When the tough got going
KARGIL, July 25 — When the going gets tough, the tough get going - the saying has been proved in practice by the Indian soldiers as they evicted well-entrenched, heavily-armed Pakistani intruders from one mountain peak after another in Kargil during ‘Operation Vijay’.

• IAF takes cue from Captain Batra

Diarrhoea claims 10 lives

J&K to release 20 cr for drought-hit

Troops foil infiltration bid

SRINAGAR, July 25 (PTI) — Security forces scuttled a major Pakistan attempt to push in heavily-armed militants into the Kashmir valley when they gunned down one of them and seized a huge quantity of arms, including missiles, in an encounter in Kupwara last night, an official spokesman said today.

Elsewhere in the valley, three militants, a security jawan and a village nambardar were among 10 persons killed in militancy-related incidents, since last evening, he said here.

Troops guarding the northern borders noticed a group of heavily-armed militants which was trying to sneak into the valley from the occupied Kashmir through the Kupwara sector of Kashmir last night.

The infiltrators were challenged and in the ensuing encounter on the Indian territory at Kum-Kandi an unidentified foreign mercenary was killed.

The spokesman said other militants rushed back to Pakistan leaving behind six missiles, a general purpose machine gun, a sniper rifle, an AK assault rifle, 2401 slabs of explosives weighing 17 kg, 19 grenades, 10 remote control devices, 94 detonators, a pistol, a binocular and 70 rounds of ammunition.

Terming the operation a "major breakthrough", the spokesman said a counter-insurgent Mardan Khan was also killed in the encounter.

A militant, Abu Jehad was shot dead in an armed clash with the security forces at Gori-Bahak in Kupwara district today, the spokesman said, adding militants also exchanged fire with security forces at Awoora in the same district which left an ex-serviceman dead.

Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Washpora in Pulwama district today, official sources said.

The spokesman said militants gunned down nambardar of Kachwan village Mohammad Khaliq at Andoo in Anantnag district today.

The police found the body of a person working as Army informer in Kupwara last night. He was killed by militants.

A security jawan was killed in a militant attack on their picket near water point in Doda district last evening.

Militants also shot dead Ghulam Mohammad Pakshi in his house at Dharai-Marwah in Doda district last night.

Another civilian was shot dead by unidentified militants inside his house at Ahan-Shalipora village in Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar early today, the spokesman said.

Militants lobbed a grenade inside the house of Wali Mohammad Bhat at Tarzoo in the Sopore area of Baramula district last night causing some damage to the house.

However, no one was hurt in the explosion, he said.

He said militants kidnapped Shabir Bhat from Okay-Kulgam village in Anantnag district last night. The motive behind the kidnapping was not known.

IED found near Peda
3242 more leave for Amarnath

JAMMU, July 25 (PTI) — Militants’ plan to blow up vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu to Pahalgam was foiled with the detection of a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) between Nashri and Peda on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the police said here today.

A road opening party (ROP) early this morning detected the IED which was planted by militants between Nashri and Peda areas of the Batote-Ramban axis on the highway. The IED was immediately defused by experts.

The second batch of 3242 pilgrims left from Jammu, Nagrota and Udhampur areas in 196 vehicles early this morning for onward journey to Pahalgam, the base camp of the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas.

The fleet of vehicles, including 55 passenger buses, 20 trucks and 117 light motor vehicles, left Jammu amidst tight security.

Most pilgrims, including more than 100 sadhus, belonged to Gujarat, Maharashtra and east Bengal.

With the second batch of 3242 pilgrims today, a total number of 5014 pilgrims have left Jammu for Pahalgam. As many as 1772 pilgrims reached Pahalgam last evening.

The commencement of pilgrimage was delayed by three days from July 21 to 24 due to non-availability of security arrangements.

According to J and K Tourism Department officials, as many as 63,245 pilgrims have so far been registered with different centres of the Tourism Department inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Giving a break up of the pilgrims registered, they said more than 40,000 Gujaratis and Bengalis had been registered. They said special arrangements had been made for board, lodging, transport and security of the pilgrims in Jammu.

So far, 57 langars (community kitchens) had been set up in different areas en route to Amarnath from the base camp at Pahalgam.

J&K asked to make do with force strength
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 25 — For the time being the Jammu and Kashmir Government has been asked to streamline its security apparatus within the current constraints because there is no scope of withdrawing the additional troops that had been sent to the border in the wake of the Kargil conflict.

