The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	After clashes, Budgam limps back to normalcy Omar says Army contributed to normalising the situation Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 25 After days of clashes and mounting tension between two sects in Budgam district, the situation remained relatively peaceful today, though precautionary measures and restrictions continued in some areas. Normal life was restored in Budgam town and other nearby townships today and there were no reports of any untoward incidents. Talking to The Tribune, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the situation was better today as it was improving for the last three days. Omar made it clear that the Army was not called to handle the law and order situation, but it “contributed to normalising the situation”. Several villages of the district were affected by the recent violence, which started from a scuffle between two people, near Khomeni Chowk, but snowballed into violence engulfing large areas in the district, officials here said. Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, said several houses were damaged in three villages of Sofipora, Shahpora and Allahpora. “Restrictions were continuing with the deployment of paramilitary forces in some areas of the district to instil confidence among the people,” he said. “We are distributing cash relief, blankets and kitchenware to the affected households,” the Deputy Commissioner said. He added that the law and order was completely under control in the entire district. Later, an official spokesman said on the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Divisional Commissioner’s office through the Red Cross provided aid and assistance to the people affected by violence there. Abdul Jabbar, secretary, Regional Red Cross Society, visited the Deputy Commissioner’s office where a meeting was held to assess the loss of property and other damages. As many as 52 victims of violence from Sofipora, Shahpora and Allahpora were given Rs 5,000 each by the Regional Red Cross Society, the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, expressing concern over the situation, civil society activists in a joint statement urged the people in general and religious leaders in particular to play a positive role in ending the sectarian clashes. It also urged religious leaders, particularly of the Sunni majority community, to attend to the need of de-escalating the anti-Shia discourse among all sections of society. “The pattern of these riots is very suspicious and it appears there exist some ulterior motives behind the current flare up,” the statement by 26 members of the civil society said. Restrictions continue Several villages of Budgam district were affected by the recent violence, which started with a scuffle between two people, near Khomeni Chowk, but snowballed into violence engulfing large areas in the district Several houses were damaged in three villages of Sofipora, Shahpora and Allahpora. The authorities are distributing cash, blankets and kitchenware to the affected households Restrictions continue in the district with the deployment of paramilitary forces in some areas to instil confidence among people
	US Army Chief visits Northern Command HQs Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, July 25 US Army Chief Raymond T Odierno today visited the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur, 65 km from here. “He landed at the Northern Command air-base this morning where he was received by the GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt General Sanjiv Chachra and flew back in the afternoon,” an Army source told The Tribune. “During the meeting, the US Army Chief and Lt General Chachra discussed commonalities to fight terror, which has become a global threat. He shared his experiences of fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and we apprised him of our experiences, including complexities of Jammu and Kashmir vis-a-vis the ongoing proxy war. The internal security and the situation at the frontiers, including the LAC, was also discussed,” the officer said. He said the pullout of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan next year vis-a-vis its possible impact on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir also figured in the discussion. The officer, however, refused to divulge details of what exactly was discussed regarding the pullout of NATO forces and its possible repercussions on the state. “The US Army Chief and the Northern Army Commander discussed all the strategic issues important to both the countries,” he said. General Odierno had yesterday met Defence Minister AK Antony and Army Chief General Bikram Singh in New Delhi. In Delhi, he was given a presentation on India's strategic perspective that involved India's security analysis of the Af-Pak region and China.
	Ramban killings Gool residents demand arrest of BSF personnel Amir Karim Tantray/TNS Jammu, July 25 Amid blame game on the Ramban killings by various political parties, residents of the Gool area have demanded arrest of all accused involved in killing of four persons and sought strict action against them. On July 18, people of Gool had given a four-day ultimatum to the government to arrest BSF personnel who were responsible for the incident, but even after eight days, no BSF man has been arrested. On July 18, four persons were killed in the alleged BSF firing at Dharam village of Gool tehsil of Ramban district when people were protesting against desecration of the holy book and manhandling of local Imam by BSF men. The BSF authorities had said they fired in self-defence as the people were trying to enter the camp area where ammunition was stored. But this claim of the BSF was countered by local eyewitnesses who said there was unprovoked firing by the BSF that left four persons dead.
