‘Barbed Wire Around CRPF Camp Was Electrified’

DANISH NABI

Srinagar, July 23: An irrigation official was electrocuted when he accidentally grasped electrified barb wire fencing of a CRPF at Hamadania Colony Bemina on Thursday. Police have registered a case of negligence, while the people protested by observing a strike.
Witnesses said that the 32-year-old Fayaz Ahmad Bhat of Khalidabad, Bhagaat slipped from the banks of the Bemina canal he and six of his colleagues were measuring.
However, he grabbed the barb wire around the CRPF camp to stop his slide into the waters.
“The wire was connected to electricity. He was taken to hospital in half-dead condition and he later succumbed,” said an eyewitness, Noor Muhammad.
After the incident, all the shops in the area closed down and the residents started dismantling the fencing. But when they tried to bring down the fencing of the bunker, the CRPF troopers stopped them, triggering a demonstration. The protesters blocked the traffic and shouted slogans against the CRPF.
The CRPF camp housing 44 battalion has been recently deployed in the area. The residents said the troopers have connected barb wire to a supply line from a nearby power transformer. “We avoid going close to the camp, but people who are not aware are prone to fatal electrocution like what happened today. If the wiring is not removed it may consume more lives,” they added.
Fayaz was working as a helper in the Irrigation and Flood Control department and he was lone bread winner of his family. He is survived by his wife, mother, and a 3-year-old daughter. The body was taken to police control room for post mortem and it was handed over to the family for last rites.
Relatives of Fayaz said, “He left for the job in the morning but only hours after his departure we came to know about his death. We don’t know what happened to him. All we have been told is that he was electrocuted,” said a relative of Fayaz.
The commandant of the CRPF, P K Mandal, said the wire was not electrified for security reasons. “It is Just an accident. Our power supply line passes underneath the barbed wire and its insulation may have got damaged, resulting in electrification of the concertina wires,” he said.
Sub-Inspector of police at Parimpora police station said the police have registered a case of accident and negligence under section 304 Crpc. The Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Riyaz Bedaar, said the police would investigate.
“We are waiting for a statement of the employees who were accompanying him at the spot. After that we can fix the blame,” he said. Asked about the electrification of the fencing for security reasons, he said, “We don’t know anything about it yet but we will investigate into it.”

Hit by earthquake in 2005, family looses new house in windstorm

Danish Nabi

Kulangam (Handwara), July 28: After loosing their house in the 2005 earthquake, the nature chose this family for another spell of destruction on Sunday when the devastating windstorm made uninhabitable their newly constructed house here.

The Loan family of fruit growers has been living at the Veranda of their single storey house since Sunday evening as the wind blew apart the roof top of their house. The rainwater entered all rooms of the house, forcing the family to move out. The damaged house is surrounded by debris of roof top, fencing, damaged furnishing, clothes of the family members left for drying and the relatives who had come to see them.

The son of the family Tahir Ahmad Loan, said, “Our house was destroyed in 2005 quake and it took us almost four years to reconstruct the new one. But the nature did not spare us this time.”

Narrating the horrifying 60 minutes of devastation, the daughter-in-law of the family, Mubeena Loan, said, “I was sitting along with five kids in the house when the windstorm started. As it gained speed kids started shouting and we all shrunk in one corner of the kitchen. The roof of our house blew apart with a bang and my infant daughter, Tabish, became unconscious,” she narrated.

“The windstorm was followed by the intense rainfall and hailstorm. The rains entered into all the rooms and I had to rush to our neighbor’s for shelter. The children of the family were crying and it was impossible to calm them down,” she said.

Another daughter-in-law of the family Aisha Loan wife of Muhammad Iqbal Loan, said she was out in the orchard when the windstorm hit the area.

“When the wind started, it appeared everything would be blown apart. Hell was let loose on the area and I went to a house near the orchard for shelter. It was more horrifying than the 2005 quake,” she said.

“My three-year-old son, Zakir Loan, was playing at the canal nearby and the wind had drowned him in the water. He was rescued by his aunt and she brought him home when the storm stopped,” she said.

The family comprises of three women, five children and three men. Most members of the family, however, were away from the house when the earthquake struck. “I was coming back to home in a sumo when the windstorm struck. We could not move ahead in that storm. I was aware that the storm could have damaged everything at my home but the storm did not allow me to come for their rescue,” Muhammad Iqbal Loan said.

