Srinagar, July 10
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called up PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and reiterated his request to reconsider her party’s decision not to participate in the all-party meeting convened by him for Monday.

Earlier in the day the Chief Minister also wrote a letter to Mehbooba in this regards, an official spokesman here said. He said the Chief Minister also made similar request calls to Prof Bhim Singh of the Panthers Party, Ashok Khajuria (BJP), Ghulam Hassan Mir, president of the Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN), Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, state unit president of the CPM and Hakim Mohammad Yaseen, president of the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF).

The PDP had here yesterday expressed its reservation on attending the all-party meeting to end the present crisis over the series of killings and the imposition of curfew restrictions. Earlier yesterday the meeting notice was issued to presidents of 12 recognised political parties and other groups by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar.

Prior to the all-party meeting, a meeting of the legislators of the coalition partners, is being held here tomorrow. All legislators of the NC and the Congress would be attending the meeting, sources here said.

In its reply letter to Sagar, the PDP spokesman said here yesterday that it was a “purposeless exercise” as it was being held after much delay. He also referred to the PDP’s demand of convening a special session of the state Assembly on the human rights issue and seeking the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

Jammu, July 10
BJP state spokesperson Ramesh Arora said here today that his party would attend the all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister in Srinagar on July 12 to express its viewpoint over the present scenario.

“The manner in which the situation is being tackled in Kashmir shows that the ruling leaders are confused over the ground realities and lack a policy to tackle the situation,” he said and added, “By taking out a peace march in Jammu instead of Kashmir an impression is being created that the situation in Jammu is also as volatile as in Kashmir.”

He said the people of Jammu have always maintained harmony and peace. “They are patriots and believe in the total integration of the state and do not support separatist tendencies,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Panthers Party also today rejected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s invitation to participate in the all-party meeting on July 12.

The party rejected the Chief Minister’s offer on the plea that there was no defined agenda for the proposed meeting. The meeting was to be held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC).

The working committee of the party urged Governor NN Vohra to invoke Section 92 of the constitution of the state to impose Governor’s rule in the state to control the worsening situation in the Valley.

In a meeting of the committee headed by its chairperson Harsh Dev Singh, the party expressed concern over the current political developments in the Valley. The committee said that the NC-Congress government had lost its grip over the situation and had failed in governance.

Meanwhile, Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his personal intervention in the interest of the nation security and integrity.

Jammu, July 10
People of Jammu, who carry the bitterness of not being treated equally when it comes to getting importance and funds by both State and the Centre, have maintained exemplary calm in the last two weeks despite all kinds of rumours emanating from the Valley regarding the Amarnath yatra.

Showing maturity while responding to the provocations, including statements against the yatra, attacks on vehicles carrying pilgrims and other rumours, people of Jammu have put the Amarnath Land Agitation on the backburner and proved that peace above regionalism was the need of the hour.

“We were anxious when some “separatists” made provocative statements against the yatra. There were also rumours of burning the temples and attacks on pilgrims. But, people of Jammu remained calm,” a senior police officer said.

Raman Bhalla, a senior Congress leader and Minister for Revenue and Relief, said Jammu had always been like a bridge between the Valley and the Centre. It had once again proved that it detested violence and did not fall prey to the evil designs of the separatists and forces across the Border.

“I think Jammu deserves appreciation,” said Harsh Dev, MLA Panthers Party. He said: “Jammu is a land of peace and it has an age-old history and culture of tolerance,” he added.

He said there had been rarely any incidents of communal disharmony among the residents of Jammu. Senior BJP Leader and MLA Ashok Khajuria said Jammu had always stayed away from violence whether it was militancy in Punjab or in the Valley but it should not be taken as their weakness.

Jammu, July 10
Following fresh assurances from Chief Secretary SS Kapur, the Jammu and Kashmir Oil Tankers Owners’ Association decided to resume fuel supply to the Valley today.

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

“Though the system was already put in place, the association was told to resume supply today,” Jammu Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kotwal told The Tribune.

“We immediately got in touch with the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner and the IGP for providing security to oil tankers. Also, the tanker drivers will be insured,” he added.

Following assurances by the Chief Secretary for providing a foolproof security for the tankers, the association has decided to resume supplies to Kashmir, Devinder Singh, general secretary of the association, said.