However, to make up for the paucity of security forces the Centre has agreed to make available at least two to three battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles for internal security. Two such battalions were sent to Doda district soon after militants carried out the killing of 15 civilians in Lahota village in the Kishtwar area. At the same time district officials have been critical of the way the authorities concerned deployed two battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles after withdrawing two battalions of the CRPF. The CRPF battalions were sent to provide security cover to pilgrims on the way to the Amarnath cave.

Informed sources and eyewitness accounts said senior police officers confronted the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, when he recently visited Doda to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation following the Lahota massacre. These police officers informed Mr Advani that the troubled district was short of at least 10 battalions of the security forces. They said out of 12 battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles six had been deployed on the Indo-Pak border which had left vast areas in the state's second largest district without any security personnel and pickets. This had given an advantage to the militants to fortify themselves and carry out attacks on security personnel and civilians.

Reports said the Centre was alive to the security requirements of the state. But it was helpless because troops had to be deployed in strength on the Indo-Pak border following heavy shelling by Pakistani troops not only in the Kargil and Dras sectors but also in eight others sectors on this side of the Line of Control and the international border. In addition, more than 10,000 security personnel would remain pegged to the Amarnath pilgrimage providing basic security cover to the yatris for one month.The state government had made a plea to the Centre that since the pre-poll campaign in the state would start from next month the state needed additional battalions of the security forces. The Centre gave an assurance that some battalions would be made available and the position was expected to ease when the 10,000 security personnel would be free from the Amarnath pilgrimage work by the last week of next month.

According to the reports, the Union Home Ministry had explored the possibility of deploying some companies of troops for internal security duty but the Defence Ministry is said to have refused to make available these troops. The plea of the Defence Ministry was that the troops had been exposed to strain because of their 10-year-long operations against the militants.

Stones tell tales of sacrifice
From Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

ZOJILA, July 25 — There are no "majars" of the "pirs" along the Srinagar-Leh highway. Instead this 434 km lifeline of Kashmir has scores of stones commemorating the sacrifices made by men and officers of various units of the Border Roads Organisation in maintaining this one-way road through snow-clad hills.

Some of the commemorative stones have become historic. For example, a majority of drivers who use this highway frequently make a brief halt at "Captain Maur" (bend), just before point India Gate, near Zojila. Army drivers get down from their vehicles and salute this stone-turned post. In fact, a small temple has also come up at this point , which is adorned by a large number of red flags. Some of the drivers put up up new flags as they pray for their safe journey enroute.

It was at this point that Capt M.C. Vadera of 13 Field Madras Engineers laid down his life on July 27,1954, while working on the construction of the road.

The most difficult stretch of this highway is between Sonamarg and Ghumri. This 20-odd km stretch passes through rocky but dusty terrain where landslides are a common phenomenon. This stretch also touches the highest point and passes through the famous but notorious Zojila.

It was on this stretch that the biggest catastrophe of more than 500 deaths had taken place when a convoy of vehicles was caught in between a snow storm which continued unabated for many days. A large number of truck and bus drivers had abandoned their vehicles and virtually ran barefoot towards Sonamarg to save their lives.

One of the survivors of that tragedy of the late eighties has been Mr Saran Pal Singh, a driver of the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation. It was he who had taken three of the six press parties from Srinagar to Kargil during the ongoing military operations in the area.

It was after this tragedy that the state government in consultation with the Army, which maintains this road, decided to advance the closure of the highway for winter from mid-November to mid-September. Though unofficially, it remains open till about middle of October, depending upon the weather, but no one takes chances any more.

"Fortunately for us, we were at the tail of the caravan. Once we saw the weather turning rough, we abandoned our vehicles and literally ran back, barefoot, towards Sonamarg. It took us several hours to reach the safer area. But hundreds of people, who were caught in the snow storm, were not only starved to death but were buried under snow. It was a gigantic operation to recover the dead bodies and clear the highway again," recalls Mr Saran Pal Singh.

Over 1,000 vehicles, mostly trucks and army vehicles, ply up and down on this highway everyday in summer, i.e. between April-May to middle of October.

When the tough got going

KARGIL, July 25 (PTI) — When the going gets tough, the tough get going - the saying has been proved in practice by the Indian soldiers as they evicted well-entrenched, heavily-armed Pakistani intruders from one mountain peak after another in Kargil during ‘Operation Vijay’.

The ordinary-looking soldiers stunned the enemy troops, who had dominating positions atop mountain peaks, by climbing up to altitudes ranging between 16,000 feet and 18,500 ft in rugged terrain in defiance of the heavy firing and defeating them there.

"The Pakistanis might have thought that they would never be evicted from their dominating positions atop mountain peaks as climbing these is a Herculean task."

