CONGRESS HAS DESTROYED THINKING ON KASHMIR: ADVANI

New Delhi, Jan 30 (Only Kashmir) : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday accused the Congresss of "distorted thinking" on Jammu and Kashmir and said it was a shame that two top political leaders of the country had to observe the Republic Day in the custody of a state government.
In a post on his blog, Advani said the movement for Jammu and Kashmir's complete integration with India by Shyama Prasad Mukerjee saved the country from possible "disastrous consequences" of the policies of then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
"The gross mishanding by the government of the BJP's Tiranga yatra reveals that the Congress party has still not abandoned the distorted thinking about Jammu and Kashmir state which made the government committ those early follies," Advani wrote.
"By undertaking this exercise now, the BJP has done a signal service to the cause of the country's unity and integrity, for which the party's founder sacrificed his life," he added.
Advani said that Pakistan's leadership mishandled the eastern wing of Pakistan resulting in an independent Bangladesh. "Pandit Nehru's handling of J and K state - his reference to UN the issue of Pakistan's aggression on the state, and his conceding a separate constitution and a separate flag to the state - could have had similar disastrous consequences," he said in his blog.
"The week just gone by saw the nation observing its Republic Day festivities. But it is a shame that in this largest republican country of the world, two topmost political leaders of the country, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, leaders of the opposition respectively in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, should have had to observe Republic Day in the custody of the Jammu and Kashmir state government. Their offence? They were keen to see the national tricolour hoisted in Srinagar in an area dominated by separatists," Advani said.
He said the two leaders were scheduled to address a public rally in Jammu on the eve of Republic Day in support of the BJP youth wing's resolve to hoist the tricolour in Lal Chowk, "an area in Srinagar where the separatists challengingly flaunt the Pakistani flag - they did it recently on Eid Day!"
It was disgusting to see the state government virtually make the carrying of tricolour a crime, Advani noted.

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K-ISSUE WOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IF NEHRU HAD NOT DIED: FAROOQ ABDULLAH

Srinagar: Jan 28 (Only Kashmir): The Kashmir issue would have been resolved between India and Pakistan had the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru not died in May, 1964, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Union minister Farooq Abdullah said today.
"...When we were hopeful that the Kashmir issues will be resolved...Jawahar Lal Nehruhad decided that we will meet in June. But he died on May 27. Otherwise, with a powerful leader here and a powerful leader there - Field Marshall Ayub Khan - the issue will be resolved," he said.
The National Conference leader said he hoped that the issue will be settled in his lifetime.
Abdullah was speaking at the launch of a picture book 'Nehru's Kashmir' by late photo journalist Sati Sahni here.
Speaking on the occasion, Congress leasder Karan Singh lamented that the historice Lal Chowk was in news today "for all the wrong reasons". He was apparently referring to the stand off between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the BJP over hoisting of national flag there.
He dubbed as "actue tragedy" that the area once crowded with people has now become a centre of "tension and confrontation".

