Fariq’s poetic collection 'Grav' released
SYED ALI SAFVI
BUDGAM, Apr 12: Despite being one of the most educationally backward districts in the state, central Kashmir’s Budgam district has the distinction of being the 'land of poets'. The fertile land of Budgam has produced some of the legendary poets like Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA), Samad Mir, Shamas Faqir, Abdul Ahad Azad et al, who have left their indelible mark on the pages of history.
A galaxy of writers, poets and intellectuals had assembled at Sheikh-ul-Alam Hall here today to pay tributes to one of the legendary poets of Kashmir, Fariq Budgami, on his sixth death anniversary. The function was jointly organized by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Language (JKAACL) and Harmukh Kashur Markaz.
Minister for information technology and science and technology, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, was chief guest on the occasion, while vice chancellor central university, Prof Abdul Wahid, presided over the function.
A 344-page book, ‘Grav’, a collection of Fariq Budgami’s ghazals, was also released on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, that government was ready to extend every possible support to JKAACL in order to safeguard Kashmiri language.
“Kashmir society is a “murda-parast” (those who worship the dead) society. We don’t honour our living legends. We only realise their importance and worth once they are dead,” he said.
He said that Fariq Budgami was a legendary poet who conveyed social messages through his poetry.
“He was a revolutionary poet and his poetic collection must be preserved, safeguarded and developed for the benefit of present and future generations,” Ruhullah said.
Speaking on the occasion, secretary JKAACL, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, emphasized the need to preserve Kashmiri language.
“If we are really serious about preserving our language, we all need to play our role. It is our utmost responsibility to safeguard our language, and that will be a great tribute to the legendary Kashmiri poets like Fariq Budgami,” he said.
“It is a good omen that more NGOs are coming forward for the cause, but the enthusiasm must not die down,” Manhas said. “So let's together take some positive steps for the revival of our rich Kashmiri language. Let us take a pledge to preserve and promote it.”
Stating that Fariq Budgami was a revolutionary poet, Manhas said that lot of work needed to be done in order to bring forth the contribution of Fariq Budgami in the field of the Kashmiri language.
Earlier, brother of Fariq Budgami and a prominent poet of the valley, Shahid Budgami, in his welcome address, described Fariq Budgami as a “revolutionary poet”.
“He was the people’s poet, whose poetry has a message for all,” he said.
He said that Fariq Budgami has the distinction of having written over 300 ghazals in Kashmiri.
“Samad Mir and Shamas Faqir have written 142 and 110 ghazals respectively, while as Fariq Budgami has written over 300 ghazals, not an ordinary feat to achieve,” he said. “He was one of the finest poets of the century.”
He said that Shab-e Ashoora nazam (poem) of Fariq has been translated into English in Iran.
President Kashmir Press Association (KPA), Ghulam Hassan Kalloo, Mirwaiz Beerwah, Moulvi Syed Abdul Latif, Dr Aziz Hajni, Prof Rafi-ud-Din Bukhari, Prof Shad Ramzan, Javaid Budgami, Mir Mohammad Saleem also paid tributes to Fariq Budgami.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sonpah volunteer teachers set an example for others
‘We don’t want our children to become scapegoats’
SYED ALI SAFVI
SONPAH, Apr 7: Even as the strike of government employees, undeterred by government opposition, continued on fourth consecutive day today, a group of educated and unemployed youth in this remote village in central Kashmir’s Budgam district has set an unprecedented example, encouraging others to follow suit.
On the insistence of village heads, a group of graduate youths assembled all the students of Government Middle School and two primary schools of the area and give regular classes to them.
“Employees’ strike has hampered the studies of our children, who are enrolled in government schools. We are poor and can not afford to send our children to private schools, but that does not mean we are not concerned about their future,” said Ghulam Hussain Malik, a village head. “Private schools remain open, but it is the students of government schools who become scapegoats,”
Students, who had come out in full strength, and their parents looked very enthusiastic and appreciated the move of the village heads.
“The school will remain open during strike days so that our children do not suffer. We don not want our children to lag behind in today’s cut-throat competition. They have to compete with students of private schools and these strikes will not help their cause,” said Irshad Ahmad, a village head. “I think other villages should also follow the suit to save the career of their children.”
