Jammu, July 9
Infuriated over attack on five of its drivers allegedly by a frenzied mob and then by Army soldiers in Ganderbal yesterday, the Jammu and Kashmir Oil Tankers Owners’ Association stopped fuel supply to the Kashmir valley today.

On an average, the association dispatches 24 lakh litres of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and even ATF to the Valley daily through a fleet of 200 tankers.

“Yesterday around 1.30 pm, a frenzied mob attacked three of our drivers. Thereafter, at Churu the Army troopers thrashed two other drivers. Under such circumstances, we won’t be able to supply fuel to the Valley,” association president Anan Sharma told The Tribune.

The association in a meeting discussed the issue threadbare and decided to suspend the supplies to the Valley. “We suspended the oil supply this morning and unless our convoys were provided a foolproof security plus the route of Dal Gate to Ganderbal via Hazratbal till the situation normalises, we would not resume these,” said Sharma.

Ever since trouble erupted in the Valley, mischievous elements have damaged 95 tankers, besides injuring 11 drivers of the association, he added.

“Though the state administration has once again assured us of adequate security, we will not resume supply until our demands of security and a different route for the oil cargoes are accepted,” said Sharma.

With this the Valley-bound fuel tankers remained stranded at oil depots here. On June 30, the association had announced an indefinite strike after some of its drivers were allegedly injured in an attack by unruly crowds in the Valley. However, the call was withdrawn the same day after assurances and payment of compensation by the state government.

The association had claimed that their drivers and tankers were attacked by frenzied mobs in Sumbal near Khannabal, Batmaloo, Ganderbal and Anantnag. On July 1, an isolated incident of a driver allegedly beaten up by a policeman in Verinag had forced the association to reconsider its decision of supplying fuel to the Valley.

Srinagar, July 9
A day after Union Home Secretary GK Pillai asked the state government to ‘crack down on troublemakers’ to maintain law and order in the Valley that has been under curfew for the past few days, the police today arrested a leader of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Sayed Ali Shah Geelani for allegedly instigating violence in the Valley.

Separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Wani was arrested from the Narbal Magam Road today for instigating violence, on the basis of intercepts of a telephonic conversation between him and another separatist leader.

Recordings of the conversation revealed Wani had allegedly asked other separatist leader Ghulam Ahmed Dar to let ‘10 to 15 more people get martyred’ during a protest in central Kashmir’s Badgam district.

Wani, who is said to be the Badgam district president of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, was allegedly asking the other leader to arrange for more people to join protests so that they ‘could attain martyrdom’. He asked him to gather a mob of 30,000 people, as Dar was getting his ‘salary’ without doing anything.

“The separatist leader was also heard saying Dar was being regularly paid for his services and he was to arrange for more people so that 10 to 15 more citizens could attain martyrdom, as this would worsen the situation further,” a senior police officer said.

He said the recorded telephonic conversation between the two Hurriyat activists justified the claims of the government and intelligence agencies that some people (separatists) were trying to fuel tension in the Valley.

“They (the separatists) want more people to die so as to create more tension in the Valley. But now they stand exposed and people should understand that they want innocent people to die for their own politics,” the officer said.

Srinagar, July 9
While curfew restrictions remained in force without any relaxation for the fourth consecutive day today, an uneasy calm prevailed here. The Army, which had been deployed since Tuesday night to assist the civil administration maintain law and order, did not hold a flag march today.

Meanwhile, the government has invited the presidents and heads of the state units of 12 recognised political parties and groups for an all-party meeting scheduled to be held on Monday, an official spokesman said.

These parties and groups include the National Conference, Congress, PDP, BJP, Panthers Party, state units of the CPM, CPI, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janta Dal and Nationalist Congress Party, besides the Peoples Democratic Forum and the Democratic Party Nationalist. A notice to this effect was issued by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar today.

A similar notice was issued in respect of the meeting of MLAs and MLCs of the coalition partners on Sunday, the spokesman said.

Other major towns of the Kashmir valley, including Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, Kupwara, Sopore and Bandipore, continued to reel under curfew restrictions.

At least 40 persons, including 12 police and CRPF personnel, were injured in the clashes between protesters and the security forces in the Kakapora area of Pulwama district this afternoon. The trouble started when the demonstrators heading towards Kakapora attacked a police post prompting the police to lob tear-gas shells. When the cane-charge and tear-gas shells failed to quell the demonstrators, the police opened fire into the air, resulting in injuries to at least 40 persons in the melee.

Meanwhile, three persons were injured in similar clashes that took place in Baramulla town. Several persons were injured when they were allegedly beaten up by the police and CRPF men near the Hazratbal shrine this afternoon.

Strict curfew restrictions remained in force in the entire Srinagar city in view of the Friday congregations, following demonstrations and raising of slogans from the mosques on Wednesday night. Restrictions were also enforced strictly in view of ‘Hazratbal Chalo’ call given by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani.

Jammu, July 9
Security forces arrested three persons, including a couple, in Gadyog and Badhal villages of Rajouri district yesterday for ‘aiding’ militants.

