Vohra Takes Over Reigns of J&K
Transcription
Vohra Takes Over Reigns of J&K
C M Y K 9906564001 | 8494068168 | 9419087897 AEE BEE EnginEEring Works 18 KashmiR @ [email protected] [email protected] Servicing, repairing & Maintenance of all of Dg SetS,cc caMera Nabdi Pora, M.K. Chowk, Hawal, Srinagar (J&K) 5 20 Rabi-ul-Awwal | 1436 Hijri | Vol: 18 | Issue: 09 | Pages : 08 | Price: `3 When Jalaluddin Balkhi became Maulana Rumi w w w. k a s h m i r o b s e r v e r. n e t sunDaY 11 JanuaRY 2015 Wisdom You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop. / Srinagar Today: MoSTly Sunny MaxiMuM: 12oC / MiniMuM: -1oC / HuMidiTy : 75% / SunSeTS Today... 05:21 PM / SunriSeS ToMorrow... 07.24 aM Vohra Takes Over Reigns of J&K Modi praises Kashmiris Stable Govt in J&K Soon: BJP ...........Rumi Grenade Kills Shepherd rajOuri: A shepherd was killed when a littered explosive substance went off Dharhal area of Rajouri district. Police said that the deceased who had gone to graze his goats to upper parts of Darhal was killed after a stray grenade went off as soon as he accidently pulled its rusty pin. A police official said that a blast site was inspected thoroughly and it was found the man had found the stray grenade in dense bushes. “It is a militancy infested area and we have been investigating the matter,” he said adding that search has been launched to find out if any militant group is present in the area. Four Burglars Arrested srinagar: Police on Saturday said that it arrested four notorious burglars and recovered huge quantity of stolen merchandize worth lakhs of rupees from them in Zewan area of Srinagar city. “A spate of burglaries in shops and houses were reported in Zewan and Khanmou areas in recent days. Police had assured the common people that Police would take all measures to stop the recurrence of burglaries and detect that case of burglaries at an earliest,” a police official told CNS. He said Panthachowk Police had constituted a special investigation team headed by Station House Officer to solve the cases of Page 6 Asks officers to ensure good governance jammu: governor n n vohra saturday formally took over the reins of the government in jammu and Kashmir and asked the administration to take all necessary steps to ensure developments and good governance. After issuing the proclamation of Governor’s rule in the State on Friday, Vohra was given a warm welcome with guard of honor on his visit to the Civil Secretariat here on Saturday. “The governor reached Civil Secretariat at around 2pm and was accompanied by Chief Secretary Iqbal Khanday, Principal Secretary Home Suresh Kumar, Director General Po- lice K Rajendra. He was given a warm welcome with guard of honour by police,” one of the senior officials said. He said that the governor chaired a high-level meeting of secretaries of various departments and reviewed the progress of development. In the meeting, sources said, Vohra spelt out his priorities and called for completion of key projects within a short time frame. “Priority attention should be devoted to development projects like roads, bridges, education and health care services,” he told the officers according to sources. “The Governor also stressed that each public servant must do his job efficiently and honestly,” sources said. Later according to sources the Governor visited the Police Headquarters and reviewed the overall security situation. srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday asserted people of Jammu and Kashmir have given a historic mandate in the Assembly elections despite the boycott call given by the separatists and militant threat. Addressing the BJP rally in New Delhi Modi congratulated people of Jammu and Kashmir for casting votes in large numbers and that too in favour of BJP. “I salute the people of Jammu and Kashmir who despite the poll boycott call from the separatists and terror threats came out and voted in large numbers. They have given a historic mandate,” he said. Without naming separatist leaders he said, “Some elements in Jammu and Kashmir though tried to defame the Indian democracy in the recent Assembly elections, but they were surprised when people rejected them and showed trust in the Indian democracy. According to KNS correspondent the Page 6 Exhorts Secretaries to Ensure Good Governance srinagar: Governor Vohra had a meeting with the Administrative Secretaries of all the State Government departments at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, today. The Governor asked the Secretaries to take effective steps to ensure that the functionaries of the departments and agencies under their charge attend office punctually and work with due devotion. He also stressed the importance of ensuring efficient and honest functioning of the various public service delivery organizations and timely redressal of public complaints and grievances. The Governor called upon all the Secretaries to clear all Page 6 Union Transport Ministry Bypasses JK Govt, BRO SHARnARtHI ISSue HotS uP takes control of projects meant for JK highways nC, Civil Society Groups Join Chorus srinagar: The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways which is responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways has taken direct control of the central projects meant for JK highways, which was earlier being handled by JK government and other nodal agencies. According to the KNS the ministry which principally followed the agency system to develop and maintain the National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir has bypassed all the agencies acting as nodal agencies of the Central Government. Sources said that earlier the State Government, the Border Road Organization and National Highways Authority of India, an autonomous organization under the Ministry, acted as agencies of the Central Government but now the ministry has decided that it will directly control implementation of the projects from New Delhi. Sources said that the Ministry in its first move has taken the control of Zojila Project which was earlier under the control of the Border Road Organization (BRO). Further the ministry has set a Page 6 KOchi: Declining to give any timeframe on formation of government in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP claimed on Saturday that there will be a stable government in that state soon. "We hope to have a stable government. BJP, obviously will be a part of that government. We will have a stable government in Jammu and Kashmir soon," BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav said. He was talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a function, a day after Governor's Rule was imposed in J&K. On the delay in the formation of the new government, he said, "Yes it is taking some time. We hope to bring some kind of arrangement soon." "We do not want to give any deadlines. We want to do it as soon as possible," he said, adding, that was the reason he was rushing to Delhi. Governor's Rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, with PDP, which emerged as the single-largest party, and BJP failing to cobble up the required number to form the government. On the controversial 'ghar wapsi' (reconversion) programme of the VHP, the BJP leader declined to comment, saying, "Our people have answered it. Whatever our people have said is our response also." Speaking at a function organised by the Indian Christian Movement (ICM) here Page 6 DGP, senior secretaries brief Guv srinagar: K. Rajendra Kumar, Director General of Police, J&K, called on N.N. Vohra, Governor, at the Civil Secretariat here today. The Governor reviewed the internal security situation in the state with Mr. Kumar and urged him to ensure effective maintenance of internal security in the State. The Governor also held separate discussions with B.R. Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development and B.B. Vyas, Principal Secretary, Finance and reviewed all major issues relating to the current Annual Plan, formulation of the Annual Plan 2015-16, budgetary issues, payment of wages to casual employees and other matter relating to fiscal management. Hurriyat Convenes Emergency Meet srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) has called for an emergency meeting of its Shura on Monday to chalk out the future strategy and furnish the details about concessions given to the West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) settled in Jammu by the government of India. Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told CNS that the move on part of government of India to grant citizenship rights and other concessions to the refugees settled in Jammu is a serious and grave issue and the amalgam has decided to convene an emergency meeting of its shura to chalk out the future strategy. “All the members of the Shura will participate in the meeting. We will furnish all the details about the serious issue and accordingly we will chalk out a strategy to counter the move,” Mirwaiz said. Meanwhile, academician and eminent civil society member Dr Hameeda Nayeem while terming the issue disturbing for the people of Kashmir told CNS that Indian Parliament can’t thrust its decision upon the Muslims of the State. “Granting citizenship status is a state subject and Centre has no say in it. Ultimately, it will be the State Assembly that has to take call on the issue. If BJP wants to provide concessions to West Pakistan Refugees, still it has to wait for the State Assembly and in no way Jammu and Kashmir As- sembly will pass the bill in this regard,” she said adding that it has been a routine for the New Delhi to create chaos and confusion in Valley by provoking the sentiments of common people. Move aimed at altering demography of JK: Terming the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee for settling the West Pakistan refugees permanently in the J&K as anti-state, General Secretary National Conference Ali Mohammad Sagar Saturday said such recommendations are aimed at changing the demography of Jammu and Kashmir. Sagar told District Working Committees meeting from District Baramulla and District Kupwara that the recommendations of Joint Parliamentary committee are unacceptable and is a wicked conspiracy to temper the special status of Page 6 Cold Wave to Continue, Kargil Records -16 Kashmir Observer No Need To Travel to Srinagar Drop your ads/ notices at our Anantnag office Opp Achabal Bus Adda Contact no's. 9622484809, 9906620313, 9086944392 Do You Get Your Copy of Kashmir Observer Regularly? If Not Contact Circulation Incharge: Pervez Ahmad 9419565003 Or 210 6304 srinagar: The minimum temperature in Srinagar and other places in the Kashmir Valley remained below freezing point Saturday and according to the Met Office, there would be no respite from the intense cold wave in coming days. "The weather is likely to remain dry Sunday. The cold wave conditions would continue in Jammu and Kashmir," a Met official told IANS here. "Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius today (Saturday) which is five notches below the season's average," he said. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg recorded minus 3.1 degrees Celsius and Pahalgam was minus 6.6 degrees Celsius. "Leh town in Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of minus 16.2 degrees Celsius, while Kargil town recorded a minimum temperature of minus 16 degrees Celsius," the official said. Despite the intense cold wave that has been sweeping the Valley since the beginning of 40-daylong period of harsh winter known as 'Chillai Kalan' started Dec 21, Kashmir has not received good snowfall this season, although a scanty snowfall occurred in Gulmarg last week. C M Y K sunday 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer BAzAR oBSERvER mugHAl dArbAr IMAMIA PublIc school Mughal Darbar Is Kashmir’s Favourite FoodStop And Tourists Delight. Being In The Heart Of Kashmir People From All Walks Of Life Cherish To Enjoy Their Lunch In This Beautiful Place. There Are People Who Cover Miles Form Distant Areas To Enjoy The Delicates Of Mughal Darbar. What Is Worthy Needs No Praise, It May Be Out Of Course To Be Boast But Invite The Lovers Of Cuisine Who Have Never Visited Mughal Darbar To Visit Here And Give Us The Honor Of Being Their Host And Serve What We Are Best At. 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A Date and time of downloading of standard Bidding Document B C D Clarification start date Clarifications end date e-bid submission (start) date & time (submission of e-tender fee, BMD and other supporting documents in PDF/ XLS format) e-bid submission (end) date & time (submission of e-tender fee, BMD and other supporting documents in PDF/ XLS format) Online e-bid opening date & Time Venue of opening of technical & financial e-bids Cost of e-Bid document E F G H stage no. 6 9 india fOr all typES Of COmpUtErS paraphErnalia dynamic enterprises Distributors And Govt , Order Suppliers Of Electro Mechanical And Electronic Item ReGd with SMAll SCAle iNduStRieS email: [email protected] Alamdar Road Budgam, Kashmir- 191111 Cell No: +91- 9419967015, +91- 9622432766 Rs. 1000.00 (Rupees One Thousand Non-Refundable) Fresh Tender Notice No 95 of 2014-15 - Fresh to NiT No 93 2014-15) accepting responsibility for the future business center 29th January 2015 03:00 PM s For and On behalf of the Govener of jammu & Kashmir state sealed tenders affixed with one rupee revenue stamp are invited from Government approved PWD contractors for the snow clearance to the stages for the year 2014-15 as listed below. 