Earlier in the day, the village heads had made an announcement from a local Masjid and asked all the students to assemble at the Government Middle School Sonpah.
The students, wearing proper school uniform, began to gather in the school premises at around 9:30AM. Regular classes started soon after the morning assembly finished.
Budgam is considered an educationally backward district. According to 1981 Census the literacy level of the district is 17.86 per cent (25.51 per cent males and 8.02 per cent females). The recently declared examination result of 10th class showed how the students’ performance graph was consistently on decline. More than 10 high schools had displayed below 10 per cent result.
“In wake of the pathetic plight of government schools in the district, the bold and wise step taken by the Sonpah villagers could be considered as a good omen for the educational development of the district, provided other villages also wake up to the clarion call,” Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, a well-known educationist of the area.
The volunteer teachers include Riyaz Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad Najar, Maqbool Hussain, Maqsood Hussain, Mohammad Jaffar, Mubeena, Mehmooda and Rafiqa.
SYED ALI SAFVI
SONPAH, Apr 7: Even as the strike of government employees, undeterred by government opposition, continued on fourth consecutive day today, a group of educated and unemployed youth in this remote village in central Kashmir’s Budgam district has set an unprecedented example, encouraging others to follow suit.
On the insistence of village heads, a group of graduate youths assembled all the students of Government Middle School and two primary schools of the area and give regular classes to them.
“Employees’ strike has hampered the studies of our children, who are enrolled in government schools. We are poor and can not afford to send our children to private schools, but that does not mean we are not concerned about their future,” said Ghulam Hussain Malik, a village head. “Private schools remain open, but it is the students of government schools who become scapegoats,”
Students, who had come out in full strength, and their parents looked very enthusiastic and appreciated the move of the village heads.
“The school will remain open during strike days so that our children do not suffer. We don not want our children to lag behind in today’s cut-throat competition. They have to compete with students of private schools and these strikes will not help their cause,” said Irshad Ahmad, a village head. “I think other villages should also follow the suit to save the career of their children.”
Earlier in the day, the village heads had made an announcement from a local Masjid and asked all the students to assemble at the Government Middle School Sonpah.
The students, wearing proper school uniform, began to gather in the school premises at around 9:30AM. Regular classes started soon after the morning assembly finished.
Budgam is considered an educationally backward district. According to 1981 Census the literacy level of the district is 17.86 per cent (25.51 per cent males and 8.02 per cent females). The recently declared examination result of 10th class showed how the students’ performance graph was consistently on decline. More than 10 high schools had displayed below 10 per cent result.
“In wake of the pathetic plight of government schools in the district, the bold and wise step taken by the Sonpah villagers could be considered as a good omen for the educational development of the district, provided other villages also wake up to the clarion call,” Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, a well-known educationist of the area.
The volunteer teachers include Riyaz Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad Najar, Maqbool Hussain, Maqsood Hussain, Mohammad Jaffar, Mubeena, Mehmooda and Rafiqa.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Dissidence, infighting in Congress to affect coalition govt also
Syed Ali Safvi
SRINAGAR, Apr 5: Dissidence and infighting within the ranks of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) is not only likely to sabotage the hard-earned goodwill of the party in the state, but it is also likely to make matters worse for the NC-Congress coalition, already caught in the eye of the storm.
JKPCC may be trying its best to brush aside the internal bickering among rival groups in the party, but the animosity brewing in the party ranks has manifested itself in several forms. The internal strife has split the party into two factions and both are at loggerheads.
Pertinently, the JKPCC statements, denying the internal bickering, have been ridiculed by senior Congress leaders.
During a meeting in winter capital yesterday, senior members of the party, including several ministers and legislators, castigated the JKPCC chief for taking "individual decisions".
Now, a group of JKPCC members, considered Ghulam Nabi Azad's loyalists, want Congress high command to intervene into the matter to diffuse the growing animosity on both sides.
"Congress party, throughout the country, has a history of infighting. It has lived with factionalism. There is nothing new in it," says Prof Rekha Choudhary, a political analyst in the Department of Political Sciences at Jammu University (JU). "The infighting will go on only up to a crisis point. Congress is controlled by UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, who is personally concerned about the coalition relations."
She says the two factions in JKPCC have been operating from the day one the coalition was formed. She believes that the infighting would not seriously hamper the relations between NC and Congress.
