NC leader shot dead
SRINAGAR, Dec 20 — Nine persons, including a National Conference leader, were killed in separate incidents, while four militants were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, an official spokesman said.

Kashmiri migrants plan meeting
NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — Approaching the 10th year in "exile", Kashmiri migrants have started losing hope of an early, "honourable" and "secure" return to the valley and have begun an exercise to formulate a consensus within the community to chalk out the future strategy.

Farooq meets Vajpayee
NEW DELHI, Dec 20— Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today called on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and discussed the economic and law and order situation in the state, official sources said.

Tourists flock, but peace eludes J&K
SRINAGAR, Dec 19 — Complete peace continues to elude Jammu and Kashmir but the arrival of 1.25 lakh tourists in the state after a gap of 10 years revived hopes of a return to the glorious days of the "paradise on earth".

3 killed, 3 hurt in road accident
SRINAGAR, Dec 20 — Three persons were killed and an equal number injured when their tipper rolled into a gorge in the Srinagar-Jammu national highway today, an official spokesman said.

Boon for farmers
UDHAMPUR: Vegetables have important place in our daily food. These are rich in nutrients and play pivotal role in body-building and keep us healthy and free from diseases.

NC leader shot dead
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Dec 20 — Nine persons, including a National Conference (NC) leader, were killed in separate incidents, while four militants were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, an official spokesman said.

Four armed militants kidnapped NC district general secretary Ghulam Nabi from Sankari village in Rajouri district yesterday and shot him dead, the spokesman said.

He said militants shot dead Special Police Officer Abdul Rashid Mian in the Pattan area of Baramula district yesterday, while the police recovered two bullet-riddled bodies from Dardsam-Marote in Rajouri and Hariparigam Awantipora in Pulwama today.

The police also recovered the body of Parvez Ahmad from his village at Fasalabad in Poonch district last night.

Four militants, including a "section commander" of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, Mohammad Ayub Wani alias Kukawere, were arrested by the security forces from their hideouts at Kral-Chak and Shopian in Pulwama and Jawahir Nagar in Srinagar yesterday.

Two AK-47 assault rifles, a wireless set, a grenade and some ammunition were recovered from the militants.

The security forces also recovered a carbine, an RPG rocket, two grenades, a telescope, seven detonators and four AK-magazines with 113 rounds of ammunition from two militant hideouts at Tumna village in Kupwara and Pubai-Kulgam in Anantnag yesterday, the spokesman said.

Two militants were shot dead in an encounter at Kathani village in the Kandi area of Rajouri district last night.

The slain militants were identified as Dinga Khan and Tumur. The troops also recovered two AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines and 180 rounds from the scene of the encounter.

Troops gunned down two militants belonging to occupied Kashmir (PoK) in an encounter at Bhadakhan in Rajouri district early today, a defence spokesman said here and added two AK-47 rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the scene of the encounter.

The spokesman said four police personnel were injured in a clash with some villagers and Armymen at village Sarbagni in the Ramsoo-Banihal area in Doda district yesterday.

Kashmiri migrants plan meeting

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 (PTI) — Approaching the 10th year in "exile", Kashmiri migrants have started losing hope of an early, "honourable" and "secure" return to the valley and have begun an exercise to formulate a consensus within the community to chalk out the future strategy.

Alleging that the Central and the Jammu and Kashmir Governments had so far done nothing "concrete" for their proper rehabilitation, their leaders are now contemplating even to seek "permanent settlement" outside the state.

To chalk out the future strategy, leaders of four major organisations — the All-India Kashmiri Pandit Conference (AIKPC), Kashmiri Samiti, J&K Kashmiri Pandit Conference and Panun Kashmir Movement — met here recently and decided to call a bigger participation to "churn out" a common agenda for rehabilitation.

"Tall claims of the Jammu and Kashmir Government regarding improvement in situation in Kashmir notwithstanding, militancy in the valley is showing no signs of receding".

"We cannot wait endlessly for the situation to improve as socially, economically and culturally we are undergoing degradation," says the AIKPC President, Mr H.N. Jattu.

Mr Jattu claimed that as the two governments had done "nothing for honourable and secure return" of the Pandits to Kashmir, an opinion was emerging within the community to seek "permanent rehabilitation" outside the state.

The Kashmiri Samiti President, Mr C.L. Gadoo, said different views were being expressed within the community about the future of Pandits. Besides, the community is suffering from a number of problems, he added.

"To evolve a common strategy and programme, we are planning a convention of all organisations of the community," he said, adding that the meeting would also try to see how the problems of the community could be alleviated.

Doubting the capacity of the governments to bring back normalcy in the valley, another Pandit leader said, "The possibility of any hope in immediate future is bleak".

