J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Abortive bid to blast Army convoy
SRINAGAR, Jan 20 — Militants made unsuccessful attempts to target security force convoys when they detonated two powerful improvised explosive devices, while two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were among three persons killed in the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.

SPO, brother die in blast
SRINAGAR, Jan 20 — A special police officer (SPO) and his brother were killed as a powerful blast rocked Doda district of the Jammu region today, an official spokesman said. The explosion took place inside the rented room of the SPO, Mohammad Altaf, at Nehru Chowk in Doda district around 3.15 p.m., he said.

Ultras set up bases in villages
JAMMU, Jan 20 — As the Central Government is yet to take a final decision on further extending the ceasefire, which has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir since November 27, senior officers, including those in the police and the paramilitary forces, are gripped with “fear” over the manner in which large groups of militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, have established their bases in rural areas of six districts in the Kashmir valley and four in the Jammu region.

Online marketing of Kashmiri handicrafts
JAMMU, Jan 20 — The marketing of world famous Kashmiri handicrafts is all set to be undertaken through Internet globally, for the first time. Arrangements in this regard have been made with a Singapore-based multinational cell, Silk Root Group (Club-Tea). The group operates through e-platform and is credited with a monthly turnover of $ 1 billion.

884-cr project for J-K rural roads
JAMMU, Jan 20 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has submitted a Rs 884 crore project to the Centre to provide communication links to unconnected habitations under the National Rural Roads Programme (NRRP).

Bandh observed over burning of temple
JAMMU, Jan 20 — A near-total bandh was observed today in different areas of Doda of Jammu division in protest against burning down of a temple by unidentified persons in Thatri area last night, official sources said today.

Cops beat scribes in Srinagar
SRINAGAR, Jan 20 — A journalist of a French news agency was injured when the police reportedly used force on the media persons who had descended on Lal Chowk here to cover yesterday’s grenade blast.

Abortive bid to blast Army convoy

SRINAGAR, Jan 20 (UNI) — Militants made unsuccessful attempts to target security force convoys when they detonated two powerful improvised explosive devices, while two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were among three persons killed in the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, security forces conducted searches in Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, and the busy Hari Singh High Street today.

The searches, the first since the unilateral ceasefire had been announced by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, came into force on November 28, were conducted following yesterday’s grenade attack by militants at the historic Lal Chowk that left one person dead and 11 injured.

Official sources said militants detonated a powerful improvised explosive device at Aglar on Shopian road in South Kashmir today minutes before a security force convoy passed the area. No one was hurt.

Militants made an attempt to target another security force convoy when they triggered a powerful IED near Hanjivera bridge in North Kashmir district of Baramula today No one was hurt.

An official spokesman said a patrol party of security forces was fired upon by militants at a village near Chadoora in central Kashmir district of Badgam last evening.

In the ensuing hour-long encounter, two LeT militants were killed. Two AK rifles, two magazines and some rounds of ammunition were seized.

He said an encounter took place between a team of state police Special Operation Group and militants at Babdamb in the downtown city last evening. After about a 15-minute exchange of gunfire, a body was found from near the encounter site.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police today unearthed a plan to target security force convoys on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and mar Republic Day functions in the valley.

Inspector-General of Police Ashok Bhan said the police raided some hideouts in Laram Ganjipora village in South Kashmir and seized 50 kg of explosives and detonators.

SPO, brother die in blast

SRINAGAR, Jan 20 (PTI) — A special police officer (SPO) and his brother were killed as a powerful blast rocked Doda district of the Jammu region today, an official spokesman said. The explosion took place inside the rented room of the SPO, Mohammad Altaf, at Nehru Chowk in Doda district around 3.15 p.m., he said.

Altaf and his brother Mubasir, a student, died instantly in the explosion as both were inside the room which was found locked from outside, the spokesman said. 

From the spot verification, he said it had transpired that both individuals were probably fabricating an explosive device for utilising it for subversive activities. A pistol, two bombs, two programmed time devices, six detonators, one metre safety wire, 12 kg of RDX and about 10 kg of iron scraps and nails were recovered from the scene, the spokesman said, adding that the SPO was suspectedly involved in making the device.

In another incident in Doda, the spokesman said a Pakistani militant, Mohammad Aslam of Multan, who was associated with lashker-e-Toiba outfit, was killed at Kitner Punjwa in the Kishtwar area early today.

