VOL 12 ISSUE 03 SRINAGAR APRIL 25, 2020 PAGES 24 E-MAGAZINE www.kashmirlife.

net
REGISTERED: JK NP-222/SKGPO-2018-2020

LIFE IN
RED ZONE
With the movement of people hugely restricted, life has gone into quarantine. Though
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR

Kashmir is used to such restrictions, still the aspect of social distancing is making it
different. Life is going on in the lockdown and in the red zones. This week, Tasavur
Mushtaq, Khalid Bashir Gura and Farzana Nissar report from three different areas in
the city and its periphery about different facets of life, restricted by the pandemic
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

02 BRIEFING

JAMMU
In the dead of the Sunday night on April 12 when Sonia Devi, 32,
experienced labour pain, her desperate husband, Raj Kumar, a migrant
labourer, made distress calls to Police Control Room (PCR). Quickly,
a message passed to the police station concerned and a van rushed
Sonia to SMGS hospital, Jammu. As destined, Sonia gave birth to a
female baby in the van en route hospital. Originally hailing from
Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh), Sonia was later given first aid and was
sent to her current home in Sec 3 of Jammu’s Channi Himmat local-
ity. In Srinagar, CRPF’s Madadgaar helped a 5-day old infant when
he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Son of a daily wager,
Tahir Ahmad Dar, doctors suggested an immediate surgery at AIMS
in Delhi. He could not go to AIIMS by CRPF helped the family reach
SKIMS Soura where the infant was operated upon.

BANDIPORA
Amid the lockdown, an eight-year-old boy Ubeed Malik walked alone in Bandipora. His destination
was the district magistrate’s office. Moved by the spirit of serving society in difficult times, the young
boy got his piggy bank savings to the DC office and donated the amount. A small amount it may be,
but the gesture was generous. Al of a sudden, the UT administration got a hero. Overnight he was
everywhere, on web and in print and TV too.

SRINAGAR
With representatives of 700 districts, Srinagar
made it to the list of 16 in all India list by getting
the slot No 6. The rank is based on sharing best
practices in counter Coid-19 battle. Led by dep-
uty commissioner, Dr Shahid Iqbal, the district
has distinguished early response as early as in
February, aggressive contact tracing, and use
of technology. The team working round the
clock is supported by 15,000 policemen and
1000 surveillance teams to scan the city, besides
enforcing the lockdown. Apart from taking
people with travel history to quarantine and
setting up a 24 x 7 control room, the Srinagar
administration ensured that they bring the food
at door steps in the 25 administrative zones.

DELHI AMPHALLA
Elevating the two senior officers of the J&K Restricted to move out due to lockdown, the despera-
cadre, the centre empanelled them to hold tion was out in Jammu’s Amphalla. A liquor shop was
Secretary-level posts in the central government. looted. Surprisingly all this happened not far away
The clearance to the names of Sudhanshu Pan- from the police post Rehari. Police maintained it was
day, 1997-batch IAS officer and Arun Kumar a routine criminal act, but the situation on the ground
Mehta, 1988-batch IAS officer has come from suggests the demand is surging. The plan as per reports
the Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC). was executed efficiently. A hole behind the shop known
Both the officers are among a total of 34 IAS as Sudershan Wine Shop was created and rest are the
officers of 1987-88 batches. Mehta is currently details. The police registered the formal case and
holding the charge of Financial Commissioner investigation is on. But the pressure is on as the liquor
in the UT after he returned from Central deputa- shops are closed since March 24. There is the demand
tion in 2018. But Pandey, who once served the to exempt them from the lockdown as has been done
state as finance secretary continues to be on by governments in Assam and Meghalaya.  Few states
central deputation. He is currently holding charge have even discussed the model to deliver liquor home.
of Joint Secretary, Commerce. Who knows the next step?
 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020

03
ZABARWAN
Out for an adventure, when nine boys did not return home,
the families grew anxious. The police and wildlife warden
was contacted and rescue teams were pressed into the ser-
vice. Nearly after eight hours of search in pitch dark, the boys
were rescued. As the details emerged, amid lockdown, the
boys had gone to Zabarwan hills, possibly for trekking. As
told by Wildlife Warden Central Division Srinagar, Altaf Hus-
sain, the message to the department was conveyed by the
additional deputy commissioner Srinagar. The team was
constituted and it took them a night to locate the boys final-
ly. For the next five hours, the team spent in getting them
back. Later they were handed to police, and required tests
were done. In times of Corona, leaving home is a risk but then
we have people who don’t listen.

AFGHANISTAN As on April 17, 328 people have tested

Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS)
claimed to have arrested a Kashmir born militant, positive for COVID-19 in UT of J&K that
Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar, 55, a resident of Nawa Kadal
in Srinagar. He was arrested along with the Islamic includes highest from Srinagar district
State Khorasan Province chief Aslam Farooqui. Accord-
ing to Hindustan Times, Ahangar, the IS Jammu Kash-
at 78, followed by 75 in Bandipora, 42 in
mir chief recruiter, had been a wanted man for more Baramulla, 27 in Kupwara, 26 in Jammu, 20
than two decades back home. “He had been arrested
once but then released in mid nineties. After his release in Udhampur, 17 in Shopian, 14 in Ganderbal,
he travelled to Bangladesh from where he took a flight
to Pakistan. And now after 25 years he was arrested
12 in Budgam, 5 in Kulgam, 4 in Samba, 3
by NDS.” The report claimed that in early questioning each in Pulwama and Rajouri and one each in
rounds, he claimed to be Ali Mohammad from Islamabad. Quoting sources in Afghanistan
and Delhi, the newspaper said Ahnagar was the son-in-law of Abdullah Ghazali aka Abdul Kishtwar and Anantnag districts
Ghani Dar, a former Tehreek ul Mujahideen in 1990, who was killed in a masjid in Maisuma
in February 2020. Interestingly, Ahanger’s son and son-in-law have both been killed in
Afghanistan in two separate attacks. GANDHI NAGAR
Last week moments of joy and sorrow were witnessed together in the corridors of
Government Hospital in Gandhi Nagar Jammu where a mother delivered a baby girl
but soon after her delivery the lady tested positive for the corona virus. The one
week old baby has now been put under 14 day mandatory quarantine period, 14
kilometres away from her mother. The lady from Tringli village had tested positive
hours after giving her delivery and as the last reports came in the hospital admin-
istration has said she is recovering and also confirmed that the new born baby, who
is yet to be named and her father have tested negative for the virus.

POONCH
Amid the lockdown the patients are having tough times to reach hospitals. Report-
edly due to the lockdown blood donations have also decreased. But last week when
a 69 years old Nazir Hussain needed a rare blood transfusion in Poonch district, the
CRPF’s helpline Madadgaar came to his rescue when a CRPF personnel Ashok Kumar
having AB negative blood group, who is the only personnel in the 72nd battalion of At least 2303 people have been arrested
paramilitary force having this blood group, came to donate him blood. The family of so far by the JK police for defying lockdown
Hussain had sent an SOS message to the Kashmir-based CRPF madadgaar helpline
over social media, stating that they were in urgent need of ‘AB negative’ blood for orders in UT of J&K. Besides that 1012 FIRs
the patient suffering from the chronic kidney problem. The CRPF helpline got into
action and quickly went through its database to find if any of its Jammu-based units
were lodged and 1295 shops and vehicles
had a person with the rare blood group. Kumar is actually a resident of Arwal, Bihar. were also sealed
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
04 SPECIAL REPORT
BOMBS IN PANDEMIC
SECURITY
The recurrence of the border shelling between the rival armies from Kupwara to Poonch at the
peak of a pandemic does not augur well for the immediate future, more so, for the summer
ahead, writes Riyaz Wani
A
t a time when India and
Pakistan desperately
need to attend to the
Covid-19 pandemic
within their countries they have
found time to fight each other along
the Line of Control (LoC), and kill
soldiers and civilians. Last week,
five soldiers, five militants and four
civilians died in the violence and
continuing artillery duels along the
LoC, the makeshift border in the
region. Indian army also said that
it responded to the Pakistani cease-
fire violation and had destroyed ter-
ror launch pads, and ammunition
dumps on the Pakistani side of Kash-
mir. The relations between the two
countries have once again taken on
a fraught dimension. This interplay
of conflict and disease in Kashmir
has threatened to take the focus away
from the war against Coronavirus.
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
The residents moving the dead body of a civilians from an ambulance who was killed in the recent border shelling in Panzgam belt of Kupwara.
The fallout of these events doesn’t
augur well for the immediate future,
more so, for the summer ahead. There
is a possibility that the intermittent
skirmishes could escalate into a big-
ger confrontation. The bitterness
between the neighbours now runs
much deeper than before. After the
revocation of Article 370 in August
2019, the leaders of the two countries
have now even given up the pretence
of showing interest in the engage-
ment. This has let the violence take
the centre stage again.
There is another dimension to the
story: security agencies in Kashmir
claim Pakistan is pushing militants
into Kashmir under the cover of bor-
der firing. And the killing of five
security personnel – all from an elite
battalion, serves to validate this claim.
If that be so, the summer ahead could
be expected to be hot. More so, when
the region’s geo-politics too looks set
to change after Taliban’s likely return
to power in Afghanistan following
the recent agreement with the US.
E ven though the neighbours
keep bringing up the 2003
ceasefire agreement, the escalat-
ing trend of the violent border
exchanges over the recent years
have already unravelled the accord
which had otherwise held strong
for close to a decade. The calm bor-
ders had become an important fac-
tor in the normalization of the rela-
tions between the two countries,
enabling them to start one of the
most promising dialogue processes
through 2003-2007, which by accounts
of the top leaders of the two countries
who were at the helm of it was close
to a breakthrough on Kashmir.
Looking back at the time, it seems
unbelievable that a drawn promising
KL Image: TANVEER AHMAD
dialogue had actually taken place.
All hopes of a return to this process
have been dashed since 2014 when
Narendra Modi led BJP took power
at the Centre. After a feeble attempt
at a political engagement with Islam-
abad in the early period of his gov-
ernment that went nowhere, Modi
lost interest in such a pursuit. Ever
since, the government has followed
an irremediably belligerent policy
towards its neighbour leading to
surgical strike and Balakot attack
in response to major militant strikes.
Balakot operation nearly brought
the neighbour to the brink of war
after Pakistan responded, triggering
a dog fight between them. The with-
drawal of Kashmir’s special status
in August has plunged the relation-
ship to its lowest. The prospects of
a dialogue have since drastically
diminished.
 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020

