Poonch TODAY English Newspaper

01/10/2025

Poonch on target: Repeated attempts from the anti-national elements to disturb peace raise alarm bells among the security agencies
* Terror associates managing their entry into vital security installations are a big concern

SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
POONCH: The confidence of anti-social and anti-national forces has increased a lot during recent times because of not facing a tough challenge from the security forces; as a result, many attempts have been made by the Pakistan-backed forces to disturb peace at various places of the border district. From the Degwar poster incident a few months ago, where the minority community members were directed to leave the area, to the recent Kanuyian sacrilegious act, the Jhullas school incident in which a teacher and some locals played a mischievous role aimed at disturbing peace, the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition from different places in the district, and other attempts to create unrest on minor issues, it shows that the anti-social and anti-national forces behind the curtains have been planning every move to disturb the peaceful Poonch district on the directions of their mentors sitting across the border. In the last few years, the Poonch district has become a battlefield after the revival of terrorism through some big terrorist attacks in the BG and DKG regions in which many army soldiers attained martyrdom. Those involved in high-profile terrorist attacks in the Poonch-Rajouri belt have still not been brought to justice and it raises a big question mark on DIG and SSPs of twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. During Operation Sindoor also, the people of Poonch suffered a lot, as there was a lack of coordination between the civil administration and the security forces; as a result, people were seen rushing here and there to save their lives. A senior citizen of Poonch, who witnessed the 1971 war, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Our forces made us proud, but had the security forces responded promptly and strongly to Pakistan’s aggression, the situation in Poonch city would have been different, but it's sad that we lost 13 innocent people, including three children.” As Poonch was already going through the tough phase post Operation Sindoor, the recent attempts from the anti-social and anti-national forces to disturb the Poonch district again have become a cause of big concern. Although Poonch police time and again have managed to control the situation and also have downplayed such incidents by not taking strong action, it’s the common man of Poonch that is worried a lot due to continuous attempts from such tainted forces to disturb the district on one or the other issue. Those who remained involved in various violations of laws and activities detrimental to the national interest over the years unfortunately have become well-known faces in the police, army, and civil administration setups, and it points towards an utter intelligence breakdown of these top institutions. Who knows which person is working for which anti-national agency and has sent which information across the border by visiting the vital security installations? Who are the advisors of the civil administration, police, and army on various issues of internal security concerns? Moreover, in a shocking development, some terror associates earlier managed to enter vital security installations for work; however, in a professional display of intelligence gathering and swift action, Poonch police arrested some terror associates belonging to some terror organizations along with a number of AK rifles and have averted a possible big tragedy inside the vital security installations of Poonch district. It’s alarming that concerned security officials were unaware of the presence of anti-national elements in their setups. Although Poonch police, with the help of intelligence agencies, have averted a big tragedy by arresting the terror associates with weapons, the question arises how many such people with an anti-national ideology have managed their entries into the security forces for work and were able to send sensitive information of security importance across the border. It's a big internal security concern for which the concerned authorities need to conduct a security audit of every vital installation in the district. On the other hand, the inability of the police to strongly tackle attempts from anti-social and anti-national elements to disturb peace could prove disastrous for the future, going by the latest national and international scenario. Unless police adopt a tough approach against the forces inimical to peace, things will not change on the ground. The people of Poonch have suffered a lot from the acts of revival of terrorism and from Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor, and now the recent attempts to disturb peace in Degwar, Kanuyian, and Jhullas-type incidents show that the forces inimical to peace have been working on their agenda silently by activating their men and machinery across the district. Although the police have achieved a big success in the hinterland by arresting terror associates of the terror outfits, a lot needs to be done to completely dismantle the emerging terror ecosystem. Moreover, coordination between the civil administration and the security forces needs to be strengthened more for the future, as a lack of it already proved fatal during Operation Sindoor, which led to the killings of 13 innocent people, including the three children, namely Vihaan Bhargav and siblings Zain Khan and Zoya Khan. However, the latest attempts to disturb the peace by anti-national elements and the presence of tainted forces in the security installations have already raised alarm bells, and it's time for the security forces to show their dominance over the anti-national ecosystem. It’s a challenging task for the security forces to find out how many people, if any, in any form, because of their self-interest, close to the civil administration and the security installations are working for the anti-national agencies by leaking sensitive information, as evident from the recent arrest of some terror associates by Poonch police. It's high time for the government to keep the internal security aspect of the Poonch district on top by taking on forces inimical to peace strongly, the failure of which will lead to a massive internal security crisis in the near future, as anti-national forces were doing a lot tactfully to disturb the peaceful district, which is known for its communal harmony. It’s a wake-up call for the security forces in the district to strengthen their intelligence network because the presence of anti-national elements in any form entering the vital security installations again, going by the recent arrest of some terror associates by Poonch police in tehsil Mandi of Poonch district, cannot be ruled out, and those officers who have failed in performing their professional duties due to one or other reasons need to be brought under an investigation, as it’s a case of a complete national security concern in the Poonch district.

