February 2025 - Page 5 of 7

Feb42025 by News DeskNo Comments

Badhaal village returns to normal after weeks of fear over mysterious deaths

REGIONAL

After weeks of fear and uncertainty following 17 mysterious deaths, including 13 children from three related families, the remote village of Badhaal in Jammu Kashmir is slowly returning to normalcy. The tragic deaths, which occurred between December 7, 2024, and January 19, 2025, had shaken the tight-knit community, prompting authorities to impose strict quarantine measures Over 300 villagers remain quarantined at a hospital in Rajouri, 55 kilometers from Badhaal, where strict surveillance, including CCTV monitoring of food preparation, has been implemented. The Assistant District Development Commissioner (Kotranaka) confirmed that no new cases have emerged in the last three weeks, and all previously ill patients have recovered and been discharged. Despite the apparent containm...

Feb42025 by News DeskNo Comments

‘Financial stress’: From 35,000 in 2017 to 4,100 in 2025, Hajj applications see massive drop in Jammu Kashmir

REGIONAL

Witnessing a rapid decline from 35,000 in 2017 to as low as over 4100 applications this year, the number of Haj pilgrims continues to be dwindling in Jammu and Kashmir. The numbers, as per the officials, have further dwindled when over 700 pilgrims who applied for the pilgrimage opted to remain ‘out’ of Hajj 2025. As per the official details exclusively available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a total of 4,100 people from Jammu and Kashmir applied for Haj 2025, out of which 3,601 were confirmed in the first list, with 21 more added under the Mahram quota, taking the total number of pilgrims proceeding for Haj to 3,622. Dr Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, Executive Officer, J&K Haj Committee, confirmed to KNO that all 3,622 selected pilgrims have completed the payment ...

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

February 3, 2001: The day Mehjoor Nagar was shaken by targeted killing of Sikhs

WRITE-UPS

It was a cold day in February. The people of Mehjoor Nagar, a quiet neighborhood in Srinagar, were busy with their daily chores. Children played in the streets, their laughter echoing through the lanes. The Sikh families, a small but resilient community in the valley, were preparing for the evening. Shopkeepers tended to their customers, and life moved at its usual pace—until gunfire shattered the calm. On February 3, 2001, three unidentified gunmen arrived in Mehjoor Nagar. Two of them, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on Sikh men, while the third waited on a motorcycle. The attack was swift and brutal. Before anyone could react, six men lay dead on the ground—Satnam Singh, Charanjeet Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Suraj Singh, Sumeet Pal Singh, and Balwant Singh...

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

Two Kashmiri girls missing for 3 months traced

REGIONAL

In a major breakthrough, police have traced two missing girls from south Kashmir, who had been unaccounted for over the past three months, in Srinagar’s Nowgam area. The girls, one of whom is a minor, hail from Kellar in Shopian and Babhara in Pulwama. While police have not disclosed further details, sources indicate that the two had reportedly come into contact with some non-locals through social media before disappearing. Their worried families had searched extensively in Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri before the police, after forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT), finally located them. During their absence, the girls are believed to have traveled as far as Surat in Gujarat before returning to Kashmir. Grateful for the police’s efforts, the parents expressed their relief and...

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

Newborn’s body recovered from Nallah Sindh in Ganderbal

REGIONAL

Shah Basit The body of a newborn male baby was recovered from Nallah Sindh near Ramwari Gund in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Monday, officials told The Kashmiriyat. Local residents spotted the infant’s body in the water and immediately informed the authorities. A team from Gund police station reached the spot and retrieved the body. Officials said an investigation has been launched to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. The body has been sent for medical examination, and efforts are underway to identify those responsible. Further details are awaited.

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

NC will oppose Waqf Amendment Bill inside and outside parliament: Tanvir Sadiq

REGIONAL

National Conference (NC) senior leader and MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq, has reiterated his party’s firm opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, stating that the NC will resist it both inside and outside Parliament. Expressing disappointment over the bill, Sadiq, who also serves as NC’s chief spokesperson, criticized the government for ignoring concerns raised by the Muslim community and opposition lawmakers. “Despite repeated objections from Muslims and MPs across political lines, their concerns have been disregarded. This is a blatant neglect of minority voices. The NC will fight this bill at every level,” he told Srinagar based newspaper Greater Kashmir. Calling the amendments a “serious interference” in religious affairs, he pointed to provisions allowing non-Muslims to be part ...

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

Kulgam attack: Ex-Army man succumbs, his wife, daughter stable

REGIONAL

An ex-Army man, who along with his wife and daughter were attacked by terrorists in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, has succumbed to his injuries on Monday. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that an ex-Army man, his wife and daughter were injured after they were attacked by terrorists in Behibagh area of Kulgam. He said that all three were taken to hospital in injured condition where ex-army man identified as Manzoor Ahmad Wagay succumbed to injuries while his wife and daughter are said to be stable. Meanwhile, the forces have cordoned off the area to nab the attackers—(KNO) More details awaited

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

Ex-Army man, his wife, daughter injured in Kulgam attack

REGIONAL

An ex-Army man, his wife and daughter were injured after they were attacked by unknown gunmen in south Kashmir's Kulgam district An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that an ex-Army man, his wife and daughter were injured after they were attacked by unknown gunmen in BehiBagh area of Kulgam. He said that all three were taken to hospital in injured condition. Meanwhile, the forces have cordoned off the area to nab the attackers—(KNO) More details awaited

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

After 42 years, Gulzar Ahmad Parray finishes translating the Holy Quran into Kashmiri

FEATURED

Meer Irfan In a remarkable feat of dedication and scholarship, 75-year-old Gulzar Ahmad Parray from Kaprin, Shopian, has completed a translation of the Holy Quran into the Kashmiri language after 42 years of relentless work. Parray, a retired government employee with a Master’s degree and a B.Ed in Kashmiri, embarked on this journey decades ago to make the sacred text more accessible to Kashmiri-speaking people. Over the years, he published and distributed five parts (separa) of the Quran to various educational institutions. Now, after completing the translation of all 30 chapters, he is preparing for its full publication. Reflecting on his journey, Parray shared, “There were moments when I felt overwhelmed by the responsibility, but the thought that future generations would r...

Feb32025 by News DeskNo Comments

Indian-American vocalist Chandrika Tandon bags Grammy

INTERNATIONAL

Chandrika Tandon won the Grammy for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for Triveni at the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, surpassing Indian nominees Ricky Kej (Break of Dawn) and Anoushka Shankar (Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn). Raised in Chennai and the sister of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Tandon is a business leader and musician who was previously nominated in 2011. Her winning album, Triveni, is a collaboration with South African flautist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto. The album weaves Vedic chants with global musical elements, creating a meditative and reflective soundscape. Other Indian-origin nominees included British artist Radhika Vekaria for Warriors of Light and Anoushka Shankar’s collaboration with Jacob Collier on A Rock Somewh...