T his situation is a far cry from
the dialogue between former
Prime Pakistan Manmohan Singh
and the then Pakistan president Per-
vez Musharraf who championed
radically flexible four point propos-
als which envisaged a Kashmir solu-
tion without any radical geographi-
cal modifications. New Delhi had
gradually warmed up to the ideas.
By the time they could come around
to sign a historic agreement, Mush-
arraf lost power.
The BJP has contended in the past
that even seven decades of the talks
with Pakistan have not achieved any
desired result, so there is no merit
in the argument that the engagement
helps. While the argument does
appear true, it is specious. A dialogue
will only succeed when the two sides
engage in it meaningfully with an
intention to resolve the lingering
issues. But in case of India and Pak-
istan, the issues are so complex and
the positions of both the countries
are so rigid that each one wants a
solution on the maximalist terms
05
can only go from bad to worse and
possibly lead to dangerous conse-
quences. And it is the people of
Kashmir who have to endure its
tragic cost. Loss of four civilians,
that includes a six year old boy, has
once again shown that Kashmiri
lives as expendable. The picture of
the wailing mother looking at the
sky while holding the body of his six
year old son symbolizes the tragedy
of this place.
Along with killings, there is dis-
placement too. People have to leave
their villages and escape to safe shel-
ters in other villages. This time it
was not easy to do so due to outbreak
of Covid-19. The families in other
safer areas refused to let them in and
for valid reasons as doing so went
against the prevailing practice of
social distancing. What is more,
there are no bunkers for people in
these areas as is the case along the
international border and the LoC in
Jammu and some parts in Kashmir.
But as was found during the previous
LoC exchanges, bunkers are no solu-

possible. Result is the continuing
hostility between the neighbours.
The frequent exchange of firing
along the borders in Kashmir and
the consequent loss of lives is one of
the most visible facets of it. And it is
a tragedy.
ith return of the border eruptions
with a vengeance alongside the con-
tinuing break in engagement, there
is little hope that the situation will
improve. If left unaddressed, things
KL Image: TANVEER AHMAD
tion. People have to leave their homes
and hearth, sometimes in the middle
of the farming season.
As things stand, the cross-LoC
firing looks set to continue, inflicting
tragedy upon tragedy on the people.
This is deeply troubling and bodes
ill for the future. And if there is an
escalation, there is no knowing where
it will end with both nations being
nuclear armed. It will completely
destabilize the region. But even if
A young lady carrying wailing with her dead baby in her lap in Panzgam village of Kupwara.
there is a catastrophic war between
the two countries, its conclusion will
not resolve the issues.
T he two countries thus need to
get real and practical about the
state of affairs which is something
Image: INTERNET
that hasn’t happened for the past
more than seventy years. The lin-
gering confrontation between them
serves none. In fact, it serves the
political needs of the governments
in power than any practical ends.
If India and Pakistan do resolve
their issues, it will be to their mutu-
al benefit.
Hence the need for the two countries
to reach out to each other and pull
the situation back from the brink.
With dialogue already suspended
and tensions rising high, India and
Pakistan can ill-afford to let the bor-
der skirmishes go on unchecked and
escalate into a major conflict.
At the same time, however, the
dialogue between them is also a dis-
tant possibility. The nullification of
Article 370 and now issuing of the
new domicile rules has left little space
for a bilateral engagement and com-
promise on Kashmir. And in turn,

this situation has created an ample

scope for violence. Here’s hoping the
two countries understand the dan-
gerous consequences of this new
dynamic in their relations and take
steps to create conditions for a long
The destruction after the Pakistan shells landed in Panzgam village.
term peace in the region.
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

06 INTERVIEW

‘ISLAM IS
Dr Hamidullah Marazi,
who heads the
department of
Religious Studies at
the Central University
of Kashmir, talks in
detail with Umar
RATIONAL,
REALISTIC’
Mukhtar on the
pandemic and the
issues of faith

KASHMIR LIFE (KL): A general impression peddled by the

media is that Islam is inflexible. Is it?
Dr HAMIDULLAH MARAZI (DHM): Islam is a natural way
of things as it is called as Din-al-Fitrat that means, the religion
conforming to the primordial nature of humans and the uni-
verse. To call Islam flexible is purely contextual. This statement
may lead people to think that Islam has no permanent stand
about the eternal problems people may face.Because Islamic
principles regarding the creed and doctrinal matters are eter-
nal and unshakable like Tawhid (monotheism), Risālah (belief
in the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad) and Akhirah (the
life hereafter) or the commandments about the prayers, Halal
(sacred) and Haram (profane).
However, I can say that Islam is a universal religion and
according to the belief of Muslims it is valid to all times
and the temporal and spatial conditions and situations
which may emerge from time to time.
Islam presents solutions to all such exigencies
and emergencies through the institution of Ijtihad
as it caters to the needs and exigencies of the
times to come till the day of judgement. Islam is
not a rigid religion or a denomination which
adopts superstitious approach to the emerging
situations and problems of the people, and in
that sense, it is very flexible, indeed.

KL:A pandemic has hit the world. As an Islam-

ic scholar how do you see emergence of the new
disease?
DHM: The outbreak has both scientific as
well as religious interpretations though the
issue is not religion specific. It has spread
throughout irrespective of any distinction. It
is definitely a reminder to do better and shun
all the wrong doings. At the same time, how-
ever, we must excel in scientific and medical
advancements.
 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
KL:How Islam guides during the course of
pandemics?
DHM: Islam is a realistic and rational faith
and always keeps the welfare and wellbeing
of people in view. As a student of Islam, I would
say that taking the necessary means and then
relying upon Allāh is something which is empha-
sized in Islam.
“One-day Prophet Muhammad (SAW), noticed
a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it.
Khalifah Umar ibn He asked the Bedouin, ‘Why don’t you tie down
al-Khattab(RA) your camel?’ The Bedouin answered, ‘I put my
has explained that trust in Allāh’ The Prophet then said, ‘Tie your
camel first, and then put your trust in Allāh’.
necessary precautions Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab(RA) has
must be taken in explained that necessary precautions must be
situations where taken in situations where harm or potential
danger could afflict you. The Khalifah was
harm or potential travelling with a group of companions towards
danger could afflict a town, which, it was said was afflicted with
you. The Khalifah was some contagious or an infectious disease. He
asked his companions whether they should
travelling with a group proceed ahead or return to Medina, the centre
of companions towards of the Caliphate. The majority of the compan-
a town, which, it was ions said they should go back, but some object-
ed. Then one companion said he knew a hadith
said was afflicted with where the Prophet (SAW) has said: “If you hear
some contagious or an that this disease exists in a country, do not
infectious disease. He travel to that country.” So the Caliph decided
that they should return home. Upon this a
asked his companions companion asked him whether he was running
whether they should away from qadar (destiny). The Caliph replied
proceed ahead or that they were moving away from one qadar
to another qadar.
return to Medina, the The prophet (SAW) has said that a diseased
centre of the Caliphate. camel should not be kept with the herd. He has
The majority of the also said that “one should flee from a person
suffering from leprosy as one flees from a lion.”
companions said they (Leprosy then was untreatable.)
should go back, but
some objected. Then KL: How advisable is that some people are going
for repentance congregations (Majlis-e-Touba)
one companion said he that compromises social distancing?
knew a hadith where DHM: The ulema from Saudi Arabia and
the Prophet (SAW) has other Muslim countries have advised that we
should avoid big gatherings. Some advisories
said: “If you hear that suggest that the prayers should be offered in
this disease exists in a small groups and other social gatherings should
country, do not travel be avoided.
For every disease, Allah has created the
to that country.” So the cure and treatment. Therefore, apart from
Caliph decided that they doing all pious works, we need to go by the
should return home. advices of the doctors and avoid getting exposed
to health hazards by neglecting the advisories
Upon this a companion coming from the specialists and authentic
asked him whether he erudite Islamic scholars. The guidelines issued
was running away from by the experts’ world over are actually part of
the routine in Muslims. Washing handsis a
qadar (destiny). The part of ablution, and Muslims do it five times
Caliph replied that they a day. The
were moving away from Prophet (SAW) has said: “Cleanliness is part
of faith”. Covering the mouth when sneezing
one qadar to another is Sunnat: “Whenever the Messenger of Allāh
qadar. (SAW) sneezed, he would cover his mouth with
his hand or a piece of cloth.”
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
07
There is a clear direction for the times of
plague. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (RA) said: “I
heard the Messenger of Allāh (SAW) say: “If
you hear that (the plague) is in a land, do not
go there, and if it breaks out in a land where
you are, do not leave, fleeing from it.”
Being positive and having an optimistic
outlook is also being advised. The Prophet
(SAW) has said: “Amazing is the affair of the
believer, verily all of his affairs are good and
this is not for no one except the believer, if
something of good/happiness befalls him, he
is grateful and that is good for him, if something
of harm befalls him, he is patient and that is
good for him”.
KL:The clergy is divided over whether or not
the prayers are held in a congregation in a
pandemic?
DHM: I saw a detailed fatwa from Saudi Ara-
bia by Hafiz Alimuddin Yusuf of Islamic Uni-
versity, Medina, in which the views of both
the parties supporting and opposing suspension
of obligatory prayers, Friday included, has
been discussed. Finally the view has been
expressed that it is better to avoid big congre-
gations in wake of the epidemic nature of the
disease and its contagious tendencies espe-
cially with respect of the elderly and sick
people. Such fatawa have come from the schol-
ars like Yusuf al Qardawi and from al-Azhar
in Cairo as well.
KL: What is the role of Muslim preachers in
such trying times?
DHM: The role of the religious preachers is
very crucial and they need to preach the life-
giving teachings of religion so that their lives
are not endangered. The lengthy speeches and
sermons can be shortened and necessary reli-
gious instructions regarding such situations
should be made available to people through
social media rather than by making people to
arrange big gatherings and assemblies. Now
the advice and fatwa is in favour of offering
all the prayers at homes, even during Ramadan.
KL:In such circumstances, some people resort
to hoarding. How Islam describes them?
DHM: It is inhumane and un-Islamic even in
normal conditions to do hoarding of the essen-
tial commodities. Because the Prophet (SAW)
said that a person who deceives or deludes
people is not amongst us .It is a great crime to
take advantage of the situations and trouble
people by selling the essential commodities
on high prices or hide the commodities under
one or the otherpretext.A person who does not
have mercy on the people on earth should
never expect mercy from the One on Heaves,
is the Hadith of the Prophet (SAW).
In such circumstances our businessmen and
shopkeepers should be imbued with the phil-
anthropic spirit and even should sell com-
modities with less orno profit.
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
08 COVER STORY
IN RED ZONE
After initial shock at their area being sequestered for possibly being infested with Coronavirus,
it is life as usual for the residents. But the people living in red zone are trying to adjust with the
restrictions and the limitations of movement, reports Tasavur Mushtaq
S
itting in her kitchen wearing
glasses, Masooda stares at
a television screen for the
whole day. Surfing channels
to watch different news bulletins,
her only concern is the proliferative
growth of Coronavirus.
Masooda lives along with her
husband Altaf Ahmad and their
only son Irfana in Srinagar’s Lal
Bazar area. The couple are cooped
up in their home since the day the
first Coronavirus positive case was
detected in Srinagar. The only con-
nection with the physical world is
their son.
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
On April 9, the family was shocked
to know that Lal Bazar was declared
a Red Zone after four cases were
reported from the area. Area’s all
entries and exits were sealed. Near-
ly in tears, Masooda was worried
for her son who was out for work.
Cold sweat broke out on their fore-
heads. Altaf, who had been recent-
ly operated upon grew more anxious
than his wife. Somehow they settled
down and dialled the number of
their son, who was already on the
way back home.
Moments later, as Irfan arrived;
he had to help desperate parents
One of the blocked streets in Lal Bazar have been. The area has been declared as red zone.
to understand the nuances of Red
Zone. “I had a difficult time explain-
ing them what the Red Zone means,”
he said.
Masooda had to answer phone
calls from her relatives, both close
and distant, for many hours till late
at night.
The colour is a concept to explain
the nature of risk. As per the offi-
cials dealing with the pandemic,
Red means the areas with substan-
tial numbers of positive cases and
so it has to be ensured that the zone
sees no activity.
On the other hand, slightly better
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR
than Red is the Orange zone which
is explained as the areas with a
limited number of cases in the
past and with no surge in positive
cases recently. In these areas, only
restricted activities are allowed.
However, Green is the area where
no Coronavirus positive cases have
been detected.
I n the nearby colony lives Owais
Ahmad, nephew of Altaf. As the
news spread, he rushed to buy essen-
tials for the family. Living with his
wife, Maryam and two children,
Huzaif and Hafsa, he managed to
reach back by the time the dozens

