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Soz slams Omar’s take on AFSPA withdrawal
Grenade attacks, anti-Army remarks spark fresh debate on AFSPA
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Cong fumes over Kamal’s ‘irresponsible’ utterances
Accession of J&K to India
IAS officers from Mussoorie call
on Governor
Educational campaign in Ladakh from November 4
Grenade attack by militants on Diwali, 5 injured
5 Lashkar militants arrested
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Soz slams Omar’s take on AFSPA withdrawal
The Congress today said it was in the dark on alliance partner NC’s thinking on the AFSPA. Soz, who also heads the NC-Congress Coordination Committee in the state, told The Tribune that the AFSPA was a highly ticklish issue and needed consensus before its withdrawal could be contemplated. He said the Act had to ultimately go but one was not sure if the time had come to remove it even though normalcy was returning to the Valley. Miffed with the Chief Minister’s remarks on the AFSPA, Soz said: “It is plain one-upmanship on the CM’s part and it won’t work. The AFSPA is a ticklish issue and Omar, being head of the Unified Command, should have discussed it with the Generals but he did not. He did not discuss it in the state Cabinet, the coordination committee, nor with the Home and Defence ministers as if all by himself he could remove the Act.” The state Congress also slammed NC patron Farooq Abdullah’s brother and NC spokesman Mustafa Kamal, who recently blamed the Army for twin explosions in the Valley, saying these were engineered to prevent the withdrawal of the AFSPA. “Look at the temerity of his (Omar’s) uncle in saying that the Army had engineered the blasts. Now Farooq Abdullah says that that NC’s official spokesman did not say such a thing whereas he had spoken on record,” said Soz. He said this was not the first time that the Chief Minister had not consulted the state Congress on an important issue. “This is not the first time he (Omar) has not consulted us. I have no personal grudge against him even though I was just a phone call away. But my case is that much bigger actors were also not taken on board. This is Omar’s style. He creates a situation and then retracts,” the state Congress chief said. Asked about the Congress’ stand on the AFSPA withdrawal, Soz said the Act was a temporary measure which came up to fight armed militancy in Kashmir and it had to go one day but when it would go was a matter that needed consensus. “The Act is not a panacea for all times to come. It will go at one point of time. But the question is who will determine that point of time. We have to reach a consensus on ground about the AFSPA,” Soz said. Asked if the state Congress wanted a change of leadership in Jammu and Kashmir, considering that the Chief Minister’s remarks had often put the Congress on the defensive, Soz said: “That decision is for the party high command to take. The high command knows everything. Moreover, whether Omar should go is not the point. The issue is the AFSPA and our case is that the NC must consult the coalition partner, the Unified Command, the Home and Defence ministers on it. If you organise a consensus, it will be to your advantage.” Top Congress leaders also privately admitted that Omar’s tweets had often put the party on the defensive, especially the one in which he had asked if the Centre’s response on Afzal Guru’s clemency resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly would be as muted as it was on the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution seeking pardon for former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s killers. Sozspeak
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It’s okay if Act goes from some
J-K parts: CPM
Welcoming the proposal of the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Areas Act (DAA) from certain areas of the state, CPM state secretary M Y Tarigami has said that such issues of public importance should not be messed up in avoidable political skirmishes.
Tarigami said that given the improved security situation, the CPM has always been unequivocal in stressing for removal of these draconian laws. “Since there is a marked improvement in the overall security situation in the state, time has come to revoke this law at least from certain areas at the first instance,” he said. Such steps would ensure relief to the traumatised people of the state, Tarigami said, adding that such initiatives should not be perceived as any compromise on the overall security requirements. Omar didn’t do homework on AFSPA, says PDP
Mehbooba said the withdrawal of such laws had been discussed at different levels and the Prime Minister had set up a special committee in Defence Ministry in 2007 in response to Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s initiative. Regretting that the superficial and incompetent handling of the issue by Omar Abdullah had led to an atmosphere of confrontation, Mehbooba held that no homework had been done before he rushed to make an announcement about the proposed withdrawal of the AFSPA from certain areas.
