1 january 2014 issue

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Issue: 01

January- 2014

Page: 40

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FOCUS ON GLOBE

RNI Regd No JKENG/2013/50569

o Wisdom of Quran o Neighbourhood o In-Focus o Cover Story o Soceity o Health o Child Care o World o Nostalgic Year 2013

Voice of Aam Admi wins Delhi

Manish Sisodia Rakhi Birls Somnath Bharti Saurabh Bhardwaj Satyendra Jain Girish Soni Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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“Focus on Globe” is a complete News Magazine for the readers of the subcontinent. It shall be our primary concern and top priority to highlight the grievances of the people at large, for their redressal at the hands of the concerned so that sufferings of the people are mitigated within the shortest possible time frame work.

The basic idea for creation of this magazine and to get it on the stands is to provide our valued readers, a variety of material on different topics viz current affairs / History/ finance / development/ information technology / travel / agriculture / media/ health / society / woman’s issue/ culture/ Qur’anic wisdom/ entertainment / sports / unemployment issues and so on and so forth.

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ADVISOR ER. N. A. JAN FOCUS ON GLOBE Follow us: - facebook@focusonglobe or email us:-focusonglobe@gmail.com

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FOCUS ON GLOBE Issue: 4

August- 2013

Page: 40

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Complete News Magazine

RNI Registration No:- JKENG/2013/50569

H HISTORY H STATE SCAN H CURRENT AFFAIRS H GUJRAT H NEIGHBOURHOOD H RED TERROR H COUNTRY AFFARIS H COVER STORY H H HEALTH H WORLD AT GLANCE H WOMENS ISSUE H BUSINESS H LEGAL H SOCIETY H RELIGIOUS H SPORTS H RNIWOMENS RegdERANo JKENG/2013/50569

VOL:2

stone

ISSUE:01

JANUARY 2014

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Muhammad Haneef Mahajan COPY EDITOR H.Basharat yousuf EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nasir Ahmad Khan (SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT) Er. Abdul Majid Maharaji

KASHMIR BOIL AGAIN

CORESPONDENTS Abdul Hafiz Lakhani (Ahmadabad) Dr. Atif Suhail Siddiqui, Ph. D (UP) Abrar Bhat Sumaiya Rafiq Zargar GENERAL MANAGER Sadat

Gool inocentsPHOTO JOURNALISTS crushed by BSF,Aijaz Ahmad Parray ADVISORS Kil ed 4 personsEr. Nazir Ahmad Jan Syed Manzoor Ahmad Shah 48 Dr.Khursheed injured Ahmad Mahajan Gh. Jeelani Ghani Shabir Ahmad Wani

Focus On Globe August 2013

Legal Advisor Bilquees Rathore Gousia Rashid GRAHPHICS Tamin Art Gallery 9419056944 PRINTER, PUBLISHER & OWNER Muhammad Haneef Mahajan PUBLISHED FROM: 24/Gulistani Mahajan SKIMS Road Upper Soura Srinagar-190020-Kmr (India) PRINTED AT: S.S.Printer Soura Near Police Station Soura Srinagar Kashmir Phone NO: +91 9796 363738, 9419078647 email: focusonglobe@gmail.com

THE YEAR 2013 ASKS FOR A COLLECTIVE INTROSPECTION The year passed with same indelible marks left on our collective conscience and asks for a collective introspection vis-a-vis the scams, scandals and more importantly the ever increasing gulf between our poor, wretched forsaken and the ever widening vicious circles allowing a few to feed and suck on the wealth which otherwise would belong to the social welfare and general good of our community. Despite the tall claims of the people at the helm of affairs boosting about having done a great deal toward ensuring a transparent and objective social and legal mechanism of governance, the fact remains that the system is taken for a ride by the worshipers of favoritism, nepotism and ruthless exploitation of the national wealth by a few- most of the times these few feign or really happen to be living very close to the corridors of power. Under these vicious circles the common man has lost his faith in the credibility of our all democratic institutions.

Enough is enough we have to teach them the lesson who are involved in corruption, scams and sex scandals. Now it’s high time to think and wake-up collectively for the betterment of the society, so that scams and scandals will not crush the faith of common masses in the society.

I wish the year 2014 will show us the right path and bring everlasting joy, cheer, merriment, prosperity and success in each and every spheres of our life with these thoughts “FOCUS ON GLOBE” team wishes you a very Happy New Year.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Wisdom of Qur’an

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QURANIC VERSE POSTED AT ENTRANCE WALL OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY

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ambridge : The Harvard University of United States has posted a verse from Quran at the entrance wall of its Faculty of Law. The English translation of the Verse 135 of Sura Al Nisa (women chapter) has been posted as one of the best phrases said about justice. The faculty says the verse is one of the greatest expressions for justice.

The official website of the Faculty of Law of Harvard also carries the verse along with other statements about justice.

Qur’an (622 CE) “O ye who believe!

Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses To Allah, even as against Yourselves, or your parents, Or your kin, and whether It be (against) rich or poor: For Allah can best protect both.”

Qur’an (622 CE) “O ye who believe!

Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses To Allah, even as against Yourselves, or your parents, Or your kin, and whether It be (against) rich or poor: For Allah can best protect both.”

The verse in Quran is this: The Faculty of Law explaining the context of the verse says: “According to Islamic tradition, this Surah (chapter), was revealed in Medina after the Prophet’s hijra (migration) from Mecca in 622 CE. As the name of this surah implies, An-Nisa’ mainly deals with the obligations and responsibilities of women in Islamic society, but it also touches on inheritance and family law along with slavery and temporary marriage. In this verse, the Qur’an is addressing the importance of truthfulness in testimony.”

Harvard University was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636. It is one of the world’s oldest universities.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Neighbourhood

CHINA APPROVES EASING OF ONE-CHILD POLICY

C

hinese lawmakers approved the move to ease controversial onechild policy and abolish notorious labour camps, which allow detention of petty offenders without trial.

State-run Xinhua news agency reported the standing committee of Chinese parliament, National, took the decisions after a six-day meeting.

The revised policy would allow couples, where either parent has no siblings, to have two children. The family planning policy was imposed 34 years ago to check overpopulation.

China has long defended the policy, saying it checked the population growth, boosted development and propelled the impoverished country to become the world’s second-largest economy.

Experts said demographic challenges like increasing elderly population, a dwindling labour force and depleting sex ratio prompted the revised policy, which is estimated to apply to around 10 million couples. They added China has been able to handle challenges like food shortages thanks to the policy.

Xinhua reported provincial congresses will implement the new policy “based on evaluation of local demographic situation and in line with the law on population and family planning as well as this (standing committee) resolution”.

The one-child policy reforms are expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2014, a senior official told Xinhua.

“This is a big day. We felt so restricted with the government interfering in our personal life. We will surely go for a second child,” Huang Fang, a schoolteacher in Beijing, told TOI. “Our parents are also looking forward to more grandchildren”.

Most Chinese couples in reproductive ages were born after late 1970s when the one-child policy was introduced. The new policy will effectively cover the bulk of Chinese parents hoping to have a second child.

China began tweaking the one-child policy a few years back. It initially allowed some relaxation in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai and later allowed couples to have a second child if both parents are single children.

The policy has now been extended to couples where one of the parents is a single child.

“The Chinese government has shown it has the guts, the courage to do things that appear to be difficult,” State media quoted Fu Hualing, a professor at the Law School of Hong Kong University, as saying.

The abolition of labour camps would allow hundreds of inmates to walk free. The camps, which were introduced over 50 years ago to tackle petty offenders, allow police to issue sentences of up to four years without trial.

5

INDIA, PAKISTAN AGREE TO SEND BACK INADVERTENT BORDER CROSSERS

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ndia and Pakistan agreed that people who inadvertently cross the frontier would be immediately returned to their respective countries.

The decision was made during a five-day bi-annual meeting of officials of the Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Force here.

According to a statement issued after the talks, the two sides decided to continue efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity on the international border.

The two border guard forces agreed that people who inadvertently cross the frontier would be immediately returned to their respective countries.

The two sides reached consensus on using communication channels more effectively to control violations on the frontier. They also agreed on “zero tolerance” for smuggling.

Consensus was developed on issues like stopping illegal construction’ removal of wild growth like scrubs and maintenance of boundary pillars.

Defence constructions, border incidents and trans-border crimes like drug trafficking, infiltration and smuggling of arms and fake Indian currency, inadvertent border crossings and other matters of mutual interest were discussed for effective border management, authorities said.

The Indian delegation, headed by BSF chief Subhash Joshi, included senior officers from Chandigarh, Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and the BSF headquarters in New Delhi.

The decisions came days after the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries met after 14 years and decided to re-energise mechanisms for maintaining the ceasefire on the Line of Control.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

In Focus

6

MUSLIMS ARE BEING CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY IN KASHMIR IN LARGE NUMBERS C

h i l dren are ordered to go in church and make prayers. Monks visit schools and promote students to pray for success in church. These things affect the minds of children and weaken their relation with Islam.

By Abdullah Yusuf Qasmi - The article has been translated from Urdu Times into English Sarwar Khan who lives in Poonch, Jammu Kashmir, has now converted to Christianity.

The reason is he started feeling deeply that Muslims do not cooperate with each other. Once, he happened to meet a Christian clergyman who showed pity and kindness towards him and helped him.

Later, they became friends and finally Sarwar Khan accepted Christianity.

Zaibunnisha is a poor widow. After her husband was killed by terrorists, the only son was a stepping stone for her.

Some days later, he was also martyred.

Neither Muslim leaders helped him nor did her Muslim neighbors lent a hand to her. One Christian clergy facilitated her financially and medically as well and she became Christian.

Not only Sarwar Khan and Zaibunnisa left Islam but according to a report published in Christianity Today 2006, more than 15000 Muslims have accepted Christianity till now.

I happened to meet Maulana Rahmatullah Mir Qasmi in Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

the public meeting of Muslim Personal Law Board. Maulana is reactor of Darul Uloom Rahimiyya in Bandi Pura in valley.

Maulana is doing his best to make people aware of mischief of Christian preachers. The stories he told me were very grievous and painful.

Last year, a CD was issued in Sri Nagar which caused sensation throughout the valley. The CD revealed Muslim youths coming one by one, diving in a small pound and pledging to the Baptists that they will follow the way of Jesus.

Maulana Rahmatullah also told that the boys who were shown taking baptism have established an organization namely Khidmat-e-Khalqullah Society. Those running an organization with Arabic names are Christian missionaries. It is not at all surprising in valley. There are so many missionaries in valley whose names are Arabic but they are doing their level best to convert Muslim to Christianity. Here are some, Noor-e-Hayat Church, Albashar Fellowship, Almajlish Jamat Fellowship etc.

In valley, the efforts to convert Muslims to Christianity are being made openly by the missionaries of America, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Korea. They have several groups to work for different sorts of people. Crusade to Christ who is a group of Christian preachers are working for the students of north Kashmir. Frantars

In Focus

missionary preaches Chritianity among only Gujjar community. German Town Baptists Trust works among poor farmers while Oppression Gep works among the extremists who either have been released from the jails or surrendered themselves. Assemblies of God also work among farmers. In the same way, Albashar Misson and Gospel of Asia are working in border areas.

Thousands of missionaries like these have nowadays made Kashmir their target. They are doing their work everywhere in valley in Srinagar, in Palwama, Budgam, Baramulla, Kapwara, Gandarball, and Kangan.

Muslims of Kashmir are also aware of this state of affairs. They well know the wrongdoings and mischievous activities of missionaries. They time and again vent their spleen too against the missionaries. On September 15, 2006, some enraged and angry Muslims attacked a Christian convent. After the earthquake took place on 15 September 2005, Christian missionaries helped people provided that they change their religion. When Muslims lodged complaint against them to the state government, the government banned all the missionaries. Despite that, the missionaries are active in the valley.

The reason for this state of affairs is that let alone other politicians, even Muslim leaders never raised their voices to banish missionaries from Kashmir.

Maulana Rahmatullah says, even some monks have given baptism to the Muslim children in their orphanages when they were hardly seven to fifteen years old and did not know what baptism is. When they came of age they realized that they have been exploited and oppressed.

Whatever reasons Maulana has written in his book Kashmir

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m a i n Irtidad ka Hadisa unravels the incentives given to Muslims to become Christians and is an eye-opener.

People think that Muslims are converting to the Christianity only due to poverty. It is not correct. The major reason for it is they are not firm in their love for Allah and the His prophet. The concepts of hereafter are out of their sights. Islamic rites have turned disreputable in their sight. Due to these circumstances, Christian monks and preachers and their missionaries are successful in their efforts.

The other reason for that are the schools which are not of missionaries but activities done there are like ones of missionaries, such as Christian prayer which is text of Bible, forming cross on the chest etc. It is clear that when children recite Christian prayer and make the cross on their chest, their mind and hearts will accept it. In these schools there are statues of Maryam and of cross. Children are ordered to go in church and make prayers.

Monks visit schools and promote students to pray for success in church. These things affect the minds of children and weaken their relation with Islam.

In short, the missionaries are exploiting Muslim children by giving them education, medicines and financial support. The circumstances of Kashmir are going from bad to worse. The coming generation is fully within the range of apostasy.

Maulana Mir Qasmi also requested ulama, mashaikh, teachers of madrasas and Muslim organisations to create awareness about it in valley and to establish not only madrasas but also English medium schools everywhere.

He also requested parents to send their children in Muslim dominated schools and help each other in their neighbourhood.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

8

Covery Story

Voice of Aam Admi wins Delhi

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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ewly-appointed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal allotted portfolios to his Cabinet ministers.

