J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

No tents for 10,000 border migrants
Jammu, January 6
The plan of the state administration to purchase 10,000 tents for border migrants has been grounded following refusal by several tent-making units to make available tarpulin or plastic tents at short notice.

A Border Security Force soldier mans his gun near the ancient Hariparbat Fort in Srinagar on Sunday. — Reuters

JKLF for Blair’s intervention
New Delhi, January 6
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front today urged British Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene and persuade both India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the troubled state.

Truckers held for smuggling willow
Kathua, January 6
The drivers of two trucks, Vinod Kumar and Balwant Singh, and the owner of the trucks, Jagjit Singh, were yesterday arrested from Awantipora, Srinagar, allegedly for smuggling goods.

No tents for 10,000 border migrants
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 6
The plan of the state administration to purchase 10,000 tents for border migrants has been grounded following refusal by several tent-making units to make available tarpulin or plastic tents at short notice.

According to senior state government functionaries, the tent-making units have conveyed to the authorities here that they had exhausted all stocks following demand by government agencies in Gujarat and Orissa where people had been rendered refugees following natural calamities.

The functionaries said, “We are helpless and we have to allow the border migrants to camp in school buildings, temple and mosque premises and other open spaces.” When reminded that the occupation of school premises had jeopardised the academic career of several thousand students, they said, “We have to bear with it as we are passing through a critical period, the result of Pakistani firing and shelling”.

Expressing concern over the continued increase in the number of border migrants they said during the past 48 hours more than 7,000 border villagers from Poonch and Rajouri sectors had fled to safer places.

The state government’s worry stems from the fact that its resources including foodgrains, being very “limited”, the allocation of Rs 1 crore for the relief to the migrants was too meagre to enable the refugees to survive when “we are to supply them ration and other essential items free of cost.”

The state government has approached the Centre for releasing an additional quota of foodgrains for the migrants and separate funds for initiating some relief measures. It has also approached the Army authorities and those from the paramilitary forces to make available some tents for the border migrants.

Till the government is able to start relief measures on a big scale, over 70,000 migrants continue to suffer in shanty camps, in school buildings and in open fields. A visit to various camps revealed that the majority of these migrants were leading a miserable life. Many of them were seen making a bonfire of faggots and Shrubs to keep themselves warm.

Tara Chand and others are worried over the fate of their cattle that they left behind while fleeing to safer places. They have urged the government to supply feed for the cattle through the troops.

Krishna Devi, mother of three children, said, “When we left our ancestral village in the Akhnoor sector, we carried some clothes and one bedding. We could not even carry any bags of wheat and rice as we were so scared by the Pakistani firing and shelling and wanted to run for survival”.

Roshan Lal of Pallanwala, camping near Devipur, said, “We have been leading a life of penury and tribulations for the past over two years and we feel that many more have joined us in sharing our grief”.

He and others wanted India to either hit back and destroy all “springs of terrorism” across the border or build suitable houses so that “we get settled till peace returns to the state”.

Some of them have received ration intermittently. But among the fresh migrants not more than 30 per cent have been covered under the free ration scheme. For the time being, the government has released ration, 7 kg of wheat and 2 kg of rice for a period of 15 days.

“On wheat, atta and rice alone we cannot survive. We need many more items of daily use, including edible oil, kerosene, sugar and medicines,” a group of migrants said in one voice.

Another issue that haunts them is the uncertain future of their children. “Over two dozen students have stopped going to school because of lack of facilities during the past two years,” said many in the Devipur camp and some adjoining places.

JKLF for Blair’s intervention

New Delhi, January 6
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) today urged British Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene and persuade both India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the troubled state.

“During his visit to South Asia, Mr Blair should seek guarantee of peace in the region from India and Pakistan especially at a time when the two countries are close to war,” JKLF (Amanullah Khan group) Secretary-General Dr Haider Hijazi said in a statement here.

Dr Hijazi said the JKLF formula, had been put forth by the Chairman of the organisation, Mr Amanullah Khan, suggesting that entire Jammu and Kashmir be re-united and made a complete independent state with a federal, democratic and secular system of government. UNI

Truckers held for smuggling willow
Our Correspondent

Kathua, January 6
The drivers of two trucks, Vinod Kumar and Balwant Singh, and the owner of the trucks, Jagjit Singh, were yesterday arrested from Awantipora, Srinagar, allegedly for smuggling goods.

The SP, Kathua, Mr Amjad Parvez Mirza, informed that following a tip-off, the police intercepted the trucks at a specially-laid naka. The drivers were found to be smuggling a total of around Rs 8 lakh worth of willow clefts among fruit boxes, allegedly to be supplied to Jalandhar-based firm.

The trucks along with the material were seized.

187 mercenaries shifted from J&K

Jammu, January 6
In the wake of intelligence reports about militants’ plans to storm jails to help foreign mercenaries escape, 187 detenues have been shifted from Jammu and Kashmir to high security prisons outside the state. This was stated here today by top official sources.

Among the 187 detenues 98 are foreign mercenaries, they said.

They were shifted recently in specially protected buses in several trips made during the night, the sources added. As many as 46 foreign mercenaries have escaped in several jailbreaks in the state in the past few years. PTI