 Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 10: Even as the killing of two teachers in Kashmir by militants sent shockwaves across humanity, the Jammu and Kashmir government spent the fateful day celebrating Jashne Dal, a mega festival held in the famous Dal Lake.
On October 7, when Satinder Kour, the principal of Government High School Eidgah, and a teacher at the school, Deepak Chand where shot dead by militants, taking the toll of civilian killings to seven in a week, the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched the Jashne Dal.
The three day festival concluded on October 9. An official handout said: “As a part of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, Jammu and Kashmir Police’s mega sports event Jash-ne-Dal concluded today with the overwhelming participation of water sports athletes.”
Senior officials from the police and civil administration attended the event. “First conducted in 1999, the Jashn-E-dal is an annual mega event of Water Sports organized by J&K Police under its Civic Action Programme. This year around 560 participants including Men/Women, Boys & Girls participated in 26 categories under 16 disciplines. On the first day of the event, Kayak & Canoe (200/500) Mtrs for men/women, boys and girls were held,” the official handout said.
“Sporting activities like Indoor rowing for men/women, Long Distance Swimming for men/Boys, Short Distance Swimming for Men/Women/Boys, 4x50 Mtrs FreeStyle Relay was held on the 2nd day. On the third and final day of the event, besides the closing ceremony, sports activities like Water Ski, Shikara Race/Demb/Boat/Kayak/Canoe were held,” the official handout added. “On the closing ceremony, Individual medals, Certificates and cash prizes amounting around 3.5 lakh have been distributed among the winners including Shikara owners.”
Observers said the holding of such events when tragedy has befallen on the people of Kashmir was “against the ethics of democracy.”
“India is the largest democracy and holding celebrations on the day when the teachers are killed is a bad idea as it send a wrong signal. And remember that teachers are national builders,” said an observer.
The government has been saying that the killing of civilians would be probed on speedy basis. |
