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Thursday, October 3, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Poll no
solution to imbroglio: APHC Diplomats
meet Chief Secy BJP
launches election campaign in Doda 600 poll
officials leave for UP |
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Jammu
bandh today Camp
for disabled inaugurated MNS
Raising Day celebrated
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Poll no solution to imbroglio: APHC Jammu, October 2 “Which ever party will form the government will have no direct bearing on the 54-year old Kashmir dispute. Even the political and security situation will further drift after the poll process is over”, said Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Chairman, APHC. He told TNS today “elections have and will never resolve the Kashmir issue” adding that “this has been the main factor which motivated the 23-party conglomerate to keep away from the poll process.” When asked what formula was needed to settle the dispute Prof Bhat said “dialogue and only talks.” “Only tripartite talks can resolve the issue,” he stated. The APHC Chairman added “not even bilateral talks can settle the dispute.” He stated that both India and Pakistan “have to take us (the APHC) into confidence and we will show them the way for resolving the dispute.” Asked who would take the initiative for organising a trilateral meet, Prof Bhat said “people of India and Pakistan, irrespective of their religion and culture, should rise as one man and force the two governments to sit with representatives of people of Kashmir for finding a durable solution to the dispute.” He said people in the Indian subcontinent have to get up and shout against the continued bloodshed adding “it is bloodshed all around and one should not think whether it is the blood of a Muslim, a Hindu or a Sikh because blood is always red.” Prof Bhat said that the situation was assuming serious dimensions which “will warrant international intervention for forcing Delhi and Islamabad to talk to the people of Kashmir.” “The Americans, the Russians, the Chinese and other European nations are at it and they were mounting pressure on both sides to resume dialogue.” Prof Bhat alleged that the Indian agencies were trying to “convert the liberation struggle or struggle for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue into terrorism.” Explaining it, he said it was beyond one’s comprehension to blame the ISI for all ills in India, whether it be communal riots in Gujarat, bloodshed in Kashmir, drought or floods or bomb explosions in Kathua and Jammu. He said these Indian agencies were responsible for “cementing state terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Custodial killings, illegal detentions, terror spreading tactics during crackdown by the security forces were some glaring instances.” Answering a question Prof Bhat said “had the Assembly poll had the potential to resolve the Kashmir dispute it would have been settled in 1951, when the first election was held in Kashmir. It did not and so was the case with successive Assembly elections, whether free or rigged.” He said the APHC had always been a votary of a dialogue and in this connection “we offered our services in bringing those who matter in Delhi and Islamabad together on a negotiating table.” He added “but our offer was misunderstood. We were not allowed to send a team to Pakistan for discussing the core issue and its solution with the government and with leaders of rebel outfits.” He said “the most ridiculous aspect of the Centre’s policy on Kashmir was the way it sabotaged the moves initiated by Mr Ram Jethmalani, who headed the Kashmir Committee set up with the blessings of the Centre.” Prof Bhat said “what Mr Jethmalani proposed the Centre opposed and what the committee recommended the Election Commission rejected.” |
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Diplomats meet Chief Secy Srinagar, October 2 The foreign diplomats, who yesterday visited Pulwama and Anantnag districts to monitor the third phase of Assembly elections, expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements made by the government in conducting transparent polls, officials said. They also met Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Pervez Dewan. The diplomats, mainly from the USA and the European nations, were allowed to visit all constituencies to witness the poll process. This is for the first time that most of the diplomats travelled by road to see the voting pattern, ignoring militancy-related violence. They were provided adequate security by the authorities. Significantly, when some of the diplomats were visiting various areas, militants made abortive attempts to disrupt the poll at a number of places, particularly in Tral, Pulwama, Shopian and the Kokernag Assembly segments. The Election Commission has issued special passes to officials from Delhi-based foreign embassies to witness the poll. Twenty-eight diplomats had witnessed the earlier two phases of elections in the Kashmir valley. The batch of diplomats comprises three from France, two each from the USA, Britain and the European Commission and one each from Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany. The diplomats talked to a number of people, including voters at several booths. Meanwhile senior separatist leader Shabir Shah today questioned the rationale of the foreign diplomats witnessing the Assembly elections in state, saying that it was not meant for resolution of the Kashmir issue but had only an administrative use. Mr Shah, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, also criticised the Centre over its Kashmir policy, saying that “it is indulging in ad-hocism and has no vision”. “These elections have no meaning as the far as resolution of the Kashmir issue is concerned. I wonder why the foreign countries are giving importance to these elections which may at best have an administrative use,” he said.
