SRINAGAR: A scooty-rider was killed after allegedly hit by a Power Development Department truck in Chanapora locality of central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.
Reports said that a youth riding a scooty, bearing number JK01AP 0109, was allegedly hit and run over by a Power Development Department (PDD) at Chanapora Bypass near Aakash Institute, resulting in his on spot death.
The deceased has been identified as Javed Ahmad, son of Ghulam Nabi Mir of Gojwara Srinagar.
Confirming the death of the youth in the particular accident, news agency GNS quoted a police official as having said that a team is on site to collect relevant details. “Once we know the things in detail, we will share accordingly”, the official said.
SRINAGAR: Deputy commissioner Ramban has advised people not to indulge in hunting in forest areas of the district.
In a tweet, DC Ramban, as reported by news agency KNO reported that hunting in forest areas is prohibited under Wildlife Act.
“People in Ramban District are hereby informed not to indulge in hunting in forest areas as the same is prohibited under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” he tweeted.
SRINAGAR: Militants involved in the back-to-back attack in Upper Dangri village in Rajouri district on January 1 and 2 this year, killing seven people and leaving 14 others injured, are still hiding in the upper reaches of the border district, and are getting logistical support from some people, newspaper The Indian Express quoted the Jammu and Kashmir Police as having said.
In an audio clip circulated late Tuesday, police also warned of stern action against those facilitating the militants in any way.
Confirming the audio message, a senior police officer said their cordon and search operations are in progress.
Referring to the attack, police said in the audio, “Yeh hamla karney waley abhi bhi Rajouri ke pahaari ilakey mein chhupey huey hein, aur kisi bhi waqt koi bhi ghinoni wardaat ko anjaam de saktey hain (the killers are still hiding in the hilly areas of Rajouri and can carry out their nefarious activities any time).
“Besides helping these militants move from one place to another, and providing them shelter, some people are (also) helping them by providing information about the movement and actions of police and paramilitary forces,” it said.
Police also appealed for help from the local people in completely eliminating militancy.
In the audio message, police reiterated the Rs 10-lakh award announced earlier for anyone providing information on the militants.
The development comes two days after Saroj Bala, a widow who lost both her two sons in the New Year attack, threatened on Monday to start an indefinite hunger strike unless police managed to trace and nab the militants in 15 days. She had earlier threatened to go on an indefinite fast from Monday, but agreed to change her decision following a meeting convened by village sarpanch Dheeraj Sharma, The Indian Express reported.
SRINAGAR: A government employee was killed in a hit and run case in Udipora village of Langate in Handwara of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district this evening, official sources said.
Quoting an official sources news agency GNS reported that a 42-year-old Jal Shakti Department (previously PHE) employee identified as Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, son of Abdul Gaffar Shiekh resident of Bacherwara Handwara was fatally hit by a vehicle at Udipora Langate.
The injured person, they said, was shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Before the people could reach the spot, the vehicle driver fled the spot, they further said.
SHO Kralgund confirming the death of the person told GNS that a case has been registered in this regard. “We have constituted a team to nab the culprit as soon as possible,” he said.
SRINAGAR: A local court on Wednesday granted bail to two SMC employees who were arrested for demolishing a traffic booth and allegedly assaulting traffic personnel on duty in the summer capital Srinagar.
“The accused persons namely Niyaz Ahmad and Ovais Farooq have been arrested in the case under FIR no; 06 0f 2023 under sections 353, 120B, 506 and 364 IPC on 07-02-2023. Offences under section 364 IPC is not made out against the accused persons. At most, the offence under section 363 IPC can be said to be made out in the case which is bailable, the rest of the offences in question are not very severely punished,” news agency KDC quoted Court of city judge/JMIC Srinagar, Ajay Kumar as having said.
While disposing the prayer of remand application by police, Court in an order said “The accused persons are the government officials and there is no threat of them fleeing the course of justice. The facts and circumstances of the case are such that there is no need for their further interrogation by the police.”
The prayer for remand by the police of the accused persons is refused and the accused persons are directed to be released on bail on furnishing personal bond and surety bond before the court in the sum of Rs 50,000 provided they are not required in any other case, court said. The accused shall cooperate with the investigation officer in the investigation of the case and shall not threaten any prosecution witness.
Earlier, SMC has started enquiry into the matter of Niyaz Ahmad Gabroo I/C Ward Officer Ward No. 30 and Ovais Farooq Khan Tax Assistant Ward 30 and have also put them under suspension. Ghulam Hassan Mir, Joint Commissioner Planning SMC, shall do the detailed enquiry and submit a detailed report within 7 days, SMC said.
