J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Four killed in J&K
SRINAGAR, March 3 — Three militants and a security jawan were killed and seven wounded in separate militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday even as a powerful grenade blast caused panic here today.

Militancy increased in 1999: Lone
JAMMU, March 3 — The State Government today admitted in the Assembly that the militancy-related incidents had increased during 1999 as compared to 1998 though the situation was under control.

Five rescued from Hizbul men
JAMMU, March 3 — Rashtriya Rifles has rescued five youths forcibly recruited by the Hizbul Mujahideen in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

3 ATVs deployed in Kargil
JAMMU, March 3 — Three all terrain vehicles (ATVs) have been deployed in the mountainous Kargil terrain to detect infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC).

Shivkhori: a Shiva shrine
UDHAMPUR: The Shivkohri shirne is no longer a place of meditation for sadhus, but the place frequented by pilgrims. Most pilgrims to Vaishno Devi also visit this shrine. Being a Shiva shrine it draws a huge rush during Mahashivratri.

Four killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, March 3 (PTI) — Three militants and a security jawan were killed and seven wounded in separate militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday even as a powerful grenade blast caused panic here today.

Three militants, including a Pakistani mercenary and a top Hizbul Mujahideen militant were arrested, while unidentified gunmen torched a House of a migrant Pandit and looted a house in the State during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

He said two unidentified militants were killed in an armed clash with security forces at Sangla in Poonch district last night.

Security forces also gunned down a militant at Peth-Nambal in Anantnag district last night, the spokesman said adding that a jawan and two other persons sustained injuries in the incident.

Naik Ramanan Kumar lost his life and another jawan was seriously wounded in a militant ambush in Ludana village of Doda district last evening, official reports reaching here said.

The reports said militants ambushed a patrolling party of the Rashtriya Rifles in the area with automatic rifles. The troops retaliated but the militants managed to escape.

Two persons, including a security jawan were injured when militants exploded a powerful grenade in the Ghanta-Ghar area of Lal Chowk, today, the police said.

Militants lobbed the grenade on a parked vehicle of paramilitary special security branch (SSB) around 5 pm wounding a jawan and a passer-by, they said adding that the injured were hospitalised.

The grenade blast which was third such attack by militants in Srinagar within 24 hours caused panic in the area with shopkeepers and pedestrians running helter-skelter and seeking protection, official sources said.

SSB personnel present in the area at the time of the explosion also roughed up several shopkeepers and pedestrians in retaliation to the militant attack, the sources said.

Earlier, militants exploded two grenades, one each at Batmaloo bus stand in central Srinagar and at Maulvi Manzil in downtown Srinagar yesterday, wounding a jawan.

Militants exchanged fire with security forces at Haihama in Baramulla district last night, but none was hurt in the incident, the spokesman said.

Gunmen also forced their entry into the house of one Ghulam Ahmad Shah at Hangal Buchoo in Pulwama district last night and decamped with some cash and gold ornaments, he said.

Security forces also nabbed a Pakistani mercenary at Dagtoora in border district of Rajouri last night. Two militants of banned Hizbul Mujahideen were also nabbed yesterday, the spokesman said.

Militancy increased in 1999: Lone
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 3 — The State Government today admitted in the Assembly that the militancy-related incidents had increased during 1999 as compared to 1998 though the situation was under control.

Making a statement in the House the Minister of State for Home, Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, said in 1999 the number of militancy related incidents was 4326 against 4150 in 1998. He, at the same time, claimed that the overall violence level had declined by 37 per cent when compared to 1996 before the National Conference assumed power.

Mr Lone accused Pakistani agencies, especially the ISI, for kicking up-militancy related violence in the State. He said that the first of all the Kargil intrusion was timed to “rekindle the fire of militancy when all local militant organisations operating in the state had exhibited signs of fatigue and disillusionment about their 10 year old misadventure.”

He said that the ISI had made an attempt to change the complexion of the secessionist movement by inducting a large number of battle-hardened and ideologically motivated cadres of various Pak-based terrorist organisations, including the Lashkar-e-Toiba. He said local militants were now playing “a second fiddle to these mercenaries” adding that the support base of the militants had almost entirely floundered even traditional sympathisers of the movement having got disenchanted with foreign face of the armed campaign.

In furtherance of the new strategy the Fidayeen groups carved out of Lashkar militants have been inducted in the State in large numbers to penetrate into the heavily guarded security zones to target vital installations and eliminate those who were considered inimical to the ongoing armed campaign.

