Srinagar in limelight-Phase 2 Assembly elections

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Srinagar in limelight- Phase 2 Assembly 2024
News Kashmir Analysis
Srinagar is the soul of Jammu and Kashmir.  It is an historic city.
This year the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar has been officially recognised as a ‘World Craft City’ by the World Crafts Council last week as its recognition will boost the handloom and handicraft sectors of the valley as this prestigious honour underscores the city’s rich heritage and the exceptional skills of its artisans whose dedication and artistry.
The assembly elections happening after a gap of 10 years and first after the historic abrogation of article 370 have brought much focus on Srinagar,  which has history of very low voting.
The Election campaign in Srinagar has been electrifying with after gap of nearly 40 years such festive atmosphere being witnessed as candidates try to woo voters.
During the last elections,  Hazratbal Assembly Constituency had the highest voting percentage of 29 percent among the Constituencies with Habbakadal lowest of 21 percent.  Zadibal Assembly Constituency had voting percentage of mere 23.64 and Khanyar 26 percent.
As a matter of fact , Srinagar after delimitation has 8 Assembly constituencies.  The Chanapora Assembly Constituency is the latest addition. Srinagar has been historically a NC bastion with often NC winning most of the seats. This time around a nail bitting fight is witnessed between PDP and NC on 7 seats ,with Apni Party also putting a strong fight in Chanapora.
The women underrepresented in these elections is a matter of serious concern.
of 93 candidates vying for eight assembly seats in Srinagar, only three are women. This minuscule representation becomes even more pronounced when these three candidates contest in only two of the eight constituencies.
PM Modi too during recent Srinagar rally struck historic pulse.
We have said in the parliament that we will restore (the region’s) statehood. Only the BJP will fulfill this commitment,” PM Modi said to a cheering crowd at the rally while referring to Bharatiya Janata Party, without specifying any timeline for the return of statehood.
He called the ongoing election the festival of democracy in the region. “Jammu and Kashmir is strengthening the democracy of India, and I congratulate the people for this,” he said.
The political pulse is excited whether the current elections would witness increase in voting percentage in Srinagar or not .
The eyes would be all set on the 24th September to watch the key elections and analyze them.

Historic J&K First Phase Polls

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Historic J&K First Phase Polls
News Kashmir Analysis
The historic Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are around the corner.  These are first major elections after abrogation of article 370 on August 5, 2019. These elections are going to be quite unique ,interesting and historic.
All major political parties are fighting with full might. Iltija Mufti, Daughter of PDP head and former CM Mehbooba Mufti , Former NC MP Hasnain Masoodi and Dr Harbaksh Singh of AIP are prominent candidates in Kashmir in fray for the first phase.
political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone significant changes since the BJP withdrew its support from the PDP-led government in 2018. The removal of Article 370 in 2019, followed by the delimitation, has not only redrawn boundaries and added seats but also set the stage for the upcoming 2024 election, where every party is recalibrating its strategy.
Of the total 219 candidates contesting the first phase of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, scheduled for September 18, a striking 50 per cent have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, a report compiled by the Association of Democratic Reform (ADR) said on Friday.
The average assets of the phase one candidates stood at Rs 3 crore. There are a total 13 candidates with at least Rs 10 crore worth of assets.
Out of 219 candidates, only nine are women, which makes up just 4 percent of the total.
Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the highest crorepatis: 18 out of 21. The richest candidate in the first phase also belongs to PDP: Abdul Gaffar Sofi, contesting from Anantnag West. In his election affidavit, Sofi declared assets worth over Rs 66 crore. He is followed by PDP’s Imtiaz Ahmed Shan with more than Rs 34 crore in assets.
2014, the election ended with a hung assembly. The PDP won 28 seats, the BJP grabbed 25, the JKNC took 15, and the Congress managed 12. Independents and smaller parties shared seven seats. The BJP and the PDP claimed nearly half the votes, but the close result reflected deep political divisions. The vote share of 2014 told a similar story of division. The BJP garnered 23 per cent of the votes, while the PDP secured 22.7 per cent. The JKNC came in with 20.8 per cent, and the Congress followed with 18 per cent.
Undoubtedly , the Assembly elections in 2024 September are going to go one of the historic epochs.

