J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Kargil-Skardoo bus service welcomed
Srinagar, March 17
People residing in Kargil district of Ladakh have hailed the reported Indo-Pak agreement on resuming trans-LoC bus service on the Kargil-Skardoo road, which is being considered among other confidence-building measures between the two neighbouring countries.

Srinagar, March 17 All three foreign heli-skiers and pilot who had gone missing in the high mountains near here yesterday have been rescued after their chopper crashed while landing on the show slopes at height of 4,200 m. Swiss national Slyian Saudane talks on a mobile phone outside a hotel in Srinagar on Saturday. — PTI In video (56k)

Vaishno Devi shrine all set for Navratras
Jammu, March 17
The morning schedule for the daily "aarti" inside the holy cave of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on the opening day of the nine-day-long Navratra festival has been rescheduled in view of the partial solar eclipse on March 19.

Chittisinghpura massacre still haunts him
Jammu, March 17
Seven years have passed since the massacre of 35 Sikhs by unidentified terrorists at Chittisinghpura but Nanak Singh, the lone survivor of the brutal attack, still has fresh in his mind memories of the incident.

D.K. Vaid honoured for Dogri book
Jammu, March 17
The Dogri Sanstha today organised a function here to honour D.K.Vaid, director, School Education, who has been awarded by the Sahitya Akademi for his book on Dogri poetry, "Kore Kakal Korian Talian".

Kargil-Skardoo bus service welcomed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 17
People residing in Kargil district of Ladakh have hailed the reported Indo-Pak agreement on resuming trans-LoC bus service on the Kargil-Skardoo road, which is being considered among other confidence-building measures between the two neighbouring countries. This bus service, after the already operational two services on the Srinagar-Muzaffarbad and the Poonch-Rawlakote axes, was discussed at the recently concluded meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries in Islamabad.

“It is a matter of satisfaction that the two sides have agreed in principle" to resume the bus service, said minister for social welfare Haji Nissar Ali, representing Kargil constituency in the state Assembly. It would fulfill the aspirations of the people of this region, he added. The minister pointed out that Haj pilgrims could also travel by road via Iraq and Iran.

Chief executive officer of the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council Asghar Karbalai said it was a welcome step after the division six decades ago. He claimed that the opening of the 200-km-long Kargil-Skardoo road would benefit 5,000 divided families of the area, with only about 6-km of the road falling in Kargil district. It would also open the old trade route from the Kargil-Skardoo sector to the Central Asia, he added. Karbalai hoped that the bus service would be resumed by this summer.

Former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has hailed the Indo-Pak agreement on speeding up the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir-specific confidence building measures, including operation of the truck service on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road and proposed bus service on the Kargil-Skardu road.

“I am sure such reconciliatory steps would turn a new leaf in the sub-continent’s history and pave the way for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue,” Mufti added. Such steps would open new vistas of economic development for not only Jammu and Kashmir, but the entire region as well. He at the same time stressed on the need for opening of the Suchetgarh-Sialkote road for the people. 

Three foreign skiers, pilot rescued

Srinagar, March 17
All three foreign heli-skiers and pilot who had gone missing in the high mountains near here yesterday have been rescued after their chopper crashed while landing on the show slopes at height of 4,200 m.

They included two French skiers Sylvyn Suadane and Benoid Escouba, Swiss woman skier Daine Schgel and Sucein Brassier, pilot of the helicopter Alouette 316 B. They had gone skiing in the upper reaches of Sonamarg yesterday morning but soon after take off lost contact with the ground.

We were lucky enough and escaped without any injuries”, said group leader Sylvyn soon after their arrival at the Grand Palace hotel here this morning. He said the helicopter crashed while landing on the snow at 1.30 am on Friday.

The skiers used their equipment to reach a safer place and walked down the slopes for about 10 hours. They reached the Dachigam area today morning and informed the local security camp. the pilot, however, could not leave the damaged chopper site due to lack of skiing equipment.

The IAF had launched rescue operation yesterday soon after the incident had been reported, but had to suspend it in the evening due to darkness. The rescue operation was re-launched this morning and the pilot rescued at 11.15 am, the spokesman added.