	High Court for action against encroachers at Gulmarg Directs Chief Secretary to file compliance report within one week Ishfaq Tantry Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 25 The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted the Chief Secretary one week to comply with its directions on taking “suitable” action against land grabbers and encroachers at Gulmarg. It also issued a show-cause notice to former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) to explain his conduct in allowing illegal constructions at the Drung area of Gulmarg. These directions were passed by a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur. The court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mohammad Rafiq Zargar wherein he had sought intervention of the high court in safeguarding eco-sensitive areas of Gulmarg and Tangmarg from illegal constructions. The high court had on May 15 directed the sub-committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner to prepare a final report about the lease holders and the violators within a month and submit the same to another high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary by or before June 15. It had also directed the high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary to initiate “suitable” action on the ‘final report’ by the sub-committee with regard to the illegal encroachments and land grabbers within two weeks. “The Chief Secretary was given two weeks’ time to comply with the court orders. However, till date no report has been filed. Let the order dated May 15, 2013, be complied with,” the bench said in its orders today while directing the Chief Secretary to file a compliance report in this regard within a week. The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, in the status report to the Court in May had said that a total number of 84 cases had been granted lease hold rights at Gulmarg by the authorities concerned from time to time. Out of them, the lease period in 26 cases had expired. The court also directed the Chief Town Planner to file a status report on the master plan. The high court while taking note of the structures which have come up in the Drung area of Gulmarg in violation of the court directions and without valid building permission, today also issued a show-cause notice to former CEO of the GDA Mehmood Ahmad, directing him to explain his conduct as to how illegal constructions had come up during his tenure. The court further observed that otherwise it will initiate suitable action against him. Mehmood is currently the Deputy Commissioner, Sales Tax. In the meantime, the court directed the authorities concerned to snap water and electricity connections of the illegal strictures which have come up at Drung.
	Geelani flays deployment of Army in Budgam Ishfaq Tantry/TNS Srinagar, July 25 Chairman of the hardline faction of separatist outfit Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani has “castigated” the authorities for deploying the Army in the strife-hit areas of Budgam, saying the move was “politically motivated”. While questioning the role of the police, Geelani expressed surprise at the inability of the local police to handle the situation. Following sectarian clashes between two communities, soldiers held marches in several villages since Wednesday night. The Army also held a flag march in Budgam town, where police and paramilitary personnel had been deployed in strength. Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said on the instructions of Geelani , a high-level delegation of Hurriyat leaders today visited several affected villages in central Budgam and sought support from respected citizens and locals and urged them to control the situation forthwith. The delegation urged people from both sects to maintain mutual brotherhood and remain calm and united. “The delegation during their interaction with members of both communities informed that Syed Ali Geelani wanted to visit affected areas but could not do so because of his detention,” Ayaz said. The delegation conveyed Geelani’s message wherein he made it clear that the present unpleasant situation had nothing to do with sectarian differences and miscreants and secret hands were trying to add fuel to the already tense situation, Ayaz said. “Geelani said the reason behind the situation turning worse was that on such occasions pro-Indian politicians work for their vote bank interest,” stated Ayaz. “Geelani, while castigating the deployment of Indian forces in affected areas, expressed surprise at the failure of the police to control the situation. Geelani said the police acts swiftly when people take to the streets to demand freedom. It (deployment of the Army) is politically motivated and in no way acceptable,” Ayaz said. Geelani said Kashmiris were "famous" for "mutual brotherhood and religious tolerance" and "we must protect" this "unique identity at all costs", the Hurriyat spokesman said, adding that the Hurriyat delegation which visited many areas in Budgam was headed by Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, a senior separatist leader and close aide of Geelani.
	Punjab accounts panel visits Srinagar Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 25 A delegation of the Committee on Public Accounts of the Punjab Legislative Assembly called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here yesterday. The committee members, who are on a study tour of the state, briefed the Chief Minister about their visit and showed interest in the initiatives and measures the Jammu and Kashmir government had taken in various sectors of development, a government spokesman said in a statement here. The committee members also discussed matters relating to the health, education, agriculture and allied sectors. Employability and skill development of youth and enhancing the orbit of job market also came up during the meeting. The delegation said the J&K youth had greater opportunity of pursuing education and jobs in Punjab. They said the Punjab government would extent full help to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir in this regard.
