After a long wait, the first phase of the Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover was finally thrown open for the vehicular traffic in Srinagar on Friday last. Announced in July 2009, the project was to be completed in three years but several factors ranging from the bureaucratic hassles to floods in 2014 and the unrest in 2016 delayed its completion. Nevertheless, the inauguration of the first phase has been welcomed by people. Though it is meant for vehicular traffic only, people can be seen going for walks on the flyover as it provides a good aerial view of the city. And people travelling by cars or bikes too are sometimes found clicking photographs and making videos on the flyover. The traffic police has also issued an advisory for people that the flyover is for one-way traffic only — from the Amar Singh College crossing to Barzulla Bridge, and not to and fro. M Aamir Khan
Annual day events go big
The celebrations of foundation day/annual day by schools, especially the private ones, which were earlier confined within the school premises have now changed. All schools, irrespective of the size or strength of students, prefer to conduct the event in a big way. They hold it in the auditoriums of colleges or universities. The number of activities performed during the celebrations have also increased. Presentation of a skit by the students on a relevant theme is the notable feature of the annual day function besides traditional cultural performances. “Every school tries to celebrate the events to leave a mark on not only the students but their parents as well,” a private school principal said.
Stone-throwing debate
The killing of a 22-year-old tourist from Chennai in stone-throwing in Kashmir recently has rattled people across India. Ironically, there was a social media debate in Kashmir, mainly by pro-separatist intellectuals, about “how much tourists contributed to the economy of the Valley.” They showed little remorse for the death of a visitor by stone throwers who are being encouraged by weak-kneed policies of the ruling PDP-BJP government and by civil society. The death of the tourist was projected as an isolated incident but the truth is that the stone-throwing and lynching have become a new normal in the Valley in the past 28 years of separatist insurgency.
All set for Ramazan
As the holy month of Ramazan is nearing, Muslims all over the state have started to prepare for it. During the month, people seek forgiveness from the Almighty for the wrongdoings. They fast from early morning up to the sunset daily for 30 days. Ramazan is followed by Eid-ul-Fitr.
Reported The Tribune