Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Friday administered the ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ pledge to the officials and staff members of the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat here at Raj Bhavan.

J&K’s cultural harmony has ensured the peaceful co-existence of people of every community and religion. “Let us all reaffirm our commitment to promote harmony and peace in the society”, observed the Lt Governor.

Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor was also present on the occasion.

‘Sadbhavana Diwas’ is observed with an objective to encourage national integration, peace, affection, and communal harmony among the Indian people of all religions.

The text of the pledge reads as under:

“I take this solemn pledge that I will work for the emotional oneness and harmony of all the people of India regardless of caste, region, religion, or language. I further pledge that I shall resolve all differences among us through dialogue and constitutional means without resorting to violence.”

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said destructive forces and reign of terror cannot last for very long, citing the example of the Somnath temple which was looted and demolished several times, and was repeatedly resurrected.

The comments come in the backdrop of Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

“Faith cannot be suppressed by terror… This temple was demolished several times, the statues were broken, but as many times as it was demolished, it was resurrected again,” the Prime Minister said addressing an event related to projects in the Somnath Temple, the Prime Minister

“Somnath temple is an example and assurance for the world that destructive forces, the ideology that builds empires based on terror, may dominate for some time in some period of time, but, its existence is never permanent, it cannot suppress humanity for long,” Modi said.

The Somnath temple is said to have been destroyed several times. According to a website of Gujarat’s tourism department, the temple was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024, The temple was again razed in 1297, 1394 and finally in 1706 by Aurangzeb, as per the website.

The event was also attended by veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Advani had taken out a ‘rath yatra’ in September-October of 1990 from Somnath to Ayodhya, to stir up support for the demand for the construction of a Ram temple at the spot of Babri Mosque. Modi was among the key organisers of the ‘ýatra’. The mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992.

After years of court cases, on November 9, 2021, the Supreme Court ordered that the disputed land be handed over to a trust to build the Ram Temple.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the Ram Temple, and said the the temple would be a “tower of light” of India’s pride.

He also said that lessons of past will help India build course for its future.

The projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister through video conferencing include the Somnath Promenade built at a cost of Rs. 47 Crore, Somnath Exhibition Centre and reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath, done at a cost of Rs. 3.5 Crore.

He also laid the foundation stone for a Shree Parvati Temple.

Srinagar: The Public Works Department has asked public to post their grievances regarding roads, bridges, buildings etc on Hamari Sadak Mobile App.

The Mobile App “Hamari Sadak” of PW(R&B) Department was launched in April this year for dedicated use of general public who could give direct feedback by uploading their grievances.

This will ensure speedy and efficient redressal of grievances. The App is available on www.jkpwdoms.in and Application Store of android mobile phone.

Reviews activities under ‘AzadiKaAmrit Mahotsav’ 

Srinagar:  Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta Friday chaired a meeting to review various events and activities being organized under AzadikaAmritMahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence.

Administrative Secretaries of departments of Home, General Administration, Culture, and Youth Services & Sports along with Director Information and Public Relations Department and concerned officers participated in the meeting.

The Chief Secretary asked the Culture Department to organize events with an emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir’s glorious history and culture with suitable technological and digital intervention.

The Department was asked to devise a calendar of 75 events each to be organized under 75 different activities up to 15^th August, 2022, across all panchayats, blocks, and wards of the Union territory. The events will include mega cultural shows, Sufi & folk festivals, sports festivals, heritage events, and literary seminars & symposiums.

The Tourism Department was asked to organize a 3-month tourism festival from November to January to showcase various tourist attractions and destinations of both Jammu and Kashmir, while simultaneously organizing winter festivals in Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and Patnitop.

The Chief Secretary advised the department to lay special emphasis on promoting J&K’s art and culture by organizing various exhibitions at Dogra Art Museum, Kashmir Art Museum, Mubarak Mandi Complex, and Kala Kendra.

Dr. Mehta directed the Youth Services and Sports Department to organize sports activities in all schools, colleges, wards, and panchayats. He further urged the Department to take up water conservation activities through large-scale youth participation.

Further, School Education and Higher Education departments were asked to organize various commemoration activities to raise awareness on freedom movement and struggles; stories of unsung heroes and freedom fighters; key milestones during the freedom struggle; and the ideas that inspired the struggle for independence.