of roads were blocked by the admin-
istration.
“When I heard the announcement
that our area is a Red Zone I became
concerned,” he said.He shared the
details of the first few hours as he
started receiving calls from every-
body. “Even people who had not vis-
ited me when I shifted to a new home
called to enquire about my well-
being,” he said.
Before being declared as the Red
On April 9, the Zone, Owais still had concerns
about the safety. His next-door
family was shocked neighbour in the Alamdar Colony
to know that Lal was confirmed as a positive case
along with his daughters and
Bazar was declared nephew. “That was shocking and
a Red Zone after we were equally concerned for our
family as we were for others in
four cases were the neighbourhood including the
reported from the affected family,” he said.
While narrating the feeling of
area. Area’s all having a positive case in your next
entries and exits door and later the lockdown, Owais
says, “It was difficult to compre-
were sealed. Nearly hend what has happened,” adding
in tears, Masooda “for people far away it looks fine,
but when it is at your locality, things
was worried for her change.”
son who was out for After the case was confirmed in
his neighbourhood, Owais says his
work first reaction was to sit and think
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
about the last 15 days of his stay in
the area and the possible meeting
with the infected person. “The trau-
ma was to think about each day’s
activities. From morning prayers to
the evening stroll and trying to
remember if I had by any chance met
the infected person,” he said.
The next thing, he said, was to
remember the meetings with people
with whom the infected person had
met or his close associates. “It was
difficult to remember everything.
You meet so many people right from
Masjid to the shop and to remember
every detail was troublesome.”
Besides remembering his activi-
ties, Owais said, the news regarding
bread maker turning positive was a
shock. “ It was a troubling develop-
ment. I thought everyone in our
colony is infected.” However, merci-
fully, it turned out that the news was
just a rumour.  “My children were of immense
Owais had recently shifted to his
new home from the ancestral old city
house. At his erstwhile residence,
he had lot many things to do with
his local friends, but the new place
has his family only.
Confined to their home, the young
couple decided to discuss their life
before marriage and childhood
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
09
memories. The family watched old
TV serials, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Bun-
yaad, Circus and movies of the early
nineties. In between they found time
in playing Carom, Chess, Ludo,
Snake and Ladder game, besides
word building and Antakshari. He
even started to lead prayers at home
joined by his wife and children, fol-
lowed by recitation of the Quran and
reading books of hadith.
A small distance from Owais lives
Naseer Ahmad. Born and brought
up atMukhdoom Sahab area, Naseer
moved to his new house after mar-
riage a few years ago.
After the area was declared Red
Zone, Naseer went out and latched
the main gate. He talked to his fam-
ily and it was agreed to manage with
whatever is present at the home. His
wifeMasarat took the lead to stop
him from going out for anything. 
support,” said Naseer’s wife. “Our
daughter went out and recorded
video urging children to stop their
parents from venturing outside.”
For the following days, whatever
they had at home, they consumed.
The green vegetables were taken
from the lawn. “At times I had no
idea what I was plucking and one
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
10 COVER STORY
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR
day when I showed it to my mother
through video call, she said it
is Kretch.”
Overwhelmed to see children
understanding the state of crisis,
Naseer said they even planned not
to waste a single morsel of food.
“They stopped eating junk food,
did not ask for anything beyond
the regular family food.”
Home quarantined, Home quarantined, the family
the family started started thinking about activities
to keep them pre-occupied under
thinking about lockdown As they were doing so,
activities to keep Naseer was taken back to childhood
days when he along with his friends
them pre-occupied used to fly kites on Hariparbat. The
under lockdown As idea struck his mind and was well
taken by his family. They started
they were doing so, making kites and later f lew them
Naseer was taken on the terrace. When seen by neigh-
bourhood children, the activity
back to childhood almost became a community affair.
days when he along Masarat said she learned a quick
lesson in the quarantine. “Soil is
with his friends the only companion unlike people,”
used to fly kites she said. “Whatever you sow, it gives
you back.”
on Hariparbat
W ith restrictions in place, some
in Red Zones grumble about the
arbitrariness of the label and expressed
their frustrations.  his family went out to seek medical
Living at a colony adjacent toLal
Bazar, Danish Ahmad, a teacher by
profession, said it was shocking to
see the area being placed under the
red zone without proper announce-
ment. “A tweet was enough for the
government to convey to a large
population that they cannot move
outside,” he said. “It feels as if we
are left to die so that rest of the
population can be saved.”
Sharing his family concern, Dan-
ish’s father recently had an open-
heart surgery and he is apprehen-
sive that anything can happen. “I
don’t have access to the outside
world. Tell me what to do in case
of an emergency.”
Terming it as an only cosmetic mea-
sure, Danish saidthere was no official
in the area to see whether to go for
mass testing or not.“By keeping peo-
ple inside does not mean you are done
with your job,” he lamented.
Sumaira, a resident of Eidgah,
also a red zone, has her own concerns.
According to her, a young boy in her
neighbourhood fell from the second
storey window of his house. Injured,
help. She said all the roads were
sealed with metal bars. The family
took a longer route, sneaked out
through a small alley and reached
to the main road, where another
barricade was erected. Luckily one
of their neighbours was coming from
her parent’s house but was on other
side of the barricade. This neighbour,
according to Sumaira requested her
brother to take the injured kid to
hospital first.
“After reaching SMHS in time, the
boy survived but what if that car had
not come on the other side?” she ques-
tioned.
Another resident of the areas asking
the question said, “What about other
emergencies or for that matter fire.”
There was a fire in the belt but a few
kilometres away in a green zone.
Lamenting the decision of the gov-
ernment to completely block the roads
by permanent fixtures, Adil Ahmad
said: “This is a hindrance to the
medical and other emergencies. In
case of fire or a pregnant woman devel-
ops pain, what is the solution?”
 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020

11

CONCERTINA
AND OSTRACISM
Life inside a containment area is
no different from the lockdown. It
is the ostracization that makes it
different, reports Farzana Nissar

E
very road leading to Reshipora mohalla in
Kulgam is sealed with concertina wires and
barricades to prevent all movements. Cops
wearing masks, municipal workers spraying
disinfectants are a common sight. The atmosphere
becomes tense when, amid announcements urging
people to stay indoors, health professionals dressed in
full-body protection suits cross the barricades to trace
the contacts of the Covid-19 positive patients.
At around 7:30 pm on April 8, the area was declared
a red zone after first Covid-19 case was reported. It trig-
gered panic among the residents. Screenshots of the
official order went viral and frantic phone calls followed.
“I got almost 20 calls from friends and relatives, with
everyone asking about the patient and our proximity
with his house,” said Mubarak Ahmad, a resident.
Four days later, Bisma and Zainab, two sisters clean
every corner of their three storey house. Amid the
intensifying pandemic, these sisters are keeping busy
by rearranging household items and deep cleaning it
from top to bottom.
 APRIL 12
19 – APRIL 18,
25,2020
2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