However, Prof Chowdhary and other experts believe that the internal bickering could perturb the party's anticipation in the upcoming local body election.
"Infighting within Congress is public now and is bound to affect its performance during the local bodies' polls. Nobody would like to repose faith in a political party, which is fragmented and rushing in two different directions," says a senior journalist, Peerzada Ashiq, who writes for Hindustan Times.
According to him, the infighting within JKPCC, particularly between (Abdul Gani) Vakil and Soz had always costed to the party. "Kupwara is an example where many workers switched sides because of squabbling Congress leader," he says.
Union minister for health, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is on a four-day visit to the state, has preferred to maintain silence on the issue. He refused to talk about the party infighting while talking to media persons on the sidelines of his visit to Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar today.
Curiously, Azad has also distanced himself from the JKPCC chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz. Both the leaders had come face to face at Royal Spring Golf Course here on Saturday, but they did not even greet each other or exchange a single word.
The months-long bitterness among rival groups in the party had got augmented after Soz decided to welcome elder son of commander of government-backed gunmen and one time legislator, Kuka Parray, into the party fold.
Yesterday's meeting had castigated Soz's "individual decision" and ignoring old loyalists while taking decisions having statewide repercussions.
SRINAGAR, Apr 5: Dissidence and infighting within the ranks of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) is not only likely to sabotage the hard-earned goodwill of the party in the state, but it is also likely to make matters worse for the NC-Congress coalition, already caught in the eye of the storm.
JKPCC may be trying its best to brush aside the internal bickering among rival groups in the party, but the animosity brewing in the party ranks has manifested itself in several forms. The internal strife has split the party into two factions and both are at loggerheads.
Pertinently, the JKPCC statements, denying the internal bickering, have been ridiculed by senior Congress leaders.
During a meeting in winter capital yesterday, senior members of the party, including several ministers and legislators, castigated the JKPCC chief for taking "individual decisions".
Now, a group of JKPCC members, considered Ghulam Nabi Azad's loyalists, want Congress high command to intervene into the matter to diffuse the growing animosity on both sides.
"Congress party, throughout the country, has a history of infighting. It has lived with factionalism. There is nothing new in it," says Prof Rekha Choudhary, a political analyst in the Department of Political Sciences at Jammu University (JU). "The infighting will go on only up to a crisis point. Congress is controlled by UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, who is personally concerned about the coalition relations."
She says the two factions in JKPCC have been operating from the day one the coalition was formed. She believes that the infighting would not seriously hamper the relations between NC and Congress.
However, Prof Chowdhary and other experts believe that the internal bickering could perturb the party's anticipation in the upcoming local body election.
"Infighting within Congress is public now and is bound to affect its performance during the local bodies' polls. Nobody would like to repose faith in a political party, which is fragmented and rushing in two different directions," says a senior journalist, Peerzada Ashiq, who writes for Hindustan Times.
According to him, the infighting within JKPCC, particularly between (Abdul Gani) Vakil and Soz had always costed to the party. "Kupwara is an example where many workers switched sides because of squabbling Congress leader," he says.
Union minister for health, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is on a four-day visit to the state, has preferred to maintain silence on the issue. He refused to talk about the party infighting while talking to media persons on the sidelines of his visit to Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar today.
Curiously, Azad has also distanced himself from the JKPCC chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz. Both the leaders had come face to face at Royal Spring Golf Course here on Saturday, but they did not even greet each other or exchange a single word.
The months-long bitterness among rival groups in the party had got augmented after Soz decided to welcome elder son of commander of government-backed gunmen and one time legislator, Kuka Parray, into the party fold.
Yesterday's meeting had castigated Soz's "individual decision" and ignoring old loyalists while taking decisions having statewide repercussions.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Differences between Azad, Soz wide open
Syed Ali Safvi
SRINAGAR, Apr 3: Internal bickerings among rival groups in Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee were out and wide open when union minister for health, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former union minister and president JKPCC), Saif-ud-Din Soz came face to face at Royal Spring Golf Course here today. Both the leaders did not even exchange a single word.
According to reports, Azad arrived here yesterday on a four-day visit after a group of his loyalists in JKPCC had gone all the way to Delhi to persuade him to visit the state. He was given a warm welcome by his supporters, who blamed Soz for the internal strife within the Congress camp.
