Jammu, Nov 6: Without takes names, the People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday lashed out at BJP and vowed not to sit quiet until Article 370 gets restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
Blaming the BJP for playing vote bank politics and making Jammu and Kashmir a battle ground of “Dharam-Yudh” (religion divide), Ms Mufti said that the people of this region have been cheated.
Addressing party workers and leaders here at party office, Ms Mufti said, “we are not going to sit silently and act like a mute spectator to the prevailing situation unless the Article 370 is restored.”
The former J&K Chief Minister further said, “When we joined hands with them (BJP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured (Late) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that Article 370 will not be altered but we have been cheated by them.”
She said that the fight to restore abrogated Article 370 will be taken to the logical conclusion, adding, “they (BJP) are dividing Jammu and Kashmir–on “communal lines” for vote bank politics.”
She will also be attending the People’s Conference for Gupkar Declaration (PCGD) meet scheduled to be held here on Saturday and chaired by the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
“Special Status (Article 370) was given by the Maharaja Hari Singh to secure the identities of peole of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir but by revoking this, they have snatched the identity of Dogras and Kashmiris,” she said.
“We will fight for our right and people and they have to return our identity by restoring Article 370,” said the PDP Chief.
Will not sit quiet unless Art 370 is restored: Mehbooba
Will not die until rights of my people are restored: Abdullah
Jammu, Nov 6: Addressing his party workers in Jammu for the first time in over a year, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday said he won’t die until constitutional rights of the people of the erstwhile state are restored.
“I will not die until the rights of my people are given back. I am here to do something for the people and the day I will finish my work, I will leave this world,” Abdullah told NC workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here ahead of a scheduled meeting of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Saturday.
It was Abdullah’s first political meeting in Jammu since abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories by centre on August 5, last year.
Abdullah, accompanied by his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah, arrived here this afternoon
The Abdullahs, along with other political leaders in Kashmir, were detained under the Public Safety Act and released this year.
Abdullah, the sitting parliamentarian from Srinagar and a former chief minister, said his party had never differentiated between Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir and always considered them a single entity.
“We have never thought that Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir are separate from each other. We could not be able to take the people of these regions on board at the time of the formation of the PAGD due to the urgency of the situation and now we are here,” Abdullah said.
He said the parties have joined hands to pitch for the restoration of the Article 370, Article 35A and throw away the “black laws” which were implemented in Jammu and Kashmir beyond Lakhanpur — the gateway to the erstwhile state bordering Punjab. (Agencies)
‘Neuro-scientific evidence being used in adjudication of criminal cases’
Precious Kashmir News
Ganderbal, Nov 6: Presidential Fellow, Harvard University and Executive Director, Education and Outreach for MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience USA, Prof. Francis X. Shen, has said the neuro-scientific evidence are being used in the adjudication of criminal cases in the US and Europe wherein experts in brain sciences are called to testify in the courtroom.
Addressing the participants during a workshop organised by the School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUK) through online mode, Prof. Francis spoke on the relationship between brain science and law–a new emerging field known as legal neuroscience or neuro-law. He also discussed in the light of some case citations, various nuances and niceties of this emerging field and highlighted how these cases have the potential to change the landscape of the criminal justice system in general and juvenile justice system in particular.
In the first principle, he emphasized on the need to take a broad definition of both law and neuroscience. In the second principle, he contended that the role that neuroscience plays in law and law plays in neuroscience research and neuro-technology-development have to be understood. In the third principle, he advised that we should be patient and be prepared for significant changes along the many dimensions of law and neuroscience. Prof. Shen reiterated that in the present academic world the disciplinary parochialism in our perspectives on crime and violence is giving way to the interdisciplinary paradigm. Accordingly, the research centres and universities should revisit their traditional academic lenses and give space to this emerging field of neuroscience and law in their curricula. He contended that the application of neuroscience to legal jurisprudence will necessitate evolution of different approaches to crime and punishment. “The commission of crime is first approved by the brain, followed by its signals to other parts of the body for its execution. The present legal theories attempt to study only omissions or commissions without studying the state of affairs of the brain at a given point of time that commands the crime. The application of neuroscience to subjects of law will help in delivering real justice as against technical justice which is being espoused by the present justice delivery system.”
Justice Madan B. Lokur (Retd.), Judge, Supreme Court of India, called for revamping of the juvenile justice system in India.