"But our troops showed that we are the best fighters even in mountainous terrain and can defeat the enemy wherever they are and whichever position they are in," said an officer of 2 Rajputana Rifles which was the first to deal a blow to the Pakistani misadventure by recapturing Tololing peak in the Dras sub sector.

Displaying the ultimate determination and will-power and demonstrating the unmatched stealth, the Indian troops braved the enemy fire, nature’s adversity and inhospitable terrain to achieve the task of evicting the intruders who had occupied a stretch of land in the Kargil sector.

"We are justifiably proud of the depth and strength of our troops who have proved their mettle," 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen Krishan Pal, who was in charge of the operation said as the enemy faced reverses.

Maj Gen V.S. Budhwar, General Officer Commanding, 3 Division, added, "the credit for our successes in the battle goes to soldiers who achieved their task braving difficult conditions."

According to him, the misadventure by Pakistan failed as their troops "could not sustain the assault by the very superior and more motivated Indian forces."

The statement is substantiated by Lt Praveen Tomar of 2 Rajputana Rifles who says that Pakistani forces had pleaded for their lives when an assault party led by him cornered them atop Tololing peak in the Dras subsector.

"Abki baar jaane do, agli baar Hindustan wapas nahin ayenge (let us go now, we won’t come back to India again)," the Pakistani troops reportedly told the assaulting party.

The main heroes of the conflict were young officers and troops whose only motivation was to "teach the invaders a lesson of their life".

"Pakistan made a grievous error in assessing Indian Army’s capabilities," said Brig Ashok Duggal of Kargil-based 3 Division.

Maj Gen Budhwar said the successes achieved in ‘Operation Vijay’ spoke of "high dedication and training and morale" of the Indian troops. "Climbing up mountains and fighting well-settled soldiers to capture the peaks is not an easy job but our men have proved their worth."

Pointing out that the enemy had an advantageous position in the battles, he said, "Normally assaulters are expected to lose more personnel. But the lesser casualties on our side compared to the enemy side demonstrate that we are a better side."

In addition to the infantry troops, the men from artillery and other wings also displayed their superior qualities.

"The air force displayed its unmatched skill by operating in a splendid manner in the mountainous region where peaks also pose a constant threat besides the enemy fire," said a senior officer of the army.

IAF takes cue from Captain Batra

SRINAGAR, July 25 (UNI) — The Indian Air Force seems to have taken a cue from Capt Vikram Batra (13 JAK Rif) who virtually gave a new "battle cry" to his battalion before laying down his life while trying to recapture Point 4875 in the Mushkoh valley from Pakistani intruders.

After having captured Point 5140, which triggered a string of successes for the Army, in the wee hours of June 20, Captain Batra had sent a message to his base: "Yeh dil mange more" (he wanted more action).

This line, a straight lift from the promotional slogan of a popular soft drink company, has also caught the imagination of the IAF. At the air base here, one could find the same line painted on a 1000-pound bomb.

Besides, the IAF personnel have brought out something from their own "inventory".

Inspired by the visit of popular film actress Raveena Tandon and some other Bollywood personalities to a few from tune areas in the sector some time back, the IAF personnel have coined another one-liner — "from Raveena Tandon to Nawaz Sharif" — which was found printed along with a love sign on another 1000-pound bomb.

Diarrhoea claims 10 lives

JAMMU, July 25 (PTI) — Gastro-enteritis and diarrhoea have claimed ten lives and affected 200 since the past one week in remote villages of Udhampur and Kathua districts of Jammu region, official sources said here today.

The deceased, including three women and four children, died over the past two days and an 80-odd affected by water-borne diseases were hospitalised.

However, the Director, Health Service, Dr R K Goel, who is monitoring the situation said, "the situation is well under control".

The state Medical Health Department had sounded an alert in the two districts, the sources said, adding teams headed by Block Medical Officers had been sent to the affected areas.

J&K to release 20 cr for drought-hit

SRINAGAR, July 25 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to release Rs 20 crore for employment generation schemes in the drought-hit parts of the state, a top official has said.

Half of this amount (Rs 10 crore) would be provided from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund and the other half from the rural development schemes, state’s Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly told a meeting of the state-level Natural Calamity Relief Fund committee here yesterday.

Chairing the meeting, organised to take stock of the loss caused to the crops due to long dry spell in the Kashmir valley, Mr Jaitley said a work plan should be prepared within a week and put into action immediately to enhance the purchasing power of the people in the affected areas.

He urged farmers to sow alternate crops like vegetables and fodder in the affected areas.