Tobacco Monster in J&K, cover story 26 August 2024

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Tobacco Monster in J&K
News Kashmir Analysis
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus Nicotiana of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chief commercial crop is N. tabacum. The more potent variant N. rustica is also used in some countries.
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing over 8 million people a year around the world. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.3 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke (4).
All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.
As a matter of fact,
Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has been identified as having the 6th highest prevalence of tobacco use in the country, with over 20 percent of the population engaging in tobacco consumption, according to officials.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke (4).
Around 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
In 2020, 22.3% of the world’s population used tobacco: 36.7% of men and 7.8% of women.
To address the tobacco epidemic, WHO Member States adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2003. Currently 182 countries are Parties to this treaty.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2 data, 35.2% of men, 5.1% of women, and 20.8% of all adults in J&K smoke tobacco. It adds that 6.8% of men, 1.5% of women, and 4.3% of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco. Overall, 39.7% of men, 6.2% of women, and 23.7% of all adults either smoke tobacco or use smokeless tobacco.
Tobacco is definitely a monster which we need to do away with .
The expert pulse is that we need to aware the youth about perils of Tobacco menace and make them shun it. One hopes in the great country like India we need to reach a stage where we ban all products of Tobacco . Tobacco is a hydra headed monster and there is no doubt about same .

Election Suspense, cover story 12 August 2024

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Election Suspense
News Kashmir Analysis
Elections are soul of Democracy. After a long wait of ten year and nearly after 5 year of the historic abrogation of article 370 Jammu and Kashmir looks all set to conduct Assembly polls very soon. People too have been urging elections since long . But the suspense still remains .
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are long overdue and the Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30 to conduct polls in the Union Territory.
The team, headed by Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar, was recently  on a two-day visit and has started meeting with the representatives of political parties to get their feedback before meeting senior police officials of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
On his part, Union Minister G. Krishna Reddy, the Election Incharge for J&K Assembly elections, announced on Monday that elections in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir are set to take place next month, in September.
Speaking at the ‘Ekatma Mahotsav’ rally organized by the BJP at Bana Singh Stadium in RS Pura, Reddy expressed confidence that the BJP will secure a majority in the upcoming elections.
Also, The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir led by a group of concerned citizens has called for an immediate announcement of dates of Legislative Assembly elections in J&K much before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30, arguing that “that security should not be a consideration given that elections have been held in far worse security situations”.
Addressing a news conference in Jammu, the CEC said that the dates for the elections would be announced after holding a comprehensive security review in Delhi.
He said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was committed to holding Assembly elections as soon as possible.
” This is the appropriate time for holding Assembly elections in J&K and no force can prevent us from holding elections here. We are committed to this process,” he said.
The hope on ground zero among the common masses is that exact dates for the historic Assembly elections are declared soon as they eagerly want to take part in this great democratic exercise, and elect their representatives to the Assembly so that their issues are resolved at a faster pace .

5 Years of Article 370 Abrogation:J&K Journey Towards Prosperity

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5 Years of Article 370 Abrogation: J&K Journey towards Prosperity

