Advocate Sheikh Salman is a talented youth . He has widely shined in the field of sports especially boxing and swimming. He is a dynamic lawyer. On 5 August, 2023 on the eve of 4th anniversary of article 370 abrogation he joined Bhartiya Janta Party ( BJP) in presence of senior leadership.
In an exclusive interview with the News Kashmir Magazine he talks to Editor in Chief Farzana Mumtaz.
How was your childhood like?
My childhood was quite excellent. I was highly active in sports especially sports like Swimming and boxing.
A bit more on your sporting Journey?
Yes I always took Key interest in Sports like Swimming and Boxing and brought laurels in the field.
What about your legal journey ?
After my schooling from Srinagar at Biscoe, I did my law from Kashmir University. I have experience of two years in law.
Your transition from law to politics?
Judiciary and politics are interconnected.
Well in legal field as lawyer you can at best provide legal aid ,and it is the politics wherein one can do big things for society and make positive changes as you are directly linked with administration.
Why BJP?
BJP is a voice of country that has made India global super power and charismatic leadership of Narendra Modi has ensured all round development of the country . Whatever Modi ji has promised he has delivered it.
Any reason of choosing 5 August for joining BJP?
5 August is red letter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. The article 370 abrogation on this day in year 2019 broke back bone of corruption and nepotism.
The abrogation of article 370 has ensured all round development of Jammu and Kashmir. It has also broken back of violence , terror and Backwardness.
A bit about your joining programme ?
The joining programme has been quite awesome and memorable . Senior leadership including Honorable State Spokesperson Abhijeet Jasrotia , State General Secretary organization Ashok Kaul Ji and esteemed WAQF Chairman and MOS Darkhshan Andrabi welcomed me in the party fold with positive vibes .
What are your ambitions as politician now ?
My sole motive is to serve people of Jammu and Kashmir especially poor masses and resolve their basic issues.
I want to be recognized as a human who did something good for the society .
Drug addiction is big problem faced by youth of Jammu and Kashmir. Your take?
The Government is very tough against drug peddlers and houses of drug suppliers are being seized. Government is taking series of steps to tackle the Menace of drug addiction.
Any message for youth ?
Youth are powerful force of the society. We need to aware the youth about their rights and duties . I would also like to thank youth of Kashmir as more than 800 youth participated in my joining programme.
Red FM Introduces Red 11 Team To Jammu & Kashmir Premier League
In a significant development, 93.5 Red FM, India’s leading private radio and entertainment network proudly announced its participation in this year’s Jammu & Kashmir Premier League (JKPL) with its cricket team – ‘Red 11’. The tournament is set to kick off from 16th August onwards.
The Jammu & Kashmir Premier League is a celebration of sports and the spirit of the region. Led by the charismatic captain Umar Nissar, the team Red 11 will have an impressive 24-member squad to bring the best talent out of Jammu & Kashmir. The team comprises some other renowned Ranjhi players like Asif Khan, Ahmad Bandy, Umar Nazir, Muneeb Munaf, Abhinav Puri, Amir Aziz, Akash Choudhary, Ranjot Singh, Shahid Ali, Zaman Qayoon, and others.
Pertinent to mention that Red FM will also provide comprehensive coverage, live updates, and behind-the-scenes insights, ensuring listeners stay connected and engaged throughout the tournament.
Speaking on the collaboration, Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, RED FM & Magic FM, said, “Cricket is an indispensable part of Red FM and we highly advocate sports as a medium of binding the nation together in peace and harmony. Forming Team Red 11 is epitomizing our dedication to nurturing and fostering cricketing talent in Kashmir. As a brand that is committed to bringing entertainment and a sense of togetherness, we are delighted to inspire and support these exceptionally talented cherry-picked Ranjhi players as they embark on their cricketing and life’s journey. We are also delighted to partner with the event and support the development of sports in Kashmir.”
Red FM invites everyone to be a part of this incredible initiative and show their support for our brave hearts in uniform. Stay tuned to Red FM for further updates and be part of this memorable journey as we pay tribute to the real heroes of our nation.