They have been identified by the Army as 55-year-old Mohammed Bashir, his 40-year-old wife Shahjahan, both residents of Gadyog village, and 30-year-old Munir Hussain of Badhal village.

“They had been providing logistic support to the militants operating in the area and were under constant surveillance,” said an Army spokesperson. “The security forces, including the police, nabbed them from their houses after we established their involvement in helping militants,” he added.

However, district SSP RK Jalla, while confirming the arrest of Munir Hussain, rubbished reports that a couple (Mohammed Bashir and Shahjahan) was also taken into custody for aiding militants. However, police sources said three persons had been arrested.

Meanwhile, the security forces thwarted a plot to carry out terror strikes by seizing IEDs, explosive material, including 75 kg of RDX, besides arms and ammunition from a hideout in Kishtwar district in the wee hours today.

Reports said a joint search operation of 11 Rashtriya Rifles and the police located the hideout in the militancy-prone area of Singhpora at Nalkoot Nalla forest in the Chatroo area.

The seizures include one 12 bore rifle, two bags of RDX weighing 25 kg and 50 kg each, six IEDs having LeT marking, 19 UBGL grenades, three Chinese grenades, one Pakistan-made grenade, 25 gelatin sticks and one tin-based IED. It is believed that the arms and ammunition were dumped by the LeT and were to be used at an appropriate time to disturb peace in the district. A search operation was also conducted in the area but no arrests were made.

Srinagar, July 9
Even as the authorities today claimed to have revoked the restrictions imposed on the media in Kashmir, editors of Kashmir-based newspapers decided to suspend the printing of their publications terming the revocation of the ban as a mere eyewash.

Two days ago the authorities had cancelled all curfew passes issued to mediapersons thus confining many of them to their houses and many, who were in their offices, could not return home. However, the authorities distributed curfew passes to some of the journalists today.

Despite the restrictions on the media being lifted, senior journalist Riyaz Masroor, who works for BBC’s Urdu service, was allegedly beaten by the police outside his house when he was on his way to collect his curfew pass from the Information Department. One of his arms got fractured in the incident.

Meanwhile, five representative bodies of newspaper owners, editors, working journalists, photojournalists and video journalists today denounced the government’s claim that the restrictions on the media had been lifted. They decided to suspend the publication of newspapers for tomorrow in view of the insufficient number of curfew passes issued and continued attacks on mediapersons.

President of the Kashmir Press Association Ghulam Hassan Kaloo, president of the Press Guild of Kashmir Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president of the Kashmir Journalists Corps Ishfaq-ul Hassan, president of the Kashmir Press Photographers Association Farooq Javed and president of the Kashmir Video Journalists Association S Tariq termed the government’s announcement as a mere eyewash to counter condemnation by journalist bodies at national and international levels.

The members of these five organisations had decided to hold a joint meeting but given the restrictions could not do so. The members then had deliberations on telephone and the issue of continued restrictions was discussed threadbare.

“The government’s discriminatory attitude towards Kashmir-based mediapersons, who were denied access to information and events while journalists from Delhi were treated as special guests and all facilities were extended to them,” the journalists said.

“Curfew passes were cancelled, mediapersons were beaten up and forced to remain indoors and the government now says that there were no restrictions,” they said. “Even when the members of the five organisations were discussing the situation, a senior journalist, Riyaz Masroor, was beaten and left with a fractured arm,” they added.

As no local newspaper has hit the stands for the past two days, the journalist bodies in Kashmir have decided against publishing the Saturday edition of the newspapers they represent.

“It is not humanly possible to publish and then circulate the newspapers given the restrictions and therefore there will be no newspaper on Saturday,” the journalist body said.

Srinagar, July 9
As many as 99,151 yatris have darshan of the Shiv Lingam at the Amarnath cave shrine so far. According to official sources, 53,297 yatris, who had the darshan, came via the Phalgam route, while 45,854 yatris came via the Baltal route. Meanwhile, 8,703 yatris left the Nunwan-Pahalgam and Baltal base camps for the cave shrine today.

Of these, 4,857 yatris, including 3,770 men, 870 women, 132 children and 85 sadhus, left from Pahalgam, while 3,846 yatris comprising 2,890 men,780 women, 165 children and 11 sadhus left from the Baltal base camp.

Jammu, July 9
With no clear legal provisions for the adoption of abandoned babies in the state, the lap of a childless couple from New Delhi, which is struggling for the adoption of the baby girl recovered from Sunder Bani in Rajouri tehsil last month, has been “rendered empty” by the authorities concerned.

The abandoned baby girl has been handed over to an orphanage here. However, the chronically ill baby is still being looked after by the same childless couple at the SMGS Hospital, Jammu.

Khem Raj and his wife Santosh, who have been acting as foster parents to the baby since its recovery, feel like the victims of an “emotional crime” at the hands of an “apathetic” administration.

