J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

APHC may change dates of Pak visit
NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference  today indicated that if its delegation for Pakistan is not able to leave by the announced date of January 15, its executive would meet some time next week to decide the issue.

Involve Kashmir Sikhs in talks: SAD
JAMMU, Jan 13 — The State unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal while supporting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s peace initiative has demanded that Sikhs who had migrated from Pakistan occupied Kashmir in 1947 and settled in Jammu and Kashmir and other states should be included in the proposed bilateral or tripartite talks for the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Warm spots in Cold Ladakh
THOISE (Ladakh), Jan 13 — The sulphur springs at Panamik and the 45-bed hospital at Hundar are the only warm spots in the barren coldness around this military air base. The hot springs on the banks of the Nubra, near the Army’s Siachen base camp, is a 20-minute helicopter ride away, but the hospital is closer.

10 students hurt in Jammu lathi charge
JAMMU, Jan 13 — At least 10 students, including ABVP activists, were injured when the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to prevent protesters from entering Government Medical College here today. Three women students were among the injured.

Move to build Ram Temple will be resisted: trust
SRINAGAR, Jan 13 — The Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust has warned any move to construct a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya would be resisted. 

APHC may change dates of Pak visit
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today indicated that if its delegation for Pakistan is not able to leave by the announced date of January 15, its executive would meet some time next week to decide the issue.

A Hurriyat spokesman told TNS here that it was awaiting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s arrival from abroad for a final decision on the issue of passports to its delegation for visiting Pakistan.

He said that there is little possibility of the APHC delegation leaving for Pakistan by January 15 as senior leaders were yet to receive their passports. “But we are hopeful,” he said.

The spokesman maintained that the APHC had done its duty by constituting a five-member team and it was for the government to take a decision now. “If the team is unable to leave by the declared date of January 15, APHC leaders would meet to decide about future dates,” he said.

He indicated that the APHC had made preparations for the visit on January 15. Reports said that the Pakistan International Airlines had even reserved seats for the Hurriyat leaders for January 15.

Asked about senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s unhappiness over the constitution of the delegation before the passports were issued, the spokesman said various parties in the Hurriyat had their own stand on certain issues.

“But Mr Geelani has nowhere said that he would not be part of the team going to Pakistan,’’ he said. The APHC chairman, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat, has said that until all members of the team are given passports, it would not go to Pakistan. Home Minister L.K. Advani had earlier said that passports would be given to some Hurriyat leaders. Though he did not specify how many of them would be given passports, it was felt that the government had reservations about giving travel documents to Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mr Abdul Aziz, considered hardliners.

Of the five-member delegation named by the Hurriyat at its January 11 executive meeting in Srinagar, only Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone have passports. Lone was issued a country-specific passport in November last year to enable him to attend his son’s wedding in Rawalpindi. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Abdul Aziz and Maulana Abbas Ansari do not have passports.

The spokesman said the country-specific passport given to JKLF leader Yaseen Malik would not enable him to go to Pakistan.

Involve Kashmir Sikhs in talks: SAD
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 13 — The State unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) while supporting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s peace initiative has demanded that Sikhs who had migrated from Pakistan occupied Kashmir in 1947 and settled in Jammu and Kashmir and other states should be included in the proposed bilateral or tripartite talks for the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

The president of the state unit of SAD, Mr Gurdev Singh Ishar, and the general secretary, Mr Dayal Singh Wazir, have said a large number of Sikhs had migrated from Pakistan held Kashmir after leaving behind movable and immovable property worth crores of rupees. They were allowed to settle in Jammu and Kashmir without any compensation for the losses they had suffered while migrating from other side of the LoC.

The Akali leaders said as such they deserved to be involved in the proposed dialogue on Kashmir. They said that after Partition 25 seats in the state assembly were kept vacant for representatives from occupied Kashmir in the hope that one day it will again be part of the undivided state so that elected people would occupy 25 seats. They said since Sikhs were the original citizens of the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan these Sikhs should have been allowed to fill these vacant seats.

Mr Gurdev Singh said Mr Vajpayee’s ceasefire announcement was a bold step and though it was a “bitter pill for the separatist elements” they had responded positively. He wanted better sense to prevail on these separatists so that the Prime Minister’s peace initiative was carried to its logical conclusion.

The Akali leaders said that since the Sikhs were an important party to the issue they should not be ignored. Their involvement in the peace process was not only necessary but mandatory for the Government of India.

