Jammu, March 6
Internationally acclaimed human rights activist and chairperson of the Pakistan National Human Rights Commission (PNHRC) Asma Jahangir arrived here today on a two-day visit to the state as a special rapporteur of the United Nations for Freedom of Religions and Beliefs.

The visit assumes significance in the backdrop of strong opposition by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the parliament yesterday, which questioned the visit of any Pakistani human rights activist to Jammu and Kashmir.

However, what Jahangir said here must be music to the BJP ears. Without wanting to comment on whether the secessionists in the Kashmir valley should participate in the elections or not, she remarked, in a democracy right to vote was a basic right and nobody should deny it.

“Preventing people from casting their vote by force or any other means amounts to violation of the human rights,” she remarked.

To another question whether she planned to meet the secessionist leadership in Kashmir, she said, she was here as a representative of the United Nations with special brief about human rights. Once she would be here as a Pakistani she would like to talk to them also, she said.

Jahangir refused her comment on Asif Ali Zaradari’s suggestion that Kashmir should be shelved for the time being.

The noted human rights activist was all praise for Indian democracy, which she said, had firmed up its roots deep in the soil. She also had special praise for the secular character of Indian democracy.

On the return of democracy in Pakistan, she said, it was a healthy development for the country and its positive impact would also be felt on the Indo-Pak relations also.

Today she met a number of people and leaders of various political parties including the National Conference.

Jahangir, accompanied by another UN rapporteur, Michael Wiener, started her visit to India on March 3 and would be here till March 20. She is scheduled to meet government officials, policy makers and academics as well as members and leaders of religious communities and civil society organisations.

A comprehensive report with conclusions and recommendations will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council.

Srinagar, March 6
Renowned Pakistani lawyer and chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Asma Jahangir arrived in Jammu today. She is scheduled to arrive in Srinagar tomorrow.

During her two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Jahangir is scheduled to have meetings with several leaders of separatist and mainstream political parties.

On her arrival in Jammu, Jahangir held meetings with senior journalists, social workers, human rights activists, representatives of various political parties and with the migrant Kashmiri Pandit leaders. They included senior journalists Ved Bhasin and Sat Pal Sahni, and Balraj Puri, chairman, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties.

Before her visit to the state, Jahangir had called on the PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, in New Delhi yesterday, to get a feel of the prevailing political and security situation in the state.

In her interaction with Jahangir, the PDP President said the peace process between India and Pakistan had provided a space for the amicable settlement of the Kashmir issue and both the countries should seize the moment to resolve this problem for good.

She said the civil society in both the countries had played a crucial role in strengthening the peace initiatives by mobilising a strong public opinion in support of these initiatives. She said leadership of the two countries must not only consolidate the confidence building process, but expand it further to broaden its base.

The PDP president said the biggest contribution of the peace and the confidence building process was that it had helped in building a favourable public mood in support of the peaceful resolution of the contentious issues confronting the two countries.

“I think the time has come when both the countries must address the Kashmir issue with political will and move ahead on the path of prosperity to reap the benefits of globalisation and economic liberalisation sweeping the region”, she said.

Mufti said people of both the countries in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular had suffered immensely because of the Indo-Pak hostility and there was need to use all their political resources to come out of the vicious circle of violence. 

Srinagar, March 6
Former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said a defining moment had arrived for the amicable settlement of Kashmir issue, and it was time to focus on the resolution of the problem by adding substance to the peace process through substantial confidence building measures.

The PDP patron today had extensive deliberations with several central leaders including former Prime Ministers I.K. Gujral and V.P. Singh, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and home minister Shivraj Patil.

Mufti, according to a PDP spokesman, during his meetings reiterated that the fast-changing equations in and around Jammu and Kashmir offer the country’s leadership a great opportunity to make India more at peace not only with its neighbours, but also with itself.

“The emerging encouraging scenario offers a momentous opening for conceiving an exceptional grand strategy for the country and the region in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The former chief minister added the Indo-Pak peace process had provided a strong foundation to build upon and it could be further fortified by reconciling the past misgivings and leaving for future generations a different prosperous world.

Mufti said the people of this trouble torn state, who suffered immense tragedies because of the Indo-Pak hostility, could greatly gain from the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries.

“I visualise a space of dignity, opportunity and prosperity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the paradigm of friendship and cooperative relationship between India and Pakistan,” Mufti said.

He added that the peace process had already created a notable impact as it has brought into focus the convergence of our interests rather than the hackneyed rivalries.

During his meetings with the central leaders, the former Chief minister stressed the need for accelerating the pace of implementing J&K-specific confidence building measures that were in tune with the state’s fast improving security situation.