A CRPF spokesman said the three heli-skiers were rescued by a team of 137 Battalion at Dugwan village in the upper reaches of wildlife sanctuary, Dachigam early today.

Vaishno Devi shrine all set for Navratras
M.L. Kak

Jammu, March 17
The morning schedule for the daily "aarti" inside the holy cave of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on the opening day of the nine-day-long Navratra festival has been rescheduled in view of the partial solar eclipse on March 19.

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board additional chief executive officer Puneet Kumar told The Tribune that the auspicious time for performing the "aarti" inside the holy cave had been rescheduled and would be held only after the solar eclipse was over, as the shrine priests do not consider performing puja auspicious during the eclipse.

The solar eclipse will commence on March 19 at 6.08 am and last till 9.55 am. The shrine priests have decided to start the "aarti" at 10 am.

Reports from Katra, the base camp for the pilgrimage, revealed that the Board expected between 25,000-35,000 pilgrims per day during the Navratras. Besides the facelift of the 13-km mountain track, leading to the holy cave, hotels, guesthouses had also been spruced. A large number of house owners in Katra have already converted part of their residences for the short stay of the pilgrims.

The state Tourism Department has decided to woo a section of Vaishno Devi pilgrims for visiting the nearby picturesque tourist resorts, including Patnitop, Mansar, Surinsar, Sudh Mahadev, Shiv Khori and Mantalai.

The Tourism Department authorities said, “Even if we are able to woo 10 per cent of the pilgrims for visiting various tourist resorts in the state, it would give a big boost to tourist traffic, as the annual number of pilgrims to Vaishno Devi has touched 70 lakh."

Chittisinghpura massacre still haunts him
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 17
Seven years have passed since the massacre of 35 Sikhs by unidentified terrorists at Chittisinghpura but Nanak Singh, the lone survivor of the brutal attack, still has fresh in his mind memories of the incident. Residents of this village will observe the seventh anniversary of the massacre on March 20 even as the Army and CRPF have been deployed in and around the village in Kashmir.

Just a reminder of the brutal incident in which his 16-year-old son Gurmeet Singh, brother Darbari Singh (30) and three first cousins lay dead in a pool of blood sends shivers through his spine. He always carries the photo of Gurmeet Singh in his wallet. His elder son was fortunately out of the village at that time.

Nanak Singh himself lay unconscious on the heap of bodies as he was also shot in the pelvis. He recalls that the 12 terrorists were laughing and sending a signal of “mission accomplished” on the walkie-talkie to someone after the massacre. He was taken to the district hospital at Anantnag and later shifted to Srinagar.

He recalls that it was about 7.45 p.m. and it was drizzling after the village folk had celebrated Holi when two groups of gunmen barged into the village and asked the Sikhs to line up outside the two gurdwaras. Thereafter, they were fired at indiscriminately. Screams of women and children echoed in the village till the next morning when the security forces reached there.

Nanak laments that although seven years have passed but the government has not bothered to order a probe into the massacre. In contrast, the government lost no time in ordering a CBI probe and punishing the guilty Army and police personnel involved in the killing of five persons belonging to the majority community at Pathribal that is just a stone throw away from Chittisinghpura. “Is it a sin to belong to the minority community. I am still feeling insecure and the government has not bothered to provide security to my family,” he said. Nanak Singh says that several top leaders from Delhi and Srinagar visited the village to shed crocodile tears the very next day but they forgot the promises made to the widows once they flew back through the Pir-Panchal ranges.

The village does not have a telephone and the boys had to run 7 km to make a telephone call to inform the police about the massacre. Moreover, the roads to the neighbouring villages inhabited by the majority community are metalled, but Chittisinghpura continues to be linked by a kuchha road, he added.

D.K. Vaid honoured for Dogri book
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 17
The Dogri Sanstha today organised a function here to honour D.K.Vaid, director, School Education, who has been awarded by the Sahitya Akademi for his book on Dogri poetry, "Kore Kakal Korian Talian".

Principal secretary Ashok Angurana, Higher Education, who was the chief guest, appreciated the poetry of Vaid. He lauded the new style of poetry penned by Vaid.

Lalit Magotra, president of the Dogri Sanstha, said his poetry was a ray of hope for the bright future of Dogri.