Blooming Valley flowers

The PDP-Congress coalition government is all set to hold the municipal corporation polls in JK after a gap of 25 years. These elections ass...

The PDP-Congress coalition government is all set to hold the municipal corporation polls in J038;K after a gap of 25 years. These elections assume importance in view of PM Manmohan Singh8217;s recent visit. In his reconstruction plan of Rs 24,000 crore to the State, there is special mention of development of Jammu and Srinagar cities. So far, development of these two cities was fully dependent on State Government funds.

Keeping in view the influx of tourists and pilgrims in the last few months, there is urgent need to give these cities a new look.

My enemy8217;s enemy is my pal

The political atmosphere in the State has suddenly heated up. The reason: the National Conference recently shared a platform with the separatist Hurriyat Conference. The issue at stake was the rising human rights violations.

Interestingly, the NC was a staunch rival of the Hurriyat until a week ago. So this sudden U-turn has generated much surprise in the Valley. In the past, the NC, a strong critic of the Hurriyat, had even said the separatist body had no relevance in Kashmir as it had never proved its representation in the State.

Besides the ruling PDP and Congress, even the BJP was caught unawares by the NC8217;s new friendship. There was talk that the BJP was trying to revive its ties with the NC, a former partner in the NDA. But all that seems to have changed now.

A Pugwash clean-up

For the present, the focus has shifted to Kathmandu, the venue of a three-day conference on Kashmir, in the context of Indo-Pak relations, organised by an Italy-based group and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Pugwash International. This is the first ever meeting between leaders from both sides of the LoC on the issue.

Apart from separatist groups like the Hurriyat Conference and JKLF, Sajjad Lone8217;s People8217;s Conference, the NC and Jammu-based J038;K National Panthers8217; Party led by Bhim Singh are also participating in the conference. Though pro-Pakistan Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani is staying away, observers in the State feel that such meetings can help resolve the basic issues and prepare the ground for talks between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

A Kashmiri Congressman

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It is the end of an era. Sayed Mir Qasim, former CM of J038;K died in New Delhi on December 12. He was a close associate of Indira Gandhi. It was Qasim who 8216;founded8217; the Congress in the State, established it and brought it to power. Qasim, founder member of the J038;K Constituent Assembly, was made minister in the Indira government after the Indira-Sheikh Abdullah Accord in 1975. He was considered among the tallest leaders of Kashmir.

Miss Jammu feeling blue

In a new twist to the case, former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta has now filed a petition before the J038;K High Court stating that she did not act in any pornographic movie. She also alleged that her recent TV interviews were a result of the 8216;8216;pressure put on her by the police8217;8217;. In these interviews, she had admitted that she had acted in a pornographic movie.

Anara has now accused the police of having implicated her in a false case, claiming that she does not figure in any pornographic CD seized by them. She has even requested the court to order a CBI enquiry into the case. While all eyes, and ears, are trained on this new disclosure, the rumour on the streets is that some bigwigs are involved.