About 93.5 Red FM: Red FM stands out as not only India’s largest radio channels, but also one of the biggest entertainment networks. We are hyper local, hyper vocal, and with our brand philosophy and attitude ‘Bajaate Raho!’ We are at the core of millennials’ hearts. By leveraging our two-decades-old legacy and expertise, we sow the seeds of a ‘larger than life experience’. We thrive on the emotional connection with the listeners and audience fashioned through a massive footprint of 69 radio stations across the country. We create original podcasts, digital shows, and on-ground events, feature independent music, make 360-degree noise, and speak the truth. As the ‘station of expression’ Red FM boasts over 567 award-winning campaigns including BEST BRAND, BEST FM STATION, and BEST RJs.
Medical representatives specialize in one area and make the health professionals prescribe the particular product of their company. Their job is to promote the existing medicine to the doctors, pharmacists, and chemists.
It has been a bad trend in the our region by many doctors to accept gifts from the Medical Representatives, a trend which has been criticized by many.
Very recently, Top most Government Hospital of Kashmir The SKIMS administration has curtailed the visits of Medical Representatives to the hospital premises. The prescription of branded medicines has also been banned in the institute.
In this regard ,an order issued by SKIMS reads, “It has been conveyed by Director General Health Services, Government of India, and endorsed by Director SKIMS & Ex. Officio Secretary to Government, that all the medications prescribed in Government Hospitals should be Generic Medicines only and not in any case branded medicines.”
In this regard, it is also reiterated that visits of Medical Representatives to Government Hospitals premises are completely curtailed. Any information about new launch may be communicated by e-mail only,” it reads further.
The larger pulse on ground zero is that
entry of Medical Representatives (MRs) in Government hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir during official hours is causing a mess in hospitals with doctors giving them preference over patients ,and it needs to be curtailed.
In year 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had warned India’s top pharmaceutical companies to strictly adhere to marketing ethics, and not to bribe doctors with women, foreign trips and gadgets, ThePrint has learnt.
Government sources had said PM Modi met senior officials from top drug-makers, including Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Wockhardt, in New Delhi on 2 January.
“The issue of unethical use of marketing tactics has been escalated to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which, in turn, made calls to some top drug-makers and fixed a meeting with the PM,” said a senior government official who attended the meeting.
It has been long felt in Jammu and Kashmir too that medical representatives and doctor nexus is not overall good for health sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
One hopes in Jammu and Kashmir too Patient healthcare would be priority and not the interests of Medical Representatives. Ensuring hassle free and ethical health care for all is the need of the hour.
Cancer refers to any one of a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the world. But survival rates are improving for many types of cancer, thanks to improvements in cancer.
The cancer mortality trend in India has decreased by 0.19 per cent annually among men but increased by 0.25 per cent among women, which translates to an increase of 0.02 per cent among the combined sexes, a recent study said.
As a matter of fact, The striking findings were part of an analysis of mortality trends of 23 major cancers in the Indian population, which killed 12.85 million Indians between 2000 and 2019.
to the study, increasing mortality trends were seen among cancers of the lung, breast, colorectum, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, and mesothelioma between 2000 and 2019. The highest annual increase in mortality was observed in pancreatic cancer among both sexes at 2.7 per cent (2.1 per cent among men and 3.7 per cent among women), it said. However, the stomach, esophagus, leukemia, larynx, and melanoma cancers showed a declining cancer mortality trend irrespective of sex.
The cancer mortality was high among men than women for all common cancers except thyroid (0.6) and gallbladder (0.6) cancers, the study has found. Larynx cancer had almost a 6-fold high mortality among men than women, followed by lung (2.9), melanoma (2.5), urinary bladder (2.3), mouth and oropharynx (2.2), and liver (1.9), while stomach and colorectal cancer mortality was relatively similar among both sexes, it noted.
One hopes we in India are able to save more lives from deadly cancer disease.
Call this fruit, used as a vegetable, by any name but it’s ubiquitous presence in everyday Indian food has made it special and difficult to manage without. Though this red, round, good looking and these days much talked about, costly vegetable was introduced in Indian staple food only 250 years back, it has surreptitiously taken the place which cannot be replaced. There is a hue and cry about the Tomato Rs 200 per kilogram, everywhere in India right now.