Apart from the important Power and Finance portfolios, Kejriwal has kept with himself Planning, Home, Services, Vigilance and all other departments not allocated.

His key aide Manish Sisodia has been given Revenue, Education, Higher Education, PWD, Urban Development, Local Bodies, and Land and Building departments.

Somnath Bharti has been allotted Tourism, Law, Administrative Reforms and Culture, while Saurabh Bhardwaj will keep the Food and Supplies, and Transport portfolios.Girish Soni will have the SC/ST, Labour, and Skill Development portfolios, while Rakhi Birla will take charge of Women and Child Development, and Social Welfare.

Satyendra Jain will be the new Delhi Health and Industries Minister.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL 45-YEAR, SECOND IIT ALUMNI TO BECOME CM Arvind Kejriwal is only the second Chief Minister to be an IITian after his Goa counterpart Manohar Parrikar and joins a select group of ministers like Ajit Singh and Jairam Ramesh whose alma mater is the crown jewel of the country's higher education.

A product of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Khargapur, 45-year-old Kejriwal studied Mechanical Engineering and passed out in 1989.

Besides Parrikar and Kejriwal, the other IIT alumni who are among the handful of highly-qualified technocrat politicians include Union Ministers Ajit Singh and Jairam Ramesh.

Parrikar passed out as a metallurgical engineer from IIT, Mumbai.

Like Kejriwal, Ajit Singh, a computer engineer by profession, is a B Tech from IIT, Kharagpur while Ramesh graduated from IIT Bombay with a B.Tech. In Mechanical Engineering.

Ramesh's fellow IITian Nandan Nilekani could be also following his footsteps in the wake of speculation of IT bell weather Infosys co-founders likely leap into the hurly-burly of politics during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Speculation is rife that Nilekani, currently Head of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), could be the Congress candidate from Bangalore South.

Interestingly, both Ramesh and Nilekani were both excellent quizzers and were part of the 1975 Mood Indigo team at IIT Bombay.

And the silver-haired and articulate minister with a reputation as a blunt policy-maker could be the man whom Nilekani may turn to for tips, albeit in a different scenario, and he may well oblige.

Ramesh was the man Nilekani tapped when the Infosys IPO was undersubscribed in 1993. It is stated that Nilekani asked Ramesh, three years his senior in IIT, to put Rs 10,000 in the company. Ramesh didn't and calls the move "the single biggest mistake of my life".

Saurabh Bharadwaj and Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal's ministerial colleagues, have an engineering background though not form IIT. Bhardwaj is a B Tech in computer science from Bharatiya Vidyapeeth College of Engineering under IP University while Sisodia did his Mechanical Engineering from Jammu.

Ironically, despite being an IITian, Ramesh, who is now the Minister for Rural Development, had kicked up a controversy claiming the faculty of the premier IITs and IIMs are 'not world class' but are 'excellent' because of the quality of students.

Armed with a BSc degree from Lucknow University, a B Tech

Covery Story from IIT, Kharagpur, and an MS from the Illinois Institute of Technology, USA, Ajit Singh worked in the US computer industry for 15 years before returning to India in 1986 to enter politics. Singh is the current Civil Aviation Minister.

Prem Das Rai, the lone MP from Sikkim, has the unique distinction of being the first ever IIT-IIMer in the Lok Sabha.

He is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur (chemical engineering) and IIM Ahmedabad.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan is another IITian who is currently holding top public post. He is a gold medallist in electrical engineering from IIT-Delhi and IIM-Ahmedabad.

Kejriwal also has a fellow IITian for company in the Delhi Cabinet. Somnath Bharti, who did his MSc from IIT Delhi, won the Malviya Nagar assembly seat under which the campus of the prestigious institute falls.

On one occasion, six IITians, all in their 20s, as a group ventured into politics and also floated an outfit in 2005.

The engineers from IIT Mumbai and IIT Kanpur, all in their 20s, gave up bright careers and handsome pay packages, to launch 'Lok Paritran Party (LPP) in Jodhpur.This party contested in 2006 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in seven constituencies, but failed to pull crowd and drew a blank.

It later witnessed a vertical split and a Bharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD) was formed by a splinter group and came face-toface in the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

LPP office bearers termed the formation of BPD as "unfortunate and a part of political conspiracy".

Kejriwal did not miss an opportunity to address students of IIT Delhi during the course of his Assembly poll campaign in the Capital.

He emphasised on the role of youth in rebuilding India through corruption free politics.

He also said the youth of the country have the responsibility to change the country, and it is time for them to join politics.

Janardhana Swamy, a BJP MP from Chitradurga in Karnataka, is another highly qualified politician from the Engineering stream. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering (instrumentation technology) from UBDT College of Engineering, Davangere, and a master's degree in engineering (electrical communication) from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

As the tribe of technocrat-politicians slowly but steadily increase, leading political parties are also drawing on

9

the latest technologies to gain a competitive edge in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In a changing India, where orthodox and conventional methods of preparing for an election are becoming less significant, technology offers parties a new advantage in what is likely to be a closely-fought 2014 polls "Technology is an important piece of poll strategy and a vital tool in a party and candidate's arsenal," according to Nilekani.

Arvind Kejriwal praises Harsh Vardhan, ignores Sheila Dikshit Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described BJP leader Harsh Vardhan, who was a chief ministerial contender, as a "good man" but added he would not say that about his party.

"Harsh Vardhan is a good man, I know him," Kejriwal said in a speech after taking oath of office at the Ramlila Maidan.

"But I cannot say that about his party," the Aam Aadmi Party leader added, triggering laughter in the crowds packing the sprawling ground.

Doctor-turned-politician Harsh Vardhan was the BJP's chief ministerial candidate in the Delhi election. But he failed to form a government as his party fell four short of a majority in the Assembly.

KEJRIWAL DID NOT MENTION SHEILA DIKSHIT, HIS PREDECESSOR IN THE JOB FOR 15 YEARS, IN HIS SPEECH. On December 04, when Delhi cast its vote for the Assembly Elections,Sheila Dikshit, was visibly irritated when mediapersons asked her of the new entrant in Delhi politics, "Who is Arvind Kejriwal? What is AAP? Can you call it a party that can be compared to the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?

AAP is generally talked about because the gentleman and the party have a way of projecting themselves," she retorted.

KEJRIWAL TO PROVE MAJORITY ON JANUARY 2 AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who took over as Delhi chief minister on Saturday,28 Dec.2013 would prove his government's majority in the assembly in January 2, an official statement said.

In the Kejriwal government's first cabinet meeting, it was decided that the first session of the new legislative assembly will be convened from January1.

"The first session of the fifth legislative assembly of National Capital Territory of Delhi will be summoned from Jan 1 to Jan 7, 2014. The MLAs would be administered oath on the first day of the session. The government would move the vote of confidence on Jan 2. Election for speaker and deputy speaker will be held Jan 3," an official statement said.

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung will address the House Jan 6. The house would then discuss the motion of thanks on his address, an official said.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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I

n this age of all-round progress, every new day brings new things. People consume them depending on their preference or buying capability. People curiously welcome new proucts, if they are beneficial and have no restrictions from medical, educational and economic ends. For some, nevertheless, religious instruction is crucial, they need to have a go ahead or an NOC from their religious heads to try new things.

On the other hand, it is and it must be an important agenda for those sitting in the helm of responsibility religious or political to look into, when the invented things are of glamour or fashion world, even though, they are socially acceptable in some corners. If they have any serious downside to them whether for health or religious reasons, then they must step in without being asked for, favouring the larger benefit of the society in general.

We cannot discuss all these issues threadbare in this few pages of an article, and therefore, here we will take into account the topic Seductive effects of alcohol ruining all individuals, families and societies in a social and humane perspective.

Your magazine Eastern Crescent carried Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Society

Society the cover story in the last (March -12) issue how a giant soft drink brand Coca-Cola is exploiting its consumers and even deliberately secretly hitching them to alcoholic addiction. The following piece of our finding, in your hand, is yet another revelation how wine and liquor addiction is destroying family after family in India and the world.

Alcohol and its different forms which are available in the market have trapped millions of people in its seductive vise.

Leave alone a large number of rich people who waste their wealth consuming alcohol, a section of poor people too throw away their earnings in the same way.

THE WIDE RANGE OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS Alcohol has many forms brandy, whiskey, champagne, vodka, gin and rum and these high quality spirits are taken with soda or water, or sometimes without either, called neat. Wines are spirits used at the lunch and dinner table and they are gener-

SPIRITS RUIN BOTH THE RICH AND POOR The urge to drink high quality spirits, guided by wine-tasters, among the affluent and the overwhelming bent to consume commonly sold arrack or hooch whether diluted with lethal elements or not, to give a high octane kick does not respect distinctions of caste or class. The rich drink because they have money to throw around and it is socially acceptable to quaff a few drinks at a cocktail party. Some of the newly wealthy may take to drink to loosen tongues and ferret out juicy tidbits of information from friends and enemies that might not be revealed in a sane condition.

Sometimes they drink because it is considered beneath their status to avoid drinks at a high profile gathering. A person is rejected and looked down upon if he does not join their charmed circle and be a social drinker.

The poor drink because they find it an easy way to escape from the dust, grime and body pain after a hard days labour .When alcohol enters the system it desensitizes it to everyday pain and suffering, and a tired man can sleep like a log after he has had a few drinks. And then begins the daily addiction and the inability to do without it.

Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since times immemorial. It continues to cost countless human lives, and inflicts terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the destructive power of alcohol.

ally distilled from grapes and they do not have the kick of a pure whisky or brandy or rum. These wines are not only used before and after meals as light drinks, usually for ladies, but sometimes are even used in the gourmet food sold at high class hotels and restaurants.

The 'good' in alcohol is popularly known as a certain taste and a feeling of well-being, professed increase of temporary energy, and a gives a glow on the face. Being transient, these benefits hardly stand against the array of evils that drinking breeds.

Lets take the human body first. Drinking causes mal-function of the stomach, reduces desire to eat, affects facial contours, inflates the waistline, hurts the liver and the kidneys and becomes a contributor to all sorts of diseases.

Reason does not work under the influence of hard drinks and cannot manage things until one becomes sober after some time. The hangover turns out to be as bad. The morning after a party is hard for drinker who gets a splitting headache and is disoriented after his late-night bout of drinking. Wine, a tempting stimulant and a much romanticized poison works slowly, in spite of the spirited defense put up by its users. The fact is that drinking not only harms the elders but affects their new born or yet

11 to come children as well.

FRIENDS FALL OUT AFTER DRINKING, SECRETS REVEALED Socially, drinking may become the cause of mutual malice and enmity which is a great evil. One of the most harmful drawbacks of drinking shows up when a person under its influence lets out his guarded secrets. It becomes much more disastrous if the culprit happens to be a state functionary or corporate elite in possession of vital government or company secrets. Passing these out to an enemy agent can cause great damage to the state through a coup, a political loss or a challenge to national defence, or a man may lose his own job or by giving away company secrets causing loss to the company. Clever spies are always on the lookout for such opportunities.

So, the habit of drinking is not only an evil in itself but a mother of other evils too making men ready to commit the worst possible crimes against their fellow-beings.

Dr M Robertson rightly states, "If half the pubs and bottle stores were closed, I guarantee that half the hospitals and jails will remain closed."

Those who have stopped drinking and repented sincerely have arrived to the conclusion, that alcohol is the mother of all evils, a deadly poison from which one must abstain.

Keralas liquor consumption is about four times the national average, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) places at less than two litres. The world average is five. Keralites prefer rum or brandy, while the national "poison" is whiskey. But the countryside is also dotted with taverns selling local brews and arrack, which is akin to vodka in alcohol content.

Such a propensity for drink has had enormous social consequences, destroying careers and the social fabric of a people with an essentially middle-class outlook on life, in a state which ranks high among Indias 28 states in social development indicators.

These social consequences include alcohol abuse, alcohol-related diseases and deaths, wife-beating, and teenagers as young as 13 years old taking to the bottle.

Liquor sales rise around August and September during the annual "Onam" harvest festival. It is also a time for so-called "hooch tragedies" when spurious or adulFocus On Globe 01 January 2014

Society

12 terated brews claim many lives.

Last years festival was no different.

Twenty-six people died after drinking toxic liquor in Malappuram district. Over the last three decades, as many as 250 people have died from these "hooch tragedies," leaving behind families deprived of breadwinners.

Such tragedies have not diminished the demand for liquor. According to studies made by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), liquor sales almost doubled from Rs 2320 crore (530 million dollars) in the period 2004- 05, to Rs 5538. 90 crore (1.4 billion dollars) in 2009-2010.

There have been a number of hooch tragedies in several states of India. Unscrupulous dealers mix banned chemicals to increase the potency of the brew. Hundreds of poor people have died after drinking the cheap liquor .There is huge hue and cry in the media, whenever such cases are reported, and from the local people, but the matter is allowed to die a quiet death.

In villages of India, women bear the brunt of the rage of their intoxicated husbands. Some villagers, spearheaded by women activists have organised themselves into groups to prevent country liquor shops from operating in their area. NCP leader Sharad Pawar had made a welcome initiative in Maharashtra that if 50 per cent of the local villagers, especially women vote against the opening of a liquor shop, then the local authorities would refuse to grant permission for such a shop.

Such initiatives in Indias hinterland are few and far between. Everyone knows that one of the major causes of suicide among farmers is addiction to drink besides the heavy burden of interest and failure of crops.

