SRINAGAR: Nearly 6 days after remaining in a mortuary at District Hospital Handwara, corpses of four Tangdhar residents were airlifted in a chopper, lent by Border Security Forces, to their native places here on Monday.
As reported, bodies of four persons namely Shabir Ahmad Khawaja son of Abdul Rasheed, resident of Dildar Karnah, who passed on February 8 at Bemina Srinagar; Sahib Jan wife of Ali Shan Bhadana, resident of Amrohi, who passed at SMHS Hospital Srinagar February 9; Mohammad Saeed son of Mohammad Yaqoob Qureshi, resident of Nawagabra who passed at SKIMS Soura and one Haleema Fatima, resident of Panjtaran, which reached the hospital on Sunday night, were kept in the mortuary at District Hospital Handwara, due to blockade of roads in the aftermath of recent snowfall.
After fervent appeal by the bereaved families to district administration and other relevant offices, district administration Kupwara reciprocated well and requisitioned for the chopper services to airlift the bodies.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Dr Doifode Sagar Dattatray had a few days before said that the office has sent a chopper requisition to lift the bodies as per flying conditions.
The bodies (alongside attendants) were accordingly evacuated in an ambulance from District Hospital Handwara at 8:55 AM to Zangli, from where they were boarded in a chopper, lent by Border Security Forces, at 9:24 AM on Monday.
Quoting an official news agency GNS reported that it normally takes some 20 odd minutes for a chopper to reach Tangdhar from Zangli launchpad.
Before leaving DH Handwara, the bereaved families extended their gratitude to District Administration Kupwara and Handwara Hospital management for making it possible for them to take the bodies back to their native places.
“We are highly thankful to Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Dr Doifode Sagar Dattaray, Medical Superintendent District Hospital Handwara Dr Nissar Ahmad, SSP Kupwara Yougal Manhas and Border Security Forces for all the assistance provided”, they said.
In a somewhat similar case, the district administration alongside DH Handwara, dispatched bodies of two elderly persons to their native places, Karnah and Tangdhar, earlier this month.
SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a petition challenging the delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Bar and Bench.
Dismissing the plea filed by two Kashmir residents — Abdul Gani Khan and Muhammad Ayub Matto — the bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka said that it has not ruled upon the validity of the Jammu & Kashmir Re-organisation Act, 2019, which is pending before the Supreme Court among the batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of an Assembly or Lok Sabha seat to represent changes in population over time. A commission set up by the Centre submitted its final report for the delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir in May last year.
In December, the apex court reserved its judgment on a plea challenging constitution of the commission. The petitioners had argued that under the 2019 Act, only the Election Commission is empowered to conduct the delimitation exercise. However, the Centre stated that the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019 mandates the commission to do it, reported Bar and Bench .
SRINAGAR: The minimum temperatures recorded a plunge in Kashmir Valley with Srinagar recording minus 4.0°C on Monday.
Quoting a meteorological department official news agency GNS reported that there was a drop of 3.4°C against the previous night’s minus 0.6°C in Srinagar. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was below normal by 0.8°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 4.6°C against minus 1.5°C on the previous night and it was 3.6°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 10.0°C against minus 4.0°C on the previous night and it was 5.0°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.6°C against minus 2.3°C on the previous night and it was 3.1°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against minus 13.5°C on the previous night and it was 4.8°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at minus 5.7°C against minus 4.7°C on the previous night and it was 4.5°C below normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 3.6°C against 5.8°C on the previous night. It was 6.5°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C (below normal by 2.2°C), Batote minus 1.7°C (below normal by 0.9°C), Katra 5.6°C (2.5°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 2.2°C (2.4°C below normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 16.8°C and minus 19.8°C respectively, the official said.
Regarding the forecast, he said, mainly dry weather was expected this week.
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.
SRINAGAR: A bridge over rivulet in Mahore area of Reasi collapsed when two loaded dumpers were crossing on it last evening, officials said.
Bridge collapses in Reasi
Quoting officials news agency GNS reported that both the dumpers, one having registration number JK02CW-9495 and other one without registration plate, fell in Badora rivulet connecting Mahore and Chassan Tehsils.
Drivers of the vehicles, identified as Amjid Khan and Showkat Ali, both residents of Kotranka Rajouri, were injured and were shifted to hospital by rescuers including police.
SDM Mazahir Hussein Shah confirmed the collapsing of the bridge and injuries to drivers as well as damage to the dumpers.
SRINAGAR: A man was charred to death after his vehicle caught fire in Panzgam area of Kokarnag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, officials said here.
Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the vehicle suddenly caught fire and the man who was driving it was charred to death.
The man was identified as Shabir Ahmad Rather son of Mohammad Ashan Rather of Panzgam. He was a baker by profession.
“Body has taken by the police for medico-legal formalities,” he said.
SRINAGAR: The term-II examination for class 8th students of government and private schools has been scheduled from February 27.
The class 8th exam in soft zones will start on February 27 and will end on March 10. The exam in hard zones will start on March 24 and will end on April 8. The schedule is as below:
SRINAGAR: Modern science may take its time to establish the importance of herbal baths for postpartum women but Kashmir has used the bath for centuries is helping mothers to heal and bounce back to life. Rooted in tradition, the bath, after 40 days of the birth is a special occasion that honours a mother for giving birth to a life.
Loaseh Gasseh: The herbal mix that goes into the making of special fragrant and curative water that women use for bathing after 4 days of childbirth. KL Image by Ifra Reshi
“A mother carries her baby for nine months during which she goes through a lot of changes mentally and physically,” Raja Begum, herself a mother, said. “The bath is part of a set of practices that have passed on across generations and it helps in rejuvenation and healing.”
In Kashmiri, a postpartum lady is called Loase or Loaseh. Exactly 40 days after childbirth – normal or C-section, a mother is supposed to take a bath with Loaseh Aab (aab means water). It is a special water that is prepared by boiling Loaseh Gasseh in water for an hour or two, usually in a copper pot.
Tradition treats a mother like a patient for 40 days. She is served specially and given a lot of nutritious food. Apart from Koshur Kokur (courtyard chicken), they used to be fed with a lot of Haund (dandelion leaves), Lisseh – in certain cases, Vopul Haakh, which are vegetations having medicinal properties.
Normal practice is that the husband or her in-law brings, Peaw, a special visit to her, which brings in a lot of food items, besides clothing, warmers, beddings and – in certain cases, gold. This is seen as an occasion of celebration. Traditionally, the mother stays with her parents after the delivery. It is almost mandatory in the case of first birth unless the situation dictates otherwise.
Forty days later, the family gets ready for the bath and it changes the status of the mother. Now she can move around, go home, and get into the routine.
Almost in every society, such cultural rituals exist but in the case of Kashmir, the tradition is mixed with serious curative and healing efforts of the mother.
“It was my first experience of being honoured as a new mother,” Maroofa Majeed, a first-time mom, said. “The process was amazingly restorative and for the second time in my adulthood, I felt important and honoured – the first time was when I got married and the second time when I gave birth to the child.”
“I remember my mother being very cautious and excited about the day preparing the bath, steeping the herbs mixed with water in a big traditional copper pot and left for boiling on a traditional mud burner outside the house and then pouring into a big tub,” Nasreena Trumboo, another first-time mother, said. “She took a fistful of herbs and scrubbed and massaged my whole body for 20 minutes.”
It is just not a bath, it is literally a procedure that induces healing and rejuvenates the body.
An early twentieth century Kashmiri mother with her child
“The herbs used in the postpartum bath are part of Kashmiri folk medicines and not the Unani Tibb. It relaxes internal organs, balances the muscle tune, detoxifies and gives restoration to the body of postpartum women,” Dr Ayoub Sofi, Incharge Medical Officer Ayurveda, Yoga ad Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) unit SMHS said. “In fact, the tourists and foreigners who come from far distances also take this medicinal herbal bath in Kashmir for relaxation and rejuvenation.”
The Loaseh Gasseh is a huge mixture of herbs, shrubs, leaves, wild fruits and roots together. These are sourced from different areas. Some of the items are cultivated in Doda, Gurez and Kishtwar areas. Many others are sourced from mainland India.
Practitioners believe a function of herbal medicines in bathing is to increase the involution of the uterus.
Sofi, however, regrets that the people bring these herbs from Bohru shops, people selling the herbs or herbalists, and take a postpartum bath at home without having proper awareness regarding the usage and benefits of all herbs. The pouch of the Loaseh Gasseh must contain a balanced mix of all the items that have been used traditionally. It includes various antiseptics and astringents that help heal and rejuvenate.
Normally, the Loaseh Gasseh has the following items:
Calendula, (Marigold, Jaffer): Anti-inflammatory properties that soothe and heal tissues.
Comfrey, (Black Wort): Heals bruises and sprains.
Sage leaves (Tej patta, Bargi Tej): Anti-inflammatory properties and also relieves muscles.
