"Militancy losing ground"
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Sept 10 — The number of militants in each outfit seeking arms training at various camps in Pakistan ranges from 200 to 1000, which include both Kashmiri and foreign boys who are then into Kashmir.

This was disclosed by Mohammad Sadiq, one of the four militants who surrendered before the security forces on Wednesday at Nowgam in Kupwara district. Three others had been killed during the nightlong operation at Pathwari in the area, by the troops of Sector 16 of Army and jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF). All those killed were the militants of Harkat ul Ansar and belonged to PoK. Those who surrendered belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, three of them being Kashmiri boys and the other one from Muzaffarabad in PoK.

Briefing reporters here today, Brig N S Rana, Commander Sector 16 of the Army said that the surrender of the three Kashmiri boys and one foreigner was the "new strategy" which showed that they were "totally disenchanted with militancy". The troops made a lot of efforts by way of civic action in the area which led to the surrender of the boys with the help of local contacts, he added. At the same time troops had close vigil on infiltration attempts made by militants waiting to cross over to this side of the border.

Giving details of the surrender by militants, Brig Rana said that with the help of local contacts, the presence of militants was traced and the two local boys of the area were the first to surrender. This followed the surrender of the other two boys, who include Manzoor Ahmad from Sumbal in Baramula district and Maskeen from Muzaffarabad.

The group of 10 militants had recently infiltrated into Kashmir in the area, out of whom, three were killed in the encounter, four surrendered and the others escaped. The recoveries included 10 AK 47 rifles "which clearly indicates that there were 10 militants" Brig N S Rana said.

During the past two months at least 24 foreign militants have been killed by the troops of 16 Sector in Nowgam area of Kupwara district, close to the Line of Control, Brig N S Rana said. He added that four others were apprehended by the troops during these two months, 16 militants were killed in the first week of July last.

There has been no damage to the property or injury to any civilians in the encounter. Brig N S Rana said that no jawan was hurt in the nightlong operation, conducted jointly by the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF). Giving details of the operation, Commdt. C V Rao said that jawans of the BSF received an information about the presence of militants in a house in Pathwari village, when they had come to get meals. "Instead of offering food, the house owner asked them to wait and came out to inform the nearest security post", Brig N S Rana said.

The house in which the militants were hiding was also damaged in the exchange of fire, but there were no injury to any civilians as all of them were asked to come out of their houses.

Meanwhile, Dogra Battalion of 8 Mountain Division of the Army has recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the Ganderbal area yesterday. A Defence spokesman said here that the recoveries include two AK rifles, three pistols, one UMG, one multipurpose machine gun, six remote control devices, five IEDs, a wireless set, 30 kg of explosives and ammunition. These recoveries were made in Haran forests near Hamam Gund in Ganderbal area, 25 km from Srinagar. The Defence spokesman said that Ganderbal area was the transit route for militants to enter Srinagar.

Merry-making, Ladakh style
From Rahul Das
Tribune News service

LEH: Hospitable people, inhospitable terrain. The celebration in Ladakh region is unique for its dance-dramas, folk songs, archery competitions, horse polo and merry-making.

A glimpse of the life and times of the region has been showcased in the Ladakh festival which began on September 1 and will continue till September 15. The festival is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.

The joie-de-vivre of the people is apparent in the zest with which they participate in the events. The festival is being held in different villages spread over the Ladakh region.

At Trespone village in Suru valley, where a part of the festival was held, a drama was enacted which reflected the community life. The protagonists showed how milk was collected and kept in the house of one person, who was responsible to sell it and give back the share of the money to each person.

Archery is an important part of life in Ladakh and the archery competition is keenly watched by the locals. The scythian bow which is made of Ibex horns is sometimes used in the competition. A good marksman in Ladakh is honoured with a white silk scarf. The white silk scarf is also given to guests as a mark of honour.

Loud cheers, enthusiastic shouts and rivalry form a part of the horse polo in Ladakh region. Polo is played by expert jockeys. The horse polo championship held at Drass village saw people egging on their favourite team and each goal was marked by wolf-whistle and roar of the crowd.

The dance by the women of Rangdum village was graceful. The women wear a headgear with torquoise stones on it. The headgear is normally passed on from mother to daughter. A villager explained that most of the times, since there are few ways of saving in the area, the torquoise stones are added to the headgear.

An interesting form of folk music is found in this part of the region where the singers rely only on clapping of hands as background music. Although till a few years back, girls did not sing in public, times are changing and young girls sing songs in public. The songs are of love, separation and many other diverse moods which can mark any human relationship in any part of the world.

According to Secretary, Tourism, in the J&K government, Mr Parvez Dewan, the Ladakh festival has been organised in such a manner so as to extend the tourist season.

"The tourist season gets extended by at least a fortnight and it helps the local people who can earn a little more. The Ladakh festival is also an excellent opportunity to show to the world the culture and heritage of the region which remains cut-off from the rest of the world for a major part of the year due to heavy snowfall," he said.

But it is the monastic festivals that provide the average Ladakhi with the spice of life.