He said the government had also conceded to their demand of providing an alternate route to the oil tankers from Dal Gate to Ganderbal via Hazratbal till the situation normalises.

He added that Kapur had sought two days to put in place security arrangements. Ever since the trouble erupted, mischievous elements had damaged 95 tankers, besides injuring
11 drivers.

The association had suspended the fuel supply to Kashmir for the third time. Following an incident on July 8, the association had suspended the fuel supply on July 9. Five drivers and their assistants were injured while the tankers were damaged in stone throwing.

Jammu, July 10
Seeking justice for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, activists of the All-India Students’ Federation held a protest here and urged the Centre to punish Warren Anderson today. Addressing the gathering at the city chowk, president of the federation Vimal Manhas exhorted youngsters to oppose the Centre’s “meek surrender” before the “imperialist forces”.

Manhas said, “Even after a long delay, justice has not been delivered to the victims. Exemplary punishment should be given to those responsible for the disaster so that such incidents do not occur again.”

The protesters also demanded that the Nuclear Liability Bill that purportedly serves American interests be scrapped immediately. They also appealed to the masses for rejecting the Bill outrightly.

Jammu, July 10
The Security forces comprising 17 Rashtriya Rifles, 74 CRPF Battalion and the police arrested a close associate of a self-styled Divisional Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen from the jungles of Kishtwar district today.

The security forces launched a search operation in the forest area of Chichha/Padyama in Kishtwar district today. Sources said the security forces arrested Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mohammed Yousuf, alias Khalil, and seized one grenade with 25 rounds of AK ammunition and one pouch from his possession.

They further said after developing the information, the security forces swung into action and launched a joint search operation. On seeing the troops, the terrorists fired at them and also hurled grenades forcing them to retaliate. However, Mohammed Amin managed to escape but his accomplice Mohammed Yousuf was nabbed, they added.

The apprehended ultra had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen in September last and was active in Chichha, Pyas, Kidroo, Nawnatoo and the higher reaches of the Bhella Chichha area.

Meanwhile, they nabbed a Hizbul Mujahideen courier in Ramban last evening and seized hawala money amounting to Rs 20,000 meant for funding militant activities.

Jammu, July 10
Justice JP Singh of the J&K High Court at Jammu dismissed the writ petitioner of Hans Raj, who had sought the issuance of directions to place him in the master’s grade in which he had been serving in the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, on his repatriation to the parent department.

The petitioner, a school teacher, was sent on deputation to the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti as TGT (Hindi) at Kot-Ranka in Rajouri district for a period of two years, which was further extended by another one year.

The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti had placed the petitioner in the master’s grade during his service to it.

His efforts for his permanent absorption in the samiti did not fructify and he was repatriated to his parent department in the teacher’s grade, in which he was serving at the time of his deputation.

The high court, while negating the contentions of the writ petitioner, observed that “The petitioner’s plea that he was entitled to the pay scale, which he was getting during the period of deputation with the borrowing organisation, is misconceived in that his entitlement to salary in the parent department is governed by the rules of his service, which permit him salary in the pay scale of a teacher, and not by the rules prevalent in the borrowing organisation.

“The period spent by him at a higher pay scale would not vest any additional right in him to claim the higher pay scale in his parent department.

“The writ petition, which, otherwise, lacks substance, does not survive for any adjudication, and is accordingly dismissed.”

Jammu, July 10
Seventy-six casualties in Dantewada, 27 in Narayanpur and over 1,700 in Kashmir in stone-throwing incidents in the last two years. Though the world’s largest paramilitary force seems to be amid trouble, it didn’t happen overnight.

CRPF sources said, “About 26 IPS cadre officers are holding key posts in the CRPF and are the decision makers. Thus, they blaming the CRPF for the day-to-day mishappenings 
is unfair.”

The Additional DGs, Special DGs, ADG Headquarters and Training, IG Personnel and IG Operations, all are IPS officers, therefore, officers directly appointed to the CRPF are getting frustrated, the sources added.

Though the CRPF has always been the most disciplined and professionally trained force, almost everything is in the hands of IPS officers sent on deputation. In the backdrop of such a development, problems are bound to take place, they added.

Frustration has started creeping in the senior officers who have been appointed directly to the CRPF as almost everything from policy to decision making is in the hands of the IPS cadre officers.