Liquorice, (Shangar): Repairs and reduces the number of bacteria on the skin.
Curuma, (laedri Gandri): An antiseptic having antioxidant properties that soothe joints.
Taraxacum, (Dandelions, hand): It has detoxifying properties, reduces scars and heals skin.
Unab, (Bray Mewi, Jujube fruit, Chinese date): Reverses the effects of ageing, has antioxidant properties, and fights and prevents cell damage.
Sapistan, (Lasora): Helps in relieving and relaxing pain.
In certain cases, even sea salt is also added to the water for its therapeutic uses.
This photograph put on social media in early 2023 shows a mother carrying her baby as the medicine drips into his veins. While it demonstrates the crisis of the public health infrastructure (it apparently taken in the casualty of a hospital in Anantnag), the photograph explains the costs that the mother pays in nurturing life.
Tradition suggests that the water needs to be boiled in a copper utensil for one to two hours and used when it is lukewarm. The boiled herbs are also used to scrub the body.
The herb collection costs not even a fraction of what eventually goes into its preparation. Normally, after the bath, women are supposed to take rest in a warm bed and have good meals. Since the water they use for bathing is aromatic, these women feel scented for many days.
In certain cases, like that of Kashmiri Pandits, the bath would be performed after 11 days only.
JAMMU: In view of huge mutton usage in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Kashmiri cuisine and in order to reduce meat import in the Union Territory, the government has approved an ambitious Rs 329 crore project for next five years to achieve self reliance in Mutton sector.
The project is aimed at creating 6000 jobs besides setting up of 122 enterprises in the mutton sector in the Union Territory.
The initiative also envisages achieving self-reliance in the mutton sector through a combination of innovative interventions including vertical upgrades, horizontal expansion besides focused attention on health cover and nutrition. One of the major interventions planned is import of muttonous breeds, which will lead to establishment of 72 breed-based farms to provide high genetic merit to animals. Additionally, the project aims to conduct 1,00,000 Artificial Inseminations (AIs) annually and establish 400 new commercial farms every year. The project also focuses on clusterization, creation of mandis, abattoirs and common facility centers (CFCs), to support marketing and value addition of the sector.
“Investing in growth and improvement of mutton sector in J&K is not only about boosting production and reducing import costs, but it is also about providing quality and safe meat to consumers, improving the livelihoods of traditional farmers besides creating new job opportunities in the region,” said Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department.
He added: “Apart from increase in production and productivity forward linkages, which are acutely lacking in the sector, will be established through formation of 50 Farmer Producer Organizations and Self Help Groups with linkage to 10 new abattoirs and in-built value chains integrated with 10 sheep mandis and 50 CFCs.
Mutton has been an essential part of the Kashmiri cuisine for generations and Jammu and Kashmir, with its rich cultural heritage and diverse geography, has a significant demand for mutton. Despite the regions competitive advantage and potential to become self-reliant in the mutton sector, there is a shortfall of 41 per cent leading to an import bill of ₹1400 crore every year. Additionally, the existing mutton production is not only of insufficient quantity but also lacks quality and is not FSSAI compliant, putting consumers at risk.
The majority of the livestock population is held by Bakerwals who follow traditional methods of farming, resulting in low productivity and profits. The UT has less than five breeds of sheep with the majority being dual purpose breeds such as Kashmir Merino, Rambouillet, and Corriedale. However, there is increasing demand for fast-growing mutton breeds like Dorper, Romnov, South Down and others.
‘Reorienting priorities: Self-Sustenance in mutton production’ is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and allied sectors in UT of J&K. The prestigious committee is being headed by Dr Mangala Rai, Former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics & Administration like Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, Dr. P. K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA & FW, Dr. H. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, APD besides Vice Chancellors of the twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.
The expected output from the project included import of 2700 high genetic merit/elite sheep and goats, increased lambing percentage from 80 to 120 and considerable reduction in marketable age for sheep and goats (40-50 kg in 6 months). The germplasm of the elite animals will be propagated through artificial insemination and embryo transfer techniques to intensify genetic conversion. The project aims to double the farm income through early weight gain, improved carcass yield and production and reduce lamb mortality. Effective health cover is expected to prevent production losses by 20-30% and provide consumers with safe and quality meat.
The project is anticipated to bring significant benefits to farmers and consumers in Jammu and Kashmir. The creation of commercial farms and establishment of breed-based farms will boost mutton production and improve the quality of meat available to consumers. The marketing and value addition initiatives will help farmers get better returns for their produce, while health cover and nutrition interventions will reduce production losses and improve the overall well-being of the animals. The project will also create job opportunities and promote entrepreneurship, contributing to the economic development of the region.
