News Kashmir Magazine

Forests which are also known as the Green Gold of any concerned region are vital to our existence. The decreasing forest cover due to human greed and development projects carved is making world pay a big price in form of rising temperatures and ecological imbalance.

Kashmir is famous  world over for its natural beauty. It is often called paradise on earth. Kashmir has unique gift of nature in form of its great gorgeous forests, which are throughout the year lush green and add dazzling dimensions to the natural beauty of Kashmir . But for quiet long time now, the green gold of Kashmir has been vandalized and the situation continues to remain bleak.

 

 

 

Famous for its lush green forests, the Kashmir valley is slowly losing its green cover as there is no stopping the haphazard and illegal cutting of trees and timber smuggling. Several reports from ground zero indicate that the green gold in Kashmir is openly being plundered by vested interests and the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to the forests.

 

 

 

On account of ruthless cutting of forests, “Global warming” appears to have taken a toll on the climate patterns in Kashmir valley which has been experiencing a decline in snowfall and rise in temperature, a reality which even weather scientists have found.

 

On the other side of the spectrum , the last 3-4 decades have see massive  devastation of forests in almost every country, apart from for a few exceptions, mainly in the continent of Europe. Now, there are two kinds of countries: one, that have reversed the trend of deforestation, and, second, that be in this world with the sorry reality of declining forest cover. Sadly, we belong to the second category. The impact of deforestation is visibly destructive for us.

The need of the hour is for all the stakeholders to brainstorm in a collective manner and save the fragile forest cover of Kashmir from further destruction

In a recent important political development, the induction of Kathua MLA Rajiv Jastrotia of  BJP  as a minister in the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet during the reshuffle has triggered a fresh controversy with sane voices expressing anguish, raising question over his participation in a rally to favor the accused in Kathua minor’s rape and murder case for which BJP earlier forced two of its stalwarts to quit the state cabinet.

Even the profreedom camp who usually do not comment on cabinet reshuffles condemned the move. The joint resistance leadership of separatists JRL said that inducting another organizer of the Pro rapist rallies Ravinder Jasrotia into the government clearly shows that BJP does not believe in deviating from its politics of polarization and appeasement of certain communities for votes, even on a basic human issue like this, which is not surprising. It just reinforces the fact of how helpless the local collaborators, the PDP are and how shameless they can be to stay on for the sake of chair. It also indicates how much justice can be expected for Kathua child  from a system run by such people.

Whileas on the otherhand, Reacting sharply to the elevation of “pro-rapist” MLA Kathua Rajiv Jasrotia, who had hosted a pro rapist rally in Kathua, into state Cabinet, the Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairperson Haji Muhammad Yasin Khan said his forums would boycott events where ever Jasrotia is invited as a guest.

Pertinently, Khan who also heads the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation said it was unfortunate that to be in power the ruling PDP was rubbing shoulders with pro-rapist faces, who want release of gangsters involved in gang-rape and murdered an eight year old girl.

Undoubtedly this move has created lot of anger and resentment.

In a landmark and unprecedented decision by the Judiciary , Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, a former chairman of Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE), was on Wednesday sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined Rs 1 crore in the multi-crore cash-for-paper scam.
Sajad Ahmad Bhat, who brokered between Peer and students, was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined Rs 50 lakh by special anti-corruption judge Kashmir Yash Paul Bourney.

Two other persons who were part of the deals, Muhammad Amin Ganai and Suhail Ahmad, were sentenced to five and three years each under various offences. The sentences would run consecutively. Each of them was fined Rs 25 lakh recoverable from their assets.
Haroon Rashid Lone and Shabir Ahmad Dar, who are also part of the scam, will serve consecutively sentences of three years each and pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh each.
On the otherhand, Senior advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir said that the judgment is unprecedented.
Pertinently, Of the total 54 accused persons in the case, 46 have been convicted and eight acquitted. Among the convicts are students and their parents who have been sentenced to one year and six years respectively.
The court said fine imposed on Peer should be recovered from his assets.
Peer was sentenced under four different offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, carrying a sentence of five, three, seven and one year, which will run consecutively.
The broker, Sajjad Ahmad, would serve sentences of five and seven years consecutively. The fine of Rs 50 lakh should be recovered from the sale of his movable or immovable assets, the court said.
The court said that parents and guardians named Bilal Ahmad Vaid, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Lone, Muhammed Yousuf Dar, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Abdul Qadir Rather, Ghulam Nabi Bhat, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Muhammed Shafi Bandh, Muhammed Iqbal Reshi, Fida Hussain, Muhammed Amin Mir, Altaf Hussain Shah, Jan Muhammed Dar, Mushtaq Ahmed Kenu, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Abdul Hamid Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Tantray, Dar Praveen, and Dr Sabina are sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of three years for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and RPC. They were fined Rs 5 lakh each.
The parents and guardians will also serve three years for fraud. Further  The court said that the case “would have not seen the light of day” if it were not for former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court MM Kumar’s “unrelenting tirade against delays and arrears in general and corruption in particular with deep sense of responsibility to the cause of justice”.
“Without the intervention of lord chief justice this case would not have been investigated and tried with so much of seriousness and promptitude,” the court said.
The court also hailed inspector Syed Afaq’s efforts for not only “cracking the scam but also remaining available during the trial”.
“I also need to put on record my whole hearted appreciation for the excellent legal support extended by the learned counsels,” the court said