“An incident has come to notice wherein one SMC employee aggrieved by challan on not having HSRP, came back and broke a traffic booth with others, later assaulted traffic personnel on duty. In this regard FIR has been registered in Shergari PS against delinquent SMC employees, “police had said.
SRINAGAR: Amid the forecast for widespread light to moderate snowfall and rain during the next 24 hours, the minimum temperature increased above normal in Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting a meteorological department official news agency GNS reported that it has already started to rain and snow in North Kashmir including Kupwara and Gulmarg.
“Widespread light to moderate snowfall/rain is expected in Jammu and Kashmir with chances of heavy snowfall over higher reaches today,” he said, adding, “Cloudy weather with light rain/snow at scattered places of J&K was expected on Friday.” Thereafter, he said, mainly dry weather was expected for one week.
The weather department also urged people living in avalanche prone areas to “stay alert and away” from the vulnerable areas.
“People should travel after confirming the road status especially over higher reaches and Srinagar-Jammu highway after confirming road status from concerned traffic police.”
Meanwhile, he said, Srinagar recorded an increase in temperature, recording a low of 0.4°C against minus 0.1°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was above normal by 1.2°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 0.7°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 2.4°C against minus 7.6°C on the previous night and it was 3.8°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against minus 0.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.4°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.2°C against minus 6.5°C on the previous night and it was 2.5°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 2.3°C against minus 1.9°C on the previous night and it was 4.3°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 9.9°C against 8.3°C on the previous night. It was 0.4°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 2.6°C (above normal by 1.6°C). Batote 5.7°C (below normal by 3.5°C), Katra 9.1°C (1.7°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 3.7°C (4.0°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.0°C and minus 15.0°C respectively, the official said.
While Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 has ended, Kashmir is under the grip of a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’. It will be followed by a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
Walk-In-Interview has been scheduled on 10.02.2023 (Friday) at 10.30 AM in the office chambers of Principal Govt. Medical College, Anantnag at (Associated Hospital Janglatmandi Anantnag) for the tenure posts of Senior Resident, Department of Anaesthesia, (under 5.0 – 364 of 2020 dated 27.11.2020) on Academic Arrangement basis, initially for a period of One Year extendable up to maximum 03 Years, subject to good work and conduct of the candidate which will be certified by the concerned Head of Departments.
2.) Notification Regarding :MD/PhD. Biochemistry
Walk-in-interview has been scheduled on 10.022023 (Friday) at 1030 AM in the office chambers of Principal Govt. Medical College, Anantnag at (Associated Hospital Janglatmandi Anantnag) for the tenure posts of Tutor/Demonstrator, Department of Biochemistry, (under SO – 364 of 2020 dated 27.11.2020) on Academic Arrangement basis, initially for a period of One Year extendable upto maximum 03 Years, subject to good work and conduct of the candidate which will be certified by the concerned Head of Departments.
The eligible desirous candidates with ( MD/DNB Anaesthesia /MD/PhD. Biochemistry) may report for the Walk-in- Interview on the scheduled date, time & Venue along with the following documents in original and also bring along self attested photocopies of all these documents:
1) Date of Birth Certificate.
2) MBBS Degree Certificate from a recognized University/Institution.
3) MBBS Mark Sheets of 1st, 2nd, Pre-Final and Final from a recognized University/ Institution.
4) PG Degree.
5) Internship completion certificate.
6) State Medical Council Registration Certificate of MBBS and higher qualification, if any.
7) Attempt certificate 1st, 2nd, Pre-final and Final MBBS examinations issued by the Concerned University.
With the effective takeover of personal communication by the internet-powered cell phone, hundreds of fortune hunters and vested interests are generating content for a diverse audience. Offering the flip side of the virtual world, Fahd Khan reports the ways and means of the new fortune-hunting and the costs society pays on a long-term basis
social media
Over the years, the cell phone supposed to help mankind in real-time better communication has emerged as a key player in reshaping life. Connected with the internet, it has already made obsolete a huge electronic equipment basket comprising nearly 50 items from GPS to a watch. It has taken the sheen away from newspapers and is currently threatening the library. Smartphones have already taken a huge sliver of the classroom as the banking sector is the new target. Covid19 triggered work-from-home culture has taken the crowd out of the offices and online governance has done away with the time-space matrix.
Regardless of how anti-social it might be making its users and which kind of vision and orthopaedic issues it may lead to, the small device is a huge time killer.
Never ever in human history was this much data generated or consumed at a mass level as it is happening now. Kashmir, with more than 90 per cent of cell phone penetration, is as good on this parameter as any developed nation could be. But, what are we consuming?