The senior officers said if the Home Ministry wanted to bring the CRPF back on track, it should take optimum advantage of such officers.

Referring to Dantewada and Narayanpur carnage where the CRPF lost its 102 jawans in Maoist attacks, sources said time had come to do some soul-searching and adopt reconciliatory measures on war footing.

The sources also raised questions over the decision to guard 40,000 sq km area in Naxal-hit Dantewada with 14 battalions, that too, in jungles and hilly terrain.

“How come, 70 or 135 men (in a company) can fight against 500 armed Maoists in such a difficult area where immediate reinforcements are not feasible,” they said, adding that the decision makers should immediately induct at least 40 battalions in the Naxal-hit areas of Chattisgarh. One battalion usually comprises 1,180 men.

Meanwhile, the CRPF has acquired 400 unique protective gears for its jawans to effectively take on stone throwers in Kashmir and simultaneously ensure safety to its men.

Srinagar, July 10
Journalists working with various local, national and international organisations held a protest dharna here today to condemn the curbs on the media in the Kashmir valley.

The journalists condemned the “strong arm measures of the government to curb the smooth functioning of the media in Kashmir”. They also collectively decided to suspend the publication of all newspapers in Kashmir in protest against the “draconian measure”.

The decision was unanimously taken at a joint meeting of five representative bodies of the media fraternity of Kashmir. The meeting resolved that the publication of newspapers could not be resumed unless concrete measures were taken to restore the complete freedom of the media in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary MY Tarigami has extended all support to the protesting mediapersons of Kashmir.

Srinagar, July 10
Even as the curfew was relaxed in view of the celebrations of Shab-e-Mehraj and a few people visited the market to purchase items of daily requirement, a majority of the people preferred to stay indoors as an uneasy calm prevailed in the city.

A few shops were open in the city and only a handful of people were seen purchasing items of daily use, as most of the residents preferred to stay indoors fearing the situation could turn volatile any moment.

“Though I have come out to do some shopping and buy provisional items, I am still afraid that something wrong might happen in the area as the city has been witnessing violent protests for the past many days,” said Gulzar Ahmed, a local resident.

Though curfew was relaxed for the day, the police and the CRPF was deployed in a large number to maintain law and order in the city. However, tension was visible on the faces of the police and CRPF personnel, who were fully equipped with anti-riot gear.

“We can’t take a chance with the law and order problem. We have to be alert all the time as it’s our duty to maintain law and order,” said a CRPF officer.

People, who came to the market for shopping, preferred to spend the least possible time there and also avoided bringing small children with them. “You never know when the situation becomes tense and stone throwing starts. So it is better to spend the least possible time in the market and not to bring kids along,” said Shabir Ahmed, a resident of the Gogji Bagh locality.

Srinagar, July 10
The parents of 27-year-old Touqeer Ahmed, a resident of Raj Bagh, had dreamt to celebrate his marriage in a big way, as this would have been the first marriage in the family in the past many years.

The marriage was scheduled to be held in the first week of July, for which preparations were going on in full swing. Invitation cards were distributed, advance money was given to cooks and the family was expecting a gathering of around 600 guests.

But the turmoil in the Valley ruined the dreams of the family, as with a heavy heart it had to publish an advertisement in a local daily informing the prospective guests that the invitation for the marriage ceremony stands cancelled.

“In view of the recent situation in the Valley, I regret to inform all my well wishers that the invitation for the marriage ceremony of my son Touqeer Ahmed, scheduled for July 7 and 8, stands cancelled,” read the advertisement.

Mohammed Farooq, father of Touqeer, is shocked over the development and said the situation demanded that he should cancel the invitation, as no one would be able to attend the marriage. “I have approached the administration for curfew passes so that we could solemnise the marriage on the given date, but the invitation has to be cancelled,” said Farooq.

People, who have been making preparations for marriages at their houses, are worried as they have been unable to get items like mutton and fresh vegetables due to the curfew. Notably, a large number of local newspapers being published from Srinagar are carrying similar advertisements from people informing their relatives and friends that the marriage ceremonies stand cancelled or postponed. People are also using local cable channels for the purpose.

“Our dream to celebrate the marriage of our son stands shattered due to the prevailing situation,” said Mushtaq Ahmed, whose son was to be get married on July 9.