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Amarnath Land Row
BJP wants land restored to Amarnath Shrine Board
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BJP: State admn communal, biased
Pak army forms border teams to boost infiltration
Damage to Public Property
‘Sangh playing Hindu card’
Arrest slide in bilateral ties: Mufti to India, Pak
Marriage brings out Hindu-Muslim warmth
Shutdowns, curfews hit life
No invitation yet from govt: Samiti
NSF supports Jammu agitation
Police action ‘triggered’ more protests
Use of excessive force condemned
NC welcomes judicial probe
Hideout busted in Bandipore
Permanent state residents entitled to registration
Navy divers to search for boy’s body in Jhelum
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Supply of essential items to Kashmir blocked
Udhampur, July 29 More than 60 vehicles were damaged at several places on the highway and 12 persons were injured. Since morning hundreds of activists who were staging a dharna on the national highway did not allowed any vehicle to proceed further. The Udhampur unit of the Sangharh Samiti took out a procession from Dabbar Chowk. Within minutes hundreds of people joined the protest and moved towards Jekhani where they sat on dharna on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Protestors especially blocked the vehicles carrying essential commodities towards the Kashmir valley. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded as protestors blocked even the by-pass road. Although there was heavy deployment of force in the area, the protestors outnumbered the cops and resorted to pelting stones on vehicles proceeding towards the valley, injuring some people. Some youths carrying rods and wooden sticks damaged vehicles. Addressing a gathering on the national highway, leaders of the Sangharsh Samiti regretted that residents of the Jammu region had been agitating for the past one month but the authorities did not seem to serious about breaking the deadlock. Meanwhile, Udhampur, Ramnagar, Reasi, Rehbal, Majalata, Chenani and adjoining localities observed a total shutdown on the fifth consecutive day. Effigies of NC president Omar Abdullah were burnt at several places. |
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Amarnath Land Row
Jammu, July 29 Addressing a press conference here today, state BJP vice-president Hari Om said they were of the firm view that the opposition to the land transfer to the board was "built up in tandem by a section of the Congress with communal forces in the valley, spearheaded by the likes of Ali Shah Geelani and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed". He alleged that the mobilisation of masses against the Amarnath yatra in the valley was abetted by the Congress. "Separatist leaders like Ali Shah Geelani and Ayesha Andrabi were allowed by the Congress-led government to preach brazen communalism and spit venom against India while the police was made to observe it silently," he charged. He also accused the Congress of arranging high-profile meetings of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti in Pakistan where she "attacked India's sovereignty and secular ideology". The BJP leader sdaid that a high-powered delegation of the BJP would visit the winter capital in a couple of days to take stock of the situation. The party also planned to raise the issue at the national level by staging a dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence on August 2. Reacting to the charges of the BJP giving a communal tinge to the land row, Prof Hari Om said: "We haven't created the issue. In fact, it has been created by those who followed a policy of appeasement and hurt the sentiments of Hindus. The BJP is not leading the stir and the "misinformation campaign" unleashed by the Congress, NC and PDP against the party in this regard would prove counter-productive. |
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BJP wants land restored to Amarnath Shrine Board
Jammu, July 29 CPM secretary M.Y.Tarigami said today "I have already talked to the Governor regarding the need for reconstituting the board so that non-state subjects were shunted out." This could mellow down the anger in Kashmir where people and political leaders believe that the board was being run by non-state subjects. Tarigami reiterated his demand for an all-party meeting to resolve the turmoil over the revocation of the land order. Ghulam Hassan Mir, chief of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party, said "I want the board to be run by Hindus belonging to Jammu and Kashmir." "Do we have a dearth of Hindu scholars in Jammu and Kashmir who could be appointed as members of the board?" he asked. Moreover, Hindus within Jammu and Kashmir used to organise the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave for several decades. In reply to a question Mir said "I want to see all religious boards to be free from government control". While endorsing Mir's stand Tarigami said "let some prominent social and religious leaders head the boards, including the Waqf Board." He said "by allowing a Hindu Governor to head the boards of Hindu shrines and a Muslim Chief Minister