J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Geelani attends Hizbul commander’s funeral
Srinagar, January 17
The chairman of the breakaway faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today led the funeral procession of the chief operational commander of the pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Ghulam Rasool Dar, and asked people of Jammu and Kashmir to observe January 26 as 'black day' and boycott the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Hurriyat lays stress on political
strategy for meeting
Srinagar, January 17
A day-long meeting of different organisations and leaders at the Hurriyat office here today discussed various issues related to its proposed meeting with Deputy Prime Minister in Delhi next week. Today’s meeting was a follow-up to the nomination of the five-member team.

4 ultras, 3 Army men killed in valley
Srinagar, January 17
At least seven persons, including four militants and three Army men, one of them a Major, were killed in an encounter near Bandipore in Baramula district today. Sources said the encounter that started in Bazpathri Wevan village, near Bandipore in Baramula district, continued till afternoon. Search operations were on to flush out any hiding militants in the area till the reports last came in.

DGP’s mailboxes sans lid
Katra (Jammu), January 17
The Jammu and Kashmir police had with a fanfare couple of years ago installed mailboxes throughout the state to enable the common people to send their complaints directly to the director-general of police, but now most of these letterboxes are either worn out or are lying unattended.


The DGP’s mailbox at Katra, which is the base camp for the Vaishnodevi shrine, is without a lid. — Photo by Sarabjeet Singh

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Jammu Srinagar

WEATHER PAGE:  Fresh snow in J&K, Himachal


A Kashmiri woman crosses a road amid fresh snowfall in Srinagar. The Kashmir valley on Saturday witnessed a fresh snow fall. — Reuters

EARLIER STORIES Hurriyat to meet intellectuals before talks January 17, 2004 J&K violence claims 3 lives January 16, 2004 At least 50,000 to be mobilised for Sonia’s rally January 15, 2004 Top LeT commander killed, 52 kg RDX seized January 14, 2004 Cop, 3 militants killed in valley January 13, 2004 Mufti not to downsize ministry January 12, 2004 8 militants killed, 15 kg RDX seized January 11, 2004 J&K civic poll put off again January 10, 2004 Register murder case against SOG: rights panel January 9, 2004

Geelani attends Hizbul commander’s funeral

Srinagar, January 17
The chairman of the breakaway faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today led the funeral procession of the chief operational commander of the pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Ghulam Rasool Dar, and asked people of Jammu and Kashmir to observe January 26 as 'black day' and boycott the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a huge gathering after the funeral, he said, "we do not accept the Constitution of India and hence should not participate in any activity under its purview. People should stay away from the Parliamentary elections in India."

Dar, who is also known as Gazi Naseeruddin, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Gothapora in Budgam district yesterday.

The firebrand separatist leader said he was not against a dialogue for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, but maintained that there should be tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiris.

Referring to the decision of the Hurriyat faction led by Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari to hold parleys with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, he said, "Some people are jumping at the offer of talks from the Centre". — PTI

Hurriyat lays stress on political strategy for meeting
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 17
A day-long meeting of different organisations and leaders at the Hurriyat office here today discussed various issues related to its proposed meeting with Deputy Prime Minister in Delhi next week.

Today’s meeting was a follow-up to the nomination of the five-member team.

The meeting, according to Hurriyat spokesman, stressed the need for a well-planned political strategy for the proposed meeting. The meeting should focus upon the resolution of the issue in accordance with the Hurriyat stand, the spokesman added.

Among those who attended today’s meeting outside the Hurriyat fold included senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah. However, the two constituent groups of the Hurriyat remained away from the meeting.

Appealing to Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari to intensify unification efforts ahead of the forthcoming talks with the Centre, Shah said the dialogue process should be put on hold till a united platform was achieved.

Shah said though he was all for the dialogue process, the way the Ansari-led Hurriyat is proceeding with the talks it would leave many people disgruntled.

Meanwhile, according to Hurriyat sources, 10 new parties have been admitted to the general council of the amalgam, taking the total to 26. All new members attended today’s meeting at the Hurriyat headquarters.

4 ultras, 3 Army men killed in valley
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 17
At least seven persons, including four militants and three Army men, one of them a Major, were killed in an encounter near Bandipore in Baramula district today.

Sources said the encounter that started in Bazpathri Wevan village, near Bandipore in Baramula district, continued till afternoon. Search operations were on to flush out any hiding militants in the area till the reports last came in.

The police had found the dead bodies of four unidentified militants so far. An Army Major, Lalit Kumar, and two jawans were also killed in the encounter, police sources said.

The security forces had recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition during a search operation in the same area yesterday. The police had also found the dead body of Ghulam Ahmad Wani, an accountant from the same village. He had been kidnapped by some unidentified gunmen from his house in nearby Sonarwani village in November last.

A suspect from the Wazirbagh area, near Bakshi Stadium, was apprehended and two grenades were seized from his possession. A Hizbul militant surrendered before the police in Pulwama while another was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Banihal area of Doda district.

DGP’s mailboxes sans lid
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Katra (Jammu), January 17
The Jammu and Kashmir police had with a fanfare couple of years ago installed mailboxes throughout the state to enable the common people to send their complaints directly to the director-general of police (DGP), but now most of these letterboxes are either worn out or are lying unattended.

The letter box with open lid, which is seen in the picture, is at the Darshani Deori here from where the 12 km uphill trek for the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi begins.

Although more than 54 lakh pilgrims begin their pilgrimage from this point every year, but the police, which is posted in strength here, has not bothered to lock the mail box although a number of people might be having complaints and suggestions to make to the DGP.

Similar is the condition of the DGP’s mailboxes in other parts of the state. The rusted mailbox in the Gol Market area of the posh Gandhi Nagar colony in Jammu appears to have never been opened. A thick layer of dust has settled on its lock.

The mailboxes were installed a few years ago to enable people to send their complaints directly to the DGP. With terrorism in the state, many complaints against the police functionaries were bound to arise and the victims were afraid to directly approach the authorities.

Not only the bad condition of these mail boxes, but it has now become very difficult for the common people to reach the police officers for redressal of their complaints. People complain that it has become a fashion for senior officers not to generally answer phone calls of even those who ring them up to complain against police highhandedness or provide information about illegal activities in their areas.