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Hurriyat upsets Centre’s
calculations
Hurriyat meeting to discuss Pak
visit
Don’t ignore Jammu, Ladakh, says Chaman
Lal
2 LeT militants, JCO killed
Infiltration bids on the decline
March against rape of woman, daughter by
Armymen
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Govt to spend Rs 17.56 cr on primary schools
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Hurriyat upsets Centre’s
calculations Srinagar, November 7 “We have not received any proposal from the Hurriyat for continuation of dialogue, though we were very hopeful during the presence of Mr Patil in Srinagar,” sources in the Central and State Government told The Tribune here. As the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on November 17 and 18, the Centre was keen that the Hurriyat makes a move towards the continuation of the dialogue process as would have given much credence to New Delhi’s efforts vis-à-vis Kashmir. They acknowledged that though the Hurriyat Conference’s popular base is waning day by day due to division within and also the people’s eagerness for peace, the Hurriyat has a role to play in Kashmir. This view was virtually endorsed when Mr Patil told a group of newspersons here this evening that the Centre was committed to continue the dialogue process and “if any group was unable to talk to me now, it could be done later.” While on the one hand, the Centre is keen that the Hurriyat comes back to the negotiating table soon, on the other hand it is attempting to show, through Mr Patil’s series of meetings with various elected representatives, leaders of political parties and other organisations in Srinagar and Jammu, that the Hurriyat is not the sole representatives of Jammu and Kashmir. We don’t want to fix our focus on one particular aspect. “We are committed for an unconditional dialogue with all groups and representatives of all sections of the people,” Mr Patil, said asserting that his visit to Jammu and Kashmir would prove the Centre’s commitment towards dialogue and also a big step forward. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal, who is also accompanying Mr Patil, said the Centre would be happy if the Hurriyat Conference comes back to the negotiation table soon. Despite this eagerness, the Central leaders avoided making any direct statement on whether Hurriyat leaders would be allowed to travel to Pakistan as the ultra groups has said that it would continue the dialogue only if its leaders were allowed to travel to the neighbouring country. “I have already told you if they apply through proper channel, it will be considered,” Mr Patil shot back when asked whether the Centre would permit the Hurriyat leaders to travel to Pakistan. Later addressing a press conference, Mr Patil said the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during his forthcoming visit, would announce a substantial economic package for Jammu and Kashmir in which a lot of thrust will be on employment generation and development of tourism. |
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Hurriyat meeting to discuss Pak
visit
Srinagar, November 7 The meeting will also be significant in view of the much-awaited visit of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, scheduled for the next week. The Home Minister here on Saturday held that the Centre would consider the issue of APHC demand for entering into fresh dialogue. The Abbas-led APHC had two rounds of talks with the NDA government early this year while the third proposed meeting could not be held following the change of guard at the Centre. "It is good that there are no conditions for talks", Moulvi Abbas Ansari said, adding that talks and not war were the only solution to resolution of the issue. He held that the APHC was in favour of the talks to be taken forward from the point these were left after the first two rounds with the former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. The third round with the NDA government scheduled for June this year could not be held following the Lok Sabha elections. Moulvi Abbas Ansari, who stepped down from the chairmanship of the APHC later this year, pointed out that certain "substantial issues" were to be taken in the third round. These issues included an end to the ongoing alleged excesses and atrocities at the hands of security forces, so that people got a feel of the outcome of the talks. Two top executive committee members of the APHC, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Lone, who among others attended the Iftar party at the Pak High Commission in New Delhi last Tuesday are yet to return. The four-member executive committee comprising Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Lone will discuss the fresh developments of the Centre’s approach soon after their return. |
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Don’t ignore Jammu, Ladakh, says Chaman
Lal
Jammu, November 7 But it should be kept in view that the Kashmir valley was just one tenth of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The neglect of Jammu and Ladakh had resulted in the creation of a myth that the valley formed the whole state, he said. The BJP leader pointed out that the Jammu region had more voting strength and was almost double the size of the Kashmir valley. But it was strange that in Parliament, Jammu had been given just two Lok Sabha seats against three to the Kashmir valley. Similarly, in the state Assembly, Jammu had been given 37 seats against 46 to the valley. In other spheres of life too the regions of Jammu and Ladakh had been treated shabbily. This had resulted in regional tensions. Prof Gupta said the Congress leadership and its allies had been parroting that they would rectify regional disparities to ensure a balanced development of all three regions. But the discrimination continued unabated. He recalled that in their Assembly election manifesto of 2002, the Congress and its allies had promised fresh delimitation of the constituencies, statutory regional development boards, implementation of the recommendations of the Wazir Commission to create three new districts of Reasi, Kishtwar and Samba and due representation of Jammu and Ladakh in the Civil Secretariat and other services. But despite two years having Congress, not a single step had been taken to rectify the “wrongs” dones to Jammu and Ladakh. The former Union Minister expressed anguish that whatever steps were taken by the NDA government to improve things in Jammu areas had virtually come to a halt after the change of government at the Centre. In this regard he particularly referred to the upgradation of Medical College Hospital of Jammu to bring it on a par with the All-India Medical Institute and construction of bridges at Basohli and Akhnoor. |