Ubaid Taj’s Hello Hish might have taken the internet by storm in Kashmir and people of all age groups have bombarded social media with lip sync reels without even recognizing what the words represent or what the music is trying to serve or promote. They just jump into the bandwagon wishing their reels to go viral and become instant celebrities.
Level Playing Field
Cell phones have been a disruptive intervention. It demolished the routine hierarchies and opened multiple sectors for almost everybody. Now people go directly to the virtual world with their artworks, music, photography, writings and music.
They can make significant incomes while lounging at home in luxury. Writing blogs and running websites might formerly be the only way to make money online, but with India’s digital revolution and the introduction of fast internet (now 5G), that is no longer the case. From being a consumer to a prosumer, there has been a shift.
People used to merely consume content, but now easy access to the internet has enabled them to generate content too. Content consumers are prosumers now. More and more people are trying their luck on social media to obtain notoriety and recognition, but only a handful of people are able to achieve it.
Now, users decided what to watch and that decides who earns what. A general trend in Kashmir, unlike the rest of the world that consumes knowledge, is that users consume a lot of data, apparently categorised as entertainment and music
Now, there is a bulk of platforms that can help prosumer to reach out to a host of consumers. It is Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and a host of other applications. Chinese TikTok’s lip sync service in 2016 took the world by storm. Even those living in remote areas started making videos, and some of them even rose to fame overnight and started making money. However, as a result of the standoff between India and China, the app was blocked in India. Taking advantage of the deficit, Instagram developed Reels that allow users to create 60-second videos based on popular music and filmy dialogues.
The Eco System
Everyone who has achieved success on social media has a similar slow growth trajectory as it all begins with the creation of an account, after which they are influenced by other creators and decide to try their luck by making lip-sync videos. If this strategy proves successful, they eventually decide to start a YouTube vlogging channel where they make regular day-to-day videos and let their viewers into their personal lives. However, when they shift from lip sync to producing content, the problem arises.
YouTube content creators have started posting videos where they discuss their incomes, show purchasing luxury goods and automobiles with money they earned online, and generally cajole viewers into doing the same.
Kashmir witnessed a surge in content creators, and there are several individuals who have achieved online fame. Singer Ishfaq Kawa, who will make his Bollywood debut soon, began his career by uploading songs. Kawa has established himself as a household brand and now makes substantial earnings from his YouTube channel, which has about 500000 members.
Almost all the new ‘singers’ connect with the masses through the internet, leaving their traditional counterparts to the age-old practices.
Fame and Fortune
YouTube is a huge platform for these content creators so is Facebook. In India, a video with 10 lakh views might trigger a business of US $800 to US $2500. The earnings depend on the geographical location the views come from, the quality of the videos, the niche and the type of adverts displayed on the channel.
This advantage has inspired a large number of Kashmiris to launch their own YouTube channels and make content creation a career. Some of them are into comedy and some into “singing” and there is a lot of trash too. Some of them imitate famous artists from other regions of the world by producing videos that are identical to theirs. It is being seen as a surefire method to have fame and money. It is a simple formula: “one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.”
There are some huge successes and Kawa is one of them. This is despite the prevalence of stereotypes that usually gets invoked when a female content creator attempts to chase a virtual goal.
Kashmiri Kalkharabs is a young group of satirists and stand-up comedians having nearly 900 thousand followers. Bakus, another video creator apparently inspired by the roast-content creator Carryminati, has 324 thousand subscribers, all of whom have been garnered either by making roasting others or by creating cringe songs. It makes fun of other’s content to make its own profile, a legitimate virtual world reality.
Amir Majid, a content creator from Jammu, has 23 lakh subscribers on YouTube where he posted his rags-to-riches story. In a video, he shows how he was living in an old house and how YouTube changed his life forever. The YouTuber explores different places and also arranges meet-ups with his fans in different parts of India. In one of his fans’ meet up in Srinagar, thousands of fans gathered to meet him. People were in such large number that police was called in to control the mob. His channel is also evident in how much fortune he has made through the platform.
Kashmiri singer Reshi Sakeena who at many times was compared to Dhinchak Pooja, the queen of cringe pop music, now dances at private parties and uploads content. Not everyone can pull off what she does: sing off-key, miss every beat, and still win millions of fans. On YouTube, all of Sakeena’s videos have accumulated millions of views and she has earned well.
Off late, pranks have come to Kashmir. Popularised by some private FM radio studios, pranksters were able to capture the audience’s interest right away. However, as time went on, people began to lose interest since the content was drab and old. There has been an explosion of such videos on the internet where creators create self-humiliating videos that might make one feel uncomfortable at times. While some content makers do it for enjoyment, others do it to gain notoriety and make money from their films. These creators’ primary goal is to get popular online.
