Gulmarg Rings
in Jammu and Kashmir on January 13 last year and said that all security agencies are fighting a decisive battle against terrorism following the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He had also said that a 360-degree security mechanism would be further strengthened to eliminate the support and information system of terrorists.
The Minister had also held a review meeting of the security situation of the Union Territory of in New Delhi on April 13 last year in which reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security. (ANI)
Hanjura, Adil Gurezi and Afaq Shafi, who enthralled the audience with their performance at the Golf Course.
“Even though we enjoyed it a lot, we came here (Gulmarg) to witness the snowfall but it wasn’t there,” said Rakesh Kumar, a tourist from Maharashtra.
Kumar, who arrived in Gulmarg on December 30, said that he had never experienced snowfall before. He had promised his family of four to celebrate the New Year in Kashmir
“But still we had a good time. Everything was perfect,” he added.
Notably, the valley is yet to receive any major snowfall of the season. The cold wave has swept across Kashmir with weathermen predicting no snowfall as of now.
“The dry spell may continue till January 10th.As of now, we can’t predict any major snowfall,” Mukhtar Ahmad, Director Meteorological Department Srinagar, told Kashmir Observer.
Pertinent to mention, the valley is witnessing a massive footfall of tourists, especially in Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam and other tourist destinations. A number of hotels were sold out for Christmas and New Year in the first week of December.
The authorities have made adequate arrangements to enhance winter tourism; however, a number of tourists visit Kashmir specifically for the allure of snowfall.
Gulmarg is a world-famous skiing resort, attracting hundreds of national and international skiers who travel to Kashmir for skiing adventures.
“So far a number of bookings have been canceled by the international skiers and if the situation remains the same, nobody will come here this season for skiing,” said Farhat Naik, a snowboarding instructor in Gulmarg.
On Sunday, Naik posted a video on X (previously Twitter) showing snowless scenes of Gulmarg. “It’s heartbreaking to see Gulmarg in such conditions during this time of the year, especially if you have never witnessed something like this before. Indeed, the weather patterns have been quite erratic & unpredictable in recent years, leading to unusual occurrences like this,” he posted.
He said that the skiers have canceled the January slot as of now, and if there is snowfall, they might consider coming in February.
“Domestic tourists visit for the scenic beauty, while international tourists come for adventure, which is only possible with enough snowfall,” he added.
Shareef Ahmad Dar, Manager of Hotel Grand Mumtaz, told Kashmir Observer that tourists expressed disappointment upon witnessing the absence of snow in Gulmarg.
“They enjoyed a lot but snow brings a separate charm and it will eventually impact our business,” Dar said.
The hoteliers are hopeful for a major snowfall in coming weeks so that they could see a successful winter tourism season.
“Both the events were successful. The authorities had made a good arrangement, but snow could have added to the charm,” said Aqib Chaya, who runs Hotel Hilltop in Gulmarg.
Wasim Raja, Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Development Authority, Gulmarg told Kashmir Observer that the snow is in the hands of God and they can’t do anything about it.
“Gulmarg had experienced snowfall earlier, but it melted over time. We are expecting a major snowfall after January 10,” Raja added.
occupancies this winter.
Kashmir recorded a surge in the number of visitors, eager to celebrate the onset of the New Year amidst the breathtaking beauty and snow-clad landscapes. Although lack of snowfall has disappointed some tourists, the shift reflects changing preferences and priorities among holidaymakers.
Abhijeet Kumar, accompanied by his wife from Haryana, expressed heartfelt admiration for Kashmir, and said there is no place as serene and cold as Kashmir in India.
“Kashmir is, unequivocally, the most cherished destination for us. In the realm of cold places in India, none compares to the natural splendor of Kashmir. My wife and I yearned for the embrace of a cold haven, and thus, we chose Kashmir,” said Abhijeet, who is visiting Kashmir for the first time.
