J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Farooq’s stress on coordination in security forces
Srinagar, September 6
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has called for greater coordination between various wings of security forces for effectively combating militancy in the state.

A paramilitary jawan conducts a search inside a passenger bus during a surprise check on Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Thursday. Militants have stepped up their attacks in Kashmir during the recent weeks. — Photo Amin War.

Hurriyat leaders draw a blank
New Delhi, September 6
The All-Party Hurriyat Conference, which has been trying to reach out to the people in various parts of the country after the unsuccessful Agra summit between India and Pakistan, there is little to cheer. During recent trips to the southern states by its leaders, mainly to explain the Hurriyat’s position on the Kashmir issue, virtually all political parties avoided meeting the APHC leaders.

Bias against Jammu officials: morcha
Jammu, September 6
The Jammu Mukti Morcha which has been espousing statehood status for the region has revealed certain figures and facts in support of its contention that people, including employees, belonging to this belt received a raw deal from the state government.

Farooq’s stress on coordination in security forces
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 6
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has called for greater coordination between various wings of security forces for effectively combating militancy in the state.

Addressing a joint meeting of the state Cabinet and the District Development Board at Anantnag yesterday, the Chief Minister said the Jammu and Kashmir police had to shoulder greater responsibilities after the security forces finish their task in the militancy-torn state.

Dr Abdullah said cowardice had no place in the force and referred to the dereliction of duties by policemen in Poonch and Dooru recently. He said mere dismissal from services was not enough for the erring personnel who failed to respond the situation, but they should be booked for negligence to duty. He added that though the force had to tackle militancy with an iron hand, yet any action to violate human rights would not to be tolerated. He referred to the recent firing on a protesting mob at Pattan and said while dealing with people the police should exercise maximum restraint and use minimum possible force.

About the power scenario in the state, Dr Abdullah directed the agency concerned to intensify the revenue recovery drive and said several measures were underway to regulate the distribution of power and check its pilferage. For this purpose underground cables would be laid in Srinagar and Jammu cities initially, followed by other major towns.

This year’s annual plan for the district has been fixed at Rs 70 crore. This is Rs 17 crore more than last year’s plan of Rs 53.25 crore.

During the six-hour meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed sector-wise performance in the district and gave on the spot instructions for taking up various schemes, opening new dispensaries, recruitment of teachers under Rehbar-e-Taleem programme, augmenting drinking water supply, etc.

Speaking on the occasion, the Works Minister, Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, said 20 major bridges of the 37 damaged during militancy have been reconstructed in the district while work is apace on the remaining 17 bridges.

Similarly, 33 of the 51 minor bridges have also been constructed.

Hurriyat leaders draw a blank
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 6
The All-Party Hurriyat Conference, which has been trying to reach out to the people in various parts of the country after the unsuccessful Agra summit between India and Pakistan, there is little to cheer. During recent trips to the southern states by its leaders, mainly to explain the Hurriyat’s position on the Kashmir issue, virtually all political parties avoided meeting the APHC leaders.

Sources said in none of the southern states, not even those ruled by non-NDA parties, could the Hurriyat leaders evoke a positive response from the political class.

After senior Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone visited Chennai to attend a peace conference, Hurriyat leaders have visited Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kozhicode and Thiruvananthapuram. Hurriyat spokesman Abdul Majid Banday accompanied Mr Lone during the APHC’s latest visit to Kerala. This is the first time that the APHC had undertaken such tours in the country. Mr Banday and Mr Lone reached Delhi yesterday after visiting Kerala where they addressed meetings convened by social and human rights organisations. Earlier, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Mr Lone had visited Kolkata where they had been successful in meeting former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. The sources said the Hurriyat leadership was now keen to project a “liberal image” of the 23-party conglomerate so that it was accepted as a voice of the Kashmiris.

With even Pakistan ruling out participation of the APHC in the initial stages of a dialogue on the Kashmir issue and India maintaining that the APHC was not the only representative of the people for Jammu and Kashmir, the APHC leadership felt the need of opening more doors of communication to emphasise its faith in democratic values. There was also a thinking in the APHC that interactions with the political class and social activists would put pressure on the Centre to start some kind of a dialogue with the APHC and work towards early solution of the Kashmir issue.

Showing signs of increasing flexibility, Hurriyat leaders did not insist on right of self-determination as the only solution to solve the Kashmir issue. During their speeches in the southern cities, they talked of a negotiated settlement to the Kashmir issue in which people of the state were taken into confidence.

