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Mental health collapsing in Kashmir

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Tourism Revival Hopes in Kashmir

News Kashmir Exclusive

Tourism is an important sector of economy as it  boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens. The number of jobs created by tourism in many different areas is significant.Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir  is one of the most important sectors of economy. Being the largest service industry, tourism is a significant contributor to the JK  GDP, foreign exchange for the country, provides wide spread employment, yields tax revenue .Recently the Jammu and Kashmir Leituant Governor Manoj Sinha emphasis on broad based improvement in tourism has raised hopes of revival as he Called for preparing a comprehensive future plan for promoting tourism sector in J&K, and identify new, unexplored tourist spots.
The LG Directed tourism functionaries for developing various tourist circuits across the UT, laying special focus on adventure tourism, trekking activities, pilgrimage sites, water sports, and other popular ventures.
Stressed on ensuring easy access to the tourists at all tourist places, with proper mobile connectivity, ATM facilities, and other utilities for a hassle-free and memorable experience of the visiting tourists.
Also directed for proper maintenance of tourism properties so that they remain in impeccable condition throughout the year.
Pay special attention to cleanliness at tourist places; ensure sustainable development without disturbing the ecological balance.
Directed officials to launch special drive to promote Jammu tourism circuit; organize 3-months long festival in Jammu to popularize various tourist destinations.
Cruise boat in Dal Lake to be launched soon by JKTDC. Helicopter Safari services, Capacity building of stakeholders,  Basic Life Skills training for adventure activities, and many opportunities for starters under Mission Youth in the pipeline.
Mudasir Muran , head Paradise WoodHouse and an important tourism Stakeholder while talking to the News Kashmir stated ” The Pandemic of Coronavirus came as last nail in the coffin of all important tourism sector of Kashmir as upheavals before that had already broken the back tourism sector of Kashmir . The tourism sector of Kashmir is world famous and huge number of masses depend on tourism sector for their livelihood. Now with second wave of Coronavirus receding and fast pace of the vaccination we are hopeful that tourism sector of Kashmir makes a big stride forward. There are lot of hopes that we as tourism stakeholders recover some lost ground , the Government should do it’s utmost to promote tourism of Jammu and Kashmir.”

No More Darbar
News Kashmir Exclusive 
The historic 149 year old practise of Darbar move has been ended by the Jammu and Kashmir Government . The practise of Darbar move was unique to the Jammu and Kashmir region and had long heritage.
As a matter of fact,  Darbar move was  the  Dogra imperial tradition in which  huge official paraphernalia is  put on wheels to shift the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government to Srinagar during summers and to Jammu During winters.Yes, it is the Darbar move time in Srinagar. At least Forty one government departments also in the erstwhile State including those under the direct charge of the Chief Minister and forty five departments used to  move  to Srinagar in full and in camp respectively for Summer Season. In winter season the Darbar move moved to Jammu, the winter capital of the state.It is worth mentioning here that the L-G had on June 20 announced that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has completely transitioned to e-office, thereby ending the practice of the biannual ”darbar move”.
“Now both the Jammu and Srinagar secretariats can function normally for 12 months. This will save the government Rs 200 crore per year, which will be used for the welfare of the deprived sections,” he had said.
Now an order issued by Commissioner Secretary, Estates Department, M Raju said sanction had been accorded to the cancellation of allotment of residential accommodation of officers and officials in Srinagar and Jammu.
Employees from Jammu had been allotted residential accommodation in Srinagar and those from Srinagar in Jammu.
The order said the officers and officials would vacate their government-allotted residential accommodation in the twin capital cities within 21 days.
As part of the ”darbar move”, the Raj Bhavan, the civil secretariat – seat of the Jammu and Kashmir government – along with many other offices used to shift between Jammu and Srinagar twice a year.
The practise of Darbar move had historical legacy as it’s supporters state that it used to bring Jammu and Kashmir regions together and increase the flow of people from one region to another while as its critics say it was a white elephant that took a heavy toll on the Economy of the Jammu and Kashmir region.
According to ground facts ,The practice, under which the administration used to function in Jammu during the six months of winter and in Srinagar during the summer, was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872.People in Kashmir overall seem to be happy over the end of Darbar move practise .