The minister dwelt at length on measures the Government had taken to upset the applecart of the militants. In this context he referred to the rejuvenated and expanded police force saying that besides increasing the police force from 30,000 to 50,000 the policemen had been equipped with sophisticated weapons and communication system allowing a chance to take on the militants. He said 114 border police posts were being established to check infiltration. Each district has one Special Operation Group of the police which is involved in fighting militancy.

Mr Lone also referred to the useful role the members of Villages Defence Committees and Special Police officers were playing in containing the activities of the militants. He said the security forces have been directed to observe restraint so that there were no human rights violations. He said that militants were trying to carry out major incidents of violence to destabilise peace in the state in the run-up to the forthcoming visit of the US President, Bill Clinton, to India.

The Assembly witnessed pandemonium during question hour when members belonging to the National Conference, the Congress and the BJP berated the State Government for having recruited large number of youth in several offices especially in the Housing and Urban Development Department in violation of rules. Mr Mohd Shafi Bhat of the National Conference alleged that rules were relaxed to accommodate favourites in various departments.

Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party alleged that 450 youth had been absorbed in the Housing Department in violation of rules. There were noisy scenes when the members cutting across party affiliation disputed the Government figures on sale and availability of fertilisers. They said that the J&K Fed had no money and hence this bankrupt agency had failed to procure fertilisers with the result farmers suffered the most. The BJP, the Congress and the Panthers Party members staged a demonstration in the well of the House. At this stage one Congress member, Mr Balbir Singh, was seen dragging NC member Mr Mubarak Gul to join him in the walkout.

Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, admonished Mr Singh and directed him to apologise. He stood and said “I am sorry” which satisfied the Speaker.

During zero hour members burst into a peals of laughter when Mr Harsh Dev Singh of Panthers Party suggested to the Speaker, Mr Vakil, to issue an advertisement in newspapers seeking information about the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who has not been present in the House for the last five days. Mr Singh offered to serve as a Chief Minister in case Dr Abdullah was not traceable.

Five rescued from Hizbul men

JAMMU, March 3 (UNI) — Rashtriya Rifles has rescued five youths forcibly recruited by the Hizbul Mujahideen in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The youths were rescued yesterday in an operation led by commando team of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in Udainpur village, 7 km east of Doda town.

They were identified as Nadeem Ahmed Tantrey, Ghulam Nabi Tantrey, Mubesher Ahmed Sheikh from Ghat village, Mohad Ayub Wani of Dhara and Zuber Ahmed Peer of Udainpur. All of them have been handed over to their parents.

According to defence sources, the arrest of an Hizbul terrorist Mansoor Ahmed in Doda last week provided security forces the vital clues of the whereabouts of the youths abducted in January-February this year. Mansoor Ahmed was reportedly involved in this.

Three teams of the Rashtriya Rifles launched search in the dense forest of Dushhan in the outskirts of Udainpur. After four days they hit the elusive hideout. Two terrorists, who were guarding the captives, fled on seeing the security forces.

3 ATVs deployed in Kargil

JAMMU, March 3 (PTI) — Three all terrain vehicles (ATVs) have been deployed in the mountainous Kargil terrain to detect infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC).

The ATVs, which are effective in the difficult Kargil-type terrain carrying heavy payloads including strong troop contingents, “are undergoing tests and trials”, Maj-General Military Operations, Northern Command, said today.

Once these pass the test, more vehicles will be brought to Kargil and other difficult places.

Besides the ATVs, manufactured in Germany, equipment like electronic surveillance systems and communication networks are also being brought in for guarding the borderline in Kargil.

Shivkhori: a Shiva shrine
From Our Correspondent

UDHAMPUR: The Shivkohri shirne is no longer a place of meditation for sadhus, but the place frequented by pilgrims. Most pilgrims to Vaishno Devi also visit this shrine. Being a Shiva shrine it draws a huge rush during Mahashivratri.

The front part of the cave serves as a natural safeguard against rains. It is always wet as water drops keep trickling from the roof. About 100 metres from the sanctum sanctorum, the cave widens and can accommodate about 500 devotees at a time. The cave seems to be having an no end.

The shrine is situated 3 km from Ransoo village, 100 km from district headquarters of Udhampur. To reach the shrine on foot devotees have to take a fair weather road. The road needs to be widened

A few years back, the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra, had taken up the management of the Shivkhori shrine and incurred lakhs on the improvement of the pedestrian track.

The Shiv Mandli, Katra, for the last several years has been taking keen interest in the development of the shrine. It has constructed stairs and a platform inside and outside the cave, put up an electricity generator for illumination in the cave. It puts up langar during the festival.