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PM in Kashmir as troop de-induction begins Srinagar, November
17 The PM declared today that his government was ready for an unconditional dialogue with anyone or everyone who abjures violence and said if infiltration and violence remained under control, it would make it easier for him to seek further reduction of troops. "Our Government is committed to an unconditional dialogue with anyone and everyone in the state who abjures violence. This dialogue should be and will be carried forward," the PM, on his first visit to Kashmir after assuming office, said. He was addressing convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences here. "I have already issued instructions to reduce the number of troops deployed in the state. If conditions improve and if the incidence of infiltration and violence remain under control, it will make it easier for me to seek a further reduction of troops," he said. Dr Singh said his Government wanted Kashmir to once again become a "symbol of hope, peace, prosperity and cultural pluralism". It was committed to ensuring peace with dignity and self-respect, he said. Emphasising that New Delhi wanted purposeful dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, he said the only condition was that Pakistani territory should not be used for terrorist activities against India. "Our government is committed to a purposeful dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. The only condition is that, as agreed to by Pakistan, territories under its control should not be used to promote cross-border terrorism directed against us," the Prime Minister said. "We are working with Pakistan to see an end to violence in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. On Government's willingness to talk with militants if they shunned violence, the Prime Minister said the task of reconstructing Kashmir couldn’t wait until these dialogues arrived at a satisfactory conclusion. "We cannot afford this luxury. The challenge is to begin peace building in Kashmir now," he said, adding: “There may be forces that do not share our vision and actively seek to undermine it.” "I want the
journey to begin here and now in Kashmir," he said. The Prime
Minister said: "we have dreams for India and similar dreams for
our neighbours, particularly Pakistan, our close neighbour," and
added: "We like to live together in peace". e said Kashmir
needed jobs, tourists, connectivity, credit, agro-industry and power. The Centre will plan holistic, long-term, social and economic development of the state and identify sources of earning. Observing that the
Kashmiri people had gone through a traumatic experience over the last
decade and half, the Prime Minister said he shared their grief and
understood how difficult if often could be to believe that a better
future lay ahead. He said he had come to Kashmir not with a package, but with a plan to reactivate the economy, reform the government, regenerate the entrepreneurship, revitalise the institutions of civil society and redefine the political paradigm and in the context the sub-continent. Meanwhile, coinciding with the visit of Prime Minister, the Army today began reduction of troops in Kashmir, moving the first column out from Anantnag district. "The first column of troops moved out of Anantnag at 8 am," Brigadier General Staff of Srinagar-based 15 Corps of the Army, J. S. Kataria, told PTI. Nearly 3,000 personnel (nearly two battalions and a half) were scheduled to be de-inducted today from Sharifabad in Srinagar and Awantipura in Pulwama districts, defence sources said. However, Brig
Kataria said: "We cannot give any further details on this
de-induction process at the moment, as it is a matter of military
operations." The Prime Minister, who had announced troops
reduction last week, began his two-day visit to the state this
morning. — PTI |
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Strike hits life in J-K as PM arrives Srinagar, November 17 Shops and business establishments, banks, courts and educational institutions remained closed while work in government and semi-government offices was badly hit, official sources said. Public and private transport was off the roads in the city and elsewhere in response to the strike called by Syed Ali Shah Geelani led Hurriyat faction and supported by some militant organisations. Heavy deployment of security forces in the summer capital in the wake of the Prime Minister's visit and a gun battle near the venue of his meeting this morning added to the impact of the strike. Geelani's Hurriyat has called for the strike, saying economic packages or special concessions cannot lure Kashmiris to give up their struggle. — PTI
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Gunfire ahead of PM’s visit; 2 militants shot Srinagar,
November 17 The paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) said both militants, who had taken authorities by surprise after taking over the partly desolate Suleiman shopping complex located on Shankaracharya Hill, here had been shot. "We have killed the two and the operation is finally over," BSF officer K. Srinivasan told reporters. At least one BSF soldier and a civilian were wounded in the gun battle that lasted almost two hours. A police official told IANS: "We are still checking the complex to see if any other militant is still hiding or if the militants have left explosives behind." At least two people, including a paramilitary soldier, were wounded in the surprise attack by the gunmen who managed to breach what officials claimed would be an impregnable security net for Manmohan Singh, who is paying his first visit to the state after becoming Prime Minister in May. A part of the Suleiman shopping complex is on the hill and partly at its foot. The gunmen first took over the hilltop complex, which has only been partly built and opened fire on the security forces. The hill overlooks the city and is just some 500 metres from the Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium where Manmohan Singh was scheduled to address a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The
police said in view of the firing and resultant security scare, the
rally had been put off by about two hours and would now take place at
about 3.30 pm. Dr Manmohan Singh's two-day visit, during which he will also travel to Jammu, is the first to the state by a Prime Minister since Atal Bihari Vajpayee's trip last April when he heralded the India-Pakistan peace moves. The PM, who flew in from New Delhi, first went to the governor's house, located in a high security zone, and then the revered shrine of Hazratbal on the outskirts of the city. His visit has raised expectations in the state. Many are expecting him to make announcements that would bail the state out of its chronic financial and power crisis. In September 2003, when Vajpayee was here in connection with the Inter-State Council meet, guerrillas had entered the Greenway hotel in Srinagar and gunned down Javaid Shah, one of the most feared counter-insurgent leaders of Kashmir. Wednesday's guerrilla attack is likely to act as a dampener on locals who intended to attend the PM's public meeting. — IANS
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