to head the Waqf Board we are simply promoting communal divide." However, BJP President Ashok Khajuria said "let the land be restored to the shrine board after which we can decide on the reconstitution of the board.” Senior Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh expressed doubts if the reconstitution of the board would help resolve the turmoil in Jammu. He said the board could be reconstituted by an amendment to the Shrine Board Act but the Governor could issue an ordinance for the reconstitution of the board. He, however, stated that the Governor should first discuss various issues pertaining to the land revocation order with prominent leaders of different hues belonging to the Kashmir valley and then convene an all-party meeting. He and Tarigami were of the opinion that the problem could be sorted out through a sustained dialogue. |
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BJP: State admn communal, biased
Jammu, July 29 Addressing a number of public rallies at Sarore Adda, Samba, Dayalachak and Hiranagar today, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria held Governor N.N. Vohra and his administration responsible for the present turmoil. The Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti organised the rallies. “The Governor, in order to appease separatists and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), took a spate of decisions, which not only have hurt religious sentiments of Hindus across the country but also added fuel to the fire resulting into killings of innocent people besides triggering a massive agitation in the entire Jammu province,” he said. He said the Amarnath pilgrimage had been an annual exercise with lakhs of pilgrims visiting the holy cave every year but ever since the Congress-PDP coalition took over in the state, repeated efforts were made during the last five years to sabotage the pilgrimage. He said the PDP had launched a misinformation campaign to mislead the people in the Kashmir valley for petty political gains over the issue of land transfer. Paying rich tributes to three youths Manjeet Kumar, Ramesh Kumar and Kuldeep Dogra, Khajuria said their sacrifices would not go waste and the Hindu community would never forget them. Reiterating his party's full support to the ongoing agitation being spearheaded by the samiti, the BJP chief said the agitation had now assumed the shape of people's movement and no force on the earth could now suppress their voice till the goal was achieved. |
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Pak army forms border teams to boost infiltration
Jammu, July 29 According to intelligence inputs, the Pakistan army has constituted border area teams (BAT) consisting of specially trained soldiers to further facilitate the cross-border infiltration of trained militants, reveal intelligence inputs. “These teams consist of 10 to 15 specially trained soldiers who have been assigned the job to attack an isolated Indian post on the border and inflict maximum damage to it,” an intelligence source informed The Tribune. He said, “Yesterday’s attempt where 10 to 15 Pakistani soldiers entered the Indian side of the Line of Control could not be termed as an arbitrary incident, as these type of moves need days of planning.” The senior Army officers felt that the violation of the ceasefire from across the border was a “desperate” move of the Pakistani counterparts to disrupt the peace process between the two countries. Lt-Gen R.K. Karwal, General Officer in Commanding of the 16 Corps, while speaking to the reporters accused the Pakistani army of resorting to unprovoked firing. “You can see that the Pakistani army is a bit desperate, there are large number of training camps and a large number of trained terrorists waiting to cross over to this side of the border and when they find that their attempts to infiltrate are not successful, they resort to unprovoked firing,” Karwal said. According to the defence sources, when the Pakistani army noticed that the Indian side was constructing a bunker near the LoC, a border area team of the Pakistani army was send to raid and stop the construction work there. “The aim of the formation of a border area team is to launch a surprise attack on the enemy and inflict maximum damage to them; these teams raid on isolated position and to keep the area alive,” an Army officer requesting anonymity told The Tribune. He further said that the forward area positions of the 10 Infantry Brigade, situated south of Pir Panchal range in Krishan Ghati sector, have been the main target. |
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Damage to Public Property
A case has been registered in Sopore police station following an application moved by the Army on July 16, the police said. Besides Geelani, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Pir Saifullah and Bashir Ahmed have been charged with vandalising public property during protests. Geelani led a protest demonstration after two militants were killed in a 20-hour gunbattle with troops at Warpora-Sopore on July 16. One policeman was killed and 13 security personnel, including a lieutenant-colonel, were injured in the encounter.
