J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

PM’s Kashmir exercise
NEW DELHI, July 28 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has begun a serious exercise for evolving a credible response of his government to the new situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the Hizbul Mujahideen’s ceasefire offer.

Nine militant outfits to continue struggle
SRINAGAR, July 28 — At least nine militant outfits opposed to pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen’s unilateral ceasefire vowed to continue their struggle till Kashmir was liberated from “Indian occupation”.

Discernible change in security scene
JAMMU, July 28 — There is a discernible change in the security environment in the Kashmir valley during the past four days. Those who talk about the relaxed atmosphere refer to large groups of Amarnath pilgrims who are seen bathing or dipping their feet in streams right from Anantnag to Pahalgam.

Nine pilgrims killed in two mishaps
JAMMU, July 28 — At least six pilgrims, including four women, were killed on the spot and 37 injured, some of them seriously, when the bus in which they were travelling skidded off the road in Channi area near here this morning.

J&K Govt to be more accessible
SRINAGAR, July 28 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to take several steps to make the administration more responsive and improve the mechanism for redressal of grievances.

DPs of 1947 term relief inadequate
SRINAGAR, July 28 — Jammu and Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), a representative body of 1947 displaced persons yesterday termed as “inadequate” the relief announced by the Centre for displaced persons.

PM’s Kashmir exercise
From Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 28 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has begun a serious exercise for evolving a credible response of his government to the new situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the Hizbul Mujahideen’s ceasefire offer.

Considering speed is of the essence, the Prime Minister has called a meeting for a serious discussion on the entire gamut of the Kashmir issue in the light of the Hizbul offer and response of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, authoritative sources said.

Mr Vajpayee is for seizing the opportunity for consolidation of peace in Kashmir and is said to be in favour of opening a window for dialogue on all aspects of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, is in the know of the Prime Minister’s mind on the issue, a source said, adding that peace in Jammu and Kashmir is on the top agenda of the Vajpayee government.

The Hurriyat Conference is divided between two groups with one supporting a dialogue with New Delhi and the other opposing it but even within the organisation a view is emerging that it would be worthwhile to open channels of communication.

The former Hurriyat Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, welcomed the recent developments before he left for abroad for pursuing academic studies. Even the Jamaat-e-Islami is not supportive of its former Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who, continues to oppose a dialogue with New Delhi.

Even expatriate leaders like Mr Ghulam Nabi Fai have welcomed the recent developments, including the Hizbul’s ceasefire offer.

The ceasefire offer from the Hizbul Mujahideen is a positive development as it has opened doors for finding a solution to the vexed problem which has kept Jammu and Kashmir in a state of turbulence and turmoil for the past 10 years.

The government is conscious of the fact that there is a marked difference between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the rest of the militant outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

While the Hizbul is almost entirely run and operated by Kashmiri youth, the other organisations are controlled predominantly by foreign missionaries.

There are reports that the Hizbul of late has been facing problems from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. The Hizbul commander, Syed Salahuddin, who is based in Pakistan, has even reported these problems and the indifferent attitude shown by the Pakistani bosses to the former Hurriyat chief, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

An indication of the shift in the Pakistani establishment towards the Hizbul is available in Islamabad’s reaction to the ceasefire offer.

While a section of the Pakistani establishment has given a panicky reaction by getting Syed Salahuddin removed from the chairmanship of the ISI-sponsored United Jehad Council (UJC) and the Hizbul suspended from the UJC, a small but growing section within the Musharraf government is of the view that there is no point in following the old policy on Kashmir.

Pakistan, which is facing a serious financial crisis with three-fourths of its revenue going towards debt servicing, is even having a hard time with its foreign friends as Washington is no more prepared to give blind support to Islamabad. The IMF has asked the Pakistani Government to increase its tax payers’ base from 1.2 million to 2.5 million. In order to do that the Pakistani Government will have to bring traders into the tax net which is why General Musharraf is wooing the right wing clergy.

Almost isolated internationally, Pakistan had very few options but to change its policy on Kashmir, the sources said while explaining the current situation.

