Kashmir First: The Kashmir Story- A Collection of Commentaries Politics & History, Environment & Tourism (Set of 2 Volumes)

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Mohammad Ashraf was born on August 25, 1943 in a middle class family living in the famous locality of Maisuma in Srinagar. His grand father was al technical teacher in local Polytechnic and a very well known foot ball player of those times. His father had joined Government Service as a clerk but retired as a Secretary, Ashraf received his schooling in half a dozen institutions right from Islamia Middle. School to Tyndale Biscoe School. He passed his matriculation exam from the S.P.Higher Secondary School and secured second position in the entire combined University of Jammu & Kashmir in Intermediate Science from S.P.College. Being among the first ten, he was nominated by the State Government to the prestigious Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. However, he preferred the locally started Regional Engineering College at Naseem Bagh in Srinagar itself and took admission in Civil Engineering course which he completed in 1965 but could not finish his final exam for a degree in Civil Engineering due to unusual circumstances prevailing at that time. On the contrary he completely changed his line and went for training in adventure sports like mountaineering and skiing at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and in Gulmarg and completed a diploma in French language from the Alliance Française in New Delhi. In 1973 he gave a project to the State Tourism Department for setting up of an Adventure Tourism Wing for promotion of adventure tourism in J & K. The proposal was accepted and he was appointed in charge of the wing. Starting his career as a Deputy Director he rose to head the same Department in 1992 as its Director and was promoted as Director General in 1996 from which post he retired in 2003 after a total service of 30 years in Tourism. He has been associated with the Adventure Sports at National level and is the Vice-President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, the apex body of adventure sports in India. To commend his efforts in introducing rescue measures in Kashmir Mountains, he was awarded "Merite Alpin" by Swiss in a special function in Les Diablerets in 1993. He continues to be a member of the Governing Council of IMF and is also the President of Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering & Hiking Club. He considers his greatest achievement the pioneering of Tourism in Ladakh. In 1974, Ladakh was opened for foreign tourism by Government of India. Ashraf was extensively involved in developing tourism in this mysterious and enchanting land beyond the Himalaya. He considers it as his first love and is fondly remembered by its inhabitants for promoting tourism in this area. He has travelled to every part of the State including Pakistan Administered Kashmir and Northern Areas. During his tenure in Tourism he had the opportunity to travel widely in Europe, America, and Middle East. Even after retirement he is involved in a free lance capacity with various Airlines and Tourism Organisations in promoting tourism to Kashmir. He is single as he never married. He loves to be married to travelling and writing and is passionately attached to both!

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