Sunday, January 11, 2009

On Raising Day, RR gifts liquor to students

Police confirms complaints, Army denies charge
Courtesy Daily Rising Kashmir News Jammu dated January 12th, 2008
Jan 11: Army has sparked off a major controversy by distributing wine bottles as ‘gift’ to the school children including girls, who had participated in the “National Anthem Singing Competition” on the Raising Day of 43 Rashtria Rifles at Thanmandi in Poonch district.
Sources said that 43 Rashtriya Rifles organized Raising Day at Thanamandi in border district of Rajouri on Saturday. The residents and children of various schools of the area were invited to participate in sports and cultural events.They said that some of the students were engaged by the army to participate in Ring Competition Game in which a student had to aim on ‘wine bottle’ from the ring. “The successful students, who managed to hit the target, were handed over the same bottle as reward for their performance. Some students were given packed wine as an award for participating in the event,” they said.Sources further said the students, who won “National Anthem singing competition” were also given wine bottles as reward by the army officers. “At total of 20 students including 11 girls were given the wine bottles,” they said.They further claimed that even some citizens, who were invited as guests, were also given wine bottles by the army.Displaying the wine bottles to Rising Kashmir, a student Sakina Kousar said that she got ‘this award’ from army in a packing. “When I opened the packing, I found ‘Golden Eagle’ wine bottle”, she said. Sakina along with Rubeena Raina, Imtiyaz and Nazir have received wine bottles as award for their outstanding performance in singing national anthem of India “Jana Gana Mana”. Imtiyaz said that he did not open the packing on the spot. “When I opened it in the home, I found ‘Golden Eagle’ wine bottle,” he said.Following the episode, senior residents of the area organised a meet and strongly condemned the distribution of wine bottles among the students. Muslim United Front Chairman Shafkat Wani said that he himself has seen these wine bottles in the hands of the students. “We have kept these bottles with us in which CSD is clearly mentioned”, he said adding, “We have decided to observe complete bandh on Monday and stage protests on Friday”.Demanding that army should take action against the erring soldiers, he urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with army chief, General Deepak Kapoor.When contacted, Station House Officer Police Station Thanamandi Ashiq Khan said that he has also received the complaints. However, army spokesman for Northern Command, F M Acharya denied that wine bottles were gifted to the students during an army function. “It was an excursion-cum-awareness program in which villagers and children participated. No wine bottles were distributed among the children or villagers,” he said.

No comments:

Post a Comment