He said scholars and practitioners of the juvenile justice system need to ask what has been done so far and what is being done and gauge the sufficiency of their answers to these questions
He also emphasized on the training and child sensitivity of the officers who are working in the Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Protection Committees and Shelter Homes.
No bail yet for Arnab, hearing in HC today
Mumbai, Nov 6: There was no immediate relief for Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, arrested in a 2018 abetment of suicide case, on Friday as the hearing on his interim bail plea before the Bombay High Court remained incomplete.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik said they would continue the hearing on Saturday because of lack of time.
“We will assemble for this matter specially tomorrow noon,” the court said.
Goswami was arrested from his residence in Mumbai on Wednesday and taken to Alibaug, where a case has been registered against him for alleged abetment of suicide of architect Anvay Naik and his mother over non-payment of dues by Goswami’s firm.
The high-profile journalist has been remanded in judicial custody till November 18. Goswami is presently lodged in a school in Alibaug which is designated as a COVID-19 centre for the Alibaug jail.
Adequate security arrangements being made for DDC polls: Police
Raouf Dar
Srinagar, Nov 6: Police on Friday said adequate security arrangements are being made to ensure peaceful conduct of District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
DIG South Kashmir Atul Goel Friday said police was making adequate security arrangements for candidates and polling officers for DDC polls.
“We want to make violence free polls. We hope people in large number will come out to vote,” he said.
State Election Commissioner K K Sharma on Wednesday announced the first ever DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir in eight phases from November 28.
The elections for the vacant seats of sarpanchs and panchs and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will also be held simultaneously with the DDC polls.
New Edu policy based on equity, quality, accessibility: HRD Minister
Noida (UP), Nov 6: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Friday said India’s new National Education Policy (NEP) is based on concepts of equity, quality and accessibility. The minister also cited the country’s “diverse” nature in terms of regional languages to stress the benefits of having primary education in a child’s mother tongue.
Speaking at the inaugural session of Amity University’s two-day conference on “Implementation of National Education Policy 2020 for Transforming India”, he said there is awareness and excitement regarding the implementation of the NEP not only in the county but also globally. “The new education policy connects the past with the future and focuses on leading India to the top,” Pokhriyal said.
Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said the country is resolved to achieve its objective in education. “If you look at the NEP from a wider horizon, the policy is as national as it is international. It is impactful, inclusive and interactive. The new education policy stands firm on the foundations of equity, quality and accessibility,” he said.
He said the NEP promotes mother tongue as mode of education because it is considered that no other language can provide expression to a person as much as one’s mother tongue. “Primary education will be in mother tongue and later one may switch to other languages,” Pokhriyal added.
Noting that some people had raised doubts over the global appeal of the new policy vis-a-vis use of English, he asked if countries like Japan, Germany, France, and Israel have lagged behind others just because they stuck to their mother tongue. “These arguments do not make any sense,” he said, stressing the importance of education in mother tongue in a “diverse” country like India with several regional languages.
“This is not one man’s or one government’s education policy, it is the education policy of a country which has provided leadership to the world,” Pokhriyal added. The minister told the audience, including vice chancellors of various universities and UGC officials, that the implementation of the policy is as crucial as the policy itself.
Ganderbal residents face water shortage
Precious Kashmir News
Ganderbal, Nov 6: Residents of multiple areas from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district Friday said that they are facing acute shortage of drinking water for over two weeks.
The residents of Tulmullah area mostly from Central University Colony , Alamdar Colony, Eidgah Colony and Darmath Colony complained that they are being forced to walk miles to fetch water in this chilly weather as taps have run dry.
They said there is no alternative source of water. “We don’t have a drop of water for the past two weeks,” said a resident.
They appealed to the PHE Department to pay attention towards their problem and restore the water supply without further delay.
Concerned Executive Engineer, Muhammad Aslam said he will look into the matter and ensure water supply to affected people. (KNT)
In Bandipora, transporters continue to fleece passengers
Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Nov 6: The passengers from several areas of Bandipora on Friday complained that public transport operators plying on the different routes arbitrarily overcharge them, throwing the government fixed fare list to the winds.
The passengers said that the transporters are charging them with double fares, which was in contrast to the government order regarding an increase of only 30 per cent in the existing fares.
