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April 9, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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‘Involve’ Jammu, Ladakh in
talks 2 militants among five killed in J&K VHP to enrol three lakh
members Fear dominates Kashmir tourism |
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‘Involve’ Jammu, Ladakh in
talks Jammu, April 8 Prof Bhim Singh told newspersons here today that he welcomed the government’s decision to hold talks for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. He said first of all the government should spell out the terms and conditions for the proposed talks. The Panthers Party President said the government should make it clear whether it treated Kashmir as part of India or a disputed territory and then alone the terms for the talks could be laid down. He said it was not clear whether the government proposed to hold talks with the separatists under the Simla Agreement or under the Lahore Declaration and if it was so then the parleys had to be held between New Delhi and Islamabad. He favoured holding of talks under the Indira-Sheikh accord of 1975. Prof Bhim Singh said without involving representatives of the people of Jammu and Ladakh in the parleys no meaningful outcome was expected. He blamed the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, for having further internationalised the Kashmir issue by his repeated reference to the issue during his recent tour of Syria and the USA. Referring to the miserable plight of about 2.50 lakh migrants from the border areas of Akhnoor, Poonch and Rajouri sectors, Mr Bhim Singh said he had met the Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, and impressed upon him the need for distributing surplus wheat among the border migrants. He wanted the state and the central governments to take immediate steps for providing basic amenities to these migrants. Referring to the recent shawl scandal, Prof Bhim Singh said a CBI inquiry was called for because the state CID investigations were not correct. He alleged that these shawls were meant for the earthquake victims in Gujarat and the Pakistan plane carrying these shawls was unloaded in Chandigarh and BJP leaders diverted these shawls to Jammu.
Srinagar, April 8 Two security jawans were killed and another injured in the Surankote area of Poonch district of Jammu when militants ambushed them while they were patrolling in the wee hours of today, an official spokesman said. The security forces fired back, but the militants escaped from the scene, taking advantage of the nearby thick forest. A CRPF jawan, Bashir Ahmad Mir, was shot dead by militants inside his house at Kalseri in the Pattan area of Baramula district in North Kashmir last night. He said security forces shot dead two militants in an encounter at Dodaj-Darhal in the border district of Rajouri in Jammu yesterday. The spokesman said militants also exchanged fire with the security forces at Krewa near Banihal in Doda district early today, but none was hurt in the shootout. Unidentified militants set ablaze the house of a civilian at Muqam Shah Wali Sahib in the frontier district of Kupwara last night, causing damage to it, he said. Unidentified gunmen forced their entry into a person at Sheikhpora Madahama in the Sangam area of Anantnag district last night and decamped with Rs 15,000 and some gold ornaments. |
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VHP to enrol three lakh
members Jammu, April 8 According to international secretary-general of the VHP, Dr Parveen Bhai Tagdia, 50,000 activists from Jammu and Kashmir would be enrolled for the programme. He told newspersons here today that these activists would be given arms training in 28 centres in different parts of the country. He said the need for raising a counter force had risen after the Pakistan-aided militants had decided to kick up violence in order to spread Islamic fundamentalism. Dr Parveen said the militants had given a religious colour to the Kashmir issue which was basically a political problem. The issue could be resolved only through talks and not with the gun, he said. While referring to recent incidents of sacrilege which included the burning of the holy Koran he said these Islamic fundamentalists and jehadis had started inciting communal turmoil in India, Nepal and elsewhere. He accused the jahadis and other anti-India forces of engineering these acts of sacrilege to foment communal violence. Dr Parveen said the Talibans’ demolition of Buddha statues in Afghanistan was part of the plan to foment communal turmoil and the Bajrang Dal activists would counter all such machinations. The VHP leader said in case senior functionaries of the Central Government were found involved in the Tehelka expose by the judicial commission, the Vajpayee Government should immediately step down. He also supported the demand for a CBI probe in the shawl scandal in Jammu. He said in Gujarat, the VHP had adopted five villages. It had also decided to intensify its drive to increase literacy rate in border villages of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, he added. |
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Fear dominates Kashmir tourism New Delhi, April 8 While there is a fear that the stepped-up militant attacks might deter the potential tourists, the state government and the industry hope that the coming season attracts the tourists the way it used to before 1989. Much significance is being attached to the possibility of talks between the government and militants after the recent announcement by the Centre in this direction. “With last year’s killing during the Amarnath pilgrimage still fresh on minds, there is fear that the prospective tourists may think twice before visiting Kashmir,” said a state government official here, admitting that the stepped-up militant attacks did create a scare. He, however, argued that since the militant attacks were not directed against civilians, tourists had nothing to worry. “The militant attacks, which have gone up during the ceasefire period, do cause an adverse impact on the prospective tourists as people do not want to tour places where there is fear of threat to life,” the official said. But he hoped that some kind of talks between the government and the militants might lead to reduction in militant violence to pave the way for a “properous” tourist season. Similarly, the tourism industry also hopes that the invitation of talks by the Centre to all Kashmir groups would lead to some reduction in militant violence so that tourists could be attracted to the valley. “We are sending people to Kashmir. People are going. But the signal of fear over militancy cannot be denied,” said Indian Association of Tour Operators President Badri Bajaj. He said the people were aware about militancy and “they form their own opinions. There are also advisories issued by foreign countries asking their nationals not to visit Kashmir.” Bajaj, however, hoped that with the government announcing to hold talks, things may improve. “The prospect of tourism is linked with militancy. If militant attacks reduce, tourism will pick up, otherwise the scene is not good.” The valley, which used to be flooded with tourists particularly during the summers till 1989, has witnessed reduced tourist inflow after militancy. Only two years back, when the situation showed signs of improvement after many years, the Kargil conflict broke out causing a setback to the tourist industry. More than a lakh tourists had arrived in Kashmir in 1999 till May when the conflict erupted leading to a decline in the number in subsequent months. Similarly, the Amarnath killing on August 1 last year caused setback to tourism with the subsequent months witnessing reduced number of tourists. The state government figures indicate that the arrival of tourists last year showed a rise in April onwards but declined drastically after the massacre in Pahalgam on August 1. The month of May witnessed arrival of 19,935 tourists, June had 31,935 and July 29,846. However, in August, only 8,447 tourists arrived in the valley with the subsequent months witnessing 2,391, 3,060, 3,619 and 1,764 respectively. Tourism is the backbone of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir with many sections of the society depending on this for their livelihood. With the tourist season just round the corner, hopes are being pinned on the positive outcome of the Centre’s invitation to all groups, including militants, for talks to settle the Kashmir issue.
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