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SECURITY REVAMPED IN KASHMIR IN VIEW OF BJP YATRA

Srinagar Jan 23 (Only Kashmir): With BJP showing no signs of going back on its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk here, security in the Kashmir Valley has been revamped and all attempts are being made to ensure that the Opposition party does not succeed in its endeavour.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high level meeting of the civil administration and security agencies here on Saturday evening.
"The chief minister reviewed the general law and order situation prevailing in the Valley," an official spokesman said after the meeting, hours after which police took BJP state unit's vice president Sofi Mohammad Yousuf into preventive custody.
A senior police officer said the BJP leader was taken into custody as a preventive measure under CrPC sections 107 and 151.
Yousuf's detention was the second direct action taken by the state government against the BJP as six party activists were arrested on Saturday afternoon for violating the prohibitory orders in force in the city.
"They were pasting posters which could have led to breach of public peace. They were also found violating section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assembly of four or more persons," the officer said.
He said 300 posters were seized from the arrested persons who were all residents of the Valley.
Similar posters, featuring images of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and BJP stalwarts like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, had appeared in Bemina and Tattoo ground areas of the city yesterday but have been removed since.
The state government has decided to deploy around 100 additional companies of police and paramilitary forces to scuttle any attempts by the BJP to march towards Srinagar, official sources said.
A large contingent of police has been deployed at Lakhanpur and Nagri Narola, the entry points from Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, the sources said.
They said sizeable forces will also be deployed at Udhampur and at Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir Valley, to prevent BJP activists from Jammu to march towards the Valley.
While the tunnel is closed for a few hours every year on Independence Day and Republic Day as a security measure, the authorities are mulling the option of closing it on January 25 to prevent the activists from entering the Valley, they said.
Besides gearing up for the challenge posed by BJP, the security forces have intensified checks and search operations around Bakshi Stadium, the main venue of Republic Day celebrations in Kashmir.
Vehicles entering and leaving the city are subjected to random searches and security forces have been carrying out patrols around the stadium to ensure militants do not attempt to strike the city, they said.
The snow accumulated by the roadside, which has not melted due to the intense cold wave in the Valley, is being removed to rule out the possibility of ultras planting any explosives, the sources said.

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FIFTY THOUSAND YOUTH READY TO HOST TRICOLOUR FLAG AT LAL CHOWK

Jammu, Jan 22 (Only Kashmir): BJP today claimed more than 50,000 youths will arrive in the city to proceed with 'Rashtriya Ekta Yatra', which will culminate on Republic Day after hoisting of the tricolour at Srinagar's Lal Chowk.
"More than 50,000 youth of the country are reaching to Jammu on January 25 and would proceed to Kashmir to hoist the tricolour in the Valley and no force on earth can stop us from doing so," state BJP President Shamsher Singh Manhas told reporters here today.
"Any misadventure envisaged by the state government would be thwarted and state BJP would see that tricolour unfurls at Lal Chowk," he said.
He also accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is opposing the BJP's plan", of having "strong separatist leaning".
His views were supported by national executive member Nirmal Singh and MLA Ashok Khajuria, who said the party is firm to hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk.

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K-ISSUE IS POLITICAL ISSUE WHICH CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH DIALOUGE PROCESS: MIRWAIZ

Srinagar, Jan 22 (Only Kashmir): The Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that the Kashmir dispute is not about transfer of power, law and order, elections, packages or economic concessions but It is a political dispute which can be resolved through dialogue process.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a media interview in Srinagar said that India should create conducive environment before initiating dialogue process to resolve the longstanding dispute. “The dispute should be settled through tripartite talks between Pakistan, India and the real Kashmiri leadership,” he maintained.
Mirwaiz urged India to withdraw its troops, release pro-liberation leaders and activists, stop gross human rights violations and repeal all draconian laws including Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Area Act in the occupied territory. “The international community is thrusting on the resolution of Kashmir. Today Washington, London, Beijing, Tokyo and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) are stressing for resolving the lingering dispute,” he said.
The APHC Chairman hailed China’s role regarding Kashmir dispute. He welcomed the forthcoming Foreign Secretaries level meeting between Pakistan and India and said that the APHC had always supported the talks aimed at resolving the long-pending dispute.

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REMOVE AFSPA, PSA: UN ENVOY TO INDIA

