J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

J&K Cabinet to discuss autonomy
JAMMU, March 15 — The National Conference government, headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, is determined to secure restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. This became evident when the Cabinet, at its meeting here today, approved a plan of tabling a motion on the restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status to the state for discussion in the ongoing Budget session of the state legislature.

3 militants killed in valley
SRINAGAR, March 15 — At least three militants were killed and six others were injured while the security forces apprehended six persons in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

Feud worries Sikh leaders
JAMMU, March 15 — At an emergency meeting of several Sikh organisations here today concern was expressed over the growing feud between Akal Takht and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Will Clinton meet Hurriyat leaders?
JAMMU, March 15 — The Government of India will insist on sending a delegation of senior Kashmir leaders, including Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prof Saifuddin Soz, to meet the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, if he wishes to meet Hurriyat Conference leaders.

J&K Cabinet to discuss autonomy
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 15 — The National Conference government, headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, is determined to secure restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. This became evident when the Cabinet, at its meeting here today, approved a plan of tabling a motion on the restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status to the state for discussion in the ongoing Budget session of the state legislature.

The Cabinet is understood to have asked the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr P.L. Handoo, to decide on a date for initiating a discussion on the issue in the state legislature. It may be recalled that the report of the state Autonomy Committee had been placed on the table of the House during the Budget session last year.

The state government had sent a copy of the report to the Centre. The Union Home Minister had recently sent a note to the state government seeking its views on the Autonomy Committee report. Within less than three days of the receipt of the letter from the Union Home Ministry, the state Cabinet held its meeting in Jammu a month ago and endorsed in toto the report of the committee.

Despite the fact that the demand of the National Conference for restoring to the state its pre-1953 constitutional status was greeted with a countrywide reaction with several political parties, including the Congress and the BJP, opposing it, the state government has taken another step by deciding to discuss the committee's report in the state legislature.

National Conference sources said the idea behind discussing the committee's report in the state legislature was to frame a definite opinion of the two Houses on the matter. Once the state legislature adopted a motion on the restoration of greater autonomy to the state, the issue could be discussed with the Central committee in case Delhi decided to negotiate with the state on the matter.

Even the chief of the Anti-Terrorist Front, Mr M.S. Bitta, has threatened to launch a countrywide agitation if the state was allowed to go back to its pre-1953 constitutional position. During his recent visit to Jammu, Mr Bitta, who earlier headed the All-India Youth Congress, said the present problem in Jammu and Kashmir was Pak-sponsored militancy and if the state was given greater autonomy, it would encourage separatists. Several opposition members, except the one belonging to the CPM in the state Assembly, opposed the Autonomy Committee's report on the plea that it would weaken the Centre state relations and lead to the division of the state. Some of the staunch supporters of further emotional integration of the state with India have started treating the demand for greater autonomy as the first step towards "azadi" for the state.

The Chief Minister, Dr Abdullah, has reiterated that the demand for the restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status was not demand for separation. He has made it clear on the floor of the Assembly and outside that the demand for greater autonomy was nothing new. It was, according to him, a demand for the restoration of the constitutional status that existed till 1952 and had been accorded to the state within the framework of the Instrument of Accession, Constitution Order of 1950 and the Delhi Agreement of 1952. "We are not demanding something new; we are seeking restoration of what has been eroded", he has said during several public meetings and conferences.

But the critics of the Autonomy Committee report are of the opinion that if the pre-1953 constitutional status was restored it could lead to a major aberration in the Constitution of India and open the Pandora's box at a time when several states have been asking for greater powers.

These critics feel that by seeking the removal of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India and by seeking the repealing of several hundred Central laws applied to the state since 1953, the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be the main sufferers. Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, MLA and senior BJP leader, has said if the nomenclature of the Governor and the Chief Minister is changed to Sadr-i-Riyasat and the Prime Minister, it will not end militancy in the state.

However, the state government seems to be keen to get the Autonomy Committee report adopted by the state legislature so that it could tell people that it did its job as promised in the poll manifesto of the National Conference. The demand for the restoration of greater autonomy to the state has not materialised so far because of opposition from the Centre.

3 militants killed in valley
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, March 15 — At least three militants were killed and six others were injured while the security forces apprehended six persons in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

One militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Zagukhariyan in the Beerwa area of Badgam district yesterday. Four others were injured in the exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces, the police said. Those injured have been hospitalised. All of them were reported to be civilians. The police said that the encounter took place after the hiding militants opened fire on the search party.Another militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Chhornar forest area, Handwara, in Kupwara district of North Kashmir. One AK rifle, two AK magazines, 32 rounds of ammunition and a cash of Rs 1500 were recovered from the slain militant, a police spokesman told newsmen here this evening.