“Alongside cross-LoC confidence building measures, the Government of India must pep up the intra-state confidence building process starting with thinning the strength of troops deployed on internal security duties in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He held that the special powers given to the security forces must also be revoked completely to allow local institutions take charge of the fast-changing situation and consolidate it further through the involvement of the people.

“We cannot wait till the last gun falls silent and must trust the people of the state,” he said. He also dwelled in detail on the emerging political situation in Pakistan and its impact on Jammu and Kashmir. He also dwelt on the prevailing political and security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu, March 6
Reiterating India’s stand that bilateral ties with Pakistan should not be held hostage to Kashmir dispute, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has expressed happiness over positive change in the thinking of the Pakistani leadership hoping that “Pak leadership would not succumb to any pressure.”

Talking to mediapersons at Jagti near Nagrota today, Azad while reacting to Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari’s recent statement on Kashmir said, “It is encouraging to see that the change in the thinking process in Pakistan is not restricted to an individual but the country’s leadership as such is moving ahead of its stated position for the past 60 years.”

Zardari had reportedly said that India and Pakistan should move along and Kashmir issue can wait. Azad said, “Zardari had spoken what President Musharraf had been saying for the past few years,” adding “former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also spoken in positive tone.”

“We were apprehensive that the recently held elections in Pakistan might throw up a government that will reverse the policy of the Gen Musharraf government and go back to the old position,” said Azad.

He added, “Zardari’s statement is a welcome development because improvement in bilateral ties is not only beneficial for India and Pakistan but would be helpful to the entire world.” “Trade, commerce, tourism, people-to-people contact and cultural and educational exchanges must go on alongside dialogue process,” he added.

“After 9/11 tragedy opinion against terror has started gaining momentum internationally,” he said, adding “In Jammu and Kashmir also people are fed up with violence.” He also took stock of satellite township fast coming up at Jagti at a cost of Rs 294 crore.

Talking to media persons, Azad said, “About 20,000 displaced families will be housed in the township and it would be as populated as many of our district headquarters.”

“While the township is being raised under Prime Minister’s package the state government will construct roads, hospitals, dispensaries and schools,” he said.

In all 178 blocks comprising 4228 two-room flats having attached bathrooms and kitchens are being constructed. The mega project would be completed by September, 2009.

Jammu, March 6
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has emphasised on a joint survey by the revenue, forest and R&B departments to clear road projects taken up under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in the state.

He said a monitoring committee should be set for the speedy implementation of the survey. Azad was chairing a high-level meeting in Jammu yesterday to discuss how to eliminate delays in the implementation of the PMGSY projects and take measures for their early completion.

Minister for forests, Qazi Muhammad Afzal, R & B minister Jugal Kishore, minister of state for R&B Gharu Ram, minister of state for forests G.M. Saroori, chief secretary B.R. Kundal, principal secretary Anil Goswami, divisional commissioner, Jammu, commissioner/secretary, forests, commissioner/secretary law, secretary, revenue, secretary, R&B and deputy commissioners of all districts of Jammu province were also present at the meeting.

According to an official press note, the meeting was taken in the backdrop of the recent discussion the Chief Minister had with Union minister for rural development, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, in New Delhi where the Union ministry had approved 378 new roads for the state under the PMGSY, at Rs 1,175 crore.

The projects are expected to cover 700 rural habitations in the state.

The Chief Minister impressed upon the officers concerned to accord top priority to the speedy implementation of the road projects and remove bottlenecks by a mechanism of a joint survey and monitoring. It was decided that land acquisition cases under the PMGSY would now onwards be directly sent by DCs to the revenue secretary for approval to save time. The cases would be sent through special messengers instead of normal letter to cut on transmission time.

Likewise, delegation of powers was also decided to be effected in the forest department for similar objective. A monitoring committee would be set up under a tehsildar comprising officials of revenue, forest and R & B departments to oversee the implementation of the PMGSY projects. 

Jammu, March 6
Welcoming Pakistan’s goodwill gesture by releasing Kashmir Singh after he spent 35 years in prisons there, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today described it as a new beginning to see other Indian prisoners walk into freedom.

Responding to media queries on the sidelines of the 3rd All-India Police Martyrs’ Hockey Tournament here, Azad said, “It is a good beginning towards the release of other Indian prisoners detained in Pakistan jails.”

Azad said he hoped that the release of Kashmir Singh would start the process of freeing other prisoners as well. When asked about prisoners languishing in Pakistan jails, Azad said the Indian Government had been pursuing with Islamabad to release other Indian prisoners as well.

“The matter was being pushed ever since relations between the two countries had started improving,” he added. Responding to another question regarding the recent statement of the co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, suggesting that the Kashmir issue should not be allowed to become a stumbling block in improving bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, Azad said India had always stated that trade, tourism, people-to-people contact and exchanges of journalists and politicians should go side-by-side with the dialogue process.

