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Jammu, December 13 Internal dissensions have begun to plague Tehrik Hurriyat Kashmir headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who has decided to deal firmly with those who go against the constitution of the three-month old separatist conglomerate. Army quiet on fake surrender by ultras Srinagar, December 13 Four persons, including a militant, were killed while the security forces arrested two ultras in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.
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Mir Qasim’s burial today
Exhibition on Dogri literature concludes
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Geelani sends notice to Shia leader M.L. Kak Our Correspondent Jammu, December 13 Mr Geelani has sent a show-cause notice to senior Shia leader Aga Hassan Budgami, asking him to explain why he had participated in the hunger strike organised by the rival amalgam, the AHPC, against alleged human rights violations by the security forces in Srinagar recently. Mr Geelani and the rival action of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Molvi Umar Farooq have often crossed swords after the split in the APHC during the past one year. As such, he could not tolerate one of the members of his faction joining hands with the rival organisation. The Geelani faction has suspended Mr Azam Inquilabi, chief of Mahazi Azadi (Liberation Front), from the party after he pleaded for reconciliation between the two factions. After the split in the APHC Peoples’ League, President Sheikh Aziz had joined the group headed by Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Mr Geelani was instrumental in a patch-up between the Sheikh and his rival, Mr Mohammad Yusuf Mir. However, the differences between the two have re-surfaced. Following the split in the People’s Conference, Mr G.M. Hibbi and Mr G. A. Gulzar had joined the camp headed by Mr Geelani. The two parted ways forcing the leadership of Tehrik Hurriyat Conference to expel Mr Gulzar from the conglomerate. Reports said several members in Tehrik Hurriyat Kashmir were in favour of unity among separatist groups but were nursing a grudge after Mr Geelani vetoed their suggestion. In fact efforts by Molvi Umar Farooq and the JKLF Chief, Mr Mohammad Yasin Malik, for bringing about a rapprochement between the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference had failed owing to the “rigid attitude” of Mr Geelani. A senior APHC leader said Mr Geelani had even ignored Pakistani leaders who had asked him to accept the unity formula. Former Chairman of the APHC Prof Abdul Gani Bhat told this correspondent that soon Mr Geelani would find himself isolated. Inside reports said Mr Geelani had rejected the suggestion mooted by Mr Azam Inquilabi, chief of Mahazi Azadi, that while Molvi Umar Farooq should continue to head the APHC, Mr Geelani could be installed as its patron in the interest of unity among the separatists.
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Army quiet on fake surrender by ultras M.L.Kak Jammu As many as 47 militants had surrendered and the ceremony was watched by senior Army and police authorities at the 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota, near here, on November 9.Within one week 26 boys, who had surrendered, were found to be “fake” militants. Preliminary inquiries had revealed that one source Bashir Ahmed Golu had engineered the surrender of 26 civilians who were later sent back to their parents in Budgam district. At one stage the Army authorities are said to have planned to hold a court of inquiry. However, they have abandoned the idea for the time being after suggesting to the state government to hold the inquiry. Chief of Staff 16 Corps, Major-Gen Mand-hota Singh, has said “we have not ordered any inquiry. From the media reports the state government has decided to hold one.” The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, has said “the state and the central Governments have taken a note of the incident. It has to be investigated into so that the culprits are punished.” The Army authorities were right when they said that since the rise of militancy in the state, groups of militants surrendered before the troops or the police. The Nagrota surrender, the authorities say, was not something unique. They explained that “if some boys were shown to be prepared to surrender and later they were not militants we have no mechanism for determining the truth. The matter needs to be probed by the police or the state agencies.” Inside reports said that the source who engineered the surrender, had done so for pecuniary gains as each boy who surrendered with weapons was entitled to Rs.1500 as maintenance allowance per month and Rs.1.50 lakh as fixed bank account which he could withdraw after three years when his conduct remained satisfactory. But the main issue that needs to be probed pertains to 26 weapons which were deposited by the “fake” militants at the time of their surrender. If the Army authorities hold a court of inquiry they have to find out the source from where 26 weapons were procured. Whether the source was organising the surrender for pecuniary gains or he was an ISI agent trying to gain goodwill of senior Indian Army functionaries by bringing 26 “fake” militants with weapons for surrender ? Had the Army personnel who organised the surrender of the militants brought the 26 weapons out of some old recoveries ? Why did not the Army authorities refer each militant to the state police or intelligence agencies for verification ? Why did officers at Nagrota headquarters not inquire from senior Army functionaries from Budgam whether the boys who have surrendered were militants or not ? These questions need to be answered and that is possible only after holding an inquiry. Though the controversy has not died yet, the state government is yet to fulfil its commitment of holding investigations in the matter. Analysts here favour a thorough probe because the Army personnel at Nagrota had not been in a position to smell the rate when the boys were with them for about two months.