	Gool firing: BJP approaches NHRC for fair probe Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, July 25 Firing incident at Gool, which claimed four lives on July 18, is snowballing into a political controversy as the BJP today approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to get the case investigated through a credible agency from outside the state. The party has already demanded an unconditional apology from Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz for “demonising” the Border Security Force (BSF) without waiting for the outcome of the inquiry. Rajya Sabha member and in charge of the state BJP Avinash Rai Khanna today faxed a letter to the chairman of the NHRC regarding the Gool firing incident to conduct an inquiry from an agency outside the state. He alleged that the state agencies were hell-bent to make the BSF a sacrificial lamb to hide their own misdeeds. “Through this letter, I want to bring to your notice the incident that happened in the Gool area of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir. It is an example of human rights violation on the part of the local police, religious leaders and political leaders, who have made irresponsible statements to create trouble, which caused damaged to shops and property of a particular section of society. It also caused damage to the district administration office. Further, it caused injury to BSF jawan Ram Hari and the role of the police is doubtful,” Khanna mentioned in his letter, which is in possession of The Tribune. The letter further demanded that a high-level team from the commission should visit the area to asses the total loss. It was also demanded that the killer of Manzoor Ahmed Shan, a lecturer, should be identified. Meanwhile, chief spokesperson of the state BJP Jatinder Singh told The Tribune that the party had decided to “expose” the state government on the incident. He alleged that instead of waiting for the inquiry, there was a competition among leaders of both the National Conference and the Congress to demonise the Central security forces, especially the BSF. As JKPCC chief Soz was prompt in blaming the BSF for the Gool killing, the BJP has decided to seize the opportunity to rake up the issue in the Jammu region. Following the arrest of a sub-inspector of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the BJP has stepped up attack on the Congress for “toeing line” of the Hurriyat Conference and other separatist groups for “petty political gains”.
	14th anniversary of Kargil War Army begins Vijay Diwas celebrations in Drass Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Drass, July 25 The Indian Army today began the celebrations of the 14th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, the day it won back all peaks from the Pakistan army in the Kargil region. At the Kargil War Memorial at Drass, 150 km from Srinagar, Armymen were giving final touches to the arrangements for the Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) main function which will be held on Friday. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt General Sanjiv Chachra and former Army Chief VP Malik will attend the function tomorrow. Five Lt Generals who were involved in the Kargil operation will be also attending the function. Many tourists who were heading to Ladakh were also seen paying homage at the War Memorial. The victory of the Indian Army over Pakistan in Kargil war in 1999 is celebrated as Vijay Diwas. As many as 527 Army officers and soliders were killed in the Kargil War which was fought for over two months. “The two-day Vijay Diwas celebrations started today and the main function will be held tomorrow at the Kargil War Memorial at Drass,” said an Army officer here. On Thursday, a beating retreat function and brass band display was held. “On Vijay Diwas, we salute the soldiers who inflicted heavy defeat on Pakistan,” he said. He further said a wreath laying ceremony and memorial service would be held tomorrow. The Army also lit the lamps to pay respect to soldiers who lost their lives during the Kargil war. Residents of Drass were, however, missing many events that used to be the part of the Vijay Diwas celebrations during previous years. “This year, no polo match has been organised which used to be a regular feature of the celebrations. We don’t know why the match was not kept in the two-day celebration programme,” said a resident, Ghulam Hassan. “A motorcycle show by the Army was also not held,” he said. The 74-day ordeal In 1999, Pakistani soldiers and militants from many groups had occupied many peaks from Drass to the Batalik sector along the Line of Control (LoC) overlooking the strategic Srinagar- Leh highway during the winter retreat of the Indian Army. The continuous and fierce shelling by the Pakistanis threatened to cut away the Ladakh region from the rest of the country forcing a massive mobilisation of the Indian war machinery. The Indian Army, along with the Indian Air Force, later launched a massive operation to reclaim the peaks that were occupied by the Pakistani soldiers. In the ensuing battles that were fought in the rugged mountain terrain and under hostile climatic conditions, the Indian Army managed to win back its territory after 74 days.