When asked about not choosing other winter hill stations like Shimla, he said, “Shimla, although beautiful, falls short in comparison to the pristine cleanliness and unparalleled beauty that Kashmir exudes. Besides, Shimla has previously been overrun by tourism.”
Manu Sharma, another tourist from New Delhi, said, “The Jammu and Kashmir government’s efforts to promote winter tourism have played a crucial role. Initiatives such as winter cultural events and improved infrastructure have contributed to the region’s appeal as a top winter tourism destination. Government’s peace initiatives have borne fruit.”
“Kashmir feels safer than ever before,” Sharma said, adding that there are other destinations like Goa and Uttarakhand, but they wanted to visit a “winter-wonderland.”
Tourism stakeholders say that the opening of tourism resorts like Sonamarg is also contributing to the increase in the number of visitors.
Shehzad Rasool, the owner of Village Walk Hotel in Sonamarg, said that just a few years ago, the tourist resort faced the possibility of closure. “In the last two years, there has been a significant increase in hotel bookings during the winter months, especially around New Year’s Eve,” he said.
“Previously, Sonamarg would shut down in November, with minimal tourist activity. Remarkably, the situation is changing even during the harshest period of winter, the chillai kalan.” Shehzad Rasool added.
Notably, hotel bookings in the hill station of Shimla have seen a decline this New Year. MK Seth, President of the Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association, said that the occupancy rate is approximately 50-60 percent, marking the lowest in the last 40 years. This is even lower than the New Year tourist rush to Shimla during the Covid-19 pandemic.
be voted to power as candidates without the fear of the lurking gun of the separatists and the soft separatists used through the hapless terrorists.”
He said the peaceful environment is a prerequisite for investments, employment generation and establishment of new enterprises.
“Notwithstanding the progress made, let me remind you all that there is no room for complacency. We still face challenges. Terrorism is down but not completely wiped out. We just cannot afford to lower the guard.
“The enemy is and will continue to try different tactics to derail peace. We have to defeat any such move before it takes root,” Swain said.
He said while there has to be zero tolerance towards any activity or person posing a threat to the peace and stability of the country and safety of the local communities, “we have to show real empathy and compassion for our fellow peace-loving citizens”.
“Till yesterday, the challenge was to dismantle the terror ecosystem in which significant progress has been achieved, and now, the new challenge is not to let it take roots or resurface even marginally in any form,” he added.
Swain said the force also faces challenges of drug menace and narco-terrorism.
“It is a security threat as well as a social evil. We need to work relentlessly to uproot it. We owe it to the society that J&K police shall keep our future generations free from this menace,” he said.
Swain also talked about the challenge posed by artificial intelligence (AI) warfare and warned that the threat is going to get stronger in the near future.
“So, while we continue to improve upon the traditional methods and practices of maintaining peace as well as counter-terrorism efforts, we need to keep honing our skills in technology and AI-backed policing with an urgency,” he said.
Lauding the role of the police force, the DGP said over 1,600 police personnel have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in the past three decades of terrorism.
“This proud professional force has given enormous sacrifices to get J&K out of the clutches of sponsored terrorism and ensure an enabling environment for fostering peace and development,” he said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir Police is a unique police force in the country as it has the “onerous” responsibility of maintaining law and order on the streets and battling terrorists with and without guns.
Swain also hailed the force for playing a lead role in realising the vision of ‘Naya Kashmir’ as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The DGP said police personnel and their families faced pressures in the past from “bullies and goons working secretly on behalf of the terrorist and secessionist networks”.
“We will do everything possible to fight any attempt to vilify you only because you are a member of JK Police,” he said.
and order duties and undertaking counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. In comparison, the data quoted by official sources said, 187 terrorists were neutralised by the forces in the preceding year of 2022.
Out of these, 57 were foreign-origin terrorists, largely Pakistanis, while the rest 130 were local, the sources said.
have been declared proclaimed offenders by the UAPA special court in Doda,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kishtwar, Khalil Poswal told reporters.
