J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

10 killed, 13 hurt in valley
SRINAGAR, June 25 — Pakistani troops shelled the border in the northern sector while four militants and two security personnel were killed and 13 others injured in the state since last evening.

Seoj valley hub of militancy
JAMMU, June 25 — The Seoj valley, nestling amidst thick coniferous forests and snow-capped mountain peaks here, has turned into an “operational hub” of militants, particularly foreign mercenaries operating between the hilly terrains of Udhampur and Doda, official sources said.

Ladakhis at crossroads over polyandry
LEH, June 25 — Ladakhis, locked in a serious political battle over attainment of union territory status, today find themselves at crossroads over a key aspect of their tradition — polyandry.

Dukhtaran calls for 3-day strike
SRINAGAR, June 25 — A separatist group in Jammu and Kashmir, Dukhtaran-i-Millat, (daughters of nation) has called for three days’ general strike in the valley starting tomorrow in the wake of what it termed increasing custodial deaths and other human rights violations.

Tweed project sanctioned
SRINAGAR, June 25 — The Centre has sanctioned a project for development of fine tweeds in Jammu and Kashmir to be implemented through the state handloom development corporation, official sources said.

10 killed, 13 hurt in valley
TNS and Agencies

SRINAGAR, June 25 — Pakistani troops shelled the border in the northern sector while four militants and two security personnel were killed and 13 others injured in the state since last evening.

An official spokesman said Pakistani artillery and mortar shells landed in Kernah, Keran and Teetwal sectors of north Kashmir.

There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property though the shelling continued till dawn.

Indian troops guarding borders retaliated and targeted Pakistani military installations. Details of casualties suffered by Pakistan were not known.

Tension continued to grip Lal Chowk and its surrounding localities for the fourth consecutive day today in protest against the death of a youth, Aijaz Ahmad Bazar, here on Saturday. Residents of Basant Bagh locality near Lal Chowk claim that Bazaz, a student, had been arrested six days before his body was handed over to the parents. The police claimed that Bazaz, alias Lipa, was a recycled militant of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen. A police spokesman here on Friday had claimed that Bazaz was a battalion commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen. The police had to fire in the air and lob tear-gas shells on Thursday evening when agitated people of the area held protest demonstrations in Lal Chowk.

Four pedestrians, including a woman, were injured when militants hurled a grenade on a picket of the security forces near Naaz Crossing here this afternoon. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the road, causing injuries to four pedestrians, including a woman, a police spokesman said.

In another incident, a child was killed and another injured when they were fiddling with an explosive device at Daksum in Anantnag district yesterday. The children were in the area on an excursion. Irshad Ahmad Dagga died on the spot while Nazir Ahmad Tanga was seriously injured when the explosive device with which they were fiddling exploded, the police said.

Two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kalmoonah in Kupwara district yesterday. An AK rifle, three magazines and other ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter. One militant was killed in another encounter with the security forces at Sozal-Pathri in the Tangmarg area of Baramula district.

A top militant of the Lashker-e-Toiba, identified as Abu Talha, was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Surankote sector of Poonch district in the Jammu region. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was seized from the site of the encounter.

Two security force personnel were killed in a landmine blast at Sangalore-Mahore in Udhampur district yesterday. Unidentified militants shot dead Ghula Haider in his house at Udair Mahore in Udhampur district last night, the police said.

Unidentified militants shot dead Gauhar Raaool Lone of Chhana Mohalla Pattan in Baramula district. He had been taken to a hospital in an injured condition but later he succumbed to his injuries.

Seoj valley hub of militancy

JAMMU, June 25 (PTI) — The Seoj valley, nestling amidst thick coniferous forests and snow-capped mountain peaks here, has turned into an “operational hub” of militants, particularly foreign mercenaries operating between the hilly terrains of Udhampur and Doda, official sources said.

Strategically located at the meeting point of the borders of Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts, and connecting Ladakh’s Kargil and Rajouri districts, Seoj has emerged as a main base camp from where militants carry out terrorist activities, they said.

Pressure by Indian troops on militants operating in other parts of Jammu and Kashmir had forced them to shift their “centre of operation” to the Seoj valley.

The valley had served as an effective hideout for the Hizbul Mujahideen in the past three years, but now mercenaries of Lashker-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Jehtdi-Ismali and Tahreek-ul-Jahad had also become active in the area, the sources said.

According to an estimate, over 600 militants, 200 of them foreign mercenaries, were operating in Seoj-Warwan forest belt.

Ultras routinely visit far-flung hamlets and extorted money from the villagers, they said adding those who refused are abducted and tortured. 