Dil Se Dilli Tak
 Hope flows in Kashmir

The hopes of dialogue and peace in Kashmir  have risen after the recent All Party Meet at Delhi .
In the first gigantic political exercise after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the regional political party leaders raised the issue of restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir during the meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
Fourteen Jammu and Kashmir’s mainstream political leaders attended the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 June 2021.While talking to the media, Indian National Congress’s Ghulam Nabi Azad said that from their side, 5 demands were put forth in-front of PM Modi.
The Major five demands raised by the Congress were statehood should be restored soon, assembly elections should be conducted quickly, the Centre should guarantee lands and jobs for the people of J&K, Kashmiri Pandits living outside the Union Territory should be rehabilitated soon and the political prisoners, who have been detained prior and post August 5 decision should be released immediately.
Peoples Democratic Party’s Leader and Former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti raised the issue of restoring Article 370 in the meeting and emphasised that the people of J&K will struggle constitutionally and legally to fight for the Article.Peoples Conference’s Sajad Lone told the media that emotional bonding prevailed during the meeting.
He further did not reveal the particular discussions that took place inside the residence of the Prime Minister.
However, PC’s Muzafar Beig confirmed that the majority of the regional party leaders demanded restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
He further said that it hurt how Article 370 was abrogated but now the case is in Supreme Court of India.
Apni Party leader, Altaf Bukhari said that a positive atmosphere prevailed during the meeting.On the otherhand, Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram on his part  slammed the Modi-led government for insisting on elections in Jammu and Kashmir before granting statehood.
Chidambaram said in a tweet, “Congress and other J&K parties and leaders want Statehood first and Elections afterward, Government’s response is Elections first and Statehood later.
“The horse pulls the cart. A state must conduct elections. Only such elections under a State Election Commission will be free and fair. Why does the government want the cart in front and the horse behind? It is bizarre,” he added.NC was also vocal on its vision.We told PM that we don’t stand with what was done on 5th Aug 2019. We’re not ready to accept it. But we won’t take law into hands. We’ll fight this in court. We also told PM that there’s been breach of trust b/w State & Centre. It’s Centre’s duty to restore it: Omar Abdullah, NC.

The hopes of peaceful Kashmir have been reignited with this recent all party meet.

The economy of Kashmir is crumbling at a fast pace . The ragging pandemic of Coronavirus has wrecked havoc on global economies and the Economy of the Kashmir has been especially hit hard .
The financial doom is evident in Jammu and Kashmir . The rising number of suicide cases and growing frustration and drug abuse are direct consequence of the financial doom .Recently, the representative of as many as 35 associations related to business and industry attended the meeting. It was agreed by one and all those businesses in J&K need relief and revival financial packages immediately to keep the wheel of the overall economy in the UT moving.

The present scenario in terms of losses and showdowns of business units and establishments were thoroughly discussed in the meeting in which stakeholders shared facts about the ground situation. They said that the pandemic has created havoc on all kinds of businesses in J&K. Former Chief Minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday said the economy of Jammu and Kashmir is on the “brink of collapse” as every sector in the union territory has suffered losses in the last two years. Addressing a meeting of the party’s constituency in-charges of north Kashmir’s Baramulla District at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha here, Abdullah expressed concern over “the soaring unemployment” in Jammu and Kashmir and the alleged rising incidents of suicide among the youth.

Man Vs Wild 

News Kashmir Exclusive
Due to rapid loss of habitats owing to cruel phenomenon of rampant Deforestation in Kashmir the human beings and wildlife conflict in Kashmir is on rise .
Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) refers to the negative interactions between human and wild animals, with undesirable consequences for both people and their resources and wildlife and their habitats (IUCN 2020). HWC, caused by competition for shared natural resources between human and wildlife, influences human food security and the well-being of both human and animals. In many regions these conflicts have intensified over recent decades as a result of human population growth and the transformation of land use.In a heart rending incident recently , A four-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Adha Shakil went missing from the lawn of her house in Ompora Housing Colony on during evening time and remains of her body were found in a nearby forest area during a search operation on in morning.
Deputy Commissioner Shahbaz Mirza called a meeting with senior police officers and officials of the forest and wildlife departments to decide on a slew of measures to prevent such incidents in the future.We need to remember that in recent times several animals have also lost their precious lives in these human animal conflicts and also number of them have been caught .
After it , A leopard was also  captured alive by officials of the Wildlife Department in Humpora Loolipora area of Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
 Wildlife official reported that the leopard was spotted in the area by locals and was captured alive by Wildlife department officials this evening who were informed about it.
The official said that the department has asked its men to remain alert at every hotspot to trap other leopards roaming in the district.The Jammu and Kashmir wildlife department on late Tuesday evening  captured another  leopard from Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Official said that It was the second leopard caught by the wildlife department Range Office Khrew on two consecutive days.On the other hand, Several villages of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district feel threatened by wild animals, which have taken shelter in a dense nursery of the area, said locals.
The locals of the villages — Dangerpora, Laridora, Reshmuqam, Taripora, Wathuran, Nowgam and others, said that there are apprehensions of attacks to happen in the future because of the roaming of a bear and other animals in the area.One hopes that corrective measures are taken both by the masses and the Government so that Man Vs Wild conflict comes to an end in Kashmir.