— PTI |
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‘Sangh playing Hindu card’
Srinagar, July 29 Addressing a press conference here today, Geelani said only some communal elements in Jammu were playing the Hindu card while people in general were not having such an ideology. He held that such communal elements had been playing this card at the time of elections in the past and it was being repeated under the garb of the Amarnath land row
at present. The BJP family or the Sangh Parivar was “involved in the game-plan” to get votes in the coming elections, Geelani added, saying that both Hindus and Mulsims in Jammu were not communal in their nature. He claimed that all sections of the people in Jammu, including traders and transporters, were not in favour of general strikes and curfew-like situations that adversely affected their business. Geelani appealed to the Muslims in Jammu region, including Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts, to maintain patience and not get exploited by vested interests. He held that ahead of the elections the BJP was creating “Hindu communal vote” through the participation of non-state subjects. |
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Arrest slide in bilateral ties: Mufti to India, Pak
Srinagar, July 29 Expressing concern over the recent unpleasant events, the latest being the reported violation of ceasefire along the LoC, Mufti said the constructive spirit of goodwill in which the peace process was initiated and carried forward must be speedily taken further and built on. “The trust that had started evolving between New Delhi and Islamabad needs to grow if the subcontinent’s complex issues, including Kashmir, are to be resolved peacefully and amicably”, he said. Addressing party workers here today, the PDP patron said non-resolution of these issues had the potential of dictating and derailing the fragile peace and prosperity of the region at any moment. Stressing the urgency of preventing the violation of ceasefire along the LoC, Mufti Sayeed said the LoC ceasefire had proved to be an event of unrivalled importance for not only the two countries but also for the people in the state. He added that the leadership of the two countries must act with political wisdom. He said the LoC ceasefire had not only given the much-needed relief to the people living along the borders, but it had, as well, provided the broad umbrella for the peace process to flourish. “The ceasefire brought, after decades of tension and destruction, relief and normalcy into the lives of people residing in the state’s forward areas”, he said. At the same time it also made historic initiatives like opening up of the LoC for bus service possible, he added. The PDP patron said the ceasefire had provided a strong foundation for the amicable resolution of all outstanding issues including Kashmir. “It would be a disaster of epic proportions if the achievements so far were to be frittered away by some trigger happy elements”, he said. He added that the people of the state would resist any such attempt as they have huge stakes in the peace process and wouldn’t allow its gains to evaporate. |
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Marriage brings out Hindu-Muslim warmth
Srinagar, July 29 Dhar family was among a handful of Kashmiri Pandits who did not migrate in 1990 amidst the increasing apprehensions to their lives from militants. Their daughter got married yesterday and local Muslims made up for their missing brethren. “There is nothing significant about it. Neighbours help each other in occasions like marriage everywhere. But what is good about it is that it reminded us of our plural culture, which has somewhat lost its edge due to Pandits’ migration,” Abdul Rashid Dar said. Muslim women took lead in singing local songs as the groom’s party from Anantnag reached here. For many among the young Muslims, it was a first. “I have never seen a Hindu marriage before,” Abid Dar (19) said. This is a loss that older generations find hard to forget. “The Pandits were a very visible aspect of Kashmir’s cultural life. Their cultural visibility was much more than their numbers and it was a part of our lives. It’s all gone. The young generation will never understand that joy,” Dar said. Habba Kadal was particular bastion of the Kashmiri Pandits and even after their departure, that image remains. Even now the political parties give tickets to the Kashmiri Pandits to contest elections from here and the present MLA from the locality is a Pandit. |
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Shutdowns, curfews hit life
Jammu, July 29 Suman, a housewife from Bohri locality, said: “Clamping of curfew to curb the protest demonstrations is aimed at crushing the aspirations of the people of Jammu region. However, she felt that the spell of shutdowns and curfews had forced the people to stay indoors, which had taken a toll on their social life. Jaya Koul, a housewife from Anand Nagar, said, “The land should be restored to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.” She said her daughter was studying in Class 12 and due to clamping of curfew it had become impossible for her to attend her tuitions. “It has also made it difficult for us to get vegetables and other essential commodities,” she added. Nancy Pandita, a government employee of Patoli Bhramna, supported the agitation. She, however, said due to continuous bandh in the region she was unable to get medicines for her ailing mother-in-law. |
