Lucknow:  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that country’s defence capability has strengthened and now no one can threaten us.

“We are not making BrahMos missiles to attack any other country in the world. We want to make BrahMos so that India has such power at its disposal that no country in the world dares to look at us with an evil eye,” he said.

He said that, “The country needs a nuclear deterrent to protect the country and give a befitting reply to some of our neighbours that we are competent to deal with any situation.”

Singh made these comments while laying the foundation stone of BrahMos Missile Unit and Lab of Defense Technology and Testing Center (DRDO) in Lucknow along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Sunday.

The defence minister said now the country’s defence manufacturing capabilities has increased and defence exports have commenced.

“Recently I had met Russian defence minister in Delhi where we mooted a new 3-point slogans to woo foreign defence manufacturers. These are Aayo(Come)- Make in India, Aayo- Make for India and Aayo- Make for World,” he said .

He also said that the name BrahMos name came from Brahmapurata river of India and Moskva river of Russia.

Singh said now in Lucknow, DRDO will prepare such a Brahmos missile, which will ensure India’s security. Today a new chapter has been added in the economy of Uttar Pradesh. The establishment of BrahMos Missile Unit and DRDO Lab will also provide employment to the people of Uttar Pradesh.

“I would like to express my gratitude to CM Yogi ji and to those who, as soon as I mentioned the setting up of the projects, agreed immediately without delaying even for a moment. The 200 acre land was given to DRDO in just 45 days”, he said.

He said that if anyone has done the work of implementing all the schemes implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi effectively in the entire state, then it is Yogi Adityanath.” I want to congratulate him wholeheartedly. When I go to other states, people say that the government of UP is very effective. In every work, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shows courage,” he claimed.

Singh specially mentioned about how CM Yogi Adityanath wiped out the mafias from the state and now UP has turned into a most favourite destination for the investors.

He said in the defence manufacturing corridor, UP has already received investments of over Rs 14,000 crores.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that a new BrahMos Missile production unit will be set up in Lucknow. This will increase employment in the state. New India is moving ahead fast in the defence sector.

CM said this DRDO units will boost employment and the economy of UP and will give speed to a new India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The dignitaries also visited a DRDO exhibition.

For Brahmos manufacturing unit, the government has provided more than 80 hectares of land on lease of just Re 1. Apart from this, the work of Defense Research and Development will take place in the DRDO Lab, right next to Amausi Airport. DRDO is going to invest more than Rs 10,000 crore in these two projects. (UNI)

By: Sheikh Qayoom

Jammu: Year 2021 saw fortunes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir swing between peace and violence. It was a mixed bag that left some good and some bad memories behind.

The biggest positive of the year that went by was a modicum of peace in the lives of thousands of people living close to the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in the UT.

‘Border dwellers’ as these are called, people in villages close to the LoC and the IB have paid the highest price during the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. Their lives and livelihood have both remained at the mercy of shells fired from across the border. In terms of human lives lost, houses destroyed, cattle killed and agricultural fields destroyed, the border dwellers have lived life at its sharpest edge.

Thanks to the decision taken by the armies of the two countries, 2021 has been a remarkably peaceful year for people living in border villages.

Ceasefire violations on the LoC and IB virtually ceased as life remained normal for thousands of border villages in 2021. Children went to school, cattle moved about to graze and men and women engaged in agricultural activities in scores of villages in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla and Kupwara districts of J&K where the LoC and the IB are located.

Levels of infiltration came down during 2021 as compared to 2020 and 2019 as alert troops kept round the clock vigil at the borders.

Separatist violence continued to mar the lives of the people in the Valley as the footfall of the security forces increased due to requirements for higher vigil. What has caused serious worry in 2021 has been the shifting of militancy focus from south Kashmir districts to those of central Kashmir, especially Srinagar city.

In 2021, Srinagar saw around 20 encounters and shootouts in and around the city. Around 34 people, including seven policemen and 14 militants were killed till December this year in the city. This must be viewed with alarm in light of the fact that Srinagar was declared a “militancy free zone” with no locally recruited militants in October 2020.

