SRINAGAR: Weather was inclement in J&K during the last 24 hours as the MeT office said on Monday that generally cloudy sky is likely in Jammu division and scattered rain and snow would prevail in Kashmir.
“Weather is likely to remain dry with generally cloudy sky in Jammu and scattered to isolated rain/snow in the Valley during the next 24 hours,” an official of the Meteorological (MeT) department said.
Srinagar had minus 3.4, Pahalgam minus 4.7 and Gulmarg had minus 9.6 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.
In Ladakh region, Kargil had minus 16.6 and Leh minus 12.6 as the minimum temperature.
Jammu had 6.5, Katra 6.2, Batote 2.1, Banihal 2.4 and Bhaderwah 2 as the minimum temperature. (IANS)
SRINAGAR: Police on Monday said that two Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered by it along with army and paramilitary CRPF in Dassal and its adjoining area of Rajouri district.
“On 22-01-2023 at 1800 hours a joint search operation was launched by Police, SOG Rajouri, Army 225 field Regiment and CRPF 72Bn at Dassal and its adjoining area,” news agency GNS quoted police statement as having said.
During the searches, the police said, two IEDs were recovered. “Later on IEDs were destroyed by Bomb Disposal Squad team,” it said, adding, “On this a case (FIR No. 39/2023) under section 13/16/UAP Act, 3/4 Explosive Act has been registered.”
SRINAGAR: The Congress on Sunday said the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ will follow the directions of the security agencies as the security of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is of topmost concern. The statement comes as Jammu witnessed twin blasts on Saturday that left many civilians injured.
“We are in touch with the security agency. Any suggestions from them will be followed. There can be no compromise when it comes to the security of Rahul Gandhi. His security is of topmost concern for us,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in Kathua.
He said the party’s stand is clear on terrorism. “There should be no compromise in dealing with either the perpetrators or sponsors of terrorism,” Ramesh said.
Several Congress leaders on Sunday said they were concerned about the safety and security of Gandhi after the twin explosions in Jammu “as it raises a question mark on the security arrangements”.
“We accept that the security agencies are fully alert and are doing their job satisfactorily, but claims of the government that terrorism has been finished falls flat in the wake of such incidents,” a Jammu-based Congress leader said.
Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is arriving in Jammu on Monday. Jammu has been put on high alert following twin blasts in the city.
In response to statements made by the BJP where they asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the issue of Article 370, Ramesh said, “Article 370 is a very serious issue. As of now, the bigger issue is restoration of democratic processes in J&K, when elections will be held and Statehood restored. J&K has become an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).”
He said there is an “undeclared emergency in the country”. “An undeclared emergency is more dangerous than a declared emergency. The BJP has ended the spirit of democracy in the country,” he added.
Gandhi will address a rally in Jammu on Monday. He will celebrate Republic Day with locals in J&K’s Banihal area before heading for the Kashmir Valley. His Bharat Jodo campaign will conclude on January 30 in Srinagar. Several regional leaders have joined the yatra and more leaders from Kashmir are likely to join the yatra in the Valley.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday claimed to have arrested a longest surviving militant of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
“Shopian Police & Army arrested one of the longest surviving HM terrorist active since 2017 namely Nasir Ahmed Sher Gojri @ Qasim Bhai S/o Ali Mohd R/o HomHuna Nagbal, involved in various criminal cases. Case registered & investigation set in motion to unearth the terror network,” Kashmir Zone police tweeted.
Shopian Police & Army arrested one of the longest surviving HM terrorist active since 2017 namely Nasir Ahmed Sher Gojri @ Qasim Bhai S/o Ali Mohd R/o HomHuna Nagbal, involved in various criminal cases. Case registered & investigation set in motion to unearth the terror network.
SRINAGAR: A civilian was injured in a grenade attack in Eidgah area of central Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Sunday.
“One grenade was lobbed by militants in Eidgah area which caused minor splinter injury to one person namely Ajaz Ahmed Deva S/o Abdul Rasheed Deva aged 32 years R/o Sangam, Srinagar. Person has been taken to hospital & is out of danger. Operation launched to catch the culprit(s),” Srinagar police tweeted.
JAMMU: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha gave its assent for authorizing Revenue Department to move an amendment in Section 21 and Section 28-A of Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.
The proposed amendments shall lift prohibition on transfer of land vested under section 6,7 and 12 of the Act and to bring these lands at par with the land vested under section 8 of the said Act. The proposed amendment bill will be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, for placing before the Parliament for enactment. The enactment will be a big relief to such land holders who were vested land under section 6, 7 and 12 of the Agrarian Reforms Act, as this would enable them to sell off their land parcels which was earlier prohibited under the Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976.
The amendment will also lead to vesting of revisional power to the Financial Commissioner Revenue which shall facilitate to dispose of the cases arising out of the said Act in the larger interest of the public.
