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Monday,
March 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Muslims in J&K cool to Gujarat incidents 13 killed in J&K Panel assures border residents Section 144
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Muslims in J&K cool to Gujarat incidents Jammu, March 3 Different sections of people reacted differently to the violence in Gujarat state. It was left to Kashmiri lawyers to hold protest demonstrations in Srinagar against the killings in Gujarat. The lawyers protested and more than 20 of them were arrested on Friday. Later they gave a call for Kashmir Bandh for Saturday to protest against carnage in Gujarat. There was no response to this call in the Kashmir valley. On Friday prayers were held in Jamia masjid in Srinagar in the memory of those killed in Gujarat. The prayers were led by the Kashmir Mirwaiz, Molvi Umar Farooq, a senior leader of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference also. Another senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in a statement, has blamed Muslims of Godhra for the massacre of 60 kar sevaks on the Railway station. Mr Geelani, in the statement, has said that no doubt the Kar sevaks had raised provocative slogans but the carnage committed “by the local Muslims has been heart rending, unfortunate and barbaric”. He has described the Godhra incident most “shameful” and condemnable despite the fact that those massacred were Ram Mandir kar sevaks.” The Hurriyat leader has stated that the chain reaction was imaginable and the state and the Central Governments should have expected the fallout of Godhra carnage. He said the Government should have taken adequate precautionary measures. However, others in Kashmir have remained silent on the Gujarat carnage on the plea that since the Indian Muslims “have never supported us in the years of turmoil and tribulations, we need not react if anything went wrong to them.” “More than 40,000 Kashmiri Muslims have died during the last 12 years in the valley and no Muslim leader or organisation has condoled this loss or expressed sympathy with us,” many Kashmiri leaders have opined. It may be mentioned that the Kashmir lakes did not witness even a ripple when the Babri Masjid was demolished by the Kar sevaks in 1992. In its column “Khazir Sochcta hein Wullar Key Kinarey” (Khazir broods over the banks of Wullar lake) the Urdu daily, “Aaftab” has criticised people and the Kashmir Mirwaiz for holding prayers in Jamia Masjid in memory of the Muslims killed in Gujarat. The columnist has explained that since Muslims in India had never supported “our cause” and had never “sympathised with us” there was no need and purpose to hold prayer meetings in their memory. In fact people have been trained not to give vent to their feelings which may be construed that they were part of India. Instead they should adopt stony silence and weep if there is any calamity in Pakistan, clap and cheer if any Pakistani team scores a victory over the Indian squad. However, the Government agencies have appreciated the role of Kashmiris during the current hour of trial. These agencies have stated that people in Kashmir have behaved in a dignified manner and not done anything which could add to communal tension in the country. |
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13 killed in J&K Srinagar, March 3 The police said three militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, two of them foreigners, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Gurdhan Bala in Rajouri district of the Jammu region yesterday. One AK rifle, five magazines, 50 rounds, two hand grenades and some documents were seized from them. Two foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Achhabal area of Anantnag district yesterday. Two AK rifles, seven magazines, one wireless set and six hand grenades were recovered from the site of encounter. A house, where the militants were hiding, was gutted in the exchange of fire. A hardcore militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Doda district, while his accomplice managed to escape in an injured condition, a police spokesman said here. An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kancha post in Rajouri district yesterday. Unidentified militants shot dead a police constable, Ghulam Nabi Bawani, PSO to NC MLA Gul Rafiqi, in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district today. Militants shot dead two persons in Pulwama and Kupwara districts yesterday. The police and the security forces recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition during search operations in Baramula and Kupwara districts. Meanwhile, self-styled supreme commander of the counter-insurgency Ikhwan outfit Abdul Rashid Billa was today arrested by the police in connection with the recent attack on a police party in Baramula district of north Kashmir, official sources said. Billa was handed over to the police by the Army and was detained in Sumbal police station, where several cases of extortion, kidnapping and a murder charge were pending against him, the sources said. Billa’s arrest ended a five-day-long hunt after he led an armed attack on a police party at Sumbal on Wednesday last which left four policemen, including the SHO of Sumbal police station, injured and two police vehicles damaged, they said. This is the first time the supreme commander of a counter-insurgent group sheltered by the Army was arrested by the police. Ikhwan was formed by surrendered militant-turned MLA Kuka Parrey in 1994.
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Panel assures border residents Jammu, March 3 The committee members agreed to persuade the government to release 50 per cent as interim relief to the people whose standing crops had been affected by the laying of mines in fields by the Army. Headed by Mr Madan Lal Khurana, the committee members told newsmen after the visit to Pallanwala sector, the worst-affected area, that the Indian troops had occupied over 70,000 acres of land, of which mines had been laid on 23,000 acres and the rest was being utilised for the purpose of defence activities. Mr Khurana said the losses suffered by border villagers in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts owing to the military buildup was to the tune of Rs 12.52 crore. He said this figure was tentative and a detailed report would be prepared shortly, on whose basis compensation to border people, especially farmers, would be released. He said in Punjab also the Army had occupied 98,000 acres, of which crops had been affected in about 31,000 acres and the losses suffered by border villagers were of the order of over Rs 176 crore. Mr Khurana said the committee would recommend to the government to pay 50 per cent of the assessed loss as compensation in the first stage to farmers whose crops had been affected by the military buildup, Rs 80 per day to those landless people who had lost their source of livelihood, Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in mine explosion, Rs 50,000 to those maimed in mine blasts and Rs 25,000 to those injured.
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Section 144
in Srinagar Srinagar, March 3 The orders, which were issued last evening by the District Magistrate, Srinagar, shall remain in force for two months with immediate effect. According to the orders, no assembly or congregation of more than five persons except in places purely for religious purposes can be held without the permission of the Magistrate or the SSP here. Accordingly, no procession shall be taken out without prior permission of the authorities concerned.
PTI |
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Three jawans die in road
mishap Kathua, March 3 The jawans killed have been identified as Havildar Sushanta, a resident of West Bengal, Naik Devinder Kumar of Bihar and Naik Yadav Laxman. Naik Bihar Singh and Havildar Nand Ji, who were seriously injured, have been shifted to military hospital, Udhampur. The Army jeep belonged to the 245 Medium regiment. |
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Three killed
in Doda fire Jammu, March 3 The fire, which emanated from a grass stack, engulfed the house of Ghulam Hyder in the village at Kishtwar tehsil last night, the police said. The injured were admitted to hospital.
PTI
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Barati hacked to death Kathua, March 3 According to the police, Parkash Chand was attending a marriage party at Billawar when he entered into an argument with another marriage party member which was followed by a severe blow on his head. He died on the spot. Three suspects have been identified. A case has been registered. |
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J&K bans smoking Jammu, March 3 Official sources said here smoking had been banned in public places such as auditoriums, hospital buildings, health and educational institutions, libraries, court buildings, public offices and railway stations.
UNI |
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