“If the baby was to be given to an orphanage, why it was delayed? We have been looking after the baby, besides bearing all expenses, where was the administration then? We don’t claim any reimbursement. We just want an answer,” they said.

The District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, said only the juvenile jury, comprising Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo, MP Madan Lal and Health Minister Sham Lal could decide over the custody of the baby.

“It’s a legally complicated issue. The police is investigating into the matter. But still the jury will look into it and find out some solution,” stated the Health Minister.

The health of the baby deteriorated on June 4 when it had to be rushed to the SMGS Hospital, Jammu. Later, it was shifted to a local orphanage on July 7.

“The baby has been handed over to us, but it is still in hospital, as it is not keeping well,” said the administrator of the orphanage, adding that, “Children are usually sent to our home on a transitory basis by the administration.”

“My wife has gone into deep depression ever since the baby has been given to the orphanage,” Khem Raj said.

“Now, I have approached the Director of Social Welfare. He has asked to furnish information about our credentials and we are awaiting his response,” he added.

“The Rajouri DDC kept us in the lurch for two weeks. Acting on his advice, we kept shuttling from the Noushera SDM to the Sunder Bani tehsildar for the adoption, but no administrative body told us that they were not empowered to do so,” said the embittered couple, adding, “We just hope that the Director of Social Welfare does not disappoint us.”

Jammu, July 9
While the CRPF finds itself neck-deep in all sorts of troubles in the turbulent Valley, facing allegations of human rights violations, the fresh spate of violence has given the largest paramilitary force of the country a fresh stock of 337 jawans with broken limbs, bones and inured eyes in a span of just over two months.

According to statistics, from May to July 8, 2010, at least 337 CRPF jawans sustained injuries in the sponsored incidents of stone-throwing in the Valley.

“Eleven of our jawans sustained injuries in stone-throwing incidents in May, 266 in June and 60 from July 1 to July 8,” sources in the CRPF told The Tribune.

“While we have been accused of human rights violations and flaring up the situation in the Valley, why such people forget that the CRPF has been maintaining law and order in the Valley since 1980s,” they said.

Whatever happened in the past few days in the Valley, the CRPF should not be blamed for it, they said, adding that the CRPF reacted in self-defence to naturalise the sponsored attacks.

The stone throwing has become an easy and economical ploy for agencies from across the border and elements within the Valley to misguide youths with a sole purpose to malign security forces and then highlight the issue before the international community, they said.

“Besides Pakistan’s propaganda to highlight the issue before the international community, the present imbroglio seems to be politically motivated so as to dislodge Omar’s coalition regime,” the sources added.

How the CRPF could be dubbed as perpetrators of violence when the reality was that it was the CRPF, which started the anti-insurgency operations way back in 1989, they added.

“We had been fighting insurgents since the eruption of militancy, but never ever committed atrocities on law-abiding civilians”, they said, adding that at present Pakistan continued to mount pressure on the anti-Indian lobbies in Kashmir to exploit the situation and embarrass India before the international community.

Jammu, July 9
The Army Goodwill School at Potha in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district received a major infrastructural boost today with the inauguration of an auditorium and science laboratories by the General Officer Commanding, Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo).

Surankote valley, the hotbed of militancy during the past decade, had suffered a lot due to unprecedented violence, bloodshed and turbulence.

Education institutions were non-functional. The thought of a bleak and ignominious future for an entire generation motivated the people to raise their voice against anti-national elements and strengthened their resolve to support the security forces in eradicating terrorism.

With the cooperation of the local population, the security forces launched intelligence-based operations and eliminated terrorism from the area.

To meet the aspirations of local populace, Army Goodwill School was established in 2003 to provide quality education.

The double-storied auditorium and science laboratories have been constructed under Operation Sadbhavna by a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under the aegis of Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo).

Addressing a large gathering on the occasion, the General Officer Commanding, exhorted the people to focus on the education of children, especially the girl child, and work wholeheartedly for peace, stability and socio-economic development of the area.

Jammu, July 9
Despite the ongoing anti-adulteration drive launched by the Jammu Municipal Corporation, the sale of adulterated food items in some areas is worrying people.

These area residents complained that some shopkeepers, hoodwinking the officers of the MC, were selling adulterated food items, particularly milk and its products. They demanded strict action against the defaulters.

As per official records of the MC, adulteration has been more rampant in the areas of Talab Tillo, Rehari, Sarwal, Prem Nagar and Satwari.

Sunita Raina, a resident of Talab Tillo, said despite the ongoing anti-adulteration drive some shopkeepers befooled the MC and were selling adulterated food items.

“Such shopkeepers are playing with the lives of common men for their petty gains. They should be dealt with strictly by the MC,” she said, adding that the MC should impose a heavy fine on the defaulters.

Speaking on the issue, MC health officer Anwar Choudhary said they were making all efforts to keep a check on the sale of adulterated food items in the market.

According to the official records, around 100 defaulters had been booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and the J&K Municipal Act-2000 in July. The Health Wing of the MC collected over Rs 29,150 as fine from the defaulters.