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Monday,
April 28, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt lacks unanimity on talks: Omar Extend healing touch to Sikhs too, Mann to Mufti
40 SPOs surrender in Doda Six ultras killed, two boys rescued from militants |
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Militancy-hit get
ex-gratia relief Hurriyat for tripartite talks: Geelani Saxena opens Sarswati Dham complex Baramula goes online CRPF rewards 3 for killing ultras
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Govt lacks unanimity on talks: Omar Jammu, April 27 Addressing a one-day convention of the Gujjars and the Bakerwals here, the President of the National Conference, Mr Omar Abdullah, ridiculed Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, on one hand and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his ministerial colleagues, on the other, for adopting diverse stand on issues related to the state affairs. He said the Prime Minister endorsed the Mufti’s healing touch policy, but Mr Advani was on record to have stated that healing touch “Was all right till the elections and after that it could spell disaster.” Mr Omar Abdullah referred to the Vohra mission and said there had been lack of unanimity among the PDP-Congress-Panthers Party leaders. He said Mufti Sayeed had supported Mr N.N. Vohra’s exercise and felt that by taking with the elected representatives the problem could be resolved. But Congress leaders, who are partners in the coalition government, have emphasised the need for inviting the Hurriyat leaders. He said it was ridiculous when the Panthers Party, which has four members in the Assembly and two of them are in the Mufti-led council of ministers, has refused to talk to Mr Vohra. Another instance, he said, which was ridiculous was the way Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, a Cabinet Minister belonging to the PDP, refused to join the PDP delegation which is to meet Mr Vohra if it was headed by the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig. The NC President said “again a matter of shame that Mr Mir announced that he would represent the government and Mr Beig would represent the PDP during talks with Mr Vohra. “The President asked” “Is the government separate from the ruling party?” Blaming the Prime Minister for taking people and political leaders for granted, he said “during Mr Vajpayee’s recent visit to Srinagar he had said that Mr Vohra will be coming with an envelope “When we met Mr Vohra we did not find any envelope in his hands,” Mr Omar Abdullah said. He also castigated the Centre and the state government for taking the situation in Kashmir lightly adding that Mufti Sayeed had approached people who matter in the Bollywood to come to Kashmir and start film shooting. He said soon after the Mughal Gardens were thrown open to the film-makers, there were three bomb blasts in the Nishat Garden. He said series of rebel attacks, including the one on the AIR Station in Srinagar, belied the claim of the Chief Minister that the situation in Kashmir had improved because of the healing touch policy. Referring to the demand of the Gujjars and the Bakerwals for political reservation, he expressed his dismay over the way Mufti Sayeed had rejected it. He said: “The Chief Minister should not reject a genuine demand of ethnic groups because it had not voted for his party”. The NC President explained to the Gujjars that the Mufti cannot grant political reservation to them. The Constitution, he added, had to be amended and announced on the platform that his party, which had 28 members in the Assembly, would cooperate with the PDP-led government if it tabled a Bill for amending the state Constitution which was needed for granting reservation to the Gujjars and the Bakerwals. He said an amendment to the state Constitution could be carried out with a two-third majority. On the occasion, the former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said that shortly the NC would form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. He said since the coalition government had been exposed before the people by its omissions and commissions, time had come for the NC to form the government. |
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Extend healing touch to Sikhs too, Mann to Mufti Jammu, April 27 Senior Akali Dal leader and member of the Lok Sabha, Simranjit Singh Mann submitted a memorandum to the Mufti to this effect during his meeting in Jammu yesterday evening. Releasing copies of the memorandum at a press conference here today Mr Mann said that he had urged the Chief Minister to order an inquiry into the reports of death of some Sikh youths in police custody and of those missing. The memorandum also demanded the rehabilitation of the Sikhs who had been released from jails, end to harassment of Sikh youths by the police after their release from detention, arms licence for Sikhs for
self protection. The Akali leader said that Sikhs, like other minorities, faced odds in Kashmir and Government should restore confidence among them. He said his party would discourage exodus of Sikhs from the valley as he had done when 36 Sikhs were gunned down in Chatti Singapora village. He claimed that he motivated several thousand Sikh families, that had migrated from Kashmir in 1990, to return to the valley. Mr Mann called for the resumption of Indo-Pakistan talks and complimented Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, for the initiative. He requested General Pervez Musharraf to reciprocate the Indian gesture. Describing recent violence in the Kashmir valley as unfortunate Mr Mann requested the Pakistan government not to widen distance between Delhi and Islamabad. He favoured the restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status to Jammu and Kashmir for which the state Assembly had already adopted a resolution. He said the demand for greater autonomy had the