P R A D E S H
Thursday, August 6, 1998
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Thursday, August 6, 1998 |
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 VDCs for Himachal mooted CHAMBA, Aug 5 — The central team, headed by the Special Secretary, Home, Mr M.B. Kaushal, today said apart from setting up village defence committees (VDCs), the Centre would provide all possible assistance to curb terrorism in Himachal Pradesh. |
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Forces sought for Chamba |
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Killings create divide TISSA (Chamba), Aug 5 — Kashmiri militants have succeeded in creating a division between the Gujjars and the local people. A visit to the massacre sites at Kala Ban and Satrundi, showed that the locals were eyeing the Gujjars, with suspicion. They allege that even if there was no direct involvement of the Gujjars in the killings, their sympathy was definitely with the Kashmiri militants. The situation has come to such a point that the locals are openly saying that under these circumstances only people of one community can live here in peace. People in the entire belt of the Churah region, falling under Tissa subdivision said the worst carnage in the history of Himachal could not have been possible without the local involvement. Since the militants spared people belonging to a particular community, the feeling of ill will and hatred is evident. The police is interrogating Naseerudin and Sharif Muhamad, who claimed that they managed to escape from the custody of the militants. A total of eight persons are suspected to be missing. Local residents were surprised that though gun shots could be heard in the entire area, the Gujjars, who have their "kothas" very close to the massacre site feigned ignorance about the incident. Malti Devi, who was spared by the militants alleged that immediately after the shooting, she could see the lights in the Gujjar 'kothas'. There are about 1500 Gujjars living in the area. These Gujjars are migratory and come up to the higher reaches during summer with their buffaloes. During winter, the militants allegedly use the 'kothas' of the Gujjars. The locals and the Gujjars have no direct interaction as their houses are located far away. The locals go to the higher reaches only to collect herbs, which they sell in the Punjab markets. Apart from working as labourers and selling herbs, the locals have no other source of livelihood. Compelled by abject poverty and difficult living conditions the local, despite militant threats, go to the forests to collect herbs. The Gujjars on the other hand move around in the area between Chamba and Doda, after obtaining grazing permits from the forest authorities in Chamba. A large number of Kashmiris from the Bhalesh area of Doda, are working as labourers in the area. The Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, said another reason for conflict between the Gujjars and the locals, was the economic consideration. Moreover, the proposal of the previous government to give five bighas of land to landless Gujjars and for common burial ground, has evoked resentment among the locals. They complain that since this proposal was mooted, the Gujjars had been objecting to the entry of the locals to the higher reaches for collecting herbs. They point out that the carnage might be an attempt to send a signal to the locals to stay away from the higher areas, where the Gujjar 'kothas' are located. The government will have
to work overtime to ensure that the confidence of the
locals is restored and the divide created by the killing
does not lead irreparable communal discard in the area. |
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Army had alerted Himachal SHIMLA: The massacre of 35 innocent labourers by Pakistan-trained Kashmiri terrorists in Chamba district has exposed the incompetence of the Himachal Pradesh government in tackling the increasing militant-related activity in its areas bordering Jammu and Kashmir. The authorities were caught napping. The terrorists brutally gunned down these innocent people in the two villages of Kalaban and Satrundi without any challenge from the state police. No strategy has ever been prepared by the state authorities to check the infiltration of terrorists. Reports indicate that the authorities did not act even after getting prior information from army intelligence about a possible terrorist attack in the villages of Chamba bordering Doda district of Jammu. The vital information is understood to have been passed on to the authorities in Himachal by certain formations of the Northern Command based at Udhampur. However, all this appears to have been taken in a casual manner by the authorities who are now trying to squarely blame the Army for the incident. The state administration did not budge even after the killing of four Himachali farmers of Chamba by terrorists on June 23 while they had gone to collect herbs from the Sumbain khad in the Kehar area. Ironically, the terrorists struck soon after Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, announced in the Vidhan Sabha that a plan was being mooted with the help of the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government to launch a joint combing operation in the areas bordering Doda district to