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Militant among four killed Srinagar, December 13 A group of armed persons entered the shop of Mushtaq Ahmad Shah at Sangam Bijbehara in south Kashmir last evening and fired upon those present. One Abdul Hamid Dar died while Mushtaq Ahmad was injured. Ahmad died later in the hospital. Mohammad Sharief was strangled to death by militants in his own house at Mangta last night. Meanwhile, the security forces shot dead a militant at Balnoi in Poonch district last night. One AK rifle, three magzines, two grenades, 85 rounds and one wireless set were seized. Two militants were also arrested at Kralgund and Mankote last night. The spokesman said Ghulam Qadir Waza was injured in a blast at Palhalan link road in Baramula district last evening. However, villagers today disrupted traffic on Srinagar-Uri national highway since early this morning, alleging that the security forces had forced a local resident to remove an explosive device from the field. The villager was critically injured in the act, agitators said. Senior civil and police officials failed to persuade the villagers to allow vehicles on the highway till this afternoon and authorities had to divert all traffic via Sumbal. — UNI
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Mir Qasim’s burial today Tribune News Service Srinagar, December
13 He was 83, a senior leader of the Congress and remained Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister between 1971 and 1975. He stepped down to pave the way for Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to take over as the Chief Minister in 1975 after the Indira-Abdullah accord. Syed Mir Qasim’s death has been widely mourned here by the mainstream political parties, the Congress and the National Conference. Mir Qasim, joined politics in the late 1940’s as a member of the Constituent Assembly. All the offices of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and educational institutions remained closed today as a mark of respect to the departed leader. A three-day state mourning has been ordered beginning today. The government has decided to accord state funeral to the departed leader. The two sons of late Mir Qasim, Dr Sajjad Hussain and Mir Javed have arrived from the USA and Bankok, respectively. The body would be taken to their residence at Burzullah on the airport road. Several friends and political workers thronged the residence at Burzullah here throughout the day today, however, without meeting any of the close relatives who have been by the side of the late leader in New Delhi. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has expressed grief and shock over the demise of the Syed Mir Qasim. In his message, Mufti said Mir Qasim was an able statesman and a distinguished politician who had made a significant contribution to the political history of Jammu and Kashmir at a crucial stage. Former Chief Minister and patron of the National conference Dr Farooq Abdullah also expressed shock and grief over the death of Syed Mir Qasim. He lauded the role of Mir Qasim, who had joined politics with the Sheikh’s close associate Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beigh. Congress workers held a condolence meeting in south Kashmir and paid rich tributes to the departed leader. Syed Mir Qasim, who joined active politics in 1946 had taken over as the Chief Minister on December 12, 1971 after the death of his predecessor, G.M. Sadiq and retained the chair till February 1975. After joining active politics in 1946 during “Quit Kashmir Movement” against the Dogra rule, Mir Qasim became member of the Jammu and Kashmir State Constituent Assembly in 1951 and Chief Parliamentary Secretary in 1952. He became Cabinet Minister in 1953. He Remained first chief of the state Congress committee from 1965 to 1969, and was again PCC chief in 1970. The former Chief Minister also remained in the Union Cabinet as Minister for Civil Supplies from 1976 to 1977, as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1975 to 1978.
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Exhibition on Dogri literature concludes Tribune News Service Jammu,
December 13 Hundreds of reprints of Pant's poems were sold during the exhibition that was visited by a large number of people. The poem was about the experiences encountered by two village boys who visited the town for the first time. Pant is described as the doyen of the modern poetry that gave birth to the Dogri literature. This was the first such exhibition of Dogri literature, audio CDs and pictures of Dogri history that was organised by the Dogri Sanstha. Dr Lalit Magotra, president of the sanstha, said here today that he was surprised when several young visitors asked for books on Dogra history written in Dogri language. He said even the Dogra writers had authored the local history books either in English or Hindi. Significance is attached to the exhibition as this was being held close on the heels of Dogri being included in the eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The photo exhibition depicting the Dogra history put up by the Archaeological Survey of India generated a lot of interest among the young and old. The finds from Munawar, Ambaram and other places depicting the Dogra history and also terracottas with Greek influence were displayed in the exhibition. Dr Magotra said five new books in Dogri script were also released during the exhibition.
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