“These things should not wait for the ultimate outcome of the peace process,” he added.

Jammu, March 6
The problem of stress that has been haunting the Indian Army for long and has not even spared the other defence services.

The problem caused by stress has also engulfed the Indian Air Force and now the authorities of the Indian Air Force have decided to take the help of yoga to distress the officers, airmen and their families. In this connection, the Air Force Station, Jammu, has organised a four-day yoga camp under the aegis of the Bharatiya Yoga Sansthan.

“The camp is camp is being organised as a welfare measure for the benefits of Air Force personnel and their families,” read an official release from the Jammu-based PRO of the ministry of defence, Lt-Col. S.D. Goswami.

The yoga camp which was inaugurated by officiating station commander two days ago, wing commander J.S. Hora, would benefit more than 200 personnel of the Air Force deployed in at the Air Force Station, Jammu.

The Indian Army has lost many soldiers and officers to the stress, as incidents of suicides and fratricides in the defence forces have seen a steep increase in the past few years.

Speaking to The Tribune, Lt-Col. S.D. Goswami said, “All the three services have taken various preventive measures to check the increase in the stress level and various committees by top officials have found that stress is not due to the operational responsibilities, but in a majority of cases, stress comes due to domestic reasons.”

The Air Force has sought the help of yoga masters to de-stress their personnel, so that they should not face incidents of suicide and fratricides in them.

An air force officer on the condition of anonymity said, “The Army has suffered a lot due to increased stress in their soldiers. The air force personnel too work in isolation and their families and have similar problems back home.”

Adding he said, “The higher ups in the air force took the decision to de-stress the personnel of the air force to avoid any such situation that the Indian Army is facing.” To de-stress the air force personnel, the Air Force has taken the help from Bharatiya Yog Sansthan, a Delhi-based volunteer organisation which is promoting yoga, pranayam and dhyan to all personnel.

Jammu, March 6
For the past more than 60 years, Jammu has become one of the major hub for the refugees who got displaced from their homes for one reason or the other. The first such migration to Jammu took place 60-years-ago during independence that led to the country’s partition.

A large number of Hindu and Sikh migrants, migrated to Jammu from east and west Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). They came and settled in Jammu with the hope of a better future. But 60 years have since passed and many are still fighting to attain their fundamental rights, enjoyed by citizens of the country.

According to a recent report there are over 50,000 Hindu families who fled Pakistan to escape the 1947 partition violence and after having spend six decades in the state, they were still being seen as “outsiders.” The wars that broke out with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971 also forced thousands of people living near the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border to migrate to Jammu region.

Armed insurgency that erupted in Kashmir 18-years-ago forced more than three lakh Kashmiri Pandits to migrate to Jammu. Around 9,000 Sikhs and almost an equal number of Kashmiri Muslims also migrated to Jammu to save their lives from militancy.

Various other districts, including Doda, Kistwar, Rajouri and Poonch also saw mass migration of the minority community after they became victims of militancy. All such migrants came and settled down in Jammu. Residents of border areas who were affected due to cross-border shelling also came and settled down in Jammu, though a majority of them returned back after the two countries agreed on a ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC).

Jammu natives feel that the “huge inflow” of migrants to Jammu had created a resource crunch in the area. “Jammu has become the migrant capital of the country, the resources are limited and we are not against the people who were victims of turmoil, but it becomes the responsibility of the government to take measures to provide equal opportunity to everybody,” said Vikram Singh, a Jammu resident.

Speaking to The Tribune, professor Lalit Mangotra, a noted scholar and president of the Dogri Sanstha said, “The increase in population is due to migration or whatever reason, but the government should provide more opportunities by creating more avenues for the people.”

Adding he said, “Nobody wants to leave his house, and live the life of a refugee. But as these people are victims of turmoil, we should not think that they are a burden on us.”

Srinagar, March 6
A controversial method adopted by the municipal authorities to rid the city of stray dogs has raised the hackles of animal lover groups but is unlikely to meet any serious opposition from people.

The municipal authorities have decided as part of their anti-rabies programme to poison dogs which, they say, have become a big nuisance for society. "We plan to kill thousands of dogs which have increased exponentially in numbers over the past few years," Mushtaq Ali Wani, an official said.

The crude method has been largely abandoned as activists regard it cruel to animals but the authorities here say this is the most effective weapon and "we have to put the welfare of people above the dogs". With little sympathy coming from the government, the animal rights group here may go to courts as a last resort.

However, people are largely supportive of municipal corporation's drive. "What are the options left? They have no concern for our kids who are bitten by stray dogs forcing us to go for expensive treatment but they are more bothered about dogs," Rashid Zargar, a shopkeeper at Lal Chowk said.