Cover Story 31 May, 2021 Issue .

Corona Martyrs
News kashmir Exclusive
Doctor’s read soo many books just save others life.” – UnknownThe job of doctors is among the holiest in the world . Doctors serve entire humanity without any bias.Doctors save lives, but their importance goes far beyond that. Doctors also make a difference by helping patients minimize pain, recover from a disease faster or learn to live with a disabling injury. A patient’s ability to enjoy life, even if they can’t be cured, makes a huge difference to them and to their families. If they can go back to work after an illness, that benefits their employer, too. And, that’s only part of what makes doctors important to society.In the pandemic of Coronavirus millions have died and crores infected across the world . In India the second wave of Coronavirus has been more brutal and cruel . The scores of doctors have died while serving other patients due to the Coronavirus.In India hundreds of doctors have died due to Covid .
A total of 513 doctors have died while fighting to Covid19 in India during its second wave, among whom three doctors are from the Union Territory of J&K, as per the Indian Medical Association (IMA).IMA said that the highest number of doctors who succumbed to Covid19 second wave in India are from Delhi. It said that 103 doctors from Delhi, followed by 96 in Bihar, lost their lives to the perilous virus.   As per IMA, the actual number of fatalities may be higher as it keeps only the registry of only 3.5 lakh members.It is is pertinent to mention that 748 doctors, as per IMA, have already died in India during the first wave of Covid19.Doctors in India are being overburdened beyond measure by Coronavirus . Even before the pandemic hit India, its health sector was ranked 110 out of 141 countries, behind Bangladesh, Indonesia and Chile, the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2019 found. The South Asian nation’s rural towns and villages, home to nearly 70% of India’s 1.4 billion population, have only a skeletal health infrastructure.
The number of doctors for every 10,000 people in India has fallen to around nine in 2019 from 12 in 1991, according to data on World Health Organization’s website, while the country’s health expenditure was just 3.54% of GDP, lower than countries including China, Iraq , Kenya ,  Egypt and Afghanistan.One hopes great sacrifices rendered by the Doctors would be valued and health sector upgraded .

Tourism, Transport

3 Years of Total Loss
News Kashmir Exclusive

Since the last three years the tourism and transport sector of Kashmir has been at the receiving end due to varied reasons . From political upheaval to the ragging pandemic of Coronavirus since more than one year have lent death blow to the tourism and transport sector of Kashmir .The transport and tourism sector related People are the worst hit as they are finding it difficult to meet the day to day needs. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc .Although , Jammu and Kashmir government has come to the rescue of these tourism players. A package of $30 million (INR 3 crore) has been announced. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced the measure for those particularly hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.In this package, Rs 2,000 financial assistance will be provided to 4,444 registered shikara owners, 1,370 tourist guides, 6,663 ponywalas and 2,150 others including those who rent palanquins for yatris. The money will be paid for two months. The relief will be transferred to only those who are registered with the tourism department,” said an official release by the JK government.Although the tourism people still feel it is less.Transporters and their families are on brink of starvation .Transporters also recently  urged authorities to provide them compensation, stating that the sector was worst-hit due to successive lockdowns for last three consecutive years.
“The transports are worst affected. We have been facing the brunt of the successive lockdowns since 5 August,” General Secretary, Kashmir Welfare Transporters Association, Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf.
“The drivers and conductors are pushed to the wall. Owners are not positioned differently either,” he said, adding, “The drivers and conductors are finding it extremely hard to make both ends meet.
The need of the hour is that a very broad based and comprehensive financial package are announced in the favour of tourism and transport sector .It is worth mentioning here that delegation of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) led by its President Sheikh Ashiq and Secretary-general Farooq Amin, met Advisor to Lt. Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan and highlighted the crisis faced by the economically vulnerable sections of the society due to COVID lockdown.

The delegation also included presidents of other associations like trade, transport, tourism, and other allied sectors like Kashmir Traders and Manufactures Federation (KTMF), Federation chamber of industries Kashmir (FCIK), Houseboat Associations, who also highlighted these issues and briefed about the problems they are facing due to the prevailing situation, the Chamber said in a statement.