“When I returned home I saw the roof top was blown apart and my family had run out to neighbor’s house. Soon the other family members returned and we had to spend the night outside the house. Everything was destroyed and it will take us months to repair the damage,” he added.

Storm wrecks havoc in Handwara Trees, houses damaged

Danish Nabi

Handwara/Langate, July 27: Uprooted trees, blown up roof tops and broken fences of hundreds of houses lying on the roadside here in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district tells tale of destruction caused by 60 minutes of devastating wind which, the survivors say, was more horrifying than the 2005 earthquake.

The windstorm that started at 6PM on Sunday caused devastation in 39 villages in the district. The storm has damaged around 1200 houses including five completely destroyed ones. Forty persons were injured in the storm and one woman lost her life when a tree fell over her. Officially around 700 hectares of standing fruit crops were destroyed in the storm.

The most hit villages include Guloora, Chutipora, Kargam, Maratgaon, Kohru, Ranen Ashpora, Mawar, Langate, Pohru Chakla, Galoora, Bonagam, Lalbugh, Kargama, Chutipora, Hangah, Shathgund, Pandithpora, Hampora, Kulangam, Chogal, Braripora, Handwara town, Nutnusa, Vodhpora, and Wadipora.

Most roads were either partially or completed blocked by the trees and electric poles that were blown apart by the wind. The broken trees had blocked the road to Langate Tehsil and its far-off areas were completely inaccessible.

People were seen walking miles to reach Handwara as the transportation to Langate was suspended. The electric lines are down on the roads at most places and the power-supply to both the Tehsils has been cut off.

While many fruit trees were lying uprooted in the Orchards, around 70 per cent of the standing crops on the trees are damaged by the storm. The experts say the storm has damaged 30 per cent fallen crops of apple and walnut.

“The maximum damage to the crops is seen in Kulangam, Chutipora and Langate areas where 70 per cent standing fruits are damaged. The storm has degraded the quality of both the fallen and standing crops,” programme coordinator Krishna Vigyan Kendra Kupwara, Abdul Hameed Hakeem, told Greater Kashmir.

All along the way from Chowgal, visible traumatized people were clearing the rubble while the official machinery was nowhere visible. At many places rainwater had entered the houses, forcing the inhabitants to seek refuge elsewhere.

‘Our roof top was blown apart and the rain entered our houses damaging the entire furnishing of the house. We spent the night at our neighbor’s house,” said Aisha Lone, whose family has been living in the lawn.

The survivors said the windstorm let lose the hell for an hour that was followed by intense rain and hailstorm. “I haven’t seen anything like this before. At around 6 PM the wind started slowly and everything went dark. Within seconds it started blowing at full speed and it appeared everything will be blown apart,” said Bashir Ahmad War of Kulangam whose house’s roof top was blown off by the wind.

“It was more horrifying than the 2005 earthquake. When the windstorm hit here it appeared like a doomsday and we went searching for cover. There were noises of rooftops falling apart,” said Manzoor Ahmad of Chtipora. In Chutipora alone around 40 houses were damaged by the windstorm.

The survivors said they have been clearing the debris since last evening and they have been left on their own. “Till 10 PM Sunday we were clearing the debris. We started again this morning but no one came to our help,” said Muhammad Aslam. The people themselves had partially lifted the electric poles at many places to make way for the traffic.

People said they were still scared of going into the houses. “It was like a God’s providence and we fear there may be another storm. We feel secure outside the houses,” they said.

12 HR violations in 4 months

Danish Nabi

Srinagar, May 29: While the human rights violations seem to be reaching no end in the Valley, 12 civilians have been killed by the CRPF and army across the Valley since the beginning of 2009 till date. Interestingly police is yet to make any arrests in the incidents.

Over last four months the human rights violations include killings of civilians by CRPF and army, custodial killings and loss of life in the force action over the protesters.

In first human right violation case, on January 6, 45-year-old deaf and dumb, Abdul Rashid Reshi of Veersaran-Pahalgam, was shot dead by army near chief minister’s residence at Gupkar Road during the late evening hours.

Reshi was reportedly going to her sister’s house on the fateful evening, but he had lost the way and “trespassed” in high security zone, where he was mistaken for identities.

In a similar incident on February 1, 28-year-old Fayaz Ahmad Mir of Khirhama Zab area of Lolab in north Kashmir was mistaken for fidayeen by army and shot dead in his compound.

