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Monday, March 15, 1999
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J A M M U C & CK A S H M I R |
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Monday, March 15, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Militants kill innocents:
Amnesty 10
heliskiers rescued |
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No rift
between govt and LAHDC: Jaitely Liquor
vends back in Kashmir valley Traders
unite against J&K Budget 5
killed, 11 hurt in bus mishap Over
4.87 lakh visit Vaishno Devi Survey
on new route to valley completed |
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J-K militants kill innocents: Amnesty NEW DELHI, March 14 (PTI) — Amnesty International (AI), London-based human rights watchdog, has charged militants in Jammu and Kashmir with targeting the minority Hindu community in the state. In its report, released recently, Amnesty International said innocent civilians were being targeted for no fault of their’s and said an independent inquiry should be initiated to fix responsibility for killings. "There is evidence that Pakistan has provided men, training and military support to some groups seeking accession of Kashmir to Pakistan," the report said, adding that officials in Islamabad, however, denied it. Quoting observers, the report, titled "If they are dead, tell us — disappearances in Jammu and Kashmir", says trained Islamic fighters from a range of Muslim countries, including Sudan and Afghanistan, believing themselves to be "holy warriors", engage in some of the most brutal abuses, especially targeting the Hindu community. Many observers believe the so-called struggle in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a "significant change" with the entry of foreign militants into the valley, the report says. "The complexion of militancy has undergone a serious change. It is no longer an urban phenomenon ... foreign militants have come to dominate terrorist brigades," it says. "Afghans, Sudanese and Egyptians are far more deadly in their operations than locals and targeting innocent civilians is easy for them," the report says. Amnesty International said while the state government had the responsibility to restore and maintain order in an "extreme security situation" of this kind it also had the obligation to promote and protect human rights at all times. The report has highlighted the hostage-taking menace by the militants and said this method was a very "cheap" way of securing release of arrested terrorists. Referring to the infamous abduction of four Westerners by Al-Faran, Amnesty said by this the families of the abducted persons were subjected to uncalled for mental torture. The Amnesty report said even the journalists were subjected to this inhumane treatment and held to "ransom" to free the members of the outfits. Amnesty, quoting reports from government officials said that since 1989 1,765 persons, including 122 politicians and 20 foreigners had been abducted. Of these 639 people had been killed in custody by militants, 692 were released and 434 still remained untraced, the report added. The human rights group called upon all militant groups to immediately release all hostages and end the misery faced by their kin at home. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to set up within two weeks a high-powered committee to sort out the problems faced by Kashmiri migrants residing in various parts of the country. The directives, issued by a three-member Bench comprising the NHRC Chairman, Mr Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah, Mr Justice V.S. Malimath and Mr Virendar Dayal, said the committee should include two Cabinet Ministers of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and three senior bureaucrats. The Bench, issuing the directions on a bunch of cases pertaining to the displaced people from Kashmir, asked the complainant migrant organisations to propose a set of names for inclusion in the committee. A plea by the complainants to include migrant representatives in the panel was also accepted by the commission which asked the state government to consider the proposal, advocate Pyare Lal Kaul, who appeared for the complainants, said. The Kashmiri Samiti, which is one of the complainant organisations, today said it would submit the proposals regarding the committee to the NHRC on Monday. Samiti president C.L. Gadoo told PTI here the organisation had decided to propose names for the panel on the basis of designations. These would include three Cabinet Ministers — Revenue, Finance and Law — and five working bureaucrats — Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir), Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) and Secretary (Planning and Relief), he said. It was also proposing to
include in the committee a representative of the NHRC and
a migrant nominee from Jammu and Delhi, each, he added. |
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10 heliskiers rescued SRINAGAR, March 14 — Ten foreign heliskiers headed by Sylvan Saudan returned safety this morning after the state helicopter used by them at Gund in the upper reaches of Sonmarg, developed a technical snag at a height of over 12000 ft last evening. The tourists accompanied by Group Captain JS Kahlon were rescued by the Army from the area this morning, and flown back here. The heliskiers included a German couple, two Swiss nationals and six French nationals in addition to Sylvan Saudan, a noted heliskier from Switzerland who has been frequenting the Kashmir Himalaya for almost a decade. Panic had gripped senior state officials and police officials here when informed of the complication. The foreign nationals arrived here early this month for a heliskiing expeditions in the mountains around Sonmarg about 100 km from here on the Srinagar-Leh national highway. The state helicopter run by Captain JS Kahlon had made a number of sorties yesterday to ferry the heliskiers to the slopes. It later returned from Srinagar in the afternoon after refuelling. Police sources said the helicopter could not take off for return sorties to get the tourists back due to a technical snag. Even contact with the group captain was snapped creating