— TNS |
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Grenade attacks, anti-Army remarks spark fresh debate on AFSPA
Srinagar, October 27 The question whether to lift or not to lift the special powers entrusted to the security forces while fighting militancy remains the focal point, even as there has been a considerable decline in the overall level of violence and a gradual improvement in the security situation. It is for the first time that the withdrawal of the AFSPA is being considered for four districts -- Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir division and Jammu and Samba districts in Jammu division. Five militancy-related incidents, two in busy streets of Srinagar and three in south Kashmir, on Tuesday and Wednesday, broke a long spell of relatively calm atmosphere on the militancy front in the urban areas. The prompt reaction of the ruling parties, the opposition, other mainstream political parties and separatist organisations have landed the Chief Minister in a tight spot. These incidents took place within days after the Chief Minister on Friday last announced the government's decision to lift the AFSPA from some areas of the state. Besides such incidents of militant violence, most of the areas across Kashmir witnessed stone-throwing clashes resulting in the death of nearly 120 youths through the summer months last year. Governor NN Vohra has been in touch with the Chief Minister and heads of security agencies working in the state to assess the security situation. He has also been interacting with leaders of various political parties within the state and the interlocutors, led by Dileep
Pandaonkar, who have been briefing him about their assessments after interacting with a cross-section of society. The first remarks which generated debate over the Chief Minister's announcement to lift the AFSPA were made by Mustafa
Kamal, senior member of the ruling National Conference, who said that the finger of suspicion pointed at the armed forces. This was his response on the timing of the five incidents of violence following the Chief Minister's announcement on the lifting of the
AFSPA. In a damage control exercise, however, both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and union minister Farooq Abdullah denied that the remarks were intended against the Army. Another senior NC leader and MP Mehboob
Beigh, representing Anantnag, said it was a matter of concern that such violent incidents take place whenever any move to lift the special powers was considered. The hardline separatist, APHC chairman, Syed Ali
Geelani, seeking to withdraw all special powers to security forces to end human rights violations in the state, has also blamed the security forces for opposing the move to lift such laws. The Chief Minister said a statement from his senior party colleague (Mustafa
Kamal) "which has been clarified as mis-reported and mis-represented" had nothing to do with the state government's opinion as well as relationship with the Army. Omar said that while the coalition government was committed to the removal of the AFSPA from certain areas of the state, it was no reflection on the role of the Army in the state. He said the removal of the AFSPA was in no way an effort to undermine the role of the Army, which essentially was playing a major role in the anti-militancy operations. |
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Cong fumes over Kamal’s ‘irresponsible’ utterances
Jammu, October 27 The Congress, which was already annoyed over the “unilateral” announcement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, got further infuriated over the statement of NC stalwart Mustafa Kamal, who had blamed the Army for a series of grenade attacks in different areas of the Kashmir valley on October 25. Fuming over the “irresponsible” utterances of Kamal, former Lok Sabha member and senior vice-president of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Dharam Pal Sharma said the recent statements of Kamal were not only totally irresponsible but also mischievous and politically motivated. “Kamal, a senior NC leader, is in the habit of issuing highly irresponsible and objectionable statements in the media against the Congress party and the Centre. These have been ignored in the past, in the interest of the coalition, although he had been claiming the backing of his party (NC),” Sharma stated. “Since he (Kamal) has been rewarded with status of the official spokesman and additional general secretary of his party (NC), it is believed that he is in the knowledge of the sensitivities and responsibilities of the assignment. His recent statements are not only totally irresponsible but also mischievous and politically motivated,” Sharma added. The Congress leader asked the NC leadership to take immediate action against Kamal for his repeated acts of omission and commission. Sources in the Congress told The Tribune that local leadership has sounded the high command against the “mischief” of the NC leadership by giving a free hand to Mustafa Kamal to give any controversial statement. PCC chief Saifuddin Soz has already made it public that the Congress was not consulted by the Chief Minister while taking a decision on the revocation of the AFSPA from some parts of the state. Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Jammu-Poonch Madan Lal Sharma today made his party’s stand clear. While addressing a function to celebrate Accession Day, Sharma lauded the Army and cautioned that any step to demoralise the armed forces would prove disastrous for the state. Meanwhile, Soz, who reached Jammu today, held a closed-door meeting with his party colleagues on the Kamal issue. What NC leader had said NC leader Mustafa Kamal had remarked on October 25 that the grenade blasts on that day in Srinagar had been orchestrated by the Army. “The main finger of suspicion points towards the Army as well," NC General Secretary and party's chief spokesman Mustafa Kamal told reporters in Srinagar. Kamal, who is is uncle of Omar Abdullah and brother of Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, suggested that the attacks were an attempt to sabotage the efforts to phase out AFSPA from the Valley. "The finger of suspicion points towards those vested interests who do no want the AFSPA to go for their personal interests," he had added.