Anna Hazare has made his village Ralegan Siddhi liquor-free.

ALCOHOL GIVES IMPETUS TO CRIME According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713 rapes took place. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists were intoxicated while committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation. According to statistics, 8 Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

per cent of Americans commit incest (sex with in family members) i.e. one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. Almost all the cases of incest are due to intoxication of one or both the persons involved. One of the major factors associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease till date, is alcoholism.

Many may argue in favour of liquor by calling themselves social drinkers. They claim that they only have one or two pegs and they have self-control and so never get intoxicated. Investigations reveal that every alcohol addicted started as a social drinker.

Not a single alcoholic or drunkard initially starts drinking with the intention of becoming an alcoholic or a drunkard. No social drinker can say that I have been having alcohol for several years and that I have so much self control that I h a v e never

toxicated time.

been ineven a single

Alcoholism is a vice; it is an evil and has overall negative impact on both individual and family life and this is a universally accepted fact. However, this fact has generally no effect on consumption especially in the western part of the world and in the socalled high class societies across the globe.

It is like putting a terrible cancer warning on all tobacco products people see, know the upcoming consequences and still consume it.

Every popular religion Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism have unequivocally gone on record against alcoholism. Islam being the most modern and

the latest among Semitic religions has a detailed account on this evil practice. It textually counts alcoholism as the mother of all evils. Lets take a glance on Islamic texts about alcoholism.

THE PROHIBITION OF WINE IN THE GLORIOUS QURAN AND HADITH "They ask you (O Muhammad (saws)) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling.

Say: In them is a great sin and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." (Al-Baqarah 2:219) Abu Darda' (ra) narrated that the messenger of Allah (saws) said: Dont drink wine for it is the key to every evil. (Al-Tirmidhi) Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra): When the prohibition of wine (was yet to be) declared, Umar said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. So the following verse of Surat al-Baqarah was revealed; "They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: In them is great sin...." Umar was then called and it was recited to him. He (again) said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. Then the following (second) verse of Surat an-Nisa' was revealed: "O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged...." Thereafter the herald of the Apostle of Allah (saws) would call when the (congregational) prayer was performed: Beware, one who is drunk should not come to prayer. Umar was again called and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. This verse (third) of Surah Al-Maaidah was revealed: "Will ye not then abstain?" Umar said: We abstained. (Abu Dawood)

SATAN'S USE OF INTOXICANTS "Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salat (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain? (Al-Maaidah 5:91)

TRADE IN ALCOHOL Narrated Anas ibn Malik (ra): Allah's Messenger (saws) cursed ten people in

Society connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought. (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

DYING WHEN ADDICTED Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (saws) said: Every intoxicant is khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies while he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not be given a drink in the Hereafter. (Muslim)

(ra) asked the Prophet (saws) about wine, but he forbade it. He again asked him, but he forbade him. He said to him: Prophet of Allah, it is a medicine. The Prophet said: No it is a disease. (Abu Dawood)

THE PROHIBITION OF WINE AND RELATED INJUNCTIONS When Islam came, drinking wine was common practice as part of the general custom of the era of ignorance before the Prophets (saws) advent. When the great Prophet (saws) migrated to Madinah at-Tayyibah, people of that city were

PRAYERS OF AN ALCOHOLIC IS NOT ACCEPTED Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (ra): Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If anyone drinks wine Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he again repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents Allah will not forgive him, but will give him to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell."

(Tirmidhi transmitted it from Abdullah ibn Umar and Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr.)

WINE MEDICINE OR DISEASE! Tariq ibn Suwayd or Suwayd ibn Tariq

also accustomed to wine and gambling. Common people were infatuated with these in view of their superficial benefits. They had no idea of the evils inherent in these practices.

However, it is the tradition of Allah that He creates, in every nation and in every country, some sensible people who use natural wisdom and reasoning to control their temperaments, even without any established law. They would generally not go

13 near an emotional urge if it goes against the dictates of reason. In this regard, the station of the noble Prophet (saws) was very high, for he had a built-in distaste for things which were going to be declared haram later on. Even among the blessed companions, there were some who had not touched wine during the days when it was an open practice.

It was after reaching Madinah at-Tayyibah that some companions became deeply concerned about the evil effects of these two involvements wine and gambling.

It was due to this concern that Sayidna 'Umar (ra) and Mu'adh ibn Jabal (ra) along with some Ansari companions presented themselves before the Prophet (saws) and argued how wine and gambling not only spoil man's reason but also cause financial loss and sought his advice in this connection. It was in answer to their question that the verse No. 219 of Surah-Albaqarah was revealed. This is the first verse in which the primary steps to stop Muslim from the long-practiced wine and gambling was taken.

There was a dramatic change in society before the practice of drinking and its ban after the revelation of the Quran. It was clear for all to see that what a transformation it brought about in Islamic societyat the personal, social and national levelsled and guided by the precept and example of prophet Muhammed {saws}.

Within a few years the whole society was transformed by the application and actual demonstration of the Quranic principle it became completely non-alcoholic.

Peace and serenity prevailed because no temporarily insane persons were let loose either on the family or society to bring about discord, fight and destruction. There was no giving vent to loose morals that is so much a part Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Health

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HEALTHY SUPERFOODS TO TRY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

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re you worried that sugary, buttery holiday treats will take a toll on your health? Remember, one must never compensate on one' health, but don’t forget that this season just comes once a year. So it is ok to indulge in holiday meals but just be a bit cautious. Here are some holiday super foods that you can opt for without worrying about its effect on your health.

Sweet potatoes This scrumptious root vegetable is packed with vitamin A, potassium, B6 and dietary fibre. It is one of the healthiest vegetables as long as it is not severed with ample butter or brown sugar. They taste delicious even when baked or roasted.

TURKEY A portion of turkey provides a good amount of folic acid, vitamin B, zinc and potassium. This mix of nutrients are known to keep blood cholesterol low, boost the immune system and also protect you against cancer. A single portion without the skin will keep you full without adding excessive calories.

POMEGRANATES Pomegranates are one of the richest sources of antioxidants. This fruit can be used in many ways for a holiday meal. Opt for pomegranate sauce or salad to get all the vital nutrients and minerals. You can also add a handful of seeds to your morning juice to kick start your day.

PUMPKIN Pumpkin is another holiday superfood, which is rich in fibre and full of beta- carotene. Pumpkins are very moist and hence they don’t need to be mixed with other unhealthy ingredients to make them tasty. Try a healthy pumpkin pie to satiate your sweet tooth this holiday season.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD It is a known fact that 100 per cent whole wheat bread has a lot more fibre than white bread. Fibre can also regulate bowel movement and decrease the risk of heart disease. So, don’t hesitate to indulge in this holiday superfood over other carbohydrates, if you are conscious about your health.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Child Care

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR MOMS: INVEST IN YOUR KID'S FUTURE

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ith a finance career spanning over 25 years, Vibha Padalkar, Executive Director and CFO, HDFC Life, is also a proud mother of a young teenager. Being a working mom and a career woman in a man’s world, she enlightens us by sharing her experiences, views, ideas and learning’s.

A lot has changed for modern parents in the last few decades. The way parents spend their time has distinctly changed. Fathers have started contributing more to housework and child care and mothers have begun planning their career more seriously. I would say, neither has overtaken the other in their traditional realms, but their roles have converged to a great extent.

Women have made major strides in education and employment around the world. In India, encouraged by the changing socio-economic fabric, dynamics of parenting is witnessing the mother play a very critical role in contributing towards planning for her child’s future needs. These changes have, no doubt,

15

added the pressure of balancing work and family life for mothers and fathers alike.

Against this backdrop, I encourage every mother to initiate the conversation of financial planning for her child’s future and play an active role along with her husband.

After all, financial planning for her child, at the right time is as much the responsibility of the mother as it is of the father.

An early start is a kick-start Though the role of a mother has evolved over the years, it has been observed that most parents, start planning for the child’s future quite late. It’s only understandable because the early years are quite challenging for new parents and other priorities seem to take importance.

Their focus on meeting the rearing priorities usually leads to overlooking the financial planning. To reap the benefits of financial investments, it is always advisable to opt for financial planning for a child’s future during the child’s formative years (3-9 years). This is to ensure sufficient funds when the child is ready to embark on a career, typically around the age of 18-21 years. It always pays to start early.

If you start early, it will give you a larger time horizon to build a bigger corpus at a lesser cost.

MAKE YOUR CHILD’S BIRTHDAY A REASON TO INVEST FOR HER FUTURE It’s a known fact that Indian mothers start saving in the form of jewelry or FDs for their children right from an early age.

Typically a lot of gifts given by family and friends on occasions like birthdays are also saved up for the child’s future needs. This is a great habit and all she needs to do is to make her savings more structured and disciplined by using a Child Plan. There is no better time to do this than her little one’s birthday when she is already looking for the perfect gift. Moreover, she will always remember to pay the premium since it will co-inside with her child’s birthday every year.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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World

US GAINS IN AFGHANISTAN WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT ROLLBACKS BY 2017, REPORT CLAIMS

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new US intelligence estimate predicts that gains the United States and allies have made in the Afghanistan war in the past three years will be significantly rolled back by 2017, even if some US troops remain, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing officials familiar with the report.

The National Intelligence Estimate also predicts that Afghanistan will quickly fall into chaos if Washington and Kabul fail to sign a security pact to keep an international military contingent there beyond 2014, the newspaper said. The pact must be signed for the United States and its allies to provide billions more dollars in aid to the impoverished country.

The newspaper cited officials who have read the classified report, which includes input from the 16 US intelligence agencies, or were briefed on its conclusions.

“In the absence of a continuing presence and continuing financial support,” the intelligence assessment “suggests the situation would deteriorate very rapidly,” the newspaper quoted one US official familiar with the report as saying.

However, the newspaper said some officials felt the report on the potential outcome of the longest war in US history was overly pessimistic and did not take into account progress made by Afghanistan’s security forces.

“I think what we’re going to see is a recalibration of political power, territory and that kind of thing,” the paper quoted one official as saying. “It’s not going to be an inevitable rise of the Taliban.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has balked at signing the security pact that would permit US forces to stay in the country beyond 2014, and US officials have said that unless a deal is reached to keep perhaps 8,000 US troops, the Taliban insurgents might stage a major comeback and al-Qaida could regain safe havens.

2 IN 1

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013

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YEAR 2013

The year 2013 asks for a collective introspection The year passed with same indelible marks left on our collective conscience and asks for a collective introspection vis-a-vis the scams, scandals and more importantly the ever increasing gulf between our poor, wretched forsaken and the ever widening vicious circles allowing a few to feed and suck on the wealth which otherwise would belong to the social welfare and general good of our community. Despite the tall claims of the people at the helm of affairs boosting about having done a great deal toward ensuring a transparent and objective social and legal mechanism of governance, the fact remains that the system is taken for a ride by the worshipers of favoritism, nepotism and ruthless exploitation of the national wealth by a few- most of the times these few feign or really happen to be living very close to the corridors of power. Under these vicious circles the common man has lost his faith in the credibility of our all democratic institutions.

Enough is enough we have to teach them the lesson who are involved in corruption, scams and sex scandals. Now it’s high time to think and wake-up collectively for the betterment of the society, so that scams and scandals will not crush the faith of common masses in the society.

I wish the year 2014 will show us the right path and bring everlasting joy, cheer, merriment, prosperity and success in each and every spheres of our life with these thoughts “FOCUS ON GLOBE” team wishes you a very Happy New Year.

FLASH BACK

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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Nostalgic Year 2013

coal scam: Prime Minister admits he cleared coal block allocation to Hindalco The Prime Minister's Office on 19.Oct.2013 ended its silence on the latest and possibly most explosive development in Coalgate by acknowledging that Dr. Manmohan Singh put his stamp of approval (on October 1, 2005) on the allocation of a coal block to top industrialist Kumar Birla's Hindalco.

At the same time, it vigorously rebutted the Central Bureau of Investigation's claim of illegality, saying the PM stood by the decision as no wrong had been committed.

Taking what is being seen in political and bureaucratic circles as an uncharacteristically strong stand, the PMO said, "The PM is satisfied that the final decision in this regard was entirely appropriate and based on merits of the case placed before him."

The PMO statement comes after retired coal secretary P.C.Parakh — booked along with Birla for alleged criminal conspiracy and misconduct, and corruption - said that if CBI thought there were irregularities, then the PM ought to be "accused No 1" for giving his approval.

With the opposition baying for his resignation, Singh's move to forthrightly own up to having sought a reassessment of Hindalco's case after a representation by “Odisha” Chief Minister “Naveen Patnaik” appears intended to cap a politically debil-

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

itating controversy.

But by doing so, Singh, who at the time held charge of the coal ministry, accepted he was the "competent authority" who signed off on the coal allocations in the 2006-09 period - under CBI's lens — when he held charge of the portfolio. On whether the PM would be ready to be questioned in any Coalgate case, as suggested by senior minister “Kamal Nath”, a PMO spokesperson declined comment, saying CBI was yet to make such a request.

The PMO said it didn't wish to impede the CBI's investigation, but justified altering the screening committee's earlier decision to award the coal block in question to public sector companies “Neyveli Lignite Corp” (NLC) and “Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd” (MCL) by relying heavily on Patnaik's backing to Hindalco.

In accommodating Hindalco as the third partner in a joint venture, PM also waived a violation in guidelines to enhance the firm's share by arguing that “NLC” and “MCL” were "sister PSUs" and Neyveli's share could be made good from Mahanadi's 70% allocation.

