the precipice through its stooges. But in the last three years it has suffered consecutive blows as the present dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no mood to compromise with the terrorists, their sponsors and their advocates.

The security forces have been given a free hand to wipe out terrorism from J-K and a mechanism has been devised to ensure that terror doesn’t raise its ugly head again.

The Ministry of Home Affairs led by Amit Shah is directly monitoring anti-terror operations in the Union Territory and is providing all the support to the security forces to end the era of bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Terrorist handlers based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have given clear-cut instructions to the terrorists to keep on spilling the blood but their nefarious designs are being foiled on a daily basis by the security agencies.

Jammu and Kashmir have changed after its complete merger with the Union of India as the terrorists have lost local support and their agenda is finding no takers. A new dawn has already broken in the Himalayan region and the end of terrorism is not that far away. (ANI)

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Virat, Umran Drive India To 67-Run Win Over Lanka | Lokmarg

Night Cricket Returns To Kashmir, Enthusiasts Filled With Joy

Cricket tournaments held under floodlights are now bringing cheer to thousands of sports enthusiasts in Jammu and Kashmir.

There was little development of sports infrastructure in Kashmir after militancy broke out in 1990. But sports infrastructure is being built in the valley during the past few years.

Just two international cricket matches had been played in Kashmir before the eruption of militancy. The last international cricket match was held in Srinagar’s Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium between India and Australia in the autumn of 1986.

As the news of the matches–which were scheduled to be played in the North Kashmir Pattan area under floodlights–went viral on social media, people left the cosy atmosphere at their homes and rushed to the ground.

The event was inaugurated by the chairman of Municipal committee Pattan, Pritpal Singh Oberoi, After inaugurating the event, he said that sports have a positive and constructive role in our social and psychological development and such events enable our youth to divert their attention towards positive pursuits.

He said that various initiatives are being taken to develop sports infrastructure so that more and more sports activities are promoted and he assured of every possible assistance on part of the administration.

Over 20,000 spectators who came from every nook and corner of northern Kashmir cheered and encouraged the players during the match being held floodlights at Pattan. Mohammad Lateef Ganaie, organizer of Presidents Cup 2022 said that it was a major development in the history of sports in J&K and he hoped they would hold such matches in future.

“In the evening, thousands of spectators come here to watch the match, which was never seen here before as such events are being held for the first time in our region,” Tabish Ayaz a young cricketer said. He hopes that cricket matches will be played with the same enthusiasm in the future.

“Around 9 PM, the cricket match starts here and thousands of spectators come to cheer the cricketers,” Tabish added. “It was a dream for the youth here to play a night cricket match and we fulfilled that dream,” he said.

Iqbal Khan another cricketer says that sports infrastructure should be further developed in Kashmir as the youth here have a lot of talent in sports.

Meanwhile, a similar league is being played in Durhama area of Baramulla district where atleast 65 cricket teams from faraway places are competing. In the evening, this playground is also crowded with spectators.

At Ghani Kashmir Memorial Stadium in the downtown area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar city, cricket matches are also held here in the evening attracting thousands of elderly and young people from across the city to the stadium.

Azim Irfan, one of the cricketers, says that it is a good initiative that more and more people will get involved in sports so that they will be saved from bad deeds. Azam believes that more sports infrastructure will be developed here in the near future.

“We have come from about 10 kilometres away to watch this night match and we enjoy watching the match here. We hope that such tournaments should continue in the future,” a group of spectators said.

Similarly, in South Kashmir districts and central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, cricket lovers are also organizing night competitions. Organizers said that they make special arrangements for the teams as well as spectators to enjoy the night cricket.

Meanwhile, the secretary Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul has said that about 35 lakh youths have to be engaged in sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

She further said that the youth service and sports and sports council have got a target by the government to involve 35 lakh youth in sports activities.

“Both the departments are working on this target in and sports activities including football and hockey are going on in every district of J&K,” she said, adding that the government’s focus is on sports and sports-related activities. (ANI)

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