Reports said that Azad visited Royal Spring Golf Course this afternoon and played golf for some hours. Surprisingly, Soz also arrived there, but both the leaders looked annoyed with each other, and did not even greet each or exchange a single word.
JKPCC camp is split into two factions and with each passing day the divide grows deeper and wider. According to sources, Azad’s loyalists were not happy with the decisions of Soz, and they have many a time vent their anger in JKPCC headquarters, meetings, and even on streets. The Azad loyalists have even publicly castigated Soz’s decisions.
Soz’s decision of accepting Kuka Parray’s son into the party fold is believed to be Soz’s latest “misadventure” which has annoyed Azad’s loyalists.
Meanwhile, Azad’s supporters called on him at his residence here and apprised him about the happenings in the state and their grievances. They also advised him to stay in touch with the state in order to keep the Congress party “alive and kicking”. To keep himself abreast of the situation in Kashmir and within the party, he needs to visit the state off and on, they told him. Reports said that Azad assured his supporters that he would keep close eye on the happenings in the party and in the state. He also assured them that he would continue his endeavour to strengthen the party in the state.
Meanwhile, JKPCC denied the reports of any rift in the party ranks.
According to a statement issued to the press, the party spokesman said, “It has come to our notice that certain elements are feeding the media with stories reflecting differences in the Congress party on the issue relating to Imtiyaz Parray son of late Kuka Parrey joining the Congress party.
“There is no question of any differences in the Congress party on such issues. The president Prof Saifuddin Soz, takes all decisions democratically and he enjoys unequivocal support of the rank and file of the Congress party cadres, throughout Jammu and Kashmir State.”
The statement said that Soz has given a new dimension and strength to the Congress party and made it ever more relevant and stronger in an unprecedented manner.
“Some people have approached the media in the garb of Congressmen. None of these elements including one Shaheen belongs to the Congress party and none of them holds any position in the party. Our office at MA Road functions in a transparent way and anybody from the press can see the list of PCC members approved by the Congress high command. It is obvious, therefore, that none of the persons outside the JKPCC can talk on behalf of the party,” he said.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Same road, another mishap, 2 more killed
Syed Ali Safvi
SRINAGAR, Mar 29: Today was supposed to be Madeeha’s first day at crunch, but little did her parents know that by the end of the day she would have spent over five hours not in a 10x12 class room, but in a two feet wide, five feet deep dark grave.
Madeeha, 2, and her mother, Nusrat Jan, were crushed to death by a speedy tipper at Abu Turab chowk at Sepden in central Kashmir’s Budgam district..
This is the second fatal mishap in less than two weeks on a bloody stretch between Bemina and Mirgund (Budgam).
Protests:
Massive protests continued overnight in Sepden, Bemina, and Mirgund areas against the killing of the mother-daughter duo. The irate youth took to streets early this morning and restricted vehicular movement on roads demanding a ban on the movement of heavy vehicles in the area. They also shouted slogans and demanded the tippers be given alternative route in order to save precious lives.
The protestors accused the district administration of failing to keep a check on the movement of heavy vehicles in the area.
According to eyewitnesses, a team of police had visited the area this morning, but they were chased away by angry mob.
The mishap:
A tipper, bearing registration number JK04-7922 driven by Shabir Ahmad Bhat son of Farooq Ahmad resident of Hakermulla Budgam hit a scooter carrying four members of a family: Rouf Ahmad Shah, son of Abdul Aziz of Daniwara Chattabal, his wife Nusrat Jan, and his two daughters at Abu Turrab Chowk Sepdan in Budgam district. Nusrat and her two-year-old daughter, Madeeha, died on spot. Their bodies were badly mutilated.
Rouf and his another daughter, Maleeha, were rushed to Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla for treatment. Both the shoulders of Rouf are said to be fractured and he may be shifted to SKIMS tomorrow for further treatment. However, condition of the father-daughter duo is stated to be out of danger.
The tipper driver, who had fled from the scene with his vehicle, was later arrested by a police team headed by SHO Budgam from his residence at Hakarmulla. The team also seized the vehicle.
The police have registered a case under section 304-A, and started further proceedings.