It invoked the "federal framework" to say Patnaik's views had to be accommodated, and claimed that public sector claimants had not been disadvantaged.

Nostalgic Year 2013 claim of Orissa Sponge Iron Ltd would be accommodated elsewhere and Mahanadi was made a partner along with Hindalco and NLC. Neyveli could not be dropped as it was a central PSU backed by the

Countering criticism that private sector “Hindalco” had been favoured, PMO said the coal requirements of the two PSUs, who also sought the blocks, were protected in a separate arrangement.

Neyveli Lignite was originally allotted Talabira II coal blocks in Sambhalpur by the screening committee headed by then coal secretary P.C.Parakh as the panel held that Hindalco had failed to utilize a previously allocated block. The committee also said Hindalco had been provided adequate coal linkages from MLC, which it had failed to utilize. It was felt NLC and Mahanadi could together develop Talabira II and III to extract an additional 30 million tonnes of coal.

The coal ministry altered the screening committee's decision and gave Hindalco a 15% stake in a joint venture with “NLC” and “MCL”, said the PMO, after considering representations from Birla and Patnaik, which were referred to it by the PM. PMO said while the original recommendation was being processed by it, the PM received a letter dated 17.8.2005 from the Odisha CM saying that the state government assigned "topmost priority" to allocating Talabira II to Hindalco. Singh noted "please get a report from the coal ministry" on the letter.

Birla in his letter also sought the linkage and officials said he explained that Hindalco had not been able to use its previous allocation as a bauxite lease for its aluminum plant had not materialized.

Coal ministry resubmitted the file on 16.9.2005 proposing that Talabira II and III be mined as a single entity by the JV. Mahanadi's holdings would be proportionate to the extractable reserves in Talabira III or 70% of annual production.

The coal ministry told the PM that the total requirement of coal from the blocks by the main contenders was 503 million tons. The ministry said the

19 screening committee. In its account, PMO has leaned on the Odisha CM's "clear preference" for Hindalco in the "interest of creating more employment and growth of the state's manufacturing sector."

COAL ALLOCATION IN LEFT REGIME: BENGAL GOVERNMENT Asked by the Supreme Court to explain its role in the allocation of coal blocks, the Mamata Banerjee government has said that the allocations were made during the preceding Left Front regime.

The government says that it has written to the business houses that have not started work at the allocated blocks in three years to return them.

"We have clarified that the coal blocks were allotted in the former Left Front government's regime. While in opposition we raised the question in the assembly. We were told that the blocks were distributed on a firstcome-first-served basis," said commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee.

The Mamata government has agreed to give the CBI all necessary documents related to the allocation

of 19 coal blocks between 2006 and 2009.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Madan B.Lokur and Kurian Joseph had sought a response from the seven states after attorney general G E Vahanvati argued that allocations only meant issuance of a letter of intent and the states take subsequent action.

As Vahanvati argued that states need to explain their roles in execution of the lease with private parties, the Supreme Court asked the states to reply by October 29.

"We have written to private entities like Jai Balaji Industries and Adhunik Corporation Ltd regarding end-use project schedule and coal mine development schedule. Many of the companies were allocated coal blocks without any tender. We found Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

20 later that no further work had been done on these coal blocks," Chatterjee said.

Thirteen private entities - including ACC Ltd, Vikas Metal and Power, Howrah Gases, Uttam Galva Steels, Adhunik Corporation, Ramswarup Lohh Udyog, JSW Steel, Himachal Emta Power, Rashmi Cement, Jai Balaji Industries, Jaibalaji Sponge, Bhushan Steel and Sova Ispat - were allocated coal blocks.

"Some companies have not started work even three years after the allocation. We have ordered a departmental enquiry to investigate any irregularity in the allocation process," Chatterjee said.

State-run agencies have also come under the scanner of the coal ministry. Showcase notices have been sent to West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation regarding at least two coal blocks it was allocated in “Ichhapur and Kulti” in 2006. It has not started work on these blocks. Sources said that mine plan approval, forest clearance, mining lease and land acquisition were pending till January last year. A few months ago, the ministry had given the corporation a year's extension after it submitted mining plans.

COALGATE: CBI AT PM'S DOOR, BUT KEEPS ALL GUESSING ABOUT NEXT STEP The PMO's statement owning up and defending the allegedly illegal allocation of a coal block to Kumar Mangalam Birla's Hindalco may have enhanced the prospect of CBI seeking to "inter view" some key figures in the

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013 all-powerful office in connection with the SC-monitored investigation into the "Coalgate" scam.

Sources in CBI said the possibility of the agency seeking clarifications from officials in the PMO should be a logical corollary of its statement where it boldly acknowledged being the main factor why the coal ministry's decision not to allocate Talabira II coal block to Hindalco was upturned subsequently.

"An investigation is underway and we have to listen to all sides concerned before coming to any determination of illegality and, if so, the culpability of individual players," said a senior source in the CBI. He, however, refrained from clarifying whether the requirement to hear all relevant persons would also mean the agency getting in touch with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself since he approved the decision to reverse the screening committee's views.

Asked if "interrogating" senior officials in the PMO, if not the PM himself, will be needed, sources in the agency said, "Interrogation is a loaded word with a negative connotation. We will prefer to describe the procedural necessity as an interview which is neutral and does not imply guilt or innocence".

Significantly, in the Hindalco FIR the CBI had treaded cautiously on the involvement of the PMO in the decision, settling for a "competent authority" to describe as to who made the final call in Hindalco's favour.

The forthrightness contrasts with PMO's anxiety to be at arms' length from the decisions that allowed former telecom minister A Raja to have his way in the a l -

legedly illegal allocation of 2G spectrum.

Strenuous efforts were made to keep a safe distance also from the "Coalgate" stink, the worry getting reflected in former law minister Ashwani Kumar's effort to sanitize the CBI's status report on its investigation into the mega scam in the allocation of coal blocks — an ultra-zealous exertion that cost him his job.

In fact, PMO's bold defence of the allocation of Talbira II may have undercut the strategic ambiguity that the government, even the CBI, persisted with regarding PMO's exact role in the allocation of coal blocks during 2006-2009 when PM had held the charge of the coal ministry.

With the PMO gamely stepping up to the Hindalco plate, the response of the government's political rivals, who tried to staple the scam to the PM, will be interesting.

ROT STEMS FROM ILL-CONCEIVED COAL NATIONALIZATION PLAN

Subhash Chakravarti, a legendary chief of bureau of The Times of India, recently recounted an encounter between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the West Bengal Congress supremo Atulya Ghosh in the early-1960s.

"I have heard", Nehru told Ghosh accusingly, "that you are a bit too friendly with Calcutta's Marwari businessmen". Never inclined to kowtow to someone he regarded as a poseur, Ghosh's reply was characteristically blunt: "What you have heard is right. Our party needs money, not merely for Bengal but for UP and Bihar too. Who do you think funds us? Without that money you wouldn't be wearing that rose on your lapel."

Nehru was taken aback by this insolence and complained to his old friend Dr B C Roy who was chief minister of West Bengal. Dr Roy laughed it off but delighted in repeating the story to others. These probably included S K Patil, the Bombay Congress boss with a reputation for being probusiness and pro-US. Patil used to rue that he was the target of unending radical derision except before elections and when it was time to lobby Washington for food aid.

The tendency to look upon India's cor-

Nostalgic Year 2013

porate sector as the proverbial 'kept' woman who could only be visited stealthily and in the dead of night (I thank the late Pramod Mahajan for this imagery) has been an undesirable Nehruvian legacy. If Nehru shared the upper-class English socialist disdain for 'trade' and new money, Indira Gandhi was positively vengeful towards Indian business following her battle with the Syndicate, and Rajiv Gandhi was plain confused over how much elbow room should be given to the private sector. However, there was one common dynastic consensus: business must pick up the tab for political expenses. A highly regulated capitalism, it was decreed, must underwrite India's experiments with socialism.

It was an expedient arrangement that allowed patrician socialists to serve the poor without being preoccupied with where the money was coming from. One Nehru sibling who enjoyed global fame was, for example, particularly forgetful about settling shopping and hotel bills.

When the private sector proved unable to deliver the full booty - and this began to happen as the license-permit raj began to

be excessively suffocating for business - the necessary surplus was creamed off from state funds. A breed of politically loyal but parasitic contractor class was created by Indira Gandhi to offset the influence of old money. Additionally, exceptional discretionary favours were doled out to business houses which were considered 'reliable'.

Business, as Dhirbuhai Ambani famously said, became a matter of "managing the environment."

What we are today witnessing are big cracks in a system whose principal objective was income generation for the ruling dispensation rather than the economic growth of the country. The CBI clearly erred if its reason for wishing to prosecute a former coal secretary and industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla was the fact that Hindalco ate into a coal allotment initially being made to a public sector unit. To treat the private sector as a poor cousin or, indeed, a predator, makes no sense. However, the real reason for widespread suspicion of influence-peddling and corruption is that the coal block allotments were governed by discretion, the Prime Minister's Office hav-

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ing earlier rejected the more transparent process of auctions. It was this flawed selection system which resulted in a large chunk of India's coal reserves being parcelled out to those who were either linked to the ruling party or were willing to pay a political cess for every ton of coal extracted.

However, it is reassuring that the CBI's peremptoriness has generated a sense of outrage. In part the issue is all about a senior bureaucrat being punished for following a political order and an industrialist pulling strings to further his very legitimate business interests - there was no other option. But the real rot stemmed from an ill-conceived coal nationalization that has proved an unmitigated disaster and which has cost India dearly.

It is curious that the Hindalco chairman was named after Mohan Kumaramangalam, the charismatic Communist-turned-Congressman who presided over coal nationalization and other socialist excesses. Today, to take liberties with Karl Marx, the fawning of an earlier generation must be weighing "like a nightmare on the brains of the living."

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013

22

SUPPLY OF SPURIOUS ANTIBIOTICS IN KASHMIR VALLEY

T Danish Nabi

he supply of spurious antibiotics to the state-run hospitals is spreading panic in the Kashmir Valley even as the ongoing campaign for punishment to culprits involved in the scam seems only intensifying in absence of a convincing response from the state government.

The public now seems to be developing mistrust over the entire healthcare system.

“We have limited healthcare resources here, which often force us to move outside the state for proper treatment.

Now this drug scam is making things worse,” comments Nayeem Nisar Sheikh of old Srinagar.

“I don’t know how anybody from Kashmir can trust doctors of hospitals with life of a dear one.

The situation is very fearsome.”

The issue came to light last month when antibiotic ‘Maximizine-625’ was revealed to have failed in the fresh laboratory tests. Around 2, 65,000 of the spurious antibiotic had been supplied to the hospitals, mostly in the Valley, last year by a Jammu-based distributor. And by the time the fraud was revealed, more than 50 percent of the tablets had been consumed by the patients. Besides the antibiotic, 10 other drugs in the hospital supply were proven to be substandard.

Right after the expose about ‘Maximizine-625’, its “only official manufacturer”, namely M/S Affy Parenetals of Himachal Pradesh, distanced itself from the scam. The manufacturer denied having taken part in the tender for drug supply in the Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that the drug may have been manufactured locally by the distributor.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

The government had setup a three member committee to look deeper into the details of the fraud. And the report submitted by the committee hints at lapses committed by the Purchase Committee-II (PC-II), which had approved the spurious and substandard drugs for hospital supply.

The PC-II members appear to have overlooked many striking loopholes in the tender documents submitted by the ‘M/S Lifeline

Pharm a c o Surgicals’, the Jammu-based sup- plier. According to the report,

the tender documents were without manufacturer’s power of attorney particulars of the authorized signatory.

“Interestingly, the authorization certificate by M/S Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd in favour of M/S Lifeline Pharma Surgicals has purportedly been signed by an authorized signatory of M/S Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd on a simple letter head of M/S Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd without any copy of power of attorney from the original manufacturer,” reads the report, a copy of which is with this reporter.

The report adds: “The partic-

ulars of the authorized signatory were neither clear from the authorization document nor did it have any reference to number and date of office from where it was issued.”

It further suggests that the tender documents were submitted without mentioning the exact location of the manufacturer.

“It has been noticed that the product wise sale of the drug list submitted by M/S Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals purportedly being manufactured by M/S Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd does not reflect the location of manufacturer,” it says.

However, overlooking the deliberate loopholes the PC-II issued rate contract in favour of the M/S Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals, which later supplied 2, 65, 000 tablets instead of ordered 2, 50, 000 tablets.

The report has acknowledging the life-threatening ‘oversight’ by PC-II. “The PC-II had not scrutinized/verified the genuineness of the documents submitted with the tender,” it says.

The medicos, paramedics and the Kashmiri society at large has been from day one demanding action against the members of the purchase committee for giving green signal to the drug despite the fraud. They are also demanding action against exhealth minister Sham Lal Sharma, accusing him of being in nexus with the supplier, and an independent probe into the issue.

The campaign against the culprits was initially headed by Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) and J&K Chemists and Distributors Association (JKCDA). But later they joined hands with other associations of

Nostalgic Year 2013 medics and paramedics to form an amalgam, Medical Employees Joint Action Forum, for an “intensified agitation”. The forum has called for a general strike on May 6, and it is supported by High Court bar association, Kashmir Economic Alliance, JKCDA and association of medical representatives.

“We appeal all schools, colleges, universities, transporters and traders to observe the strike,” Dr Nisar-ul-Hasan, chairman of the forum had said in a press conference recently. “It will be a public verdict for us. If people support us we will intensify agitation, but if they don’t we will stop there and then”.