01/10/2025

Thanks to the weak Poonch administration, ‘land grabbers,’ ‘law violators,’ ‘anti-social elements,’ and ‘sycophants’ have become so-called prominent citizens
POONCH TODAY NEWS
POONCH: A debate is going on at various places in Poonch city in which people were seen discussing the ever-flourishing “prominent citizens” culture, in which some people, including some doubtful credential ones, tactfully managed to secure their names in the so-called prominent citizens list of the administration. In a clever and tactful move, top bosses of the administration were seen inviting only those people during the visits of top official UT dignitaries and ministers who only project the administration in a good way. A number of loopholes and other illegal acts of administration were never brought to the notice of the visiting dignitaries for years, and those who had the courage to call a spade a spade during official meetings were never called by the administration again in any meeting. It’s a clear indication that the administration has established a benchmark to become a so-called civil society member, and that is that one should have the essential quality of a “Chamchagiri” trait. It doesn’t matter whether the concerned person is a land grabber, law violator, anti-social or anti-national element. The only necessary qualification is “sycophancy.” Even some government employees are seen in these meetings by showing themselves as self-styled social workers, which raises a big question mark for the administration. These “sycophants” for years never discussed the problems of the common man, national interest issues, or important issues of the day-to-day lives of the public, but managed to include their names in the civil society list to have good relations with the administration to secure their personal interests. Although some people are real prominent citizens who have contributed a lot for the nation, their percentage is low, and a large number of people who have no backing and no public contributions were added to the list by the administration. There are a number of intellectual and nationalist people in the town who have carved a niche for themselves in various fields of society, but they were never included in the list because the administration doesn’t want whistleblowers and brilliant minds. All it wanted was the presence of sycophants to project the top officers of the administration in a positive way before the visiting dignitaries. In fact, many of them were also provided SPOs by the police. There are a number of proofs lying with the “POONCH TODAY” newspaper, which clearly shows that a huge chunk of so-called prominent citizens, social workers, NGO walas, fake media men, and self-styled intellectuals are dubious in character and known for playing double roles, even against the security establishments, but they always get the attention of the administration, police, and army because of their expertise in “Chamchagiri” culture. These traditional sycophants, having no contribution towards public concern or national interest, were unfortunately included in the list of prominent citizens by the administration. Even police and army establishments follow the pattern set by the civil administration, and as a result, compromise with internal security concerns cannot be ruled out. A number of people with questionable credentials from the past and their present tactful acts against the national interest are seen managing their links with the army and police by projecting themselves as big social workers, thinkers, media men, and self-styled intellectuals by showing army officers a blue moon, and with their shrewd tactics, they managed to get vital information in addition to getting their various types of self-interests, including business ones, fulfilled. Some people were also seen passing important information to their political bosses, thereby playing a double role with the army for their own interests by taking advantage of the important fourth domain. For years, these sycophants, including some self-styled sports promoters with their doubtful credentials, by forming strong links within the army and using their shrewd tactics of misleading the officers, managed to get a number of monetary and other benefits, including benefits under Operation Sadbhavana projects. In fact, these people misled the army, police, and civil administration on many issues. In the public and national interest, such people need not be encouraged by the administration, police, and army; rather, efforts must be made to identify real prominent citizens and nationalist people of the area and not these "sycophants" and self-styled media men who have questionable credentials, say people with hawk eyes on everything. The internal security of the nation is of utmost importance, and accordingly, efforts should be made by the army, police, and civil administration to identify real prominent people in the district and not dubious ones.