Ultras set up bases in villages
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 20 — As the Central Government is yet to take a final decision on further extending the ceasefire, which has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir since November 27, senior officers, including those in the police and the paramilitary forces, are gripped with “fear” over the manner in which large groups of militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, have established their bases in rural areas of six districts in the Kashmir valley and four in the Jammu region.

A senior government officer posted in a district in north Kashmir has this to say: “I had planned to call on a friend of mine to enquire about his health. Suddenly, two of my trusted men barged into my house cautioning me against my proposed visit to the adjoining village.”

The reason is that several foreign mercenaries, equipped with sophisticated weapons, have almost “encircled” villages and towns. These mercenaries are seen moving freely while the security forces remain confined to their bunkers and barracks.

Two other senior officers posted in south Kashmir have similar views. They say vast areas in Anantnag and Pulwama districts had been sanitised and militants did not dare to be seen there.

“The situation is totally different now. Groups of foreign mercenaries, most of them six feet tall, are moving in and around the villages like nambardars and zaildars,” they say.

Since security pickets have been withdrawn in many areas of the state, the security forces think twice before launching a hunt for the militants. Recently, a BSF picket near Keller in Tral area came under fire from the militants. The following morning a BSF patrol party launched search operations in adjoining areas, but the militants had planted an explosive device which on explosion killed several BSF personnel.

Senior government functionaries posted in various sensitive areas of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kupwara, Baramula, Sopore, Budgam, Ganderbal, Poonch, Rajouri and the upper reaches of Udhampur district do not attach as much significance to the attack on the Srinagar airport or on the life of the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, during a public meeting as to the gradual “rise of militant power” in rural areas.

They say before the ceasefire announcement most of the operations against the security forces and soft targets were being carried out by foreign mercenaries. During the past two months, local militants have also joined the “jehad” under the Pakistani and Afghan guerrillas.

In Poonch and Rajouri districts those civilians who refused shelter or food to the militants have been eliminated. Those suspected of acting as “informers” have been massacred. The latest instance is of Mohammad Afzal who was killed along with his brother and mother in Darhal by the rebels.

It is in these two districts that more than 3,000 people, including scores of Muslim families, have fled their ancestral villages. They say in clear terms that after the suspension of combat operations by the security forces the “writ of the militants and not the government runs.”

Government functionaries say the hands of the security forces have been tied by the ceasefire announcement and they have been asked to ensure that there is no violation of the ceasefire while militants roam with guns and grenades around their pickets and camps.

A senior officer posted in south Kashmir says prior to the ceasefire announcement several intelligence agencies would say in their reports that not more than 3,000 militants were active in the entire Kashmir valley. Now an estimated 3,000 rebels are active in the Anantnag-Pulwama belt alone.

Other say even if the security forces are asked to resume combat operations, it may take not less than a year to flush out the militants. Their opinion is that people have become disillusioned with the government plans.

They had expected the peace process to move forward but the obstinacy on the part of the Central Government in issuing passports to the Hurriyat Conference team is seen as a hurdle in the process.

Online marketing of Kashmiri handicrafts
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 20 — The marketing of world famous Kashmiri handicrafts is all set to be undertaken through Internet globally, for the first time. Arrangements in this regard have been made with a Singapore-based multinational cell, Silk Root Group (Club-Tea). The group operates through e-platform and is credited with a monthly turnover of $ 1 billion.

The Jammu and Kashmir Industries and Commerce Minister, Dr Mustafa Kamal, said the multinational groups would facilitate the state to venture in e-commerce and enable the J and K Handicrafts Corporation to utilise the group-II platform to become a part of the international trade exchange on Internet. The minister said this during his inspection of Government Arts Emporium, Jammu, here yesterday. The Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr Irfan Yaseen, accompanied the minister during the inspection.

The minister said several measures had been taken to increase the market acceptability of handicraft products by launching projects in collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi. The institute would help the corporation in integrating the latest trends in fashion garments in its production process. A team of designers from the institute headed by its senior faculty member, Ms Usha Patel, would be visiting the state this month end, the minister said. The team would develop prototypes for garments, furnishing accessors and artefacts for the ultimate integration in the production process by the handicrafts industry in the state. The production units of Madr-e-Meharban Trust, Miskeen Bagh, were also planned to be tied up with the arrangement.