The spokesman said that a foreign militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Mahore in Udhampur district of the Jammu region. One AK rifle, five magazines and 107 rounds were found from the site of the encounter.One person, identified as Abdul Rashid Ganai of Draggam village in Pulwama district was injured in an exchange of fire between militants and the security forces at Abhom forests. The encounter ensued when security forces noticed suspicious movement of certain persons in the forests and signalled them to stop, but instead they fired upon the security forces, the police said. One rocket launcher and two rounds of AK ammunition were found from the place of the encounter, the spokesman said.

Feud worries Sikh leaders
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 15 — At an emergency meeting of several Sikh organisations here today concern was expressed over the growing feud between Akal Takht and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

These organisations have appealed to Sikh intellectuals, religious leaders and others to come forward and campaign against those "anti-Sikh forces" trying to undermine the authority of Akal Takht.

The meeting was presided over by Mr Jagdev Singh, President, State Akali Dal. Others who participated included Mr Gurbachan Singh Dutta of the Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, Mr Paramjeet Singh, General Secretary, AISSF, Mr Mohinder Singh, chief organiser, Kanya Nishkam Sewa Society, Mr Manjit Singh, General Secretary Sikh Naojawan Sabha; Mrs Surjit Kaur, President, Istri Akali Dal and Mr Manmohan Singh.

Mr Jagdev Singh said the current conflict between Jathedar Giani Puran Singh of Akal Takht, and Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, SGPC, was an unfortunate chapter in the history of the Sikh community.

Mr Paramjit Singh supported the excommunication of Prof Manjit Singh , Jathedar Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kewal Singh and Bhai Bhagwan Singh on the plea that they were controversial. He and others said that these religious leaders should have not associated themselves with the ruling Akali Dal politics.

The Sikh leaders said that had Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister and President Shiromani Akali Dal followed the hukamnama of Jathedar Ranjit Singh the current crisis would have been averted.

Mr Mohinder Singh blamed Mr Badal for having "lowered the prestige of Akal Takht" by violating its hukamnama. He said if Mr Badal continued to oppose the excommunication of three Jathedars he too should be "punished like Bibi Jagir Kaur".

Will Clinton meet Hurriyat leaders?
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 15 — The Government of India will insist on sending a delegation of senior Kashmir leaders, including Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prof Saifuddin Soz, to meet the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, if he wishes to meet Hurriyat Conference leaders.

Informed sources said that anti-India lobby in Washington has already mounted pressure on Mr Clinton to have a session with the Hurriyat Conference leaders during his forthcoming trip to India so that he could get the other side of the picture also.

Already a senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, has been in touch with senior US Embassy officials in Delhi in order to persuade them to send their recommendations to the White House on a meeting between the American President and Hurriyat leaders.

An interesting situation has emerged in Jammu and Kashmir with the date of Mr Clinton’s visit to India drawing near. While the mainstream politicians hope that Mr Clinton’s visit will smoothen Indo-USA relations, the separatists treat his visit as an arbitrator between the two countries on the Kashmir dispute.

The separatists in the Kashmir valley are excited as they believe that Mr Clinton will persuade New Delhi to accept his mediation on Kashmir. Some members of the Kashmir Bar Association attach deep significance to Mr Clinton’s visit to India. They have started harbouring hopes that Mr Clinton’s mediation would result in “independence” for Kashmir.

As these illusions grow, New Delhi is said to have sent a message to the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, that he should be present in Delhi during Mr Clinton’s visit so that in case a need arises he could be immediately consulted. Indications are that during any discussion on Kashmir the Centre would prefer Dr Abdullah to brief the American President.

The state government functionaries said since Pakistan has been gripped by an illusion that Mr Clinton would act as a mediator on Kashmir, Islamabad has reportedly directed its troops to intensify shelling on the Indian border villages in Jammu and Kashmir and assist militants in kicking up major subversive violence, thereby conveying to the American President that his intervention was called for ensuring peace in the subcontinent.

Army organises medical camps
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 15 — Several thousand people belonging to remote areas of Mendhar, Hamirpur and Balakot in Poonch district received treatment from Army doctors at camps held by Rajputana Rifles during the past two days.

Assistance from the civil administration was sought in providing free medicare to people in these backward areas. According to a Defence Minister spokesman, more than 2,000 patients were treated by the doctors in the camps today.

Many patients received medicines free of cost. Minor eye surgery was performed on some patients suffering from chronic eye ailments and their vision was restored. The Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Mr Khalid Hussain, appreciated the role of the Army doctors and the paramedical staff. He assured that the civil administration would provide all possible assistance to the Army in carrying out the noble drive.

Bodies of 8 ultras found

JAMMU, March 15 (PTI) — The Army yesterday recovered the bodies of eight militants buried under snow in Bagodass village in the Pir Panjal area of Jammu division.

A huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the site, a defence spokesman said here yesterday.

It could not be immediately ascertained as to how the militants had died, the spokesman said.

The documents found with the bodies indicated that the deceased belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.