01/10/2025

Revenue department’s double standard on illegal encroachment in the ‘Red Zone” is questionable
* No action taken against encroachments on State/Kahcharai/Forest lands
POONCH TODAY NEWS
POONCH: The Revenue Department Poonch always remained in the news on one or another issue. The tainted officials of the department remained involved in multiple land-related frauds and earned heavily for years. A former revenue officer once converted state land into a personal one after indulging in hand-in-glove acts, and the same personal land was later transferred to the government for the laying of a high transmission line, which goes through the Mughal road area. By adopting shrewd tactics, the said revenue officer and the person in whose name the land was converted earned heavily. It was just the tip of an iceberg, as there are thousands of stories of various land-related frauds scripted by the tainted officials of the revenue department in Poonch. Over the years, thousands of kanals of State/Kahcharai/Forest lands have been encroached with the involvement of revenue officials from top to bottom, and the shocking fact is that the same lands are still under illegal occupation, but no efforts have been made by the government to retrieve them. The matter was discussed at the higher level two years ago, and according to the reports, the LG expressed his dissatisfaction with the Poonch administration for failing to take action against encroachments on government assets at various places. Highly placed sources told "POONCH TODAY" that the government had sought a detailed report from the Poonch administration over illegal constructions and encroachments of state/Kahcharai/forest lands. It is pertinent to mention here that the issue of illegal encroachments and constructions at various places remained in the media for years, but some officers of the Poonch administration never took action against them because of the reportedly hand-in-glove influence of a few revenue and administrative officers with those who were involved in such illegal acts. The horrible 2014 and 2025 floods and the massive devastation caused by floods have given a big lesson to all. Unfortunately, over the years, massive illegal constructions have taken place in the “Red Zone” areas with the full support of revenue officials. Even water bodies, culverts, and irrigation canals were encroached upon, but the revenue department never took action against the wrongdoers. The revenue department adopted a double standard attitude as against weak people; the department used to serve notices and threatened demolition drives in the same “Red Zone” areas, but against powerful land mafia, the same revenue department preferred to adopt silence against those who were involved in brazen illegal constructions in the same “Red Zone” and illegal encroachments of various government assets, including forest lands. It shows indirect support of the revenue department to the land mafia. Due to massive illegal constructions in the “Red Zone,” the existence of Poonch town is in grave danger. Locals have sought the attention of the government and demanded an inquiry commission to identify those officers and revenue officials who have played a wrong role over the years in allowing illegal constructions, encroachment of personal/state/Kahcharai lands, encroachment of forest lands, and other government assets. A former DC Poonch once asked revenue officials to show their monthly performance related to retrieval of state/kahcharai lands, encroachments, and illegal construction, but even after a lapse of more than three years, nobody knows what has happened to that order of the former DC Poonch. If this is the case, the government must take strong action against the revenue officials who are involved in multiple land-related frauds in the district. Still, near the S.K. Bridge, the land grabbers are in the process of capturing the remaining leftover lands for the construction of more shops in the ‘Red Zone,’ but the revenue authorities have adopted a pin-drop silence. Threats of demolishing drives and notices are given only to the poor and weak people, but against the influential land grabbers in the same “Red Zone,” the department has no guts. The revenue department in Poonch is a hub of brazen frauds, and from top to bottom, the majority of revenue employees always look for an opportunity to earn money by any means. The government needs to conduct a high-level inquiry into the issue and, if initiated properly, can bring horrible facts into the public domain related to illegal constructions in the “Red Zone” and illegal encroachment of state/forest/Kahcharai lands and assets, and those tainted revenue officers and others who over the years played their mischievous role must be brought to justice, wherever they are.

01/10/2025

Open violation of rules! Is the Rajouri administration hand in glove with illegal stone crusher owners?
POONCH TODAY NEWS
RAJOURI: A number of illegal stone crushers are running in district Rajouri in open violation of environmental rules and PCB guidelines, but it's shocking that the district administration never took action against all of them. Highly placed sources in the Rajouri administration told “POONCH TODAY” that a number of illegal stone crushers have internal settings with police and civil administration, and this hidden exercise has been going on for a long time; as a result, not a single action has been taken against illegal stone crushers. Earlier, an action was taken against two stone crushers by NGT in 2022 for open violation of various rules. Other than this, the district administration never collected the guts to take action against them. A large number of crushers are operating near the national highway and water bodies. Some are operating adjacent to habitations, thereby causing huge inconvenience to the people from air pollution. Locals of nearby villages, while talking to “POONCH TODAY,” said that open digging of bore wells to fetch groundwater has become a common scene by crusher owners in addition to open violation of environmental rules. They said that due to the number of illegal stone crushers that are operating without any fear of law, agricultural activities have suffered a lot. Moreover, brazen noise emanating from crushers also creates noise pollution for the residents who are living near the site of the crushers. A number of crushers never followed the guidelines of the State Pollution Board for years. An impression has been generated in the Rajouri district that the administration lacks the guts to take on illegal stone crushers because some officers who always remain hand in glove with stone crusher owners have turned their backs towards illegal stone crushers because they used to receive their share regularly. At a number of places, the water table in the district has decreased due to illegal mining activities by crushers. A prominent political leader who has an indirect partnership with a crusher in the Rajouri district, pleading anonymity, said, “All are hand in glove. It’s a routine exercise to grease the palms of concerned officers of the administration regularly, and if any of the crushers stops that, then the owner is liable to face action from the administration. A former DC was an expert in earning illegal money from Crushers openly.” He further said that 90% of crushers are running in the Rajouri district in open violation of rules, but it’s a big question mark on the district administration, which has maintained a criminal silence on the issue. On the one hand, the illegal stone crushers are running freely in open violation of rules and without any fear of law due to the hand-in-glove acts of the crushers' owners with some officials of police and civil administration for years, but on the other hand, it's the common man who is suffering a lot on account of various environmental effects from crushers, which leads to the emergence of various airborne and waterborne diseases. It's high time for the J&K government to intervene and take action against illegal stone crushers that are running freely, reportedly with the hand-in-glove acts of the Rajouri administration.