Ladakhis at crossroads over polyandry

LEH, June 25 (PTI) — Ladakhis, locked in a serious political battle over attainment of union territory status, today find themselves at crossroads over a key aspect of their tradition — polyandry.

The traditional practice of a woman having more than one husband, called “Phorsak” in Ladakhi, has thrived for centuries despite the advent of Buddhism in this land-locked territory.

But of late the custom is dying out as natives find it “anti-modern”.

Once regarded as an inherent part of socio-cultural tradition for Ladakhis, especially among smaller ethnic groups like Bot-Bota, Drokpa and Mon, it is now regarded as a “social stigma”.

“It is a dying custom today, mainly among women,” said Mr Tsering Samphel, president of the Ladakh Buddhists Association (LBA).

Agreeing with him, sociology lecturer at the newly established Government Degree College Sonam Yangzes said, “This practice is now mainly thriving in disguise”.

“Present day women on any given day will prefer monogamy to anything else”, she said.

According to Ms Yangzes, who is proposing to take up a PhD research project on the subject with Panjab University, polyandry in this region was not a social vice as viewed in several quarters.

“I think ‘fraternal polyandry’ came into being mainly due to economic reasons as the population in general always had scarcity of resources and land,” opines Ms Yangzes.

She maintained that non-fraternal polyandry was also practised among certain communities.

Leh Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Angchok endorses her views, saying, “The custom was aimed at ensuring keeping close control over land holdings. People did not want division of properties among brothers and their families. “Moreover, the sex ratio was blatantly biased in favour of men”.

The tales of four brothers sharing one wife do go around among the locals.

Legends have it that the pair of slippers outside the bedroom door would identify which of the brothers was inside.

Among the children, while the mother’s say would be final about the claim over the newborn, the child (preferably son) from the eldest brother would have the right over major share of the property.

“The eldest brother’s son would have the right even if he is younger among his generation,” Ms Yangzes said adding that the practice of addressing elders as “big father” and “small father” was very common.

ADC Angchok said the practice, though dying, was still prevalent in almost all 24 villages in Khaltsi block, about 190 km west of Leh.

“Out of an approximately 20,000 population under the block almost one family in each village practises it,” Mr Angchok said.

Asked whether any demand was coming up slowly for anti-polyandry practice, ADC Angchok replied in the negative.

“But definitely some thinking is going on socially”, he said.

Offering her opinion on the issue, lecturer Yangzes said, “As a woman I don’t think polyandry should be practised. I would not say it was wrong or a menace. May be it was relevant at a point of time, but not in today’s context”.

“Who knows 50 years from now you would again cherish the system”, she added.

To a question, she disagreed that polyandry practice was woman-biased as it apparently gives upper hand to women to dictate terms to “more than one man”.

“Okay, with married women may be you could say so. But for unmarried women it was not the case. Spinsters really had difficult times”, she said.

Ms Yangzes also argues that there was no need for a separate anti-polyandry law since Buddhists are already covered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1956.

Dukhtaran calls for 3-day strike

SRINAGAR, June 25 (PTI) — A separatist group in Jammu and Kashmir, Dukhtaran-i-Millat, (daughters of nation) has called for three days’ general strike in the valley starting tomorrow in the wake of what it termed increasing custodial deaths and other human rights violations.

"We have been forced to call the strike because the custodial killings have increased manifold since past few months", Dukhtaran-i-millat chief Asiya Andrabi said told reporters here yesterday.

"The atrocities and excesses being committed by Indian forces have reached its climax. Every day about 20 youths are killed, women gangraped, youths disappear into custoday and residential areas set ablaze", Asiya alleged.

Tweed project sanctioned

SRINAGAR, June 25 (PTI) — The Centre has sanctioned a project for development of fine tweeds in Jammu and Kashmir to be implemented through the state handloom development corporation, official sources said.

A veteran UK based consultant, Martin Hardingam has been appointed for development of fine tweeds under the project, which would be completed by the end of March 2001 at a cost of Rs 26 lakhs, sources said.

Hardingam has been associated with the development for tweeds in the state before and was deputed by the Commonwealth Fund to assist Jammu and Kashmir in development of tweeds in the early 80’s.

The consultant shall develop a new range of fine tweeds from local wool and if necessary by blending with imported wool.

The project will enable the state to create facilities for production of export quality woollen fabrics including tweeds on the pattern of world known scottish tweeds, the sources said.

The proejct will be implemented in rural weaver concentrated areas of Chadoora, Pulwama and Badgam tehsils of Kashmir valley.

Jammu and Kashmir produces about 50 lakh of wool annually.