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No invitation yet from govt: Samiti
Jammu, July 29 Talking to The Tribune, samiti convenor Leela Karan Sharma said even as the samiti had extended the Jammu bandh till July 31, it was the pent-up anger of the people, who decided to keep the agitation alive till they get the justice. He agreed that the samiti started the agitation but said now it has become a movement of the people, who would not settle with anything less than the land in question. The samiti has agreed to have a dialogue with the government but Sharma maintained that let a proper invitation come from the Governor in black and white. “Let the invitation come to us in writing and then we would be able to hold parleys,” he said, adding that the samiti was a conglomerate of nearly 30 parties and he alone could not take any decision. |
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NSF supports Jammu agitation
Jammu, July 29 Varinder Jeet Singh, chairman, NSF, alleged that "inhuman treatment" was dealt to the body of Kuldeep Dogra. He said the Human Rights Commission had remained mum on the issue while even a
trivial development in the valley attracted its attention. He said attaching a DSP to the police lines was an "eyewash and insufficient". |
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Police action ‘triggered’ more protests
Jammu, July 29 Party chief spokesman Harsh Dev Singh demanded the state administration to immediately release people held during the protests over the land row, lift curfew and stop using force against demonstrators. He said the land row gave enough reasons to the people of the Jammu region to vent their anger. He claimed the region faced discrimination on development, employment, delimitation, power supply, and many other
fronts. |
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Use of excessive force condemned
Jammu, July 29 Addressing a press conference, president of the Jammu State Morcha (P) Virender Gupta said: “The use of excessive force by the police to suppress this peaceful movement is strongly condemned. Our party took strong exception to the extensive use of teargas shells, rubber bullets and lathicharge on the peaceful demonstrations.” He said, “We also strongly condemn the action of the police where it entered in the houses at Muthi and in Jammu city and resorted to beating of the inmates.” He alleged that the “suppression policy” adopted by the police might make the public more violent and the responsibility of this would be of the administration. |
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NC welcomes judicial probe
Jammu, July 29 The party leaders in a joint statement issued here today also urged the Governor to include in the terms of reference of judicial inquiry the circumstances which led to the death of Late Kuldeep Dogra. They also demanded that the period of inquiry be reduced from three months to one month. |
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Hideout busted in Bandipore
Srinagar, July 29 The police said the hideout belonged to Pakistani militants but could not specify as to which outfit they belonged to. Official sources said at least three militants had made the place a warehouse for their arms and ammunition as they roamed around the locality. 'We had information regarding the presence of at least two militants there but when we reached there they were not there," an official said. One of the militants was a Pakistani while another was a local guide. The locality has emerged as a hub for Pak-based militant outfits like LeT and JeM even as a number of their commanders have been killed in recent times. An official said they had managed to blunt the firepower of these outfits but fresh infiltration has given a boost to their strength. |
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Permanent state residents entitled to registration
Srinagar, July 29 He denied the allegations that non-locals had been enrolled in the electoral rolls of the state and provided election identity cards to change the demographic character of the state. He, however, said Indian citizens, who were otherwise ordinarily residents in the state, were entitled to be registered as electors only for voting in the Parliamentary elections. Sharma said the Election Commission (EC) had issued instructions that common electoral rolls should be prepared in Jammu and Kashmir for holding elections to the Assembly as well as to Parliament. Sharma, however, said rolls for the Assembly constituencies were prepared under the provisions of the State Constitution and the provisions of the J&K Representation of People Act, 1957 (State Act), and the J&K Registration of Electoral Rules, 1966. |
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Navy divers to search for boy’s body in Jhelum
Srinagar, July 29 A spokesperson of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Amir Ali said despite efforts by the experts of various departments, the body of the boy could not be found. He said it was decided to approach the Navy divers to help, search the body of the boy, who drowned while taking a bath in the river yesterday. As a result of the incident, the relatives and other people had blocked traffic on the busy Budshah Chowk yesterday. The police, however, took control of the situation.
— UNI |
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Srinagar, July 29