New Delhi, Jan 22 (Only Kashmir): The UN envoy has said that the draconian laws like, Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Public Safety Act should be repealed in Kashmir while continuation of other controversial laws should be reviewed. Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders after concluding a 10-day visit to occupied Kashmir and Indian states of Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa said human rights are being violated both by state and non-state actors in India.
About Jammu and Kashmir, she said, the issue in Kashmir is about people. It is important to address the real issues of people there. She said that there should be efforts to heal their wounds and hoped that her recommendations in the detailed report would be implemented by the authorities.
"Throughout my mission, I heard numerous testimonies about male and female human rights defenders and their families, who have been killed, tortured, ill-treated, falsely charged, disappeared, arbitrarily arrested and detained or their offices raided and files stolen, because of their legitimate work in upholding human rights," she said.
Especially expressing concern about the situation in occupied Kashmir and Northeastern states, she said the AFSPA and PSA must be repealed.
"The Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Public Safety Act should be repealed and application of other laws, which adversely affect the work and safety of human rights defenders should be reviewed," Sekaggya said, noting that she would file a detailed report to the UN in March.
Asked specifically about human rights violations in West Bengal, the official said
"I am particularly concerned over the plight of human rights defenders working for the rights of marginalised people that is Dalits, adivasis, religious minorities and sexual minorities who face particular risks and ostracism because of their activities".
Sekaggya said she wanted permission for at least 14 days to visit but the government of India had allowed her only 10 days.

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ALL EYES ON (GANTA GHAR) CLOCK TOWER

Srinagar Jan 22 (Only Kashmir): Historical Clock Tower, rendered ‘clockless tower’ in view of face-lifting work has become the cynosure of all eyes.
Every eye catches the glimpse of big clock ‘missing’ at top of the tower. The historical tower popularly known as ‘Ghanta Ghar’ located in the busy city center Lal chowk, the commercial hub of summer capital has assumed more significance after the BJP and JKLF have dared each other to hoist flag on its top on the Republic Day.
Security has been beefed up around the tower and frisking especially of pedestrians, bikers and three wheelers’ intensified as the Republic-Day draws nearer. The state government has already made it clear that no programme, which will disturb the law and order situation in valley, will be allowed.
For few weeks now, the tower is being repaired and renovated. In run-up to the Republic Day ahead, masons and carpenters have intensified face-lifting work on the tower. In the evening hours, security is further beefed up especially around the historical’ clockless tower’ at present.
Masons and carpenters are working under tight security cover have to complete the repair work before Republic Day to enhance its face-lifting. Bullet proof vehicle has been put on alert just under the nose tower.
Every year the tower is renovated on the occasion of Republic and Independence Day and tri-color hoisted on top of the tower. But this year, in view of the BJP and JKLF plans to hoist flags has created sensation in government circles.
In view of repairs and tight security arrangements, the traffic movement in Lal Chowk has got affected. Close vigil is being maintained on people and transport mobility in Lal Chowk. Pedestrians prefer to change their way in view of tight security arrangements in the city center, which has rendered insecurity to people.

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HILAL WELCOMES THE INTIATION OF DIALOUGE BETWEEN INDO-PAK

Srinagar Jan 19 (Only Kashmir): People’s Political Party (PPP), Chairman, Hilal Ahmad War, said, “We welcome the initiation of dialogue between India and Pakistan .He further said PPP is not averse to talks but the talks should be meaningful and result oriented. To make talks on the different Issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir a success, there should be no pre-condition from both sides. Dialogue between India and Pakistan to create mutual trust and understanding is indispensably paramount and this is an important step towards the stability and peace of this South Asian Region which will ultimately pave the way for resolution of Kashmir dispute. “India must not forget that Kashmir is the gateway to Peace, said, War”.
In response to India’s offer to Pakistan, People’s Political Party (PPP) has urged Pakistan to hold meaningful and result oriented dialogue with India ensuring that Kashmir is on top of the agenda. Commenting on India’s talk’s offers to Pakistan, PPP Chief, Hilal Ahmad War said Pakistan should stick to its stance that talks with India should not be confined to economic issues only. India, he said is trying with its best to pressurize Pakistan for not insisting on inclusion of Kashmir in the agenda of proposed dialogue. It is an attempt on the part of India and its international supporters to help India get out of present embarrassing situation in Kashmir.Mr. War said that Kashmiris had made a lot of sacrifices for the resolution of Kashmir but India always used talks as ploy to ward off the pressure.
He said whenever there is international pressure on Kashmir issue to avoid any eventuality of nuclear confrontation in South Asia, India makes talks offer to Kashmiris just to neutralize the situation. “It is in fact the international pressure that has got mounted on India and they just want to diffuse it by staging a drama in the name of talks to give an impression to the world community that it is engaged in a dialogue with Pakistan or with one section of favourite Kashmiri leadership on Kashmir”, he said. Under given circumstances, Pakistan should ensure that Kashmir is on the top of the Agenda”.
Mr. War urged the Government of Pakistan to formulate a Kashmir Policy in accordance with the letter and spirit of Shaheed Z.A. Bhutto's Kashmir Policy. He disfavoured and disapproved the proposed idea of showing any flexibility by government of Pakistan with regard to settlement of Kashmir Dispute as such a flexibility is bound to cause a irreparable damage to Kashmir Cause and shall affect Kashmir Liberation Movement which has so far taken heaviest toll of life, honour and property in entire J & K State.