Definitely this historic judgment on BOPEE Scandal is worth applauds and will serve deterrent against corrupt elements.

 

The Kathua rape and murder of a child has no doubt not only rattled our state but entire globe .The need of the hour was to raise our voice and concern , but the daily student protests are now becoming unwanted and adversely impacting their education prospectus. To add to it, the larger woes are that since some years students making protest activity a fun and making it a reason to not attend educational institutes.

Resonating the sentiment of advising the students to go back to classes many voices are taking to social media to voice their opinions. Pertinently, Works Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Akhtar on Thursday said that there was no reason for the students in Kashmir to hold protests over Kathua rape-and-murder case when the accused were already behind bars.

“What is the occasion for protests, stone pelting [over Kathua case] when case is solved, accused in jail and trial on? Shouldn’t they be attending classes instead,” Akhtar wrote in reply to a tweet of a journalist.

The need of the hour is to guide the innocent students and not to exploit their emotions for politics, the trilateral responsibility of civil society, government and parents to ensure that our young students get maximum time in schools, colleges and universities is paramount and we need to fulfill this duty aptly. Students should with calmer head go back to classes.

The basic crux  that we hold dear to our heart as being citizens of  a democracy is that we live in a nation governed by laws and rule of law is supreme.

But the attitude shown by the Kathua Magistrate’s Court Bar Association who lodged a protest against the seven accused being chargesheeted for the rape and murder of an 8-year-old Asifa is shameful .

Not only this they blocked the office of the Crime Branch to prevent the police from filing the chargesheet.  While we all are aware about the fact that a chargesheet is merely a charge, it is not proof of guilt or innocence.

Sane and rationale voices state that If the Kathua Lawyers  thought the accused were innocent, it is an argument that ought to have been taken up in court. The law after all presumes innocence. It is no excuse to block a chargesheet. It is no excuse to prevent the police from doing their jobs and resorting to hooligan tactics.

On the otherhand, About the horrific rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, Union minister VK Singh recently  tweeted demanding “justice For Ashifa”, and added, “we have failed her as humans”. “We have failed Ashifa as humans. But she will not be denied justice,” tweeted Singh.

The demand of the time is that communal, hooligan thoughts and methods are shun and government does everything to ensure Justice to Asifa and give exemplary punishment to culprits  who committed this heinous crimes.

The significance of airports in development of a nation is paramount. Airports play a considerable role in economic development, and the most important cargo they move is people. Airports are much more than places to catch planes, attend an in-transit business meeting, or do some duty-free shopping; they are among the largest investments a city and region make.

On the otherhand, Efficient logistics is critical for countries like India to harness trade and facilitate greater & faster integration with both the domestic as well as world economy. Keeping all this in mind 56 new airports will become functional in the next few years, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh Prabhu said at the two days Global Logistics Summit being held in New Delhi.

The Minister further said that by bringing all the stakeholders together it will create the right platform to improve logistics and connectivity which are vital for increasing intra-state and international trade flows.

As a matter of fact, Indian logistics industry is estimated at around US $ 215 billion in 2019-20, growing at over 10 % annually. In the last decade or so, significant improvements in Railways, Roads, Highways, Inland Waterways, Aviation, Ports and Coastal Shipping have taken place. India has improved its ranking in the Logistics Performance Index (prepared by the World Bank) from 54 in 2014 to 35 in 2016. To keep up with the growth in demand for logistics services, it is important to develop a consistent approach to logistics across infrastructure, services and different modes of transportation.

Definitely the prospect of seeing many airports in future in India has raised hope of fast economic growth in the country .

Silk production is key component of Indian economy and has been the integral part of our civilization. The exquisite products of silk form the pride of the country at global markets.