01/10/2025

01/10/2025

Check epaper at www.poonchtoday.com

01/10/2025

https://www.poonchtoday.com/poonch-on-target-repeated-attempts-from-the-anti-national-elements-to-disturb-peace-raise-alarm-bells-among-the-security-agencies-terror-associates-managing-their-entry-into-vital-security-installat/

Poonch on target: Repeated attempts from the anti-national elements to disturb peace raise alarm bells among the security agencies; Terror associates managing their entry into vital security installations are a big concern   SALIL RAINA (POONCH TODAY NEWS) POONCH: The confidence of anti-social and ...

01/10/2025

https://www.poonchtoday.com/thanks-to-the-weak-poonch-administration-land-grabbers-law-violators-anti-social-elements-and-sycophants-have-become-so-call/

Thanks to the weak Poonch administration, ‘land grabbers,’ ‘law violators,’ ‘anti-social elements,’ and ‘sycophants’ have become so-called prominent citizens POONCH TODAY NEWS POONCH: A debate is going on at various places in Poonch city in which people were seen discussing the ever-...

01/10/2025

https://www.poonchtoday.com/revenue-departments-double-standard-on-illegal-encroachment-in-the-red-zone-is-questionable-no-action-taken-against-encroachments-on-state-kahcharai-forest-lands/

Revenue department’s double standard on illegal encroachment in the ‘Red Zone” is questionable; No action taken against encroachments on State/Kahcharai/Forest lands POONCH TODAY NEWS POONCH: The Revenue Department Poonch always remained in the news on one or another issue. The tainted officia...

01/10/2025

https://www.poonchtoday.com/open-violation-of-rules-is-the-rajouri-administration-hand-in-glove-with-illegal-stone-crusher-owners/

Open violation of rules! Is the Rajouri administration hand in glove with illegal stone crusher owners? POONCH TODAY NEWS RAJOURI: A number of illegal stone crushers are running in district Rajouri in open violation of environmental rules and PCB guidelines, but it’s shocking that the district adm...

17/09/2025

https://www.poonchtoday.com/jahangir-mir-seeks-immediate-attention-from-chief-minister-omar-abdullah-on-the-kalaban-tragedy-demands-a-special-package/

Jahangir Mir seeks immediate attention from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the Kalaban tragedy, demands a special package   POONCH TODAY NEWS   POONCH: Former Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council and senior Congress leader Jahangir Mir, who remained a two-time MLC and one-time MLA Haveli, h...

16/09/2025

Deep state plan to topple the Indian government fails as powerful Modi starts showing eyes to India’s adversaries
* ‘Sudershan Chakra’ to strengthen defence against Indian adversaries; big decisions likely

SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
POONCH: After witnessing unexpected and questionable changes in the policies of USA president Donald Trump towards India, particularly launching the tariff war and its sudden closeness with Pakistan to put huge pressure on India, it’s the strong Indian prime minister Narendra Modi who has started showing his eyes to all the Indian adversaries, a powerful and straightforward gesture that has never been witnessed by any Indian after the independence. After its repeated failed tactics against the PM Modi-led NDA government, the deep state reportedly planned to topple the Modi government, but all the plans, in which many local and international players remained part and parcel, failed with the strong diplomacy shown by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The USA president, Donald Trump, who never expected a strong Indian response from the 6th of May onwards against the terror infrastructure in Pakistan after the April 22nd Pahalgam attack in which 26 people were killed by the Pakistani terrorists by asking their names, was surprised after the Kirana Hills episode, and in a hodge-podge manner, India was approached by frustrated Pakistan for a ceasefire, but President Trump, for reasons best known to him, started taking the credit for the Indo-Pak ceasefire, which was totally rejected by PM Modi later. Facing huge humiliations, Trump’s administration started a tariff war with India by imposing a 50% tariff, an act that has been described by some big names in the USA as the biggest strategic blunder, but it’s the strong will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that all the plans of the Trump administration to put pressure on the Indian government have failed. President Trump, in an unexpected move, invited the Pak Army chief to the USA, and from the soil of the USA, Asim Munir threatened India with his clearly externally influenced and uncalculated statement. Facing huge international pressure, PM Modi, in his Independence Day speech, showed his never-before-seen strong gesture, and it was a clear indication that the Indian government is going to create a big history in the near future, which has never been seen by anybody in the last seven decades. India’s Operation Sindoor was a big message to all the Indian adversaries, and many times, it was announced by the Indian government that the said operation was not over and its part 2 is in the pipeline. This strong Indian government gesture led by PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Minister S. Jai Shanker, and NSA Ajit Doval indicates some tough actions in the near future, as India was known all over the world for its soft policies and the tag of a peace-loving country and was taken for granted by the adversaries of India. Due to its peaceful approach for all, India paid a heavy price for years, but after the emergence of Narendra Modi as the prime minister, India’s stance has witnessed an unprecedented change that has brought the country on the path of becoming a global power. The other day, the Indian army chief also issued a statement that war with Pakistan in the near future is likely and every Indian needs to stand with the government. This is a clear indication that PM Modi has something big in his mind, as he is known for making sudden big surprises. After showing eyes to the USA, which is the most powerful country in the world, PM Modi’s intentions are very clear, as he is not going to compromise the nation’s interest. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi clearly said that India was not going to accept the nuclear blackmail and was ready to teach all its adversaries a lesson never seen before. Political analysts believe that PM Modi and his team, despite witnessing repeated attempts from the deep state and all Indian adversaries (internal and external), seem to have decided to make big history by taking on those who have their ill intentions towards India. By touching on the issue of “Sudershan Chakra,” PM Modi clearly hinted that India’s new missile defense system will surprise the whole world, and it will force the adversaries of India to think thousands of times before scripting any type of foul play against India. India's new “Sudershan Chakra,” having artificial intelligence and a laser-guided system, would be able to demolish enemy missiles up to the range of 2500 km and intercept any missile up to 150 km in air. This new system will be able to fire missiles at the rate of 5 km per second and will be in action by 2026. This robust “Sudershan Chakra” missile defense system is designed to demolish ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons. The PM giving special attention to this new missile defense system was an indirect attempt to caution the Indian adversaries. After witnessing the strong statement and powerful gesture of PM Modi, the statement of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Operation Sindoor, S. Jaishanker’s calling a spade a spade, the army chief's plain speaking on possible Operation Sindoor Part II against Pakistan, and NSA Ajit Doval’s recent strategic brilliance on some matters of international importance, one could come to the conclusion that the intentions of PM Modi are very much clear as far as national interest is concerned, and he is ready to go the extra mile to prove heavy over all Indian adversaries. During the SCO Summit in China, India’s diplomatic brilliance with China, in which Russia played a big role, has ultimately forced the USA president, Donald Trump, to surrender before PM Modi by issuing a positive statement, and it is likely that the issue of tariffs will be discussed sooner than later. US President Donald Trump, in a post, said, “I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers between our two nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries. In response, PM Modi also responded in a positive manner by saying that India and the US are close friends and natural partners. On this development, a social media user wrote, “Jhukti hai duniya, jhukane wala chaiyee.” The sudden, unexpected, and powerful changes in India’s defense and foreign policy towards its adversaries, particularly Pakistan, are a complete indication that something big is going to happen under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and it will bring all Indian adversaries, wherever they are, to justice by never-before-seen means. Those internal and external forces that are dreaming of repeating Bangladesh- and Nepal-type incidents in India will suffer heavily if they dare to cross the line. The intentions of PM Modi are very clear, and it shows that all Indian adversaries are bound to witness the never-before-seen PM Modi as far as harsh punishments are concerned, because nothing is above the national interest for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is likely to take some big decisions keeping in view the national security.