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Mufti’s plan to rake up self-rule in UN harmful:
BJP
Initiate steps on ceasefire: PoK PM
Lashkar ultra killed, 6 arrested
Army adopts schools in Karnah near LoC
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Farmers expect bumper saffron crop
Jawan kills two colleagues, shoots himself to death
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Mufti’s plan to rake up self-rule in UN harmful: BJP
Jammu, October 23 The vice-president of the state unit BJP, Prof Hari Om, in a statement here said the anti-Indian elements would get yet another opportunity to internationalise the Kashmir issue in case the Mufti went ahead with his plan to raise the self-rule issue in the UNGA. Prof Hari Om wondered how the PDP, which was sharing power with the Congress, could advocate the demand that had been designed to distance the state from the rest of the country. He said the BJP could understand the reason behind what the PDP was doing, but was unable to see the reason why the Prime Minister and his advisers were allowing the PDP to queer the Indian pitch in Jammu and Kashmir, overlooking the fact that the only issue which still needed to be resolved between the two countries was the political future of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) ,Gilgit and Baltistan. He said the BJP was perturbed over the report that the Mufti had asked the Prime Minister to initiate serious discussion on Pakistan President’s offer of self-rule and enhanced autonomy to the strife-torn state. Prof Hari Om also took serious exception to reports of the Mufti suggesting that the over 2000 PoK- based separatists and militants of the Kashmir origin should be allowed to return to the valley. He demanded that the elements in the state police and in the administration having links with the ISI of Pakistan should be identified and action should be taken against them. Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader and a former union minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, accused the Congress leadership of having committed follies on the Kashmir issue right from the time of its accession with India. Prof Gupta, who was speaking at a function to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, said that the BJP was opposed to the separate constitution, flag and other symbols of separatism for Jammu and Kashmir. He said because of the struggle by Pandit Prem Nath Dogra and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee many conspiracies of another division of the country were foiled. The pseudo secularism of the Congress leadership had compounded the problems in the country, he alleged. |
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Initiate steps on ceasefire: PoK PM
Jammu, October 23 Sardar Atique Khan, who has expressed concern over the continued violence in Kashmir, wants India to direct its security forces to stop combat operations. In a newspaper interview, the PoK Prime Minister has said if Delhi announced ceasefire within the state he and his government would appeal to militants to stop indulging in the acts of violence. He said, “We have to think of Kashmiri bachao plan because in the battle between the Army and militants innocent people get killed”. He also advised Delhi and Islamabad to keep the peace process on and once the pace of the peace initiative was accelerated elements opposed to it would become irrelevant. Deviating from his government’s earlier stand on the role of the Azad-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Khan said the ruling coalition in the state had its role to play. He said the Azad government could help the atmosphere in the state to improve. Meanwhile, a senior government official, while commenting on Sardar Khan’s suggestion on ceasefire, said, “It is not a bad idea, instead of non-combat operations the government should go in for total ceasefire and wait for the reaction from the militants, especially their patrons across the border”. Another senior police officer, posted in Srinagar, said, “There is a need for differentiating between non-combat operations and total ceasefire”. The officer explained that the non-combat operations initiated by the government in 2001 failed to evoke any response from the militants and instead it gave an opportunity to rebels for regrouping and for expanding their bases. He, however, said “There is no harm in experimenting total ceasefire for a week or so and if the level of violence registered an upward curve the security forces could be asked to be on the offensive again”. |
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Lashkar ultra killed, 6 arrested
Srinagar, October 23 In a joint operation, the police and troops of the Rashtriya Rifles apprehended one Akhter Hussain Khan from Bumhama area of Kupwara district and seized six hand grenades and a radio set from his possession yesterday, an official spokesman said. On the information provided by Khan, an operation was launched to nab six militants who were travelling in a vehicle belonging to a PDP leader, he said. Sources said the vehicle belonged to zonal president of the PDP Ghulam Hassan Rather. “On being intercepted, one of the militants, Mohammad Ashraf Lone opened fire on security forces,” the spokesman said, adding Lone was killed in retaliatory firing yesterday. A pistol, two magazines and 14 rounds were seized from him. Five other Lashkar militants— identified as Ulfat Hussain
Shiekh, Imtiyaz Ahmad Hajam, Shiekhul Islam, Waqar Ahmad Mir and Javed Ahmad Dar — were arrested and eight grenades, one radio set, one pistol, one magazine and 16 pistol rounds were seized from them. The spokesman said the six were waiting for Khan at Sopore to carry out an attack at some place. Although the police accused the PDP leader of being a militant sympathiser, who had provided “all kinds of” assistance to the outfit, no action had been taken against him. The PDP leader, however, said the youth killed by the security forces was a special police officer provided to him as a personal security officer by the Police Department. The spokesman said all militants were involved in a number of grenade attacks in Sopore town in smuggling of arms and ammunition. A case has been registered.