8 Top Floor, Bolck-13 Mall Opp. Islamia College Of Science & Commerce Hawal, Srinagar, J&K, India Phones: 0194-2420386 Mobile: +91-8803314014 Email: [email protected] 27th January 2015 03:00 PM OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, R&B DIVISIÓN, BARAmULLA. exploring yourself determining values setting goals explore the World of education improving efficiency building relationship The standard Bidding Document can be downloaded over http://jktenders.gov.in from 8th January, 2015 : 02:00 PM 10th January 2015 10:00 AM 15th January 2015 02:00 PM 15th January 2015 02:00 PM Sd/- Executive Engineer ED-5th Ganderbal DIPK : 9684 (aptitude, interest, strengthing & Weakness) Near islamia college,Hawal,Srinagar-190001 Ph:0194-2410284,09205041260 Email:[email protected] rESidEnCy rOad Srinagar Estm. Cost (Rs in Lacs) tHE GOAlS tO ACHIEvE IN GuIDANCE pOlO ViEW Sgr COntaCt: 2480966 GRAND HOTEL AND RESTAURANT Name of Work COUnSElling thE COUntry COMPutECH Block 13 S.No. Timing: 10.00 Am To 9.00 Pm ReStAuRANtS Departmental Store & Fast Food For and on behalf of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir state, Tenders, are here by invited from register / approved PWD/MES/CPWD contractors for following work as per below mentioned ítems and conditíons required for electric Division-V Ganderbal of Electric Maintt. & RE Wing, Kashmir, Srinagar. Phone No: 9796149988, 9906564001 hAjj, uMrAh trAvElS rEcruItMEnt Corporate Office Nishat Srinagar Kashmir- 191121( J&K ) Branch Office Shop No: 30 G-Floor Ali Jan Shopping Complex M.a. Road Srinagar- 190001 email: [email protected] web: www.ecohvacsolutions.com Sajad Yousuf Banday Manager Operaton Cell, +91- 9419006084 email: [email protected] Exercise Therapy ■ Tread Mill ■ Magnetic Exerbikes With Hand Pulse ■ Shoulder Wheel ■ Shoulder Pulley Exercise ■ Wax Bath Unit ■ Manual Therapy main Chowk, alamgari Bazar, Srinagar, 190011 MARChiNG tOwARdS the GOldeN eRA Food Town E-mail : [email protected] Telephone No: 0194-2416236 Fax: 0194-2416236 Gist of this office NIT No: 01/TS of 2015 01. INVITATION: - dated: 05-01-2015 Office CELL :- 9906660477 elocity Ortho care hOtelS OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER ELECTRIC DIVISIÓN GANDERBAL 12 name of the road bandipayeen inner links. hudpora veernar road faqirbagh inner links sultanpora inner link beighpati link Thokurpati link patchar link road. doompora dangdara road. shrakwara link road. inner links at nowpora. inner links at authoora chanpora link watergam bonpora. road Takiya wani watergam link bangdara link road saloosa vizer link chandoosa inner links allied links at Takiya Tapper kanispora singhpora road mirangund singhpora road Trikoulbl mundiyari road inner lanes at pattan. pattan check Jamal mir road iqbal colony pattan sooch palpora road warpora pattan road wayul kralpora palpora pakipora road length in kilometers 1.00 0.75 0.75 0.50 1.25 1.25 1.00 2.50 2.50 3.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 0.50 0.50 2.00 2.25 3.00 2.50 2.00 2.00 4.75 3.00 0.75 1.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 2. The tenders should be addressed to the Supenniending Engineer PWD (R&B) Circle Baramulla/ Kupwara (Baramulla) through registered post on the tender documents at an cost of Rs 200/stage properly issued by the Executive Engineer R&B Division Baramulla should reach in his office on or before 13.01.2015 upto 2:00 pm. In case the receiving date being declared a Holiday / Hartal, the tenders shall be received on next woxking day. 3. The tenders shall be opened on the same day or any other day convenient to opening authority, in presence of the contractors who any like to be present there. 4. The tenders should be sealed in proper cover with name of work, name of the contractor, reference to CDR No and Date without which tenders shall be rejected without assigning any reasons, thereof. Conditional tenders shall not be entertained. Sd/- Executive Engineer R&B Division Baramulla Dipk : 9680 nimrah Tour & Travels The Travel Advisor SeRviCeS AvAilAble Hajj, Umrah & ziyarat Holiday Package & Car rentals Domestic & international Ticketing Tour Packages Passport Service visa Stamping 2ND FLooR PoLo PLAzA PoLo vIEW SRINAGAR-190001 (J&K) INDIA Malik Multistores Institute And Service Centre AUTHorizED SErviCE CEnTrE KArBonn, PAnASoniC AnD K-ToUCH MoBiLES, ALSo SErviCE of iPHonE, BLACKBErry, noKiA, SAMSUng, MiCroMAx ETC. 16- Chinar Trust, Opp Govt. Womens College, M.a Road, Srinagar 0194-2470579, +91-9419406207 Email: [email protected] Tel : +91-194-2457651 www.nimrahtourandtravels.com email:- [email protected] cell : 9858334933, 9797775403 Printer, Publisher & Editor: SAJJAD HAIDER | Published from: Residency Road, SGR | Editorial: 9419004782,0194- 2456304 Corporate office: Wani Manzil Top Floor Lambert Lane, SGR-1 Circulation: 9419565003, Switch Board: (2106304 | Email- (Editorial) : [email protected] |Email- (Advertising) : [email protected] Printed at: Kashmir Images Printing & Publishing House 15-A Industrial Estate Shalteng, SGR. RNI No: 69503/98; Postal Regn: K-151 , we are 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer sunday All Independents Demanded Cabinet Berths: BJP PDP, NC power hungry: Qasmi New Delhi: Indian Muslim cleric and president Jamat Ulma-e-Hind Maulana Suhaib Qasmi who campaigned for BJP during poll process in Kashmir Valley Saturday claimed BJP is in mood to succumb before the demands of People’s Democratic Party. He said that both Na- “ tional Conference and PDP were eager to win the confidence of BJP and even all the independent members secretly met the BJP party leaders and extended their support to the party. “BJP had kept its options open but the party decided not to forge any alliance with PDP or NC as both the parties instead of raising pro-people issues showed eagerness to grab more and more berths in Cabinet and Legislative Council,” Qasmi told Srinagar based news gathering agency CNS adding that BJP is ready for fresh elections and will surely open its account from Kashmir valley. “BJP has come at the conclusion that any government with the support of either PDP or NC will not survive for a long time as these parties can create problems any time. Both NC and PDP are regional parties but they have not interest in people and always talk about the power and chair,” Qasmi alleged. He said that those elected independent members who talk of only supporting a secular government are befooling people of Kashmir as, “all these members one by one secretly met BJP top brass and demanded cabinet berths for themselves.” “How can trust a party that fights on the issue of power sharing and puts a demand that a particular number of members should be indicted into Legislative council and cabinet. During all the deliberations with both NC and PDP, our party realized that these parties are interested in power rather than in solving the problems of the people,” he said. Qasmi added that it is not correct that only PDP was in touch with BJP. “It NEWS was National Conference that held talks with BJP top brass on government formation. Both NC and PDP were active on ground and were always in touch with BJP,” he said. Responding to a question, Qasmi said that the deliberations with both NC and PDP are on but the BJP is in mood to budge before their demands and is ready to face new elections. (CNS) BJP had kePt its oPtions oPen but the party decided not to forge any alliance with PDP or NC as both the parties instead of raising pro-people issues showed eagerness to grab more and more berths in Cabinet and Legislative Council,” Srinagar: Strongly opposing the proposed move of New Delhi to grant citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees, Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) president and MLA Khansahib Hakim Mohammad Yasin Friday warned that the proposal could have serious consequences as Kashmiris would oppose any such decision tooth and nail. In a statement he said, “The West Pakistan refugees were never residents of Jammu and Kashmir and there is no legal or constitutional obligation to provide them with Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs). I urge leadership of the state to unite against this proposed move and thwart the nefarious designs of those vested interests who want to divide the state in the name of region and religion.” “Kashmiris will oppose any such move tooth and nail and will not allow fiddling with the demography of the state at any cost,” he added. The MLA Khansahib said Article 370 was incorporated in Constitution of India to maintain a distinct identity of J&K in the political map of the world. “But it has been reduced to a husk through political fraud and constitutional abuse. It would be in the best interests of nation that provisions of Article 370 which have been eroded from time to time are restored,” he said. (District Health Society Anantnag natIonal rural HealtH mIssIon (nrHm) E-mail: [email protected] Tel/fax: # 01932-223712,091-1932-222255/ No.: CMO/DRHS/NRHM/14-15/2414-18 Dated: 08/01/2015 This Notification is also available on official website of Anantnag District with the URL http:// anantnag.nic.in or http://anantnag.gov.in Subject: Notification for Interview of candidates to be hired under National Health Mission. Reference: Advertisement Notification No. CMO/DRHS/NRHM/14-15/1402-10, dated:21/10/2014. The scheduled date & venue for interview of the shortlisted candidates for the post of Adolescent Health Counsellor (in the ratio of 1:5) & other posts who have applied vide aforementioned advertisement notification is hereto as under: S.No Category Nature of Vacancy 01. Adolescent Health Counsellor (AHC) 01= District Level 10 = Block Level (For Five medical blocks, 2 per CHC, 1 Male & 1 Female) Shortlisted Candidates S.NO 01 02 03 04 05 Name Shabir ah shiekh Sameer Ah. Lone Fayaz Ahmad Jahagir Ah Kadoo Sajad ah. Sheikh Bijbehara : MALE S.NO Name 01 Fayaz Ahmad 02 Sajad ah. Sheikh 03 Sabzar Ah.Ganaie Parentage Mohd Jabardar Gh.ah.Sheikh Ab Aziz Ganaie Bijbehara : FEMALE S.NO Name 01 Rifat Saroosh 02 Shubana Akhter Parentage Noor Mohammad Vaid Mohd Shafi wagay (II) Block Larnoo Male: S.NO Name 01 Mahboob ali wani 02 Mukhtar ah Mir 03 Muzafar Ah.Gania 04 Talib Hussain Shapoo Female: S.NO 01 02 03 04 Name Javaida Akhter Shahzada Parveen Parveena Akther Rukhsana Akther (III) Block Mattan Male: S.No Name 01. Shabir ah shiekh 02. Sameer Ah. Lone 03. Jahagir Ah Kadoo 04. Gh.Jeelani Pader 05. Irfan Hassan Female S.NO Name 01 Lafi Akhter 02 Shagufta Gani 03 Tahmeeda Jan 04 Naihada Amin 05 Muddasar Mushtaq (IV) Block Shangus Male: S.NO Name 01 Bilal Ah.Bhat 02 Mohd Irfan Wani 03 Bilal Hassan Wani Female: S.NO Name 01 Parveena Akther 02 Sumi Jan 03 Masrat Jan 04 Shamima jAn 05 Khalida Yousuf (V) Block Verinag Male: S.NO Name 01 Rayees Ah. Mir 02 Fayaz Ahmad 03 ishfaq Khalil Bhat 04 Bilal Ah.seh 05 Tariq Ah.Darzi FEMALE S.NO Name 01 Malik Rafia Farooq 02 Shamshada Akhter 03 Shaesta Akhter 04 Shugufta Gull 02. 03. 04. IYCF counsellor Nutrition Counsellor Sister Tutor District Level Parentage Ab Hamid sheikh Ab. Rahim Lone Mohd Jabardar Ab. Rahman Kadoo Gh.ah.Sheikh Address Anchidora Bona dialgam Guree La Ian Panchpora Marhama Address Guree Panchpora Marhama Guree Parentage Ali mohd wani Ab Rahman Mir Mohd. Akram Ganai Ab. Samad Shapoo Parentage Mohd Afzal Sheikh Mohd.Jamal Kumar Mohd.Jamal Kumar Ab.Aziz Najar Block Achabal Achabal Bijbehara Achabal Bijbehara Block Bijbehara Bijbehara Bijbehara Address Bijbehara Bijbehara Block Bijbehara Bijbehara Address Akingam Devalgam Bindu Zalangam Bindu Zalangam Block Larnoo Larnoo Larnoo Larnoo Address Bidder Kokernag 3ahie 3ahie Nagam Block Larnoo Larnoo Larnoo Larnoo Parentage Ab Hamid sheikh Ab. Rahim Lone Ab. Rahman Kadoo Ab.Gani Padder Gh. Hassan Bhat Address Anchidora Bona dialgam Lalan Viddy Srigufwara Lalan Block Achabal Achabal Achabal Sallar Achabal Parentage Mohd Sikandar Khan Ab.Gani Kumar w/o peer Mudasir Qadri Sajad Ah. Kanroo W/oBashirAh. Khan Address Karwa Rampor Machbawan Mattan Machbhawan Panzmulla Sali Block Mattan Mattan Mattan Mattan Mattan Parentage Address Block Ab. Rashid bhat Mohd Abbullah Wani Gh. Hassan Wani Nowgam Kuthar Wanipora Shangus Sheikh-pora Shangus Shangus Shangus Shangus Parentage Ab. Jabar Khan Ab Rahman Mir Adbul Rehman dar Ab. Gani Wani Mohd Yousuf Shah Address Shangus Wangam Nowgam Shangus Shangus Shangus Block Shangus Shangus Shangus Shangus Shangus Parentage Ab.Rahman mir Gh. Qadirbhat Mohd khalil Bhat Gull mohd She Gh.Hassan Darzi Address Pethbagh Dialgam Pethbagh Dialgam Kreeri Mehmoodabad Nathipora Dooru Block Verinag Verinag Verinag Verinag Verinag Parentage Malik Farooq Ahmad Ab RahmanWani Gh. Nabi Wani Gull Mohd Shah Address Verinag Kreri Doru Kokagund Verinag Dooru Sehpora Block Verinag Verinag Verinag Verinag 01 (District Level) 01 (District Level) 01 (District Level) All Eligible Candidates All Eligible Candidates All Eligible Candidates DATE 13/01/2015 Time: 10:00 a.m. Venue: Dak Bungalow, Khanabal, Anantnag. Note: l.As per guidelines & vacancy available, Candidates have been shortlisted on District Level & Block Level and in case the blocks where candidates were not available, candidates from adjacent blocks were shortlisted as per merit. 2. All candidates should come along with receipt. Chief Medical Officer Vice Chairman DRHS Anantnag dipk no; 9628 Geelani says, Sajad Lone was never a separatist Srinagar: The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Saturday said that those who are languishing in jails for the Kashmir cause must be remembered at all times as ‘they have sacrificed their present for the future of Jammu and Kashmir.’ The senior separatist leader in a telephonic address from New Delhi to the seminar organized by the Muslim League here over the life sentences awarded to Kashmiris, said that youth are being thrown in jails by the authorities in an attempt to crush the dissent and to weaken the freedom struggle of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that since 1947, New Delhi all the times had tried to crush the resistance spirit of the people of Kashmir through various tactics and even after unleashing ‘terror’ by all means, jails are being packed to capacity to weaken the will of the ‘brave hearts’. Huriyat (G) general secretary Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai said that the Peoples’ Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone was never a pro-freedom leader. He maintained that Sajad was only known in the separatist camp due to being the son of late Abdul Gani lone. Sehraie, who is considered as a senior voice in the pro-freedom politics alleged there are some pseudo separatist leaders in Kashmir who are parroting the words of their masters in New Delhi. “Some pro-freedom leaders became exhausted and signed agreements with New Delhi via the former RAW chief A.S.Dulat,” he alleged. While not divulging any name, Sehraie said, “Such leaders are at present for the sake of face saving raising concerns over Kashmir.” The acting chairman of the Muslim League, Mohammad Yousuf Mir while terming the youth languishing in jails as ‘assets of the nation’, said under the garb of democracy, the authorities are cornering the Kashmiri youth by all means. “Some have been killed on the name of terrorism and Muslim identity of the Jammu and Kashmir is being eroded by all ways and means at present. He said youth in scores are languishing in jails with their cases pending in the courts of justice without any reason. From kids to the 80 year old men, here any one can be jailed and it has become a trend since decades.” The Muslim League spokesman Mohammad Rafiq Ganie also spoke during the occasion and castigated the continuous detention of Masrat Alam. Never blamed PDP for Governors Rule: Soz Srinagar: State Congress president Prof Saifuddin Soz Saturday made it clear that he never blamed PDP or anybody else for the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State. In a statement, Soz that he only spoke on facts. “Since a section of the Press both print and electronic media misquoted me or carried only half of my statement, I reiterate my position that when it came to my notice that Omer Abdullah has offered his resignation as a Care Taker Chief Minister I strongly urged him not to press his resignation as that would create a Constitutional difficulty