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Monday,
February 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Migrants seek land for houses
3 ultras, jawan die in gunbattle Free seats for poor students: Mufti |
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Allies stand united, says Azad NPP questions govt on CMP Row over rare books 62 hospitals for J and K Civilians can’t wear Army uniforms ‘Stop sale of polythene bags’
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Migrants seek land for houses Jammu, February 16 In fact it was for the third time that border villagers in the Rajouri sector had to migrate to safer places on account of heavy Pak firing and shelling since 1999. Forcing migration of civilians has remained one of the main features of the 14-year long proxy war. It first started with the migration of over 3.50 lakh Hindus from the Kashmir valley in 1990. This was followed by migration from various areas of Doda district between 1995 and 1998. Since the Kargil conflict of 1999 Pakistan triggered migration from several segments of the Akhnoor sector where at least 20 villages, including Pallanwala and Panjtoot, were targeted by the Pak gunners. From May 1999 onwards more than 45,000 people in the border villages of the Akhnoor sector fled to safer places. The military buildup on either side of the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir added another 40,000 souls to the list of migrants. These villagers had fled from their hamlets in the Hiranagar, Samba, R.S. Pora, Jammu, Akhnoor and Poonch sectors following intermittent but heavy shelling. At least 15,000 villagers had to migrate after their fields were mined by the Indian troops as part of the defence preparedness. Senior state government functionaries have admitted that repeated migrations have caused heavy drain on the state and the central exchequer when tents, alternative accommodation, free ration and cash assistance were to be provided to them. They said on an average the government has been spending over Rs 60 crore on ration and relief of Kashmiri migrants and another Rs 10 to Rs 15 crore on the migrants from the border areas of the Jammu sector. Border villagers in Poonch, Rajouri, Hiranagar, Akhnoor, Samba and R.S. Pora have been demanding immediate government measures for their permanent rehabilitation. In this connection the migrants have demanded small plot of land in safer places where they could build houses with the government help. |
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TRIBUNE SPECIAL Jammu, February 16 Tariq originally belonged to Kashmir and had gone to Pakistan from where he returned after facing disillusionment across the border. Though the police claims that 33 Pakistani and a Russian have been overstaying in Jammu and Kashmir, there are more than 200 men and women from across the border who have over the years settled in this state. Besides those who have returned from Pakistan, there are many Russian women who have settled in the state. The state continues to be baffled over the overstay of an Iraqi national in Kashmir. This 40-year Iraqi national had, over 19 years ago, been given admission in the Regional Engineering College, Srinagar. He fell in love with a Kashmiri girl and married her. He now has a shop in Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar where foreign-made goods are available on sale. This Iraqi national speaks Kashmiri and has earned the respect of his customers, neighbours and friends. According to a senior police officer, those foreigners who have been overstaying in Jammu and Kashmir have no link with militancy. “They have settled in the state and most of them crossed over to Jammu and Kashmir with or without valid travel documents years before militancy took roots in Kashmir,” he explained. On the overstay of some women from Russia, Australia, Germany, the UK and the USA, the police authorities explained that Kashmiri boys, who had gone to these foreign countries for higher education or service, had married these women. Some connected with tourism, especially houseboat owners, had married women tourists visiting Kashmir years before 1990. The authorities said under state laws any woman from outside Jammu and Kashmir marrying a Kashmiri “becomes a genuine state subject.” Senior state government functionaries said whenever the police initiated measures for deporting foreigners, especially those Kashmiris who had returned from Pakistan to settle in the valley, they would invariably secure a stay order against their deportation from the court. “Many cases are pending in the courts for the past several years. Others have managed to give the slip to the police and intelligence agencies. As a result, the state authorities have a record of only 34 foreigners overstaying in Jammu and Kashmir,” said a source. According to knowledgeable circles, more than 20 aged men crossed back to Kashmir from Pakistan where they had gone years ago to “die in the land of their birth”. Tariq (45) from the border village of Trehgam in Kupwara district said; “It is a human problem. The partition divided families on account of the tedious visa and passport system, members of these families fail to meet each other. Hence, they resort to illegal crossing or travel on fake passports.” Shakeel Ahmed, whose uncles and cousins are citizens of Pakistan, said: “Overstaying is a two-way traffic. “He explained his father and mother, who had travelled on valid travel documents to Pakistan in 1987, had met several Kashmiris who had overstayed in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. Commenting on the problem, the Chairman, All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, told this correspondent that “the veil of mistrust and tension between the two countries could be diluted if people-to-people interaction was simplified.” Reports from the border villages in Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara and Uri revealed that since scores of hamlets on the LoC had portions within the territory in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir, “people cross and recross frequently.” Field reports said a large number of non-state subjects, most of them from UP, Bihar and Bangladesh, had settled in various parts of the state. While some had become permanent labourers, others had turned confectioners, sweet sellers, vendors or religious preachers in mosques. As far as those from Bangladesh were concerned, a majority were women who had been sold by touts. Many had become state subjects on marriage to Kashmiri men. |
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3 ultras, jawan die in gunbattle