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Accession of J&K to India
Jammu, October 27 Addressing a function to celebrate Accession Day, JKDNP asked the people to not fall prey to the machinations of the anti-national elements, who were on the payrolls of hostile foreign powers and showed rosy pictures to the people and detracted their attention from the reality. The speakers at the function congratulated the leadership in Kashmir and the people in general for taking a right decision in 1947, to join with the secular and democratic India, instead of joining the theocratic state of Pakistan, where democratic setup was a rare episode. “It is as a result of the right decision to become part of the secular and democratic India that Jammu and Kashmir has made tremendous progress and is upholding the noble traditions of communal goodwill and brotherhood,” they said. The Accession Day function was organised by senior youth leader of the party Vipul Bali while senior state vice-president Kuldeep Vahi was the chief guest. The general secretary of the Jammu wing of the party, Tajinder Singh, who also spoke on the occasion said under the leadership of founder president of the party Ghulam Hassan Mir, JKDNP had been playing a positive role in removing the alienation of some of the people in Kashmir with the national mainstream. “The party has been identifying itself with the genuine aspirations of the people of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu. We have been fighting for the right causes while at the same time removing some misconceptions and falsehoods,” he said. Others who participated in the function included Rajinder Gupta, president of the Jammu provincial youth wing, Arun Bali, Ravinder Sharma, Kapil Mahajan, Gurdarshan Singh, Avinash Vohra, Vivek Dutta, Shivam Vaid and Bhanu Pratap Bali. |
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Brig Rajinder Singh remembered
Jammu, October 27 Addressing a gathering here after paying homage to the saviour of Kashmir, Brig Rajinder Singh on his 64th martyrdom day, Lt Gen Parnaik said, 2011 was by far the most peaceful year and requisite efforts were being initiated to ensure that peace prevailed in the state. “It has become possible because of the efforts of the people, who themselves are yearning for peace,” he said. Without touching the AFSPA, he said the scenario of a particular area or a state depended upon what exactly the people of that area or state wanted. While paying homage to Brig Rajinder Singh, he said Brig Singh had made supreme sacrifice to save Kashmir in 1947. Lt Gen Parnaik, however, smilingly evaded media questions on security situation in the far-flung areas and across the LoC, vis-à-vis militancy. Despite strong reservations of the Ministry of Defence, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced his plans to revoke the AFSPA from certain areas in the state where peace has returned. Besides, Lt Gen Parnaik, others who paid tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh included GOC of 16 Corps Lt Gen JP Nehra; president of the Dogra Sadar Sabha Gulchain Singh Charak; Jammu Divisional Commissioner, Pawan Kotwal; IGP, Jammu zone, Dilbagh Singh; GOC of 9 Corps Lt Gen AK Choudhary; officiating GOC 26 Infantry Division; Brig Pankaj Saxena and president of the J&K Ex-Services League, Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal (retd). Three daughters of Brig Rajinder Singh - Urvashi Pathania, Bimla Pathania and Usha Parmar also laid floral wreaths on their father’s statue. On October 27, 1947, the “saviour of Kashmir” had laid down his life at Buniyar in Uri while fighting Pakistan invaders. |
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Army remembers sacrifices of its soldiers on Infantry Day