and people would suffer. I, however, added that one can understand his anxiety on being at the helm during a fragile system of Administration, but his resignation was not a solution and rather he should have waited for a couple of days more,” Soz said. Soz said that as per Imposition of Governor’s Rule, the Governor had exercised his authority under the Constitution of J&K State. But, then, a better course in the Constitution was available and that way an elected Leader of the PDP could have been invited to from the Govt in the State and normal course would be followed for election of Protem Speaker and new Members given oath. Following further procedure, the Chief Minister could make the recommendation (if required) Governor’s Rule be imposed and Assembly put under suspended animation.” Soz said that he had added that unfortunately PDP had opened the dialogue for Government Formation with the BJP alone, but Congress Party and four independents had offered full support to it (PDP). Army gave one lakh to martial art association Srinagar Army on Saturday gave one lakh rupees to a martial art association and distributed flood relief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The army also awarded five volunteers for their exemplary rescue during last year’s devastating floods in Kashmir Valley and held a blood donation camp. Army gave one lakh rupees to Wuschu Association Soibugh to buy kits, body armour, practice mats meant for martial arts. According to GNS correspondent, the army’s Budgam based Rashtriya Rifles unit also organized awareness camp in the run up of 67th Army Day scheduled to be held January 15. The army distributed 1000 blankets, utensils, pressure cookers, ration, biscuits, and clothes among flood victims of Soibugh, Chhurpora, Gotpora and Darmuna villages. The blood donation camp was organised at Senior Secondary School Soibug where both army personnel and locals voluntarily donated more than 250 points blood.In the blood camp, 137 persons including 67 civilian volunteers and 70 army men gave blood in front of SKIMS and Red Cross doctors. The doctors from Lal Ded hospital were also present on the occasion. Besides relief materials including stoves and blankets were distributed amongst the needy people. According to an army officer, the purpose of the camp was to help patients requiring blood transfusion both at Budgam and Srinagar. The blood was handed over to the blood bank officials of Lal Ded and SKIMS hospitals. A part from blood donation camp, stalls from Agriculture, Husbandry Sectors and Youth Guidance Node were installed to empower locals and youth. The army gave 1000 rupees each to the five youth. GOC, Rashtriya Rifle Formation, Major General Asit Mistry inaugurated the blood donation camp along with Manzoor Ahmed, DC Budgam. On the occasion, the GOC and DC expressed their gratitude to the doctors, paramedics from PHC as well as the donors. ImposItIon of Governor rule nonIssue: HurrIyat (G) Srinagar: While terming the imposition of the Governor’s rule in the state as non-issue, Hurriyat Conference (G) Saturday said “state of Jammu & Kashmir is actually governed by the Indian home ministry, Army and police and the so-called state administration acts merely as a show boy.” In a statement Hurriyat (G) said that may it be the governor’s rule, BJP-PDP coalition or the grand alliance of PDP-NCCongress in the state, “there will be no impact over the illegal and forced occupation of the Jammu & Kashmir state and the Kashmiri people will continue its struggle against this forced occupation.”“If the history reminds us the tyrannical period of the Kashmir’s history during the rule of governor Jagmohan when the hundreds of innocent people were brutally killed and murdered but there was no letup in these incidents in the so-called civil governments also. The brutal task force was made in the period of Farooq Abdullah who killed hundreds of innocent people in the custody and Farooq Abdullah on records has said that “there is no vacancies in the jails now so, instead of arresting the people, kill them on the spot”,” he alleged. “The double murder and rape case of Asiya and Neelofar happened in the regime of Omer Abdullah and instead of punishing the culprits the Omer gave them clean chit on the very first day of the incident and declared it an accident and said that they have drowned in the Nallah. In 2010, 125 innocent students were murdered in the target firing and till now no case has been registered against the murderers. Thousands of people were booked under the black law of PSA. In this way the regime of Mufti Mohammad Sayed was not different from his predecessor and there was no letup in the difficulties and the miseries of the people of Kashmir. Hurriyat Conference said that this issue is meaningless for the people of Kashmir that whosoever will be appointed for the chair of power Omer Abdullah, Mufti Sayed or Ghulam Nabi Azad or the governor’s rule is imposed but the first and the last problem of the common Kashmiri is the forced and the illegal occupation of India and they will continue their struggle against this forced occupation in any way and at any cost,” the spokesperson claimed. omar vIsIts Beeru, tHanks voters Srinagar: National Conference Working President and MLA Omar Abdullah Saturday visited Beeru and addressed workers and public at various locations. Omar, who won the elections from the Beeru constituency, thanked people for reposing faith in him and selecting him as their local representative. He took the stock of the situation and directed the concerned officers to redress the public issues on priority. “It is necessary to ensure the resolution of all issues and public grievances on time. In these harsh winters, there are many issues concerning the general public, which must be solved in a time-bound manner,” he directed the officials. Omar also assured the people that he will be available and accessible to his constituents all the time. new traffIc scHedule for HIGHway Issued Jammu: In order to ensure safety and security of the passenger / drivers and to avoid accidents, fresh schedule regarding movement of traffic (Up and Down) on NHW-1A has been issued w.e.f. 13.01.2015. Up traffic viz. Jammu to Srinagar, the movement of all types of LMVs/PSVs shall be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) strictly between 0600 hours and 1300 hours only, on daily basis and all vehicles must cross Udhampur by 1500 hours positively. No LMV/PSV shall be allowed to move (towards Srinagar) after 1300 hours from Nagrota and 1500 hours from Udhampur, under any circumstances.The movement of load carriers/trucks from Nagrota (Jammu) shall be allowed strictly between 0700 hours and 1100 hours only on daily basis and all these vehicles must cross Udhampur by 1300 positively. Similarly, the movement of such type of vehicles from Battal shall be allowed strictly after 0700 hours only and all these vehicles shall cross TCP Udhampur by 1300 hours. However, no movement of trailers/multi-axle vehicles (beyond 14 Chakha but not more than14 feet in length and carrying more than 25 tonnes of load) shall be allowed on NHW-1A till further orders. Down traffic viz Srinagar to Jammu, the movement of all types of LMVs/PSVs shall be allowed from Levdora (Qazigund) strictly between 0600 hours to 1300 hours only, on daily basis and all these vehicles must cross Jawahar Tunnel by 1500 hours positively. No Jammu bound LMV/PSV (from Levdora) shall be allowed to proceed towards Jammu after 1300 hours, under any circumstances. The movement of load carriers /trucks shall be allowed from Levdora (Qazigund) strictly between 0800 hours and 1200 hours only, on daily basis and all these vehicles must cross Jawahar Tunnel by 1400 hours. However, the movement of HMVs stopped overnight at Pantha Chowk (Srinagar) shall be allowed from 0600 hours upto 1000 hours only. Moreover, no movement of trailers /multi-axle vehicle (beyond 14 Chakha but not more than 14 feet in length and carrying more than 25 tonnes of load) shall be allowed on NHW-1A till further orders. However, in case of heavy snowfall, a separate schedule shall be issued for regulating the traffic on one way basis on NHW-IA. Bsf constaBle mIssInG sInce fortnIGHt Srinagar: A Border Security Force (BSF) constable who was posted in the outskirts of City is missing since fortnight, police sources said Saturday.They said that 28 year-old Amit Kumar Raman (belt number 10254664) who was posted at 6 Battalion BSF in Pantha Chowk area, had gone missing since 27 December, last year. The BSF man\ hails from Baghpath district of Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, police have registered a case in police station Pantha Chowk in this regard and search for the missing BSF man has been started. (GNS) C M Y K Hakim Yasin: Governor rule no alternative’ sunday 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer If the Prophet was in Paris! D OPINION by Mansoor Durrani ue to his manners, generosity, simplicity and kindness, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) won the hearts and minds of his friends and foes alike. A famous story found in almost all the books of Islamic history relates to a non-Muslim lady who used to regularly throw trash on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Once he did not find that lady at her usual spot to throw garbage, so he enquired about her. He was told that she is sick. So he immediately visited her to check on her health! Based on what is going on in the name of loving the Prophet of mercy (peace be upon him) just a handful of his teachings to his followers are presented below. And these are ALL from authentic sources: 1. He will not enter paradise whose neighbor is not immune from his mischief [narrated by Muslim]; 2. Show mercy to people on earth so that Allah will have mercy in the heaven [Abu Dawood and Trimidhi]; 3. O people [not just Muslims], extend the greetings of peace among yourselves, provide food to the needy, maintain the ties of kinship [Ibn Majah and Mishkat]; 4. He is not a perfect believer [Muslim], who goes to bed full and knows that his neighbor [Muslim or non-Muslim] is hungry [Bukhari]; 5. Charity erases sins just as water extinguishes fire [Mishkat]; 6. Do NOT kill a wounded person, nor run after a fleeing one [Al Tabrani]; 7. To remove something harmful from the road is charity [Mishkat]; 8. Prophet Muhammad never took revenge (against anyone) for his own sake [Bukhari]; 9. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked his companions, “doesn’t it astonish you how Allah protects me from the Quraish’s [the non-Muslims of Makkah] abusing and cursing”? [Bukhari]; 10. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his companion Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman “there will be some people who will lead (other people) according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them…… They will belong to us and speak our language” [Bukhari]. THEN WHOEVER WILLS, LET HIM BELIEVE. AND WHOEVER WILLS, LET HIM DISBELIEVE [QUR’AN, 18:29] All perverted minded folks who are crossing ethical lines (from west to east) in the name of “freedom of expression” will pay for their crimes on the Day of Judgment. But imagine the Prophet (peace be upon him) who stood for the above values how grieved he would feel about the actions of his own (masked) “followers” in Paris! Dr Mansoor Durrani is an international banker and writer and a PhD in Islamic banking from the UK. He serves as Senior Vice President with a leading bank in the Gulf. The views expressed are personal. Charlie hebdo and western liberalism Islam has been unfairly criticised and ridiculed in the west for centuries Abdullah Al-Arian A nother horrific tragedy has struck a western capital in the violent murder of French journalists and cartoonists at a satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. The culprits appear to have done so in response to the magazine's publication of cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims, though they were also thought to have been radicalised by the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. French society - and indeed, the global reaction - has been united in its condemnation of the attack and French authorities mobilised the full strength of the state's law enforcement agencies to track down the assailants, who were killed after a standoff with police on Friday. As with most incidents of violence involving Muslims, however, the ensuing public discussion has revolved largely around resolute vows to uphold a fundamental value of western civilisation - the freedom of expression - and degenerated into recriminations about Islam's purported assault on that very freedom. As a result, the natural expressions of grief and sympathy on behalf of the victims have taken on the added quality of high-minded liberal support for the content of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, irrespective of the publication's history of racism towards Muslims and people of colour. Hegemonic narrative It is only by uncritically adopting the hegemonic narrative of western liberalism that one could reach the conclusion that the biggest threats to freedom of expression in the world today are Islam and North Korea. To frame these events without accounting for the broader context and power relationships at work inhibits any sensible understanding of the deep conflicts plaguing our world at present. By positing western liberal claims to freedom against Islam's supposedly intolerant attitude towards irreverent or serious critiques of it would be to ignore completely the history underlying the current tensions. The reality is that for as long as there have been liberal ideals staking their claim to the various freedoms western societies have come to sacralise, there have also been societies suffering from exploitation and subjugation at the hands of those professing these lofty principles. Even as they were establishing the very foundations of modern liberal societies, from the tenets of freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion to the basis for democratic forms of governance, Enlightenment thinkers were nearly universal in their expression of support for a world built on racial hierarchies and the expansion of new European empires that depended largely on the use of violence to control colonial subjects. That these philosophers developed their racist outlooks towards Jews, Muslims, and blacks on the basis of "reason" and "rationality" makes such views more abhorrent than those derived from pre-modern modes of thought. Whether it is the racist expressions of Enlightenment philosophers or the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo, these provocative views cannot be separated from the broader political projects at work. At the same time that western liberalism gave rise to modern states committed to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, it