Austere FestivityRameez Makhdoomi Today pandemic Coronavirus  is ravaging entire India and cases in Lacs are reported daily and thousands are dying . Jammu and Kashmir is also seeing huge spiral in cases with thousands reported on daily bases and scores dying . This week we have many holy festivals in Offing as the holy month of Ramadan is coming to end.  On Friday 14 May, 2021 The holy and joyful festival of Eid al Fitr is being celebrated with full fervour, zeal and zest  . This year we are celebrating Eid in the background of ravaging global Pandemic Coronavirus which has wrecked havoc in India in recent times and killed millions  and Infected  crores throughout the world.
Eid al-Fitr  also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. This religious Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast. The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities, so the day of celebration varies by locality.

The need of the hour is we spend very less on this Eid and keep much for the poor hit hard by the pandemic Coronavirus. 

Religious personalities are also advising that we should celebrate Eid with utmost simplicity  . The expert pulse is that we have to follow precautions religiously to keep the curve flat so that health infrastructure can’t be overburden which is already overstretched.The Coronavirus cases are already rising in Jammu and Kashmir by “overcrowding” or not following protocols, the virus can spread like a wildfire.We should limit spending on too much shopping or on any other extravaganza as this can cause further havoc . The need is to help those whose economy or source of living has been hit hard by the pandemic . This pandemic also should make us introspect while even celebrating . In his Ramadan Dairy eminent writer and Gender Justice activist Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander writes :” Ramadan Diary
How do we know that Allah is not happy with us? When we do not offer our prayers and defer our obligations. Corona pandemic maybe a symptom that Almighty is not happy with us as we have filled the world with our transgressions. We continue to commit grave atrocities against ourselves and others. The way we all have been stopped from praying in masjids, synagogues, churches, temples and places where his name was chanted and we bowed before him is a manifestation of the fact that Almighty does not consider us worthy enough to visit him. 
Ramadan is a reminder to all of us that we should mend our relations with Almighty through sincere repentance, asking forgiveness and further make a commitment that we will not commit transgression against others, destroy nature and pollute the environment. 
Undoubtedly, the need is to do  introspection and celebrate festivals in simple and austere way.

Lockdown Returns 

News Kashmir Exclusive
The second wave of pandemic Coronavirus has wrecked havoc in entire India .Jammu and Kashmir too is passing through difficult circumstances.  In recent times there have been riising number of covid-19 cases and deaths in Jammu and Kashmir .The lockdown has a result returned in Jammu and Kashmir. Recently , the administration had ordered a “complete lockdown” in Srinagar from 7 p.m, 29 April, 2021 to May 3.   
“There will be Complete Lockdown in Srinagar District from 7:00 pm Thursday (29/04/2021) to 7:00 am Monday (03/05/2021). Exemptions apply to essential services. Detailed order shall follow,” said Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, in a tweet  .
The announcement came  a day after the administration ordered imposition of 144 CrpC, banning the assembly of five or more persons in the summer capital of the J&K.
 Masses are welcoming the move of imposing lockdown .  Amid reports of vaccine shortage and other drugs related to covid Government refuted the reports .In this regard the Jammu Kashmir Government  asked some sections of media to act sensibly and stop scaring people.       In a hurriedly called press conference at the office of Directorate of Information and Public Relations on Thursday late evening, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Baseer Khan said that some quarters in media are trying to give an impression that there is shortage of Oxygen supply in Kashmir hospital which is totally untrue and baseless.    “Neither there is shortage of Oxygen nor there is shortage of any medicine,”  He said it is not good to present Covid-19 related management in bad light.    “Let me tell you in our Union Territory we have 20 tons of Oxygen available which is sufficient to meet any demand. There should be no room for any doubt,’ Baseer Khan said.  Khan said Jammu and Kashmir is at first position where one crore 25 lakh vaccines are coming. UP is at 2nd place as for as vaccine procurement is concerned.     While talking about the reports that Ramdesivir vaccine is not available in ample quantity, Baseer Khan said that this vaccine is available in sufficient quantity and it is being provided and offered at places where needed. “There are some quarters who want to give an impression that there is scarcity of medicine. We are in the process of identifying those quarters,” he said.    Khan said that Tocilizumab drug is in pipeline and is arriving in Kashmir Valley. “We have placed the order for Tocilizumab drug and this drug is coming in sufficient quantity.   Khan was flanked by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole, Director SKIMS Dr AG Ahangar and Director Health Services Dr Mushaq Ahmed Rather.
One hopes all out efforts would be displayed by the Administration to meet the challenges arising out of pandemic wave.