Srinagar, June 21
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram reviewed the security situation in the state at a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officers of civil, police and security forces here today.

The meeting held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here this morning discussed arrangements put in place by the government for the smooth conduct of the annual Amarnath yatra. The security for the yatra, beginning from June 29 on the upper reaches of Pahalgam, was one of the major issues of the meeting. Matters pertaining to the smooth conduct and completion of the panchayat elections in the state also came up during deliberations, an official spokesman said.

He added that the Union Home Minister congratulated the Chief Minister and his government for the smooth, peaceful, free and fair panchayats elections in the state.

Those who attended the meeting included Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Madav Lal and DGP Kuldeep Khoda. Besides, other senior officials of the government and the security forces were also present at the meeting.

In a departure, separatist leaders have not called for a shutdown during Chidambarm’s visit. Educational institutions, shops, other businesses, banks, post offices were open and transport, both public and private, plied normally in Srinagar, which is flooded by thousands of tourists this year. Although the authorities had made elaborate security arrangements for Chidambaram’s visit, care was taken that normal life was not affected. This was a remarkable departure from previous security exercises during the visits of VVIPs to the Valley when restrictions, traffic diversions and barricades would mar normal life.

Chidambaram’s visit is significant in view of the prevailing normalcy situation in Kashmir as compared to the unrest witnessed during the summer last year. Chidambaram had led an all-party parliamentary delegation, which had talks with a cross-section of society during its two-day visit of the state in September.

Later, Chidambaram visited Pahalgam and reviewed the law and order situation and the arrangements for the Amarnath yatra this afternoon. Senior officers of the police and the civil administration apprised the Union Home Minister about the security situation in the area, particularly in view of the arrangements made for the Amarnath yatra.

A heavy blanket of security had been thrown around the hill station with the security forces manning the dense forest areas and mountains in and around the resort. A state Protocol Department owned hut had been done up for Chidambaram’s night halt at Pahalgam. Sources told IANS that the thrust of the Union Home Minister’s two-day visit to the Valley was to focus on the continuation of the prevailing peace here.

Tomorrow, he is scheduled to visit a forward post on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Gurez sector where the BSF is organising a function for the minister. He will fly back to New Delhi later in the afternoon.

Jammu, June 21
Convicted of various crimes ranging from militancy to murder, a band of 12 prisoners marked World Music Day in a befitting manner, rendering foot-tapping tunes for their “colleagues” in the high security Kot Bhalwal Prison, near here, today.

Raised in January this year, the expertise of the prisoners’ band could make anyone shake his or her leg.

Talking to The Tribune, prison superintendent Rajni Sehgal said, “It was a dream of former DGP Ashok Bhan, which has been turned into a reality by IG, Prisons, MA Anjum.

“Though other vocational training programmes are also carried out in the prison to reform them, this experiment has turned out to be successful as it not only beats stress but also prepares them to earn their livelihood,” she said. The jail superintendent claimed that the innovative idea of the band was the first such experiment in north India.

“Furthermore, they will not be restricted to the confines of the prison. We have mooted a proposal. Once we get the nod, the members of the band will be allowed to perform in various programmes outside the jail,” she said.

“Initially, we started with 20 prisoners, but some were released and some shifted to other prisons. So, now we have a team of 12 members,” informed Sehgal.

“Yes, they are all convicts. Some of them convicted for militancy, some for murders and some for other heinous crimes. But they are reformed human beings now,” said Sehgal while attributing the positive development to various vocational and reform programmes introduced in the prison.

“They have come back to society as changed beings,” she said, adding that music has now become food for their souls.

The band was formally inaugurated in February by state Home Commissioner BR Sharma. “Now, under a proposal sent to the government, the modalities are being worked out so as to enable the band to perform outside the jail. Under the rules being framed for the band, its booking fee and charges will be fixed, and out of which the major share will go to the band members,” said Sehgal.

Smartly attired in red and black colour uniforms, the pipers and the drummers churned out foot-tapping tunes. To put it in their words “they are now musicians and not criminals anymore”.

Bhupinder Sharma, Mohammed Yasin and Hassan Din are some of the key players of the band, who can easily give amateur bands a run for their money in any part of the country.

Jammu, June 21
Notwithstanding the claims of the authorities concerned of maintaining the supply of essential commodities, misery of residents of Bani tehsil have been compounding with each passing day, as even after 12 days this mountainous belt of Kathua district is still cut off from the rest of the state.