flush out Kashmiri militants. The border areas of Chamba district have become a haven for terrorists who have been slipping in here whenever pressure has been mounted by the security forces on the other side in Jammu and Kashmir. There are reports that the police authorities as well as the top bureaucracy had information about the frequent movement of terrorists in Himachal areas, but nothing was done out of fear of provoking them. The reason, being thin police deployment in the area and inadequate arms and ammunition. Stray incidents of militancy normally went unreported during the past few years. However, in this particular incident, hardly any police deployment was made in the border areas although the authorities were aware that terrorists might move into the Himachal area during the summer when snow melts on the high passes between Chamba and Doda districts. The authorities also failed to take a cue from the massacre of 18 persons by terrorists just six days earlier in the nearby villages of Thakarein-Hor and Saranwa of Kishtwar in Doda district. As a normal drill, vigil in the bordering areas of Chamba should have been geared up. There are reports that Kashmiri terrorists had been feeding on the rations of Gujjar deras of Chamba district as their supply lines had been cut off because of the heavy deployment of the Army in Doda district. All this is learnt to have been reported to the local authorities by the military contingents which conducted an exercise in the area recently. Incidents of Kashmiri militants infiltrating into the Kehar area of Chamba and extorting money and ration from the people were also received. In Monday's incident, the terrorists snatched cash and valuables from the victims before gunning them down. They decamped with explosives which were stored there for construction of the Pangi-Kishtwar road by the Border Roads Organisation. They also looted the rations which were stored at Satrundi for being carried to Pangi. It is said that terrorists have been moving freely in the Khundi, Mural, Sappa Chalo, Siplo, Oolu-ki-Mandi, Udak and Kaloethu areas of Chamba district which are occupied mainly by migratory Gujjars who have links in Jammu and Kashmir also. Not only the present
BJP-HVC government, but the previous Congress government
also hardly paid any attention to such incidents. The
practice of deploying additional police force in the
areas bordering Doda district during the summer has been
altogether done away with. Personnel of the Punjab Armed
Police (PAP) was deployed sometime back in the strategic
areas in consultation with the top police authorities of
Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. However, the PAP was
withdrawn following complaints of misbehaviour. |
VDCs for Himachal mooted CHAMBA, Aug 5 — The central team, headed by the Special Secretary, Home, Mr M.B. Kaushal, today said apart from setting up village defence committees (VDCs), the Centre would provide all possible assistance to curb terrorism in Himachal Pradesh. After visiting the massacre site yesterday, Mr Kaushal said additional forces, equipment and financial assistance would be provided to the state. To restore the confidence of the people in the authorities and to guard against further infiltration by militants, a battalion would be deployed in the area immediately, he said. Mr Kaushal said the massacre had created a communal divide, as people of one community had been killed. As per the description given by some survivors of the massacre and eyewitnesses, the militants, numbering 10 appeared to be foreign mercenaries. Mr Kaushal said since Himachal had a border of about 150 km with J and K, the state police had prepared a plan in 1993 for tackling militancy. "This plan will be updated and then implemented so that infiltration of militants can be checked effectively". The Director-General (CRPF), Mr Sabharwal, and IG (Operations) Mr A.S. Gill, accompanied Mr Kaushal. Mr Gill said the number of police personnel manning the Himachal-Jammu and Kashmir border was meagre. The former Chief Minister and MP, Mr Shanta Kumar, today said had the authorities taken a serious note of intelligence reports of militants targeting the Chamba area, the recent massacre in Kalaban and Satrundi could have been averted. After his return from the massacre site, Mr Shanta Kumar, said had the police been able to break the Gujjar-militant nexus, the tragedy might not have taken place. "It was not possible to kill so many people in Kalaban and Satrundi without the help of the locals", he observed. The BJP leader said the authorities should have been more cautious as one could see that pressure was building up in Doda area and the Kashmiri militants had developed local contacts in Chamba. The main motive of the militants was to extend their area of operation, he said. "By terrorising the local population, they want members of a community to leave the place as has happened in Kashmir and Doda", he said. Mr Shanta Kumar observed that the militants had succeeded in creating a communal divide by killing people belonging to a particular community. Mr Shanta Kumar said during his visit to the area, the locals had complained that a majority of Gujjars were in possession of arms and the authorities should check whether these were legal or illegal. He said it had been decided to constitute village-level defence committees on the Kashmir pattern. "I have personally spoken to Mr L.K. Advani and he has assured that the Central Government shall keep all possible help to check the spread of militancy in Himachal". The BJP leader said there