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3 YOUTH ARRESTED BUT THIS TIME FOR SNOW PELTING

Srinagar, Jan 15 (Only Kashmir): Complete shutdown was observed across the Valley on Saturday on the call of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Police rounded up three youth for snow-pelting in downtown area of the city.
Normal life was paralyzed across the Srinagar city as shops, business establishments and government offices remained closed and traffic was off the roads. Large contingent of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed in strength in volatile areas of old city and civil lines as precautionary measure to thwart pro-freedom protests.
Meanwhile police detained three youth, who according to the locals were throwing snow balls on each other for fun, in Gojwara area of downtown. “They were throwing snow on each other and not on the cops" said locals to Only Kashmir.

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RECENT KASHMIR MOVEMENT WAS BASED ON WRONG STRATEGY: SALAHUDDIN

Srinagar Jan 14 (Only Kashmir): Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed salahuddin based in pakistan occupied kashmir has said that the summer agitation diluted the kashmir movement as that was based on wrong strategy and emotionalism.
"The solution to the Kashmir dispute could be found after bringing all the three parties, India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir on a dialogue table," Hizb chief Salahuddin told a local news agency on telephone.
The Hizb chief further said: "I gave good advices to my friends but they did not listen to me. And now, they regret. No nation can remain dependent on constant strikes. So we have to sit and carve out a result oriented program."
Reacting to recent statement of Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat that top separatist leaders were killed by "our men", the UJC chairman said people named by Bhat should be brought before the people.
The HM chief also said, the solution to the Kashmir dispute could be found after bringing all the three parties, India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir on a dialogue table.
Syed Salahuddin asked the separatist leadership to join hands and put forth a common agenda before the people of Kashmir. He said,the separatist leadership should unite on the basis of 1993 constitution of Hurriyat Conference

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MIRWAIZ WELCOMES KASHMIR TROOP CUT ANNOUNCEMENT WHILE GEELANI REJECTS

Srinagar, Jan 14 (Only Kashmir) : The moderate Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday welcomed the central government's announcement of a 25 percent cut in security forces in a year's time in Jammu and Kashmir, while hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani rejected the move as "patchwork" and demanded complete withdrawal of troops from the state.

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HIGH COURT BAR ASSOCIATION TEAM TO VISIT JAILS OF KASHMIR

Srinagar, January 14 (Only Kashmir): The Vice President of High Court Bar Association of occupied Kashmir, Ejaz Baidar has said that a 15-member delegation of the Bar will visit different jails and interrogation centres of India and the occupied territory from next week to review plight of the Kashmiri detainees.
Ejaz Baidar while talking to newsmen in Srinagar said that the Bar Association through a petition had sought permission from the court, which was granted.
He said that the High Court had directed all the concerned authorities of the jails and interrogation centres of India and occupied Kashmir to facilitate the Bar team in meeting the prisoners.
The 15-member delegation would comprise Advocate Ejaz Baidar, Advocate Manzoor Ahmad, Advocate Muhammad Abdullah Pundit, Advocate Tanveer Butt, Advocate Muhammad Ashraf Butt, Advocate Bashir Siddiqi, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, Advocate Bashir Ahmad Dar, Advocate Shaukat Ahmad Hakak, Advocate Shabbir Ahmad Butt, Advocate Arshad Andrabi, Advocate Rafiq Ahmad Jo, Advocate Javed Ahmad, Advocate Hilal Ahmad and Advocate Naveed Ahmad.