panic in the state administration. Efforts were made throughout the night to determine the welfare of the skiers. Two Army helicopters and an IAF helicopter were pressed into service early this morning to locate the stranded tourists. Reports said that a group of six persons, including five foreigners and Captain JS Kahlon, reached Resan village early in the morning where troops sent to locate them succeeded in spotting them. The others too were later ferried to Resan in four sorties. Sources said the tourists were rescued from Resan village in the forest about six km south east of Gund, and about 15 km from Sonmarg on the Srinagar-Leh national highway. The group members are: J Pierrar and Maret Reney, Switzerland, Mrs and Mr Wues Phof, Germany, Daniel Lafarga, Dennis Rey, a Lieutaghi, J Mark Fabra and Pafreril, all French nationals. This is the first time that Sylvain Saudan had rented one of the two state helicopters for ferrying the skiers to and from the high altitude slopes. Earlier, he would get his own helicopter for the purpose. After Oberoi Palace, the only five star hotel here closed in the wake of militancy about nine years ago, Sylvain Saudan's groups had been staying at the Centaur Hotel here but had not returned in four years, because of lack of proper facilities at the Centaur Hotel. Newspersons, most of them
TV journalists, were not allowed to meet the tourists
after their arrival at the Grand Palace Hotel here. |
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Army lends helping hand SRINAGAR, March 14 — 'Project Sadhbhavna' launched by the Army in Kashmir under the aegis of 15 Corps Headquarters has helped get artificial limbs to 21 more mine-blast and militancy victims of Kashmir. The group which returned on Saturday after getting artificial limbs at Nevedac Prosthetic Centre, Chandigarh, follows an earlier group of 26 handicapped persons who were also provided limbs free of cost at the same location. Even as the second group returned amidst cheers and joy a third such group comprising 13 handicapped persons proceeded to Chandigarh with a hope of leading a new life of meaning and usefulness. The project is receiving enthusiastic response as handicapped villagers and their relatives saw a bright ray of hope in Lt Gen Krishan Pal's assurance to the people that the project would continue till all needy handicapped persons were provided artificial limbs free of cost by the Army. The new found confidence and cheer on the face of 40-year-old Zena Begum of Yuvatara village of Baramula, who is the first woman to avail of the Army's benevolent venture, has acted a confidence booster for many handicapped women of the forward areas of Kashmir who, till now, continued to suffer in silence. A mother of eight, Zena Begum's right leg had been amputated as a result of bullet injury in firing by militants. Two other beneficiaries are Aijaz Ahmad Bhat (13) and his elder brother, 15-year old Shakeel of Angam village in Pulwama. The two had lost their left and right arm, respectively, two years ago as they had unsuspectingly tampered with a small explosive device planted by the militants. The mechanical prosthetic arm fitted for both brothers has equipped them to face life and colleagues boldly. Young Altaf Ahmad Najar of Panzgam village in Kupwara district was impatient to reach home and proudly display his fully functional mechanical prosthetic arm to his parents and friends. He too had lost arm above the elbow in 1997 while picking up an improvised explosive device planted by the militants in the form of a transistor on the Kupwara-Tangdhar road. Being a darling of the villagers as well as the local unit of the Gorkha Rifles stationed at Panzgam Altaf's new found joy is shared in equal measure by officers and men of the unit who took up the crusade to see that he is provided the best and latest medical help. Among the other beneficiaries is 60-year-old Mohammad Hussain of Tazal village of the forward area of Uri tehsil who had lost his left leg in a mine injury in the 1971 war. Mohammad Hussain expressed his gratitude to the local Army commanders of Uri who had extended all help to him and other villagers of the forward areas. The Army Development Group
which is coordinating the humanitarian and development
activities of the Army in Kashmir has requested all needy
handicapped persons to register their name with the
nearest Army unit to avail of this welfare scheme. |
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No rift between govt and LAHDC: Jaitely JAMMU, March 14 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitely has said there are no differences between the state government and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). The government wants to strengthen the LAHDC so that there is complete democratic decentralisation and power is taken to the grassroots level, Mr Jaitely said at a high-level meeting of senior officers and representatives of the LAHDC here yesterday. Those who represented the LAHDC included its chairman, Mr Thupstan Chewang, two executive councillors and other public figures from Leh district of Ladakh region. The Chief Secretary said there was a vast potential for development of the district and, therefore, useful projects should be formulated and institutional finance arranged to fund these. The meeting decided that the Ladakh Affairs Department, being a liaison body, should improve coordination between the LAHDC and itself. To ensure this, a fortnightly reference report should be faxed by the LAHDC to the Ladakh Affairs Department for follow-up action with departments concerned, he said. It was also decided at the meeting that the heads of the department would visit Ladakh twice a year to discuss pending issues pertaining to the region and tackle them on-the-spot. Other issues which were
discussed included the amendment to the LAHDC Act,
creation of new blocks, framing of land allotment rules,
procedure for nomination of members to the LAHDC,
administering of oath to the members of the council and
increasing the compensatory allowance of employees of
Ladakh. |
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Liquor vends back in Kashmir