Amir Bhat has a Facebook page where he plays pranks on others and has earned 100 thousand followers.
You-tuber Idrees Mir is famous Vlogger with around 900 thousand followers on YouTube and Facebook. He recently made a trip to two foreign destinations and uploaded videos buying automobiles and tech equipment on regular basis, indicating that he earns well.
Risking Lives
Some creators even risked their life for creating content. Murtaza Rafiq known by the name of The EmmInErr recently crossed a milestone of 100 thousand subscribers on his channel and uploaded a video where he spent a night camping in an ordinary summer tent at Gulmarg. Accompanied by the two young children, his video was uploaded with the caption Surviving in Snow for 24 hours in minus 13.
Kashmir’s winter wonderland, Gulmarg is mostly the coldest place where temperatures dip to minus 15 degrees during the night. This act of creating content could have proved fatal for the trio as they didn’t carry proper equipment.
There was also another video creator who jumped into the frozen Nigeen Lake for his video, a media report said.
‘Virtual Politics’
With formal politics squeezed to a level, a group of youth have emerged as “virtual politicians’. They create and upload cringe content presuming it is politics but the people consume it as comedy.
The comic character of Fayaz Scorpio surfaced on the internet during the Covid19 pandemic soon after he became Deputy Sarpanch of Dandoosa (Rafiabad). His rise was his infatuation and an uncanny demand for a Scorpio vehicle. Now, he has become a household name in Kashmir. His clumsy speaking and mannerism have turned him into a laughing stock in Kashmir, and all of his online videos receive millions of views. Scorpio’s fame is so established that people rope him for advertising their products.
His contemporary is Mohammad Shafi, who calls himself Babar Sher, the lion. He moves from one party to another, is driven in a Scorpio vehicle and is always well-dressed. He jumps into any crowd and becomes its “leader” and is known for his theatrics and interesting “statesmanship”. His commentary is sure to make the video viral.
While their virtual presence indicates the tragedy of politics in Kashmir, the fact remains that the people barely watch formal politics the way they see this content. Unlike formal serious politics, these rib-tickling capsules give people moments of pleasure and reasons to laugh at the shift in the space-time matrix.
The Music
In the recent past, one had to be a serious singer or musician, spending years of his life practising to get in the zone of being good, just to be taken seriously and to get a launch by any Music label. Now, anybody can make music and have access to free tools, auto tuners, vocal plugins, melody, and free beats, and it hardly matters whether one sounds good or bad. On top of that, literally, anyone can sing, shoot an album on their smartphone and upload it to Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.
This is the tragedy the entertainment and culture sector shares with the media. Anybody with a smartphone and microphone in hand is seen as a “journalist”. The coverage of a murder case in Pampore, where a brother-in-law strangled his sister-in-law to death for rebuffing sexual assault, is evidence of how low video creators have descended. In a viral video on social media, journalists can be seen asking the slain victim’s daughter to describe what transpired, but she seemed hesitant to do so concerning the age of the victim.
Promoting Vulgarity
Musaib Bhat is one of the social media “influencers” whose musical content has been consumed a lot and was very well appreciated. He initially began creating TikTok videos by lip-syncing on well-known Kashmiri tunes. His video gained popularity among all age groups, especially for his copying of female conversations on phone. Apparently, he is attempting to make the virtual world his career.
Recently one of his ‘songs’ Excuse Me, featuring transgender Manu Bebu hogged the headlines for its questionable content. He is being accused of glorifying eve-teasing and objectifying women. One of the lines of his ‘song’ says: When you leave home for the tuition, Everyone including the baker and Milkman swoons at you.
Despite his public apology, his video is still accessible and earning.
The promotion of sexism and the objectification of women through songs and films is not limited to Musaib alone.
Ubaid Taj has released only two songs to date and both of them were watched by millions. Both legitimise the objectification of women. The songs show a man trying to ‘own’ a woman and objectifying her with or without her wish. It dubs a woman a biscuit.
There is another content creator by 7afazul on Instagram who started a new trend of reels in which a person is being asked “che chuy zanh love gomut” (have you ever fallen in love?) His reels have huge views. His popularity has given birth to a similar channel on Instagram where they ask people if they have even fallen in love and shockingly some videos have surfaced where children or mentally challenged people were not spared. Instagram is quite popular among teens and youth groups.
Response
“These songs are good for providing enjoyment, but apart from gathering views and followers, every content creator has certain social duties,” a female university student said. “Everything has an effect, and these song lyrics encourage eve-teasing, which breeds crime and other social evils.