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KASHMIR ISSUE GETTING DANGEROUS AND COMPLEX; SYED ALI GEELANI

Srinagar Jan 12 (Only Kashmir): Asserting that Kashmir issue was becoming more “dangerous and complex” with each passing day, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani Wednesday flayed India for adopting its “traditional policy of force and intimidation to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris.”
“Even after 64 years India seems to have no option other than force and wants to solve an issue which is getting more dangerous and complex with each passing day through the barrel of gun. But New Delhi has failed to see that Kashmiris’ resolve for freedom cannot be broken , and for the past six decades India has only succeeded in enforcing a temporary silence of the graveyard here through arrests, torture, killings and other acts of terror,”
Geelani said the state government’s “subservient and puppet role” had been proven when, according to him, New Delhi had “trashed” the National Conference Working Committee’s resolution regarding release of political prisoners in July.
“The fact is that the Indian home ministry is running the affairs of the state and the sole purpose of the so called state government is to provide cover to India’s atrocities in Kashmir and hoodwink the world into believing that Kashmir has a democratically elected government,” he said.
Reiterating the call for one hour protest after Friday prayers on January 14 and complete strike on January 15, Geelani said “calling protests and strikes is not our hobby but the only way of registering protest against oppression.”

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INTERLOCUTORS INTEREST IN THEIR SALARY NOT KASHMIR: GEELANI

Srinagar Jan 11 (Only Kashmir): Hurriyat Conferene(G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani Monday said the three interlocutors appointed by New Delhi on Kashmir were more interested in their "one lakh plus salaries" than addressing the grievances of Kashmiris, and his assertion that talks with the trio "were futile" had been proved right.
"We have been maintaining from day one that the interlocutors have no authority, they can only plead with New Delhi without being paid much attention to. Their appointment was to hoodwink the international community, these fellows are more interested in their one lakh plus salaries than addressing the issues of Kashmiris, because they have no authority to do so," Geelani said at a press conference today.

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SAJJAD LONE APPRECIATES PROF BHAT FOR SPEAKING TRUTH

New Delhi Jan 10 (Only Kashmir): Separatist leader Sajjad Lone threw his weight behind ex-Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat for his stand that "our own men" killed Mirwaiz Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone", observing that time has come for people to decide whether they are with the "murderers or murdered."