Tomato the green, red, yellow, big, small, bright and shining is loved as a toast and zing to the vegetables, curries, lentils thrown in to add colour, taste and make any food palatable. It was not native to Indian subcontinent, Asia or Africa but to South and Central America only. In 1519, a business man brought the seeds to Europe and people started cultivating tomatoes for their ornamental curiosities but was not eaten. Most likely the first variety to reach Europe was yellow in colour since in Spain and Italy it was called Pome d’oro meaning yellow Apples. Italy was the first to embrace and cultivate tomatoes outside South America. May be this is the reason of using Tomato sauce sparingly in pizzas by Italians.
The French referred to tomatoes as Pommes d”amour or love apples as they thought them to have stimulating aphrodisiacal properties. In some western countries it was first known as wolf peach. Peach because it was round and yellow but fed to wolves. The English word Tomato comes from Spanish word Tomate. Though tomatoes were not adopted easily as this bright and shining fruit was eyed with suspicion for a long time in Europe. It went to America with the Europeans who settled there in large numbers in 18th and 19th century.
Portuguese introduced tomate in Indian subcontinent in the 16th century but people did not fit it in the vast Indian cuisine. It remained limited only for Portuguese consumption. It was much later when British laid the foundation of their Indian Empire, Indians took to tomatoes kindly. European sailors, traders, soldiers, missionaries, explorers and colonial officers introduced tomato along with other things to the subcontinent. Indian cooks who served in the British kitchens learnt how to use tomato as soup, broths and Shorba.
Hindus especially Brahmans even today don’t use tomatoes on Religious ceremonies be it any pooja, Shraad or yagna (Havan) like onion or garlic. I asked my mother why do Hindus put tomatoes in the category of onion and garlic, which is considered Tamsik , hot for the body whereas tomato is cooling . She had no clue. The answer I found was that perhaps tomatoes came from foreign shores besides it had no mention in Ayurveda or our scriptures. For a long time, tomato was considered as a brother of brinjals because of certain similarities in growth cycle and leaves. Till that time Indians used Tamarind pulp, coconut, yogurt as thickening material in different dishes.
My Saurashtrian mother in law called tomato as tamata. Rightly so, the Portuguese must have introduced it in Daman and Diu as it must have reached Gujarat’s vast shores like Batata (potato). Gujarati name for Alu / potato is Batata, grown in 17th century for the first time in Indian subcontinent was cultivated along western coast. Britishers introduced Potatoes in Northern India, with the adopted name of yam from Sanskrit Allum. Similarly, tomata was Tamatar in North and central India. It was similarly introduced in Kashmir by Britishers and there also people called it Ruwangan, something associated with wangan, Brinjal. The delicacy wangan Tamatar is a tasty dish of Kashmiri cuisine. The only difference between the Kashmiris and rest of india during the high Tomato prices is that Kashmiris still hold on to their traditional wisdom of drying vegetables, more so the tomatoes, which are sun dried, a practice of hundreds of years. In Kashmir most of the vegetables are sun dried for the use during winters. This culture was a means to survive harsh winters, when snow covered the soil from December to March and nothing grew from October to March. Vegetables were cut in different shapes and sizes, put on a sheet under the sun, covered by a Malmal cloth and left to dry. Garlands of few vegetables like bottle gourd, brinjals, turnip, red chillies etc. would be seen hanging on the outside walls of the houses in Autumn. Tomatoes were sun dried so it would give them a firm texture and unique sweet tart flavour. These were used in winter when there were no fresh tomatoes available like other vegetables.
