Srinagar, December 6:

Farooq Abdullah, who had recently announced that he would step down as the National Conference (NC) president, was on Monday re-elected unopposed as the party chief. He said boycotting the panchayat polls in 2018 was a huge mistake. The poll was held at the party head office in Srinagar.

Abdullah also warned the government and the security forces not to interfere in any election process. He threatened to launch a protest if such things crop up. “I want to tell the party that boycotting the panchayat elections (in 2018) was a huge mistake. Remember this, we will not boycott any upcoming election. Instead (we will) contest and win them,” He said while addressing a party session.

On November 18, Farooq had said he would quit in December to hand over the mantle to the younger generation, a move termed by his party a “sudden announcement”. Farooq said he wanted to step aside but was persuaded to continue as “the current phase was a difficult one”.

Referring to his son Omar Abdullah’s announcement that he would not contest elections as long as J&K remained a UT, Farooq said Omar should contest elections. “If we have to fight them, we all have to contest elections,” he added.

The 83-year-old succeeded his father Sheikh Abdullah as NC president in 1981. He has been holding the current position since 2009. He has served as the CM of the erstwhile state of J&K thrice — 1982-84, 1986-90 and 1996-2002.

SRINAGAR, Dec 6: Intense cold coupled with mist and haze at many places continued unabated in J&K and Ladakh on Tuesday.
Pahalgam remained the coldest place, recording a low of minus 3.8°C, quoting a meteorological department official here.
He said it was 0.5°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Srinagar, he said, recorded a minimum of minus 2.2 against minus 3.4°C which was the coldest so far this season in the summer capital.
The MeT official said, today’s temperature was 1.3°C below the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar which also remained engulfed in mist this morning.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 2.2°C against minus 3.4°C on the previous night. The temperature was 1.2°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.2°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 3.5°C against minus 3.3°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.2°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 2.7°C, the same as on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.3°C below normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.3°C against 8.1°C on the previous night. It was 2.5°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.6°C (below normal by 2.7°C), Batote 3.1°C (1.2°C below normal), Katra 7.8°C (1.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 1.0°C (0.1°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 8.0°C, Kargil minus 11.4°C and while details regarding mercury in Drass, the world’s second coldest place after Siberia, were not immediately available, the official said.
The MeT department has forecast light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir from evening of December 9 to 10.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over plains and lower reaches, light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 9th December (evening) to 10th December (evening) particularly over north, northwestern, central parts of Kashmir and South Kashmir,” the MeT official said. (Agencies)

SRINAGAR, Dec 6: National Conference on Monday called for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the restoration of statehood to the Union territory and provisions of Articles 370 and 35-A.
The demands were the key features of a resolution passed by the party at a delegates’ session held to elect the party president at the mausoleum of National Conference founder Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah on his 117th birth anniversary.
According to the resolution, the assembly elections have not been announced for Jammu and Kashmir even though the delimitation process has been completed.
“It was promised by the country’s Home Minister that the much-awaited assembly elections will be held after the delimitation process is over. Now that the process is complete and the final updated voter list is out, still there is no announcement for assembly elections,” it said.
“Considering the political situation in J&K, this delegate session resolves that Articles 370, 35-A be restored to their original, undiluted form,” the resolution reads.
It also demanded that the Centre should restore full statehood to J and K and announce the assembly election dates at the earliest.
“We urge the people of India to rise to the occasion and ask the BJP-led central government to remove injustices in J and K,” it added.
The other major demands of the party in the resolution included return of THE NHPC-owned power projects to Jammu and Kashmir and repatriation of prisoners from outside the union territory to jails within Jammu and Kashmir.
“JKNC is committed towards the upliftment and development of every weaker section of the society and welcome the steps taken for conferment of ST Status in favour of Paharis of Jammu and Kashmir. As assured, ST status already conferred in favour of Gujjars and Bakarwals shall not be diluted is also a welcome step,” it added.
The National Conference also passed two other resolutions on press freedom and condition of economy in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party demanded that the media should be provided a free environment to operate and there should be no undue interference from any quarter. (Agencies)

Jammu: Thriving on loud narrative of bringing ‘discriminated’ and ‘defeated’ communities from margins of social neglect to the political mainstream of ‘naya Jammu and Kashmir’, the Bhartiya Janta Party puts up, almost every day, shows of the Gujjar, Bakerwal and Pahari communities at its office and in public meetings to seek endorsement of its non-discriminatory politics and rejection of other parties.

Over the last four years, the Gujjar-Bakerwal and Pahari communities have particularly been seen as adorning the BJP headquarters in Jammu with their vibrant political colours. The party leaders and also a select group of representatives of these communities have never minced words in saying that the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress never gave them importance in the organizational leadership which now they expect from the BJP.

However, as the Gujjar-Bakerwals and Paharis continue to add grace to the BJP headquarters and public spaces, the party has announced two-tiers of new organizational bureaucracy which gives a total miss to these communities and very scant representations to Dalits and Sikhs.

