Army rescues 28 boys from militants
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 22 — When armed militants brought 28 boys between the age group of 15 to 18 years from a cluster of villages in south Kashmir, the youth had hardly any hope of joining back their families. As the Army launched chase of the militants on Wednesday last, the teenagers had a chance to escape and return to their families.

The youths who belonged to the districts of Badgam, Pulwama and Anantnag today at Awantipora narrated how they were taken away by the militants and asked to cross over to Pakistan for arms training. Bilal Ahmad Wani (17) from Jangalpora village in Kulgam area of Anantnag district said that he had been promised Rs 5000/- per month during training in Pakistan and huge rewards later for militancy action in Kashmir but gave up after seven days of trek in the difficult jungles as he felt homesick.

Showkat Ahmad Mir of Yar in Pulwama along with two other youths from his village were going to Pakharpora on Tuesday evening. There were nine other youths from Rajpora, Kalampore, Bela Chanpora, Vegegoza and Bamnawa, who had been intercepted by armed militants near Pakharpora. Showkat said that the armed men forced them to go for arms training or otherwise they would be killed. All of 28 boys had been kept in jungles and asked to move during the daylight as the "militants could not move during day". Finding this opportunity, the youth escaped to reach their families.

The parents of the missing youth over the past one week had lodged reports with the nearest posts of Victor Force in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Pulwama about the missing of their wards. The 1 Rashtriya Rifles of the Victor Force launched a chase of the militants on Wednesday morning on the basis of information received from locals. Maj K S Shekhawat of the 1 RR said that the chase led to the rescue of the youths from "the clutches of the militants".

Other youths were taken at gunpoint and threatened with dire consequences to their family members if they did not join militant ranks.

Maj-Gen R K Kaushal, GOC Victor Force, which looks after anti-insurgency operations in south and central Kashmir, said that these coercive attempts by militant groups at forcible recruitment at gun point or by misleading youths with false promises appear to be the last ditch efforts of Pakistan to keep Kashmir aflame and to sustain its proxy war in Kashmir.

Heart rendering scenes were witnessed as the Army handed over these youths to their parents and relatives with a promise to provide all protection to the families and the youth so that they could lead normal life with their families.

Tension over TYC convention
Tribune News Service

DHARMSALA, Aug 22 — Tension is mounting here in McLeodganj, headquarters of the Tibetan-government-in-exile as over 120 Shugden Dorjee supporters, are planning to "gatecrash" at the six-day Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) convention, beginning here on August 27.

Major clash between the Shugden supporters and the followers of the Dalai Lama is apprehended over the cult controversy, which has been raging among the Tibetan community for the past almost two years. There have been allegations and counter allegations from both sides. In fact, the supporters of the Dalai Lama have been alleging that the Shugden Dorjee society was being given monetary and other help by China, to create communal disharmony among at the the Tibetans.

The president of the Dorjee Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society Delhi, Mr Jampal Yeshe has written to the Superintendent of Police, Kangra, requesting him to provide adequate security and safety to the 120 delegates from the Shugden Society Delhi, arriving here tomorrow to attend the TYC convention. Apprehending violence, the Joint Secretary, Department of Security in the Tibetan government, Mr Tashi Namgyal, has also forewarned the local police about the motives of the Shugden supporters to disrupt proceedings. He has requested the police to undertake patrolling in McLeodganj and deploy force at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, the venue of convention. Mr Namgyal has alerted the police that Shugden supporters, disguised as delegates were intending to disrupt the proceedings, by forcing their way to the convention.

Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama will be present at the inaugural ceremony of the 10th general body meeting of the TYC, to be held on August 27, at the Upper Tibetan Children Village School, in McLeodganj. Additional police force is being called from outside Dharmsala, to keep the situation under control.

The SP, Kangra, Mr K.C. Sadyal, said efforts would be made to detect the buses or other vehicles, in which the Shugden supporters were coming here, so that they could not enter the town. "In case they somehow manage to sneak into the town, we will ensure that they are not allowed to enter the venue of the convention", he stated.

Arrival of Shugden supporters here in large numbers is a matter of serious concern, as some of the ministers and officials of the Tibetan government, including the Dalai Lama, have been receiving threatening letters, allegedly from the Shugden Society. In fact, police investigations in the triple murder of the principal of the Tibetan Dialectics Institute, along with his two pupils, in January last year point towards the involvement of the Shugden supporters in the murder.

The general secretary of the TYC, Mrs Yangchen Dolkar, when contacted feigned ignorance about the intention of the Shugden supporters to attend the convention. She said that there were no plans to discuss the Shugden controversy at the meeting and the issue did not figure in the agenda of the convention.

However, the general secretary of the Dorjee Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society Delhi, Mr Chime Tsering, said that since the agenda circulated amongst the Tibetan community, clearly said that the Shugden issue shall be discussed at the convention, they wanted to sit across the table and have constructive discussion, dialogue and understanding of the controversy. "As our society has been accused of spreading communal hatred, the convention is an opportunity for us to present evidence to the Tibetan people, to heal division remove misunderstanding and bring back unity and strength to our community, said Chime Tsering. He maintained that they should be given an opportunity to clear the misconception about their society, and their delegates be given due respect and help, regarding accommodation on a par with others. Mr Tsering said that they all had respect for the Dalai Lama, but wished to have freedom to pursue their religious belief. He disclosed that 120 Shugden supporters from all over India will leave Delhi for Dharmsala, on August 23. They claimed that the TYC people had already been informed about the plans of the Shugden supporters to attend the convention and clarify their position.

The TYC, general secretary, Mrs Dolkar informed that over 200 delegates from the 65 regional chapters of the TYC from all over the world will be attending the convention.