News Kashmir Analysis
On August 5, 2019, the government of India abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution with a presidential order, and parliamentary resolution overturning a dark  status quo that had lasted for nearly 70 years. The erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir had been granted a special status under which it had its own constitution and autonomy in its internal affairs.
These five years have ensured much peace and prosperity.
PM Narendra Modi, speaking in Kargil, recently  highlighted the upcoming fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. He emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is now talking about a new future and big dreams, with its global recognition bolstered by hosting important events like the G20 summit. Alongside infrastructure development, the tourism sector in Jammu, Kashmir, Leh, and Ladakh is rapidly growing. After decades, cinemas have reopened in Kashmir, and for the first time in three and a half decades, the Tazia procession was held in Srinagar.
On February 7, 2024 ,
The Central government  informed the Rajya Sabha that an investment of over Rs 5600 crore has been made in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Responding to allegations that the Union government taking over responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir Police is a “trojan horse,” the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “If at all, there was a trojan horse in regards to J&K, it was Article 335A and Article 370.”
“We are taking the burden of J&K Police money so that J&K administration will have more money for development. But the oppositon is trying to create doubt about India’s governance and federal structure,” she added.
The Rajasthan government has included the celebration of the abrogation of the Constitution’s Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, as “Swarnamukut Diwas”, the birthdays of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and 16th century Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap in the annual school calendar.
Expert pulse is  abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A gave dignified lives to the refugees from West Pakistan, daughters of the soil, Valmiki Samaj, PoJK displaced people and more rights to women  among others.
The tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir has seen significant growth since the abrogation of Article 370, with a total of 1.08 crore tourists visiting in the last six months this year, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to a report provided to the MHA by the Jammu and Kashmir government, the sector has maintained an annual average growth rate of 15.13 percent over the past three years.
Undoubtedly, on 5th Anniversary of article 370 abrogation we are seeing much optimism.

Synthetic Drugs Monster, cover story 22 July,2024.

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Synthetic Drugs Monster
News Kashmir Analysis
Synthetic drugs are a growing challenge to humanity at large as they  refer to substances that are artificially modified from naturally-occurring drugs and are capable of exhibiting both therapeutic and psychoactive effects.
In the medical setting, synthetic drugs possess psychotropic effects which can cure insomnia. Since there are limited clinical trials and human studies, the pharmacology and drug effects of most of the synthetic drugs are not well-known. Misuse of synthetic drugs can be fatal so take advice from the professionals before use.
In a major development recently, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah Thursday said that the problem of synthetic drugs was now coming to the fore in India and recently many illegal laboratories had been caught.
In this regard, Chairing the 7th Apex Level Meeting of Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, he said that all the state investigation and other agencies should take detailed information about this from the NCB and work to stop such activities in their respective states.
Also, Home Minister also launched the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) and virtually inaugurated the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Office at Srinagar.
Expert pulse is Synthetic drugs are not quality controlled or regulated, so there are concerns over what is actually in them.
Given how often synthetic drugs emerge, it is hard to know how harmful these drugs are in any dose. There is limited research on the short- and long-term effects of these substances.
Reports from the National Institute on Drug Abuse show that more than 20 million people in the U.S. have used these substances at least once, and this number is increasing every year.
These substances are often cheaper and easier to find than traditional drugs. Still, they come with much higher risks of addiction and overdose- including side effects, withdrawal symptoms, and ways to overcome addiction.
We need to bear in mind
active ingredients in these drugs are synthetic chemicals that are very dangerous—to the brain and other parts of the body. Because synthetic drugs are not regulated, they are not tested for safety so users don’t know what they are putting into their bodies.
Some months back. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken  called for greater international cooperation to fight the booming trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, the leading cause of overdose deaths in his country.
He was speaking at an annual meeting of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which reviews global drug regulation and each year adds new so-called precursor chemicals – ingredients used to make illicit drugs – to international lists known as schedules to place strict controls on their trade.
We in Jammu and Kashmir too should stay awake about the menace and challenges to be posed by the Synthetic Drugs .