SRINAGAR: Kargil and most of the erstwhile Purig region celebrated the Mamani Festival by displaying the traditional foods and the local culture. With the help of the tourism department, it is being celebrated on January 21.
Kargil men display various tools that are part of the culture and routine life on the ethnic Mamani Festival at Steyangkung village in Barsoo Kargil on January 22, 2023. KL Image: Special Arrangement
Mamani is a traditional food festival of Purig (Kargil) that indicates the reduction in the harshness of winter temperatures. It symbolises community brotherhood as every household in the village brings food and the whole community eats it jointly.
Resident in Kargil said the festival is celebrated across the bet from Kharmang in Baltistan (on the other side of the LoC) to Chiktan area in Kargil
Elders suggest that the festival’s history goes back to the ancient period when the people would give food to departed family members. Then, they used to exchange food with their relatives and neighbours and worship a variety of spirits (Lha). The tradition envisaged the people preparing good dishes of the previous year and assembling at a centrally located place called Chagrah. There they mix the foods and distribute them amongst themselves.
Kargil women display various foods that are part of routine life in Ladakh on ethnic Mamani Festival at Steyangkung village in Barsoo Kargil on January 22, 2023. This year, they had prepared more than 25 different dishes and traditional art works for display on the ancient festival. KL Image: Special Arrangement
The tradition exists amongst both the communities that inhabit Ladakh – Muslims as well as Buddhists. Elders say the tradition dates back to the era when the region followed Bonisim, a faith system that was replaced by Buddhism in the region. The Bonisim followers would pray the natural forces – the water, sun, air.
Now, it has changed a bit as the residents avoid praying for the sprits. It has emerged as a community food festival. People prepare various traditional dishes such as thukpa, popot (grain soup), hrtsrap khur (leavened bread), mar-khur, azoq (deep fried bread), poli (buckwheat pancakes), curd, suggoo (kash or pachae) and other foods. They then gather in the Hlchangra (meeting place in the village) on the evening of January 20, and early morning of January 21, every year.
This date is significant as it marks the beginning of the second month of the Ladakhi Calendar. Once everyone has gathered, the celebration of Mamani commences and people start to distribute the collected dishes amongst each other.
According to oral history, the celebrations included the tradition of a small Mamani called Maqsoomi Mamani, which was celebrated on the same day at dawn. People would light a fire in the courtyard of their home as part of this celebration. Off late, however, this practice has been stopped for various reasons.
There is another tradition linked to this festival, which is still retained as part of the routine. As part of the celebration, a portion of each dish is sent to the homes of girls who have moved elsewhere after marriage.
There is another interesting tradition linked to Mamani in which children visit each home in the village or neighbourhood to collect money to organise a celebration called Issun in the evening. This is still practiced in Chanchik neighbourhood of Kargil town.
SRINAGAR: Acting tough against illegal land encroachers, the District Administration Ganderbal today retrieved 983 kanals of state and Kahcharie land across the district.
Giving details, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Ganderbal, Mehraj-ud-Din Shah said that on the directions of Deputy Commissioner, Shyambir, Revenue department is acting tough against the land grabbers who have illegally occupied State/ Kahcharai land and anti-encroachment drives against such persons shall continue till each patch of government land is retrieved in the district.
He further said that strict directions have been given to all Tehsildars for intensifying the anti-encroachment drives in the district for retrieval of all encroached State/ Kahcharie land at an earliest.
Following these directions, teams from the revenue department have launched massive anti-encroachment drives across all tehsils and in the last two days administration has retrieved more than 1701 Kanals of encroached State/ Kahcharie land.
With these 1701 Kanals, the total retrieved land has increased to 13431 Kanals throughout the district and so-far 56 percent of State land and over 47 percent of Kahcharai land has been retrieved during anti-encroachment drives in the district.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday rescued a woman after she attempted to commit suicide by climbing over a hillock in Delina area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the woman, a native of West Bengal has climbed a hillock in Delina in an attempt to commit suicide.
He said, however, a police team reached to the spot and engaged the woman in a conversation, while she was tactfully pulled off from the edge of the hillock.
The official said the woman who was rescued has been married to a resident of Delina. “She was feeling disturbed as she has lost contact with her family in Bengal, which is why she tried to take this extreme step,” he said.
He added the woman has been counselled and has been handed over to family members.
SRINAGAR: An avalanche hit Hussangam village of Tulail in Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Sunday, however, no loss of life or damage has been reported in the area.
Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the avalanche hit Hussangam village today afternoon.
He said soon after the incident teams from the administration rushed to the spot to assess the situation even as no damage or loss of life has been reported.
Meanwhile, residents have been advised to take precautions and avoid venturing out in avalanche prone areas.
Earlier, avalanche warning was issued for 12 districts including Bandipora by J&K Disaster Management Authority.