Today vegetables from Jammu and Punjab come easily in winters through the road connecting Jammu, Anantnag and Srinagar. This was possible only after Jawahar Tunnel was made in 1956, In the Pir Panjal range on its highest peak of Manimahesh kailash peak. Banihal tunnel another name for Jawahar tunnel connects Banihal and qazigund round the year. Prior to 1956, the road to Jammu was to travel on this mountain range on foot, horses and horse carts. Some people would get injured, die, fall off cliffs during rain and snow. This arduous journey was taken only by few, who could not afford to take the long route of Kashmir, Muzaffarabad (presently Pakistan occupied Kashmir), Muree, Rawalpindi, Lahore (Now Pakistan) and Dilli. No one would be back before one month or more, from Srinagar to Dilli which today takes half an hour by Aeroplane. If someone got any vegetables from anywhere in winter, it would be spring by the time he reached back to the valley. In such difficult winters, using dried vegetables was the best practice. Today we get every vegetable from any corner of the world with the click of a finger. Sun dried tomatoes are extremely popular now and are used in wide variety of dishes, soups, salads, pasta, pizza in meat and fish as a delicacy because of its particular taste. They also are a quick snack on their own. It has a shelf life of 6-9 months, when packed in malmal cloth or a tight plastic bag. I would suggest keeping them in fridge in a hot climate like Gujarat. Ripe tomatoes when cheap in winters here, can be sun dried. Another way is to cut the tomato in half, sprinkle with sea salt, lay on mats or cloth under heat until moisture is eliminated. Do cover with malmal cloth or a net otherwise the over dust may sprinkle its flavour. Drying intensifies their flavour, tart acidity and appeal in creamy texture. This is a ready supply of tomatoes all year long. There will be no tension of price rise of tomatoes, come what may.
Italians had taken early to sun dried tomatoes and even today they rehydrate them by marinating with oil or vinegar, with added zing of herbs and spices. If you are in Rome, Florence or Venice, do order a dish with sun dried tomatoes, I bet you will love it. Ask for Ruwangan flavoured dish, when in Kashmir. You will spend the same amount of money for tomato in Italy, tamatar in Dilli and tamata in Gujarat, provided it is Sun dried.
Corporal punishment has been menace adversely affecting our children especially in schools and homes.
Corporal punishment of people is by hitting them, especially the punishment of children by parents or teachers.
In Indian context, Corporal punishment means any punishment in which a certain amount of physical force is used with the intention of causing some degree of pain or discomfort, however light but sometimes brutal too. This punishment is mostly given by using hands (spanking, slapping, punching, etc.) and/or by hitting (using a stick, belt, shoes, etc.).
Corporal punishment especially of children has been a problem in Jammu and Kashmir too.
In a historic decision aimed at safeguarding the well being and mental health of students, the Department of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) few days issued a circular imposing a ‘blanket ban on corporal punishment and other forms of child abuse’ in all educational institutions within its jurisdiction.
On the otherhand,
The circular cites a report from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences-Kashmir (IMHANS-K), which raised serious concerns about the adverse effects of corporal punishment on the mental health of school-going children.
Such punitive measures not only hinder the learning process but also create an atmosphere of fear and hostility within the educational institutions, the circular reads.
The DSEK has impressed upon school heads, teaching officials, and educational authorities, both from government and private institutions, to strictly adhere to the ban on corporal punishment and other forms of child abuse.
Manzoor Sultan , an eminent academic expert observed that ” Corporal punishment inflicts long-term harm both physically and mentally on children. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir decision to announce blanket ban on corporal punishment is a welcome decision. The children should never be given corporal punishment. We need to understand that corporal punishment is sometimes viewed on just few paradigms but it also includes verbal abuse of children or demotivating them and causing harm to their creative think. The need of the hour is to ensure also effective monitoring of education system so that children don’t face any problem. It has been seen that Corporal punishment strikes severe fear in the hearts and minds of students and can easily make them to drop out of school. The stakeholders including students , teachers and policy makers along with administrators should use quality interactions to make our education system friendly and creative for all. Back to village has been highly successful , likewise back to School programe should be started to ensure effective interactive sessions with IAS /IPS toppers and scientists, entrepreneurs and role models would make our students career conscious.”
Throughout the world the need of developing quality education system is dependent on creating an atmosphere of love for students.
The pulse of Jammu and Kashmir society is welcoming blanket ban on corporal punishment.
TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM VS MODERN CURRICULUM: CHOOSE THE LATTER
By Syed Mustafa Ahmad
Curriculum has been defined in many ways according to the needs of the times. Some decades ago, traditional curriculum was in dominance. It is also called bookish curriculum. It focuses on books, exams, discipline, fixed time tables, paper degrees,etc. However, it is against the individual differences. Same kind of syllabus was for different children. There is no scope for critical thinking. Status quo reigns everywhere.
But with the revolution in information technology, the need for the modern curriculum has increased more than before. The present age is the age of AI, Robotics, Quantum mechanics, etc. Innovation is the order of the day. Men have started to colonize other celestial bodies. There are chances of life on other planets as well. The calculations that used to take thousands of years, are done in few seconds. Men have surpassed the speed of light. Gene scissors are in the market to protect us from lethal diseases. Carcinogenic diseases are controlled. In this way, there can be no liking for the traditional curriculum that only choked the rational voices. Let us contrast both curricula in some detail.
First is that the traditional curriculum is about books. Books are more important than children. Education is imparted in specialized buildings. There are strict teachers and management. There are fixed classes in a day. Teachers prepare what they have to teach in a particular period. They try their best to complete the syllabi. They, by hook or crook, complete their syllabi and prepare students for examinations while the modern curriculum is child-based. All the focus is on a child. His or her differences are known in the beginning. His or her psychology is understood so that teaching or learning becomes easy and fruitful. Here, a child is free to learn according to his or her taste. There are no specialized buildings for this curriculum. A child learns everywhere. He is trained in such a way that every experience becomes learning for him. He looks at animals. He doesn’t dread them. In cases of beautiful landscapes, he or she tries to know its Creator. This is the best characteristic of the modern curriculum.
Second is that the traditional curriculum is exam-dominated. Children, from the very beginning, are frightened that they have to pass with flying colors. They are in constant fear that if they don’t get a distinction or a position, they will be treated harshly. They, instead of reading textbooks, find short cut ways to get good marks. In this way, they become addicted to the hand made notes and guides prepared by some unknown persons. They learn questions and answers without knowing their crux. They become good in rote learning. In this way, the marvellous brains are lost. However, in case of the modern curriculum, there is no space for exams. A child learns different subjects and skills at the same time to be the master of those subjects or skills. He or she is expert in dealing with his or her subject because he or she likes to learn those very subjects. There is no thrust upon them. They learn what they learn. They use their creative powers to go against the views of their teachers. Children don’t believe blindly. Curriculum teachers them to criticize.
Third and last is paper degrees. In the traditional curriculum, degrees matter the most. A teacher without a particular degree is deemed unfit for teaching. However, he or she may be expert in his or her subject but she or he does not possess the required degree, he or she is unfit for that very post. But in case of the modern curriculum, there is no need for paper degrees. A rickshaw puller can be an engineer. Jack Ma, the founder of Ali Baba, can be the source of inspiration for those who have doctorates in many subjects.
In short, there should be such kind of curriculum that can know the individual differences in children. Until and unless the individual differences are unknown, we cannot think of any progress. Let us embrace the curriculum that makes child a child. I request parents and teachers to embrace the curriculum that is reasonable. Overall, we are living in the age of Science and technology which needs a totally different approach. Hope good sense prevails among all of us.
The battle of Karbala has given message to humanity forever. It bears an intrinsic message for all human beings of all times to uplift the human spirit beyond short-sighted materialistic pursuits and establish a just and equitable order in society.
The moral message of Karbala is relevant for all times .Live and die with an honor and respect and don’t accept injustice on any condition. Imam Hussein a.s. once said that the authorities in Kufa had given him only two options — humiliation or death. He carried on to say, ‘And we do not accept humiliation’. Dying for the cause “Islam” is martyrdom and a great honor.
As a matter of fact, Every year, in the month of Muharram, millions of Muslims (both Shias and Sunnis) mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.S), his family and friends. Some do it to the highest level of emotional and sentimental state and others equally feel the pain of agony experienced by the martyrs.
It is heart refreshing that When people gather to recall and cry over the brutality meted out to Imam Hussain (a.s) , his family and followers, it unconsciously imbues a profound impact on one’s character and thinking. The beauty of this pain that moves a soul to tears not only softens the heart but enhances the virtues of empathy, compassion and humanity.