Srinagar, October 27 Governor NN Vohra visited Baramulla and participated in the wreath laying ceremony at the Sikh War Memorial held in connection with the celebration of Infantry Day. The Governor laid a wreath at the memorial and also paid homage at the Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani Memorial. Lt Gen SA Hasnain, GOC of Chinar Corps; Maj Gen Bipin Rawat, GOC of Dagger Division alongwith senior police and civil administration officers also laid wreaths at the memorial. Remembering the sacrifice of Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani, soldiers of 1 Sikh regiment and many other unsung heroes, a memorial service was organised to pay tributes to the military and civilian martyrs. The Governor interacted with the officers and men of the local Army units, prominent citizens of the area and students present on the occasion. He lauded the bravery of the officers and jawans of the Army in guarding the territorial integrity of the country with devotion and commitment by making supreme sacrifices. The Governor said sustained peace and normalcy was an essential prerequisite for the rapid progress and prosperity of the state. He called upon all stakeholders and the people at large to contribute in a big way towards securing these objectives to fully restore the pristine glory of Jammu and Kashmir, as an abode of peace, tranquility, amity, harmony and brotherhood, and usher it into a frontline developed state. On the celebration of the historic day, the Governor presented mementos to civilians and retired soldiers, some of whom had been involved in fighting Pakistan raiders in 1947, and also distributed sweets among the schoolchildren. Earlier, Infantry Day was celebrated at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, in which Lt Gen SA Hasnain, GOC of Chinar Corps, paid tributes to the martyrs by laying wreath at the War Memorial. A large number of officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans also paid homage to the infantry men, who laid down their lives for the country. At the sidelines of the wreath laying ceremony, a ‘special cover’ on the Chinar War Memorial was released by the Corps Commander in presence of John Samuel, Chief Postmaster General of the Jammu and Kashmir circle. Releasing the special cover is the initiative of the Postal Department, who have joined hands with the Army to recognise the sacrifice of the security forces in the service of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Tributes paid to brave soldiers
Jammu, October 27 In a grand and solemn memorial ceremony conducted with full military honours, Brig Saxena, the senior most serving infantry officer in the garrison, alongwith serving and retired officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans paid homage to the brave soldiers, who laid down their lives for the country. With the ‘last post’ on bugles sounded by infantry buglers in their colourful regimental regalia, the ceremony revived the memories of the supreme sacrifice of gallant infantry soldiers, who valiantly fought the external aggressors and raiders to safeguard the integrity and unity of the country. October 27 is a historic day for the Indian Army, as on this day in 1947, the Army of independent India undertook its first military operation in Jammu and Kashmir and prevented Pakistan raiders from capturing the Kashmir valley. Infantry Day is celebrated to commemorate the glorious action of the Indian infantry in the post-independence era. It was on this day that the first battalion, the Sikh Regiment landed at Srinagar air field. All ranks of Tiger Division fought gallantly and many gallant officers and jawans made the supreme sacrifice, while defending the unity and integrity of the country. The infantry men have come a long way and their gallantry, dedication and devotion to their duty have made the entire nation proud.
