M A I N   N E W S

HP told to list ‘madarsas’
Police steps up vigil
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 17 — Following the seizure of audio cassettes containing inflammatory speeches of Maulana Masood Azhar from a maulvi at Yol in Kangra district, the police has been ordered to prepare within three days a list of all ‘madarsas’ that have come up in Himachal recently.

Maulvi Mohammad Oesh Ahmed was being thoroughly questioned by central intelligence agencies and the state police. His connections at Saharanpur, Delhi and Sirmour were being verified.

Mr N.C. Joshi IGP (Law and Order), has rushed to Dharamsala to probe the incident.

This is the first incident here involving the circulation of cassettes containing highly objectionable speeches of Azar, who had been in jail at Jammu since 1994, and was released along with two other terrorists recently in exchange for 161 passengers and the crew of a hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft.

The security agencies were worried because the maulvi had been operating unnoticed from the Army base at Yol, near Dharamsala, and trying to distribute cassettes among Muslims with a view to inciting them.

Mr Somesh Goel, DIG (Central Range), told TNS that he had already set up a special team for preparing a list of all “madarsas’ which have come up recently in Mandi, Kulu and Bilaspur districts.

It is learnt that the police has stepped up vigil on ‘madarsas’ in the sensitive districts of Chamba, Kangra and Sirmour.

The police is alarmed as there is a substantial number of Kashmiri labourers in Himachal. Moreover terrorists have struck in the Chamba area at least thrice. There are reports that Kashmir terrorists are using Himachal as their sanctuary.

However, the police in Himachal is not properly equipped to handle incidents of terrorism. An incident of theft of explosive material from the Nathpa Jhakri power project a few years ago was abandoned midway. Some Kashmiri labourers were involved in the incident. Hardly any steps had been taken to verify the antecedents of all labourers from the valley although the government had decided to do so.

There were reports that Kashmiri militants have been taking refuge in these Islamic ‘madarsas’, particularly in Chamba and Kangra districts. New ‘madarsas’ have come up in Chamba, Kangra, Una and Sirmour districts over the past four years. Reports indicate that there are over 50 ‘madarsas’ in these districts.

A Pakistani militant operating under the code name of Sikendar sometime ago told the police that the ISI had directed terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir to shift to the virgin peaks of Himachal. During interrogation in Jammu, some of the terrorists are reported to have disclosed that hill tracks along the Pir Panjal range were being used by militants to infiltrate into Himachal. They also reportedly revealed that a number of “darasgahs” (Islamic schools) have been set up in Chamba and Kangra.

A number of militants have been arrested in Kangra district during the past two years.

UP team to interrogate maulvi

DHARAMSALA: A special police team from Saharanpur is arriving here to interrogate the maulvi who has been arrested on charges of sedition.

According to sources, the maulvi is learnt to have studied in a madrasa in Saharanpur (UP) between 1980 and 84. Saharanpur is considered a stronghold of the ISI.

Meanwhile, the police has identified the cassettes company in Delhi, where the provocative cassettes are reported to have been recorded. Security agencies have also decided to interrogate army personnel in Yol Cantonment who were in constant touch with the maulvi.