should be greater interaction between the district
authorities of Doda and Chamba. |
Forces sought for Chamba NEW DELHI, Aug 5 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, today urged the Centre to deploy para-military forces in Chamba district, where several people were gunned down by suspected Kashmiri militants. Mr Dhumal conveyed the request to the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishna Advani, at a meeting here this evening. According to state official sources, it was decided at the meeting that the families of the victims of the Chamba massacre would be given an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh. The Chief Minister, during his meeting, also took up the security concerns of the border district and urged the Home Minister to help launch a combing operation in the state to flush out militants. Mr Dhumal also met the
Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, and urged him to
sanction Rs 1000 crore to the state for developmental
purpose. |
Need for better bus stands HAMIRPUR: With the fast increase in the road traffic in all parts of the state, the need for bus stands at various important places of the state is being felt. Though most of the passenger buses are being run by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), the main responsibility for the construction of bus stands lies with the corporation. Hamirpur district which became a full-fledged district on September 1, 1972, is one of the most densely populated districts in the state. Several hundred buses ply on various inter-state, inter-district and within district routes daily. But the district has only four bus stands. These bus stands lack the facilities needed by travellers. Toilets stink and emit a foul smell. The platforms are kutcha and the cost of eatable supplied on the premises are beyond the reach of the common man. The main bus stand at Hamirpur proper, which is the first "A" class bus stand of the state and was constructed during the Janata Party regime under the then local MLA and HP Transport Minister, Mr Jagdev Chand, is still in use. It needs immediate repairs and expansion keeping in view the expansion of the town and the transport system in the district. The shortage of land around the bus stand complex is causing hindrance in its expansion work. Since this bus stand is located inside the vicinity of Hamirpur town, there are remote chances of its expansion. The platform of the bus stand is kutcha and no steps have been taken by the previous or the present state government to completely metal it and give it a new look. A large number of taxis and jeeps are always seen parked on the boundary of the local bus stand on the main road. The failure of the state government in general and the local politicians in particular is the main reason behind this. During morning and evening hours, the traffic comes to a complete standstill on the road near bus stand complex due to the haphazard parking of taxis and jeeps by their owners. The state government has now understood the gravity of the situation and a taxi stand may come up just opposite the main bus stand complex and behind the sports complex in the coming two years. The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, has given administrative and financial approval for the ambitious project. There is no proper bus stand at Mahre, the headquarters of Barsar revenue subdivision. Buses are parked on the main road leading to Una. During morning and evening hours, traffic congestion takes place there. Since there is no public ground at Mahre, meetings of all political parties and employees' organisations are held at the same venue thus creating problems and difficulties for the travellers. The plight of the people of Nadaun, another important town of the district and a leading business centre of the state is miserable. Though the local nagar panchayat has constructed a bus stand here on the Hamirpur-Dharamsala highway, jeeps and taxis can be seen parked inside. Sometimes even stray animals are seen there. The bus stand needs to be shifted to a nearby and safe place. A new bus stand complex has also come up at Jahoo, which is located on the trijunction of the districts of Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi. The land for the bus stand complex was given free of cost by a local woman. Though the bus stand has become operational, it needs many improvements like the metalling of the platform and the construction of a road link between the complex and the main road. Bhota, another important town of the district on Hamirpur-Shimla and Hamirpur-Una highway, has got a bus stand. However, a huge tree still stands in the middle of the complex. No steps have been taken to cut the tree and make the entire complex a pucca one fitted with all sorts of facilities for the public. The worst affected are the people of Sujanpurtira, one of the ancient and historic towns of India. The town was the capital of the Katoch rulers. But unluckily, it is without the facility of a regular bus stand. Buses and other vehicles are parked at a vacant place under a huge banian tree opposite the Chaugan maidan. A plan was mooted during the last BJP regime to have a bus stand near the temple of Kali Mata. But with the fall of that government, the plan was shelved and the town remains without bus-stand. Similarly, there is a need