The forum has called for closure of hospitals excluding the emergency services.

The bar association has assured closure of both lower court and high court.

It will be second general strike against the scam, after a strike was held last month on call of Syed Ali Shah Geelani amidst frequent protests from civil society members and trade bodies. Besides demanding action against the culprits, the civil society members have been demanding sale of drugs by generic names in the state.

“The government shall order a judicial probe into the issue under a sitting high court judge, and the drugs in the state shall be sold under generic name instead of the brand name,” Prof Hameeda Nayeem of a civil society group, Kashmir Centre for social and Development Studies (KCSDS), had said at the same press conference.

Last year’s data about the tests conducted on market drugs reveals that more than 40 drugs had proven to be substandard. The monthly data is available on the website of Food and Drug Control organization.

The records show the drugs were either found to be misbranded or containing particulate matter or having lesser than specified medicinal value. The long list of substandard medicines include Synabron syrup (M/S Concept Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Maharastra), Phenorga suspension (M/S Health Biotech Ltd, Himachal Pradesh), Pantova-40 tablets (M/S Geneva Biocare of Chandigarh), Pantoking tablets (M/S Rickson Remedies, Punjab), Shelcal syrup (M/S Elder pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dehradun), Synacid Suspension (M/s Alliance Biotech, Kathua), Dolar 60 ml. Syrup (M/s Rivpra Formulations Pvt. Ltd, Haridwar), Rebol-DM Tabs (M/s Biosearch Organics, Kathua), Levorest Tabs (M/s Cooper Pharma Ltd, Dehradun), Perfekt Tabs (M/s Ozone Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Guwahati), Citrate 500 Tab (M/S Regent Healthcare Ltd, Ahmedabad), Logan P

Syrup (M/S Rhombus Pharma Pvt Ltd, Kalol), Decalvit Suspension (M/s Biosearch Organics, Kathua), Mucomin Plus Expectorant (M/s Arion Healthcare, Himachal Pradesh), Inacof-PD Cough Syrup (M/s Symbiosis Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, Himachal Pradesh), Optilox OZ (Mission Laboratories, Himachal Pradesh), Uroliser Syrup (Knox Life Sciences, Himachal Pradesh), Faradol-D (Signit Laboratories Pvt. Ltd, Ludhiana), Megadex-2ml Injection (M/s B. M. Pharmaceuticals, Chandigarh), Trialex - 1000 Injection (M/s Sarvear Pharmaceuticals Dehradun), Cetceff-1000 Injection (M/s Prosperity 6 Pharmaceuticals, Himachal Pradesh), Monocef-1GM Injection (M/s Aristo Laboratories Pvt. Ltd, Daman), Trixim-SB-1.5 Gm Injection (M/s Knox Life Sciences, Himachal Pradesh), Clafril-1.2 Injection (M/s Ultra Drugs Pvt. Ltd, Himachal Pradesh), Nozol 40 Tablet (M/s Regency Healthcare, Uttarakhand), Pantapil 40 Tablet (M/s Psychotropic India Limited, Uttarakhand), Pantocos Tablet (M/s Symbiosis Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Himachal Pradesh), Citimed Cold Plus Tablet (M/s Lucent Biotech Ltd, Uttarakhand), Amlonor-5 tablet (M/s Polopharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd., Baddi), Julax Tablets (M/s Shreya Life Science (P) Ltd, Uttrakhand).

Surprisingly, however, the demand for analysis is limited to hospital medicines alone, and it is further worrying the public.

“We have an enormous amount of drugs coming to and used in the Valley, and the facilities we have are already limited. Who is responsible for what we are being provided on the name of drugs? Who is checking the quality of drugs here?” Muneer Ali, a businessman from Hyderpora, said.

Jammu and Kashmir at present has only two drug testing laboratories; one each for Jammu and Kashmir provinces. And the laboratories are said to be ill-equipped for effective testing of the medicines. The purchase of the drugs for hospital supply is also made without prior testing of the samples.

“The interested suppliers have to submit an analytical report and license etc, but they are not asked to submit a sample to be tested for quality before making the purchases,” an official in the directorate of health services Kashmir said.

The purchase, according to the official, is made on the basis of cost.

“The tenders submitted are scrutinized for the one with lowest price, which is called L1. The tendered offering least price gets the order for purchase even if his medicines are substandard,” he said.

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The flaw has been identified by the three-member committee as well. It has suggested that “tender participation for drugs should be restricted to the original manufacturers”. It has also suggested that “no supply should be released for use without prior testing”. And that a Rapid Alert System should be developed to stop use of counterfeit medicines. The reporting time and drug analysis, suggests the committee, “should be made time bound and the functionaries held responsible and accountable.”

The scam is presently being investigated by the J&K police’s crime branch. It has submitted charge sheet against 15 persons accused of involvement in the scam even as three persons from among the distributors have been arrested already. However, the High Court is also hearing a Public Interest Litigation submitted by the DAK. The disappointed public, however, has little hope of seeing the guilty being brought to book.

“It is always the case in Kashmir. There are scams and then there are investigations, but no one is actually punished. It is more so when the people involved are politicians or influential persons,” Rafiq Ahmad, a government employ from Soura, said.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013

24

Life in Kashmir Political war of words broke out with chief minister Omar Abdullah stopping BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s passage to the riot-hit town of Kishtwar.

The unrest that erupted in Kishtwar, 150km southeast of Srinagar, after prayers marking the end of Ramzan on Friday 9 Aug. 2013 was engulfed 14 towns of Jammu and 10 districts, including Jammu city.

Stores and buildings were torched and protesters defied curfew and clashed with the police.

Mobile internet services were suspended and Jammu University postponed its examinations.

Lassa Mohammad, 40, injured in clashes in Paddar, 60km from Kishtwar, was ist. Man died on Saturday night10 Aug.2013. Army troops, had already deployed in several parts of the region, were moved there following his death.

The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister termed Jaitley’s visit politically motivated. Without naming names, Abdullah said, “Their entire aim seems to be to recreate the conditions of 2008 (Amarnath land row agitation) so they can exploit it in the Parliament (polls) and assembly elections.”

“I can name incidents of communal riots in other states this year.

Have they been to those areas?

Why is it they single out J&K, particularly Jammu?”

The BJP’s J&K in-charge Avinash Khanna, who was to accompany Jaitley to Kishtwar, was denied entry to the state. Mehbooba Mufti, who leads the opposition PDP, was also not allowed to move to Kishtwar.

“Jaitley and the party will raise this issue in Parliament,” BJP state unit president MLA Jugal Kishore Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

said.

Demanding a credible inquiry into the communal flare-up, the Congress’ state chief Saif-ud-din Soz said he would request the CM to allow him to visit Kishtwar.

Get a life in Kashmir

By: Muhammad Haneef Mahajan

If there was a competition for lack of imagination and intellectual bankruptcy between the government and the so-called secessionists in Kashmir, it would be a pretty close call.

The only thing that I can say for the government is that it does try now and again, when it is jolted out of its stupor by one horrifying event or the other in Kashmir, to do something constructive. But Sisyphus-like, it rolls up the boulder of solutions, only to find that it rolls down again.

As for the secessionists, they seem too lazy to even come up with any new idea with which to challenge the government or anyone else for that matter.

There is the perennial Cassandra Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. His solution to the Kashmir problem, sorry I should have said his latest solution, is to call upon people to not rent houses to non-Kashmiris labourers. That will show the government of India what’s what.

He also then adds that it is ‘highly shameful for us to send our girls to the army-organised tours and functions.’ Then we have the official high priest or mufti Basheer-ud-Din who had termed music unIslamic but was present at a music function where he presumably did not hear or notice the lilting melodies.

Nostalgic Year 2013 And in case all you naysayers thought that the dear man had compromised on his beliefs, he tells us that he went to the function because it was literary in nature complete with a recitation of the Koran and discussions of the works of Akbar Jaipuri. By the way, this is the man who has issued a fatwa against an all-woman Kashmiri rock bank Pragaash.

Once in a while, our secessionists turn up in Delhi like bad pennies and grace a Pakistan day do. This is enough to get our government, which is completely in the loop, to get its knickers in a twist and rage and rail about how India will never give up Kashmir.

Our secessionist worthies have also been known to take a swing around Pakistan where they have viewed democracy at work at close quarters, especially when it comes to telling people where to get off with a welltimed bomb or two.

They must be coming back thanking their lucky stars that unlike many Pakistani politicians, they can say pretty much what they want in India, without some jihadi coming along with a ticking parcel.

But before you think that I have got my knife into the Hurriyat leaders, let me say that the Centre and the state government have also matched Geelani and co in what can only be described as a complete lack of application to an essentially fraught and complex issue.

The Centre with great fanfare set up a panel of independent interlocutors who notched up several thousand air miles to and from the state meeting with a wide range of people. Before they boarded their first flight, the Hurriyat leaders had dismissed them as people of no consequence.

Nevertheless, the doughty trio who by then was squabbling with each other, did come up with a report, recommending other things, you guessed it, greater autonomy for the state.

And after thanking them heartily, the government flung the report into a cupboard which has not since been opened. I wait with bated breath with to see when another committee or panel will be set up and we go through the whole rigmarole again.

If the government has failed the people of Kashmir, the Hurriyat has failed them even more so. At times, it has seemed to me that the Hurriyat worthies are just being contentious for the sake of it.

They live in considerable luxury, quite di-

vorced from the ugly realities of daily life in Kashmir, and seem to come alive with their often preposterous demands only when television cameras are around. Many of them have visited Pakistan and I doubt whether there is one among them who find the kebabs of Lahore alluring enough to actually go and live there.

Both the Hurriyat and the government should end their zero-sum game. The excitement over the young cricketer from Kashmir, the IAS topper, the all-women band show that the young are not in the least bit interested in the hysterics of either the Hurriyat or the government or their pathetic allegations and counter allegations.

I can only assume that even the Hurriyat wants peace in the state even though it seems to have run out of ideas. I also imagine that it is what chief minister Omar Abdullah wants though he too seems to have no clue how to go about this. I feel that they should perhaps keep quiet for a while.

The state’s young have definite ideas about where they want to go. They are not particularly interested in the outdated shibboleths spouted by both sides. They want to make a mark in life, take advantage of the opportunities that for the moment India and the world can give them.

I suppose I cannot mention Pakistan because even it does not know what it wants.

So my advice for what it is worth is, leave well alone. If you have nothing positive to contribute, do us a favour and keep your admonishments and poverty of ideas to yourself. The rest of Kashmir wants to get a life.

Kishtwar rocks Parliament, Jaitley criticises J-K govt for failing to control situation Kishtwar issue rocked in Parliament even as the Centre assured that it was in touch with the Jammu and Kashmir government and had sought a report on the latest steps and developments in the riot-torn areas.

25

Police arrest activists of various Hindu organisations during a protest outside J-K House in New Delhi over riots in Kishtwar town of Jammu region.

BJP charged the Jammu and Kashmir government with playing politics on the Kishtwar riots and cautioned that this was another Pakistan design in which separatist forces were involved.

“The Jammu and Kashmir government is playing bad politics over the issue. It is an anti-India flare-up in which anti-India slogans were raised. The separatists have gone on a rampage. It is yet another Pakistan design. We do not want to inflame the issue,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters outside Parliament House. Read more... Condemning the state and central government for their “failure” to control the violence in Kishtwar, BJP demanded a “legitimate, speedy and credible” inquiry into the issue.

“BJP condemns the approach of Jammu and Kashmir government as well as the Centre. The state government was totally inactive and allowed the separatists to run riot.

Our charge is that this violence is a part of a larger Pakistani design,” party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

He pointed out that there has been relentless shelling from Pakistani forces and in the midst of this separatists have incited violence in Kishtwar.

The main opposition insisted this is not a Hindu-Muslim clash but was a planned attack.

“We demand a legitimate, speedy and credible inquiry into the issue,” Javadekar said.

BJP maintained that separatist elements were involved in the violence and they displayed pictures of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Butt.

“This whole incident should be seen

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

26 as another mischief on the part of Pakistan. Incursions have doubled this year from across the border. The violence in Kishtwar was not a riot but a one-sided attack. Chidambaram’s statement is an attempt to cover-up the issue,” Javadekar said.

Expressing resentment at Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley not being allowed to go to Kishtwar on Sunday, BJP said this was an “externment” and sought to know from the government how it could do so as it is in “violation of the law”.

“Strong action should be taken against those responsible for the violence in Kishtwar,” Javadekar said.

Javadekar maintained that leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley should have been allowed to visit the riot-affected areas of Kishtwar on Sunday11.

Aug.2013 Jaitley was stopped at the Jammu airport while on his way to Kishtwar.

Jaitley lashed out at the Omar Abdullah government in the House. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is not a personal property of one family. It is an integral part of India and you will have to decide how it will be governed, Jaitley told members of the Rajya Sabha.

Calling on finance minister P Chidambaram to use his widely acknowledged legal skills to determine how Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code should actually and correctly applied, Jaitley pointedly asked “What if governments in BJP-run states start imposing Section 144 to prevent AICC leaders from entering their states.”

Jaitley further said: “The whole incident requires to be investigated. This is not an inter-community disturbance. It is not a law and order situation. It is a matter of India’s sovereignty. Those affected must be compensated and the guilty brought to book.

“Why have there been no arrests so far,” he asked.

Replying to Jaitley, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s father Farooq Abdullah said in the House that nobody was allowed in Gujarat after the riots, it’s not the property of Modi.

