Kashmir survives another tragedy, this time without blood

July 1, 2012

shrine-fire

Srinagar, July 1: As normal life resumed in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley Saturday, Kashmir survived yet another tragedy - this time without any blood being spilt on the roads.

The destruction of the second holiest Muslim shrine of the Valley in a mysterious blaze on Monday threw Kashmiris into a state of shock and mourning, reminding one of a similar tragedy in 1995 when the shrine of the Valley's patron saint, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali, was destroyed in a blaze in central Kashmir's Charar-e-Sharief town.

In December 1997, another highly revered shrine, Khanqah-e-Faiz Panah of Mir Ali Syed Hamdani, was destroyed in a blaze in south Kashmir's Tral town.

The reverence of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani, known as Peer Dastgeer by the Muslims and Kahnoow by the local Hindus, extends back centuries. The relics preserved inside the over-300-year-old include a hair of the saint's beard, a Quranic manuscript by Iman Ali Murtaza, son-in-law of the Prophet and another manuscript by Caliph Abu Bakr.

The relics are believed to have been brought here by an Afghan governor 337 years ago.

The strike in mourning against the destruction of the shrine was spontaneous and total. As the news about the destruction of the shrine spread, some youths started pelting stones at the security forces, who clamped curfew-like restrictions in the trouble prone areas of the old city.

It must be said to the credit of the people that despite the shock and mourning over the destruction of the Muslim hrine, the Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave shrine continued without a hiccup. While roads remained deserted and markets appeared haunted during the last five days, nobody stopped or interfered with the hundreds of vehicles carrying pilgrims to the Amarnath Cave shrine in south and north Kashmir areas.

If certain elements were out to exploit the situation for political reasons, this time the state administration also acted with firmness and fortitude.

The state government did not go into hiding. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the shrine site, cutting short his London visit.

State governor N.N. Vohra, union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress chief Saif-ud-Din Soz, former union minister Karan Singh and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Mehooba Mufti visited the site in sharp contrast to 2010 summer unrest when all the mainstream leaders had gone into hiding.

While the decision of the state administration placing the separatist leaders under house arrest disallowing their requests to visit the shrine has been criticized, the state chief minister, Omar Abdullah, is patting his administration for handling the situation well.

"And if you want to see examples of people who would rather have seen blood spilt on the streets take a look at my timeline", Abdullah posted on his Twitter site.?

He described his decision to clamp curfew-like restrictions as timely.

"So while I have no hesitation in apologizing to people inconvenienced by the restrictions we did what we had to do to keep the peace", he commented.

As educational institutions, markets, traffic, post offices, government offices and other businesses started normally in Srinagar city and elsewhere in the Valley today, Kashmiris have silently made a loud statement - the shrine will be restored to its original glory, but blood of youth won't be spilled on roads to settle political scores.


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News Network
March 3,2020

Wayanad, Mar 3: Anguished over the alleged delay in receiving flood relief from the Kerala government, a 42-year-old man committed suicide in Wayanad district, police said on Tuesday. Sanal Kumar, a native of Thrikaipatta in Meppadi near here was found hanging inside the temporary shelter built by his friends and local people on Monday. He was among the hundreds who had lost their homes in the August 2019 floods.

His home, built on a three cent plot, had been damaged partially in 2018 floods and completely in the 2019 deluge. Family members of the deceased alleged that it was due undue delay on the part of the authorities in allotting funds for rebuilding his house that drove Kumar to take the extreme step. Kumar was hoping to get a house under the Life Mission project, sources said.

A relative said Kumar had only 3 cent of land and had lot of debts. Even the Rs 10,000 assistance promised by the state government for the flood affected, had not reached him. Since the past two years he had filed several applications for assistance and apporached many revenue authroties for the promised government assistance, but it never came, the locals alleged.

According to K K Sahad, president of Meppadi Panchayat the deceased had some other financial issues and it was not the delay in rehabilitation that made him commit suicide. "It is true that he was not included in the first list of beneficiaries under the LIFE project as he had to have "pattayam" (land records) for his land.

However, he was included in the second list, thanks to the dilution in the norms that possession was enough for those who had no 'pattayam' for their property. The amount of Rs 4 lakhs was sanctioned for him, but was delayed a bit due to some technical issues."

Wayanad MLA C K Saseendran described it as an "extremely sad" development. As Kumar had some difficulties in producing the land recrods, the authroties had been unable to include his name in the LIFE housing scheme in the first phase.

The matter has been brought before the notice of the revenue authorities, he said. Vythiri Tahsildar, Abdul Hameed, visited Kumar's relatives this morning as the family members of the deceased wanted his presence before the body was taken for post-mortem.

"There was some technical issues with regard to the land as it falls within the adhivasi reserve. But they were occupying it for long. However, the issue has been sorted out and that his family members would be getting the eligibility amount of four lakhs," Hameed said.

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News Network
May 28,2020

New Delhi, May 28: The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police will file 12 chargesheets against 536 Tablighi Jamaat members from three countries, officials said on Thursday.

Till now, the police has already filed chargesheets against 374 foreigners from 32 countries.

The officials said the charges against the Tablighi Jamaat members pertain to violation of visa rules, government guidelines regarding the Epidemic Disease Act and acting negligently in a way that was likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.

The Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in Nizamuddin in South Delhi, had allegedly organised a congregation in March in violation of mass gatherings.

The Tablighi Jamaat’s Nizamuddin Markaz (centre) had become a coroavirus hotspot in the national capital.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Kochi, Feb 9: P Parameswaran, one of the senior-most "pracharaks" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and former leader of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, died at 91 in the early hours today, Sangh Parivar sources said.

The founder director of the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram died at 12.10 am while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment at Ottappalam in Kerala's Palakkad district, according to sources.

P Parameswaran, who had worked with leaders like Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani during the Jana Sangh days, was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian award in 2018 and Padma Shri in 2004.

Fondly called as Parameswar ji by Sangh Parivar and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, he was a prolific writer, poet, researcher and a widely-respected RSS ideologue. He was the Bharatiya Jana Sangh's secretary (1967-1971) and vice0president (1971-1977), as well as the director of the Deendayal Research Institute (1977-1982) in New Delhi.

Born in 1927 in Muhamma, Alappuzha district, he joined the RSS during his student days.

His body will be brought to the RSS headquarters in Kochi this morning for people to pay their last respects. The cremation will be held in Muhamma in the evening, sources said.

During the days of Emergency between 1975-77, he courted arrest as part of the all India Satyagraha against it and was jailed for 16 months.

Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram was established by P Parameswaran in 1982 "to promote nationalist thoughts among Keralites".

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