J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Kashmiri Sikhs to stay put: APSAC
SRINAGAR, April 22 — The representative body of Kashmiri Sikhs has asserted that the microscopic community was not thinking of migration as an aftermath of the Chatti Singhpora massacre of 35 Sikhs on March 20 last.

War widows for quota in legislature
JAMMU, April 22 — The War and Defence Widows Guild of India has demanded reservation for widows and their dependants in state legislatures, Parliament so that the issues regarding the plight of these widows and ex-servicemen could be raised in the Houses.

Farooq urges forces to exercise restraint
SRINAGAR, April 22 — Expressing sorrow over the loss of human lives in Tral and Sopore recently, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has called for restraint by law enforcing agencies while combating militancy.

Kashmir traders threaten stir over price hike
SRINAGAR, April 22 — The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) has threatened to launch an agitation against the recent hike in the prices of essential commodities in the state.

Kashmiri Sikhs to stay put: APSAC
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 22 — The representative body of Kashmiri Sikhs has asserted that the microscopic community was not thinking of migration as an aftermath of the Chatti Singhpora massacre of 35 Sikhs on March 20 last.

According to a spokesman for the All Parties Sikh Action Committee (APSAC), the reports regarding the migration of the community members from the valley were baseless and part of a “campaign” launched against the Sikh community. The spokesman said that this campaign was aimed at hurting the age-old traditional communal harmony in the valley. The spokesman was reacting to the reports appearing in a section of the press about the migration of over 150 Sikhs families from the valley over the past one month.

The issue was also discussed at a high-level official meeting headed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mr Khursheed Ahmed Ganai, here yesterday. Reacting to the reports, Mr Ganai said a deputation of the community members from Chatti Singhpora had called on him to convey their gratitude to the majority for showing solidarity with them in the wake of the massacre. The deputation told him that the Sikhs were not thinking of migration. He said, the majority community’s sympathy and support to their Sikh brethren during their hour of crisis had strengthened their confidence and encouraged them to stay put, an official spokesman stated here.

According to reports received here from Anantnag, only five Sikh families have migrated from Chatti Singhpora village and these were not the victims of the March 20 massacre. The reports said that these families were those who had told the police about the identity of the killers.

The Sikh Action Committee here had decided earlier that the community members, having less than two per cent of the total population in the valley, would not migrate on the pattern of Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated with the eruption of the militancy over a decade ago. Several senior Sikh leaders, including the Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, and the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Prakash Singh Badal, visited the village soon after the incident. Mr Mann, MP, also ruled out the proposal of the migration of Sikhs from the valley and instead urged the Central and the state governments to ensure safety to the community. The community had not faced any problems over the past decade, which Mr Mann said here, was possible due to an agreement reached upon by various Kashmir leaders on the condition that Sikhs would not side with the militants or the security forces.

Farooq urges forces to exercise restraint
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 22 — Expressing sorrow over the loss of human lives in Tral and Sopore recently, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has called for restraint by law enforcing agencies while combating militancy.

The Chief Minister, who arrived here on a four-day visit of the valley yesterday, reviewed the law and order situation at a meeting. The Minister of State for Home Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, MP, Ali Mohammad Naik and senior officers of the divisional administration attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister was briefed about the overall law and order situation in the valley with special reference to the recent incidents of fire and police firing at Seer (Tral) and Sopore. He sought information about the ex-gratia relief to be paid to the victims whose property was damaged recently at Seer (Tral) in Pulwama district.

The Divisional Commissioner told the Chief Minister that the cases were under consideration and the ex gratia relief would be provided to the affected persons next week. The victims have been provided free ration and monetary assistance by the Red Cross, he was told.

The Minister of State for Home, Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, who had earlier visited Sopore to take stock of the situation following firing incident in which two students were killed, announced that the DIG of Police, Baramulla-Kupwara range, had been directed to hold an inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, efforts are on to provide all facilities to the Durbar move employees as the Civil Secretariat and other state government offices would be re-opening here on May 8 for the summer months.