Omar Abdullah accused BJP of trying to flare up the situation in Kishtwar to polarise the population with an eye on next year’s general elections and assembly polls. Read More...

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013

Kishtwar burns, but Omar govt gets Centre’s backing The Centre came out firmly in support of the Omar government ruling out any external or terror link to the communal clashes that have engulfed the Jammu region and continued till injuring more thousands of people.

and the Rajya Sabha, with the Opposition warning the government that the Kishtwar incident shouldn’t be viewed merely as an inter-community clash.

The country’s “sovereignty and integrity” was at stake, the BJP said.

“I can tell you if it does not stop in this region, it would send a signal of the kind it happened in the Valley in 1990 -- which still hangs around our neck as a garland of shame,” leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.

Interview: Religious freedom is being curbed in Kishtwar, valley: Geelani

Religious freedom is being curbed in Kishtwar: Syed Geelani Policemen chase Hindus protesting against the state government after rival communities clashed in Kishtwar, in Jammu. (AP Photo)

In a fallout of the riots that started on the Eid Day on Friday 09. Aug.2013, Jammu and Kashmir’s minister of state for home Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, accused of inciting violence which has claimed three lives, put in his papers.

J-K chief secy asked to explain Kishtwar riots Governor NN Vohra has accepted the resignation of Kitchloo, who is also the local MLA. Kishtwar is a communally sensitive area.

While Muslims are in a majority in the town, the surrounding villages are Hindu-dominated.

In Delhi, the communal flare-up led to repeated disruptions in both the Lok Sabha

Since March 2013, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been under house arrest in Kashmir. The administration considers the 83-year-old leader a threat to peace in the valley. In the current scenario, the state government seems to be in no hurry to undo the restrictions. The leader spoke to media correspondents while under house arrest. Excerpts: The government believes you are a threat to peace in the valley.

I have been under house arrest for such a long time but have the protests stopped?

People are protesting and administration is quelling them with force, even killing the protesters. Protests are people’s natural right and they will continue.

In the light of rising communal tension in Jammu, the administration might not lift the restrictions any time soon.

What is happening in Jammu is unfortunate but when communities are suppressed, communal harmony takes a beating. In Kishtwar, people were attacked during Eid prayers.

There is an effort to change the demography of Muslim majority places in Jammu and religious freedom is being curbed. The government has tried to do the same in the valley as well.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of Hurriyat has offered to facilitate dialogue between India and Pakistan. You seem to be the only one insisting on referendum first.

Dialogue has been useless before and it

Nostalgic Year 2013 The BJP leader was referring to the time when Kashmiri Pandits started moving out of the Valley.

The views were echoed by many other leaders including the BSP chief Mayawati, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, Congress’ Karan Singh and D Raja of the CPI. Responding to the members concerns, finance minister P Chidambaram, standing in for indisposed home minister Sushilku-

will bear no fruits in future. Since 23 March 1952, more than 150 dialogue processes have been initiated but with no results. On one hand India says dialogue is important and on the other it says Kashmir is its integral part. How can anything come of it?

With election round the corner and armed struggle bearing no results whatsoever, what can be the solution?

Elections offer no solution. The solution lies with India accepting Kashmiris have the right to determine their future.

India has to show readiness to solve the problem. Till then, the uprising will continue.

You claim to be against communalism but you called on locals not to rent their homes to non-Kashmiris.

My comment was misinterpreted. What I meant was do it the Islamic way, don’t get your tenants into your kitchen. There is no harm renting out places with a separate entrance. We have to be safe with crime against women being on an all-time high.

mar Shinde, said the situation in the state “though tense” was under control.

Police stops members of Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association who tried to stage a protest march against the Kishtwar clash at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. (PTI Photo) “We will not allow repetition of 1990. We will not allow forced migration. We will not allow forced resettlement.”

In Kishtwar town, four police men were injured in a mob attack late Sunday night.

Miscreants also took away eight wireless sets and some ammunition.

A few hours later, two policemen and two locals were injured in the neighbouring Haryal village when the two sides clashed over the detention of a youth. Though rest of the region remained peaceful, curfew continues in 14 towns of 10 districts of Jammu.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has ordered a judicial inquiry, was asked by the Centre to deploy adequate security forces and ensure that the violence didn’t spread to

27 new areas.

The violence started on August 9, when some people raised anti-India slogans in Kishtwar town, which was already tense after a clash during a kalash yatra.

The unrest spread to other parts of the district and Jammu region.

Since March 2013, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been under house arrest in Kashmir. The administration considers the 83-year-old leader a threat to peace in the valley. In the current scenario, the state government seems to be in no hurry to undo the restrictions.

The leader spoke to media correspondents while under house arrest.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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28

Police in Kashmir arrested the fake Darvish ( a cheater) who lured innocent girls is exposed allegedly raped young Kashmiri girls on the pretext of purifying and revitalizing the sexual power of women under a subtle guidance of Quranic knowledge.

‘Miracle Baba or cheater’ Gulzar Ahmad Bhat exposed and arrested in raping of young innocent girls in Kashmir

G

ulzar Ahmad Bhat, who is mostly known as Revered ‘Sayed Gulzar’, ran a residential institution for girls which offered a two-month course in Islamic studies for ‘Purification of Sex’ in “Khansahib” area of Budgam district in Kashmir valley.

According to the girls, the fake Muslim holy man (Peer-Darvish) would quote saying the Arabic quotations from Qur’an to justify his free sexual activities with them to induce the endless sensuality to his counter parts under an eminent Islamic power.

Sources says that four girl students, all aged under 18, complained to the police that ‘Sayed Gulzar’ indulged in sexual activities with them at hostel and most of the time he invited other persons from outside to perform group sex inside the Muslim girls’ hostel.

“He’ would tell the girls that having sex with him was necessary to purify them from all evil” a police officer told our source.

‘Sayed Gulzar’, known as also ‘Miracle Baba’, (Alias Tuchi Peer) who often gave advertisement in local newspapers claiming to be a Sufi Saint, also delivered sermons through cable TV network in Kashmir Valley.

VIEWS OF RELIGIOUS PERSONS,

President of “Mutahid Ulma-i-Aahali Sunat Molana Riyaz-ul-Haq Noorabadi Said ”; on his telephonic conversation that It is shocking and most unfortunate and shame for those persons and “Fake preacher (Peer, Darvash)’ who are misguiding and misleading the common masses in the name of “Islam, Qur’an and Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013 Sunat-e-Rasool (SAW) and misinterpreted Islamic laws we strongly condemn for this, the way Gluzar Bhat involved and allegedly raped young Kashmiri girls on the pretext of purifying and revitalizing the sexual power of women under a subtle guidance of Qur’anic knowledge. “Where our Islam is permitting us that we send our daughters with a person who is stranger”.

I request to the Hon’ble panel of adjudicators of High Court and the Supreme Court that the accused GULZAR BHAT and others who are involved in this ugly case may please lodge them according to the LAW OF ISLAMIC RULES so that others will get lesson and will not misuse the ISLAM. “Moulavi Muhammad Amin, of International Khatme Nabuwat” the whistleblower in this case, says the fake preacher would manipulate verses of Qur’an to motivate the girls in to free sex. He alleges that Gulzar has so far raped nearly 200 girls at the hostel. These Danes are mostly controlled by women trafficking rackets, where most of the girls and women are generally exploited during their slot of wearing the “Taveez” in a naked condition, massaging with special oil or sprinkling of water under a spell. Sometime the girls and women are given sedatives or stimulating things in drinks to decontrol them. Hidden cameras are also used in the whole process to blackmail the victims for a long time.

Muhammad Amin said, “We are trying to contact more victims who would depose before the police. The syllabus designed by Gulzar was flawed and he had misinterpreted Islamic laws. He has portrayed himself as Reshi, Wali and Alamdaar in the syllabus which was taught in his Idarah.”

Public should be alerted not to fall prey to these type of Muslim unholy men who exploit both the Muslim and non-Muslim girls and women in the name of false purification or sex-gambling.

POLICE REPORT AND INVESTIGATION Police received a joint complaint of the four minor girls, who were studying in institute claiming that Gulzar Bhat, resident of Latter Chadur (Shamasabad) Khansahib have been repeatedly (sexually) exploited during their stay in the said institute.

A case FIR No: 40/2013 u/s 376 RPC stands registered in Police Station Khan Sahib and the investigations are going on. The statements of the victims have been recorded before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Budgam which corroborates the complaint.

The confessional recording of a victim lying with CNS reveals that Gulzar Bhat used to lure girls and woman and later on with the help of their chosen one’s assaulted them sexually.

According to reports, Gulzar Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Qadir Bhat resident of Latter Chadur Shamsabad had established a religious centre in Nendwanpora area of Budgam with lodging and

boarding facilities especially for girl students.

A victim from Pampore told that there are about 500 girls staying in that centre and every new entrant is being motivated and guided by one the disciples from Lolipora. She claims that after her entry into Gulzar’s Religious Centre, she took her in a room and advised her to serve ‘Peer Sahab’ by heart if she wants to get rid from miseries. Another girl from “Hanjivera” area was also active in motivating girls to serve Gulzar.

The victims have also been medically examined. The victims belong from different districts of the valley. The investigation reveals that, the said institute was operating form last several years, the boarding & lodging is being provided to the students by the head of the institute.

Deputy Inspector General Central Kashmir “Afhadul Mujtaba” told that more arrests are expected in this regard. “We have not arrested a Molvi but an impostor who used to exploit girls sexually. So far only four girls have come forward against him and we have started the investigation,” Mujtaba said.

Superintendent of Police, Budgam, Uttam Chand told that stern action will

29 be taken against the guilty for exploiting poor and helpless girls. SHO Khansahab, Ghulam Jeelani said that Gulzar as per the statements recorded before Honorable Court seems to be rapist.” We have arrested him and investigation is on,” he said. The accused has been running a religious institute from last 10 years where around 200 girls acquire four months religious course.

“The accused has set- up a mansion worth Rs 2 crores with lodging and boarding facilities for girl students in Nendwanpora area of Budgam,” official said.

Police official said that the accused has no any direct source of income and police was also investigating how he used to manage the daily expenditure of Rs 50,000 on the meals of students.

“Investigations into the issue are going on. We have been questioning the accused and have been also examining the victims scientifically,” Police said that investigation was going on and more arrests were expected. All the four girls who appeared before the Sub-Judge Budgam and recorded their statements.

Police is gathering further evidence into the matter and some more revelations are expected. The accused has been arrested. Court rejected the bail of Sayed Gulzar and Police to him under custody for further investigation.

WHO GAVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO GULZAR? ASKS AASIYA Dukhtaran-e-Millat Chairperson Aasiya Andrabi said that scandalous and tainted Darvesh Gulzar Bhat could not have prospered without the support of any particular agency. “There is a hidden hand’s which needs to be exposed.

Aasiya said, that scandalous Gulzar was doing everything in an organized manner. “Gulzar with the help of his selected aides were motivating girls to join their Centre. These girls later on used to organize conferences and used to lure other girls. You can imagine about the well-planned organization of Gulzar that even girls from Rajouri and Poonch were present in his Shamsabad Centre,” she said and added that Gulzar used to provide expensive mobile phone to every girl student and bore all their travel and other expenses.

Expressing deep concern over the way parents have been giving free hand to their children.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013

30

By.

By Muhammad Haneef

Kashmir BOILS again

“GOOL RAMBAN”

KILLINGS

INDIA PROMISED FOR INVESTIGATION Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Army has assured that incidents like Bandipora killings won’t be repeated in future.

Army Chief General Bikram Singh and Chief Minister Omer both discussed several issues including revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

“All the issues including AFSPA were discussed during the meeting. Security review, recent incidents of Bemina, Hyderpora and Bandipora were discussed threadbare,” Omar told reports.

The Chief Minister said that Army Chief assured him that they would take every step so that such incidents don’t happen in future. “On Bandipora killings he (Army Chief) assured me that procedures would be followed and also assured that in future such incidents won’t happen,” he added.

Two youth were killed in Army firing in Sumbal Bandipora on June 30.2013.

Asked whether any consensus was reached on revocation of AFSPA from certain areas during the meeting, Omar said, “All what I can say is that talks are on. I can’t say more on it.”

Meanwhile, sources told the Army Chief briefed the Chief Minister of the functioning of security grid in the State and the status of coordination between various agencies connected with the security and law and order maintenance.

“Matters pertaining to Hyderpora and Markundal incidents also came up in the meeting and Army Chief assured the Chief Minister that necessary measures would be taken to ensure that such incidents do not take place in future,” they said.

India offers another investigation to calm Kashmir

“All Indian probes in Kashmir are farcical. They are an end in itself,” says Hameeda Nayeem, a professor of English at the University of Kashmir. weeks ago, two young men from Bandipore in north Kashmir were shot dead by the Indian Army. The Army later said it was “a mistake” and a similar probe was ordered.

But few are waiting to hear the result given the past pattern. According to Coalition of Civil Society, a Kashmiri human rights organization, the government has ordered 168 probes in killings by armed forces since 2002, and not a single person with the army has been prosecuted.

“The problem is the immense militarization that India has done in Kashmir with a

legislated impunity given to them. All our neighborhoods, health resorts, and picnic spots have been taken over by the Indian Army, and these massacres happen all the time at one place or other and will continue to happen unless the core issues of politics and militarization are addressed,” says Professor Hameeda Nayeem.

The number of militants according to both police and the Indian Army is less than 500 and has been so for the last few years, but the number of armed forces in the region has not diminished substantially.

