Ramzan no deterrent to militants
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 18 — The holy month of Ramzan, which should have been spent in prayers and fasts, had witnessed a steep rise in the militancy-related violence in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. In the first 15 days of the new year the security scenario remained foggy on account of a series of grenade, gun and rocket attacks on the security pickets and patrol parties.

The security forces carried out series of operations against the militants in different parts of the state, particularly in the Rajouri and Poonch areas. People in various areas have been gripped by fresh scare after they saw militants striking with venom against the security personnel, police informers and mainstream political activists. Possibly it could have been the result of scare that large number of men and women were seen beating their breasts when a Pak national, involved in several militancy related incidents, was killed at village Hakim Gund, 26 km north of Srinagar, recently. Atleast since 1996 people would not shed a single tear if a foreign mercenary was killed in encounter with the security forces. The scene even amazed the senior Army officers when they watched people beating their chests when the Pak national was being buried in the same village.

In the past 15 days there have been 16 grenade attacks, four major explosions and 30 encounters between the militants and the security forces in different parts of the state. In these incidents of violence about 40 civilians and 12 security personnel were killed. However, the offensive launched by the security forces accounted for the killing of 22 militants.

Three factors are said to have attributed to the slight escalation in the militancy-related violence, one, most of the militants, who were camping in the forest belts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Kokernag, Poonch, Rajouri and Doda, have been forced by the arctic conditions on the hilly regions to come down to the inhabited areas. They have been indulging in the killing of police informers and members of village defence committees. Once they were in the plains the security forces carried out operations against them which led to encounters.

Senior army officers are of the views that a number of security personnel lost their lives as they observed restraint after they were attacked by the militants only to avoid the civilian killings.

Second, people have felt dismayed over the state government's performance and hence they would not like to risk their lives for a government that has not solved their economic problems. Even when the state government cannot be solely held responsible for this because its hands were tied due to financial crisis caused by the meagre flow of cash from the Centre to the state, people feel annoyed with the National Conference leaders.

Third, militants, especially foreign mercenaries, have been directed by agencies across the border to register their presence by kicking up subversive violence and not stay idle in their camps or hideouts. In the last quarter of 1998 militants operating in the state felt the inch of shortage of man and machine power but a sizeable number of foreign mercenaries equipped with latest weapons and explosives have sneaked into the state in recent weeks which had led to an increase in the incidents of subversive violence.

State government officials do not find any major escalation in the militancy related incidents. Dishing out figures they say that the graph of the burning of government buildings, private houses, bridges, cases of extortions and lootings has shown a sharp downward curve. They say if in 1990 the number of government buildings including school structures, burnt was 901 in 1998 it was 15. Several hundred bridges were damaged between 1990 and 1995 but in 1997 only five bridges were set ablaze and last year only one bridge was damaged. Cases of extortions came down from 60 per cent to 28 per cent in between 1990 and 1997 and in 1998 the rate was just over 11 per cent.

However, one thing is clear that people in Srinagar city and its adjoining areas who had started having a feeling of security that militancy had finished have been forced to revise their opinion. Those interviewed were of the firm belief that if the rate of infiltration and arms smuggling from across the border was not further checked, things could become difficult again. They also wanted the security forces to carry in hand multi-pronged measures for smashing the hideouts of militants.

One encouraging thing is the decision of the government to deploy additional troops in the border villages and on the border. This has brought down the incidents of infiltrations and arms smuggling. It has also discouraged militants who no longer call the shots in the Poonch and Rajouri belts But decidedly the role of the Army is not yet over.

2 militants shot in encounter

SRINAGAR, Jan 18 (PTI) — Six persons, including two militants and a woman, were killed while the security forces foiled an infiltration attempt and arrested four militants in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Two militants, identified as Zarar of the occupied Kashmir and Mushtaq Ahmad Gujjar of Rajouri, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Phalgai in the Kot-Dhara area of Rajouri in Jammu last night.

A woman was also killed in the exchange of fire, he said, adding two AK assault rifles, six magazines, 207 rounds of ammunition and two detonators were seized, an official spokesman said.

The body of an unidentified person was recovered from the Shangas area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir today.

The police recovered two bullet-riddled bodies from the Tangmullah area of Anantnag today, official sources said.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said troops foiled an attempt of militants to sneak into the Kashmir valley from across the border through Kupwara sector today.

A militant was apprehended in the process near the Line of Control.

Two brothers were wounded when a group of gunmen opened fire at them as they foiled an attempt to kidnap their brother in the Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar today, the sources said.

The injured brothers were shifted to Soura Medical Institute, the sources said.

The security forces captured two militants and recovered a hand grenade, eight AK rounds, two detonators and one foot of Cordex wire during search operations in the Tajpora area of Pulwama district yesterday.

The security forces arrested a militant in the Keran area of Kupwara district and seized an AK assault rifle, its magazine and 10 rounds from him, he said.

JAMMU: A major tragedy was averted in Surankote town of Poonch district with the timely discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) from a shop in the main market, official sources said on Monday.

A villager, on seeing an unclaimed bag in the shop yesterday, raised the alarm. The area was cordoned off and a bomb disposal squad later defused the device.

The security forces smashed a hideout of militants in the Mutgela-Mahore area of Udhampur district and recovered a large quantity of ration and medicines, the police said here.

On a tip off about the movement of militants in the Mutgela-Mahore area, a joint operation was launched by the police and troops in the area on Monday. Before the security forces reached the hideout, the militants had fled. The security forces seized a big quantity of ration, medicines and clothes, police said.

Governor, CM visit migrant camps
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 18 — The Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, and the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, visited migrant camps at Mishriwalla and Purkhoo near here today and took stock of the facilities available there.

The Governor and the Chief Minister covered a distance of over 2 km by foot through lanes to have personal interaction with migrant families and inspected the civic amenities, particularly sanitation and supply of water.

They were accompanied by the Minister for Revenue, Mr Ali Mohammad Naik, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr P.L. Handoo, Minister of State for Revenue, Mr Safdar Ali Beg and other senior officers.

A large number of migrants assembled there narrated their woes and demanded, employment for the educated youth, reduction in percentage of marks in employment for camp candidates, enhancement in relief and improvement in drinking water supply and power.

Talking to the migrants, both reiterated the government's resolve to create conducive atmosphere in the valley for the safe return of migrants.

Dr Abdullah said the state government had already taken up the matter with the Centre regarding the hike in cash assistance. He said he will be deputing the Director-General of Police to the camps for the recruitment of migrant youth in the police force.