The minister said the Centre had agreed in principle to sponsor a delegation of artisans from the state to visit Europe, America and China to study the latest trends in the carpet industry. The corporation had almost finalised the technical tie-ups with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, Indian Forest Research Institute and Indian Handmade Paper Institute, Jaipore, for its carpet washing and drying , walnut wood seasoning unit and paper pulp unit coming up under the Critical Infrastructure Balance Scheme (CIBS) of the Union Ministry of Textiles. The work on these projects would start soon, he added. 

884-cr project for J-K rural roads
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 20 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has submitted a Rs 884 crore project to the Centre to provide communication links to unconnected habitations under the National Rural Roads Programme (NRRP).

The Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Mr Mohammad Ramzan, while chairing a meeting here yesterday, said Rs 80 crore had already been released under the project for this year. With this, the NRRP was being taken in the state in a big way, for which the funds would be provided from the National Rural Development Fund, he said.

Highlighting the importance of the programme, the minister asked engineers of the Rural Envineering Department to draw up plans in such a way that one or two roads in each block were taken up during the current fiscal year itself. In the first phase, works should be taken up in those unconnected habitations that had a population of less than 1,000 persons. Being a time-bound programme, every precaution should be taken to complete the works within the prescribed time limit, he added.

In every district, work to the tune of Rs 5 to 6 crore should be completed before the end of the current fiscal year and new work plans formulated in advance so that the funds for the purpose could be released by the Centre early next fiscal year, he said and stressed on the uniform distribution of funds at the block level, besides properly monitoring every work. All rural roads connected under the programme were to be handed over to the local bodies concerned for maintenance and upkeep, he said adding that for monitoring quality control and vigilance, an on-line management and monitoring system be adopted by employing electronic connectivity. 

Students block traffic
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Jan 20 — Thousands students of colleges and higher secondary schools of Kathua, Hiranagar, Samba and Vijaypur held protest demonstrations and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot national highway at Kalibari Chowk, Hiranagar Morh, Samba and Vijaypur bus stands against 15-hours power cuts in the district.

The agitated students boycotted their classes and staged a dharna on the Pathankot-Jammu national highway.

The students demanded the restoration of regular power supply in the district. The traffic remained disrupted for more than eight hours on the highway.

Meanwhile, local Beopar Mandal president B.R. Gupta, Kathua Welfare Committee president Sain Dass Gupta and Kathua Industrial Units president Surinder Singh also threatened to launch an indefinite stir if the power supply was not regularised.

Bandh observed over burning of temple

JAMMU, Jan 20 (PTI) — A near-total bandh was observed today in different areas of Doda of Jammu division in protest against burning down of a temple by unidentified persons in Thatri area last night, official sources said today.

Shops and business establishments remained closed in Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Doda, Batote and Ramban town, the sources said.

However, there was no report of any untoward incident from the communally-sensitive areas of the district, they said.

Our Malerkotla Correspondent adds: A deputation of local Muslim leaders presented a memorandum to the SDM at the local Civil Courts Complex here today evening in protest against the demolition of mosque at Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district. The leaders demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

Mufti Fazal-ur-Rehman Hilal Usmani said some mischievous elements had tried to disturb peace in the state which would not be tolerated. He urged the state government to ensure the life and property of Muslims in Punjab. Mr Abdul Gaffar, ex-minister and senior Congress leader said the mosque should be reconstructed on the original site.

Cops beat scribes in Srinagar

SRINAGAR, Jan 20 (UNI) — A journalist of a French news agency was injured when the police reportedly used force on the media persons who had descended on Lal Chowk here to cover yesterday’s grenade blast.

According to eyewitness accounts, journalists reached the spot immediately after the grenade blast for coverage and even helped shift the injured to the hospital.

Trouble started when the Superintendent of Police (East) reached Lal Chowk and started abusing the mediapersons.

“You are the men who are creating problems for us,” the police officer shouted at the journalists and warned them that he would ask his men to open fire if they did not clear the area.

When journalists objected and informed the officer that they had helped to take the injured to the hospital before the police arrived on the scene, the SP directed his men to beat up the media men.

Surinder Singh Oberoi of the AFP was injured in the melee.

The Kashmir Journalists Association condemned what it called the unwarranted and unjustified police action against the journalists. The association demanded action against the officer who ordered his men to beat up journalists.