Referring to the recent statement by former Chief Minister G.M. Shah offering his "salutations" to militants, he said there seemed to be no secular political party in Jammu and Kashmir "on which we can bank upon".

An estimated three lakh Kashmiri Pandits had moved out of the valley in the wake of spurt in militancy in 1989.

Farooq meets Vajpayee

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today called on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and discussed the economic and law and order situation in the state, official sources said.

The Chief Minister discussed financial problems being faced by the state with Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh, who were also present at the meeting.

Home Minister L.K. Advani was also present.

Dr Abdullah, who was accompanied by state Finance Minister Mohammed Shafi, described the meeting as successful.

The meeting was held at the request of Dr Abdullah made during Mr Vajpayee's two-day visit to the state earlier this month.

Tourists flock, but peace eludes J&K

SRINAGAR, Dec 19 (UNI) — Complete peace continues to elude Jammu and Kashmir but the arrival of 1.25 lakh tourists in the state after a gap of 10 years revived hopes of a return to the glorious days of the "paradise on earth".

Militancy is decidedly waning. But the state is still not out of the woods, concedes state Governor G.C. Saxena. He cites the influx of tourists, successful completion of the Amarnath Yatra and overall relaxed mood that prevails in the valley as signs the returning of normalcy.

However, notwithstanding improvement in the over-all situation, the two-year-old National Conference (NC) government of Dr Farooq Abdullah appears to have lost some ground due to unfulfilled promises in several fields.

Failure of the government to initiate action to restore autonomy, hold panchayat elections, ensure return of migrants and above all provide a clean administration — the four major poll promises — are cited as the basic reasons for the declining popularity of the National Conference in the state.

However, nearly 10 years after militancy erupted in the picturesque "Switzerland of the east", Kashmir is still not fully free from the fear of the bullet.

A deceptive calm some times shrouds the valley, but as every visitor realises soon after arriving here, there is still a lurking fear all around. It is not safe to venture onto the streets. Even in Srinagar, without protection.

This was evident when militants exploded a crude bomb at Boulevard, just 3 km away from the guest house, where the Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee was staying on his maiden visit to the state at the fag end of the year.

Security forces, however, remain on maximum alert for 24 hours.

Officials claim the government provided more than 42,000 jobs to the youth in the state during past two years. Thus helping solve the unemployment problem in the state which was a major contributory factor in the growth of militancy.

It restored, to some extent, the confidence of national and international investors and projected Kashmir as a safe destination to boost the economy of the state — no mean achievement.

However, there were more massacres by militants in 1998 than in any corresponding period during the past decade. The year began on a stormy note with the massacre of 23 Kashmiri Pandits on the Republic Day at Wandhama-Ganderbal, the home constituency of Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, both the Centre and state governments took up the challenge and the security forces were given a free hand to crush militancy in the state. The Army, para-military forces and the state police force, coordinated action and launched a full offensive against militants.

Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir, P.S. Gill claims that most of the militant outfits had been made "ineffective". "There are few active militants of the Harkat-ul-Ansar and the Hizbul Mujahideen in some pockets. I can assure you a better and peaceful 1999", he asserts.

"J and K is already tasting peace after a decade-long bloodshed and despair. It will further improve in the next summer. You won’t see militants operating after durbar moves to Srinagar (civil secretariat functions in Jammu during winter and in Srinagar during summery)", Mr Gill says.

The National Conference, which won a two-third majority in the 87-Member Assembly in 1996, lost Anantnag parliamentary seat spread over Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir and comprising of 16 Assembly seats, by a huge margin to the Congress in March 1998.

Mufti Mohammad Syed, who had never won an Assembly election in the last 20 years, won the Lok Sabha seat as people expressed their resentment against the ruling National Conference.

The party saved its face by winning narrowly Srinagar and Baramula parliamentary constituencies overcoming stiff resistance from the opposition Congress and an independent candidate.

It lost both the Jammu Lok Sabha seats to the BJP even after fielding influential Congressmen as National Conference candidates. But won Ladakh seat to restore some lost prestige in June 1998.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s position has reportedly been undermined by the continuing lethargy of his colleagues in the ministry which he expanded in June 1998 by inducting four more ministers, two of Cabinet rank and two ministers of state.

Thus the strength of the ministry went up to 30, inviting criticism for being a "jumbo ministry" keeping in view the strength of the Assembly.

Officials claim that various operations including "seek and destroy", a part of pro-active policy of the Centre launched under the overall supervision of Army, yielded good results and had the militants virtually on the run.

However, the pro-active policy was criticised by the opposition Congress, the CPM, J and K Awami National Conference and also by common people.

Officials credit the government with bringing down militancy by over 44 per cent. The killings by 25 per cent and eliminating the double number of foreign militants as compared to last year.