Conflicting accounts:
According to eyewitnesses, the scooter was caught in between the two tippers who were overtaking each other. It got crushed between the tippers. Both the tippers fled from the scene, they told Kashmir Times.
“After the dust settled, we saw two bodies lying in a pool of blood on the middle of the road. They were badly mutilated,” they said.
According to eye witnesses, the accident occurred at 7:00 pm. Pertinently, the movement of tippers is restricted from 8:30 to 10:30 in the morning and from 3:30 to 5:30 in the evening.
However, SSP Budgam, Aftab Ahmad Kakroo, said that the accident occurred at 8:00pm.
“We have been informed that the motorcyclist was trying to overtake the tipper at the time of the mishap,” he told Kashmir Times.
He said that the police had arrested the tipper driver last night and he is under police custody.
“We will produce challan before the court within a week,” he said.
Aftab said that he had arrested two minors who were caught driving tippers without license.
“I have directed cops to seize the vehicle if it is driven by a minor, or by a person without license,” he said.
They alleged that they were heading for Sepden this evening when they were lathicharged by police.
Family sources:
Rouf’s brother received a call at 7:10 pm yesterday. It was Rouf on the other side.
“Me moklyow ayal (I lost my family),” Rouf told his brother.
The family members of Rouf, who appreciated the support they received from the people of Sepdan and its adjoining areas, demand justice.
“Madeeha was supposed to go to school today. We could not see her dead,” they said.
March 17, 2010:
A nine-year old boy – on his way to Madrasa (religious school) - had died on March 17, 2001 when a rashly driven tipper, bearing registration number JK01F/0904, ran over him. The boy was shifted to SKIMS Soura where he succumbed to his injuries. A case under FIR no 659/010 was registered at police post Bemina.
Bemina-Mirgund deadly stretch
Absence of speed breakers reason for frequent accidents
S.A. SAFVI
Some termed it simply “heartbreaking”, while some hold the district administration responsible for the mishap. Bemina-Budgam road has become a dangerous road to travel on given the fact that over 1000 tippers ply on the road round the clock.
“This is the high time that district administration gets its act together and finds way out of this bloody logjam. This game has been going on for many years now. These killer tippers have mushroomed in last few years and ply on the narrow roads in breakneck speed,” writes Zafar Mehdi on Facebook. “These killer tippers must be made accountable for the murders, and a strong signal must be put across to everyone.”
Reasons For Frequent Accidents
There is more than one reason responsible for the frequent accidents on Bemina-Mirgund road. Narrow road, absence of speed breakers at strategic places and absence of cops to direct the traffic are some of the major reasons responsible for frequent mishaps.
“The mishaps are not strange given the fact that the road is narrow, moving speed is high, and padesterian walkway is absent,” Zafar writes.
“If the cause is identified, remedial measures must be taken at the earliest. There is already so much misery and tragedy happening out there (in
Missing Speed Breakers
Since Bemina-Mirgund road is considered accident-prone, the need for constructing speed breakers becomes more vital to prevent accidents. Moreover, the Mirgund-Bemina stretch has many schools and residential houses on roadside.
Stating that the removal of speed breakers in the area was carried out without taking into confidence the local populace, the residents of Bemina, Sepden, Mirgund have placed a demand for speed breakers near schools, and blind curves on Bemina-Mirgund road.
“The speed breaker is like a ‘safety breaker’ for both drivers and people in general. The main cause of accidents is speed and it is good to create speed breakers in order to alert the driver and force him to slow down,” believes Amir Ali, a resident of Bemina. “Without fail, the Bemina-Mirgund road should have speed breakers to prevent accidents,”
“Given the increasing number of vehicles on road and the speed applied to them by their drivers, speed breakers have become very necessary. On priority, the authorities should ensure that speed breakers are built in all high risk areas which are crowded,” opines Syed Shafaat, a student of University of Kashmir (KU).
Ex-Engineer R&B peaks
Talking to Kashmir Times, Executive Engineer R&B Budgam said that he had met district development commissioner Budgam and Tehsildar Budgam and apprised them about the demand.
“We have received a nod from DC Budgam vis-à-vis construction of speed breakers on Mirgund-Bemina road,” he said, adding that the work on the construction of speed breakers will be started within a week.
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