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Thursday, February 21, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Polling
for Jammu LS seat today Disabled
stands up for others’ cause Army
convoy attacked Farooq
opposes troop pullout |
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Tiger
injures two villagers Jammu, February 20 Two persons were injured when a tiger who had come down from snow-bound Pir Panjal hills attacked mountainous village in the Mendhar area of Poonch district on Monday, official sources said here yesterday.
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Polling for Jammu LS seat today Jammu, February 20 Since the pre-poll campaign ended yesterday, the contesting candidates have reportedly been engaged in a whisper campaign by sending their supporters for a door to door appeal to the voters. The Congress has treated the polling in the constituency as a litmus test for the commitment of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, for a free and fair poll in the future. Mr Sat Mahajan, party observer from Himachal Pradesh and Mr Satyajit Gaekward, Secretary, AICC, said here today if the National Conference or the BJP was allowed to rig the polling, it would
further strengthen the complaint of the opponents, especially the separatists, that elections in the state were never free and fair. Mr Mahajan and Mr K.L. Amla, another senior party leader, said if the Prime Minister ensured that polling in the constituency was not rigged, it would encourage separatists and others to take part in the next Assembly elections. The mood of Congress leaders was upbeat and they claimed that the Congress candidate, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, had a fair chance to win an entry into the Lok Sabha on the plea that a majority of voters were disenchanted and disillusioned with the National Conference and the BJP. “We will win with a bigger majority than we did in 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha polls, “said some BJP leaders. On the contrary, the National Conference leaders said the Congress and the BJP had lost their hope of victory and hence started expressing false fears. In 1998 and 1999, the BJP had secured 3.36 lakh and 2.89 lakh votes respectively, which was followed by the National Conference with 2.08 lakh and 1.47 lakh votes and the Congress 1.40 lakh and 1.26 lakh votes, respectively. Tomorrow’s voting would determine whether there would status quo or some major surprise and that too in the absence of any wave blowing in favour of the three main contenders. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Pramod Jain, polling staff and the poll material had been despatched to 1,649 polling stations. Heavy security bandobast had been made in and
around 347 polling booths which had been declared hypersensitive. Reports said the Army and the paramilitary forces had been directed to ensure that nobody was allowed to indulge in unfair means to rig the polling. Main contestants agreed that encouraging voters to walk to the polling stations for casting their votes was very important. Meanwhile, the BJP, the Congress, the BSP and the PDP feared that the polling might be rigged by the National Conference workers in collaboration with the polling officers of their choice. But the National Conference leaders have described these fears as part of the plan of the opponents to discredit the ruling party to cover up their failure. However, senior BJP leader and Union Minister for Food Processing, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, had lodged a complaint with the chief electoral office and the Chief Election Commission that the way National Conference President and Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, laid the foundation stone of a mosque in Jammu yesterday was in violation of the poll code of conduct. But the National Conference leaders have stated that the mosque was being built out of contribution of the people it was not a government project. They said the code provided that no minister should lay foundation of any project or release grants in favour of any scheme or project or make any promise of financial assistance. As such, they have not violated any poll code by laying the foundation stone of a mosque. |
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Disabled
stands up for others’ cause Srinagar, February 20 The zeal, which began with a simple incident in New Delhi in 1992, led him to set up the Jammu and Kashmir Handicapped Association over two years ago. He recalls how traffic was stopped on a busy Delhi road to help a handicapped person to cross the road and a dreadful night which he had to spend in the open near his home only because no one helped him to cover an ascending road curve. He spent the whole night in his wheelchair and was helped in the morning. He laments over the treatment meted out to his lot, saying that no proper assistance was provided to over 4.18 lakh such persons. He fend for himself, when he left his village, Pazipora in Kupwara district, about 100 km north of Srinagar, by begging. But that did not work and he had to look for other ways to make the ends meet. He began supplying LPG cylinders from door to door which earned him good dividends. He also worked as a daily wage earner in JAKFED where officials gave him the cylinders for distribution. He carried the cylinders on his wheelchair. However, due to the facility of home delivery of cylinders by gas agencies, his earnings were reduced. “It is very difficult to feed my family members comprising my wife and two minor daughters,” he said. His appointment as a daily wage worker was withdrawn some time ago. What remains is the wheelchair provided to him by the Social Welfare Department. Of the 4.18 lakh disabled in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a survey conducted by the association, more than one lakh are militancy
victims. Of them, over 80,000 are graduates and postgraduates. The association has come out with a list of 20 demands seeking immediate redress of grievances of the “deprived lot”. Several demonstrations were held by association members to draw the attention of the government but in vain, laments Mr Lone. After a long wait of two years to meet the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, a meeting has been fixed with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee for March 5. “Although there has been an alarming increase in the number of handicapped persons in the state, no survey has been conducted by the government to consolidate data about such persons,” a spokesperson for the association said. Their demands include a separate ministry for the handicapped with a handicapped minister, motor-driven wheelchairs, free medical treatment, 10 per cent reservation in government jobs, soft loans for business, allotment of shops, free education and hike in monthly stipend and old-age pension. |
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Army convoy attacked Srinagar, February 20 Elsewhere in the valley, a militant and a counter-insurgent were among three persons killed while three militants were captured overnight. A soldier and a civilian were injured and the vehicle was slightly damaged in the attack on the Army convoy. However, a press note issued by the police said two civilians were injured in the retaliatory firing by the security forces. A boy, Abid, received bullet injuries and was taken to hospital here. As many as 100 persons staged a demonstration near the District Hospital after a girl was admitted there in a critical condition. They alleged that she was beaten up by the security forces after the militants attacked their convoy. The police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse demonstrators here this afternoon. They were protesting against the alleged arrest of a youth from Maisuma. They also blocked the traffic. Four suspects were apprehended in the valley and a large quantity of arms and ammunition seized. Troops of the BSF defused an IED near Pattan, 30 km north of here, on the Srinagar-Baramula road this morning. An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Hyderpora on the outskirts of Srinagar city early this morning. Unidentified militants shot dead Adul Majid Bhat at Pampore in Pulwama district, near here, yesterday, the police
said. |
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Farooq opposes troop pullout Jammu, February 20 Dr Abdullah was addressing a gathering of ministers, legislators and senior officers after inaugurating the digital conference system in the Assembly complex here. Assuring a free and fair poll the Chief Minister said he never believed in rigging. He said the government would be deploying adequate forces at its command and requisition additional troops to ensure a free and fair poll. Addressing another function, Dr Abdullah lashed out at Pakistan for continuing to sustain its proxy war against India in Jammu and Kashmir. He opposed de-escalation on the border unless the desired objectives were achieved. The Chief Minister said, “I am against war but Pakistan must be taught a lesson.” He added that I have made it amply clear to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. |
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Tiger injures
two villagers Jammu, February 20 A tiger, who had lost his way in snowbound mountains and came down to a lower area in Heran village of Poonch border district, the sources said. The tiger attacked two villagers and injured them sources said adding that villagers who joined together later killed the tiger.
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Mr
Ghulam Mohammad Lone, a physically challenged person from a remote
village in North Kashmir, has resolved to work for the rights of over
four lakh disabled in the state.