This weekend, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP has carried out massive organizational rejig appointing new districts presidents and prabharis (in-charge) and seh-prabharis (co-incharge) of several districts, wings and departments. Both lists hark heavily on the Brahmins, Rajputs and Mahajans, the BJP’s traditional core constituency.

The Gujjar-Bakerwals and Paharis have been left wanting for attention and assignments even in the areas where they make majority.

Take example of Rajouri and Poonch districts, where Gujjars and Paharis fight it out in the BJP’s backyard but none from the community has got any organizational assignments even as several noted faces from both communities have joined BJP in the recent years.

BJP has three organizational districts in Rajouri in Poonch and each has been assigned to a Brahmin leader. Neena Sharma is nominated as President of Nowshera District. Dinesh Sharma is nominated as President of Rajouri District. Rajesh Kumar is nominated as President of Poonch District.

Interestingly, Brahmins populating Rajouri and Poonch districts have recently been declared as ‘ethnic Paharis’ but they have always been the BJP’s political mainstream. Rajouri and Poonch are the Muslims majority districts (Rajouri over 60% and Poonch over 90%), but BJP didn’t consider a Gujjar or Muslim Pahari to become organizational president in these districts which are also now part of the centrally placed Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

In entire Jammu province, BJP has not picked any Muslim leader for organizational responsibility even in the Muslim majority districts of Kishtwar, Ramban, Doda and Reasi. Almost all these districts have been assigned to Brahmin and Rajput leaders.

While in the Kashmir Valley, almost all district presidents are from the Muslim community, but the Gujjars and Paharis have not been given chance even in Baramulla and Kupwara districts where they have significant population.

Of the 20 office bearers including a UT vice president, secretary, spokesperson and presidents of 17 organisational districts for Jammu division, there are nine Brahmins, five Mahajans and three Rajputs. No Gujjar, Pahari or any other Muslim face from Jammu region figures in the list of BJP office bearers at the district level.

Similarly, the BJP appointed 37 office bearers for Jammu provincial level and UT level prabharis (in-charge) of districts, Lok Sabha constituencies and other units including two for displaced Kashmiri Pandits. Among these 37, as many as 28 are from upper castes –eleven Brahmins, twelve Rajputs and seven Mahajans. Few Sikhs and Dalits appear in the list, but there is no Gujjar or Pahari leader or any other from the Muslims community from across Jammu region.

However, the same list also has eleven office bearers for various assignments from Kashmir and all of them, of course, are Muslims.

Jammu, Dec 5: Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to set up a dedicated incubator for cybersecurity-related startups to promote local industries.
Under its recently launched Cyber Security Policy, the administration will also outsource relevant research and development projects to the corporate sector.
It is also mulling to provide special fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to cybersecurity firms operating in the union territory (UT) according to the prevailing government policies.
“The government of J-K shall set up a dedicated incubator for cyber security related startups. The UT shall also develop a venture capital model to provide assistance to first generation entrepreneurs, startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating and intending to enter in this field (cybersecurity),” the policy document said.
Jammu and Kashmir would endeavour to conduct Cyber Security Expos to showcase the advantages of the indigenously developed products by SMEs and Startups, it said.
“This will ensure a platform for cybersecurity enthusiasts to interact and discuss the latest developments across the globe,” the document read.
It said the government would award a certain number of cybersecurity contracts every year to SMEs incorporated in Jammu and Kashmir and devise a mechanism to ensure transparency in the allotment procedure.
“To boost the local industry, special fiscal and non-fiscal incentives will be given to firms operating in Jammu and Kashmir as per the prevailing policy(ies) of the J-K government,” it said.
“Startups Incorporated in Jammu and Kashmir will be provided access to government applications to showcase their product as proof of concept (PoC). These projects may be converted into full-scale government contracts, post performance reviews,” it said.
According to the document, the government will enter into strategic partnerships with the private sector to set up infrastructure such as cybersecurity training and development labs, which in turn will facilitate the development of new products. “To ensure safety at the supply end, the government shall work with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to help individuals assess the existing security levels and devise strategies to protect them from future attacks,” it said.
Further, to avoid fraudulent practices and identify service users, the government would take up personal identity assurance and other measures. It said the J-K government will partner with various institutions, public sector undertakings, government bodies like Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) for driving various initiatives.
“The potential partners include academic and research institutions, private players and other government organisations,” the document read.
According to the policy, the J-K government will promote an annual competition, named the Cyber Security Challenge, which will help identify and nurture individual talent.
“This will be a UT-wide drive to increase awareness as well as build assurance in the community about government initiatives and efforts to secure the cyber space with the help of its stakeholders,” it said.
The government will also establish the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) security assessment facility where product certifications and compliance assessment of all sensitive ICT products linked directly or indirectly to Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) will be done, it said.
“The facility will provide among other services vulnerability assessment and penetration testing services for critical infrastructure sectors, security assessment for control systems, ICT product security assessment and certification service, common criteria evaluation service and protection profiling,” it said, adding the common criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation is an international standard for computer security certification.
Common criteria will be used as the basis for government-driven certification scheme, product testing and evaluations that will be conducted for government agencies and critical infrastructure, the document said. (Agencies)