Both India and Pakistan claim the entirety of the Kashmir region, which is split along a military line of control that has served as a defector border for decades. Polls in the Kashmir Valley, a Muslim-majority part of the region controlled by India, show that residents would prefer independence. New Delhi views the region, which borders Pakistan and contains the headwaters of the Indus River, as

31 too strategic to let loose, and also worries about encouraging other separatist movements inside India’s borders.

“Efforts to bridge the political divide have been harmed by the scale of the past bloodshed – an estimated more than 70,000 Kashmiris have died since the armed uprising began in 1990 – and by India’s continued use of “law and order” tactics that include repressive policing and torture.”

Like the probes of human rights violations, India has announced dozens of peace processes and conflict resolution engagements with Kashmir but nothing has come of them yet.

In the Valley, cynicism about India’s intentions runs high given that the government’s announcements of probes and processes are made when tempers are high in Kashmir and dropped when life in Kashmir returns to the routine.

After more than 320 protesters were shot dead by Indian forces during anti-India protests in 2008 and 2010 that included rock throwing, an all party Indian Parliamentary delegation sent a team of “interlocutors” to access the situation in Kashmir and look for the causes of anger and the possible remedies. The report that the interlocutors submitted a year later was never discussed, surprising not so much the Kashmiris, as the interlocutors themselves.

“We had regular meetings with the Home Minister before submitting our report but once we submitted it, we never discussed it at all,” says Radha Kumar, one of the interlocutors. “Not a single member of the parliamentary committee came forward to talk about it, to see what we had written and recommended.” The Home Ministry eventually disavowed it as their own project even though they had formed and funded it.

Even the ruling party in Kashmir, the National Conference, which was the biggest proponent of a plebiscite in Kashmir for decades, passed legislation for Kashmir’s autonomy in the state assembly by a two-thirds majority but that legislation too was shelved by India.

“Our demand for autonomy was within the ambit of Indian constitution but unfortunately India is adamant on its stand that it Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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Nostalgic Year 2013

does not care about the people of Kashmir,” says Ali Mohammad Sagar, a senior leader of the National Conference. “All their processes and probes are nonsense. They do not even trust their own interlocutors.”

Former separatist leader, Sajjad Lone, was asked to prepare a roadmap by New Delhi for a vision of Kashmir’s political future to begin an engagement. He prepared a document, Achievable Nationhood, after laboring over it for three years. It, too, was not taken up by the Indian government.

The killings that happened in Ramban earlier on 17 July, Nayeem feels, will happen again elsewhere as long as India does not end its militarized approach to Kashmir and begins a political, goal-oriented process.

weapons will not be used during the protests, security forces use it again and again which is very unfortunate.”

“By killing unarmed civilians you are holding the state in limbo. That can only encourage violence, and anger,” she told (FOG) correspondent on phone.

“Union Home Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde should take strong action against those who are involved in killing of innocent people so that such incidents do not occur in future. Enquiry committee which has been formed by home ministry should sincerely investigate the incident so that justice could be delivered,” Radha said.

Commenting on imposition of curfew she said, continuous curfew only aggravates the miseries of people and further alienates them. “The killing of innocent people will prove counter-productive in the way of any peace effort,” she warned.

of four innocent people in Gool area of Ramban district former chief interlocutor on Kashmir, Dilip Padgaonkar said that the killings is a heavy setback for peace process and urged New Delhi to bring the guilty to the book of law as soon as possible.

“What has happened in Gool Ramban Distric of Jammu and Kashmir is a big tragedy and against humanity. Whenever such incidents take place in the state it throws all the efforts for peace to the winds. Such incidents will take us nowhere and should be condemned by one and all as it is totally unacceptable,” Padgaonkar told on phone from New Delhi.

He said the killing of innocent villagers is a brutal act and is a slap on all the claims of democracy and secularity. “A thorough investigation should be held and the killers should be taught a lesson,” he demanded.

“All the citizens in a democratic country have the right to protest in a peaceful manner if their religious sentiments are hurt but the unarmed crowed was fired at. Now when this unfortunate incident has happened government should take concrete measure to punish the guilty without bias,” he added.

Meanwhile, Padgaonkar former colleague and interlocutor on Kashmir Professor Radha Kumar said, “I fail to understand that despite the rule that the lethal

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed said the Gool Ramban killings are the result of culture of impunity prevailing in the state.

Addressing a meeting of the party leaders, legislators and other functionaries at the party head quarter, Mufti Sayeed reiterated the demand for revocation of draconian laws like AFSPA and PSA. He said it is a prerequisite for creating congenial atmosphere for the resolution of the larger problem.

Jammu & Kashmir, Mufti said, can’t be eternally ruled through brute force, bullets and muzzling of dissent. “Peaceful protests is a universal right, but in our state it invariably evokes brutal response from the state which has squeezed the space for political dissent and right to expression resulting in the hatred and anger against the entire system”, he added.

Demanding time bound enquiry into the Gool Ramban and the Sonawari killings, Mufti said punishment to guilty in these cases could serve as the first step in restoration of confidence in the system. “Otherwise, people are bound to dismiss the promise of action as a mere continuation of the long string of fake enquires into incidents like Pathribal, Machil in Kashmir and the hundreds of youth killed during peaceful street

“Gool Incident Culprits Should Be Taught A Lesson: Says ,Dilip Padgaonkar and Professor Radha Kumar.” “Mufti Sayeed former Chief Minister seeks time-bound probe.”

Strongly condemning the brutal killing

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

demonstrations in the recent past,” he said.

Condemning the indiscriminate arrests of youth in the aftermath of every atrocity “committed by the government” like Shopian scandal, 2008 and 2010 unrest Kashmir, Afzal Guroo’s hanging and now Gool killings, Mufti said youth have become a soft target for the government.

“UN intervention on rights abuses, Says; ANC Chief Khalida Shah” Expressing its serious concern over the killing of innocent civilians and the alleged desecration of Holy Qur’an in the Holy month of RAMADAN by paramilitary BSF in Gool Ramban area of Jammu province, Say ANC Chief Khalida Shah appealed the UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon to take effective cognizance of the prevailing situation in Jammu & Kashmir.

In a communiqué’ addressed to the UN secretary general, the ANC Chief maintained that the highest body should exert pressure on India to hold an impartial probe into the recent incidents of violence so as to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Terming the alleged sacrilege of Holy Qur’an as a blatant infringement of Kashmiri people’s religious rights, the memo stated that Indian forces deployed in the length and breadth of Kashmir have crossed all limits of oppression and suppression in Kashmir.

The government of India to oblige to its international obligations and repeal all draconian laws enacted in the territory. Demanding the government of India to stop human rights violations in the state, the memo reminded the international community of its moral and legal responsibilities regarding the settlement of long-pending dispute of Kashmir.

Earlier, the representatives of (ANC) staged a peaceful sit-in outside the PRESS ENCLAVES IN Srinagar to seek international community’s attention towards the deteriorating situation in Kashmir that emerged in the back drop of alleged desecration of Holy Qur’an and killings of innocent civilians by Border Security Forces (BSF). In Gool Ramban j&k.

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Afzal Guru’s

hanging

By Staff Writer

N

A Historic Blunder: Gautam Navlakha

oted Indian human rights activist and writer, Gautama Navlakha, has termed the hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru as a historic blunder on part of New Delhi.

Gautama Navlakha while talking to a Srinagar-based wire agency over phone from New Delhi, said that Afzal Guru’s execution gave a message to the Kashmiris that Indian government was not interested in any kind of democratic or political solution of the Kashmir dispute.“Solution of the Kashmir dispute as per wishes of Kashmiris is important for the well being of entire South Asian region. By hanging Afzal Guru New Delhi sent a negative message to Kashmiri people that it is not interested in democratic or political solution to the vexed Kashmir issue,” he said. He stated that the consequences of such steps would have to be borne by entire South Asia in future.

Gautama Navlakha ruled out possibility of any settlement to the lingering dispute within the constitution of India. “Autonomy, self rule etc. are useless concepts. Making them as alternatives to Kashmir solution is wrong,” he said. Navlakha said that instead of accepting the Kashmiris’ wishes,

the Indian government was trying to suppress their voice through force and suppression. “No nation can be suppressed through force. Such things don’t work for ever,” he added.

The noted activist said that it was wrong to think that situation in Kashmir was normal. “By saying that situation in Kashmir is normal, the world community is misled. Kashmiris have always been peace-loving. They have all the time been waiting for democratic and political solution. However Delhi failed to respond accordingly,” Navlakha maintained.

He said, India has shut all doors of justice on the Kashmiris. “Cases like Kunanposhpora have not been investigated for more than twenty years now.

Atrocities are being committed on Kashmiris over last two decades and the culprits are not being brought to book”, Navlakha deplored. “There are extremist Hindu parties which are encroaching upon the rights of common people in various cities across India but no action is taken against them. But when Kashmiris come out in support of their democratic and human rights, they are suppressed through brute force,” Navlakha added. (KNS)

‘‘Kashmir settlement not possible within Indian constitution’’

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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Nostalgic Year 2013

MY LIFE, MY DESTINY All my life I’ve felt like somebody’s wife, or somebody’s mother or somebody’s daughter. Even all the time we were together, I never knew who I was. And that’s why I had to go away. And in heaven, I think I found myself.

H.BASHARAT.YOUSUF

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

W

hen she was born little knew her parents that one day she will be put to death…. a silent death by the people who had pledged on Nikah ceremony to take care of her, after her marriage. Do her father knew, he would one day carry her coffin. Yes I am taking about Shaheena, a shy homely girl, dearer to her parents more than anything in this materialistic society. Shaheena was married some 6 (six) years back with “Rafiq Ahmed panzoo of Umerhaer Buchpora “with great funfair by her parents.

Her stay in her in-laws was like rollercoaster with repeated physical as well mental tortures and taunts by them for not bringing enough dowries from her home. In the course of time she gave birth to a beautiful girl child, her birth added to already strained relationship with her husband. They tortured her to the extent that she was kept without food for days together. Being a house wife she was financially dependent on her husband but unfortunately she was made to knock her parents’ door even to meet day today expenses of her little daughter. The parents

Nostalgic Year 2013

o Saleeem A. Panzoo Brother of Rafiq Panzoo Sister of Rafiq Panzoo

Rafiq A. Panzoo Husband

Mother of Rafiq Panzoo Sister of Rafiq Panzoo Father of Rafiq Panzoo

35

f “Shaheena” tried every trick to make this relationship work, little knowing that their efforts of reconcile would end up in her being killed by her in-laws.

On the fateful day of 26 September 20 13, she talked to her sister at length on 8.20 A.M, in the morning over phone no knowing this would be their last conversation and at around 9.30 her mobile got switched off. Smelling something fishy, her parents hurriedly called on her husband’s phone, who acted composed on phone ,assuring them that everything was normal and to their utter surprise at around 12.30 they were informed by her in-laws that their daughter is serious and has been shifted to hospital but as per doctors report she was brought to hospital dead . The physical appearance of the dead body spoke volumes about the nature of atrocities the deceased had gone through and subsequently the body was taken for postmortem as desired by the doctors of hospital .

No doubt the forensic experts will try to ascertain the cause of death. But, can they ascertain the mental torture the deceased has gone through all these years. Can they ascertain the miseries, she went through. Will court of law punish offenders for these invisible atrocities?

May be this part of world was not suited for the noble soul that she was therefore “Allah” took her away from us. I would request the social thinkers to take the cognizance of this tragic incidence so that such types of evils are nipped from the bud and culprits are brought to justice. I have a intuition / feeling that case will die down and culprits will be set free as our legal system as we all know is like ROTTEN …... I CAN ONLY PRAY TO ALMIGHTY THAT ON OTHER “SHABEENA” DIES A MYSTERIOUS DEATH BYINHUMANE MYSTERIOUS PEOPLE. The death of “Shaheena” was condemned by all shades of people, be it separatist or mainstream political parties. The women commission chairperson Mrs. “Shameema Firdous” was on forefront in highlighting the issue.

Mr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal (MLA) was kind enough to take up the matter in legislative assembly and personally visited the bereaved family to console them, but the family is still waiting for the justice. Will justice be delivered? A big question. Latest updates the police has filed the charge sheet after 3 months on 30th of December under section 498/A in Srinagar High Court. Did Shaheena’s little babay and her parents get justice?

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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Nostalgic Year 2013

CET-2012 Scandal

By : M.H.Majahan

Former BOPEE Chairman and prime accused in the CET 2012 paper selling scam, Mushtaq Ahmad Peer.

Mushtaq Ah.Peer’s entire tenure under scanner

The Crime Branch is extending the scope of investigations in the paper-selling scam and Common Entrance Tests right from 2009 have been put under scanner. The need for broadening the scope of investigations was felt as Mushtaq Ahmed Peer, prime accused in the CET 2012 scam, had taken over as Chairman, Board of Professional Entrance Examinations, in 2009 and any fraud in previous years of his tenure can’t be ruled out.

The Crime Branch suspicion has been substantiated as several students of 2010 batch in Government Medical Collage Srinagar have been found to be underperformers.

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Out of 13 students of 2010 GMC batch whose record was sought

by General Administration Department (GAD), eight have failed in MBBS exams.

Inspector General of Police, Crime, Syed Javed Mujtaba Gillani, said, “We are broadening the scope of investigations and the CET admissions that took place in Mushtaq Peer’s time since 2009 will be investigated.” Peer was appointed as Chairman BOPEE on February 28, 2009. IGP Gillani said the call details of some students who got selected in CET 2011 are also being accessed.