mandate of people and if it was accepted it could help restore peace in Kashmir. The Akali leader demanded open border with Pakistan for trade, commerce and tourism. On the role of Mr N.N. Vohra, Government of India’s interlocutor, he said powers of Mr Vohra had not been defined. He suggested to the Government of India to invite APHC leaders also for talks. Mr Mann said that the resumption of the Indo-Pakistan dialogue was necessary for resolving bilateral problems and there should be no objection in case a third country acted as a mediator for bringing Delhi and Islamabad to the negotiating table. The Akali leader has constituted an 11-member committee to run his party’s affairs in Jammu. They are Mr Jaspal Singh, Adeep Singh, Balwant Singh, Mohinder Singh, Inderjeet Singh, Mohan Singh, Surjeet Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Mohan Singh Shant, Mohinder Singh and Ram Singh. Mr Mann has authorised Mr Jaskaran Singh, Mr Ram Singh, Mr Swaran Singh and Harbhajan Singh to select persons to run party affairs in the Kashmir valley also. |
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40 SPOs surrender in Doda Jammu, April 27 Official sources said between eight and 10 SPOs walked out of the police lines in Doda, informing the authorities that they were going to take on militants. These deserters had carried with them weapons, ammunition and wireless sets. For two full days they walked to distant places, including Arnoda, Bharat and after crossing river Chenab camped at Shiva mountain belt. Meanwhile, senior police authorities in Doda intervened in the matter and after two days’ negotiations, the SPOs agreed to return to the police lines. Official sources said that the main reason for the revolt was that these SPOs had not received their monthly wages for the past three to four months. Each SPO is entitled to a monthly
remuneration of Rs 1500, part of which is shared with village defence committee members, headed by the SPO. The sources said the government was yet to decide whether action should be initiated against the rebel SPOs or forget the issue after they had apologised. Members of the village defence committees, too, reportedly developed cold feet after a majority of them were not given even the paltry sum of Rs 200 per month. The SPOs felt that they were getting a raw deal when they were in the forefront of counter-insurgency operations and many of their colleagues had lost their lives while providing security to VIPs and those on the hit list of militants. What has surprised top-level police authorities is the way these SPOs were allowed to move out of the police lines on the pretext of carrying out operations against the militants. Before they were allowed to walk out of the police lines they should have been questioned about the place where the operation was called for. At least a couple of senior police officials should have headed the team of SPOs, it was felt. One police official said that it was shocking that the authorities concerned had no knowledge about the movement of SPOs who remained absent from the police lines for several days. He said it was sheer laxity in duty that senior police functionaries in Doda district did not monitor the 40 SPOs’ movement when they walked a distance of over 100 km. A senior state government functionary said the delay in the release of monthly wages to SPOs was not our fault. He explained that the amount incurred on the wages of SPOs and the VDC members was funded by the Centre. He said there had been usual delay from the Centre in the release of security-related expenses, which invariably created problems for us. |
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Six ultras killed, two boys rescued from militants Srinagar, April 27 Four pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with the Army in Baramula district of north Kashmir today. The exchange of fire took place in the jungles of east watlab area when Army personnel on a tip-off launched a search operation, a defence spokesman said. The gun battle lasted for about seven hours. Two militants, both residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), were killed in a fire-fight that broke out at Gowran-Larnow in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district yesterday, the spokesman said. The slain militants were identified as Javid Hussain and Aftab Mohibarf, residents of Attak and Multan, he said adding that two AK rifles (damaged), two magazines, 60 rounds, three grenades and a damaged wireless set were recovered from them. He said a joint party of the police and army rescued two boys from the militants at Kanti Dhar in doda district of the Jammu region last evening. the boys had been picked up by militants to join militancy. The security forces recovered an AK rifle, its magazine and 16 rounds from a militant hideout in a jungle area of keller in Pulwama district of south Kashmir yesterday. BARAMULA: The police fired a few rounds in the air and resorted to baton charge on Sunday afternoon to disperse demonstrators who were demanding that bodies of four militants killed in an encounter at Watlab Sopore be handed over to them. Official sources said the police fired in air after the baton charge failed to disperse the demonstrators near Sopore this afternoon. The demonstrators were demanding that the security forces hand over the bodies of the four Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants, who were killed in an encounter at Watlab Sopore on Sunday. The sources said some people were injured in the police action. JAMMU: A farmer was killed in a powerful mine blast in Rangpur along the international border, 35 km from here last night, official sources said here today. The farmer, Shiv Ram, was returning home from his fields near the border when he stepped on the mine, causing it to explode, the sources said. He was admitted to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, they said.