Curbing Power Theft, Cover Story 8 July 2024

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Curbing Power Theft
News Kashmir Analysis
Power theft had been a major cause of concern in Jammu and Kashmir.  It has been robbing much of the revenue of the region and keeping the power department in huge losses.
The non payment of electricity bills was another major concern which is being solved.
But , since few years concrete steps are being taken to curb power theft which is bearing the fruits.
The figures and statistics are now atleast promising.
KPDCL has added  13,179 connections in 3 months, carries out 55K inspections to curb losses
11,450 consumers also disconnected for non-payment of dues
No tariff hike, only calibrated rationalisation of load as per consumption as per the department.
In this regard, recently it was stated that the  Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has added 13,719 fresh connections to its domestic consumer base of 9.81 lakh, adding load of 7.5 MW in the system.
To curb power theft and bring down losses, as many as 55,321 inspection drives were carried out by Kashmir DISCOM from April to June this year.
In a statement issued here t a KPDCL spokesperson stated that vigorous enforcement drives are being undertaken on a daily basis at Subdivisional level to crackdown on incidents of power pilferage, primarily by hooking and bypassing of meters in urban areas and exceeding of sanctioned load in rural areas. “Strict directions have been given to SDOs to recover dues for energy unauthorizedly consumed, raise Writ of Demand and present their cases for imposition of penalty before the Designated Courts,” he explained, adding those found using electricity unauthorizedly shall be dealt with an iron hand.
Giving details, the spokesman said 1949 new connections were added in Kulgam, 1630 in Budgam, 1269 in Sopore, 982 in Anantnag, 935 in Tangmarg, 843 in Ganderbal, 812 in Shopian, 747 in Awantipora and 611 in Bijbehara Electric Division.
Apart from above, KDPCL has also intensified action against tampering of smart meters with several FIRs registered in concerned Police Stations. “Nearly 600 applications have been filed for registration of FIRs for smart meter tampering and other thefts like hooking,” he added.
Expressing concern over unauthorised use of electricity by consumers, the KPDCL spokesman said that even in peak summer months, reports of damage to distribution transformers are being received from some parts of Kashmir Valley. “KPDCL advises its consumers to avoid using crude heating gadgets like heaters and boilers, which have been banned by the Government,” he added.
The spokesman further stated that KPDCL has disconnected 11,450 consumers for non-payment of pending dues during the first quarter of the current financial year. This includes 8,655 domestic, 2,697 commercial, 94 hoteliers and 34 industrial units. “Outstanding arrears amounting to Rs.43.26 crore have also been recovered from the consumers,” he added.
Urging the consumers to ignore rumours on tariff hike, the spokesperson once again reiterated that KPDCL has not hiked electricity tariff in both metered and non-metered areas. He, however, stated that calibrated rationalization of load as per actual consumption in unmetered areas is being carried out by all Electric Subdivisions, following Supply Code regulations. “Consumers can opt for metered billing, if they find flat-rated charges disproportionate to their consumption,” the spokesman advised.
The people on ground also hope that burning issue of often curtailment in power would be resolved as it is hitting hard people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Water Scarcity, cover 8 July 2024 issue.

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Water Scarcity

News Kashmir Analysis
Water is life , it is just not an adage but a reality of our world.
Water is an essential source for the existence of life on the planet earth. It is widely used for various purposes such as drinking, washing, bathing, cleaning, cooking, irrigation, and other industrial and domestic uses.
Water is vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature. Water should almost always be your go-to beverage.
Despite being water rich  the valley of Kashmir different areas are witnessing water shortage.
The residents of several villages in “Kandi B” area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district few days back  protested against Jal Shakti Department for failing to provide them drinking water for the last several years.
“Kandi B”  comprises of eleven villages .
There are also reports of water shortage from Central, South and North Kashmir.
In South Kashmir district of Pulwama the villagers of Koil are facing a significant irrigation crisis as prolonged dry spell of this summer continues to impact the region.
Few time back , Residents of Mominabad area of Batamaloo have expressed concern over the drinking water shortage in the locality.
Be it uptown or downtown the water shortage is felt in many areas.
Few weeks back, Residents of Syed Hamidpora Nawab Bazar area of Downtown had complained of an acute shortage of drinking water supply for long time.
The expert opinion is that While the drinking water shortage occurs throughout the year at some places but it gets serious  and extended to more areas in summer. It has been observed that generally in  summer the people need more water for drinking purpose.
Melting glaciers in Kashmir is another serious cause of concern that will have adverse impact including on our water supply as melting  glaciers will also have long-term implications, like groundwater recharge and overall glacier recharge, thus agriculture too will take a bad hit.
The less rainfall has also been a consistent worry.
Experts have also opined  that El Nino and the absence of a strong western disturbance may be to blame for Kashmir’s prolonged dry weather.
The need of the hour is that masses of Kashmir also take steps like not encroaching and polluting water bodies so that the situation doesn’t get more worse for us. People of Kashmir also have to incalculate water Saving  habits in them.