Crime Branch officials said that Peer had developed relationship with a broker of Bijbehara-Kashmir in 2005 due to which it

Nostalgic Year 2013 has become necessary to probe the earlier CET admissions as well. “We will examine the academic records of students who have been selected since 2009,” they said.

According to officials, it was CET paper leak incident in June 2013 that government, besides ordering re-examination of CET 2013, handed over the investigation of CET 2012 to Crime Branch.

Last year some anonymous complaints were received about the conduct of the test but they were closed during investigations by the Crime Branch and Vigilance Organization, officials said.

In the CET 2013 paper leak incident, it has been established that there was ‘negligence’ on the part of the agency employed

by BOPEE to pack the papers. Some Biology papers were found in a packet containing Chemistry papers. After the Biology paper got leaked in the examination centres, government ordered cancellation of the entire examination. Fresh exam was held in July.

“Questioning of people in connection with the 2013 paper leak incident is currently on. The 2013 case and the earlier cases are separate and we may file separate challans for them,” IGP Gillani informed.

In a startling revelation, the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has found that a separate Centre for Common Entrance Test (CET) – 2012 of Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) was established at a local hotel on Boulevard in Srinagar for at least one dozen candidates who had paid hefty amounts of money, sources said.

The Crime Branch raided the residences of former BOPEE chairman, Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, at Srinagar and Jammu and recovered property documents as he is the main accused in the CET-2012 paper selling scam. Sources said that Mushtaq Ah.Peer’s residences were raided after the Crime Branch got various leads about the hefty sum of rupees paid by the candidates for establishing of a separate CET-2012 centre where candidates wrote their examinations.

All those who had paid money and appeared in CET-2012 in special centre are now doing MBBS in various medical colleges of the State. One of the candidates of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district had sold 2 kanals of land for getting a space in the special CET-2012 centre.

Sources said that the Crime Branch suspected that Peer is the main accused in the scam right from the beginning but they

were preparing a water tight case against him as he has close links in the power corridors.

Crime Branch during its investigation of the case (registered under FIR 24/2013 in Police Station Crime Branch) identified certain students from Anantnag area whose academic records and performance in the Medical Colleges after their selection were collected.

Majority of these candidates were under achievers in the academic carrier and have not even performed well in the Medical Colleges.

One of the candidates, Mir Hinna Saleem, ranked 36th in the CET failed in 12 class and passed the examination in 3rd grade as a private candidate.

Crime Branch also investigated the cases of Mir Wajid Majid his sister Danish Majid and their cousin Saddam Farooq who are doing MBBS. They also investigated the cases of Hovura Zahoor, Sheikh Bargees Ismail, Amira Shakeel and Ahmad Faraz.

Crime Branch also checked the bank accounts of their bank parents and sale of the immovable property and call details of their cell phones and landline numbers to establish the missing links.

Crime Branch has also held detailed investigations into the role of one Sajjad Ahmad Sofi and Javed Ahmad who are the main agents and roped in the candidates for whom special CET -2012 centre was established. However, the main accused is said to be Farooq Amad Itoo who is relative of Peer.

Sources said that Peer’s residences were raided after Crime Branch established that Peer is the main accused who was heading the BOPEE at the time of the scam.

Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has filed objections to the bail plea moved by another accused in the scam, Sajjad Ahmad, who is also in their custody.Opposing Sajjad’s bail, the Crime Branch submitted that the accused has received question papers of Physics, Chemistry and Biology from the kingpin Farooq Ahmad Yatoo at Nishat and distributed the same among various candidates through Haroon Rashid of Dyalgam Islamabad (Anantnag) who was his classmate at Bangalore.

The Crime Branch stated that the accused has received huge amount from Haroon Rashid and others and thereafter provided them the question papers. Out of that amount, a portion was paid to Yatoo. The Crime Branch said the accused is involved

37 in hatching a conspiracy with the other accused leading to leakage of papers in CET 2012.

The Crime Branch submitted that the investigation into the case so far has revealed that the applicant has been a close associate of Farooq Ahmad Yatoo, a kingpin of the racket.

The Crime Branch said it is accepting some disclosures from the accused which may lead to recovery of some vital evidence in the shape of bank accounts, call details, identification of touts and candidates in other districts of the State.

The Crime Branch stated that in keeping with the gravity of the offence the accused is not entitled to bail as the investigation has established that the accused has committed a grave and serious offence which led to the selection of undeserving candidates for MBBS course.

It said the investigation of the case was in progress and releasing the accused will cause prejudice to the probe as there is every-likelihood of destruction of prosecution evidence by the accused which is yet to be collected by the investigating agency.

“Further if the accused is released on bail he will definitely try to win over the prosecution witnesses,” said the CBI. “The application submitted by the accused does not make out a special ground on the basis of which he could be granted bail as such the application merits rejection,” the Crime Branch maintained in its objections.

After CET exam scam, panel prescribes online solution

Amid probe into last year’s question paper leak case, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Vigilance Commissioner recommended a series of measures to curb malpractices, including CCTV monitoring and making Common Entrance Test (CET) online.

“We had recommended online examination for CET on the pattern of other competitive examinations held across the country,” Kuldeep Khoda Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir, said here.

Kuldeep Khoda, who has sent recommendations in this regard to the State and Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE), has suggested installation of CCTVs at exam centres for recording any impersonation, cheating and other violations. Kuldeep Khoda also recommended frisking of candidates to prevent passage of Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

38 any prohibitory gadgets inside examination halls.

The Chief Vigilance Commissioner also favoured the use of scanned photographs on applications instead of hard copies affixed on them in order to prevent exchange of photographs. The Commission had also suggested automatic photography at entry points of examination halls.

Service terminated

Former BOPEE Chairman Mushtaq Ahmed Peer, whose post retirement contractual services were terminated, appeared before the Crime Branch in Srinagar after being named accused in the alleged sale of CET question papers last year.

Bad impression of BOPEE exams on the society

The BOPEE scam is a result of rot at multiple levels, beginning with the Government’s failure to hold the corrupt accountable The ruling National Conference started with a bang: “We’ll give corruption-free system to the people.” It didn’t happen. The corruption in public administration only grew by the day. We kept quiet. It promised to “replace meters with heaters for the good of people.” It proved to be a hoax. We kept quiet. There was an unprecedented 70 to 80 percent hike in power tariff in the past five years. We kept quiet. The non-metered areas face 57-hours-a-week power cuts. We are quiet. The metered areas were promised round-the-clock power supply. They are facing 17-hours-a-week power cuts. We are quiet. A minister charged with moral corruption found his way into the Cabinet while his colleague allegedly involved in massive land grab in south Kashmir forests remained stuck to his chair. We kept quiet. And yet another minister’s son was involved in an examination impersonation case. We kept quiet. At least 70 officers, of different ranks, were either given extension or re-employed after their retirement despite the growing figures (officially four lakh above) of unemployed youth in the State. We still kept quiet. We were promised improved “Bijli, Pani and Sadak”. The power crisis only worsened in the past five years while the road potholes only grew deeper. We kept quiet. We were assured “protection Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

Nostalgic Year 2013 of human rights.” We saw unarmed civilians, mostly young—as many as 120 in 2010 and about 60 in 2008—falling to police, Army and CRPF bullets. We heard an ex-army chief telling us about Jammu and Kashmir ministers taking money from Army “for peace-building in J&K”.

We kept quiet. We now have a former BOPEE chief and his accomplices, who were supposed to uphold the sanctity of the prestigious institution, selling the CET question papers in lieu of money.

And our response is meek.

The BOPEE scandal allegedly involving ‘Peer and Co’ reflects a rot at multiple levels, primarily the Government’s failure to bring about accountability in the system, and then our collective failure to hold the government accountable. When the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah failed to act against his ‘tainted’ ministers and bureaucrats from time to time, it had its fallout: a free run for ‘all’ to indulge in wrongdoings.

So while Omar sought to ‘apologize to the nation for the BOPEE shame, it was only a damage control exercise given the enormity of the scam that had hit right in the face of his government. Omar needs to ‘apologize’ for everything then, beginning with his party’s failure to deliver on the promises made to his electorate in 2008; apologize for why he allowed the people like Peer to hold plum positions in his government and grant extension after extension to them; apologize to the fact that it is now the courts in J&K which are giving the governance impression in the State which his Government was supposed to; apologize to civilian killings at the hands of armed forces. But then apologies, they say, don’t help remove the scars off your hands, though they may hide them from the surface.

Over the years, the levels of anarchy in Jammu and Kashmir have gone horribly up. The “system” (if it can be called so) has turned corrupt to the core where the government—short of legalizing corruption through legislation— has informally accepted it as a norm; where the honest and upright officers are pushed to the wall and harassed by different overt and covert means. That is the reason why we have tainted ministers and retired bureaucrats finding a way into the ‘system’ for twin reasons: to protect themselves from investigations and also enjoy a privileged life. Mind

you, in J&K only politicians and legislators are a privileged lot in terms of civic amenities, security, perks and ‘free hand’ to indulge in malpractices. This is the system failure.

Now our response to this:

Why didn’t the students and their parents, who should ideally have been in the last year’s Common Entrance Test selection list, protest after coming to know that ‘Peer and Co’ had sold their seats in lieu of money? Why didn’t they stand up and speak out that the BOPEE chairman and his accomplices sold their dreams and their hard-work, and thus set an example of accountability for others to follow? Why didn’t the student community in our colleges and universities, particularly GMCs, raise their voice against this brazen murder of hopes of thousands of poor students, many of whom studied under candle-light to qualify the CET? Where is our academic and medical fraternity? Where are the civil society groups?

It is a sorry state of affairs that instead of debating how to improve the functioning of our premier institutions and press the government to end this business of corruption and reemployments, a section of Kashmiris dragged the discourse to whether the ex-BOPEE chief is a ‘Peer’ or ‘Bhat’. Does it matter, anyway? Neither his being Bhat would (or should) absolve him of the charges or his being ‘Peer’ would remove the stains off his hands. So if the level of debate of these virtual debaters or some columnists is this, then God alone can save us! The issue has to be looked through the lens of crime, and crime alone. And the quantum of punishment has to come for the crime only.

Barring newspaper coverage to the BOPEE scandal and a bit of outrage on social media, the civil society response—a collective protest from the people irrespective of whether they are affected by the scam or not—is by and large again missing, drawing us straight to this point: Have we turned deeply personal in our approach that the collective concerns don’t matter to us any longer? In that case, we are equally responsible for the mess we are in. Because the bottom-line is: unless we stand up and speak out against the injustices done to us and by whom, we shall continue to be the victims of injustice and produce ‘n’ number of Mushtaq Peers!

Sports

UNDER-FIRE ALASTAIR COOK WANTS TO STAY ENGLAND CAPTAIN

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nder-fire Alastair Cook says he wants to carry on as England captain but if the selectors think there is a better man for the job then he would take it on the chin.

England are on the brink of a humiliating series whitewash after Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory in the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne on Sunday with a day to spare.

Somehow the demoralised tourists, who gave up the Ashes in 14 playing days, have to find a way to stop the Australian juggernaut in this week’s final Sydney Test from repeating the 5-0 rout of the 2006-07 series Down Under.

Cook’s position is under scrutiny given England’s woeful series, and he ratcheted up the pressure by dropping two crucial catches in the first half-hour of Sunday’s play which could have put the Australians under pressure.

It has been a dramatic turnaround from England’s last tour in Australia in 2010-11 when Cook amassed 766 runs at 127.66.

Three years later he has scored 232 runs in eight innings at 29.00.

But Cook insists he wants to continue as captain, leaving the big call on his post-Ashes future to the England selectors.

“I’m totally responsible as captain for the team and if, at the end of the series, the selectors decide I’m not the best man for the job, then so be it,” Cook told reporters after England’s dispiriting loss.

“It would hurt and I’ve got no plans of going anywhere. I’m des-

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perately trying to use as much of my experience of playing 100 Tests to help turn this team around.

“I know that it starts with a lot of hard work and it starts with a performance or two that we jump on the back of.

“I’m 100 percent wanting to carry on. If someone makes that decision, and says ‘We think there’s a better man’ or ‘You’re not good enough to do it’, then I have to take that on the chin because as a captain, you’re responsible for the team.”

Cook was in the England team that was crushed 5-0 by Australia seven years ago and may face a repeat performance at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the final Test starting Friday.

“It’s quite a long time ago now. I think this one obviously, because it’s in the present, hurts quite a lot, especially as I’m captain as well, it probably hurts even more,” he said.

“When we left England we had high hopes of doing something very special. I did say at the time we’d have to play some very good cricket if we wanted to achieve that and we haven’t done that.

“The bottom line is we haven’t been good enough. The part of this game that makes it even more frustrating is that we got ourselves into a good place to put some pressure on Australia: 100-odd ahead and no wickets down in the second innings.

“I suppose that might be where we are as a side. When you’re winning games of cricket you get yourself in a good situation like that and you really take advantage of it. But when the confidence isn’t there and you lose a couple of wickets, you don’t.”

Asked if England had players who were no longer good enough for Test cricket, Cook said: “I think that’s a very big shout. We’ve some very good players in our dressing room.

We’ve some record-breaking players who will have some fantastic days left in an England shirt, I know that for sure.

“We need that coming out of us now, I think that’s what we need in Sydney now: we need anoutstanding 100 or an outstanding 5-for and then everyone jumping on the back of that.

That’s what turns around a team that is struggling like we are at the moment to put in a good performance.”

Focus On Globe 01 January 2014

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Sports

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Focus On Globe 01 January 2014