The main focus of shifting militancy in Kashmir has been the targeting of civilians and members of the local police. The civilians killed in 2021 have included members of the Kashmiri Pandit community who had chosen to exist alongside their Muslim neighbours despite the mass exodus of the local Pandits. Respected local pharmacist M.L. Bindroo, a Sikh school principal, a non-Muslim Dhaba owner’s son, pavement sellers belonging to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, a non-local carpenter and half a dozen labourers were killed by terrorists in 2021 to spread fear.

The targeting of local policemen, even those performing traffic duties, has proved that the engagement of the local police force in anti-militancy operations has badly hit the capacity of the militants to continue anti-national and subversive activities.

While targeting off guard policemen and unarmed civilians, the militants have not been able to carry out any major attack other than the firing at a police bus carrying police personnel in the Zeewan area of Srinagar outskirts.

The policemen in the bus attacked by militants on December 13 belonged to the J&K Armed Police that has not directly been involved in anti-militancy operations. Three policemen were killed and 14 injured in this attack that is seen as the biggest terror strike against the security forces in 2021.

Security forces have carried out highly intelligence driven, coordinated operations against militants during 2021 that resulted in killing of 186 militants. Three civilians were killed during an operation against the militants in the Hyderpora area of Srinagar city on November 15.

Initially the authorities said the slain persons were militants and on that premise they were buried in Handwara town of Kupwara district without any family participation. Subsequent evidence indicated that they were civilians and had been killed during the encounter because of their presence inside the building where the firing had taken place. The bodies of two civilians belonging to Srinagar were handed over to the families while that of the third belonging to Ramban district of Jammu division has still not been exhumed.

After nearly three years, 2021 saw revival of political activity by mainstream parties as the talk of the Assembly elections in early 2022 gained currency.

The delimitation commission came up with draft proposals to increase 7 seats in the Assembly out of which 6 would fall in Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Kishtwar, Doda and Rajouri districts of Jammu division while the Valley would get one additional seat in Kupwara district. For the first time, the delimitation commission has proposed to give reservation to Scheduled Tribes who will get 9 seats in the 90-member J&K Assembly while the Scheduled Castes would get 6 reserved seats.

The decision to add 6 seats to Jammu division has irked the Valley centric parties like the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party, People’s Conference, Apni Party and the CPI-M. These parties have alleged that the addition of 6 seats to Jammu, which would now have 43 seats, would load the dice heavily in favour of the BJP during the Assembly elections.

The BJP has said the decision to add seats to Jammu has undone historic blunders done against the division since 1947. The Congress on the other hand has tried to distance itself from the controversy of seat allocation to the Jammu division asserting that the party sees J&K as one unit.

In addition to the proposed 90 seats, the delimitation commission has proposed to keep 24 seats vacant for parts of J&K under the occupation of Pakistan.

Tourism saw an appreciable rise in 2021 despite the ongoing pandemic which imposed restrictions on free movement of the visitors. In comparison to 2020, there was a huge increase in tourist influx this year. Official figures say 1.27 lakh tourists came to Kashmir in 2021 against 6,327 in 2020 and 12,086 in 2019. Due to the pandemic, the annual Amarnath Yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine in south Kashmir Anantnag district was not held for the second consecutive year.

The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra in Reasi district of Jammu division was resumed while limiting the number of daily devotees. More than 35 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrine in 2021. The Central rule continued in J&K during the year with the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha trying hard to push development and better administrative dispensation on the ground.

Despite the best efforts of the LG, the people in J&K have been blaming the administration for remaining non-available for redressal of public grievances. One hallmark of the Lt. Governor’s rule has been the pro-active role played by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB).

Successful traps have been laid by the ACB in 2021 during which public servants have been caught accepting bribes from people. In its drive against corruption, the ACB has also trapped some policemen while indulging in corruption.

Despite the appreciable effort put in by the ACB, corruption remains a fact of daily life in J&K. (IANS)

New Delhi: India has registered seven fresh cases of the new variant of COVID-19 Omicron during the past 24 hours, taking the total caseload in the country to 422.

Out of the 422 cases reported so far, Maharashtra reported the maximum at 108, followed by Delhi 79 and Gujarat 43, said the Ministry’s data on Sunday.

Telangana has so far reported 41, Kerala 38, Tamil Nadu 34, Karnataka 31, Rajasthan 22, four cases each have been reported from Odisha, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, three each from Jammu and Kashmir, 6 from West Bengal, 2 from UP, and one each from Chandigarh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

Of these, 130 people have been discharged following their recovery from the virus.