12 COVER STORY
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR

“Ramadhan is approaching and

while we are locked down in a
red zone, it is an opportunity to
welcome the pious month with a
clean home,” one of the sisters
said. “We wash the matting, dust
the walls, clean the f loors and
then organize our wardrobe. We
do one room a day as it helps us
to deviate from the scare sur-
rounding this deadly disease.”
Although the administration has
assured it would take care of sup-
plying essential commodities,
people face the shortage.
“These days we were not able to
buy the essentials like milk and
These days we
roti. Our milkman has to come from
a different village, he might be scared were not able to
to enter a red zone or perhaps he
buy the essentials
may not be allowed in. Bakers also
prefer not to bake bread, as Kan- like milk and roti.
dirwans attract crowds,” said
Our milkman has
Mubarak, while sipping tea without
milk from his cup. to come from a
W hat worries residents is not
their red-zoning, but the reac-
tion of few in these difficult times.
different village,
he might be scared
Inhabitants of a nearby village,
to enter a red zone
Chambagund restricted the entry
of people from the town into their or perhaps he may
locality, fearing that they might
not be allowed in.
also contract the virus.
“I have a year old grand-son at Bakers also prefer
my home, so I went to the village to
not to bake bread, as
get milk for him but on the way, I
was stopped by the village head, Kandirwans attract
who asked me to return as they
crowds
don’t want anyone from the red-zone
to enter the village,” said Nisar

Ahmad, a resident of Kulgam town.
“It is quite obvious to care for one’s
safety but they didn’t think for a
moment that it is this main town,
where they have to come for their
daily works after situation gets
normal.”
Not everybody can work from
home during this mass-quarantine
period. In rural areas, people most-
ly depend on farming; working
from home is not an option. In
Baghbal Kulgam, another red zone,
Mohammad Shafi, an orchardist
sits on the porch of his house and
dials the numbers of different pes-
ticide dealers in his area. As pink
buds have appeared on the trees,
Shafi is concerned about season’s
first spray.
“I have been trying to call all
the dealers I know, but they are
unwilling to open their shops owing
to the strict restrictions,” Shafi
said. “We earn our livelihood from
these orchards, the government
should know these chemicals are
essentials.”
A major crisis for these belts
is the labour shortage. “Even
people from adjoining areas do
not agree at working in a place
that has a Covid-19 positive
patient. But how can they, it is
the matter of their lives after
all,” Shafi added.
W indow talking among Kash-
miri women is nothing new,
and the sealing of the villages has
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
13
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR
given them a reason for endless
gossip. A short distance from
Shafi’s house, two women in
their 50s, Rafiqa and Fatima,
talk to each other from their
windows. From the vegetables
both have grown in their kitchen
gardens to the recent gun-battle
that took place in their area, they
discuss it all.
“We cannot go to each other’s
home and talk, so these windows
are our new meeting points.
Agar ne kath ti karew, pagalay
gasew (If we don’t even talk, we
may turn mad),” said Rafiqa
with a laugh.
Aamir Ahmad, 30, an avid news
follower has stopped watching
the news to reduce the pandemic
triggered stress and anxiety.
Instead, he has started to bring
out the hidden talent in him.
“Breaking the gender stereotypes,
I have stepped in the kitchen to
cook for my family. My family has
started to love it,” he said. “I used
to help my wife in the kitchen,
but I learnt cooking years ago
when I was a student at the uni-
versity.”
Not everyone is unhappy about
the new norms residents have to
follow. Kids are finding themselves
blessed by having every family
member around. “Children have
got a lot of people to play with, what
else they want,” said Irfana, a
mother.
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
14 COVER STORY
KL Image: BILAL BAHADUR
LOCKED DOWN
Khalid Bashir Gura talked to a number of people from diverse backgrounds just to understand
how they manage their life in the lockdown that is now in the second month
A
s the Coronavirus cases
spike, tragedies unfold
and life gets increas-
ingly into quarantine.
As more and more people restrict-
ed their movement, the family is
reviving itself.
As the people rediscover the plea-
sures of spending time with family,
and getting used to new ways of com-
municating with the outside world,
many are sad for their work is linked
to the earnings.
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
Farooq Ahmed, a daily-wage earn-
er is reclined on his pillow and stares
at TV sadly.Farooq has to provide
for a family of four - wife and two
sons, aged 16 and 9.
It is not the first time that he is
home spending time flipping TV
channels and scrolling social media
endlessly. At times he emerges on
the veranda of his house, stretches
his arms, calls out his sons and goes
back to his room.
“My savings are swiftly exhuast-
ing. We have already been through
worst lockdown recently and when
life seemed to limp back to normalcy,
we are pushed into another lockdown.
I am worried about debts that I may
have to incur to keep our hearth
burning,” says gloomy, stubble-faced
Ahmed.
Mrs Farooq prepares meals
silently. She calls her sons Danish
and Faisal who are playing in a
nearby alley.
Danish is in tenth standard. He
along with the brother spends his
time playing cricket in the narrow
lane with their uncle, Aijaz Ahmed.
 The brothers are often called by
the parents to stay inside, wash hands
frequently and study.
“The situation is frustrating. I have
not been able to recharge my phone,”
said Danish. “Nor able to use social
media. And even if I will, my parents
constantly nag about my using it. I
may have to attend online classes
soon. And how long a person can

study. One can’t go outside and play
because parents don’t allow it.” He
is desperate to visit his maternal
home at Rajbagh, so that he can play
at a less congested place with his
cousins.
None of Danish’s friends is visible
in the mohalla as their parents don’t
let them go outside.
Unlike Farooq, his brother Aijaz
Ahmed, a mechanic, has a shop
at Lal Chowk. He has a family of five,
besides father Ghulam Qadir, who
also has a small shop at Lal Chowk
and is a retired gardener.
Aijaz’s family is more social and
jovial. His son Hashim, runs in alleys
with his kite and spool.
Aijaz juggles between cricket with
his nephews, and helping his daugh-
ters and wife with washing clothes,
dusting rooms and run errands which
otherwise he rarely did.“I can’t con-
fine myself to the room. I go out only
to remain level headed,” says Aijaz.
“But I am also taking due precautions
Aijaz juggles
between cricket
with his nephews,
and helping his
daughters and
wife with washing
clothes, dusting
rooms and run
errands which
otherwise he
rarely did
of wearing a mask, washing hands
and not meeting a lot of people”.
Insha and Mehak, Aijaz’s teenage
daughters remain busy with house-
hold work and sometimes they find
time to study..
“We are used to these lockdowns.
So we try to use our time best way”
says Insha as she dusts up carpets.“I
am thankful the internet is working.
This allows us to study online and
entertain ourselves by watching
videos on social media”.
I n South Kashmir’s, Pampore,
Manzoor Ahmed, a businessman,
is happy spending most of the time
with his wife, two sons, aged  mother
and siblings.
“It is something I enjoy. I rarely
had an opportunity to focus on fam-
ily and some issues. I feel happy that
I don’t have to deal with lots of people,
sign cheques, attend customers or
come home late,” says Manzoor  who
is also tearing down an old house
nearby that they recently bought.
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
In the previous lockdown, he was
able to carry out business from his
home as well as attend customers
but now fear of virus has taken over
and it is impacting his earnings.
Even though affluent he is worried
about the impact of Coronavirus on
business.
Zahid Ahmed Fareedi, , a non-local
working as a traditional-Kashmiri
snack maker , is from Uttar Pradesh
and lives at Habba Kadal. He has
been in Kashmir for more than three
decades and has experienced all
lockdowns. A tenant in old city’s
Habba Kadal, Zahid spends his time
in his single room, praying five times.
“I spend my day on phone with
my Kashmiri friends, apprising
them of the difficulties that most
of the non-locals are facing espe-
cially in  procuring ration,” says
Zahid. “I console my other non-local
friends on phone and try to help
them through Kashmiri friends. I
ensure they get ration”.
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
15
Zahid complains about not being
able to give full time and attention
to the family because most of the
time people of his community knock
his door and ask for help. .
Fear of hunger, lack of work and
drying up of resources are a source
of anxiety with most non-locals.
Musa Mubark who is a research
scholar and was always juggling
between his research and teaching
Quran at darsgah has now enough
time to sit back and think and spend
quality time with family that at times
he yearned for.
Musa misses his packed sched-
ules. He makes himself busy by
running errands at home and help-
ing his mother in washing utensils,
making some dishes, and listen-
ing from his father interesting
stories of his life.Musa says that
conversations within the family
are an exhilarating experience.
Even though being confined to
four walls is not new for Kashmiris
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
16 COVER STORY
this time it is more severe as social distancing
is in place.
“The only respite this time is the internet and
I can study, research and contact my friends,”
he says.
“After waking up I offer prayers, go back to
sleep, and then wake up to have breakfast, study
and help with chores in the kitchen”.
S hazia Jan teaches at one of the colleges in
Srinagar. A mother of two sons, she has to
manage meals, kids, and her online classes besides
studying for herself.
“My two kidsspend time with online classes
and I have to be there to guide them as they can-
not manage everything on their own. In the after-
noon I teach my students online till 4 pm,” says
Shazia.
She also has to compile study material for her
online lectures.  Shazia ensures her kids don’t
spend much time with phones and television but
engage in creative activities.
Nazir Ahmed, is a teacher at a government
high school in Srinagar. “This lockdown is
different as we had just emerged from an eight
month long sieger. At least then we one could
stroll and meet people in person or gather at
a place, but the confinement of the last couple
of weeks has felt like an incarceration,” says
Nazir.
“One can’t socialize in times like these, as
everyone seems suspect and the potential viral
load carrier”.
Nazir spends his time in the evening with fam-
ily and watching web series and movies./“I
conduct google classes at home but only a few
students turn up for online studies. Some have
smart-phones and most don’t because of their
humble backgrounds,” says Nazir.
Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh , a faculty member
at the Centre for Innovation, Entrepreneur-
ship and Strategy, School of Management,
Zhejiang University at China had come to
Kashmir for winter vacations and hasn’t
been able to go back. But his life remains
unchanged.
“I had mentally prepared myself for what was
coming so I planned,” says Fayaz.
Fayaz envisions this lockdown as an opportu-
nity. He is writing a book on innovations besides
helping and guiding local innovators of the val-
ley to scale up and connect with other scholars
at Harvard and other places who help them make
things like ventilators in times like these.
“I spend almost eighteen hours on my work,”
says Fayaz.
R eshma (Abdul Rashid) who lives in Nawa
Kadal and became a household name for folk
songs wakes up in the morning, prays, and sits
all day at home.
“The season of marriage was approaching and
I had to go to many places but everything stands
cancelled. We are at the mercy of Almighty. One
can’t socialize in times like these,” he says.
Rafia Rahim, an RJ at 98.3FM, otherwise used
to talking and meeting people is confined to
her apartment away from home. She works from
her apartment.. Rafia has reconciled to the
situation and tries to find something meaning-
ful to do in her loneliness.“Apart from work, I
do things that make me happy. Above all the
lockdown gives one time to think for oneself,”
says Rafia.
Besides work, Rafia exercises every day. Being
away from her family she connects with her
parents through video calls.