An official spokesman said here that Srinagar Municipality is launching a special drive to improve the sanitation in colonies and other places where Durbar move employees will be putting up. A high-level meeting headed by the Divisional Commissioner, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai, and attended among others by the Director, Estates reviewed the accommodation and other arrangements for the Durbar move employees, the spokesman said.

War widows for quota in legislature
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 22 — The War and Defence Widows Guild of India has demanded reservation for widows and their dependants in state legislatures, Parliament so that the issues regarding the plight of these widows and ex-servicemen could be raised in the Houses.

The guild has also demanded at least 5 per cent reservation of seats in the professional colleges and universities for the children of war widows and ex-servicemen. These demands were voiced by the Chairperson of the guild, Ms G.B. Singh. This mission has led her to cover 30,000 km in several states in the North during the past three months to find out the problems facing war widows and their children.

She told newsmen here today that it was because of her campaign that war widows of all wars, right from 1947, have been given pension of the scale sanctioned in case of Kargil war widows.

She said unless reservation is kept for the children of war widows they would neither be able to get admission in professional colleges nor get jobs even if they have merit.

Ms G.B. Singh, herself a war widow, said thousands of war widows, she met in different states, were without any suitable accommodation. They failed to live secure life and as a result of total neglect from government many war widows had to face harassment and had been subjected to various crimes.

She earned her name while organising mass remarriages of war widows in places, including Baramulla, Srinagar and Chandigarh. She said the initial resistance from orthodox families was on the decline, but in case the government introduced one rank promotion for those servicemen who married war widows it could have wonderful results.

The guild Chairperson was critical of the politicians for doling out many promises and never implemented even 10 per cent of those assurances. She felt a bit hurt that the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, did not get time to discuss the welfare measures of the war widows and those affected by militancy with her. She was all praise for late Sheikh Abdullah who would attend all functions organised by her when he was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

She wanted foolproof government measures for saving war widows against machination of the vested interests. She would wish to see these widows and their children saved from atrocities being committed on women.

She expressed her shock over the massacre of 35 Sikhs in village Chatti Singhpora in south Kashmir recently. She said the widows of the village should be treated equal to war widows. And this yardstick should be applicable to all those women who become widows as a result of militancy-related violence.

Ms Singh has appealed to the people and political parties to come forward and help the guild in its programme of ameliorating the lot of the war widows and ex-servicemen. She demanded one rank one pension.

Kashmir traders threaten stir over price hike
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 22 — The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) has threatened to launch an agitation against the recent hike in the prices of essential commodities in the state.

A spokesman for the federation here said that the agitation to be launched shortly would continue until the government reverts its decision of rise in prices of the essential commodities. He said that some of the state governments in the country had not implemented the new price structure, adding that it was being done in Jammu and Kashmir in spite of the economic hardships faced by the people.

The spokesman held that the people in general and particularly the over 80,000 strong traders’ community in the valley had suffered hardships due to decade-long militancy. It was difficult for the common man to meet the new prices of the essential commodities, he said. An Association of the Food and Supplies Department here have also urged the government to re-consider the price hike of the essential commodities.

Protest demonstrations were held in various parts of the capital city and major towns of the valley early this month against the hike in prices of the essential commodities. The police had to lob tear gas shells and fire in the air to disperse the demonstrators agitating against the hike in prices of the rice, kerosene and other essential commodities in the valley. These protests led to disruption of vehicular traffic on several interior routes of the city early this month for several days.

Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, here has said that the substantial hike in the Central Issue Price (CIP) of rice by the Food Corporation of India had necessitated the revision in the rates of foodgrains by the state government. The Divisional Commissioner, Mr Khursheed Ahmad Ganai, was addressing a meeting of representatives of a cross section of society to discuss various issues confronting them, an official spokesman said here last evening.

The Divisional Commissioner clarified that an impression was sought to be created that the state government had raised the prices which was not correct. He said the Central government had reduced subsidy leading to the hike in the price of rice, kerosene oil and LPG. He said the CIP of IR-8 and grade A rice was raised by the Central government to Rs 1135 and Rs 1180 per quintal, respectively. He said the state government only adds minimum handling and transportation charges on the CIP.