valley JAMMU, March 14 — In a bid to mobilise additional resources for tiding over the current acute cash crunch the Excise Department has auctioned 12 liquor vends in Kashmir for Rs two crore recently. It will be the first time in nine years that liquor shops will reopen in the summer capital. The Government took the decision to reopen the liquor vends by auctioning 12 shops after it realised that the valley, during the past several years, was flooded with liquor sold clandestinely by tea stall owners and even by gun-toting youth. Prior to the starting of insurgency in the valley excise on liquor used to yield over Rs two crore annually and had not the militants placed a ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in Kashmir in 1989 excise revenue from the valley would have touched Rs 8 to 10 crore by now. During the past four years only one liquor shop has been functioning near Aloochi Bagh in the security Zone in Srinagar. Last year when the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, announced that bars would be reopened in Srinagar for the convenience of tourists the separatists had threatened to force the closure of all bars and liquor shops just as they did in 1989, when scores of liquor shops and bars were attacked by the militants. For one year the government waited for an opportune time until forced by the financial crisis, it took the decision to auction 12 shops in Srinagar for a start. A group from Jammu has informed the government that it is ready to open a bar in one of the hotels run by the Tourism Development Corporation in Srinagar. One report said that the state government was afraid the BJP might make an issue of flooding of Jammu areas with liquor while not daring venture in Kashmir valley. During an Assembly sitting in Jammu recently one BJP member blamed the government for encouraging the population to addiction by giving licences for the asking for opening new liquor vends in the winter capital. During the recent auction
the state netted over Rs 38.70 crore in excise revenue of
which over Rs 36.70 crore was from the Jammu region,
marking an increase of Rs five crore over last year. One
liquor baron in Jammu is allegedly spending several lakh
rupees to persuade the government to ban issuance of new
liquor licences. |
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Traders unite against J&K
Budget SRINAGAR, March 14 — In a significant development, almost all unions of traders, transporters and employees here have jointly constituted a people forum for justice" to "safeguard economic rights" of the people following the recent Budget proposals imposing heavy taxes on the common man. A statement to this effect was issued by the Bar Association here last last evening after a meeting of various unions of traders, transporters, government employees and members of the Bar Association. More than 12 association, including the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, the Kashmir Passenger Transport Welfare Association and the Bar Association attended a meeting here to chalk out the next programme of action against the economic policies of the government, which, it said, were anti-people. These organisations had early last week called for a valley-wide bandh in protest against the proposed hike in taxes. The valley observed a complete shutdown in response to the call that was endorsed by all associations of traders from different parts of the valley also transporters and employees' unions. According to a statement issued by the Bar Association here last evening, the newly constituted "people forum for justice" would hold another meeting next week to chalk out the future course of action in this connection. A similar meeting of
various traders' organisations and the Bar was held at
Baramula district headquarters yesterday which also
expressed concern over the Budget proposals. |
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5 killed, 11 hurt in bus
mishap JAMMU, March 14 — Five civilians were killed and 11 wounded when the bus in which they were travelling rolled into a nullah near Prem Nagar in Doda district today. The ill-fated bus (JKQ 3225) was on its way from Jammu to Kishtwar. Three passengers were killed on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. The injured persons have
been admitted to District Hospital, Doda. |
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Over 4.87 lakh visit Vaishno Devi JAMMU, March 14 (PTI) — Over 4.87 lakh pilgrims from all over the country have so far visited the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi since January this year, official sources have said. An increase of over one lakh devotees has been registered over that in the corresponding period last year, officials said yesterday, adding that during the first week of march about 80,000 pilgrims, including 71,000 from outside the state, visited the shrine. As many as 7,000 to 8,000
pilgrims are daily reaching Katra, the base camp for
their onward journey to Vaishno Devi, they said. |
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Survey on new route to valley
completed JAMMU, March 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has got a survey on an alternative route to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway conducted by an Austrian agency. Stating this in reply to supplementaries to a question in the state Legislative Assembly, Mr Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister of State for Works said the government was keen to take up the construction of an alternate route as soon as the project was cleared and funds released by the Centre. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has already agreed to provide Rs 2.30 crore for the feasibility report as a special gesture. The proposed alternate highway is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,422 crore and will take about seven years to complete. On completion, the distance between Jammu and Kashmir will be reduced by 80 to 90 km and travel time cut by four hours. The proposed highway will be all-weather unlike the existing road. The project is expected to
pay for itself through tolls payable under BOOT (borrow,
own, operate and transfer) scheme. |
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