BEING COVID-19 POSITIVE
Avoided by family and isolated at hospitals, the patients go through a gruelling ordeal on their
path to recovery, reveals Saima Bhat
O
n March 16, as a couple at
Srinagar’s Chattabal,
returned home after per-
forming Umrah, relatives,
neighbours, friends, acquaintances,
all welcomed them. There was a
large family gathering and a feast.
Three days later, on March 19, when
Kashmir reported its Covid-19 patient
zero from Khanyar, the trouble for
the family began. They were shocked
to learn the details of the patient, a
61 year old woman who has since
recovered. She had been a co-pas-
senger on their flight. Soon, the tour
operator called the family to report
for mandatory tests at SKIMS.
“All the passengers sharing the
flight with the Covid-19 positive
Several persons who were put under quarantine didn’t like the facilities and instead created uproar and broke the window panes, later all have been brought back by police.
woman were asked to report for
screening,” said a member of the
family.
Without any further delay, the
couple reached SKIMS and treating
physicians advised them to go home
as they had no symptoms.
Following day, the couple was called
again to the hospital. Their swabs
were taken and sent for test. Again,
the couple was advised to go home.
After a few days a team from the
Chest Disease hospital visited the
family. They broke the shattering
news. The couple had tested positive.
Later a team from Srinagar Munic-
ipal Corporation (SMC), Srinagar
visited the house and sanitized it.
Other family members were asked
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
to go for tests. The news spread and
changed the social profile for the
nine families living in a cluster with
around 30 members. People shower-
ing accolades a few days before for
the couple started to abuse them,
their journey and the presence in
the area.
“It was a heart-wrenching scene
at home. Our neighbours came out
of their windows and abused us for
something which we had no hand
in. They asked us to leave before
others are infected,” said a member
amid tears.
As the officials requested the fam-
ily to move, they cooperated. Their
next destination was JLNM Hospital
at Rainawari, a designated Covid-19
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
SOCIETY 17
Images: INTERNET
hospital running an isolation facil-
ity. The family alleged that once they
entered the hospital, they were left
unattended in the compound. Reluc-
tant to share space with already
declared positive cases, the family
agitated.
“There were four more positive
cases in the corridor. Fearing for
our lives, we decided to go home,”
said a member. “Yes we broke the
windows in the hospital because we
were left to fend for ourselves.”
The police have registered FIR
against the family.
Walking the distance from Rain-
awari to Chattabal on foot, the fam-
ily had tea at home before being
taken back.
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

18 SOCIETY

“We reached the hospital at 6 pm

but nobody was there, so we returned
and stayed home for four days,” said
the family.
But as one more member of the
family tested positive, the family
was called again and tested again.
“Presently two members of our
family are admitted at CD Hospital
and another one in JLNM Hospital.
Rest of us have tested negative but
most of us were taken to NIT and put
in quarantine except for one member
who suffers from liver disease,” said
a family member. They finally had
a get-together on Friday last when
their mandatory quarantine con-
cluded.
The family has had a tough time all
these days. “We have suddenly become
outcasts. Nobody talks to us in our
area. Nor they open their windows
towards us. ,” a family member said.  

N ot far away from Chattabal, pan-

ic gripped Eidgah on March 30,
when a fleet of cars stopped at Laig-
aridoori area. As the officials entered
a house, all attention of the neighbour-
hood shifted to a particular place.
The family had reported a Covid-19
positive case, a 10-year-old boy. The poor facilities in isolated wards at JLNM Hospital, Rainawari Srinagar.

However, as per the family, the

boy had contracted the disease after
coming in touch with the members
of Tableeghi Jamaat who had come
to the local Masjid and stayed there
from March 18 to 21.
As per the family, they belong to
a Salafi school of thought and did
not visit the Jamaat in the Masjid,
locally known as Shaheed-i-Milat Mas-
jid. However, on the last day of their
stay in the area, the Tableegi
Jamaat came out of the Masjid and
visited the neighbourhood houses
to i nv it e t hem to joi n
for Magrib and Isha prayers.
The visiting delegation knocked
on the door of this family as well and
met the 10-year-old boy. One of the
members said that the boy shook
hands with them and he was taken
along for prayers.
“The following day he complained
of fever and a runny nose for which
I gave him antibiotics and paracetamol
at home. For three days he was in
fever but on March 28 his fever was
under control and same evening an
announcement was made from the
local masjid’s loudspeaker that one
of the Tableegi Jamaat members was
Covid-19 positive.”
The announcement gave the parents
of young boy goose-bumps. They
started connecting the dots and were
apprehensive of the fever. Without
wasting time, father took his son to
nearby SMHS Hospital from where
the father-son duo was referred to
the Chest Diseases (CD) hospital in
an ambulance.
At CD hospital, the dearth of beds
became a reason to refer them fur-
ther to JLNM Hospital. Desperate
father had no option but to call his
brother-in-law. “I had to call my
brother-in-law and ask him if he
comes and take us to JLNM Hospi-
tal. He did the same but after reach-
ing there we couldn’t find any doc-
tor with whom we could talk and
show the prescription. One of the
class 4th employees told us that
they can’t be allowed to stay in the
hospital because they admit only
those patients who are ferried by
police,” the father of the child said.
Dejected, the father moved back
to SMHS hospital where he met the
CMO. “He told me to go home and
keep my son in quarantine for two
weeks but I called the Director Health
Services Kashmir and he suggested
I go to SKIMS. At SKIMS also we
were told to go home and stay in
quarantine. We came back at 2.30
am that night.”
The family took the boy and reached
home where he was kept in isolation
on the second floor. Not willing to
leave his son alone, his mother became
the nurse for a while.
Following day the father involved
media in highlighting his issue and
it worked. The same day, he said the
concerned tehsildar along with his
team reached his place around noon
and took the boy to SKIMS where
his swabs were taken for testing. The
child tested positive.  the care and facilities.
Mercifully, other family members
were also tested but they came neg-
ative. However, the father-son duo
continues to remain in the isolation
ward of the hospital. The other mem-
bers including mother, sister, and
uncle of the boy were taken to NIT
quarantine centre.
A t SKIMS, it is a story of pain and
helplessness. While sharing the
same space, the father is unable to
come closer to his son. “It is the worst
time of my life. Being with my son
and not able to hold him is painful,”
says the father. “At times his son
insists him to hold him in his lap.”
While denying son the luxury of
sitting in his lap, the father becomes
more desperate when his daughter
calls from NIT and asks to come
and see her. “How can I leave my
son alone in this crisis. He even
doesn’t understand the magnitude
of the crisis.”
Terming his stay at SKIMS, where
he shares a room with another Cov-
id-19 positive patient from Soibug
Budgam as an experience of being
in jail, he says: “I have to check the
temperature and the blood pressure
of my son myself”. But at the same
time he expresses satisfaction with
“For eleven days we used a wash-
room where we had a commode and
a washbasin but no water supply.
Nobody listened to me or solved my
problem so I reached out to social
media after which they fixed the tap
and we could have a bath after 11
long days,” he said.
Right now, reportedly, the boy is
asymptomatic but he will be allowed
to go home only after spending manda-
tory time in the isolation ward after
which his tests will be repeated. He
meets the rest of his family virtually.
“He is a kid how would he know what
this isolation and quarantine means.
I have given him my phone and he
plays different games to pass his time
and makes video calls to remain con-
nected with his mother,” said the father.

Meanwhile at Eidgah, three
friends of this boy and their families
have also been sent in quarantine
and one neighbour, a sumo driver
who used to ferry Tableegi Jamaat
members in his sumo. His two chil-
dren and wife are also in quarantine.
One day we found On April 8, one of the neighbours
of the family was tested positive
cockroaches in creating further panic in the area.
our food and
following day they
A man from Lal Bazaar was in
Kolkatta. As he planned to return
home, he along with his two friends
gave us biryani preferred flight over the train. But
rest of his friends decided to come
and rajma mixture by train. Back home he developed
which smelled symptoms and later was found posi-
tive. His two co-passengers and the
very badly. We group who travelled by train are
uploaded some doing well. His two daughters and
nephew have also been found positive.
videos on social Next door neighbour of the family
networking sites told Kashmir Life that man was seen
even in the Masjid days before he
because we
have understood
was confirmed positive. As this report
is being filed, the entire area has
been sealed and the process of sani-
that this tization is going on.
administration Caught in the quarantine, the
patients see social media as an
is more active on important tool to communicate.
social networking Sharing their concerns, lack of
facilities and even appreciation for
sites than on the doctors, the virtual world is
ground emerging as a helpful platform.
A patient, confirmed positive and
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
under treatment at SKIMS upload-
ed a post on social media: “I have
been tested positive for Covid-19
few days back, Alhumdulillah I’m
doing well. We are 22 patients includ-
ing a female patient, sharing a com-
mon washroom, eating cold food,
without proper bedding and no
official dares to visit us at SKIMS.”
The one in the quarantine at NIT
had the same ordeal to narrate,
“One day we found cockroaches in
our food and following day they
gave us biryani and rajma mixture
which smelled very badly. We
uploaded some videos on social
networking sites because we have
understood that this administration
is more active on social networking
sites than on ground,” said a person,
who added most of the people at NIT
have now got electric kettles from
home and a few get food from their
home as well.
A fortnight ago when a Covid-19
positive case was admitted at
JLNM Hospital along with his father,
who had also tested positive, on
March 30, they found their presence
annoying for the other family. The
father-son duo had together gone
for Umrah.
Once admitted in the isolation
ward of the hospital, they had to
share the ward with two minor
girls, both positive and their moth-
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
19
er, who had tested negative. The
patient said he sensed the uneasi-
ness from the woman’s harsh tone,
who was taking the care of her minor
daughters.
“First thing she informs me about
was the pathetic condition of our
washrooms and that we newcomers
shouldn’t use the washroom that
she has used for her kids and her-
self,” the patient said.
After three days, repeated requests
and increasing number of patients
did not change the state of their
ward. When the patients complained
with the hospital staff, they sug-
gested a remedy ‘supplicate to Allah
for speedy recovery.’
Other than that, the patient add-
ed that there were no doctors avail-
able who could come and physi-
cally check and monitor the patients.
“It’s a telephonic consultation in
the hospital,” he said. “At the best
they will knock at the door of the
ward, once in last three days, and
stay two meters away with all PPE
gear on and ask you if you are okay.”
Only people who dare to enter these
wards, according to these patients,
were the helping staff who cleans the
wards. “All of it defeats the purpose
of being admitted in a hospital. If it
was all about telephonic consultation
why not quarantine at home or some
better hygienic place.”
Entrance of JLNM Hospital, Rainawari Srinagar.
 APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020 WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE

