Political vacuum

A baker’s shop in Srinagar is a place of hot political discussion. On an early chilly morning, a few men were heard saying that people have lost faith in politics and currently the Valley was without any leader. Somehow, it is true as after the arrest of hundreds of mainstream political and separatist leaders, there is a lingering uncertainty due to a political vacuum that has been created after the abrogation of Article-370. People do not even know whom to approach for their day to day problems of water, electricity, roads etc. The current uncertainty has made people hopeless. It is high time the government gives hope to people in need and provides solution to their problems in harsh winter months.

Heavy discount on winter wear

As the Union Territory has witnessed harsh winter this season, shopkeepers in the city are offering heavy discount on winter wear in Jammu. As large numbers of Kashmiri families stay in Jammu during the winter months, shops in all local markets remain open on Sunday as well. Not only small shops, but branded showrooms, too, are offering heavy discounts on winter stuff to attract customers.

Chill returns

After two days of relief from biting cold, the chill has once again returned to the plains of Jammu. The sky remained clear in the last two days and sun shone bright, bringing warmth and relief to the people, who have been reeling under severe cold wave. Sunday morning, however, turned cold again forcing people to stay indoors. If MeT Department is to be believed, Jammu is likely to remain cold and frigid for another week.

Govt school students no less

Participation of government school students in different competitions being organised by private schools in Jammu is an encouraging sign. In the recently held competitions, including painting, debate and symposium among others, many students from government schools participated. Even though the strength of students was not high, on an average 2-3 government schools participated. “Earlier, whenever we organised competitions, only private schools confirmed their participation, but now the trend is changing and it is very important. There is no dearth of talent in government schools,” Sabiya, Principal of a private school said.

Contributed by Rifat, Vikram Sharma, Amit Khajuria and Vikas Sharma