Pages of history bear witness to the fortitude, courage and determination of scores of warriors and fighters who have left indelible marks on the canvas of bravery but no battle can match Karbala in its message of justice and peace.
We need to live a life of justice and respect humanity then only we can proudly say we are implementing message of Karbala in our lives.
Glaciers are lifeline of humanity as they are source of major rivers. Glaciers are keystones of Life on Earth. As giant freshwater reservoirs, they support the planet’s life systems and influence our day-to-day lives, even for communities who live far away from them.
The melting of glaciers is a matter of serious concern as it can lead to nature havoc. For ecologically fragile zones like Kashmir it can have serious consequences.
Himalayan glaciers are retreating at “varying rates” and melting of glaciers can’t be prevented or slowed down, Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply few days back.
The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO’s) Space Application Centre (SAC) has mapped 5234 glaciers of the Himalayan-Karakoram (H-K) region using primarily IRS LISS III data which indicated a varied loss in glacier area in the region.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and various Institutes/Universities under the projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) too have conducted mass balance studies on a number of glaciers and found that the majority of Himalayan glaciers are melting/ retreating at varying rates in different regions.
Rijiju said the glacier inventory prepared by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) for the Chandra basin (2437 km2 area) in the western Himalayas shows that it has lost about 6% of its glacial area during the last 20 years and 2.4-meter water equivalent (m w.e.) to 9 m w.e. ice mass during 2013-2021. The glaciers in the Bhaga basin lost huge ice mass in the range of 6 m w.e. to 9 m.w.e. during 2008-2021. The annual rate of retreat of Chandra basin glaciers varied from 13 to 33 meters/year during the last decade.
Expert pulse is that disappearance of glaciers makes visible the invisible. It makes tangible the current climate change that can be hard to perceive in other ecosystems. The recent evolution of glaciers found in World Heritage sites paints a true picture of their decline in a warming planet.
Melting of Glaciers is a matter of serious concern for Jammu and Kashmir too.
Jammu and Kashmir Himalayas hosts some of the largest glaciers in the Hindu Kush region. Scientific studies indicate that Kolahoi, the largest glacier of Kashmir valley’s Jhelum Basin, is retreating rapidly due to spurt rise in temperature triggered by global warming and extreme pollution.
Thajiwas, Hoksar, Nehnar, Shishram, and glaciers around Harmukh are also retreating slowly.
In coming times, the melting of glaciers diminish the stream flow of trans-boundary rivers emanating from the region.
Studies point out grim realities. 2019 study reveals that glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region – which contains the world’s third-largest glacial ice cap and is home to ten major river basins and mountain peaks, such as Mount Everest – could lose more than a third of their volume by the end of the century even if world nations meet their most ambitious climate targets.
One hopes we are able to stem the flow of melting glaciers.
Bio:- Monalisa Parida is a post graduate student of English literature from India, Odisha and a prolific poetess. She is very active in social media platforms and her poems have also been translated into different languages and publish in various e-journals.
She has got 100 international award for writing poetry. Her poems have been publishing international e-journals “New York parrot”, “The Writers Club” (USA), “Suriyadoya literary foundation”, “kabita Minar”, “Indian Periodical” (India) and “Offline Thinker “, “The Gorkha Times “ ( Nepal), “The Light House”(Portugal), “Bharatvision”(Romania), “International cultural forum for humanity and creativity”(Aleppo, Syria), “Atunispoetry.com”(Singapore) etc. And also published in various newspapers like “The Punjabi Writer Weekly(USA)”, “News Kashmir (J&K, India)”, Republic of Sungurlu (Turkey)” etc.
One of her poem published an American anthology named “The Literary Parrot Series-1 and series-2 respectively (New York, USA)”. Her poems have been translated in various languages like Hindi, Bengali, Turkish, Persian, Romanian etc. And she is the author of the book “Search For Serenity”, “My Favourite Grammar”, “Paradigm”, “Beyond Gorgeous”.