20 OBITUARY

A DIFFERENT
POLITICIAN
Since fifties, Peer Hafizullah Makhdoomi had
a conspicuous presence in Kashmir politics
till the 1990s. A confidante of the then leading
politician Mohiuddin Karra, he later joined
Abdul Gani Lone to float Peoples’ Conference.
He is perhaps the only politician of Kashmir
who died in rented accommodation and
without any child or property. In an interview
to Saima Bhat in September 2017, his last
before his death, Makhdoomi sheds light on
the politics and politicians of his time
Peer Hafizullah Makhdoomi

I
ndisposed and struggling with
his ailments, 85-years-old Peer
Hafizullah Makhdoomi final-
ly lost his battle on April 9,
2020. He was one among the few
survivors of the breed of politicians
who were active in the sixties and
seventies. Born in 1934 Makhdoomi
was witness to  the Quit Kashmir
movement started by Sheikh
Muhammad Abdullah and Ghulam
Mohi-ud-din Karra against the auto-
cratic rule of Hari Singh.
Once a member of the affluent fam-
ily, Makhdoomi along with wife lived
at a rented accommodation and man-
aged the living on  freedom fighters’
remuneration released by Govern-
ment of India.
Born in the old city’s Nawakadal
area, Makhdoomi remembered every-
thing. Hard of hearing which was a
barrier while communicating with
him, Makhdoomi recalled vividly all
dates and events, important to the
history of Kashmir.
His wife, who does not know her
age and her looks suggested she must
be in the early forties helped him
in narrating the sequence of events
to me, when I met him months before
his death.
grandparents in the old city’s Khankah-
e-Maula. An epi-center of freedom
movement against Maharaja in thir-
ties and forties, it had an impression
on the young boy.
“The gatherings and speeches, that
started every day at 4 pm, against the
then Maharaja, shaped my ideology,”
he remembered.
His childhood caretaker was his
maternal uncle, a manager at Khidmat
Press. Every evening his uncle would
get newspapers home and Makhdoomi
said he used to read every single
line,  which helped him understand
things better years later.
He went to several schools like
Rangteng High School, then shifted
to Government middle school Nam-
chebal and later to SP School before
joining the Amar Singh College.
Still, in college, Makhdoomi was
selected as an inspector in state police
but his guardian didn’t allow him to
join. He wished his nephew to study
more and he followed his uncle’s wish.
The childhood impression had its
impact, which got him close to Ghulam
Mohiuddin Karra who differed with
Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah over
the future of Kashmir in wake of the
division of India.
doomi, then an undergraduate student.
In jail, Karra cared for him like a
father, said Makhdoomi.
Two years later when Sheikh
Abdullah was arrested and sent to
central jail, Makhdoomi too was
jailed. The reasons were different.
Makhdoomi was jailed for being
“Pakistani, anti-India and anti-
government.” This was for the
first time his name was mentioned
in police records as bada inquila-
bi (political activist). Afterward,
his frequent arrests made him well
known.
M akhdoomi remembered 1953 as
a year when everything went
wrong for Kashmir and as a result,
he believed Kashmiris were still
suffering. He accused Sheikh Abdul-
lah of committing a ‘blunder’. He
alleged Sheikh was arrested for his
difference with Jawaharlal Nehru
actually, but he made a compromise
for his release. He went to jail as the
Prime Minister of the state.
Sheikh returned with a new nar-
rative that suited his needs, believed
Makhdoomi. Quoting Sheikh, Makh-
doomi said, “Sheikh told people that
I was betrayed by Nehru. I was help-
less.” People, however, trusted him
acceptance of becoming Chief Min-
ister, while he had been dethroned
and arrested as “Prime Minister”.
At the same time, however, the
octogenarian felt that it was only
Sheikh Abdullah who could have done
something for Kashmir.  “If Sheikh
had remained steadfast on just one
pursuit even then things would have
been better. He shouldn’t have changed
his mind frequently. If he said we are
for autonomy then he shouldn’t have
changed it. Only he could have done
anything for Kashmir because he had
the support of masses.”
O nce on the same page Ghulam
Mohiuddin Karra plied an alter-
native political line.
Karra presented Pakistan as a
“golden hen” to Kashmiris but when
Sheikh returned, Karra was unable
to retain the public support. This
disheartened Karra and he formed
his own political party, Political Con-
ference in 1954 but his own politics
would keep him away from the system
of governance.
Makhdoomi, then a student of
final year, also joined Karra’s
party as a student activist. He along
with four other students started
campaigning for the party visiting

A fter his birth, Makhdoomi start-

ed living with his maternal
The journey started in 1951 when
Karra was jailed along with Makh-
and supported him again. Makhdoomi
sees sort of a “treason” in Sheikh’s
different colleges and students to
strengthen the political base. On

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah
his visit to Degree College Sopore,
Makhdoomi found College princi-
pal was his former teacher. Known
to each other, Principal Prof Saif-
ud-din helped him in identifying
eleven ‘vocal’ students and the list
included Abdul Gani Lone.
Lone  convinced Makhdoomi and
influenced eight more students to
join. Lone became Makhdoomi’s pri-
ority. Their first meeting was held in
an orchard in Sopore where they
discussed their future roadmap.
In the subsequent years, Lone
grew stronger and Makhdoomi lost
touch with him. A few years later,
Lone became so famous that he won
elections and became Education
Minister. “Lone later told me he
always desired to meet me but I have
never used anybody for my person-
al benefits so I avoided meeting him,”
Makhdoomi said.
Makhdoomi continued his passion
and for all those years worked vigor-
ously for his party as a foot-solider.
He was again arrested in the 1958
Hazratbal murder case, which
became a headline for various inter-
national newspapers. He was sent
to jail for three years. And in the 1960s
when he returned, he went to Paki-
stan for a tour. In the following few
years, he went to Pakistan again.
He said he was offered  job as an
“advocate for Kashmir cause” but
he turned the offer down.       
M akhdoomi’s father who had
abandoned him in his child-
hood after his mother’s death had
requested him to return home in
Gojwara Nowhatta. Initially, he
refused to go but after the interven-
tion of many elders of his maternal
family, he had to go. Father and son
had a reunion for ten days only as
his father, who was in handicrafts
business, passed away.
On his death bed, he requested
Makhdoomi to take care of his
younger siblings, three brothers
and three sisters.
All his siblings settled down later
but Makhdoomi decided to remain
single. One of his brothers retired as
a teacher, another retired from the
health department and third who has
also passed away now was an employ-
ee in PDD. The eldest sister is dead
now,  two others are living with their
families. After his siblings, Makh-
doomi had to look after two nieces
from his elder sister, for whom he
then decided not to marry.
When responsibility took the front
seat, Makhdoomi had to leave
politics for at least 15 years as he
had to travel frequently from Sri-
nagar to Delhi for his family busi-
ness. He says he had to work hard
because his siblings were school
goers then. In 1963 Karra quit his
politics. Makhdoomi continued for
few more years before he decided to
be a student again. He got himself
admitted in the University of Kash-
mir for an LLB degree, which he
completed in 1980.
M akhdoomi continued to be close
to Karra. He visited him fre-
quently and his love for Karra still
moistened his eyes. While thinking
about Karra’s ‘incomplete mission’,
Makhdoomi cried his heart out.
WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Karra
“Karra Sahab was a noble soul,”
he said, weeping. “If he would have
been alive then I wouldn’t have faced
any problem at all.”
Makhdoomi had spent nine years
in jail with Karra. “It was this love
that till his death bed, Karra used to
tell me his secrets.”
While dying Karra had told him “I
am defeated. People blindly follow
Sheikh. No matter whether he does
good or bad to them but people will
support only him.”
After his mentor’s death, Makh-
doomi started practicing law in the
district and high courts. He said he
was a good orator so used to get a good
number of cases. But his love for
politics tempted him to stay in touch
with it till he met Lone again when
he too had left politics.
“He questioned me why I got him
into politics and myself was practic-
ing law. That moment I returned
formally to politics and we formed
Peoples Conference. Lone was the
president of the party and I became
general secretary.”
M akhdoomi did not marry for all
these years. He had spent 26
years in jail but finally, in 2002, he
married a young lady in Kupwara. A
few month’s after his marriage,  Lone
was killed in Eidgah on May 21.  a keen watcher of Kashmir’s situation.
Makhdoomi continued to be Peoples’
Conference’s general secretary till
Lone’s son Sajad Lone joined main-
stream politics.
He said he had seen many leaders
who used to work for their personal
gains but claimed his ideology was
different and that is why even he was
APRIL 19 – APRIL 25, 2020
21
Abdul Gani Lone
not able to buy a house for himself
and continued to live in rented accom-
modation at Sanat Nagar with his
wife, whom he refers more to a friend
than wife. “I don’t own any property
neither I have any child,” he said.
Makhdoomi’s wife is illiterate. Not
exactly knowing even her date of birth,
she remembers her marriage year as
“when Lone was assassinated, we
were married for a few months then,”
says Makhdoomi’s wife. A resident
of Kupwara, she sees her husband as
her idol.
D uring G M Sadiq’s rule, various
freedom fighters of Kashmir met
him and asked if Indira Gandhi gov-
ernment could start a pension for
India’s freedom fighters who were
old, then why they can’t be provided
same benefits. “They believed in a
way they too contributed by block-
ing then Maharaja, who was a Brit-
ish stooge.”
Makhdoomi said he didn’t apply
but once he was sitting in court and
somebody whom he vaguely remem-
bered as Ghulam Mohammad Shah
filled up a form for him. The form was
approved. That is the only income
Makhdoomi had in his last days.
Confined to his home due to ill health
along with his wife, Makhdoomi was
“Kashmiris are suffering because
they are leaderless. Leader means
who unites people but here we have
many so-called leaders and they
divide people. We need a leader who
is liked by all. That quality was with
Sheikh only, he was liked by all,” said
Makhdoomi. 
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, R&B DIVISION SOPORE Government of Jammu & Kashmir
“EXTENSION ” OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER R&B DIVISION SOPORE
Subject: Fencing of Dumping site of Darnambal Sopore. NOTICE INVITING TENDER
Reference:- This office NIT No: 02 of 2020-21 e-tendering issued under No: 22-42 dated: 04.04.2020 NIT No- 04 of RnB-Sopore of 2020-2021 e-tendering DATED: 15 -04-2020
*** For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor, J&K e-tenders (in Single Cover System) are invited on item rate basis from approved and eligible contractors registered with
J&K State Govt., CPWD, Railways and other State/Central Governments for the following works:
The tender dates for the above mentioned NIT is hereby extended as detailed below.
Est. Cost of Time of Time &
Earnest Major Posi-
Cost T/ DOC Comple- Date Class of

