The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, December 1, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Ultras firm on wrecking peace
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 30 — Militants opened fire with a pistol fitted with a silencer, killing a BSF officer on the spot and wounding another critically in Baramula market today.

Two days ago, militants, belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen, carried out an IED blast, killing five Armymen on the spot and wounding 12 others at Dooru in Anantnag district. A group of militants tried to storm an Army camp in Mandi area of Poonch in which four rebels were killed. Two civilians lost their lives in the crossfire.

More than 25 persons, including 12 security personnel, have been killed in different parts of the state since the ceasefire was enforced on the night of November 27.

These incidents confirm reports received by several intelligence agencies that the militants were determined to wreck the peace process. What is causing anxiety among security agencies is the plan of the militants to strike security personnel, pro-ceasefire politicians and surrendered militants.

At a recent meeting held at Bandipore in Kashmir, leaders of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jash-e-Moha-mmad and Al Badr had decided to step up attacks on security camps and on those who had favoured the peace initiative by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

In fact, militant outfits dominated by foreign mercenaries had vowed to sabotage the peace process by increasing violence. Local militant groups are yet to announce their support to the ceasefire. It was being believed that the Hizbul Mujahideen would support the ceasefire and suspend operating against the security forces. However, it has not happened. The Hizb is a divided lot. A major section of Hizb activists have been forced to toe the line dictated by their supremo Syed Slahuddin, who under the influence of Pakistan has been favouring only tripartite talks.

His terms, including withdrawal of troops from the valley and release of all militants detained in various jails, are too a tall order to be accepted by the Government of India.

There has, therefore, been no positive response to the ceasefire offer. Kashmir experts are of the view that the guarded support from a couple of senior Hurriyat Conference leaders has become less important in the light of the defiant mood of the militants and Pakistan agencies aiding insurgency.

Senior officers of different security agencies confirmed that after the ceasefire the movement of the militants in various parts of the state had increased. They said the militants were trying to cash in on the ceasefire by stepping up their activities.

A snap survey by this correspondent revealed that security personnel spent most of their time inside camps and bunkers. A section of the forces has been deployed on patrol duty to confirm the presence of security forces. There is a feeling among security personnel that they have been made more vulnerable to militant strikes.

JKLF chief offers to ‘help’ in dialogue

NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman and senior Hurriyat leader Yaseen Malik has offered ‘‘help’’ to start peace negotiations if the Centre was ‘‘serious’’ about restoration of peace in the state.

Malik said the JKLF leaders were even ready to go to Pakistan and initiate dialogue with other militant leaders in this connection.

However, Malik said this could be possible only after the Centre provided him and his other associates with travel documents.

Malik, who was talking on a television programme ‘‘Janata ki Adalat’’ to be telecast on Sunday, welcomed the ceasefire but said ‘‘peace could not be created in vacuum’’ and what was needed was ‘‘sincere’’ efforts from New Delhi.

Equating Mr Vajpayee with the slain Prime Minister of Israel, Mr Yitzhak Rabin, Malik said ‘‘If the efforts by the Prime Minister are sincere, he will be doing a great favour to the people of Kashmir like Mr Rabin did by announcing peace, which restored happiness for Israel and Palestine people.’’

‘‘Mr Vajpayee is old, he is honest and if he can give permanent peace to the people of Kashmir in the twilight of his life, generations of Kashmiris will remember him for centuries to come,’’ Malik said.

The JKLF leader said the initiative of restoring peace lies with the Prime Minister and he should assert himself to achieve the goal.

Asked about the role of Pakistan in Kashmir issue, Malik said Pakistan’s General Pervez Musharraf had a small role to play in the issue as compared to Mr Vajpayee.

Despite the ceasefire announced by the Centre, no one from the government had contacted him as yet, he said.

‘‘Welcoming the ceasefire offer by the Centre should not be mistaken as our weakness. We only want to see how determined the other side (Centre) is about the process,’’ he added.

Asked about his views on the ceasefire, Malik expressed the hope that the Centre would extend it.

USA hopeful of positive response
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 30 — The USA is hopeful of a positive response from Islamabad to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s unilateral peace initiative in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We hope Pakistan will acknowledge it (peace initiative) and respond positively,” the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Mr Karl Inderfurth, told newspersons here.

Initial statements from Pakistan after the peace offer had held out that Islamabad would watch the developments carefully. “We think that should be done’’, he said.

Stating that there was a “growing constituency” for peace, the visiting US official said Washington hoped New Delhi’s offer would lead to a dialogue with all parties.

Mr Inderfurth, who is on a farewell visit to the subcontinent, made it clear the institutionalised dialogue set in motion by the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, and Mr Vajpayee was well in place and “will be carried into the new administration.”

“The high degree of continuity will be there, whichever administration comes,’’ he said, adding that the American people would support the continuation of Indo-US relations.

During his talks with the Indian officials, the two sides reviewed the implementation of the dialogue architecture and expressed satisfaction about the realisation of those objectives, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Mr Inderfurth had met the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, yesterday and the Foreign Secretary, Mr Lalit Mansingh, today along with other senior officials. Mr Mansingh hosted a lunch for the US officials.

Earlier, responding to questions, Mr Inderfurth dismissed news reports about a joint action against Taliban forces by India, the USA and Russia saying “not all reports are correct”.

Washington, he said, was very concerned about the Taliban’s support to terrorism, including Afghanistan-based terrorist Osama bin Laden.