— PTI |
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Army adopts schools in Karnah near LoC
Tangdhar (Kupwara), October 23 “We can look at enhancing standard of education”, said Brig Ravi Thodge of Tangdhar Brigade feeling happy at the response of people. He said it was a “different society” with people being vocal about their issues. “They work together with the Army. After the earthquake last year the bond has been strengthened”, he added referring to relief and rescue operations. Two Army Goodwill schools, Tangdhar and Chiterkote, are working in the area and efforts are on to take over another at Tetwal in current year. Eight micro-hydel projects are to provide power supply to the computer training centres and the schools. Brig Thodge said power supply had been provided to eight schools for smooth functioning of computer systems. Five more schools are being covered under the programme, he said adding that these schools would then be provided with computer systems next year. Two computer training centres for the youth of the area, one at Titwal and Chamkote are already functional, while two more are being set up for imparting training to the youth of the area. While the Army Goodwill School at Chiterkote stands distinct with adequate accommodation and facilities compared to two others in its vicinity, that of Tangdhar gives a different impression at the very outset. Army Goodwill school at Chiterkote is marked by the “Sarhad Ka Taaj” Vision 2010. The Goodwill School at Tangdhar is located at the entry to the township after the long winding slushy road from the 10,000-foot high Nasta Chhun Pass merges into Tangdhar at the height of 6000 feet. Located on a stretch of land between the main road and the brook that cuts through Tangdhar, the school provides wider spectrum for the 230 students, both boys and girls. At present there are nine classes from KG to Class IX and the first batch of students would appear in matriculation examination next year, said the Principal, Major Salil MP. This is the only recognised English medium school his colleagues said. After the ceasefire along the borders and the earthquake that shattered everything last year, “things have changed a lot”, they opined. There is a nominal fee of Rs 100 per month that provides wide range of modern education with computers and other modern tools of education. After the earthquake last year, five students are exempted from the monthly fee while 15 others are sponsored by an NGO from Pune. The NGO makes payment of monthly fee and other expenses, the staff members told this correspondent on his visit to the school in the area. |
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Farmers expect bumper saffron crop
Srinagar, October 23 Men, women and children from several hamlets around this highway township, start their days ahead of Id festival with saffron harvest. This has brought smile on the faces of farmers in the area in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, where vast patches of paddy land suffered heavy damage due to rains and floods only a month ago. It is here that the world’s best saffron grows about 15 km south of Srinagar on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway. At least 2,947 hectares in the Pampore area is under saffron cultivation, which has earned an annual income of over Rs 25 crore. But bad weather conditions with hot dry spells during September and October months had been adversely affecting the crops. However, intermittent rains during the past couple of months have yielded good results, according to the farmers. The farmers, however, lament that the import of saffron from Spain and Iran has been creating problems as their crop did not give the expected turnovers. Many farmers have been of the view to sell the land for construction purposes, the trend which has been on an alarming increase during recent years. The state government has introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Saffron Bill this year to encourage the cultivation of saffron and check the use of land for construction purposes, and to regulate the quality of saffron meant for sale. Minister for Agriculture Abdul Aziz Zargar said the main factors responsible for the reduction in the area of saffron fields were drought, corm rot syndrome and lack of irrigation facilities for which the government was taking enough steps. He added that a research centre had been set up by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir, to produce drought-resistant saffron seed. Meanwhile, the civil secretariat and other government offices are closing here this weekend to re-open in Jammu, winter capital of the state, on November 6.
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Jawan kills two colleagues, shoots himself to death
Jammu, October 23 The jawan of counter insurgency force opened fire on his colleagues on duty in Kewal area of Budhal tehsil around 2.45 pm, a defence spokesman said adding his colleagues died on the spot. The jawan later shot himself dead. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, a police party has rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and ascertained the details of the incidents, official sources said here. This is the second incident of firing by a jawan on his colleagues in Rajouri district since October 21 when Sepoy S.K. Rabha shot dead his three colleagues and injured two others by firing from his service weapon in Naria area. Rabha had also shot himself after the incident and was critically wounded, they said.
— PTI |
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