S.No.
Name of Work Money Head of tion of
1. Date of issue of Tender Notice 04/04/2020 (Rs. In (In (In Rupees) tion of Opening Contractor Account AAA
Lacs) Rupees) In days of Bid

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Period of downloading of bidding
2. From 06/04/2020 to 23/04/2020 upto 4.00 P.M Restoration of road surface
documents by way of P/L WBM grade
3rd and 20mm thick OGPC 5.68 25.04.
01 300/ 11360/ 15 days DEE/ CEE 3054 M&R
in patches/ stretches to lacs 2020
3. Bid submission start date 06/04/2020 upto10.00 A.M Baomai inner links Laid
manually

4. Bid submission end date 23/04/202 upto 4.00 P.M Restoration of road surface
by way of P/L WBM grade
24/04/2020 at 11.00 A.M in the Office of Executive Engineer, 3rd and 20mm thick OGPC 25.04.
5. Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 02
in patches/ stretches to
5.60 lacs 300 11200/- 15 days
2020
DEE/ CEE
3054 M&R
R&B Division Sopore. Warapora Dangerora road
laid manually
All other terms and conditions shall remain unaltered
NO: 53-57 Executive Engineer, Restoration of road
surface by way of P/L
Date: 15 .04.2020 R&B Division Sopore. WBM grade 3rd and
DIPK-164/20 25.04.
03 20mm thick OGPC in 2.90 lacs 200 5800/- 15 days DEE/ CEE 3054 M&R

� ‫ٹ‬
2020
patches/ stretches to

‫ازدرتف ڈرٹسٹک ی‬
‫رٹسجم� ب�ڈاگم‬
Tujar inner links
laid manually.
Position of funds: Assure

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE BUDGAM The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Drawings, bill of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms and conditions of
contract and other detail s can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per schedule of dates given below:-
(Chairman , District Disaster Management Authority) 01 Date of issue of Tender Notice 15 .04.2020
Phone /Fax 01951-255203/255204 Email: dcbdm-jk@nic.in 02 Period of downloading of bidding documents From 16 .04.2020 (10.00A.M) to 24-04-2020 (4.00P.M)

IMPORTANT 03 Bid submission start date 16.04.2020 from (10.00A.M)

Subject: Closure of establishments in District Budgam under Section 2 of The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. 04 Bid submission end date 24-04 -2020 upto (4.00 P.M)
O R D E R NO: 70 / DMB OF 2020 05 Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 25-04-2020 at (11.00 A.M) in the Office of the Executive Engineer R&B Division Sopore
DATED 15-04-2020
 For and on behalf of the,
In view of the situation evolving due to spread of Covid-19 disease and to prevent rapid transmission of this disease  Lt. Governor of J&K,
I, District Magistrate, Budgam in exercise of the powers vested in me and in line with the Section 2 of The Epidemic No: 79-99 Executive Engineer,
Dated: 15 .04.2020  R&B Division Sopore
Diseases Act, 1897 hereby order closure of following establishments in the territorial jurisdiction of District Budgam
DIPK-166/20
till 3rd May April, 2020:
a) All Anganwardi Centers, b) Offices,
c) Colleges, d) Malls,
e) Gyms f) Shops
g) Businesses h) Schools
GOVERNMENT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
i) Markets and other establishments etc. OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER IRRIGATION DIVISION OMPORA BUDGAM
In addition to above the following measures are hereby ordered to be taken with immediate effect up to 3rd May, 2020. DASTI QUOTATION
i. Complete restrictions on movement of Buses, Matadors, and other modes of public transport, except for au- For on behalf of Lt. Governor of Union Territory of J&K sealed Quotation affixed with revenue stamps Rs/= 6 are invited from Registered
thorized SRTC buses plying for essential purposes. contactors (DEE) for execution of the below mentioned works.The quotation should reach to the office of the undersigned/ Irri.Sub-
Divisional office Chadoora on up to 02:00 PM of 18-04-2020.The quantity schedule of work will be available from the division office/
ii. Gatherings of any kind ( social/cultural/political /religious /academic /sports /seminar / conference etc.,) Irri. Sub-Divisional office Chadoora.
shall be completely prohibited;
iii. People are required to stay at home and come out only to procure essential commodities for consumption ( Advertised cost of work.
one person per vehicle), in the immediate vicinity of their homes, while strictly following the norms of social S.No. Name of work (including Deptt Supply)
distancing provided further that there shall not be an assembly of more than three customers /clients in any (Rs in lacs)
establishment for seeking essential services. This shall particularly be ensured by the Banks, ATMs, Post
Offices, Chemists and Grocery Stores /shops. 1 Temporary restoration of Shushukhul and Nardekhul minors of Shumnag canal. 0..43
iv. The passengers coming out from and going to Airport shall be permitted to travel on production of air tickets.
2 Restoration of Nilnag lake by way of extension of lining wall near escape channel. 0.98
The staff deployed at Airport ( Public officials and belonging to Airlines) shall be allowed to move on production
of valid ID proof. Restoration by way of deepening/widening/protection of embankment of
v. Government employees of essential services departments or such other departments as required by govern- 3 0.43
Shikarbaghdara of Chattergam canal.
ment to function shall be permitted to move on production of ID proofs.
Restoration by way of removal of bed material at Off-take point/silt clearance at spots,
This order, however, shall not apply to the supplies of following essential services in line with the Government Order 4 0.99
Chattergam canal.
No. 60- FCS&CA – of 2020 dated 22-03-2020 and Addendum to Government Order No. 60- FCS&CA of 2020 dated
22-03-2020 issued vide endorsement No. FCS&CA/Secy/PS/02/2020 dated 23-3-2020: 5
Strengthening of embankment of Gam khulBadipora by way of providing and laying of
0.21
a. Supply of groceries ( Wholesalers and retailers) EC bags at spots.
b. Supply of Fresh fruits and vegetables ( Mandies and retailers) Restoration of Gam khulKanir m/o Shumnag canal by way of deepening/widening &
c. Dispensing of Petrol/Diesel at Pumps 6 0.95
laying EC bags.
d. Milk shops and dairies and related products
e. Supply of Cattle feed and fodder. 7 Clearance of slips/slides of Surasyar from RD2300 to Rd 2435m 0.57
f. Medicines and other pharmaceuticals ( retailers, wholsalers and manufacturing).
g. Banks and ATMs 8 Silt clearance of Surasyar canal from RD 700m to 1000m. Amount of work. 0.24
h. Supply of LPG ( domestic and commercial)
i. Health services ( including movement of staff thereof) 9 Construction of Lining wall on Ranger canal at RD 1200mtrs (Babagund). 0.46
j. Manufacturing of Health and Medical equipments.
k. Telecom operators and their designated agencies. 10 Desilting of Wathora canal at spots 0.99
l. Newspapers
m. Post offices 11
Restoration by providing boulder bund to off -take /supply channel near steel bridge
0.99
n. Loading and unloading of Wheat and Rice at FCI and State Food depots. Chadoora of Wathora canal.
o. Transportation of essential commodities through National and State Highways ( Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, TERMS AND CONDITION:-
Milk, Vegetables, Fruits, Groceries, FCI supplies etc) The first lowest tender shall attend the divisional office immediately after opening of quotation for obtaining formal allotment and
p. Eggs, Poultry, Meat, Mutton etc. shall executed the work within a time of 05 days
q. Poultry feed. If the agency failed to execute the work within stipulated time the penalty 10% shall be got imposed on him.
Since, it is not possible to serve prior notice of this order, it is as such being issued ex-parte. Any violation of this The work shall be got executed under proper super vision of concerned Assistant Ex. Engineer/Jr. Engineers per speciation/
drawings.
order shall invite punitive action under section 188 of Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections of The The payment shall be made as and when the funds are available in the divisional office.
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and The Disaster Management Act, 2005. The successful bidder shall deposit the Ernest money before obtaining formal Allotment order.
Since, it is not possible to serve this order individually it shall be circulated in electronic/print /social media for Other terms and conditions shall remain same as laid down in the PWD form No.25.
information of general public.  (Er.Najeeb-ul-Aziz Tramboo)
No: DMB/PS-MF/788-799 District Magistrate No Executive Engineer,
Date Irrigation Division Ompora,
Dated: 15-04-2020 Budgam DIPK-170/20Budgam.
DIPK-168/20
 Government of Jammu & Kashmir Government of Jammu & Kashmir
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER R&B DIVISION SOPORE OFFICE OF THE EXECUIVE ENGINEER R&B DIVISION SOPORE
NOTICE INVITING TENDER NOTICE INVITING TENDER
NIT No- 03 of RnB-Sopore of 2020-2021 e-tendering DATED- 15 -04. 2020.
For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor, J&K e-tenders (in Single Cover System) are invited on item rate basis from approved and eligible contractors regis-
NIT No- 05 of RnB-Sopore of 2020-2021 e-tendering DATED- 16 -04. 2020.
For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor, J&K e-tenders (in Single Cover System) are invited on item rate basis from approved and eligible contractors
tered with J&K State Govt., CPWD, Railways and other State/Central Governments for the following works:
registered with J&K State Govt., CPWD, Railways and other State/Central Governments for the following works:
Cost of Time of
Est. Earnest Time & Date Class of Posi- Est. Cost of Time of Time &
T/ DOC Comple- Major Head
S.No.