Meanwhile, the total COVID-19 caseload in the country rose to 3,47,86,802 with the detection of 6,987 new cases in the last 24 hours, while 162 deaths pushed the fatalities toll to 4,79,682.

The recovery tally rose to 3,42,30,354 as 7,091 people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. Active cases stood at 76,766.

According to the bulletin issued by the Ministry on Saturday, 67.19 crore tests for COVID-19 have been done so far.

“India has administered 141.37 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far under the ongoing nationwide vaccination drive” the Ministry’s date said. (UNI)

Srinagar: The minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir settled below the freezing point, even as the weather office forecast light to moderate snowfall at fairly widespread places over two days in next two days, officials said.

“Light to Moderate Snow(2-3 Inches) in plains and moderate snow(5-6 Inches) over higher reaches most likely from later tonight (Dec 26) till tomorrow (27th Evening/Night). Some places of higher reaches may receive upto 1feet of snow,” said an official of the MeT office said regarding Kashmir.

Regarding Jammu, the officials said that light to moderate rain very likely from later tonight (December 26) and December 27) with light to moderate snowfall over places like Doda-Kistawar, Jawahar Tunnel(Top), Pirpanjal etc.

Regarding Ladakh, he said, “light to Moderate snow at many places of Kargil and ay scattered places of Leh dist. During 26th(Night) to 27th(Night). Moderate  to Heavy snow is most likely on Zojila-Minamarg axis.”

Barring Kokernag and Pahalgam, the minimum temperature decreased across the valley on Saturday night, the officials said.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, down from the previous night’s 1.7 degrees Celsius.

They said Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded a minimum of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.

The nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.3 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, up from minus 5.1 degrees Celsius the previous night.

The minimum temperature in Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius — a degree down from the previous night.

Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ which began on Tuesday.

‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ is a period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.

The chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy to very heavy snowfall.

The ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ will end on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported 124 fresh covid-19 cases while two persons died due to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

31 of the fresh cases were reported from Jammu Division and 93 from Kashmir, taking the overall tally to 340722.

One death each was reported from Jammu division and Kashmir Valley due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said. So far 4523 persons—2197 in Jammu and 2326 in Kashmir—have died due to the virus, they said.

Giving district wise details of the fresh cases, the officials said that Srinagar reported 42 cases, Baramulla 11, Budgam 12, Pulwama 1, Kupwara 10, Anantnag 1, Bandipora 3, Ganderbal 11, Kulgam 2, Shopian 0, Jammu 17, Udhampur 2, Rajouri 3, Doda 3, Kathua 0, Samba 0, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 2, Ramban 4 and Reasi 0.

A number of these cases were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic labouratory and include male (64) from Pulwama,  male (45) (NA) from Sgr, female (60) (NA) from Kupwara, female (60) (NA) from Bandipora, female (40) (NA) from Trehgam Kupwara, male (39) (NA) from Awoora Kupwara, female (80) (NA) from Laam, male (73) (NA) from Sgr and male (52) (NA) from Dara Nishat.

Moreover, 127 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time, 24 from Jammu Division and 103 from Kashmir, they said.

So far 334849 patients have recovered, leaving active case tally at 1350—355 in Jammu and 995 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 50 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said.

They also informed that 62486 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)

Jammu: Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday put to rest all speculations about his possible exit from the party, calling himself a “24 Carat Congressman” and saying he was not upset with the party, but was instead working for unifying and uniting its workers.

The former chief minister has been holding public rallies in Jammu and Kashmir over the past nearly two months and was seen accompanied by his loyalists including senior party leaders and former ministers who recently resigned from their party posts in a revolt against J&K Congress president G A Mir.

Talking to reporters after addressing a public meeting in the border belt of Khour on the outskirts of Jammu, Azad, however, said reforms are a dynamic process and imperative for every party, society and the country as a whole for the benefit of people.

“Yes, I am a Congressman. Who told you I am not? 24 ‘Carat’ Congressman. How does it matter if 18 Carats are challenging 24 carat?” Azad said, responding to questions about the speculations of his possible exit from the party like former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Azad, who was among the 23 Congress leaders who had sought an organisational overhaul last year, said he is not displeased with the party.