The Prime Minister was aware of the national and international situation and that is why he was keen to move swiftly so that vested interests did not succeed in derailing the process, a source pointed out, adding that there were forces both within the country as well as outside which wanted to subvert peace.

Nine militant outfits to continue struggle

SRINAGAR, July 28 (PTI) — At least nine militant outfits opposed to pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen’s unilateral ceasefire vowed to continue their struggle till Kashmir was liberated from “Indian occupation”.

The decision to fight till ‘Kashmir’s liberation’ was taken at a meeting of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Fateh Force, Al-Badar Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Islamic Front, Haket-e-Jehadi Islam, Al-Barq and Mujahideen-e-Taliban held in north Kashmir yesterday, a statement issued by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen said.

It said commanders discussed the issue of unilateral ceasefire announced by the largest militant outfit in the valley, Hizbul Mujahideen, and said the struggle was not any person’s or party’s personal agenda but a joint cause of all Muslims.

Commenting on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s reaction to Hizbul Mujahideen initiative, the commanders said on one hand the Prime Minister welcomed the move and on the other hand said he would initiate a dialogue if India’s integrity was not under threat.

Describing the Indian attitude as mere “hypocrisy”, the statement said India had been saying that Kashmir was its integral part and in the same breath said they were ready for talks. “If it is an integral part then talks for what”? they asked.

The statement said nothing less than ‘azadi’ was acceptable and the groups would unitedly adopt fresh and effective strategies to continue the struggle with full might.

Meanwhile, the Press Council of India (PCI) has sought powers equivalent to contempt of court to enforce its directions on print media and government functionaries.

The powers needed to be conferred through an amendment in the act governing the functioning of the press regulatory body, PCI Chairman Justice P.B. Sawant told reporters here today.

“The powers will go a long way in strengthening the council and promoting the freedom of press,” he said.

The PCI had issued guidelines to the print media including news agencies to carry rejoinders and clarifications with same prominence, slot and type face as the original story, he said. The council disapproved ignoring publication of rejoinders or carrying these with little prominence.

The PCI had formulated advertisement policy not only for government departments but also for PSUs, Justice Sawant said.

It had also framed guidelines with regard to pre-poll and exit-poll analysis as well as code of ethics for journalists. As regards use of press passes and labels on vehicles, he said the state governments had been asked to frame rules and ensure that only bonafide pressmen only used them.

The statutory body had jurisdiction over the print media only, as the electronic media had not assumed such prominence, when it was formed, Justice Sawant said.

Discernible change in security scene
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 28 — There is a discernible change in the security environment in the Kashmir valley during the past four days. Those who talk about the relaxed atmosphere refer to large groups of Amarnath pilgrims who are seen bathing or dipping their feet in streams right from Anantnag to Pahalgam.

Villagers, most of them Muslims, are seen offering tea and baked bread to the pilgrims. The pilgrims have been visiting the Amarnath cave under a tight security cover during the past 10 years. But they had instructions not to halt anywhere between Anantnag and Pahalgam. Government functionaries attribute the change to the ceasefire declared by the Hizbul Mujhahideen, a major militant outfit operating in the state during the past 10 years.

Following the ceasefire, shops in the valley are open till late in the evening and there is movement on roads even after dusk.

A senior police officer said: “You cannot expect miracles within a short period and that too when other rebel outfits are still calling the shots.”

He said foreign mercenaries dominated militant outfits. Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkatul-Jehal Islami and Jash-e-Mohammad were trying to carry out operations against the security forces in order to remove the impression that the guns had fallen silent after the unilateral ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen.

During the past four days more than 20 militants have been killed in encounters with the security forces at six places in the state. Seven security personnel, including five BSF men, have also been killed.

In fact, militants greeted the ceasefire announcement with a series of grenade and IED explosions in Srinagar district in which four policemen and three civilians were injured. These explosions rocked three areas in Srinagar city on Wednesday. Leaders of Lashkar-e-Toiba, and Jash-e-Mohammad issued threats that attacks on security camps and pickets besides Indian “agents” would be stepped up.

In Kalakot area of Rajouri district a group of militants fought a pitched battle with the BSF and in the encounter five BSF jawans lost their lives. Two rebels were killed on Thursday. In Hiranagar troops eliminated two militants on Thursday. These militants had sneaked into Hiranagar for the purpose of blowing up the Jammu-Pathankot rail track.