In another incident on February 21, two civilians, Muhammad Amin Tantray and Javaid Ahmed Dar were killed when 22 Rashtriya Rifles personnel opened fire on devotees at Bomai village in north Kashmir.

This was followed by the CRPF troopers killing a carpenter, Ghulam Mohiudin Malik at Khaigam Pakaherpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on March 18.

Custodial killings

Three custodial killings have been reported from across the Valley so far this year, according to a report by Public Commission on Human Rights—civil society working on human rights in Kashmir.

The First custodial killing occurred in January 31 at Bandipora.

Ali Muhammad Bhat (18) was summoned by 51 RR stationed in the Village on January 29 and his body, bearing torture marks, was handed over to his family after three days, the report quoting Bhat’s relative says.

The family was threatened by army not to disclose the incident to anyone, it adds.

In the second custodial killing, Muhammad Sadiq of Mangota Village in Marmat Doda was killed in custody by army on May 7.

The report by PCHR, quoting locals, says that Sadiq was picked up by army on May 6 and his body was recovered from the area next morning.

A magisterial probe was ordered into the case on intervention of local MLA, Abdul Majeed Wani.

In the recent case on May 18 at Aloochi Bagh, a youth Manzoor Ahmad Beigh (40) was reportedly arrested by the Special Operation Group men from his shop and tortured to death at cargo.

The erring SOG was suspended from duty and the district administration called a magisterial inquiry into the case. The inquiry report was tabled a week later before the district commissioner Srinagar.

Civilians killed in protests

Two three persons lost lives in police and paramilitary CRPF action over the protesters at old city.

One youth was killed in forces action over the troopers at Nowhatta Chowk after Friday prayers on March 6. The CRPF troopers reportedly opened indiscriminate fire at the protesters killing a youth Shahid Ahmad Ahangar son of Muhammad Khalil Ahangar of Rainawari.

A teenager, Arif Ayub Bhat of Ganderpora Eidgah, was killed on May 26 in police action over the protesters. Arif was hit on head by a tear gas during Friday protests in the old city and was under treatment at SKIMS for two days. He however succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. There was no case or inquiry called in the case.

Human shield killing

A retired police constable got killed on April 20 at Kupwara in an encounter between militants and troopers when he was reportedly used as human shield by the forces.

According to the eyewitnesses, Shamsudin was forced to enter the house in Kupwara where militants were holed up. After massive protests by the people, the district administration had assured a probe into the matter.

Civilians killed in encounter

A woman, Zahida Bano, was killed in the ‘cross fire’ between army and the militants on April 19 in Kishtiwar district.

While army claimed Zahida was militants’ accomplice, her family said it was a case of target killing. However, neither was any probe ordered into the case nor was any case registered against the army.

Army kills 3 more civilians in Kashmir

DANISH ZARGAR
Yet another chapter of killing innocent Kashmiris was written in the history of Kashmir’s movement for liberation from Indian occupation when the three youth were martyred in cold blood by the Indian Army’s counter insurgency wing, Rashtriys Rifles, in Bomai, Sopur in North Kashmir on Saturday, February 21, afternoon.
The murder of three, identified as Muhammad Amin Tantray son of Muhammad Shaban of Bomai and Javid Ahmad Dar son of Muhammad Ismail of Muslim Peer, Sopur and Firdous Ahmad Khwaja son of Abdul Ghaffar, who scummbed to injuries in SK medical institute, was not the first and it may not be the last. It is just one more incident added to atrocities against Kashmiris which has left more than one lakh people dead in past several decades.
The incident was nothing but a cold blooded murder, for there was no bomb blast or stone pelting which army could claim provoked the RR to open fire. Yet they fired several rounds from their assault rifles and semi automatic machine guns.
The armed struggle which began in Kashmir in the early ‘90s is almost dead now. There are no bomb blasts, no suicidal attacks nothing but people are still being killed even when they voted in huge numbers in the recent assembly elections held only months ago. Indian think tanks, media were on the forefront claiming that the voter turn out was the victory of democracy. And perhaps it was, but where does the ethics and morals of ‘democracy’ go when the people are being killed even when they aren’t on the roads demanding azadi.
Witnesses said the incident occurred when an Army convoy of 22 Rashtriya Rifles was passing through the area near Bomai. “The convoy halted near a bund and without any provocation opened indiscriminate fire on a group of youth walking there. Two youth died on the spot,” eyewitnesses said.
Nothing has changed all these years. Like the past, Indian army has yet again declared the murder in Sopur as ‘causalities in cross firing’.
“The RR troopers were informed about terrorist in a bus. When they stopped the vehicle and asked men in the bus to lift their pherans (The traditional winter gown used in winters in Kashmir) they opened fire. And the cross-firing resulted in three civilian causalities,” the statement from the northern command of army read a day after the incident.
And also nothing has changed when it comes to calling an inquiry by the army into the incident.
In a state where even thieves aren’t brought to book, Police have registered an FIR against the army into the incident.
The deputy commissioner, Varmul, Baseer Ahmad Khan, said a magisterial inquiry had been ordered into the incident. “SDM Sopur has been appointed as inquiry officer. Law will take its own course,” Khan said
It would be just one more FIR added to the police register where thousands of FIRs against army are already longing for the culprits to be brought to justice.
May be yes there will be investigations, but then in a state where crime is mightier than law who will book whom.
And then if, supposing, the law gets mightier than crime this time can the three be brought to life? More importantly can the killings be stopped in future?