As many as 298 foreigners including 69 Pakistan and Pakistan occupied-Kashmir nationals, six Afghans, three Sudanese and a Yemen national were killed between January and November 30 this year, they say.

Relentless offensive by security forces on militants has reportedly forced them to find new pastures in the Jammu region, which according to Army officials engaged in supervising and coordinating anti-militant operations here, is a long-term strategy of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the state.

Modern weaponry was reportedly being pushed into the Doab area between Chenab and Ravi rivers in the Jammu region.

The Jammu region has remained mostly unaffected till now by militancy which was confined to the Kashmir valley and Doda district of Jammu alone.

However, Poonch and Rajouri districts and Gulabgarh and Arnas areas in Udhampur district have been the most affected parts of the state in 1998, Army sources say.

They allege that the militants’ thrust is now to bring entire areas lying between the Chenab and Ravi rivers under operation for which the infrastructure has been well laid by Pakistan. Terrorists first crossed the Pir Panjal ranges and involved Doda district in 1992-93, where it has now taken ‘firm roots’.

In 1996, areas across the Chenab river including Gool, Gulabgarh and Arnas in Udhampur and the hilly region of Poonch and Rajouri districts were involved which resulted in large-scale migration from the areas.

Official sources say field agencies had already reported to then state government that several militants including foreign mercenaries from across the border, had infiltrated the areas.

What has been bothering the administration most is the swelling ranks of pro-Pakistan groups because of the rising and unchecked infiltration. Desertions from the counter-insurgent groups have also come as a shot in the arm for militants.

There is little room for complacency as the "ISI is playing new tricks to keep the pot boiling and can go to any extent", concede security agencies in the valley.

They say local people fed up with the gun-culture, engineered by Pakistan, now provide the much-needed support to the security agencies to root out militancy.

Pak agencies recruit criminals
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 20 — Pakistani agencies have recruited nearly 100 hardened criminals for carrying out acts of subversion in Jammu and Kashmir.

The criminals have been released from different jails and given arms training. They have been promised that they will not be required to undergo their remaining prison terms, if they carry out operations against the Indian security forces. A group has already sneaked into the Poonch and Rajouri areas and others are being pushed into the state.

The agencies are also planning to concentrate on the international border from Akhnoor to Kathua in the Jammu Sector for arms smuggling and infiltration as they have realised that infiltration from the Line of Actual Control has become difficult following the deployment of additional troops.

Official sources said the BSF and the police had been asked to maintain strict vigil on the international border to foil the plans of the Pakistani agencies.

3 killed, 3 hurt in road accident

SRINAGAR, Dec 20 (PTI) — Three persons were killed and an equal number injured when their tipper rolled into a gorge in the Srinagar-Jammu national highway today, an official spokesman said.

The accident occurred near Awantipora, 29 km from here, when the driver of the tipper lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a curve.

The driver was among the dead, he said, adding that the other victims were identified as residents of Awantipora.

The injured were rushed to hospital where their condition was stated to be "critical", the spokesman said.

Boon for farmers
By Ramesh Gupta

UDHAMPUR: Vegetables have important place in our daily food. These are rich in nutrients and play pivotal role in body-building and keep us healthy and free from diseases. In early 90s the farmers used to grow only seasonal vegetables during rainy or spring seasons, that too in areas of Kud, Sudmahadev and Katra which had great potential for cultivation of vegetables. Despite being the area potentially rich the farmers used old methods of farming which often gave them low yields of production. But the Agriculture Department came to their rescue with a ambitious Kud-Katra vegetable project which proved conducive in bringing prosperity to the farmers.

The project was launched during 1993-94 which drew overwhelming response from the farmers. In order to give fillip to their vegetable production in the Kud-Katra areas, the project is envisaged with enormous advantages which include extension of vegetable cultivation area, supply of high-yielding variety seeds or hybrid seeds, development of model spots, layout of demonstrations, introducing of plant protection service, launching of integrated pest management measures, supply of vegetable tool kits and hail nets, launching of irrigation and moisture conservation measures and organisation of training programmes and vegetable show and study tours etc.

This project is underway as a joint venture of farmer's responsive posture and technical knowhow with all relevant incentives of the Agriculture Department. Before launching the vegetable project, there was 801 hectares area under vegetable cultivation during 1992-93 which now has gone up to 2828 hectares during 1997-98, while an area of 3000 hectares has been envisaged to be covered during 1998-99. The total production of vegetables has also registered an impressive increase from 10212 metric tonnes to 49000 metric tonnes.

There has been integrated approach of the Agriculture Department aimed at making the farming remunerative by harvesting capital intensive potential of farmers. This friendly approach through Katra-Kud vegetable project has felicitated mechanised farming and added to the income of farmers who always depended upon nature for reaping the harvest of their labour.