Monday, December 15Latest news and updates from Kashmir

Restoration of statehood at ‘appropriate’ time, says HM Amit Shah

Restoration of statehood at ‘appropriate’ time, says HM Amit Shah

INDIA
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday promised restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir at “an appropriate time” and a “good resolution” of demands raised by people of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Speaking at a media conclave in Patna, he also claimed that after the abrogation of Article 370, terror-infested Jammu and Kashmir has “taken a U-turn” and “no local terrorist has been recruited in the last nine months”. “This is a qualitative change that Jammu and Kashmir, where separatism had been festering since the 1990s, witnessed. Earlier, Pakistan felt no need to send terrorists from across the border. They used to place arms in the hands of our children. Now the situation has changed. The people of Jammu and Kashmir feel they belong to the entire country and the entire c...

Policeman arrested with heroin in Udhampur

REGIONAL
A police constable was taken into custody on Saturday after 9.63 grams of heroin were seized from his car in Udhampur district, officials said. As per Press Trust of India, Constable Arjun Sharma, a resident of Udhampur, has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, a police spokesperson confirmed. The seizure occurred during routine checking at Bans Morh on Katra Road, when a private vehicle traveling from Katra to Tikri was intercepted. A search of the car led to the discovery of the narcotic, the spokesperson added.

Cow enters Bandipora hospital; FIR filed against man who filmed incident

REGIONAL
A video showing a cow wandering into the District Hospital Bandipora went viral on Friday, sparking public outrage and raising questions about hospital security. The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. when the animal entered the hospital premises through the emergency section. The video, widely shared on social media, prompted mixed reactions from the public. Speaking to this correspondent, Medical Superintendent Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad said cows often stray near the hospital despite repeated requests to their owners to keep them off the premises. “At the time, our security guards had moved to attend an emergency in another ward,” he explained. “Within about five minutes, the cow had entered the hospital.” Dr. Ahmad added that an FIR has been registered against the young man who filmed and ci...

Rising mental health crisis in Kashmir: Over 2.7 lakh treated at GMC Anantnag

FEATURED
Jammu Kashmir is witnessing a growing demand for mental health services, as more people come forward to seek treatment amid rising psychological challenges. Official data shows that Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, treated over 2.7 lakh patients with mental health issues in the past five years. At the same time, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), GMC Srinagar, catered to nearly two lakh patients last year, including those dealing with general mental health concerns and substance-use disorders. Dr Yasir Rather, Professor at IMHANS, said, “These numbers reflect the urgent need for accessible, affordable, and stigma-free care in the region. Mental health services must not be a privilege of peace, but a necessity in times of crisis.” He added that in Kash...

Tobacco selling banned around schools in Ajas Bandipora

REGIONAL
The Executive Magistrate 1st Class Ajas area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district imposed a complete ban on the sale, storage, and offering of tobacco products within a 100-meter radius of all educational institutions under his jurisdiction. The order has been issued under the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA). The magistrate’s order stated that the prohibition aims to safeguard the health and well-being of students and to discourage the initiation of tobacco use among the youth. The order came into effect immediately. As per the directions, no individual or shopkeeper shall sell, offer for sale, or store tobacco products within the restr...

Physics wala episode: Does Islam allow public shaming of Women?

WRITE-UPS
Syed Zahid Hussain A short viral video from a Physics Wala event in Anantnag , showing a minor girl whose gesture was seized upon, widely circulated and lambasted online,  reopened an old fault line in Kashmiri public life: who has the right to judge, name and shame, and in whose name? In contemporary Kashmir, some clerics have turned mosque pulpits into stages for moral performance, publicly shaming women or minors under the guise of defending religion. Their sermons often aim less at genuine guidance than at attracting social media attention, gaining approval among male audiences, or boosting personal prestige. Viral videos of such moral policing circulate widely, and the applause of online followers becomes the real reward, overshadowing the ethical responsibility that Islam imposes ...

‘Delete video immediately or face action’: CWC issues warning to social media users over misuse of minor girl’s Physics Walla video

REGIONAL
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Anantnag has issued a strict advisory to social media users following the circulation of a video involving a minor during a recent event hosted by Physics Walla in Anantnag. The minor, whose identity has been withheld, stated that "the gesture in the video has been misinterpreted and misused," causing harassment and distress, read the statement issued to The Kashmiriyat. The CWC noted that "the undue circulation of the video violates the right of privacy of the minor" and has led to the child receiving "immoral and threatening comments." The committee, as per the press release, warned that such acts are considered offences under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and related rules, with violators liable to impriso...

Protests against Smart metres gain momentum in Maharashtra, West Bengal stops installation after public anger

INDIA
Protests against smart electricity meters have intensified across India, with Maharashtra witnessing some of the most recent demonstrations. In Nagpur, members of the Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti staged a “power march” and burned electricity bills to express their dissatisfaction with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited’s rollout of smart meters and recent tariff hikes. Speaking about the protests, VRAS leader Sunil Shinde said, “People are being forced to pay double or triple for their electricity after these meters were installed. We will continue to protest until the government listens.” While authorities have assured that complaints will be investigated, the state has made it clear that the smart meter installation program will continue. In West ...

863 more dailywagers regularised by Jammu Kashmir government

REGIONAL
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday handed over regularisation orders to 863 Contingent Paid Workers (CPWs) of the School Education Department from various districts of Jammu province. https://twitter.com/TheKashmiriyat/status/1976275815110484328?t=3vJPotYykgYtKGijUuxq1Q&s=19 He also inaugurated the Vidya Samiksha Kendra under Samagra Shiksha and launched several new ICT initiatives, including J&K Digilearn, Shikshak Sahayak, and JK Edu Insights, aimed at strengthening the education system in Jammu and Kashmir. Omar said nearly 1,000 infrastructure projects worth ₹450 crore are underway in the education sector, adding that all higher secondary and high schools will have smart classrooms and laboratories by March 2026. Calling the regularisation a “reward for dedica...

Ahead of Budgam bypolls, Jamaat-e-Islami-backed JDF quits Sajad Lone-led alliance

REGIONAL
The Justice and Development Front (JDF), backed by the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), on Thursday announced its decision to withdraw from the Sajad Lone-led People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), citing differences over the coalition’s functioning. In an official statement, JDF General Secretary Sayar Ahmad Reshi said the party had “decided to exit the People’s Alliance for Change” after certain differences emerged in the alliance’s modus operandi. “After due reflection, we believe that pursuing an independent course will better serve our vision, values, and principles,” the statement read. Reshi extended gratitude to the JDF’s former allies and supporters, reaffirming the party’s “unwavering commitment to democratic values, transparency, accountability, and dedicated public service.”...
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