JAMMU: The onset of winter in Jammu and Kashmir, amongst other things, also marks the seasonal migration of the Gujjars and Bakerwals from higher reaches of Valley to the plains of Jammu region. This year, however, these nomadic tribals are in Kashmir, braving the falling mercury as they embark on a month-long march, for the protection of their rights under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The foot march, started from Kupwara on November 4, has covered 5 districts in the Valley so far and has reached summer capital Srinagar on 6th day, with the protestors gaining huge number of supporters at every place. The march is slated to end in Kathua, by the end of this month.

Led by youth leaders under the banner of Gujjar-Bakarwal Joint Action Committee (GBJAC), the ‘Tribal Bachao Paidal March’ is taken out primarily against the proposed inclusion of Paharis in ST reservation quota.

The community leaders and members are protesting against the decision of the Registrar General of India and the National Commission for Schedule Tribes to accept the recommendations of Justice GD Sharma Commission report to notify Paharis as STs.

Largely refraining from using the word ‘Paharis’ in any of their slogans, the tribals maintained that their protest is against the inclusion of upper castes in the ST quota.

JAMMU, Nov 9: Responding to a Jammu-based lawyer’s request seeking defreezing of eight seats out of 24 earmarked for the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir refugees as per the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution in 1956, the Election Commission has said that the issue is under the Union Government’s jurisdiction.
Advocate Aditya Sharma of Jammu and Kashmir High Court at Jammu wing, in a letter dated September 21, to the Chief Election Commissioner, had stated that Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed a historic moment when the Article 370 was abrogated by the Union of India on August 5, 2019, whereby the doors of various opportunities have been opened for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and ended decades long the discrimination.
Prior to the abrogation of Article 370 no voting right was there for refugees from West Pakistan i.e. PoJK refugees of West Pakistan, people of Valmiki community and many and the State Constitution enacted in 1956 had also reserved 24 seats in Assembly for PoJK and left the same vacant, he said in a letter.
Sharma further stated that after the abrogation, a ray of hope had arisen for West Pakistan Refugees and other migrants from Pakistan to have right to vote and for the same purpose, if the eight seats out of 24 reserved seats, which belongs to west PoJK can be defreezed — it will give long pending justice to the migrants.
Further more, a Parliamentary Committee report on PoJK refugees was submitted in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that recognized that PoJK refugees were not given relief and compensation due to their non-registered status, he stated.
“The committee also recommended to defreeze 8 seats out of 24 vacant seats,” Sharma added, saying further that in the 2022 Delimitation Commission Report, it was recommended that at least two members from the community of Kashmiri migrants be in the Legislative Assembly.
The Commission said that the Central Government may consider of giving representations to refugees in assembly as well and it is therefore submitted that kindly consider the committee report of 2014 and delimitation commission recommendation of 2022 for defreezing of eight seats out of 24 seats for Kashmiri migrants, refugees from PoJK which were left vacant in the year 1956 and for giving representation to them respectively, Sharma said in the plea.
However, the Election Commission in its reply stated, In reference to your letter, the Delimitation Commission constituted for the purpose of constituencies delimitation in UT of Jammu and Kashmir is already ceased to exist from May 5, 2022 after publication of its final Delimitation order in respect of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Delimitation Commission in this regard had also prepared a report titled as Delimited Landscape of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is available on Commission’s website, the EC said. It also said that the Delimitation Commission had recommended to the Union Government to consider the issue of representation by way of nomination of representatives to the Displaced Persons from PoJK in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Therefore, the issue is now under the jurisdiction of the Union Government, the EC said in the reply. So as of now, the EC has sent these recommendations to the GoI as it is and at present the recommendations are under consideration of the GoI and we hope that the Government will give its decision on these recommendations very soon, Sharma told UNI. Aditya believes that in the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, not only the refugees, who have been deprived of voting till now, will vote, but if the Central Government conducts elections on these eight seats or nominate their representatives, justice will be delivered and they have a voice in the Assembly.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Indresh Kumar, during his recent Jammu visit had referred to his meeting with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha stating that they held a brief interaction over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and also on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
PoJK is part of Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral part of the country. We request the countrymen to pray, every morning, for the return of Kailash Mansarovar and PoJK and they again become part of India, he had said. (AGENCIES)

KISHTWAR: A lady involved in the kidnapping of an infant in Kishtwar has been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA), police said.

In a statement, the police said that recently Kishtwar Police solved the mystery of a kidnapping case at District Hospital Kishtwar where one burqa Clad woman kidnapped the infant male baby age about 06 months by arresting the accused lady namely Shabnum Begum wife of Killed Militants Zahoor Din resident of Kripak Mohallah Kishtwar and booked in case FIR No. 232/2022 under relevant sections of law registered at police station Kishtwar.

The statement further stated that bail petitions were rejected by the CJM Court Kishtwar. The bail plea of the accused lady was argued by a battery of lawyers, wherein Police and prosecution officers contested logically for rejection of the Bail application as the case is of public interest.

Latter on Hon’ble Session Court granted bail in favour of the said lady. The normal law against her will not have the desired result of stopping her from indulging in further such illegal acts. Therefore normal law which has been invoked against the subject is not sufficient to deter the subject from indulging further in such type of crimes, they said.

Keeping in view all the circumstances, said lady has been detained under PSA after obtaining a PSA warrant from the concerned authorities for her involvement in the kidnapping case of an Infant male baby namely Afnan Ahmed son of Afreen Ahmed resident of Chirala At present Link Road Kishtwar. They said Lady Shabnam has been lodged in District Jail Kutha, they said.

Meanwhile, SSP Kishtwar Shafqat Hussain Bath-JKPS time and again requested the general public to be aware not to fall prey to such type of crime and report any such suspicious or fraudulent activity in your neighbourhood immediately to the concerned Police station, reads the statement.

Jammu, Nov 9: BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh has hailed the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow 265 DNB-PG seats in government hospitals in J&K.
Chugh also welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to reserve seats in the medical colleges for children from the militancy affected families. He said this would go a long way in providing relief to wards of the unfortunate families.
He said unlike the past governments of Abdullahs and Muftis the Modi government had been persistently looking after the health concerns of the people of J&K.
Ever since the Modi government has taken over the administration of the Union territory two AIIMS have been earmarked for Jammu and Kashmir regions while two cancer institutes have been set up in the two regions as well.
While the Jammu region has got four new medical colleges, two have been opened in the Kashmir region which would be a big leap forward in providing medical education to the children of J&K.
The Prime Minister’s various health schemes have been also providing service to the people in the far-flung pockets in J&K which is proving to be a boon for the people.

JAMMU, Nov 9: Search operations were underway on Wednesday to trace four people feared drowned in Chenab after their car plunged into the river in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said.
The operation was launched at Shibnote-Karara along Batote-Kishtwar national highway following the accident around 7.30 pm Tuesday but so far neither the vehicle nor its occupants have been found, Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Abdul Qayoom said.
Qayoom and Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Vishesh Paul Mahajan are supervising the operation which is being jointly carried out by police, army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
River rafting experts from JK Adventures and specially trained local volunteers are also part of the rescue-cum-search operation, police officials said, adding after a night halt, the rescue operation resumed with the first light of the day.
They said the district administration has also requested the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to close down the dams so that the water flow in the river is lowered to speed up the operation.
“We responded immediately after the vehicle plunged into the river but the strong current at the scene of the accident proved an obstacle in carrying out the rescue operation,” founder and chief executive officer of JK Adventures Sachin Singh Samyal said.