also saw to the continuation of slavery, the colonisation and subjugation of large segments of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, and global economic exploitation and environmental degradation. The indignities of 'empire' Within Europe, western liberal ideals, whose proponents had never concealed their racist and exclusionary outlooks, could not avert the rise of a fascist movement in the mid20th century that pursued the extermination of millions of people. Even after the devastation of World War II, European appetites for destruction were seemingly unsatiated, as the next two decades were marked by struggles for independence from European powers by colonised peoples in the global south. They are, all of them, born with raging fanaticism in their hearts, just as the Bretons and the Germans are born with blond hair. I would not be in the least bit surprised if these people would not some day become deadly to the human race. - Voltaire, 18th century French philosopher Faced with the prospect of supporting the freedom of the Algerian people, many French liberal intellectuals instead offered enthusiastic support for the brutal suppression of the Algerian struggle in a war that featured the widespread use of torture and the death of over 150,000 Algerians. "They are, all of them, born with raging fanaticism in their hearts, just as the Bretons and the Germans are born with blond hair. I would not be in the least bit surprised if these people would not some day become deadly to the human race." Writing on European Jews, this quote comes not from a propagandist in Nazi Germany, but rather from Voltaire, the 18th century French philosopher whose name has been invoked frequently in recent days as a historic champion of the freedom of expression. Voltaire's views on Islam were no more tempered, as he authored an entire play dedicated to mocking its Prophet Muhammad as "the founder of a false and barbarous sect" and "a sublime and hearty charlatan". While one can defend the right of satirists, government officials, and philosophers to espouse such beliefs - the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie became a popular means of expressing solidarity with the magazine in the hours after the attack - in the face of this history, it should become clear that in the case of cultural production, context always matters. Destructive policies cannot be pursued successfully without the vocabulary and imagery of racism and hatred of the other. Pervasive Islamophobia One cannot attempt to comprehend the actions of mass murderer Anders Breivik or the recent report on the US government's torture of Muslim prisoners solely against the backdrop of western liberal ideals. However, when one considers the rise of a pervasive Islamophobic atmosphere as seen in prominent discourses across the US and Europe, one can understand the reason such violence becomes possible and, indeed, normalised. The significance of the question of what can be deemed appropriate speech goes far beyond its propensity to offend Muslim minorities, to its potential to have corrosive effects on the broader society. In the same way that western governments take great care to prevent the spread of ideas and messages they consider culpable for radicalising Muslims (all pretensions about freedom of expression be damned), they should consider the role that anti-Muslim cultural production plays in facilitating their own abuses of human rights, and radicalising their own citizens, as seen in the wave of anti-Muslim terrorism that has witnessed a marked rise in the past decade. Commenting on the recent string of Islamophobic statements by Bill Maher and Sam Harris, religion scholarKaren Armstrong noted, "this is the sort of talk that led to the concentration camps". The current permissibility of dehumanising expressions against Muslims has a legacy in the anti-Semitic tropes of a century earlier. Both stem from the same noxious logic of exclusion. The current permissibility of dehumanising expressions against Muslims has a legacy in the anti-Semitic tropes of a century earlier. Both stem from the same noxious logic of exclusion. In fact, western countries have had no qualms about setting aside their liberal values to offer full-fledged support to authoritarian regimes in the Middle East that, incidentally, create the repressive climate that has been proven to give rise to militant extremism. Nor have western societies proved unwilling to abandon claims about support for free speech when the question of social cohesion arises. France banned rallies in solidarity with Gaza during last summer's war and the state has consistently prosecuted writers, comics, and even cartoonists whose work was deemed to risk "disruption to the social order". French Prime Minister Manuel Valls commented on the state's robust record of prosecuting artists saying: "Faced with this creativity of hate, should we do nothing? Certainly not." In 2008, Charlie Hebdo fired an artist and writer for a column that the editors found to be anti-Semitic. At this juncture, western Muslims remain excluded from national dialogues regarding the question of social cohesion. The historical continuity of racial discrimination, coupled with a ramped up pursuit of strategic objectives across a number of Muslim countries during the last two decades have seen to it that an atmosphere of suspicion and hostility has permeated the public sphere in the US and revived the legacy of intolerance in Europe. To understand and counteract the violent behaviour of extremists, these tragic events should be examined in light of this context, rather than through the lens of free speech. From Voltaire and the Enlightenment to the present, modern western discourses are replete with critiques of Islam. By contrast, the abhorrent violence by some Muslims is a recent phenomenon, and one that must be confronted by addressing the failure of western liberalism to live up to its stated ideals, not by reflexively continuing to sing its praises. --AlJazeera Abdullah Al-Arian is assistant professor of history at Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service in Qatar and author of Answering the Call: Popular Islamic Activism in Sadat's Egypt. View from abroad: Peshawar, Paris, Pegida and me SHADA ISlAM J ust when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. On the second day of my long-awaited trip to Pakistan in December last year, I woke up to the news of the horrible massacre of school children in Peshawar. Like most people, I wept for the innocent lost lives, the bereaved families and a once honourable country which has lost its path, becoming mired in ever-more indecent violence and barbarism. As I made my way home to Brussels a few days into 2015, I was preparing to write about Pegida, Germany’s nascent and very toxic ‘anti-Islamisation’ movement which is making headlines across the globe. But then tragedy struck again as terrorists, unfortunately and wrongly, described as Islamists gunned down 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the Paris-based satirical magazine. As France and the world mourned the dead and worried about the freedom of expression, diversity and tolerance, I asked myself: how many tears can you shed? How long and often can you weep? Will the hatred, violence and extremism ever end? I don’t know the answers but I I know that whether we recognise the link or not, Peshawar, Paris and Pegida are, tragically, connected. I know that money, encouragement and support for the extremists whether in the Middle East, Pakistan, Asia or Europe can be traced to extremist Wahabi state and non-state actors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. I know that Far Right groups in Europe and the United States are spreading a hysterical and toxic anti-Islam message, gaining traction and popularity as the economic slowdown persists and unemployment continues to rise. I know that politicians in Europe, the US and the Muslim world are unwilling and unable to rise to the challenge of building a strong counter-narrative of tolerance and discrimination. I know that 2015 is going to be a defining, testing year for humanity’s ability to live together in peace while accepting differences in religion, colour and culture. I know that the violence-loving, guntoting men and (some) women who kill, maim and torture are outside the boundaries of any religion. There is no “Islamic State”, only murderers and criminals. There is no “good” Taliban, just blood-thirsty barbarians. I know that just as is the case for freedom-loving people in Pakistan, life for Muslims in Europe is going to get tougher in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks. But I also know that sanity and good sense will probably and hopefully prevail in both Pakistan and Europe. In the end, it’s not the politicians who will stop the rot. It is the people, the ordinary men, women and young people who say “enough is enough” to violence and intolerance. I know it is possible. As we visited Lahore only hours before the massacre in Peshawar, girls and boys came up to us to talk and take pictures, giggling and chuckling, proud of Pakistan and their heritage. The Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort sparkled in the sun but it was the laughter and the cheeky jokes of the young men and women that warmed our souls. This was Pakistan the way it really is, the way it should always be. Hours later as we tried to come to grips with the tragedy in Peshawar, I took solace in the hope I had seen in the eyes of the young people of Lahore. In Europe too, it is the people who will stop the continent from descending into a dangerous downward spiral of anti-Muslim sentiment. True, the Far Right is gaining momentum. Talk of a “clash of civilisations” is rife. But equally those who want a multicultural and tolerant Europe are speaking out. Pegida gatherings have been dwarfed by massive counterdemonstrations in Dresden, Berlin and Cologne where people have spoken in support of immigrants and condemned intolerance. The famous Cologne cathedral and Berlin’s Brandenburg gate have switched off lighting as a sign of protest against xenophobic rallies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned against hate and discrimination. In the aftermath of the Paris killings, European governments will certainly clamp down hard on radicals and would-be terrorists. They are right to do so. But in the medium and long-term, European politicians must also focus on the compelling need to integrate and accept their Muslim citizens. Retribution and revenge must not be allowed to take centre stage. If it does, it will play into the hands of the extremists. This is a dangerous moment. Yes, it is war. But it not a conflict between Islam and the West. The battle being fought so cruelly is between people who believe in humanity and criminals and terrorists who, quite simply, want to kill. sunday 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer PANORAMA When Jalaluddin Balkhi Became maulana Rumi An excerpt from a novel based on the life of the Sufi mystic and poet. RabisankaR ba T he person who returned from Damascus was no longer Jalaluddin Balkhi, but Maulana Rumi. However, he was already being addressed as Maulana before going to Aleppo and Damascus. And his father was Maulana-e Buzurg, the greatest Maulana. Rumi was much thinner now, which was why he appeared even taller. His body held the glow of yellow leaves shed in early spring. A new madrassa was established in the front half of the house. He was thirty-six. Four hundred pupils came to his madrassa every day for an education. They included renowned scholars, noblemen, and even the Sultan of Konya. None of them had ever met such an extraordinary teacher. He explained the essentials of life and the world through stories. He walked slowly, perpetually sunk in thought. At the madrassa or the mosque, on Konya’s roads or at the baths, whenever anyone asked him a question he listened with bowed head, answered, adding with a smile, ‘What I say is not the last word, however.’ But it was, to everyone in Konya. As though Maulana Rumi was uttering the words of Allah, just like Nabi. There are a couple of things I have not told you, my learned readers. Maulana’s first wife Gauhar Khatun died before he left for Aleppo and Damascus. Maulana’s second wife was Kira Khatun. As far as I know, Kira was of Greek origin. She bore Maulana two more children— Muzaffaruddin Amir Alim Chalabi and Malika Khatun. Al Mustasimi told me that Kira Khatun’s beauty was like an ancient willow’s, uninhibited and understated at the same time. On his return from Damascus, Maulana discovered three youthful soulmates. Hussamuddin Chalabi, the young Greek Thereanos, and his own eldest son Sultan Walad. All of them were in their twenties then. One day, with all the students at the madrassa having gone home, and only the three young men sitting in front of himself, Maulana handed a copy of the Attarnama to Hussam, saying, ‘Open the book to any page and read me the first two words, Hussam.’ As soon as Hussam had uttered these words Maulana Rumi held up a hand to stop him. Shutting his eyes, he flawlessly recited all that was written on the page, followed by an explanation. Touching his feet, Sultan said, ‘What is it, Maulana?’ — He’s coming, Sultan. — Who? — He’s in Konya. — Whom are you talking about? — Hussam . . . — Yes, Maulana? — Describe Konya in winter. — The houses, roads, trees, are all hidden beneath snow, Maulana. Nothing but white everywhere. — It’s so cold, Hussam. The travellers are confined to their inns. No road to any part of the world is open. Only the ravens can be heard cawing all winter. After this there will be spring, isn’t that so, Hussam? — Yes, Maulana. The rose will bloom. The nightingale will sing for it. They’ll meet after such a long time. Maulana smiled. — You people only talk of the nightingale. Aren’t you going to mention the heron? It dons a white robe to visit Mecca every year. Do you know where it builds its nest, Sultan? — On the tower of the mosque. — The soul of the heron has arrived in Konya, Sultan. Spring is here. — Who is he? — You will see him very soon. — Where? — On the streets of this very town. He is waiting for me. — Do you know him? — No. Shaikh Burhanuddin had told me that a lion would arrive from Tabriz. — But you said it was the soul of the heron. — All melded together, Sultan. He is the lion, he is the soul of the heron, he is the rose’s lover, the nightingale. — Do you know him, Hussam asked. — No, Hussam. Maulana Rumi entered his library. Since his return from Damascus, Maulana had spent most of his time in this favourite room of Shaikh Bahauddin’s. He was engrossed in his father’s book Ma’arif. All this time he had considered Shaikh Bahauddin nothing but a religious scholar, but as he read Ma’arif, the life of a passionate devotee was being unveiled to him. He did not know that Shaikh loved poetry. There were nearly thirty fragments of verse in Ma’arif. It was no longer possible to distinguish between Shaikh’s own lines and those that he had gleaned from other people. In one of the poems he had referred to himself as Allah’s lover. Just like the lover who composes poetry for his beloved, Shaikh too had written these verses for the Lord. All our praises for our beloved’s features and eyes and lashes are actually encomiums to Allah. In his library, Maulana Rumi discovered a lover of beauty and poetry in Bahauddin. In Ma’arif Bahauddin had repeatedly exhorted people to stay away from all manner of filth in the world. According to him, there were four kinds: educated people, cities, armed forces, and rulers. O inhabitants of the world, do not allow your hearts to be covered in grime. The fire in an oven blackens everything at first, then reddens them, and finally whitens. In the same way, the flames of Allah’s love take us from black to red and finally to the purity of white. Maulana sensed a strange, raging storm within himself today, taking him out of the world of Ma’arif. He became even more restless over the next few days. He would lapse into silence during his discourses, gazing out of the window. It seemed to Hussam that his eyes The Saffron Tide:The rise of the BJP kingshuk nag REVIEW Humair Ishtiaq T HE August 11 speech by Mohammad Ali Jinnah is one of the most quoted and interpreted pieces of history in Pakistan by all schools of political thought. Whether the Founder wanted the state of Pakistan to be secular or theological in orientation is a matter of conjecture and an element inherent in all interpretations. But India, the state, had no such confusions and made much of its secular credentials on the global stage. But is that the whole picture? Well, the jury is still out on this one, even in India itself. While tracing the rise of the Hindu right wing in The Saffron Tide: The Rise of the BJP, author Kingshuk Nag, a senior journalist, asserts at the very outset that Indian secularism was “only skin-deep.” Even though Jawaharlal Nehru ruled India for 17 years and had all the time in the world to articulate, interpret and execute his vision, his brand of secularism could not take root firmly enough to last long after him; the success of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being a reflection of that feeble pedigree. Talking of the secular republic, Nag insists that “barring a few men … others were quite ‘pro-Hindu’ in their thinking … [and for them], being Hindu was the natural thing … This did not mean that they were disrespectful of other religions or their adherents. These leaders found nothing wrong with being secular and Hindu at the same time.” Even before Partition, Congress had a lot of Hindu symbolism built into its public posturing, writes Nag and cites, among others, the use of ‘Vande Matram’, “the anthem of freedom-fighters,” which was drawn from a novel in which it used to be sung by “Hindus rebelling against their Muslim kings.” The compulsion of electoral politics — “Is it possible to win elections in India without polling the Hindu vote?” — is the only rationalisation Nag has on offer for this rather dubious approach. However, his other questions have built-in answers. Sample this: “Was Nehru’s Indian Republic really secular or was the Hinduness of the country couched in secular terms? Did the BJP become a victim of criticism because of promoting its cause too blatantly? Was this the same cause that the Congress had been promoting, albeit in a softer fashion?” It is only understandable that the book doesn’t try to answer these questions directly, but the discreet silence speaks for itself. Having said that, indirect allusions galore: “The original Hindu party of India — the party that reflected the Hindu interests — was the Congress party … [which] — professing to be secular — remained in power so long as the Hindu vote was with it,” argues Nag. He adds that as soon as the Hindu votebank started perceiving that the Congress was not able to fully serve its interests it “started deserting it” and thus began the search for an alternative. This happened at a different pace and over varying timeframes in different Indian states (provinces) and the fortunes of the right-wingers remained dependent on the performance graph of the Congress. “Till date, the BJP relies on the lack of performance of the Congress party for its election showing, even though its dependence has reduced in the last couple of decades.” Though it remains a critical study of Indian politics at large, The Saffron Tide, as the title suggests, has taken a look at the larger picture through the prism of right-wing religious parties that together threw up the BJP to take on Congress at the national scale. The Congress party was established in 1885 and in less than three decades, in 1914, the Hindu Mahasabha was formed to “represent Hindu interests”. In the intervening period, in 1906, one may recall, the All-India Muslim League was formed. Next was the formation of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1925. On paper, it was to “abstain from active politics and work at resuscitating the nation’s civilisational ethos, which was a cultural task.” However, in his inaugural message, the party founder emphasised to the activists, among other things, the need to “train [themselves] physically” to attain their goals. Nag traces the development as the momentum was carried forward by the Jana Sangh in 1951, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in 1964, the Shiv Sena in 1966, the Janata Party in 1977 and, finally, the BJP in 1980. It was only in the mid-1980s that the “war cry” — ‘Garv Se Kaho Hum Hindu Hain’ (Say with pride we are Hindus) — started being heard in public. It was coined years ago by Guru Golwalkar of the RSS, the “BJP’s parent body,” according to Nag. And then came the ideology of Hindutva in 1998, flanked on either side by the Babri Masjid riots in 1992 and the Gujarat carnage in 2002. As chronicled by Nag, though not in as many words, the strongarm tactics by the Hindu right wing did help it in the arena of electoral politics. From just two seats and eight per cent votes in the 1984 elections, it jumped to 85 (11 per cent votes) and 120 (20 per cent votes) seats in the next two elections. In the first polls after the Babri Masjid riots, the BJP ended up with 161 seats (20 per cent votes) and became the single largest party in the 543-member house for the first time. The next time round, the BJP had 182 seats and 25 per cent of the total votes polled. Paying the incumbency cost, the BJP had to lie low in the next two elections, before roaring back in 2014. With 282 seats (31 per cent votes), the BJP became the first nonCongress party in India to have a parliamentary majority of its own. Together with the National Democratic Alliance with which it had an electoral adjustment, the party has 336 seats, almost 62 per cent parliamentary majority. These heights were unimaginable even for a diehard right-winger at the start of the journey. And all this while, the rigidity has increased not only across the nation, but also within the right wing itself. Nag has been able to capture the infighting that has seen the likes of L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh getting waylaid, and the “flexibility and liberalism” of Atal Bihari Vajpayee being replaced by the “superb organisational skills” of Narendra Modi only because the “RSS bosses had made up their mind.” With religious fanaticism being one of the main worries of the modern world, The Saffron Tide is bound to come in handy for anyone trying to make sense of the phenomenon as it develops in a country that is home to about 15 per cent of the global population. The Saffron Tide: The Rise of the BJP (POLITICS) By Kingshuk Nag Rupa Publications, India ISBN 978-81-291-3127-0 247pp. Rs 500 saw nothing at all. One day his son Sultan Walad went into the ladies’ chambers to tell Kira Khatun what was happening. Just as Maulana loved Sultan, Sultan too was duty-bound to his father. Unable to bear Maulana’s agitation, he was hoping that Kira’s company would calm his father down. His Greek stepmother was so beautiful that even Sultan felt tempted sometimes. At other times she appeared similar to the Virgin Mary. Maulana too was apprehensive about Kira’s loveliness, and seldom allowed her out of the house. Kira came to the library late that same evening. As always, Maulana was astonished to see her. Once again he felt that she was not of this world, that she had come from an invisible universe somewhere else, as someone, as a poet of the future would write, who visited but once, never to be seen again. — You here, Bibijaan? Maulana took Kira’s hand. — I haven’t seen you in a long time, Maulana. You never visit us anymore. I’m told you’re always in the library. — Hmm . . . Come. — Don’t you feel the urge to see me anymore, Maulana? — Of course I do. I do see you, Kira. In my dreams. Kira began to laugh like a mad woman. Maulana was transfixed by her beauty and laughter. The laughter stopped suddenly. Kissing her husband’s feet, Kira said, ‘I beg your pardon, Maulana. I should not have asked this question. Nor do I know why I laughed. Forgive me, Maulana.’ Maulana sat down next to Kira, putting his hand on her back he said, ‘You know I never lie, Kira.’ Excerpted with permission from A Mirrored Life, Rabisankar Bal, translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha, Random House India. Seven ThouSand YearS of flYing But back we are now to ancient glory; So let history yield to a fabled story, Shaming pedestrian fact and pariah Reason, inaugurating a wondrous, A magical, a nationalist season baDRi Raina Seven thousand years before they Could properly light a spark With stones, we had aeroplanes. The crafts flew invisible-spiritual, Carrying realized rishis across Galaxies, leaving neither body Nor wreck in sight, only emanations; Alas, that in modern times that ancient Marvel came to be sold as Star Trek, Wherein conjured imitations fly To fake stations and false destinations. Woe that soon after, five thousand Years ago, we had a loss of brains; The Congress Party came to power, And lost us all our timeless gains. One after the other, invaders rode Across our sanaatan land, and We had no planes left to fight Off the horde. Did I hear you say That there was no Congress Party Till 1885? Well, there you again, Distorting history to suit the leftist brain. The fact is that five thousand years ago, Nehru compromised our nuclear Stockpiles with pompous call To non-alignment and non-proliferation. Thus, when the bearded marauders With drawn scimitars descended upon Our plains, we had no bombs left To exterminate their generation. Thus is the Congress guilty not just Of enslaving us but importing untouchability. The Internationalist Nehru did one Other heinous thing: in his noblesse Of vision, he palmed off Pythagoras To the primitive Greeks, leaving Bharat Bereft of mathematics for thousands Of weeks, till our Saffron Science Went into huddle, and brought back The planes, the Pi, the Pythagoras, The nuclear know-how back into Currency out of the Congress muddle. If you look closely with transcendent eye, You may see the Wright brothers Craning their necks askance at the Saffron Congress, acknowledging how their 1903 feat was rottenly filched from Vedic texts, and how in fact, they Had been incarnations of two Eight thousand year old Brahmin saints, Carrying in their genes secrets Pertaining to engines and aeroplanes. But back we are now to ancient glory; So let history yield to a fabled story, Shaming pedestrian fact and pariah Reason, inaugurating a wondrous, A magical, a nationalist season. Dr Badri Raina is a distinguished commentator on politics, culture and society. A Fulbright Scholar and PhD from Madison, Wisconsin, Prof Raina taught English literature at the University of Delhi for over four decades and is the author of the much acclaimed "Dickens and the Dialectic of Growth." He has several collections of poems, essays and translations to his credit. 6 Sunday 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer Next round of 2G, 3G airwaves auctions from Feb 25 NEW DELHI: The next round of spectrum auction in 800, 900, 1800 and 2100 megahertz (MHz) will start from Feb 25, it was announced on Saturday. The Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for auction of spectrum in 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz and 800 MHz bands was issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Friday, an official statement said. The total spectrum put to auction is 103.75 MHz in 800 MHz band, 177.8 MHz in 900 MHz band and 99.2 MHz in 1800 MHz band — a total of 380.75 MHz in 800, 900 and 1800 MHz. The details of 2100 MHz bands would be announced later, it mentioned. “Validity of spectrum in this auction shall be 20 years. There is also option of deferred payment. The auction format is simultaneous, Marginal growth in car sales likely in current fiscal: SIAM NEW DELHI: Helped by better consumer sentiment and excise duty sops on vehicles, cars sales in the country rose by 2.46 per cent in 2014. In 2013, car sales had registered a decline of 9.59 per cent, the first fall in car sales in eleven years. Passenger car sales in the January-December, 2014, period rose to 18.51 lakh units from 18.07 lakh units in 2013, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Industry (SIAM). While the industry body does not see sales growth for the current fiscal to be negative due to cars getting dearer following expiry of excise duty cuts, growth is likely to be marginal at around one per cent. “Only three months are left for the fiscal to end. While excise duty sops have expired, we are anticipating some positives in terms of lowering of interest rates. Globally, fuel prices are also coming down, that should also have a positive impact,” SIAM Deputy Director-General Sugato Sen said. Meanwhile, the domestic car sales soared by 15.26 per cent to 1.53 lakh units in December, mainly driven by advance purchases by customers in anticipation of price rise in January as it was expected that excise duty concessions would not be extended. While the growth in December is the highest so far in the ongoing fiscal, Mr. Sen said this was mainly because of the low base of last year when cars sales had declined considerable. Sequentially, sales were down as compared to November when sales stood at 1.56 lakh units, he added. Asked about the commercial vehicle segment, which saw sales drop by 11.8 per cent to 6.06 lakh units in 2014, Mr. Sen said the sector had seen some improvement, but did not perform well as “real economic activity is still to gain steam.” Sales of commercial vehicles rose by 9.01 per cent to 51,000 units in December. multiple-round, ascending auction,” the statement said. The last date for submission of application by the telecom service providers is February 6. The Cabinet on Monday approved the proposal of the DoT to proceed with auction in 800, 900 and 1800 (mega hertz) MHz bands and finalised its reserve prices. “The reserve price approved is Rs.3,646 crore pan-India per MHZ in 800 MHz, Rs.3,980 crore for 900 MHz band pan India excluding Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Jammu and Kashmir; Rs.2,191 crore pan India (excluding Maharashtra and West Bengal) in 1800 MHz band,” the statement said. In December 2015, seven licences each of Idea Cellular and Reliance Communications, four licences of Bharti Airtel and six licences of Voda- RBI Governor hails decision to free banks MUMBAI : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan on Friday said that the decision of the Government to give freedom to public sector banks (PSBs) to function independently is a “land mark decision”. He was speaking at the convocation ceremony of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) here. The Finance Ministry had issued a direction to banks recently asking them to take decisions without fear or favour and to ignore extraneous considerations in commercial decisions, in the aftermath of the ‘Gyan Sangam’, which was attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Modi said at the Gyan Sangam, the two-day bankers’ meet arranged to discuss banking reforms, that the Government will not interfere in the functioning of public sector banks. He also called for ending “lazy banking” and said that banks must prioritise lending to employment-generating sectors. Dr. Rajan said that institution plays an important role in the intellectual development of students. While asking students to pay back to the society, Dr. Rajan remembered, institution builders like Dr. Varghese Kurien, who built up a brand like Amul, T. N. Seshan, former Election Commissioner and Vinod Rai, former CAG. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was the Chief Guest at the convoca- tion, congratulated the institute for the gender “reverse disparity” in favour of the women. Over 70 per cent of the students who passed out today were women. Mr. Jaitley also said that the election results recently proved that castes and dynasties will no more attract voters as they are interested only in governance and economic growth. Meanwhile visiting the LIC corporate Office here, Mr. Jaitley said that onethird of the country would soon be insured by LIC by partnering with Prime Minister's Jan DhanYojana. He said that LIC was a role model of how a public sector institution should function and appreciated claims performance of LIC, which was much better than the private sector. The Finance Minister also said that millions had built their houses with LIC’s support and people’s savings were channelised and invested in infrastructure. LIC also generated employment directly through employees and agents and indirectly by investing in the economy. THE GyAn SAnGAM, the two-day bankers’ meet arranged to discuss banking reforms, that the Government will not interfere in the functioning of public sector banks fone will complete their 20-year term after which they should be renewed. The estimated revenues from this auction are Rs.64,840 crore (excluding 2100 MHz spectrum) of which Rs.16,000 crore is expected to be realized in the current financial year (2014-15).The revenue target from spectrum auction set by the government in the 2014-15 budget is Rs.45,471 crore. Cyprus Airways shuts down after E.U. order on state aid NICOSIA: Cypriot national airline, Cyprus Airways was shut down following a European Commission ruling Friday that the company had illegally received state aid. Cypriot Minister of Finance, Harris Georgiades and Minister of Communications, Marios Demetriades said at a joint press conference that the licence of the government-owned company was revoked and its flying programme terminated with immediate effect, according to a Xinhua report. The Ministers also announced alternative arrangements for Cyprus Airways passengers following the termination of the ailing carrier’s operations. “These alternative arrangements... are possible to include the use of chartered airplanes, the transportation of passengers with another airline to his or her destination... or any combination of the above,” the Ministers said in a statement. The decision to immediately shut down the Cypriot national air carrier, which was established in 1947, came after the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (E.U.), announced that Cyprus Airways would have to pay back about 100 million euros (about $118 million) in state aid it has received since 2007. “Cyprus Airways needs to pay back all incompatible aid received,” E.U. Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager said. The commissioner ruled that the state aid gave the company an undue advantage over its competitors in breach of E.U. rules. The commission also found that Cyprus Airways “had no realistic perspective of becoming viable without continued state subsidies” and that injecting more money into the company would not achieve a turn-around”. Cyprus government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides had said earlier that the government was prepared for any scenario, having made plans for the establishment of a new airline in association with the private sector so as to safeguard air communication in the island country. He also said that the government made provisions for the company’s 500-strong staff. Several staff members gathered outside Cyprus Airways headquarters in protest of its closure as the board met inside the building to plan the company’s winding down. Cyprus Stock Exchange had announced that it decided to delist the company’s shares as of Jan 13 after it failed to submit preliminary financial statements from 2012 onwards. Efforts by the government last year to sell Cyprus Airways either to the low-cost airline Ryanair or Greece’s Aegean Airlines failed as they did not follow their initial expression of interest with firm offers. From Front Page Stable Govt this evening, the BJP leader described India as the 'mosaic' of all religions. "Rather than finding fault with each other or engaging in number games, if we engage in bettering the life of people, that is what the country needs," Madhav said. Lauding the contributions of the Christian community, he said several initiatives have been undertaken by them, which has benefited large sections of the society. "We are guided by great values the country has given from time immemorial. Irrespective of our religions we cherish those values... We all believe in the great values of 5000 years of history the country has given to mankind. We need to take forward the values which have guided the country since millennium." "Government can secure freedom and secure equality through law. We have laws to punish people who practise inequality. But fraternity cannot be achieved through government action. It is here social and religious leaders have to play an important role and propagate the fact that we are one fraternity, irrespective of caste, religion." "No religion is complete. Every religion has its internal differences. We all have to live like a family, brothers in the country. This cannot be achieved through any act," Ram Madhav said. Exhorts pending cases and asked the Chief Secretary to send him all the cases which relate to policy or significant decisions. He urged them to take all necessary steps to achieve the objectives of good and responsive governance in the State, at all levels of functioning. Modi praises rally was also attended by Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS in PMO and BJP’s State Unit Chief Jugal Kishore who was felicitated in the rally by Modi for his role in the recent JK Assembly elections where BJP won 25 seats. It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister was projected as the face of the BJP's campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir elections and addressed eight rallies in the state during November-December Assembly elections. The other top party leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah, National General Secretary Ram Lal, union minister Arun Jaitley, also visited the Jammu and Kashmir in the Assembly elections and addressed rallies. Union Transport separate cell in the office and is directly accepting the bids, sources said. A senior bureaucrat in the state government wishing confirmed the development. “The step is first of its kind taken by the government of India. Maintenance of highway and other central sponsored roads was maintained by the State Government’s PWD department, BRO, and National Highways Author- ity of India but for the first time the government of India has changed the system with the reason best to known to them,” he said. Meanwhile, one of the officials in the office of union transport ministry told KNS that the step has been taken to bring in transparency and accountability in the system. “We believe that this move will help us verify progress of actual work on ground,” he said. (KNS) Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir State. “The joint parliamentary committee’s recommendations for the permanent settlement of west Pakistan refugees in the state is wicked conspiracy to change the demography of the state and to alter the special status enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir state,” Sagar said while addressing the meetings. He said the anti-Jammu and Kashmir elements, since the day one has been implying different tactics to change the demography of the state and today they have raked up such issue again. “Different parliamentary committees have recommended many different things for the state like the return of the power projects to J&K, restoration of autonomy, and revoking the black laws like AFSPA from the state, but all the government there in centre binned these recommendations,” Sagar said adding “Now that the another JPC has made recommendations for settling west Pakistan refugees, and giving them the citizenship and voting rights, central government seems like in a hurry to make this happen as soon as possible; we can smell a rat in these recommendations.” He said conspiracies like these were even hatched in 2008, when there were attempts to transfer land to shrine board, which was a dangerous attempt to fiddle with special status of Jammu and Kashmir. “But the fallout of the land row agitation proved to be dangerous which was witnessed by the country and entire world,” he said and continued “As per the article 370 and the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, no non-state residents can get state subject or the voting rights.” Four Burglars burglaries. “During the investigation of the cases police succeeded in apprehending four burglars, from their instances large quantities of stolen merchandize were recovered from different places,” he added. He identified the arrested burglars as Omar Jan of Zewan, Tawseef Mir of Pampore, Muzafar Misgar and Manzoor Chopan both residents of Khonmou. With the arrests of these four burglars and the recoveries made from them Police have solved 2 cases of burglaries that had taken place in Zewan and Khonmou areas in the recent days, the officer claimed and added that two FIR’s vide numbers 1/2015 and 3/2015 under section 379,109,457,380 have been registered against the burglars. (CNS) sunday 11 01 2015 Kashmir Observer NEWS French Hunt For Gunman’s Girlfriend After Bloody Siege Climax This combination of images released by the French police shows Hayat Boumeddiene (L) and Amedy Coulibaly (R), suspected of being involved in the killing of a policewoman in Montrouge on January 8. - AFP thousands of people as well as the leaders of countries including Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain. Questions were also mounting over how the three men — brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, and supermarket gunman Coulibaly — had slipped through the security net after it emerged that all three were known to the intelligence agencies. With fears spreading in the wake of the attack, the United States warned of a global threat, telling its citizens to beware of “terrorist actions and violence” all over the world. Boko Haram has killed 2,000, says Amnesty YOLA (NIGERIA): Hundreds of bodies — too many to count — remain strewn in the bush in Nigeria from an Islamic extremist attack that Amnesty International on Friday suggested is the "deadliest massacre" in the history of Boko Haram. District head Baba Abba Hassan said most victims are children, women and elderly people who could not run fast enough when insurgents on January 3 drove into Baga, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles on town residents. The insurgents also seized a key military base at Baga, which is on the border with Chad. A security official said the soldiers fought for hours but fled when no reinforcements arrived and they ran out of ammunition. "The human carnage perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga was enormous," Muhammad Abba Gava, a spokesman for poorly armed civilians in a defense group that fights Boko Haram, said. He said the civilian fighters gave up on trying to count all the bodies. "No one could attend to the corpses and even the seriously injured ones who may have died by now," Gava said. An Amnesty International statement said there are reports the town was razed and as many as 2,000 people killed. If true, "this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram's ongoing onslaught," said Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International. The previous bloodiest day in the uprising involved soldiers gunning down unarmed detainees freed in a March 14, 2014, attack on Giwa military barracks in Maiduguri city. Amnesty said then that satellite imagery indicated more than 600 people were killed that day. The 5-year insurgency killed more than 10,000 people last year alone, according to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations. More than a million people are displaced inside Nigeria and hundreds of thousands have fled across its borders into Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. Suicide bombing by 10-year-old girl kills 19 MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA: A suicide bomb attack by a young girl thought to be as young as 10 in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri killed 19 people, police said on Saturday. Borno State police spokesperson Gideon Jubrin told reporters: “Casualty figure: 20 dead and 18 injured, including the female suicide bomber that detonated the improvised explosive device.” The blast happened at about 12:40 pm near the live chicken section of the Monday Market in the Borno State capital, which was targeted twice in a week by female bombers late last year. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Boko Haram militants have increasingly used women and young girls as human bombs. Civilian vigilante Ashiru Mustapha said the explosives detonated as the girl was being searched at the entrance to the market. “The girl was about 10 years old and I doubt much if she actually knew what was strapped to her body,” he told AFP.“In fact, she was searched at the entrance of the market and the metal detector indicated that she was carrying something.” “But sadly, the explosion went off before she was isolated, killing at least 10 people and injuring many others.” TTP claims attack on Rawalpindi imambargah ISLAMABAD: The Jamatul Ahrar faction of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Saturday claimed responsibility for Friday's bomb attack on an imambargah in Rawalpindi, which killed eight people and wounded 16 others. The powerful explosion on Friday night in the city triggered chaos as dozens of minority Shias gathered at the imambargah to distribute alms to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him). “We claim responsibility of the attack on the imambargah and vow to continue such attacks,” spokesman of Jamatul Ahrar, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said in an email. Pakistan has strengthened its own offensive against the Taliban since their attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School on December 16 killed 150 people, 134 of them children. The country ended its six-yearold moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases last month in the wake of the massacre. Nine convicted militants have been hanged so far since the de facto ban on capital punishment ended. To further boost its efforts, the government on Friday announced it was setting up nine military courts to hear terrorismrelated cases. Hollande, meanwhile, described the attack on the supermarket as an “appalling antiSemitic act” and said: “These fanatics have nothing to do with the Muslim religion.“ Hidden under sinks and in fridges The Kouachi brothers were cornered in a printing business in Dammartin-en-Goele outside Paris Friday after a firefight with police that Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said left Said with a minor neck wound. The brothers took the manager hostage, later releasing him after he helped Said with his wound, while a second man hid beneath a sink upstairs, said Molins. The second man was able to text security forces information from inside the premises, a source said, and survived the assault unharmed. The gunmen had a hefty cache of arms including Molotov cocktails and a loaded rocket-launcher. One witness described a terrifying face-to-face encounter with one of the suspects, dressed in black, wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying what looked like a Kalashnikov. The salesman told France Info radio that one of the brothers said: “Leave, we don't kill civilians anyhow". As French elite forces moved into place around the building, with snipers deployed on roofs and helicopters buzzing overhead, a fresh drama unfolded in eastern Paris with a hail of gunfire around lunchtime. There, Coulibaly — suspected of gunning down a policewoman a day after the Charlie Hebdo massacre — stormed a Jewish supermarket hours before the Sabbath, killing four shoppers and taking others hostage. However, up to five people — including a three-year-old boy— survived hidden inside a refrigerator for five hours, with police pinpointing their location using their mobile phones, prosecutors and relatives said. Police swarmed to the Vincennes area, ordering terrified residents to stay indoors. Outside the kosher supermarket, an AFP reporter saw at least one body lying at the scene, where the sliding glass door of the shop was completely shattered. “It's war!” shouted a mother as she pulled her daughter away. As the sun set shortly after 5:00 pm local time, the two Islamist Charlie Hebdo gunmen charged out of the building with guns blazing before being cut down. Shortly afterwards security forces moved in on the supermarket, where Coulibaly had just knelt to do his evening prayer when the special forces struck. BFM TV revealed police were able to exploit a lapse in his defences as he had not hung up his phone after speaking to one of their reporters. Slipping through the net Meanwhile, questions mounted as to how the three men could have slipped through the security net. As the drama reached its climax, links emerged showing the brothers and Coulibaly were close allies and had worked together. Molins, the prosecutor, said Terrorists have waged war on Prophet & Quran: Nasrallah BEIRUT: The leader of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says terrorist groups threaten Islam, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the holy Quran by committing heinous crime against humanity. Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks during a ceremony marking the birth anniversary Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahiyeh on Friday. “Today I tell you very clearly that those groups pose a threat to countries of the region for today and tomorrow. It became clear that those groups pose a threat to Islam itself as a religion and a mission, to the Messenger and to the Quran,” Nasrallah added. He said the terrorist groups offend Islam when they "behead thousands of people and kill thousands of people in Yemen for commemorating the Prophet's birth anniversary." "Those offensives are supported by being easily circulated across several geographical locations, starting from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, to the states that facilitated visas for terrorists to travel into our country," Nasrallah further noted. Nasrallah’s remarks came after al-Qaeda-affiliated gunmen stormed the Paris headquarters of the satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, on Wednesday, gunning down a dozen people, including eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor. France has been known to be among main countries supporting al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists as well as ISIL Takfiri terrorist militants in the Middle East. At present, ISIL terrorists control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control and have terrorized and killed people of all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians. Nasrallah also pointed to the peaceful nature of anti-regime protests in Bahrain, noting that recent detention of Bahraini opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, implies that the Bahraini officials have reached a deadlock. "The people of Bahrain have legitimate rights. They decided to launch peaceful revolution in contrary to other movements in the world. They are shot but they didn't shoot (a bullet). They were killed on roads but they didn't kill anyone, and held no knife…. Leaders of opposition, headed by Sheikh Issa Qassem, as well as al-Wefaq group headed by Sheikh Ali Salman – have agreed upon the peaceful dialogue," the Hezbollah leader added. Bahraini forces detained Salman on December 28, two days after he was re-elected as al-Wefaq’s leader. He was remanded in custody on January 5 for two more weeks, pending an investigation into charges, including seeking to change the regime by force. The arrest has sparked massive public anger in the tiny Persian Gulf sheikdom. Al-Wefaq has said regime forces use excessive force against peaceful protesters. Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have been holding held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power. Former Pakistani Air Force man hanged ISLAMABAD: A former Pakistan Air Force chief technician, convicted for an assassination attempt on former president Pervez Musharraf, has been executed, a media report said Saturday. Khalid Mehmood was executed in Rawalpindi's Central Jail Friday night, Dawn online reported. Mehmood was sentenced to death Oct 3, 2005, for his involvement in an assassination attempt on Musharraf Dec 14, 2003 in Rawalpindi. The attack involved a pow- erful explosion targeting the former president's motorcade as it was passing over a bridge in the garrison city. The motorcade narrowly escaped the explosion and no one was injured. Mehmood was shifted to the jail Oct 27, 2010. According to an ARY News report, Khalid was the seventh to be executed out of the nine terrorists found guilty of trying to assassinate Musharraf. Prior to hanging, the jail authorities arranged Kha- lid's meeting with his family members. His belongings were handed over to the family after the execution. On Dec 17, Pakistan lifted a moratorium on death penalty in terror-related cases, following a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar Dec 16, in which Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants massacred over 140 students and teachers. Khalid was the 10th convict to be hanged since the moratorium was lifted. Terror SponSorS Facing BacklaSh I ran’s Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says those supporting terrorism in the Middle East have now been targeted with terrorist attacks in their own countries. Referring to the recent deadly terrorist attacks in France, Larijani said, “These incidents showed that the countries that were behind terrorism in the Middle East have now become entangled [in trouble caused] by the very same terrorists.” He made the remarks while addressing a ceremony on Islamic unity in the northwestern Iranian city of Urumiyeh. Larijani said that all Muslims are united in their teachings and beliefs but there are people who want to break this unity. “We (Muslims) all follow one religion; but, certain people are today creating irregularities in Islamic countries and they either have a mission for breaking unity or are so ill-minded as to seek to sow discord between Shias and Sunnis in the name of Takfirism,” Larijani said. He slammed the foreign sponsors of terrorism in the Middle East and said, “They created numerous security problems by their presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Look what has happened now; everything is messed up in France and no one has security.” Coulibaly had “threatened to kill all the hostages” if police moved in on the Kouachi brothers, and he had said the supermarket was booby-trapped. All three had a radical past and were known to French intelligence. Cherif Kouachi, 32, was a known jihadist who was convicted in 2008 for involvement in a network sending fighters to Iraq. His brother Said, 34, was known to have traveled to Yemen in 2011, where he received weapons training from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It also emerged that the brothers had been on a US terror watch list “for years”. Cherif told French TV he was acting on behalf of the Yemenbased AQAP while Coulibaly said he was a member of the Islamic State group. Coulibaly, 32, who met Kouachi in prison, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2013 for his role in a failed bid to break an Algerian Islamist, Smain Ait Ali Belkacem, out of jail. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the carnage they left in their wake showed there had been “clear failings” in intelligence. The Islamic State group's radio praised them as “heroes” and Somalia's Shebab militants, Al Qaeda's main affiliate in Africa, hailed their "heroic" act. While the immediate dan- ger appeared to have cleared, a chilling new warning came from AQAP whose top sharia official Harith al-Nadhari threatened France with fresh attacks, the SITE monitoring group said. "It is better for you to stop your aggression against the Muslims, so perhaps you will live safely. If you refuse but to wage war, then wait for the glad tiding." 'We stand with you' As the world rallied to France's side, US President Barack Obama vowed assistance. “I want the people of France to know that the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow,” Obama said, describing France as America's “oldest ally”. Some of France's best-loved cartoonists, as well as two police officers, were killed at Charlie Hebdo, a magazine that infuriated Muslims by repeatedly publishing mocking cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him). Also on Friday, the mourning capital shone the words “Paris Est Charlie “(Paris Is Charlie) on the Arc de Triomphe monument, playing on the phrase “I Am Charlie” (Je Suis Charlie) that has taken centre stage at rallies around the globe and featured heavily on social media. India's First Cow Minister TRANS ASIA NEWS JAIPUR/ INDIA: Even in a deeply devout India where the cow is revered, a government ministry dedicated to the protection of the animal is a first. Otaram Devasi, 48, is the western Indian state of Rajasthan's minister in charge of cow affairs. As for himself, India's firstever minister for the 'divine' bovine likes to address himself as "gaupalan mantri" — “cow welfare minister”. Rajasthan’s right-wing Hindu administration of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has established a government department for the preservation and protection of cows and to start research institutions, or cow science universities, focused on the rearing and health of the animal. The government led by O f f t r a c k Vasundhara Raje promptly announced a ministry for the protection of cows, which was later transformed to a "department" after the move struck a constitutional hurdle since Indian states can't set up new ministries. Devasi, who himself owns "20-25 cows", wants the canvas for cow protection to be bigger. "I believe if cows have to be saved then every state in India must have separate ministries for cows," he says, insisting that he's not being just rhetorical. For his desert state, there are three things high on his agenda: clamping down on rampant cattle smuggling, introduction of a helpline number on the lines of 108 ambulance services to help cattle in distress besides starting a one-of-its-kind "sanctuary" for cows near Bikaner or Jaisalmer. India produced 3.643 million tons of beef, of which 1.963 million metric tons was consumed domestically and 1.680 million metric tons was exported. However, most of the exported beef is buffalo meat. Two Ukraine soldiers killed in new upsurge in fighting KIEV: Ukraine's military on Saturday reported the death of two soldiers in the past day of fighting with pro-Russian insurgents in the separatist east. Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko added that 20 soldiers were wounded in clashes in the mostly Russianspeaking Lugansk region. The toll brings to six the number of Ukrainian troops reported killed since Thursday evening — an escalation since the two warring sides agreed a new December 9 truce aimed at stemming fighting that has claimed some 4,700 lives. The upsurge in violence comes ahead of talks that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hopes to stage next week with Russia's Vladimir Putin at a mini-summit in Kazakhstan that would also be attended by the leaders of Germany and France. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have indicated in the past few days that too little has been done to achieve a lasting ceasefire to make political dialogue worthwhile at this stage. C M Y K PARIS: French forces were frantically hunting for the girlfriend of an Islamist gunman on Saturday, as the country mourned 17 dead in three blood-soaked days that shook the nation to its core. After President Francois Hollande warned the threats facing France “weren't over” and Islamist groups issued chilling warnings of fresh attacks, authorities pursued Hayat Boumeddiene, said to be "armed and dangerous". She is the partner of Amedy Coulibaly, who died on Friday when security forces stormed a Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris where he had taken terrified shoppers hostage. He killed four hostages during the siege and called friends from the scene urging them to stage further attacks. Hollande held an emergency meeting of key ministers early Saturday, hours after a dramatic end to twin sieges that also resulted in the death of two brothers who had killed 12 at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine on Wednesday. As France's bloodiest week in decades drew to a close, the mood began to turn to one of grim national reflection. President Francois Hollande said he would attend a march of unity in Paris on Sunday expected to draw hundreds of Kashmir Observer news C M Y K C M Y K 8 SUNDAY 11 01 2015 Soon, a long-lasting cure for sensitive teeth SRINAGAR: Good news for people with sensitive teeth. Scientists working on a long term treatment to relieve from the jolt of pain people get while eating something too hot or cold. Chun-Pin Lin and colleagues note that tooth sensitivity is one of the most common complaints among dental patients. Not only does it cause sharp pains, but it can also lead to more serious dental problems. The condition occurs when a tooth's enamel degrades, exposing tiny, porous tubes and allowing underlying nerves to become more vulnerable to hot and cold. Current treatments, including special toothpastes, work by blocking the openings of the tubes. But the seal they create is superficial and doesn't stand up to the wear- and-tear of daily brushing and chewing. The researchers have now made a novel paste based on the elements found in teeth, namely calcium and phosphorus. They applied the mixture to dogs' teeth and found that it plugged exposed tubes more deeply than other treatments. This depth could be the key, the researchers conclude, to repairing damaged enamel and providing longer-lasting relief from tooth sensitivity. The research is published in the journal ACS Nano. The researchers have now made a novel pasTe based on the elements found in teeth, namely calcium and phosphorus. They applied the mixture to dogs' teeth and found that it plugged exposed tubes more deeply than other treatments The participants, who ranged in age from 45-84, also completed surveys that assessed their mental health, levels of optimism, and physical health, based upon self-reported extant medical diagnoses of arthritis, liver and kidney disease. Hernandez said that at the population level, even this moderate difference in cardiovascular health translates into a significant reduction in death rates and this evidence, which is hypothesized to occur through a biobehavioral mechanism, suggests that prevention strategies that target modification of psychological well-being. Optimists had significantly better blood sugar and total cholesterol levels than their counterparts and they also were more physically active, had healthier body mass indexes and were less likely to smoke, according to a paper on the research that appears in the January/February 2015 issue of Health Behavior and Policy Review. Hernandez concluded that the findings may be of clinical significance, given that a 2013 study indicated that a one-point increase in an individual's total-health score on the LS7 was associated with an 8 percent reduction in their risk of stroke. Karachi: In religiously conservative Pakistan, a television call-in advice show is tackling an issue rarely discussed in public: Sex. Once a week, a doctor appearing on HTV’s “Clinic Online” focuses on sexual issues, fielding questions about sexually transmitted disease, fertility and how to deal with husbands having multiple wives in this Muslim-majority country of 180 million people. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Faizan Syed, the CEO of HTV, a private satellite channel. “The biggest question was how society would perceive or handle it.” The answer is surprisingly well. Before the first episode aired, Syed said producers discussed every aspect of the show, including whether to air it late at night to ensure that the audience was mostly adults and not children. In the end, Syed said they decided to air it during the day when men likely would be at work and women at home alone, making it easier for them to call the show. The show doesn’t mirror the occasional salaciousness of American daytime television talk shows or the winking raunchiness of Dr Ruth Westheimer. Instead, the Karachi-shot show aired nationwide features Dr Nadeem Uddin Siddiqui clinically answering questions, mainly from women calling in from villages or remote areas of the country. Many women in Pakistan don’t even have a basic education, let alone a working knowledge of sex. “We decided our prime target is the housewives, who are the vulnerable of the society compared to men,” Syed said. Most of the women ask about impotence and infertility of their partners and how to get them to go to a doctor for a consultation. One woman described how her husband would go to his second wife for sex, leaving the first wife neglected. In Islam, men are allowed to have four wives although the practice is not universally accepted. The caller asked Siddiqui how she could fulfil her own sexual desires. Siddiqui said all he could advise her to do was to turn to religion and prayer. During another call, a woman described how her 29-year-old single nephew was becoming sexually aggressive with the women in the house. Siddiqui advised her to take him for a psychological consultation and arrange for him to be married as soon as possible. But even in this show there are boundaries, as it is conscious of not appearing to promote sex outside of marriage. Dr Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, a religious scholar associated with the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, who is not related to the show’s host, said a television show discussing sexual problems and diseases is not against Islam. But he cautioned that the show must keep its content within the religious and social values of society. Some Pakistanis, asked about the show, said it filled an important niche. “It is a good effort to address the issues of people who live in remote areas of the country and especially women,” said Salman Ali, a banker in Karachi who occasionally watches the show. 18-year-old to advise railways MuMbai: All Monika More, 18-yearold college girl, remembers of that horrific day on January 11 when she tripped at Ghatkopar railway station platform while trying to catch a train is falling headlong onto the tracks. Fortunately, she does not recall the train running over her arms. “I went blank and woke up many hours later in KEM [King Edward Memorial Hospital] Hospital,” she said from her simple home in suburban Kurla where her parents, brother and grandmother have left no stone unturned to get her back to living a normal life. When the family realised that she had lost both her arms, “we were in shock for days and all of us trembled constantly”, said her grandmother who calls her granddaugh- C M Y K ter “himmatwali”, or courageous girl. Her family thinks it was her bravery, spirit and the understanding of the dangers of travelling in Mumbai’s suburban trains that prompted star cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar to nominate her recently as member of the Central Railway Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee. Showing off the card given by Central Railway, she said: “I hope I get a chance to meet Sachin some day and say a big ‘thank you’ to him for nominating me.” As member of this committee, “I would have to visit railway stations twice a month, observe all the shortcomings and problems and report on it”. While rushing to catch a train, Monika had stumbled into a pit, which was dug when a signal pole was removed. Her father Ashok, who works for a travel company, knows that it was the railways’ negligence that was the cause of the accident. However, “We do not have the time or the financial resources to file a case against the railways,” he said. But as member of the committee, Monika wants “rail travel to be made safer for women. The presence of a policeman in a ladies compartment is important,” she says firmly. “We do have a compartment for handicapped commuters, but the general public always travels in it. This must be stopped.” She is afraid of travelling in trains and her mother has to accompany her daily in an autorickshaw to Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s Univer- sity where she is studying commerce. She said: “The gap between the train and platform must be reduced. In case of an accident, there must be adequate facilities to move an accident victim immediately to the hospital and an ambulance at every railway station is essential.” Had Monika been taken to the hospital promptly, she may not have lost her arms. “I would have probably lost my life if it wasn’t for two young men, Naseem Choudhury and Amjad Khan.” “[They] who rushed her to hospital,” her grandmother adds. “The two boys inquire about her regularly and during their last visit, Monika tied ‘rakhi’ to them.” According to Hindu custom, a sister ties rakhi or a sacred thread on her brother’s wrist to celebrate their bond. C M Y K Father strangles 5 sleeping kids ISLAMABAD: A man strangled his five children to death on Friday in Pakistan’s Sindh province. The children were between the ages of one and 12 and were sleeping when their father strangled them one by one. The incident took place in Matiari district, Geo News reported. The accused was apprehended by neighbours and handed over to the police. According to witnesses, the man had also abused his wife and thrown her out of the house a few days before. Just feel cold to stay slim SRINAGAR: A new study has revealed that exposure to cold temperatures increases levels of a newly discovered protein that is critical for the formation of brown fat, the type of fat in our bodies that generates heat. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that with extended exposure to chilly air, the protein, called transcription factor Zfp516, also helps the more abundant white fat in our bodies - the kind that stores excess energy become more similar to brown fat in its ability to burn energy. The researchers found that mice with boosted levels of the Zfp516 protein gained 30 percent less weight than control mice when both groups were fed a high-fat diet. Hei Sook Sul, UC Berkeley professor of nutritional science and toxicology, said that knowing which proteins regulate brown fat is significant because brown fat is not only important for thermogenesis, but there is evidence that brown fat may also affect metabolism and insulin resistance. He said that if one can somehow increase levels of this protein through drugs, they could have more brown fat, and could possibly lose more weight even if eating the same amount of food. Unlike white fat, which stores excess energy, brown fat burns energy to keep us warm. Brown fat gets its hue from relatively high levels of mitochondria, the cell's power station. In humans, brown fat was thought to be present only in infants, but stores of it were recently discovered in adults around such vital areas as the heart, brain, neck and spinal cord. The study was published online in the journal Molecular Cell. Eating almonds decreases belly fat SriNaGar: Including almonds in your daily diet could help reduce belly fat, a well-established heart disease risk factor, says a study. A daily snack of 1.5 ounces (42 gram) of almonds instead of a highcarbohydrate muffin, eaten as part of an overall healthy diet, improved a number of heart disease risk factors in study participants. "Our research found that substituting almonds for a highcarbohydrate snack improved numerous heart health risk factors, including the new finding that eating almonds reduced belly fat," said lead researcher of the study Claire Berryman from Pennsylvania State University. "Choosing almonds as a snack may be a simple way to help fight the onset of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases," Berryman said. The twelve-week, randomised, controlled clinical study, was conducted in 52 overweight, middle-aged adults who had high total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or "bad" cholesterol but were otherwise healthy. Participants ate cholesterol-lowering diets that were identical except that one group was given a daily snack of 42 gram of whole natural almonds, while the other group was given a banana muffin that provided the same number of calories. Participants were provided all meals and snacks in amounts based on their calorie needs to maintain body weight, and followed each diet for six weeks. The results showed the diet containing the almond snack, compared to the muffin snack, decreased abdominal fat, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol non-HDL-cholesterol and other blood fats. In addition, the diet with the muffin snack reduced HDL (good) cholesterol more than the almond diet. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Heart Association. C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K SRINAGAR: A new study has demonstrated that people who are optimistic are likely to have healthy hearts. The study conducted at University of Illinois examined associations between optimism and heart health in more than 5,100 adults and suggested that people who have upbeat outlooks have significantly better cardiovascular health. Lead author Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois, said that individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts and this association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health. In accordance with AHA's heart-health criteria, the researchers allocated 0, 1 or 2 points, representing poor, intermediate and ideal scores, respectively to participants on each of the seven health metrics, which were then summed to arrive at a total cardiovascular health score. Participants' total health scores ranged from 0 to 14, with a higher total score indicative of better health. In Pakistan, a TV show focuses on a topic once taboo: Sex C M Y K Optimistic people have healthier hearts