Although the entire population of the belt has been confronting various problems, the worst sufferers are patients, who have been referred to Jammu or Kathua for advance treatment.

“My mother has been suffering from a chest disease and doctors have advised her a few tests in Jammu, but we could not reach Jammu due to the snapping of the road link,” Naresh Sharma, a resident of Lawang, told The Tribune over the phone.

“My mother is so weak that we cannot take the risk of taking her on a mule to cover a distance of about 2 km where the road has caved in,” he said.

Local MLA Master Lal Chand said the patients were the worst sufferers. “There is need to start helicopter services to airlift patients who require advance treatment,” he said.

“Family members of a few patients suffering from serious ailments have approached me to make arrangements for them to reach Jammu,” the MLA added.

“I have brought the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned for taking some emergency steps, especially for the patients,” Lal Chand told The Tribune over the phone from Bani.

He admitted that there was a shortage of medicines due to the road blockade. “There are at least 10 medical shops at Bani, but there has been no supply of medicines in these shops during the past 12 days, resulting in the shortage of a few drugs,” he said.

Bani’s road connection with the rest of the state was snapped after a portion of the Bani-Basholi road caved in at Kardoh, about 20 km from Basholi, on June 9. To maintain the supply of essential commodities, the authorities have made arrangements for transshipping items on mules, but the efforts have failed to cope with the demand.

While admitting that people have been facing hardships due to the snapping of the road link, Rajinder Sharma, SDM, Bani, told The Tribune that it would take at least one more week to restore traffic. “It is not possible to clear the blockade by blasting. Therefore, we have decided to do it manually,” he said after attending a meeting with senior officials of the Border Road Organisation (BRO).

The SDM admitted that there were a few reports of overcharging by shopkeepers. “Everyone is trying to extract more money taking advantage of the misery of the affected people,” he said.

He added that traders and shopkeepers had already been warned against overcharging people.

Jammu, June 21
The National Secular Forum (NSF) yesterday held a demonstration against the decision of the University of Jammu to increase fee and burnt an effigy of the university authorities.

The university recently changed the fee structure of PhD, M.Phil, undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses and some other courses.

Vikas Sharma, state president, NSF, along with his supporters demanded that the university should revoke its decision. He said the hike in the fee by 15 per cent to 40 per cent would increase the burden on students and their families.

Vikas questioned the need for increasing the PhD fee by Rs 6,960 and that of M.Phil by 5,900. “The university authorities should withdraw the decision immediately,” he demanded. 

Udhampur, June 21
The district police authorities today convened a joint meeting of the police, CRPF and intelligence agencies at the district police lines, Udhampur, to discuss various security-related issues regarding the Amarnath yatra, which starts on June 29.

SSP, Udhampur, Surinder Gupta said a detailed presentation was made regarding the security arrangements to ensure a smooth and peaceful conduct of the yatra from Solora to Patnitop in the district.

He said all landslide prone areas were identified and nakas and check posts set up to keep an eye on anti-national elements. To meet any emergency situation, camping sites like educational institutions and other lodgment along the national highway were identified. These would be used for the yatris in case they were required to be accommodated in the event of the blockade of road or landslides, he said.

Besides positing recovery vehicles at the transit camps and Patnitop, a joint yatra control room would also be set up at Dak Bungalow, Udhampur. The representatives of the CRPF and the police would be deployed at the PCR, Udhampur, where an Army telephone facility was also available, the SSP said.

He added that frequent checking and search operations were being launched in the suspected areas on the national highway with the assistance of the CRPF.

Meanwhile, Jagjit Kumar, DIG, Udhampur-Reasi Range, instructed all officers of the police and the CRPF to ensure an humane approach while dealing with the public. He cautioned them to remain extra vigilant and stern while dealing with anti-social elements.

He elaborated the measures taken by the security forces to check and plug the movement of anti-national elements. Search operations by the police and the security forces were also discussed in the meeting and important directions were given on-the-spot to all officers.

J Majumdar, CO, CRPF, 137 Battalion; MP Bahuguna, CO, CRPF, 187 Battalion; Suram Singh, DSP, HQ; Adit Hamid, DSP, Traffic, Udhampur; Amanat Ali Shah, DSP, Staff to DIG; BL Sharma, DSP, CID (SB) Udhampur; and Bodh Raj, DSP, Civil Defence, attended the meeting.