UNI, PTI |
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BJP launches election campaign in Doda Jammu, October 2 While spearheading the party campaign the Union Minister of State for Defence, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, said the successive Congress and the NC governments had not properly utilised the hydel potential and mineral wealth resulting in an increase in the level of poverty and backwardness. He said in stead of doing so the NC and the Congress regimes fully exploited the forest wealth by carrying out large-scale felling of green trees which were sold on a premium through contractors. This consistent attack on Doda’s forest wealth had resulted in deforestation on a large scale. Prof Gupta said the claim of the Congress that if voted to power it will restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir was totally “hollow” as the same organisation had been instrumental in giving life to terrorism. He said the National Conference had totally failed to check spread of militancy in the Jammu region. He reminded the people that in the 1996 poll they had reposed trust in the NC and voted it to power with a two-thirds majority and during the past six years the NC had done nothing for the people of the state, particularly for those living in Doda district. |
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600 poll officials leave for UP Srinagar, October 2 The IAF will operate 11 flights to take back 3000 polling officials from Uttar Pradesh to their home state. The polling officials were brought to the state after several political parties expressed the apprehension that officials from the state would help the ruling National Conference in the elections. They were paid Rs 10,000 each in addition to board and lodging during their stay in the valley. An insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh was provided to them. The Election Commission had made adequate security arrangements for them. They were provided with bullet proof jackets and helmets during the polling day. Meanwhile, a poll official from Uttar Pradesh Fayaz Ahmed Khan lost his one eye when militants hurled a hand grenade towards a polling station at Pampore on Monday. Mr Khan was in the polling booth at Pampore in Pulwama district, which went to the polls yesterday, when the militants attacked it with a grenade. He was admitted to a hospital in a critical condition. Mr Khan was airlifted to his hometown Aligarh today. The government has announced a Rs 2 lakh compensation for him.
UNI |
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Newly-weds spice up polling Basoli, October 2 “They’ve come for an outing, not because they want to vote,” said an elderly woman, causing a titter in the queue at Gram village polling station. Their bright red bangles sparkling in the sun, Sonika, Priya and Deepti seemed to relish all the attention they drew. “I finished my work early today so that I could come here,” said Sonika Sharma. Her husband Shyam was eagerly awaiting his turn in a long queue for men. The newly-weds were all made up for their day out. Sonika and Deepti were both voting for the first time yesterday.
UNI |
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‘Dead voter’ turns up at
polling booth Reasi, October 2 Ram Rakha, who was told by a poll official that he was dead, and Subash Baid, were arrested on Reasi SDM H. Kumar Singh’s orders in front of a visiting media team in his office. The two claimed that they were denied entry into the polling booth even though they had been issued the voter’s identity cards by the Election Commission. “When I went to vote, the presiding officer told me that I had been taken for dead on the voters’ list,” said Mr Rakha exhibiting his card outside the SDM office. The SDM said the two were arrested for “sabotaging the electoral process” and spreading wrong information about the polling.
UNI |
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Candidate
doesn’t turn up to vote Tral, October 2 Mr Surender Singh, Congress candidate from this constituency, did not come out to vote, depriving himself of his own vote. The Congress nominee took refuge in Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar’s office. Mr Surender Singh said he had been unable to cast his vote due to security reasons. The entire town wore a deserted look, with hardly any person venturing out in most areas as the people chose to stay indoors during the polling. In Anantnag district, an Independent candidate from Bijbehara constituency came in for a rude shock when members of his family refused to step out to exercise their franchise.
UNI |
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60 pc turnout
in repoll Srinagar, October 2 Repoll was held at the two booths, 43-Budgam and 44-Budgam on September 27. There are seven candidates in the fray in the constituency, but the main fight is between Aga Syed Mehmood, a former minister who quit the National Conference on being denied a ticket, now contesting as an Independent, and his nephew and National Conference candidate Aga Syed Roohullah.
PTI |
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Jammu bandh today Jammu, October 2 The bandh is also against the state and central governments’ inability to protect the lives and property of its citizens, the federation said. The JJSF, which has been struggling for a separate statehood of Jammu, in an emergency meeting, accused the centre and the state government of playing politics with the lives and property of the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir, JJSF President Rajinder Singh Jamwal said. The students outfit lambasted the routine statements of central leaders after every tragic
incident in the state as mockery. Mr Jamwal questioned the credibility of the leaders, who have not only put the security of the nation and its citizens at stake but also have defamed the country in the international fora.
UNI |
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Camp for disabled inaugurated Jammu, October 2 The project has been launched jointly by the Viklang Chhatra Trust, Akhnoor and the Army. It aims to provide the artificial Jaipur foot free of cost to those who have lost their lower limbs due to landmine blast, enemy shelling, accidents, militancy related causes or polio. The chief guest was accompanied by Ms Suniti Nanavatty, President Army Wives Welfare Association, Northern Command. Also present were Lt-Gen T.P.S. Brar, GOC of 16 Corps, Maj-General Sudhir Sharma and Mr Justice R.P. Sethi, a retired Judge. The camp being conducted at Akhnoor is being organised under the active aegis of the Army’s Northern Command under its Sadbhavana Scheme. Technicians from Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Kota, Rajasthan, took the measurements and started fabrication of the artificial limbs. The Army commander launched the camp by fitting the first artificial limbs today. Ms Suniti Nanavatty also gave artificial limbs to patients and donated a wheel chair to a patient. The camp aims to fit 300 lower climbs and calipers. |
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MNS Raising Day celebrated Jammu, October 2 Army chief General S. Padmanabhan appreciated “the efficiency, professionalism, dedication to duty and selfless compassion in the service of the ailing and the
hard-earned reputation of the MNS. PTI |
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