Another girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the impact is being seen when girls are being referred to as “biscuit” in real life now. “Tragedy is that future generation is getting impacted. One of the song’s lines, which is subtly advocating eve teasing, is being repeatedly hummed by my 8-year-old cousin.”
Charges the occupants with the cost of land based on a 100 per cent increase on the stamp duty rates provided the proposed use comports with the land use under the master Plan, land use.
At the outset, the long overdue sustained drive for retrieval of illegally occupied state and community-oriented Shamilat lands is welcome and gratifying. In the event of its fruition, the campaign in rural areas would pave the way for not only revival but also the sustainable rejuvenation of agro-based enterprises in the pristine ecosystem.
While all sections of Society have exhibited their disinclination in joining status quoists for throwing a spanner in the endeavours of the government on this behalf, the following types of cases need the attention of the authorities in order to prevent the momentum of the campaign from getting derailed:
Before independence and thereafter, the peasantry and small farmers in cultivating possession or occupation of state land were granted tenancy rights followed by ownership rights more particularly under LB-6 and 7 of 1958 and S-432 of 1966. However, the actual beneficiaries of these initiatives were mostly from the affluent classes, bureaucrats, politicians and those having access to the corridors of governing bodies.
The purposes visualised transfer of land to downtrodden and toiling masses actually cultivating the state land but due to the menace of corruption and poverty of the prospective beneficiaries they have not been conferred with rights under relevant orders.
It is in this background that the land under their cultivating possession continues to be recorded as state land and is now being served with notices for surrendering the possession notwithstanding the fact that irrespective of attestation of the mutations or otherwise in their favour the rights have accrued in their favour which cannot be, after 65 years, aborted at this stage.
The government should Institute inquiry for finding out how people on the basis of their socio-economic status in the concerned societies and the naked fact that they have never cultivated the land themselves including their families for generations and yet conferred with the benefits of the government orders ibid, particularly in cases where the beneficiaries were not born on the cut of date or still infants and residing far away from the land usurped under the subterfuge of these orders.
The community lands brought under plantation need not be denuded but, having vested in PRIs and Urban local bodies, handed over to them with conditions for not changing the status of land except under orders of the government in individual cases on the basis of a scheme to be notified by the government, or on a valve to valve basis exchanges allowed with the proprietary land of the illegal occupants contiguous with the community lands.
Houseless and landless families in possession of state land not exceeding 02 kanals were entitled to retain the land for residential purposes under Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act. Similarly, the occupants of state or kahcharia land, used for raising a plantation or an orchard, got an option for offering equivalent proprietary land in exchange for protecting the plantations. Wherever the legal course has been followed under the Act of 1976, the JCB should not be pressed into service.
Under Common Lands (Regulations) Act the state and Shamilat land brought under its purview by extending the Abadi Deh for allotment of 05 Marla plots to landless and homeless families, the non-updation of records should not lead to declaring the allottees as illegal occupants.
The kahcharia within the territories of municipalities has ceased to be so in view of the application of urban land laws and virtual extinction of cattle rearing as a result of the change of professions by the inhabitants of new areas included in respective municipalities. Since before the earmarking of land as kahcharia the said land was actually state land and therefore owing to the factum of its non-use for grazing purposes it reverts it back to the state who, after determining its use, if any, by the state, charges the occupants with the cost of land based on 100 per cent increase on the stamp duty rates provided the proposed use comports with the land use under the master Plan, land use.
Street vendors markets have come up in metropolitan and other cities under the orders of the Apex courts for the rehabilitation of unauthorised street vendors and therefore on the strength of the same rationale the rehabilitation of the existing vendors is called for, those who are currently fearing demolitions and seizer of the properties
Lateef U Zaman Deva
The instruments of the State, wherever holding any immovable property as custodians under any law for the time being in force and the same suffering from encroachments, should be provided paraphernalia and wherewithal for retrieval of their properties and in fact, like state and Shamilat Dafa 05 the Dy Commissioners should include Dharmat, Wakaf and evacuees land also in the campaign underway in Jammu and Kashmir for retrieval of the immovable properties under unauthorised occupation.
(The author is the former Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of TheNewsCaravan.)
SRINAGAR: A man from Jammu has allegedly committed suicide at his relative’s residence in summer capital Srinagar, on Wednesday.
Reports said that a resident of Sainik colony Jammu allegedly hanged himself at his relatives residence at custodian flats in Sanath Nagar here. Singh was immediately shifted to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.
The reason behind his action could not be ascertained immediately, a police officer said adding, that proceedings have been launched in this regard. (KDC)