PTI, UNI |
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Militancy-hit get ex-gratia relief Srinagar, April 27 Talking to mediapersons, the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Mr Navin Choudhary, said that during the last financial year, ex-gratia relief worth Rs 3.08 crore was disbursed to 590 families affected by militancy in the district. Relief, involving Rs 2.51 crore, was given in 251 cases of death due to militancy. Besides, Rs 29 lakh was disbursed to 102 injured persons and Rs 99 lakh to 235 property damage cases during the last financial year. Under the Natural Calamity Relief, 265 families were assisted with relief of Rs 12 lakh. The Deputy Commissioner also informed that many procedural changes had been initiated by the district administration so that relief cases were promptly decided. The minister said that relief and rehabilitation were the topmost priority of the present government and asked the district administration to ensure that relief cases were decided promptly so that succour could be provided to the affected families. He said the loss of human life and huge amount of property could not be compensated with any amount. However, this relief had been provided as a token of sympathy and togetherness on the part of government, he said.
UNI |
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Hurriyat for tripartite talks: Geelani Srinagar, April 27 “Talks for the sake of talks would not be acceptable to the Hurriyat. However, the conglomerate is not averse to genuine talks”, Geelani, who returned to the valley yesterday after 11 months of detention and treatment in Mumbai, told a gathering. He said tripartite talks were the only solution to the Kashmir problem. “All the three parties to the Kashmir dispute — India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir — should sit together and solve the Kashmir problem according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people”. Referring to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee’s visit to Kashmir, Geelani said he talked about humanity, democracy, Kashmiriyat but these slogans were inconsequential in Kashmir. Rejecting the healing touch policy of the Chief Minister, he said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed would never be able to heal the wounds of people. Amidst pro-Pakistan and pro-Islam slogans, Geelani said Sayeed was a “puppet”, unable to do anything.
PTI |
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Saxena opens Sarswati Dham complex Jammu, April 27 The complex built at an estimated cost of Rs 3.15 crore and spread over an area of 47,500 sq feet included a souvenir shop, restaurant, lawn and a parking area, he said while addressing the gathering on the occasion. “The complex will augment the bed capacity by more than 700,” the Governor said. Besides, hygienic and vegetarian food would be provided to the yatris at a reasonable rate. Mr Saxena said that the shrine board was also undertaking many philanthropic activities. Work on Mata Vaishno Devi University, which got delayed due to some reasons in the past, would also be accelerated. The others who attended the function included J&K Chief Secretary S.S. Blouria, Jammu Divisional Commissioner L.D. Jha and Chief Executive Officer Arun Kumar.
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Baramula goes online Srinagar, April 27 The site has links to district profile, administrative set-up, district plan, development storage, relief cases, “rahbari taleem”, who is who, district telephone directory besides many other links. A separate link highlights the district’s tourism industry with a major emphasis on Gulmarg. A District Development Commissioner’s notice board link will provide all the important notices and circulars for the convenience of the public, like information about the Haj. Besides, the website will also act as a public grievance monitoring system and online public complaints will be answered promptly. UNI CRPF rewards 3 for killing ultras New Delhi, April 27 CRPF Director General S.C. Chaube awarded an out-of-turn promotion to Head Constable Shah Mohammed as Sub-Inspector, constable Bir Chand Yadav and constable Sukumar Singh as Head Constable.
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India's
Border Roads Organisation hopes to open the highway linking the
Ladakh region with Srinagar by mid-May.
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