Kashmir has emerged as a haven for cherry cultivation.
It's a different Srinagar from what Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf encountered 24 years ago. Tourists throng the Kashmir Valley post-Article 370, azaadi appears dead, and everyone says one man is responsible for this change, so what if his poster is nowhere to be seen.
Roads wore a deserted look as both public and private transport kept off the roads. Business establishments, markets, government offices, educational institutions, banks and other semi-government organisations remained closed in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley, official sources said.
Over 50 village heads (sarpanch) have resigned from their positions in Kashmir Valley, with four of them announcing their resignation on Monday. The resignations are a blow to the revival of grass-root level democratic institutions in Kashmir Valley, elections for which were held in 2010 after a long hiatus with great fanfare.
'From the time we landed to the time we left, we got so much love that I didn't feel like coming home.'
Cold wave tightened its grip on Kashmir Valley ahead of the onset of 'Chillai-Kalan' -- the 40-day harshest winter period -- with the summer capital Srinagar and Leh town recording the coldest night of the season.
Gauba said the JKLF spearheaded the separatist ideology in Kashmir Valley and the action was taken following the 'zero tolerance' policy of the central government against terrorism.
The Union home ministry on direction of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is preparing a road map for relocation of the security forces in the Kashmir Valley -- the major demand of agitators across the state. Unified command of the security forces in the Valley is also involved in this process.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is poised to form the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, having secured a victory in the assembly elections by securing 49 out of 90 seats on which polls were held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 five years ago.
The first club from Jammu and Kashmir to qualify for the I-League is slowly building up
They said the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle at Botapathri near Nagin post.
Everything about Sharmila was a gift from the Divine: The graceful way she twirled her paintbrush, the naughtiness with which she teased his desperate attempts at cooking her favorite dishes, the gentleness when her lips touched his, the softness of her hair as it fell on his face, the flowery smell of her perfume when he nuzzled her neck, the mole near her quivering lips that he kissed every opportunity he got.
'The future does not look very promising for peace in Kashmir,' warns Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'Everyone knows Pakistan is doing it.' 'But what are we doing? We should not incite more violence.'
A total of 3,372 nominations have been filed for 1,145 wards. The next phases take place on 10th, 13th and 16th October.
Witnessing one of the harshest winter in decades, the Kashmir Valley experienced an extremely chilly night with a drastic fall in the night temperature even as the remote town of Kargil recorded the lowest temperature of the season at minus 25 degrees.
A top Pakistani commander of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who was active in the Valley for several years was killed and four security personnel were injured in an encounter in the Khanyar area of Srinagar on Saturday, officials said.
Use of chilli-filled grenades as an alternative to pellet shotguns, which will be used in rarest of rare cases, was cleared on Saturday by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for crowd control ahead of the visit of an all-party delegation led by him to restive Kashmir on Sunday.
The overall security situation in Kashmir Valley was reviewed at the core group meeting held on Saturday at the headquarters of army's 15 corps in the high security Badami Bagh cantonment area.
A group of primary school students on Wednesday protested against the 80-day-long agitation in the Kashmir Valley, saying it was denying them the right to education.
However, it is immediately not clear whether the relaxation will be given fully or partially.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the situation in Jammu and Kashmir which is witnessing violent clashes between security forces and protesters in the aftermath of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen's poster boy Burhan Wani.
"The tourists desirous of undertaking visit to the state shall be provided with all necessary assistance and logistical support," read the order by the state administration.
Authorities today the curfew from Sopore town and restriction on movement of people across Kashmir Valley but life continued to remain disrupted due to a week-long shutdown called by the separatists. The situation in Batmaloo in central Srinagar was, however, tense following death of a youth in a road mishap involving a police vehicle in the locality on Monday morning.
The strike affected attendance in government offices and banks, the officials said.
Power supply in the snow-bound Valley has become almost normal with the state electricity department ensuring working of almost all the 19 power stations including those in far flung Lolab and Tangdhar areas of north Kashmir.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved gallantry awards to 93 armed forces personnel, including two Kirti Chakras and 14 Shaurya Chakras, on the eve of Republic Day. The Kirti Chakras, India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award, have been awarded to Major Manjit from 22 Rashtriya Rifles and posthumously to Naik Dilwar Khan, 28 Rashtriya Rifles. The president also approved 305 defense decorations to Armed Forces and other personnel.
Kashmir remained cut-off from the rest of the country for the second day on Thursday with road and air links to the Valley snapped due to snowfall, the heaviest in a decade in the month of January.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will on Wednesday convene the Cabinet Committee on Security meet to discuss the current crisis prevailing in the Kashmir Valley.
Rijiju complimented Rahul for promoting the excellent roads built in the Himalayan region under Modi's leadership.
Pressure is mounting for a resolution to be moved in the assembly when it meets next week for its maiden sitting to demand 'restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A' as committed in the National Conference's election manifesto, reveals Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
A glass igloo restaurant in snow covered Gulmarg has become one of the prime tourist attractions in the Kashmir Valley.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com comes across a Ganesh temple in Kashmir's summer capital that remains a well kept secret.
Kashmir is reeling from a heat wave after the valley earlier this week witnessed the second-hottest September day in recorded history, causing hardships to locals and tourists alike.
"We are not able to find any work due to the prevailing situation," say migrant labourers who are being forced to move out owing to the unrest.
The Centre had earlier ordered deployment of about 10,000 central forces personnel to Kashmir in order to strengthen counter-insurgency operations and law and order duties.
Ghulam Nabi Azad remarked that the figures are not high enough to know whether the people are happy or angry with the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Mehbooba Mufti said it is a message that the people have not accepted the Centre's decisions.
The chief said that the reason for the fall is because of the combined efforts of NIA, state police and security forces.
A moderate intensity earthquake jolted Kashmir valley early on Tuesday.
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