Keeping vigil despite odds
from M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 29 — Despite severe odds, men of ITBP keep a vigil round the clock on the 45 km-long mountain range segregating Chamba district of Himachal from Doda district of Jammu to prevent militants from sneaking into Himachal Pradesh.

Since their induction in August, 1998, following the massacre of 26 Hindus in Chapnari in Kishtwar and 35 in Kalaban and Shatrundi in Chamba in June and August, the men of the ITBP have sealed the transit routes of militants. The knee-deep snow throwing a blanket over the dense forests has, no doubt, restricted their mobility and subdued their enthusiasm.

Tents have been pitched at heights ranging between 8500 feet and 13860 feet with icy winds keeping them company. During the past four months the ITBP personnel have carried out a series of operations against the militants to instil a feeling of security among the people.

According to eyewitness reports, after Siachen, where the Indian troops have been blunting Pakistani designs in a very inhospitable terrain, the Gandhov-Chamba belt comprises a tough terrain as far as weather conditions are concerned.

According to ITBP Commandant Mohinder Singh, his boys have been assigned the task of protecting villages against militant attacks and persuading those who have joined militant outfits to return to their parents.

Mr Mohinder Singh, leader of the first-ever successful Indian expedition to Mount Everest from the Chinese side in 1996, has been specially selected by the Union Home Ministry to train the boys in carrying out anti-insurgency operations under difficult weather and ground conditions.

The Director-General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, visited an ITBP camp in a remote area of Jugassar and complimented the force for having plugged all infiltration routes.

Mr Jagat suggested to the ITBP officials to secure cooperation from the local populace because fighting insurgency without local support was difficult.

Reports reaching here from Gandhov said as a result of paucity of forces the ITBP jawans have been forced to remain confined to a particular area. If more ITBP companies are made available, they can carry out operations against the militants right from Chamba to Bhaderwah.

Ladakh council stir today
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Jan 29 — Differences between National Conference government and the Congress-backed Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) have come to the surface with the boycott of the Republic Day celebrations by the Council on Tuesday. The Council has given a general strike call in Leh for tomorrow in protest against the transfer of Deputy Commissioner as also its Chief Executive Officer following boycott of the official Republic Day function by the LAHDC.

"The general strike call is in protest against the victimisation of the Deputy Commissioner by the state government who was unnecessarily shifted a day after the Republic Day function boycott", Mr Thupstan Chewang, Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, told TNS on the telephone from Leh. He added that it was clear that the state government was "not serious towards the fulfilment of the demands put forth by the Council". Mr Chewang said that shifting of the Deputy Commissioner, Basharat Ahmad Dar, who also happens to be the Chief Executive Officer of the LAHDC, was an "unnecessary victimisation". Mr Dar had been away availing 15-day leave when he was shifted.

Mr Chewang said that in case the Deputy Commissioner was not transferred back, the situation may take an ugly turn. "The agitation may be revived for grant of UT status to Leh" in case the government did not take necessary steps. "The government does not want the LAHDC to work in Leh for obvious reasons", Mr Chewang said. The 30-member LAHDC comprises 26 elected members and four nominated members, and was constituted following an Act adopted during Governor's rule in 1995. In the absence of National Conference that time only Congress party members were elected to the Council. Later, when the National Conference government took over in Jammu and Kashmir in 1996, three NC members were elected to the Council following the vacancies.

Earlier, also there had been an agitation in Ladakh for the grant of union territory status to the region. "Due to the trouble in Kashmir and for maintaining the unity of the state, we accepted on the LAHDC in 1995", Mr Thupstan Chewang said. He added that apathetic attitude of the National Conference government would lead to an agitation for the grant of UT status. The people in Muslim majority district of Kargil have already disassociated themselves from the strike.

The Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC, Mr Thupstan Chewang, said the Deputy Commissioner, Basharat Ahmad Dar, had served as a bridge between the state government and the Council since August last year. It was for the first time that in a decade that the LAHDC participated in the official function of Independence Day last year. A senior minister in the Farooq Abdullah Cabinet, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather had negotiations with the LAHDC on all its demands early last year.

According to Mr Thupstan Chewang, the demands of the LAHDC included cabinet minister status to the chairman of the council on the Darjeeling pattern, continue the convention of the chairman LAHDC presiding over Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations in Leh and flow of more funds to the council. Mr Chewang held that the convention of the chairman presiding over these functions was stopped by the National Conference government. There was an agreement on various such issues with the help of Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, which led to holding of a joint Independence Day function in Leh last year.

"But the government has again failed to fulfil all the demands even after six months", Mr Chewang said. He added that this delaying attitude of the state government has led to the present situation, in which all the religious organisations of the region have supported the issues of the council.

The National Conference government blames some "vested interests" for the situation in Leh. According to Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, a minister in the National Conference government, the points raised by the LAHDC were not genuine. He told TNS that there were already three ministers of state in the council of ministers from Ladakh and there was an increase of 20 per cent in the district plan funds as compared to other districts. The Congress party was politicking, Mr Sagar said. He added that the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had recently called a meeting on the issue in Jammu. Mr Sagar held that disintegration of the state would not be allowed.

Mr M.Y. Tarigami, the lone CPM MLA in the state Assembly, said that the situation could have been avoided by creating a mutual confidence between the two sides. He sought the government resolve the issue by a mutual understanding.

Bill sent to President again
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 29 — The state government has again sent to the President a Constitution amendment Bill seeking to increase the number of seats in the Legislative Council from 36 to 44 for his assent. The Bill had been adopted by the state legislature six months ago.

The Bill had been sent to the President through the Union Home Ministry. Reports said the Central Government returned the Bill with a note seeking justification from the state government for the adoption of the Bill. The Centre had asked the state government to enlist reasons which had warranted an increase in the seats in the Upper House.

Official sources said the state government has again sent the Bill for the President's approval listing two major factors that had warranted enhancing the seats from 36 to 44. It has informed the Centre that after the delimitation of the assembly segments the number of seats in the Lower House had been increased from 76 to 87 and this increase had to be reflected in the Upper House also.

The state government has explained that under the bicameral system that exists in Jammu and Kashmir any change in the Lower House needed to be backed by a similar change in the Upper House.

Another justification given by the state government in support of the Bill is that there was need to give representation to women in the Upper House. The government has decided that out of the eight new seats two would be reserved for women and the two candidates would be nominated by the state government.

Asked whether the current financial stringency would allow the state to have more seats in the Upper House the Law Minister, Mr P.L. Handoo, said it was the constitutional obligation that the government had to fulfil. "Addition of eight members to the Upper House will not be a heavy burden on the state exchequer," he said.

Answering another question Mr Handoo said if the President of India returned the Bill without giving his assent, "we will send it again" adding that during the recent inter-state conference it had been decided that the President should clear the Bills within a period of four months.

Inside reports said at present five seats in the Upper House were vacant and if the President gave his assent to the Bill the National Conference would be able to oblige 13 persons by giving them berth in the Legislative Council.