Srinagar, February 16 Official sources said Ghulam Hassan Tantray was shot dead by militants at Bandipora in north Kashmir district of Baramula last night. He said the body of a man was recovered at Shopian in south Kashmir district of Pulwama today. In another incident militants abducted Jehagir Ahmad at Yaripora Kulgam late last night. However, he was released after they chopped off his ear, sources said. The security forces recovered some arms and ammunition, including three hand grenades, two UBGL and some magazines, from a house at Kulgam last night. A militant belonging to the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba along with three grenades and one wireless set was arrested at Zainapora Pulwama last night. JAMMU: A constable was attacked and his weapon snatched by certain persons here, the police said on Sunday. Certain persons hit constable Darshan Singh on his head with a rod at the general bus stand where he was posted and snatched his gun. Three militants and a jawan were killed in a gunbattle in Rajauri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, official sources said here on Sunday. Acting on specific information that some ultras were hiding in Manjakote forest in the district the Army searched the area, the sources said. A gunbattle ensued in which three militants and a jawan were killed, they said, adding that an Army man was wounded. Three AK rifles, seven handgrenades, a wireless set, two radio sets, a rocket and some explosives were recovered from them. Patrolling has been intensified along the rail tracks and six highly sophisticated cameras were being installed to scan baggages. “We will install six very sophisticated X-ray machines at the Jammu railway station to foil any militant design to carry out explosion in a train or on a track”, Deputy Inspector-General, Crime and Railways, S.P. Vaid, said. Two such machines have already been installed and two more would be in place in the next few weeks, he said, adding that they would help “railways to check baggages of suspected persons”. Besides, DIG Vaid said sniffer dogs had also been pressed into service to check all outgoing trains. Bunkers have been set up and commandos put on alert to foil any militant design, he said and added that the entire station was being fenced. On the 87 km track from Jammu to Pathankot patrolling has been intensified with the deployment of 700 policemen, ex-servicemen and special police officials round the clock.
PTI, UNI |
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Free seats for poor students: Mufti Jammu, February 16 Addressing first annual day function for SOS School, a part of the community project of SOS Children’s Villages of India here today, the Chief Minister said any public school that availed facilities from the state government, would have to reserve some percentage of seats for poor students, free of cost, so that socially and economically deprived sections of society could also be benefitted from the quality education. He advised the management of the SOS Children’s Village to follow this principle in their school as well. Emphasising that physical and mental development was vital for total development of the child, the Chief Minister said both these aspects have a direct bearing on the personality of the child. He said facilities to develop physical and mental facilities of students should be the inseparable part of the education infrastructure. While there was no dearth of intelligent people in the state, there was a greater need to create such facilities that promote hidden talent of the children, he added. Lauding the efforts of the SOS Children’s Villages of India for their yeoman’s service to the less privileged sections of society, especially the orphans, militancy victims and disabled children, he said by providing a family and a home to a child deprived of these, was the best service to the suffering humanity. He compared the school with public schools of Shimla, Dalhousie and Delhi and said a blend of human touch and professionalism could only guarantee future of educational institutions. However, he stressed on the need for increasing the intake capacity of the Jammu SOS Children’s Village so that many other unfortunate children make their life meaningful and constructive. He assured full support for setting up of SOS Children’s Village in the valley. Earlier, the president of SOS Children’s Village of India, Mr J.N. Kaul, had offered to rehabilitate the child victims of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Started in Jammu in a rented accommodation in May, 1994, today, the village provides home to 135 children (68 boys and 67 girls) under the care of 12 SOS mothers. This year a computer lab was established in cooperation with IBM India and Australian National School Network Group for Children. |
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Allies stand united, says Azad Jammu, February 16 “We have no differences or problems with each other... we have better coordination... and we stand united”, Mr Azad, who is also chairman of the state coordination committee of coalition partners (SCCCP), said. Talking to reporters at a seminar here, Mr Azad said: “We formed the coalition government on a common minimum programme of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, CPM, Panthers’ Party and Independents,” and added that the state had made fast progress in different sectors and aspirations of all regions of the state had been duly taken care of by the current regime. He said the Congress sacrificed its own interests in favour of good governance and bringing all political parties into the mainstream. Mr Azad also said this was the first government in the state’s history, which duly represented the aspirations of people from Leh, Kargil, Kashmir and Jammu regions. Mr Azad said the Jammu and Kashmir Government would rehabilitate people living near the Line of Control and the international border at places out of reach of Pakistani shelling and firing. “The government was committed to fulfilment of its promises in the common minimum programme, which included the resettlement of border residents”, he said at a seminar ‘Challenges before the government at its performance’. He said the issue was taken up at the last review meeting of the coalition partners on January 10, following which all district commissioners and revenue department officials had been directed to immediately identify and acquire alternative land out of the Pakistani firing and shelling ranges in border districts. He said the meeting also took up the issue of the rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits in the valley. Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma had started talks with the Pandits in this direction. The government has already identified safer places for their rehabilitation in the valley, where accommodations would soon be built, Mr Azad said.