Thirteen terrorists were declared proclaimed offenders by the court on September 16, he said.
“There are 36 terrorists from Kishtwar who are operating from Pakistan and PoK. Two FIRs have been registered against them,” he added.
Poswal said this was made possible by the diligent efforts of Kishtwar police, which gathered crucial intelligence and registered FIRs against these terrorists before meticulously presenting all information before the court.
The court has given these terrorists a month to appear before it, he said.
“If they don’t surrender before the law, their properties will be attached under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” he said, adding properties of 12 of them have already been identified by police.
Properties of seven of the 13 terrorists who were declared proclaimed offenders in September have been identified and the process of attaching them has been initiated in the court, the SSP said.
He said Kishtwar police is committed to upholding the law and ensuring the safety and security of the district.
“We are working closely with law enforcement agencies to follow the due process and bring these individuals to justice,” Poswal said. (PTI)
was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991. It mandates the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.
The exchange of the list came amid frosty ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue as well as crossborder terrorism.
“This is the 33rd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992,” the MEA said in a statement.
at Nagrota, it said.
He extended his best wishes to all ranks and their families of White Knight Corps.
Srinagar to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, they said.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, they said.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag town saw the minimum settle at minus 1.7 degrees Celsius and Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ -the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies, including the Dal Lake as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are the highest during this period and most areas, especially the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ will end on January 31. However, the cold conditions will continue after that with a 20-day-long ‘Chilla-i-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-daylong ‘Chilla-i-Bachha’ (baby cold).
Chandrachud delivered three concurring judgements upholding the abrogation of Article 370 that provided a unique status to Jammu and Kashmir when it acceded to the Union of India in 1947.
CJI Chandrachud said, “Judges who decide a case speak through their Judgement. Once a Judgement is delivered that judgement becomes a public property of the nation. Until a judgement is delivered the process is confined to the judges who are involved in the decision of that case. Once we arrive at a decision and the judgement is pronounced it’s a public property. It’s a property of the nation. We are a free society.” “We have a Constitution which protects the right to the freedom of speech and expression. And therefore people are entitled to exercise their right to freedom of speech and expression. To critique, to criticise, to appreciate…,” he said.
Writing the judgement for himself and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, CJI Chandrachud had ruled that Article 370 was a temporary provision and the President of India was empowered to revoke it in the absence of the Constituent Assembly of the erstwhile state whose term expired in 1957.
“Article 370 of the Constitution read together with Article 1 leaves no manner of doubt that the integration of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of the nation, which in itself was a Union of States, was complete. Any interpretation of Article 370 cannot postulate that the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India was temporary,” the court had held.
Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul (now retired) and Sanjiv Khanna, who were part of the five-judge bench, had penned separate but concurring verdicts on the issue.
The apex court had also upheld the validity of the union government’s decision to carve out the union territory of Ladakh from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
last year. This year, we have bookings to some extent in January but it is too low in February. We didn’t have enough advance bookings,” Feroz said.
He said the flow of pilgrims last year was satisfactory as the rush was the highest since Covid-19.
“Umrah services were affected during the pandemic. Last year, there were no restrictions and the flow of pilgrims was huge. We are still hopeful that booking may improve in February and March,” Feroz said.
Lateef Ahmad, an Umrah tour operator, said they have slashed the prices of Umrah this year to attract more pilgrims.
“Still the flow is not up to the mark. Post covid-19 Kashmir saw a good hike in the number of pilgrims performing Umrah. This year, it seems people are financially stressed due to which the flow is very low,” he said.
Pertinently, a total of 18 lakh Indian Muslims performed Umrah in 2023 — the third highest in the world, Saudi Arabia government officials earlier said—(KNO)
candidates for sale of leaked questions,” the agency said. The CBI said the candidates were allegedly taken to Panchkula, Haryana and provided leaked question papers in exchange for money.
The investigation was spread across several states, involved analysis of voluminous technical data, bank accounts, toll data and examination of more than 100 witnesses, it said.