for bus stands at Salauni, Awahdevi, Tounidevi and
Ladraur. The utter failure of politicians of the district
to undertake developmental works in their respective
areas is a serious matter, and people of the district are
highly upset over this. The people want that instead of
resorting to transfers of government employees, leaders
should come forward with concrete proposals of
development, which in turn could be helpful for those who
had voted them to power. |
HP to introduce ‘sanjha
van yojna’ SOLAN, Aug 5 — The Himachal Government has decided to introduce a novel afforestation scheme based upon the principle of people's participation in the state The scheme, basically a modified version of the earlier BJP government's highly successful ‘van lagao rozi kamao’ plan, has been named the ‘sanjha van yojna’. The Forest Minister, Mr Roop Singh Thakur, while addressing a Parmar jayanti meeting organised on the Parmar university campus at Nauni yesterday, said a sum of Rs 10 crore had been earmarked in the current budget for the scheme. The government had also decided to bring an additional area of 28 thousand hectares under forest cover this year. A total of 2.5 crore saplings were planned to be planted in the next few months. Mr Thakur called upon mahila mandals, NGOs and youth clubs to lend their support to the afforestation programme, particularly the new ‘sanjha van yojna’. The minister paid tributes to the late Y.S. Parmar, popularly hailed as the ‘Himachal nirmata’. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof L.R. Verma, urged the government to provide adequate job avenues to forest graduates of his institution, most of whom remained jobless after graduating. A former Minister of State
for Transport and Tourism, Mr M.N. Sofat, also spoke. |
Main I-Day function at Hamirpur SHIMLA, Aug 5 — The state-level Independence Day function will be held at Hamirpur, the home district of Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Chief Minister. Mr Dhumal will preside over the function, at which Mr Roop Dass Kashyap, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Mrs Urmil Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary, will also be present. On the same day, the Chief Minister will host an at home at 'Bachat Bhavan' at 4.30 p.m. Mr Gulab Singh Thakur, the Speaker, will preside over the district-level function at Mandi which will also be attended by Mr Prakash Chaudhary, Minister of State for Animal Husbandry. Mr Kishori Lal, the Industry Minister, will unfurl the national flag at Nahan in Sirmaur district, while Mr Mohinder Singh, the Rural Development Minister, will preside over the Independence Day function at Chamba. Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister, will preside over the district-level function at Dharamsala in Kangra district, Mr Kishan Kapoor, Transport Minister, at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district, Mr Ramesh Chand Chaudhary, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, at Solan, Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Supplies Minister, at Bilaspur, and Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, at Una. At Shimla, the district-level function will be presided over by Mr Vidya Sagar, Agriculture Minister, and Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister of State for Horticulture, will also be present. Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education
Minister, will preside over the district-level function
at Kinnaur and Mr Karan Singh, Minister of State for
Primary Education, at Kulu. |
Literary awards announced SHIMLA, Aug 5 — The Academy of Art, Culture and Languages today announced the awards for literary works. Mr Sudershan Vashistha, Secretary of the Academy, said that for 1995, "Sangyahin" (Hindi novel) by P.C.K. Prem, "Rango ka Itihas" (Hindi poetry) by Tarsem Bharti, and the poems of Nicholas K. Roerich (translation) by Varyam Singh will get the awards. Manohar Lal will be posthumously awarded for his book, "Amaltas ki Chhouon Main". "Dayray" (Hindi short story) by Tara Negi and "Himachal ke Mandir" (a book) by K.L. Vaidya will be awarded for 1996. "Lok Manas ke
Sureelay Swar" by Manorama Sharma will be awarded
for 1993. |
Anti-govt slogans greet Shanta CHAMBA, Aug 5 — A former Chief Minister and BJP MP, Mr Shanta Kumar, was yesterday greeted with anti-government slogans at the sub-divisional headquarters of Tissa where communal tension is mounting following the massacre of 35 labourers of a particular community by Kashmiri terrorists on Monday. The police has been deployed at Tissa and other strategic places to prevent any untoward incident. Members of the community raised slogans against the Dhumal government which they said had failed to protect their lives by not taking timely action to prevent terrorist-related incidents. The Gujjars have also met
the local authorities and demanded adequate security
cover as they were feeling insecure. |
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