Ultimately, the project which is aimed at to achieve self-reliance in the mutton sector in Jammu and Kashmir, is a crucial step towards meeting the growing demand for mutton in the region. The project also intends to address the shortcomings in the existing mutton production and provide consumers with safe and quality meat. The project is also likely to bring numerous benefits to farmers and consumers, create job opportunities and contribute towards overall economic development of the region.
SRINAGAR: National Conference on Sunday stated that the ongoing demolition drive is deepening the despair of poor and the rightful landowners across Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the statement pointing to the new disturbing trend of arbitrary acts of demolishing homes and structures, the party’s In Charge constituencies of Srinagar district Ali Muhammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Irfan Shah, Tanvir Sadiq, Ahsan Pardesi, Mushtaq Guroo and Salman Ali Sagar issued a joint statement saying the meas has compounded the vulnerabilities of marginalized traders, women, children, senior citizens, socially and economically downtrodden.
Causing immense distress, the eight segment In Charges said that the ongoing bulldozer rampage has created a humanitarian crisis. “The worrying trend of state demolishing homes, business units, and shops violates all due norms and established human rights procedures,” they added.
The leaders reiterated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of State land. “The ongoing bulldozer rampage has been carried out by government agencies professedly to ‘clear encroachments’ and remove ‘illegal structures’ from public land. However, the state authorities have used this reasoning to arbitrarily select and demolish settlements. All we seek is a strict adherence to due process and ensuring that informed demolition. The wanton rampage, it goes without saying, will only disproportionately affect marginalised communities and divest them from accessing the most basic facilities, essential for a life with dignity,” the leaders said.
They said the government should regularise those sitting on the State land if such policies exist in other parts of the country. “This will bring ease in the common man’s life and help the government earn as well,” they added.
Calling out hypocritical condemnation of demolitions by Apni Party, whose mayor is at forefront of harassing Srinagar residents, the Segment In Charges said, “On one hand we see party chief denounce bulldozer rampage and evictions. On the other hand, the Apni party’s Mayor is at the forefront of the drive. They cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Nothing brings the glaring paradoxes within Apni Party’s to the fore as this new diktat, asking traders to evict their complexes and shops from Doodh Ganga. They cannot continue to smokescreen the reality with their theatricals. People have seen their masks fall off.”
SRINAGAR: National Conference on Sunday stated that the ongoing demolition drive is deepening the despair of poor and the rightful landowners across Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the statement pointing to the new disturbing trend of arbitrary acts of demolishing homes and structures, the party’s In Charge constituencies of Srinagar district Ali Muhammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, Shameema Firdous, Irfan Shah, Tanvir Sadiq, Ahsan Pardesi, Mushtaq Guroo and Salman Ali Sagar issued a joint statement saying the meas has compounded the vulnerabilities of marginalized traders, women, children, senior citizens, socially and economically downtrodden.
Causing immense distress, the eight segment In Charges said that the ongoing bulldozer rampage has created a humanitarian crisis. “The worrying trend of state demolishing homes, business units, and shops violates all due norms and established human rights procedures,” they added.
The leaders reiterated that the government should make the bulldozer its last resort, give people a chance to prove their claim and issue proper notices to the people having illegal possession of State land. “The ongoing bulldozer rampage has been carried out by government agencies professedly to ‘clear encroachments’ and remove ‘illegal structures’ from public land. However, the state authorities have used this reasoning to arbitrarily select and demolish settlements. All we seek is a strict adherence to due process and ensuring that informed demolition. The wanton rampage, it goes without saying, will only disproportionately affect marginalised communities and divest them from accessing the most basic facilities, essential for a life with dignity,” the leaders said.
They said the government should regularise those sitting on the State land if such policies exist in other parts of the country. “This will bring ease in the common man’s life and help the government earn as well,” they added.
Calling out hypocritical condemnation of demolitions by Apni Party, whose mayor is at forefront of harassing Srinagar residents, the Segment In Charges said, “On one hand we see party chief denounce bulldozer rampage and evictions. On the other hand, the Apni party’s Mayor is at the forefront of the drive. They cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Nothing brings the glaring paradoxes within Apni Party’s to the fore as this new diktat, asking traders to evict their complexes and shops from Doodh Ganga. They cannot continue to smokescreen the reality with their theatricals. People have seen their masks fall off.”