PTI |
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NPP questions govt on CMP Jammu, February 16 “The J and K Coordination Committee (JKCC), headed by Pradesh Congress chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, has no relevance since other coalition partners, including my party, are not taken into confidence”, JKNPP chief Bhim Singh told reporters. The JKCC apparatus was created with the sole objective that all coalition partners would have an equal role to fulfil the commitments made to the people in the common minimum programme, he said. However, the government has not implemented the major issues of the CMP like delimitation of assembly constituencies and alloting land to border villagers who have migrated due to firing and shelling by Pakistani troops, Singh said. The JKNPP leader also alleged that some ministers in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government were indulging in corrupt practices.
PTI |
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Row over rare books Jammu, February 16 A committee headed by Prof. Hari Om of the History Department in Jammu University had recently reported that the documents in Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit were shifted to Srinagar from the Sri Ranbir Singh Library here. The committee was appointed by the Education Minister, Mr Harshdev Singh, last month following reports of shifting of these manuscripts. The government has accepted the report of the committee and decided to bring these manuscripts back to their original place and retain their microfilms in Srinagar to facilitate the researchers. However, the issue is now being twisted as one of regional bias and Jammu versus Kashmir. Kashmir-based scholars have alleged that the decision of the government was unjustified. They have demanded that certain documents should be brought to the valley from here and the office of the Archaeological Survey of India should also be shifted to Srinagar. On other hand, the scholars here are determined that the immensely valuable documents should be reverted here. They have alleged that many documents were also shifted to the valley from the archieves here. Among the rare manuscripts shifted from here are the Valmikiya Ramayana in Sanskrit, Bhagavat Nama Mahatmya, Vasishta-Sar, Rama-Sahasra-Nama and Hitopadesha. The committee has reported that the shifted manuscripts, without exception, are rare and of immense value. While most of them are of historical and religious nature, others deal with philosophy, social and cultural, life, military strategy, science and education. The committee had examined the accession registers before concluding that the documents were shifted from here. The committee has recommended that after shifting these documents back here, a substantial amount of money should be earmarked for proper preservation of these manuscripts. Microfilms of the manuscripts should be made available in the Srinagar library to help the researchers there, it suggested. |
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62 hospitals for J and K Srinagar, February 16 Funds for establishing 62 new hospitals and health centres had
already been earmarked, he told reporters at Anantnag, 55 km from here. As many as 442 doctors would be appointed on contractual basis to work in remote areas of the state, he said. The government was also contemplating to issue an order making it obligatory for doctors to serve for a minimum of five years in far-flung and remote areas, he said.
PTI |
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Civilians can’t wear Army uniforms Srinagar, February 16 The ban order was issued by Srinagar District Magistrate Asgar Samoon following a direction from the Union Home Ministry urging the state government to implement the Centre’s repeated instructions to check the unauthorised use of police and military uniforms by civilians and civil security organisations. The Home Department Under Secretary said Army combat dresses were being misused by certain persons who were harassing people, especially in the remote areas of the valley, an official spokesman said. The unauthorised use of Army uniforms not only has an adverse effect on the Indian Army’s image but also has serious security implications, particularly in areas affected by militancy, the direction said. Mr Samoon also ordered a ban on the unauthorised sale and manufacture of Army combat uniforms by any shopkeeper, tailor and other agencies concerned in any form whatsoever. The order will be displayed for the information of the general public in the court of the Executive Magistrate and in police stations of Srinagar district.
UNI |
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‘Stop sale of polythene bags’ Srinagar, February 16 A notice was also issued to the Administrator, Srinagar Municipality, Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, and Secretary, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, asking them as to why ban should not be enforced by them on the procurement and sale of polythene bags for handling, packaging and distribution of food, beverages and drugs with immediate effect in Srinagar city, within two weeks. About 2,00,000 such polythene bags are used everyday for purchase, storage and transport of various goods and beverages like meat, milk, milk products cooked and semi-cooked food, sweets, confectionary, bakery items, fruits and vegetables. District Magistrate Asgar Samoon issued notices to various traders dealing with such coloured and recycled polythene bags to explain as to why such trade be not stopped forthwith and why sale of food items including fruits and vegetables, in such bags not prohibited in the city.
UNI |
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Son kills father Kathua, February 16 Sixty-five-year Lohari Ram died on the spot on being hit by his son Madan Lal with an iron rod following a tiff over a family matter, the sources said. A case had been registered and a manhunt launched to arrest Madan Lal who has absconded.
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