“From Bandipora to Sopore, we used to pay Rs 60, now; we are being charged Rs 100 while the authorities have failed to take any action in this regard,” the locals said.
People from Aragam, Aloosa, Kehnoosa, Gundpora, Mantrigam, Sumlar, Nadihal, Dardpora and other remote areas of the district complained of overcharging by transporters, saying that the drivers charge rates that are far more than the fare fixed by the government.
They said that the arbitrary overcharging by the public transporters continues ever since the service was resumed here after COVID-19 lockdown.
Saqib Majeed, a passenger from Khayar said that transporters particularly Sumo drivers have started overcharging, citing excuses of social distancing.
Similarly, Raziya, another commuter was also forced to pay double fare when she was travelling from Bandipora to Ashtangoou in a sumo.
Meanwhile, the passengers urged the concerned authorities to keep regular check on transporters charging exorbitant fare from passengers—(KNO)
Buildings Outside The Law
During his visit almost a decade ago, then governor of the J&K state N N Vohra said Sonamarg, the golden meadow, is turning into a concrete jungle. Situated on the banks of the Sindh river, Sonamarg has been taking an environmental beating for a long even as a Development Authority has been already set up to regulate constructions and preserve its ecology.
The unchecked construction within such ecological fragile zones has not only led to severe degradation of the environment but will only lead to more disasters. The glaciers there are needed for our natural water drainage systems which are already badly impacted.
Often repeated claims by the authority that no illegal constructions are allowed notwithstanding, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court recently observed that illegal constructions are done and the requests by the authorities is couched as permission for renovation or repairs. The court observed that in the ruse of damage on account of snow or fire, permission (s) are obtained to carry out large scale unauthorized constructions, expansions and encroachments. Ironically, as observed by the court, most of these are being sought and carried out by persons who have no right in the lands at all.
The high court, common to both J&K and lakdakh, underlined that it was “absolutely imperative to check this illegal activity as the unauthorized construction in the eco-fragile area was irreversible, damaging the environment. The damage is such that it cannot be compensated monetarily even as the present populace, as well as the generations to come, will have to pay a huge price for it. The court issued a set of directions for documents to be demanded from the people while seeking the permissions for building, construction, renovation and repairs. And in no case permission shall be granted to persons having no right, title or interest to occupy the land, the court directed. It may be true that the construction of hotels and other infrastructure is needed for the tourism industry but there has to be a balance between ecology and business. It is imperative that the former dictate the rules or else, places like Sonamarg would disappear in their essence. Also, there is a need to ensure strict implementation of Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws in Sonamarg and other ecologically fragile areas. The hotel waste should in no way go untreated and laws in place would ensure it, provided if they are implemented in true letter and spirit.
Elections In J&K
Finally elections have been announced to District Development Councils (DDCs) as to the bypolls which could be held for a long time, even during times considered to be comparatively peaceful. The announcement comes little over a month after the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989, to provide for elections to the DDCs.
While each district will be divided into 14 territorial constituencies for which elections will be held, the winners will elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from amongst themselves. The DDCs will replace the District Development Boards, which were earlier chaired by a Cabinet Minister or a Minister of State and included MLAs, MLCs and Members of Parliament when J&K was a state.
As per the amendment, the DDCs will have jurisdiction over the entire district excluding those areas designated as municipality or municipal corporation. The decision to amend the Panchayati Raj Act comes amidst the forming of an alliance by six major political parties including the National Conference and PDP, the two parties who were arch rivals ever since the creation of the latter. The new alliance, they say, has been solely made for the restoration of Article 370 and 35A, effectively annulled by the centre on 5 August last year. The decision still awaits adjudication by the top court of the county, more than fifteen months on. The coming together of all these parties brought about the restoration of some kind of political activities In J&K even though the outcome of their demands—“restoration of the rights held by the people of Jammu and Kashmir prior to 5 August 2019”— would depend on how they will go about it and more so on the centre’s willingness to accept their means to undo what has been done more than fourteen months ago.
The announcement to elections comes amid an announcement by the lieutenant governor that parties in J&K were free to engage in political activities and there was no other prescription. He also stated that it was up to these parties which direction their politics take. While time will tell about the success of ensuing elections, restoration of political activities is necessary as also allowing it to thrive. It was perhaps time for the government of India to start a sincere dialogue to restore normalcy. The government also needs to be responsive to public demands for politics to thrive.