Bias against Jammu officials: morcha
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 6
The Jammu Mukti Morcha which has been espousing statehood status for the region has revealed certain figures and facts in support of its contention that people, including employees, belonging to this belt received a raw deal from the state government.

In a statement, senior leaders of the morcha, including its president, Prof Virender Gupta, said here today out of the 14 Deputy Commissioners, five were from the IAS cadre and the remaining were drawn from the Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS), with seven belonging to the valley. The statement said all these KAS officers were from the 1977 batch and not a single Hindu, including the topper, Mr Jeet Lal, had been posted as Deputy Commissioner so far.

The morcha leaders said at least 40 per cent of the Kashmiris belonging to the provincial services, had been posted in the Jammu region and not more than 1 per cent from Jammu were in the valley.

They criticised political leaders and bureaucrats for having “connived” to post Kashmiris on plum posts in the traffic police, excise, sales tax, revenue and public works departments. Those belonging to the Jammu region were allegedly given difficult assignments. They referred to the posting of a majority of police officials to the Special Task Force (STF).

They said the STF comprised mainly officials belonging to the Jammu region and it was known that the risk of life was high because of frequent encounters its members had with militants. Those from Kashmir were given “soft posts” in other wings of the police.

The morcha leaders cited the government argument that Kashmiris were not posted in the STF as it would endanger their family members and said they could have been posted in far flung areas of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri.

Referring to the role of the Village Defence Committees in fighting the militants in various parts of the Jammu region, they said such a force did not exist in Kashmir. They asked why people in the Jammu region alone were motivated to work as defence committee members. 

Six officers get gold medals
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 6
At an investiture ceremony held at Raj Bhavan here last evening, the Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, presented awards to civil and police officers and others for distinguished services and contribution to different fields.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, his Cabinet colleagues and Speaker, J&K Legislative Assembly, among others were present.

Thirty-seven senior civil and police officers were given awards for their work during the parliamentary and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, six officers were awarded gold medals. They include the then Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Kumar, former chief electoral officer J. A. Khan, former Principal Secretary, Home, Dr S. S. Bloeria, former Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr B. R. Kundal and Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai and the then DGP, Mr Mohinder Saberwal.

Fifteen former Deputy Commissioners and 16 police officers who were SPs during the elections, were awarded silver medals. They are: Mr B.B. Vyas, Mr S.K. Nayak, Mr M.Y. Beg, Mr Yamin Qureshi, Mr A.K. Mehta, Mr B.R. Sharma, Mr Lokesh Jha, Mr Sudanshu Pandey, Mr S.R. Kapoor, Mr A.S. Bhat, Mr Suresh Kumar, Mr Atal Dulloo, Mohammad Aslam, Mr R.K. Goel, Mr Umang Narula, Mr S.K. Mishra, Mr V.K. Singh, Mr Ravinder Kotwal, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Mr Bashir Ahmad Dar, Mr Dilbagh Singh, Mr Inder Mohan Bakshi, Mr Abdul Qayoom Manhas, Mr A.K. Choudhary, Dr B. Srinivas, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Malik, Mr M.A. Anjum, Mr J.A. Makhdoomi, Mr Laltendu Mohanti and Mr R.R. Swain.

The Governor also presented State Awards to 38 distinguished personalities in different fields of public service. The recipients include Mr Ghulam Rasool Santoosh, Mr Abdul Satar Ranjoor and Mr Sarwanand Koul Premi, all posthumously.

Mr Nardev Singh Jamwal received a gold medal for his contribution to the field of art and literature. Mr Morup Namgyal, too, received a gold medal.

Other gold medal recipients include late L.N.K. Dorje Morup, Mr A.S. Wazir, Mr Rajinder Singh, Mr Ghulam Hassan Bhat, Mr S. Joginder Singh, Mr Romal Singh, Mr A.K. Raina, Mr S. Tirath Singh, and Mr Sudershan Gupta.

Mr Nawang Tsering of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies received a cash award of Rs 25,000 while Mohammad Aslam Khan (SPO) received a silver medal.

Those who received Rs 10,000 each for outstanding services are: Manavi, Mr Sheetal Singh, Mr Jatinder Singh Bali, late Mr Shamim Ahmad Andradi, Mr Neeraj Padha, Mr Bashir Ahmad Wani, Mr Ravinder Singh, Ms Nargis Bano, Ms Parvinder Kour, and Mr Vikram Singh.

Seven persons were presented with life saving awards. They include Tsatan Ganboo, Mohammad Afzal Sheikh, Mr Naway Rigzin, Mr Skalzang Tandup, and Mr Nawang Rinchen.