“Those dividing parties only see divisions. We are the ones who are linking people. We are forging unity (in the party ranks) as we are for unification,” he said.

Asked about his call for reforms, he said reforms are needed in every party, every society and country.

“Reforms are an ongoing process and necessary in every party the legislature is also a sort of reform. Many evils of the past are not there in the society today because of reforms,” he said, adding the communalism and casteism prevalent in society today also need to be reformed.

Azad said reforms are an ongoing process, a dynamic process which continues throughout the world.

About his views on “white colour terrorism” highlighted by a Srinagar-based Army officer, he said he did not know what does he meant by it.

“I have already said that the politicians should have done the right things for the welfare of the people but sometimes they did the work of Satan by dividing the people. We should desist from it,” he said.

On a question about the prospects of Congress in the next assembly elections likely to be held after the delimitation exercise, Azad said people are the masters in a democratic set-up and defeat and win of any party is in their hands.

However, he said people across Jammu and Kashmir are “fed up” with the BJP because of rising inflation and growing unemployment. (Agencies)

By: M S Nazki

Jammu: The body of 48-year-old man was recovered in Reasi district of Jammu, two days after he had gone to woods to bring firewood, officials said.

The body was recovered near Lencha Mahore forest area this evening. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Shafi son Kala Gujjar of Lencha Thuroo. Sources said that reportedly he had left home on December 24 to bring fire wood but didn’t return home.

A police official said that a proceeding has been imitated. (GNS)

Srinagar: Dozens of members of Jammu and Kashmir Pahari Cultural and Welfare Form (JKPCWF) on Sunday staged a protest in Srinagar demanding Schedule Tribe (ST) status for the community.

Dozens of the Paharai community members, who came from Uri and Karnah in North Kashmir, assembled at Press Enclave on Residency Road holding banners and placards, shouting slogans in favour of their demand.

Spokesman of the JKPCWF Syed Rafiq Shah, who was leading the protesters alleged that the community has been neglected since 1947 despite repeated efforts seeking the Schedule Tribe (ST) status for the community”, he told media persons, “the central government should fulfill our demand which they had promised time and again”.

“We appeal to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, that with the “Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas”, the Pahari tribe be taken along and provided with their constitutional right of ST status”, Shah said.

He alleged that the identity of the community has been diluted since the 1947. “We demand our constitutional right”, Shah added. (UNI)

Kasganj: Union Home Minister and former Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday said Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) can never develop Uttar Pradesh as they are caste-based and dynastic parties.

Addressing BJP’s Jan Vishwas rally at Barah Pathar ground here Shah said, “Only BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi can take the entire country along.” He also gave the slogan of ‘Is baar 300 paar’ (this time 300 plus).

Referring to BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, he said, “Bua-Babua ran the government in UP, did they ensured the development of all. Did SP rule did good for you. Was development being done during BSP regime. They can’t. They are caste-based and dynastic parties.”

He said that previously common people used to desert UP, but in five years of Yogi rule all goons and criminals have deserted the state. “Earlier the law and order situation in the state was so bad that people avoided from sending their daughters to the schools and colleges,” he said.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghawal, BL Verma, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and party MPs were also present on the occasion.

Shah said that earlier when demand of Ram Temple was being raised people had to face lathis and bullets were fired on them. “When the people of UP gave their blessings and government of absolute majority was formed in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the temple in Ayodhay and a grand temple is about to get completed in the next few months,” he said.

He also referred to the beautification of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and construction of the corridor in Varanasi. He said that when Modi government repealed Article 370 from Jammu and Kahsmir Akhilesh, Congress and BSP all opposed the move. “Will you vote in the favour of those who opposed,” he said.

The Home Minister said that the BJP government also ensured the safety and security of the country. “During Congress rule terrorists used to cross the border and kill our soldiers, but there used to be no buzz at the center. But after Uri and Pulwama attacks surgical strikes were carried out with 10 days and revenge was taken,” he said.

He said, “Earlier there used to be riots in UP, now medical college, university, airport are being constructed, a web of industries has come up and the state is free of ‘goondaraj’.”

Shah said that during Akhilesh’s regime more than 700 riots took place, but today in Yogi raj no one can dare to incite riot.

He also mentioned about former Chief Minister and veteran party leader Kalyan Singh for his contribution towards ensuring rights to backwards and Ram Temple movement. (UNI)