The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, December 21, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

63 civilians killed since ceasefire
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 — During the first 20 days (November 28 to December 17 of the Ramzan peace initiative of the Union Government) 63 civilians were killed and 183 injured in terrorist violence, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, said today.

Of the 63 civilians killed in terrorist violence, eight were Hindus and 55 Muslims, he said in a written reply to a joint question from Mr Bhagatram Manhar and Mr Raju Parmar in the Rajya Sabha.

About the response of various militant organisations and other Muslim countries, including Pakistan, on the ceasefire, the Minister said all terrorist outfits had rejected the Ramzan peace initiative and reiterated their resolve to continue their terrorist activities.

The reactions of the international community have been positive by and large, Mr Rao said, adding that the Government of Pakistan through its Foreign Secretary, Mr Inamul Haq, responded to the peace initiative by saying that their armed forces deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir would observe maximum restraint.

Replying to another question, the Minister informed that 454 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were found to be staying in Delhi and of these, 398 immigrants have gone back to Bangladesh.

The Minister, however, stated that it was difficult to make an exact estimate of such illegal immigrants because they enter surreptitiously and are able to mingle easily with the local population due to ethnic and linguistic similarities.

There are specific procedures, mutually agreed upon by India and Bangladesh, to deal with the cases of illegal cross-border movements. These arrangements were laid down at the India-Bangladesh Joint Working Group meetings held in New Delhi from March 29-31, 1994, and in Dhaka from April 19-21, 1995, he said.

The Government of India has conveyed to the Government of Bangladesh its concern about the seriousness and magnitude of the problem of infiltration and illegal migration at the political, diplomatic and official levels, he said, adding that as friendly neighbours, both countries are committed to resolving all bilateral issues through dialogue.

Peace talks: Dar to play major role
From Girja Shankar Kaura

NEW DELHI, Dec 18 — One of the key militant leaders, having major influence over the Kashmiri element of militancy, is expected to play a dominant role in preparing the base for the possible holding of talks between the Centre and the Kashmiri separatists in the coming months.

Highly placed government sources disclosed that officials in Delhi had been in close touch with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Abdul Majid Dar for him to use his influence over the militants to ensure that there were no incidents during the period of unilateral ceasefire declared by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, for Ramzan.

Abdul Majid Dar, who had been maintaining a low profile ever since the militant organisation unilaterally withdrew its ceasefire offer barely a fortnight after it was announced on July 24, enjoys influence over the majority of Kashmiri militants, who also actually form the 70 per cent of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen cadres. Dar also has substantial control over the rest of the 30 per cent cadres, who are the foreign mercenaries.

Dar incidentally is presently in Delhi preparing to go to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with the other Islamabad-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander, Syed Salauddin over the Centre’s peace initiative in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources disclosed that as a result of the talks that the officials held with Dar, there has not been a single incident in Jammu and Kashmir where Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants were involved. All the “unfortunate” incidents have been carried out by terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, the Harkat-ul-Jehadi, the Al Badr and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, who are foreign mercenaries.

Dar, sources disclosed, not only wants a ceasefire and restoration of normalcy in the state, but was also apparently nursing a “long term political ambition”. He, along with the APHC, who also enjoy some influence over a section of militants in the valley, could eventually help in isolating the foreign mercenaries and also change the opinion of the masses. The Centre is using the offices of not only Dar but also of the APHC to control the militants.

On its part, the Centre is also wanting to go along with Dar and as part of the confidence-building measures has not only allowed him to come over ground, but are also in a positive frame to allow him to go to Saudi Arabia for talks with the other groups. There is hope that he would be able to influence the Islamabad-based groups about the intentions of the NDA Government at the Centre.