Warm spots in Cold Ladakh

THOISE (Ladakh), Jan 13 (UNI) — The sulphur springs at Panamik and the 45-bed hospital at Hundar are the only warm spots in the barren coldness around this military air base.

The hot springs on the banks of the Nubra, near the Army’s Siachen base camp, is a 20-minute helicopter ride away, but the hospital is closer.

Designed to new specifications by the Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1998 and upgraded later, the hospital, nearly 8 km from here, boasts of an ultrasound room and a recompression chamber among other facilities.

But its greatest asset is its central heating system which keeps it warm and cosy for the soldiers battling the elements at heights ranging from 16,000 to 21,000 feet in the Siachen Glacier area.

With childlike enthusiasm, Col (Dr) V.K. Popli and other doctors conducted a media team around 328 Field Hospital this past weekend.

“Look at the difference in temperature. Once you come in you don’t feel like going out,” said Dr Popli, in charge.

“This is the lifeline for the soldiers here,” said Col Yogendra Kumar, Deputy Commander, Siachen Brigade.

As many as 228 soldiers were treated here during the Kargil conflict, the doctors said. Helicopters used to bring injured soldiers six to 10 times a day during the period, they said.

Many pieces of shrapnel pulled out of the injured soldiers are on display in a glass case at the hospital.

A medical specialist, a surgical specialist and an anaesthetist are at hand to help the six doctors. The hospital also has got 10 ambulances and an STD booth.

Civilians are also being treated now under the Army’s ‘Sadbhavna’ programme and 14 beds have been kept for them in a separate block.

Most patients brought here suffer from high altitude sicknesses — oedema (swelling due to accumulation of fluids in tissue spaces) of the lungs and the brain and frostbites.

Temperatures dip to many degrees below the freezing point in these parts and the air is scarce of oxygen.

At the airport here, the welcoming signboard informs the height as 10,066 feet above sea level and that the oxygen in the air is 30 per cent less.

The doctors said Defence Minister George Fernandes, who has been here many times during the past two years, took special interest in modernising the hospital and that it was only due to his efforts that the central heating system was installed in the hospital.

Small gestures like these were a great morale booster for the soldiers serving on the “roof of the world”, they said. 

10 students hurt in Jammu lathi charge
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 13 — At least 10 students, including ABVP activists, were injured when the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to prevent protesters from entering Government Medical College here today. Three women students were among the injured.

The demonstrators shouted anti- government slogans and took out a march in the city. As they reached the medical college gate they were stopped by the police. The protesters clashed with the police and a group sneaked on the college premises.

They gatecrashed into the office of the acting Principal and protested against the admission of 54 students belonging to a private medical college in the two government medical colleges.

The ABVP leaders, including its national secretary, Mr Romesh Puppa, argued with the acting Principal that the admission was “illegal”. The ABVP leaders said the students had been agitating against the decision for the past one week but still the government remained silent over the issue.

They said if the admission of these students had been “legalised” through fraudulent measures “we will submit a list of meritorious candidates who also be given admission in the government medical colleges.” The acting Principal assured them that the matter would be discussed with the Principal when he resumed duties.

Meanwhile, the Jammu Mukti Morcha, the Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front and other organisations have lent support to the student community protesting against the government admission policy and the increase in the load shedding period.

They have assured the student organisations of their support for the Jammu bandh for which the ABVP has given a call. The bandh would be organised here on January 15 and would be followed by a prolonged phase of demonstrations.

The Works Minister, Mr Ali Mohd Sagar, justified the admission of the students and said this was done at the instance of the central government and the Medical Council of India. He said the government accepted the suggestion from the Medical Council of India and the Centre in view of the difficulties being faced by the students. He appealed to the vested interests not to exploit and mislead the student community.

Move to build Ram Temple will be resisted: trust

SRINAGAR, Jan 13 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust has warned any move to construct a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya would be resisted.

It would vitiate the atmosphere and plunge the country in turmoil, a resolution passed at a specially convened general council meeting with state Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who is also MAT chief, in the chair, said here today.

The resolution, passed unanimously, called on the Centre to prevent the VHP from building the temple.

No construction should be allowed until the Supreme Court decision or an agreement between the two communities, the resolution said. Holding the then central government responsible for the destruction of the 500-year-old Babri mosque, it added the entire Muslim world was emotionally attached to the issue.

The resolution urged the Centre to foil any attempt at altering the status quo.