Bengaluru: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said India was facing multiple security challenges in a highly complex geopolitical environment.

He said this while addressing scientists and engineers of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Aeronautical Development Agency at HAL complex here. “Our men and women in uniform function in an exceedingly difficult security environment,” he noted.

But, they have always faced all challenges that come their way, with exemplary professionalism, valour and commitment. It is our duty to ensure that our armed forces are fully prepared to handle any challenge and repel any security threat firmly. Therefore, self-reliance in defence and aerospace technology assumes paramount importance to create a ‘Samarth aur Saksham Bharat’.

“I urge you to develop new products and product enhancements to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India. Indigenous products will play a key role in leapfrogging India as an Aerospace and Defence Powerhouse in the future. We should aspire not only to make India self-reliant in defence technology but also emerge as an export hub of cutting-edge weaponry,” he stated.

The government has taken several policy initiatives and reforms to promote indigenization and self-reliance in defence manufacturing, under Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission. Draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy was released last year with a goal to achieve a turnover of $ 25 billion (US Dollars) including export of $ 5 Billion (US Dollars) in the Aerospace and Defence sector by 2025, he said.

He further added, the policy draws up a road map to propel India into the league of the top countries in the defence sector by encouraging R&D, rewarding innovation and creation of Indian IP ownership.

To ease the flow of investments, the government has enhanced FDI in the Defence Sector up to 74 per cent through the Automatic Route and up to 100 per cent by the government route. Significantly, two defence corridors are being set up in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, he explained.

As a big step to promote indigenization in the defence sector, the Ministry of Defence has notified a ‘First Positive Indigenization list’ of 101 items in 2020 and ‘2nd Positive Indigenization list’ of 108 items this year for which there would be an embargo on the import. This offers a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry, he said.

Today India is capable of manufacturing state-of-the-art space launch vehicles, missiles, aircraft and other defence equipment. The paradox remains that we are still among the largest arms importers in the world. This needs to change and the pace of indigenous development of critical technologies needs to be catalyzed further, the Vice-President underlined.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday transferred three JKAS officers in the interest of administration with immediate effect.

As per an order issued here, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad (JKAS), awaiting orders of adjustment in the General Administration, has been posted as Special Secretary to the Government, Information Department.

Bashir Ahmad Bhat (JKAS), awaiting orders of adjustment in the GAD, has been posted as Joint Secretary in the J&K Sports Council, Srinagar, as per the order.

Jatinder Mishra (JKAS), also awaiting orders of adjustment in the GAD, has been posted as Deputy Director in the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, J&K.

Srinagar: Friday prayers remained suspended for the second successive week at historic Jamia Masjid in the downtown, Assar-e-Shareif Hazratbal and some others famous shrines in Kashmir valley to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

However, prayers were allowed in local mosques, where people offered ‘Friday namaz’ amid strict COVID guidelines, including maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.

All gates leading to Jamia Masjid remained closed and people were not allowed to enter the worship place, while security forces were deployed in strength to prevent assembly of people in or around the historic Masjid.

“No Friday prayers were held for the second successive week in the historic Masjid,” said Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid (AAJM), headed by moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq.

Friday prayers were resumed at Jamia Masjid on August 6 after remaining suspended for more than three months to prevent spread of COVID 19. However, following a fresh order asserting that only 25 persons are allowed to attend any function in Jammu and Kashmir, the mosque was again closed last week for Friday prayers.

Congregational prayers were also not allowed for the second successive week at Hazratbal shrine, which houses the Holy Relic of Prophet Muhammad. Devotees had started to gather for Friday prayers since morning in the shrine, but the gates of the shrine were suddenly closed at around 1100 hrs and people were directed to leave.

“We have reached Hazratbal shrine in the morning from Budgam district to offer Friday prayers. But suddenly police closed the gates and asked people inside the shrine to leave at once,” Ghulam Mohammad, a retired government employee, said.

Friday prayers also not held in some other major worship places, including at the shrine of Hazrat Goulsul Azam Dastigeer Khanyar. But, people participated in congregational Friday prayers in other mosques and worship places. (UNI)

Set-up social media cells

By: Owais Gul

Srinagar: Elections in Jammu and Kashmir may be far but the political parties have “geared up for a full-blown digital campaign”.