Name of Work Cost Money of Opening Contrac- tion of Earnest

(In tion of Account Cost T/ DOC Com- Date Class of Major Head Position
(Rs. In Lacs) (In Rupees) of Bid tor AAA Name of Work Money
Rupees) In days SN (Rs. In (In pletion of Opening Contractor of Account of AAA
(In Rupees)
Lacs) Rupees) In days of Bid
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10
Restorationof SoporeTownroads 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
( Sidiq Colony/ Shalimar Colony
Cancal roads Right tube Km Ist Restoration of Sopore Bandi-
to 1.75 left tube Km Ist to 2.75,
Sopore Nowpora road Km Ist to pora road Ist and 2nd by way AAY with
25. 04.
4th, Sopore Mehrajpora road Km 01 of P/L 25mm thick semi-dense 12.10 lacs 600/ 24200/- 10 days HMPO/
Ist to 2nd, New colony link Km Ist 2020
with WMM in stretches ..( Ma- HMPO
to 2.50 Kms, Iqbal Nager road Km 25. 04. BEE/ 3054 M&R
01 16.75 lacs 800/ 33500 25 days chine Mix laid by paver)
Ist to 1.50, Hyder Colony Aamp- 2020 CEE 3054 M&R
ora , Badamabgh link Km Ist to
Restoration of (I) General road
2.5Km incl. Ibrahim Colony .
Nehrapora Shalpra road Km Ist, to Nadihal (2) Rohama Shitloo
Noorbagh inner links by way of road (3) Waterigam Dangiwacha AAY with
P/L WBM rade 3rd with 20mm 25. 04.
02 road Km 2,3,and 4th) by way 32.60 lacs 1100/ 65200/- 15 days HMPO/
thick OGPC in patches/ stretch- 2020
es. ( Laid Manually) of P/L 25mm thick semi-dense HMPO
3054 M&R
with WMM in stretches ..( Ma-
Restoration of Road from
Chankahan Bridge upto Octro chine Mix laid by paver)
post upto Eidgah ( Jamia Qa- Position of funds: Assured
deem road / Khankah Moula ) 25. 04. DEE/ The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Drawings, bill of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms and conditions
02 6.36 lacs 300/- 12720/- 15 days
by way of P/L WBM grade 3rd 2020 CEE 3054 M&R
of contract and other detail s can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per schedule of dates given below:-
with 20mm thick OGPC in
patches/ stretches Km 1-3rd .
01. Date of issue of Tender Notice 16 .04.2020
Laid manually
Restoration of Sopore Said- 02. Period of downloading of bidding documents From 16.04.2020 (10.00A.M) to 24 -04-2020 (4.00P.M)
pora road Km 1-4th by way of
25. 04. DEE/ 03. Bid submission start date 16 .04.2020 from (10.00A.M)
03 P/L WBM grade 3rd and 20mm 6.45 lacs 300/- 12900/- 15 days 3054 M&R
2020 CEE
thick OGPC in patches/
stretches lid manually. 04. Bid submission end date 24-04 -2020 upto (4.00 P.M)
Restoration of road surface 05. Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 25-04-2020 at (11.00 A.M) in the Office of the Executive Engineer R&B Division Sopore
by way of P/L WBM grade 3rd
and 20mm thick OGPC in 25. 04. DEE/
04
patches/ stretches to Km Ist
6.30 lacs 300/- 12600/- 15 days
2020 CEE
3054 M&R  For and on behalf of the,
to 4th of Babab Shuker-ud- Din  Lt. Governor of J&K,
Sahib road laid manually No: 101-119 Executive Engineer,
Position of funds: Assured Dated: 16. 04.2020  R&B Division Sopore
No: 58-78 DIPK-172/20
Date 15 .04.2020
The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Drawings, bill of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms and condi-
tions of contract and other detail s can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per schedule of dates given below:-

01. Date of issue of Tender Notice 15 .04.2020

02. Period of downloading of bidding documents From 16 .04.2020 (10.00A.M) to 24 -04-2020 (4.00P.M) GOVERNMENT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
03. Bid submission start date 16 .04.2020 from (10.00A.M) OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER IRRIGATION DIVISION
04. Bid submission end date 24-04 -2020 upto (4.00 P.M)
OMPORA BUDGAM
05. Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 25-04-2020 at (11.00 A.M) in the Office of the Executive Engineer R&B Division Sopore
 For and on behalf of the,
DASTI QUOTATION
 Lt. Governor of J&K, For on behalf of Lt. Governor of Union Territory of J&K sealed Quotation affixed with revenue stamps Rs/= 6 are invited from
No:- 58-78 Executive Engineer, Registered contactors (DEE) for execution of the below mentioned works. The quotation should reach to the office of the
Dated: 15. 04.2020  R&B Division Sopore
DIPK-165/20 undersigned/ Irri.Sub-Divisional office Pakherpora on up to 02:00 PM of 16-04-2020.The quantity schedule of work will be
available from the division office/ Irri. Sub-Divisional office Pakherpora.

Advertised cost of work.

GOVERNMENT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR S.No. Name of work (including Deptt Supply)
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER RURAL WATER SUPPLY DIVISION, GANDERBAL (Rs in lacs)
H.Q: Duderhama Ganderbal.
e – mail: pherwsd@yahoo.in | Phone/Fax: 0194 – 2416292, Temporary restoration of main khanchi canal near RD 1350 and Syed Ali Aalie
01 0.78
NOTICE INVITING e – TENDERS: (RA) Khul by way of Slip clearance and slit clearance at spots
Short Term e– NIT No:- Fresh 02/PHED/RWSD/Civil of 2020 – 21.
For and on behalf of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir U.T., Fresh e – tenders are invited (in Two-Cover System) Temporary restoration of lonepora Branch of Munshi canal Upstream Village
02 0.16
on “item rate basis” from Registered/Approved /Valid Civil Contractors/Agencies for the following works: Futlipora.
Table (I)
Restoration of kral Khul M/o Nehama Khul B/o Khanchi canal at Baharampora
03 0.14
S.
Tentative Annual Earnest
Class of Cost of Period of MH of
Chadoora.
Name of work maintenance Money
No Contract Document completion Account
Cost (Rs. in Lacs) In Rs. Temporary restoration of main Khanchi Canal ner RD.22000ft and D/S
04 0.669
Annual Maintenance, Repairs, Shankerpora off-take by wy of silt clearance at spots.
and other emergent works of BEE/ 01/05/2020 MH2215 &
1 11.00 ₹22000/- ₹1000/- Temporary restoration of Laway pora Branch of Muhshi canal in village Dalwan
Rural Water Supply Sub-Division CEE/ DEE to 31/03/2021 MH4215 05 0.94
Srinagar. and U/S Village Dalwan(.Spot ist)
Position of funds: Available
The Bidding Documents and other details can be downloaded from the website: https://jktenders.gov.in Temporary restoration of Laway pora Branch of Muhshi canal in village Dalwan
06 0.94
From 16.04.2020 (10:00a.m) UPTO 24.04.2020 (04:00p.m) and U/S Village Dalwan(.Spot 2nd)
The Bidding documents consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Drawings (if any), Book of
quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms, conditions of contract and other details can be seen / downloaded from the website: www. Temporary restoration of Gund Shamsh/Monu branch of Munshi canal by way
07 0.945
jktenders.gov.in of earth filed bags and slip clearance.(spot ist)
As per schedule of dates given below
Temporary restoration of Gund Shamsh/Monu branch of Munshi canal by way
TABLE (II) 08 0.945
of earth filed bags and slip clearance.(spot 2nd)
01 Date of Publishing of Tender Notice 15.04.2020
02 Date of downloading of bidding documents From 16.04.2020 from 10:00 a.m To 24.04.2020 upto 04:00 p.m
TERMS AND CONDITION:-
The first lowest tender shall attend the divisional office immediately after opening of quotation for obtaining formal allotment
03 Pre-bid meeting date Already Held and shall executed the work within a time of 05 days
04 Last date of filing of pre-bid quarries 21.04.2020 upto 1:00 p.m
If the agency failed to execute the work within stipulated time the penalty 10% shall be got imposed on him.
The work shall be got executed under proper super vision of concerned Assistant Ex. Engineer/Jr.Engineeras per speciation/
05 Bid submission start date 16.04.2020 from 10:00 a.m drawings.
06 Bid Submission end date 24.04.2020 upto 04:00 p.m
The payment shall be made as and when the funds are available in the divisional office.
The successful bidder shall deposit the Ernest money before obtaining formal Allotment order.
08 Date & time of opening Bids (on line) 25.04.2020 from 02:00 p.m Other terms and conditions shall remain same as laid down in the PWD form No.25.
 (Er.Najeeb-ul-Aziz Tramboo)
No:- PHED/RWSD/Corrs./227 – 51.  Sd/= No. Executive Engineer,
Dated:- 15.04.2020  Executive Engineer Date:- Irrigation Division Ompora,
DIPK-169/20 Rural Water Supply Division, Ganderbal DIPK-171/20 Budgam.
Printed, Published and Owned by Masood Hussain | Editor: Masood Hussain | Published from: 9 - Press Enclave, Partap Park, Lal Chowk Srinagar 190 001 | Printed at: KT Press Pvt Ltd, Rangreth, Budgam

RNI No. JKENG/2009/32003 | Registered: JK NP-222/SKGPO-2018-2020 | Contact at: 0194 - 2477387 | +91 941 908 8042 | E-Mail: kashmirlife@gmail.com