Police sources said if the ceasefire continued, improvement in the security situation was likely in Doda, Poonch, Rajouri and the upper reaches of Udhampur district, despite fact that foreign mercenaries had fortified their positions in these areas during the past two years, relegating the Hizbul Mujahideen to the number two position.

The sources said since the Hizbul Majahideen had Kashmiri youths as its activists, its ceasefire could prove meaningful if government agencies handled the situation tactfully.

According to these sources, foreign mercenaries may not hesitate storming security camps and police units in a bid to make up for the reverses suffered by the ceasefire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen.

State tourism authorities say during the past four days there has been an enormous rush of pilgrims to the Amarnath cave. Against the Sen Gupta committee recommendations of allowing not more than 3,500 pilgrims to leave Pahalgam, the base camp, for the cave per day, more than 8,000 pilgrims are being allowed to trek the mountain route.

So far 1.15 lakh pilgrims have been registered in Jammu, over one lakh have reached Pahalgam and more than 76,000 have completed the yatra. The authorities attribute this unprecedented rush to the ceasefire declaration. They said if the situation remains under control, more than 2.25 lakh pilgrims are expected to perform the yatra by the middle of next month.

Nine pilgrims killed in two mishaps

JAMMU, July 28 (UNI, PTI) — At least six pilgrims, including four women, were killed on the spot and 37 injured, some of them seriously, when the bus in which they were travelling skidded off the road in Channi area near here this morning.

The police said the bus on its way to Hardwar from Jammu plunged into a nullah, resulting in the death of six pilgrims.

The injured were taken to Government Medical College Hospital here where doctors said the condition of some of them was serious.

In another accident, a car collided with an autorickshaw and fell into a 300-feet-deep gorge, killing three Amarnath pilgrims and injuring seven last evening, the sources said.

Meanwhile, another batch of 4,920 pilgrims left in 426 vehicles, including 97 buses and 149 light motor vehicles, from Jammu to Pahalgam, the base camp of Amarnath Yatra today, sources said.

J&K Govt to be more accessible

SRINAGAR, July 28 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to take several steps to make the administration more responsive and improve the mechanism for redressal of grievances.

A meeting of the committee of secretaries chaired by Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly yesterday decided to make senior functionaries like secretaries to the Government, heads of departments, divisional commissioners and other field officers more accessible to the public for redressal of their grievances, an official spokesman said. .

He said the secretaries would fix public meeting hours on working days to look into the peoples’ grievances.

The establishment committee, an apex forum in the administration to discuss and take decisions of administrative nature, shall henceforth undertake a department-wise review in the context of responsive administration, the spokesman said.

The committee also recognised the need for transparency in the official functioning, especially which did not involve state security.

Public dealing departments had been asked to formulate a citizens’ charter, to specify standards of service and time limit within which the public could expect the service. 

The government also decided to set up over 30,000 income generating units under various self-employment schemes during the current fiscal year, the Financial Commissioner, Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr I.S. Malhi said.

Meanwhile, the government assured the Netherlands of full cooperation to foreign NGOs for launching healthcare programmes in the state and sought financial assistance for building healthcare infrastructure.

The assurance was conveyed to the visiting Netherlands Ambassador, Mr P.C.F. Koch by Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad at a meeting. 

DPs of 1947 term relief inadequate

SRINAGAR, July 28 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), a representative body of 1947 displaced persons yesterday termed as “inadequate” the relief announced by the Centre for displaced persons.

Reacting to the announcement made by the government sanctioning Rs 25,000 as relief to the DPS, Sadar Hard it Singh Panch, JKSAC president, said it was far below the commitment made by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

However, he hailed the decision of providing funds for the plots of urban DPS and developments of bastis.

Mr Panch expressed the hope that all the 13-point demands of the petition filed before the Union Home Minister in charge of rehabilitation of DPS would be accorded sanction.

The demands include compensation of immovable property left by the displaced persons of 1947, making up of deficiency of land and amendment in some laws affecting the displaced persons which fall within the preview of J and K government.