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Kashmiri Pandits celebrate
Diwali in Valley
Srinagar, October 27 Candles were lit on the occasion, giving a festive look to the area. A large number of people from different communities participated in the celebrations. The festival was also celebrated at several other places across the Valley. Governor NN Vohra and First lady Usha Vohra celebrated Diwali with the staff of the Governor’s Secretariat and the security personnel at Raj Bhawan here yesterday. The Governor and the First Lady extended warm Diwali greetings and offered sweets to all those present on the occasion. They interacted with all the staff members of the Governor’s Secretariat and the security personnel and wished them and their families well-being and prosperity. The Governor prayed for peace, progress, prosperity, harmony and amity in the state. |
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IAS officers from Mussoorie call
on Governor
Srinagar, October 27 Interacting with the group of IAS officers, participating in the 109th Induction Training Programme at the academy, the Governor observed that such visits provided an opportunity for gaining first hand impressions about the development issues and reasons for the success or failure of programmes in various parts of the country. Such knowledge could help in drawing up more pragmatic strategies to speed up the development process, he added. The Governor enquired from the 10-member group of the IAS officers about the places they had visited so far within the country and in Bangladesh. They briefed the Governor about their tour. Apart from Dhaka, so far the group has visited Kolkata, Mumbai, Gujarat and Daman. During their visit to the Valley, they are scheduled to visit Gulmarg, Pahalgam, the Uri Hydel Project, besides various places of tourist and historic interest in Srinagar. The group will also interact with local residents at Pahalgam. |
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Educational campaign in Ladakh from November 4
Leh, October 27 An intensive campaign with the aim of improving the standard of education in government schools will be covering schools from the primary to the higher secondary level. The campaign is being held to mark the death anniversary of Khushok Bakula Rinpoche, who played a significant role in raising awareness about the importance of education in Ladakh from 1950 to 1980. A meeting to discuss the modalities of the campaign was held at Leh yesterday under the chairmanship of Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Rigzin Spalbar. The weeklong campaign will be held at the constituency level and the councillor of each constituency will lead a team comprising the sarpanch, panches, chairman and members of the village education committee, representatives of NGOs, and zonal education officer of the respective zone. Addressing the meeting, the CEC said: “This year the theme of the campaign will focus on four issues -- quality and skill-based education, good results of 10th and 12th board examinations, punctuality and regularity of teachers, strengthening of schools and increase of enrolment of students in it. Resources persons of the education department and religious heads will be engaged to talk on the theme.” He said getting education in private schools had become a status symbol, so enrolment in government schools especially at the primary level was decreasing. The total enrolment in the entire district was 1500, which is a cause for concern, he added. |
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Grenade attack by militants on Diwali, 5 injured
Srinagar, October 27 Unidentified militants hurled a grenade at Goriwan market in Bijbehara town, 45 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway around 1.40 pm, a police spokesman said. He said the grenade exploded outside a shop resulting in injuries to five civilians. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. A passing police vehicle was apparently the target of the attack but the grenade missed the vehicle, official sources said. The police assisted by paramilitary forces immediately cordoned off the spot but no one has been arrested so far, the sources said. Suspected militants on Tuesday had carried out twin grenade attacks in Srinagar in a span of about five minutes. Two militants of Pakistan-based LeT who were allegedly tasked to carry out fresh grenade attacks were arrested on Tuesday evening.
— PTI |
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5 Lashkar militants arrested
“Two grenade attack cases have been solved as we have busted a module of young men motivated by Lashkar-e-Toiba," Deputy Inspector General of Central Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir told reporters here. Mir said the three arrested militants, Irfan Ashraf Dar and Ali Mohammad, both residents of north Kashmir's Sopore town, and Khalid Ahmad, a resident of central Kashmir's Nagam village, were in contact with Pakistan-based Lashkar commander Furkan. Twin blasts in north Kashmir's Baramulla and in Batamaloo here on August 25 had left two BSF personnel dead. “This is an important module as it has revealed that the face of militancy is changing. Some days back the NIA had arrested a person in the Delhi High court blast (who was self-motivated),” Mir said, adding that he contacted Furkan through Internet and received instructions through it. Mir said the arrest of Muzafar Mir of Wangath village in Ganderbal district, who was a college student and had shot dead a policeman at Hazratbal earlier this month, led them to the module. "So far we have arrested five militants from this module," he said, adding these youth apparently led normal lives as two of them attended colleges also. The senior police officer said Internet and Youtube videos were motivating the youth to join the militant ranks.
— PTI |
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New Delhi, October 27
Expressing concern at the sudden spurt of violence in Kashmir which had resulted in injuries to many persons, the PDP has said this was a fallout of mishandling of the situation by the government. Party president Mehbooba Mufti lamented that the confusion created by a recent announcement by the Chief Minister about limited withdrawal of Disturbed Area Act (DAA) had resulted in utter confusion and the price was paid by ordinary civilians. She expressed full sympathy with the victims of these grenade and shooting attacks over the past two days, describing these as condemnable.
Srinagar, October 27