Sajjad, son of Lone, appreciated Bhat for speaking the truth on the killings of the two separatist leaders and for showing the way and said it was never late to speak the "truth."
Bhat, who once chaired the separatist amalgam All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, recently created a flutter by saying that two separatist leaders and his own brother were killed by "our own people" and not the security forces.
Bhat had said time had come to speak the truth about the killers of Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq, who was killed 21 years ago, Abdul Gani Lone, who was shot dead in 2002, and his own brother Mohammad Sultan Bhat, who was murdered in 1995.
In a first person account published in a local daily at Srinagar, Lone recalled the events of the day when his father was killed on May 21, 2002. "...and lifted the shroud and there he was--my Dad--lifeless, stone cold, eyes closed, hair curled back, in a state of eternal slumber. My Dad’s journey of life had ended."
"I got up filled with anger and began to shout hysterically and out came from my mouth the infamous statement blaming the ISI for my father’s killing. I was unmindful of the TV crews and their cameras. And in the evening it was all across the TV screens," wrote Lone in his first person account published in Greater Kashmir.
He recalled that in the wee hours of May 22, 2002 when he was planning the funeral his mother called him inside a room. "I found her behaviour strange. Her composure saddened me. I felt she was not distraught enough....she held my hands and looked deep into my eyes and (asked me to) retract the statement I made last night."
Lone recalls that he had refused buckling under pressure and made it clear to his mother that he was not going to retract. "...she sobbed and sobbed (and said) I have lost Lone sahib. I will not lose you. I will not allow a second dead body with bullets in this house," he wrote while reasoning out about his retraction of statement.
"I had lost a father not to disease or old age but to bullets of the brute. In retrospect I don’t think I should have accused an institution of the killing. But Prof. Bhat has shown the way, when he stated that it was our own people who killed Lone Sahib.
"For all those cynics and sermonizers who are questioning his timing, his intentions, I--a son who lost his father to bullets - would want to put my appreciation on record. Truth however bitter has to prevail. It is never late to speak the truth," he wrote.
"Lone Sahib, Mirwaiz Sahib have left this world. We cannot get them back. But if we do not learn any lessons from their killings we will be doing a great disservice to the very nation whose aspirations we claim to espouse. There is nothing like a good murderer and a bad murderer...
"The culture of unaccountability, impunity cultivated and nourished by a select group of intellectuals, thinkers has only emboldened the killers to indulge in more heinous acts, aimed at disempowering the Kashmiri voice and coercing it into submission. It is time that the select band, decide whose side they are on -- the murderer or the murdered," he said.

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IPL A BOON FOR KASHMIR CRICKET BAT INDUSTRY

Srinagar Jan 09 (Only Kashmir): The success of Indian Premier League (IPL), where the franchise owners splashed millions of dollars to acquire their favourite players this weekend, is having a positive effect on the cricket bat manufacturing industry in Kashmir as well.
As the IPL bandwagon spread to two more cities Pune and Kochi -- in the fourth edition, the manufacturers are hopeful that the league's expansion will translate into more orders for cricket bats this winter.
The cricket bat sector in Kashmir Valley has more than 200 units, both registered and unregistered, with a collective turnover of over Rs 10 crore per year.
"The IPL has been a huge bonanza for our sector as the number of bats sold since the inception of the league has gone up. We are expecting more orders from cities like Pune and Kochi this year as these cities will be featuring also," Abdul Majeed Dar, the president of the cricket bat manufacturers' association.
Dar said over the past three years, the bat manufacturers have expanded their dealings directly to cities like Kolkata, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
"Cricket is undoubtedly the number one followed sport in every city and town of India but our business dealings were mostly restricted to big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and to some extent Bangalore. Now we have enquiries from other areas like Baroda and Indore as well," he said.
Feroze Ahmad, who has a bat manufacturing unit in this highway town, 40 kms from Srinagar, said although the first three months of the year were generally low on sales as the students across the country were busy with annual examinations, the IPL has changed that.
"Since the IPL is held in the months of March, April and May, the dealers from across the country place advance orders so that they can cash on the popularity of cricket following the conclusion of the event, which coincides with school holidays," Ahmad said
While the things look rosy for the bat manufacturing units, which provide direct and indirect employment to nearly 15,000 people in the Valley, they have many worries to take care of. Smuggling of clefts, the raw material for bats, and dwindling plantation of willow trees are just two of these.
"Thousands of clefts are illegally smuggled to some cities in neighbouring Punjab even after the state government imposed a ban on the practice. This has caused a major dent in our earnings as the processing units have better seasoning facilities at their disposal in Punjab which results in a better product," Dar said.
He said the state government has installed a seasoning unit in Sangam area, where most of the units are located, but it has not been made functional yet.
The mushrooming of plyboard peeling units in the Valley has also led to decline in growing of willow trees, considered best after English willow.
"The Poplars grow faster and bring better returns to the farmers from the peeling units. The farmers are now focusing on growing the Poplars only," Dar said.
With demand for bats rising every year and the supply of raw material dropping sharply, the cricket bats are going to be expensive in coming years, he said.