In a heartening development, India will be self-reliant in the production of silk by 2020, said the Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani in a media interaction . The Union Cabinet’s decision approving the Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry will help increase the production of Bivoltine silk (high quality) by 62 percent by 2020. The Minister further said the aim of the government is to increase the number of people engaged in the silk sector from 85 lakhs to one crore in the next three years. She said, 50 thousand people will be trained in this sector. Smt. Irani told media that an inter- ministerial committee of related ministries will be set up under the Textiles Ministry to disburse a sum of Rs. 1000 crores for development of Research & Development.

On the otherhand, Seed production units will be equipped and strengthened, besides increasing the production capacity to cater to the increased demand for silk in the future. Elaborating further the Minister said that under Digital India, web-based solutions will be provided to farmers engaged in seed production and other allied activities. Farmers and seed producers will get all subsidy by Direct Benefit Transfer.

The minister informed that market development is a very important area and 21 cocoon testing centres are being set up in the main silk producing states of the country. Apart from this, 19 basic silk seed farms, 20 silk worm seed production centres, 131 chawki rearing centres and 500 acres of land is being set aside for improved varieties.

But Worryingly  in Kashmir once the booming silk production is crashing .

Spending money in a very extravagant way or any vital resources is logically a very dangerous trait. This is bad virtue from both religious as well as moral angle. A spendthrift. Is normally an individual who does not think about tomorrow? Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die. But it is this lethargic approach which has harmed  us as most solidly  as a society and is among one of the primary reasons behind our worrying collapse as a society.

Kashmir is among the  society wherein we have such great level of spendthrift and extravagant approach.

It is known fact that  our tradition cuisine world famous Wazwan  is nothing but the representation of our spendthrift nature. As a matter of fact, Kashmiri cuisine  has evolved over hundreds of years. Subsequently, it has been strongly influenced by the cuisines of Central Asian, Persia, and the North Indian plains.

The most notable ingredient in Kashmir cuisine is mutton, of which there are over 30 varieties served during a single meal  in our marriages commonly known as “Wazwan”. But nowhere in the world except Kashmir one sees such number of dishes served and hundred tonnes of food and mutton is wasted on a given day in Kashmir.

Even our social functions like celebrations, marriages   are true representations of not only overspending, but something more than overspending. We need to take a collective pledge as a nation  to avoid extravagance so that we can achieve the desired progress.

Extravagance should be avoided if we want to move ahead.

National Bank (PNB) fraud  is a matter of great worry for one and all. PNB told the stock exchange that $ 1.8 billion or over Rs. 11,000 crore had been illegally transferred abroad to select customers from a single branch in Mumbai. “Fraudulent and unauthorized transactions” amounting to around Rs. 11,360 crore benefited “a few select account holders”.

Billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi had left the country on January 1 much before the CBI received a complaint from Punjab National Bank on January 29 about a Rs 280 crore fraud, officials said.

His brother Nishal, a Belgian citizen, also left the country on January 1, while wife Ami, a US citizen, and business partner Mehul Choksi, the Indian promoter of Gitanjali jewellery chain, departed on January 6, the officials said.

It is further learnt that  at least three more Indian banks – two from the public sector and one private – are likely to have been caught in the Rs 11,000-crore fraud that hit the Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Wednesday. Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank are said to have offered credit based on letters of understanding issued by PNB.

With already many voices stating that Banking sector is in trouble the latest PNB Fraud is a matter of great concern.

 

In a big boost for the media professionals of the Kashmir valley, the Director Information & Public Relations, Mr Muneer-ul-Islam today formally handed over the possession of the 9-HB Building and the premises at Polo View, Srinagar to the office-bearers of the Press Club Kashmir.

Pertinently, the demand for press club was long pending demand of the journalists .The possession letter of the building was handed over to Mr Mohammad Saleem Pandit, President Press Club Kashmir, on the directions of the Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti to make the maiden Aiwan-e-Sahafat in Srinagar functional at the earliest.

Pertinently, the President Press Club Kashmir alongwith the Director Information had earlier called upon the Chief Minister to finalize the modalities for transfer of the building to the Press Club Kashmir.

The Chief Minister expressed the hope that the Aiwan-e-Sahafat in Srinagar would not only come up as the first facility of its kind for the media fraternity in Srinagar but also become a hub of intellectual discourse.

She said the Government has initiated various measures for the welfare of the journalists in the State during the past three years and many more initiatives are in the pipeline.

One hopes with Press Club being set up the series of isasues faced by journalists of Kashmir will get due heed.