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2 LeT militants, JCO killed
Jammu, November 7 JCO Jagat Bahadur also died in the encounter, the sources added. Two AK rifles, 11 magazines, 85 cartridges, 10 hand grenades, one night-vision device, two radio sets, Rs 45,000 in Indian currency and a large quantity of items of daily use were seized from the slain militants. Searches were continuing in the area when reports last came in. Three Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a sector commander of the outfit, surrendered before the security forces near Banihal in Doda district last evening, according to police sources. They were identified as Mohammad Manswani, Ghulam Hussain, alias Bitta, and Mohammad Elias. Sources said they surrendered along with one AK rifle, one pistol, ammunition and two hand grenades. Meanwhile, the security forces apprehended a militant in the Gajansoo area, near here, last evening. Sources identified him
as Mohammad Afzal. |
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Infiltration bids on the decline
Jammu, November 7 Highly-placed sources said here today that as many as 75 terrorists had been killed while infiltrating this year against 224 in 2001 when as many as 60 infiltration bids were foiled. During the current year as many as 36 infiltration bids have been foiled. The number of infiltration incidents has gradually been declining since 2001 as the border and the Line of Control (LoC) were being fenced. Against 175 infiltrations in 2001, their number came down to 164 in 2002, 138 in 2003 and 93 so far this year. As many as 274 terrorists were killed in 2002, the highest number. In other 2056 terrorist-related incidents in J&K till September this year, 782 ultras, 583 civilians and 221 security force personnel lost their lives. This was lesser than 2001 when in 4522 incidents, as many as 2020 ultras, 919 civilians and 536 security force personnel were killed. The data compiled by the Home Ministry indicates that funds amounting to about Rs 150 crore were flowing into J&K from abroad every year for terrorism. These were being received here mainly through hawala transactions. Although Pakistan has been speaking against terrorism, logistic infrastructure of training camps has not been dismantled there and new camps have been opened and the old ones revived. There were reports of launching detachments, which were earlier closed, having been revived. As many as 47 terrorist training camps have been established in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), 26 in Pakistan and 10 in the northern areas. Besides, 33 terrorist launching detachments have been observed to be active. There were reports of as many as 13,000 messages being passed on to terrorists every month through the 32 control stations clustered in six locations in PoK and 1 in Pakistan. |
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March against rape of woman, daughter by
Armymen
Srinagar, November 7 Residents of Bhaderwain and adjacent villages in Handwara, over 100 km from here, marched to the town demanding that the erring Army personnel, who allegedly raped 30-year-old Aisha and her 12-year-old daughter Shabnum last night, should be brought to book, official sources said. The protesters alleged that a unit of the 30 Rashtriya Rifles descended upon the residence of Abdul Rashid last night on the pretext of conducting searches, the sources said. The demonstrators said Rashid was asked to wait outside while his wife and daughter were asked to show the Army personnel around the house where they were raped. Defence spokesman Lt Col V.K. Batra, however, told reporters that the allegations were baseless and said a unit of the 30 RR was on its way to the Shallapur police post which had come under firing from militants when they were tipped off about the presence of militants in the house of Rashid. Claiming that their medical examination ruled out rape, Col. Batra, however, said District Magistrate, Kupwara, had ordered an inquiry into the incident. This is the third allegation of rape against Army personnel in the past 10 days. On November 4, an Army unit was accused of gang-raping 19-year-old Parveen at Mattan in Anantnag district. A probe has been ordered into the incident. Last month, two Army personnel were alleged to be involved in a gang-rape. —
PTI |
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Govt to spend Rs 17.56 cr on primary schools
Srinagar, November 7 This was stated at a meeting of zonal planning officers, principals and headmasters of the district convened by Minister for Education G.N. Lone yesterday at Kupwara to review the progress registered in the district. Since the installation of the present government, 133 teachers and 230 education volunteers have been engaged in the district. “The coalition government is firm on its stand of bringing development, peace and prosperity in the state,” Mr Lone said, stressing upon officers and teachers that a vigorous campaign needed to be launched in the district so that illiteracy was rooted out. —
PTI |
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