Srinagar SCAN 'pani pani re---'

DANISH NABI

If you fear that the once prestigious water bodies like the Dal Lake and the Jhelum might be lost forever, think again. As for most Srinagarites, the Jhelums and the Dal Lakes have been brought to their door steps, curtsy lackadaisical approach of the authorities in dewatering the areas post few inches of snowfall in Srinagar.
  But this time the credit must go to the authorities because unlike Dal Lake, which could not be saved even by investing millions, they are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the ‘rivers flowing in every lane’ today don’t die soon. For that they make tall claims for dewatering the roads-turned-rivers but do not provide dewatering pumps; they keep the state machinery ready to deal with any kind of complicacy but not necessarily operational at the time of crisis; and they make control rooms without control.
  After much hue and cry when they leave their air-conditioned rooms in luxurious cars to see if people are enjoying life under water, they inspect the affected areas; make notes and then what follows would be like stating the obvious.
  Millions must have been spent on readying the state machinery but when it comes to seeing them in action, they are found wanting. But then people do not realize that this oblivion of the ‘ever ready state machinery’ can save a large part of state economy; why to spend it on dewatering when the water would dry naturally any ways. And then water logging in the areas like Hyderpora, Gulshan Nagar, Lal Bazar, Indranagar and others has been there before, people have been coming on the roads, but does it matter?

Geelan's vilage boycotts polls, polling staff

DANISH NABI

Doru (Sopur), Dec 7: Obliging poll boycott call by the Coordination Committee, pro-freedom leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s home village, Doru, observed complete boycott on Sunday. Till 12:30 PM not a single vote was cast at the three polling booths in this north Kashmir constituency. The locals even denied civic facilities to the polling staff in the area.
The polling booths here wore a deserted look with only polling staff and troopers inside. Since morning the residents had gathered outside the polling stations to see if anybody would vote cast vote and they inquired the vote count from every media person who returned from the booth.
“We are sitting here since morning to see if anybody would dare to vote,” the residents said.
The residents came out on the streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The protestors pelted stones at the troopers who responded by baton charge and firing several tear gas rounds. Troopers also fired several bullets in the air to disperse the protestors, however, when the situation went out of control, more force was called into the area.
A protestor, wishing anonymity, said, “Coordination Committee’s call is the ultimate word for us.  Not even a single person will vote here, rather we will see who dares to enter the polling booth.”
“The people that voted in the earlier phases do not understand what Azadi means. They think the elected leaders would help them but it is their misconception as the leaders have always betrayed this nation,” the protestors said, adding, “We have never voted and we will not vote this time also. Insha Allah victory will be ours.”
The residents have been observing complete social boycott with the polling staff that has been placed in the area. The staff has been denied all essential commodities including bread, food and water.
“People are not providing us anything here. When we go to the shopkeepers to buy something they refuse to sell us the goods. The people don’t even provide us the water for ablution,” Sajjad Ahmad, a poll staffer in the Doru 59-A polling station told Greater Kashmir.
“What have we done wrong? We are the employees and we are simply performing our duty.
The residents said the poll staff would not be provided any facilities as they have “betrayed the people of Kashmir.”
“They are negating the sacrifices of Kashmiris who laid their lives for the Kashmir cause. They are supporting India in conducting the elections and we have socially boycotted them,” the residents said.