To begin with, the political parties have set-up social media cells to spread their ideologies, mobilise public opinion and discredit their detractors.

On July 09, National Conference appointed its former additional spokesman Sara Hayat Shah as head of its social media cell.

Last week, Peoples Conference also appointed its youth leader Mudasir Karim as head of the party’s social media cell head. The Congress, which has fared badly in J&K’s electoral politics since 2014, is also not lagging behind the regional parties. The party has also appointed Kadfeen Choudhary as head of its social media cell.

The Peoples Democratic Party has also appointed social media in-charges at district- level to reach out to the people.

NC’s vice -President for Kashmir province, Ahsan Pardesi said the party has constituted a full-fledged social media team to connect with the people.

“In the present time, almost everybody uses social media. Thus, the party constituted the team to reach out to the people. It is good to use social media platforms for strengthening the party,” he said.

PC spokesman Adnan Ashraf Mir said that social media is a new age medium to reach out to the general audience. “It is a specialized way of communication,” he said.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Najam-us-Saqib said the social media helps the party leaderships to speak directly with the worker as well as the common people without any filtration.

Kadfeen Choudhary said the party has been using this platform to expose the fake promises made by the government to the people.

“It is the only way to reach out to the people to show them how they are being misled,” he said, adding that it is the best medium to reach out to the people. (KNO)

By: Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported 159 new coronavirus cases while one person succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

They said 36 of the cases were reported from Jammu Division and 123 from Kashmir Valley, taking the overall case tally to 323951.

They said one death was reported during the time from Jammu division, taking fatality count 4401—2161 in Jammu and 2240 in Kashmir—have succumbed to the virus.

Providing the district-wise details, they said, Srinagar reported 29 cases, Baramulla 8, Budgam 4, Pulwama 2, Kupwara 14, Anantnag 25, Bandipora 11, Ganderbal 8, Kulgam 22, Shopian 0, Jammu 10, Udhampur 1, Rajouri 6, Doda 14, Kathua 0, Samba 1, Kishtwar 1, Poonch 2, Ramban 1 and Reasi 0.

A number of these cases were confirmed at diagnostic laboratories of CD and GMC Anantnag.

The CD cases include female (11) and male (5) from Barbarshah, male (11) from Awanpora, female (50) from Hawal Srg, female (29) from Lal Bazar, female (32) from Srg, female (50) from Shalteng and male (38) from Alochibagh.

The GMC Anantnag cases include male (42) from Dailgam Ang, male (40) from Uttersoo Ang, male (34) from 40 Bn Ang, male (64) from Adigam Ang, female (33) from Soyan Kokernag, eight females (35, 20, 20, 19, 19, 25, 40, 36) and six males (35, 21, 37, 27, 18, 20) from Brakpora Brick Kiln.

Moreover, the officials said that 126 more COVID-19 patients have recovered—64 from Jammu Division and 62 from the valley. So far, 318409 people have recovered, leaving active cases at 1141—425 in Jammu and 716 in Kashmir.

No fresh confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) was reported today, they said. So far 43 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials added. (GNS)

Jammu: Three boys, who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) two days ago in Poonch, have been repatriated on Friday, official communiqué said.

According to the statement, Indian Army troops apprehended three children in Poonch, who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) from Pakistan administered Kashmir to the Indian side.

“Indian troops deployed along the Line of Control in Poonch sector through their well coordinated and effective surveillance network observed a suspicious movement on the Indian side of the Line of Control. The area was immediately cordoned and three individuals were apprehended,” the statement said.

It said that the apprehended individuals turned out to be young children between 9 to 17 years of age, adding that there was a fourth person who was the eldest amongst them and managed to run away from the Line of Control.

“Indian troops did not open fire on the individual attempting to cross back to Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir, since the troops noticed that they were children. On interaction, the children revealed that they belong to Chhatra and Troti Dharmshal across the Line of Control,” the statement added.

“They claim to be labourers excavating sand from river and nallah beds and they crossed the line of control for fishing. The children were treated very humanely and compassionately beholding the finest traditions of the Indian Army,” it said, adding that on 20 Aug 2021, the children were safely repatriated to Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir.

“This reminds us of the time when Indian Army repatriated three girls in Dec 2020, proving that Indian Army is not only ever alert for our safety, but treats innocent with compassion and care,” it said.