Monastic festivals are held to commemorate the founding of a monastery, the birthday of its patron saint or major events in the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism. Thousands of people turn out in their colourful best, making every festival a carnival of colours.

Chhams, a highly choreographed sacred dance-drama, is the core event of every monastic festival. A select group of resident lamas, in brightly patterned brocade robes, perform these dances in the courtyard of the monastery. All of them wear masks which represent various divinities found in the "Gon Khang" — the room dedicated to the guardian divinities in every monastery. Some may even represent characters from historical episodes or Tibetan fables, a state tourism official said.

The lamas, holding ritual objects in their hands, step around the flagpole of the courtyard in the monastery in solemn dance and mime, accompanied by the crash of cymbals, the boom of drums, the melodious sound of the ‘Shawm’ and the deep resonance of the 12-foot long horns.

Every dance begins with ‘Ser Kyem’, an invocation — by offerings of sacred water and food — to the gods and the guardians of the four quarters to witness the ‘Chhams’.

In between the more sombre dances, relief is provided by performers in the guise of skeletons performing comic and acrobatic feats.

Cleansing of Dal Lake begins

JAMMU, Sept 10 (ANI) — The state authorities have begun cleaning the world-famous but fast shrinking Dal Lake in Srinagar.

One of India’s best known tourist attractions, the Dal Lake is getting a major clean up after years of neglect.

Environmentalists say the authorities have neglected the region’s environment while lighting the insurgency.

The majestic lake, the recorded existence of which dates back to 250 BC, has been shrinking because of conversion of water bodies into land mass for growing vegetables and construction of concrete houses.

The total area of Dal, which was 74 square kilometres some 30 years ago, has come down to only 24 square kilometres now.

Besides encroachments on its water bodies, a serious threat to the lake is the pollution caused by houseboat dwellers and chains of hotels built on the shores of the lake during the last two decades. The garbage and filth from these hotels and houseboats find their way into the lake .

"Whether it is deposition of silt at the Dal or effluent from municipal sources or settlements or hotels. These are creating problems", said Mr Shafiq-ur-Rahman, Associate Professor at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences.

The return of an elected government in 1997 raised hopes that the lake can be restored to its former glory.

The authorities with the help of experts and non-governmental organisations have launched a project to save the lake. The state government has approved a budget of approximately $ 75 million to revive the water bodies in the state.

The state’s Environment Ministry has acquired latest de-weeding machines to remove weeds from Dal Lake.

"The programme is to shift all dwellers from the lake to outside areas", said Mr Sheikh Rasheed, Vice-Chairman of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority.

"Of course, we will keep the houseboats within the lake only. We are also dredging out some of the hamlets and to divert all sewage to a plant", Rasheed said.

It is estimated that there are over 4,000 kg of phosphorous and 31,000 kg of nitrogen compounds in the lake apart from a huge quantity of silt and garbage.

As many as 1,864 unauthorised constructions have come up around the lake since 1977. Of these over 1,200 such constructions were carried out in the pre-militancy era.

Experts say if the degradation of the lake continues at the same pace, it will disappear by 2070.

Six killed, nine injured in valley

SRINAGAR, Sept 10 (PTI) — Six persons, including three militants, an Army jawan and a special police officer (SPO), were killed and nine wounded in separate incidents while militants made an abortive attempt to blow up a private cable network in Kashmir valley since last evening.

Troops unearthed a major haul of weapons and arrested three militants during anti-militant operations in the valley during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

He said the police foiled an attempt by three youths to abduct a woman employee of a private nursing home in the city today. Later, the youths were arrested.

He said militants shot dead a special police officer at Palhalan in the Pattan area of Baramula district today.

Another person, who was injured in a shootout between militants and security forces at Pahlu village in Anantnag district yesterday, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital today, the spokesman said.

He said a soldier was killed and another wounded when militants opened fire on six soldiers in the forest area of Tethjan in Shopian area of Pulwama district last night.

He said a foreign mercenary, suspected to be a Pakistani national, was killed in an encounter with security search parties at Dudrigali forest in frontier district of Kupwara, last night. Two grenades and 90 bullets were recovered from him.

Two militants fell to the bullets of the security forces in a clash in border district of Poonch in Jammu region yesterday.

Champnari massacre mastermind held

JAMMU, Sept 10 (PTI) — The police today arrested a Hrkat-ul-Ansar militant, who is believed to have masterminded the Champnari massacre in Doda district on June 19.

Acting on a tip-off, it arrested Siraj-ud-Din, alias Manzoor, of Bhata Malan (Bhagwah) village from Kishtwar, a police spokesman said here.

During interrogation, the spokesman said, Manzoor confessed having masterminded the Champnari massacre in which 26 members of two marriage parties were killed.

A 61 mm Chinese mortar used to target overflying aircraft and a machine gun were recovered from a hideout at Bhata, the police said.

No change in shrine board Act

SRINAGAR, Sept 10 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government does not contemplate making any change in the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Act.

Reacting to press reports to this effect, an official spokesman said here today that the propaganda and the threat to launch an agitation was uncalled for.

He said the Baridars Association had presented some demands to the government which were being examined separately.