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MORE DEATHS DUE TO ROAD MISHAPS THAN MILITANCY IN J-K IN 2010

Jammu Jan 08 (Only Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir has recorded more deaths in traffic accidents than due to militancy in 2010.
"More people have been killed and injured in road mishaps in the state than in militancy. The death toll in road mishaps is almost double than the number of people killed in militancy last year," a senior police officer said.
As many as 889 people were killed and 7,178 were injured in 5,053 accidents in Jammu and Kashmir upto November end 2010, he said.
However, there were only 488 incidents of militancy in which 475 persons, including 232 ultras, were killed in 2010 in the state, he said.
There were a large number of traffic violations for which 3,29,651 vehicles were fined for violation in 2010 in J&K, he said.

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PLEASE FORGIVE US: DR FAROOQ TO PANDITS

New Delhi, Jan 8: (Only Kashmir): Terming the displacement of Pandits from the Valley as "one of the darkest chapters" in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah today asked the displaced people for "forgiveness."
"One of the major tragedies that we had to go through was the ethnic cleansing that took place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," he told reporters here at a sidelines of a function.
"I think it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the state that will always remain and for which even for years if we ask God for forgiveness I wonder if it will ever come," he said.
The minister was alluding to the displacement of Pandits from the Valley at the peak of militancy in the early 1990s.
"People had to leave their land and other holdings suddenly overnight, not knowing what the future holds for them. The hurt due to this tragedy still exists in young Pandits," he said.
Abdullah also rued the loss of cultural identity that these people have to face due to their displacement.
"People in Kashmir don't know what Pandits look like..What the now empty temples meant for them.. They have become aliens..I wonder if I'll be able to see it (the repatriation) in this birth," he said.
"Everyone wants to die, be buried and cremated in his own land. I lived in England for 12 years but I never became English though I married an English woman. For me those narrow lanes in Kashmir meant far more that the beautiful roads in England," he said.

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HAZRATBAL SHRINE GETS ILLUMINATION PROJECT AT RS 4 CRORE

Jammu, Jan 7 (Only Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir government today sanctioned Rs four crore for the illumination of the Hazratbal shrine located in Srinagar.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also the Chairman of state Wakf Board, sanctioned the amount for the project to be executed by Bajaj Electricals.
He also fixed June 15 as deadline for commissioning the project and completion of all ongoing structural works.
"I give you six months time to complete all the structural works including repairs to the tomb and water proofing of roofs", he told the Wakf Board.
Omar also directed for exploring possibility of harnessing solar energy to run the project.

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CONGRESS, PDP SLAM BJP'S FLAG HOISTING PLAN

Jammu, Jan 6 (Only Kashmir): A day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned the BJP against hoisting the national flag at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day, the Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Thursday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its plan.
State Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz said: 'BJP has embarked on a policy of dividing the people. The move to hoist the flag on Republic Day is a political gimmick to gain the political mileage and reflective of vote bank politics.'
Soz was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function here.
Earlier Thursday, PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said that whenever the BJP was out of power, it resorted to such 'gimmicks'.
He said that when the BJP was in power, it did not 'talk of abrogation of Article 370 (granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir within Indian union), and now it is raking up the issue while it is out of power.'
Almost all parties in Kashmir, including the separatists, have decided to oppose the BJP's Republic Day plans.
The BJP, on the other hand, has maintained the flag hoisting was part of its nationwide campaign for unity and solidarity.
'Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part and we are within our rights to hoist the flag on the national festival in any part of the country,' Nirmal Singh, member of the national executive of the party, told reporters Wednesday.
He was reacting to Omar Abdullah's statements terming the flag hoisting a 'provocative act', saying that he feared the move could trigger a fresh wave of violent protests in the Valley.
All About: National,Jammu And Kashmir, Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), State Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

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