Paper Leaks, Cover story 1 July ,2024

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Paper leaks
News Kashmir Analysis
Paper leaks in the number of competitive exams across the country is causing much uproar, as it is harming the future of millions of students in the country.
President Droupadi Murmu also in her presidential address to the Parliament observed crucial thoughts on the issue.
government, she said, is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished. As she made the remarks, cries of “NEET” were heard from the Opposition benches.
“Sanctity, transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations. The government is committed to conduct fair investigation and ensure the most stringent punishment to those guilty in the recent incidents of paper leak,” she said, adding that there is a need to rise above “partisan politics” and take strong  steps on the issue.
As a matter of fact, with the nation and political opponents clamouring over the NEET-UG paper leak case. The NET-UG and NET-PG examinations have also been postponed, giving the opposition ammo to double down on issues of youth employment – a talking point ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
The president said Parliament has also made a strong law against paper leaks and is working towards major reforms in the exam process and the functioning of exam-related bodies.
“It is the continuous endeavour of the Government to provide right opportunities to the youth of the country to demonstrate their talent. Parliament has also enacted a strict law against unfair means in examinations.
In year 2023, Among the major paper leaks this year was the Hindi question paper of the Telangana Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination getting out. WhatsApp was the primary medium for spreading the question paper once it got out, in this case.
In Telangana again a paper leak was discovered during the Assistant Engineer recruitment exam, which eventually led to its cancellation on March 5 that year, and candidates who appeared for the test were left in a lurch about their futures.
Assam saw papers of two subjects leaked during the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exams. When the papers for General Science and English got out, the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) was forced to cancel the tests.
In year 2022, Uttar Pradesh, there was a leak during the Lekhpal recruitment exams, based on which the state would get its village accountant officers within the revenue administration. The police formed a special task force, arresting at least 21 across seven districts.
It is worth mentioning here that Not just NEET, but at least 64 other major examinations across 19 Indian states have been marred by incidents of question paper leaks since 2019, according to data analysed by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team.
One hopes that menace of paper leaks is curbed so that students are ensured bright future.

Suicides a grim reality of J&K, cover story 17 June,2024

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Suicides a grim reality of J&K
News Kashmir Analysis
Suicides once thought very alien thing in  the valley of Kashmir,  since some years are now  happening on regular instances. In recent times we have heard about lot of suicides happening in our region.
According to prominent Knowledge source Wikipedia, suicide  is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and substance abuse (including alcoholism and the use of and withdrawal from benzodiazepines) are risk factors. Some suicides are impulsive acts due to stress (such as from financial or academic difficulties), relationship problems (such as breakups or divorces), or harassment and bullying.Those who have previously attempted suicide are at a higher risk for future attempts. Effective suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to methods of suicide such as firearms, drugs, and poisons; treating mental disorders and substance abuse; careful media reporting about suicide; and improving economic conditions.
Recently, a teenage
herself to death in her home at Harwan area of Srinagar late on Thursday, 13 June evening, officials said.
An 18 year old boy hailing from Dassal village of Rajouri allegedly committed suicide by hanging with the ceiling of his house.
The deceased was identified as the  resident of Dassal.
Numbers and figures are grim.
Jammu and Kashmir topped the country in attempted suicides in 2022, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed.  Against 1769 instances recorded by the Bureau during the year across India, 497 were reported from Jammu and Kashmir alone.
It is heartbreaking The entire country, in the meanwhile, is witnessing an increase in the number of cases in which the abetment to suicide is taking place. Against 8816  cases in 2020 and 9361 such cases in 2021, the number in 2022 reached 9400. In the Jammu and Kashmir context, there were only 44 cases of abetment to suicide involving 56 persons.
We are very well aware that,
Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with any intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions. Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it.
Kashmir valley was once known for its pious value system ,termed as the abode of Sufi saints.
The phenomenon of suicides was once very uncommon in Kashmir but the graph of suicides has now run north too in recent times. Actually, we need to understand the reasons behind rising suicides in holistic terms to solve this menace.