	China exploiting confusion over LAC, says BJP Tribune News Service Jammu, July 25 Chief spokesperson of the state BJP Jitendra Singh said here yesterday that repeated Chinese incursions into the northern territory of the country were a part of Chinese policy to exploit confusion over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has been “perpetuated” by successive Congress governments in Delhi. He alleged that beginning from the first Congress government headed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, even today despite frequent recent incursions by China, the present UPA government was making no determined effort to redeem this confusion. In a statement issued here yesterday, Jitendra said Chinese mischief was visible as early as in the 50s. He quoted October 24 and November 7, 1959, letters from the then Chinese premier, Zhou-en-Lai, to Nehru in which he had insisted that the LAC consisted of “the so-called McMahon Line in the east and the line up to which each side exercises actual control in the west”. “Nehru turned a blind eye to this and woke up only after China attack in 1962,” he said. Alleging that there were no lessons learnt even after 1962, Jitendra said the term “LAC” was allowed to gain legal recognition through the Sino-Indian agreements signed in 1993 and 1996. He quoted the 1996 agreement which stated, “No activities of either side shall overstep the line of actual control (LAC)”. The BJP spokesperson said in spite of all these agreements, the Chinese continued to revel in confusion over the LAC. He said even after the three-week standoff between Indian and Chinese troops earlier this year, the Chinese troops were regularly intruding into the Indian territory and also committing human rights violation by causing fear among the local population on the Indian side. He called upon the UPA government to come out with a policy document with regard to China.
	To counter BJP propaganda, Cong forms new media team Tribune News Service Jammu, July 25 To fight the “vicious” propaganda by the BJP in the state, the Congress high command has appointed a team of five leaders to highlight the achievements of the Union government. Spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Ravinder Sharma, who is currently heading the party media affairs in the state, will now be assisted by party leaders Janak Raj Gupta, Salman Soz and Bashir Ahmed Magray and Pankaj Basotra, a Youth Congress leader. Sources in the Congress said Ravinder would lead the new team which would launch a comprehensive campaign in the media to counter the “vicious” as well as “false” propaganda being launched by the BJP. Congress leaders have realised to emerge as the single largest party in J&K after the 2014 Assembly elections they would have to devise a comprehensive strategy to take on the saffron party in the Jammu region. In the 2008 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 11 seats. Sources said the newly appointed members of the media team have been instructed to highlight policies, programmes and achievements of the Congress instead of projecting themselves. “The Congress team has been directed to confine their statements only to the achievements of the Central government,” a source said.
	Telecom Ministry to assess feasibility of mobile towers near LoC Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 25 To assess the viability of setting up mobile towers near the Line of Control, the Union Ministry of Telecom will conduct a survey in remote areas near the Line of Control (LoC) for setting up of mobile phone towers. While Machil, Keran, Tulail, Gurez and Tangdhar areas near the LoC remain cut off from the Valley during winters, residents of these areas do not have mobile connectivity either. In a statement issued here, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chairman Saifuddin Soz has said Union Minister for Telecommunication and Information Technology Kapil Sibal had agreed that the Union Telecom Ministry would immediately conduct a survey on the status of mobile and other essential services in Keran, Machil, Tulail, Gurez and Tangdhar. Soz met Sibal in New Delhi today where he invited the minister’s attention towards the plight of the people living in the hinterland of north Kashmir due to non existent telecom facilities. “I told the minister that these backward areas had completely been neglected by the Department of Telecommunications, J&K, which include Machil, Keran, Tulail, Gurez and Tangdhar….these areas remain cut off from the valley for, at least , five months during winter and the people there, especially women and children suffer great hardships. I urged the minister to take up the matter and provide these facilities to the people of these backward areas,” Soz said. He said the minister had assured him that he would look into the matter and these services would be provided to the people without any further delay. “I told Kapil Sibbal that I had hoped that the towers for mobile services would be provided to these areas; but my hope had been belied by the utter negligence of the state Department of Telecommunication,” Soz added.
	Soldier ends life in Jammu Tribune News Service Jammu, July 25 A soldier allegedly committed suicide in the Chatha cantonment by shooting himself with his service weapon here today. “Sepoy (CFN) Jitendra Rathore of the 90 Armoured Regiment in the Corps of EME ended his life this morning,” said Jammu-based Defence PRO Col RK Palta. The soldier hailed from Faridabad in Haryana. His family had been informed, while a court of inquiry had been initiated, said the official. Reports said the trooper shot himself dead with his INSAS service rifle. He died on the spot and was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital for the post-mortem.