Bandh hits life; 600 arrested

RANCHI, Nov 30 (PTI) — Life was affected by the 24-hour Jharkhand bandh called jointly by several pro-Jharkhand organisations to mount pressure on the Centre for tabling the Vananchal Bill during the winter session of Parliament.

Regional Inspector-General of Police Jyoti Prakash Sinha could not specify the number of arrests made across the region. "However, it was about to touch 600."

Bandh supporters blocked railway lines and highways in different parts of the region affecting train and bus services, the police said.

The production and loading of coal in several Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) mines in the Rajrappa, Piparwar and Kujju areas was affected, CCL sources said here. The transportation of coal was also hit as truck operators did not ply their vehicles.

Other public sector undertakings like HEC, CMPDIL and Mecon registered thin attendance. Work in banks was also affected due to poor attendance.

Over 60 pro-Jharkhand activists, including Sarvadaliya Alag Rajya Nirman Samiti (SARNS) convener Justice (Retd) L.P.N. Shahdeo, Jharkhand Ekta Manch presidium chief N.E. Horo and Vam Janwadi Jharkhand Rajya Sangharsha Samiti (VJJRSS) convener Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Mehta were arrested today as a precautionary measure.

Foreign militants going back
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 30 — Scores of Afghan guerrillas are said to have crossed back to Pakistan from Poonch and Kupwara sectors in recent weeks. To fill the gap small groups of Pakistan-trained local boys and Pakistani exservicemen have sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir.

Official sources said that more foreign mercenaries, especially Afghan gunmen, were getting ready to return to Pakistan after their "contractual tenure" in the state expired and to escape the rigours of winter in the hill belts of Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri and Doda.

The sources said that with the deployment of three more Army brigades in Poonch and Rajouri areas and posting of about 350 commandos of the NSG, who have been assigned the task of carrying out anti-insurgency operations, in parts of Doda district, militants have come under pressure.

During the past one month insurgents, including foreign mercenaries, have avoided into armed conflict with the security forces and recent encounters in different parts of the state in which more than 55 militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, were killed were provoked by the security forces raiding the hideouts of militants.

As a result of the offensive as many as 285 militants, including foreign mercenaries, had been killed during the past 11 months in the Jammu region against 141 during the corresponding period last year. The elimination and arrests had caused a manpower and arms crunch and militants have started banking on IED and mine explosions. During the past two months as many as 125 IED and grenade explosions took place in different parts of the state against less than 95 crossfire incidents.

In the counterinsurgency operations launched by the security forces the militants lost sizeable quantities of arms and ammunition.

During the past 10 months the security forces recovered more than 87 assault rifles, 61 pistols, 228 hand grenades and 150 kgs of RDX. This has forced insurgents to send messages to agencies across the border to send them fresh consignments.

Though there has been a slight drop in the rate of border crossings continued ingress is a matter of concern for the government. The difficult border terrain and the fog on the entire Indo-Pak border have caused problems for the Indian border guards in keeping a strict vigil.

Official sources said that efforts were being made to involve the police and paramilitary forces in carrying out operations against infiltrators in the border villages in Poonch, Rajouri and Kupwara sectors.